Star Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Nishant Dahiya
Director: Arati Kadav
Mrs Movie Review Synopsis:
MRS is the story of a woman’s struggle after getting married. Richa (Sanya Malhotra) lives with her parents and brother. For an arranged marriage, she meets Diwakar (Nishant Dahiya), a gynaecologist who also runs his own nursing home. Diwakar and his parents – father Ashwin Kumar (Kanwaljit Singh) and mother Meena Kumar (Aparna Ghoshal) seem respectable and kind-hearted. Richa hence agrees to marry him. Soon, things go South for Richa as she realizes that an extreme level of patriarchy is followed at her in-law’s place. Richa’s mother-in-law not only cooks the food but also takes out the chappals and clothes of her husband. The first few days are tough for Richa, but she manages as she gets help from her mother-in-law. Trouble arises when the mother-in-law goes to meet her daughter for several days. The whole responsibility of running the kitchen and keeping up with the unreasonable demands of Diwakar and his father falls on her. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Mrs Movie Story Review:
MRS is based on THE GREAT INDIAN KITCHEN [2021; written by Jeo Baby]. Anu Singh Choudhary, Harman Baweja and Arati Kadav’s story adaptation does justice to the original film’s plot. Anu Singh Choudhary, Harman Baweja and Arati Kadav’s screenplay is captivating. The writers have nicely set the story in the North. THE GREAT INDIAN KITCHEN had certain cultural references; this aspect is taken care of and hence, the film doesn’t have a ‘South remake feel’. Anu Singh Choudhary’s dialogues are simple yet sharp.
Arati Kadav’s direction is impressive. She keeps the narrative simple and the focus is on the female character and her struggles. The way she gradually realizes the truth of her in-laws makes for a great watch. The way food has been utilized in the narrative – be it to show how it got her closer to her to-be hubby to how it also led to issues between the couple – is praiseworthy. There’s no violence or bloodshed in the film and yet, some scenes are very unsettling. That the film is too real also adds to the impact of the goings-on.
On the flipside, though the film is 106 minutes long, it drags in the middle. There’s not much of a story in the film and as a result, viewers might get restless once they understand what the makers are trying to convey and would want to know what happens next. Secondly, since it’s an OTT release, a chunk of the target audience must have seen the original film. As a result, they might not be interested to see the same story again.
Mrs. | Official Trailer | A ZEE5 Original Film | Sanya Malhotra, Nishant Dahiya
Mrs Movie Review Performances:
Sanya Malhotra delivers a very convincing performance. She also carries the film firmly on her shoulders. After PAGGLAIT [2021] and KATHAL [2023], she seems apt for such lead roles and doesn’t disappoint. Nishant Dahiya is aptly cast and performs as per the character’s requirement. Kanwaljit Singh plays a role different from his set image and manages to do well. Aparna Ghoshal gets a limited scope. Nitya Moyal (Saavi; kid) is cute. Gulsita (Saavi’s mother), Varun Badola (Tunnu) and Loveleen Misra (Nirjala; Diwakar’s bua) are there for a scene but they leave a huge mark. Harshika Kewalramani (Bubbles) is okay.
Mrs movie music and other technical aspects:
The music doesn’t work and all three songs – ‘Baar Baar’, ‘Rukte Rukte Chali Re’ and ‘Spirit Of Richa’ – manage to register because of the visuals. Sagar Desai’s background score is much better. Pratham Mehta’s cinematography is lovely, especially the scenes of food. Brinda Parameswar’s choreography deserves special mention. Karishma Gulati’s costumes and Nida Khalid Shaikh’s production design are very real. Prerna Saigal’s editing could have been slicker.
Mrs Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MRS is a faithful remake and is laced with yet another memorable performance by Sanya Malhotra.