cOOL, cRIsp AND quIRKy

Micky Virus

STARRInG: Manish Paul, Eli Avram, Varun Badola, Manish Choudhary

DIReCToR: saurabh Varma

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Mickey Virus is Bollywood’s first full-fledged film on the virtual world. The hero -if we may call Manish Paul’s languid lazy vagabondish character that - is a computer hacker, and one who likes to take his time over every punch of the keyboard.

Mercifully, debutant director saurabh Varma’s film moves in a mood defiantly opposite to the hero’s indolent indiscretions. Tightly-scripted, cleverlyworded and arrestingly encrypted, Mickey Virus drags the hackers’ hemisphere into hectic mode.

In this slickly-executed cyber-drama, our debutant hero and his comp-friendly pals (with names like ‘Floppy’ and ‘Chutney’) make for enjoyable viewing. The film is voguish, vibrant, vital and viral, and yet extremely fastidious about keeping the plot above the temptation of throwing virtual weight around.

This is a well-woven thriller about an average 20-something Delhi dude who falls in love and into a cyber-trap, hitting his head into a scam that could destroy his life.

To reveal any more of the plot would be akin to giving away the film’s UsPs. suffice to say that Varma knows his cinema as closely as he knows his computer. he weaves cinematic elements into a kind of one-night-inthe-life-of... tale that spins in dizzying motions.

Delhi is again caught in sinister provocative postures, and every outdoor location has a story to tell. strange, how Manish, switching effortlessly from his cocky on-stage antics on reality shows to a kind of languorous screen appearance, pulls out all stops to make Mickey look real to the point of being your next door neighbour’s son.

Manish is goofier, more adventurous in his exploration of adrift urbanite. he is an interesting actor with an unpremeditated screen presence.

Mickey Virus gives the debutant a chance to romance the dark side of youngistan with unselfconscious fluidity. There is also a cutely written romance woven into the hacker’s tale. Eli Avram shows up as a manifestation of Manish’s virtual fantasy, named ‘Kungfu Chameli’. There is an endearing courtship, blessedly not over-punctuated by songs. Manish’s Mickey probably doesn’t even watch Bollywood films!

The debutant has accomplished actors around him for support. Manish’s namesake Manish Choudhary is a stern placid police officer who needs Mickey’s hacking skills to track an international gang.

Choudhary is in fine (uni)form. But the very talented Varun Badola as Choudhary’s assistant is a scene stealer. Mouthing the film’s catchiest lines casually, Varun brings more to his role than what’s written for the character. The rest of the supporting cast too gets into the mood of the plot.

Undoubtedly, Mickey Virus is Manish’s made-to-order vehicle. he casually invites us into his suddenly-troubled world, and then persuades us to cringe at the progressive crisis built around Delhi’s cyber stratosphere. The uniqueness of the plot works effectively in covering up the loopholes and rather embarrassing coincidences that bridge various dramatic elements in the plot. It