Bollywood Movie Reviews October 4 2019 Page 3

Movie Review: The Tashkent Files

A simple internet search will reveal how so many conspiracy theories exist when it comes to some important episodes of History. The scenario in India is no different and a lot of people strongly believe that what history has taught us is not entirely true. Hollywood has made films and documentaries out of it while India has lagged behind. But now director Vivek Agnihotri tries to put forward an investigative thriller based on Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death. The result is THE TASHKENT FILES and it releases in the middle of the exciting election season. So does THE TASHKENT FILES shake the viewer with its content and execution? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. THE TASHKENT FILES is the story of a group of people trying to understand whether there was any foul play in the sudden death of a significant Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Raagini Phule (Shweta Basu Prasad) is a rookie political journalist in Delhi working for a newspaper called ‘India Times’. She has been given an ultimatum by her editor (Asif Basra) that she has to submit a scoop in a few days or else she’ll be transferred to arts and culture, a beat that Raagini abhors. One day she receives a call from an unknown person (voiced by Vivek Agnihotri) and he asks her to write about the mysterious death of India’s second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. He had died on January 11, 1966 soon after the Tashkent Agreement was signed following the end of India-Pakistan war. The unknown caller even provides all the evidences and references needed for Raagini to file the story. The article gets published and it goes viral. Shyam Sunder Tripathi, leader of the opposition, uses this opportunity to score brownie points against the ruling government. Realizing that the matter has become too big, PKR Natrajan (Naseeruddin Shah), the minister of home affairs, forms a committee, and its members are to decide if there is indeed any foul play in Shastri’s demise. Shyam Sunder Tripathi is made the head of the committee. Other members include Raagini, author and historian Aisha Ali Shah (Pallavi Joshi), social activist Indira Joseph Roy (Mandira Bedi), director of National Archives Omkar Kashyap (Rajesh Sharma), scientist Gangaram Jha (Pankaj Tripathi), ex RAW chief G K Ananthasuresh (Prakash Belawadi), president of the Young Indian Congress Vishwendra Pratap Singh Rana (Prashantt Guptha) and retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Abraham (Vishwa Mohan Badola). A few of them in this committee, like Aisha Ali Shah and Vishwendra Pratap Singh Rana, vehemently deny that Shastri’s death was mysterious and stress that he died of natural causes. Raagini and others put a counter view to prove the matter should be investigated. Soon, it comes to light that nobody really cares for Shastri and all are there for some ulterior motives. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Vivek Agnihotri’s story is interesting and the film rests on a brilliant idea. The material is well-researched and it shows. But the character development ought to be a bit stronger. Vivek Agnihotri’s screenplay is not very effective. A few committee scenes are well written and thought of. However, at certain places, it becomes a mess as there’s too much of information thrown at the audience. Vivek Agnihotri’s dialogues are acidic and add to the impact. Vivek Agnihotri’s direction is average. There’s no doubt he has handled some scenes deftly. The sequence where Raagini is wiping the cake off her face and talking to the caller is well executed. A few committee scenes are also impactful, especially the finale. On the flipside, the exterior scenes look substandard. This is especially for the slow-motion jogging scenes. Vivek has also shot a crucial sequence in Tashkent and even a layman can make out that a lower quality camera has been used. These are all shaky, hand held shots and one wonders why he didn’t opt for at least a cheap tripod! Vivek Agnihotri & Team talk about film Tashkent files-who killed Shashtri

