Made in China
‘Made in China’ – a socially relevant film that could have done far better!
When I saw the trailer of Made in China, I was quite intrigued with the plot that looked unique as far as Bollywood is concerned. The characters had me very interested too! Hence I had started with high expectations because of the stellar lineup and the ‘hatke’ story, and I wasn’t that disappointed overall.
An entertainer with a social message, that’s certainly a value addition in these nonsensical times of Hindi cinema. Sex is not a taboo and the director, Mikhil Musale, has made an honest attempt to bring in the subject of normalizing conversations around sex, with a comic take.
The chemistry between the two key players (Rajkumar Rao and Boman Irani) is a treat to watch, and their top-notch performances add great impact to the story telling. The supporting cast (Paresh Rawal, Sumeet Vyas, Gajraj Rao, Manoj Joshi etc.) is a lineup to die for, and they deliver more than just support. However the female lead, Mouni Roy, has just been reduced to a hot housewife.
However having said all this, I can’t help mentioning that the storyline could’ve been sleeker and more fast-paced (especially the first half), the editing is shoddy in parts and the music leaves a lot to be desired (when can we be rid of lame remakes?). Despite an interesting and new premise, and a reliably persuasive outing by the leading man Rajkumar Rao, ‘Made in China’ falls on two main counts: it isn’t funny enough to discount its narrative shortcomings nor is it compelling enough as a social drama to make up for its lack of humour. A brilliant idea is squandered by confused plotting.
In conclusion, I’m not sure how far the film has achieved it’s goal of trying to change the mentality and hypocrisy of our society when it comes to matters of sex, but I’d say this…I enjoyed it quite a bit and wish such ‘forbidden’ subjects are tackled more by our film makers, rather than just depending on age-old formulas!
Disclaimer: The above review solely illustrates the views of the writer.