Monsieur

Sir takes its time to unravel and when it does it is hard to not fall in love with it. Not with the characters per se or the actors who play them so magically you want to rush up to them and give a hug, but with the delightful, delicate way director Rohena Gera carves her feature film directorial debut about the invisible relationship between a maid (Tilotama Shome) hailing from a remote Maharashtra village and her employer (Vivek Gomber) who lives and works in the upper-class South Bombay. The subtlety of what unfolds in front of you is the charming factor of Sir, a film that aspires to restructure that relationship, especially the one that is often seen from an exploitative eye. With a swooning romantic layer that is effervescent in almost all scenes - majority of which are between the two lead - there are pleasure bulbs throughout the film like a tree with ripe fruits ready for you to pluck and enjoy albeit from a distance. I can only imagine the depth of writing that must have gone behind the making as there is hardly any scene that looks out of flow or essence with Gera pushing the story lightly letting her characters live and her viewers take it all in like the way you would slow-eat a piece of cake you love so much, giving it time. But the characters are not stereotypical here, especially the one played by Shome, who here has a dream and has been characterized as an idiosyncratic person, something that I feel is a true depiction of a character in a film that talks about class. What, perhaps more than the writing, works here are the performances. It is easy to say I don't see anyone else playing the role of the maid than Shome who has been pleasing ever since her Monsoon Wedding (2001) days but for Sir I mean it or someone who is more quaint and decent and soft-talker-like than Gomber, both of whom grace the screen, turn a wand, and spew magic. Even Geetanjali Kulkarni shines as the film refuses to budge in its attempt to convince your eye glands to fire a tear, a tear that's only the product of delight, pleasure, happiness, and hope all flowing like cool breeze on your face. Goosebumps are expected. The ambiguity is more than a fad here. To borrow a line from a fellow film lover at the film's premiere at Cinepolis, Mumbai, Sir the film sneaks up on you. TN.

(Watched and reviewed at its India premiere at the 10th Jagran Film Festival (JFF) in Mumbai.)

At each point in the film, you feel society as a transparent, near invisible force between the two characters. THe way spatial distance has been used, dealt with, mirroring society's classification of people, is gorgeous. The performances of both Tillotama Shome and vivek Gomber are fab. Great casting here. From the moment the real collision happens and a spatial barrier of sorts is severed is where the mettle of the writer and so also the film is tested. And it's actually from this moment that the film soars way beyond what one had expected. It coolly and deftly averts every cliche and possible corniness that a story like this could have moved into and instead surprises you with such a rise that few films are able to. Gorgeous debut. Tough to believe it's her first film. Tillotama and Vivek stayed with me as their characters way after the film was over. Congratulations Rohena.

Very engaging romantic story set in Mumbai, India where the class/caste system is very real and a definite obstacle to love. The storyline is subtle and sweet, no clichés and some real education for us westerners about how people live in modern India.

Loved it! Such a beautiful movie. India is so very accurately depicted. And the performances are excellent!

The trailer will give you the wrong idea. The movie isn't emotional & intense as it implies. Instead it's a slow-paced drama that shows the slowly developing attraction between a maid & her lord. If you're the impatient type, then the pacing might bore you. The relationship develops very slowly & calmly. It is realistic & heartwarming though. By the end, you'll be satisfied viewing it.