The Legend of Michael Mishra

THE LEGEND OF MICHAEL MISHRA

Well, more often than not, considering the movies I watch off late, the first thing that crops up in my mind is a question which leaves me to sheer bewilderment about whether or not the actors are provided with detailed script of the film, or is it its mere superficial scanning and a two liner gist that convinces and reassures the actors to spend months on a movie as innately uncharming, regretfully unimaginative and distressfully irksome as the ‘Legends of Michael Mishra’ or should I say ‘Misra’.

The movie commences on a stale plot, continues through and through on a stale plot and alas, ends on a stale plot. A tailor turned kidnapper, Michael Mishra falls for a girl during his adolescence, and ever since has this unbound love at first sight, so much so that a gesture as meek as a letter changed the life of our Misra ji and his years after that which he spends toiling his sweat and blood in the prison to get himself straight and absolved of all his ignominious sins he had been committing since forever.

The conundrum following this drove the later part of the movie. With a backdrop of Patna, Bihar, the desperate attempt to draw giggles out of the audience with the Bihari accent and the demeanor only caused much disenchantment and displeasure more than any other emotion.

It made me ponder, think, think and then rethink about the intentional genre of the film, a comedy or a romance, for I failed to notice elements of either. With height of predictability in the story, the old archaic clichéd balcony love with the passing of letters in today’s day and age and the rising slumber with the anticipated climax, the urge to leave the hall couldn’t have been more arousing and urging as much as it had in this movie.

The director’s unending quest to make the transient love any better went down the drain when the typical romance in the film between the protagonists was utterly unseen and the exuberant emotions effusing out of the two lovers was hardly noticed. The willful humor from the attempted looks of Arshad Warsi’s character has been quite a futile endeavor that looked way more absurd than its seeking amusement from his disheveled looks.

With a movie having its songs backed up with T-series, I would least expect it to have songs as disenchanting and drooping as this. Having gracious and talented actors as Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani, Kayoze Irani and Aditi Rao Hyadari, it is unfortunate to have such a substandard plot to not be able to exploit their abilities and capabilities.

From the unworthy dialogues to the screenplay to well, the entire movie, it was an egregious faux pas, with not the minutest feeling of anything at close proximity to being legendary in the film. The only good thing that could happen to the movie was Aditi Rao Hyadari for her performance and charm was predominantly and pre-eminently, a respite. The sensibilities of Boman Irani should guide his son, Kayoze Irani to seek roles worth his brilliance, contrary to supporting him in this piece of disappointment.

The movie was practically and technically ailing at all ends. It was predominantly a state-focused film, in place of a pan-India film wherein it might witness some hoots and cheers, but to my disappointment and dismay, it couldn’t have been worse. Unless you belong to the section of the audience the director targets the movie at, watch the movie at your own risk!