Sir
Released (France) Dec. 26, 2018
Written, produced, and directed by Rohena Gera
Starring Tillotama Shome and Vivek Gomber
Available on Netflix
During my time in the hospital, I was so distracted that couldn’t bring myself to watch a movie. I spent a lot of time playing solitaire and other mindless digital games. Not healthy or productive, I know.
Since coming home, I’ve been trying to get back to more challenging forms of entertainment. I’m treating my mind the way one would an upset stomach. I began with Jell-O, and then moved on to more substantial things. The other night, when I was at what I would call the “mashed potato” stage, I chose to watch Sir. A romantic comedy, but with a twist.
Sir is an Indian, Hindi-language movie made in 2018. I could tell from the packaging that it was about an Indian woman that goes to work for a wealthy, single man. But since the story is located in Mumbai and not LA, I knew it would be more problematic than the rich-man-poor-girl cliché with a predictable happy ending. I know India. And I know it is a very class-conscious culture. The poor girl-rich-guy story can’t work easily there.
And so, I watched it. And liked it very much. It had some of the elements you want from a rich-boy-poor-girl romantic comedy, but with a serious portrayal of the class consciousness of Indian society.
Critical Reception
* “A Cinderella tale of sorts, the film nonetheless gains gravity for its insight into Indian social rigidities that tether both impoverished villagers and well-heeled urbanites.” (Maggie Lee, Variety)
* “This is a delicately observed and attractive drama with some great Mumbai cityscapes and an excellent performance from Shome.” (Peter Bradshaw, Guardian)
* “Sir is a delicate and powerful look at human connection.” (Alison Gillmor, Winnipeg Free Press)
You can watch the trailer here.