Akshay Kumar's Mission Mangal hits the screens today (August 15, 2019) and is all set for a box office clash with John Abraham's Batla House. The movie that revolves around India's first space mission to Mars highlights the journey behind the minds that were responsible for its success. Our in-house critic, Sreeju Sudhakaran believes it's Vidya Balan and Akshay Kumar's show all the way and his view is second by many others. Mission Mangal is getting showered by positive reviews overall and it looks like a winner already.

Let's take a look at what the critics have to say about the film...

NDTV (3/5):  "The girls are infinitely more interesting and more believable than the character played by Akshay because they face a gamut of challenges and setbacks and yet keep their chins up. Each one of them, at different junctures of the film, is on the verge of quitting. But they hang in there for one shot at glory", writes Saibal Chatterjee.

India Today (3.5/5): "The second half has all your attention, and the final climax is a nail-biting finish, though you obviously know what is going to happen. The visual effects of the Mars orbit have been done brilliantly, with the appropriate music to match the tension as well. It is fascinating to see the journey of the satellite's journey from Earth to Mars. This is one of the film's strongest points," writes Lakshana Palat.

Times of India (3/5): "Moments of heightened drama in the screenplay are tailor-made to please the audience, especially those who don't have a knack for theories, equations and numbers. Mission Mangal simplifies its complex subject so that viewers of all ages and backgrounds can engage with the story and the characters," writes Rachit Gupta.

Hindustan Times (2/5): "Vidya Balan is warmly wonderful as Tara Shinde, an enthusiastic scientist who must juggle her research with wifely and motherly duties. She gives the narrative a boisterous can-do spirit that is eventually well matched by Akshay Kumar’s Dhawan. Kumar is in typically solid form as he encourages these ladies to shine," writes Raja Sen.

Bollywood Hungama (4.5/5): "Jagan Shakti's direction is terrific for a first-timer. He had a winning screenplay in his hand and he takes it to another level with his execution. The film has also has subplots of each of the main characters and even these are very well woven in the narrative. And through these tracks too, the makers have made some important comments about religion, parenting, marriage, religious bias etc. and all these contribute to the film hugely," writes their critic.

With so many positive reviews and reactions, Mission Mangal is on its way to write a box office history. Though it may face stiff competition from Batla House and it's equally good reactions, minting money won't really be an uphill task for the makers. Here's wishing good luck to both of these releases.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2019 02:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).