Director: Madhureeta Anand
Cast: Randeep Hooda, Raima Sen, Arbaaz Khan, Suhasini Mulay, Ashwini Kaleskar,
Rating: 1/5
Falling asleep after having paid good money for a film is certainly not an option. MKMJA puts you to sleep, it’s long and outlandish. The film has a good concept and had it been treated with greater care and flamboyance, one would have walked out loving it for sure.
Revolving around Maya (Raima Sen), Vikram (Arbaaz Khan) and their child Priya (who by the way is there just to complete the family), the film looks at the aspirations of a housewife. Maya gives up singing which is the one thing she loves, to take care of her family but is faced with a cheating and complaining husband.
With some inspirational words from her neighbor, Mrs.Mathur (Suhassini Mulay) the young mother begins seeing her ideal man turn to reality. Jai (Randeep Hooda), the man sings, is romantic and fills her with courage. Each time she falters and is faced with a difficulty, there he is in a new avatar aiding her and guiding her. After the hullabaloo of her married life, she is out to reclaim her life back and compete to win a recording contract. What follows is an easy guess.
One would love to say that the film offers something interesting, but the truth is it doesn’t. Conceptually the film is great, as it explores new grounds such as demands in a married life and sacrifices one makes. But then the film is so dramatic (almost like a play) in nature with its many props, exits and entries that the fun of watching a film is completely lost. The experience of cinema is what the film steals from you and that is not a good thing.
Corny dialogues backed with hackneyed acting, are what you will find in abundance. When people are taking a dig at the characters on screen you know it’s not your moneys worth, as the experience is ruined for you. The film sees that happen. With dialogues like "Thoda sa doodh milega" and other one-liners being delivered by a semi clad actor you don’t want to watch anymore. Void of any gripping scenes, entertainment or humor the film flows with blandness.
Most often you are choking on your popcorn, for at the most random of times you see Jai appear, advice and then disappear. Buying into this suspended reality is an extremely difficult task. The main thing with this film is the characters themselves are superficial; some of them are there just to complete the picture. For example the child in the film just seems to be there to convince you that it is indeed a family, not that she has a role or says something significant. The fights between Khan and Sen appear contrived and are there because they ought to be there, it all seems too made up.
The film looks good visually and that’s about it. While the editing could be snappier and the film shorter, the camera works well and captures all that is seen with proficiency. The music is nothing to write home about and the use of it is nothing great either.
In a film like this one would have liked to see a bit of flamboyance and extravagance, simply because there is a lot of room for it. The props look tacky and so do the costumes, especially Hooda’s costumes.
Neither Sen nor any of the actors act to please. They all seem bored or tired. Kaleskar hams while Mulay is given a minute odds role. Sen in her scenes with Khan looks tired and in the remaining uninterested. Hooda in all his avatars is dismal, he neither pleases nor acts interested. Khan too isn’t convincing.
MKMJA is a good concept gone wrong. You’d rather spend the time dreaming about your own fictional character than sit to watch someone else’s come to life.
