Sultana's Dream could well have been a live action film. Having said that, the animation that it displays is imaginative, commendable, and creates a world of its own. But while the animation has its moments of glory, on the whole, as a film, it lacks a cohevise narrative to keep you engaged throughout. Visual brilliance can only keep you up until a point. In the end, it is the story that matters.
The film ends up resorting to the typical format of arthouse cinema with a lady in search of something, more particularly in foreign land. This time, it is India. Hailing from India, I can certainly say that the India that it represents is believable, though certainly not beautiful. The problem is if audiences across the globe take this image of India as its integral identity! India being such a culturally diverse country - it is practically impossible for any foreign film to depict the complete picture of the country - be it Slumdog Millionaire or Life of Pi.
As its central theme, the film explores the issue of women not feeling safe in a male-dominated society. Thankfully, this fact is not just restricted to India in the film but is depicted as a universal problem. But the protagonist suffers from no past wound as such to have such a heavy character conflict. Also, beyond this core theme, the film also meanders into multiple correlated themes like gender inequality, identity crisis and living your own dreams. Amidst all this, the movie gets convoluted and the narrative loses complete semblance and also its audience.
For all the meticulous efforts put into making this visual spectacle, a more palatable plotline would have rewarded it with a wider global audience than being restricted to merely a festival circuit!
