Films are increasingly being set in small towns and cities in an attempt to tell the tale of the “common man”, their hardships, their mentality, their dreams etc. But it is the treatment of a topic that shapes the final product. It is not enough to pick a liberal, modern idea and show the characters whole-heartedly embracing it as most probably that won’t happen with the common man in the real world.
Mimi is yet another offering that purports to bring forth tales from small towns & cities but unfortunately doesn’t quite deliver. The film has impeccable actors who possess magic but all their tricks fail as they face the brunt of the writing and treatment
Mimi, played by Kriti Sanon, is from a small town in Rajasthan who declares to a wall covered with film actresses’ posters that once she arrives in Bombay, everyone will be out of work.
The film tells the tale of a childless American couple looking for a surrogate in India and to their luck, their driver Bhanu (Pankaj Tripathi) becomes their “broker”. They chance upon Mimi who is a dancer at a restaurant and Mimi agrees, her eyes on the money they have promised which will help her move to Mumbai and pursue her starry dreams.
Following a last minute ditching by the American couple, Bhanu, Mimi and her friend Shama (Sai Tamhankar) become associates in a new ploy as a pregnant Mimi now has to enter her own house and tackle her parents. Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak, who play the parents, are disappointed and hurt but soon turn out to be rather progressive regarding Mimi’s lie that she and Bhanu are married and she is pregnant with his child. And similar is the case with the whole town. However the progressiveness that is exhibited seems very unlike the real world. But as it happens, lies are bound to unravel and what happens next forms the rest of the story.
Lest we forget that this is supposed to be a comedy, several unnecessary, inappropriate & cringe worthy WhatsApp forward like metaphors are used for surrogacy. Even actors with great comedic timing like Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Pahwa & Supriya Pathak are unable to make them funny. The only thing Rajasthani about Sanon happens to be the wavy hair, tanned highlights and the kohl-lined eyes, while the accent comes across as exactly that – an accent – instead of seeming natural.
This is Laxman Utekar’s second collaboration with Sanon after Luka Chuppi and although the subject matter on paper for this one is much stronger than the one before, it’s not something that will pull you in and empathise with the characters.
Mimi, which was released ahead of its schedule due to an online leak, is now streaming on Netflix.
