Mansukh Chaturvedi Ki Atmakatha

STORY: Born and raised in the small town of Etawah near Uttar Pradesh, Mansukh Chaturvedi (Sandeep Singh) dreams of shifting to Mumbai and making it big as an actor. But thanks to his parents’ conservative outlook towards life, Mansukh’s dreams are put on hold indefinitely.

REVIEW: Though his stern folks have always been dead against the idea of their only son shifting base to the City of Dreams – Mumbai, Mansukh is hell-bent on realising his long-nurtured dream of becoming a superstar. How, despite strong opposition from society in general and his parents in particular, this aspiring actor makes it to Mumbai forms the crux of the story.

First things first, ‘Mansukh Chaturvedi Ki Atmakatha’ is essentially a comedy, but the writer-director, Sachin Gupta, has failed to present that very aspect of the film in a neat and tidy fashion; punchlines stink. And, whether the script demanded it or not, the central character in ‘Mansukh Chaturvedi Ki Atmakatha’ is annoying to the core, especially when he cries and cribs about things that have gone horribly wrong in his life or the obstacles he has to face in order to reach a certain point in his acting career. The parents in this flick, played by Sikander Khan and Megha, do nothing to add charm and substance to this otherwise bland tale of ambition being butchered by controlling family members. Neither does the almost unbelievably submissive girlfriend Muniya (Monika).

The story is stale and bizarre at the same time, and struggles to make any sense after the first 15 minutes or so; ‘Mansukh Chaturvedi Ki Atmakatha’ is just one person rambling about random things, with absolutely unnecessary twists and turns introduced at random intervals that neither enhances the storyline nor takes it forward.

A small-towner sandwiched between societal pressure, family responsibilities and personal goals, the plot is all too familiar and relatable for some. But the film feels like it is stuck in a limbo—between comedy and drama—and leaves you perplexed for reasons more than one.