Although not very regularly, but Bollywood has churned out films that deal with handicapped people, and most of them have been very sensitive and moving. But Shonali Bose’ Margarita With A Straw goes a step forward. The film doesn’t deal with the problems the protagonist has to face because of her handicap. Instead, the film faces on other pertinent issues that everyone faces in their growing years, whether or not they are disabled. And as evident from the promos, the performances are exemplary, especially by Kalki Koechlin. A movie and performance to watch out for, in short!
The story of the movie: Laila(Kalki Koechlin) suffers from cerebral palsy and is based in Delhi. Her mother(Revathy) is quite supportive and protective of Laila and wants the best for her daughter. Hence, she doesn’t mind at all when Laila gets an opportunity to go to New York for higher studies. Once in USA, Laila embarks on a journey of self and sexual discovery and how it improves or affects her perception of life and her relationship with her friends and family forms the crux of the film.
The beginning scene(the family in the van) gives a strong indication that Margarita With A Straw is going to tread a different path. The few scenes thereafter very well throw light on the apathy in our country towards disabled people. One of the best sequences in this regard is the ‘Battle Of The Bands’ contest – it is so novel, so impactful, so entertaining! The introduction of the characters of Khanum(Sayani Gupta) and Jared(William Moseley) take the film to another film altogether. And the characters and situations are very relatable. Laila just happens to be handicapped. Otherwise, she is just another girl who is curious, who makes mistakes and who wants to be in the company of her loved ones. And that’s what the film deals with. Moreover, the humour quotient is superb and quite smart as well. The ‘bai’ bit will surely get the house down! Also, Laila’s father talking about a certain Punjabi woman and standing on the weighing machine with a suitcase provides laughs but within the context of the film.
However, Margarita With A Straw could have been better. The film ends too soon. Also, the finale moves too fast and somewhere, the impact lessens as a result. But somehow, the climax saves the show.
There’s no doubt that Kalki Koechlin delivers an outstanding and surely the best performance of her career. And this is not just because she’s playing a handicapped person. Laila has a lot of layers and it was not an easy task to do justice. But Kalki pulls it off. Also, the manner in which she brings out the nuances of a person suffering from cerebral palsy is seen to be believed. Kalki, take a bow!
Revathy gives a terrific performance. She forms the emotional base of the story and the veteran talented actor gives it all to come up with a stupendous performance. Her interactions with Laila are lovely and will surely be remembered as one of the best parent-child relationships depicted in movies. Sayani Gupta is stunning and leaves a very, very huge mark in a supporting role. Watch out how her eyes do so much of talking.
Hussain Dalal(Dhruv) appears confident and has a great screen presence. Tenzing Dalha(Nima) and William Moseley look dashing and get a chance to display their acting prowess. Kuljeet Singh(Laila’s father), Malhar Khushu(Laila’s brother Monu), Shuchi Dwivedi(Sameera) and others do a very fine job as well.
Mikey McCleary’s music is well placed in the film. The best song of the lot however is the foot-tapping and energetic Dusokute(by guest composer Joi Barua). Laila’s theme and Aai’s Alaap(Rajnigandha Shekhawat) are quite soulful. Anne Misawa’s cinematography is decent. Sound designing(Resul Pookutty, Amrit Pritam) is exceptional. Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar’s story is impressive. Dialogues are well written and thought of – very organic without going overboard at any place. Screenplay is effective as well but could have been consistent, especially towards the end. Shonali Bose’ direction is beautiful and it’s praiseworthy the way she depicts Laila and her association with her family and friends. Margarita With A Straw boasts of some intense lovemaking scenes but it’s sensitively depicted. It’s almost like a lesson on ‘how to correctly shoot lovemaking scenes’ for our filmmakers. A great effort by Shonali, despite the minuses!
Some of the best scenes:
The intro scene
Laila’s late night chat with Nima
The song ‘Dusokute’
Laila goes out to buy vibrator
Laila meets Khanum
Laila-Khanum head to a bar
Laila gets intimate with Khanum and Jared
Laila tries to ‘come out’
The last 20 minutes
On the whole, Margarita With A Straw is a touching, moving, novel and yet entertaining tale that will surely touch your heart. The film rests on the brilliant work of four women – actresses Kalki Koechlin, Revathy and Sayani Gupta and director Shonali Bose. The best thing about the film is that it’s not about disability and deals with issues faced by everyone in their growing years. Hence, it definitely strikes a chord. Go for this film in theatres and let’s ensure that just like Queen and Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Margarita With A Straw too turns out to be a commercial success!
My rating - 3.5/5!