Mylek Movie Review
Rating: ️
1/2
Plot: A bitter-sweet tale of a single mother & an adolescent daughter living in the UK
Director: Priyanka Tanwar
Cast: Sonali Khare, Umesh Kamat, Sanayaah Anand
Mylek- Marathi Movie Review
There are films that take up an important and relatable topic, but rarely can they actually tell an engaging story around that topic. Touted as Sonali Khare’s comeback and her daughter’s debut, Mylek, belong to the same category. Mylek is about the friction between a mother and her adolescent daughter that we see all around, but seldom do the makers dare to go deep in the relationship or even the surroundings.
Sharvari Dixit (Sonali Khare) is an executive chef living in London and is a single mother to an adolescent Myra (Sanyaah Anand). Sharvari is working as the head chef at London’s top British Restaurant, but her heart lies in opening her own Maharashtrian restaurant. Myra goes to school and is an athlete, but is facing identity issues and some serious racial bullying at school. Enter Vaibhav (Umesh Kamat), Sharvari’s childhood friend trying to charm the mother and daughter and wanting to marry Sharvari.
The sweet-bitter relationship between Sharvari and Sanayaah comes out quite naturally. It is this same relationship that’s the central topic of the film. Sonali Khare somehow looks quite uncomfortable throughout the film probably because of the heavy make up. But the conversations between the mother and daughter are quite real and relatable. Sanayaah is the real star of the film and is the only reason to watch the film. She brings out the frustrations, passion and identity issues of a 13 year old girl so naturally that she touches your heart in almost every scene.
What sets the film back is the direction, production, primitive camera work and a shallow script. The film is very much like a series of scenes where 2 characters are sitting and talking. There is no action, no drama and no activities in the characters’ lives. The restaurant Sharvari works is merely a prop, it doesn’t seem she belongs there or even works there. A head chef working in the kitchen without a haircap in all the scenes is a very basic mistake. Sharvari’s obsession over Maharashtrian cuisine is so shallow that it seems that she doesn’t even respect other cuisines. You doubt a writer’s credibility when the character of a chef says she wants to replace Chicken Tikka with Puranpoli!
Throughout the film you are shown Myra preparing for a tournament (a school running competition). But in the climax sequence of the same, it shows only 4-5 athletes running the most important tournament and there are 3 winners declared. It totally is laughable and there are several other such instances in the film.
The camera work is so basic that the film ends up looking like a daily soap. The camera basically shows 2 or 3 characters talking in tight frames while totally ignoring the surroundings and not even trying to tell the story through the lens.
With a cast like Sonali Khare and Umesh Kamat, there is good excitement around the film. But makers have failed to deliver an entertaining film that moves you. Watch it only for a relatable topic and a genuine performance by Sanayaah Anand.
