Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2017) | Review (2025)

Sunday ka Funda!

The film is about a group of men who play football every Sunday at the beach until one day a fiasco takes place and they are stopped from playing football at the beach. Now they have to search for a new place to play football. They struggle to find an open place to play football in a city like Mumbai which already has a lot of space crunch. They try playing football at various places but face some or the other hurdle. Will they eventually find a place to play football or will they stop playing football?

The film takes the concept of football and the element of finding a place to play football as a metaphor to narrate the story of these characters. This is what you see at the face value and is the main plot. But there are various sub – plots and subtexts that form the crux of the film. The journey of these characters is something that makes the film so interesting.

The film is brilliantly directed. The film is realistic in treatment with a slice of life approach. It is simple, subtle and that is what is so effective about the film. The director has created enjoyable moments out of real life situations that keeps you involved in the film. These are such moments which are very relatable since everyone has either gone through them or wishes to go through in their life but is not able to which makes the moments fun to watch. The moments are a reflection that the audience sees in the film and smiles. I had a smile on my face throughout the film. The director takes us into the world of the characters and gets the audience hooked to their journey. Their journey is so engaging that I didn’t want to get up from my seat until I had seen the moments the characters spend together once the conflict is resolved. You end up liking the characters by the end of the film. The narrative and the characters slowly build up and develop as the film progresses. After a point of time you are completely with the characters and realise that the film is much more than just football or finding a place to play football. The traits of the characters are well used for storytelling purposes. The director utilises the locations nicely. He does not portray Mumbai in a run of the mill manner but he portrays a common man’s Mumbai which is beautiful because of its people. Breaking away from the cliché makes the film distinct which portrays the city realistically. The way in which the director has conveyed the information is interesting. The staging of the film is smartly done. The shot division is precise. There in not a single dull moment in the film which makes the film entertaining. The visual storytelling is effective. The director extracts fine performances from the actors. The reactions of the actors and the pauses are well used to convey the unsaid elements visually.

The film is well written. The characters are well developed. The characteristics of each and every character are very generic which makes the characters so relatable due to which the audience connects to the characters. The characters have their own quirks and imperfections that makes them fun to watch. The relationship between the characters is well developed. The everyday relationships as well as the impact of a relationship on a person is very thoughtfully written. These relationships are the essence of life and they drive the narrative forward. The emotions are effectively conveyed. The film is intelligently written. It entertains throughout with its situational comedy. It is a simple story with a complex structure. Each character has its own journey with a backstory attached to each one of them. The layering is very tastefully done. The finer nuances and details are well etched in the screenplay. The film even gives a message in a serious and a quirky way. The dialogues are very good. They are natural and realistic.

The cinematography of the film is fantastic. The locations have been realistically captured. We see the locations with a fresh perspective through the eyes of the cinematographer. Even Goa is portrayed differently and not in the regular clichéd manner. The film is visually interesting. The frames are well composed. The lighting is effectively used to create a mood and to give a realistic feel to the film.

The editing of the film is very good. It has a sense of rhythm, pace and timing. The film goes on at its own pace taking you gradually into it. Every moment has its own pace like life. Although there are variations in the pace. The editor gives you enough time to soak in and enjoy the moments. The timing in on point. The duration of the film is in check.

The production design of the film is impressive. The entire look of the film is realistic and well created.

The sound design of the film is realistic. The ambience is well created making the film life like. The background music of the film has been effectively used. The film makes a very good use of silence to create moments and to convey the emotions. Making proper use of silence can work wonders for a film. The songs are very good. They are used according to the situation at the right place. They blend in the narrative seamlessly taking the story forward. The songs are well written. The lyrics of the songs are meaningful and they have a story to convey.

The performance of all the actors is excellent. They are natural and realistic. All the actors have played their characters really well. They organically fit into the characters and react naturally to the situations. You look at them as characters rather than actors. Barun Sobti puts up an impressive performance. Shahana Goswami shines and effortlessly plays the role of her character. The chemistry between Barun and Shahana is unconventional and nice. Vishal Malhotra is very good. Avinash Tiwari is impressive and has a nice screen presence. Nakul Bhalla puts up an enjoyable performance. Maanvi Gagroo is dependable and puts up a nice performance. Jay Upadhyay is very good and fun to watch.

The film is a must watch for an entertaining take on life with football at its core.

Rating – (4/5)

As written for Pop Diaries.

Tags: Hindi Cinema, Independent Film, Pop Diaries, Review