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Why you really need to watch ‘the terror’ the best new show on netflix.

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An endless field of ice and tundra. Old, creaking ships adrift in a winter ocean. Strange beasts with a terrible bloodlust lurking in the night. And men—starving and desperate—turning into beasts themselves, the way men do when all is lost and brothers turn against brothers.

AMC’s The Terror isn’t exactly a horror series but it’s not your run-of-the-mill historical drama, either. The show is named after a real-life ship, the HMS Terror, a British naval exploration ship which, along with the HMS Erebus, were lost in the arctic on an exploration voyage to discover the Northwest Passage.

What actually happened to the men of the Terror and Erebus remains largely a mystery, but The Terror does a remarkably deft job at filling in the blanks—and embellishing them with horror elements that make the grim tale of survival, mutiny and terror all that much more gripping.

The 10-part first season is based on the novel of the same name by author Dan Simmons, best known for his epic space opera, The Hyperion Cantos. I haven’t read the book, so I went into this show blind, and in many ways I’m glad I did. While it came out back in 2018, this is one of the best series I’ve watched in 2024—and now it’s made its way from AMC to Netflix where it will hopefully find a much wider audience.

The show isn’t just scary, it’s also a really terrific historical drama with incredible set and costume design. You really feel like you’re in these old ships, stranded in this arctic wasteland in the most brutally bleak conditions imaginable. On top of the production values, the series is incredibly well-written and acted. The cast is simply astounding, with many actors you’ve seen in shows like Game Of Thrones, Chernobyl and Blue Lights.

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Jared Harris plays Captain Francis Crozier, a level-headed Navy man with little patience for glory or the snooty habits of his fellow officers. Unfortunately, he’s also a massive alcoholic. He’s nevertheless earned the fierce loyalty of his crew on the HMS Terror.

Tobias Menzies plays James Fitzjames, a handsome young officer who loves to tell stories that paint him in a glowing light, but who reveals hidden depths before the story ends.

Leading the expedition is Captain Sir John Franklin, the captain of the HMS Erebus, a man whose ambitions far outstrip his judgment and capabilities. Franklin is played by Ciarán Hinds.

The rest of the cast is just as terrific. Adam Nagaitis plays one of the most compelling villains on TV as Caulker's Mate Cornelius Hickey, a clever and mysterious sailor who never stops scheming. Ian Hart who I recognized from The Kingdom plays the ever-loyal and reliable Sailing Master Thomas Blanky.

Then there is the mysterious Lady Silence, an indigenous Netsilik woman the crews encounter in a blizzard, who comes aboard amid fierce suspicion.

I could keep going, but then I’d spoil too much of this phenomenal series that I slept way too long on. This is one of the best shows you can watch on Netflix right now and I can’t recommend it highly enough. The first season has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The second—which is an entirely new story that I haven’t watched yet—does a bit worse with critics, at 80%.

Along with The Terror, AMC has added some other great shows and one that is truly too dreadful to recommend . Check out these and other new streaming options on Netflix and other streaming services this week, right here .

What are you watching these days? Let me know on Twitter , Instagram or Facebook . Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog . Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

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Review: Rohena Gera’s film ‘Sir’ on Netflix shows class over companionship

Netflix film  Sir  really gets you asking the ultimate question, ”Is love ever enough?” When I first saw the trailer, I was immediately intrigued by it and added it to my  must-watch list .  The trailer itself makes you wonder if this is another one of those films where a rich man uplifts an under-privileged woman? But once you start watching it, you find out it’s much more than just a love story.

An unusual but captivating storyline

The story revolves around Ratna played by  Tillotama Shome , a widowed domestic help who finds herself in a complicated relationship with her boss Ashwin played by Vivek Gomber, who has just returned from America after breaking off his engagement. 

Although this film is a love story, it is one of a kind. We watch the film primarily through Ratna’s perspective, an uneducated village woman who left her home soon after her husband’s death and choose to move to the city of Mumbai with a dream to become a fashion designer. But her lack of education turns her into a maid. And it is her occupation that becomes her identity.

The  film  established Ratna, the docile help who has a dream and Ashwin, a melancholic man, who doesn’t seem to know what he wants as an individual first, before he ventures into a romantic connection.

Unravelling class divide between Ratna and Ashwin

Sir addresses social issues that occur in our daily lives. While Ashwin may be kind to Ratna, she is still a maid for the world. It’s only when Ashwin’s friend Vicky asks him to look at their relationship from her perspective that he realises his privilege. The movie throws light on the challenges faced by lower-class women. Ratna and her friend Lakshmi may be obedient servants to their employers, but they are individuals with their own dreams and a unique sense of humour, despite their circumstances.

The two symbolise extreme opposite ends of the social spectrum. Director Gera manages to show both sides of their story but focuses on social issues faced by Ratna. The social divide is shown in a realistic manner.

Brilliant acting chops

While the two may have barely touched or spoken to each other, their emotional connection is palpable. Both Shome and Gomber bring excellent acting chops to the film, striking a perfect balance between when to reveal and when to conceal. They added moments of compassion and sincerity throughout the film.

