Plot

Mumbaikar follows the lives of three individuals who come to Mumbai in search of opportunities. These characters cross paths with an unemployed-by-choice man, an HR at a BPO, and a dreaded don. A mistaken identity and an incident on a bus later, chaos ensues, leading to intense confrontations, gunshots, and brutal beatings. The story unfolds in the course of a single night, revealing unexpected truths along the way.

Acting

Vijay Sethupathi delivers a solid performance as the dopey Munna. His deadpan stares and dry humour are reminiscent of his villainous character from Master. Unfortunately, the uninspired writing fails to do justice to his character. Ranvir Shorey, although deserving of more screen time, delivers a sincere performance as the gangster PKP. Vikrant Massey, Tanya Maniktala, and Sanjay Mishra deliver average performances and fail to stand out.

Cinematography

Santosh Sivan, who also shot this film, fails to capture the essence of the city, despite the opening montage of famous Mumbai landmarks and Mumbaiyya swearing. Although the scenes involving the gangsters carry a comical touch that manages to bring a smile to your face, parts of it work because of the talent of its cast.

Direction

Sivan never fully strikes a balance between a dark comedic tone and a murky thriller, and the film suffers greatly from that. With a quirky tone, Sivan narrates a story that attempts to fire on all cylinders but falls slightly short of expectations. The script is inconsistent, barely scratching the surface and failing to take a deep dive into the narrative.

Verdict

Mumbaikar is a chaotic mess of a film that attempts to capture the essence of Mumbai but falls short due to its inconsistent script and uneven direction. The talented cast does their best with the material they are given, but ultimately the film fails to live up to its potential. However, Vijay Sethupathi's performance manages to inject moments of brilliance into the narrative, making it worth a watch.

Share this review