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Sir Movie Review : A soul-stirring tale of emotional intimacy, dreams and belonging

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sikandra kumar 417 days ago

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May be life changing picture for me

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...just a super movie with an unexpected, yet perfect, ending...

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A very good film and wonderfully scripted movie. World class touch.

Subhabrata Saha 693 days ago

Horrible disgusting movie. One of the worst movies in this world. Absolute trash.

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Netflix’s Sir: The Indian Audience’s Fascination With The Rich-Man-Loves-Poor-Girl Trope

Love is said to transcend all barriers, but quite realistically, Indian cinema has continually engaged with tragic stories of lovers who couldn’t be united because of social and class differences. The iconic dialogue:  “Bekhuda, hum mohabbat ke dushman nahi, apne usoolon ke ghulam hai”, from the epic love story, Mughal-e-Azam , released over six decades ago, resonates with us even today, as the sociocultural climate of India remains largely unchanged. More recently, in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), that became the highest grossing Indian film worldwide at the time, popularised the conflicting pulls of tradition versus love, as the character of Amitabh Bachchan kept harping on “parampara” to coerce his son into subscribing by class norms. The lovers’ refusal to bow down to the patriarchal stooges of classism led to the son’s disownment from the family, and their departure to foreign lands, in a bid to escape the bounds of Indian society. 

It must be stated that countless Bollywood films have been based on the theme of class divide in love relationships. Bobby (1973), Devdas (2002), Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989), are some of the prominent films that have portrayed lovers who cannot be together in socially legitimate ways. Reversing the positions, films such as Kaho Na Pyaar Hai (2000), Dil (1990), Raja Hindustani (1996) etc., have portrayed the rich-girl-loves-poor-boy trope. The popularity of the given formula seems to indicate at more than just a specific cinematic taste. It reveals the persevering social conditions that still lead to the rejection of such so-called ‘mis-matched’ lovers. And so when Rohena Gera subtitles his film, “Is love enough?”, it strikes a chord with the audience, that on one hand espouses modernising Indian sensibilities, but at the same time, remains largely powerless when faced with such moral dilemmas.

Also read: Film Review: The Great Indian Kitchen – Serving Patriarchy, Piping Hot!

Recently, I spoke to a friend about Sir , and one of the most important things she said was that “these kind of things probably do happen to people… you never know”. Indeed, what is projected as a novelty in the film is not really so in reality. We come across countless stories of star-crossed lovers in the newspapers, lynched, murdered, ostracised, or simply forced to marry other people, because they chose partners from a different caste or class. The present debates around love jihad are a case in point.

Years ago, the film, Love Sex Aur Dhoka (2010), created ripples amongst the Indian audience for its depiction of pornography. I was in college at the time, and remember being aghast by the gritty portrayal of love and sex. But significantly, the film shocked the Indian audiences because it brazenly portrayed the dark reality of khap panchayats . All of a sudden the media became obsessed with the incidents of honour-killings in the country. It was not a new subject, but there was certainly a renewed interest in it. Sir seems to have done something similar in terms of the debates it raises: Gera actually taps into an all too familiar subject — class and caste divides. It made me marvel at how the film was placed precariously on the precipice of becoming yet another ‘forbidden romance’ meant to pander to the universal appeal of the rich man-poor girl angle. That it doesn’t, comes as a breath of fresh air.

Sir is certainly one of the more subtly-constructed, sensitive, and realistic portrayals of love relationships I have come across lately. It manages to raise larger questions about the superfluous-ness of social divides in matters relating to the heart.

Sir is certainly one of the more subtly-constructed, sensitive, and realistic portrayals of love relationships I have come across lately. It manages to raise larger questions about the superfluous-ness of social divides in matters relating to the heart. With remarkable finesse, the film captures the redundancy of societal constructs such as class barriers and issues of propriety. The maturity with which the subject is treated is heartening. The actors are realistic, relatable, and draw our sympathies for being constrained due to nothing but external forces that deny their desire for each other. 

The question, “is love enough” looms large throughout as the two characters attempt to explore their own feelings. Ashwini’s declaration that he doesn’t think of her “as a maid” is meant to be a declaration of his respect for her, but it negates the reality of her situation: she is a maid. Thus, Ashwini’s character is deliciously flawed, and compelling for that reason. We are shown how people are limited in their own positions in society: Ashwini is rich and successful, but those become his limitations in the relationship as transgressing social codes of conduct threatens the entire fabric of society that relies on caste-based patrilineal descent. The film also skillfully brings out the issue of sexual agency — notably, the man too is shown to lack it. Both character’s emotional struggles are felt keenly by the audience as they struggle with their own biases and prejudices. In the end, Ratna finally asserts her freedom to love by discarding the title, ‘sir’ — the spectre haunting their relationship — as she demolishes the class barriers between them. Her upward mobility as a tailor for a fashion designer empowers her and gives her the confidence and will to assert her will.

Also read: Netflix Film Review | Paava Kadhaigal: A Heart-Wrenching, Hard-Hitting Anthology

Netflix’s Sir skillfully brings out the issue of sexual agency — notably, the man too is shown to lack it. Both character’s emotional struggles are felt keenly by the audience as they struggle with their own biases and prejudices.

Indeed, the movie is able to construct a delicate and sensitive narrative from a rather hackneyed subject, and give it a profoundness that is rare to find. Even though the formula remains cliched, Indian cinema has hitherto not treated such love stories with the dignity and delicacy that Rohena Gera affords Ashwini and Ratna . I could appreciate the film primarily for the absence of unnecessary melodrama. The film seems to indicate at the generation’s maturity towards the idea of romantic desire, companionship, and even platonic love, as the society attempts to reform mindsets despite the prevalence of conservative attitudes. Quite fittingly, the overarching question remains however: can we ever overcome the shackles of society in all matters pertaining to love? How does one resist the society’s narrow-mindedness? How do you triumph over the custodians of ‘ usool’ and ‘ parampara ’ when there is still a stigma attached to romantic relationships outside of the bounds of marriage, or pre-marital romances in general? 

Ipshita Nath teaches English Literature at University of Delhi. She is the author of The Rickshaw Reveries, published by Simon & Schuster in 2020. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram .

Featured Image Source: IndulgeExpress

Yeah right, a “pretty woman” one of the most iconic Hollywood movies is heralded across generations where rich man falls in love with a sex worker. But hod forbid if India cinema tries to show the similar plot with much more finesse and minus the designer clothes. Then its called “trope”. The hypocrisy of it!!

Lets not make society as big a villain. What would be the challenges to long term compatibility for people from very diverse backgrounds in a marriage like situation.

Writing a negative comment for the sake of writing it. Films based on social realities will be made again and again. So what…is there a rule like u cant choose a subject that has already been chosen many times?

Its much beyond than rich boy poor girl trope, agreed its the most common bollywood trope…but way its conceptualised in Sir is commendable…without filmy melodrama & songs dances … My two cents: https://purnima2711.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/is-love-enough-sir/

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‘sir’: film review | cannes 2018.

Writer-director Rohena Gera ('What’s Love Got to Do With It?') tells the story of a master and servant who fall for each other in this Cannes Critics’ Week debut.

By Jordan Mintzer

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Set inside the skyscrapers of modern-day Mumbai, Sir is not your typical Indian love story, nor does it necessarily work out the way you would expect.

But in this thoughtful study of class and the way it can both restrain and empower, writer-director Rohena Gera has crafted an intelligent romance within the confines of upper-crust Indian society. Premiering in the Cannes Critics’ Week sidebar, the film could occupy the same slot that The Lunchbox did back in 2013, providing feel-good fodder for international markets.

The Bottom Line A modest yet effective tale of love and class.

Ratna (Tillotama Shome) is a young widow who travels from her small village in the countryside to the megalopolis of Mumbai, where she’s employed by a wealthy family of builders to serve as a chambermaid for their son, Ashwin (Vivek Gomber). When the film kicks off, Ashwin is about to get married, but we learn that the wedding has been called off after his fiancee was found to have had an affair. Left alone to work for his dad’s company and brood a lot around the house, Ashwin will slowly develop a bond with Ratna that extends beyond a mere master-servant relationship into something more.

Keeping the drama limited to a high-rise apartment and a few exteriors, Gera uses a classic setup — forbidden love between two lost souls — to explore questions of class, and caste, in a city that has grown from its colonial roots into a burgeoning world capital. Thus, while Ashwin enjoys the pleasures of India’s new yuppie culture, throwing small parties and playing squash with his buddies, Ratna is confined to the kitchen and her tiny bedroom, yet can still pursue a fashion design career on the side. At an earlier epoch, she would have had few options and an affair with her master would have never been conceivable, but Gera shows how times have truly changed.

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Still, Indian society remains strictly hierarchical for the most part, and Sir ultimately reveals how unbridled emotions cannot survive in such an environment. Ashwin, who worked as a journalist in the U.S. before returning home after the death of his brother, is westernized in thought and attitude — he treats Ratna like a friend rather than a maid — but faces the pressure of his family and social standing. And Ratna, who as a young widow has very opportunities in life, is smart enough to know that her story with Ashwin will never end happily ever after.

With much of the film seen from Ratna’s viewpoint, we initially perceive Ashwin as she does: from behind closed doors, or during the moments she brings trays of food or drinks to her master and his guests. Gradually their relationship transforms, but the two are still held back by their social positions. Gera makes the most of her setting in that sense, with veteran French cameraman Dominique Colin ( L’auberge espagnole ) revealing the characters against a backdrop of steel-and-glass towers that stretch up to the sky but feel much more claustrophobic than liberating. Mumbai may be a modern mega-city, but that doesn’t mean anything can happen, nor that people feel any less lonely there.

