Ok, first things first. I was desperately anticipating this movie to hit the marquee based on its subject of marital relations. Not that this theme is untouched, but by the looks of it, and because of the ever-suave and sophisticated Rajat Kapoor, I knew this movie would definitely be worth a ’dekho’.
And so it was. My hubby agrees me for once in this aspect.
It’s a simple story, very simply told. No shenanigans, no jarring music, and no over-the-top characters. In fact, the entire look of the movie is so straight-out-of-our- living rooms, that I was surprised to be seated on the plush reclining seats of our new neighbourhood multiplex, when the going-ons seemed so natural, so ordinary.
Mixed Doubles peeps into the lives of today’s young urban couples. It talks about real people with real issues. The first half of the movie very deftly introduces us to the world of a 30-something couple. It takes us through the daily grind they face, their relations with each other, the camaraderie they share with their colleagues et al. It’s funny, witty, charming, and oh so realistic. The director, Rajat Kapoor, has done a good job in studying the minds and lifestyle of the young working middle-class, and brilliantly transforming it on celluloid. Never once are you reminded that you are watching a movie - it can easily pass off as one our many life’s incidents captured on a handy cam. Amidst being totally engrossed in the film, I could hear my immediate neighbour whispering to her husband, ’’Gosh! I didn’t know there were many like you.’’ Obviously she was referring to the scenes where the husband (Ranvir Shourie, at his career best) just refused to give away his stinking tees for washing.
Playing the working woman/housewife with aplomb, Konkana Sensharma, essays her role with conviction and sincerity. Their on-screen chemistry, and the story thus far, only raises the bar for an equally gripping second-half. Unfortunately, for me, it does not live up to the superb first half. This does not in any way mean the movie is a letdown, but the post-interval proceedings could have done with a slightly fast-paced approach. Also, Koel Puri’s character is half-baked, and one never really understands her need for a night of fun, especially when all she seeks is a playful time. Essaying the role of her firmly-head-on-shoulders husband, Rajat convinces us that he understands the psyche of a married man very well.
You are never really aware when the movie ends, it does so as a matter-of-factly. Its good to see an end that is not really a conclusion to a story. It serves as a fillip to one of the many encounters that we come across in our daily routine. And then, you move on to greet another day in a seemingly mundane way.