MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is a paisa vasool big-screen entertainer

Mirzapur – The Movie Review {4.0/5} & Review Rating

Director: Gurmmeet Singh

Mirzapur The Movie Review Synopsis:
MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is the story of power and ambition. Akhandanand Tripathi aka Kaleen Bhaiyya (Pankaj Tripathi) is the undisputed king, or ‘baahubali’, of Mirzapur. He has little faith in his son, Phoolchand Tripathi aka Munna (Divyenndu), and is far more impressed by the abilities of Govind Pandit aka Guddu (Ali Fazal) and Vinay Pandit aka Bablu (Jitendra Kumar). Meanwhile, J P Yadav (Pramod Pathak) puts pressure on Kaleen Bhaiyya to arrange funds for his upcoming election campaign. In order to raise the money, Kaleen begins looking for a new supplier. This is when Bablu gets a tip about Babban Yadav (Ravi Kishan), a Jaisalmer-based businessman who is looking to sell seven truckloads of drugs. However, Babban has an ulterior motive – he intends to eliminate Kaleen Bhaiyya. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Mirzapur The Movie Story Review:
Puneet Krishna’s story is impressive and organically fits into the MIRZAPUR universe. Puneet Krishna’s screenplay is very captivating and peppered with strong confrontational and action sequences. However, the writing in the middle of the second half leaves a lot to be desired. Puneet Krishna’s dialogues are one of the highlights. A few one-liners are sure to be lapped up by the masses and could also go viral on social media.

Gurmmeet Singh’s direction is mass-appealing. MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is a unique experiment as it takes a popular web-series universe to the big screen. Moreover, it is not a continuation of the most recent season that dropped digitally. Instead, its story is set between Episodes 6 and 7 of the first season. This is a challenging proposition since the developments in the film cannot contradict or affect what happens subsequently in the series. In this regard, the writer emerges victorious, while Gurmmeet Singh also ensures that the continuity and essence of the MIRZAPUR universe remain intact. The film has a runtime of more than three hours, and yet, one doesn’t get bored even for a moment. The action sequences may not be in abundance, but the film compensates with several powerful dramatic face-offs that elevate the impact. Some of the scenes that leave a mark are Guddu’s tu-tu main-main with his father while his mother tries on the woollen clothes, Guddu and Munna’s encounter at the salon, Babban’s argument with Vasudha Pandit (Sheeba Chaddha) and Guddu’s first meeting with Babban. However, the scene that takes the cake is the one in which Munna admonishes J P Yadav. It is sure to create a frenzy among the masses. The finale, too, is bound to get a roaring response in cinemas.

On the flipside, the film gets a bit stretched in the post-interval portions, while the romantic sequences feel forced. In fact, except for Beena Tripathi (Rasika Dugal) and Mumtaz Bibi (Sonal Chauhan), the rest of the actresses don’t have much to do. Babban’s decision to eliminate Kaleen Bhaiyya also seems unconvincing, as he doesn’t have a strong enough motive to take such an extreme step. Moreover, the film is predictable because, as mentioned earlier, it is set in the middle of the first season. Hence, one is already aware of the fate of several characters. As a result, a crucial scene in which a character’s heart stops beating has limited impact since the viewer knows that the character will survive.

Mirzapur The Movie Review Performances:
Pankaj Tripathi delivers a supreme performance. Right from the first sequence, he ensures one forgets his light-hearted and comic avatars and sees him as the King of Mirzapur. Ali Fazal is terrific in his massiest performance to date. He plays to the gallery perfectly without going overboard. Divyenndu, too, puts his best foot forward and ensures that viewers get their money’s worth. Apart from his massy scenes, his emotional portion in the beginning also stands out. Jitendra Kumar had a big responsibility as he’s replacing Vikrant Massey. But he manages to effortlessly slip into the character. Ravi Kishan is too good. His fan following has gone through the roof lately and thankfully, the makers here have done full justice to his character, especially in the finale. Pramod Pathak, Sheeba Chaddha and Rasika Dugal have limited screen time, but they leave a tremendous mark. Sonal Chauhan looks stunning and delivers a fair performance; an actress who deserves to be seen more. Abhishek Banerjee (Subodh aka Compunder), Kulbhushan Kharbanda (Satyanand Tripathi), Shaji Choudhary (Maqbool) and Anangsha Biswas (Zarina) lend able support. Shweta Tripathi (Golu) and Shriya Pilgaonkar (Sweety) are impressive. Sadly, they don’t have much to do. Harshita Gaur (Dimpy) is wasted. Sushant Singh (Bhairav Singh Karnawat) and Rajesh Tailang (Ramakant Pandit) are dependable. Mohitt Maalik (Birju Lohar) delivers a decent performance. Satendra Soni (Chandu Puncture) is entertaining and the surprise of the film.

Mirzapur The Movie music and other technical aspects:
The songs don’t register at all. ‘Ghoom Ghoom’ is the best of the lot, more due to the picturization and placement. ‘Vaaroon Forever’, ‘Do Numbari’, ‘Sanson Ki Mala’ and ‘Vindhyvasini Ki Jao Ho’ are average. John Stewart Eduri’s background score is much better and enhances the impact of several scenes.

Sanjay Kapoor’s cinematography is top-notch and lends the film a grandeur that surpasses the web series, giving it the much-needed cinematic feel. Amin Khatib’s action is gory, and it works well for the film in this zone. Sonam Singh and Abhijit Gaonkar’s production design is classy, while Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Ghosh’s costumes are realistic yet stylish. Manan Ashwin Mehta’s editing is functional but could have been sharper in some scenes.

Mirzapur The Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is a paisa-vasool big-screen entertainer that successfully transports the much-loved world of MIRZAPUR from OTT to cinemas. The powerhouse performances, whistle-worthy dialogues, gripping confrontations, massy moments and a rousing finale compensate for the stretched portions and predictable nature of the narrative. The film has opened strongly at the box office and is on course to enter the Rs. 100 crore club over the opening weekend. With Rs. 200 crore well within reach, its strong audience response and franchise value could translate into a major theatrical success.