Love Sitara Review: Generational Trauma and All That

In this family-drama film, Sitara, after finding out about a surprise pregnancy, decides to tie the knot at her grandmother’s house, only to uncover a shocking secret. Unsure of what to do, she embarks on a mission to find the truth but that might destroy her old and new family in the process.

Written by Sonia Bahl, Abbas Dalal, Hussain Dalal and Vandana Kataria, this Zee5 film has a runtime of 105 minutes.

Love Sitara Review

Vandana Kataria’s Love Sitara, starring Sobhita Dhulipala as the titular character, ends on a very happy and fulfilling note. The film tries to portray the skeletons in the closet that families often have and tries to showcase the emotions and the stages that these secrets take us through and whether or not one can ever get over a big betrayal.

Personally, the film felt like it was trying to rush through the different plot points in order to showcase a favourable and happy result. In its bid to give us a happy ending, however, the film felt like it didn’t try to discuss any of the complexities of the emotions or the situations that something so messy could bring forth. We don’t understand Hema’s almost obsessive need for attention from men nor Sitara’s all-over-the-place behaviour. Things happen and then get solved in the blink of an eye and the climax seems to come and go in a matter of minutes, leaving us to wonder whether all of us would be okay with forgiving our spouses or siblings for engaging in an affair.

Although the film tries to make a big deal out of Hema’s infidelity, it doesn’t explain it and neither does Hema face any kind of consequence. Almost everything in the film somehow follows this same trajectory – Sitara and Arjun’s conflict, which is showcased to be a huge deal, and Arjun’s conflict with his father which had scope of in-depth discussion, are all discussed and dissected in a matter of minutes. Sitara and Arjun’s plot point, especially felt like a rushed ending because their conflict was a serious matter but one sorry and two tears later, we jumped on the aesthetic wedding train and off we went to happily ever after.

I found it difficult to connect with any of these characters, as a result, because we don’t get to understand anyone’s point of view. We rush from one person talking about sex to another but never really stop and listen to anything beyond that. I am a fan of films that dissect these messy relationships and emotions to get to the bottom of these behaviours but Love Sitara felt like it was trying to preach something in the most condescending way possible without actually giving anything of substance. It was disappointing watching Hema not taking any accountability for everything that she has done and things get brushed under the carpet because a 20-year-old Amumma was burnt by her husband. As if that explains why a very adult Hema can’t be held responsible for her actions.

Either way, the film needed more nuance and a deeper discussion. There’s a good chance of showcasing the deep and cutting impacts of generational trauma but the trauma doesn’t take away from the fact that actions have consequences. And since the film seems to forget that entirely, by the end of it all you are left confused and a bit cheated. There’s only one scene that contextualises everything that happened previously but the film doesn’t take its time to truly mull over the past and assess the actions of the present which is truly disappointing.

The scenes surrounding the women when they are in their own elements felt organic and raw but the film lacked more of those. Thus, although you’d want to relate to these women’s stories, it always felt like you were one step behind them forever trying to play catch up. Plus Dhulipala, who plays Sitara, feels a little stiff in the film with a very generic expression throughout and that didn’t help. However, the other actors did a great job and brought forth their characters’ emotions well.

Final Thoughts

This film could’ve been a moving and relatable experience but personally, it felt a little rushed and surface-level. I found it odd that adults were not held responsible for their actions and the consequences were so easy and forgettable. As a whole, this makes the film feel forgettable and inconsequential. I get the discussion surrounding generational trauma, but it’s the impact that is sorely missing from this film.

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