Sui Dhaaga: A perfect stitch

Varun and Anushka will warm your heart in this homespun drama, says Anita Iyer

Mauji (Varun Dhawan) and Mamta (Anushka Sharma) are a married couple in a small town in India. With Mamta stuck between the daily chores and her kitchen, the couple don’t get to spend much time with each other. They communicate with each other through their family members and haven’t even shared a meal together since their wedding.

Mauji works at a shop selling sewing machines and is often belittled by the owner’s son, who asks him to enact a puppy’s act. When the son asks him to do the same at his wedding, Mamta and her in-laws are embarrassed.

Mauji’s family is instantly likeable – with Raghubir Yadav as the father and Abha Parmar as the mother. Raghubir is a father who sheds tears when a bride on a daily soap is being sent-off and his constant bickering as he keeps questioning Mauji’s decisions provide some light-hearted moments in the film.

The couple finally begin talking to each other when Mamta is angry with Mauji. This is the first time that we see her defending him in front of his family. As the movie forges ahead and she sows the idea of starting a tailoring shop, her character emerges stronger.

From a housewife who hasn’t ever left home to becoming a partner who pushes her husband to chase his dreams, enough thought has gone into Mamta’s character.

Mauji realises the worth of his craft in the second half and things are on an upswing post intermission. The storyline is flawed here because things fall into place too conveniently; they enter a competition and put together a fashion line.

The movie tries too hard to become an artisan movement in the second half, touching upon empowering artists who have given up on their craft to make their ends meet.

The film misses out on showcasing the transition that Mauji undergoes as he hones his craft and the husband-wife duo become designers in the end. Remember how Akshay Kumar’s Padman had beautifully traced the transition of Muruganantham from a regular husband into an entrepreneur – that is missing in Sui Dhaaga.

Director Sharat Kataria’s last film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha was appreciated for capturing the smalltown love story between a misfit couple. He brings similar authenticity to Sui Dhaaga. He crafts his characters with care and gives us a story that is heartwarming.

Varun Dhawan is known to be a director’s actor and Sharath gives him enough scope to play around. Anushka Sharma shines as the innocent Indian wife, who covers her head with a ghoonghat and yet has the final word in the family. She naturally gets out of her comfort zone and we are glad she chose to be Mamta.

The film brings back the combination of Sharat Kataria, Anu Malik and lyricist Varun Grover. Songs like Chaav Laga, Sui Dhaaga and the foot tapping Sab

Badhiya Hai are high on melody and add to the texture of the film. Despite its minor flaws Sui

Dhaaga is an engaging watch.