Mr. and Mrs. Mahi Review: Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao’s film struggles to please everyone | Movie Review News
‘Gunjan Saxena’ director Sharan Sharma will be teaming up again with lead actress Janhvi Kapoor. “Mahi and his wife” The film should have been called Mrs and Mr Mahi – its female-forward story merited the title change – but it also speaks to the difficulty mainstream Bollywood still faces in foregrounding its feminist agenda.
It may have started with Mahendra (Rajkumar Rao) desperately trying to escape the deadly ennui of helping his father in his sports shop by playing professionally. But the film’s heart begins to beat just like its protagonist’s. Only when Mahima (Janhvi Kapoor) enters the picture.
Both are trapped in a place where they have no fun, and find joy in cricket. This is an interesting little knot in the plot, which starts off with a comfortable confidence as it walks down the pitch, hitting its stride with a flurry of sixes, but then faces a flurry of form. If they cheer too loudly for this Mahi, will those rooting for the other get annoyed? How can a more conservative audience, who prefer to tolerate incremental differences, be put off? In their attempt to please everyone, “Mr and Mrs Mahi” fall short on the six-point mark.
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Kapoor’s Mahi has completed her MBBS degree approved by her father, works in a hospital and is happiest when she’s hitting a little red ball into the stands. In her “suhaagraat”, waking up early to watch an important Indian match is way better than you know. Rao’s Mahi, who has a problem with being too honest, not only finds a soul mate in this cricket-crazed wife, but also a purpose. Her natural natural talent is honed and she can play for her country. So, even if he can’t, he is the right man for the job.
Up to a point, it all goes well – there’s no one better than Rao to play an ordinary guy with no special talents, and Kapoor does a good job of playing the character (apart from Gunjan Saxena, who gave her a chance to show her comedic side in 2022’s Good Luck Jerry). But then male ego and jealousy rear their ugly head, leading to obvious rifts and leading us to an even more obvious climax that makes the second half feel longer than it actually is.
By the end, the confusion is clear. The film is a romantic comedy based on a popular Indian sport, peppered with tropes of family entertainer films. Indeed, Mahi Veh is portrayed as such. But which Mahi should we root for? Her, him or both? Are we, the audience, ready to accept a hero who stands by and watches as the heroine steals the limelight? That is the real question.
Mr & Mrs Para movie cast: Rajkumar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor, Kumud Mishra, Rajesh Sharma, Zarina Wahab, Purnendu Bhattacharya, Arijit Taneja
Mahi and his wife film director: Sharan Sharma
Mr & Mrs Paralysis movie rating: 2.5-star
© Indian Express Ltd.
First uploaded: 31 May 2024 11:33 IST