Performances from the two leads — who switch between Hindi and English depending on the situation — are strong, although Shome is often more compelling than Gomber, whose character feels a bit too restrained at times. A somewhat cloying score from Pierre Avia is overused in places, and there are times when the production feels closer to a TV movie in its scope. But for her first fictional effort, Gera has nonetheless crafted a warmly nuanced look at love in a place filled with constraints and contradictions, and where a broken heart could perhaps be the first step toward emancipation.

Venue: Cannes Film Festival (Critics’ Week) Production companies: Inkpot Film, Cine-Sud Promotion Cast: Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjati Kulkarni, Rahul Vohra, Divya Seth Shah, Chandrachoor Rai Director-screenwriter: Rohena Gera Producers: Brice Poisson, Thierry Lenouvel, Rohena Gera Executive producer: Rakesh Mehra Director of photography: Dominique Colin Production designer: Parul Sondh Costumer designer: Kimneineng Kipgen Editors: Jacques Comets, Baptiste Ribrault Composer: Pierre Avia Sales: MK2

In Hindi, English 96 minutes

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‘Sir’ Review: A Masterful Study of Class through Love

Dir. rohena gera — 4 stars.

Is love enough? Writer-director Rohena Gera’s heart-piercing film “Sir” examines this question by exploring the possibility of love across class in contemporary Indian society. Set in Mumbai, the film follows the unlikely love story of Ratna (Tillotama Shome), an in-house servant, and Ashwin (Vivek Gomber), her wealthy architect employer. In using the delicacy of forbidden love as a lens to view class divide, “Sir“ not only reveals the intrinsically alienating nature of the class system, but also forces us to reckon with our own complicity in propagating such a social structure. From the moody cinematography to the sharp editing, the film shines — largely due to Gera’s sensitive writing and the fully-realized acting performances.

Gera’s story stands out because it breaks away from the mostly gimmicky template of a rich-boy-poor-girl love story. Too often, love stories so focused on class divides are either presented as highly exploitative or unrealistically simplistic, but thankfully, Gera isn’t interested in either extreme. In fact, Gera treats Ratna and Ashwin’s love story no differently than the story of any other sincere couple who first develop respect and admiration for one another, then love. It is perhaps in doing exactly that, that this film reveals the hardship class divides pose at every stage of love. For example, the first time Ashwin aimlessly calls Ratna purely out of longing for her, we realize that even private moments cannot escape the deeply internalized class structure. Though Ratna realizes what the call means as she pauses for a moment, she cannot help but ask “Kuch kaam tha kya?” (Did you need something?). Similarly, at one point, Ratna is elated that Ashwin chooses to wear a shirt she handmade for him, but asks him to not tell anyone that she made the shirt. Their worlds are barely allowed to collide in material exchanges, let alone romantic ones. It’s these sorts of subtle moments throughout the film that underscore the difficulty of love across class barriers, but also question the larger inhumanness of this stratification that we have so easily adapted to.

While Gera’s writing confronts us with these issues, she never judges any of her characters. Whether it is Ashwin’s friend telling Ashwin that he can’t date his maid or Ratna’s friend Laxmi continuing to work at her employer’s place despite being abused, Gera empathizes with everyone. To her, everyone’s livelihood and imagination are equally caged by the class system.

One of the film’s most interesting subthemes is the way class colonizes ambition. For example, when Ratna first tells Ashwin that she wants to be a fashion designer, Ashwin doubts her, to which Ratna simply asks “Nahi Ban Sakti Kya?” (Can I not be one?). Ashwin’s intervention, though not malicious, showcases how class limits our conception of dreams, even for the most progressive of minds. While “Sir” makes us aware of these boundaries, it doesn’t lack hope. Ratna’s character, in fact, is an embodiment of the optimism to break out of one’s circumstances. In addition to working at Ashwin’s place, she takes up tailoring courses on the side and eventually lands a job in fashion designing.

Elevating Gera’s writing are the vulnerable portrayals of Ratna and Ashwin. Gomber brings a sense of brokenness and earnestness to Ashwin. His best moment in the film comes when he finally acts on his frustration and asks Ratna if she would ever be with him. Some of Shome’s most striking moments, however, are ones where she is by herself. For example, in the scene where she rushes to answer Ashwin’s phone call, she fixes her saree as if she’s meeting him in person. And, needless to say, both Gomber and Shome create an irresistible chemistry together that draws on silences and expressions more than actions and words.

Finally, the film ends with Ratna calling Ashwin by his name for the first time, not “Sir.” And while this hopeful note of reciprocity is uplifting, it’s worth noting that this is how most love stories would start — a reminder, perhaps, of how far we have to go.

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Sir Reviews

With Is Love Enough? Sir, Rohena Gera desists viewing togetherness as love’s end goal, gently uncovering the gifts of being in it instead.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 26, 2022

Sir is a cinematic triumph. Gera and Shome compromise nothing in a full and poignant portrayal of India's working class, without turning Ashwin and his social strata into caricatures of wealthy, Anglicized demons.

Full Review | Mar 5, 2021

Director Rohena Gera's... comprises exquisite moments.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 3, 2020

[Filmmaker Rohena Gera] offers a sensitive take into the lives of the protagonists... The end product, which has some good cinematography by Dominique Colin and taut editing by Jacques Comets and Baptiste Ribrault, is as real as it gets...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 2, 2020

A movie that regrettably feels more like a telenovela. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Feb 27, 2020

Director Rohena Gera manages to draw attention to characteristics of Indian society,... It's a pity bad he doesn't get them to work in favor of the story. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Feb 27, 2020

Its effectiveness in terms of emotional reach is based on Tilotama Shome, an actress that constructs with as much subtlety as determination a woman who is discreet, honest, and capable of chasing her desires. [Full Review in Spanish]

The final shot is magnificent: one word breathes optimism to the story. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 13, 2019

A sentimental process that the director narrates with calm and credibility, delicacy and embarrassment. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Sep 28, 2019

A fresh story about how we can survive in this world believing in ourselves. A good memoir from Mumbai to every neo-spectator. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 25, 2019

Sir is a film that is charming even when it talks about how hopes are lost when one doesn't really get what they want. But it's optimistic tone and humanistic core that tells people to be themselves makes for a glorious watch.

An interesting reflection about the clash between modernity and tradition in constricting Indian society. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 23, 2019

A conventional and popular story. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 23, 2019

Sir is a delicate and powerful look at human connection.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 8, 2019

There's a tangible sense of excitement to something as simple as Ashwin and Ratna passing each other in the hallway, and an equally potent sense of danger when they interact while in the presence of other people. What might they let slip?

Full Review | Jun 25, 2019

This deeply memorable effort was shot with beautifully simplicity, sometimes with dazzling colours and intoxicating music, but largely in closed spaces that reveal much about their inhabitants...

Full Review | Apr 25, 2019

For a moment, it seems Sir may break through. But the film falls into well-worn grooves and soap opera-level drama, wasting solid character work.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 23, 2019

If you take away the slow-brewing attraction that serves as an appealing logline, you still have a mighty fine picture about a village girl who wants to defy the patriarchy and stand on her own two feet in the city.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 23, 2019

The film, from Indian screenwriter and documentary director Rohena Gera, is well-paced and properly sentimental.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 18, 2019

The love that dare not speak its class

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 13, 2018

Sir Movie Review: Tillotama Shome shines in a poignant film about dreams

Rating: ( 4 / 5).

They say love is blind. Colour, caste, creed, class… nothing is supposed to matter in the sanctum of love. But how often do we think this way? Even those of us who want to badly believe in the noble notion, still fall prey to biases rooted in stereotypes. Rathna (Tillotama Shome) works as a live-in help at Ashwin’s (Vivek Gomber) house in Mumbai. A widow from the villages, this job is her ticket to her dreams. On the other hand, there is the morose Ashwin carrying the guilt of a broken engagement and lost dreams. And in that safe space of a house, they both nudge each other closer to their dreams, finding an unexpected companion.

Director: Rohena Gera

Cast: Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Ahmareen Anjum

Sir , in many ways, feels like a fairytale set amid the skyrises of Mumbai. But Rathna is no damsel in distress. I have always had an issue with how a ‘strong, liberal woman’ is always portrayed to be a ‘modern woman’, often armed with make-up, western clothes, and alcohol. But strength and being progressive aren’t about one’s clothes or habits. It is about how they think. Clear, confident, smart — Rathna is a beautiful example of a strong woman. She might be a house help, but that isn’t her identity. She holds her ground well, even in tricky moments. When Ashwin asks her if she has always wanted to be a tailor, she politely but sternly corrects him to ‘fashion designer’. And adds a ‘Why I can’t be one?’ to answer his surprise. Rathna’s dignified tenacity is refreshingly real. As a woman who has been let down by the universe, she is jaded. But it hasn’t killed the childlike enthusiasm she possesses for life. And Tillotama Shome plays Rathna so beautifully, with such grace; every smile, head tilt, and even her hurried walk, the way she clutches her handbag, has conviction and innocence in equal measure. The film might be titled Sir , but it is Rathna who carries the film on her dainty shoulders.

