When adapting a Shakespeare noir to Indian screenplay, one needs to know how to mould the story and make it easy for the audience to relate to it. Director Sharat Katariya impresses with his wit and humour, with his contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
10ml Love follows three diverse love stories. Peter (Neil Bhoopalam) is a mechanic who spends most of his time praying in Church. His girlfriend Shweta (Tara Sharma Saluja) is about to get married to her childhood friend Neel (Purab Kohli). Peter doesn’t have the courage to take charge of the situation and in dismay Shweta goes ahead with the wedding. Meanwhile, Neel has a long-time girlfriend Minnie (Koel Purie Rinchet), who is also a childhood friend of Shweta and Neel. Minnie is in love with Neel but is on the fence, so Neel prefers to get married to Shweta.
Meanwhile, Ghalib (Rajat Kapoor) is an overbearing husband who makes a living out of selling aphrodisiacs at a roadside stall. He is extremely possessive of his wife Roshni (Tisca Chopra) who’s just about had enough of him following her everywhere she goes. Soon Ghalib’s mother (Sarita Joshi) gives him an opportunity to woo his wife. There’s also the sub-plot of the wedding cooks who are in the middle of rehearsing for their annual Ramleela play. Aspiring actor and cook Chand (Manu Rishi Chadha) is always sidelined by his boss (Brijendra Kala). How all the stories intertwine forms the crux of the story.
Sharat Katariya (also the writer) has worked very well while detailing the script. The film is an enjoyable journey. Also, the witty one-liners are perfectly balanced to the smooth screenplay. Katariya deserves a pat on his back for making a simple film with no buffoonery, no loud characters, no gimmicks, and no over-acting. He is in full form. He is also first rate, from scripting to casting to direction to extracting the right expressions from each character to execution. He is a welcome addition to the industry as a director.
Also, one must applaud the casting director, who has managed to find the perfect actors for every role. Music by Sagar Desai is good. The background score adds to the narration of the film. Editing by Vinod Sukumaran is apt. Neeraj Sahay’s cinematography is ordinary.
Performance-wise, Rajat Kapoor is fantastic. Tisca Chopra is good. Purab Kohli does justice to his role. Tara Sharma Saluja delivers a brilliant performance. Neil Bhoopalam plays his part well. Koel Purie Rinchet portrays her part with panache. Manu Rishi Chadha is the best of the lot. He makes you laugh. Sarita Joshi is wonderful in her discreet role. The rest of the cast is perfectly placed.
Verdict: Lack of awareness and promotion of this film will dampen its prospects at the ticket counter.