# Gulmohar (गुलमोहर) (2023 film)
**Gulmohar** (गुलमोहर) is a 2023 Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Rahul V. Chittella, in his debut feature, about a multi-generational Delhi family spending its final days in a 34-year-old house before moving out.[1](https://www.aajtak.in/topic/gulmohar) • [2](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/gulmohar-review-with-sharmila-tagore-and-manoj-bajpayee-a-treat-all-the-way-4-stars-3830429) It stars [Sharmila Tagore](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharmila-tagore), Manoj Bajpayee, Simran, Suraj Sharma, and [Amol Palekar](https://www.edgepedia.org/amol-palekar), and was released on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) on 3 March 2023.[1](https://www.aajtak.in/topic/gulmohar) At the 70th National Film Awards the film won Best Hindi Film and Best Dialogues, and Bajpayee received a Special Mention from the jury.[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 3 March 2023, direct to streaming on Disney+ Hotstar; runtime 2h 11m[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023) |
| Director and writers | Rahul V. Chittella, co-writer Arpita Mukherjee; his debut feature[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023) • [2](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/gulmohar-review-with-sharmila-tagore-and-manoj-bajpayee-a-treat-all-the-way-4-stars-3830429) |
| Principal cast | Sharmila Tagore (Kusum Batra), Manoj Bajpayee (Arun Batra), Simran (Indira), Suraj Sharma (Aditya), Amol Palekar (Sudhakar), Kaveri Seth (Divya)[5](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/gulmohar/cast/2060091787/) |
| Premise | The Batra family has four days left in their 34-year-old New Delhi home, sold to a redeveloper, before Holi[6](https://filmguide.iffigoa.org/detail/?id=5762) |
| Music | Original score and songs by Siddhartha Khosla, known for the series *This Is Us*[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16) • [7](https://www.news9live.com/entertainment/ott/gulmohar-movie-review-great-actors-galore-in-good-ol-middle-of-the-road-cinema-au1918-2060176) |
| National Film Awards | 70th National Film Awards: Best Hindi Film, Best Dialogues, Special Mention (Manoj Bajpayee)[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16) |
| Critical reception | 91% Tomatometer from 11 reviews and 76% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and setting
The film is set in present-day New Delhi and tracks the final four days, leading up to Holi, of the Batra family as they pack up their 34-year-old home, Gulmohar Villa, which has been sold to a redeveloper and will be demolished for a high-rise.[6](https://filmguide.iffigoa.org/detail/?id=5762) • [8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/gulmohar-sharmila-tagore-manoj-bajpayee-drive-engrossing-family-drama-8476757/) The matriarch Kusum Batra (Sharmila Tagore) has sealed the sale and decided to move to Puducherry to live independently, a decision that surprises her son Arun ([Manoj Bajpayee](https://www.edgepedia.org/manoj-bajpayee)).[5](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/gulmohar/cast/2060091787/) • [9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/gulmohar/ottmoviereview/98278232.cms) Amid the packing, the film interweaves individual storylines of family members and the household staff, surfacing secrets of the past, tensions of the present, and uncertainties of the future.[6](https://filmguide.iffigoa.org/detail/?id=5762)
The family shifts from the Lutyens Delhi bungalow to a plush Gurugram penthouse, and the characters speak Hindi with occasional English, a register the *Indian Express* described as typical of modern middle-class Delhi families.[10](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/what-rahul-v-chittellas-gulmohar-teaches-us-about-accepting-change-disney-hotstar-manoj-bajpayee-8480574/) Subplots include the guard Jeetendra Kumar (Jatin Goswami), in love with the house help Reshma (Santhy Balachandran), and the house help Param (Chandan Roy) who urges him to propose.[11](https://filminformation.com/featured/gulmohar-review-3-march-2023/)
## Cast and performances
**Sharmila Tagore** returned to acting with the film after a 13-year hiatus, playing Kusum, a character described by the *Indian Express* as a woman who makes her own choices, does not defer to social expectations, and wants to shed family responsibilities.[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16) • [8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/gulmohar-sharmila-tagore-manoj-bajpayee-drive-engrossing-family-drama-8476757/) India Today reported that her portrayal of a complex, queer matriarch drew widespread critical acclaim.[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16) It was the first time Tagore and Bajpayee were cast together in a film.[8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/gulmohar-sharmila-tagore-manoj-bajpayee-drive-engrossing-family-drama-8476757/)
The ensemble spans several generations of Indian cinema, including Amol Palekar as Sudhakar Batra, [Simran](https://www.edgepedia.org/simran-actress) as Indira, Suraj Sharma as Aditya, and Kaveri Seth as Divya, with Vinod Nagpal in a brief role as Arun's birth father.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/gulmohar/cast/2060091787/) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023)
## Production and music
The film was produced by Star Studios in association with Chalkboard Entertainment and Autonomous Works, with Rahul V. Chittella, Vikesh Bhutani, and Shujaat Saudagar as producers.[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023) Chittella had previously been a creative and producing partner with filmmaker [Mira Nair](https://www.edgepedia.org/mira-nair) on projects including *[Queen of Katwe](https://www.edgepedia.org/queen-of-katwe)* and *[A Suitable Boy](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-suitable-boy-tv-series)*.[6](https://filmguide.iffigoa.org/detail/?id=5762) The cinematography is by Eeshit Narain and the editing by Tanupriya Sharma.[6](https://filmguide.iffigoa.org/detail/?id=5762)
