Blessy Chettiar
Mumbai, 16 Feb 2018 7:00 IST
Director Sachin Kundalkar uses brilliant food metaphors to rustle up a layered film soaked in the goodness of a sensitive story with effortless humour, meaningful dialogue and good acting.
"Cooking means giving a part of yourself through your food," says a dreamy Radha Agarkar (Sonali Kulkarni) to eager apprentice Aditya (Siddharth Chandekar). Director Sachin Kundalkar uses brilliant food metaphors to rustle up a layered film soaked in the goodness of a sensitive story with effortless humour and meaningful dialogue and topped with good performances.
It is not just about the nourishment that food gives, it is about the way the maker expresses himself or herself by carefully picking out what goes into a dish. Measurements can be an impediment, and for Radha they are useless as she believes using memory and instinct are the best way of cooking to express love. She has her reasons why measurements don’t help her create magic in the kitchen.
When London-based banker Aditya comes to Mumbai for a holiday, he is tricked into getting engaged to his childhood friend. A chef at heart, he dreams of taking traditional Maharashtrian fare to the world and has quit his job in the UK. He puts up in Pune, lying to his fiancé about his whereabouts.
In Pune, a chance tasting of gulabjaam (gulab jamun) in a tiffin box transports him back to his mother and childhood. With magnificent orchestral music accompanying these happy visuals, Aditya makes up his mind to learn cooking from Radha.
He is far from disappointed to learn that she is an angry, middle-aged loner who refuses to even open the door to indulge him in a conversation. The persistent Aditya somehow gains entry into Radha’s kitchen and life. Director Kundalkar carefully peels off the layers of Radha and Aditya’s characters to release a sense of empathy accompanied by some ‘aww’ moments.
As Radha tests Aditya thoroughly — making him knead the dough, roll 100 chapatis, dry pulses, grind the flour, wash utensils, clean up, cut vegetables — a strange but sweet bond develops between the two. Radha, who has lived through a fatal accident and 11 years in coma, slowly opens up about her insecurities, her fears, and her love for dark cinema halls. She learns that Aditya is a goofball who likes to converse with the ingredients he is about to use in food.
The food is always the main character in every twist of Gulabjaam. And that is a feat director Kundalkar achieves with great consistency. He chose an actress like Sonali Kulkarni who is restrained and completely believable as a woman who has been left behind by the times. She effortlessly portrays Radha by becoming one with her.
The suspense of her story is kept up well, and when it is finally revealed you feel a sense of satisfaction — the kind you get right after a hearty meal. This satisfaction could even mean pity for some.
Sonali Kulkarni seasons Radha with a depth that might have remained hidden in the pages of the script in the hands of a lesser actress.
Siddharth Chandekar is underwhelming by comparison. While his act is noteworthy, he seems limited in his expressions and ingenuity. However, both artistes feed off each other to present a heartwarming chapter in the lives of their two characters. They imbibe much from each other, just like a khoya ball absorbs the sugar syrup, turning into a mushy morsel of sweetness.
When Aditya as the narrator says, “I am not the salt you are looking for to season your life”, the conflict is evident. It is presented in a subdued manner, as director Kundalkar treads carefully so as not to disturb the status quo of the relationship between the characters and the audience.
The poetic writing draws parallels between food and unusual relationships — an aspect that is Gulabjaam’s USP. Kundalkar shares the credit for writing, screenplay and dialogue with Tejas Modak. Together they serve up a winner.
Most of the film takes place indoors, and director of photography Milind Jog brings alive the colours of Maharashtrian cuisine. The costumes by Amit Divekar represent the changing times in Radha’s life. The sepia sequence with Radha and Aditya enjoying some downtime confuses you as you just can’t label this relationship.
Visuals of mouthwatering food, significant supporting characters (Rukmini Mavshi, Popat and Chikya), brilliant background score by Debarpito Saha, and crisp editing by Suchitra Sathe make Gulabjaam a delicious serving of wholesome entertainment. Do not miss it.