Movie: Mili
Direction: Mathukutty Xavier
Screenplay: Ritesh Shah
Based on: Helen
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Sunny Kaushal, Manoj Pahwa
Producer: Boney Kapoor
Production companies: Bayview Projects, Zee Studios
Cinematography: Sunil Karthikeyan
Edited by: Monisha Baldava
Music by: A. R. Rahman
Distributed by: Zee Studios
Release date: 4 November 2022
3/5
The IBC News Rating
Directed by Mathukutty Xavier, Mili starring Janhavi Kapoor in a key role, has hit the screen today. The film is a remake of his director’s own 2019 Malayalam film Helen. Let us see how the film is.
Storyline:
The story of Mili revolves around Mili, who is a young, ambitious nursing graduate who is all set to migrate to the U.S. She is raised by her loving father (Manoj Pahwa) after the demise of her mother. Mili does a part-time job in a fast-food joint and is in a relationship with a young man (Sunny Kaushal). After an unexpected incident, she decides to stay back at her workplace and accidentally gets trapped inside a freezer. What happens to Mili forms the crux of the story
What’s Entertaining & What’s Boring:
Though the storyline of the film is pretty simple, the director narrated it in a very gripping way till the end. Mainly, the struggles of Mili to escape from the freezer and the mental state of her father are also narrated convincingly without the overdosage of drama. The heart-warming portrayal of a father-daughter relationship needs special mention and stands as one of the plus points of the film. Some thrilling moments in the film make us believe that the director is definitely here to stay. On the con side, in the second half, the movie does fall into a slow pace and reminds of some renowned survival dramas at certain points. But, again, the climax picks up with brilliant performances and clever writing.
Performance of Cast & Crew:
Jahnavi Kapoor is truly the heart and soul of the movie. She carries the entire film on her shoulders, and the actress’s performance as the girl trapped in a freezer is undoubtedly one of her finest performances of her to date. Sunny Kaushal is good in his role and gives an impressive performance in a limited screen presence. Manoj Pahwa, the senior actor who appears in the loving father character, steals the show with his exceptional acting skills. The rest of the star cast have played their parts well. A.R.Rahman has done a good job with the songs. But it’s his BGM that totally sets the perfect mood for the survival drama. Special mention to the director of photography; he has done a brilliant job with the amazing visualization of the movie. The editing is decent. Production values by Boney Kapoor are the best, and they have not shied away from making this film look rich. Coming to the director, he has done a good job same as the original film.
First Half & Second Half:
The film is based on a particular incident in Mili’s life. The storytelling in the first half is easygoing and naturalistic. The second half also impresses us with gripping moments. But it’s the middle of the second half that suffers with predictability.
Impressive:
Storytelling
Gripping Moments
Performances
Unimpressive:
Few scenes in the second half
The IBC News take on Movie:
On the whole, Mili is a well-made survival drama that will keep the audience engaged till the very end. However, for the audience who watched Helen, the film may not appeal more. So the film stands good for those who haven’t watched Helen and average for those who watched the original.
One-Line Review:
Gripping Survival Drama