Sara’S challenges societal norms through its progressive script, restrained humour and ingenious cast. A Malayalam movie directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, it features prominent artists like Anna Ben, Sunny Wayne and Mallika Sukumaran.
Anna Ben, last seen in Helen and Kappela, plays the protagonist Sara Vincent who made a choice long ago that she does not want kids.
After relationships with men who want kids, she finally meets Jeevan (Sunny Wayne) who has a similar thought process as hers. She progresses through her marriage quite blissfully, till she is faced with a dilemma between an unplanned pregnancy & a leap in her career.
The movie showcases societal pressures at every stage in a woman’s life & the urge to control her decisions and her body has been humorously portrayed. The powerful dialogues make up the crux of the film. From the opening scene where Sara’s boyfriend says “Without the egg, what’s the use of the puff?” to the scene where the young couple visit the gynecologist for counselling and get some parenting advice from him, “Better not be a parent than be a bad parent” the film is thought-provoking and has a lot to offer.
Sara’S is an ode to the pro-choice debate and provokes us to not have unilateral expectations out of both men and women. The film beautifully showcases what modern relationships can look like, how different women have different priorities and that they should not be shamed regardless of their choice.
We not only see skilled acting by the cast, especially Anna Ben, but also witness incredible cinematography by Nimish Ravi that transports one to Kochi. The restrained comedy mixed with the non-verbal communication, takes the audience on a journey with emotional ups and downs and leaves them wanting for more.
The film encourages conversations around planned parenthood, equality in marriages, giving autonomy to the women with matters concerning their bodies yet leaves us in a fit of laughter with the closing scene.
All in all, Sara’S is a deeply impactful film which creates ripples of change and is a MUST WATCH. It is streaming on Amazon Prime.
