Metro… In Dino Is A Musical of Missed Opportunities, Predictable Endings and Underserved Women

Metro… In Dino released on July 4 in theatres. It is an anthology of stories, connected in a small way, with an ensemble cast that includes Konkona Sen Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Neena Gupta and others.

Read: Liked Metro In Dino? 5 Similar Heartwarming Dramas You Can Watch on Netflix

While the story had its moments and some genuinely funny scenes, at over two and a half hours, most of it felt unnecessarily dragged. We decipher what didn’t work for us. Spoilers ahead!

Not Every Relationship Needs a Romance Arc

One particular storyline involves Sara Ali Khan’s character sprinting through a railway station to confess her love, right before a wedding. Yes, it’s DDLJ and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na déjà vu—and not in a good way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95)

The question that begs to be asked is: Why can’t a male-female friendship end platonically?
There’s a tender moment where this arc could have ended, with Adita Roy Kapur’s Parth and Sara’s Chumki remaining good friends. Friends who have supported each other, rooted for each other and found solace in each other.

In the build-up to their friendship, there is no romantic arc or sexual chemistry, yet it seemed to be the only valid resolution of their characters. It completely misses an opportunity to portray a more grounded, realistic dynamic.

And the Me Too angle in Chumki’s story? Added absolutely nothing to the storyline.

Read: Jurassic World Rebirth Review: Scarlett Johansson Leads the Charge, And Here’s Why It Works

Desire For Fatherhood… Because of a Song?

There's Ali Fazal’s character, who undergoes a sudden change of heart about fatherhood. It’s sparked not by a deep conversation, therapy, or reflection, but by a song he’s asked to sing. His wife’s emotional withdrawal, his career not taking off, the frustration of trying to make it as a singer in Mumbai – none of that spark the realisation, until he is asked to sing about it.

Poetic? Sure. A little over-the-top and absurd? Also, sure.

In this arc, Fatima Sana Shaikh’s character Shruthi, who is married to Ali’s Akash, is barely built out. Her attraction towards her co-worker? Left unresolved, without even addressing it once. Her career choices? They change rapidly, mostly dependent on her partner’s whims of his own career interests.

The Women At The Centre Of It All

In a narrative landscape filled with multiple female characters – a mother-daughter trio, a neglected wife, one stuck amid a mid-life crisis triggered by her husband’s infidelity – one can expect at least one to have a storyline that doesn't orbit entirely around a man. Or at the very least, doesn’t end with them choosing the same men. Unfortunately, none do.

Even when three generations of women are on screen together, mostly on video calls, their conversations never go past romantic woes.

They all set out on their journeys to rediscover themselves or find joy, or rekindle their original relationships, but they are shown to be assisted by men at every step. Their character arcs are so enmeshed with what the men in their lives demand from them that they barely manage to build themselves as strong, likeable women characters.

Whether it’s rediscovering a hobby like acting, or finding a new man attractive, their happiness never escapes the gaze of men around them.

The Most Formulaic Endings

The film’s biggest flaw lies in its effort to sum up all the arcs in the most formulaic way possible.

Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta’s subplot feels like it had the potential for something special. A late-life romance, or even rebellion. But it’s reduced to a childlike ploy they decide to embark on, to solve an extremely adult family dynamic. It is left half-baked, with no mention or hint of where the two stand in each other’s lives.

In the end, there’s no messiness, every thread is neatly wound, and there are no loose ends. Everyone gets their happy endings, except probably the audience.

While in the 2007 movie, Mumbai was a character in itself, this one loses its focus while trying to show four different cities and barely manages to show any properly. In the cities shown, one of the most common modes of transport is the metro, which often appears in cameos across the movie, but this Metro.. In Dino ride ends up going nowhere new.