Pinky Memsaab Movie Review – Honest Portrayal of Expat Lives in Dubai

BOTTOM LINE: Honest Portrayal of Expat Lives in Dubai

Rating: 2/5

Platform Netflix

Genre Coming-of-age drama

What is the Story about?

Pinky Memsaab is an unconventional story about the kinship between two women from different worlds. It closely follows the lives of an unhappy Dubai socialite Mehr and her impressionable young Pakistani maid Pinky and what they have and miss in their lives.

Often referred to as the pleasure palace of the world, Pink Memsaab showcases Dubai as a diverse place where life like everywhere else is not black and white. The film explores the posh-but-imperfect life of Mehr through the eyes of Pinky, who lands in Dubai with dreams of living a different life in this fantastical city.

Performances?

This is the kind of film that can surprise on many levels. Kiran Malik plays Mehr convincingly, literally nailing her part as snotty Memsaab. However, in the conflict-ridden scenes, her performance doesn’t quite hit the right notes. Hajira Yamin as Pinky is a delight to watch and she owns her role with a lot of ease and confidence. The rest of the cast is appropriate in their respective roles.

Analysis?

As a film that talks about diversity and expat lives, Pinky Memsaab gets the unspoken class divide between the lead characters right and spot on. These bright moments aside, the film never realises its full potential and come together as a whole. As much as the film tries its best portray Dubai’s diversity as earnestly as possible, it’s not quite convincing when it comes to showcasing Pinky’s transformation from a villager to a self-confident woman.

Nevertheless, Pinky Memsaab is the sort of film you don’t want to write off. You want to appreciate it for its earnest storytelling and the performances of its ensemble cast. With bursts of brilliance as the film gives us a closer look at parents and the nanny culture, it is the sort of film you want to watch for its sheer effort to standout.

Highlights?

Honest portrayal of life in Dubai
Lead performances

Drawbacks?

Slow narrative

Will you recommend it?

Not really. However, it isn’t a film I’d want to ignore

Pinky Memsaab Movie Review by Haricharan Pudipeddi