#MissionMangal Showcases One of the Proudest Moments for India

Finally, after a long wait, “Mission Mangal” is released.  And that too, with a good kick start. Yes, the film starring Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, Kirti Kulhari, Nithya Menen,  and Sonakshi Sinha is off to a phenomenal start at the box office.

With the release in around 3000 screens, the film made Rs 29.16 crore on its opening day and also became Akshay Kumar's biggest opener so far. No wonder, the movie has managed to get a fabulous opening and further made Rs 17.28 crore on its second day. This brings its total collection to Rs 46.44 crore.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted,

“#MissionMangal is unstoppable on Day 2 [working day after a big holiday]... Multiplexes are terrific, driving its biz... Day 3 and 4 will be massive again... Eyes ₹ 85 cr+ total in extended weekend... Thu 29.16 cr, Fri 17.28 cr. Total: ₹ 46.44 cr. India biz.”

Akshay Kumar, playing the role of Rakesh Dhawan, heads the mission in the flick. As shown in the movie, this scientist dedicated his whole life to ISRO without any distractions like love or family. He was “demoted” to a Mars program, after a failed mission, in the hope that he will take the hint and quit.

Soon, the scene where we can see him walking into a dusty office in a deadbeat building at ISRO that has been allocated for the Mars program is one of the film’s charming scenes.

Moreover, he pretends that the barren space is the Red Planet being an optimist who’s always ready with a joke or an old Hindi song. He also jokes that there is both water and life on Mars based on a clay water pot releasing a trickle, and a stray cat jumping in through the window.

Maybe Akshay’s character is shown as the leader, but it can be seen that the brains belong to Tara Shinde (Vidya), who comes up with the idea of chasing the Mars dream with a low-cost satellite and rocket.

Apart from that, another thing which earned hailed praise is the brainwave comes from the practice of frying pooris on a no-flame, a concept Tara cheerily demonstrates to ISRO top brass. Plus, the film employs accessible (and frequently eye-rolling) theories and concepts to explain the science of the mission to a lay audience not only cleverly, but also a tad simplistically.

And also we get NASA-returned Rupert Desai (Dalip Tahil), as all desi films must have a villain, who assigns a ragtag bunch of juniors to the Mars program, unwilling to waste his best men for an impossible project. Well, the rest of the team also brought their respective backstory. Vidya, a wife, and mother, is the best realized of the lot, as she is juggling domestic responsibilities with her consuming passion for science.

Further, in the end, there is some great addition with a flashback of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory address in the year 2014. And, the makers also included that the Mangalyaan project was announced by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the year 2012.

While reviewing the movie, Taran Adarsh wrote,

“#OneWordReview... MissionMangal: BRILLIANT. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Clearly, one of the best films of 2019... Each character shines... High-concept film that keeps you hooked all through... Has potential to emerge Akshay Kumar's highest grosser... Winner! #MissionMangalReview”

Besides, bringing irreverence and humor to the proceedings, Akshay Kumar is reliably strong, as if to make sure the film never becomes ‘too smart.’ From the other actors, there’s some sound acting, particularly Nitya Menen and Taapsee Pannu, and plenty of laughs from Kannada actor Dattatreya. But diving deep into the role of the impassioned scientist with the full commitment, it’s Vidya Balan who truly stands out. She convinced all that her character’s ideas are fuelled by day-to-day life examples.

Ultimately, Mission Mangal is entertaining, enjoyable, and full of inspirations. Even the jingoism in the flick doesn’t feel like out of space. Apart from all, director Jagan Shakti truly raises a toast to woman power in a great direction.

Watch-It-Out At Least Once, You’ll Surely Enjoy It!