Sui Dhaaga

Sui Dhaaga, Sharat Khatariya’s third film after Dum Laga Ke Haisha, is based on a template generic script. You can sense a lot of patterns in the scripting that we have seen in films about entrepreneurs. But despite all those seemingly negative things I loved the film because of its earnestness. Sui Dhaaga isn’t novel as a story. But the making has enough of that hearty feel to make it a comfortable and pleasant one time watch.

Mauji and Mamta is a married couple. They live in Mauji’s house along with his parents. Mauji worked in a shop that sold sewing machines. At one point he realizes the truth that he was working there by selling his dignity. And with the moral support of Mamta, he decides to do something on his own. And as usual that journey wasn’t at all easy and Sui Dhaaga shows us that journey of the couple.

Sharat’s ability to layout the structure of the small town middle class India is so we’ll nuanced that you just immerse into that world swiftly and smoothly. There are no hefty melodramatic scenes in the movie to make it look so cheesy. But where it becomes cheesy is in the way some of the scenes have got constructed. Almost all the instances of Mamta motivating Mauji have this slight dramatic tone to it. But the characters are presented and performed so endearingly that you won’t feel it as a major issue. Yes, the climax is structured in a predictable and over the top way, but there also Sharat takes advantage of the naive and raw characters he has created. I was genuinely happy when they became the winners at the end even though I could sense that very early.

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Varun Dhawan easily becomes that slightly eccentric and naive Mauji. Varun has this honesty in his performance which makes even that climax laugh an endearing one. Anushka Sharma as Mamta had to give a controlled performance. But even within that limitation, she managed to convey the fact that she is the optimistic driving force behind Mauji. Sharat Katariya has this exceptional knack to create supporting characters with a clear identity. I really loved Raghubir Yadav as the father and Yamini Das as the mother of Mauji.

On a storytelling level, Sui Dhaaga has almost all the qualities of Dum Laga Ke Haisha. What is perhaps missing is the fact that there isn’t that layer of peculiarity here supporting the movie. You know there will be a team effort, healing of wounded relationships and a surprise win at the end. That aspect sort of drags the movie backward. But if you could relate to the entrepreneurial excitement and pain, there is a charm in this movie which helped me maintain a smile on my face for the entire film. Sharat shows his feminism in the simplest of ways and the equality is there in the overall feel of the movie and they are not giving any lecture to the audience. And there is no deliberate attempt to capitalize on the make in India campaign, something a lot of movies have done in the recent past. The calm songs of Anu Malik penned by Varun Grover have this earthy feel. And Anil Mehta captures the small town and rural texture elegantly.

Sui Dhaaga isn’t a great film. But it has that quality to be in your repeat watch list to feel motivated or excited. From having a self-earned identity to the equality in a married relationship, the movie touches upon many relatable aspects to provide a cheerful feel-good movie experience.

Rating: 3/5