Mishan Impossible movie review: Taapsee Pannu’s acting prowess remains untapped in a poorly written film

Language: Telugu Taapsee Pannu’s career has been going great guns in Bollywood in recent years where she has played an interesting array of roles from small town girl to sportsperson to downtrodden and abused women. Her return to Telugu cinema comes in the form of this small film directed by Swaroop RSJ. The award-winning actress has always been proud of her repertoire of work but her latest release is a surprising choice. Taapsee Pannu has always rooted for small films as she believes they have a ‘big heart’ but one wonders whether this Telugu flick does. In Mishan Impossible Taapsee Pannu plays investigative reporter Sailaja who takes on a mission to bring down a well-connected businessman/gangster Ram Shetty, who is in the business of child trafficking. Meanwhile, three kids from Vadamalapeta, Andhra Pradesh - Raghupathi (Harsh Roshan), Raghava (Bhanuprakash), Rajaram (Jayateertha), have a mission of their own. Hailing from lower-middle-class families and school being an impediment to their dreams, the trio want to make some quick money, which involves tracking renowned terrorist Dawood Ibrahim in Mumbai so they can pocket the Rs 50 lakh finder’s fee. How the kids end up getting embroiled in Sailaja’s investigation and what happens to them is the essence of the story.

With Taapsee’s name attached to the film, one would expect her to be the protagonist but it is the three kids who are central to the plot of the film.

The Pink actress Taapsee plays a supporting role bringing in the child-trafficking angle. So we see her essay Sailaja, who is part reporter, part vigilante and part social activist. Though the character has been given three different shades, it is not really performance-driven and playing Sailaja is a walk in the park for the talented actor. Taapsee’s acting prowess has not been tapped into with this poorly written role that could have been essayed by anyone really.

One aspect director Swaroop RSJ has spent a lot of time is the characterisation of the Raghupathi (Harsh Roshan), Raghava (Bhanuprakash) and Rajaram (Jayateertha). He has given them a character arc and we see them turn from little village kids to superheroes as the film progresses. The camaraderie between the three kids and their performances is positive but it’s not enough to salvage this film. This movie is the director’s second venture after his successful _Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya_  (2019). There is a similarity in that the 2019 film, a comedy thriller, revolved around a detective while this film, a crime comedy, revolves around an investigative reporter and three kids. Touted to be a crime thriller with some comic aspects, this film from Swaroop is extremely disappointing and shows lazy writing. The fragmented way in which the story has been told gives us a movie which trudges along sans excitement or thrill factor leaving the viewer rather bored. One must commend Taapsee for taking a chance on this film and giving it her all albeit in a small role. Unfortunately, Mishan Impossible fails to launch. Rating: 2.5/5

Latha Srinivasan is a senior journalist based in Chennai. Her passion is entertainment, travel, and dogs. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.