Mr & Mrs Mahi is a love story, a sports film and a family drama weaved together into a simple yet heart touching narrative that is relatable at many levels writes Rajeshwari Kalyanam
Two cricket lovers Mahima Agarwal (Janhvi Kapoor) who works as Junior doctor in hospital and Mahendra (Rajkummar Rao), who works in his father’s sports shop post not getting selected into state cricket team come together in wed lock. It is an arranged marriage and both find a common interest or rather obsession in cricket.
One thing leads to the other and Mahima suggests Mahendra to try and play again. One of the main reasons for this is because he feels he is not respected for being a loser. To give him credit his father is a typical Indian father who derides him at every opportunity leaving him depressed and unhappy until his marriage to Mahi – Mahima.
His coach Benny, however suggests he could be a coach instead. After all coaching a player to be successful will make the coach famous too – this thought however misplaced leads him to decide to coach his wife Mahima – who he realises is pretty good with her game.
For Mahima it is a new beginning. She trusts her husband when he says she is made for the game, leaves behind her career as a doctor and gets into training under his coaching. She believes he is doing it for her.
But is he really doing it for her – and if and when she becomes successful, will he get the limelight; is he eventually happy – what is real happiness really.
Mr & Mrs Mahi is a love story, a sports film and a family drama weaved together into a simple yet heart touching narrative.
The story of two simple people is relatable and touches a nerve or a bunch at many levels. When one talks about a mass film – it could be for front benchers or it could be for crores of Indians who lead simple lives, are emotional, have their moments of loss and despair, have their egos and anger not to mention parents who would rather their children choose a career which doesn’t keep them happy than get into sports.
Mr & Mrs Mahi is all that and with a popular sport like cricket in the forefront it is very relatable.
Yet another plus for the film is the sincere attempt to feature the game with its technicalities making it a sincere sports film that for once does not have a dishonest coach. The villain in the film is the ego.
Mr & Mrs Mahi leaves the audience with thoughts to ponder over when you leave the theatre and this is the winning moment for the writers of the film.
The film produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Zee Studios is directed by Sharan Sharma who earlier directed Janhvi in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. The other cast include Rajesh Sharma, Kumud Mishra and Zarina Wahab.
