Mr India or Miss India?

In case, though I doubt that you have not seen Mr India YET, you should! Watch it as it is the first actual Superhero movie and the first sci-fi of Bollywood has a brilliant concept and endlessly quotable dialogues, The movie is excellently directed by Shekhar Kapur who draws magnificent performances from all the actors.

Watch this movie for Sridevi, who gives one of her best performances. Mr India was screened on 23 June 2018, the London Indian Film Festival screened it as a tribute to her, after her tragic demise. She plays her character of a nosy journalist (all journalists are nosy, actually) with a ‘joie de vivre’ where she holds the movie together. The first misunderstanding scene with Anil Kapoor shows vibrant chemistry between the two stars. Her comic timing is perfect; you will remember for years how she gives tips to the goons (who have kidnapped her and are torturing her) to catch the ‘invisible’ Mr India who is attempting to rescue her. Sri is all heart as she turns around to open up to make a place for the orphaned children under the care of her landlord Anil. She is believable as the belle in love with a man who is invisible and you will never ever forget her as the hot sensuous Diva who croons Kaate nahin Kat te. She is cutely memorable in Karte hain hum pyaar Mr India se in her super matching ensembles and her expressions will leave you spellbound in Hawa Hawai. Her Charlie Chaplin scene as well as the Cockroach scene will leave you in splits, she is simply amazing.

Watch Mr India for…well for Mr India i.e. Anil Kapoor as the person who gets the science to become invisible and used it for the public good, the opposite of his real easy-going persona. Anil as the ‘father’ to a host of orphaned children gives a wonderfully underrated performance where he is the perfect foil to Sridevi and yes, Mogambo too. The song Zindagi ki yahi reet hai is my favourite from the movie and it is actually a lesson for life.

Watch Mr India for the adorable kids who can actually act and emote. Of course, you will keep on having flashes of Bhramchari (Shammi Kapoor with a host of orphans) and a bit of Parichay but you will connect to them.

Watch the movie for Mogambo so that you can go around for a month mouthing ‘Mogambo Khush hua’ at the slightest pretext, you can, of course, threaten your friends so that they can do the Hail Mogambo! salute every time they see you, I did! Amrish Puri was an iconic villain with his dialogue, expressions especially the eyeroll in spite, yes ‘inspite’ of the Barbie doll hairstyle with golden locks and the bandbaaja costume. In fact, all the scenes with the villains, big and small were hilarious.

Mr India is watchable for Calendar, where Satish Kaushik who was also the assistant director of the movie plays the best Man-Friday.

You will also remember, with a smile, Annu Kapoor the Editor who is harassed continuously by wrong number calls on his landline which is hilariously handled and also by a super-energetic Sridevi. The scene where she finally brings him face-to-face … I mean as to the non-face of invisible Mr India is really funny and you will love the gleeful expression on Sri’s face.

For me, well, Mr India is Sridevi’s film all the way! Yes, Anil Kapoor gives a stellar performance, there cannot be a more menacing villain than Amrish Puri, Satish Kaushik as Calendar and Annu Kapoor as the eccentric is eminently watchable and the children are super-cute BUT Sridevi sets the screen on fire every single time she comes on it. With her excellent comic timing, sex appeal, expressions, dialogue delivery, her sheer exuberance, she breathes life into every scene.

This weekend… Mr India!