Sara's Movie Review: From Om Shanti Oshana to now Sara's, it is interesting to see how the protagonists in director Jude Anthany Joseph's first and third film have such contrasting priorities and goals. For Pooja in Om Shanti Oshana, it was her pursuit for her love that defined her life and thoughts. For Sara (Anna Ben) in, well, Sara's, it is the other way round. For her, her career comes first, and she tries to fit everything else around it, including her love-life. And yet both are strong, successful female protagonists that make for Malayalam Cinema's changing perception for bold and decisive women. Sara’s: Anna Ben and Sunny Wayne's Malayalam Film To Stream on Amazon Prime Video From July 5 (Watch Trailer).

Since her teenage years, Sara has not been able to adjust with the idea of embracing motherhood. Now in her '20s, Sara is working as an associate director and is passionately pursuing her dream to turn a director herself. While doing research for the script of her first film, she meets Jeevan (Sunny Wayne). Like her, even he doesn't like the idea of having kids, and their common personality trait brings them closer.

When families get involved, Jeevan marries Sara, after assuring her that he would not come between her dreams. After months of struggling to get a producer for her next film. Sara finally gets her moment of reckoning, only for her to find herself at the most crucial point of her being a woman.

Watch the Trailer:

As a film, Sara's might not be as entertaining as Om Shanti Oshana, but that doesn't mean it is disappointing, either. The first half of the film, as goes with the director's other two movies, is quite breezy with its light-hearted treatment and relatable characters. It isn't difficult to get in sync with Sara's ambitions and expectations, and working around a unconventional career-choice in a society where everything about you is adjudged by your market-value in marriage arena.

The pairing of Anna and Sunny Wayne's is quite adorable, which makes the complications in their married life even more engaging to watch. Jeevan's volte-face in the second half is subtly done without making him a caricature. A little annoyance I had is Sara trying to distance herself from Jeevan after the pregnancy, thus playing more into his change. Would he have reacted better, if Sara wasn't so sold with him? I don't know. The movie may point out his hypocrisy but it doesn't demonise him.

Still, I like how the movie dealt with Sara's handling of the situation, after all it is her movie, and her uterus! Yes, Sara's turns predictable at this point, and the screenplay plods ahead in a very leisurely manner, which is felt when it turns serious. However, the third act comes to the rescue with some very clapworthy scenes and a winning finale. Fahadh Faasil's Malik Skips Theatres For An Amazon Prime Release On July 15.

While I still have a soft corner for OSO, I like Sara's for being an important conversation maker when it comes to a woman's stand in her own life, her decisions and her career. Especially when it comes to motherhood. Why it is important that the women should have a bigger say over men when it comes to family planning. As they say, 'no uterus, no opinion'!

That said, Sara's (written by Akshay Hareesh) doesn't disses off the idea of motherhood, as something that hampers the free spirit of a woman. It respects the fact that parentage is beautiful and comes with its responsibility, but also reiterates that the responsibility shouldn't be undertaken out of unplanned pregnancy.

Ultimately, the die has to be cast by the person who has to handle the game. As Sara's father (Benny P Nayarambalam) tells her, her script may invoke different responses, but it is on her to write her own climax. Yes, we can argue that Sara, coming from a well-to-do, privileged upbringing, with supportive parents, can have it easy when it comes to standing by her conviction. But is it really easy? Yes, the stakes would have been much higher if the privilege is taken out. But as someone who doesn't have a uterus, I will not sully this question with an answer.

Whether you love the film's take on motherhood or not, you would definitely be bowled by the young Anna Ben's sprightly performance. Emerging as one of Malayalam Cinema's more assured young actors, Anna makes Sara into another fine, formidable hero, like her Helen, who fights her odds to turn a winner. Sunny Wayne lends fine support to her in a very likeable performance.

PS: There was a 1997 Malayalam movie called Oru Mutham Manimutham that has its female lead whose modern way of living and the fact that she didn't want to have kids had the film put her in a bad light. So much that the movie thought it was humorous that her husband impregnated her when she was unconscious! From that film which actually encouraged marital rape to now Sara's' adamant protagonist who puts her happiness over anyone else, Malayalam Cinema's progressive stance when it comes to female characters is truly laudable!

Yay!

- Anna Ben

- The Movies Treatment of Its Theme

Nay!

- Predictable Storyline

- Pacing in the Middle Portions

Final Thoughts

Sara's deserves to be watched for Anna Ben's assured performance and how it handles the stacking over motherhood over career-goals. Sara's is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Rating:3.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2021 04:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).