Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | April 08, 2017

Rating: 2.5 / 5

The essence: Rajesh Ram Singh comes very close with his dose of ‘forbidden love’, fine-tuning his characters before going in for the ‘kill’. Mirza Juuliet is a fine take on the oft-done subject and the novelty is in its execution, sans a glorified star cast.

There’s a Romeo squad out to finish Mirza and Juuliet, Bollywood’s latest on the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet, multiplied many times over on screen in various languages. In Bollywood, the last representation was the 2012 film, Ishaqzaade. Parma (Arjun Kapoor) and Zoya (Parineeta Chpora) fleshed out a perfect interpretation of the tragic love story.

Rajesh Ram Singh comes very close with his dose of ‘forbidden love’, fine-tuning his characters before going in for the ‘kill’. Mirza Juuliet is a fine take on the oft-done subject and the novelty is in its execution, sans a glorified star cast.

Singh establishes the credentials for the characters to behave the way they do and builds from there to weave in the tragic love story. What’s missing though is that ‘one ingredient’ that could pull you to the core of the emotions of Mirza and Juuliet like it did with Parma and Zoya.

Set in a small town of Mirzapur in UP, Juuliet Shukla (Pia Bajpai) rides roughshod over the locals with her brand of bullying, coming from a ‘well-connected’ family that has political clout and is feared for their arrogance. She is set to marry Rajan Pandey (Chandan Roy Sanyal) whose uncle has been shot dead in a face-off with a Muslim leader. The decks have inadvertently been cleared for Pandey by his dad (a powerful political broker), to be the next CM of the state. Pandey, on his part is happy with his handset, asking a chumma from his bride-to-be over the phone, time and again.

Juuliet’s brothers, the eldest of who is Dharamraj (Priyanshu Chatterjee), are rubbing their hands with glee at this alliance, knowing that their stronghold over the town will not only get better but will also extend to the neighboring towns with this marriage.

In walks Mirza (Darshan Kumar), the one who shot Pandey’s uncle. His entry into the town and background is well established and Juuliet finds her long lost childhood friend. Before long, her ‘phone talks’ with Pandey translate into a physical relationship with Mirza. However, she has to marry Pandey and this is what ticks Mirza off and he wants his Juuliet back.

Darshan Kumar who was venomous in NH 10 and subtle in Mary Kom shows once again why he should be invested in. In the opening scene, he glides through powerfully to pierce the bullet in the heart. His character remains well within his motives and what he believes in; he is also justified for the manner in which he pursues his Juuliet.

Pia Bajpai as this brash teenager with a tomboyish outlook metamorphoses into this desirous girl with her body language and looks. She is fiercely protective about her desires and will yield to only who she wills. She pokes and prods Mirza to an extent where he decides that Juuliet is the love of his life. Pia gives Juuliet the definition expected of the character.

Chandan Roy Sanyal as the man obsessed with nothing but just sex on his mind (not even the power of the state in his hands excites him), is juvenile in his approach and maintains the futile purpose of his existence through the film.

Priyanshu Chatterjee pulls off the local goon act (leading his brothers), to a nicety. His demeaning of his wife in front of his brothers and not standing up for his sister when she is raped tells the state of his mind and level of his ambition and the death of morality.

Mirza Juuliet is a movie worth investing in, considering the releases we have this week.

CREDITS
Producer: Shemaroo Entertainment
Director: Rajesh Ram Singh
Star Cast: Darshan Kumar, Pia Bajpai, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Swanand Kirkire