Saara Vajra

Plot: Nafisa is a small-town girl born in a Muslim household, who has dreams of a good family life. When she is married to a well-off boy who knows the big city life, her happily-ever-after seems far from becoming a reality.

Review: Saara Vajra is the adaptation of a novel by writer Saara Aboobacker, which brings to light the plight of women in the households of small-town Karnataka, where they have restrictions and their dreams are often just limited to their minds alone. This adaptation by Aarna Saadya is a tad melodramatic, but speaks about many pertinent issues that are found in these homes and that need to be addressed.

The film deals with the life of Nafisa, a young woman who thinks she has found the man of her dreams, when she is married to a good-looking, young man from a good family. But her husband, who has had a taste of city life, finds his bumpkin wife often repulsive and treats her with disdain. Then begins Nafisa's journey, when she is forced to move away from her family, including her son.

Anu Prabhakar shines in an author-backed role, where she especially excels in her older avatar. Sudha Belawadi and Ramesh Bhat provide the much-required weightage for their roles. Rehaman Hussain impresses in his grey role. The film has some good visuals of interior Karnataka too. What pulls it back is the treatment, where it often seems melodramatic and over-the-top. While this adds to the emotional appeal, one feels that dialling it down a little would have helped. Watch this though, as it addresses many issues that need to be spoken about and has some good performances.