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The single mother knows she cannot manage everything on her own. She has a robust support system that she relies upon in times of crisis and otherwise too, to help expand her business.
The Shefali Shah-Alia Bhatt starrer has already created waves and is garnering a lot of appreciation – for the right reasons. The film, a satirical take on something as serious as domestic violence, leaves no scope for doubt in the viewer’s mind as to what it would feel like if the tables are turned. While revenge is obviously not the solution, the message that wives need to stop defending their husbands or expecting them to change is loud and clear.
What I also loved about the film was how strong and powerful the character of Shamshunissar is. She isn’t just progressive about divorce but, unlike some reel and real mothers who urge their daughters to adjust, she also actively encourages her daughter to stop tolerating abuse.
What’s interesting is that those are not the only learnings to take away from her character. The woman, a single working mother, imparts many valuable lessons for female entrepreneurs.
Shamsunissar invests her time and energy in getting to know who her customers are. When she knows she is on the verge of losing one customer, she instructs her partner to look for more customers elsewhere.
There is one scene in the movie where the police inspector gives negative feedback about her food. It is clear to the viewer that the feedback may well be dishonest, because the police officer just wants to find fault with the mother-daughter duo. However, at no point does Shamsu take offence at his words. Instead, she gracefully apologises and instantly brings the conversation back to the topic of discussion.
In one of the scenes Shamsu is shown cooking non-veg biryani. She often visits the butcher shop too. However, that is not the only dish Shamsu can cook. Her expertise in cooking extends to vegetarian dishes too, as is evident from the names of delicacies she rattles off when making the reel for social media.
Do you remember that hilarious scene where Shamsu asks her daughter where they were when God was distributing common sense? Shamsu and her daughter didn’t start their catering business overnight. They watched umpteen cookery shows, honed their cooking skills to get to a point where they could start a tiffin service.
The single mother knows she cannot manage everything on her own. She has a robust support system that she relies upon in times of crisis and otherwise too, to help expand her business. She offers Zulfi partnership in exchange for his services as the delivery person.
In one scene, she even tells her daughter how much assistance she got from Kasim, the butcher. In that one moment, she teaches her daughter, and by extension, us viewers, how important it is to cultivate meaningful relationships.
One of the most striking scenes for me was at the end of the film. Shamsu has invested in colourful stickers that proudly proclaim the name of her business. Every person who will pass by that table where those tiffin boxes are kept will be sure to notice them, for just those stickers have elevated the product from drab-looking steel boxes to something that’s special and eye-catching.
It is remarkable how the character is an inspiration for progressive, powerful women who do not shy away from going out there and chasing their entrepreneurial dreams.
Piyusha Vir is a writer, artist, a CELTA-certified English Language trainer, and a Creative Writing Coach. She was awarded the Top 5 position in the Orange Flower Awards 2018 for the category of Writing read more...
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I huffed, puffed and panted up the hill, taking many rest breaks along the way. My calf muscles pained, my heart protested, and my breathing became heavy at one stage.
“Let’s turn back,” my husband remarked. We stood at the foot of Shravanbelagola – one of the most revered Jain pilgrimage centres. “We will not climb the hill,” he continued.
My husband and I were vacationing in Karnataka. It was the month of May, and even at the early hour of 8 am in the morning, the sun scorched our backs. After visiting Bangalore and Mysore, we had made a planned stop at this holy site in the Southern part of the state en route to Hosur. Even while planning our vacation, my husband was very excited at the prospect of visiting this place and the 18 m high statue of Lord Gometeshwara, considered one of the world’s tallest free-standing monolithic statues.
What we hadn’t bargained for was there would be 1001 granite steps that needed to be climbed to have a close-up view of this colossal magic three thousand feet above sea level on a hilltop. It would be an understatement to term it as an arduous climb.
Every daughter, no matter how old, yearns to come home to her parents' place - ‘Home’ to us is where we were brought up with great care till marriage served us an eviction notice.
Every year Dugga comes home with her children and stays with her parents for ten days. These ten days are filled with fun and festivity. On the tenth day, everyone gathers to feed her sweets and bids her a teary-eyed adieu. ‘Dugga’ is no one but our Goddess Durga whose annual trip to Earth is scheduled in Autumn. She might be a Goddess to all. But to us, she is the next-door girl who returns home to stay with her parents.
When I was a child, I would cry on the day of Dashami (immersion) and ask Ma, “Why can’t she come again?” My mother would always smile back.
I mouthed the same dialogue as a 23-year-old, who was home for Durga Puja. This time, my mother graced me with a reply. “Durga is fortunate to come home at least once. But many have never been home after marriage.”
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