Mukhbiir: Movie Review

Aug 30, 2008

Cast: Sammir Dattani, Om Puri, Suniel Shetty
Director: Mani Shankar
Rating: Rating

Readers rating : Mukhbiir: Movie Review

As the opening credits claim to reintroduce Sammir Dattani (appearing more as a confession note of his earlier shoddy attempts), the film quickly and equitably establishes him as the title character of an intelligence informer. Orphaned as a child and trapped by the law as a teenager, he is trained by Inspector Rathod (Om Puri) to work as an undercover agent. Rathod gets him to infiltrate in Naxalite and radical organizations to expose their secret missions.

In one such undercover operation, he penetrates into an underworld group and works for Pasha (Sushant Singh). His mission is to trace notorious gangster Mustafa who smuggles human body organs to foreign countries. While he’s successful in his mission he has to terminate Rathod to save his skin. Rathod’s friend from intelligence department, Officer Rahman (Suniel Shetty) sets him into a terrorist group headed by Saaya (Rahul Dev). Now his mission is to track and avert a terrorist attack in the city of Mumbai that’s supported by foreign power.

Mukhbiir has its heart at the right place but somewhere the body is disfigured. The plot gets to the point at the very outset. Director Mani Shankar gets into the intricacies of the spying business, detailing their modus operandi with conviction. His fascination for high-definition gadgets and gizmos (since the 16 December days) shows even here, as the spying escapades give him enough scope to incorporate them all.

However Mukhbiir lacks the finesse of a slick espionage thriller despite having the potential of being one. The film could have done with more effective editing and competent camerawork. It lacks technical precision and bears an exhausted look. The music is a major letdown and the one-scene romance with Raima Sen was absolutely avoidable. Even the Raj Zutshi subplot didn’t have much relevance to the plot and seemed out of place. The theme piece monologue that keeps playing in the background at regular intervals is vastly verbose and repeated to the extent of extinction. The constant censored punches in the dubbing, disturbs.

Reportedly the filmmakers had shot for two alternate ends, one where the hero survives and other where he succumbs. They have retained the former in the film but clearly it’s the latter that would have appeared more convincing and capable.

Sammir Dattani gets sufficient scope and puts in a sincere act. Om Puri is efficient. The dual gun-toting Suniel Shetty is his usual self.

This informer’s account is informative but not entirely engaging.