'Moh Maya Money' - Movie Review

The no-frills approach in 'Moh Maya Money' makes it less enlivening. And it's ironic that a film that is trying so hard to be different actually ends up making the same mistakes that the Bollywood masala brigade has enshrined. It's a pity that neither the moh, maya or the money alluded to, is likely make you feel welcome for long

'Moh Maya Money'

'Moh Maya Money'
U/A; Crime/Drama/Thriller
Dir: Munish Bharadwaj
Cast: Neha Dhupia, Ranvir Shorey, Vidushi Mehra, Ashwath Bhat, Devendra Chowhan
Rating: 

A name like that can never win you a lottery, but a decent movie, it certainly could have been. The story is about unalloyed greed and ambition. The need to rise above status by hook or by crook. Aman (Ranvir Shorey), a real estate agent for a reputed builder, walks the talk literally. He cross-deals on property, unknown to his boss, making a killing on his own. He wants to rid himself of middle-class drudgery. His wife, Divya (Neha Dhupia) though, isn't as anxious to climb the social ladder and has more life threatening issues to deal with. Or so it seems.

Both stories are played out separately one after the other. First, from Aman's point of view, then Divya's, starting from 50 days after an accident that kills Aman. But Divya isn't the only widow left grieving. A pregnant woman in her late twenties has also been inexorably drawn into their deceitful lives and the collateral damage on her is heavier.
Choosing a unique narrative pattern, debutant director Munish Bharadwaj makes an interesting enough opening but thereafter, it spirals downwards.

The point-of-view technique is nothing new, but for a Bollywood product, it seems like gold standard. Audience interest is awakened but not for long. When the narrative reaches it's half-way mark, you know exactly what's going to happen next. And once predictability sets in, interest wanes.

The pacing becomes a liability and the performances although earnest, don't have the emotional connect to make this effort more affecting. The no-frills approach also makes it less enlivening. And it's ironic that a film that is trying so hard to be different actually ends up making the same mistakes that the Bollywood masala brigade has enshrined. The dialogues throw up interesting analogies but the script can't sustain the witty energy for long. It's a pity that neither the moh, maya or the money alluded to, is likely make you feel welcome for long.

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