Kaalidhar Laapata Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating

Director: Madhumita

Kaalidhar Laapata Movie Review Synopsis:
KAALIDHAR LAAPATA is the story of an unusual friendship. Kaalidhar (Abhishek A Bachchan) lives in a town in North India with his brother Manohar (Vishwanath Chatterjee), Manohar’s wife Neetu (Madhulika Jatoliya), brother Sundar (Priyank Tiwari) and sister Gudiya (Priya Yadav). Kaalidhar is the eldest sibling and has taken care of his family after the untimely demise of his parents. After Kaalidhar is diagnosed with memory issues, Manohar, Neetu and Sundar realize that it’ll get difficult to take care of him. Hence, they decide to get rid of him. First, they surreptitiously take his thumbprint on property papers. Then they take him to Kumbh Mela and abandon him. They hope that Kalidhar will anyway forget about them due to his condition after which they can go back home and inform everyone that Kalidhar is no more. However, Kalidhar locates them and overhears their hidden agenda. As a result, Kalidhar leaves the town and reaches Bhojpur. Here, he befriends an orphan kid, Ballu (Daivik Baghela) and both strike a friendship. On the other hand, due to a change of circumstances, Manohar, Neetu and Sundar are now desperate to find the whereabouts of Kaalidhar. They take the help of Subodh (Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub), who makes it his life mission to locate Kaalidhar. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Kaalidhar Laapata Movie Story Review:
KAALIDHAR LAAPATA is adapted from the 2019 Malayalam film KD. Madhumita’s story is different from the original version. Madhumita and Amitosh Nagpal’s screenplay is breezy though it could have been better. Madhumita and Amitosh Nagpal’s dialogues are entertaining.

Madhumita’s direction is simple. The plus point of the film is the bond shared by Kalidhar and Ballu and it takes the cake. The performances further add to the impact. A few funny scenes will leave a smile while the emotional scenes also work.

Kaalidhar Laapata Official Trailer | Abhishek Bachchan | Daivik | Premieres 4th July 2025 on Zee5

On the flipside, the beginning portion of the film gives a déjà vu of VANVAAS [2024], which is also about a family dumping the patriarch with fading memory in a crowded religious spot. Kaalidhar’s memory issues are not properly depicted and this is something that will surely bewilder the audience. Moreover, the whole idea of Kaalidhar consuming biryani in such a manner that it tempts other customers to order the same dish is a great idea but somehow hasn’t been executed well.

Kaalidhar Laapata Movie Review Performances:
Abhishek A Bachchan is in his element as expected and genuinely comes up with a fine performance. However, he looks too young for the role. He would have suited this character 10 years from now. Right now, he doesn’t seem apt for a role that his father also did in BAGHBAN [2003]. Daivik Baghela is the surprise of the film and is truly a scene-stealer. Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub is dependable as always. Vishwanath Chatterjee, Priyank Tiwari and Madhulika Jatoliya lend able support. Richa Meena (Subodh’s wife) is okay. Nimrat Kaur (Meera) is superb in a special appearance.

Kaalidhar Laapata movie music and other technical aspects:
Songs are okay. ‘Haseen Pareshaaniyaan’ has a catchy tune while ‘Hans Ke Jaane De’ comes at an important juncture. ‘Dil Banjaara’ is peppy. Tajdar Junaid’s background score is simple.

Ashwini Shrivastav’s production design is straight out of life. Sheetal Iqbal Sharma’s costumes are awkward but at the same time, convincing. Gairik Sarkar’s editing is decent though in some scenes, it’s a bit jerky and needlessly fast-paced.

Kaalidhar Laapata Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, KAALIDHAR LAAPATA has its heart in the right place, buoyed by sincere performances and a few heartwarming moments. However, the inconsistent writing, miscasting and an overwhelming sense of déjà vu from films like BAGHBAN and VANVAAS pull it down. It’s a film that tugs at your emotions but stumbles too often to leave a lasting impact.