Wicked yet entertaining noir drama

Monica, O My Darling

Hindi (Netflix)
Director: Vasan Bala

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte

Rating: 3.5/5

‘Monica, O My Darling’! How can one resist humming this title in the tune of the iconic 70s Bollywood song by the queen of cabaret Asha Bhosle. Even though there are many remix versions of ‘Piya tu ab to aaja’, Achint Takkar’s presentation of the same holds the retro charm, but not without a cheeky touch of newness to it.

This very musicality, and the makeover of this song as background score to Vasan Bala’s new Netflix release ‘Monica, O My Darling’ succeeds in setting the film’s whimsical and wicked mood very aptly. Adapted from Japanese writer Keigo Higashino’s 1989 novel Heart of Brutus, ‘Monica, O My Darling’ is an intriguing, funny and entertaining Noir.

Set in Pune, the film entirely revolves around the human employees of a robotics company chasing their own battles - a hardworking outsider becoming the CEO of the ‘Unicorn’, a forgotten friend who wants to be felt important, an incompetent son of a rich man, a woman using her beauty and sexuality to fulfill her desires and needs - everyone running behind some sort of acknowledgment to earn and live their due credits. The screen is lit mostly in the colours of red, black and bits of yellow, just like the nature of the film - dark, bloody and humorous.

You can expect the unexpected in every move of the story. Rajkummar Rao as Jayant is never left to enjoy his happy moments. He is slightly in relief and you know there is a twist coming in immediately. Huma Qureshi as Monica is absolutely stunning in her red lipstick as a bold and carefree woman, and even better in her portrayal of a woman in the night suit who is vulnerable, raw, and needy for love. In one of the finest sequences of the film, Jayant and Monica have a physical fight, but as they go on, both realise that the fight is not between them - the equals - but it’s a battle of haves and have nots. This is one of the defining moments of the film.

Radhika Apte totally shines as a funny, playful and pretty cop, this time in a ‘never-seen-before’ avatar. As ACP Naidu, she is organic, flirtatious, corrupt, and flawless. A fiercely humane and real woman cop is very rare to see in the Hindi mainstream cinema where we can see mostly unidimensional honest and strict women police officers. Sukant Goel playing Gaurav (Gaurya) is the find of the film, leaving an impressionable performance.

There is a dialogue by ACP Naidu, “Always leave the story vaguely, but with the feeling to it, because the beauty of a human being is in the small mistakes they make.” ‘Monica, O my Darling’, also follows the suit.