Sidharth Malhotra Shines In Mission Majnu, But Story Fails To Impress

Shantanu Bagchi's directorial Mission Majnu is based on true events from the 1970s, a time when Pakistan was secretly making a nuclear bomb. The film inspired by a real-life tale shows what went between two nuclear tests of India. The film is more of a tribute to the untold story of the spy who sacrificed their lives for their country. It is an emotional take on spies, who are in constant fear for their families. For a change, it focuses less on the macho side of the army.

Mission Majnu- A Romantic Spy Thriller

The film Mission Majnu ">starts with a romance between protagonist Tariq (Sidharth Malhotra) and Nasreen (Rashmika Mandanna) and takes turns between Tariq being an Indian spy and a husband to a Pakistani woman who is blind. The story revolves around Tariq, who is a tailor in disguise and is assigned a mission to find where Pakistan’s nuclear facility has been operated. Nasreen also gradually becomes part of his cover story. In between lies the childhood trauma of Tariq, whose father was also a soldier. Tariq in the film spends his entire time repenting his father’s treachery towards the country, and why he became a spy.

One of the best moments of the film is when Tariq proves loyalty with his intelligence, and his superior acknowledges his allegiance towards the country. It shows how much the spy sacrifices for his country, and what it means when your loyalty is acknowledged, especially in the case of Tariq. But again film poor stab at patriotism. Mission Majnu is just another film on the list of glorified patriotism. However, the only difference is this time it has focused on the aftermath of Indian spies when they play a major role in bringing down a mission of nemesis. The film adds more weightage in telling the story of a spy who is stuck between his duty towards the country and duty towards the family.

There are loose ends in the writing, and it doesn’t seem to blend of strong story, they are scattered in parts that fail to hook the films. Definitely, the film has some good mind-playing sequences, moments of thrill, and subtle action sequences. Tariq’s eureka moments come when his investigation reaches a dead end and are raw and relatable. Usually, spy films have this picture-perfect, way ahead-of-time moment which is far away from reality, so this makes a film a little close to reality. Although more justice could have been done to the overall script and execution.

Performance-wise, Kumud Mishra as Raman Singh and Shabir Hashmi as Aslam do a fantastic job. Sidharth Malhotra with his smile and innocence steals the show, Rashmika Mandanna, too justifies her role, together they do create magic, and bring liveliness to the film. The chemistry of this new pairing is mesmerising. But  Mandanna could have given more and not just placed a prop. The camera and background score are nicely done and it does try to elevate the storytelling, but fails to do so.

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