Sanchita
Mili plays to Janhvi Kapoor’s strengths, but for someone who’s watched Helen, it is quite lukewarm.
Read Full Mili Movie Review –
Rating: 3/5
Director: Mathukutty Xavier
Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, Sunny Kaushal
Runtime: 2 hours 7 mins
Storyline:
Janhvi plays the titular ‘Mili’ – a BSc Nursing graduate, who plans to fly to Canada in search of a better life.
On one hand, her father (Manoj) is not exactly pleased with her decision to go abroad but he allows her to carry on. On the other, she has an unemployed boyfriend (Sunny) whom she has withheld from introducing to her father before he gets a job.
Attending IELTS classes and working part-time at a chicken restaurant, Mili’s life is unexpectedly thrown into a wrench when she gets trapped in a freezer overnight. Due to unfortunate coincidences, no one is aware that the poor girl is stuck, fighting for her life. As the temperature gradually dips, will Mili be able to survive the night?
Watch the bone-chilling (quite literally) thriller to find out –
What Do We Think?
For the unversed, Mili is the remake of the Malayalam survival thriller Helen. It is a scene-by-scene remake, helmed by the original director Mathukutty Xavier.
Mili plays to Janhvi’s strengths – since she has the perfect damsel-in-distress face. (Except this time, the damsel has to fend for herself in the dungeon) Janhvi does a convincing job as the girl next door. She shines in the moments when she’s stuck in the freezer, giving a surprisingly restrained performance.
Veteran actor Manoj Pahwa is dependable as always and Sunny Kaushal nails the concerned boyfriend act. The screenplay is tight and the atmosphere absolutely eerie. Like Chekhov’s Gun, all the coincidental elements introduced throughout the story tie up nicely.
On its own, the film is quite a thrilling watch. However, Mili will not work for those who’ve already seen Helen, since nothing new is brought to the table.
Kudos to Janhvi though for choosing such an excellent script. After Good Luck Jerry, this is yet another feather in her cap. However, the fact that it is pretty much a copy-paste remake might take away from her performance.
Ultimately the question is – yes, it is a good film but is a scene-by-scene remake necessary? Or should the makers tweak it a little bit at least?
Hit Or Miss:
Go watch in theatres if you haven’t seen the original, because Mili’s story is really good. If you’ve already watched Helen, Mili is skippable for you.
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