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Join UsStar Cast: Adil Hussain, Mrunal Thakur, Richa Chadda, Manoj Bajpayee, Sai Tamhankar, Freida Pinto, Rajkummar Rao, Anupam Kher, Riya Sisodiya, Demi Moore, Mark Duplass, Sunny Parwar
Director: Tabrez Noorani
What’s Good: It feeds you information which deep down you know existed but needed someone to narrate it in a tale, supremely performed acts by everyone & the set-up is as realistic as it can get.
What’s Bad: Somewhere during the midway you feel the idea is too stretched, it’s a good one but is elongated for a very long time and hence the narrative seems repetitive, also you can’t have Popcorn/Samosa/Soft Drinks while watching the film because it’ll make you feel guilty.
Loo Break: Interval point is enough but mandatory! You can’t watch this movie in one go because your mind will need a mini pause after seeing whatever is shown.
Watch or Not?: Watch it only if you can digest the hard-to-swallow reality shown in the film.
User Rating:
Love Sonia is a story set somewhere far away from the cry and chaos of metropolitan cities. It’s the story revolving around two sisters Sonia (Mrunal Thakur) and Preeti (Riya Sisodiya). Their farmer father Shiva (Adil Hussain) is burdened under the monetary pressure of Dada Thakur (Anupam Kher). Shiva, a poor farmer, is helpless against the nature’s curse and hence decides to do the worst thing a father can do (No, suicide isn’t the worst).
Shiva sells Preeti out to Dada Thakur and he then transports her to Mumbai in a whorehouse. Sonia loses herself on a quest of finding Preeti in a place full of inhumanity. The brothel is managed by Faizal aka Baabu Bhai (Manoj Bajpayee) and Madhuri (Richa Chadha). Major of the story is about how Sonia makes every possible effort, even if it was against her conscience, to reunite with Preeti.
Love Sonia Movie Review: Script Analysis
This is one such film you cannot revisit again! It’s very good in certain departments but it wrenches your emotions enough in a single time. Very disturbing at places but that’s what makes it stand out from rest of the films made on similar lines. Tabrez Noorani has designed this compilation of shocking facts in a film. The story is knotty and classy but the idea behind it is stretched.
A very late interval point exhausts your thinking power, and in the second half everything just falls at right places very conveniently which takes the essence created in the first half. Ritesh Shah’s Hindi dialogues are as barbaric as the script which go very well with the story. Some situations are so well depicted they are too dark to be true. Special mention for Shahid Aamir who as designed costumes for the film, they are authentic in every sense. Also, Seema Kashyap’s sets in India are an illusion of the reality.
Love Sonia Movie Review: Star Performance
Mrunal Thakur is a gifted actress and this should go down in the list of amazing debuts in the history of cinema. It’s said an actor’s test is when he/she can cry well and Mrunal along with Riya Sisodiya (Sonia’s sister Preeti in the film) score full marks in this department. Mrunal, with her performance, was a perfect choice to portray what Tabrez needed to say. Though having a limited scope, Riya Sisodiya shines with her edgy portrayal of Preeti.
Manoj Bajpayee as the cold-blooded brothel owner Baabu Bhai makes you hate him. Loved the way how he has worked with his voice for this role, a very wicked addition. Richa Chadha as Madhuri adapts the very peculiar characteristics of a pimp flawlessly. Freida Pinto overplays her role at places but is a treat to watch because of her physical kinesics. Rajkummar Rao, in a little role, is very limited. This fling also might be because of the recent explosion of Rao’s talent; everyone wants to see the maximum of him.
Anupam Kher as Dada Thakur leaves the desired impact and supports the disturbance building up in the first half. Sai Tamhankar – why you not doing Bollywood films on a regular basis? She has marvellously adapted all the mannerisms; from walk to talk. Adil Hussain does a fine job too; as a helpless farmer and father he expresses well.
Love Sonia Movie Review: Direction, Music
Tabrez Noorani makes his debut as a director with Love Sonia and makes you wonder why he took this decision so late. His direction is top-notch which gleams this infernal story. One of the best things about the film is the metaphorical end in which Sonia writes out to every girl in this world who is suffering from the trafficking.
Nies Bye Nielsen’s background music is ‘just there’ throughout and there is nothing path breaking. One feels it might be a conscious decision to not go all out with the music given the rawness the makers needed with the scenes. A.R. Rahman ends the movie on a high note with his song I Am More performed by Bishop Briggs.
Love Sonia Movie Review: The Last Word
All said and done, Love Sonia is a special film backed by some exceptional names. It falls short at places but is very informative and it portrays a hard-to-swallow reality in a very genuine way. Watch it only if you have the appetite to digest such dramas.
Three & A Half Stars!
Love Sonia Trailer
Love Sonia releases on 10th September, 2018.
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