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Mission Majnu Movie Review: This Sidharth Malhotra film is a fair attempt but warranted more drama & thrills
Planning to watch Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna's Mission Majnu over the weekend? Read Pinkilla review and decide.
Name: Mission Majnu
Cast: Sidharth Malhotra,Rashmika Mandanna,Sharib Hashmi
Rating: 2.5
Where to watch: Netflix
Plot:
After stalling India’s attempt to become a nuclear power in 1974, Pakistan illegally imports raw materials to make itself a nuclear nation, keeping it a secret from rest of the world. On getting an intel from undercover agents, India activates it’s RAW network in Pakistan to stop their mission to become a nuclear power. The mission is led by Tariq aka. Amandeep Singh (Sidharth Malhotra), who takes personal interest in the same to let go of the baggage of being a traitor due to his father’s dishonesty with the nation. Tariq is joined by fellow undercover agents in Pakistan in the Mission Majnu, a name derived due to the fact that Tariq is indeed in love with a Pakistani girl named, Nasreen (Rashmika Mandanna). Will India be able to expose Pakistan’s illegal activity at global forum? That’s what Mission Majnu is all about
What Works?
Mission Majnu is a sincere attempt to make a film on a lesser-known event from Indian history, though the makers have given it a fictional spin for varied reasons. The subject chosen is fascinating and has limited elements of adrenaline rush with characters racing against time to succeed in their mission. The final 25 to 30 minutes is the high point of the film, and the closing sequence touches your heart. The performances by Sidharth Malhotra, Sharib Hashmi and Kumud Mishra bring in the right amount of energies that the subject warrants.
The music gels well into the narrative, though album doesn’t have any chartbuster track. The writing by Aseem Arora, Sumit Batheja and Parveez Shaikh doesn’t divulge much from the core conflict of the film, but the novelty factor is missing all through the screenplay. Mission Majnu slips into the mode of a mission from the first frame, without wasting much of the time in creating the world, thereby keeping the runtime under check.
What doesn’t work?
Mission Majnu isn’t dramatic enough. While the core plot has the vibe of the leads racing against time, the film doesn’t have those dramatic high points to keep you on the edge of your seat. A film on this subject probably warranted a larger dose of nationalistic scenes, to amp up the overall impact of the film towards the end. The love story of Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna is a little undercooked, whereas the means to crack the mission by the lead character seems far too convenient. The character doesn’t have enough challenges to accomplish the mission. The thrill through the journey is also missing, and comes into picture in the final 25 minutes. Even the victory of Sidharth Malhotra to rub off the tag of traitor doesn’t entail an element of win. A similar sub-track in Chak De India is a perfect example of how to redeem a character.
The production values, especially the set design, which does seem artificial. The subject had lot of potential, but, an attempt to keep the approach real (with a little unbelievable route) dented it’s prospects. The film doesn’t have any memorable dialogues.
Performances
Sidharth Malhotra does well in his character of an on field RAW officer, Tariq. His character has an arc of redemption, and he shifts from one emotional turmoil to the other with ease. He also brings an element of calm to the character. Rashmika Mandanna doesn’t have much to do on the performance front, but, has a good chemistry with Sidharth Malhotra. Kumud Mishra is promising as an undercover agent, whereas Sharib Hashmi makes another confident appearance with a tich of humour to the role. Parmeet Sethi, Zakir Hussain and Rajit Kapoor do well in their respective brief appearance.
Verdict
Mission Majnu is an average film, whose plot had the potential to be the next SherShaah but doesn’t reach it’s peak due to restrained approach on drama, thrill and patriotism.
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