 "Outhouse Movie Review: Sharmila Tagore & Mohan Agashe’s film is laced with simplicity, humour and pure nostalgia")
Language: Hindi
Director: Sunil Sukthankar
Cast: Sharmila Tagore, Dr Mohan Agashe, Sunil Abhyankar, Sonali Kulkarni and Neeraj Kabi
Sometimes it’s sheer pleasure to see such a slice of life film with nothing complex, but pure love. Directed by Sunil Sukthankar and produced by Dr. Mohan Agashe, Outhouse shows that with just pure love you can win anybody’s heart. In a non-complicated manner it is thought provoking too.
The story of Outhouse is about Aadima ( Sharmila Tagore ), a writer who lives in an aesthetically made bungalow in Poona. She is a widow, but her life is wholesome and filled with activities. She keeps herself busy by writing. Outhouse is a good break from the regular Bollywood dhamakas and dark realities of life. For a change it is good to see that a movie can be weaved around the simple pleasures of life.
Aadima (Sharmila Tagore) is seen closing a deal with the publishers in the opening scene of the film. She says that she wishes to take a break from writing for some time because she wants to spend some quality time with her grandson who will be visiting her soon. To her surprise grandson lands up at her house with a puppy whom he fondly calls Pablo. She doesn’t allow Pablo to stay inside the house, so the night when he arrives with his grandson, daughter and son-in-law she strictly instructs him to keep him in the verandah outside the house. But Palbo runs away in the thick of night.
Aadima is unable to keep his grandson, Neel (Jihan Hodar) happy because Pablo has gone missing. Surprisingly Pablo follows a senior citizen in the neighborhood called Nana (Mohan Agashe) who lives all by himself. Nana instantly develops a strong bond for the puppy. He starts calling him Sugar.
The story takes a turn when Aadima and her grandson go out on a mission to find Pablo who is now named Sugar by Nana. Sugar and Nana have developed a strong friendship and the puppy has brought a lot of happiness to his lonely life. Aadima in the meantime chronicles the journey of finding Pablo into a graphic story.
The best thing about Outhouse is its unspoken words, the entire feel-good look of the movie and the simplicity. The slight presence of Sonali Kulkarni, Neeraj Kabi, and Sunil Abhayankar has made the film all the more believable. The film talks about elderly people and their struggle with loneliness and how with age they become stubborn and are not willing to make any changes in their life.
Both Nana and Aadima’s characters are so relatable and some of us can find streaks of similarities with our parents too. The story of Outhouse is simple and nothing out of the ordinary, yet it is engaging and immersive. And I am sure after watching this film, all of us would like to give a tight hug to our parents and grandparents and most importantly try to understand their sentiments which we often dismiss as idiosyncrasies.
Rating: 3 out of 5
WATCH The trailer of Outhouse here:
Lachmi Deb Roy is the entertainment editor of Firtspost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes huge interest in world cinema. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until its a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too.