shaheen raaj
Hindi Film Review
Mission Mangal
By: Shaheen Raaj
“Mission Mangal Is Engaging, Entertaining & Even Patriotic”
Banner: Cape Of Good Films, Hope Productions & Fox Star Studios
Producer: Aruna Bhatia & Anil Naidu
Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi sinha, Tapsee Pannu, Nitya Menon, Sharman Joshi, Kirti Kulhaari, H G Dattatreya, Sanjay Kapoor, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Dalip Tahil, Vikram Gokhale, Mohan Kapoor & Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub
Music: Amit Trivedi
Just like how Ramzan Eid is synonymous with a Salman Khan release, the Independence Day holiday isn’t complete without an Akshay Kumar starrer. From the year 2013 to the rear 2018, he has had a release during this beneficial weekend, barring the year of 2014. So even the ongoing year of 2019 is no exception & this time, he is out with a new titled Mission Mangal, based on an important chapter of India’s history. The mood of the film is also apt, considering that just last month, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan 2 towards the moon. Mission Mangal has all the trappings of a blockbuster.So the scripted scenario of Mission Mangal reveals the incredible true story behind India’s mission to Mars. The film begins in the year 2010. At the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a space mission under Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar) fails after Tara Shinde (Vidya Balan) in his team makes an error in judgement. As a punishment posting, he’s asked to handle India’s Mars program, which is not expected to take off anytime soon. A few days later, Tara Shinde while cooking puris in her home Tara Shinde has a Eureka moment. She realizes that through innovative methods, they can try to get our satellite reach Mars in just 2 years. She tells Rakesh Dhawan about the plan & he realizes that it’s a golden opportunity. Rakesh Dhawan now approaches his senior (Vikram Gokhale) for approval who finds the idea unfeasible. Also Rupert Desai (Dalip Tahil) who has come from NASA to join the organization named Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) feels that Rakesh Dhawan’s idea is ridiculous. But Rakesh Dhawan however manages to persuade everyone & begins work. He asks for the best of the men from Indian Space Organization (ISRO) for this project. However he’s given inexperienced colleagues like Kritika Aggarwal (Taapsee Pannu), Eka Gandhi (Sonakshi Sinha), Varsha Gowda (Nithya Menen), Neha Siddiqui (Kirti Kulhari) & even Parmeshwar Naidu (Sharman Joshi) & a very senior employee Ananth Iyer (H G Dattatreya). What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.
Jagan Shakti’s story is superb & also very challenging. It’s not easy to pen down a mainstream film with such a plot. Also many are not aware of what transpired behind the making of India’s Mars mission. Hence it’ll be exciting for them to witness the whole journey. Also there are so many twists & turns in the plot that one might not believe that some of the plot points are actually true incidents. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma & Saketh Kondipathi’s screenplay not only simplifies the proceedings but also makes it massy. The screenplay blends science & entertainment seamlessly. The film’s goings on are extremely easy to comprehend. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma & Saketh Kondipathi’s dialogues are effective & funny too.
Jagan Shakti’s direction is terrific for a 1st ever timer. He had a winning screenplay in his hand & he takes it to another level with his directional execution. The film also has subplots of each of the main characters & even these are very well woven in the narrative. And through these tracks too, the makers have made some important comments about religion, parenting, marriage, religious bias et al & all these contribute to the film hugely.
Mission Mangal starts off beautifully showing Tara Shinde running a house efficiently on the day Indian Space Research (ISRO) has an important launch. Rakesh Dhawan’s entry & the confrontation scene when he’s offered Mars program is intriguing as well as entertaining. It also makes it clear that the film won’t get serious & that the entertainment quotient will be maintained. The rest of the team is introduced in a quick but interesting montage like sequences & it adds a lot to the film. The 1st ever half moves swiftly with no complaints. The 2nd half is longer & the commencing portions are where the film drops. Also to see the team renovating their work station at a time when they are running against time is a bit too much. Thankfully the film soon picks up. The best is obviously reserved for the grand finale. There are a lot of obstacles faced by the team here & it makes the film even more gripping. So the grand finale is applause worthy.
Amit Trivedi’s music is well interspersed with the proceedings. “Dil Mein Mars Hai’ is entertaining & catchy. “Shaabaashiyaan”is played at a crucial juncture. Amit Trivedi’s background score is engaging.
S Ravi Varman’s cinematography is quite simple & has the big screen effect. Sandeep Ravade’s production design is praiseworthy as it’s straight out of life. Debashish Mishra’s sound design is also as real as it gets. Sham Kaushal’s action is good in the lone action scene inside the metro. Famulus Media & Entertainment’s VFX is top class without which the long climax would not have worked so well. Theia Tekchandaney’s costumes are appealing yet not too glamorous. Kirti Kolwankar & Maria Tharakan’s costumes for Vidya Balan are authentic. Chandan Arora’s editing is just perfect as the film neither moves too fast nor drags.
Mission Mangal is embellished with some fine performances. So performance wise the main actor Akshay Kumar is in top form. He gets to play such a splendid role & also gets into the skin of his character. And he’s very much there throughout the film! The way his character rarely gets serious & makes even serious discussions light & funny too, is seen to be believed. One of the greatest sequences of the film is when he makes an imaginary call to none other than the great man APJ Abdul Kalam. Vidya Balan dominates most of the 1st ever half & suits her character to the T. It’s also admirable that she has no qualms playing mother to teenagers. Sonakshi Sinha is lovely & gets to shine. It’s great to see how she makes an impact in a supporting role. Taapsee Pannu is also quite efficient & gives off her best in the climax scene. Nithya Menen has a smaller role but it serves as a great debut. Kirti Kulhari manages to score & many would be able to relate to her character’s struggles. Sharman Joshi is funny & would surely make viewers smile. H G Dattatreya is adorable & the scene where he teaches Kirti Kulhari’s ex-hubby a lesson is too good! Dalip Tahil is appropriate as the pessimist guy. Sanjay Kapoor as Sunil Shinde is the main surprise of the film. He delivers a fine performance & post interval he goes in another mode that would be greeted with whistles in cinemas! Purab Kohli as Vivek & Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Rishi lend able support. Rohan Joshi as Dilip Shinde is hilarious & even heartening as Vidya Balan’s son. Kashmira Pardeshi as Anya Shinde gets no scope. Vikram Gokhale is decent. Others are also good in their respective parts.
Tail Piece: On the whole, Mission Mangal is engaging & entertaining while being patriotic in its feel.
At the box office turnstiles, it will be accepted whole heartedly by the audiences & even has the potential to emerge as Akshay Kumar’s highest money spinner ever!