This dignity is inherent in every part of Sir . Ashwin, like Rathna, is written with equal amounts of sensitivity and emotional intelligence. Their relationship is delicate territory that had to be treated with incredible caution; one wrong step could taint the entire equation with distasteful undertones. But Rohena aces it. One can imagine their relationship as a Venn diagram with two circles. As the movie progresses, the common space gradually increases. The camera often reflects this, panning across the screen, placing Ashwin and Rathna’s world on the same plane but also establishing the differences between both. Take the scene at a party hosted by Ashwin’s mother. We don’t see Rathna’s face as she goes around serving people until she reaches Ashwin. For the others, she is just the help. But he is the one who truly sees her.  Their interactions being and end abruptly, but are empathetic and insightful. I particularly loved the edit: every cut is placed at the very beginning of an emotion. There is a lot left unsaid, but it is always understood, much like Rathna and Ashwin’s relationship.

Sir is a subdued but poignant celebration of hope, dreams, and love. Rathna and Ashwin know that their bubble won’t last in the normal world. And it is often burst, by several people who question her presence in his life, and vice-versa. But their journey reminds you that one can always dream. It is okay to disown the cynic in us once in a while and give a chance to love and our dreams. And maybe, just maybe love, like dreams, can win against all odds if we let it.

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Sir movie review: A courageous traverse into difficult territory

Sir movie review: sir is an unusual, courageous traverse into unfamiliar, difficult territory, stepping in very carefully into the minefield which people like us have taken for granted for years..

Sir movie cast: Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Rahul Vohra, Anupriya Goenka, Chandrachur Rai Sir movie director: Rohena Gera Sir movie rating: Three stars

Even in a plush high-rise in Mumbai , a megacity presumably without as many raised moralistic eyebrows as other places in India, the sharing of space in the same flat between a single man and a ‘maid’, can set tongues wagging.

In Rohena Gera’s Sir, it does come up, only to be swept aside swiftly and decisively by Ratna (Shome): she is here only to make a better life for herself, and for her family left behind in the village. With her salary, she’s helping her sister get an education, and the residue will someday help her fulfil her own dreams. It’s only when her employer, the recently single Ashwin (Gomber) starts to see her as a personable person, rather than just a convenient fixture, that the divide between class starts to blur.

Is the blurring enough, though, for two people from such diverse backgrounds to come together romantically? How will an unsophisticated Marathi-speaking village girl, however dignified she may be, and Shome does a brilliant job of coming across as a young woman of immense dignity and self-respect, bridge that near-insurmountable divide that comes with wealth and privilege? How will it work with a man who uses English with his family and friends as the language of communication, dropping into stilted vernacular when instructing domestics, like so many of us urban types?

Sir is an unusual, courageous traverse into unfamiliar, difficult territory, stepping in very carefully into the minefield which people like us have taken for granted for years. It’s only because Ashwin has lived a spell in the US that he is able to talk to Ratna with a degree of respect, unlike his pretty party pal (Goenka), who deals out a stinging, humiliating slap to the ‘servant’. For a film which is subtle in many of its notes, the bald use of the word ‘servant’, from Ratna’s mouth, serves as a double-edged sword: in the saying of it, she is acknowledging her own awareness of the chasm between them, as well our discomfiture at this unlikely couple.

We start by seeing the two inhabit different spaces in the flat, she in her small ‘SQ’ (servant’s quarter) and the kitchen, he in the rest of the house. Slowly, as they begin drawing closer, they start sharing the same frame, tumbling rather too suddenly into intimacy. Some more time spent between the two, some more negotiating bends, and the relationship could have been built upon a bit more: I missed those in-between moments which take place between scrupulously observed distance, and the awareness between a man and a woman.

Finally, a film like this, with its fairy-tale arc, depends on how much it can make us believe in the fact of an Ashwin and a Ratna finding lasting commonalities. The ugly real-life fact in India of all-powerful employers preying sexually upon domestics, and how these things can quickly become unsavoury jokes, is side-stepped by the fact of Ashwin being the kind of guy he is. You can see he is kind and compassionate, both qualities Gomber radiates well, and that his loneliness is being assuaged by this intelligent young woman. You can see the distance being bridged by both beginning to share little details of their day, slowly, awkwardly, but surely. And the fact that the film manages to do this, and create believable upstairs-downstairs characters without being patronizing, is nice: Geetanjali Kulkarni, as the ‘maid’ working in a neighbouring flat, and the only one Ratna can depend upon, is terrific.

Will Ashwin and Ratna live happily ever after? Sir, out in theatres today, scores in being able to even pose such a question, with pleasing delicacy. As to the question, who knows what the morrow will bring, but we are all allowed to dream, aren’t we?

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Sir movie review: Rohena Gera’s film is a masterful romantic drama about a domestic worker and her employer

The commentary in Sir is rooted as much in the condescension of its affluent characters as it is in the electric tension between Ratna and Ashwin.

(This review was first published when Sir was screened at the New York Indian Film Festival 2019. It is being republished in view of Sir releasing in Indian theatres on 13 November, 2020.)

Language: Hindi, English, and Marathi

Stories of romance overcoming class boundaries have permeated decades of Indian cinema. Even the very first Indian talkie, Ardeshir Irani’s Alam Ara (1931), tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a nomadic woman exiled from his kingdom. While mainstream Bollywood productions often have a more quixotic, happy-ending-at-all-costs paradigm — Bobby (1973), Pardes (1997), Singh is Kinng (2008), Namaste England (2018); you can practically pick them out of a hat — regional and alternative cinema tend to offer more grounded reflections. Nagraj Manjule’s Marathi-language Fandry (2014), for instance, features a Dalit boy longing for an “upper-caste” girl, though the film’s focus isn’t his romantic pursuit, but the structures preventing his dreams from becoming a reality.

Rohena Gera’s Hindi, English and Marathi-language Sir  falls somewhere between these two starkly different approaches.

It tells the story of Ratna (Tillotama Shome, A Death in the Gunj ), a widowed domestic worker who finds a complicated romantic spark with her recently single employer Ashwin (Vivek Gomber, Court ), who’s just returned from the U.S. after breaking off his engagement.

And while the film expertly dramatises the hurdles in their path, its commentary is rooted as much in the condescension of its affluent characters as it is in the electric tension between Ratna and Ashwin; it’s a socially-minded indie that you almost wish would transform into a lavish, starry-eyed musical — but it can’t.

Ratna, who’s saving up for her younger sister’s education, hopes to be a fashion designer, though circumstances in both her village and in the big city box her in. Back home, she’s defined by her dead husband (who she barely knew to begin with), and she can’t even wear bangles around her family. In Mumbai — where she’s allowed to make her own living as a domestic worker, while learning to sew from the local tailor — her employ becomes her identity. Ashwin may be kind to her, but both he and his more ill-mannered guests rarely see beyond Ratna’s status; her dreams may as well be secrets.

However, in the brief moments where Ratna isn’t waiting on Ashwin, and she interacts with his driver Raju (Akash Sinha, Photograph ) or his neighbor’s domestic worker Laxmi (Geetanjali Kulkarni, Selection Day ), Ratna’s stoic demeanour gives way to an impish smile, and her stillness to a vivid energy, just as the character’s colourful _saree_s pop against the muted tones of Ashwin’s dour apartment. Shome is, quite simply, mesmerising, and half the story is told through her change in mood and posture.

Each of these “lower class” characters occupies a dual existence; the moments that writer-director Gera chooses to bring Ratna, Raju and Laxmi to life are when they slip in and out of these different modes of being. In the eyes of their employers, they’re obedient, two-dimensional servants — Laxmi, like Cleo in Roma , is at once a beloved mother and scorned servant to the children she works for — but outside their employers’ fields of vision, they’re fully-fledged people with their own unique senses of humour, their own dreams, and even their own passive aggressiveness — they’re allowed to simply be.

We enter each room with Ratna, following her, seeing the world through her eyes. Gera makes sure to craft the story from Ratna’s perspective at all times, lest Sir fall into the trap of a damsel narrative — though Ashwin certainly tries to make it one. Gomber plays Ashwin with a melancholic weariness. A writer in a slump, he doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself now that his dreams of getting married and moving to America seem to have been dashed. Though, as he and Ratna spend more time together, both characters emerge from their cocoons, and they take an active interest in even the mundanities of each other’s lives.

Gera often captures Ratna and Ashwin in isolation. The characters rarely share the frame at first, and each day ends with Ashwin in his spacious room and Ratna in her cramped servant’s quarters, which the shot often tracks between; the wall that separates them is a boundary that the camera, and only the camera, can cross. Though once Ratna and Ashwin begin to open up to one another, Gera’s frame pushes them close. They stand in the same doorways. They occupy the same areas of the kitchen. They exchange tidbits about their lives, the things they wish they could do and the places they wish they could be. Gera, along with editor Jacques Comets and co-editor Baptiste Ribrault, zeroes in on the silences between these conversations, as if to unearth both the characters’ hidden desires and, in the process, tie these desires to one another.

There’s a tangible sense of excitement to something as simple as Ashwin and Ratna passing each other in the hallway, and an equally potent sense of danger when they interact while in the presence of other people. What might they let slip? But, as the excitement between them builds — Gera’s use of silent tension is a masterstroke; shots seem hold on them longer and longer each time — the danger builds just as quickly. Ratna knows what people will say if they learn about their tête-à-tête. Ashwin seems to know too, but he lives on cloud nine, since the consequences for him wouldn’t be nearly as severe.

It takes Ashwin being chewed out by a friend (of his own social standing) for him to finally see things clearly, but by the time he does, he and Ratna have become the only two people who seem to fully understand each other. They know each other intimately, in a way few people in their lives are allowed to. They know each other’s secrets — but Ratna is still his servant. “Please don’t call me ‘sir’,” Ashwin begs her, but how can she not?

