Maska trailer: Manisha Koirala and Jaaved Jaaferi are the only bright spots of this cafe drama

Manisha Koirala's return to the digital medium might just prove to be a departure from her familiar roles on the big screen. Having made her debut with Lust Stories (2018), the actress will now be seen in Maska. The Netflix original film will feature Koirala alongside Prit Kamani, Nikita Dutta, Shirley Setia, and Jaaved Jaaferi. 

The trailer to the film captures a sense of the quaint old times, with a story built around a fading Irani cafe. Koirala plays Diana, the old matron running the cafe after her husband, Rustom's (Jaaved Jaaferi) death. Her hopes are pinned on Rumi (Prit Kamani), her son, who dreams of being an actor.

With Rumi and his girlfriend Mallika (Nikita Dutta) trying to convince Diana, the twist comes in the form of Shirley Setia's writer, who is working on a coffee table book on Irani cafes. 

The trailer is a sweet concoction of stereotypes, that reflect in the style and portrayal of the characters. Whether it is Koirala's matronly Parsi lady or Jaaferi's heavy accent, the trailer brings back memories of lost time.

But it lacks some emotional depth in its rendering of a fairly straightforward story of a younger generation moving away from its roots and coming to a later realisation about the values of the past. Kamani and Dutta take on the part of the rebels, while Setia makes her debut as the romantic interest, who revives the value of the fading Irani cafe. 

While the setting and production look interesting, the more captivating part is Jaaferi's heavy Parsi accent. Even while playing to stereotypes, the actor who is famed for his ability to mimic, captures the quintessential Parsi, or at least an exaggerated version of one, in the trailer. 

The film is directed by Neeraj Udhwani and will stream on the Netflix platform from 27 March. 

Watch the trailer below, and let us know if you are interested in watching the film.