In order to solve a complicated cyber crime case which claimed the lives of two international hackers in Delhi, ACP Siddhanth (Manish Choudhary) and his aide Inspector Bhalla(Varun Badola) employ a lazy hacker on the case. Mickey Virus(Manish Paul) as he is popularly known as, is a smart but worthless little chap functioning with the pseudonym Kung Fu Chameli. However, once the guy is smitten by a ravishing woman Kamayani(Elli Avram) who resonates for him as a woman out of his dreams – his own Kung Fu Chameli, there is no looking back for him.

Wooing the tota with every possible totka in the book, Mickey is simultaneously also trying to solve the case for police. It all leads to the innocent boy getting himself caught in the web of police and hackers in a web of plots and subplots, losing his love and nearly his life in the same. Mickey Virus finely blends the excitement and fun in this suspense film!

The film renders a inexplicably good first impression. I remember watching the trailer and assuming it will be one luminous treat to watch. But alas! It turned out to be just the contrary. The film’s first part is barely legible. At best it is gibberish, with a young lad drooling over a really hot woman, trying to woo her. From the on start itself, the film stays focused but that doesn’t help much as the story itself takes long to crystallize. By the time it is interval, all you know about the plot is that the police has employed the lazy lass Mickey for their job and Mickey entangles himself in an unusual robbery and a strange murder case!

Sound interesting, ain’t it? I thought the same but the build up is obnoxiously slow. Though the story picks up steam in the second half, the running around and the unraveling of the plot is more tedious than nail biting. The climax is overwrought and silly which makes the painful journey of watching the flick such a worthless waste.

The maximum laughs I had was in the climax when Manish Paul clobbers and thrashes people in typical slow-mo masala filmy ways. The plot in totality is harebrained with far too many fractures in it. Perhaps it was a smart move to employ a strong ensemble cast because this venture wouldn’t even classify as passable if it hadn’t been for its supporting actors.

The ideas used in the film could have been far more inventive and it treads along into becoming more convenient. One can easily acquire migraine from this film as the story depletes itself into a strictly slim one over the film’s runtime. However, since vulgar films and typical films are in season in the industry, this isn’t entirely unwatchable. The only excuse I provided myself was atleast they tried something different, that itself is such a respite in its own.

Manish Paul is cutest television host ever. His comic timing and witty one liners are delivered well but so far he isn’t quite an actor. Not ace at emoting, neither perfect at dialogue delivery, he could only be somewhat passable. Playing baffled and innocent well enough, he wasn’t entirely effortless and that catches your eyes easily.

Elli Avram looks resplendent and though she too is short on acting skills, she does manage to seem noticeable in a couple of scenes.

Manish Chaudhary is near perfect is his role. Reflecting confidence in his demeanor in every scene, he is a treat to watch.

Same goes for Varun Badola. The actor is confident and sure of his role. Settling in smoothly with his correct diction and great comic timing, he remains the best thing on screen. I particularly loved the scene where Manish describes to Varun, the difference between hackers and hawkers. The look on Varun’s face was iconic.

Saurabh Varma’s film manages to rank as endurable for the sheer novelty in its concept. And though the idea is less delved into, the uniqueness suffers a beating when the director hams up old cliches adding to it a new spin. The inspired laughs are few and most lack spontaneity which will make it hard to squeeze out even a giggle from the audiences. The story turns more somber in the second half and with all the complications on screen, undoing the knotted story becomes a harrowing experience.

Sharp dialogues are rare which doesn’t make it an excellent caper. To Varma’s credit, he has chosen a good team of supporting cast which makes the film bearable. The film is quite well edited and the limited histronics makes it quite a light hearted, fun movie.

Mickey Virus is quite a breather from the low IQ comedies we are subjected to many Fridays. A tauter script, with more humor and a steamier story could have helped this film in rising above being merely a moderate entertainer. Side step your regular expectations, if you at all decide to give this film a shot. For a few laughs, a not-so-dull second half and somewhat interestingly made suspenseful story, Mickey Virus can count as an average, not a must-watch, but if you insist on going to the cinemas, this will be the sheenier one from the lot that released this week. I am going with a 2.5/5. Quasi original and sort of passable, I managed to sit through this one till the end!