Life Express Review

What all about?

It is a film about the dilemma faced by ambitious career women. Raising a family would interfere with the progress of their career. How can a woman take maternity leave for six months when her career is galloping forward. She has important tasks assigned to her.

She is ascending towards top of the ladder. If she takes a long leave, another person may take her place and she would lose the opportunity of her life. Hiring a womb - opting for a surrogate mother is an option. She has to face family opposition and forego the biological pleasure of carrying a child in her womb.

The Story. Of Course

Rituparna Sengupta and Kiran Janjani are a happily married working couple. Both are very ambitious and doiong very well in their careers. Rituparna is an executive in a bank in the business of microfinance. She has just got promotion as the assistant vice-president of the company. She is likely to be vice-president in a year if she continues doing so well.

She is at the crossroad when she discovers that she is pregnant. She will have to take maternity leave for six months. Somebody else would take up her job. If he or she does equally well she would lose the chance of promotion as the vice-president of the company. Should she go for abortion? She wants to consult husband Kiran. He is on a business trip at Singapore. He is too busy to take her calls or answer her mail.

She decides to go for abortion. Kiran is angry when he learns about it after returning from the tour. But he understands the compulsion of his wife. They decide to hire a womb.

Divya Dutta appears as the surrogate mother. When Rituparna sees Divya being so happy with the child she is carrying in her womb, Rituparna realises that she is missing a pleasure which is far bigger than the joy of money, fame and power.

What to lookout for?

The realistic depiction of the corporate atmosphere in the beginning of the film and the life of the upward ascending young executives, the joy and pleasant expression on the face of Divya Dutta when she carries Rituparna's child in her womb and the scenes between Rituparna and Divya. Both have given excellent performances.

Rituparna lives very well the role of an ambitious career woman. Divya is equally good in her depiction of a simple village woman who enjoys the simple pleasures of life like motherhood. Kiran Janjani is okay as the loving husband.

What not?

The story line is very thin, so the pace had to be slow to make the film last for two hours so the unwanted scenes showing the poverty in the village where added. The movie later on becomes a test of patience for the viewer.

Roopkumar Rathod's music is melodious, but is also slows down the narrative and does not add to the entertainment value. The story idea is also far fetched. A surrogate mother is hired by a woman who can't bear a child herself, a biological capable woman hiring a womb is not heard of.

Motherhood is undoubtedly a great experience, but how does promoting it is worthwhile in a country and world groaning under the mushrooming population.

Conclusion: The film takes up the modern topic of surrogate motherhood. But there is no novelty in the approach. It only upholds the traditional view of praising natural biological motherhood.

Rating: **