Whatever the possibilities— A secret affair? A brief fling? Lifelong love and happiness? — dreamy fantasy and harsh reality keep brushing up against each other, forcing Ratna to exercise caution while Ashwin remains tethered to his naiveté. And yet, the two find uncanny compassion and companionship, despite a romance that can seemingly never be. At least, not yet. Not while Ratna and Ashwin still have lives to live, and happiness to find elsewhere. Perhaps their purpose is to help each other find it, but the livewire chemistry they share makes them feel like an eternal open question; a “what if…” that echoes long into the night.

Rating: ****1/2

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Sir Movie Review: Tillotama Shome is a class act in this unconventional story of companionship

Rohena Gera's Sir, starring Tillotama Shome and Vivek Gomber, is out in the theatres. The film is a poignant story of companionship that demands your attention.

Rarely in Indian cinema do we see a story of a househelp in the lead. Even if the story does manage to feature at the fore, it's never a love story. Rohena Gera's Sir breaks free from those shackles and humanises a house help in an unconventional and heartwarming story like never before. 

That Mumbai is the city of dreams is known to all. People from all over flock to the city in hope that their dreams will be fulfilled too. Amongst them is also Ratna, played by Tillotama Shome. Widowed at a young age, Ratna's aim is to help her younger sister complete her education and learn tailoring to ultimately become a fashion designer. She is currently working at the US-returned architect, Ashwin's (Vivek Gomber) residence, who has recently broken off his engagement.  

The duo's initial conversations are formal; ones that usually happen between employer and an employee - a lot many thank yous and only work-related talks. Gradually, it's seen how despite the clear class divide, Ratna and Ashwin have a two-fold thread joining them - loneliness and unfulfilled aspiration.

It's evident that the two have mutual respect for one another right from the word go, but what stands out in this story is that it isn't a love story from the beginning. Both Ratna and Ashwin have lives of their own; the former has friends in Ashwin's driver Raju (Akash Sinha), neighbour's domestic worker Laxmi Tai (Geetanjali Kulkarni) and the building's watchman while Ashwin's friends are all elite, English-speaking people. The only times when they interact with each other are when Ratna serves him water or food or when she wants his permission to step out. 

The class divide is evident but the way that mutual respect turns into friendship and then something more is what makes the film's strongest point. It isn't rushing for the two to fall in love, but things are happening at a slow pace and a in rather organic manner, which feels real.  

The scenes when Ratna politely explains to him why it's important to move on or how he can still pursue his dream and when Ashwin apologises to Ratna for the shrewd behaviour of his friends and later in the film, plans a sweet surprise for her, are the most heartwarming. 

Ratna might be a dreamer but she's also a realist at heart. Even as she gifted him a shirt, her insistence on him not telling anyone about it is a sign that she's worried about log kya kahege. Ratna is building a life for herself and is astutely aware that if people find out about what's brewing, she'll have to face consequences. Perhaps, this is why she continues to call him 'sir', even as he insists her not to. 

The film's strength also lies in the way it projects class divide and the fact that some feelings don't discriminate - there aren't preachy dialogues but moments that spell it all unequivocally.

Tillotama, as Ratna, is a class act. She knows when to reveal and when to conceal. The sheer balance in her portrayal is a feat in itself. As Ashwin, Vivek delivers a fine performance. The two bring together an unlikely story in the most sensitive way possible. They might be living in the same house but not everything is the same. The differences are brought to notice when one sees Ratna's room and the rest of the house and how Ratna, in fact, comes in her own when she's out with her friends, especially Laxmi. Not once do they caricaturise their respective characters and not once do they lose the pace. Geetanjali as Laxmi Tai is an endearing character and an absolute delight on screen. 

Notably, Gera's writing is crisp and to the point. A considerable part of the story is actually narrated through the unspoken and the words then only add the right weight to the narrative. The cinematography is done beautifully; the usage of spaces in the home as though a reflection of the physical distance and the class divide between the leads is exceptional. 

At a runtime of less than two hours, Sir is rich in powerful moments as it is in its sharp commentary. With strong performances, soul-stirring moments and a crisp storyline, this story of companionship is worth every bit of your time. 

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Release Date : February 17, 2023

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5

Starring: Dhanush, Samyuktha, Samuthirakani, Sai Kumar, Tanikella Bharani, Narra Srinivas, Hyder Aadhi, Aadukalam Naren, Ilavarasu, Rajendran

Director: Venky Atluri

Producers: Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya

Music Director: GV Prakash Kumar

Cinematography: J Yuvraj

Editor: Navin Nooli

Related Links : Trailer

Dhanush’s highly-anticipated biggie, Sir (Vaathi in Tamil), created a huge buzz before its release. Directed by Venky Atluri, the bilingual film has hit the screens today. Check out this review and see if the film has lived up to the expectations or not.

Bala Gangadhar Tilak (Dhanush) aka Balu is a Junior Lecturer at Tripathi Educational Institute (TEI). The college management adopts several government colleges in the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh and sends Balu to Siripuram Govt. College for teaching the students. Balu, with the help of lecturer Meenakshi (Samyuktha), ensures that the local students come to college and score decent marks in exams. This makes the TEI Chairman Tripathi (Samuthirakani) unhappy and he ruins Bala’s future plans. Why did Tripathi spoil Balu’s plans? What did Balu do next? Did he take any stand or turn a blind eye? The film has all the answers.

Plus Points:

Director Venky Atluri, who is quite confident about the film’s success at the box office, has already revealed the main plot through the promos. He writes a fine story that is filled with emotional scenes, which standout well in the film.

Coming to the artists’ performances, Dhanush fits well in the role of Bala, a junior lecturer who believes that education is important for everyone and it should be taught for free. He nails the character with utmost ease and his performance in the emotional scenes is whistle worthy. He solely shoulders the entire film. The emotional scenes between him and the students worked out big time.

Samyuktha as Meenakshi looks beautiful. Though her screen time is less compared to Dhanush’s, she leaves a mark with her decent performance. The man in form, Hyper Aadhi, though he is limited to very few scenes, leaves his mark and evokes decent laughs. Samuthirakani also justifies his role. Sai Kumar and others are okay in their respective roles.

Besides performances, the emotional scenes are neatly established, thanks to the heart-touching background score by GV Prakash Kumar.

Minus Points:

As mentioned above, director Venky Atluri had already revealed the story through the promos. The main task for him was to narrate it in an engaging manner. He does the job well in the first half, but fails to maintain the momentum in the latter part. Some of the scenes in the second half failed to make audiences glue their eyes to the screens.

On the other hand, the love track between the lead pair is not shown well. Of course, there is no space for love between the leads as the main plot revolves around education and the emotions between Dhanush and the students.

It looks like the director has concentrated much on the emotional scenes rather than focusing on the main plot. He should have written better confrontation scenes between Dhanush and Samuthirakani to pep up the proceedings. Also, Samuthirakani’s role is just limited to very few scenes and he has nothing to do but challenge the protagonist.

The director should have written better pre-climax and climax scenes to make Sir an engaging social drama. Except for Maastaaru Maastaaru, no song will be remembered when we come out of theatres.

Technical Aspects:

Venky Atluri succeeded well in writing a nice story with a good social message. But, he failed to execute and narrate it engagingly, especially in the second half. The cinematography by J Yuvaraj is fine and the background score by GV Prakash Kumar is impressive and helped the film big time.

Though the film has a decent runtime, there is so much scope to chop off a few unnecessary scenes in the second half. Editing by Navin Nooli could have been better. Production values are good and you can witness the same on the big screen.

On the whole, Dhanush’s Sir is a decent social drama that talks about the education mafia in the present times. Besides impressive emotional scenes, the movie has an underlying message for the society. Dhanush excels in his role and solely lifts the film up. Barring a few unnecessary scenes in the second half, you can give the film a watch this weekend.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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Sir Movie Review

Article by Nanda Gopal Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 8:45 am, 17 February 2023

2 Hr 20 Mins   |   Action   |   17-02-2023

Cast - Dhanush, Samyuktha Menon

Director - Venky Atluri

Producer - Naga Vamsi S, Sai Soujanya

Banner - Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinemas

Music - G. V. Prakash Kumar

Dhanush emerged as a critically acclaimed star with films like Asuran and Karnan. For the first time, he teamed up with Telugu director Venky Atluri for SIR (Vaathi in Tamil) which raised many eyeballs in both the regions. The film’s trailer indicates a period action-drama revolving around the educational mafia. Does he prove his choice is right? With no further due, let us find out.

Plot: 

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Dhanush) is a junior lecturer at Tripathi educational institute run by crooked businessman Tripathi (Samuthirakani). Tilak is sent on an assignment to teach for the students of a government college in Siripuram. Whereas Tilak does the unthinkable by achieving 100 percent pass percent in this government college through his best quality teaching. Meanwhile, he realises the true intention of his boss Tripathi and separates from him to fight against his goal of corporate educational business. Tilak challenges Tripathi and is now on a mission to get the students of Siripuram government college score top ranks in the Engineering and Medical entrance test EAMCET in the cutthroat competition from private college students. Does Tilak beat Tripathi and win the game? How does he win against all the odds?

Performances :

Dhanush has nailed it in the author-backed role of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Even heavy scenes were pulled off with ease by him. Samyuktha is a good addition as Tilak’s love interest Meenakshi. Their chemistry is good in the first half but fizzles out in the second half where the story takes the centre stage pushing the love track behind. For Samuthirakani, it is a cakewalk to do such a powerful villain role of Tripathi considering that we have seen him in many such baddie roles before. He makes his impact felt even though he lacked proper scenes to display his badness. Sai Kumar as the village president gets decent character and he fulfills its requirement.

