Exploration through Struggle.
I am not very sure in which genre or category to put this film in or how to describe it exactly. It's one of those Bollywood movies which are made as feel-good movies, eye openers or just good films unlike most of the commercial therapy they come up with. After two movies based on real life stories and wars and riots, Shonali Bose comes up with this tale about a young college girl suffering from cerebral palsy. Unlike most films which are centered around the usual aspects of life and how a disabled overcomes them, this movie is centered around the sexual component, assumptions, emotions and behaviors that a disabled goes through because of his or her physical condition. It’s quite beautiful how the makers and writers have thought of this topic and tried bringing it up on the big screen although that did not happen perfectly.
We usually don't see films made in India which explore sex, but this movie takes a step further and takes a look into how the disabled struggle with their sexual desires and relationships. It shows how the young girl is attracted towards normal guys who reject her while she gets admission to NYU because of her writing skills. There the movie touches upon bisexuality and its role in how humans explore themselves to seek the truth. Although a few scenes of the movie were a bit Bollywood-ish, the movie is made well. It shares a very silent and calm nature to it. The movie does not hold a very strong story or plot. As mentioned earlier, it is more of an exploration through the eyes of one so the story and plot never really come into play, though that does bore a part of the audience. A major negative of the film was that in one or two particular scenes, it mentions how an award is given to someone for their disability. I believe that the words used in that scene were very harsh and that is not how this country works at all. That scene just brings shame to the country, more of a false emotional plea; a terrible thing to use.
The music of the film was beautiful, serene to say the least. Its soft nature brought out the words perfectly, just as they needed to. The few songs in there were good too and it was one of those Indian films with really good music which added up to the story very well. The dialogues were good, not much in to focus though. The movie didn't really need anything extraordinary and they were simple.
The movie did have a great cast which helped explain it much better. Kalki Koechlin led the way perfectly. She was pretty and yet you'd feel so much for her. Her performance was much better than in her previous movie and she seems to climb up the ladder from here. She really gave an outstanding performance.
Revathi was another outstanding performer. She played Kalki's mom who suffered from some cancer disease. It was beautiful how she portrayed her character. Her character was written very well: as a mom who takes a hit when she learns of bisexuality but also does think about it showing an open mind. She portrayed that very well.
Sayani Gupta wasn't exactly very convincing as a blind girl though she did a fair job.
Kuljeet Singh & Malhar Khushu play Kalki's dad and brother respectively and the two were really cute. They portrayed one of those Indian families where they are scared of the mom and that was really funny, and easy to connect with.
William Moseley, rather know as Peter Pevensie did a good job as a supporting actor. His role was important to the life of Kalki and he did just as he was expected to.
The title makes a lot of sense unlike what I initially thought. It's one of the most intelligent titles I've ever come across actually. Here's how one could interpret it: Kalki’s mom served her juice in a glass with a straw. Her first drink was a Margarita, showing significance to her opening up to the world with freedom and also an act of defiance and dissociation with family values or norms. By the end when she almost struggles to find her identity, she asks the bartender to serve the margarita in her mother’s glass and drinks it with a straw describing the entire motto of the film in one title, a journey of self exploration and discovery.
Overall, the film was good. It does not boast of anything big; it isn't an entertaining piece put on the big screen and neither is it a commercial blob. It’s just a nice short story of a girl with disability who is going through the struggles of a teenage life. It was a nice watch although I wouldn't recommend it to entertainment, plot or thrill seekers. It is a movie for the ones who appreciate something new and different from cinema which wouldn't blow their minds away, but might open them. Honestly, I am not a fan of this film at all.
Rating: 3/5 Stars.
-Kothi
I am not very sure in which genre or category to put this film in or how to describe it exactly. It's one of those Bollywood movies which are made as feel-good movies, eye openers or just good films unlike most of the commercial therapy they come up with. After two movies based on real life stories and wars and riots, Shonali Bose comes up with this tale about a young college girl suffering from cerebral palsy. Unlike most films which are centered around the usual aspects of life and how a disabled overcomes them, this movie is centered around the sexual component, assumptions, emotions and behaviors that a disabled goes through because of his or her physical condition. It’s quite beautiful how the makers and writers have thought of this topic and tried bringing it up on the big screen although that did not happen perfectly.
We usually don't see films made in India which explore sex, but this movie takes a step further and takes a look into how the disabled struggle with their sexual desires and relationships. It shows how the young girl is attracted towards normal guys who reject her while she gets admission to NYU because of her writing skills. There the movie touches upon bisexuality and its role in how humans explore themselves to seek the truth. Although a few scenes of the movie were a bit Bollywood-ish, the movie is made well. It shares a very silent and calm nature to it. The movie does not hold a very strong story or plot. As mentioned earlier, it is more of an exploration through the eyes of one so the story and plot never really come into play, though that does bore a part of the audience. A major negative of the film was that in one or two particular scenes, it mentions how an award is given to someone for their disability. I believe that the words used in that scene were very harsh and that is not how this country works at all. That scene just brings shame to the country, more of a false emotional plea; a terrible thing to use.
The music of the film was beautiful, serene to say the least. Its soft nature brought out the words perfectly, just as they needed to. The few songs in there were good too and it was one of those Indian films with really good music which added up to the story very well. The dialogues were good, not much in to focus though. The movie didn't really need anything extraordinary and they were simple.
The movie did have a great cast which helped explain it much better. Kalki Koechlin led the way perfectly. She was pretty and yet you'd feel so much for her. Her performance was much better than in her previous movie and she seems to climb up the ladder from here. She really gave an outstanding performance.
Revathi was another outstanding performer. She played Kalki's mom who suffered from some cancer disease. It was beautiful how she portrayed her character. Her character was written very well: as a mom who takes a hit when she learns of bisexuality but also does think about it showing an open mind. She portrayed that very well.
Sayani Gupta wasn't exactly very convincing as a blind girl though she did a fair job.
Kuljeet Singh & Malhar Khushu play Kalki's dad and brother respectively and the two were really cute. They portrayed one of those Indian families where they are scared of the mom and that was really funny, and easy to connect with.
William Moseley, rather know as Peter Pevensie did a good job as a supporting actor. His role was important to the life of Kalki and he did just as he was expected to.
The title makes a lot of sense unlike what I initially thought. It's one of the most intelligent titles I've ever come across actually. Here's how one could interpret it: Kalki’s mom served her juice in a glass with a straw. Her first drink was a Margarita, showing significance to her opening up to the world with freedom and also an act of defiance and dissociation with family values or norms. By the end when she almost struggles to find her identity, she asks the bartender to serve the margarita in her mother’s glass and drinks it with a straw describing the entire motto of the film in one title, a journey of self exploration and discovery.
Overall, the film was good. It does not boast of anything big; it isn't an entertaining piece put on the big screen and neither is it a commercial blob. It’s just a nice short story of a girl with disability who is going through the struggles of a teenage life. It was a nice watch although I wouldn't recommend it to entertainment, plot or thrill seekers. It is a movie for the ones who appreciate something new and different from cinema which wouldn't blow their minds away, but might open them. Honestly, I am not a fan of this film at all.
Rating: 3/5 Stars.
-Kothi