In ‘Monica, O My Darling’, Jayant Arkhedkar (Rajkummar Rao), is forced to become an accomplice in a murder that could save his future. But the truth isn’t what it seems. The comedy-thriller film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Jayant is on his way to greatness. He is considered to top candidate to become CEO of the robotics company Unicorn, replacing his to-be father-in-law Satyanarayan Adhikari, whose daughter, Nikki, he is set to marry.
However, his affair with Satyanarayan’s secretary, Monica (Huma Qureshi), proves extremely costly as she claims that she is pregnant with his child and starts blackmailing him for money.
Jayant realises that he isn’t the only victim of Monica’s scheming. Nishikant (Sikandar Kher), Satyanarayan’s son, and Arvind, the CFO of Unicorn are suffering the same fate.
The three decide on a plan to kill Monica and end her blackmail once and for all. But it doesn’t exactly pan out as they had thought.
To further complicate things, a murder was committed by a robot of the company 7 months ago. In the present day, ACP Naidu (Radhika Apte), a clever cop, is put in charge of the case and begins suspecting Jayant.
Performances
This is largely a Rajkummar Rao show and he does most of the heavy lifting. Jayant is far from perfect and Rao captures his fumbling personality expertly.
Although Apte has much less screen time, that is all she needs to impress. Even with Naidu’s eccentric personality, she doesn’t miss a single beat. Kher stands out as well.
The rest of the ensemble cast barely has any screen time and a lot of the characters are nowhere near as interesting as the core. Qureshi is criminally underused even though she plays the titular Monica.
Positives
The offbeat tone of the film makes it extremely engaging. The quirky characters always command your attention. The film definitely has that Vasan Bala idiosyncrasy to it.
This allows the film to have a number of hilarious moments, and most of it is driven by Rao’s character. The highlight is his questioning of Monica’s affair with the accounts department.
The pacing of the film is well-managed and it never drags. You’re pulled into the thick of the narrative right off the bat.
Negatives
For all its offbeat qualities, the narrative just isn’t anything to write home about. The twists are not worth the build-up.
Some of the plot points don’t work well at all. Rao’s character suddenly realises how to identify the murderer, when he could have done the same much earlier.
The whole setting of robots seems extremely forced and isn’t explored at all. The protagonist is supposed to be a genius engineer from humble beginnings. But this is mentioned only in passing and has no impact on the story.
Verdict
‘Monica, O My Darling’ is unquestionably at its strongest during the comedic and offbeat sequences. It’s not really much of a thriller that’ll remain with you long after you’ve finished watching.
Monica, O My Darling
Director: Vasan Bala
Date Created: 2022-11-11 17:31
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