THE TASHKENT FILES is a 2.24 hours long film and could have been shorter and tighter for a better impact. The opening scenes are decent but again, too much time is wasted in establishing the setting and characters. The fun kicks in once the committee starts discussing about Shastri. The manner of the argument and even some character traits give an instant déjà vu of the Hollywood classic 12 ANGRY MEN [1957] and its Hindi remake EK RUKA HUA FAISLA [1986]. Post-interval, things do heat up at some places, especially Gangaram showing his true colours and his extremist views. At the same time, a few developments are quite unconvincing. The sudden killing of an important character is bewildering. Also, Raagini suddenly becoming a villain in the eyes of people and media doesn’t seem easy to digest. Shyam Sunder Tripathi’s monologue in the pre-climax is sharp but the impact is not much. The climax thankfully comes as a shocker and revives interest. The film tries to appeal to that vast section of people who feel that we have been taught incorrect history and who believe that a particular political party has been in the wrong all along. Although they’ll love the information and shocking details provided in the film, it doesn’t mean they’ll go to cinemas to see it as the treatment is not massy. Moreover, the plethora of information is laid out in such a way that the common moviegoer will get confused and overwhelmed. A few details are needlessly given to the viewers, like the role of Kamraj. Hence, it starts to feel like the makers wanted to also impress audiences with their research and not just tell a good story. THE TASHKENT FILES has some fine actors but Shweta Basu Prasad rocks the show. She gets a very meaty role and she gives her hundred per cent. In the climax especially, she goes on another level. Mithun Chakraborty is a bit over the top but it works and it is good to see him on screen after a hiatus. Pankaj Tripathi adds to the fun initially and then surprises viewers with his extremist views. He is fine although one might also feel that he just walked out of the sets of last year’s hit STREE and shot for this film without making any change in his look or dialogue delivery! Pallavi Joshi is efficient while Mandira Bedi doesn’t get much scope. Prakash Belawadi is dependable and also contributes to the film’s fun quotient. Prashantt Gupta is strictly okay. Rajesh Sharma and Vishwa Mohan Badola don’t get much scope. Asif Basra is fine. Vinay Pathak (Mukhtar) looks too young for the part of a spy who has worked few decades ago. His entry is laughable. Naseerudin Shah is nothing special. Achint Kaur (PKR Natrajan’s wife) is completely wasted. Ankur Rathee (Imran) is over the top and showing that he had a past association with Raagini serves no purpose. Yusuf Hussain (P K Bakshi) leaves a mark. Rohit Sharma’s music is entirely forgettable. The promotional song ‘Saare Jahan Se Acchha’ is missing from the film. ‘Sab Chalta Hai’ doesn’t generate impact. Satya Mannik Afasr’s background score is okay and could have been more dramatic. Uday Singh Mohite’s cinematography is appropriate in the committee scenes but in the exterior scenes, it is nothing great. Uday Prakash Singh’s production design is theatrical. Khatri Irfan’s costumes are appealing. Sattyajit Gazmer’s editing should have been sharper as the film is too long. On the whole, THE TASHKENT FILES is laced with an excellent idea and provides some shocking facts related to the sudden demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri. But the film has zero buzz and is riddled with too many loose ends. At the box office, the film is bound to sink without a trace.

Movie Review: Romeo Akbar Walter

When it comes to spy films, one usually thinks of the big-budget action flicks that have made mark in Bollywood like AGENT VINOD [2012], PHANTOM [2015], BABY [2015], BANG BANG [2014], EK THA TIGER [2012], TIGER ZINDA HAI [2017]. But RAAZI last year changed it all and made a mark in this space as the spy was not shown kicking ass but quietly doing her job for the country. Now a film in a similar space, ROMEO AKBAR WALTER, is all set to release. The comparisons with RAAZI will be inevitable, also because it is based in the same time period. So does ROMEO AKBAR WALTER manage to stand out from RAAZI or any other spy film? Or does it fail to deliver? Let’s analyse. ROMEO AKBAR WALTER is the story of a patriot who takes extreme risks while spying in enemy country. The year is 1971. Romeo Ali (John Abraham) works in India in a bank. He stays with his mother Waheeda (Alka Amin) who is overprotective about him since Romeo’s father had died while serving the country. Romeo too has the passion to work for India but is unable to do so due to his mother. However one day he meets Shrikant Rao (Jackie Shroff), head of RAW, and he asks Romeo to join them and spy on Pakistanis on their soil. Romeo agrees and before leaving for training and eventual trip to Pakistan, he lies to his mother that he has been promoted in the bank and that that’s why he has been sent for training. In Pakistan, he manages to smartly win the trust of arms dealer Isaq Afridi (Anil George), who’s very close to General Zorawar (Purnendu Bhattacharya). While spying on their conversations and activities, Romeo stumbles upon an important information. The Pakistani forces are planning an air strike in Badlipur area of the then East Pakistan. This part of Pakistan is getting rebellious and wants independence. The rebels meanwhile are being trained by Indian forces and a lot of them are stationed at Badlipur, where the Pakistanis plan to drop bombs. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Robbie Grewal’s story is promising and could have made for an exciting thriller. Robbie Grewal and Rahul Sen Gupta’s screenplay however is very weak and flawed. The scenes don’t flow well and the narrative is quite incoherent. Audiences might not be able to easily comprehend what’s going on. There are too many loopholes that even a layman will be able to point out. Robbie Grewal, Ishraq Eba and Shreyansh Pandey’s dialogues are well worded but nothing memorable. Robbie Grewal’s direction is not upto the mark. It is evident that he has put in a lot of research but it’s of no use when you are not able to use it well. Moreover, audiences won’t be able to help but compare the proceedings with RAAZI and it was a far superior product. So this factor also comes in play. Except for the final scene, one doesn’t root for Romeo. His bond with his mother seems half baked. Even the romantic track with Parul (Mouni Roy) seems forced. The makers don’t even bother to show what happens to Parul later on. ROMEO AKBAR WALTER has a shocking start but then goes downhill. The film suffers from problems at many places. Audiences might not be able to comprehend what’s going on in the story. Quite a few sequences are difficult to digest especially how Pakistanis start to trust Romeo so easily. A few scenes do spark interest like the intermission point, Colonel Khan (Sikandar Kher) searching Romeo’s house, the lie detector test sequence etc. But such scenes are immediately followed by not-so-exciting or flawed developments. The last few minutes do evoke patriotism and tries to move viewers and the makers succeed only partly as it comes too late in the day. Romeo Akbar Walter PUBLIC REVIEW | First Day First Show | John Abraham | Mouni Roy

