Mumbaikar Review: Big cities bring both advantages and disadvantages. The opportunities they offer are vast, but the sense of isolation that comes with being a part of such a city can be all-consuming – regardless of whether you are a resident or a visitor. The city spares none. With its central theme of mistaken identities and the predicament of those trapped in adverse situations, the characters in this Santosh Sivan- directorial, an official Hindi remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Maanagaram, learn the importance of kindness and gain valuable insights along the way.
At the very outset, Hridhu Haroon, in the role of a young man, who thrusts into the bustling metropolis from a small town, tells the HR (played by Tanya Maniktala), “If I embrace Mumbai as my own, the city, too, will count me as its own.” But, Mumbai, City of Dreams for some and not quite as welcoming for others, had other plans. Things go awry soon after in this urban thriller that spans over 48 hours and offers a glimpse into the lives of multiple characters who encounter a range of challenges.
Tanya’s boyfriend, played by Vikrant Massey, is a rebel to pursuing a decent and meaningful life. Hridu, meanwhile, gets mistaken for Vikrant and is beaten up by thugs and ends up losing his important documents. In another track, there is a slightly eccentric man (Vijay Sethupathi) who has his heart in the right place. He aspires to make it big in life, both in terms of wealth and fame, and joins a criminal gang in Mumbai with help from a friend. His first task involves kidnapping a young boy named Rahul from his school. In a twist of fate, he abducts the wrong boy who happens to be the son of a notorious criminal, PKP (Ranvir Shorey). Then there is a cabbie (Sanjay Mishra) who works at one of PKP’s businesses that rents out cars to the same BPO that Tanya and Hridhu work at. In the botched kidnapping, the stories coverage and the characters find themselves entangled in a situation involving ruthless gangsters and corrupt police officers.
It’s a potboiler with a good mix of action, drama, romance and comic relief. Vijay Sethupathi is effortless as a peculiar man with unique quirks but a compassionate nature. He does crimes to establish himself as a famous ‘Don’, but his conscience begins to betray him. He gets the bigger share of the punchlines and delivers a solid performance.
Vikrant Massey delivers a convincing performance as a rebellious man torn between his desire to do what’s right and his limited patience for those who cross him. He effortlessly transitions between a lovelorn romantic pursuing a scorned girlfriend and an angry guy willing to go to any lengths to seek vengeance when threatened. At the same time, Massey beautifully plays a compassionate citizen who lends a hand to help a stranded little boy reach home. Ranvir Shorey delivers a solid performance as feared gangster PKP, showcasing both his terrifying presence and his emotional depth as a desperate father on a mission to rescue his son. As the plot thickens, Shorey’s frustration grows and he delivers standout scenes that leave a lasting impact. Sanjay Mishra and Brijendra Kala (as a police sergeant) do justice to their parts, while Tanya has very little part in the whole script. Hridu makes up for his inconsistencies in the second half.
The parallel storylines in the film move swiftly between each other, but unfortunately, the dialogues fail to make a significant impact. At times, the accents are thick, taking away the clarity of the dialogue delivery, and overall, they fall short of the expected impact. The film falters in detailing that is supposedly meant to add to the quirky script. There’s a Bengali character thrown into the mix, who speaks surprisingly faulty Bangla, and then there’s a promiscuous woman, caught in a raid, who feels the need to cat-call a man while still at the police station. On the flip side, the inter-connections don’t feel forced, but reflect the reality of life in a metro, where the sheer population leaves enough room for misplaced identities and a comedy of errors.
If you haven’t watch the Tamil version, the unpredictability of the hyperlink thriller will be enjoyable. A good, one-time watch.
The film is currently streaming on JioCinema.
