Mirzya: A lukewarm romance

Debutant Harshvardhan Kapoor sparkles in a far from sparkling movie

When Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra saw a play based on the Mirza-Sahiban legend nearly 35 years ago in college, it stayed with him. As one of India's greatest romantic tragedies, whether its re-telling was possible in a contemporary setting was what everyone wanted to know when Mehra's latest venture, Mirzya, hit the theatre screens. Though recreated on the screen on more than one occasion, Mirzya is arguably the grandest version of Mirza-Sahiban. It is also a movie that dabbles in a generous amount of risk in placing the romantic tragedy in contemporary times.

Prior to the movie's release, Gulzar, the movie's screenplay writer, had compared the impact of romantic tragedies to that of an agarbatti, leaving behind an aroma long after it was doused. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), a contemporary re-telling of the Shakespearean tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, remains popular to this day. Would Mirzya be another Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak?

The film has its heart in the right place and is made with great intent, but unfortunately it is the victim of mediocre execution. For a movie whose USP is meant to be romance, there is sadly very little chemistry in the scenes between the two main protagonists essayed by Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher. The character of Sahiban in the modern context (Suchi) has not been sketched out particularly well. Given that the story's central plot revolves around her, and her betrayal, one would have liked to see a much more layered character.

However, all is not bad,and the scenes of Munish (modern-day Mirza) and Suchi as childhood sweethearts are enacted well. Mehra, it must be said, sets a good platform at the beginning and it does get you quite geared up as a viewer for how the rest of the movie will fare. The folklore portion, which comprises a fifth of the film and is shot in Ladakh, has been captured superbly and the visuals are splendid.

Mehra is one of India's finest directors and whenever a movie of his comes up, expectations are always high. He set the bar high with Rang De Basanti (2006) and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013). Yet, to give him his due, he is dabbling in a genre with Mirzya that hasn't really been his strength. Except for a couple of fleeting scenes between Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, nobody quite remembers a Mehra film for its romance. He was walking into uncharted territory with Mirzya, a film that can hardly be described as "safe".

Kapoor makes a tremendous debut with Mirzya and for someone belonging to a "filmy" family, this is indeed an unconventional debut vehicle. A film like this would need content and good word of mouth to succeed at the box office. But Kapoor stands out in this film and he looks convincing and acts well right through the movie. If he continues to make the right choices and is aware of what he is doing, he could go a long way. Kher looks ethereal in many places, especially the folklore scenes, and conveys the right expressions and body language when required. While she shows promise, there certainly is room for improvement. Both youngsters are blessed to have had a director like Mehra, who has always been known as an actor's director, to guide them in their first film. Another standout performance in this movie comes from Art Malik, who had earlier played a minor role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. He excels in Mirzya as Kher's father in the contemporary portion of the film.

Mirzya is a confused film that starts off well, sets the right pace, but unfortunately fizzles out before it can regain its lost momentum. It is unlikely to be remembered as Mehra's finest work.