The complete embodiment of Ratna by Tillotama Shome is what makes Sir brilliant. She portrays Ratna’s range of emotions very realistically. On the other hand, Vivek Gomber’s Ashwin is seen as someone who is innocently looking for an emotional connection but finds it in the so-called ‘wrong place.’ His acting is also faultless, and in the end, I found myself rooting for the two.

The film addresses the importance of companionship, irrespective of class, but it is the class that determines if it is appropriate. The film highlighted the obstacles the lower-class faces in achieving their dreams perfectly through Ratan’s fight to become a fashion designer. Despite the love story, the depiction of class divide remains in your mind long after the film  is over.

All images: Courtesy Netflix

Sukanya Mohanty

Sukanya has previously worked with Elle India and GQ India. She is a fitness enthusiast and you will always find her with headphones in her ears as she loves music.

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Netflix’s Sir Ending, Explained

Rohena Gera’s 2018 Hindi-language film, ‘Sir – Is Love Enough?’, is a beautiful and poignant tale of love that transcends social backgrounds and class divides. Companionship, profound emotional intimacy, and friendship can be found even in the most unexpected of places. But if it evolves into romantic love, are those feelings enough to bridge the gap that years of conditioning, societal norms, education, and upbringing have carved between two people who stand on opposite ends of the social spectrum?

Gera’s slow-burning, impactful, and painfully sweet romance film poses that same question and leaves the audience with an ending that’s open to interpretation, depending on what you personally think about those very societal norms the characters challenge. If you’re looking for a clearer understanding of the ending of ‘Sir,’ you’ve come to the right place. First, let’s take you through a quick plot synopsis and then dive right in to discuss the deeply moving ending. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Sir Plot Synopsis

Ratna is the live-in domestic help employed by the affluent US-returned architect Ashwin and his fiancee Sabina. When Ashwin returns from his destination wedding after leaving Sabina at the altar, Ratna has to cut her trip home short and return to work as well. The servants are all abuzz, wondering about the details of the break-up, but Ratna can gauge her employer’s sadness from his demeanor.

When a friend comes over to talk to Ashwin about Sabina, we find out that Sabina had cheated on him. Ashwin doesn’t blame Sabina because he admits, in retrospect, that he wasn’t in love with Sabina and was only marrying her because she had been there to support him and his family after they had recently lost his younger brother to an illness. As Ashwin slowly picks up the pieces of his life and attempts to move on, Ratna is always there, quietly moving about the house, making his life easier.

Even when Raju, the driver, offers to find her a more suitable position (worried that living alone with a man in the same house is inappropriate), Ratna shuts him down by saying that society will think what they want, but she will stay because she knows she has done nothing wrong. In a standout scene that serves as an ice-breaker between them, Ratna tells Ashwin about her husband, who passed away just 4 months after their wedding, leaving her widowed at 19. She ends her story by saying, “Life doesn’t end, sir.” Ashwin understands what she’s trying to say.

Ratna and Ashwin’s friendship evolves slowly as they talk about their individual dreams and aspirations (Ratna wants to be a fashion designer; Ashwin misses his life as a writer in the US and dreams of finishing a half-written novel). In a slow-building whirlwind of unspoken emotions, the two fall in love, despite a huge class divide between them. They never say it, but it shows in the subtle gestures, longing expressions, and heavy silences. He buys her a sewing machine; she stitches him a shirt for his birthday; he calls her randomly just to hear her voice when she goes home to her village for 3 days to attend her sister’s wedding. An unguarded moment of shared tenderness jolts Ratna back into reality, and she tries to bring Ashwin back as well, for both their sakes.

Sir Ending: Why Does Ratna Go Back To Ashwin’s Place?

After Ratna leaves the job and Ashwin’s home, she goes to live with her sister, who also moved to Mumbai after her wedding. Her sister asks Ratna if she was fired for stealing something, but Ratna truthfully denies it. However, Ratna doesn’t reveal to her sister (or anyone) that she left the job because she’s in love with her employer. Meanwhile, Ashwin tells his father that he wants to move back to the US. When his father asks him if he’s sleeping with the help, Ashwin says, “No, but I am in love with her.” His father agrees that it would be best if Ashwin leaves India.

A few days later, Ratna gets a call from Ashwin’s fashion designer friend, who gives her a job offer after an in-person interview. Realizing that Ashwin must have pulled some strings for her even to land an interview, Ratna goes to Ashwin’s apartment to thank him, but he isn’t there. She’s disappointed that the door is padlocked, and the film does not tell us if Ashwin has already departed for the States or is just out in the city. Ratna goes to the rooftop, where she gets a call from Ashwin. She picks up but takes a full minute to say, “Ashwin…”

The movie ends right at this pivotal moment in Ratna’s and Ashwin’s love story. Ever since they had shared a kiss, Ashwin had insisted that she call him by his name instead of addressing him as “sir,” but Ratna had been holding out, not wanting to encourage him. Ratna addresses him as “sir” throughout the film to establish their vastly different statures. They live in the same house and sleep in rooms separated only by a wall, but actually, they are worlds apart.

Do Ratna and Ashwin End Up Together?

