Mrs Undercover promises to be a goofy spy comedy with the talented Radhika Apte at the centre of it, but turns out to be nothing more than a half-hearted attempt by the creators. Written and helmed by Anushree Mehta in her directorial debut, the Zee5 film might give you some laughs here and there, but that is all there is to it. It tries too hard to be a feminist movie, but fails in many places, especially with the repeated use of the word ‘housewife’. Radhika’s acting dazzles and is on point as usual, but the writing does not do justice to her talent.
Mrs Durga Das (Apte) trained to be an undercover agent but was never sent on field — until 10 years later, she is called upon by the Special Forces as their last resort to track down a serial killer in Kolkata.
The killer is already introduced to the audience in the beginning of the film as a misogynist who targets bold, independent women with a successful career. From that point on, the storyline pivots itself as a feminist narration, propelled by Durga’s hunt for the killer who calls himself ‘the common man’.
The saving grace
Throughout the movie, Durga, who is constantly berated or oppressed by her husband, tries to morph herself into a strong and brave spy she had always wanted to be. Navigating the quirks of her in-laws and her son’s tests in school, her character is clumsy yet delightful. In the process of finding the killer, she discovers herself and her womanhood as she learns to stand up to her husband, and even saves his life at one point. But all this, in the midst of a messy plot, is underwhelming.
In the beginning, Durga’s banter with the chief of Special forces, Rangeela (Rajesh Sharma), is hilarious and gives the movie the comical edge it needed. Their on-screen chemistry is the only saving grace in the film and takes the story forward. Rangeela puts on various roles — by way of costume — which includes sweeper, priest, and bus conductor to meet with Durga. As he convinces her to take up the task, the middle class homemaker then sets about juggling between chasing the leads and making sure her father in-law gets his dinner on time.
A hurried job
Durga learns that ‘the common man’ is planning something big, so she joins a women’s empowerment programme at a local college — the supposed target of the killer. Mrs Undercover keeps the lens trained on Durga, who moves about with a gun in her bag and no experience of working as a spy. Viewers learn little about the killer who starts by running his Tinder date over with his car to establish himself as a hater of women.
While a premise like this is enough to make the blood boil of many watchers, one feels completely heedless of him throughout the movie, because his characterisation is very weak.
The writers simply set out to create a feminist film, but did it in a one-track manner, without paying any attention to the nuances of the character arcs or ensuring if the scenes were authentic and believable. The movie appears hurried and even disconnected in places, as things seem to move forward quickly before the viewer could get accustomed to the events.
A story of a ‘housewife’ becoming a muscled spy overnight seems good on paper but Mrs Undercover doesn’t have the style or substance to turn it into a movie that champions women rights and issues. Mrs Undercover needed more than just Radhika Apte.
(Edited by Prashant)