'Mithya' 2008 - Refreshingly different

'Mithya 2008' - Refreshingly different

By Nikhil Kumar

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. The protagonist of Rajat Kapoor’s film ‘Mithya’ finds this out in a somewhat bittersweet and tragic way.

The film, starring Ranvir Shorey as an ordinary guy stuck in an ever-swirling twister of extraordinary situations, is unpredictable and refreshingly different to its core.

Indiscernibly and cleverly laced with moments of light humour, the plot of ‘Mithya’ straddles across different genres (comedy to thriller to mysterious farce) with incredible aplomb. And a lion’s share of credit for this goes to the director Rajat Kapoor and the film’s leading man and its main driving force – Ranvir Shorey.

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VK (Ranvir Shorey) is a perpetually struggling actor doing small and forgettable roles in films. His humdrum life is turned turtle after he is abducted by a bunch of gangsters, headed by Gawde ( Naseeruddin Shah ). Gawde and his men want to supplant VK in the position of a rival don whom VK resembles.

After enduring torture by the ganglord’s men and coaxing by his attractive moll ( Neha Dhupia ), VK gives in to the plan. He agrees to impersonate as the don.

But the business of being a don (even if an imposter) has its own perks and pains. By the time VK realizes this, he finds himself in the line of fire.

‘Mithya’ begins on a very casual note but soon takes a winding path strewn with surprises and moments of mirth as the troubled and puzzled protagonist tries to come to grips with unwanted twists in his life.

As soon as he begins to resign to his fate, the movie gets serious but continues to throw surprises just when a viewer begins to settle in his/her seat. And its climax, unexpected and tragic, hits you like a bolt from the blue.

In yet another formidable display of his talent, Ranvir Shorey enacts a complex role with remarkable command and straightforwardness. From gay to dejection, optimism to persecution – emotions flit across Ranvir’s face like quicksilver.

Don’t expect much of Vinay Pathak in this film, for he is relegated against a no-less-impressive ensemble of actors including Brijendra Kala, Naseeuddin Shah, Sourabh Shukla and Harsh Chhaya. Neha Dhupia has a marginal role but she does leave an impression.

Last but not the least, Rajat Kapoor, the film’s director, should be commended for making a unique, somewhat bizarre and goofy film that leaves you puzzling over its plot.

Spanning less than two hours, ‘Mithya’ is concise, yet exhaustive. It’s intriguing, perplexing, shocking, entertaining, and thought provoking. Definitely a film not to be missed.

Rating: ***1/2