Mission Majnu Movie Review | Filmfare.com
3.0/5
The Smiling Buddha, India's first nuclear explosion, took place at Pokhran in 1974 and made the world sit up and take notice of our nuclear capabilities. Pakistan started its own covert nuclear programme right away in retaliation. RAW came to know of this and brought back physical evidence, which resulted in Pakistan supposedly abandoning the attempt to become nuclear capable, at least for a few years. Mission Majnu, which states at the outset that it is "inspired by true events," tells the tale of how Pakistan’s first attempt at being a nuclear power was halted in its tracks.
Tariq Ali/Amandeep Singh (Sidharth Malhotra) is a RAW agent working undercover as a tailor in Pakistan. He develops a crush on the blind daughter, Nasreen (Rashmika Mandanna) of one of the relatives of his boss and they soon get married. She’s supposedly his cover but he soon develops genuine feelings for her. He’s contacted by his handlers to find evidence of Pakistan’s nuclear programme and with the help of other deep agents, played by Kumud Mishra and Sharib Hashmi, starts piecing the puzzle together bit by bit. Unlike James Bond, however, he doesn’t storm the site with an arsenal at his disposal. His job is only to gather proof and somehow send it to India. How he does so forms the crux of the film.
The film embraces a documentary-like approach towards narration. So be prepared for mushroom clouds as seen in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, as well as footage of Pak leaders and scientists. Pakistan has been a volatile democracy and the coup by General Zia and the usurping of Prime Minister Bhutto is also depicted in the film. The film is an intelligent mix of fact and fiction. The spies depicted in the film aren’t superheroes but mere mortals who are painstakingly gathering information after years of deep infiltration. And the information, more often than not, comes through chance, rather than the use of any hi-tech wizardry. Yes, being a commercial film, there are a couple of action sequences that look over the top but the makers can be forgiven for adding a bit of masala here.
The best thing about Mission Majnu is that it’s not jingoistic. Indians aren’t shown badmouthing Pakistan and our neighbours in turn aren’t cursing India for all the woes that have befallen them. There’s a scene where an old lady offers tea to the hero and blames the Partition on the British, saying we’re reaping the ill-gotten fruits of their divide and rule policy even now. The agents do their jobs without being overly patriotic. There’s a backstory to Tariq. His father is shown to be a traitor who sold state secrets to Pakistan and later killed himself and he’s shown to be grappling with those emotional wounds. But the melodrama is kept to the minimum here. Though he’s a spy schooled in not being emotionally involved with people, Tariq’s love for his wife and unborn child is genuine and one roots for him to get them to safety.
Zakir Hussain is shown as a foul-mouthed handler who breaks every rule of spycraft by making his asset speak his real name. This kind of jars in a film which pretends to replicate the lives of real spies. Kumud Mishra and Sharib Hashmi have lent able support to the proceedings and their quirky personalities add a colour to the film. This was supposed to be Rashmika Mandanna’s Hindi debut. Due to delays, that honour went to Goodbye. She’s beautiful no doubt and her depiction of a blind girl totally in love with her husband is spot on. Her best scene happens when both she and Sidharth remember Dharmendra’s performance from Sholay. She shares a definite chemistry with him and they look like a much in love couple, who’d have lived a happy life together in much peaceful times. Sidharth Malhotra has played a patriot before in Shershaah (2021), though the two characters aren’t cast in the same mould. He looks the part of a deep cover agent doing his duty in a distant land, fully knowing the consequences of his actions. He immerses himself in the character convincingly and barring some scenes, doesn’t give in to being a star, contending himself to be a performer instead.
The film has plenty of twists and turns to offer and it's a wonder why instead of releasing it in theatres, the makers opted for an OTT release…
Trailer : Mission Majnu
Dhaval Roy, January 20, 2023, 5:00 PM IST
3.0/5
Mission Majnu story: It’s the 1970s in Pakistan when the nation conducted a covert nuclear weapons test. An Indian undercover spy, Amandeep Singh, needs to expose it and clear the stigma of being called a traitor’s son while leading a happily married life with a blind Pakistani woman, Nasreen, and a baby on the way.
Mission Majnu review: A spy thriller about India and Pakistan’s animosity during the 1970s, starring Sidharth Malhotra post his laudable performance in Shershaah, is a perfect recipe for an intriguing drama. And Mission Majnu serves it, all right, garnished with high-octane action. The fictional story is based on actual events following the Indo-Pak 1971 war and the latter secretively creating nuclear weapons. A RAW field agent, Amandeep Singh (Sidharth Malhotra), lives and works in Pakistan as a tailor called Tariq, with a mission to expose the country’s covert operation. He marries a blind girl, Nasreen (Rashmika Mandanna) and starts a family with her while being undercover.
The movie follows Amandeep’s mission, as he’s constantly subjected to insults as his father dies by suicide for being a traitor, a story that’s only given a cursory mention.
Shantanu Bagchi helms Mission Majnu with aplomb and keeps it fast-paced throughout. The director also manages to keep one on the edge of the seat on many occasions when Amandeep’s cover seems close to being blown. The milieu of 1970s Pakistan is also created appropriately.
How Tariq puts the pieces of the puzzle together, makes connections quickly and acts with alacrity is depicted skilfully. However, one cannot help but note how sketchy some of the film’s aspects are. Tariq gathers information quite easily, and some of the clues and how easily he’s rescued from dangerous situations make things seem too convenient.
Sidharth performs well as Tariq and Amandeep, especially in intense scenes. However, he is not entirely convincing in the comic parts. Rashmika Mandanna looks the part of Nasreen, and her acting is passable. Among the supporting cast, Kumud Mishra shines. Much to be written about his acting chops and track, but it would necessitate giving spoilers. Sharib Hashmi also gives a noteworthy performance as Amandeep’s partner. Mission Majnu is about Amandeep’s wit, ingenuity, and patriotism despite being mistreated, but there’s ample action too, which Sidharth pulls off well.
There’s no chest-thumping patriotism in the movie, and it stays true to its premise of the covert operation being exposed. The dialogues are worth paying attention to. The narrator describes spies as “apni mitti se duur mitti ke sipahi.”
Mission Majnu is gripping in parts, but it’s too convenient, which takes away from the narrative. While great, the action stretches in places and makes the movie seem formulaic. All in all, you will enjoy it if viewed without getting into the nuances.
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