Mithya review: Huma Qureshi and Avantika Dassani will keep you hooked in parts and feel predictable in others

What is truth and what is a lie? Is there a way to find that out? Isn't it possible that one's truth might be a lie to others? These questions might feel vague to someone with a scientific bend of mind, but reality can be different for different people, isn't it? This sounds promising too, and can prove to be a great premise for a series. That is what you may feel when you begin watching Mithya . But, as you progress into the series, you would know that it starts taking a beaten path, has all the stereotypical elements that you'd find in probably every other thriller, that has become the next new thing with its super success on OTT platforms. Yes, there are some parts that will keep you hooked and take you by surprise, but in most parts- this gets predictable.

The story is about Juhi, a Hindi teacher to gets into a faceoff with one of her students- Rhea Rajguru when she accuses her of plagiarism. The story sets off from there, and in the intro, we see that they are interacting in a jail? So what happened from this point that one of them ended up inside the jail? Not just Juhi, it looks like the storm that this brief interaction inside Juhi's office with Rhea will trigger off a series of events that will also consume former's husband Neil and her father, Mr. Tyagi. 

It's a thriller, so the more we speak, there would be more chances of spoilers here and there. But, I would like to explain why I think this uses all the beaten troops that you find in every other thriller. It ticks off almost everything- from a hilly setting, to strained relationships, love and lust (not necessarily interwined). Also, as you keep moving with the story, you'll begin to understand the twist that would be coming. There is a certain predictability that comes here. And while you'll say the story could have been taut, I have complaints about the execution too that feels hasty at times, and too much at ease at other portions.

Rohan Sippy had tried making it a stylish triller. But, what could have worked wonders had this been a film, feels a little stretched since it is a series. Some characters needed to be explored more- like Neil. His is like a flat character and required more nuances. Other backstories are not delved into either- why did Huma's Juhi start taking anti-depressants, was there a better time in Juhi- Neil's marriage or was there more to Vishal (played by Indraneil Sengupta) than what met the eye? The fact that I am mentioning these points out to the fact that the series had potential, but it was lost in the way. 

Huma Qureshi is the star of the series, much like Maharani. She has been given a layered character, that she plays earnestly. She brings out the vulnerability and the dilemma that Juhi faces. Debutant Avantika Dassani plays the second lead here, and has the meatiest role after Huma. As Rhea, she is dark but is someone who has her own twisted way of justice and forging relationships. This was a character that required Avantika to be open. While as a debutant, her performance is commendable, it looks like the responsibilities dropped on her shoulders proved too heavy. There are scenes that required more depth, and the faltering on her part became evident. The exchanges, after a point, also got awkward- like the interaction between her and Parambrata Chatterjee 's character at the pub or on the rooftop. 

There are actors like Samir Soni and Rajit Kapur in the series as well, but to be honest I expected their performances to be top-notch, however, it felt like something is lacking.

What really worked in the favour of the film was the breathtaking cinematography. The nooks and corners of Darjeeling were captured beautifully on the camera. 

Overall, this is a series that had potential, but somewhere it was lost. However, one can not completely dismiss it. Watch it for Huma's brilliant performance, and to have a virtual trip to Darjeeling.