Tarla – A Sweet Simplistic Movie with the Right Dash of Salt and Sugar

Dubai: Tarla Dalaal, was unarguably the first Master Chef of India, curating new dishes for millions of Indians and inspiring womenfolk to follow their dreams. The movie, ably directed by Piyush Gupta, shows the struggle of an unassuming housemaker that eventually turns her into a household name. She published more than 100 books, sold more than 10 million copies translated in numerous languages and won the Padmashri, 4th highest Indian civilian award for cooking.

The script seemed to be picked from one of her cook books, with a perfect dash of sweet and salt, palatable to every family member watching the movie. Led by the effervescent Huma Quraishi embodying the essence of Tarla and a brilliant Sharab Hashmi as Nalin Dalaal, we experience the life and times of a typical (upper) middle class family of 1970/80’s.

I absolutely loved the casting of the legendary Bharti Acherkar from the hit sitcom “ Wagle Ki Duniya”  (1988-1990) for nostalgia. The movie depicts how Tarla inspired women to use cooking as a weapon to get things done. She pushed the boundaries by publishing her books and making a mark in a harsh male dominated world.

The movie dwells into the changing dynamics of a relationship once the women steps out of the house and the difficult role a male has to play in putting down his rebellious ego. It asks the Men to do more. Be more accommodating, more responsible to family duties, more giving to let the women shine. The roots of patriarchy need to be dismantled completely for a work/family balance. Kudos to Zee5 for bringing some beautiful stories on screen to inspire us.

I absolutely enjoyed the deliciously roasted movie but it had a bitter aftertaste for me.

While the current trend of movies subtly states that women are not reaching their potential until they step out of the houses, I would like to see some movies depicting that being a Home Maker (out of choice) also entails superhuman work and should be dignified and honored for their relentless effort in running a house. Not appreciated much generally the current spate of movies completely make them look like failures. They may not be receiving awards and accolades, but the silent tear of joy on a mother’s face watching their kids finally graduating after years of joint hard-work should not be wiped with brute force. There is a story behind those sniffs too.

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