The tongue-in-cheek, sharp humor might not make you roll on the floor but surely makes you laugh out loud.
The subtle comedy in the first half is an integral part of the plot - from a comment on “anything free is better” attitude, to the hints at the eating habits of people in the film industry. Barring a lone toilet joke, the interdependency between the lines and the situation brings a flow to the plot. The humor along with the art direction, the background score, the performances, etc. create an environment conducive to suspension of disbelief. And disbelief you can live with.
Giving credit where it’s due though, only the likes of Rajat Kapoor could cast Ranveer Shorey as the main lead. It takes guts to have Naseeruddin Shah play second fiddle. And he certainly has made an attempt to show the many layers of VK/Raj’s (Ranveer Shorey) character. Now, whether he was successful in getting them across to the audience is an altogether different issue. An awesome opportunity to portray the VK’s mental process is lost.
The first half-second half split in writing has taken its toll on the performances too. A promising start has everybody doing their bit and getting a cackle out of you with their comic timing. And suddenly, the acting too becomes very superficial as the movie approaches the climax.
On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the background score throughout the movie. At times however, especially in the beginning,it overpowered the volume of the dialogues and thus I might have missed a few good dialogues. But overall, it was refreshing accompaniment.
And now ladies and gentlemen the review.....
A PLANMAN MOTION PICTURES Production
Movie Name:Mithya
Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia, Naseeruddin Shah, Vinay Pathak
Rating: A good way to spend your week end
In a nutshell:
Finally, a real reason to visit the theatres this year has arrived. Don't get me wrong- Mithya is not a masterpiece- but Mithya works very well as a comic thriller- it is hilarious, absorbing and ultimately tragic.
Promos of the film indicate that MITHYA is a funny amalgamation of Bollywood and underworld. Even director Rajat Kapoor concurs since as per him, MITHYA is a tribute to gangster films.
VK has come to Mumbai, chasing big film dreams, like thousands of others. When fate makes him a pawn in a master game plan of the underworld, he unknowingly gets drawn into a whirlpool of events that will determine his future. Then an unexpected accident turns the tables for everybody involved.
Now begins a chase that won’t stop at anything. VK is too deep into it now to step back. Unknowingly, he has become an imposter, an imposter who wasn’t..
Storyline:
Mithya follows the life of VK (Ranvir Sheorey)- a struggling film actor nursing big dreams yet struggling to make ends meet, who consoles himself and his craft by loudly reciting lines from Hamlet in his shabby apartment, much to the annoyance of his neighbors. And then, one night- when, worn out after a tough day, he sits at the seaside to enjoy a drink, he witnesses a shootout- and life is never the same again.
Revealing more of the unpredictable story which skillfully steers itself through various moods (just like its brilliant lead actor) would be spoiling the fun, and if my summarization of the premise doesn't sound good enough, I would suggest you ignore it and still see the film.
Technically, some aspects of the film- music and the cinematography, which is occasionally straining to watch come across as a drag, but these minor issues aside, what really makes the film worth watching is Ranvir Sheorey's standout performance- ably supported by Naseeruddin Shah, Neha Dhupia, Vinay Pathak and Brijendra Kala. Sheorey he holds the film together superbly, creating a character that's real, amusing and full of pathos.
And thus, though you might reasonably tempted to skip this 'small film' I would wholeheartedly suggest that you still go and catch this little gem before it cruelly gets whisked away from your friendly multiplex- for not often comes a film in Bollywood that is at once smart, thrilling, funny and poignant.
