Sir Movie Review - Domestic Love

Rohena Gera's Sir is a gem that deserves nothing but high praise.

Netflix refers to Rohena Gera's film as Is Love Enough? Sir. The title springs with Sir followed by Is Love Enough written on top of it. Reading both ways makes sense. For the sake of simplicity, let's call the film Sir in this review.

Ratna (Tillotama Shome) is a live-in maid in Mumbai. Employed in the house of a rich architect Ashwin (Vivek Gomber), her daily tasks include cleaning the residence, preparing food for parties, and looking after Ashwin's requirements, whom she refers to as "sir." Like any other lower-class worker, Ratna is often subjected to rudeness. Sometimes, effrontery comes from Ashwin's friends ("Dikhta nahi hum dono baatein kar rahe hai?"). And sometimes, another worker would cast a dirty look on her face. A lady at a clothing store indicates her to leave after scanning her appearance. She scolds the watchman and opens the door for Ratna to exit. On the surface, all three of them (Ratna, the lady, and the watchman) are labors working for people in higher positions. Individually, the lady occupies a rank above the other two since she wears modern clothes and is educated enough to converse in English. Also, a store worker is generally considered above a maid and a watchman in our society no matter the job description they share in common: to serve.

Thankfully, Ashwin showers sympathy for Ratna in this cruel world. His compassion is different from, say, his mother, who speaks in a tone of politeness that is more formal. It's like the way you would normally talk to someone when meeting for the first time. Not so severe and not too friendly. But there is a genuine empathy radiating from Ashwin. He really means it when he says "thank you" to Ratna for bringing in tea or a glass of water. Gomber's face has kindness written all over it, and Gera uses it as an advantage. Gradually, benevolence changes to affection. Given that Ashwin recently had trouble in his marriage (the to-be wife cheated, so he left her at the altar), one wonders whether this attraction for Ratna is a form of rebound. But no. The love is real, and it sprouts from both sides. However, class difference acts as a villain in their fairy tale. Whenever Ratna starts getting comfortable, an incident takes place as a reminder of her circumstances (a phone call interrupts an intimate action). He says he does not care while she keeps the reality in check and pushes away for both of their benefits.

Sir tries to sour the sweetness using clichés. You expect reproach from Ashwin when Ratna accidentally spills a drink on Ankita (Anupriya Goenka), one of his friends. Yet rebuke comes from only Ankita. Ashwin, on the other hand, defends Ratna and scoffs at Ankita! Let us all accept that Ashwin is a dream for many maids. They deserve credit, appreciation for their hard work, and people like Ashwin provide it to them. Hell, the world needs more tender souls like Ashwin and more dedicated wonks like Ratna. She wants to be a fashion designer, a dream she holds on to despite her impecunious situation. Such people are so rare that they seem to exist outside reality. How can anything so fictitious come alive in a world that operates on the realism of rules and boundaries?

It has been a long time since I saw a film with a perfect ending. We hear just one word before cutting to the credits. This one word puts every piece together in the puzzle. It means acceptance. It conveys a declaration that could not have been spoken before. It carries the weight of an enormous feeling buried under various refusals. True love does not trap itself in phone calls or romantic gifts, or text messages. It drives us to reach for a better version of ourselves. Declaring love is easy. Accepting it is difficult. Ratna and Ashwin can proudly if with a heavy heart, prove their commitment. Can you?

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