Kriti Sanon's 'Mimi' deserves pat, but loses touch with reality
What's the story
Kriti Sanon-led Mimi released four days early yesterday evening, amid reports of leaks on piracy sites. While the Luka Chuppi actress had promised to drop a new song from the film yesterday, the movie got released instead, on Netflix and JioCinema. This way, the film saw the light of the day on the eve of Sanon's birthday (she turned 31 today). Here's our review.
Plot
Aspiring actress, Mimi, agrees to become surrogate for American couple
The story is set in 2013, when an American couple tours India to find a "healthy, fit" woman to bear their child via surrogacy. Their driver Bhanu (Pankaj Tripathi) leads them to Mimi, an aspiring actress, who performs shows at big hotels. Mimi, who dreams to debut in Bollywood, agrees to become a surrogate for the money. However, things don't go according to plan.
Performances
Sanon finally gets to carry a film on her own
Sanon, perhaps for the first time in her career, gets to showcase her acting prowess to the fullest here, and carries Mimi ably. Tripathi, a natural actor, is a delight to watch in every scene. Sai Tamhankar as Mimi's best friend gives us a layered performance. Songs by AR Rahman are significant and timely. However, the film is not without faults.
Spoilers ahead
Romanticization of pro-life stance has its cons as well
Being an unmarried mother in any Indian rural/semi-urban locality is a tough pill. While Mimi's societal struggle is hinted at, it's never shown and hence it feels like a fairytale. It's immoral to ditch a child on the basis of deformity/disability, but romanticization of the anti-abortion stance is dangerous. Abortion is the right of every woman and they shouldn't feel bad about it.
Verdict
Certain elements added to make end-product feel lighter; gets 3.5/5
An adaptation of Samruddhi Porey's National Award-winning Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychy!, Mimi comes exactly a decade later the original and at a time when surrogacy isn't as terrifyingly new here. To make up for the lack of any breakthrough substance, director Laxman Utekar tweaks the lead character a little and adds comedy elements (without trivializing the core matter though). Verdict: 3.5/5.