English based multilingual film from Malayalam cinema!
SonyLiv
Director- Anjali Menon
No surprises here, am a fan girl. There are very few directors who have never disappointed- Mira Nair & Anjali Menon. All others are waveforms.
If I had a first day first show craving it would be for Anjali Menon's films. And sitting in a departure lounge with a long wait for boarding was the perfect setup to watch on SonyLiv this film that had released straight onto OTT just hours ago.
A powerhouse cast- of pregnant women. There's the arty Nora( Nitya Menen), the bubbly Veni ( PadmaPriya) the bindaas Saya( Sayanora), the simple Gracy( Archana Padmini) , the anxious Jaya( Amrita Subhash) and the sourpuss Mini( Parvathy Thiruvothu)and their antenatal class conductor Nanditha, the evergreen Nadia Moidu.
And with this retinue of women come mothers in law, husbands, boyfriends- anxious, uncomfortable, excited , absent .
Anjali Menon weaves a beautiful script through the lives and moments of these women from different backgrounds, outlooks, expectations bonding together as they course through antenatal classes familiarising themselves with their bodies in pregnancy, what's to come and responsibility of the baby ahead. This could have easily come off as scripted, tacky, pretentious and so fake - but that's the Anjali difference. Every woman brings in her own persona of realities, of her insecurities and her foibles all of which are so relatable. And the wonder and strength of female camaderie is so relatable as well. As well as the insecurities of the men involved.
She has you smiling, laughing, misting up - and for a brief hour and a half - lost in wonder with the Wonder Women.
This one isn't just for women , it's for everyone. Relatable to all. As for me, I will see it again on my home screen and wonder again!
