We Are Family (2010 film)
| We Are Family | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Siddharth P. Malhotra |
| Written by | Venita Coelho (Indian Adaptation) |
| Story by | Gigi Levangie |
| Based on | Stepmom (1998) |
| Produced by | Hiroo Yash Johar Karan Johar |
| Starring | Kajol Kareena Kapoor Arjun Rampal |
| Cinematography | K. U. Mohanan |
| Edited by | Deepa Bhatia |
| Music by | Original Soundtrack: Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy Background Score: Raju Singh |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 115 minutes |
| Countries | India United States |
| Language | Hindi |
We Are Family is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language family drama film directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar under Dharma Productions. It was co-produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment and UTV Motion Pictures.[1] An official Indian adaptation of the 1998 American film Stepmom, the film stars Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, and Arjun Rampal in lead roles.
Initially scheduled for release on 10 September 2010, the film was advanced to 3 September to avoid clashing with Dabangg (2010).[2] Upon release, We Are Family received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular acclaim for the performances of Kajol and Kapoor. However, it underperformed commercially, grossing around ₹42 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹28 crore.
At the 56th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role.[3] A promotional mobile video game based on the film was developed and released by Indiagames, a subsidiary of UTV Software Communications.[4]
Plot
[edit]Maya is a devoted single mother who shares custody of her three children—Aaliya, Ankush, and Anjali—with her ex-husband, Aman. The family dynamic is disrupted when Aman introduces his girlfriend, Shreya, a career-focused fashion designer. Initially unable to connect with the children, Shreya is viewed with suspicion, especially after a misunderstanding during Anjali's birthday party and a subsequent incident where Anjali briefly goes missing under her care.
Maya later discovers that she has terminal cervical cancer. Concerned for her children's future, she asks Shreya to take over maternal responsibilities after her death. Though hesitant at first, Shreya eventually agrees and begins to bond with the children. Tensions ease as Shreya adapts to her role, and Maya entrusts her with guardianship. Maya spends her final days with the family and passes away following a Diwali celebration. The film concludes with a flash-forward to Aaliya’s wedding, where Shreya, now married to Aman, reflects on Maya's legacy and her role as the children's stepmother.
Cast
[edit]- Kajol as Maya: Aman's ex wife, Aaliya, Ankush and Anjali's mother
- Kareena Kapoor as Shreya Arora: Aman's girlfriend turned wife, Aaliya, Ankush and Anjali's step-mother
- Arjun Rampal as Aman: Shreya's husband, Maya's ex-husband, Aaliya, Ankush and Anjali's father
- Aanchal Munjal as Aaliya: Aman and Maya's elder daughter, Shreya's step-daughter
- Amrita Prakash as Adult Aaliya (cameo)
- Nominath Ginsberg as Ankush: Aman and Maya's only son, Shreya's step-son
- Ankit Malik as Adult Ankush (cameo)
- Diya Sonecha as Anjali: Aman and Maya's younger daughter, Shreya's step-daughter
- Dincy Vira as Adult Anjali (cameo)
- Iravati Harshe as Dr. Rati Malhotra, Maya's doctor
Production
[edit]Karan Johar acquired the official rights to adapt the American film Stepmom (1998) for Indian audiences, initially working under the title Love You Maa. Rather than purchasing the rights outright, Johar opted to co-produce the film with Sony Pictures, marking one of the first collaborations between a major Hollywood studio and an Indian production house.[5]
Principal photography took place between November 2009 and April 2010 in Sydney, Australia, and Mumbai. Director Siddharth P. Malhotra later revealed that several scenes addressing racial discrimination in Australia were removed during editing to avoid appearing exploitative amid real-life incidents of violence against Indian students in the country.[6]
Soundtrack
[edit]| We Are Family | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 2 August 2010[7] | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 26:22 | |||
| Label | Sony Music India | |||
| Producer | Karan Johar | |||
| Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy chronology | ||||
| ||||
The soundtrack features six original songs composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Anvita Dutt Guptan. One of the tracks, "Jailhouse Rock," serves as a tribute to the Elvis Presley classic of the same name.[8]
Track list
[edit]| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ankhon Mein Neendein" | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal | 5:02 |
| 2. | "Dil Khol Ke Let's Rock" | Anushka Manchanda, Akriti Kakkar and Suraj Jagan | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Reham O Karam" | Vishal Dadlani and Shankar Mahadevan | 5:47 |
| 4. | "Hamesha & Forever" | Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Sun Le Dua Yeh Aasmaan" (Theme Slow Version) | Bela Shende | 3:53 |
| 6. | "We Are Family" (Theme) | 2:48 | |
| 7. | "Noor E Khunda" | Adnan Sami, Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal | 6:39 |
| 8. | "Aaj Kal Zindagi" | Shankar Mahadevan | 4:14 |
| 9. | "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" | Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik | 8:04 |
| 10. | "Kal Ho Naa Ho" | Sonu Nigam | 4:54 |
- Notes
- Tracks 7 to 10 are listed as bonus tracks on the audio CD release and are reused songs from previous Dharma Productions films.
