Tumhari sulu (2017) has a storyline a lot of urban families can relate to. Especially, the women from urban and semi urban setups who have unrealised, professional aspirations will like the film as it depicts the day to day chores of Sulekha, an able house wife beaming with energy and eager to explore spheres of life other than family. As a matter of fact, it is a film that I can relate myself to. Sulu’s character goes quite close to my sister’s and to many other more-than-life-housewives, who are not just mere housewives and yearn to do a lot more in their lives. Perhaps the feeling of being removed from one’s passions creates such an unbearable and claustrophobic void for these women that stories of their struggles can uplift the morale of those in different, if not, better conditions. I feel compassion for such women whose primary role is perceived in merely rearing a child and taking care of the household and I genuinely empathize with their sufferings and concerns of creating an environment conducive for their whole family to flourish and excel.
The eponymous film shows the protagonist, Sulekha aka Sulu (Vidya Balan) as a very cheerful, enterprising, doting housewife. Despite her failures - academic (she has failed 12th on three occasions) and professional (her economic ventures have gone astray in the past), her motivations to excel are always alive and ready to burst. She is always able, if not at the first sight, to eventually leave a lasting impression on everyone she meets. With all her prizes and accolades in trivial local competitions like Limbu chamcha, Sulekha embarks on a new journey when she lands herself in a well paying job as a late night Radio Jockey. Her newly found vocation disrupts her family life and she is seen failing to conform to her role of a house wife. The film’s central issue is thus Sulekha’s struggle in coping up with her career as a Radio Jockey and her married life. The end suggests a seeming success for Sulekha on both fronts, however a somewhat detailed analysis could suggest otherwise.
Analysis: For reasons of better understanding the protagonist and the unfolding of the film, let’s divide the film in 3 parts: the transition of the protagonist from sulekha to Sulu, then, from Sulu to sulu and finally, from sulu to Sulekha. (Do note the careful use of capital/small lettered ‘s’ in the three parts as it has been used to personify the agency of the protagonist).
Part I (sulekha to Sulu) – Despite all odds, sulekha manages to organize herself in a way to suit the betterment of her family. The film aptly starts with a lemon-and-spoon race (Nimbu chamcha) which is all about maintaining one’s balance. So, right from the first shot, emerging winner in a lemon-and-spoon competition is a prior confirmation of sulekha’s competence as a champion house wife (the small letter ‘s’ signifying the protagonist’s primary, accepted and the only role in the household as a housewife). In another scene, later, Ashok, the husband is standing on a stool and is shown fixing a bulb. This again speaks figuratively of the balance in the family. Ashok gives and arranges for light in the family and he is supported by sulekha who holds the stool he stands on. Her withdrawal of support makes Ashok’s position vulnerable to instability. Ashok is dependent on Sulu and the household cannot work without their mutual cooperation.
As mentioned before, sulekha is interested in exploring avenues for contributing towards her family and for her self-growth. Her financially impossible dream of launching a commercial venture like a taxi company of women is ridiculed by her sisters and other family members. sulekha is an expert in voice modulation, she impersonates actors and her family members compliment and at times, tease her on that account. In fact, her singing skills and her naiveté are mocked at by RJ Albeli Anjali. Her attempts of finding a job and supporting her family finally succeed when her mellifluous voice and her desire to prove herself catch Maria’s attention (Neha Dhupia) and a late night radio show titled, ‘Tumhari Sulu’ is launched to cater to lonely souls and supposedly to all those needing emotional and psychological support. sulochana outperforms and turns into an overnight celebrity, Sulu.
Part II (Sulu to sulu) – Sulu’s immediate success is a life changer for the protagonist and her family too. Sulu enjoys her work, her colleagues respect her for what she is and she finally feels at peace at herself, for finding a job that she likes and that pays well and for being acknowledged at work. From a housewife sulochana, the protagonist becomes RJ Sulu, aware of her strengths and using them with conscience.
Both the halves of the film start with a discussion among the family members about what the protagonist should do in her life. If the first half deals with the necessity of sulekha taking up a job (to support her family) the second puts the reputation and the timings of her job in the forefront of the discussion. The respectability of a woman lies in doing only certain kind of jobs and Sulu’s ‘late night’ radio job is sneered at. The late night working hours are seen as an obstacle in the family life and Sulu is seen failing to serve as a dutiful mother. Further, her son, Pranav’s suspension on account of stealing a mobile phone and immoral conduct of selling (obscene) videos is attributed to Sulu’s failure of not attending properly to her son. Such a position ascribes a child’s responsibility uniquely at the hands of the women/the mother. Sulu feels morally responsible for Pranav’s conduct and finally decides to leave her job as she is not able to juggle her new found career with her primary occupation of a mother.
