Movie Review: Mithya (Hindi) 55

Genre: Drama

Coming from the team that made last year’s surprise hit Bheja Fry, many would have expected Mithya to be another laughter riot with a different edge. Maybe, the promos are to blame. But, this new offering from Rajat Kapoor, despite all its ills is nevertheless a decent effort in the realm of Hatke cinema, a genre which some call as the coming of age of Bollywood. Some call it a black comedy, but I’d call it experimental drama.

VR (Shorey) a bollywood struggler inadvertently and unwillingly gets involved in an inter-gang rivalry due to his uncanny resemblance to a leading gangster. The opponents plot to kill the original and replace him with Shorey. Things turn against the protagonist when an accident causes amnesia and he starts to believe that he is the don he has been posing to be. The first half has a bit of comedy and the second has more pathos.

The narrative of Mithya, its lack of songs, use of shades, dialogue style, gave it a strong feel of European cinema. The question pops up as to whether this was flicked outright from one, a la Bheja Fry being inspired from ‘The Dinner Game’. I’d say, if you go for it expecting it to be a comedy, you’ll dislike it. On the contrary, it could remind you a bit of RGV’s hey days of Satya and its likes. But it isn’t a total gangster story either.

The only saving grace was the splendid performance by Ranvir Shorey which actually makes you feel for the character, mostly for its pitiful and at times funny situations. He is the movie’s only anchor. The Bheja Frier Vinay Pathak was nothing awesome this time. His sidekick Brijendra Kala was better. Naseeruddin Shah was wasted. Saurabh Shukla seems the same old goon we’ve always seen. Neha Dhupia was okay.

For all the praise that the movie has different layers, like the life of a Bollywood struggler, a gangster story, a bit of action, love and sympathy, I’d ask, what does it prove in the end? It just gives a feel that all was Mithya. Sometimes it makes me wonder whether the critics are just lauding different cinema just because it is ‘different’? The box office has the answers; the sparse audience in the movie hall yesterday said it all!

Rating: 5/10 – Decent effort, Ranvir is awesome but the movie really drags

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