Film: Mr. and Mrs. Mahi
Duration: 139 minutes
Director: Sharan Sharma
Cast: Rajkumar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor, Kumud Mishra and Zarina Wahab
Cinematography: Anay Goswami Music: Aadesh Shrivastava, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Jaani, Achint-Yuva, Honey-Bunny, Dhruv Dhalla and John Stewart Edur
IANS Rating: **1/2
Mumbai: A cricket match is underway at a stadium in Jaipur and two batsmen are grabbing everyone’s attention. With a limited number of balls remaining, both batsmen are going all out to score the final runs needed to win and the match is expected to have a thrilling finish.
Batsman Mahendra warns the other striker not to try to be the hero, and instead orders him to save the ball and let him hit the winning shot. But his partner ignores his co-batsman’s advice, hits a boundary, and even hits another boundary off one of the last balls.
An enraged Mahendra stops midway in his run between the wickets and deliberately runs out his partner. Luckily he too fails to score the remaining four runs needed to win and is caught out by a fielder on the very next ball.
He is Mahendra aka Mahi (Rajkummar Rao), an ambitious but average player, who wants to outdo others in life though he lacks the talent to get ahead.
His being a fan of the legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems coincidental as he has none of his hero’s qualities, be it on or off the field. He is also unhappy with his father’s (Kumud Mishra) wasting his time at his sports goods shop.
After three failed attempts to make it to the state cricket team, he wants to try his passion for the game again. His coach (Rajesh Sharma), who is more practical, sees no potential in his team members, and suggests Mahendra to become the coach. Not very happy with his coach’s advice, the stubborn Mahendra leaves in anger.
To make matters worse, his steadfast father, fed up with his procrastination, orders him to take care of the family business from the very next moment. He decides to get his son married to Mahima Sharma (Janhvi Kapoor), a doctor, whose parents (Purnendu Bhattacharya and Yamini Das) are impressed when Mahendra’s father exaggerates his son’s abilities, falsely praising him.
He justifies doing so by saying, “I am a salesman, I know how to sell.” Perhaps, he knows very well that Mahendra has few qualities as a failed cricketer, and he has no other qualifications to be proud of.
The next day Mahendra feels guilty, gets restless and tells Mahima in private that whatever her father has claimed is all a lie. This melts Mahima and she is impressed by his honesty. She loves his honesty and sincerity and doesn’t want anyone else but him in her life. Interestingly, they both have the same nickname, Mahi and together they are called ‘Mr. and Mrs. Mahi’.
Soon, they discover their common love and passion for cricket. She is in fact an extremely talented player, as Mahendra realises after he recognises cricketing talent in his wife. He encourages her to pursue her dream of becoming a cricketer. “But I am a doctor by profession,” she argues. Nevertheless, he is unwavering in his commitment to foster her innate talent.
The only problem is that her love for cricket and her natural talent will require her to give up her profession to train in the sport. She is unsure at first, mainly because her father wants her to become a doctor. After much hesitation, she gives in to her husband’s demands. Everything goes awry when Mahi tells both her parents about their resolve.
Mahendra is very excited to train Mahima and a timid and gradually unsure Mahima also follows her husband’s instructions and adjusts to her new role as a trainee student.
With only six months left for the Rajasthan state level selection, they have to act fast. The two leave no stone unturned to learn and hone all the skills required for Mahima to become a winner.
After months of hard work, when she joins the team, Mahi feels insecure as Mahima dominates television and he is completely sidelined. He gets irritated and misbehaves with her. His complaint is that he worked hard on Mahima and no one acknowledges him.
Not only is she shocked by the sudden change in his behaviour, but she also panics. She is so confused that she fails to perform well in even one of the league matches, leading the selection panel members to scold her about her falling standards.
Marital strife is not uncommon, and it is not uncommon for a marital union to suffer pangs of jealousy from two individuals who may be madly in love. This film, which purports to be a sports film, seems desperate to include all the elements of a family drama. The result is like falling between two chairs.
Mahendra’s self-doubt and failing career become even more complicated when he starts showing his baser instincts in his relationship. Rao, a fine actor, who tries to fulfill the demands of the script quite sincerely, pushes himself too much and at times, overemphasizes situations.
It is also the silly demands of the script that prevents his spontaneous energy from flowing in. Still, as an actor he is worth watching.
Kapoor, whose performance is more touching, is natural. Her uncertain look, peculiar and partly ambiguous and partly undefined, is more ambiguous, and she manages to interpret it well. The way she bats makes it clear that she is not a cricketer, at times trying to save her boundaries by getting into a rehearsed pose to smash the ball.
And all this, without a single hair out of place, not a drop of sweat on her face! Although, to be fair to her, she does make an impression.
Veteran actress Zarina Wahab has done a good job in a small role. I wish she was there in some important family scenes as well. On the other hand, talented actor Kumud Mishra doesn’t get much chance to adapt himself in an ambiguous character.
The camera work and music are executed effectively and quite satisfactorily for a film of this genre. One wonders why Dharma Productions made such an unspectacular and mediocre film!
