With Aparna Balamurali coming off a National Award win, all eyes are on Sundari Gardens directed by Charlie Davis.
Released on SonyLIV, the movie revolves around Sundari Mathews aka Suma (Aparna Balamurali) and her life at the age of 32. Suma is a school librarian but not a fuddy duddy librarian – she knows every book placement in the library like the back of her hand; is a firebrand who stands up against any violence inflicted on women and is highly independent. She lives in Sundari Gardens with her mother and her life is run of the mill, till she meets Victor Paul (Neeraj Madhav) who joins the school as the English teacher. Victor is a regular simple guy who’s not overly ambitious, enjoys a drink once in a while and is very content. Love blossoms for her but does it for Victor?
As the film progresses, we learn that Suma is a divorcee and a cancer survivor, and while Victor takes it in his stride, how his mother reacts shows us what society at large thinks of women who face these issues. Suma enjoys her drink as much as Victor does and reacts exactly like how a man would react if the girl he likes falls for someone else. The film shows us these aspects in a very matter-of-fact way and not dramatic and over-the-top perhaps in an attempt to say this is normal today. Suma tells Victor she is a mess but is she really? She knows herself and what she wants and that proves she is a confident, mature woman who can deal with the curve balls life throws at her.
Both Aparna Balamurali and Neeraj Madhav shine in their roles of Suma and Victor, respectively, and the chemistry between them also is natural. Aparna is the protagonist and the film is told through her eyes and as a woman, one can relate to it well. Her eyes do most of the talking - whether happiness or sadness – and her actions are subdued but telling.
Director Charlie Davis has made a slice-of-life film around Suma but it’s neither a rom-com nor a drama. His character Suma is a refreshing one but there are some stereotypes he has thrown in like Sundari’s colleague Lekha (Lakshmi Menon) who likes Victor or Victor’s mother. He could have elevated Suma’s story to another level had he cut out some of these aspects.
Sundari Gardens is a comfortable watch, and while one ends up rooting for Suma, the aspects of the film that could have pushed for progressive thinking die down soon and the flick ends up with a regular happy ending. The cinematography by Swaroop Philip is lovely, showcasing the verdant hills and a quaint small town in Kerala. Alphons Joseph has scored the film and technically, the film is okay. One just wishes the writer-director had really pushed the limits with his screenplay and the relationship between Suma and Victor as it was quite promising.
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