Meethe Mein Kya Hai Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Ritwik Bhowmik, Rohini Hattangady, Ayesha Raza, Shivika Rishi
Director: Radhika Bansal
Meethe Mein Kya Hai Movie Review Synopsis:
MEETHE MEIN KYA HAI is the story of a family reunion. Jai Agarwal (Ritwik Bhowmik) is an architect whose wife Tara (Kanikka Kapur) passed away two years ago in a car accident. He is yet to move on from her demise. He has distanced himself from his family and informs them that he won't be able to attend the Diwali get-together at his nani's (Rohini Hattangady) residence in Lucknow. However, his sister Sana (Dalai) calls him and reveals that she has secretly got married. Hence, she requests him to be present when she introduces her husband Karam (Vikram Bakshi) to the family at the Diwali gathering. Jai reluctantly agrees and reaches his nani's house, where he meets his mother Amrita (Ayesha Raza), father Ajay (Gaurav Sharma), mami Preeti (Tarana Raja), mama Rishab (Abhay Kaul) and their son Sid (Ayuushman Ghai). He also bumps into his nani's 13-year-old neighbour, Meera (Shivika Rishi), and the two strike up an unlikely friendship. A day later, Sana and Karam arrive and, as expected, all hell breaks loose. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Meethe Mein Kya Hai Movie Story Review:
Radhika Bansal's story is relatable and sweet. Radhika Bansal's screenplay is breezy and peppered with heartwarming and emotional moments. However, the writing is weak in places. Radhika Bansal's dialogues are realistic yet entertaining.
Radhika Bansal's direction is quite good for a first-timer. At a time when even experienced filmmakers struggle to get their humour right, MEETHE MEIN KYA HAI has moments that genuinely raise laughs. This is especially true in the initial portions, when Karam is introduced to the family. Meera's habit of pretending not to listen to conversations is also amusing. The film has a runtime of just 119 minutes and doesn't bore even for a moment. Moreover, the conflicts, joys and sorrows are rooted in everyday life and feel like situations that could happen to any one of us. Radhika maintains this relatability from start to finish.
On the flipside, certain developments don't seem organic. In fact, a few conflicts appear to have been added just for the sake of it. For instance, Amrita, Ajay, Preeti and Rishab's insistence that nani should move to Jaipur instead of living alone feels forced. Jai accompanying Meera to her friend's house also comes out of nowhere. Individually, the scene is sweet, but it doesn't fit into the overall narrative. The same applies to the song ‘Ichak Dana Bichak Dana’. Another odd aspect are the scenes in which characters spill milk, wine and oil. These moments feel childish and out of place in an otherwise realistic film.
Meethe Mein Kya Hai Movie Review Performances:
Ritwik Bhowmik suits the part to a T. He delivers a fine performance as a man who is secretly grieving but is also trying his best to enjoy a much-needed family reunion. Rohini Hattangady is adorable, and only an actor of her calibre could have pulled off this role. Shivika Rishi is the surprise package of the film. She plays a well-written character and elevates it further with her performance. Ayesha Raza is slightly over-the-top, as required by her character. Gaurav Sharma, Tarana Raja and Abhay Kaul lend able support. Dalai and Vikram Bakshi leave a strong impression, especially the latter in the scene where he gets high. Ayuushman Ghai is okay and has limited scope. Kanikka Kapur, last seen in BATWARA 1947, is decent.
Meethe Mein Kya Hai movie music and other technical aspects:
Amit Trivedi's music is situational, but none of the songs – 'Chad De Chad De', 'Karam Farma De', 'Ichak Dana Bichak Dana' and 'Jagmaga' – are likely to have a long shelf life. Amit Trivedi's background score is much better.
Piyush Puty's cinematography is satisfactory. Natasha Gauba's production design is authentic. Theia Tekchandaney and Ayushi Jain's costumes are realistic yet glamorous. Neha Mehra's editing is functional.
Meethe Mein Kya Hai Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MEETHE MEIN KYA HAI is a sweet, heartwarming family entertainer that works due to its relatable moments, genuine humour and fine performances. The film is arriving on Netflix with negligible hype and little buzz surrounding its release. However, thanks to its feel-good appeal and universal theme of family relationships, it has the potential to gradually find its audience through positive word of mouth.