Mimi Review: Kriti Sanon responsibly delivers her best performance to date

3/5

Story:

An aspiring actor in a small town agrees to bear a child for an American couple seeking a surrogate mother. However, things turn topsy-turvy and become a quirky and emotional ride for her. 

Review:

Actors that shoulder a film have a great responsibility. If they fail to impress with their existing or non-existing acting chops, it will take no time for supporting actors to overshadow them. In recent times, we saw a few films featuring female actors from the young gen, carrying the film as a solo lead, for example, Sanya Malhotra in Pagglait which she nailed beautifully. Joining the league is Kriti Sanon in Mimi. 

Delivering her career's best performance, Kriti not only accepted the challenge but also nailed her part. Although some may feel that the challenging thing is to gain weight and look the part. But no, if you don't lead the film with the right emotions, even physical transformation will go in vain. 

Had it been released in the theatres, Mimi could’ve been divided into two parts - the first half switching on the happy mode while the second half mixing it up with a tablespoon of sadness. The trailer showed pretty much what the film is about, and the rest of the part is not really a spoiler but will take away the fun if known. 

Mimi is remade from the Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychy penned by Samruddhi Porey. The Hindi film is penned by Laxman Utekar and Rohan Shankar who have done a commendable job in moulding it into a story rooted in the lanes of Rajasthan. 

When the original film was made a decade back, it spoke about the subject of surrogacy as a taboo. However, in Mimi, the surrogacy part becomes secondary because of the change in era. Mala Aai Vhhaychy was a very serious film and gut-wrenching, but the writers have adapted it well in Mimi by including wit and humour, making it a good family entertainer. 

They’ve addressed points like the obsession of people with fair skin and how they want their kids to be gora without knowing or caring about the fact that it's all related to the genes of their parents. Although the topic of racism and colour obsession is grave in the country, the writers have made it quirky and easy to watch. 

Coming to performances, Kriti Sanon has taken massive efforts in getting the part. She has valued the fact that she has a stellar supporting cast namely Pankaj Tripathi, Supriya Pathak Kapur, Manoj Pahwa and Sai Tamhankar around her, thus she needs to match up to them. She is effortless in her scenes in a few sequences, it didn't even seem like she is acting the part. However, it felt like she was better while performing the emotional scenes than the lighter and comic moments. 

Pankaj Tripathi plays a character that belongs to the heartland of the country. There are never enough words to describe his acting prowess. His presence will leave you in splits even during the scenes which have an undertone of humour. 

People who have not seen Sai Tamhankar's work before will be highly impressed with her. The actor is known for her varied roles and in this de-glam avatar, she is a treat to watch. While she’s often seen speaking in Marathi in the movies, her dialogue delivery will surprise you in Mimi and how! Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak are in their usual elements and show how well-versed they are with their craft.  

Mimi's music is composed by AR Rahman but it's the background score that strikes the right chord more than the songs. 

Laxman, who earlier helmed Luka Chuppi, has beautifully handled the film with the utmost sensitivity. Being a cinematographer himself, Utekar even showed the film aesthetically and the framing of certain scenes is stupendous. He has remade the film by giving due credit to Samruddhi and retold the story while keeping up with the time in which it's set. 

Verdict:

Mimi deals with an important subject entertainingly and doesn't disappoint.