Rohena Gera deliberately leaves it open-ended for viewers to interpret and imagine what they will. There are two distinct possibilities. In the first scenario, Ratna only says his name once to show him how much he means to her, thank him on the call, and they never meet again. Pessimists and realists will probably imagine this end to Ratna’s and Ashwin’s short-lived but poetic love story. These are the viewers who agree with Ashwin’s friend earlier in the film when he says that their love will not be accepted by the society they live in.

His friend says that Ashwin’s mom would not even eat at the same table Ratna is seated at, much less accept her as a daughter-in-law, and a rejection of this magnitude will only hurt Ratna. This strikes a chord because it is the sad but realistic truth of the Indian society. Far more value is placed on a person’s social stature than on the qualities of their character. In fact, it’s not just in India that unsurpassable class division exists; it’s in any society that is built around the oppression of one particular faction. Ashwin’s friend and Ratna are both right – they would be ridiculed and shunned if they were to continue their romance.

But the second possibility – one that optimistic dreamers and romantic idealists like me imagine – is that Ratna calls Ashwin by his name as permission of sorts, agreeing to his earlier insistence of staying together, regardless of societal norms. Maybe her saying his name instead of “sir” is Ratna finally greenlighting their forbidden romance. The story’s angle of Ashwin moving back to the States is indicative that the audience can (and should) hope. No one in America cares if Ashwin marries or is romantically involved with his former household help. In the US, they can be together without judgment and ridicule. What if that phone call is not the last time Ashwin and Ratna talk to each other? What if.

Read More: Best Hindi Movies on Netflix

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Sir | Movie Review (Netflix)

[Submission by A.F.] From the country of India, Netflix brings you a thought-provoking drama called Sir.

Gone are the flashy Bollywood dance numbers and unrealistic beauty shots. You are left with a slow-burning but inspiring story starring Tillotama Shome and Vivek Gomber. 

A domesticated maid and construction project manager build a bond that turns into a foreboding love. No, this is not Maid In Manhattan but a film that sheds light on society’s implications should these two go public with their growing feelings. 

The audience follows Ratna’s (Tillotama Shome) perspective. A widow from a distant village turned maid and aspiring fashion designer. She accepts this but is frustrated with society’s definition of a maid. Cleaning, washing, cooking, and anticipating their clients’ moods are not respected yet needed by the people who employ them. Ashwin, played by Vivek Gomber, is no different, expecting a clean house and fresh food on the table yet deals with an uncomfortable life experience no one is discriminated against, an affair. Leaving his bride to be at the altar after his discovery, he shuts down emotionally, and this is witnessed by his maid Ratna. The cinematography did a fantastic job visually showing the many differences between Ashwin and Ratna and utilizing walls, spaces, and living conditions. This emphasized the differences between the upper and lower class. Over time their proximity to each other shrinks during the many but brief conversations they have. Through open space, they look at each other and see a mutual understanding. The movie’s only issue is that the pace abruptly changes, which is jarring but welcomed nonetheless.   

A true connection is what we as humans crave for and yet, with restrictions, deny those innocent connections based on what others might say. If it doesn’t fit the criteria, then it’s wrong. In the Indian culture, though conservatively modern depending on the generation, your reputation is everything. Social status plays a devastating role in the movie, and if you’re unfamiliar with the severity of the Indian culture values this concept, then Sir is an authentic introduction. Warning, this doesn’t have an exact Hollywood ending but if you’re on an international  woke  journey, then put this movie on your list. 

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Netflix’s Sir: The Indian Audience’s Fascination With The Rich-Man-Loves-Poor-Girl Trope

Love is said to transcend all barriers, but quite realistically, Indian cinema has continually engaged with tragic stories of lovers who couldn’t be united because of social and class differences. The iconic dialogue:  “Bekhuda, hum mohabbat ke dushman nahi, apne usoolon ke ghulam hai”, from the epic love story, Mughal-e-Azam , released over six decades ago, resonates with us even today, as the sociocultural climate of India remains largely unchanged. More recently, in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), that became the highest grossing Indian film worldwide at the time, popularised the conflicting pulls of tradition versus love, as the character of Amitabh Bachchan kept harping on “parampara” to coerce his son into subscribing by class norms. The lovers’ refusal to bow down to the patriarchal stooges of classism led to the son’s disownment from the family, and their departure to foreign lands, in a bid to escape the bounds of Indian society. 

It must be stated that countless Bollywood films have been based on the theme of class divide in love relationships. Bobby (1973), Devdas (2002), Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989), are some of the prominent films that have portrayed lovers who cannot be together in socially legitimate ways. Reversing the positions, films such as Kaho Na Pyaar Hai (2000), Dil (1990), Raja Hindustani (1996) etc., have portrayed the rich-girl-loves-poor-boy trope. The popularity of the given formula seems to indicate at more than just a specific cinematic taste. It reveals the persevering social conditions that still lead to the rejection of such so-called ‘mis-matched’ lovers. And so when Rohena Gera subtitles his film, “Is love enough?”, it strikes a chord with the audience, that on one hand espouses modernising Indian sensibilities, but at the same time, remains largely powerless when faced with such moral dilemmas.

Also read: Film Review: The Great Indian Kitchen – Serving Patriarchy, Piping Hot!

