Movie Review - Tumhari Sulu - by Suhel Johar

Tumhari Sulu Is One Of The Best Films To Come Out In 2017. It Is A Slice Of A Life Film Which Is Worth Your Ticket Price.

Tumhari Sulu is an extraordinary story of an ordinary woman. A story about a housewife-next-door. Writer director Suresh Triveni proves one does not need a complicated or even a complex plot to come up with a great movie. Tumhari Sulu is perhaps one of the most entertaining films of 2017. With its refreshing narrative, Tumhari Sulu is simply relatable and endearing.

Sulochana aka Sulu (Vidya Balan), is a chirpy and melodramatic stay-at-home mom, who is ambitious and awaits the right opportunity.  She is ever smiling, confident, full of ideas, slightly plump and yet sensuous. She loves to mimic Hema Malini and Sridevi and calls in and wins prizes on FM radio shows.

Her husband Ashok Dubey (Manav Kaul) and 11 year old son Pranav (Abhishek Sharrma) complete her world. Ashok is an honest employee at a garment factory since twelve long years.

Bullied by her elder sisters for not having accomplished much, Sulu comes up with numerous business plans, none of which materialize. It is then that she lands the job of a night Radio Jockey.

Station head Maria (Neha Dhupia) along with the show producer Pankaj (Vijay Maurya) and RJ Albeli Anjali (RJ Malishka) encourage Sulu to host the show. Her life changes upside down when her personal life goes for a toss. How Sulu manages to handle the crisis with her own distinctive charm is the story of Tumhari Sulu.

Writer director Suresh Triveni has perfected the art of recounting the small pleasures and pains, achievements and failures that make our lives anything but dull. Tumhari Sulu is an out and out entertainer in true Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee style. Tumhari Sulu has a pure depiction of a middle class life of an ordinary working couple. Few moments in the film such as Ashok handling the house chores in absence of Sulu, Ashok listening to her sultry show and feels embarrassed more than being proud as a husband, Sulu’s nagging and orthodox family who discourages her to resign from her job are touching and real.

The film is slow in the first half while the second half is fast paced and a lot is happens in the second half. Some unnecessary elements have been added to create a thrill in second half. The part where she becomes a late-night RJ is pretty much convoluted and a little unbelievable. The climax seems to be rushed through as if the makers just wanted to put an end to the joy ride. Despite some of these shortcomings Tumhari Sulu is an entertaining joyride with a progressive ending. So Tumhari Sulu may not be a great film but it definitely is a very simple and likeable film.

Debutante director Suresh Triveni subtly touches upon the issues of women equality and liberation with a lot of sensibility and a deft touch. A journey of a middle class working woman is beautiful crafted by him. His proves his directorial skills to be exemplary for a debutante director. Suresh Triveni’s writing skills are not bad either. He has come up with a simple story and his dialogues are real but he errs at places with his screenplay. Cinematography by Saurabh Goswami is good.  Editing by Shiv Kumar Panicker could have been better especially in the first half. Music by Tanishk Bagchi, Guru Randhawa, Amartya Rahut and Santanu Ghatak is just about okay. Ban Ja Tu Meri Rani by Guru Randhawa is sweet and well-picturised. It brings out the chemistry of the main leads. Background score by Karan Kulkarni is effective.

Performancewise, Vidya Balan is the real deal and she has nailed her role with perfection. Her comic timing is impeccable. Her portrayal of Sulu deserves a standing ovation. Manav Kaul matches her exceptionally well as the husband who stands up for his wife in his own timid way. His chemistry with Vidya looks good. The supporting actors have been cast to perfection – the strong but sentimental Maria Ma’am (Neha Dhupia), RJ Albeli Anjali (RJ Malishka), the poet turned scriptwriter Pankaj (Vijay Maurya), the bullying twin sisters (Sindhu Shekharan and Seema Taneja), the lady cabbie  (Trupti Khamka) and even the couple’s son Pranav (Abhishek Sharrma)  – portray their roles with sincerity and shine on several occasions.

On the whole, Tumhari Sulu is a good family entertainer with a couple of hours of non-stop laughs and the kids may learn about the dark side of mobile addiction while you’re at it.