After hearing so much about “Sukhee,” I decided to watch it yesterday. I set aside all my other work and dedicated the evening to this movie, which is said to focus on women’s empowerment. Now, I’m ready to spill my thoughts on it.
“Sukhee,” starring Shilpa Shetty and directed by Sonal Joshi, marks Joshi’s directorial debut. Before this, she had gained experience by assisting in directing several well-known films.
Plot overview
Sukhee (played by Shilpa Shetty), despite being married for 20 years, finds herself in an unhappy and unfulfilled marriage. She’s treated poorly by her husband and teenage daughter. Following the death of her caring father-in-law, she decides to attend a reunion in New Delhi with her college friends. The reunion of the four friends leads to a great time, briefly bringing joy into Sukhee’s life. However, this period of happiness strains her relationships at home.
She starts recognizing her own errors, realizing she has neglected her self-respect for her family and societal expectations. Sukhee’s choice to embrace life and freedom changes things for her and her family. The story revolves around whether she understands her limits and whether her husband and daughter will recognize their faults.
It seems they’re still holding on to the same old concepts and classic storytelling techniques. Every scene seems to echo a Bollywood movie from the past 10 to 20 years, almost like a mash-up.
The husband who overreacts to almost everything she does, the teenage daughter talking rudely to her mother, the ex-boyfriend who still hangs around, a group of girlfriends with no actual development, the stereotypical silent father, and the usual neighbours – what’s in this that hasn’t been copied or seen before?
The theme of the Movie
“Sukhee” delves into themes of self-discovery and empowerment. It highlights the often-overlooked emotional labour that homemakers contribute to their families. The movie also addresses societal expectations and the guilt of pursuing personal goals over familial duties.
There’s no doubt that Shilpa Shetty looks excellent in certain scenes, particularly the emotional ones. However, I couldn’t help but feel that she was quite a mismatch for the role of a younger character.
Related post: Yes Day Movie Review: How Every Mom Can Relate
Kusha Kapila, known for her large Instagram following and popularity, plays a friend in the movie. However, from my perspective, if she wants to make it to Bollywood, she really needs to improve her acting skills to make a solid mark in the industry.
My Personal view
Have you noticed how many recent movies are centred around women’s empowerment, almost like a new one every year? But after watching them, I feel that filmmakers are running out of new story ideas and are just rehashing old ideas, slightly editing them to look a bit different.
Over the past ten years, I’ve watched many Bollywood movies, yet only a few have truly stuck with me. Vikas Bahl’s “Queen” (2013) is one I could watch repeatedly, and Gauri Shinde’s “English Vinglish” (2012) is remarkable. I still can’t get over Sridevi’s incredible performance in “English Vinglish”.
These films uniquely addressed women’s issues while maintaining a sense of sanity and sophistication.
Writers need to understand that life isn’t just about winning or losing; it’s about the experience of living. In “Sukhee,” it’s hard to believe how she started to ride a horse and became a professional jockey, winning a competition within seven days. For me, it was unconvincing.
I believe it’s important for stories to stay grounded in reality. For instance, I did Bharatanatyam during my school and college days, but it’s unrealistic to think I could outperform young or professional dancers after just a week of practice. For me, participating would be an achievement in itself.
I would rate: 2.5 out of 5.
Wrap up:
Well, Sukhee is not a fully Dukhee movie, making it an average pick if you’re in the mood for something with a lighter touch.
Image source: Google
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Yet to watch it!
Thanks for the suggestion.
My sister watched it recently, and she said I should watch it as a background score, when I don’t feel like paying much attention to what’s running on OTT. I am glad I didn’t do that also, as I don’t think she has great acting skills. When I was reading your post, English Vinglish did come to my mind, and I think that was a good movie.
Thank you for your review. I was planning to watch it. Even Mr. Hubby said it is boring. So now I am not going to waste my time. Women empowerment ke naam wahi cheese dikhate hain. Which I don’t like.
I have been looking for some feel good movies lately and wanted a couple. I am yet to watch this. Now that I know the plot, I might watch it alone.
Thanks for such an honest review. I read the brief storyline in Netflix and was tempted to try watching but thankfully I didn’t. Some directors haven’t moved beyond stereotypes unfortunately and when overdone, it gets painful and boring to watch. sometimes, I wonder how such acclaimed actors accept to do such movies. Is it fort he money or because they don’t get offered anything better? No idea.
Last weekend I watched this movie and to me it appeared a lighthearted realistic movie as even today that what happens with majority of the women in India. Till the time they realize what’s wrong its already too late… some make a comeback and some cant. Its an average watch for me. For me its a 3.5/5 stars
I was just about to say how much I would love watching this movie as it has a different twist but then reading along, felt that same sentiments as most had. That’s why reviews like this are valuable for me.
I have heard about this movie but haven’t seen it yet. I agree with you that stories should be realistic. It is not like 20-30 years ago that anything would work because it is a movie. I remember English Vinglish. It was really good.
There has been a spate of movies around the concept but very few get it right. I hear you on more realistic stories. Netflix has some weird choices these days. These are not Dhar Mann videos.
Yes Anjali… Sukhee is not entirely dukhee. I watched it one evening last weekend when I was alone at home. There were some hits n several misses for me in the movie. I loved Shilpa’s performance the most, but like you mentioned, not the younger version. She looked like some overly filtered version of herself. The jockey thingy is too unbelievable… I guess that’s y they called it an amateur race… but it still doesn’t justify. I agree that they were so many stereotypes in the movie… the ending too.
I agree with your point that the strength the character possesses will reach the audience only when it is convincingly the most realistic. Nice review
I havent watched Sukhee as I had no idea about the story. Last movie I watched on Netflix was Jaan e Jaan. But now i know the story may be I will watch it tonight. But thanks for this review.
Sukhee does have some similarities with the old movies, I had done a movie Explanation for my other channel for Sukhee. Truely I found it ok, frankly all bollywood movies I feel run on the same lines.
I really like the movie. It resonated very well with me especially as I am a single mom of a young girl. I even shed some tears at the climax.
While the film’s intentions are admirable, its execution falls short. It’s like having puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit. The film has clichés; skipping some for believability and enhancing Shilpa’s acting and dialogue quality would improve it. Kusha and friends shine, highlighting areas for directorial and writing enhancement for a swifter, more compelling narrative.
Thanks for your candid review. I hadn’t heard of this film but just reading its storyline made it sound like a sad copy of ‘English Vinglish’. I’m glad you called it out.