Makeup review: Go with an open mind and you just might enjoy this unusual love story

Makeup is definitely not the run-of-the-mill romantic comedy that we have got used to seeing; in fact, it’s not even a romantic film. Though it doesn’t fit in the traditional definition of a coming-of-age drama, this is probably the best way to define the film.

The trailer for the film and all the promotional material put out so far are totally misleading. They give you an idea about what the film is, but the film is definitely not what its trailer promised.

Purvi (Rinku Rajguru) is an ambitious young woman who wants to be a makeup artist for cinema and television, but her family, especially her brother (Tejpal Wagh), just wants her to get married. Every time a family comes to their house with a marriage proposal, Purvi resorts to tricks to get rid of them. Sometimes she even enlists the help of her friends for this purpose.

Nil (Chinmay Udgirkar) is a US-returned doctor who belongs to an upper-class family. His mother (Sumukhi Pendse) insists that he should find work and continue to live in the USA, but his father (Rajan Tamhane) is a very laidback guy.

Nil and Purvi’s animosity because of their first meeting slowly blossoms into a friendship and their families decide to get them married. But does Purvi love Nil or does she has a different motive? 

Director Ganesh Pandit does not resort to the traditional ways of telling a story. There is a huge twist in the story just before the interval. Then the film completely changes track in the latter half. Also, the shift in the story happens so abruptly, without any warning, that it catches you off guard. It is a bold move because there is a chance that the audience might not like this new track.

The first half is genuinely captivating owing to the excellent performances of all the artistes. In terms of performances, the film does not hit a single wrong note. Every artiste gives of his or her best.

Rinku Rajguru proves yet again that she is not a one-hit wonder. The actress brings out every nuance of her character to perfection. Given a rare chance to show her versatility, Rinku Rajguru has grabbed it with both hands. 

Chinmay Udgirkar also shines in his role. The plot required him to show his character transitioning from an intense, serious person to a funny, carefree guy, and he pulls off both shades of the character with ease.

Udgirkar has been working in Marathi cinema for almost a decade, but this could be his breakout performance. Another breakout performance comes from Tejpal Wagh. He does not get much screen time, but he still makes an impact. All the other supporting artistes, like Rajan Tamhane and Swati Bowlekar, who plays Purvi’s grandmother, have done justice to their roles.

The film’s script, written by Ganesh Pandit himself, has the right amount of humour. The writer-director has known exactly how to balance the script with funny dialogues without compromising on the overall emotional arc of the story, even though things do get a bit melodramatic towards the climax and the last-moment change of heart of one of the characters is hard to digest.

The convoluted climax does hurt the overall experience. The plot also drags for 10 or 15 minutes in the second half. But this is Ganesh Pandit's first film as director and he makes an impact. Pandit has previously written the scripts for critically acclaimed films like Balak Palak (2013) and Yellow (2014).

Makeup has three songs and all of them are placed well in the narrative. without hampering the plot's pace. The film has been shot well and the production design is noteworthy. All in all, if you head to the theatre for this one with an open mind, you should enjoy Makeup.