"Tara" is an important film not only for Indian culture but for people worldwide. It depicts a life that every single mother experiences – regardless of whether she knows the father or doesn't – a life of shame and questions from friends. "How are you going to deal with this?" "So young and already pregnant?" This film shows us, that despite the questions, a woman should go on. A child is a miracle. A life is a miracle. And she is her own person and can make her own decisions.
There are a lot of good things about this movie, that stand out and make it special. Some of the favorites include wonderful acting from the lead actress Rekha Rana. She truly delivers a convincing performance as a mother: her emotional range is wide and she is capable of staying truthful regardless of circumstances in the story. Her fellow actors also deliver convincing performances that delve deeply into each character, even if the audience doesn't like the character. The film is also filled with amazing shots and beautiful composition, that accompanies such a good idea perfectly.
Other things that make this movie special include: costume design, makeup, hair-style, production design and soundtrack. R. Rana's costumes are especially gorgeous – so are the other village girls and women. Men's costumes reflect their status and their character very well. The makeup & hair team also worked hard to show the character of "Tara" through her style. The soundtrack was very traditional to many Bollywood films, but it also effectively mixed with some 90s sounds and beats in it.
A lot of good things came out of this movie, including the message, it sent, however, there were some things that could be made better. One of such was the way the story was told. While it was clear to me, sometimes the story would jump around the action without really warning the viewer about what is happening. Two particular moments stood out to me the most: the beginning of Tara's sad story and Tara's pregnancy reveal. At the beginning of the movie I thought we would see Tara's story as a flashback, maybe intercut with her current life, but then after about 5 minutes, movie returned to Tara's roots. Which could have been a good decision, but the execution was too fast and could throw a potential viewer off guard.
Also, when Ballu comes back and Tara is pregnant – the whole storyline that Tara might have slept with someone didn't really make sense. If he loved her, why didn't he believe her? Why did the other guy, the village creep, lie about being the father? I understand the whole rumor dilemma, it just didn't make sense that he didn't believe her and that she got pregnant a few days after he left (or started feeling pregnant). Maybe it could have been explained clearer on how much time has passed, or maybe she could have started feeling the symptoms earlier but her friends could have found out later.
Overall: great film, excellent idea and a message we all need to carry in the heart. A lot of effort was put into making this film and audiences will surely appreciate it for what it is.
Rimute Terra Budreviciute/Cult Critic/CICFF
