Mitron is not any BJP propaganda film even though its title borrows from one of PM Narendra Modi's famous catchphrases (that he has now abandoned following the jokes). Instead, it is a slice-of-life comedy; an official remake of the 2016 Telugu film Pelli Choopulu (starring the man of the moment, Vijay Deverakonda, and Ritu Varma). Mitron marks the Bollywood debut of television actress Kritika Kamra and also the return of Jackky Bhagnani on the big screen. Interestingly, Mitron is directed by Nitin Kakkar of Filmistaan fame and is adapted in Hindi by the lead actor of his first film, Sharib Hashmi. So how good is Mitron?

Jai (Jackky Bhagnani) and Avni (Kritika Kamra) meet when the former's family land at the latter's house for an arranged marriage alliance. Accidentally, both of them (along with Avni's little nephew) get trapped in her bedroom due to a jammed door. With time to spare, they begin to tell each other their life stories. Jai has been a slacker his whole life, not able to please his disapproving father in any way, though he has the natural instincts of being a chef. Avni, also not in the good books of her father, is more pragmatic and has a goal of her own, wanting to do MBA in Australia. She also has a bad romantic past that has got her stuck with a huge liability. Mitron Trailer: Jackky Bhagnani and Kritika Kamra Starrer Will Take You on a Laughter Ride – Watch Video

Although their alliance doesn't work (due to a very hilarious twist), Avni sees an opportunity to build upon her ambitions through Jai's culinary skills. Jai, meanwhile, agrees to another alliance because of the huge dowry offered, but his prospective father-in-law wants to see him succeed in a business first for the wedding to happen. So Avni and Jai join hands to start Mitron - their own food-truck business.

The positives first, Mitron has an interesting story that has the potential to engage you nearly throughout the film. The whole arranged marriage meeting and the protagonists' backstories with them frequently breaking the fourth wall have their moments. Jai catching his call-centre girlfriend cheating on him while on a call is hilarious and so is the whole viral prank video fail. The Gujrati setting and some of the supporting characters, like Jai's father (Neeraj Sood) and besties (Pratik Gandhi and Shivam Parekh) are quite colourful.

Both Jai and Avni are well-written characters, with two distinct personalities. Avni is the more attractive personality thanks to her clear-minded vision, bossy yet sweet nature and more understanding of her ambitions, backed by an incredible performance. The makers have also made sure that they don't burst a showstopper of Jai's slacker persona, instead, letting Avni take control of his reins. Their camaraderie has some endearing, entertaining moments. The middle portions have the best scenes, laced with enough humour and fun.

Unfortunately, there is a huge sense of familiarity in the proceedings. I haven't see the original film, but the narrative has plot elements borrowed from Band Baaja Baaraat, Badrinath Ki Dulhania (Avni's equation with her father and her sad love story) and the underrated Chef. The third act disappoints, as the movie gets lost in the romantic entanglements of the lead, leading to a very flimsy and predictable climax. I wish that the makers had shown some ingenuity in changing these portions and trying something new, instead of being too honest to the original film.

The portions that showed the booming business of Mitron enterprise (after an initial debacle) and how easily their fathers have a change in heart feel rushed. Even the first act takes its time to bag our attention, as most of the humour doesn't work. The Prateik Babbar portions don't lead to much importance in the plot.

Nitin Kakkar impressed with a mature handling of his debut film. In Mitron, his work is alright but it lacks the zing that a film like this needed to sustain the audience interest. Sharib Hashmi's dialogues are more of a mixed bag; some work, some don't.

However, the cinematography by Manoj Kumar Khatoi is decent. The music, especially the Kamariya song, and the background score are pleasant.

The Performances

Never seen her previous works on television, but have to say that Kritika Kamra has the makings of an excellent actress. She is natural, emotes well and with some good choices with her role selection, has the potential to be a lambi race ki ghodi. There is nary a thing to say wrong about her performance and I would solely recommend you to watch Mitron just for her. Kitani Mohabbat Hai Hottie Kritika Kamra Dances Her Way Into Bollywood With An Electrifying Garba Number!

This might be one of the best roles I have seen Jackky Bhagnani in, though I have seen him perform better (in FALTU and Rangrezz). While his less energetic performance can be attributed to the loser persona of his character, I do wish some of the emotions that he wants to portray reached his eyes. But he is good in the scene where he reminds Avni's father why he should cherish having a daughter like her.

Pratik Gandhi as Jai's confident friend Raunak is terrific, equipped with some of the best lines in the film. His 'Mind Your Own Business' barb will bring down the house. Shivam Parekh as Jai's other friend is also good. Neeraj Sood is perfect as Jai's unhappy father. Prateik Babbar in a cameo is alright.

Yay!

- Kritika Kamra

- The supporting cast, especially Pratik Gandhi

- Interesting premise

- Some of the slice-of-life humour

Nay!

- Familiar narrative

- A slow first act

- A disappointing third act

- More energetic handling.

- Lack of promotional buzz

Final Thoughts

As a slice-of-life romantic comedy, Mitron has some engaging moments and fine performances from the cast, especially from Kritika Kamra and Pratik Gandhi. It needed a little zing in the story-telling and should have been marketed better.

Rating:2.5out of 5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2018 02:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).