'Mr. & Mrs. Mahi' Review: Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor are great in a dull film

Reviewing Mr. and Mrs. Mahi is a bit difficult. Not because it’s a brilliant piece of cinema that merits deep analysis. Neither is it a terrible creation that warrants rage through words. It’s actually one of those films that falls right in the middle. You watch it, smile at some portions, appreciate a few parts and then forget it when the end credits roll.

The idea is good. A failed cricketer Mahendra Aggarwal aka Mahi (Rajkummar Rao) from a middle-class family gets into a typical arranged marriage with an educated girl training to be a doctor, Mahima aka Mahi (Janhvi Kapoor). Hence the name Mr. and Mrs. Mahi – wow, how clever!). Suppressing his dreams while managing his grumpy father’s (Kumud Mishra) sports equipment business, Mahi is miserable but slowly builds a bond with his wife. Life takes a turn when he realises Mahima is also a cricket freak with a natural flair for the game. And he gets his life’s mission – to realise his own unfulfilled dreams through his wife. It’s all very sweet until jealousy and insecurities rear their ugly head affecting the relationship. In that moment, the movie shifts from being a Chak De wannabe to an Abhimaan wannabe.

No, I have not given away the story. It’s all there in the trailer and the above synopsis is for the benefit of those who haven’t seen the teasers.

But this is also precisely one of the problems of this film directed by Sharan Sharma and co-written by Nikhil Mehrotra. With the trailer having practically shown us what the movie is about, there are no surprises, good or bad, when you walk into the theatres. I was reminded of Sharma’s previous film, the infinitely superior Gunjan Saxena, also starring Janhvi Kapoor. That film wasn’t great by any standard but had a warmth and some amount of depth, especially in its discourse around patriotism, which elevated it above the average.

Mr. and Mrs. Mahi, on the other hand, is strictly one-note. Examining the impact of success on a relationship and one’s own confidence levels within the structure of a sports drama is always interesting. With human emotions being so complex, the premise offers juicy possibilities of peeling off the layers from family dynamics, marriage issues and career challenges. Sharma tries to achieve all of these but despite the sincerity in the treatment, the end result remains bland.

The messaging is way too obvious - one has to follow one’s own dreams and not the ambitions of parents; real happiness lies within and not with attention from outsiders; trust is the basis of a good marriage; even so-called happy and confident people have their own insecurities etc. Everything is spelt out and said aloud in case you miss the point.

Part of the problem also arises because of the genre. We know that sports films follow familiar tropes. There will be an underdog who will triumph in the end overcoming odds. The defining match will be a nail-biter. There will be people who would have to be proved wrong. Yet, with deft touches and smart writing, these very predictable aspects can be emotionally engaging for the viewer. Case in point, the recently-released Maidaan. However in this case, none of these elements are explored with the nuance they deserve so the film neither gets to be a riveting sports flick nor an intense relationship drama. Surprisingly, even the cricket scenes are drab, not evoking any excitement or edge-of-the-seat tension.

However, there are some sweet moments which deserve mention. Mahendra’s attempts at garnering fame through creating weird social media reels is quite amusing. Similarly, the first date between Mahi and Mahi post their introduction is also well handled and you warm up to the couple.

Thankfully, the chemistry between the lead pair is great. If there is one reason why this film deserves a chance, it’s because of their performance. Janhvi exudes grace and subtlety

in her role of a supportive, warm wife and determined cricketer. She even shines in the confrontation scenes with her husband, adequately expressing the pain caused by his churlish behaviour. Then there is Rajkummar Rao, who, after a brilliant turn in Srikanth, brings his A-game to Mr. and Mrs. Mahi, too. He had to portray a challenging character – a passionate man who refuses to accept his mediocrity and a complexed husband seeking validation through the success of his spouse who he later resents. His switch from being supportive to jealous is marvellous and with a better script, this performance would have really stood out. What a pity that the screenplay just does not match up to the actors’ efforts.

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