The original music is composed by Siddhartha Khosla, the American composer known for *This Is Us* and *Only Murders in the Building*; the *News9* review noted his use of sounds rooted in the Indian ear, such as earthen pots, to evoke the tension between the old and the new.[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16) • [7](https://www.news9live.com/entertainment/ott/gulmohar-movie-review-great-actors-galore-in-good-ol-middle-of-the-road-cinema-au1918-2060176) The soundtrack includes the ghazal "Dilkash", sung on screen by Talat Aziz, who also plays Avinash, and the song "Hori Mein" sung by Kavita Seth.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/gulmohar/ottmoviereview/98278232.cms) • [12](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/gulmohar-movie-108541)
## Reception
**Critics** responded positively. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 91% Tomatometer from 11 reviews and a 76% Popcornmeter audience score.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023) [Individual](https://www.edgepedia.org/individual) ratings included four stars from Saibal Chatterjee at NDTV, three and a half from the *Times of India* and *Filmfare*, and three from the *Indian Express*.[2](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/gulmohar-review-with-sharmila-tagore-and-manoj-bajpayee-a-treat-all-the-way-4-stars-3830429) • [9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/gulmohar/ottmoviereview/98278232.cms) • [8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/gulmohar-sharmila-tagore-manoj-bajpayee-drive-engrossing-family-drama-8476757/) Reviewers singled out the performances of Tagore and Bajpayee; recurring criticisms concerned subplots that some critics found difficult to process and dialogue that occasionally turned philosophical.[13](https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/movie-review/albeit-the-many-subplots-are-difficult-to-process-the-amiable-presence-of-sharmila-tagore-and-the-masterful-act-by-manoj-bajpayee-makes-film-a-pleasant-watch-485060/) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023) The trade magazine Film Information judged it a well-made film suited to streaming, noting that a theatrical release would have faced difficulty for lack of conventional commercial ingredients.[11](https://filminformation.com/featured/gulmohar-review-3-march-2023/)
Because the film was a direct-to-streaming release, no box office figures are recorded for it on trade trackers.[14](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/gulmohar/box-office/)
## Awards and festival recognition
At the 70th [National Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-awards), announced in August 2024, *Gulmohar* won Best Hindi Film and Best Dialogues, with Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V. Chittella recognized in the dialogue-writing category, and Manoj Bajpayee received a Special Mention from the jury.[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16) • [15](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024109412301.pdf) The film was selected as an Indian Panorama Feature at the [International Film Festival of India](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-film-festival-of-india), screened as the opening film at the Stuttgart Indian Film Festival, and shown as a Highlight Film at the New York Indian Film Festival, among other festival selections.[16](https://www.chalkboardentertainment.in/project/gulmohar) At the Filmfare OTT Awards 2023 it won Best Original Screenplay for a Web Film, with acting awards for Sharmila Tagore and [Suraj Sharma](https://www.edgepedia.org/suraj-sharma) in the critics' categories.[16](https://www.chalkboardentertainment.in/project/gulmohar) Bajpayee collected multiple Best Actor honors for the film across digital awards bodies in 2023.[16](https://www.chalkboardentertainment.in/project/gulmohar)
## References
1. [गुलमोहर topic page, AajTak](https://www.aajtak.in/topic/gulmohar)
2. [Gulmohar Review: With Sharmila Tagore And Manoj Bajpayee, A Treat All The Way, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/gulmohar-review-with-sharmila-tagore-and-manoj-bajpayee-a-treat-all-the-way-4-stars-3830429)
3. [Manoj Bajpayee's 'Gulmohar' wins big at 70th National Awards, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/manoj-bajpayees-gulmohar-wins-big-at-70th-national-awards-2583177-2024-08-16)
4. [Gulmohar (2023), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gulmohar_2023)
5. [Gulmohar - Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/gulmohar/cast/2060091787/)
6. [Gulmohar, IFFI Goa film guide](https://filmguide.iffigoa.org/detail/?id=5762)
7. [Gulmohar movie review, News9Live](https://www.news9live.com/entertainment/ott/gulmohar-movie-review-great-actors-galore-in-good-ol-middle-of-the-road-cinema-au1918-2060176)
8. [Gulmohar movie review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/gulmohar-sharmila-tagore-manoj-bajpayee-drive-engrossing-family-drama-8476757/)
9. [Gulmohar Movie Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/gulmohar/ottmoviereview/98278232.cms)
10. [What Rahul V Chittella's Gulmohar teaches us about accepting change, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/what-rahul-v-chittellas-gulmohar-teaches-us-about-accepting-change-disney-hotstar-manoj-bajpayee-8480574/)
11. ['GULMOHAR' REVIEW, Film Information](https://filminformation.com/featured/gulmohar-review-3-march-2023/)
12. [Gulmohar Movie (2023), Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/gulmohar-movie-108541)
13. [Gulmohar review, The Tribune](https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/movie-review/albeit-the-many-subplots-are-difficult-to-process-the-amiable-presence-of-sharmila-tagore-and-the-masterful-act-by-manoj-bajpayee-makes-film-a-pleasant-watch-485060/)
14. [Gulmohar Box Office, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/gulmohar/box-office/)
15. [National Film Awards: Best Dialogue citation, Press Information Bureau](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024109412301.pdf)
16. [Gulmohar, Chalkboard Entertainment](https://www.chalkboardentertainment.in/project/gulmohar)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 2020s › Hindi films of 2023*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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