Love Sonia (2018)

Freida Pinto: She plays her semi-delusional character well.

Richa Chadha: She is in a significant role, proves her mettle as an actor once again

Mrunal Thakur: She essays the unspoken resilience of her lead character with conviction.

Story: Belonging to a drought-prone village in India, a debt-ridden farmer grapples with poverty and desperation. Despite the dire circumstances, his daughters — teen sisters Sonia and Preeti choose to be happy. But their undying spirit takes a beating when the hapless father decides to sell off Preeti to a local landlord for money. Naïve and hopeful, Sonia sets off to look for her missing sister without anticipating the heinous repercussions. Her search drags her to Mumbai’s dark underbelly and entraps her in the horrific world of sex trade and prostitution.

Cinematography: Average

Screenplay: Spectacular

Direction: Director Tabrez Noorani, doesn’t underplay the brutality of the issue at hand and doesn’t spare you the graphic details. Gruesome, gritty and atmospheric, his unnerving execution almost suffocates you.

Love Sonia: Love Sonia acknowledges this human spirit of a teen girl, who endures unimaginable brutalities and yet, dares to live. Sometimes, survival is the biggest victory when you don’t have a choice.  It is an important film that’s told sincerely but it lacks the emotional depth of a provocative human drama.

Review by Shreya Ghosh