John Abraham gives his hundred per cent. The film might disappoint but he won’t. His deadpan expressions work very well for his character. Mouni Roy has an interesting part to essay. Though she does well, her character gets a raw deal. Jackie Shroff is dependable but at places, it’s difficult to understand what he’s speaking. Sikandar Kher oozes fear and terror and gets the accent right. Suchitra Krishnamoorthi (Rehana Kazmi) is fine but has very little to do. Anil George is damn impressive. Raghubir Yadav (Mudassar) leaves a mark. Purnendu Bhattacharya is okay. Rajesh Shringapure (Awasthi) and Nawab Afridi (Shadaab Amjad Khan) do well. The music has no scope and seems forced. ‘Bulleya’ fails to strike a chord. ‘Maa’ is forcefully added. ‘Vande Mataram’ is played in the end credits. ‘Allah Hoo Allah’ is needless while ‘Jee Len De’ is there for just a minute. Hanif Shaikh’s background score is quite loud but works in enhancing impact. Tapan Tushar Basu’s cinematography is appropriate. Madhur Madhavan and Swapnil Bhalerao’s production design gives the film a nice retro touch. Same goes for Ameira Punvani’s costumes. The clothes worn by Mouni is in sync with the era shown. Prana and Pixel D’s VFX is passable. Nilesh Girdhar’s editing is quite slow and the film is too long at 144 minutes. On the whole, ROMEO AKBAR WALTER fails to impress as it suffers from a flawed script as well as a weak and lengthy execution. At the box office, it will have an uphill task to register impressive numbers.

