Tarla

Tarla is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language biopic on Indian chef and cookbook author Tarla Dalal. It features Huma Qureshi in the titular role. The film has been directed by Piyush Gupta and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari. The film was released on ZEE5.

Plot
Tarla is a woman who wants to achieve something significant in life but her family insists on getting her married. Though Tarla's husband, Nalin, is all set to stand by her side with her choices, gender duties result in her imagination and desire taking a back seat. Despite being a pure vegetarian, Nalin's extreme liking for non-vegetarian food is a matter of surprise.

She started preparing vegetarian delicacies that followed non-vegetarian food items and gave them a run for their money. After teaching her neighbour's kid to cook, she started giving cooking classes, and this was the turning point in her journey to start a tribe in the world of cooking.

Cast

 * Huma Qureshi as Tarla Dalal
 * Sharib Hashmi as Nalin Dalal
 * Bharati Achrekar as Jaishree aunty, Tarla's neighbor
 * Bhawana Somaaya as Tarla's professor
 * Amarjeet Singh as Gafur
 * Rajeev Pandey as Makrand
 * Purnendu Bhattacharya as Paragaon Textile CEO
 * Veenah Naair as Renuka

Production
The principal photography began in April 2022. Most of the film was shot in Mumbai. The shoots were wrapped up by June 2022.

Soundtrack
The music is composed by Nilotpal Bora, Suhit Abhyankar and Rohan Vinayak. Lyrics penned by Suhit Abhyankar, Hussain Haidry, Shreyas Jain and Manoj Yadav.

Reception
The film received mixed responses from critics. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV wrote, "Tarla works especially well as an understated drama about a woman negotiating her space at home and in the world." The The Times of India while rating it 3.5 out of 5, commented, "‘Tarla’ serves up a decent cinematic treat, reminding us of the power of pursuing our passions and breaking free from societal constraints." Nandini Ramnath, writing for Scroll.in wrote, "Nearly every scene is about food – its making, its reception, its importance in the grand scheme of things."

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express criticised the film, calling it "but never quite as flavourful". The Hindu wrote, "The film also fails to unlock the persona of Tarla in a satisfying manner."