Mithya (2008)

Director:

Rajat Kapoor

Writers:

Rajat Kapoor (writer)
Saurabh Shukla (co-writer)

Release Date:

8 February 2008 (India)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Plot:

A struggling actor(Ranvir Shorey) gets caught up with the 'wrong people' because his face is identical to an underworld don Raje...

Plot Keywords:

Film Actress | Body In Bag | Shot In The Chest | Dual Role | School Function

Cast

Ranvir Shorey	...	VK / Raje
Neha Dhupia	...	Sonam
Naseeruddin Shah	...	Gavde
Saurabh Shukla	...	Shetty
Vinay Pathak	...	Ram
Brijendra Kala	...	Shyam
Iravati R. Mayadev	...	Revati
Harsh Chhaya	...	Mannu
Ikhlaq Khan	...	Abbas (as Ikhlaque Khan)
Mannu Rishi Chaddha	...	Nayak
Tinnu Anand	...	Kuku Tola
Suhasini Mulay	...	Mother
Kamini Khanna	...	Sonam's Aunt
Perin Malde	...	Tilak
Loknath Rathi	...	Keshav

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Color:

Color

Company:

Planman Motion Pictures

To Become Or Not To Become

While the many reviews I have read described 'Mithya' as a multi-layered thriller, I found it to be quite simple in terms of story but very layered. Due to the dark themes, it does fall on the lines of last year's 'Johnny Gaddaar', 'Manorama Six Feet Under' and 'Ek Chalis ki Last Local' in some ways but at the same time it's a completely different experience. 'Mithya' is indeed a terrific accomplishment by Kapoor and Shukla. While the screenplay may be a little imbalanced especially the comedy and the thriller it works very well for the film. It drags a bit at some sequences especially the first half. The ending while abrupt (and predictable) remains powerful and strangely the film then felt very short in length. On the technical front, while 'Mithya' is a dark film, the limited (and sometimes) poor use of lighting was a little irritating but the cinematography works.

Now to the good stuff, I loved how Bollywood clichés have been used and taken a step further (unlike the so many Bollywood films where they just create more plot holes) leading to further twists and peeling off layers. Shukla and Kapoor did a fine job with the writing with the exception that some of the supporting characters could have done with more development. Sagar Desai's score is fantastic. I remember how much I loved his music in Rajat Kapoor's 'Mixed Doubles' and here he uses a completely different tune that is darker and less cheerful and does not disappoint one bit. I also liked how the dream/flashback and the 'search' sequences were shot. The film gives the similar feel of illusion as 'Manorama: Six Feet Under' but unlike 'Manorama' where it was quiet, warmly colourful and chaotic, here it is dark/cold-tinted, 'noisy' and chaotic. I liked the use of metaphors and symbols too e.g. the link between the most famous monologue in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', 'To Be Or Not To Be', and the drowning corpse(s) (Ophelia).

Here is one role that Ranvir Shorey has used to fully explore his acting. I cannot think of anyone else who could have done more justice to this multi-layered complex character as Shorey completely owned the part. It's perhaps a little too early to call it among the finest performances of the year but it's powerful nonetheless. Neha Dhupia oozes sex as she looks sizzling but her acting was mostly okay (nothing standout). Vinay Pathak and Saurabh Shukla are okay too (as the writing does not give them much scope). Iravati Mahadev makes the best of the little role she has which results in an impressive performance. Unfortunately, Naseeruddin Shah does not have much screen time but he makes the best of what he's given.

In a nutshell, I would call it a brilliant film by Shukla and Kapoor. Critics seem to overly praise it just for being different rather than for being powerfully amusing (which it is). Okay, I'll rephrase that: It deserves to be praised for being a phenomenal film rather than for just being different. But I suppose that allows the viewer to discover for themselves what they're in for. In my opinion, this is the first great Indian film of the year. Yes, there are flaws but the impact of its viewing is undeniable (at least for me).