Sharmajee Ki Beti
Introduction
I can almost smell the foul odour of patriarchy simmering in the background as I sit to pen this review. This is true for almost films involving a female gaze, more so on OTT, wherein most are put down just because some viewers do not quite agree with the politics of the drama. And while this isn’t necessarily true for all films or shows having a female protagonist, it can’t be denied that a few feathers are ruffled in the garb of ‘Aisa Thodi Hota Hai’ or ‘Samaaj Ko Bigaada Jaa Raha Hai’ notions associated with these films. I for one am always curious on knowing the problems of the opposite gender while also celebrating their everyday victories, at times through films too. Which is why I was quite curious to watch the new Hindi film Sharmajee Ki Beti which is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Like always, I did go into the film blind hoping that the film would surprise me, so then does Sharmajee Ki Beti manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Sharmajee Ki Beti follows the story of women from different age groups as they navigate their lives through different issues related to gender and societal pressures. The story here is slightly preachy with its tone but most definitely a warm and sweet celebration of womenhood. The tone of the drama is often light and breezy while being easy going, but slightly preachy with simple bouts of resolutions that briefly dilutes the overall impact of the film. But the writing itself is charming and delightful in many ways that almost coaxes you to engage with the characters and invest emotionally in their journeys that ultimate keep the ship afloat in a screenplay standing at 115 minutes.
The thing that the writing gets spot on is the issues with respect to the age demographics of various characters. In a world where all protagonists have their surname reserved as ‘Sharma’, the drama includes a character from each age group while tenderly focusing on their issues wrapped in a coming of age tale. This may not necessarily be a fairy tale of each character but the screenplay does deal with everyday issues related to its characters. So you have Swati, a teenager who is desperately waiting for her periods to kick in, even as she grapples with the perception of her looks while having parental issues with her mother Jyoti, whom she feels does neglect her. Her friend and classmate Gurveen has an existential crisis of her own with respect to her identity even as her mother, a delightful character named Jyoti is dealing with an issue of loneliness even as she has to adjust to the crowded but less sympathetic city of Mumbai. Elsewhere Tanvi, a budding cricket is facing commitment issues at the hands of her passively dominating and subtly chauvinist boyfriend who wishes her to be a little more ‘girlie’. All of these conflicts intermingle even as their worlds collide in a warm little celebration of womanhood.
The proceedings are light and frothy to begin with, even as the biggest strength of the screenplay is its characterization. The idea of discussing problems of women from different age groups was an interesting seed, particularly because you also get a holistic overview of the fact that no two women might be dealing with a same set of issues. I also do believe that a few issues discussed here are gender neutral(for instance that of loneliness), and it did warrant for a good discussion that was effectively showcased through its characters.
The issue for me was in the middle when the writing did go around in circles with seldom adding new dimensions to the existing problems at hand. Another demerit was the preachy nature of the drama that briefly swayed away from its core which was light and frothy. But having said that, the drama still was entertaining while consistently being watchable. The events leading to the final act are simplistic, and while a couple of conclusions did seem to be abrupt and slightly confused, I was happy that the tone of the drama again shifted towards being light and frothy. And some of the conclusions did put a wide smile on my face while leaving me with a warm and fuzzy feeling in a screenplay that definiteky had its moments to shine.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational and exude a sense of warmth with its proceedings. And the drama works best while the lines choose to be that. The moment the momentum shifts to being preachy is the time that the drama briefly stumbles. The music is soothing and goes well with the light hearted vibe of the drama. The BGM is decent and does its bit in enhancing the impact of the drama at various junctures. The cinematography coupled with the lighting comprises of frames that add to the vibrant mood of the drama along with moments of darkness that is reserved for a couple of characters. I like how the seriousness of issues here are represented by the lighting of the frames. The issue of loneliness is a serious one and the same is represented through slightly darker tones with its frames while most others have a touch of vibrancy attached to them. The editing is quite good although the lag in the second act could have been ironed out for a crisper watch. Director Tahira Kashyap does a pretty good job here. The one thing that sets her apart is her sensibilities, something that is on show during the narrative here. Her characters are grounded and believable without trying to vilify any gender. The characters are shown to be victims of their psyche or their circumstances, most of them with a feminine gaze that adds so much empathy even to the male characters. While the direction isn’t exactly pitch perfect, there are several heartwarming moments created along the way that have the ability to put a smile on your face. The direction is pretty good here.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast here. Nazneen Madan as Dr Shreya definitely manages to leave a mark. Kashish Kanwar as Natasha has a sparkling screen presence in a job done well overall. Sushant Ghadge as Chotu is hilarious and does a swell job here. Tripti Sahu as Surina and Guneet Wahan as Shamma are perfect additions to the screenplay, and both of them leave a lasting impression. Parvin Dabas as Vinod had an interesting character arc where your perception towards his character is a bit of a roller coaster. And he is well restrained and does a pretty good job. Ravjeet Singh as Rohan is a character with subtle chauvinist bouts tagged to his character while always subtly aspiring to be dominating, and I thought he did a pretty good job here. Sharib Hashmi as Sudhir is such a warm character who is silently supportive towards his wife, and always has a smile on his face. He was terrific as always in another heartwarming performance.
Arista Mehta as Gurveen was a complex character silently waging a battle with respect to her identity, and she was absolutely brilliant to watch. Her partner-in-crime Vanshika Taparia as Swati is such a natural onscreen and a serious talent to keep an eye on. She tactfully got into the skin of her character and portrayed the different shades and insecurities of a teenager with utmost perfection. Saiyami Kher as Tanvi has a stunning screen presence, and Indo believe that she is improving her acting chops with every passing opportunity. She definitely showcases her vulnerabilities pretty well here.
Sakshi Tanwar as Jyoti is wonderfully restrained and silently makes a staggering impact here. At the core of her character, she is caring and heartfelt towards her child that doesn’t necessarily translate into actions. Yet, she maintains a wonderful emotional streak with her character that was so heartwarming to witness. Divya Dutta has got to be one of the finest performers who somehow always slips under the radar of people. She is such a versatile actor that slips effortlessly into any character given to her, and here too, she is such a delight to witness as Kiran. She character was dealing with a passive trauma(giveb her inherent nature), and there was such nuance and finesse in her performance that ended up being my favourite character in the film. She showcases her gentle vulnerability while always flashing her disarming smile, in what was quite a towering act of the highest order.
Conclusion
Backed by incredibly good performances, Sharmajee Ki Beti is a warm little celebration of everyday victories of womanhood that makes for a good watch. Available on Amazon Prime.
