Monica, O My Darling Review: Huma Quereshi, Radhika Apte Serve A Delicious Thriller

In Netflix's Monica, O My Darling, filmmaker Vasan Bala has a fabulous cast coupe for all manner of mischief and some cutting-edge technology to ooze up a taut pulp thriller over the span of 129 minutes. The film is a delectable whodunit, a delicious murder mystery but at its core - it is a story about social climbers, about human nature.

The film follows the life of Jayant Arkhedkar, played by the rambling nervous-wreck Rajkummar Rao, a robotics engineer. He is the golden boy of his company, has climbed the corporate ladder and landed a great opportunity at the board of directors seat, much to the annoyance of his contemporaries and even the CEO's son (Sikander Kher). But even before we are introduced to Jayant, we see something dark happen, and that sets the tone for the entire film.

A series of murders follow in the Unicorn Group, where Jayant's dream job is, and the getaway door of his 'small-town boy' tag. However, with the clear involvement that he might have had with those who are dropping dead, all the fingers point at him in suspicion. The stakes are high and now he must find out who the murderer is, and save himself from getting killed at the same time.

Monica O My Darling review

The sleek quality of this Bala flick is much early into the film, audiences will find out who might be behind the killings. Bala literally follows the character around but holds the narrative that intertwines lust, greed, powerplay, love, jealousy, betrayal, and even class differences. Behind the manipulations and manic measures that the warped minds resort to, a privileged lot battle it out with the not-so-privileged who not only struggle to seek a place in the world but also have to figure out ways to get it.

Monica (Huma Qureshi) is the darling of not one but at least three men of Unicorn Group, one of whom she says has left her pregnant. Among the candidates are Nishi, Jayant and the company's accountant Arvind (Bagavathi Perumal). A planned murder that will clean up the controversy goes topsy-turvy, scattering the characters hither-tither as a chatty police officer Naidu (Radhika Apte) takes charge.

The story and script by Yogesh Chandekar take their cue from Naidu’s advice to a suspect: “Story ko dhila chhorne ka, usko tightly pakadne ka nahi (Story needs to be left a little loose, it shouldn't be held onto too tightly)."

Qureshi is perfectly cast as Monica. She is the top honcho's secretary, a resourceful seductress with an eye on her future, running rings around a bunch of weak men. Her femme fatale persona clearly reflects in Jayant’s cowardice whose voice begins to quiver when Monica blackmails him. When he tries to turn the tables and confronts Monica, the two battle it out reversing the entire sequence into a great slimy performance. At this point, Bala allows some divine intervention, when Jayant checks on his reflection and realises his sins. However, the storytelling is far more flavourful to fit in morality clauses. It is Netflix's omnipresent diva Apte, who towers as a shifty police officer, and gets to deliver the truth of the story through some tongue-in-cheek dialogues.

Perfect for your weekend binge, the film is a delicious mix of wit, wickedness, whimsicality and great foot-tapping retro tunes that define the neo-noir comic thriller as a whole. Netflix's Monica, O My Darling, is a wildly entertaining film packed with twists and turns that will keep you at the edge until the final fadeout.

Watch the film's trailer ">here.

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