Mirzya Reviews by Critics

When you have a film that carries absolutely no pre-release buzz and has a dark-unexciting-arty feel to it, the content of the film has to be extraordinary as the audience for such films is limited. Critical acclaim becomes important too. But like we’ve seen with films like ‘Lootera’ – which not only got excellent reviews but also had fairly popular stars – the audience simply isn’t there. Even if there are, they would rather watch such films on DVD or TV.

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Mirzya Review by Indicine

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Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra shoots Mirzya like a poetry in motion where every shot is carefully constructed, the narrative is thoughtfully evoked by beautiful narration and time periods are shown in sync with each other. But inspite of everything that is so so good about Mirzya, it doesn’t work as a movie because the two central characters are overshadowed by the technical finesse of the movie. This doesn’t bode well for the movie as the primary reason a movie works is the story. And Mirzya doesn’t do a good job of showcasing it’s story. There’s a hodgepodge of feelings and illogical decisions made by characters which don’t have any justification.

Mirzya Review by Bollywood Hungama

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When the promos of MIRZYA were released, it gave the audience a stunning visual experience of a love story set in two different eras. The film, sadly, just does not live upto the expectations that one has from a Rakeysh Mehra film. The film’s screenplay (Gulzar) is bizarre, confusing and extremely slow paced, to say the least. It is really saddening that to see a cinematic genius of Gulzar’s calibre and stature could go so very tremendously wrong with a classic love story. The film’s dialogues (Gulzar) are very average and leave absolutely no impact on the audience. MIRZYA, in totality, runs on three tracks. Firstly, it’s a real time love story between Munish and Suchi, second, the folklore of Mirza-Sahiban (visually heavily inspired by The Game Of Thrones’ ‘Khaleesi’ track) and thirdly, an abstract bunch of folk dancers who look eternally high, sexually overcharged and randomly break into provocative dances. All of this land up becoming an intangible proposition for the audience to digest

Mirzya Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India

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Harshvardhan and Saiyami come from good acting stock. But they’re still rough around the edges. Harsh manages to give glimpses of his vulnerability and intensity as a performer. And, also his physical strength (the shirtless scene). While Saiyami, who withholds emotions in a few scenes, sparkles, Anuj makes an impressive debut. If you are drawn to stories that are high on aesthetics with lyrical narratives, Mirzya is a portrait that deserves a long look.

Mirzya Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews

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Watch Mirzya if you have a penchant for folk tales, poetry and mysticism. This grand love tragedy requires you to show a willingness to be transported to a land where lovers are skittish and crazy.

Mirzya Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times

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Harshvardhan Kapoor has decided to debut with an unconventional film, and he gets noticed. He underplays it, still leaves his impression in shots where he is alone on the frame. Saiyami Kher looks mysterious as Sahibaan, but somehow the other sides of her personality don’t come out. You feel for Anuj Choudhary. His character doesn’t get time to switch gears. His transitions are too fast, but he does it with complete submission. A prince’s carefully worn humility to dejected anger, he displays a range of emotions, leaving us wanting for more. This 135-minute Shakespearean drama is visually impressive, but lacks the essence of a heart wrenching love-story. It’s a period drama trying hard to be a musical. And music? Probably the best in last couple of years.

Mirzya Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies

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The Mirzya story, whatever there is of it in this film, moves only in little spurts. Virtually every single sequence is followed by an elaborately staged song and dance performance, employed expressly to serve as a commentary on the proceedings. Once the novelty of that structure wears off, Mirzya veers towards the tiresome.

Review by Raja Sen on Rediff

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There is no reason to champion these immature lovers, and their struggle seems both needless and predictable. There was promise here. Despite the routinely bombastic visuals, the one shot that stays with me is a simply lyrical one, an elegant close-up of Saiyami biting a sweet that brings back memories and of the laddoo, after even that perfunctory nibble, leaving its sesame traces on her lips. That softness is but too fleeting. The film spends much longer on a scene where Malik, as the girl’s father, glugs too much whiskey, goes into high melodrama, and then, comically, falls to the floor in a peculiar swoon. Sounds about right: Mirzya is a film where Art gets drunk, creates a scene and passes out.

Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning

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The two young stars who make their debut as star-crossed lovers are saved from emoting by songs that interrupt and freeze their faces. Or the scene is cut to the past or the present or to Art Malik who plays the father of the heroine and really saves the film. Anuj Choudhry is good as the Prince Charming who turns out to be a beast. The strange tree of Ishq Wala Love from Student Of The Year shows up in the middle of nowhere for ancient Mirzya and his girl to rest under.

Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express

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Without that crucial element, where lovers create a tight world of their own and no one else is allowed, no romance works. In terms of acting potential, neither newcomer lifts off the screen, but Kapoor fares a little better than his affectless leading lady: he appear to have a quiet spark which may surface after some more polishing. Flashback to his father Anil and his first film, you will instantly see the difference between an actor being groomed and an actor who is a complete natural, and who makes us look. Chowdhury brings something too, as does the veteran Art Malik who is made to recite Shakespeare, but they are hidden under the window-dressing, as is the film. And neither K K Raina, hidden under designer glares, nor Om Puri in his muddy-grey garb, have much to do.

Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today

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The first half of Mirzya is crafted well. The intermission arrives smoothly, without the film taking a toll on your patience. The second half has gaps which seem to stretch on for long, leaving you restless. In its own space, that of a musical romantic tragedy, Mirzya is fabulous. But it can’t rise above the mediocre, as far as a complete film is concerned. The climax is expected, but Mirzya wins in the way it is delivered to the audience. You know the inevitable has to happen, but you want a different, happy end to the story of Mirza-Sahiban. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mirzya attempts to answer that oft-asked question: Why did Sahiban break the arrows? Sahiban is not a betrayer here. Sahiban is just torn between what to choose: blood or love.

Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies

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unfortunately, that is not all that is required to make a good film. Though the technical aspects are sound and the lead actors have done a decent job, there is no denying the fact that there is zero chemistry between the two. Plus, the pace of the film is so slow that even fans of love stories might be tempted to steal glances at their wristwatches. If that was not all, the plot is so insufferably predictable (we have been seeing films where the rich girl falls for the poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks in films since the black and white era) and done to death that irrespective of how beautiful the film looks, you hardly connect with it at all. If you want to be dazzled with the technical aspects of the film and are curious to see how the newbies have performed, Mirzya could be given a shot, but do not expect anything as far as story and narrative goes…

Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews

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In terms of acting, Harshvardhan and Saiyami proved to be the ideal duo. Sometimes, even the dialogues were not required in ‘Mirzya’ to convey the emotions and feelings. Yes, you read that right. The story has been woven beautifully into the screenplay that it will amaze you at times. Saiyami brings a freshness to the film, while Harshvardhan makes sure that he sticks to his intense character. Together, they both have successfully flaunted their chemistry that can be rejoiced by hardcore romantics. Harshvardhan and Saiyami will surely be getting a lot of attention from filmmakers after ‘Mirzya’. The pace of the film is however concerning. And, you can’t deny it. At the same time, you will feel that the slow screenplay was much needed to do justice to the script of this love ballad. This will also make a section of the audience to stay away from ‘Mirzya’ as the movie is not an out-and-out-entertainer.

Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham

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Coming to the new comers. Harshvardhan Kapoor seems to have much more then what we saw in the film. Sadly, The script doesn’t offer him much but certainly he appears to be quite confident. Saiyami Kher who comes with more exposure (advertisements) certainly has the looks. She is gorgeous and posses that rare raw rustic and haunting allure and she can act as well. Raj Chaudhary impresses as the royal prince, Om Puri is wasted, Art Malik is fine. Anjali Patil as the village belle is decent.

Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India

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There’s nothing wrong in focusing on form as long as your content is correct. But that’s where the film falters. Mirzya has parallel stories running through and sadly, both lack the emotional connect. You don’t feel for Mirza-Sahibaan just like Munish and Suchitra’s love fails to evoke any emotion in you. That is why even with a short length, the film feels boring. Gulzar’s screenplay is a huge disappointment and the biggest drawback of the film. Whatever little zing factor the love story has is only thanks to the on-screen chemistry of Harshvardhan and Saiyami.

Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18

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Mirzya, despite lacking the intensity, boasts of technical finesse all throughout the running time. No denying that the film has been shot and edited with perfection. Placing the film in Rajasthan adds the required rudiments of stunning locales, vibrance, grandeur and the mystique touch of deserts this film needs. Another point this film rides high on is the music. With Gulzar’s enigmatic lyrics, Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s score and Daler Mehendi’s voice; the music is definitely here to stay. Go for Mirzya if you’ve some admiration for poetic sensibilities and possess a certain love for couplets or just want a visual delight this weekend, else there’s nothing more to it.

Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle

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The 2 hours and 10 minutes become difficult to pass as most of the film has been shot in tight close-ups and slow motion. Though, cinematographer Pawel Dyllus did a fair job in shooting a few sequences especially the deserts of Rajasthan and grand Rajput mansions. The film not only tests the patience of the audience but also destroys faith in the director’s creativity. The war sequences in the ancient flashbacks may have a feel-good factor but are ruined with loud music. The film looks more like a documentary about horses or archery matches.

Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life

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Mirzya is a visual masterpiece, but one only hoped that it had a narrative that promised an equally brilliant premise. Watch it to usher in two newcomers Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher who fortunately have follow up films that hopefully do more justice to their skills.

Mirzya Review by Indiaglitz

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Being a musical film, the songs and their placement might seem theoretical for the normal cinegoes. There are many weak, boring and bland moments in the central part of the film. It’s just that the past work of Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, rises the expectation level and works as a huge negative factor for the film. The snail pace narration slowly grabs you in the film and world of Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, which works brilliantly for good cinema lovers but might be hard to digest for the normal audiences. Om Puri and K.K. Raina are wasted. ‘Mirzya’ is an artily poetic film which has some stunning visuals, melodious music and good performances. It’s just that the impact gets ruined due to super slow narration along with weak screenplay and boring presentation.

Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India

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The film juxtaposes this oddly contemporary setting in Rajasthan with faux ancient images of Mirza and Sahiban, sitting around in a surreal, picturesque locale, with a bunch of extras borrowed from ‘Mad Max: The Fury Road’, aiming arrows at poor Mirza. Flitting between these two sets of self-aware, self-indulgent sequences, and with little to empathise or care about, frankly, my head hurts from all the fakery. But then again, art or fart, is, of course, a very subjective call. Well, you know what I thought.

Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror

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If Harshvardhan Kapoor has potential, this film didn’t allow him to deliver on it. But this is no reason to be disheartened. His sister made her debut in Saawariya nine years ago and she’s still around, right? Saiyami Kher makes for a pretty face which she decidedly crinkles to emote, but her character’s sporadic outbursts take away from her performance. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra offers an art hop here, where every frame is singularly fascinating, yet often, devoid of sense. But his filmography is packed with such experiments; some work, others blow up. Just like the father-daughter duo in this film who often quote Shakespeare, we’d say, if ‘to be or not to be’ is the question, this one is surely far from becoming.

Review by Rima Bhatia on Bollyspice

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Mehra is a storyteller, this is evident in his previous films and it is present in Mirzya with his version of Mirza Sahibaan for the new generation. What we need to remember is that this is his vision of the story and no vision can be wrong, yes it doesn’t have to match everyone’s vision, but has to be appreciated on some level. Yes there are flaws… there is no such thing as a flawless film (if there is one please point me in its direction) it is a question of whether these flaws can be overlooked. There are certain aspects in this film that I am struggling with (I have never seen such glamorous looking blacksmiths) but I appreciate the simple fact that Mehra has pushed boundaries in terms of cinematography and ideas. It is difficult to take something old and essentially repackage it for the new generation, and this is what Mirzya is.

Review by Meeta on Wogma

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It is commendable then that the lead actors Harshvardhan Kapoor, Saiyami Kher and Anjali Patil stay restrained. With all the slo-mo in the folklore part of the film, it would have been very easy to go overboard. But those bits are surprisingly only as dramatic or not as a nicely shot, video of a slow-soothing song. I would love to see more of these two. They don’t have that woodenness that most beginners have in their first few films. They don’t carry airs about how pretty they are. The visualization takes care of calling undue attention to itself. And the music. Sure, the movie would have been an absolute dud if it were not for the music. And even so, the songs felt out of place every single time, including the title song. However, I can listen to the songs on loop all day, for a few days. But, what good is a service to the eyes and ears without any attempt to engage the mind or the heart? This story-telling needed a better story.

Review by IANS on Sify

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Director of Photography, Pawel Dyllus, deserves kudos as the cinematography is yet another highlight of the film, as the frames are picture-perfect and leave you mesmerized. Whether it is the colourful dances of Rajasthan or pristine Ladakh, these are beautifully captured by his lens. Overall, Mirzya even though two hours and 10 minutes, seems like a lifetime in the theatre as Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra does not succeed in involving you in the love story of the duo. Neither does your heart beat for them nor do you get teary eyed when they are separated. Aesthetically, it is a treat though.

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