Aankh Micholi Review: Mrunal Thakur, Abhimanyu Dassani's film has enough gags but is low on energy

Aankh Micholi, starring Mrunal Thakur and Abhimanyu Dassani, is a relatively small-budget film and saw through its release with minimal promotions. However, the film’s director Umesh Shukla is a reliable name. Having delivered pleasant, light-hearted titles like Oh My God (2012) and 102 Not Out (2018), Shukla has proven his flair in the genre. Hence, for the director alone, one might be tempted to give Aankh Micholi a shot and walk in with considerable expectations, despite practically zero hype surrounding it.

Hot Take

Aankh Micholi's humour is harmless and some of the jokes do land in parts. But it’s also dull and devoid of energy in some stretches. Despite a lackluster final act, the film is not entirely unwatchable.

Does Aankh Micholi live up to the hype?

There was little to no hype around this film, considering it was long in the making. However, a few names in the credits warrant some excitement surrounding the film. Aankh Micholi, more or less, lives up to its promise - that of being a modest, harmless comedy that works in parts.

Material is all farce

The story revolves around two families, desperately trying to hide one particular shortcoming of their to-be-married children which they are sure will bring the wedding to a halt. While Rohit (Abhimanyu Dassani) cannot see during the daytime, Paro (Mrunal Thakur) has night blindness.

Hereon, the film revolves around how the two families struggle to keep the couple-to-be's medical conditions a secret and ensure they are married. The film begins with a voiceover, claiming that the audience is going to witness the "most unique scam ever". However, Aankh Micholi lacks the energy that is required to do justice to the plot. There is also a strange Charlie Chaplin homage sequence towards the beginning, which doesn’t quite land. That sequence, however, does prepare the audience to some extent for the farce that is supposed to come their way.

It takes some time for the narrative to settle down, but soon it becomes clear that Aankh Micholi is largely farcical in nature. There are a few gags that land and some that don’t. But most importantly, the film sticks to its screwball tone. The material at hand is a farce and to make it worse, Umesh Shukla doesn’t execute it with the right energy.

A series of gags but little progression

Unfortunately, the film runs out of its gags before it reaches its final act. That's when it hits you that Aankh Micholi was entirely running on small, humourous portions without a larger story. That’s all there is to this film - a series of gags, some amusing, others not so much. There is little progression or build-up of tension, even when it comes to humour. In fact, it’s almost a miracle that Aankh Micholi holds our attention for so long despite so little going on for it.

It doesn’t help that the film’s lead actors don’t seem to have a comic bone in their body. Mrunal Thakur and Abhimanyu Dassani are clearly the weakest links in this comedy that hinges a lot on its performers to pull off some of the most ridiculously absurd material.

Veteran actors save the day

Eventually, it’s the veteran actors who come to the rescue. One can rely on Paresh Rawal for being understated yet theatrical at the same time. In either case, he delivers the goods. Abhishek Banerjee makes the most of his part, displaying great prowess at slapstick. The same can be said for Vijay Raaz too who lights up the screen with his presence.

Sharman Joshi ends up being underutilised. The Golmaal actor has got it in him but is clearly not getting big enough opportunities for a few years now. Both Sharman and Abhishek deserve special mention for rising above the bland material.

Watch it or skip it?

Aankh Micholi elicits a handful of laughs and is not entirely unwatchable, despite its fair share of blind spots and shortcomings. The film would possibly make for a better watch on OTT and does not warrant a visit to the multiplex.

Bottomline

There are many things that are going against Aankh Micholi - a weak lead pair, a low-on-energy execution and a shoddy last half-an-hour that derails the film beyond redemption. However, the film’s supporting cast saves the day.  

Rating - 2.5/5 Stars