Margarita with a Straw

Imagine the joy when you surmount a big challenge, see a majestic bird soar into the heavens or see someone living big despite a lot of odds!

I was frankly delightfully numbed by the overall story of this movie, the authentic act by the overall cast, especially Kalki. If there is a real contender for an Academy award, this film is rightfully starting at your face!

The only part where I thought there was a little more focus given than fitting was the sexuality but all the same, it was honest! This is not a fairy tale which has to stop at kissing the princess, this is real and what life is all about.

I felt Bollywood has done a somersault and landed on its feet - felt proud.

At the end, without alienating anyone, I would say this is not for everyone. While very entertaining, if you are more of the masala movies type, this may not be for you.

Margarita, with a Straw (2014) is an Indian film written and directed by Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar.

Kalki Koechlin plays Laila, an intelligent young woman who is gifted in many ways. The only thing that could hold her back is her cerebral palsy. This medical problem is not shown to us as a beautiful young woman with a limp. Laila's body is twisted, she must use a wheelchair, and she needs help in many different ways. She's fiercely independent, but her cerebral palsy keeps getting in the way of her life.

Ultimately, Laila moves to NYC, to go to college. She arrives in the middle of winter. Seeing NYC in winter through a foreigner's eyes was a revelation. The city isn't just cold--it's threatening. However, the first New Yorker with whom Laila interacts is a bus driver in one of NYC's kneeling buses. He is friendly and helpful, and that's a revelation too.

Most of the movie takes place in New York City, and Laila adapts well to her new situation. She succeeds academically, she falls in love, and she's happy. I had expected endless psychological and mechanical obstructions. However, Laila's enthusiasm for life keeps these frustrations at bay. The romantic problems are harder to overcome. How Laila copes with them is the major plot theme.

I need to make special mention of Kalki Koechlin as Leila. She is so convincing as a person with cerebral palsy that I had to check her biography to make sure she did not have this condition. It would be interesting to see an actor with cerebral palsy playing a starring role in a movie. However, Kalki Koechlin doesn't have cerebral palsy. It's hard to imagine how Koechlin could convince us that Leila has cerebral palsy. Koechlin's portrayal shows incredible acting skills. My compliments to her on her great performance!

We saw this movie on the large screen as part of ImageOut, the superb Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work almost as well on the small screen.

Quoting in a broader sense, there are 3 kinds of actors: 1. Humans who make great actors 2. Actors who make great humans And the 3rd...........? Book a show of "Margarita With a Straw" to experience the 3rd kind called Kalki Koechlin. In a snap you'll confront to the prowess & virtuosity of this super-skilled woman only to fall in love with her (again). 'Laila' will instantly conquer your heart with her eyes & body language. It is tough to imagine people with cerebral palsy. What's tougher is to admire & respect their choices around their sexuality & life in general. And MWAS's vulgar-free modus operandi enables us to do this. The subtle-yet-bold performance from Kalki & her journey of discovering her sexual choices is substantial & heart-warming at the same time. Overall, in a society like ours where we witness a cocktail of strong opinions, it might just be a liberating escapade to have Shonali Bose's Margarita.......With a Straw! smile emoticon ‪#‎margaritawithastraw‬ ‪#‎bollywood‬

Great art movie! I don't really watch Indian movies but when it comes to such art movies, it is indeed worth watching. This movie is different and yet entertaining. It teaches us about acceptance of oneself. Basically, the movie started off with a disabled teenager struggling with self-identity and sexuality issues which are very common during the phase of adolescence. The role of Leila, the main character, was so well played and portrayed by the talented Kalki Koelchin. Things become complicated when Leila flies to America to pursue her studies. She explores her sexuality fully. Taboo issues such as homosexuality have been subtly looked at. Finally, while being quite of a heart wrecking movie, it ends on a feel-good note where Leila is finally at peace with herself.

Having read through the reviews at this movie I am amazed that some people felt the lead character was a nasty/selfish person. If that is the main takeaway then I think you missed a big point of the film, and that is that EVERYONE has issues. Those people who wrote these reviews seemed to think badly of Kalki's character simply because of some of the ways she behaved - as though 'disabled' people are supposed to behave by some kind of superior set of values. To those people I suggest you watch it again and see her as a human being and realize she IS more than her disabilities.

Personally, I found it to be a superb movie. From the script writing through the cinematography to the acting. There were some seriously strong performances and not just from Kalki Koechlin who, quite frankly, deserves an Oscar for her performance.

There's so much to like about this film and so little to dislike and it is very thought-provoking, which has to be a good thing. As others have pointed out it is definitely not a masala movie and as there are some mature themes in it, I wouldn't say it was family viewing, unless your kids are old enough.