Mukhbir The Story of A Spy, #OTTSeriesReview #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #picksandpiques

OTT series Review/ Zee5 Johnson Thomas Jump-happy and not so thrilling espionage story Title: Mukhbir: The Story of A Spy 8 episodes/35-45 mins each Cast: Prakash Raj, Adil Hussain, Zain Khan Durrani, Barkha Bisht, Zoya Afroz, Harsh Chhaya, Satyadeep Mishra, Dilip Shankar, Atul Kumar, Karan Oberoi, Sushil Pandey, Suneel Shanbag, Ujjwal Chopra, Nadeem Khan, Veena Mehta, Natasha Sinha, Bimal Oberoi, Karan Mehat, Sushil Dahiya, Shriram Jog, Tanushka Vishe, Ashwin Dhar, Jaya Swaminathan, Vijay Kashyap, Avantika Akerkar, Ikhlaque Khan, Elisha Mayor DOP: Dimo Popov/Jay Bhansali Screenplay: Arshad Syyed Dailogues/Lyrics: Vaibhav Modi Editor: Kunal Walve Series by : Shivam Nair Victor Tango Entertainment Original Background score: Abhishek Nailwal Story inspired by : Mission To Pakistan by Maloy Krishna Dhar Directors: Shivam Nair, Jayprad Desai Rating: * * ½ Directed by Shivam Nair and Jayprad Desai, ‘Mukhbir – The Story of a Spy’ is inspired by the book ‘Mission To Pakistan’ by Maloy Krishna Dhar - a story about an Indian secret agent in Pakistan rising to the occasion at a time when India was facing twin pronged attacks from China and Pakistan. Going by what happens on screen here, the story feels more fictional than real-reenacted. Frankly, this sort of story is well liked by those brimming with faux-patriotic fervor and the treatment basically caters to that demographic target group.

The casting choice of the lead actor Zain Khan Durrani to essay the role of a covert operative is the most ruinous here… because throughout the narrative he is busy calling attention to himself with his impressive looks, physique and overwhelming charm becoming the focus of every scene. An ordinary thief with the gift of the gab, he is speedily recruited and deployed as a spy for the Indian side with just 1 month of unsubstantial training. He enters Pakistan with the ISI, army operatives and cops always on his heels but the guy, so confident of his personality is not interested in doing anything by employing stealth or nuance. The way the character is written and performed, he is more of a bad joke and an insult to spy-craft as we know it. The rest of the casting is not bad though. Most of the other actors perform with the subtlety expected of them. Barkha Bisht lends melancholia to her role of a fading courtesan cum ghazal artist, Prakash Raj, Adil Hussain, Harsh Chhaya shore up the espionage operations with their rock solid performances. The camera adores Zain and he comes across as quite magnetic on screen. But Zain who is presented as a little too showy, doesn’t work out as a neat fit for the lead role. That’s not to say that Zain isn’t a good actor. There are moments in this series where he manages to catch you unawares with his emoting abilities. Unfortunately it’s just not presented consistently enough for believability. The scene construction is extremely sloppy. There are plenty of situations where the spy is required to blend in with the environment, move around stealthily, employ dexterity and keep a sharp eye and ear out for anything that could possibly hamper his job – but our Spy is like an elephant stomping around to do his business and he gets away with it too. That feels extremely ridiculous if you ask me. Also, despite being under watch from multiple Govt. agencies, the guy still gets away through no talent of his own. It’s obvious that the storyline wills it so. The period setting, the title credit sequence, the signature music and fairly consistent tone bordering on intrigue are of a high order. So are the sepia tinged saturated cinematography, the production design and locations - which lend strength to the period being highlighted here. Mukhbir, despite its many faults, is serviceable but it’s just not thrilling enough for a spy story! Johnsont307@gmail.com