MITHYA (Hindi, 2008): Review

Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia, Naserudin Shah, Saurabh Shukla, Vinay Pathak

Music: Sagar Desai

Directed by Rajat Kapoor

The team that gave us the charming Bheja Fry is back and this time gives us yet another film that will have moviebuffs discussing over and over again.

While it was Vinay who stole the show last year with his comic charm (unfortunate that he did not get a deserving nomination at this years awards), this time it is Ranvir Shorey who promises to leave a mark as the lead man in Mithya, the latest from director Rajat Kapoor.

VK (Ranvir Shorey) has dreams to make it as an actor. However his life seem to be heading nowhere. However as he struggles to make a place for himself in the film industry, someone else have found a place for him.

Soon VK finds himself kidnapped by a rival gang (Saurabh Sukhla, Naserrudhin Shah) who hands him the role of a lifetime- that of a real life don. This because VK is an exact lookalike of the Don Raje. So VK is trained to take his place as they bump off Raje.

Soon VK finds himself in the underbelly of the underworld and begins to find a lot more than he wished for.

MOVIEMAGIK REVIEW

rates it 3.5 /5

Dark comedies have never really found an instant audience in Bollywood. Certainly they might be considered cult classics and given appreciation years later. But when mindless comedies are more than ‘welcome’ at the box office, these dark comedies, however classy may be, are buried first and then resurrected later. Hansal Mehta’s Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and Kunan Shah’s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro serves as fine examples.

Mithyaa is yet one more to that list. It is a film that brims of qualities that very few mainstream Indian movies boast of – originality in approach, edgy writing, stellar performances and an actor doing what many stars are incapable of achieving. Yet, the film’s fault would be that it is no mindless comedy, but a rather intelligent and though provoking film that exactly that isn’t exactly genre specific. What starts off on such humourous notes, eventually ends on a totally different mood altogether as we head towards the climax. What matters eventually is that the audiences are left with an entertaining film nevertheless.

On the surface it might look at one of the most stalest of film plots. But trust me , this is not Don Revisited. This eventually comes so multi-layered and original in its thought and execution, that the several Don remakes fizzes out in front of this.

Director Rajat Kapoor boldly mixes genres and that too with a considerable degree of success. Be it humour (the scene where Ranvir tries to impress a Tv producer by getting out of his Don character and into Hamlet), or tragic heart stirring moments (watch Ranvir as he tries to convince the Don’s wife at the window). The second half also runs the risk of slowing down the pace, as we see Ranvir plays the family man giving time to the wife and kids. One track that failed to take off though was the romantic one between Neha and Ranvir. Therefore it was a wrong choice to give prominence to this very unsuccessful track as the film wraps up. It was like ending the song on a off-beat note!

Keeping that flipside aside, the writers still prove to be the backbone of the film. Rajat Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla (who also wrote Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar) weaves a screenplay that is ace, edgy and wicked enough to have you gripped. And on the strength of the writing, Ranvir manages to carry the film on his shoulders. Ranvir gives such a powerhouse performance, breathing life into the characters and making it as believable a human soul as possible. The audiences are able to connect to the ‘common man in a hot soup’ situation that his character goes through. His show overshadows everything, including any flaws that the film may have.

The casting has to be given praises. The talents of Brijendra Kala, Vinay Pathak, Saurabh Shukla, Harsch Chaya, all come together to give their best to their respective characters without threatening to take anything away. Even Neha Dhupia easily convinces us in her role of a struggling actress.

Even in a film that does not demand much musically, music director Sagar Desai has come up with some haunting background themes that gel with the protoganist's dillema.

Very rarely have several such aspects all come together to end up as a good entertaining piece of cinema. Just for that, Mithya deserves to be checked out by lovers of Indian cinema.

Mithya definitely rewrites any myths that we need stars, six packs and item numbers for good cinema!

THE PANEL ROOM

gives it 3.5 outta 5

Seems like Mithya is the movie to hit the bullseye. This has already become the favourite among the critics and they all seem to have loved this mixed genre boiler from director Rajat. And Ranvir Shorey has been showered with praises for his work in this film. This one moves into the Must-Watch list already.

For every single one of us who complains that Hindi films are mindless and predictable, here comes a film to shut us up. IBN Live 4/5

It is a sharp film, mixing genres with unspectacular aplomb, and achieves possibly more than it set out to. Rediff 3.5/5

it's premature to talk at this juncture, but MITHYA should feature prominently in the 'Bests of 2008' when the year draws to a close. The writing too is topnotch IndiaFM 3.5/5

The larger picture is imaginative and intelligent.Ranvir Shorey is outstanding, perfectly creating the two imperfect personalities. Cheers! Go ahead, grab Mithiya to make your matinee HindustanTimes 3.5/5

Mithya indeed takes off as one the finest films that one would have seen this year but eventually post interval the film dips tremendously. IndiaGlitz 2/5