A differently-abled, bisexual Hindi film heroine. Did you ever imagine you would see those words in the same sentence? In Margarita with a Straw, writer-director Shonali Bose and actor Kalki Koechlin give us a woman we have never seen in our cinema before. At least I haven't. But that's only one of the many things that make this film worth watching. The beauty is that Shonali creates a singularly unique character and then makes us admire her for more than just her uniqueness.

The beauty and strength of Margarita With A Straw lies in that you cannot put a label on it. Is it a film about coping with disability? No. Is it a film about exploring one's sexuality? No, not even that. Is it like a PSA that educates one about a certain condition and thereby underlines a cause? Hell no. It only tells a story, about a teenager, who throws tantrums, who has crushes every now and then, she has a libido like any other girl her age, she's doesn't stop herself from exploring her sexuality or pleasuring herself.

Margarita With A Straw is a film with its heart in the right place. However, it tries to be too many things at once, which results in its undoing. It's a film about cerebral palsy, about a differently-abled girl exploring her sexuality, about lesbianism, about dealing with death and loss... Instead of dealing coherently with one idea, director Shonali Bose hops, skips and jumps from one plot point to the other. The result leaves you kind of unsatisfied...

There is nothing great about Margarita, With a Straw. It is an ordinary story about ordinary people who, surprisingly, face ordinary circumstances. It is this ordinariness that makes the film extraordinary.

Director Shonali Bose deserves a round of applause just for taking on an intense and sensitive issue of frustrations and helplessness attached to the unfulfilled sexual desires of a disabled person. Attempting to talk about this to a world which largely treats disabled people as sexless beings and conveniently looks away, this is an absolutely brave move.

So, a Margarita is usually sweet - but this one has a cutting edge. Laila (Kalki) loves music, romance and people - but cerebral palsy impairs her motor functions. Laila's loving mother Shubhangi (Revathi) supports her through college. But what happens when Laila meets Khanum (Sayani) and discovers new shades to her sexuality?

In a modest apartment in Delhi, there lives a girl named Laila who has a loving family, goes to college, and in her free time, dreams of orgasms. Her heart belongs to the lead singer of the college band. When he makes it clear to her that he doesn't like like her, she's devastated. Fortunately, the universe has something for Laila to make up for the pain of heartbreak: a scholarship to study at New York University.

There have been many films in the past that have dealt with the lives of 'specially able' people. Prominent amongst them are films like Aamir Khan's TAARE ZAMEEN PAR (Dyslexia), PAA (Progeria), BARFI! (Autism), MY NAME IS KHAN (Asperger's Syndrome) and a handful of others. While most of these films have either made an impact at the Box-Office commercially or have 'earned' rave reviews, this week's release MARGARITA WITH A STRAW deals with a sensitive issue like 'Cerebral palsy'.

Do the disabled 'also' desire? Do they, in other words which I will not mince, dream and drowse and long for sexual exploration and intimacy? Hell, yeah. Of course they do. There is no 'also', which all of us so-called 'able' people unthinkingly bung into the mix.

Director Shonali Bose and lead actress Kalki Koechlin are on top of their respective games in Margarita, With a Straw, an offbeat drama that is both sensitive and provocative. The wonderfully well-scripted film (screenplay: Bose and Nilesh Maniyar) focuses on the most intimate physical and emotional needs of a woman with cerebral palsy.

Films with a physically challenged lead are hard to find in Bollywood. In Margarita, With a Straw, we have one which is rarer because it centres on a female protagonist. It's a much-welcomed move which has its share of touching moments but is far from perfect.