In this phase, Sulu becomes sulu i.e. she decides not to speak ‘her’ voice since societal and familial compulsions make her speak in a voice that is not hers. Figuratively thus, she is forced to permanently impersonate and the voice of her real Self is muted forever. In fact, Sulu’s ability to impersonate others reflects her versatile position - capable of speaking numerous voices, of assuming different alter/native ‘subject’ positions. That she has to give up an activity so dear to her and which is in fact her forte becomes the biggest failure of the portrayal of Sulochana.
Part III (sulu to Sulekha) The transformation to sulu is momentary and the protagonist finally becomes Sulekha, by being able to find her own bearing. She is however led to take a compromising position. It is due to such a position, I feel, that sulu again becomes Sulekha, but a renewed one at that. This is because the protagonist quits her job as a Radio Jockey, a job she likes and is quite passionate about. However, the twist in the film is the protagonist finding a new commercial venture (regrettably again, the new idea of catering business is christened on her husband’s name, Ashok catering services). The film ends thus on a fairly conservative note. She is again a housewife, content with her family and a job that pays reasonably well and importantly, is ‘acceptable’ to others. As the title suggests, disappointingly, ‘Tumhari sulu’ is a film of the feminine failing to be herself or conversely, succeeding to be someone else that she is not or doesn’t aspire to be. The radio show, ‘Tumhari Sulu’ is suggestive of a close association between friends in general and at a deeper level, an intimacy between husband and wife in the context of the film. The decision to withdraw from the night show means ‘Sulu’ will neither be able to give and share her joys to the whole world nor will be able to unburden unknown people of their pains and sorrows. On the personal front, the title bears a sense of possession by the male and the female’s willing submission to the same. The end of the film shows a compromise of the Subject to willingly oblige to the other and in the process, to be ‘the other’. The three phases described here can be resumed as the transition of the protagonist from a mere object to a Subject and then to become a subject again.
Though the film has a very good topic for discussion, it has a few threads left unexplored. Tightening such loose ends would have made a stronger film. Let’s see a few of them here.
The film certainly needed a stronger portrait of Sulekha and the film maker could have used other threads for a better handling of the central character. For ex: take the sudden disappearance of Pranav, the son after his suspension from school. This could have been resolved via Sulu’s voice at the radio. Her sexuality calling on her son to return home could consolidate her professional and personal position. The film could have portrayed a few other instances of Sulu helping needy people. Helping women of her age group or women facing harsher hardships would have been welcome. A wonderful incident to include would be the husband himself calling Sulu for his solution. This would have made Sulu look in a mirror, at her own life but from her husband’s point of view and her perspective would make a very interesting case. Another suggestion would be a scene showing Pranav’s friends taking jibes at his mother’s new job and this could have accentuated the vulnerability of Sulekha’s profession.
Ashok’s job at one point seems in jeopardy and there is no further lead on that front. His quitting the job or better, changing the job to suit his wife’s career could have been a way to sort things out. Also, his disrespect at the hands of the new boss could have been further explored as the professional life often-always impacts one’s personal life. Then, Ashok’s insistence on Sulu bearing another child could have tested the protagonist all the more as one of the best ways to keep a woman busy at home is to make her at the receiving end of child production. A sister for Pranav and discussion on that would have definitely advanced a stronger woman out of Sulekha. Sulu is consumable sexuality incarnated – consumed at home and what she can sell in the market is her silky voice. This ‘sexy’ voice is her gate way for the RJ job. Neha Dhupia can’t offer Sulu another RJ job, to work during the day which is a sad proposition akin to a prostitute losing her market after her waning of the body. Sulu may have a beautiful voice but that can be used only at night.
The film also shows the importance and the repeated intervention of the family in matters that pertain strictly to Sulllu’s three member-household. While it is true that in a large number of cases in India, even when nucleus family has become ‘the’ type of family setup in urban cities, families/elders have a say on things that happen in a couple. Choices available to women thus depend directly on the elders/the larger family acting as a chief mediator in decision making. It could be interesting to look at things differently without family intervention. A few good things about the film - Sulekha has a lot of potential and its instant recognition by Neha Dhupia speaks volumes of what recognition/acknowledgement can do to raw talent. Likewise, a wife/woman or for that matter anyone who has failed academically is not always a loser and Sulekha’s enthusiasm of trying to prove herself as something more than a mere housewife is inspiring and a huge take away from this film. Neha Dhupia and Vidya Balan are reasonably good in their acting, the (female) taxi drivers role and her sympathy with Sulekha show how women across different class positions are faced with similar problems, one of them being - the male gaze.
