Mr And Mrs Mahi Review: Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao Film Is Like A Bad Cricket Match That Will Give You Migraine
One of 2024's most anticipated films–Mr & Mrs Mahi is finally in theatres. But should you watch it?
1.5 / 5
One of 2024’s most anticipated films–Mr & Mrs Mahi is finally in theatres. Directed by Gunjan Saxena fame–Sharan Sharma, the film has been produced by Dharma Productions, and lands right in time, around India’s ongoing cricket fever with IPL. Starring Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, the film’s romantic flavour makes it a certified Dharma baby, with great music supporting it as aggressively as me supporting my emotional reaction to everything these days.
With similar names, Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao’s characters–Mahima and Mahendra are both known as “Mahi,” in the film, explaining some cosmic connection between them. Because, arranged marriage thi na, something has to justify them getting married *rolls eyes* The film wisely caters to India’s two important pyaars–cricket and YashRaj jaisa romance. But does it pass or fail? Well, read further to know that.
Plot
The film opens with Rajkummar as Mahendra, closing a tight match with his batsmanship and failing terribly at it. After a lost shot at his only way to playing for the country, he comes home to his disappointed father, who he pleads for another year, to try his luck at cricket again. Kumud Mishra’s portrayal of a classic Indian dad is so convincing, that you end up hating him, and so does Rao’s character in the entire film. After an argument with his dad and a stern “no,” Mahendra takes his broken heart and swollen eyes to his dad’s sports equipment store.
He leads his life as a failed cricketer, struggling to work at his father’s store. Then comes his way a proposal for an arranged marriage, which as perceived by most Indian parents is the key to fixing their son’s dramatically disastrous life. The next scene is filled with the usual samosas and multiple cups of chai, with Janhvi Kapoor entering the frame as Mahima. An aspiring doctor, currently practising as an assistant, Mahima is heavily praised by his dad in front of Mahendra’s parents. With a few hiccups, the two end up marrying, romancing to the tunes of K3G’s Dekha Tenu Pehli Pehli Baar’s reprised version, which in my opinion is terrible.
Mahendra finally finds his will to live and credits it to Mahima. The story moves forward until Mahendra attempts another fuck up, proving to his dad how big a failure he is for the world. Navigating romance in an arranged marriage setup, the two Mahis discover their common love for cricket with Kapoor’s character motivating Rao’s character to give cricket another chance. All in all, the film stumbles upon a plot twist, where not Mahendra but Mahima becomes an aspiring cricketer, and it is exactly when my migraine gets triggered. In a quest to be a coach, Mahendra starts training Mahima, who for god knows what reason leaves her clinic life only to sweat on the field. Mind you, my migraine gets worse.
Let’s Talk Flaws
For the first time ever, Rajkummar Rao is overshadowed by a surprisingly well-performing Janhvi Kapoor, which I am glad about. Rao’s Mahendra looks tired throughout the film, with sudden waves of greys and whites in his character. One day he’s jumping, expressing his love for his wife Mahi, another day he’s this villainous Indian husband, trying to get his ego massaged by her. His character has a backstory but his behaviour isn’t justified.
While Janhvi Kapoor’s Mahima looks like this smart, independent woman a sudden shift in events make a mockery out of her decisions. There, Sharan Sharma and Nikhil Mehrotra, who have co-written the film, forgot to bring a backstory to Kapoor’s character. As shallow as it could get, Mahima’s sudden decision to be a cricketer looks as irrelevant as the concept of Veg Biryani on a restaurant menu. She plays well, no doubt, but why would you push a girl to follow a dream, which she doesn’t seem to have seen that passionately? Mahendra’s wicked moves make me hate him more.
Also Read: Janhvi Kapoor Finds Marriage Rumours With Beau Shikhar Pahariya Stupid: “Right Now I Want To…”
What doesn’t work here is the rough terrain on which the characters have been built. Looks like Rao’s character has been desperately beaten to death, just to let Janhvi’s Mahima shine. Guys, the film is called–Mr & Mrs Mahi, where is Mr? Mahendra’s good-at-heart character doesn’t end up in the right place, and I felt it was extremely unfairly dealt with. The casting of Mahendra and Mahima’s parents also falls flat on our faces, with little or less usage of the talent house that actors like Yamini Das, Purnendu Bhattacharya or even Rajkummar Rao are. What doesn’t fall in place here is Dharma’s other attempt at gauging its audience’s foolishness, through another delusional plot line, which is pacy, patchy and filled with unwanted twists.
Like an Indian daily soap, the romance between the two characters builds up well but falls down in an extremely immature way. Set in the current landscape of modern India, it seems impossible for a woman, having pursued MBBS to make up her mind in a few hours to switch gears and pursue cricket. Sorry, but you can’t convince me to believe she wanted to pursue it.
What Works
While filmmaker Sharan Sharma seems to have the film’s heart at the right spot with an integral message of cherishing a simpler life, and cutting the chase, the portrayal of this tale is in a hurry, as if catching a local to Virar. What works are the film’s songs and Janhvi Kapoor’s excellent exhibition of a cricketer. She hits the right shots with her bat and sings the right notes through her rhythmic performance. The background score has the ability to make your eyes swell until you know the next plot twist. The closed camera shots during intense arguments, intensify the degree of emotions and we credit DOP Manush Nandan for it. Rajkummar Rao as Mahendra has some fabulous one-liners that drop bundles of giggles within intervals.
Verdict: Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao Starrer Wishes To Be A Blockbuster But Will End Up Triggering Your Migraine
But the question is, should you dedicate this weekend to watching Mr & Mrs Mahi in theatres? Sorry, but not the best idea. With a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes, the film is stretched from end to end. The plot is like an intense cricket match, with no window to breathe. For me, the engagement value goes down the hill, when at times I find myself scrolling through my phone, or checking the time ticking. I hear people interacting throughout, not fearing to miss a dialogue in the film. What hurts is watching two good actors, invest their blood, tears and sweat in their characters, only to find out that the flaw lies in the film’s writing and terribly designed character graphs. All in all, I’d suggest watching Rockstar, Tamasha screening in theatres again, than watching an exhausting Mr & Mrs Mahi in theatres this Friday.
First Published: May 31, 2024 11:06 AM
