Meri Nimmo – Movie Review

As children, most of us, at some point, were infatuated with somebody who way older than us. They might have been our teacher or a friend of our parents’ but our innocent mind could not help but harbour romantic feelings for them. This topic was dealt with in a rather dark manner in ‘Ek Chhoti Si Love Story’. A sixteen year old falling in love with a man twice his age was on the subplots in the 2013 film ‘Sixteen’. ‘Meri Nimmo’, directed by Rahul Ganore Shanklya and produced by Aanand L Rai was ready for a while and had made rounds of film festivals in the last couple of years. Close on the heels of Netflix acquiring Hindi films for a release on it, the makers of the film decided to do the same and have released the film exclusively on Eros Now, a digital streaming platform owned by Eros International, one of the country’s largest film production and distribution companies.

Hemu (Karan Dave), an eight year old, has been very close to Nimmo (Anjali Patil) who is his neighbour and has also been like a babysitter to him from an early age. One day, a conversation with a friend makes him believe that he is in love with Nimmo and she is somebody he would like to get married to. He gets very upset when he discovers that Nimmo is about to get married to somebody in a short while. The thought of Nimmo going away from his life triggers a gamut of emotions in his heart.

‘Meri Nimmo’ is not a plot-heavy film; instead it is a film driven by the basic concept and the several heart-warming moments that emerge from it. Shanklya interprets the written material by Peeyush Shrivastava well and makes sure the setting seems real and authentic. This is also one of the biggest strengths of the film. It familiarises you with the world it is set in no time. What the film lacks is a cohesive story that would keep you completely invested in it. The film has a runtime of ninety minutes and while you do smile on several occasions and get immersed in the milieu it is set in, it does not satiate your appetite for a compelling story. The songs (Krsna Solo and Mangesh Dhakde) are melodious and have been placed nicely in the film.

Anjali Patil acts very well and lends charm to Nimmo. Karan Dave is an extraordinary talent and it is commendable that he pulls off such a great performance at this young age. Sunayana Agrawal is very good as Hemu’s mother. Amar Singh Parihar leaves a mark as the bridegroom. Aryan Mishra is wonderful as Hemu’s friend Matru.

‘Meri Nimmo’ is a confident debut by Rahul Ganore Shanklya and is laced with several warm and fuzzy moments that make up for the lack of a cohesive screenplay.