All in all, the film is laden with decent amount of conservative overtones. The humour episodes are good and entertaining but cannot compensate for the gravity of the position accorded to Sulekha. Vidya Balan’s impersonation and her attempts of saying a hello full of sexual innuendos do give a good laugh. Conclusion: A good story with lots of promise falls short in making a solid case for Sulu. It eventually makes a case for Sulekha.
The eponymous film shows the protagonist, Sulekha aka Sulu (Vidya Balan) as a very cheerful, enterprising, doting housewife. Despite her failures - academic (she has failed 12th on three occasions) and professional (her economic ventures have gone astray in the past), her motivations to excel are always alive and ready to burst. She is always able, if not at the first sight, to eventually leave a lasting impression on everyone she meets. With all her prizes and accolades in trivial local competitions like Limbu chamcha, Sulekha embarks on a new journey when she lands herself in a well paying job as a late night Radio Jockey. Her newly found vocation disrupts her family life and she is seen failing to conform to her role of a house wife. The film’s central issue is thus Sulekha’s struggle in coping up with her career as a Radio Jockey and her married life. The end suggests a seeming success for Sulekha on both fronts, however a somewhat detailed analysis could suggest otherwise.
Analysis: For reasons of better understanding the protagonist and the unfolding of the film, let’s divide the film in 3 parts: the transition of the protagonist from sulekha to Sulu, then, from Sulu to sulu and finally, from sulu to Sulekha. (Do note the careful use of capital/small lettered ‘s’ in the three parts as it has been used to personify the agency of the protagonist).
Part I (sulekha to Sulu) – Despite all odds, sulekha manages to organize herself in a way to suit the betterment of her family. The film aptly starts with a lemon-and-spoon race (Nimbu chamcha) which is all about maintaining one’s balance. So, right from the first shot, emerging winner in a lemon-and-spoon competition is a prior confirmation of sulekha’s competence as a champion house wife (the small letter ‘s’ signifying the protagonist’s primary, accepted and the only role in the household as a housewife). In another scene, later, Ashok, the husband is standing on a stool and is shown fixing a bulb. This again speaks figuratively of the balance in the family. Ashok gives and arranges for light in the family and he is supported by sulekha who holds the stool he stands on. Her withdrawal of support makes Ashok’s position vulnerable to instability. Ashok is dependent on Sulu and the household cannot work without their mutual cooperation.
As mentioned before, sulekha is interested in exploring avenues for contributing towards her family and for her self-growth. Her financially impossible dream of launching a commercial venture like a taxi company of women is ridiculed by her sisters and other family members. sulekha is an expert in voice modulation, she impersonates actors and her family members compliment and at times, tease her on that account. In fact, her singing skills and her naiveté are mocked at by RJ Albeli Anjali. Her attempts of finding a job and supporting her family finally succeed when her mellifluous voice and her desire to prove herself catch Maria’s attention (Neha Dhupia) and a late night radio show titled, ‘Tumhari Sulu’ is launched to cater to lonely souls and supposedly to all those needing emotional and psychological support. sulochana outperforms and turns into an overnight celebrity, Sulu.
Part II (Sulu to sulu) – Sulu’s immediate success is a life changer for the protagonist and her family too. Sulu enjoys her work, her colleagues respect her for what she is and she finally feels at peace at herself, for finding a job that she likes and that pays well and for being acknowledged at work. From a housewife sulochana, the protagonist becomes RJ Sulu, aware of her strengths and using them with conscience.
Both the halves of the film start with a discussion among the family members about what the protagonist should do in her life. If the first half deals with the necessity of sulekha taking up a job (to support her family) the second puts the reputation and the timings of her job in the forefront of the discussion. The respectability of a woman lies in doing only certain kind of jobs and Sulu’s ‘late night’ radio job is sneered at. The late night working hours are seen as an obstacle in the family life and Sulu is seen failing to serve as a dutiful mother. Further, her son, Pranav’s suspension on account of stealing a mobile phone and immoral conduct of selling (obscene) videos is attributed to Sulu’s failure of not attending properly to her son. Such a position ascribes a child’s responsibility uniquely at the hands of the women/the mother. Sulu feels morally responsible for Pranav’s conduct and finally decides to leave her job as she is not able to juggle her new found career with her primary occupation of a mother.
In this phase, Sulu becomes sulu i.e. she decides not to speak ‘her’ voice since societal and familial compulsions make her speak in a voice that is not hers. Figuratively thus, she is forced to permanently impersonate and the voice of her real Self is muted forever. In fact, Sulu’s ability to impersonate others reflects her versatile position - capable of speaking numerous voices, of assuming different alter/native ‘subject’ positions. That she has to give up an activity so dear to her and which is in fact her forte becomes the biggest failure of the portrayal of Sulochana.