Movie Review: Notebook

In the age of electronic media and social messaging apps, the charm of handwritten letters and note is even more special. At such a time, Salman Khan presents NOTEBOOK. Although it is based in time period of the last decade, it is not exactly a period film and talks about some of the relatable issues of Kashmir, and also of the matters of the heart. So does NOTEBOOK manage to entertain and touch a chord among the viewers? Or does it fail to do so? Let’s analyse. NOTEBOOK is the story of the bond that develops between two lonely teachers without even meeting each other. Kabir (Zaheer Iqbal) is based in Jammu and has quit the Army following a traumatic incident. He is called to Srinagar by an acquaintance who recommends him to join a school started by his father in Wular. The school’s only teacher Firdous (Pranutan Bahl) has quit the school just some time back. With no other teacher there, Kabir agrees to join. Wular is located in a remote town and the school is built in a rundown houseboat. There are only a handful of students around and Kabir starts teaching them. In the drawer in the teacher’s desk, he finds a notebook written by Firdous. She has written her thoughts, fears, insecurities, strengths etc. while she was teaching in Wular. It helps motivate Kabir and he also falls for her. Also, the manner in which the students speak highly of her makes it clear that she’s a kind-hearted person. Firdous also mentions in her diary that she is having an on-off relationship with a man called Junaid. Moreover, one day the school is hit by a storm during which Firdous’s notebook falls in the water. Kabir tries to save it but fails. What happens next forms the rest of the film. NOTEBOOK is the official remake of the 2014 Thai film TEACHER’S DIARY [Directed by Nithiwat Tharatorn; story and screenplay by Nithiwat Tharatorn, Sopana Chowwiwatkul, Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn and Supalerk Ningsanond]. Darab Farooqui’s adapted screenplay comes across as inconsistent. The script had to be watertight in this film keeping in mind the loopholes in the plot. Sharib Hashmi and Payal Ashar’s dialogues are fine and work well within the context of the film. Nitin Kakkar’s direction is poor, which is shocking considering how well he had executed his previous films, FILMISTAAN [2014] and MITRON [2018]. The first sign is seen in the opening scene itself depicting Kabir suffering from the horrors of his past. However, this bit is shown just once. Ideally, the director should have shown it multiple times that he’s getting flashes of the horrendous episode he suffered when he was in the armed forces. Secondly, an action scene is needlessly forced in the first half and it serves no purpose. NOTEBOOK is a niche, multiplex-type urban film and the masala fight sequence looks so out of place. In fact, this niche appeal is also an issue as audiences might not get exactly the gist of some scenes. Take for instance the scene where Kabir reaches Delhi Public School to find Firdous. It is not clear at this juncture whether he managed to recognize Firdous. If he did, it’s bewildering why he didn’t talk to her. If he didn’t, then why didn’t he ask around in the school about her whereabouts. Lastly, it is laughable to see that Kabir never reads Firdous’s book fully. He’s reading just few pages each time. Note that he’s in a remote town and he has no other means of passing time. Also, he has fallen crazily for this girl. In such a situation, anybody in his place would have read the notebook in one go. But Kabir doesn’t and it’s only a few months later that he realizes that she has also written about her marriage! Due to such silly sequences, the impact goes for a toss. NOTEBOOK is around two hours long but moves at a snail’s pace. The introduction part is engaging and the manner in which the school is depicted initially is intriguing. One can actually feel that the school is located in the middle of nowhere. Kabir trying to adjust to his new surroundings makes for a fine watch. The sequence of Kabir making friends with the kids is okay as the humour seems forced. The best part of the first half is however when Kabir catches his girlfriend Dolly cheating. The use of the song ‘Accha Sila Diya’ adds to the fun. The intermission point is quite arresting. Post-interval however the film falls. Kabir could have easily met Firdous by making enquiries but the makers don’t allow that to happen. Hence, it seems very unconvincing. Also, the film deals with too many topics like terrorism in Kashmir, exodus of Kashmiri pandits, importance of education for Kashmiri children etc. These tracks however are more interesting than the principle plot and that’s not good news for a film that is essentially a love story. The film ends on a fine note but it’s too little, too late. NOTEBOOK rests on some fine performances with both the debut actors doing an excellent job. Zaheer Iqbal is quite sincere and genuinely does a good job. Despite his tough look, he plays the vulnerable part very well and comes across as quite endearing. Pranutan Bahl is stunning and has a supreme screen presence. She delivers a first-rate performance and can definitely make a mark in Bollywood, provided she signs some well-written films. From the kids, Mir Mohammed Mehroos (Imran) has an important track and is a natural. Soliha Maqbool (Shama) is most adorable. The others – Mir Mohammed Zayan (Tariq), Baba Hatim (Waqar), Adiba Bhat (Dua) and Hafsa Ashraf Katoo (Iqrah) also put their best foot forward. Mir Sarwar (Iqbal’s father), recently seen in KESARI, is fine. Zahoor Zaidi (Hameed Chacha), Mozim Bhat (Junaid) and Farhana Bhat (Dolly) are decent. Notebook HONEST Public Review | Salman Khan | Zaheer Iqbal | Pranutan Bahl

Vishal Mishra’s music is melodious. ‘Nai Lagda’ is the best song of the lot and is also picturized well. ‘Bumro’ is peppy although it comes up all of a sudden. ‘Main Taare’ comes next though Salman Khan’s voice doesn’t come across properly at a few places. ‘Safar’ and ‘Laila’ are forgettable. Vishal Mishra’s background score is as per the film’s theme. Manoj Kumar Khatoi’s cinematography is stunning and captures the remote Kashmir locales beautifully. Urvi Ashar Kakkar and Shipra Rawal’s production design is rich. The entire school-in-houseboat bit is fascinating. Sanam Ratansi’s costumes are appealing. Shachindra Vats’s editing could have been tighter. On the whole, NOTEBOOK boasts of exemplary performances by the debutants and is beautifully shot while stressing on the importance of education. At the box office, the film would appeal only to multiplex audience.

