Love, Sitara depicts flawed human beings with compassion

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Happiness, says a line in the film, lies in honesty. Now, does it always do so? And can every normal human being ever be completely honest, especially in the matters of relationships? Or can honesty hurt and harm? Is almost every family dysfunctional when we come to realize that most members have hidden secrets? Can unpalatable truths, even if from the past, be accepted and wrongs forgiven? And can a normal (read flawed!) human being rise above all else?

All these questions are posed and most answered in this relatable and life-like saga of Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala), a fashion designer whose roots are in Kerala, and Arjun (Rajeev Siddhartha), a chef, who hails from Punjab. Tara does not believe in marriage either. She has rejected Arjun’s proposal but now, shocked by her doctor’s disclosure that she is pregnant, wants him to marry her.

The two head to her home in Kerala where her grandmother (B. Jayashree), father (Sanjay Bhutiani), mother (Virginia Rodrigues) and aunt Hema (Sonali Kulkarni) reside. Aunt Hema, who is also single, has always been Tara’s icon and so when she finds evidence that her father and aunthad been in a relationship, she is appalled.

For her own reason, she keeps her pregnancy a secret from her best friends, Anjali (Tamara D’Souza) and Dr. Majeed (Rijul Ray) as well as even from Arjun, and soon, in a moment of pique, she decides to be truthful—about everyone including herself. And relationships go for a toss, including her own with Arjun.

An engaging tale of human foibles and of how most us get unsettled by issues and easily fall prey emotionally to circumstances, Love, Sitara is a surprisingly breezy watch. Technically upscale, it is ably written with pithy dialogues.

Sobhita Dhulipala is excellent as the confused, often distressed and stressed Tara. Rajeev Siddhartha plays a cool Arjun who is later almost broken. Tamara D’Souza and Rijul Ray are delightful as Tara’s staunch friends. Sonali Kulkarni is a delight as Hema and does not look more than a few years older to her character in Dil Chahta Hai 23 years ago! She handles her role with restraint and maturity.

B. Jayashree is excellent as the grandmother and Virginia Rodrigues (especially) and Sanjay Bhutiani as Tara’s parents make the necessary impact.

I would also give distinction marks to director and co-writer Vandana Kataria, writers Sonia Bahl, Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal, cinematographers Szymon Lenkowski and Sidharth Kale and editors Paramita Ghosh and Namrata Rao. Shrikanth Sriram’s background music is apt and Meghna Gandhi and Natasha Gauba must be truly lauded for their brilliant production design.

Rating: ****

ZEE5 presents RSVP’s Love, Sitara  Produced by: Ronnie Screwvala  Directed by: Vandana Kataria  Written by: Vandana Kataria, Sonia Bahl, Abbas Dalal & Hussain Dalal  Music: Sangeet & Siddharth Haldipur Starring:  Sobhita Dhulipala, Rajeev Siddhartha, B. Jayashree, Tamara D’Souza, Sonali Kulkarni, Virginia Rodrigues, Sanjay Bhutiani, Rijul Ray, Ikhlaque Khan & others