Hyper Aadi is good as a fellow lecturer and evokes some laughs in the first half. Aadakulam Naren is Dhanush’s father and a car driver who gives emotional touch to the story when it is needed. Rajendran is videographer Bhushanam where he is involved in some crucial portions in the film. Hareesh Peradi is Dhanush’s teacher and mentor. Tanikella Bharani, Narra Srinu are seen as college principal and lecturer respectively and don’t have strong roles to leave a mark. Sumanth is seen in a cameo or guest role of AS Murthy (district collector). It is he who narrates the story of SIR to three children. His role has a twist involved and it is well done. All the children in the village did a pretty good job as well. The film has an ensemble cast who plays their parts well given the limitations of a hero-centric film.

Technicalities

Venky Atluri has opted for an intense, serious drama with SIR which is very different from his previous films – a heavy subject this time. Although the point of the education mafia isn’t new, the film deals with it in full-length. This makes the director’s task very challenging to hold intensity till the end. Writing for the film is strong, but in some portions, direction takes a hit. There is nothing to find fault with the Technical aspects. Visuals are impactful and GV Prakash’s background music made it work thoroughly. Editing is crisp.

Dhanush Honesty In Story Background Score

Thumbs Down

Predictable Scenes Cinematic Liberties

In a scene in Sir, Bal Gangadhar Tilak sir (Dhanush) is thrown onto the streets after badly beaten up by cops. Blood-stained, dress torn and wounds all over the body, Tilak struggles to walk. He comes to pick up his clothes, but he ends up choosing books. This sums up the concept of SIR which entirely revolves around education, academics, classes and subjects – Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

In the extended scene, the bare-foot Tilak barely walks in scorching heat as his feet burn. That is when a physically challenged student Satti Babu uses a hand water pump and pumps the water continuously to cool the feet of Tilak. There are a handful of such scenes in SIR that are filled with emotional-depth. These indeed worked as the director played it to the galleries.

Tilak, masqueraded in various avatars, does street plays in the village Siripuram every weekend to clear doubts to his students. In one of the scenes, he donned the get-up of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. But there are cinematic liberties and advantages taken by the makers. He fights the goons in a bus carrying college children to the EAMCET exam. This is not all. After the fight, the children are transported to the exam centre on local bullock carts. It is a totally cinematic and over-the-top sequence in the film that takes away the naturality and puts the viewers off. Interestingly, director Venky Atluri named his protagonist as Bala Gangadhar Tilak indicating what his character and integrity are.

The first part of SIR is engaging, promising with comedy, drama and emotion. Till interval, the film holds well. Even the initial 30 minutes of the second-half is also decent enough. Post this, it is a big let down after a promising start. The latter half is bogged down by under-directing scenes, nostalgic moments and somewhat flat climax sequence.

In fact, SIR reminds us of Shankar’s Gentleman that is based on the education mafia too and Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots that throws light on the loopholes in the traditional education system. The class war that is shown in Dhanush’s erstwhile film Raghuvaran B.Tech also occurs to one’s mind. The treatment of SIR is striking resemblance to Raghuvaran where an underdog takes on a powerful empire. These nostalgic moments make the SIR a predictable tale. Yet the film has its own strengths that make the film work.

The best part of SIR is its core emotion and honesty in its story. Most importantly, the heart of the film is at the right place. The scenes of the lecturer and students are impactful. The bond and chemistry between them is established well that ably acts as a strength. The way Tilak infuses inspiration and enthusiasm among his students deserves applause. The film has some good dose of clapworthy and whistle-worthy scenes. It is GV Prakash’s background score that elevated the scenes to the core. The visuals and music have taken the story to a notch higher.

Overall, SIR is a sincere film with emotion and strong message balanced well. It has its own share of flaws and shortcomings, yet the goodness in the script makes one forgive its drawbacks. Go for this honest class that is worth attending in cinemas.

Bottom-line: Emotional Class With Strong Message

Rating: 2.75 /5

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A prosperous young Indian man falls in love with his servant, a widow with the dream of becoming a fashion designer. A prosperous young Indian man falls in love with his servant, a widow with the dream of becoming a fashion designer. A prosperous young Indian man falls in love with his servant, a widow with the dream of becoming a fashion designer.

• Rohena Gera
• Tillotama Shome
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• 179 User reviews
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• 11 wins & 17 nominations

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• Ashwin's Mother

• Nandita (Ashwin's Sister)

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Ratna : Sir, you must be aware that four months after my wedding, my husband passed away.

Ashwin : Sorry... no... I didn't know.

Ratna : He was sick. He didn't tell anyone. Parents are always in such a hurry to get us married. It's the same in the village. I wanted to study, but the groom's family were willing to take me without any dowry, so my father didn't ask any questions. I became a widow at the age of 19. Do you know what that means in the village ?

Ashwin : What ?

Ratna : Your life is over. But today I'm earning my own money. I am a servant, but i can educate Choti.

Ashwin : Choti is your sister ?

Ratna : Yes Sir. Life doesn't end, Sir. That's all i wanted to say.

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• Mar 12, 2020
• How long is Sir? Powered by Alexa
• November 13, 2020 (United States)
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• Runtime 1 hour 39 minutes

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SIR (2023) Movie : What's Behind

Kollywood actor Dhanush is known for doing different genre roles and versatile performances. When he teamed with Telugu director Venky Atluri, everyone got excited. The film's title Vaathi/SIR generated immense interest. The film's first look, teaser, and trailer got a good response and the film is released on 17 February 2023. The film's OTT rights have been bagged by Netflix and streaming will be done after the completion of its theatrical run. Let us find out what Dhanush offered to movie lovers as SIR.

SIR Movie : Story Review

Vaathi/SIR story is all about a young lecturer and how he faces the might of the private college's president and emerges successful. SIR's story deals with the lecturer taking on the entire educational system and the powers that be.

Few students are unable to cope with the pressures of the intense coaching at the inter classes. When one of the students, father decides to sell off their video shop, they come across a video, where they come across a person teaching mathematics in the easiest way. Their curiosity increases and goes in search of the person and in the process meet the collector of Kadapa.

Through him, they come to know about a junior lecturer Balu aka Bala Gangadhar Tilak (Dhanush). What Balu did and what he has got to do with Srinivas Tripathi (Samuthirakhani), owner of Tripathi Private College, and how he is related to biology lecturer Meenakshi (Samyuktha Menon), Siripuram Sarpanch (Sai Kumar) from the rest of the story.

SIR Movie : Artists Review

Dhanush is known for his versatile performances. He lived in the role of the junior lecturer Balu. He played his role to perfection. The way he showed emotions as a junior lecturer who got nothing to do at the private college, the way he showed excitement when he was transferred to the government college, the way he takes care of the students, his interactions with the biology lecturer, the way he deals with the village sarpanch, his verbal war with the private college owner, all is wonderfully shot. Dhanush's body language and mannerisms are perfect and he nailed it to the point. His expressions make a lasting impression on the viewers. Dhanush acted as the livewire and he carried the film on his shoulders.

Samyuktha Menon performed her role neatly. She complimented Dhanush perfectly. She carried herself well on the screen and made her presence felt. Her chemistry with Dhanush is good and a treat to watch. Samuthirakhani played the role of the private college owner quite well. Though there is nothing much in his role, he did not overdo it. He is apt for the role. Sai Kumar in the role of a Sarpanch did well at first as an enthusiastic person out to impress the private college owner and get publicity. Later his transformation is shown quite well in a smooth manner. Tanikella Bharani is ok. However, the scenes featuring Narra Srinivas and Hyper Adi impacted the narration. They tested the patience of the viewers and irritated them to the core. Others performed according to their roles. All the children performed well as the students.

SIR Movie : Technicians Review

SIR/Vaathi story written by Venky Atluri is nothing new. He came up with a story that is routine, predictable, and well-known to all. Movie lovers are used to watching such films since the advent of the films. One remembers films from the days of NTR,ANR,Krishna,Sobhan Babu,MGR,Rajinikanth,Kamal Haasan etc. There are many films that come to mind and the recent being Super 30 in Bollywood. While that one was inspired by real-life incidents, this is quite similar to it.

Venky Atluri not only touched on the privatization of education during the 90s with the LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation), and as the story heads to the rural region, he also touched on the caste system. While the story and narration is predictable and so too the screenplay and direction, he included a few scenes that are thought-provoking and will get a good response from the viewers.

Scenes like Dhanush addressing the villagers in front of the Saikumar, Dhanush's conflict with Samuthirakhani, the video classes, the scene where he was banished and students coming in support of him, and a few emotional scenes and dialogues. Venky Atluri emerged successful in getting the optimum out of all the actors. The story and narration sail smoothly and the first half ends on a decent and predictable note. The real conflict starts in the second half and finally everyone passes through the motions in an emotional manner following which the film ends in a happy manner. With nothing new, viewers get bored as many scenes test the patience of the viewers.

GV. Prakash Kumar's songs are situational. The song Mastaru Mastaru which turned out to be the chartbuster is well shot. This song appeals to and attracts viewers. Other songs are just ok. He elevated the scenes with his background music. Editing of Naveen Nooli is ok. Except for a few lags during the comedy track featuring Hyper Adi and Narra Srinivas, everything else is fine. Yuvraj's cinematography is neat. He showed the rural atmosphere quite well. Production values of Sithara Entertainment, Fortune Four Cinemas, Srikara Studios are good.