Movie Review: Junglee

The gentle giant, elephant, at one point was a significant part of some very important films. The most memorable film in this regard was HAATHI MERE SAATHI [1971]. Then there were films like MAA [1976], SAFED HAATHI [1977] etc. that also dealt with elephants and made for a great, entertaining watch. Almost 40 years later, the jumbo makes a mighty comeback in Bollywood with JUNGLEE. The film has been noticed for its trailer and plot. Moreover, it’s a rare Bollywood film directed by a Hollywood director, Chuck Russell. So does JUNGLEE manage to be an ‘ideal elephant film’, just like its predecessors? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. JUNGLEE is the story of a vet trying to fight an international poacher’s racket. Raj Nair (Vidyut Jammwal) is based in Mumbai and is a renowned veterinarian. He has an estranged relationship with his father, Dipankar (Vijaya Kumar Arcot Ramachandran), who runs Chandrika Elephant Sanctuary. Their relationship soured 10 years ago after Raj’s mother passed away. On her 10^th death anniversary, Dipankar requests Raj to come back. This time, Raj agrees and he’s accompanied by journalist Meera Rai (Asha Bhat), who wants to interview Dipankar for his contribution in safeguarding elephants. Raj is welcomed with open arms by his childhood friend Shankara (Pooja Sawant), who’s also a female mahout. Meanwhile, Kotian (Atul Kulkarni) is a poacher working for a client in Taipei. They realize an elephant in the sanctuary, Bhola, has unusually large tusks. If they manage to retrieve it, they can get amazing returns for it. Kotian accepts the assignment and after a thorough recce, he attacks Bhola at night. Dipankar however reaches the spot and Kotian kills him. The goons working with Kotian also kill Bhola and escape with his tusks. Raj too goes to the rescue of Bhola but is defeated. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Rohan Sippy, Charudutt Acharya, Umesh Padalkar and Ritesh Shah’s story is poor and dated. The only plus is that it educates audiences about the horrors of poaching and wildlife conservation. But audiences also need entertainment along with enlightenment and that’s where this film falters. Adam Prince and Raaghav Dar’s screenplay is ineffective for most parts. There’s a lot the screenwriters could have done here but they don’t and it’s a loss of a golden opportunity. Akshat Ghildial and Suman Adhikary’s dialogues are nothing special and some of them are even awkward. Chuck Russell’s direction is shockingly bad. One expected this director from Hollywood would work his charm and entertain audiences. Instead, he makes a mess. He takes too much time to establish and build up. It’s still fine for the scenes of Raj bonding with the elephants as it has novelty value. However, the sequences of Raj and his father are very unconvincing and looks staged. Also, he goes overboard while depicting the Indian culture and customs. In this regard, there are some ridiculous developments in the second half which would leave the audiences shocked. It’s unbelievable how it got approved in the first place. JUNGLEE is just 115 minutes long and that’s a big advantage. The beginning portions, depicting the sanctuary and presence of poachers is neat and sans complaints. Raj’s entry sequence and the fight scene at the skywalk are also decent. One expects fireworks once he reaches the sanctuary. His scenes with Bhola and a female elephant, Didi, are also quite good. But the film drags a lot out here with nothing much happening. In fact, this goes on for a long time till the pre-intermission point. The interval point is a shocker and gears up audiences as they anticipate a roller-coaster ride from hereon. But sadly, apart from Raj’s escape from the prison, no scene really makes a mark. The film also gets silly and ridiculous here. The sequence where Raj imagines talking to Lord Ganesha is when the film touches a low. The finale is also nothing special. Junglee Public Review | Vidyut Jammwal | Pooja Sawant | Asha Bhat

Talking of performances, Vidyut Jammwal’s performance is nothing great but he has a fine screen presence and that helps. Also, his action scenes are always first-rate. Pooja Sawant looks stunning and arguably is the best performer of the film. Asha Bhat keeps her performance controlled thankfully. Makrand Deshpande (Gajja), on the other hand, hams like anything. Atul Kulkarni is passable. Vijaya Kumar Arcot Ramachandran gives a decent performance. Akshay Oberoi (Dev) is sincere, in a special appearance. Vishwanath Chatterjee (Inspector Khan) is quite theatrical. Rohan Joshi (Jayesh) tries to be funny and fails. Same goes for Lars Kjeldsen (Vane; villain in Taipei). Agnelo Chang (Mr Sinaki; buyer of the tusks) and Ania Zeyne (Crimson lady) push the envelope when it comes to giving the worst performances of the year. Sameer Uddin’s music doesn’t work. ‘Dosti’ is sweet and is well shot. ‘Fakeera Ghar Aaja’ could have been touching but it comes at a time when the film is really dragging. ‘Garje Gajraj Hamare’ is played in the end credits. Sameer Uddin and Tanuj Tikku’s background score is better and has that big-screen appeal. Mark Irwin and Sachin Gadankush’s cinematography is average in most scenes. Also, too many long and bird’s eye view shots are used and it kills the impact. Chung Chi Li, Parvez Shaikh and Seayoung Oh’s action is entertaining. Special mention should also go to Vidyut Jammwal’s additional action choreography and it adds to the film. Mukund Gupta’s production design is a bit unreal but works nevertheless. Urvashi Shah, Anirudh Singh and Dipika Lal’s costumes are glamorous. NY VFXWala’s VFX leaves a lot to be desired. And it’s very bad in the Lord Ganesh scene. Jayesh Shikarkhane and Vasudevan Kothandath’s editing should have been sharper in the first half. On the whole, JUNGLEE is a clichéd revenge drama and reminiscent of the 80s and 90s action fare. The use of elephants might attract a section of audiences but in the long run, it’s bound to suffer at the ticket windows.

