Mix Up review: This tale of love, lust and heartbreak leaves you wanting more

Mix Up review: Director Aakash Bikki has a take on marriage and relationships that he tries to explain through the OTT film Mix Up, streaming on Aha. However, despite the short run-time, the film starring Pooja Jhaveri, Aadarsh Balakrishna, Akshara Gowda and Kamal Kamaraju ends up feeling one-note instead of the nuanced tale it could’ve been. (Also Read: Gaami review: Vishwak Sen, Chandini Chowdary’s anthology explores the triumph of human spirit)
Two young couples feel stuck in unhappy marriages for their own reasons. Sahu (Aadarsh) might flirt with Mythili (Pooja) all day long, but he finds it hard to respect her as a person. He might always be in the mood to get physical with her, but he also feels free to knock her down a peg while at it. Nikki (Akshara) is frustrated with Abhi (Kamal) because no matter how sweet he is as a husband, they cannot find their groove sexually. He is loving, caring and everything one would want from a husband, except for his issues with sex. When these four meet at a resort in Goa, thanks to a mutual friend, Ritu (Kamakshi Bhaskarla), they might find the solutions they’re looking for.
Once all the characters gather at the resort, Mix Up feels like Karan Johar’s 2006 film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, except not as dramatic. Sahu and Nikki gravitate towards each other but don’t throw caution to the wind regarding their affair. They don’t mind their respective spouses knowing about the infidelity but oddly seem to care that other characters will find out. They are so disrespectful to Mythili and Abhi, that you feel nothing for them when these two begin getting closer too. But that’s where the issue of Mix Up lies. Despite the short run-time, Aakash seems hell-bent on painting his characters in black and white, rather than giving them the space to be grey.
The way Mix Up begins, with a therapist trying to counsel the couples through their very short marriages (it hasn’t even been one year), you would think the film would have a little more maturity in dealing with their relationships. Instead, you get a lot of scenes where Sahu and Nikki randomly make out, versus Mythili and Abhi trying to talk through why their marriages are failing. While Aadarsh’s character is shown as someone who’s snappy irrespective of who he’s with (and he does it well), Akshara’s character doesn’t get the same space to breathe (but she looks like a dream). Kamal drunkenly cries through some crucial moments (and looks silly while at it), while Pooja seems a little harder to read. Sure, she gives Sahu a dressing down, but she seems more relieved than heartbroken at her spouse’s infidelity.
Not just the characters, the film also feels half-baked with some scenes even testing your patience. The fact that these characters might find happiness with people other than their spouses never feels fully explored, with the ending coming across as cliche. Both the cheaters and the cheated don’t get scenes punchy enough for us to pick a side, even when you want to. Unfortunately, the end result makes the film feel cheesy, silly, and a little boring. Even the short run-time begins to feel stretched because Mix Up probably would’ve made for a better short film at the end of it all.
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