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For a long time in Hindi cinema only the lead actors would have well written roles (for the most part not even that) and the supporting cast would be relegated to being caricaturish. They would be slotted into being either a villian, or the hero’s sidekick or the heroine’s sister, or the weepy mother. Of course a lot of these roles became memorable - think Nirupa Roy’s multiple turns as the sobbing mother or Shakti Kapoor as the lascivious villian or Reema Lagoo as the strong, dutiful mother. But these parts were mostly one dimensional and in most films, the supporting parts were quite forgettable.
As I watched Sui Dhaaga I realised that the world that director Sharat Katariya was trying to create of this lower middle class family in Chanderi was believable because of its characters. Not just because Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan slipped into their roles as Mamta and Mauji effortlessly, but also because of the characters that surrounded them. These guys make our stars seem believable because they fit into the environment of the film like a glove.
One of the triumphs of Sui Dhaaga is that the film creates so many such memorable tertiary characters. Yamini Das, who plays Varun Dhawan’s mother, in the film is terrific. There’s this recurring dialogue of hers where she calls out to her daughter-in-law Mamta in a particular tone - it made me chuckle every time she said it.
Das is absolutely adorable, in spite of the fact that she’s sometimes a hindrance to Mamta and Mauji’s relationship.
These actors make Sui Dhaaga an immersive experience. In the last few years, more and more films have had interesting supporting parts. Katariya’s previous film also boasted a strong ensemble with actors like Seema Pahwa, Alka Amin and Sheeba Chadha. Pahwa in particular has been having a good run with interesting characters, or rather she makes them interesting. She played Bhumi Pednekar’s playful mother in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and a paranoid mother to Kriti Sanon’s careless Bitti in Bareilly Ki Barfi. On paper these might not have seemed as engaging, but Pahwa who has been a theatre veteran, brings these women to life.
Another actor who has benefitted from great writing and his incredible acting prowess is of course Pankaj Tripathi. Having been under the radar for years, his talent has now come to the fore with films like Bareilly Ki Barfi, Newton, Nil Battey Sannata and recently Stree. You can see his range when he plays the corrupt officer Atma Singh in Newton or the paranologist in Stree. Actors like Tripathi and Pahwa add freshness and zing to scenes that might otherwise seem ordinary. But does this promise better roles for them?
Pahwa seemed skeptical and had said in an interview:
Tripathi who is riding high on the success of Stree seemed more optimistic,
This trend is however a step in the right direction and one can only hope that it is sustained. What we want eventually are people who we can relate to and with actors like Raghubir Yadav, Yamini Das, Pankaj Tripathi and Seema Pahwa, our hopes are running high.
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