Wonder Women-A movie celebrating the spirit of womanhood

“Women don’t help women enough in the workplace. The sisterhood has to become way stronger than it is today”. When this comes from none other than Indra Nooyi, a woman who has consistently ranked among the world’s 100 most powerful women, I believe this statement is worth reflecting upon. Do women really fix each other’s crown in their professional as well as personal life? The answer could be Yes or No or Maybe, based on each one’s life experiences! Irrespective of your answer, if you believe in the power and beauty of sisterhood, don’t miss out, ‘Wonder Women’, a feel-good drama written and directed by one of the brilliant woman filmmakers in India, Anjali Menon who has contributed some of the best films to Malayalam movie industry.

The film revolves around 6 women from a varied milieu in terms of social class, strata, language, and relationship status. What brings this bunch of diverse women to a serene corner in Kerala? It is their pregnancy! The story of ‘Wonder Women’ unfolds at a pre-natal wellness center where 6 pregnant women are getting ready to embrace this new stage in their life under a compassionate pre-natal coach, Nandita.

The story runs through Nora, an exuberant young art café owner who prioritizes motherhood over her career; Mini, a brooding and aloof single mother; an extremely lovable Veni who is always chaperoned by her strict mother-in-law; Jaya, an innocent Marathi woman who got conceived after 3 miscarriages; a rebel Saya who is pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby; and a demure Grace, a helper at the wellness center happily waiting for her second baby and the only one in the group who has already experienced pregnancy and motherhood.

While the women start forging a bond with each other, the themes of pregnancy, parenthood, friendship, and sisterhood slowly evolve out through each character who is already carrying a backstory. Don’t expect the staple Indian movie diet of over-the-top melodrama with histrionic background score when these intense themes are presented to viewers, because Anjali Menon’s magic lies in her breezy, minimalistic approach sprinkled with subtlety and nuances. Although many scenes are loaded with warmth and empathy, everything is not a perfect ten thanks to a few preachy self-help book-flavored dialogues and forced emotions that pop up sporadically.

‘Wonder Women’ has an extremely talented ensemble cast helmed by Nadia Moidu who plays the role of Nandita along with six wonder women: Amruta Subash, Archana Padmini, Nithya Menen, Paravathy Thiruvothu, Padmapriya, Sayanora Philip. This 80-minute movie is made in English but peppered with a few other Indian languages obviously due to the diverse background these wonder women come from.

Although ‘Wonder Women‘ has won many hearts, the film has also received criticism from netizens who argue that it glorifies motherhood. SheSight respects differences in perceptions and promotes constructive conversations on opposing viewpoints.

So, watch ‘Wonder Women’ on Sony LIV and reflect on how you perceive the message of this movie. After all, movies are not just for entertainment but for critical thinking too!

Happy Watching!

-Sanu Khan works for a global organization in the Corporate Social Responsibility field and has a keen interest in movies, books, children & youth’s Education & Skilling causes.