What happens when two completely stranger women set out on a bike trip to uncover truths in their personal lives? Will they get to the destination they have always desired, or does life have some other plans? That`s what Patralekhaa Paul and Maanvi Gagroo`s slice-of-life drama, Heer Sara, looks to discover. But does the road trip land a place in the viewer`s mind? Let`s find out
The plot
Sara, played by Patralekhaa, is an ambitious biker, doing a salesgirl job that earns her Rs 8,000. She lives with her father, who is a maths teacher and is trying to run the house. Meanwhile, Sara has a startup idea about female bike riders, which she desperately wants to fund. Tired of questioning her father about her mother`s whereabouts for a decade now, she sets out to find her estranged mother, who she discovers is in Pondicherry.
On the other hand, Heer, played by Maanvi Gagroo, a naive yet ambitious and independent woman who elopes from her house to uncover the truth about her boyfriend`s wedding. Heer is successful in her professional life as a designer, wanting to take her brand global. However, it`s her personal life, particularly her narrow-minded, thin-girl-obsessed boyfriend, Tanmay, that bothers her. Despite his clear signs of ignorance, Heer is head over heels in love with Tamnay, who is now in Pondicherry getting married.
Based in Indore, the two unlikely friends cross paths only to learn that they are heading to the same destination, Pondicherry, and embark on a motorcycle odyssey together. It`s their contrasting personalities that seek to add drama and twists to their ride.
The verdict
Writer-director Kartik Chaudhry`s debut film seems to have good potential in the story. As the filmmaker told us earlier, being a bike rider himself, and having witnessed female riders first-hand, that`s where he got the idea of Heer Sara. While the film does talk about female bike travellers, it does not fully explore the subject as intended. It is largely a predictable story, whose climax can be guessed in the first 30 minutes.
Nevertheless, one waits for the story to unfold and expects some high and low moments, some twists in the meantime. Unfortunately, the film has none of them. The film continues in a flat tone. Besides, the inconsistencies in the film further mar the narrative. For example, the bike that Sara sets off with is her mother`s last keepsake, which she left off 10 years ago, while the bike shown is way too new to be a decade old.
Before coming to acting, there`s something that constantly bothers you about the leading ladies is the makeup. Patralekhaa`s dense and almost hand-painted eyebrows somehow keep distracting. Patralekhaa has an almost straight face in every situation and the same tone in every dialogue. Maanvi, meanwhile, does what she`s best at – being the chirpy, full-of-life character who is struggling with herself.
That said, the climax does have an element of surprise, but not something that will amaze. To conclude, Heer Sara is a decent watch if you have nothing else to watch and if you like slice-of-life dramas.