In 2018, Bala released his film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, which was similar in tone to Monica O My Darling. This combination of quirky and heady works brilliantly with his amalgamation of Kashyap’s rawness and Raghvan’s metrical approach. ..
Unicorn Robotics is a company with an ironic attachment to its employees. The majority of the story takes place through Jayant’s perspective, who is investigating mysteries of murder, disappearances, and extortion on his own. Bala’s world is surprisingly isolating and avoids self-indulgence while still being impressively creative. ..
Bala’s films are full of references to pop culture and the world around him. His characters are more than just lines on a piece of paper, and his films explore different aspects of life. One easter egg for fans of Bala’s 2018 film is the presence of Radhika Madaan as Supri in one of the scenes, possibly hinting at a confluence sometime later on. Film enthusiasts will find more such opportunities in Monica’s runtime, making for a clever creative choice.
The film’s visual fabric is full of throwbacks to the golden era of Bollywood when it was breaking out of the shackles of social realism. The industry as a whole went through a tumultuous metamorphosis and embraced a new zany, retro vibe that attracted more flies to the cake. Costume, music, and story format are the chief weapons Bala uses here to give Monica that nostalgic undertone. As a result, the film resembles a lot of hit ’70s and ’80s Hindi cinema. Huma Quereshi is perhaps the biggest surprise package and rules the screen with her central femme fatale act. She is Monica, after all, and is the story’s chief catalyst. Without her, all the events do not happen and the worlds of Unicron’s corrupted men never collide.
Monica is a strong and consistent character that never falters. The story never feels like it is going to end, which makes for an engaging and satisfying experience. The writing is excellent, making the film all the more enjoyable.
Despite the overwhelming positives, Bala’s protagonist feels unconvincing. This is one of those rare occasions that Rajkumar Rao did not live up to expectations. That very well might be due to the lackluster work in the development room but even on screen, Rao feels out of place. The depth we are so used to seeing in his works is somewhat missing here. Jayant, as a character, is sort of thrown from one corner to the other without too much intervention. He is a pawn in a larger game not controlled or understood by him. Maybe that arch could have gone down differently.
The third act of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” feels like a cover-up of sorts when it comes down to the core conceit of the story. The lack of composure in the final leg makes it difficult to suspend disbelief, and makes it difficult to believe that all the pieces will come together in the end.
Overall, Monica O My Darling is a well-made film that’s perfect for a weekend watch. Vasan Bala has shown potential in this film and hopefully he can continue to improve in the future. ..
Monica O My Darling, or MONDAY NIGHT DREAMS, is a novel written by Monica O’Neill. It tells the story of a woman named Monica who is in a relationship with a man named John. One night, while they are both asleep, their dreams take a turn for the worse. In their dreams, they are being chased by something unknown and dangerous. The next morning, Monica wakes up to find that her relationship with John has ended and she is now single. She decides to go on an adventure to find out what happened in her dreams and why it ended so abruptly.
