Although never too dull or draggy, Maska remains mostly on the surface level being content with easy emotions rather than earning them.
Cast - Manisha Koirala, Prit Kamani, Shirley Setia, Nikita Dutta, Javed Jaffrey
Directed By - Neeraj Udhwani
Genre - Romance, Comedy
In Neeraj Udhwani's Maska, a boy dreams of becoming an actor by throwing away his legacy of running his ancestors Irani cafe named Rustom. This boy is Rumi Irani (Prit Kamani), hailing from a Parsi family and the winner of Mr Firozsha Baag 2017. It is during this winning ceremony when one of the aunties usher in the idea of making this good-looking boy into an actor. Rumi transforms this suggestion into his dream, and soon we see him on Google searching for acting schools. He joins one and finds another dreamer Mallika (Nikita Dutta) there. She winks at him, and then we cut to them on a bed playing a horny version of a nursery rhyme. At home, we have Rumi's mother Diana (Manisha Koirala) looking forward to the day when his son will finally take over the family business. But he wants to be an actor, and at one point, he moves out to live with Mallika. Diana hates her, and his son's actions make her go crazy. Then there is Persis (Shirley Setia) with her recorder taking down stories for her blog. Her latest subject is Cafe Rustom giving her the opportunity to fit in the story.
Rumi attends and gets rejected from countless auditions, but he doesn't lose hope. Thanks to the tape he listens to while driving, which tells him to believe in himself. In one scene, he takes a nervous Mallika in front of the mirror and shows her how not to give up. In the following play/scene (which is his last test at the acting school), one of the judges remarks that he is trying too hard. The comment generates laughter from the audience as Rumi stands smiling in confusion. In another scene, Persis laughs at him as he puts up an act for her. In both cases, he fails to realize that his dream is a delusion and being an actor is not in his genes. He wants to be famous and wants people to cheer for him, but he fails to see that he is a superstar in the kitchen and everybody praises him for his dishes, especially the trademark Bun Maska (which is his equivalent of actors one memorable film for which he is remembered for life). He is so absorbed in a fake dream that he readily decides to sell his cafe when someone promises to cast him in a film. The director describes it as something very different from the usual Bollywood cliche, but I chuckled when its title was revealed - Mitjawaan (someone wants to expand Milap Zaveri's vision). It was perhaps the biggest possible clue for Rumi to immediately back off from the project.
But Maska wants to be a feature film on Netflix, and so it takes on a predictable journey where every beat and even cameo can be spotted from miles away. In an attempt to tell a story of an Iranian cafe whose highlight is a bun soaked with butter served with a cup of tea, Maska ends up buttering us like that bun and boy; it butters hard. Its pandering cooks up scenes like the one where a couple, as a dying wish, eat Bun Maska. The cutesy bits are buttered to maximum effect and sometimes it doesn't feel necessary. Rumi's lifting spirits and lows are further elevated with quotes displayed on banners and walls. It's on the nose with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face. When one person tells another to be himself, you wish the same for this film. Like Rumi, it tries too hard to impress. The only good moments are then between Rumi and his mother, especially the one where she comes to visit his son in a cab on a rainy day. She is there to convince him to return to his home. It is an honest moment, and you wish for more such scenes, but unfortunately, they are lacking.
Prit Kamani takes time to ease in his role, but his performance shows sparks sporadically. Debutant Shirley Setia with no significant weight on her part does an okay job. Though her performance along with Nikita Dutta's slightly better presence barely makes a dent. Javed Jaffrey is a delightful presence who makes up for one of the funniest sex talks between father and son in a washroom. The highlight here is none other than Manisha Koirala who delivers a terrific performance. She is the reason that keeps you going through the film. Thanks to her wonderful presence, the mother-son relationship gets a tint of authenticity. Maska is not a bad film, though you wish for it to utilize its material more fruitfully. Good looking models cannot be actors and intentions alone cannot drive a movie.
Rating - 2.5/5
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