#mkdnh

WHY I LOVE IT

• The performances. If a filmmaker wants to make any movie anyone’s favorite, it is important to cast the right faces for this role. And fortunately for MKDNH, they did a great job. Abhimanyu Dassani on his debut role managed to capture the energy of Surya, a courageous but naive fighter, marvelously and carried out action sequences like a pro. Mahesh Manjrekar as Surya’s grandfather and Jimit Trivedi as Surya’s father was played very effortlessly. Supri was played by Radhika Madan and boy she did a great job carrying out the action sequences! I was sure she was a capable actor from her debut Patakka, she proved herself even further with MKDNH. Although all these actors did a great job with their respective characters, the one that stole my attention whenever he was on screen was Gulshan Devaiah as Jimmy, the rich psychotic villain, and Karate Man, the handicapped but strong master. He carried out the roles to perfection, fully embracing what each of the characters stood for and fully indulged into Karate Man’s guilt and Jimmy’s anger.

• The action sequences. Eric Jacobus, the action director, is the man behind all the greatness. Many superhero movies nowadays have clean-cut action sequences, and MKDNH is no different. All the sequences of carried out by the actors are amazingly coordinated and showed that each character had their own style of fighting. Karate Man's stunts happen on one leg and a crutch (sometimes without a crutch) and Supri’s with the help of a scarf and Surya’s just filmy martial arts. Each character’s creative fighting styles are captured well by Jacobus.

• The soundtrack. Karan Kulkarni and Dipanjan Guha have tailored a soundtrack for a unique movie nicely. “Rappan Rappi Rap” is flashy and fresh, exactly what the movie is. “Nakhrewali” is upbeat and colorful and shows Surya’s love-struck imagination well. My favorite is “Tere Liye” because of its vocals and it’s placement in slo-mo Surya-Supri moments. Although the placement of few of these songs is debatable (like “Nakhrewali’), I can’t deny the fact that they are catchy and vibrant

• The world building. Most of the movie is based upon how Surya sees the world, which is basically like every 90′s Bollywood movies. Hero defeats the villain, corrupt policemen beating up innocents, and winning over a girl from a fight. Although many movie-goers are tired of these tropes, what makes MKDNH stand out is the fact that it is aware of its wacky nature and gave the desired affect, unlike some movies that try to be good but turn out to be a laughter riot. Sometimes, all audience needs is some self-awareness. 

CONCLUSION

MKDNH is not everyone’s cup of tea for sure, but it sure is a brave attempt on establishing a superhero rooted in India. Personally, the well choreographed action sequences and the wacky nature is a win. And I seriously hope for more Bollywood movies like this because it is such a breath of fresh air from the typical multi-starrer movies.