'Mr. and Mrs. Mahi' movie review: Too many elements, predictible storyline

Sharan Sharma’s ‘Mr. and Mrs. Mahi’ tries to do too much at once. From the Indian child choosing to pursue his dreams over his parents’ demands to the complexities of fame, the plot attempts to incorporate one too many tropes, genres and discordant themes.

A cricket fanatic but below par player, Mahendra (Rajkummar Rao) is forced to work in his father’s store selling, ironically, sports goods. He unexpectedly finds a way to make up for his broken dreams through his arranged marriage. Mrs Mahi, or Mahima (Janhvi Kapoor), shares more than just his nickname. She is also a cricket lover. He convinces Mahima to toss away her career in medicine, “listen to her heart”, and become a cricketer. Though he couldn’t make the cut for the Indian team, he makes it his goal to help Mahima join the women’s team.

Drama ensues when hurdles and betrayals unfold in the wake of this life-altering decision.

There is no dearth of quintessential montages, be it the portrayal of the love between the newlyweds or the training scenes with motivational songs. The plot seems dragged out, but is sure to please audiences expecting a typical Bollywood entertainer. The storyline is frustratingly predictable and there is practically no character arc for Jahnvi Kapoor’s Mahima. The only saving grace is Rajkummar Rao’s effortless acting.

The actual message of the story gets lost in the multiple meandering conflicts and the many cricket idioms. The parents remain unidimensional, and only Rajesh Sharma as the coach shows occasional depth. The dialogues often teeter on the edge of being didactic, but is it really a Dharma production without its dose of preachy one-liners about family and love.