India, July 5 -- Kaalidhar Laapata reminded me of Nana Patekar's 2024 film Vanvaas. Both revolve around an ageing man, prone to memory loss, left at a distant, crowded place by his own family, who are unable to look after him anymore. They take over his property, only to encounter a problem for which they need him back. Along the way, the man meets a younger companion who changes his outlook towards life. What makes things murkier is that Kaalidhar's director, Madhumita, had also directed the original Tamil film K.D. in 2019, and this Hindi version is an adaptation.

Kaalidhar Laapata stars Abhishek Bachchan as the protagonist, a man who has sacrificed his own life for his younger brothers and sister. They couldn't care less about him and...