Once in a while, there comes along a charming film that fills you with idealistic optimism and is strangely inspiring. Director Sharat Katariya’s Sui Dhaaga — Made in India, enacted endearingly by Bollywood’s top talents Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan, is one of them.
It’s a heartwarming countryside drama about jovial simpleton Mauji (Sharma) and his meek-but-enterprising wife Mamta (Sharma) and their obstacle-filled quest to set up their own tailoring business.
Sui Dhaaga is your typical utopian Disney or Pixar film for the grown-ups where the underdogs and the triumph of the human spirit will be celebrated at all costs.
Is it simplistic? Definitely. But do you buy it? Most definitely.
Sharma and Dhawan play a timid couple who live in a joint family in the small town of Chanderi. They have been married for a while, but have never found the time to discover each other. But there’s no drama around it.
Money is tight in their household and daring to dream can cost them heavily. From the outset, we are told that turning into an entrepreneur brings you doom as Mauji’s grandfather had gone bust in his tailoring business. His failure still shapes their cash-starved present and naturally they side with pragmatism than start-up dreams.
But the seemingly meek Mamta nudges her jolly husband to leave his conventional menial job where he’s treated like a pushover to earn some dignity in his daily life.
Sharma is adorable as this seemingly submissive but sturdy Mamta. The chic star, who is known for her cosmopolitan persona, has nailed the unpolished body language of a small-towner without making it look patronising. Sharma, too, has this lost puppy appeal (if you discount his gym-buffed body) and you feel like adopting them along with their aspirations.
That’s one of the joys of watching these actors on the big screen.
They have enough collective charisma to make us invested in a tale that’s utterly predictable. They bring to life the simple joys of being earnest.
But it’s not just the lead actors that are spot on. The Sui Dhaaga ensemble with talents including Raghubir Yadav as Sharma’s practical dad, actor Namit Das as the scheming relative and Govind Pandey as Sharma’s crafty brother breathe life into the drama.
While the first half is filled with feel-good moments, the second half gets slightly indulgent as the plot veers towards suspension of disbelief, especially considering the grim economic climate.
Their road to self-reliance in this clean entertainer as they set up their own venture isn’t particularly rocky and a realist junkie may never buy into the twists. But it will definitely hurt less if you stop looking for loopholes.
Sui Dhaaga is a wholesome entertainer which demands that you don’t over-analyse it by pulling at its weak threads.
It has its sparkling moments — mainly due to the performances of the actors and the nuggets of humour that are thrown in. So why not pin your hopes on Sui Dhaaga?
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Don’t miss it!
Film: Sui Dhaaga — Made in India
Director: Sharat Khatariya
Cast: Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan
Rating: PG13
Running Time: 145 minutes
Stars: 3 out of 5
