The cast is perfect, the setting is too. The camera exists as a mute spectator, as if it’s a window, giving us a peek into the dynamics of a family. It’s all done in just the right amount. All this should be enough for a film to be good, right? Wrong. Love Sitara is an example of what a hurried screenplay and impulse to stick to cliches can do to great potential. (Also read: Taaza Khabar season 2 review: Nothing fresh about this Bhuvan Bam show which tests your patience)
What is Love Sitara all about?
Sobhita Dhulipala plays the titular role of Sitara, a 29-year-old who is busy winning the world with her achievements at work, until she finds out one day she has conceived. Her boyfriend Arjun (Rajeev Siddhartha) is overjoyed and proposes marriage. Till this point, you fall in love with how the commentary is subtle on the expected roles to be taken on by men and women- Arjun is a chef, enduring disdain from his father who expected him to do something more ‘manly’. But a secret about Sitara’s family threatens to destroy everything. In fact, another secret brings her impending marriage to the brink of collapse.
Love Sitara starts off as a welcome respite from the adrenaline-fuelled action films being churned out today, save for OTT comedies. The film convinces you life is best enjoyed when you slow down a bit, and breathe. What helps is how director of photography Szymon Lenkowski has captured Kerala’s scenic beauty, decidedly not sticking to just the backwaters.
But you might have guessed it by now- this film is a graduate from the same school as Shakun Batra’s Kapoor & Sons (2016). Small town setting, an extra marital affair, showdown within the family, heartfelt apologies, a progressive grandparent… It’s all in here too. Love Sitara unfortunately dismantles itself from the inside.
After a point, you can see the next twist coming from far away. In a scenario where there is no development within the story, what do you do? Wait.
The climax here, which is supposed to be heartbreaking and emotional, doesn’t tug at your heart strings. I tried hard, trust me. But the cast, the atmospherics, the tension- they just don’t come together to land it. Which is why Love Sitara falls flat. A supportive family is no doubt a progressive thought in the world of Indian cinema which loves conflicts and drama. But sticking to the desire for a happy ending, come what may, is beyond me. When the story is all about embracing an imperfect life, why not embrace an imperfect ending for a film too? Screenplay writers Sonia Bahl and Vandana Kataria (who is also the director) miss out on this opportunity to break away from the norm of a ‘happy ending’. And then that rushed ending completely breaks the illusion that it is a good film.
To sum it up
The entire cast does a fine job. Sobhita as Sitara infuses life into her character who is torn between her past and present. B Jayashree as her grandmother is wonderful. Another notable performance comes from Rijul Ray, who plays Sitara’s childhood friend Mujeeb. Sonali Kulkarni as Hema, however, underwhelms in her breakdown moment, which is supposed to be one of the highlights of the story.
To sum it up, you want to love Love, Sitara. But the spark’s missing in this relationship.
