“Tarla” is a heartfelt and touching movie that describes the incredible journey of Tarla Dalal, the renowned Indian chef, author, and host of popular cooking shows. She gained recognition and popularity with her first cookbook, The Pleasures of Vegetarian Cooking, published in 1974. Throughout her career, Tarla Dalal wrote over 100 books, with more than 10 million copies sold. In 2007, she received the prestigious Padma Shri award from the Indian government, making her the only woman in the cooking field to receive this significant honor.
Directed by Piyush Gupta, “Tarla” stars Huma Qureshi and Sharib Hashmi in the lead roles. The movie takes us through the journey of Tarla Dalal, from a regular homemaker to an extraordinary chef. The story starts in Pune with Tarla, a young girl who wants to do something in her life but is uncertain about what she has to do. However, her life takes a new direction when she marries Nalin Dalal, a quality manager from Mumbai. In the 1970s, when women were expected to live a life of a homemaker, Tarla puts her dreams aside to focus on her family. But one day, she realizes that it’s never too late to chase her dreams.
The movie portrays her humble start, cooking for her parents, family, and children, and later becoming a mentor. The film showcases her cooking experiments, where she cleverly replaced non-vegetarian ingredients with vegetarian ones. Tarla’s initial struggles, such as teaching cooking lessons and facing societal objections, are shown along with the obstacles she faced in publishing her first book. The movie also explores her husband’s supportive role. When no one is interested to publish her book, her husband becomes the publisher of her first book. The film also portrays the insecurities faced by her husband as she achieves success while he struggles with his job. The climax of the film is particularly captivating, featuring an emotional dialogue of her husband, who accepts his insecurities and encourages her to start a cooking show on television.
In conclusion “Tarla” is a simple and heartwarming movie with a blend of emotion, inspiration, and entertainment.