Director and Writer: Tahira Kashyap Khurrana
Produced by : Ellipsis Entertainment production
Presented by: Applause Entertainment
Cast : Sakshi Tanwar, Divya Dutta, Saiyami Kher, Vanshika
Taparia, Arista Mehta, Sharib Hashmi and Parvin Dabas
Streaming on : Amazon Prime Video
Rating : 3.2
Tejal Sinha
Tahira Kashyap Khurrana makes her directorial debut with Sharmajee Ki Beti. In addition to directing, Tahira wrote the narrative for this endearing movie, contributing a new and perceptive viewpoint. The slice-of-life film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
PLOT
Sharmajee Ki Beti captures middle-class life through three different stories of the Sharmas. Basically, the film is about the lives of the Sharmas—not one, but three Sharma families (Jyoti Sharma, Kiran Sharma and Tanvi Sharma).
STORY
The film begins with Swathi Sharma (played by Vanshika Taparia), who visits a gynaec with her mother, Jyoti Sharma (played by Sakshi Tanwar). Swathi, just like any other growing teen, is concerned about her body and feels insecure about not getting her period yet. She shares her concern with her best friend, Gurveen Sharma (played by Arista Mehta). Jyoti is a teacher at a coaching center who worries about her payment being cut due to the half-day she had to take just so she could take Swathi to the doctor. She instructs her husband, Sudhir Sharma (played by Sharib Hashmi), to get their daughter ready for school, while Swathi often feels she’s always looking messy.
The story then unfolds around Kiran Sharma (played by Divya Dutta), a housewife who is often forced to settle for less. Hailing from Patiala, she desires to enjoy the poise but figures out how the city dwellers are perennially on the run. She asks her husband, Vinod Sharma (played by Parvin Dabas), to go to London for a trip. With no response, she shifts her desire to Goa and then to a local zoo. And Vinod says, ‘Dekhte Hai’ (we’ll see). Then comes Tanvi Sharma (played by Saiyami Kher), a budding cricketer who plays for the Mumbai Women’s Cricket team. However, her boyfriend Rohan (played by Ravjeet Singh) constantly refrains from playing the sport and asks her to choose between him and her game.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
Sharmajee Ki Beti offers a stunning depiction of life’s highs and lows from the multigenerational perspectives of its five female leads. Because it features universal themes of family dynamics, women’s empowerment and personal growth, it will appeal to audiences of all ages. The important subjects covered in the movie include self-discovery, women’s empowerment and overcoming adversity with resilience. It offers a complex depiction of the challenges and victories faced by contemporary metropolitan women that is destined to stick with audiences long after the credits have rolled.
While Jyoti is constantly hurt by Swathi’s tantrums about her not worrying about her daughter and questioning her for things like ‘what do you even know about me?’ This perfectly sums up the struggles of making things right and respecting the love between a mother and her daughter. The blend of humour and themes wins a cookie point. For instance, when Kiran’s house help Chotu (played by Sushant Ghadge) humorously taunts her, saying, ‘5 minute main London se Byculla zoo’. The scene very well highlights how a middle-class housewife has to give up on her dreams, being dependent on her husband to take her out. And as the voiceover says, ‘Udaan hai London waali, but land hoti hai balcony mai’, that perfectly blends the emotions pretty well.
Tanvi being constantly confused about her relationship with her boyfriend sums up many current relationships, where one wants their partner to act according to them. Just like in one of the scenes, her boyfriend taunts Tanvi for behaving and dressing up like a girl, while she, on the other hand, is simply comfortable. Featuring powerhouse performances by Sakshi Tanwar, Divya Dutta and Saiyami Kher, the impressive talents of young actors Arista Mehta and Vanshika Taparia highlight how teens dealing with body image issues strive to be conventionally attractive, and so well!
Their authentic performances infuse depth into the narrative, making the film simply unmissable for a wide and diverse group of audiences. A special mention: Sushant Ghadge, who portrays Chotu, Kiran’s housekeeper, has the best lines in the movie, without a doubt.
THE DRAWBACKS
While Sharmajee Ki Beti excels in its narrative depth, the growth of the actors and the situations, some viewers may get slightly bored mid-way.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Tahira’s ability to blend satirical humour with heartfelt moments creates a balanced and engaging narrative that will appeal to viewers of all ages.
Written by Tahira, the movie is packed with humour that pops out of the most unexpected places; you’ll be laughing before the punches are delivered. There are also charming moments that make you feel choked up. Not to give too much away, but be prepared for two very important scenes starring Divya and Sakshi, respectively, that will leave you feeling very overwhelmed. The movie presents a variety of viewpoints without disparaging anything or anyone, from appreciating one’s body to having no regrets about personal decisions. Antara Lahiri’s deft editing enhances the story, even though the film has a runtime of less than two hours. Rakesh Haridas’s cinematography makes sure that the entire movie has a fun vibe to it. The soundtrack wonderfully complements the story.
VERDICT
Sharmajee Ki Beti skillfully conveys the essence and principles of Indian middle-class households. It’s a celebration of their goals and desires, as well as the little but important events that shape their lives. As a family, seeing it together can lead to insightful discussions and thoughtful insights. The twists and turns that the narrative brings out for the viewers make them hooked till the end, especially after the mid-way scenes.
