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When our protagonist Abhimanyu (Ayushmann Khurrana) visits a familiar music shop to get his favourite mixtape fixed, the shopkeeper remarks that some combinations are just meant to be. Each element is perfect on its own, but together they become priceless. Just like Abhimanyu’s mixtape and his chemistry with childhood sweetheart Bindu (Parineeti Chopra). In debutant Akshay Roy’s Meri Pyaari Bindu, the leads are strikingly different. Abhimanyu falls for Bindu the day he meets her. For Bindu, he’s the calming chhatwala kamra at home—a place she turns to in both joy and sorrow. Complicated? Maybe, but still simpler than most of our messy lives.
Meri Pyaari Bindu, for starters, is a masterful prism through which we view Abhimanyu’s life. Those hoping for an in-depth dive into Bindu’s world might be disappointed. Credit goes to writer Suprotim Sengupta for not spoon-feeding us information we may not have valued anyway.
Towards the end, in a bittersweet moment, Bindu tells Abhimanyu, “This is your story. My version would’ve been a little different.” From the bond they form early in life, we see just how different their backgrounds are – one is a loud, eccentric, and happy family, whereas the other is moderately dysfunctional. The former proudly frames their son’s degree certificate in the living room. The latter is weighed down by grief, guilt, and unresolved issues. Thankfully, we aren’t bogged down by too many details from either household. The film avoids the usual trope of justifying every character and their choices. Abhimanyu (alias Bubla) and Bindu’s inherent contrasts shape who they are. They’re not the most put-together people, which might be disappointing for viewers looking for aspirational role models on screen.
There’s more to Abhimanyu and Bindu’s differences. He is a writer at heart, but remains passive about it. Instead, he takes up a mundane corporate job, perhaps to secure the life he dreams of: you and I, Devdas the dog, a 2BHK in Matunga, kids, and more. In contrast, Bindu is deeply passionate about music. Watching her career collapse like a set of nine pins is heartbreaking. For someone who never really planned any part of her life, she unknowingly becomes part of Abhimanyu’s plans for a brief while.
And Abhimanyu? The moment he sees a tunnel with no hopeful light at the end, he finally does what he was meant to do—he becomes a writer. Not a Gulzar, but a simplified version of Chetan Bhagat, and that too for the better. Driven by memories, Abhimanyu is someone whose manuscripts are born out of a typewriter in the age of MacBooks. He seems out of place in a world of iPods and music apps, content instead with cassette tapes from the 90s. While I felt these elements were occasionally inconsistent (unlike the brilliantly cohesive Dum Laga Ke Haisha), their use ultimately felt justified. These small details (of memories and objects) anchor Abhimanyu’s unspoken fondness for Bindu. At one point, I even wondered whether one of them was being taken for granted simply because neither is confrontational by nature. They are the kind of people who let time do the healing. Meri Pyaari Bindu eventually proved all my doubts wrong, delivering a finale that is both lifelike and tearful.
That said, this isn’t a flawless feature. Suprotim’s writing, despite its nuance and detailing, tends to lag. With frequent narrative shifts, Akshay Roy’s direction also feels tedious in parts. There are moments where the film tries a bit too hard to stay edgy. The proposal scene, for instance, doesn’t land as intended. However, the symbolic scene where Abhimanyu unties the heirloom necklace from Bindu’s neck is striking on its own. Bindu’s line about “the audience’s expectations” feels like a meta-commentary on the film itself, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Several such moments remind us that Meri Pyaari Bindu is a film that likely had far more material than what made it to the final cut.
Not the usual rom-com that delivers a familiar monotony of colours, some of DOP Tushar Kanti Ray’s washed-out frames are stellar. As Mumbai is captured with rare beauty, one wishes Calcutta had been given a slightly better deal. Then again, we do spot the Howrah Bridge through the terrace room window. Ray also deserves credit for unflinchingly tracing his actors’ minute facial expressions, even the twitch of an eyebrow. Sachin-Jigar’s soundtrack and score (along with a few yesteryear hits) balance the film’s wistful mood. The final song, Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin, sung by Chopra and Sonu Nigam, is heart-wrenching, to say the least. And yes, you’ll notice Chopra’s footwear in the peppy Yeh Jawani Meri oddly fluctuates from heels to flats and back! The dialogues of Meri Pyaari Bindu, sprinkled with nostalgia, are true to life and form one of the film’s strongest foundations.
As for performances, Meri Pyaari Bindu is a complete Ayushmann Khurrana showreel. The fantastic actor that he is, it’s a pleasure to see him transform into Abhimanyu and internalize all his pains, joys, uncertainties, heartbreaks, confusions, and jealousies. Heartfelt to the core, he radiates world-class intensity whenever the screenplay requires him to convey inadequacy or envy. Parineeti Chopra forms the perfect foil to Khurrana. In a character that could easily be labelled “bohemian,” “selfish,” and whatnot, Chopra’s Bindu remains an enigma throughout. The writer and director’s success lies in letting her story remain untold. To Chopra’s credit, right from that enigmatic introductory montage to the final frame, she expresses ambivalence with great beauty. Predominantly a film about the lead pair, Meri Pyaari Bindu features a supporting cast that does a commendable job too. Special mention to Bengali actor Aparajita Adhya, who plays the quintessential Indian mom to the hilt. Abish Mathew, in a brief cameo, is memorable for that solitary Malayalam one-liner.
A dialogue-heavy film, Meri Pyaari Bindu (in a sort of antithesis) is not annoyingly chatty. It’s about a guy who sees no shame in carrying his favourite girl’s handbag. He’s rather proud of being the ‘Samba’ to the ‘Gabbar’ she is. It’s also about a girl who gets the guy’s hilarious short story published in a seemingly shady Kanyakumari magazine. There are moments that make you heave a mammoth sigh, and others that are filmy and borderline silly. Despite all the nitpicking, Meri Pyaari Bindu ends up being the most relatable film on young relationships in a very long time. The narrative reinforces director Akshay Roy’s belief in his central theme. Closures, clarity, justifications… what are we looking for? It’s almost like Abhimanyu’s line: “Mujhe kahaan fursat thi Bindu se… ki ishaare dekh paun.” Did I mention the moving end to the story? Like the metaphor of rain touching bare earth, all their hurt eventually thaws, making way for a brighter, sunnier tomorrow. Or at least, a beam of hope.
Rating: ★★★★
And what’s Meri Pyaari Bindu sans the thoughtful frames it comes with? Here are some…
The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
well written.
i loved the movie too…!
Glad that you loved the film, Hardik 🙂 And the write-up…
very well written.. you captured all the minute details.. Specially the Howrah bridge through the terrace window..
and yeah i watched this movie just because of your write up 🙂
Thanks Rahul 🙂 Hope you enjoyed the film as much as I did.
Great, great review. I personally loved the film and made it a point to read as many reviews (good and bad) to know what they felt. Must say none of them captured the film like this one. Well done.
Thanks a lot, Manoj.