This week sees the release of Kirkkan, which features Sreenivasan and his son Vineeth Sreenivasan on screen. Of course, this is not the first time the duo has starred together. They have acted in movies like Makante Achan, Padmashree Bharath, Dr. Saroj Kumar and Aravindante Athidhikal.
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The father and son combination in the same film gives us an excuse to collate a list of similar movies. And in India, where the film field is accused of rampant nepotism, such occurrences are not infrequent. But truth be told, such pairings add an extra layer of attraction to the films.
10 Indian Movies That Showcase Real-Life Father and Son Combinations
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
Year: 2007 | Platform: Amazon Prime Video | Genre: Romantic comedy
Ideally, we would have wanted Paa on the list. But currently, it does not stream anywhere. In the event, our next preferred Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan starrer — the most well-known father and son combination in Indian cinema — is Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.
We have chosen it over the more popular Bunty Aur Babli, both incidentally directed by Shaad Ali, because we think Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is misunderstood and deserves more love. This romantic comedy, with buoyant songs, is a lark of film that does not take itself seriously at any point. Amitabh is a hoot. What else do you want?
Watch Jhoom Barabar Jhoom on Prime Video.
Mahaan
Year: 2022 | Platform: Amazon Prime Video | Genre: Family cum action
This is another glorious misfire, panned mercilessly by critics. But this Vikram and Dhruv Vikram is typical of Karthik Subbaraj’s gangster film, which avoids the genre cliches with elan. This is an all-out action movie that pits the bad dad against the frizzy son cop. But the interplay of emotions is special. There is fire and brimstone in the scenes involving the son-pa. Vikram, as ever, is in great form. His son was also impressive.
Nenokkadine
Year: 2014 | Platform: Amazon Prime Video | Genre: Thriller
Mahesh Babu, a son of yesteryear Telugu star Krishna, has acted with his dad in a few movies. But now Mahesh Babu’s son Gautham Krishna is growing up. And he makes his debut as a child star in this thriller. He plays — what else? — the younger version of Mahesh Babu character on screen. As it happens, this Telugu film also happens to be Kirti Sanon’s debut. The film has interesting shades but did not do well at the cinemas.
Manam
Year: 2014 | Platform: Disney+ Hotstar | Genre: Family drama
There is no dearth of father and son combinations in Telugu. Nagarjuna and his legendary father, Nageswara Rao, are one. Nagarjuna and his son Naga Chaitanya are one, too. This film Manam features the three generations of granddad, dad and son in an interesting movie that made most viewers curious with warm emotions.
The film was a feel-good entertainer. Just as well, as it featured a full set family. Samantha, who was once married to Naga Chaitanya, is one of the heroines. Amala, who is Nagarjuna’s second wife, makes a cameo appearance. And as it happens, Nagarjuna and Amala duo’s son Akhil also plays a guest role. Uff!
Raja The Great
Year: 2017 | Platform: Disney + Hotstar | Genre: Action comedy
This action comedy Telugu film marks the debut of Telugu star Ravi Teja’s son’s debut in movies. Mahadhan, inevitably, plays the young Ravi Teja in the movie, which is typically an over-the-top entertainer that Ravi Teja dishes out. He plays a blind person, and the movie provides some interesting concepts like clapping hands to check the difference in sound. This is all for mindless fun that Telugu cinema has made its own.
Acharya
Year: 2022 | Platform: Amazon Prime Video | Genre: Action drama
In Telugu cinema, there is no bigger star than Chiranjeevi. The megastar, as he is called, made an enjoyable cameo in his son Ram Charan’s 2009 movie Magadheera (directed by SS Rajamouli). He shows up in his famous song ‘Bangaru Kodipetta’ (archival footage was also used from the same song). In Acharya, where Chiranjeevi plays the hero, the roles are reversed as Ram Charan plays the cameo here. The father and son combination scenes set the screen ablaze with crackling chemistry. It is the reason we go to cinemas.
AK vs AK
Year: 2020 | Platform: Netflix | Genre: Black Comedy
This is the most cunning and wicket inversion of all Bollywood cliches, which pits Anil Kapoor against another AK, Anurag Kashyap. If the title was an inspired choice, the way the film unfolds is no less breathtakingly crazy. Amil Kapoor’s son Harshvardhan Kapoor also plays himself. And what’s more, he mainly makes jokes about himself and his struggling career. The pure chutzpah of this film is unmatched. And we can’t recall a father and son film in which they both play their real-life themselves.
Jersey
Year: 2022 | Platform: Netflix | Genre: Sports drama
This Hindi film is a remake of the Telugu hit of the same name. Written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, this film has some real cricket action scenes that were adeptly choreographed and directed by Rob Miller of ReelSports. It stars Shahid Kapoor as a former cricketer who returns to the game for his son’s wish to buy a jersey T-shirt. His dad, the veteran Pankaj Kapoor, plays his former coach in the film. The sequences involving the two were warm and emotional.
Besharam
Year: 2013 | Platform: Zee5 | Genre: Comedy
This comedy Hindi film features the two Kapoors from the family that has given the most people to the industry. It started with Prithviraj Kapoor, and the legacy was carried forward by his son Raj, whose two brothers, Shammi and Shashi, and three sons, Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv, have all been heroes in their own right.
Anyway, Besharam stars Rishi Kapoor and his wife Neetu Singh as husband and wife cops. And the film’s hero is their son, Ranbir Kapoor, who plays a small-time thief they are after. It is a comedy caper film but made warm by the presence of the three.
Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea
Year: 2021 | Platform: Amazon Prime Video | Genre: Historical
This Malayalam, a hugely mounted historical film, has a huge star cast. But the talking point was the presence of Mohanlal and his son Pranav Mohanlal together. The film also had a dad-son combo behind the scenes- this film, directed by veteran Priyadarshan, had production design and visual special effects overseen by his son Siddharth Priyadarshan. Of course, the director’s daughter Kalyani Priyadarshan is also in the cast.
This set of combinations is again unique in the annals of Indian cinema that’s no stranger to family connections ruling the roost.
