Sex comedies need the right balance between comedy and sensuality. Unfortunately, mainstream Indian cinema does not have a great track record in that regard. Many a sex comedy to have come out of this country just go overboard and use crass humour for cheap laughs, much of which doesn’t even make sense.
These movies are pandering to a certain mentality, at best, and make for an awful travesty at the worst.
But Mumbai Matinee does something different that left me pleasantly surprised.
Mumbai Matinee — Review at a Glance
- Story: 4/5
- Acting: 3.5/5
- Direction: 3/5
- Music: 3/5
Must Watch: Not in the strictest sense of the term (but sure why not)
One-Time Watch: Yes
Mumbai Matinee Review — A Deep Dive
Mumbai Matinee is so refreshingly unapologetic about sex and its implications in a society like India’s. It features a whole array of characters and viewpoints — from an old uncle to a gay sex worker — to tackle the spectrum of sexuality. All in all, it’s not a tone deaf film, and considering it was made in 2003, that’s actually pretty cool.
Unlike most Indian sex comedies that are crass and overtly sexual without the story needing it, Mumbai Matinee is a breath of fresh air.
Sure. It does have the token ‘sexy/vamp’ character that you’ll find in Indian films; her presence definitely feels a bit forced — and maybe a few other cliches of the genre sprinkled throughout — but you should still give this movie a chance.
Debu, the virgin protagonist of Mumbai Matinee, sets out on a journey to finally have sex at age 32. But he really doesn’t know what he is getting himself into. Things become messy and his life goes haywire when he comes across Baba Hindustani and film producer Nitin Kapoor. The interactions between these three characters are very funny and well-scripted. Plus, the trio of Rahul Bose, Vijay Raaz, and Saurabh Shukla — with support from the legendary Asrani — is pure genius.
The music isn’t really anything to write home about, but that’s okay.
Somehow, Mumbai Matinee also feels like a time capsule that takes you back to the Bombay of the early 2000s, be it in terms of ideologies or technologies. I must confess, in one of the early scenes, Asrani swipes a card on paper with some machine which I swear I have never seen (and I suppose this is indicative of my millennial existence).
The dynamic in Mumbai Matinee is very interesting because, as the audience, you are likely to be quite aware of the potential fraud and pitfalls of the journey Debu is about to embark on. However, the film will reward you with its unique story.
Honestly, this is probably the only Indian sex comedy I have seen (thus far in life) that doesn’t make me want to shoot my brains out. It’s quite enjoyable and will make for a fun watch anytime.
Having said that, I do wish there was more focus on overall character development. While Debu, the Baba, and Nitin are interesting, it sometimes feels like the films jump from one scene to the other without a proper segue.
All in all, Mumbai Matinee has a very interesting story, but its story could have been executed better. It does have some quirkiness — such as using Star Wars references for vague sexual analogies — but it definitely feels like this film had some potential left untapped.
Cast of Mumbai Matinee
- Rahul Bose: Debu
- Perizaad Zorabian: Sonali Verma
- Vijay Raaz: Baba Hindustani
- Saurabh Shukla: Nitin Kapoor
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