SIR Movie : Advantages

• Emotional Scenes
• Good Dialogues
• Cinematography

SIR Movie : Disadvantages

• No Commercial Elements
• Predictable Narration
• Routine Story
• Lack of powerful conflict

SIR Movie : Rating Analysis

Altogether, SIR/Vaathi is a routine message-oriented film. Venky Atluri took viewers down the lane in their memories to the 90s when private colleges and tuition centers increased to cash into the engineering and medical courses craze with entrance exams. All the scenes and dialogues like education shouldn't be for sale, it should be accessible to the poor, the importance of education, etc turn the film into a monotonous one. But Venky Atluri balanced it with good emotions and with an actor like Dhanush, he got a versatile performance ably supported by others. Though the roles are routine, everyone shone in their roles and Dhanush as the one-man army carried the film on his shoulders. Few dialogues are good, and thought-provoking and the same is the case with scenes that draw good applause from the viewers. Had Venky Atluri concentrated on elevating the conflict between Dhanush and Samuthirakhani and included a few interesting developments in the narration, SIR would have been even stronger. Considering all these points, Cinejosh goes with a 2.5 Rating for SIR .

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Sir Movie Review & Rating

• February 17, 2023 / 08:57 AM IST

Cast & Crew

• Dhanush (Hero)
• Samyuktha Menon (Heroine)
• Sai Kumar, Tanikella Bharani (Cast)
• Venky Atluri (Director)
• Naga Vamsi (Producer)
• G. V. Prakash Kumar (Music)
• J. Yuvaraj (Cinematography)

A Telugu-Tamil bilingual titled, Sir/Vaati starring Kollywood star Dhanush in the lead role under the direction of Venky Atluri has hit the screens today. Let’s see how it fares.

Story: Bala Gangadhar Tilak aka Balu Sir( Dhanush) a Junior Lecturer at educationist Tripathi ( Samuthirakani)’s Tripathi Education Institute will be transferred to a place named Siripuram to teach. What is the main reason behind transferring Balu to Siripuram? What is Tripathi’s master plan? After knowing the truth, how Balu goes against Tripathi, forms crucial crux.

Performances: Dhanush is a rare star actor who can perfectly fit into any kind of role and impress the audience with his performance. Continuing the same, he did justice to the lecturer role with his natural acting.

Especially, he carried the emotional thread on his shoulders throughout the second half and elevates the mood of the film superbly.

Heroine Samyuktha Menon is cute in her homely look. Despite having a decent screen presence, Samyuktha has to improve her acting skills in her further movies. Her chemistry with Dhanush is showcased nicely on the screen.

Actor Saikumar gets a meaty role and the senior actor did his part neatly. As usual, Samuthirakani did a fine job in the negatively shaded character. Other artists such as Hyper Aadi, and Aadukalam Naren among others are decent in their given roles.

Technicalities: The photography work by J Yuvaraj is good as he showcased the entire film with captivating frames.

GV Prakash Kumar’s music is the soul of the film as he did an amazing job with his background score. His songs are audible on screen. Especially, Masteru Masteru is the best song in the album.

Editing by Naveen Nooli is alright. Production design work is a few loopholes but overall it’s decent. The production values for this star-studded movie are okay.

Analysis: Venky Atluri who dealt with love and family stories for his previous films tried to narrate a story that deals with a social element. Though Venky’s story is ages old and has already seen many films in the past, the director tried to execute the proceedings in his own style.

Though the entire first half runs on a flat note without any engaging moments, Venky balanced it with a well-written second half. If Venky would have worked even more on writing character establishment scenes in the first half properly, the result would have been even better. To summarize, Sir is a social drama that revolves around loopholes in the educational system. Despite having a few cliches in the first half, the second-half proceedings make this Dhanush starrer a satisfactory watch.

Verdict: Realistic social drama!

Rating: 2.75/5

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Netflix’s Sir Ending, Explained

Rohena Gera’s 2018 Hindi-language film, ‘Sir – Is Love Enough?’, is a beautiful and poignant tale of love that transcends social backgrounds and class divide. Companionship, profound emotional intimacy, and friendship can be found even in the most unexpected of places. But if it evolves into romantic love, are those feelings enough to bridge the gap that years of conditioning, societal norms, education, and upbringing have carved between two people who stand on the opposite ends of the social spectrum?

Gera’s slow-burning, impactful, and painfully sweet romance film poses that same question and leaves the audience with an ending that’s open to interpretation, depending on what you personally think about those very societal norms the characters challenge. If you’re looking for a clearer understanding of the ending of ‘Sir,’ you’ve come to the right place. First, let’s take you through a quick plot synopsis and then dive right in to discuss the deeply moving ending. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Sir Plot Synopsis

Ratna is the live-in domestic help employed by the affluent US-returned architect Ashwin and his fiancee Sabina. When Ashwin returns from his destination wedding after leaving Sabina at the altar, Ratna has to cut her trip home short and return to work as well. The servants are all abuzz, wondering about the details of the break-up, but Ratna can gauge her employer’s sadness from his demeanor.

When a friend comes over to talk to Ashwin about Sabina, we find out that Sabina had cheated on him. Ashwin doesn’t blame Sabina because he admits, in retrospect, that he wasn’t in love with Sabina and was only marrying her because she had been there to support him and his family after they had recently lost his younger brother to an illness. As Ashwin slowly picks up the pieces of his life and attempts to move on, Ratna is always there, quietly moving about the house, making his life easier.

Even when Raju, the driver, offers to find her a more suitable position (worried that living alone with a man in the same house is inappropriate), Ratna shuts him down by saying that society will think what they want, but she will stay because she knows she has done nothing wrong. In a standout scene that serves as an ice-breaker between them, Ratna tells Ashwin about her husband, who passed away just 4 months after their wedding, leaving her widowed at 19. She ends her story by saying, “Life doesn’t end, sir.” Ashwin understands what she’s trying to say.

Ratna and Ashwin’s friendship evolves slowly as they talk about their individual dreams and aspirations (Ratna wants to be a fashion designer; Ashwin misses his life as a writer in the US and dreams of finishing a half-written novel). In a slow building whirlwind of unspoken emotions, the two fall in love, despite a huge class divide between them. They don’t say it ever, but it shows in the subtle gestures, longing expressions, and heavy silences. He buys her a sewing machine; she stitches him a shirt for his birthday; he calls her randomly, just to hear her voice when she goes home to her village for 3 days to attend her sister’s wedding. An unguarded moment of shared tenderness jolts Ratna back into reality, and she tries to bring Ashwin back as well, for both their sakes.

Sir Ending: Why Does Ratna Go Back To Ashwin’s Place?

After Ratna leaves the job and Ashwin’s home, she goes to live with her sister, who also moved to Mumbai after her wedding. Her sister asks Ratna if she was fired for stealing something, but Ratna truthfully denies it. However, Ratna doesn’t reveal to her sister (or anyone) that she left the job because she’s in love with her employer. Meanwhile, Ashwin tells his father that he wants to move back to the US. When his father asks him if he’s sleeping with the help, Ashwin says, “No, but I am in love with her.” His father agrees that it would be best if Ashwin leaves India.

A few days later, Ratna gets a call from Ashwin’s fashion designer friend, who gives her a job offer after an in-person interview. Realizing that Ashwin must have pulled some strings for her even to land an interview, Ratna goes to Ashwin’s apartment to thank him, but he isn’t there. She’s disappointed that the door is padlocked, and the film does not tell us if Ashwin has already departed for the States or is just out in the city. Ratna goes to the rooftop, where she gets a call from Ashwin. She picks up but takes a full minute to say, “Ashwin…”

The movie ends right at this pivotal moment in Ratna’s and Ashwin’s love story. Ever since they had shared a kiss, Ashwin had insisted that she call him by his name instead of addressing him as “sir,” but Ratna had been holding out, not wanting to encourage him. Ratna addressing him as “sir” throughout the film serves to establish their vastly different statures. They live in the same house and sleep in rooms separated only by a wall, but actually, they are worlds apart.

Do Ratna and Ashwin End Up Together?

Rohena Gera deliberately leaves it open-ended for viewers to interpret and imagine what they will. There are two distinct possibilities. In the first scenario, Ratna only says his name once to show him how much he means to her, thank him on the call, and they never meet again. Pessimists and realists will probably imagine this end to Ratna’s and Ashwin’s short-lived but poetic love story. These are the viewers who agree with Ashwin’s friend earlier in the film when he says that their love will not be accepted by the society they live in.

His friend says that Ashwin’s mom would not even eat at the same table Ratna is seated at, much less accept her as a daughter-in-law, and a rejection of this magnitude will only hurt Ratna. This strikes a chord because it is the sad but realistic truth of the Indian society. Far more value is placed on a person’s social stature than on the qualities of their character. In fact, it’s not just in India that unsurpassable class division exists; it’s in any society that is built around the oppression of one particular faction. Ashwin’s friend and Ratna are both right – they would be ridiculed and shunned if they were to continue their romance.

But the second possibility – one that optimistic dreamers and romantic idealists like me imagine – is that Ratna calls Ashwin by his name as permission of sorts, agreeing to his earlier insistence of staying together, regardless of societal norms. Maybe her saying his name instead of “sir” is Ratna finally greenlighting their forbidden romance. The story’s angle of Ashwin moving back to the States is indicative that the audience can (and should) hope. No one in America cares if Ashwin marries or is romantically involved with his former household help. In the US, they can be together without judgment and ridicule. What if that phone call is not the last time Ashwin and Ratna talk to each other? What if.

