What Is the Story About?
Julio, the son of a single parent Susan Miranda, requests his mother to adopt an infant who’s left stranded on the streets. Braving past several financial challenges, Susain raises Julio and Regalo, who are extremely fond of one another. As adults, they hope to make a career in football. However, when a personal setback tests their equation, Regalo has a tough choice to make.
Performances?
Harshavardhan Rane’s toned body is the only good excuse to distract you from the superficiality of his performance. However, the role doesn’t offer him anything substantial either. Much like him, Meezan Jaffri fares no better, creating little impact as an actor despite his good looks. Both female leads – Jeniffer Piccinato and Sahher Bamba – are offered inconsequential roles.
Rahul Dev’s character is crucial but lacks a proper basis. Sanjay Suri’s portrayal is too dull to play a motivating football coach. Naved Jafri, Nikhil Chinnappa’s extended cameos are not particularly memorable. Manasi Joshi Roy has a reasonably impressive screen presence in a brief role.
Analysis
Sanjay Gupta is a filmmaker one can never write off in Hindi cinema – even if his two most memorable outings remain Kaante and Kaabil in a career spanning two decades. Three years after his last theatrical release – Mumbai Saga – he’s back to wielding the megaphone with a sibling saga – The Miranda Brothers – set in Goa, where the protagonists are caught in a cobweb of crime, redemption and football.
The Miranda Brothers tells a story as old as the hills, revolving around two brothers – Julio and Regalo, the latter being the adopted one. While Julio is the rebellious, angry young man, Regalo is the more focused sibling, who looks set for a flourishing career in football. In the wake of a tragedy, the tale focuses on their contrasting approaches to redemption, which have harsh consequences.
On paper, a story about two brothers, united by love and not blood, in the backdrop of Goan football culture, whose worlds unexpectedly collide with crime, does seem promising. However, The Miranda Brothers is indisputably the blandest film in Sanjay Gupta’s career, where neither the sports backdrop nor the action, emotions, or performances work(s).
It’s surprising how an established filmmaker fumbles in portraying the depth of the sibling equation in the early portions. A single mom’s random conversation with a son about rescuing a cat leads to her adopting an infant. Though the contrasting characterisation of the brothers is emphasised, nothing about the drama stands out and you smell an air of indifference in the execution.
The film pans out mechanically and doesn’t make any concerted effort to create emotional impact. Most scenes about the Mirandas’ family dynamics are yawn-inducing and repetitive. The sequence where Susan’s activism comes to the fore is planted randomly, sans any effort to provide a context. None of the other characters—Max, Marokko, the corrupt politician, or the coach—shape up well.
Both the love stories – Julio-Isabella and Regalo-Sol – add little value to the story. Adding insult to injury are the lazy dialogues, instantly forgettable music. If any aspect stands out, it’s the cinematographer’s effort to portray Goa from an insider’s perspective, going beyond its touristy, stereotypical lens. Towards the end, the film makes a valid point about the futility of redemption but the messaging is abrupt.
The Miranda Brothers is a misfire by all means. It’s a borefest of a film – an age-old sibling drama packaged in a new bottle, that lacks vigour, spirit or purpose.
Music and Other Departments?
Even three composers – Tanishk Bagchi, Amaal Malik, Zain Desai – struggle to come up with one noteworthy song for the film, while the music score lacks meat too. Cinematographer Shikhar Bhatnagar’s visuals help us look at Goa in a new light, free from cliches and the outsider stereotypes. Sameer Hafiz’ screenplay is a total disappointment, given it had scope to be emotionally riveting and even the generally reliable Milap Zaveri disappoints with the dialogues.
Highlights?
Decent seed-idea
Good cinematography
Drawbacks?
Indifferent execution
No emotional impact
Dull performances
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
The Miranda Brothers Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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