Mimi Movie Review: Kriti Sanon Delivers A 'Param Sundar' Performance Which Tugs At Your Heartstrings

Story

Mimi opens with a young American couple, John and his wife Summers (Evelyn Edwards and Aidan Whytock) travelling across the country to hire a young and healthy woman as a surrogate mother. When a driver Bhanu (Pankaj Tripathi) eavesdrop their conversation while ferrying them, the childless couple bares their heart to him. Bhanu agrees to help them out in exchange of a hefty amount and introduces them to Mimi (Kriti Sanon), a starry-eyed dancer in a small town near Jaipur who aspires to be a movie star.

In dire need of money to pursue her Bollywood dreams in Mumbai, Mimi is initially reluctant to rent her womb but eventually gives in when John and Summers offer her a lucrative amount. With the help of Bhanu and her best friend Shama (Sai Tamhankar), Mimi sets out on her journey of motherhood.

However, an unexpected twist makes John and Summers leave Mimi in lurch. What follows next is a poignant story of how a child gives birth to a mother.

Direction

Kriti Sanon-starrer Mimi is an official adaptation of Urmila Kothare's 2011 National Award winning film Mala Aai Vhaychay. While the latter's narrative was sober in tone, director Laxman Utekar and his co-writer Rohan Shankar make its Hindi counterpart appealing to the pan-India audience by lending a humorous touch. The screenplay is sprinkled with some entertaining liners that tickle your funny bone. At the same time, the makers have also kept the soul of the original film intact, which is evident in a couple of emotional scenes.

On the flipside, a few cinematic liberties in the narrative takes away some of the realism. A little more focus on how Mimi breaks the shackles of stereotypes related to motherhood when she decides to be a single mother, would have enhanced the film. Also, the film runs out of steam in the climatic portion when the makers offer us an ending that comes across as a tad contrived. However, all's well that ends well.

Performances

Kriti Sanon is the star performer in Mimi. When not stealing our hearts with her exhilarating dance moves, the actress tugs at our heartstrings with her moving act of a mother, whose love for her child crushes all that stands in its path. Watch out for the scene where Mimi holds her newborn baby for the first time! Minus any dialogues, the camera shifts between Kriti and the tiny tot and focusses completely on a pure moment between a mother and her child, which is beyond words. Kriti Sanon is a total revelation in this scene. No doubt, Mimi is the actress's finest performances till date.

Nobody delivers straight-faced humour as effectively as Pankaj Tripathi and the man proves it yet again in Mimi. He has a commendable presence even when he lets Kriti take the centrestage with her heavy-duty emotions. Sai Tamhankar as Mimi's confidant-cum-friend lends a sturdy support. Together, the girls drop some major BFF goals! Jacob Smith who essays the role of Mimi's son Raj, will make you want to pull his cheeks playfully due to his cuteness.

The rest of the cast, including Manoj Pahwa, Supriya Pathak Kapur, Evelyn Edwards, Aidan Whytock, and Jaya Bhattacharya are good in their respective roles.

Technical Aspects

Akash Agarwal's camera lens captures the vibrant colours of of Rajasthan in an enticing way. The song 'Param Sundari' has been beautifully shot and is pleasing to the eye. Manish Pradhan's editing scissors are sharp enough to trim the rough edges when it comes to the narrative.

Music

Kriti Sanon's enchanting dance moves coupled with Shreya Ghoshal's melodious voice and AR Rahman's perfect folk-fusion music makes 'Param Sundari' a complete winner. 'Rihaayi De' grows on you slowly with its ethereal folk-electro-trance music. Kailash Kher's 'Choti Si Chiraiya' has its heart in the right place. The rest of the tracks are hummable.

Verdict

In one of the scenes in the film, Mimi is seen counting her earnings and asks her bestie Shama how she will be able to achieve her dream with such a meagre amount. To this, the latter replies, "Sab ho jaayega. Sabr kar. Sabr ka phal meetha hota hai." Likewise, Kriti Sanon's labour of love leaves you misty-eyed and with a sweet taste. Mimi is a compassionate tale of strangers brought together under exceptional circumstances.