Recently, I spoke to a friend about Sir , and one of the most important things she said was that “these kind of things probably do happen to people… you never know”. Indeed, what is projected as a novelty in the film is not really so in reality. We come across countless stories of star-crossed lovers in the newspapers, lynched, murdered, ostracised, or simply forced to marry other people, because they chose partners from a different caste or class. The present debates around love jihad are a case in point.

Years ago, the film, Love Sex Aur Dhoka (2010), created ripples amongst the Indian audience for its depiction of pornography. I was in college at the time, and remember being aghast by the gritty portrayal of love and sex. But significantly, the film shocked the Indian audiences because it brazenly portrayed the dark reality of khap panchayats . All of a sudden the media became obsessed with the incidents of honour-killings in the country. It was not a new subject, but there was certainly a renewed interest in it. Sir seems to have done something similar in terms of the debates it raises: Gera actually taps into an all too familiar subject — class and caste divides. It made me marvel at how the film was placed precariously on the precipice of becoming yet another ‘forbidden romance’ meant to pander to the universal appeal of the rich man-poor girl angle. That it doesn’t, comes as a breath of fresh air.

Sir is certainly one of the more subtly-constructed, sensitive, and realistic portrayals of love relationships I have come across lately. It manages to raise larger questions about the superfluous-ness of social divides in matters relating to the heart.

Sir is certainly one of the more subtly-constructed, sensitive, and realistic portrayals of love relationships I have come across lately. It manages to raise larger questions about the superfluous-ness of social divides in matters relating to the heart. With remarkable finesse, the film captures the redundancy of societal constructs such as class barriers and issues of propriety. The maturity with which the subject is treated is heartening. The actors are realistic, relatable, and draw our sympathies for being constrained due to nothing but external forces that deny their desire for each other. 

The question, “is love enough” looms large throughout as the two characters attempt to explore their own feelings. Ashwini’s declaration that he doesn’t think of her “as a maid” is meant to be a declaration of his respect for her, but it negates the reality of her situation: she is a maid. Thus, Ashwini’s character is deliciously flawed, and compelling for that reason. We are shown how people are limited in their own positions in society: Ashwini is rich and successful, but those become his limitations in the relationship as transgressing social codes of conduct threatens the entire fabric of society that relies on caste-based patrilineal descent. The film also skillfully brings out the issue of sexual agency — notably, the man too is shown to lack it. Both character’s emotional struggles are felt keenly by the audience as they struggle with their own biases and prejudices. In the end, Ratna finally asserts her freedom to love by discarding the title, ‘sir’ — the spectre haunting their relationship — as she demolishes the class barriers between them. Her upward mobility as a tailor for a fashion designer empowers her and gives her the confidence and will to assert her will.

Also read: Netflix Film Review | Paava Kadhaigal: A Heart-Wrenching, Hard-Hitting Anthology

Netflix’s Sir skillfully brings out the issue of sexual agency — notably, the man too is shown to lack it. Both character’s emotional struggles are felt keenly by the audience as they struggle with their own biases and prejudices.

Indeed, the movie is able to construct a delicate and sensitive narrative from a rather hackneyed subject, and give it a profoundness that is rare to find. Even though the formula remains cliched, Indian cinema has hitherto not treated such love stories with the dignity and delicacy that Rohena Gera affords Ashwini and Ratna . I could appreciate the film primarily for the absence of unnecessary melodrama. The film seems to indicate at the generation’s maturity towards the idea of romantic desire, companionship, and even platonic love, as the society attempts to reform mindsets despite the prevalence of conservative attitudes. Quite fittingly, the overarching question remains however: can we ever overcome the shackles of society in all matters pertaining to love? How does one resist the society’s narrow-mindedness? How do you triumph over the custodians of ‘ usool’ and ‘ parampara ’ when there is still a stigma attached to romantic relationships outside of the bounds of marriage, or pre-marital romances in general? 

Ipshita Nath teaches English Literature at University of Delhi. She is the author of The Rickshaw Reveries, published by Simon & Schuster in 2020. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram .

Featured Image Source: IndulgeExpress

Yeah right, a “pretty woman” one of the most iconic Hollywood movies is heralded across generations where rich man falls in love with a sex worker. But hod forbid if India cinema tries to show the similar plot with much more finesse and minus the designer clothes. Then its called “trope”. The hypocrisy of it!!

Lets not make society as big a villain. What would be the challenges to long term compatibility for people from very diverse backgrounds in a marriage like situation.

Writing a negative comment for the sake of writing it. Films based on social realities will be made again and again. So what…is there a rule like u cant choose a subject that has already been chosen many times?

Its much beyond than rich boy poor girl trope, agreed its the most common bollywood trope…but way its conceptualised in Sir is commendable…without filmy melodrama & songs dances … My two cents: https://purnima2711.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/is-love-enough-sir/

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Sir Movie Review: Is Love Enough To Break The Deeply Entrenched Class Barriers We Live With?

The film asks “is love enough” as an awkward but emotional relationship brews between the us returned ‘sir’ and his young widowed ‘maid’. the film is thought-provoking and touches upon very sensitive issues but remains understated and non-preachy. here's why.