Part III (sulu to Sulekha) The transformation to sulu is momentary and the protagonist finally becomes Sulekha, by being able to find her own bearing. She is however led to take a compromising position. It is due to such a position, I feel, that sulu again becomes Sulekha, but a renewed one at that. This is because the protagonist quits her job as a Radio Jockey, a job she likes and is quite passionate about. However, the twist in the film is the protagonist finding a new commercial venture (regrettably again, the new idea of catering business is christened on her husband’s name, Ashok catering services). The film ends thus on a fairly conservative note. She is again a housewife, content with her family and a job that pays reasonably well and importantly, is ‘acceptable’ to others. As the title suggests, disappointingly, ‘Tumhari sulu’ is a film of the feminine failing to be herself or conversely, succeeding to be someone else that she is not or doesn’t aspire to be. The radio show, ‘Tumhari Sulu’ is suggestive of a close association between friends in general and at a deeper level, an intimacy between husband and wife in the context of the film. The decision to withdraw from the night show means ‘Sulu’ will neither be able to give and share her joys to the whole world nor will be able to unburden unknown people of their pains and sorrows. On the personal front, the title bears a sense of possession by the male and the female’s willing submission to the same. The end of the film shows a compromise of the Subject to willingly oblige to the other and in the process, to be ‘the other’. The three phases described here can be resumed as the transition of the protagonist from a mere object to a Subject and then to become a subject again.
Though the film has a very good topic for discussion, it has a few threads left unexplored. Tightening such loose ends would have made a stronger film. Let’s see a few of them here.
The film certainly needed a stronger portrait of Sulekha and the film maker could have used other threads for a better handling of the central character. For ex: take the sudden disappearance of Pranav, the son after his suspension from school. This could have been resolved via Sulu’s voice at the radio. Her sexuality calling on her son to return home could consolidate her professional and personal position. The film could have portrayed a few other instances of Sulu helping needy people. Helping women of her age group or women facing harsher hardships would have been welcome. A wonderful incident to include would be the husband himself calling Sulu for his solution. This would have made Sulu look in a mirror, at her own life but from her husband’s point of view and her perspective would make a very interesting case. Another suggestion would be a scene showing Pranav’s friends taking jibes at his mother’s new job and this could have accentuated the vulnerability of Sulekha’s profession.
Ashok’s job at one point seems in jeopardy and there is no further lead on that front. His quitting the job or better, changing the job to suit his wife’s career could have been a way to sort things out. Also, his disrespect at the hands of the new boss could have been further explored as the professional life often-always impacts one’s personal life. Then, Ashok’s insistence on Sulu bearing another child could have tested the protagonist all the more as one of the best ways to keep a woman busy at home is to make her at the receiving end of child production. A sister for Pranav and discussion on that would have definitely advanced a stronger woman out of Sulekha. Sulu is consumable sexuality incarnated – consumed at home and what she can sell in the market is her silky voice. This ‘sexy’ voice is her gate way for the RJ job. Neha Dhupia can’t offer Sulu another RJ job, to work during the day which is a sad proposition akin to a prostitute losing her market after her waning of the body. Sulu may have a beautiful voice but that can be used only at night.
The film also shows the importance and the repeated intervention of the family in matters that pertain strictly to Sulllu’s three member-household. While it is true that in a large number of cases in India, even when nucleus family has become ‘the’ type of family setup in urban cities, families/elders have a say on things that happen in a couple. Choices available to women thus depend directly on the elders/the larger family acting as a chief mediator in decision making. It could be interesting to look at things differently without family intervention. A few good things about the film - Sulekha has a lot of potential and its instant recognition by Neha Dhupia speaks volumes of what recognition/acknowledgement can do to raw talent. Likewise, a wife/woman or for that matter anyone who has failed academically is not always a loser and Sulekha’s enthusiasm of trying to prove herself as something more than a mere housewife is inspiring and a huge take away from this film. Neha Dhupia and Vidya Balan are reasonably good in their acting, the (female) taxi drivers role and her sympathy with Sulekha show how women across different class positions are faced with similar problems, one of them being - the male gaze.
All in all, the film is laden with decent amount of conservative overtones. The humour episodes are good and entertaining but cannot compensate for the gravity of the position accorded to Sulekha. Vidya Balan’s impersonation and her attempts of saying a hello full of sexual innuendos do give a good laugh. Conclusion: A good story with lots of promise falls short in making a solid case for Sulu. It eventually makes a case for Sulekha.
