Dolly Kitty aur Woh Chamakte Sitare review: Not just another film about women's liberation

Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare starts with a predictable beginning, but still manages to keep you glued till the end of the movie. Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, the film stars Bhumi Pednekar and Konkona Sen Sharma in titular roles. It is available to watch on Netflix.

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Plot

Dolly (played by Konkona Sen Sharma) is a disillusioned middle-class working woman who is striving to meet the needs of her family. She lives with her husband and two sons in Noida and they all are saving money to move into a flat and their dream home which is taking very long to build. Dolly’s sister Kajal (played by Bhumi Pednekar) comes to live with them from a small town, Darbangah after rebelling with her parents that she does not want to get married.

Initially excited about living together, their relationship is soured when Kajal reveals to Dolly that her husband made passes at her. Dolly lightly brushes it off and calls Kajal “confused” and mistaken. Following this, Kajal starts looking for her own place to live.

When she moves out, the new city becomes too much for her to keep up with. Loneliness hits her as she realises that the fast-paced city does not have much to offer her. She takes up a job as a cyber lover and talks to men who are starved for romance and finds a lover in a client named Pradeep (played by Vikrant Massey).

Dolly, on the other hand, is dealing with her own life where she puts on a happy face and shows a society that she is “happily married”. Her younger son is dealing with a gender identity crisis and likes dressing up as girls and playing with dolls. Dolly herself battles with self-esteem issues as her husband often calls her unattractive and casually blames her for their son’s "issues".

When she finds out about Kajal’s job, she confronts her and assassinates her character. Kajal, who uses Kitty as her pseudonym, in anger tells Dolly the bitter reality that Dolly has been overlooking for years. Kajal shames Dolly that her life is beaded with lies and despite living in Delhi suburbs, she has not even seen the city.

Dolly finally takes off the rose-tinted goggles she had been wearing and voices her desire to experience life and not just survive it. She starts an affair with a delivery boy who gives her attention and shows her care. He boosts her self esteem and Dolly is able to see that she is capable of getting more than what her husband gives her.

Towards the end of the film, both the titular characters liberate themselves and accept their sexuality. What started as a bitter relationship for Dolly and Kitty turns into a sweet one as they confide into each other and support each other. Dolly also accepts her younger son and lets him live his life as he pleases.

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What works for the film?

The writing of the film is crisp, each character’s story has been rounded up well and they have got an ending which was justified. The film has a strong cast which naturally means that they have done justice to their characters. The direction by Alankrita Shrivastava is brilliant as she gives voice to each character and has successfully been able to tell a story which will be remembered for good.

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What does not work for the film?

The pace of the story might not work for some people as there are points where scenes have been dragged for too long. This includes when Dolly beats her son up for dressing up as a girl and some sexual scenes. The storyline is a bit predictable and even the twists do not come as a surprise.

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Final thoughts

Even though the storyline is a bit predictable and comes off as “any other film about women liberation and sexuality” it is a must-watch film. The film's agenda is not to show that women find liberation when they explore their sexuality but is to show that they must not succumb to society's opinion about them. It shows that women mostly get blamed for anything that is wrong in their lives, relationships and family life and they still put up a happy face and out their family's needs above theirs.

The film has dealt with many contemporary issues in a layered form allowing the viewer to understand the intention without making them explicit. The sensitivity with which plot points of infidelity, cyber lovers, gender identity issues, etc have been dealt with is commendable. Would recommend watching this film at least once.

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Rating: 4/5

Image credits: Still from the trailer