Since I first saw the trailer, Sir  has been on the list of the films that I definitely wanted to watch. The whirlwind of a year that was 2020 made us forget about a lot of things, but yesterday I chanced upon it on Netflix. An hour-and half-long crisp film, it will keep you hooked. Very few Indian films have been able to depict as poignantly how “economic status” so intrinsically governs our romantic choices. The film asks “ Is Love Enough?” as an awkward but emotional relationship brews between the US returned ‘Sir’ and his young widowed ‘maid’. How easy is it for us to break these deeply entrenched-class barriers even if we believe that we stand for equality? Can our dependence on our house helps ever give way to equal friendships? What happens if it starts bordering on romance?

The film is thought-provoking and touches upon very sensitive issues but remains understated and non-preachy.

The movie opens with Ratna (Tillotama Shome) being summoned back to work at her Sir’s home. Her “Sir” Ashwin (Vivek Gomber), we learn has called off his engagement after learning that his fiancé cheated on him. It is interesting how the one wall of separation between the perfectly decorated master bedroom and the cramped servant quarter so wonderfully brings out the chasm between the worlds of Ashwin and Ratna.

Also Watch: Our interview with Tillotama Shome:

You think you are liberal...but yet... you live in a world that can't imagine two people falling in love across class. @tillotamashome talks with @shailichopra on how the film Sir is raising important questions through a love story. pic.twitter.com/EruDCLBzI7 — SheThePeople (@SheThePeople) January 13, 2021

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The two are at two extreme ends of the social spectrum. Initially, even within the four walls, their worlds do not meet, Ashwin’s responses to Ratna are monosyllabic. Ratna, in order to cheer him up, says “ life khatam nahi hoti hai sir ”. She goes on to explain how parents, whether in the village or the city, are always in a hurry to marry their kids. How she was married off as a teenager and was widowed at 19. And even if she is a widow and a domestic helper, she is independent and funding her younger sister’s education. Ratna stands for hope but is realistic. She aspires to be a fashion designer someday. Her pride in her economic independence and being self-made makes you instantly respect her. Ashwin is a misfit in the world of people born with a silver spoon in their mouth. He doesn’t carry entitlement as a chip on his shoulder. We see Ashwin standing up to many of his entitled friends when they are disrespectful to Ratna.

Gradually, the arch of Ratna and Ashwin’s relationship changes. We see Ratna understanding the unsaid when she lies on the phone for Ashwin and clumsily tries to hide the returned wedding gifts before her “Sir” returns. Their worlds within the house start mixing. Ashwin starts walking more freely into the kitchen and having longer conversations with Ratna.

Rohena Gera Speaks to SheThePeople:

You wait for what may happen between the two when they are alone and feel edgy as to how that gets revealed in public. Ashwin begging to not call him “sir” is heart-breaking. Their love story is not the one where a damsel in distress is swept off her feet by a knight in shining armour. However, Ratna is worldly-wise and takes the reins of her life in her hands. Ratna needs to carve out an independent identity as does Ashwin who has sharp differences with his dad in the way he runs his business.

Also Read:  Mismatched Review: Prajakta Koli Shines, But As A Show For Millennials Is it Asking The Right Questions?

The film is thought-provoking and touches upon very sensitive issues but remains understated and non-preachy. The terrace plays an important role in calling for personal freedom. The film ends on many “what ifs”. Watch it, I think Rohena Gera gets it spot on.

The views expressed are the author's own.

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Sir movie review: Rohena Gera’s film is a masterful romantic drama about a domestic worker and her employer

The commentary in Sir is rooted as much in the condescension of its affluent characters as it is in the electric tension between Ratna and Ashwin.

(This review was first published when Sir was screened at the New York Indian Film Festival 2019. It is being republished in view of Sir releasing in Indian theatres on 13 November, 2020.)

Language: Hindi, English, and Marathi

Stories of romance overcoming class boundaries have permeated decades of Indian cinema. Even the very first Indian talkie, Ardeshir Irani’s Alam Ara (1931), tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a nomadic woman exiled from his kingdom. While mainstream Bollywood productions often have a more quixotic, happy-ending-at-all-costs paradigm — Bobby (1973), Pardes (1997), Singh is Kinng (2008), Namaste England (2018); you can practically pick them out of a hat — regional and alternative cinema tend to offer more grounded reflections. Nagraj Manjule’s Marathi-language Fandry (2014), for instance, features a Dalit boy longing for an “upper-caste” girl, though the film’s focus isn’t his romantic pursuit, but the structures preventing his dreams from becoming a reality.

Rohena Gera’s Hindi, English and Marathi-language Sir  falls somewhere between these two starkly different approaches.

It tells the story of Ratna (Tillotama Shome, A Death in the Gunj ), a widowed domestic worker who finds a complicated romantic spark with her recently single employer Ashwin (Vivek Gomber, Court ), who’s just returned from the U.S. after breaking off his engagement.

And while the film expertly dramatises the hurdles in their path, its commentary is rooted as much in the condescension of its affluent characters as it is in the electric tension between Ratna and Ashwin; it’s a socially-minded indie that you almost wish would transform into a lavish, starry-eyed musical — but it can’t.

