Tulsi: Mathrudevobhava

The problem with 'Tulsi' is that its presentation makes it look dated, like a Hindi film from the 90s. Even though Ajay Kumar's intentions were sincere, a more experienced director could have done a better job and told the story with a little overdose of melodrama. 'Tulsi' heavily manipulates the audience's emotions. The subject itself is a bit sensitive but it deserved a more balanced treatment. The songs are forgettable and the dialogues are clichéd. On the positive side, the natural mountain landscape is breathtaking and feels fresh to look at. Irfan Khan acts well as the loving family man suffering from alcohol abuse. The actors who play the children are alright. The one who plays the eldest daughter is good. The rest of the supporting cast are awful, particularly Yashpal Sharma who repeats his usual annoying villain act. Finally, what made 'Tulsi' most watchable for me was Manisha Koirala. It's been a while since one has seen Manisha in a full-fledged role. Here she plays the title role and gives a riveted performance. In a somewhat melodramatic film, Koirala delivers a wonderfully balanced moving performance. Sadly, due to the lack of attention this film has received, Koirala's work got ignored but I hope she comes back to doing great work in great films. Thus, 'Tulsi' isn't a terrible film by any means but it deserved a more mature and up to date treatment which would have made it a far better movie experience.