Tumhari Sulu: Pleasant Dosage of Vidyabalan Smiles

If you are feeling down,  sad, weary, then the prescription is  a dose of Vidyabalan at her comic best. Her portrayal of Sulu, the lead character of Tumhari Sulu, is simply amazing. She is part of a superb cast, especially the cast of Sulu’s family is so relatable, I am sure everyone has those bits in their family, which will just pop up as you watch the movie.
The first half is a laugh riot, it is hard to slot the movie, its about many things, relationships, comedy, career, choices, and yet at the heart of the movie is Sulu. In many ways Sulu is endearing, as she represents inner desire of doing something, here she is a housewife, some may say happy, and yet  an aspiration to do something. The complaints she has against her family for not encouraging her, that sibling rivalry, that feeling, if only I had done this back then, today life would be something different. Yet, Sulu is not sad for it, she is happy, finding  quirks in day to day things.
Each character plays a part in the narrative, and importantly in the comedy of the film. The lady taxi driver who says, “मेरा मरद भी ऎसे ही पहले पहले मुझे काम पे छोड़ने आता था , बाद में उसने मुझे ही छोड़ दिया” is a gem. Her small talk is simply hilarious, similarly the poet, “आपको वॉचमन बुला रहा है”, have a few yet memorable lines. The Husband ‘Ashok’ is a great support cast, the indecisiveness in him, that makes him endearing, he has the appeal of a ‘Do good’ personality, and again a memorable line, ” डॉ बत्रा को कैसे पता चलता है, मेरे बाल झड़ रहे है, बार बार SMS आते है ”
Above all  is Sulu. She plays the part of a everyday woman to perfection, from her participating in limbu chamcha runs, her ideas, her thinking, is all charming. The positivity of the character just flows, and the laugh is contagious, many times you find yourself laughing with the character. “मुझे कुकर नहीं, टीवी मिलेगा” are some of the comic lines for her. More  startling are her expressions, the way she laughs at the poet, is just hilarious. The first half leaves you wanting more of her, and you cant wait for the movie to restart.

The second half also has its moments, but veers into serious mode, in a light ‘Abhimaan’ zone. The Do Good husband caught by the pace of things, does not really seem to decide what is his position, and a predictable resistance from the family members. This dose of drama, is not excessive, and movie retains its light mood. Especially the ending, just easily steers us from the drama, back to laughs and hilarity.
The songs are just in passing, and they do seem short, and in the songs, it is more about the reactions that Vidyabalan gives.
A movie, that I enjoyed start to end, very relatable, very funny, a definite mood up lifter