Movie Review: Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota

A sub-genre developed in Hollywood in recent times is that of superhero black comedy. DEADPOOL [2016] and KICK-ASS [2010] are fine examples of it and have been loved across the world. In India we have lagged considerably here. Forget superhero black comedy, even films with dark humour are seldom made probably since such films lack mainstream appeal. But now director Vasan Bala has taken up the challenge and the result is MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA. The protagonist is not a superhero here although his condition does make him a force to reckon with. With such an interesting idea, does MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA manage to work and give an entertaining time to the viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA is the story of a young chap with an extraordinary ability. Surya (Abhimanyu Dassani) is born with a rare defect called congenital insensitivity to pain. In simpler words, he can’t feel pain at all. This lets him go wild as a child and even get injured multiple times, since he doesn’t realise when he has broken a bone or requires medical intervention. His father Jatin (Jimit Trivedi) is therefore very cautious about him. Having lost his wife and Surya’s mother (Shweta Basu Prasad) days after Surya is born, his father is hence even more concerned. But Surya’s maternal grandfather (Mahesh Manjrekar) who also stays with the two is more open and adopts an unconventional method of parenting. In school, Surya gets bullied because of his condition and the only one who comes to his rescue is Supri (Radhika Madan). She however has an abusive father and she’s helpless in front of him. Surya feels obliged to help her and while doing so, he ends up pushing her father from the terrace of a three-four storeyed building. The father thankfully survives but Surya and his family are compelled to leave their residence and shift elsewhere. Here, Surya grows in a controlled environment under the strict watch of Jatin. He’s allowed to go out only once. In the present-day, Surya is around 21 years of age. Jatin is in love with a woman named Nandini and he wants Surya and the maternal grandfather to meet her at her residence. Both hence venture out. But in a funny misunderstanding, the grandfather is taken away by the cops and gets separated by the Surya. Surya meanwhile bumps into Supri, who has now grown up as a badass girl. He sees her posting publicity posters of Karate Mani (Gulshan Devaiah), who Surya has idolized since he was a kid. Surya decides to meet Karate Mani immediately and also Supri. However, once he reaches the karate centre, he’s shocked to see the place ransacked and Karate Mani injured. This is when he learns that Karate Mani needs help as he’s being tortured by his evil twin brother, Jimmy (Gulshan Devaiah). What happens next forms the rest of the film. Vasan Bala’s basic plot is novel and unlike anything viewers have seen in Bollywood. However, the plot on the whole is quite waferthin. It’s a bit unconvincing to see that Surya and others are simply retrieving a gold locket stolen by Jimmy and nothing else. Vasan Bala’s screenplay however tries to add some creative and entertaining moments to keep the interest going. Vasan Bala’s dialogues are quite sharp and funny. Supri’s remarks on Rumi are sure to bring the house down. Vasan Bala’s direction is top notch despite some rough edges. The treatment is quite unique and that makes the film engaging to a great extent. The manner in which he has executed some sequences and Surya’s manner of thinking are also quite fun. The use of pop culture references further add to the charm. If only the film had a solid and convincing storyline, MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA would have been in another level. MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA begins on a fun note. The childhood portions are interesting but get stretched a bit. Memorable sequences here that stand out are Surya pushing down Supri’s father and Jatin confessing to Surya’s maternal grandmother that he loves Nandini. The latter is hilarious and would surely be loved. However, the first half is only used for build-up and establishing characters. It’s only in the second half that the film really gets interesting as Karate Mani’s characters gets defined properly and also Jimmy is introduced in the narrative. The fight in the security office is entertaining and even the finale is fun. However, the fight sequences are quite dragging. The film also doesn’t end on a justified note, especially what happens with Karate Mani. The makers do drop a hint about a possible sequel though.

