Hope & A Little Sugar: Some Flowers and Bonbons at a Time of Uncertainty & Predicament

Once again our movies and movie-makers turn out to be ready to take on internationally. Having already made a mark in the international film arena and winning the best feature film award at the South Asian International Film Festival, held in New York, also receiving much praise at the Kara Film Festival, Tanuja Chandra’s ‘HOPE AND A LITTLE SUGAR’ (English) is ready to take on Desi audience. Tanuja Chandra is one of the most promising directors of Bollywood, and I just hate to add woman film director because she proves again that she can give a mighty opposition to even the most able directors we have today. If anyone had a doubt about this Indian woman director, who doesn’t fall in the category of Mira Nair to attain publicity overnight, then just bite your tongue. She has made films with plots raising social awareness with such subtlety that you accept the lesson she teaches and you never seem to realize you were in a class. That is the might of her art. Be it ‘Dushman,’ ‘Sangharsh’ or ‘Sur’, the plots are not mediocre and tend to be on the side of parallel cinema but she makes commercial movies. Her movie with the Bhatts ‘Zakhm’ received two National Awards. She is one of the most striving film makers who have dared to make women-oriented movies and still please the men as well. Now, that is called talent!

Rating: 3.5/5

‘Hope and a Little Sugar’ is not only different from the movies made on racial outburst resulting in mass tragedy but it is only about people and their emotions and the way human character shapes while dealing with tragedy. Though it can be called as a movie made on the acrimonious aftermaths of 9/11, as it is set around it, it hardly ever seem to look at the darker side of the incidence, the tragedy dealt here is very very subtle and that is the charm that you carry on with yourself when you watch it. If we talk about it, Mansoor’s ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ also speaks about racial profiling and the ominous terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, however, the movies are pretty much different and the ubiquitous hands that decided the films fate are obviously that of a woman’s and in the later case a man’s. ‘Hope and a Little Sugar’ is no doubt seen through a rose-tainted glass and as the title suggests, it has a sweetness about it, hope is the underlying feature that can wade off sorrow. The way love is depicted in the movie is very chaste and comes as a real surprise and when you are expecting a common-place extra marital affair, it gives you a pure platonic love, set at the backdrop of hatred.

The movie centers around the lives of a set of people living in the most happening City of New York, basically an NRI Sikh family. Rtd. Colonel Oberoi, played by an immaculate Anupam Kher, is the head of the family. His wife Mrs. Oberoi, played by a graceful Suhasini Mulay, obedient and fun-loving son Harry, played by Vikram Chatwal and a lovely daughter in law Saloni, played by the gorgeous Mahima Chaudhry are happy with their lives while an uncalled for barbaric incident was waiting to end it all in a fraction of minute. Saloni and Harry are very much in love and Saloni is the gracious hostess at her small flower and sweet store named Hope & a Little Sugar, her special nook. The couple meets Ali Siddiqui, debutant and theatre personality Amit Sial, a reticent photographer. Saloni tries to encourage this pensive photographer and unknowingly becomes the center of his heart. Ali, despite his strong attraction towards his lady muse, becomes a good friend to them. The matters go on smoothly till one day, Harry, as usual leaves for work one morning only, never to come back. As it becomes evident, he has fallen a victim to the terrorist attacks on the WTO. The fact being, the planes hit exactly on the floor his office was located makes it impossible for him to survive in this hideous incident. While Saloni and Mrs. Oberoi come to term with this heartbreaking fact, Colonel Oberoi is still living in a false world of expectation, of coming across his son, roaming around in the streets with loss of memory. To add to this, he is attacked by a mob of angry Americans because of wearing a turban. His hatred for Muslims gives into a hatred and abhorrence in general. While Mrs. Oberoi is disturbed about her husband’s sudden change in character, she is also scared about his mental erosion. As, sorrow is the strong base of their relation now, Saloni and Ali become closer after this incident and as a matter of fact Ali could relate to the pain of this family as he has been a victim of the 1992 riots in Mumbai. Colonel Oberoi only sees evil in this budding relation and becomes a major threat to the couple, when Saloni is not very expressive and Ali’s crush on her become evident by the day.

If you talk about acting Anupam Kher is the unanimous first past the post. After winning 8 Filmfare awards, his acting has become even more polished with every character he portrays. Suhasini Mulay is good and does every piece of justice she could have done to her part. Mahima is the surprise package of the film. Now, looking at her performances of late, this is no doubt her major success as an actress. She not only looks gorgeous but gives a near-accurate performance. The other one to rock in the film is Amit Sial. This young guy has lot of potential and gives exactly what Tanuja might have in her mind while portraying Ali’s character. Vikram again gives a fine performance. The plus point of the characters in the movie is that the director didn’t depend on a lot of show and the subtlety and sensitivity of the scenes are maintained through out. There is no extravagance in either the dialogues or expressions. The color scheme is very becoming and makes the film look more realistic. Wayne Sharpe’s music composition adds the silver lining to the darker hues depicted in the movie and sets the mood right for a sensitive film.

Coming to the final say, the movie is for an intelligent audience and comes as a cool breeze in this hot summer. Also, time has come to acknowledge talented directors our very own Bollywood!

Rating: 3.5/5