When 'Single Salma' Lands Like a Relic: A Deep Dive into Cinematic Time Travel We Didn't Ask For

Ah, the movies. We flock to them, don’t we? Hoping for something fresh, something that speaks to now, or at least entertains with a certain panache. But then, every so often, a film rolls around, and you find yourself doing a double-take, wondering if you've accidentally stumbled into a time capsule from a decade, maybe two, gone by. That, in truth, is precisely the feeling one gets watching ‘Single Salma’ — a film that, for all its intentions, feels utterly, profoundly out of step with today.

It’s not just that it’s a bit... tepid. No, it’s more than that. The entire premise, the execution, the very heartbeat of the narrative, seems to be beating to a drum that’s long since gone silent. Huma Qureshi, an actress with undeniable talent and screen presence, finds herself, and her character Salma, trapped in a story that could very well have been pitched and produced back when flip phones were still a thing. Salma, you see, is a single woman. And what, pray tell, is her paramount concern? Marriage, of course. Not career, not personal growth, not even, you know, just enjoying her single life — but the frantic, almost desperate pursuit of a husband.

And honestly, this isn't just an outdated trope; it’s a tired, almost offensive one in 2024. Are we still presenting single women as incomplete, their existence validated only by the prospect of matrimony? It's baffling, frankly. Qureshi, despite her best efforts, feels constrained by this anachronistic portrayal, making it difficult for audiences to truly connect with or even root for Salma in any meaningful way. You almost feel bad for her, not the character, but the actress navigating such dusty material.

Then there are Shreyas Talpade and Sunny Singh. Both capable actors, for sure, but here, they’re relegated to roles that are, well, frankly interchangeable and utterly generic. Their characters serve as little more than plot devices, moving pieces in a game whose rules were written in another era. There's no depth, no genuine spark, just a procession of scenes that feel like they've been pulled from a template. And the humor? Oh, the humor. It tries, bless its heart, but it mostly just lands flat, feeling forced and uninspired.

You could say 'Single Salma' had an opportunity here, a chance to perhaps offer a fresh perspective on modern relationships, or the actual, nuanced challenges single women face. Instead, it opts for the path of least resistance, trotting out stereotypes and a narrative arc so predictable you can practically script it yourself after the first fifteen minutes. It’s a missed opportunity, plain and simple, a film that needed a serious injection of originality and contemporary relevance but never quite got it.

So, what’s the takeaway? Sometimes, even with a talented cast, a film can just fall flat. And ‘Single Salma’ does exactly that, leaving us with a cinematic experience that’s not just forgettable, but genuinely makes you question if the filmmakers ever took a peek outside the window at the world as it is today. It’s a tepid, outdated affair, and in a world brimming with diverse stories, this one, regrettably, just doesn’t make the cut.