Goodbye is a story of a family dealing with the loss of their loved one who was an anchor of their life, and the turbulence this loss causes among the rest of the members.
High on emotion, the first half deals with the family's struggle to come to terms with the death of their loved one and an appropriate way to cremate them in a ritual that will ensure peace for the departed. The second half deals with their journey to scatter the ashes and trying to cope without the person who was solely responsible to glue this dysfunctional family together.
The movie has a depressing tone throughout, which you would expect from a movie that revolves around death for it its entire runtime. I felt that the movie dragged out a lot. They should have wrapped it up in 2hrs, as compared to its actual runtime. Some sequences feel too forced without triggering any emotion. Although there is decent humour in some parts, most of it feels out of place, and awkward and hardly makes you chuckle. Neena Gupta shines in every sequence she features in, however, small they are. I feel she was underused considering the entire movie circles around her character who was loved by everyone. Amitabh Bachchan does not require an intro or validation. However, I found him a bit awkward during the most crucial sequence where he has to say his final goodbyes to his wife and the pillar of his life. His acting and dialogue delivery were not up to the mark considering that this particular scene involves a lot of emotion and was certain to trigger people's reactions. It feels too bland. You will see yourself tilting in your seat towards the nearest speaker to make out what he is trying to say.
The biggest letdown is Rashmika Mandanna. She just cannot act! Her dialogue delivery lacks punch, she carries a heavy accent that sounds misplaced, and her overall acting is quite irritating. The rest of the cast are decent in their places.
Overall, a film riding on emotion should have had a better impact and a more natural screenplay and acting. Alas, a missed opportunity.
