Tumhari Sulu Movie Review: Vidya Balan shines and makes it an amusing watch!

Cast – Vidya Balan, Neha Dhupia, Manav Kaul

Direction – Suresh Triveni

Genre – Comedy/Drama

Duration – 2 hr 3 mins

Rating – 3.5/5

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Plot – A carefree Mumbai suburban housewife Sulochana, lovingly known as Sulu, lands the role of a night Radio Jockey, resulting in severe changes to her usual life.

Review – There has been a fresh spate of Bollywood movies devoid of its classic glamorous sheen with a spotlight on the lives of middle-class suburban Indian households. Director Suresh Triveni makes his directorial debut by taking this into consideration while penning the story around Sulochana or ‘Sulu’ (Vidya Balan), a housewife whose achievements aren’t usually noteworthy, but that doesn’t stop her from dreaming big. When offered a rare opportunity, her subsequent decisions and actions influence her husband, son and her family. As a testament to Triveni’s skill as a writer, Sulu doesn’t lose her identity as she begins to be familiar with the commercial media life as a Radio Jockey, walking the tightrope stuck between her overnight fame and managing her domestic demands.

Vidya Balan is totally in her element, infusing Sulu with a copiousness of infectious optimism without being aggravating. She makes Sulu engaging by bringing out the different shades of a woman who has put her personal dreams on hold because of her family. It also helps that she is confined on all sides by strong performances, in those playing her colleagues as well as loved ones. Manav Kaul, in particular, is rightly cast as Sulu’s husband Ashok – a man trying his best to make his wife happy, but also faces work stress that gets deflected into anger. Also, her family isn’t too delighted about her sweet-talking potential creeps on a night-time show which adds fuel to the drama around Sulu’s new career.

The unexpected shift from being lighthearted to a serious drama is mainly where the film falters. Until then, there are complete sequences, especially with her colleagues which are thoroughly amusing but don’t add up to much. We spend a lot of time looking all the way through Sulu’s lens, and at the same time as there’s a lot to fun stuff to savour there, thanks to Vidya – this key conflict emerges well into the film’s run-time, at a point where her voice is just starting to    be heard in the world. Luckily, the tonal shifts are not too harsh to detach from the story which is straightforwardly accessible. A majority of the urban populace will relate to the challenges faced by Sulu and her family, as we all struggle to live out our dreams of a better life.

Final Words – The heart of this story is ‘Main Kar Sakti Hai’, and with such a genteel and friendly actress as Vidya Balan in the lead, it is lovingly captured in ‘Tumhari Sulu’ making it an enjoyable watch for the whole family.

In Depth Ratings –

Story – 3.5/5

Direction – 3.5/5

Dialogues – 3.5/5

Music – 3.5/5

Visual Appeal – 3.5/5