Release
[edit]The teaser trailer for We Are Family premiered with I Hate Luv Storys, which was released on 2 July 2010. The film was initially slated for release on 10 September 2010, but the date was advanced to 3 September to avoid a box office clash with Dabangg.[2]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]The film opened with ₹27 million on its first day and collected ₹205 million by the end of its second week. Its total domestic gross reached approximately ₹220 million.[4] Though declared "average" in India, the film performed relatively well overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, and was classified as a "semi-hit" by Box Office India.[9]
Critical response
[edit]We Are Family received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with widespread praise for the performances of Kajol and Kareena Kapoor. Indo-Asian News Service rated the film 4 out of 5, calling it "equally appealing from the outside and at the heart." [10] Hindustan Times gave it 2 out of 5 stars, while India Today noted, "Kajol cries, Kareena cries, the kids cry, and even Arjun Rampal sheds an artful tear. We weep for the loss of two hours."[11][12][13][14][15]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Date of the ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 January 2011 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female | Kareena Kapoor | Nominated | [16] |
| Filmfare Awards | 29 January 2011 | Best Supporting Actress | Won | [17] | |
| Stardust Awards | 6 February 2011 | Best Actress in a Drama | Kajol | Nominated | [18] |
| Kareena Kapoor | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ Bollywood Hungama News Network (19 June 2010). "Karan Johar's Stepmom remake titled as We Are Family". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Aish, Salman Films Clash At Box Office On Eid Release". India TV. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
- ^ "We Are Family Movie Review {3/5}: Critic Review of We Are Family by Times of India", The Times of India, retrieved 25 June 2019
- ^ "We Are Family". phoneky.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Arjun Rampal & Karan Johar talk about their new film 'We Are Family' BBC Asian Network. 4 September 2010.
- ^ Hindustan Times
- ^ "Tere Bin Laden: Soundtrack listing and details". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ Times News Network (6 August 2010). "Arjun rocks it the Elvis style". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
- ^ "Dabangg Dominates We Are Family Drops". Boxofficeindia.com. 18 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ "We Are Family Movie Review: STOPmom".
- ^ "'We Are Family':Movie Review". WorldSnap. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ^ "We Are Family Review". Archived from the original on 3 September 2010.
- ^ "Kajol to the rescue". 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Komal Nahta's Review: We Are Family".
- ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (1 September 2010). "We Are Family". The Times of India.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood. "Winners of Zee Cine Awards 2011 | Latest Movie Features - Bollywood Hungama". www.bollywoodhungama.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "It's SRK vs Salman at Filmfare". The Times of India. 13 January 2011. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood (22 January 2011). "Nominations of Stardust Awards 2011 2011 : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Retrieved 31 May 2025.
External links
[edit]
- 2010 films
- 2010s Hindi-language films
- Remakes of American films
- Indian remakes of American films
- Films shot in Sydney
- Films shot in Mumbai
- Films scored by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
- UTV Motion Pictures films
- Hindi remakes of English films
- Sony Pictures films
- Columbia Pictures films
- Sony Pictures Networks India films
- Films about dysfunctional families
- Films about mother–daughter relationships
- Indian buddy comedy films
- Indian female buddy films
- American buddy comedy films
- American female buddy films
- Films adapted for other media
- Films about cancer
- 2010s American films