Mithya - When Healing whispers and does not shout!

Mithya

Kannada / Drama

97 mins
Prime Video

A couple of months ago, I watched this beautiful film Perfect Days— story of an elderly Japanese gentleman living a peaceful, minimalistic life. Deep down, we sense he has been through a lot and worked hard to settle into this sage-like routine.

At the other end of the age spectrum, in Mithya, I was transported into the world of an 11-year-old boy, Mithun (Athish Shetty, aka Mithya). After a personal tragedy, Mithya and his 4-year-old sister Vandana are taken from Mumbai to Udupi, to live under the loving care of their maternal aunt Jyothi (Roopa Varkady) and her husband Surya (Prakash Thuminad).

Surya and Jyothi constantly reassure Mithya that they love him and Vandana as much as their own daughter, Anu. Jyothi is a homemaker who also runs a small beauty parlour, while Surya is an auto-rickshaw driver. They lead an uncomplicated life and work hard and keep the family together. 

They try earnestly to “talk” to Mithya, hoping he will open up and share his inner turmoil. But Mithya is reticent, processing his trauma in his quiet way. As if his grief wasn’t heavy enough, he also becomes the center of a custody battle involving his paternal uncle, adding more strain to his already fragile world.

The direction by debutant Sumanth Bhat—who also has writing credits—is absolutely stunning. The screenplay includes a few red herrings that kept me on the knife’s edge. Many moments that could have easily been handled like Madhur Bhandarkar, but the film maintains a remarkably restrained tone. In fact, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen since Masoom, which feels like a spiritual inspiration to this story.

There are no dramatic dialogues, outbursts, or melodramatic acts. Instead, Sumanth uses elements like rain, water, the ocean, and fire as visual metaphors to guide us through Mithya’s journey. The cinematography by Udit Khurana captures the Udupi region in all its beauty. The background score by Mithun Mukundhan, paired with excellent sound design, is absolutely top-notch.

Athish Shetty delivers a poignant performance, capturing the emotional complexity of a child with the poise of a seasoned actor. He is delightfully childish when happy, prudish when angry, and you can feel the weight of his grief, when he is angsty.

Prakash Thuminad, often seen in more humorous roles, is refreshingly natural as Surya. His interactions with Mithya are tender and authentic—especially one at the beach, and another later in his auto-rickshaw when he makes a quiet but impactful revelation. Roopa Varkady is equally wonderful, bringing a calming, nurturing presence to the screen.

Mithya is a simple film about the complex emotional journey of a 11-year-old boy dealing with loss and acceptance. It reminds us that resilience can also be unearthed in the quietest of moments. Huge thanks once again to Rakshit Shetty for backing meaningful Kannada cinema.