Abhimanyu Dassani makes an extremely confident debut and impresses with his histrionics. Radhika Madan, last seen in PATAAKHA [2018], gets to play a ‘pataakha’ yet again. She has a fine screen presence and adds to the film’s entertainment quotient. Special mention should also go to her action scenes. Gulshan Devaiah is the surprise of the film. His double role act is superb especially the part of the antagonist. He induces the maximum laughs in the film. Mahesh Manjrekar is also at his best and after a long time, he gave such a memorable performance in a Hindi film! Jimit Trivedi, who impressed in 102 NOT OUT, also adds to the fun. Shweta Basu Prasad leaves a mark in a cameo. The actors playing the young Surya and Supri are quite something. The actors playing Nandini, Atul, Supri’s mother and the old, moralistic security officer do well. Karan Kulkarni’s music won’t become a chartbuster but is utilized well in the film. ‘Rappan Rappi Rap’ is like a theme of the film. ‘Life Mein Fair Chance Kiska’ has a nostalgic vibe, with the singer crooning in the style of S P Balasubrahmanyam. ‘Tere Liye’ is touching. ‘Nakhrewaali’ is well shot. ‘Dreamtime’ comes at a crucial juncture while ‘Kitthon Da Tu Superstar’ and ‘Shaolin Sky’ don’t make the desired impact. The background score however is in good sync with the film. Jay I Patel’s cinematography is neat. Eric Jacobus and Anand Shetty’s action is one of the highpoints of the film. It’s very well-choreographed and would be loved. A few shots do get a bit gory though. Prateek Parmar, the martial art consultant, also deserves praise for his services. Ratheesh U K’s production design is realistic. Abhilasha Sharma’s costumes are glamorous, especially the ones worn by Radhika. Prerna Saigal’s editing could have been tighter. The 137 minute long film ought to have been at least 10 minutes shorter. On the whole, MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA rests on an interesting idea and is well directed and performed. At the box office, it will need to depend on a strong word of mouth to post decent numbers at the ticket windows.

Movie Review: Kesari

Our history is replete with innumerable stories of heroism, which will shock one and all. More shocking is the fact that so many such brave tales are not even known popularly. The Battle of Saragarhi is one such story. 10,000 soldiers fighting against a troop of just 21 men – on the story level itself, it’s quite intriguing and even exciting. A couple of filmmakers did show interest in this project but for various reasons, these ventures couldn’t materialize. Finally, Akshay Kumar along with Dharma Productions and director Anurag Singh made it happen with KESARI. So does KESARI provide ample entertainment and patriotism doses? Or does it fail to stir up the emotions? Let’s analyse. KESARI is the story of valour and bravery. The year is 1897. Hawaldar Ishar Singh (Akshay Kumar) is posted somewhere in the present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Sikh regiment. The regiment witnesses a woman about to get killed by a group of Afghan tribesman for not adhering to her marriage. Despite the superior British officer telling him to not get involved, Ishar attacks the Afghans and saves the lady. The British officer is furious and as punishment, Ishar is transferred to Saragarhi Fort, considered as a place where ‘nothing happens’. Ishar Singh reaches there and realizes the 20 Sikh soldiers posted in the fort as part of 36^th regiment are making merry since they are aware there’s no way an emergency or war like situation will ever arise. Ishar attempts to punish them but realizes that they are tough and have a brotherly feeling towards each other. Meanwhile, the various Afghan tribe chiefs unite and decide to attack the Saragarhi Fort and also Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart and thus defeat the British. The Afghans are aware that there are a handful of Sikh soldiers in Saragarhi and hence, they would be easily defeated. They begin their march. Ishar Singh and the others in the fort get shocked as around 10,000 tribesman stand outside the gate of the fort and all set to attack. Ishar gets an order from the British to stay put at the fort. They are unable to provide help as the Afghans have cut off all routes to Saragarhi. Ishar asks his regiment that fighting so many people will be fatal and that they can all run away. The soldiers however refuse to escape and chose to fight and die. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Girish Kohli and Anurag Singh’s story is interesting and inspirational. Although there has been a television series on this battle, still this episode hasn’t got its due. Hence, KESARI is sure to educate viewers on this landmark incident of Indian history. Girish Kohli and Anurag Singh’s screenplay is effective for most parts. The first half has some light as well as tense moments. But it is also weak at some places and could have been better written. But the second half is where the writers do a fabulous job. They have written the sequences very simply and hence, viewers will be able to comprehend what’s going on. Also, drama is very well infused in war sequences to keep audiences glued to their seats. Girish Kohli and Anurag Singh’s dialogues are sharp and also funny at places. Moreover, they are clapworthy and relevant in today’s times. Anurag Singh’s direction is neat and uncomplicated. The sequences flow very well although in the first half, he could have done a better job. He manages to stir anger towards Afghans among the viewers. Also, the 21 Sikh soldiers are actually fighting on behalf of the British and this angle could have affected the impact. But the director takes care of this aspect nicely. Throughout the second half, one just roots for the 36^th regiment and want them to emerge victorious. On the flipside, one wishes the execution was little better at certain points. KESARI has a fine first half and it’s mainly utilized for the build-up and to introduce the characters. There are places where one does feel a bit disappointed as the goings-on are not that great. Also, the romantic track is damp squib. But the makers compensate with the introduction sequence, the scene of the hen and with the scene of the Sikhs rebuilding the mosque in the village. The intermission arrives at a great point and it sets the tone for the second half. Post-interval, the film goes on a high with several scenes turning out to be clap and whistle worthy. Films usually suffer from the curse of the second half but KESARI is an exception. The scene where Ishar wears the kesari-coloured turban and arrives in front of the regiment is sure to create a riot! The battle scenes are a treat to watch as the soldiers use clever tactics to eliminate the Afghans. At the same time, the manner in which the soldiers begin to die one by one also affect you emotionally. The climax is sure to give a lump in the throats of the viewers but the makers add a nice heroic angle here that’ll surely lift the nationalistic spirits among viewers. Talking of performances, Akshay Kumar delivers an excellent performance. He looks totally in character. Check out his restrained smile when one Sikh soldiers urinates to chide the Afghans! Or of course in the climax when he’s down but not out. Yet another spectacular performance from this talented performer! Parineeti Chopra (Jiwani Kaur), credited as special appearance, doesn’t contribute much to the film. Her scenes, where she features in Ishar’s thoughts, don’t add much. Actress Toranj Kayvon (Afghani lady) makes much more impact in comparison. Mir Sarwar (Khan Masud) leaves the maximum mark out of the Afghani tribesmen. Bhawani Muzamil (mysterious sniper) gets to play a badass character and he’s quite fun. Rakesh Chaturvedi (Mullah) plays the evil character well. Ashwath Bhatt (Gul Badshah Khan) is decent. From the Sikh soldiers, Surmeet Singh Basra as Gurmukh Singh is the best and has a very crucial part to essay. Vansh Bharadwaj (Lance Naik Chanda Singh) also does a fine job. Music might not have a longer shelf life but works well in the film. The very entertaining ‘Sanu Kehndi’ is sadly missing from the film. Same goes for ‘Ajj Singh Garjega’. ‘Deh Shiva’ turns out to be the best and used very well. ‘Teri Mitti’ is quite moving. Raju Singh’s background score gives the film a heroic feel.

