By Murtaza Ali Khan
Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
Tumhari Sulu - Official Trailer (YouTube)
Tumhari Sulu, written and directed by the Suresh Triveni,
presents the story of a Mumbai-based housewife who aspires of becoming a Radio
Jockey. Produced under the banners of T-Series and Ellipsis Entertainment,
Tumhari Sulu stars Vidya Balan in the titular role. The film costars Neha
Dhupia, Manav Kaul and Vijay Maurya with Malishka Mendonsa aka RJ Malishka and Ayushmana Khurana making special appearances.
Tumhari Sulu is the latest in the series of slice-of-life films
to have come out of Bollywood in the recent times. These films are certainly a
departure from the run-of-the-mill films that Bollywood keeps churning out. The
success of such films is dependent on ensemble cast rather than star power. The
screenplay gives freedom to the director as well as the actors to explore new
things. Tumhari Sulu is no different in this regard. Some of those who watch it
may be reminded of the light hearted family drama films of the ‘70s.
Vidya Balan’s performance in Tumhari Sulu is part playful, part
sober. Here is a woman who is constantly reminded of her failures by those
around her. We learn that she failed in her Class XII exams not once but twice.
The third time around she fell in love and got married and could never complete
her studies. She has always wanted to work but her family responsibilities
haven’t allowed her to take up a job even though her husband’s salary is barely
sufficient to run the household. But it hasn’t stopped her from regularly
taking part in locality events/competitions wherein her talent gets constantly
acknowledged. So when she learns of an opening for the role of an RJ, she is
quick to pounce on it. Only things are not as simple as she thinks at first.
The rest of the film is about her trying to overcome the various obstacles that
prevent her from realizing her dream.
Tumhari Sulu begins on a promising note but it fails to sustain
the impetus. Radio offers a great opportunity as a cinematic trope and several
movies in the past have used it to great effect. Two great examples that come
to mind from Hindi cinema are Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se and Shakti Samanta’s Anurodh. What Shah Rukh Khan and Rajesh Khanna achieve in the two
films, respectively, allows radio to become a character of its own. Of course,
the credit also goes to the direction and the writing in those two films. Sadly,
this homogeneity seems to be missing in Tumhari Sulu. Also, Vidya Balan’s
accent lacks consistency and keeps fluctuating throughout the film. The endless
product and service placements in the film come across as rather annoying. Tumhari
Sulu certainly has its moments but ultimately it comes across as a missed
opportunity.
Rating: 5.5/10
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
Rating: 5.5/10
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
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