20 years ago Abbas Mustan made the film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke with Salman Khan-Rani Mukherjee-Preity Zinta and the film was based on the concept of surrogacy. And Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and Jio Studios have once again come up with a film based on the same theme, Mimi. Mimi stars Kriti Sanon and Pankaj Tripathi in pivotal roles. Although the film was scheduled to release on Netflix in July, the film was released 4 days before due to online leaks. So, will Mimi manage to entertain the audience, or does it fail in its endeavor? Let’s review.
Mimi is the story of a girl who decides to become a surrogate mother. The year is 2013, Mimi Mansingh Rathore (Kriti Sanon) lives in a small town in Rajasthan. She dreams of becoming an actress and moving to Mumbai. She knows a man named Jolly (Nadeem Khan), who works in films. He asks her to go to Mumbai to build his portfolio and shoot a music video with her and for this he demands few lakhs from her. Mimi is not that rich, so she tries to jugaad these money. She does dance shows to earn money. On one such show, an exotic couple Summer (Evelyn Edwards) and John (Aidan Whiteock) come to see her. She has been in India for a year in search of a surrogate mother as Samar cannot conceive. They are looking for a fit and healthy girl and when they see Mimi, they learn that she is perfect to give birth to their child. They ask their driver Bhanu Pratap (Pankaj Tripathi) to explain to him. In return, they promise Bhanu Rs 5 lakh. Bhanu immediately agrees. He also manages to convince Mimi, especially when he is told that Mimi will get Rs. Mimi agrees to the surrogacy but learns that she has to hide her pregnancy from her parents, Mansingh Rathore (Manoj Pahwa) and Shobha (Supriya Pathak). Hence, she lies to him that she has got a role in a film for which she has to go to Mumbai immediately. She goes to the house of her friend Shama (Sai Tamhankar). Bhanu also goes with her and pretends to be her husband. Mimi gets pregnant and all is well. A few months later, Summer and John undergo a test for Mimi’s unborn child where they learn that Mimi’s unborn child will be suffering from Down syndrome. Summer and John break up with this and then both decide that they will not keep this child. They ask Bhanu to tell Mimi that she should abort the child. Without meeting her, they leave for their home country, USA. Mimi breaks down hearing about their conduct. With no other option, she returns to her home. His parents are obviously shocked. Mimi lies that Bhanu is the father of the child. Mansingh and Shobha are obviously not happy but they accept it. Finally, 9 months pass and Mimi gives birth to a boy. What happens next will be known after watching the rest of the film.
Story of Laxman Utekar and Roshan Shankar a Marathi film MALA AAI VHHAYCHY [2011; समृद्धि पोरी द्वारा लिखित] Inspired by. The plot is gripping and heartwarming and has all the elements of a family entertainer. The screenplay by Laxman Utekar and Roshan Shankar is extremely impressive. The author ties the narrative with some very impressive visuals that keep the interest going. Also, there is a lot of humor in most parts of the film. Hence, it attracts all kinds of audience. Roshan Shankar’s dialogues are one of the best things about the film. The dialogues are witty and very well written and contribute to a great extent in making the film entertaining.
Laxman Utekar’s direction is superb. His last film Luka Chuppi [2019] However, there were some shortcomings in its execution. But in Mimi, he keeps everything under control. The film revolves around motherhood and surrogacy which are serious subjects. Nevertheless, the humor is added very strongly to the film. At the same time, he does not even make fun of the sensitive issues on which the film rests. Most importantly, he takes the film from funny to serious, and from serious to funny, so cleanly, it’s really commendable. Mimi’s journey from being an aspiring actress to a mother is beautifully portrayed. Laxman Utekar deserves praise for the various dynamics shown in the film and his excellent handling of relationships. On the other hand, if we talk about the shortcomings of the film, in the second half, the film becomes a bit long. Apart from this the film ends abruptly which is predictable.
Mimi starts off on a grand note that explains the concept of surrogacy neatly. Mimi’s entry is quick. How Mimi agrees to surrogacy is worth watching. The scene where Dr. Asha Desai (Jaya Bhattacharya) announces that Mimi is pregnant, and this is where the audience realizes that the film will touch emotionally. The song which pretends to be a Muslim couple of Mimi and Bhanu will definitely be loved. But the makers don’t let the film get serious and soon, a track pretending to be the father of Bhanu’s child is inserted and it adds fun to the film. The scene where Rekha and Bhanu’s mother Kaikeyi (Nutan Surya) create a scene when they assume that Bhanu has married a second time is sure to elicit laughter. The last 30 minutes are quite serious and surely have the potential to bring tears to the eyes of the audience.
Talking about acting, Kriti Sanon gives a very entertaining performance. She is in a way the lone lead in the film and she carries this responsibility very well. This is definitely his most skillful performance and he will get appreciation from all over. Pankaj Tripathi gives a brilliant performance. No other actor could have done the role so well. He has given many memorable performances but this is definitely one of his best performances. Sai Tamhankar acts well and leaves an indelible mark as a supportive friend. Evelyn Edwards and Aidan Whiteock are dominant. Jacob Smith (Raj) is very sweet and adds a lot to the film in the second half. Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak are excellent as always. Atmaja Pandey and Nutan Surya are excellent in a small role. Jaya Bhattacharya is fair. Sheikh Ishaq Mohammad (Atif) adds to the humour. Nadeem Khan is fine.
AR Rahman’s music is average and could have been better. ‘Param Sudanari’ is well choreographed. ‘Aane Ko Hai Guest’, ‘Phulzaadi’ and ‘Rhaiai De’ are fine while ‘Choti Si Chiraya’ touches the heart. AR Rahman’s background score enhances the emotion depicted in the film. Akash Agarwal’s cinematography is first class and the locations of Rajasthan are captured well. Sheetal Sharma’s costumes are stylish as well as grounded. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray’s production design is eye-catching but also feels real. Editing of Manish Pradhan is fine.
All in all, Mimi is a heartwarming family film that entertains from start to finish. Had this film been released in theatres, it would have had a good chance of becoming a success. Have a look at Mimi.
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