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Mili Movie Review: Janhvi Kapoor's Survival Drama Is Love At 'Frost' Sight
There is a scene in Mili where the titular character, bruised and stuck in a freezer, finds a rat near her feet. She lets out a scream and squirms, only to realise that the tiny rodent too has been trapped just like her and is simply trying to snuggle to keep its heartbeat running amidst the cruel cold.
Slowly as the time passes, Mili and the rat who is her lone companion forge a unique bond where both of them help each other in their own way to escape from freezing to death.
Janhvi Kapoor's latest outing Mili dwells on such delicate moments to lend some warmth and establish that the film is more than just a 'survival' drama.
What's Yay: Performances, Detailing in the screenplay, editing
What's Nay: If you have already watched the orginal Malayalam film Helen then its Hindi remake barely has any surprise in store for you.
Story
Mili Nodiyal (Janhvi Kapoor), a 24-year old nursing graduate is prepping for IELTS test to pursue better job prospects in Canada. She also works at a fast food joint to financially support her father.
In a series of sequences, we are given a peek into Mili's daily routine which includes giving injections to an elderly woman in her neighbouring house and her 'nok-jhok' with her father over his smoking habit. We also learn that Mili has a boyfriend Sameer (Sunny Kaushal) who belongs to another caste. When her father discovers their affair, he gives a silent treatment to Mili which breaks her heart further.
Things take a 'chilling' turn when Mili accidentally gets trapped inside a freezer after working a late night shift. Will she live to see another day as the temperature slowly plummets to minus 18 degrees?
Direction
Janhvi Kapoor's Mili is an official remake of Mathukutty Xavier's National Award winning Malayalam debut Helen which featured Anna Ben as the main protagonist. In his Bollywood directorial debut, Xavier stays faithful to his original source material barring changing the landscape and making a few minor tweaks.
One of the biggest strengths of Helen was the exceptional detailing in the narrative and that reflects in Mili as well. Even the props used in the film are pivotal to the plot. The Janhvi Kapoor-starrer isn't just a survival drama. From talking about casteism in a subtle way to emphasizing on how a simple act of positivity can sometimes save a life, Mili is covered in several layers.
Performances
If Anna Ben's Helen exuded a certain raw appeal, Janhvi Kapoor lends a elusive charm to her character Mili. Though initially she struggles in a few frames, once she gets a grip on her role, there's no looking back. As the clock ticks, the exuberant Mili slowly transforms into a woman who battles against all odds to keep herself alive. Be it the chilblains or the receding hope in her eyes, Janhvi looks every bit authentic in enacting her part inside the freezer.
Manoj Pahwa who often finds himself typecast in roles to provide comic relief, pulls off a winsome act as Mili's endearing father. His scenes with Janhvi Kapoor lend some light flavour to the otherwise tense narrative. Sunny Kaushal is effective as Mili's boyfriend Sameer. Sanjay Suri and Seema Pahwa end up with wasted cameos. Anurag Arora as the slimy cop induces anger and disgust. Vikram Kochhar as the supervisor who is forced into celibacy delivers some straight face humour.
Technical Aspects
Sunil Karthikeyan's camera work deserves a shoutout for establishing the tension vividly with his close-up angles and tight shots. Be it in the intercutting between the freezer and the events unfolding outside or pattern which gives false relief to the viewers, Monisha Baldav's razor sharp editing is one of the highlights of Mili.
Music
'Sun Aye Mili' and 'Tum Bhi Raahi' blend effortlessly in the narrative of Mili. 'Jeena Hoga' which captures Mili's struggle inside the freezer induces goosebumps.
Verdict
The opening credit of Mili begins with an ant taking us on a house tour until it falls into a water-filled ice cube tray in the refrigerator. The closing shot of the film reveals the ant's fate. In Mathukutty Xavier's world, even tiny beings have a 'big' role to play.
No wonder, when this act unfolds on a larger scale, you too find yourself trapped with Mili in a world where you can hear your heart pounding loud.
We give 3 stars out of 5 to Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Mili.
