Vishal Menon
Watching Sweet Kaaram Coffee on Amazon Prime Video is a lot like a long road trip that covers the entire length of the country. It’s a journey with interesting pitstops and frustrating detours that remind one of the not-so-smooth travels that end with as many happy memories as sad.
When Sundari, her daughter-in-law Kaveri and granddaughter Nivi go on a trip, the two men get stuck at home. This role reversal results in funny interactions, even if it’s of the darker kind. For instance, when the father cooks, the son dismisses his labour of love. This scene underscores the plight of the women even without using a shot of them.
In a moving scene, we get to see a boy “bro-zoning” Nivi and the years of self-doubt this event goes on to create in her. But she doesn’t get sweet revenge by turning herself into a chiffon-saree goddess, like the finale Kajol gets in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Instead, she gets to hold her ground and be who she wants without sacrificing her love for cricket, denim or sneakers.
But it’s the frustrating detours that really take us away from these lovely characters. Like a lot of confusing writing going into Kaveri’s character or the friendship that develops between Nivi and a biker dude, which never goes beyond the absolute surface. We not only get almost zero chemistry but you also feel a lack of life in the way the biker’s character has been written.
The best moments remain with Lakshmi, who is a real vibe as Sundari. Not only does she light up regular scenes but it’s her conflict that remains a through-line right from the first episode. With an overall dullness otherwise, Sweet Karam Coffee needed more consistency in its writing to keep us hooked right through its super long runtime.