Aftethoughts: Is Love Enough? Sir
Rohena Gera’s Is Love Enough? Sir was the last movie I watched. At the end of a whirlwind work-day, the slow-paced Tillotama-Vivek starrer was all I needed. There wasn’t much happening in the movie in terms of plotlines and twists. It had a silence that spoke. Ashwin and his domestic help, Ratna’s.
I liked the way the story is built. There are layers that unfold. She is seen wearing glass bangles. I was intrigued from right then to know more about them. Sure, as well, they are central to Ratna’s joy and the story. To me, they represent her being. She as a widow could not wear glass bangles. A ruthless tradition stemmed from patriarchy where women can neither decorate nor live their lives. As she migrates to the city, she leaves behind her stigmatized living. The forgiving city lets her be. She earns money, supports her sister’s education, and is responsible for herself. It is here she tries to refuel her unfulfilled fashion designer aspirations. Who said women need to break glass ceilings to account for women’s empowerment? Some can just sew.
The movie, through powerful dialogues and scenes, shows the diverse social spectrum with authenticity and yet how people at both ends are the same. Ashwin has his friends. Ratna has hers. Ashwin has his family. Ratna has hers. And yet, common objects augment the disparities. Ratna has a small mirror with a plastic frame. Ashwin has a full- length fancy one. Ratna’s the one who dons colourful saris and dances at Ganesh Visarjan. Ashwin wears sober shirts and does not believe in God. It is interesting how the American educated man talks in English with his colleagues, friends, and family, but is most himself when he breaks into Hindi and is with this domestic help. They don’t vibe and yet they belong, somehow. In moments that aren’t extremely comfortable, they overshare to provide solace to one another. Case in point, when Ratna talks about her husband’s demise to help Ashwin get over his heartbreak.
I particularly like Ratna’s character.
Weaver of dreams. Tenacity to attain them. Self-worth to stand up for self. Gullible to fall in love. Hesitant to express.
She’s no simp. She is cautious of her societal standing. Gives a man a piece of her mind when she deems fit.
Ashwin scoffs at certain expectations of love. He cannot call or IM and yet when Ratna goes to her village, he calls her, aise hi.
Made me laugh at love and its strange ways.
There are nuances that at first watch might go amiss. I’d like to do a version of Sucharita Tyagi’s #WomenTellingWomenStories to emphasize powerful narratives by women.
The movie has no stars. The writing, the performances — that’s stellar. The movie is no Parasite and was neither intentioned to be. Nonetheless, it is a step in the right direction. You are intrigued as the makers leave you at a sort of cliffhanger — what happens thereafter makes for the poignancy. I’d only hope there are more Indian films that produce such delightful tales.
