THE MEHTA BOYS works due to relatability and performances

The Mehta Boys Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating

Director: Boman Irani

The Mehta Boys Movie Review Synopsis:
THE MEHTA BOYS is the story of a father and a son. Amay (Avinash Tiwary) lives alone in a flat in Mumbai. He works in an architectural firm called Sen And Sons, owned by Saumik Sen (Siddhartha Basu). The firm is bidding to design an upcoming reputed university. Amay suffers from a lack of confidence and his colleague and also his girlfriend, Zara (Shreya Chaudhry), motivates him to excel in this project. Suddenly, Amay learns that his mother has passed away and hence, he rushes to his hometown, Navsari. He meets his sister Anu (Puja Sarup), who’s settled in the USA with her family and his father Shiv Mehta (Boman Irani). Amay and Shiv’s relationship is tricky and they attempt to mourn together. Shiv and Shivani had agreed that if one of them died, the other would shift to the USA with Anu. Shiv accepts the condition, albeit reluctantly. Shiv and Anu land in Mumbai. They are all set to take the flight to Florida when Shiv is refused boarding due to overbooking issues. Anu has to rush to her family back in the USA and she requests Amay to accommodate Shiv in his house for 48 hours. Both Amay and Shiv agree to it, though not happily. What happens next forms the rest of the story.

The Mehta Boys Movie Story Review:
Alexander Dinelaris and Boman Irani’s story is very relatable. Alexander Dinelaris and Boman Irani’s screenplay is laced with dramatic and emotional moments that keep the interest going. Alexander Dinelaris and Boman Irani’s dialogues are conversational, but they leave an impact.

Boman Irani’s direction is quite good, especially considering that this is debut directorial. He has taken up a plot that will find resonance, especially in the Indian context where the fathers and sons don’t express their love for each other openly. On top of it, the narrative goes into unexpected territories in several scenes, be it Amay learning that he didn’t wish his father on his birthday, the drama that happens after the restaurant visit etc. Technically as well, the film is quite classy.

On the flipside, the writing loses grip in the second half, especially once Shiv goes back to his hometown. The character of Anu is forgotten after a point. She is given a lot of importance in the initial portions and later, she’s not even talked about. The senior architect’s rudeness in the pre-climax comes as a surprise; this aspect should have been established better and also Amay’s lack of confidence.

The Mehta Boys – Official Trailer | Boman Irani, Avinash Tiwary, Shreya Chaudhry

The Mehta Boys Movie Review Performances:
Nevertheless, Boman Irani excels overall as a writer, producer, director and also an actor. He has played a tough father in the past in many films, but he ensures his performance in THE MEHTA BOYS doesn’t remind viewers of those past acts. He also communicates beautifully through his eyes and expressions. Avinash Tiwary also puts his best foot forward. He, too, excels in non-verbal scenes and his outburst in the car and the speech in the end prove that he’s an actor of great calibre. Shreya Chaudhry performs effortlessly. Her screen presence is very arresting. Puja Sarup leaves a tremendous mark though she’s hardly there for less than 15 minutes. Siddhartha Basu is memorable. Harssh A Singh (Sam Makhija) is great but suffers from weak characterization. Dilip Tekwani (Mukesh; waiter), Kapil Dev (Gomaji; contractor) and Manjushree Kulkarni (Kulkarni; passport officer) are okay.

The Mehta Boys movie music and other technical aspects:
Most of the songs in THE MEHTA BOYS are in the background and don’t register. Gulraj Singh’s background score is a bit too elite but works for the film. Krish Makhija’s cinematography is terrific and the way he uses the close-up shots is praiseworthy. Payal Ghose Kaul’s production design is appealing. Daena Sethna’s costumes are realistic while Charu Shree Roy’s editing is satisfactory.

The Mehta Boys Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE MEHTA BOYS works due to the relatability factor and the wonderful performances of Boman Irani and Avinash Tiwary.