Tarla Movie Review: Interesting life, but the movie required some tadka to rustle hard

Language: Hindi

Director: Piyush Gupta

Cast: Huma Qureshi and Sharib Hashmi

There was something very interesting about Tarla Dalal’s life and Huma Qureshi through her skills and most importantly her love for food could bring about the connection with ease. Piyush Gupta’s film gave a clear insight into the making of Tarla; from a homemaker who loved to cook for his family to a home chef.

Brilliant is the journey and the making of Tarla and how she during those days had the vision of becoming an entrepreneur through her cooking skills. I wasn’t easy I am sure to smash patriarchy and become the most popular home-chef for years to come. She was the first woman chef to be on television and have a cooking show of her own in those days was really commendable. Tarla Dalal became a name which probably everybody knows and most importantly her cook books became accessible to all for its simplicity.

The convincing performances of Huma Qureshi and Sharib Hashmi did sometimes get monotonous. But I somehow fell with such an interesting life, the movie could have been made more delicious.

The interesting twist of recipes from veg to non-veg shows that Tarla was a genius in the kitchen. The way Murgh Mussalum became batata (potatoes) mussalum was hilarious. The best thing about Dangal and Chhichhore screenwriter Piyush Gupta’s directorial debut was his proper research of the backstory that went behind making Tarla. The film talks about the beauty of marriage and her life with a supportive husband who gave his all to make his wife successful in life.

Tarla’s husband was truly a man who was way ahead of his time and that has been beautifully brought out by actor Sharib Hashmi. Beautifully he helped his wife break free from the monotony of domesticity and start a business of her own in a field she was good at. The movie has reflected in a very natural way on the confusions that play in a woman’s mind that whether she will be able to strike a balance between family and work. And she did it with ease and an important person who made it possible was her husband. The way her husband stood by her and told her that she will create history one day is what is going to touch the hearts of the viewers. With such an interesting life, I felt somewhere the movie required fines.

Tarla’s sakahari (vegetarian) recipes are just too boring for my refined carnivorous taste buds, but there must be people who find her cooking recipes quick, interesting and simple. There are places where I can totally relate to Tarla, like her I truly believe that cooking is a kala (art) and many people are gifted with it. It may appear to be a chore for many, but not for me and definitely not for Tarla Dalal and that is where we connect!

Rating: 31/2 (out of 5 stars)

Tarla is showing on ZEE5 from today