152. Mitran Da Naa Chalda; movie review

 

MITRAN DA NAA CHALDA

Cert 15

118 mins

BBFC advice: Contains sexual violence, strong bloody images

Surely nobody would argue with the vehement message of Mitran Da Naa Chalda that women should not be sexually harassed in the workplace.

Pankaj Batra's movie also makes very strong points about attractive women being sexualised in wider society and the legal system being loaded in favour of lecherous men.

Therefore, it could and should have been so good.

Unfortunately, its execution is clumsy - especially the ludicrous courtroom scene finale.

Mitran Da Naa Chalda stars Gippy Grewal as a broker for low-grade legal firms. He knows the law better than many of his clients but cannot practice because of a bad stammer.

By the way, the mockery of those with affliction or disability in Indian films is incredibly jarring.

I digress.

He has a glad eye for a pretty lass (Tania) but she gives him zero encouragement despite his pleasant nature.

However, by coincidence, she ends up needing him in her greatest hour of crisis.

So, after a bit of a flowery and comedic first half, the movie focuses on four women who have left their homes for work but become victims of sexual harassment.

Tania, Raj Shoker, Renu Kaushal and Aarchi Sachdeva play the quartet who are renting rooms in the same accommodation in Chandigarh. 

In common, they all need to send money to their families while struggling to make ends meet themselves and they all face discrimination in their jobs or even among their supposed friends.

Their plot to try to gain revenge on their tormentors backfires and they face dramatic consequences.

As said, Mitran Da Naa Chalda makes some serious and important points but I would have felt more comfortable if the actresses playing the key roles hadn't used their respective beauty to get on in their careers.

And it would have been better still if real court procedure hadn't been completely ignored during the film's crescendo.

Nevertheless, it is worth a watch.

Reasons to watch: Heart in the right place

Reasons to avoid: Clumsy handling of important subject

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? According to a survey in 2019, India ranked highest in the list of dangerous countries for women with over 400 thousand reported crimes against women in that year alone.

The final word. Pankaj Batra: "The film talks in the favour of the modern woman, who is unapologetic to be herself in today’s world. The audience is going to see Gippy and Tania, both in a new light. Hoping, they (the audience) will appreciate our efforts with open arms.”

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