Ratna, who’s saving up for her younger sister’s education, hopes to be a fashion designer, though circumstances in both her village and in the big city box her in. Back home, she’s defined by her dead husband (who she barely knew to begin with), and she can’t even wear bangles around her family. In Mumbai — where she’s allowed to make her own living as a domestic worker, while learning to sew from the local tailor — her employ becomes her identity. Ashwin may be kind to her, but both he and his more ill-mannered guests rarely see beyond Ratna’s status; her dreams may as well be secrets.

However, in the brief moments where Ratna isn’t waiting on Ashwin, and she interacts with his driver Raju (Akash Sinha, Photograph ) or his neighbor’s domestic worker Laxmi (Geetanjali Kulkarni, Selection Day ), Ratna’s stoic demeanour gives way to an impish smile, and her stillness to a vivid energy, just as the character’s colourful _saree_s pop against the muted tones of Ashwin’s dour apartment. Shome is, quite simply, mesmerising, and half the story is told through her change in mood and posture.

Each of these “lower class” characters occupies a dual existence; the moments that writer-director Gera chooses to bring Ratna, Raju and Laxmi to life are when they slip in and out of these different modes of being. In the eyes of their employers, they’re obedient, two-dimensional servants — Laxmi, like Cleo in Roma , is at once a beloved mother and scorned servant to the children she works for — but outside their employers’ fields of vision, they’re fully-fledged people with their own unique senses of humour, their own dreams, and even their own passive aggressiveness — they’re allowed to simply be.

We enter each room with Ratna, following her, seeing the world through her eyes. Gera makes sure to craft the story from Ratna’s perspective at all times, lest Sir fall into the trap of a damsel narrative — though Ashwin certainly tries to make it one. Gomber plays Ashwin with a melancholic weariness. A writer in a slump, he doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself now that his dreams of getting married and moving to America seem to have been dashed. Though, as he and Ratna spend more time together, both characters emerge from their cocoons, and they take an active interest in even the mundanities of each other’s lives.

Gera often captures Ratna and Ashwin in isolation. The characters rarely share the frame at first, and each day ends with Ashwin in his spacious room and Ratna in her cramped servant’s quarters, which the shot often tracks between; the wall that separates them is a boundary that the camera, and only the camera, can cross. Though once Ratna and Ashwin begin to open up to one another, Gera’s frame pushes them close. They stand in the same doorways. They occupy the same areas of the kitchen. They exchange tidbits about their lives, the things they wish they could do and the places they wish they could be. Gera, along with editor Jacques Comets and co-editor Baptiste Ribrault, zeroes in on the silences between these conversations, as if to unearth both the characters’ hidden desires and, in the process, tie these desires to one another.

There’s a tangible sense of excitement to something as simple as Ashwin and Ratna passing each other in the hallway, and an equally potent sense of danger when they interact while in the presence of other people. What might they let slip? But, as the excitement between them builds — Gera’s use of silent tension is a masterstroke; shots seem hold on them longer and longer each time — the danger builds just as quickly. Ratna knows what people will say if they learn about their tête-à-tête. Ashwin seems to know too, but he lives on cloud nine, since the consequences for him wouldn’t be nearly as severe.

It takes Ashwin being chewed out by a friend (of his own social standing) for him to finally see things clearly, but by the time he does, he and Ratna have become the only two people who seem to fully understand each other. They know each other intimately, in a way few people in their lives are allowed to. They know each other’s secrets — but Ratna is still his servant. “Please don’t call me ‘sir’,” Ashwin begs her, but how can she not?

Whatever the possibilities— A secret affair? A brief fling? Lifelong love and happiness? — dreamy fantasy and harsh reality keep brushing up against each other, forcing Ratna to exercise caution while Ashwin remains tethered to his naiveté. And yet, the two find uncanny compassion and companionship, despite a romance that can seemingly never be. At least, not yet. Not while Ratna and Ashwin still have lives to live, and happiness to find elsewhere. Perhaps their purpose is to help each other find it, but the livewire chemistry they share makes them feel like an eternal open question; a “what if…” that echoes long into the night.

Rating: ****1/2

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Sir: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast

• Release Date 17 February 2023
• Language Telugu
• Genre Action, Drama
• Duration 2h 4min
• Cast Dhanush, Samyuktha Menon, P. Sai Kumar, Tanikella Bharani, Samuthirakani, Thotapalli Madhu, Narra Srinivas, Pammi Sai, Hyper Aadi, Shara, Aadukalam Naren, Ilavarasu, Rajendran, Hareesh Peradi, Praveena
• Director Venky Atluri
• Writer Venky Atluri
• Cinematography J. Yuvaraj
• Music G. V. Prakash Kumar
• Producer Suryadevara Naga Vamsi, Sai Soujanya
• Production Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinemas, Srikara Studios

About Sir Movie (2023)

Bala Gangadhar Tilak (Dhanush) is a third-grade junior lecturer at Tirupati Educational Institute. He stands against the privatised institutes, which are profit-minded in their approach to education. The Tamil version is called Vaathi.

