Mirai Review: An Ambitious Telugu Blockbuster That Dazzles in Scale but Stumbles in Emotion

Mirai: The ambitious Telugu film by Teja Sajja and Karthik Ghattamneni lacks emotionally impactful storytelling, despite its technical skill and size

  
I kept thinking of Teja Sajja’s previous movie, Hanu-Man, while I was seeing Mirai.  That superhero fantasy, which was directed by Prasanth Varma, was based in a legendary setting, incorporated well-known genre references, and was influenced by spiritual texts.  Audiences cheered for its underdog hero because of its compelling characters and depth of passion.

This time, there is a larger budget and a wider canvas.  In order to make a visually stunning film, cinematographer-director Karthik Ghattamneni, who co-wrote Mirai with Manibabu Karanam, collaborates with production designer Nagendra Tangala, art director Dasireddy Srinivas, and a talented visual effects team.  The tale that makes all the difference, however, is hidden beneath this grandeur and only partially works.

Devotional fervour abounds throughout Indian epics, which are replete with gods, demons, planets on the verge of destruction, and the victory of good over evil.  However, turning these into an emotionally compelling story for the screen is what really counts.

Mirai starts out promisingly, establishing its universe through animation.  Emperor Ashoka is inconsolable following the Kalinga battle at the beginning of the novel.  There is a rumour about a hidden society that protects nine books, which are powerful manuscripts that, if taken by evil powers, may wipe all humanity.  This order lasts until the emergence of a malevolent force that jeopardises global equilibrium.

Sage Agastya, a group of truth-seeking saints, a mother who has visions of catastrophe, and her son who is destined to be “the chosen one” make for an intriguing scenario on paper.  Nevertheless, Mirai falters for more than an hour as several characters show up in various situations.  Though frequently discussed, the impending threat to the scriptures is rarely felt to be urgent.  The plot stays superficial even if the chosen one needs to be located, informed of his fate, and embarked on a heroic adventure.

The impact feels strangely removed when a number of guardians are swiftly overtaken by the dark energy, represented by Manchu Manoj brandishing a cursed black sword.  The others hardly qualify as deserving guardians, with the exception of Jagapathi Babu’s gravity.  As if the movie were racing to its conclusion, Vibha (Ritika Nayak), a young monk, finds Ved (Teja Sajja) with remarkable ease while wandering from Varanasi to Kolkata and Hyderabad.

In the dystopian Kashi of 2898 AD, Ved resides in a scrapyard.  Superhero films, like as Kalki’s Kashi-Shambhala, Hanu-Man’s Anjanadri, Loka’s alternate Bengaluru, and Batman’s Gotham, thrive on creative world-building.  Here, however, “Heaven’s Scrapyard” seems less like a living universe and more like a set.  The story is never anchored by the exchanges between Ved and Vibha—his teasing with friends, her mind-reading, or incompetent police officers coming across the paranormal.

It also comes too easily for Ved to have found the mythical staff, Mirai, in the Himalayas.  His introduction to the staff’s authority and meeting with Sage Agastya (Jayaram) are brief and superficial.  The picture doesn’t start to take shape until later, when the mother-son story and the dark force’s past are completely revealed.

Teja Sajja performs effectively in action scenes by striking a mix between strength and vulnerability with his everyman appeal.  In his role as the antagonist, Manoj poses a physical threat.  Shreya Saran is a revelation; particularly in the later scenes, she gives the role of a struggling mother real weight.

The animatronic bird Sampati from the Ramayana, Sage Agastya’s concept of “spiritual physics,” and Gaurahari’s music, which evokes awe and spectacle, are just a few of the creative touches that adorn Mirai.  Although the route to the final scenes feels weak, they bring majesty.

Retelling myths with complex characters and compelling stories has long been a speciality of Telugu film.  Even the more recent Kalki 2898 AD skilfully combined science fiction and the Mahabharata.  Despite its ambition to retell an Indian superhero legend, Mirai finds it difficult to turn its plot into an engaging film.  A sequel is in the works, but it will require a far more compelling story to be genuinely successful.

Mirai

Karthik Ghattamneni is the director

Cast: Ritika Nayak, Teja Sajja, and Manchu Manoj

It lasts for 168 minutes

Story: To defend the ninth scripture and protect the world from a malevolent force, a superhero must emerge.