Sir
Introduction
Is Love Enough Sir(or Sir), a film that has been a part of many film festivals including the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and a film that had a theatrical release in India last year, was touted as the best Hindi film of the year by many critics. Owing to the pandemic, I did not venture into the cinemas right away to watch this film, but I always had been on the lookout for it, if any OTT platform had purchased it. The film was out on Netflix with absolutely no publicity. And I have finally watched it. Is it worth your time, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Sir is the story of a tender relationship between a maid servant and young and prosperous man. The film is a slice of life film. But the story is so well written and presented that you almost start rooting for the protagonists. It gently tugs the strings of your heart. The screenplay, besides showing their relationship(which is not exactly love to begin with), is a social commentary as well. The class divide has been effectively shown here with minimum fuss. Certain sequences are actually relatable. The smaller moments with silence in between really uplifts the drama. The open end is nothing short of a work of a genius. In other words, this is a master class in screenplay writing, something that all film students should take a note of.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The Dialogues are minimal yet effective. The silence also plays its part in beautifully elevating a few scenes. The use of BGM is also minimal. Director Rohena Gera beautifully handles this delicate subject. This could so easily have been a put off of sorts but the quiet and intricate handling of the subject makes this a masterpiece.
Performances
There are small cameos by Dilnaz Irani, Rashi Mal, Divya Seth Shah and Saharsh Kumar Shukla and each one of them stand out. Never before have certain smaller cameos stayed with you, that is the beauty of the writing here. Anupriya Goenka as Ankita again stands her ground beautifully in an extended cameo. She is slowly carving a niche for herself and successfully so! Chandrachoor Rai as Vicky is such a natural onscreen. Geetanjali Kulkarni as Laxmi is a treat to watch, just so effortless. P V Bhagyashree as Chhoti is simply outstanding and really the find of the movie for me. Her bond with Ratna is really heartwarming. Vivek Gomber as Ashwin is wonderfully restrained and such a gentleman. He will charm you with his magnetic presence and his softness that he brings to his character. But the show belongs to Tillotama Shome who as Ratna has delivered a performance for the ages. She is highly underrated yet brilliant and totally convincing in this acting master class. She deserves a National Award for her towering performance that is meant to be studied and savoured!
Conclusion
Very rarely there are films that make the job of a film critic worthwhile and this is one of them. It makes you feel small as a person while reviewing this gem. I regret not watching this film in a theatre. Sir is quietly charming and a masterpiece to be savoured! Available on Netflix and Highly Highly Highly Recommended!