Sir Movie Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Songs and Ratings

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Is Love Enough? Sir [2020] Review: An Intelligent Romance that understands Atypical Confinements

Rohena Gera’s “Sir (also named Is Love Enough? Sir)” is a film that is set inside the confinements of the humongous skyscrapers in Mumbai. Ratna (Tillotama Shome) is a widowed maid who has just been unexpectedly summoned from her break back at her village by her rich employer Ashwin (Vivek Gomber). Their daily routine starts back again, but Ratna’s hopefulness and Ashwin’s lack off brings things closer into perspective. A stilted kind of romance starts boiling between the two which thankfully doesn’t feel distorted because of Gera’s sensitive direction and a feeling of mutual appreciation.

Documentary filmmaker Rohena Gera’s aesthetics look unlike anything Bollywood produces. In her feature debut, she has chosen to work around only two characters – Their dreams, disappointments, emotions, motifs and a confined space which really dwells on how they grow within this house they inhabit.

___________________________________________________________________

RELATED TO IS LOVE ENOUGH? SIR – PHOTOGRAPH [2019] ‘NYIFF’ REVIEW: A MINUSCULE LOVE STORY CONTAINING MULTITUDES OF SUPPRESSED EMOTIONS

____________________________________________________________________

The film’s first act is a quiet, retrospect of what Ashwin’s life has become after he has left his marriage since his to-be partner cheated on him. Desolated, depressed and frustrated at his one shot to free himself from loneliness and pursue his life-long dream of being a writer in the US is now gone. By personality,  he is a nice guy – Simple, straight-forward and occasionally lost. He wouldn’t take anyone’s shit let alone being considered as a third handle even if it was for a split second. When he gets back to Mumbai, his life is in a fix. He is back to working with his dad losing all his hope with every passing second.

On the flip side, Ratna – Who is a widow, has accustomed herself to the city life that is more liberating for her than being at home in her village. Her village life had numerous restrictions on herm – Especially when she became a widow and was almost neglected for being one. The societal norms only brought her spirits down. But somehow, she made the big leap by leaving the village life to work for a rich woman in Mumbai. Ratna is not hopeless anymore. Being in a big city means two things for her. One – Making sure that her sister studies and carve her way out of the societal mess and Two – Trying to find a way to make her dream of becoming a fashion designer come true.

The two people at the center of “Sir” are on either side of the spectrum. While Ashwin has lost all hopes of getting out of a suppressed self-imposed ditch where he has isolated himself, Ratna – Who can just be pinned down to being a domestic-help to the rich lad, has big ambitions. Both of them are ideal to let each other grow. Which is what Sir is all about. It’s about the restricted love that slowly starts brimming between the two when they are trying to mend each other’ life in a very selfless manner.

RELATED TO SIR – AAMIS (RAVENING) [2019]: ‘TRIBECA’ REVIEW – THE TRUE HORRORS OF SUPPRESSING DESIRE

Rohena Gera’s film is masterful in its subtle investigation of how love has boundaries even when we are dealing with stories set in modern-day India. The director has a keen eye for how class differences don’t just decide how people love; but also how they act. For instance, when Ratna is working in the house or is around Ashwin, she is usually quiet, calm and composed. With only her little room in the corner serving as a getaway. Even in a single scene where she is seen using Ashwin’s room to check the dress she has just stitched, a follow-up scene shows her apologizing again and again. The same woman is seen cheerful and more convincing when she is around her friend Laxmi (Geetanjali Kulkarni).

“Is Love Enough? Sir” is a film that’s about the romance that blooms in the air in spite of the restriction that is imposed on it. Ashwin and Ratna don’t share more than a few seconds in the same frame. So much so that Ratna is often seen trying to rush out of the room to get to her work; but even a naysayer could see how Gera beautifully orchestrates a romance that is cooking underneath. Tilotama Shome shines as Ratna who is so sure of every step and every action that she flawlessly glides blends into the role of a maid. Sir is a film that is charming even when it talks about how hopes are lost when one doesn’t really get what they want. But it’s optimistic tone and humanistic core that tells people to be themselves makes for a glorious watch. Even with two characters, the film often glides into your hearts and remains there.

‘ SIR ’ WAS SCREENED AT THE 2019  NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL . CLICK HERE  FOR OUR COMPLETE NYIFF COVERAGE.

Director/screenwriter : rohena gera producer : rohena gera, brice poisson cinematographer : dominique colin editor : jacques comets, baptiste ribrault composer : pierre aviat runtime :99 min minutes language : hindi, marathi country : india cast: ahmareen anjum, vivek gomber, geetanjali kulkarni, trending right now.

Getting fat with the wife. Absolutely loves the all-consuming, indulgent world of cinema.

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Shaikh Mohammed Abdul Rehman 409 days ago

What a mind-blogging masterpiece movie!! In today's society where education had became only a commercial business and instead of giving the desired fees of the institution or college, students are not able to be at least a good engineer or doctor. There are two sides of the today's education system, one side is the Teacher and the other is the student. But I think the most influencing side is of Teacher's side. It is the teachers who make the concepts, theories and etc. interesting and understandable but unfortunately we have left with only a few such teachers. I have to say this very heavy heart that nowadays one who enters into the teaching profession had forgotten the real meaning and values of the teaching profession. In my journey of B.Tech engineering, I met with very few such teachers who not only taught me engineering concepts but also taught me life lesson which I believe is much more precise than those engineering concepts. When I saw SIR movie I thought about those teachers who had dedicated their time, effort to shape us and to make us capable of doing something in our lives. It was an amzing movie....

