There are many facets to Sundari Mathews, Suma for short. She is a divorced single woman in her 30s who finds comfort in an occasional swig of vodka neat (or an entire bottle of wine overnight), and frets about her grey hairs and waistline. She is remarkably good at her job as a school librarian, casually directing a student who asks for Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red to the ‘second shelf from left, fourth row from top, seventh book from left’. She is also a cellist, a hidden talent that she springs at an unsuspecting Victor Paul (Neeraj Madhav), the new English teacher at the school. And as she walks out of her car in slow motion with Alphons Joseph’s mass BGM playing in the background, ready to hand the college boy who severely wronged a schoolgirl a well-deserved hit with a cricket stump, we are impressed, just like Victor.
Sundari Gardens, directed by Charlie Davis, has all the classic ingredients of a romantic comedy — a meet-cute that develops into a friendship, a drunken mishap, misunderstandings, realisations, and a happy ending. There is a comfort in its predictability, the sort of solace that only a simple and gently enjoyable romcom can offer. But that’s not all there is to it. Even as a small film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Sundari Gardens subverts a number of genre cliches, simply by letting its eponymous protagonist, played charmingly by Aparna Balamurali, exist.
The fact that Sundari is a divorcee or a cancer survivor is never brought up with theatrics or loud overtures. She is refreshingly matter-of-fact about her life, her trauma from an abusive marriage only becoming apparent during a heart-to-heart she has with Victor over some ‘good wine’. But neither her past nor the perceived taboo surrounding her status as a divorced woman stops her from going after what she wants. Instead, she is sure of herself, and seeks out love with no qualms, sometimes even by making severely wrong choices that impact the lives of others. As she says to Victor later, she is a mess, and she is ready to own up to it.
Aparna shines as Sundari, easily capturing the complicated emotions of this independent, but lonely woman. Victor, on the other hand, is a simple man backed by a loving family, his biggest issue in life being that his mother is pressuring him to get married. And Neeraj, who plays Victor with a quiet dignity, takes a step back and lets Aparna shine.
Jude Anthany Joseph appears in a smaller role as Karnan sir, an SUPW (socially useful productive work) teacher who doesn’t really seem to know what he is doing, a character reminiscent of Vinay Forrt’s Vimal sir in the Alphonse Puthren directorial Premam. Karnan is also interested in marrying Sundari, an interest that is not in the least reciprocated — a dynamic that lays ground for some fun scenes in the film.
Lakshmi Menon makes a fun turn as Lekha Kurian, a teacher who instantly develops a crush on Victor after he joins the school. However, right from the get-go, the film pits these two perfectly likeable women against each other as competitors for Victor’s attention, which is slightly off-putting. For no apparent reason, Lekha is pictured as an unwelcome, if not villainous presence in Sundari’s life, with the duo unable to carry a steady conversation that goes beyond sarcastic jibes. There is indication of a resolution of the issues between them towards the end of the film, but it would have been nice to actually see this on screen.
Sundari Gardens is nicely shot (cinematography by Swaroop Philip), the charm of the tranquil town in which it is set shining through the screen, which adds to the film’s grounded nature. Technically, however, it has flaws. The screenplay appears choppy at times, and the ‘you can understand what they are talking about from context’ scenes that override conversations with background music stick out like a sore thumb. But it also does not aim to be a technically superior film. It is aware of its potential and what it has to offer, and that is a relaxing watch on a weekend night.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.