When the teenage Swati Sharma yelled “I hate you!” at her mother, I felt myself going back to my teenage years and feeling the same rage towards everything my mother said. Which is women telling women’s stories will always be special. Sharmajee Ki Beti is one such minimalist film about the patriarchy women face daily in their households. The film is written and directed by Tahira Kashyap Khurrana and produced by Applause Entertainment Ltd. The story revolves around the lives of five Sharmajee ki betis dealing with different issues at different stages of their lives. I promise you the story will not only touch your hearts but the screenplay will also hold your attention (but not throughout the film). The film has a stellar cast of Sakshi Tanwar, Divya Dutta, Saiyami Kher, Sharib Hashmi, and the two adorable girls- Arisha Mehta and Vanshika Taparia. The film had its digital release on Prime Video.
Sharmajee Ki Beti tries to tackle women’s issues at the surface level with humour and wit. The story is light-hearted but also predictable. It is a light watch with some impact. The story does not spend too much time “villainising” the men but rather sheds light on the women becoming predictable sometimes.
The Plot Of Sharmajee Ki Beti
The story revolves around three Sharma families. Jyoti Sharma, played by Sakshi Tanwar is an over-worked, middle-class mother who keeps a reminder for every household need for her husband Sudhir. Their daughter Swati is a confused teenager who is very worried about fitting in with other girls of her age as she hasn’t gotten her periods yet. The need to have the “ideal” body as a teenager is what Swati wants. On the other hand, Kiran Sharma played by Divya Dutta is a big-hearted Punjabi woman who has just shifted to Mumbai from Patiala due to her husband’s job and is trying really hard to fit in a place where no one has the time to chat and play tambola. Her daughter Gurleen, who is best friends with Swati, is struggling to find her identity as a young girl.
And the last Sharma, Tanvi is a state-level cricketer who has shifted from Baroda to play for the Mumbai team. She is in a not-so-loving relationship with Rohan, played by Rajveer Singh who is a struggling actor wanting Tanvi to leave cricket and be more “girly” for the sake of his career. How these 5 women fight patriarchy to be their true selves, is what Sharmajee Ki Beti is all about.
Performances
Sakshi Tanwar As Jyoti Sharma: This is not the first time Sakshi Tanwar has played the role of a mother, we’ve seen her do it in Mai and Bade Achhe Lagte Hai but this time the actor has delivered her best as the mother of a teenage girl. Sakshi has done justice to her character Jyoti who is a working mother struggling to strike a balance between being a mother and a teacher. She showcases Jyoti’s helplessness, as a mother who realises that she might lose her daughter because she’s a working mom, with honesty.
Vanshika Taparia As Swati Sharma: Vanshika nails the role of teenage Swati, who is going through physical changes as she grows up and let me tell you, you will relate to her teenage woes and struggles with peer pressure. The child actor does justice to Swati who is moody, angry, insecure, and upset about not getting her periods like other girls. Her struggle with patriarchal conditioning which makes her question why her mother is not like other moms comes out beautifully on the screen.
Sharib Hashmi As Sudhir Sharma: Sharib Hashmi’s Sudhir (Jyoti’s husband) is an absolute green flag. The actor delivered a stellar performance as the understanding husband and loving father trying his best to do right by his family. It goes without saying the actor looks absolutely endearing in the role. His struggle to understand his teenage daughter’s problems is every desi father ever!
Divya Dutta As Kiran Sharma: Divya Dutt does justice to her character Kiran, a stay-at-home mother struggling to get attention from her working husband. Not all actors can act with their eyes but Divya definitely can. You feel for her when she feels alone in her own home. The smile on her face that never reached her eyes would tell everything that was on her mind. So, it’s safe to say that the actor did her job well. The striking change of personality as soon as she enters one of her dreams feels so natural.
Saiyami Kher As Tanvi Sharma: Saiyami Kher plays the role of a cricketer in a toxic relationship. She looks her absolute best as the next big cricketer and delivers a convincing performance despite the weak script given to her. Her storyline needed much exploration because her character is brilliant. A strong, independent woman living her dreams and yet is easily manipulated by her boyfriend? Well, her story needs a deeper dive than just a predictable story that barely scratches the surface.
Verdict: Tahira Kashyap’s Film Is Old Wine In New Bottle, But We Like It!
Sharmajee Ki Beti is a heartwarming film with relatable stories of Jyoti (Sakshi Tanwar) and Swati (Vanshika Taparia) navigating societal pressures. But beyond the storyline, the film stumbles in its execution. While Divya Dutta’s character will resonate with the audiences, her storyline will feel stretched and chip-thin. TBH, the “Mumbai vs Patiala” theme is overplayed. We get it, she’s a woman from a small town. Can we get over it and see what changed in her life and her relationship with her husband after she moved to Mumbai, instead of just trying to remind audiences that she’s from Patiala? I know something changed but I wanna what happened, why it happened, when it happened and how it happened that caused a rift between this couple.
Tanvi Sharma aka Saiyami Kher’s cricket journey is majorly underdeveloped and so is her love life. We get it, she’s dating a toxic boy but we’d love to have some background information. When did the gaslighting begin? I’m sure her boyfriend wasn’t always a manipulative guy and if he was, why did she start dating him? Some context would add more value to the plot. Further, it makes no sense that a woman as strong as her would suddenly agree to drop her career for her boyfriend who is a “nice guy”. It’s rather abrupt due to the lack of context and background. The writing did not do justice to a character like Tanvi Sharma.
Tahira Kashyap’s direction and the dialogues uplift the weak script. The dialogues add more charm and wit to the stories of all the Sharmajee ki betis. However, a nuanced approach to social commentary and a tighter script would have elevated the impact of the film. The direction was competent but could’ve delved deeper into the motivation of the characters and their interpersonal relationships.
Despite these shortcomings, Sharmajee Ki Beti offers a charming escape with strong performances. The actors make up for the weak screenplay. The attempt to make a soothing women-led film worked well as it doesn’t require much effort from viewers to understand and yet makes them feel good. The film also touches upon several untouched subjects with underlying themes like teenage struggles, the loneliness of being “just” a housewife, and so much more which makes it a beautifully layered plot. Even though each character is vastly different from the other, the script manages to bring them together over their struggles. You’ll be surprised how you’ll relate to the struggles of a 14-year-old and also of a 40-year-old. More than sending a message, Sharmajee Ki Beti tells women just one thing – “we hear you and we’re here for you.” And that, my friends, is the beauty of women telling women stories.
Sharmajee Ki Beti was released on the OTT platform Prime Video on June 27. Don’t forget to grab some popcorn and watch this Tahira Kashyap directorial with the women of your family.