Parna Rcp 423 days ago

Need this type of movies to educate society

Anandarao Devalkar 430 days ago

Flatters to deceive. A good subject gone waste.

charishma dasari 451 days ago

Everyone should watch these movie

alema qureshi 468 days ago

It's a mind-blowing movie a must watch for today's generation especially in the given scenario ... We need remember and practice that education is for all ... And that there are many ingenious students in India who can do wonders for the humanity.... I hope it brings about a positive impact change.....

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‘sir’: film review | cannes 2018.

Writer-director Rohena Gera ('What’s Love Got to Do With It?') tells the story of a master and servant who fall for each other in this Cannes Critics’ Week debut.

By Jordan Mintzer

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Set inside the skyscrapers of modern-day Mumbai, Sir is not your typical Indian love story, nor does it necessarily work out the way you would expect.

But in this thoughtful study of class and the way it can both restrain and empower, writer-director Rohena Gera has crafted an intelligent romance within the confines of upper-crust Indian society. Premiering in the Cannes Critics’ Week sidebar, the film could occupy the same slot that The Lunchbox did back in 2013, providing feel-good fodder for international markets.

The Bottom Line A modest yet effective tale of love and class.

Ratna (Tillotama Shome) is a young widow who travels from her small village in the countryside to the megalopolis of Mumbai, where she’s employed by a wealthy family of builders to serve as a chambermaid for their son, Ashwin (Vivek Gomber). When the film kicks off, Ashwin is about to get married, but we learn that the wedding has been called off after his fiancee was found to have had an affair. Left alone to work for his dad’s company and brood a lot around the house, Ashwin will slowly develop a bond with Ratna that extends beyond a mere master-servant relationship into something more.

Keeping the drama limited to a high-rise apartment and a few exteriors, Gera uses a classic setup — forbidden love between two lost souls — to explore questions of class, and caste, in a city that has grown from its colonial roots into a burgeoning world capital. Thus, while Ashwin enjoys the pleasures of India’s new yuppie culture, throwing small parties and playing squash with his buddies, Ratna is confined to the kitchen and her tiny bedroom, yet can still pursue a fashion design career on the side. At an earlier epoch, she would have had few options and an affair with her master would have never been conceivable, but Gera shows how times have truly changed.

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Still, Indian society remains strictly hierarchical for the most part, and Sir ultimately reveals how unbridled emotions cannot survive in such an environment. Ashwin, who worked as a journalist in the U.S. before returning home after the death of his brother, is westernized in thought and attitude — he treats Ratna like a friend rather than a maid — but faces the pressure of his family and social standing. And Ratna, who as a young widow has very opportunities in life, is smart enough to know that her story with Ashwin will never end happily ever after.

With much of the film seen from Ratna’s viewpoint, we initially perceive Ashwin as she does: from behind closed doors, or during the moments she brings trays of food or drinks to her master and his guests. Gradually their relationship transforms, but the two are still held back by their social positions. Gera makes the most of her setting in that sense, with veteran French cameraman Dominique Colin ( L’auberge espagnole ) revealing the characters against a backdrop of steel-and-glass towers that stretch up to the sky but feel much more claustrophobic than liberating. Mumbai may be a modern mega-city, but that doesn’t mean anything can happen, nor that people feel any less lonely there.

Performances from the two leads — who switch between Hindi and English depending on the situation — are strong, although Shome is often more compelling than Gomber, whose character feels a bit too restrained at times. A somewhat cloying score from Pierre Avia is overused in places, and there are times when the production feels closer to a TV movie in its scope. But for her first fictional effort, Gera has nonetheless crafted a warmly nuanced look at love in a place filled with constraints and contradictions, and where a broken heart could perhaps be the first step toward emancipation.

Venue: Cannes Film Festival (Critics’ Week) Production companies: Inkpot Film, Cine-Sud Promotion Cast: Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjati Kulkarni, Rahul Vohra, Divya Seth Shah, Chandrachoor Rai Director-screenwriter: Rohena Gera Producers: Brice Poisson, Thierry Lenouvel, Rohena Gera Executive producer: Rakesh Mehra Director of photography: Dominique Colin Production designer: Parul Sondh Costumer designer: Kimneineng Kipgen Editors: Jacques Comets, Baptiste Ribrault Composer: Pierre Avia Sales: MK2

In Hindi, English 96 minutes

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Venice film festival kicks off with ‘beetlejuice beetlejuice’ premiere, tribute to sigourney weaver, next generation of talent converges at venice immersive, cate blanchett and a giant brain star in trailer for guy maddin’s horror-comedy ‘rumours’, kerry washington leads women’s army corps unit of color in tyler perry’s ‘the six triple eight’ wwii film teaser, gwyneth paltrow joins timothée chalamet in josh safdie’s ‘marty supreme’, ‘beetlejuice beetlejuice’ review: winona ryder and michael keaton help tim burton rediscover the ghoulish mischief of his glory days.