Mimi movie review

 After a string of unsuccessful slapstick comedy and copies of Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam movies, Bollywood has finally brought out some engaging movies this July like Haseen Dillruba, Toofaan, and Mimi being the latest. Produced by Dinesh Vijan, Mimi explores the story of a surrogate whose life takes an unexpected turn when the real parents abandon their child(watch the movie to know why). Directed by Laxman Utekar, the film is based on the Marathi film titled “Mala Aai Vhhaychy” but manages to bring in some originality through praise-worthy writing and Utekar’s direction, which manages to evoke your emotions with his intelligent direction. The film is a rollercoaster ride of emotions- happiness, laughter, empathy, sorrow, and joy as you ride along. The team did a fantastic job with the trailer at the same time not giving away the important second half.

The comedy-drama addresses the trials and tribulations that a lady goes through while pregnancy, more so when she has to battle societal norms and prejudices. Pankaj Tripathi as Bhanupartap and Kriti as Mimi deliver strong and impactful performances supported ably by Manoj Pahwa, Sai Tamhankar, and Supriya Pathak. The film also shows how flawed we are as a society to treat each other on the basis of one’s colour and religion. Society showers extra attention on the child because he happens to be extremely fair- considered a superior complex still in modern-day India. A dialogue that Supriya Pathak delivers while speaking on behalf of her daughter Mimi to keep the child is a strong punchline that borrows from Indian epics when she says, " Yaha toh Devaki bhi tu hai aur Yashoda bhi tu.” Another beautiful dialogue on parenthood is written for Evelyn Edwards who played  Summer when she tells Mimi that in order to become parents, it's not necessary to be the birth parents of a child. You just need to give your heart and soul to that child.

Overall, the film is a delightful addition to the type of films that address societal taboos in a cinematic and engaging manner. A.R. Rahman’s music blends itself beautifully in the entire narrative with Hututu being my personal favourite. Each song lends beauty and magic to the narrative. Rock a bye baby is another soulful melody that plays for the closing credits with vocals by Khatija Rahman and Julia Gartha. The movie is available on Netflix and Jio Cinema. The film is a family entertainer and is rated 8.3/10 on IMDb. The film delivers its loudest and most impactful message at the end before credits start rolling- If orphans were a country of their own, the population would rank 9^th in the world. More than 153 million children in the world are waiting for their parents.

My rating- A soulful weekend watch that will make your day.