Margarita with a straw is all about finding a girl herself transcending her disability. The story showcases the desires that disabled people are just like normal people. Even though they are incapable of expressing things that they don’t mean. They are seen as actual humans rather than just props to move the story forward. This is one aspect that stands out for me, as usually a movie like this would revolve around the struggles that come along with a disability and hardships; that make them different from others. It does not indulge in the pity party like most stories are doing.
Apart from that, I am in awe of the portrayal of every character in this movie. Especially the three major women: Revathi, Sanya Gupta, and the gorgeous Kalki Koechlin. This movie is a perfect example of a women-oriented movie. It is well crafted and the screenplay is an absolute treat to the eyes. It engages you with its plot and settings but the cherry on the top was the performances of the actors. They were not mere actors, it seemed as that they were the elements in the universe of Shonali Bose.
Margarita with a straw movie fabulously portrays a free soul in a caged body who loves to explore. It shows that even though we are not suffering from cerebral palsy, we are not on wheel-chairs but still, all of us are handicapped with our insecurities, failures, and disappointments and we have to overcome them like just like Laila.
It also shows that there are some things in our life that we take for granted, we don’t appreciate certain things and once they go far away, our life feels lost in solitude. This is exhibited through the bond of the handicapped Laila and the blind Khanum. Thus, the movie has beautifully captured the fact that love has no boundaries and no eyes. Love is love and it just happens. The movie has very well outstretched its support for the rainbow community much before it became legal in India. Laila had always been happy because of her pure bond with Khanum but it was the separation that made her realize what she was missing something in her life. Distances make everything clearer. The key takeaway from this fantastic movie would be to value everything in our life.
However, the movie is good, there are some clear underwhelming aspects in which this movie lagged. The major issue is how Khanum as a character was portrayed. She is not the main character, but her characterization was extremely vague and I thought that there could have been more clarity about her character her. Another glitch was the background score. It murdered the beautiful and meaningful plot. It could have been much better. It’s always said that it is the music that adds soul to a movie, but this one was a huge disappointment.
To conclude, it can be said that the movie is just like a Margarita drink- mostly sweet but it has its sour taste as well. It is a reflection of revolutionary ideas with a few setbacks. It is “A beautifully crafted and underrated movie, a movie with a different theme, a journey to discover oneself despite all odds” Everyone should give it a try!