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SIR Review – Sincere Sir

OUR RATING 2.75/5

U/A, 2h 30m

What is the plan? How Balu fits into it? The journey of Balu transforming a government college by taking on Tripathi is the movie’s overall story.

Performances Dhanush upgrades from his usual student roles to a ‘Sir’ in the movie. He suits the part and effortlessly breezes through it, which doesn’t require him to do a heavy-duty performance, mostly. An intensity is necessary, which Dhanush conjures up easily. Still, when he gets those emotional moments, the actor shows why he is rated one of the best in the country. The emotions are conveyed without going overboard.

If not for the love song, and brief comedy hinting at romance, Samyukta Menon can be seen as playing a supporting role. She is okay and does well with sincerity in whatever she gets.

Anyone who has seen the trailer would recognise the topic chosen by Venki Atluri in Sir. It is related to education and its commercialisation. This is not a new topic, but a sense of honesty here that grabs attention, even if it follows a formula.

Sir begins on an ordinary note. The setting of the story happens blandly. The establishment of the antagonist and corporate greed are routine. The movie starts rolling when Sir reaches Siripuram.

The whole village section is the heart of the movie, which is divided into two halves. The first half has its moments, like the one on caste, but it’s formulaic to the core. The various issues happen one after another and are then resolved similarly with small talk, a class like the ‘panchayat’ sequence.

In the age of realistic and rooted village dramas, the whole thing appears very polished and clean. Still, the emotions look genuine and hold the attention.

As mentioned, the village sequences are the movie’s heart, and we see the better side in the second hour. It is less formulaic, and the sentiments tug your heart. The actor in Dhanush rises above the content and delivers emotions that are sure to bring tears to the eyes.

The second half has a few such emotional blocks that deliver on expected lines but work out without looking formulaic. However, it suffers from the ‘manipulative’ factor. While not all, some look deliberately done to push the tears. The theatre twist amidst all this makes things a little interesting. The ending is a mixture is reality and fantasy, but the message seethes through it, which is what ultimately matters.

Overall, Sir is very predictable story-wise, but it works because it has its heart in the right place. If emotional dramas with little comic relief are your thing, Sir is the movie to watch out for this weekend.

Sumanth appears in a cameo as a narrator at critical points. He has again got a pivotal part, although it requires nothing hugely dramatic from him.

What really works as a supporting cast is the bunch of youngsters playing the students. They work as a whole and individually, even with bits and pieces of roles. Hyper Aadhi appears briefly and is alright. The rest of the actors are okay.

Music and Other Departments? GV Prakash’s songs and background score are a significant asset to the movie. Barring a song, others aren’t blockbusters, but they serve the purpose immensely. Even the two widely recognised songs have been shot simply as part of the narrative without any glam show.

The cinematography is neat, keeping things simple. Some of the sets and their presentation could have been done better, avoiding the air of artificiality. The editing is good. The pace is slow, but it never slackens or turns boring. The writing is perfect for the theme. Some dialogues have a strong hammer impact and hit home the point.

Highlights? Dhanush

Emotional Scenes

Drawbacks? Utterly Predictable Story

Formulaic Narrative

Preachy At Times

Did I Enjoy It? Yes, In Parts

Will You Recommend It? Yes, But With Reservations

Sir Movie Review by M9News

Final Report:

Sir is an honestly made movie that is simultaneously very familiar. Dhanush carries the whole film on his able shoulders with a solid performance, covering the issues. Give it a try if you like emotional dramas with a neat message.

First Half Report:

Despite a familiar setup, Sir’s first half works due to Dhanush’s magnetic presence. Samyukta too is charming. Together they hold the narrative even if predictable. The second half is the key now.

— SIR begins with the flashback episode of Balu (Dhanush). Sumanth Akkineni opens the story.

Stay tuned for SIR USA Premiere report and review shortly.

Cast: Dhanush, Samyuktha, Sai Kumar,Tanikella Bharani,Samuthirakani

Production Designer: Avinash Kolla Editor: Navin Nooli DOP: J Yuvraj Music: G. V. Prakash Kumar Action Choreographer – Venkat Producers: Naga Vamsi S – Sai Soujanya Written & Directed By: Venky Atluri Banners: Sithara Entertainments – Fortune Four Cinemas Presenter: Srikara Studios

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Sir Review: Exam Ok- Result Average

Movie: Sir Rating: 2.5/5 Banner: Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cast: Dhanush, Samyuktha Menon, Samuthirakani, Sai Kumar, Tanikella Bharani, Thotapalli Madhu, Narra Srinivas, Pammi Sai, Hyper Aadhi, Sha Ra, Aadukalam Naren, Ilavarasu, Motta Rajendran, Hareesh Peradi, Sumanth, and others Music: G.V. Prakash Kumar Cinematographer: J Yuvaraj Editing: Naveen Nool Art: Avinash Kolla Action: Venkat Producers: Naga Vamsi S – Sai Soujanya Written and Directed by: Venky Atluri Release Date: Feb 17, 2023

Dhanush, an accomplished Tamil actor and well known star nationwide, made his Telugu debut in “Sir”, directed by Venky Atluri. Dhanush accepting a Telugu film itself made huge buzz and the makers truly succeeded in creating buzz with paid premieres.

Let's find out whether the film gives Dhanush a worthy welcome into Telugu cinema.

Story: The setting is the small town of Siripuram in Andhra Pradesh in the 1990s. Tripathi (Samuthirakani), the owner of a chain of private colleges, adopts some government colleges and sends some of his faculty members there. Since Tripathi knows that his faculty members aren't up to snuff, he wants to eliminate all public institutions of intermediate college education and force students into his private institutions.

But it turns out that one of the lecturers, Balu (Dhanush), is not only qualified but also ensures that all of the freshmen at Siripuram government college get first class.

An incensed Tripathi reprimands Balu for derailing his scheme, prompting the latter to not only leave his job, and also takes a challenge of getting EAMCET ranks for these students.

Artistes’ Performances: Dhanush, a multiple national award winning actor, gives another nuanced performance and shoulders the story. Many sequences, especially the emotional ones work due to his screen presence and performance. Samyuktha Menon has a role that has short length and she’s ineffective.

Samuthirakani’s role of a private college owner is one-dime national. The actor does the job routinely. Hyper Aadhi and Sha Ra do some old-school comic sequences.

Sumanth makes a cameo of a district collector. Sai Kumar as the village president is okay.

Technical Excellence: Music director GV Prakash Kumar gives only one lilting number – “Mastaru Mastaru”, and provides a decent background score. The cinematography is neat. Couple of dialogues are impressive.

Highlights: Dhanush Two emotional sequences The message about education

Drawback: Predicable at many places Manipulative sequences Not effective narrative

Analysis Private intermediate schools proliferated in the 1990s in Andhra Pradesh as a result of the increased availability of private engineering and medical schools. This marked the beginning of what would eventually become a widespread movement of private intermediate colleges, like Sri Chaitanya and Narayana, forming the basis for the story of “Sir.”

The premise is relatable; to avoid complications, the director gave the villain a North Indian name instead of a Telugu name. In reality, private education in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is controlled by Telugu businessmen.

"Sir" seems to have been partly inspired by the Hrithik Roshan starrer "Super 30." Some scenes and the core idea of the protagonist preparing students for EAMCET/IIT-JEE scores are almost similar.

In translating it for the Telugu nativity, however, Venky Atluri has created a one-dimensional antagonist. In the past, colleges actually dispatched their staff to every home and compelled parents to enroll their children. Private institutions like Sri Chaitanya and Narayana did offer higher salaries to entice government lecturers to leave their institutions and teach at theirs, but they never intended to put an end to the public education system.

Even though these schools promoted an unhealthy trend of encouraging every student to pursue a career in either engineering or medicine, there was never an evil plan. Venky Atluri made the antagonist Tripathi a regular commercial movie villain.

The first half of "Sir" is spent setting up the story, with some comedy scenes and a brief romantic track between the hero and heroine, but it ends on a decent note. The first half also has one strong sequence.

The later part of the film contains more substance, but the results are mixed. Only a few sequences are effective. Dhanush's method of making the students aware of the ills of the caste system is one such. Despite being formulaic, the thread of online classes using an old theatre works well.

Some of Dhanush's most popular Tamil films feature him being ruthlessly beaten up. "Sir" also includes this standard scene. This sequence appears to be a ploy to elicit tears from the audience.

More than the plot, the film's final message - Chaduvu panchu, ammaku (teach, not sell education) - is powerful enough to merit praise. But the narrative is not compelling enough to commend.

In a nutshell, while the message in "Sir" is powerful, the narration leaves much to be desired. Too many stock scenes ruin the potential for a gripping message drama.

Bottom line:  Super 46

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Movie Review: Sir

10 Strongest Characters from The Hobbit Movies, Ranked

Sixty years before the events of The Lord of the Rings , Frodo Baggins' uncle, Bilbo ( Martin Freeman ), goes on his adventure, chronicled in The Hobbit . Originating as a bedtime story told by author J. R. R. Tolkien to his children, The Hobbit has become one of the most recognized fantasy stories thanks to its whimsical tone, iconic characters, and fantastic dialogue. From 2012 to 2014, Sir Peter Jackson released a trilogy based on The Hobbit , with mixed results .

