Mili

This was definitely not your typical Bollywood movie. I expected song and dance, and I got something completely different. I was pleasantly surprised by the originality. There were plot holes all over the place, and characters acted nonsensically and unrealistically at times. However, the storyline itself is not bad. The lead actress does a credible job although the writers have her doing some pretty dumb things at times. Nevertheless, I was happy that the movie did not follow the old, worn out Indian movie formula and struck new ground with creativity. The first half was better than the second, but overall this was a solid watch.

This is the usual movie filmed around an expressionless actor Jahnvi kapoor Compare her with her mother Sri Devi. Audience can easily guess what is next and also the end result. Same formula, similar love story, motherless child brought up by single father. Best part of the movie has been shot in the freezer room of the fast food restaurant. Effectively the movie can be compressed to 20 % or even less.

Usually there are a plethora of safety devices for a deep freeze chamber which can be used in such situations. In emergency there are instructions within the freezer chamber for escape. The door lock can easily be opened without a key as one would do it from inside the house of main door. I would not recommend this movie. It is waste of time and money. There are much better choices on Netflix.

Janhvi did what she could (and what was in her abilities) to save the slow and uninteresting plot of the movie. At no point were any of the other cast memorable and did not prove useful in any way until the very end. The movie is watchable, but that's due to Janhvi.

Although there were some sweet moments of Janhvi's character, particularly in the latter half of the movie. Those were touching but I wish the other characters were developed more.

The sound track sounded good (AR Rehman ofc) but the lyrics were written by a 9 year old. It seemed like mostly everything in the movie was carelessly chosen.

A slow burner starring Jhanvi Kapoor & Sunny Kaushal mainly, which gets to the point after 40-45 minutes.

+ves : Jhanvi's acting performance which makes it a good movie to watch. Symbolism used in the film by the director especially through that mouse was something unique which looks great according to the context of the movie.

-ves : Extremely poor screenplay which makes you feel bored while waiting for the main series of events. It takes about 45-50 minutes to reach to its main plot, in a 2hrs movie, its really poor. Some over the top & illogical acts or events were also there in the movie. Considering modern age cinema, Director should definitely look into these categories.

However, if you have nothing to watch, you could go for this one. If you have that kind of patience to offer than you could give it a try.

BIG SHOUTOUT TO JHANVI KAPOOR!!!

Survival thrillers are a rarity in any film industry, let alone Bollywood, but there have been quite a few initiatives in the past few years, and I must say, regardless of their successes or failures, I'm glad that they at least attempted to venture into this relatively uncharted territory.

Coming back to 'Mili,' it's an official remake of 2019's Malayalam film 'Helen', which starred Anna Ben (which I haven't seen yet, so I have no way of comparing the two). This appears to be a reasonably competent thriller if I evaluate it strictly on its own merits.

In addition to delivering the expected ingredients of suspense and despair, it also captured the essence of a father-daughter relationship that blossomed into something wholehearted. In addition, everyone's performances were also very commendable. Particularly Janhvi Kapoor.

She may need a dozen opportunities for improvisation, but one cannot deny her willingness to take on unconventional roles that will force her to grow as an actress. She still has a long way to go, but one thing is for certain, she is indeed on the right course.