The "Queen of OTT," Radhika Apte, is back with another flavourful film. ‘Mrs. Undercover’, a spy movie was released on ZEE5. The movie defends the rights of housewives while also criticising the widespread sexism that prevails in many households. All in a comical manner! So much so that you will question when to take things seriously. Despite several interesting ideas being presented, we were let down by the film since the screenplay wasn't well written and the plot wasn't carried out effectively.
This is one of those films in which the ‘bad guy’ is revealed right away. So the whole movie is just a race to catch him, and there is no suspense.
Durga (Radhika Apte), an undercover agent, has spent years posing as a middle-class housewife as she waits for her next mission in the spy thriller. The movie is set in Kolkata, and the city's unique customs and traditions are reflected throughout. Can you guess how Durga’s name is pronounced in the movie? ‘Dugga’ of course! From the sarees worn by the ladies to the ubiquitous teapots, the movie captures the essence of Bengali homes.
A serial killer, played by Sumeet Vyas, goes by the moniker ‘Common Man’ and targets strong, independent women because he thinks they should stick to traditional beliefs and stay at home. It is hard to digest Sumeet Vyas in such a gory role.
The film's opening scene was dominated by Sumeet, and his portrayal will make you angry because it so accurately depicts the sexist attitudes of certain males towards strong, self-reliant women. However, the way his character develops in the movie can bother you a bit. Looks like the filmmaker forgot to give the character any kind of backstory.
Durga often dreams about taking revenge on criminals by donning a latex costume and bashing them on the road. A seemingly ordinary Indian housewife is summoned back to work as a secret spy and track down the serial killer while continuing to pose as a housewife.
Radhika is able to convincingly represent comedic, dramatic and emotional sequences (except the action parts).
Rajesh Sharma performs an excellent job as a special force group head. The actor's presence alone elevates whatever scene he's in. However, the kind of silliness makes us question whether or not they are legitimate special force members.
The film's director and co-producer, Anushree Mehta, has made it a point to highlight everyone's contributions. Bengali film actors Saheb Chatterjee and Laboni Sarkar have also performed well. The film's execution on screen was subpar despite the presence of multitalented performers in the cast plate.
The film is a scathing indictment of both masculine pride and the way in which men in general tend to disregard the value of housewives. It delivers a powerful message on how a woman's many roles and duties make her more than "just a housewife."
The name 'Durga' was also meant to symbolise the multiplicity of a housewife's efforts, since her two hands are like ten when it comes to domestic duties.nIn a subtle way, the film addresses the control of the husband over his wife and how the latter's sympathetic mother-in-law tried to simplify her life.
People say that women can deal with anything, from being treated badly to being abused but they can't deal with disloyalty. When Durga finds out her husband is cheating on her, she broke down in tears. The plot point of infidelity added dimension to her narrative. Even after finding out, she wants to fix everything. That's the norm for housewives; they always blame themselves and their carelessness which is shown in instances like this in the movie.
The audacity to say, "Ho jaata h affair… I am a Man.. understand that," exemplifies the smug superiority that men often feel towards themselves. That scene when Durga confronts her husband definitely qualifies for loud cheering.
Radhika Apte showed her action and killing moves in an attempt to give a filmy conclusion but fails in perfection. The rap depicting all of Goddess Durga's incarnations was very moving and fitting with the film's final theme.
The film's cheery, comedic tone seems out of place considering it's about a guy who murders women out of hatred.
The ease with ‘Common Man’ succumbs is comical in the era of formidable antagonists. There's also room for improvement when it comes to dialogues.
The film's length was just right, which is to say, it wasn't too long. Perhaps it's because the writers were constrained by a weak screenplay that prevented them from giving depth to the characters.
Anushree Mehta attempted to direct a strong tale with a touch of humour, but its poor premise prevented it from succeeding. ‘Mrs. Undercover’ tried to expose the complicated structure of patriarchy, sexism, and violence that upholds it, but this reminder that we should recognise the worth of housewives' unique role in society falls in place.
If you want a suspenseful drama with plenty of nuanced plot points, ‘Mrs. Undercover’ will disappoint you. As long as you can put aside your concerns about the film's plot and just enjoy the trip, it's worth your time.