One area where Jackson succeeded, however, was bringing to life the many powerful characters of Middle Earth. Thanks to phenomenal casting and advancements in CGI, the characters look and feel much like how Tolkien described them, and their impressive feats are on full display. These are the strongest characters in The Hobbit trilogy ; they come in all shapes and sizes and showcase their strength in unique yet incredible ways.

Bilbo Baggins

Played by sir ian holm and martin freeman.

The son of Bungo Baggins and Belladona Took, Bilbo lives the life of a hobbit bachelor, wanting nothing more than to smoke his pipe, read his books, and enjoy his meals. His carefree style changes when he is whisked away by the wizard Gandalf ( Sir Ian McKellen ) to join the company of Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ) on their quest to the Lonely Mountain. Though nobody thinks much of Bilbo at first, he soon proves himself to be a reliable ally to the dwarves, especially when he gets his hands on a magic ring.

Compared to other individuals of Middle-earth, Bilbo might not seem like a powerful character, as he is neither a great warrior nor a wise wizard. However, what he lacks in physical and magical abilities, he makes up for in his courage and loyalty . Though he is given several times when he could have abandoned the company and gone home, Bilbo sticks with his friends and is even willing to place himself at risk if it means sparing the lives of others.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Release Date December 14, 2012

Director Peter Jackson

Cast Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee

Rating PG-13

Runtime 169 minutes

Genres Adventure, Fantasy

Writers Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro

Thorin Oakenshield

Played by richard armitage.

In his youth, Thorin lives in Erebor with his father, Thráin ( Michael Mizrahi, Thomas Robins, and Antony Sher ), and his grandfather, Thrór ( Jeffrey Thomas ), the King Under the Mountain, until Smaug's ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) attack. Following Thrór's death at the hands of Azog the Defiler ( Manu Bennett ) and Thráin's disappearance, Thorin becomes heir to Erebor but can't unite the dwarves because he lacks the king's jewel, the Arkenstone. He is eventually pushed to try and burgle the jewel by Gandalf, who also provides him with a map and key from his father that leads to a secret door into the mountain.

As a veteran of numerous conflicts with orcs and dragons, Thorin has some of the best combat experience out of all the dwarves in the company . He is the only member of the company who matches Azog in combat and even cuts off the pale orc's left hand in their first fight. Thorin is also a natural leader, and his appearance in the climactic Battle of the Five Armies helps give the dwarven army a second wind rather than crumbling to Azog's overwhelming forces.

Played by Orlando Bloom

The son of King Thranduil ( Lee Pace ) of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf ( Orlando Bloom ) serves as his father's most trusted warrior and lieutenant, keeping their lands safe from invading evils like giant spiders and orcs. He also harbors romantic feelings for his father's captain of the guard, a Sylvan elf named Tauriel ( Evangeline Lily ). When the company of Thorin Oakenshield is captured and subsequently escapes from imprisonment, Legolas joins Tauriel in following them, bringing him into conflict with the son of Azog, Bolg ( Lawrence Makoare and John Tui ).

Legolas might have been an unnecessary change for the Hobbit movies that took away screentime from Bilbo, but there's no denying that the filmmakers captured his great combat skills. Thanks to his immortal life, Legolas had thousands of years to hone his skills in combat, especially archery . He can single-handedly take down squads of orcs all by himself and eventually slays Bolg, a powerful orc able to give an elf as skilled as Legolas trouble.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Release Date December 13, 2013

Cast Ian McKellen, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt

Runtime 170 minutes

Played by Lee Pace

During the Last Alliance of Men and Elves, Thranduil watched his father and many of his Sindar kin die in the Battle of Dagorlad, which created the Dead Marshes. Thus, Thranduil became the new king of Mirkwood and dedicated himself to protecting his surviving kinsmen, practicing isolation and trading only with other races out of necessity. Tragedy struck again when his wife died fighting orcs at Mount Gundabad, and he became obsessed with obtaining white gemstones withheld from him by the dwarves of Erebor.

Though not as old as other elven leaders, Thranduil remains an accomplished military tactician and powerful warrior . He reveals to Thorin Oakenshield that he fought against the dragons of the north and still bears scars hidden beneath a magical glamour. During the Battle of the Five Armies, Thranduil decimates multiple orcs at once and cuts his way to freedom before being joined by his guardsmen, hinting at his thousands of years of experience.

Played by Hugo Weaving

Born to elven and human parents in the First Age, Elrond Half-elven ( Hugo Weaving ) chose the life of an elf over a human and has ruled as the lord of Rivendell since the Second Age and the fall of Eregion. Of Noldor bloodline and wielding the Elven Ring of Air, Vilya, Elrond is one of the oldest and wisest elves in Middle-earth, possessing many talents for healing and harm . Elrond keeps his home open for those in need of rest and is always willing to aid those who need it.

Elrond is one of the few Noldor elves who survived the Last Alliance of Men and Elves against Sauron, and his combat skills remain as sharp as ever. Though he usually remains in Rivendell, he keeps a constant vigil for the forces of evil and is quick to dispatch anything that threatens his borders. Should the need arise, Elrond will also venture out of Rivendell, but this is more of a last resort since the Elven Rings were designed to protect and heal.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Release Date December 17, 2014

Cast Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom

Runtime 144 minutes

Played by Cate Blanchett

The single oldest elf in Middle Earth, Galadriel ( Cate Blanchett ), was born in Valinor during the age of the Two Trees and came to Middle Earth with her relatives to battle the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. Armed with Nenya, the Elven Ring of Water, she established Lothlórien, the greatest of the elven sanctums, and ruled with her husband, Celeborn ( Marton Csokas ). As news of evil spreads, she meets with Gandalf in Rivendell to discuss what to do about it and how the dwarves' quest might affect the world at large.

Galadriel represents the peak of what Tolkien's elves can achieve : she is graceful, ethereal, wise beyond measure, and desires nothing more than to see evil fall and the world prosper. Like Elrond, Galadriel's powers are primarily based around healing and protection; should the need arise, she can unleash great and terrible magic against the enemies of Middle-earth . Using these powers can be costly for her, especially if she travels into the heart of evil.

Played by Sir Ian McKellen

One of the five wizards sent to Middle Earth to counteract the evil of Sauron, the mighty Gandalf the Grey wanders among the free people of Middle Earth, offering wisdom, counsel, and encouragement. Concerned about Smaug's rulership of Erebor, he encourages Thorin to recover the Arkenstone and unite the scattered dwarf clans to expel the dragon and reclaim their home. Though he initially planned to help Thorin on his quest, Gandalf must leave them outside Mirkwood to investigate the fortress of Dol Guldur.

Gandalf wields tremendous power through his innate magic and as a bearer of the Elven Ring of Fire , Narya. However, he rarely uses his powers openly, preferring to offer sound wisdom and stir the people of Middle-earth to fight for their freedom. When the need arises, however, he is skilled with both swords and spells, with a special affinity for fire-based magic. Gandalf is one of cinema's most famous wizards, with his might coming as much from his magical ability as it does from his strength of will.

Played by Sir Christopher Lee

Saruman ( Sir Christopher Lee ) is the most powerful of the five wizards and sits at the head of the White Council, an alliance of the wisest beings in Middle-earth who act against the evil of Sauron when they find it. When Radagast the Brown ( Sylvester McCoy ) discovers evidence of dark activity at the fortress of Dol Guldur, Saruman initially dismisses them due to a lack of evidence. However, Gandalf's capture forces his hand, exposing the evil as none other than Sauron.

Audiences remember Saruman as a terrific secondary villain in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but the Hobbit films show him when he was still good. Though he is cautious about heeding Gandalf's warnings, it makes some sense since he is concerned about breaking four hundred years of stability and potentially unleashing a dragon upon the land. When forced, Saruman demonstrates his magical talents against Sauron's Nazgûl and even declares that he will deal with the tyrant himself. At that moment, Saruman was still fully committed to the fight against evil.

Played by Benedict Cumberbatch

The last of the great fire drakes of the north, Smaug destroyed the human kingdom of Dale and the dwarf kingdom of Erebor to claim their treasures. He then went into dormancy, hoarding his accumulated gold, content that nothing in the region could match his power. When Bilbo sneaks into his lair to recover the Arkenstone, Smaug awakens and decides to have a chat with the hobbit to ascertain his motives and allegiances.

Though not as powerful as the dragons of old, Smaug is still a formidable creature and one of the strongest monsters in all of Middle-earth . Alongside his tremendous size, strength, and ability to breathe fire, Smaug also possesses a keen intellect that allows him to strategize and work information out of others. His only real weakness is his pride, which does lead to him fatally underestimating Bard of Laketown ( Luke Evans ).

The greatest servant of Morgoth, Sauron took up the mantle after his master's defeat and sought to dominate Middle Earth using the rings of power, which were controlled by his One Ring . However, Isildur ( Harry Sinclair ) cut off his finger and separated him from the One Ring, costing Sauron his physical body and forcing him into hiding. Despite this setback, Sauron remained dedicated to his task and gathered orcs, trolls, and wargs to Dol Guldur to wage a surprise war on the North.

Even in his weakened state, Sauron is leagues stronger than any other being in Middle Earth , and should he possess the One Ring, his conquest of the land would be absolute. Along with the considerable dark magic that allows him to overcome the likes of Gandalf, his sheer willpower is enough to rally dark creatures and the spirits of the dead to him. Meanwhile, his deathless nature means that defeat is little more than a minor setback . The White Council only delayed his invasion by sixty years, during which time he nearly brought the free people to their knees even without the One Ring.

NEXT: Every Middle-Earth Movie Extended Edition, Ranked by Importance