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Mrs Undercover movie review: perky Radhika Apte shines in a piquant plot
What: Mrs Undercover – starring Radhika Apte in lead by first timer writer director Anushree Mehta finds the talented actress shine in a piquant plot.
Mrs Undercover movie synopsis
Mrs. Undercover written and directed by first timer Anushree Mehta piqued my interest from its opening scene. A romantic date leads to a chilling and cold blooded, ruthless murder of a girl. The perpetrator is a pyscho serial killer who pounces surreptitiously on his victims from the opposite sex who happen to be strong minded and independent.
Before the final act, the killer who has christened himself as the Common Man makes a video from the prey's cell phone and sends the footage to the police challenging them. The special task force is assigned to nab him.
Cut to the next scene, we are introduced to the protagonist Durga Das (Radhika Apte), once an agent but now 'just' a housewife, buried under the household chores and daily drudgery surrounded by a supportive dementia-ridden mother-in law, a 8 year old son and a thankless chauvinistic husband.
Situation and the relentless coercing of the STF head (played by Rajesh Sharma) land Durga in the same position which she had relinquished years ago. To catch the killer on the prowl, Durga reluctantly starts moonlighting as the spy caring little about the risks and high stakes.
Fashioned as a spy comedy, Anushree's plot unravels intriguingly and offers you a complete blend of fun, thrills and excitement. Set in Kolkata, the film captures the essence and ethos of the city of joy through its quirky characters and their idiosyncrasies.
The sequences between Rajesh Sharma and Apte are silly but outrageously hilarious. Juggling between two lives, Apte lends an unmistakable sheen and power to Durga, underlining the 'multi tasking' facet of her character. Her expressions and bewilderment are apt and complimented by another terrific performer, Rajesh Sharma who enjoys his short undercover endeavours to coax Apte.
She is definitely having a ball flexing her action chops but the commentary on the triumph over patriarchal mindset gets preachy and overbearing. Sumit Vyas approaches his part quite calculatedly which is a departure from the variety of roles the actor has played in recent past.
The 1 hour 43 minute narrative is maneuvered interestingly but derails at the climax. It had to be punchy and gutsy. I was interested to see the backstory of Durga which is not revealed much in the film.
Neither we get to know why Aisha, neighbour of Durga, has joined the Common Man. Most likely, its sequel is on the cards.
Mrs Undercover final words
When Durga fights a dozen goons in black attire, she resonates with the imagery of Maa Kaali - who is a fiercer form of the Goddess. I was sold by that. Though the take on women empowerment gets preachy, I will still go with 3.5 stars. The is streaming on Zee5 from 14th April 2023.
Ahwaan Padhee, is an IT Techie/Business Consultant by profession and a film critic/cinephile by passion, is also associated with Radio Playback as well, loves writing and conducting movie quizzes. More By Ahwaan Padhee