Whether you’re a foodie or not, there’s a good chance the Tarla Dalal name strikes a chord with you. The late connoisseur was a household name in India at the time. Dalal authored over 100 cookbooks in multiple languages, appeared on hit cooking shows, ran cooking classes, and in her later years had a sensational internet following. Actor Huma Qureshi slips into the role of the celebrated vegetarian chef in the biopic tarla.
The film focuses primarily on the beginning of Dalal’s journey from an ordinary housewife to a household name rather than her monumental success following her hit cooking show. Interestingly, the biopic begins in a classroom setting with young Tarla Dalal, determined to achieve something in life but not quite sure what it could be – namely, inventing a backstory for her remarkable journey. Here is my spoiler-free review of the bio.
Huma Qureshi offers a compelling portrayal of the Gujarati chef
Actor Huma Qureshi (Monica, oh my darling) has convincingly followed in Dalal’s footsteps, not only with her Gujarati accent and looks, but also with her body language, which skillfully mimics the chef. She starts out as a typical housewife and is occupied with the endless chores of a middle-class household. Qureshi also seems to have struck the right balance between Dalal’s confident and bubbly personality and the nervousness of a woman willing to challenge Indian society’s deeply patriarchal blueprint.
Her figure also provides some comical relaxation, especially when it comes to her discomfort over her husband’s non-vegetarian diet. As the film progressed, Qureshi carefully and gradually opened up her character’s emotional layers.
First half lacks spice (pun intended)
Much of the film feels like a feel-good film for kids, with everything miraculously coming together for the Dalal family. The storyline feels too sugary, although there are a few challenges here and there. Even the villain characters with their patriarchal dialogues never seem too threatening.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the first half feels like a highly simplified version of Dalal’s life story, with a predictable plot. In the second half, the film takes on a more realistic tone – almost like the bursting of the metaphorical dream bubble, leading to a tangle of human emotions.
A typical patriarchal mush
As already mentioned, the film insists on carefully incorporating typically patriarchal dialogues. From cooking, which is seen as an unspoken duty of women, to Indian men whose fragile egos are uneasy at the very idea of a woman succeeding, the film is loaded with clichés. Part of the dialogue seems to be straight out of Bollywood classic dialogue book which is widely used in Hindi drama films.
What struck me most, however, was the careful portrayal of the patriarchal attitude conditioned in women, displayed in the form of Dalal’s not-so-supportive mother, brilliantly played by Morli Patel. Even though Patel doesn’t have much screen time, getting the message across clearly is enough.
Speaking of patriarchy in the film: Tarla’s husband Nalin Dalal – played by Sharib Hashmi (family man) – brings sweet rest. His character is not afraid to give his partner full support and encouragement, following in the footsteps of the typical Indian male.
A sizzling record full of nostalgia
What I liked most about the film was the nostalgia of yesteryear, which transports the viewer to the household of a typical middle-class family in the 1960s. Particular attention was paid to the props and set design, from small decorative showpieces, fabrics, everyday objects and fashion trends to cars and radio music. The art department has done an impressive job here tarla.
I smiled at the popular Reynold’s white-bodied, blue-capped ballpoint pen, the dog-shaped Calcium Sandoz bottles, and the almost ritualistic crepe paper decorations seen at children’s birthday parties back in the day.
Verdict
Overall, the film makes a serious attempt to tell the story of the late Padma Shri laureate, but lacks the enticing flavors of a realistic biography. It covers a rather small part of her career and doesn’t quite give an idea of what celebrity Tarla Dalal actually grew up to be.
A few snippets of their remarkable performances might have had a greater impact than simply unrolling them as pre-credits text. If you have no idea who Tarla Dalal was, you might not fully understand her iconic journey even after watching this film.
I was also a little disappointed to learn that the film didn’t cover Dalal’s acclaimed culinary experiments with international cuisines, to which she gave an Indian twist. In terms of cinematography, while the film offers some enticing food shots, the foodie in me would have liked to see a few more delicacies on screen. In total, tarla is a visual treat steeped in nostalgia, and the film will likely encourage you to look up Tarla Dalal’s recipes.
