Love, Sitara opens with a nod to the classic literature of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. The film begins with Sitara (portrayed by Sobhita Dhulipala) quoting the timeless line, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” This sets the stage for a complex emotional narrative, although the script of Vandana Kataria’s film isn’t quite as quotable as Tolstoy’s novel. Still, Abbas and Hussain Dalal’s dialogue manages to offer a collection of pithy, self-help style slogans such as “Happiness lies in honesty,” and “I’ll fix myself before I can fix my relationships.”
The film follows the story of Sitara, also known as Tara, and Arjun (played by Rajeev Siddhartha), who have been in a turbulent relationship for several years. Both Tara and Arjun are urbane, attractive, and career-driven individuals. Tara is an interior designer of some repute, and Arjun is a chef who recently landed a position in Singapore.
The plot takes a turn when Tara discovers she is pregnant — a surprise diagnosis. Instead of sharing this news with Arjun, she offers her hand in marriage. Family members from both sides gather in Kerala at Tara’s maternal grandmother’s house to fix a muhurat, amidst the backdrop of quintessentially Indian comic moments featuring banana fritters and 2 States-style humor.
However, the comedic elements are short-lived. Early in the narrative, a friend expresses surprise at Tara’s newfound enthusiasm for marriage. We learn that Arjun had proposed three years earlier, a proposal Tara had turned down. Her unexpected pregnancy now seems to have motivated her change of heart. As secrets and lies start to unravel, including a potential fissure in her parents’ marriage, Tara finds herself in an emotional quagmire. This situation is especially intriguing for fans of Dhulipala’s work, as she plays another character named Tara in the Prime Video series Made in Heaven, who also navigates complex social dynamics as a wedding planner.
Vandana Kataria, an acclaimed production designer, made her directorial debut with Noblemen in 2019. That film delved into the culture of bullying and toxic masculinity in a boarding school setting.
. In Love, Sitara, Kataria shifts her focus to female experiences, aided by a screenplay from Sonia Bahl and featuring veteran theatre actress B. Jayashree as Amumma (Tara’s grandmother) and Sonali Kulkarni in a critical role.
Despite its multifaceted characters and aspirations for emotional truth, Love, Sitara does not achieve the same psychological depth as Kataria’s previous work. The new film aims for genuine messiness yet seems somewhat restrained.
A significant limitation lies in the writing, which oscillates between English, Hindi, and sporadic Malayalam. The family dynamics feel more orchestrated than organic, with each character seemingly armed with the perfect retort for every situation. For instance, phrases like “A mistake can wreck a thousand lives” and “hearts, like monuments, should be built of stone” feel scripted and out of touch with real-life nuances. A climactic emotional explosion comes off as melodramatic, replete with thunderclaps and torrential rain. The lush Kerala backdrop isn’t utilized effectively, and some characters come off as caricatures, notably the talkative housemaid with an alcoholic husband.
Still, the penultimate scene offers respite, featuring a heartfelt argument between Tara and Arjun. Their exchange feels authentic, capturing the intricate layers of a long-term relationship. However, viewers familiar with Dhulipala’s role in Made in Heaven may struggle to disentangle the two characters, potentially overshadowing her performance in this film.
Ikhlaque Khan delivers a remarkable performance as Arjun’s father, a retired army officer obsessed with patriotism and duty. However, the standout character is Tara’s best friend, Anjali (Tamara D’Souza), an award-winning photojournalist who covers human rights issues. Anjali adds a captivating dimension to the pre-wedding frenzy by showing up with her camera to document the festivities, a touch that adds both levity and depth.
In summary, Love, Sitara, currently streaming on ZEE5, offers a potent mix of emotional upheavals, societal expectations, and family drama. Despite its flaws, the film presents a gripping, if sometimes overwrought, exploration of pre-wedding jitters and personal growth.
