'Mrs. Undercover' review: Hare-brained film offers zero logic, thrill, entertainment
Anushree Mehta's Mrs. Undercover arrived on ZEE5 on Friday. It stars Radhika Apte as Durga, a former undercover agent who quits the special force and becomes an "ordinary" housewife but is called back to work for a special mission. Rajesh Sharma and Sumeet Vyas also star in key roles. Mrs. Undercover is a terribly underwhelming film, one that is suffocated by its alarming flaws.
There is outlandish plot at core
Mrs. Undercover's plot is the very definition of bizarre. It is ridiculous, laughable, and downright preposterous, which is one of the thriller-comedy's zillion problems. It revolves around a serial killer (Vyas) who goes by the moniker "common man" and ruthlessly kills "strong, independent women" because his sexist and misogynistic ideas override his sanity and humanity. Sounds outlandish? Wait till you watch the ZEE5 film.
Movie tries to balance numerous tracks but fails
Mrs. Undercover is a textbook example of what a film should not be, and it is painful to see the stellar ensemble being ruthlessly sacrificed on the altar of a half-baked, rather barely baked script. It is defined by endless tonal inconsistencies; sometimes, it focuses on the serial killer track and other times, it shifts to the special agent without maintaining a balance.
Awkward, rushed scenes further mutilate drama
Characters behave, well, absolutely out of character, which is to say that you wouldn't expect them to behave as awkwardly as they do. Take, for instance, a scene where a new neighbor, Ayesha, starts flirting with Durga's husband, Dev. Mind you, this is their first conversation. Mrs. Undercover feels less like a film and more like a montage of choppily edited scenes stitched together.
To make matters worse, film turns preachy
The majority of the scenes are terribly misplaced and awkwardly put together and follow a weird chronology, so much so that you will end up wondering, "Wait, what?" It turns predictably preachy after a point, and didactic movies—when they start delivering monologues—run the risk of becoming boring and difficult to sit through. Subtlety and nuance, and not in-your-face spoonfeeding, that sail memorable films' boat.
Film set out to deliver feminist tale, but failed
Mrs. Undercover could have been praised for highlighting a critical theme—homemakers are much more than the household chores they are tied down by, and it is high time their years of labor are lauded and recognized. However, the film meanders and struggles so much that it fails to make a fair point about feminism, sovereignty, and women's choices vis-a-vis their professions and life post-marriage.
Do something else this weekend, skip this spy-comedy
Apart from Apte's as-consistent-as-ever acting and a few laughs here and there, Mrs. Undercover has no redemption-worthy aspects. Absolutely none. One can't say that Mrs. Undercover loses its path because there is no path here to begin with. It staggers, falters, and fumbles and is mutilated to the point of no return. We watched it, so you don't have to. Verdict: 1/5 stars.