Anshul Chobey’s cinematography is spectacular. The long shots especially are impressive. What also aids the lensman is that the film is shot in some breathtaking locations. Sheetal Sharma’s costumes are authentic. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray’s production design is a bit unauthentic in the fort scene, especially the exterior shots as it seems fake. But a lot of effort has been done to recreate the bygone era and it proves to be successful on other fronts. Parvez Shaikh and Lawrence Woodward’s action is hardcore as per the requirement and is choreographed superbly. Fluiidmask Studios’s VFX is praiseworthy. Manish More’s editing is razor sharp overall and could have been shorter in the first half. On the whole, KESARI is a brave and inspirational tale of courage and patriotism with the dramatic battle sequence as its USP. At the box office, it will be loved by the classes as well as the masses while the four-day weekend will prove beneficial for the makers. Recommended!

Movie Review: Milan Talkies

The small town mania that gripped Bollywood in the last decade brought a welcome change. The films became more and more real as they talked about the ground realities and hence more viewers were able to identify with it. Tigmanshu Dhulia’s MILAN TALKIES is also an attempt in the same league. It is one film that has being planned since 6-7 years with numerous changes in the cast and even producers. Finally, Dhulia managed to make it last year with Ali Fazal and Shraddha Sainath. So does MILAN TALKIES manage to impress and entertain? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. MILAN TALKIES is the story of two lovers in a small town. The year is 2010. In Allahabad, Anu Sharma (Ali Fazal) is a small town filmmaker and dreams of becoming a big shot director some day. He funds his films by selling exam papers. Maithili (Shraddha Sainath) approaches him one day as she needs help in passing her examination. It is the pre-requisite by her future in laws before she can tie the knot. Anu agrees and falls in love with her. In fact his racket gets exposed and yet he goes out of the way to help her cheat and pass in the exams. Maithili too begins to love him and they start a romantic relationship. They start to hang out in the projector room of the single screen theatre Milan Talkies since Anu is friends with the projector guy, Usman bhai (Sanjay Mishra). Anu wants to send his father (Tigmanshu Dhulia) to talk to Maithili’s father Janardhanan (Ashutosh Rana) for marriage. But Janardhanan is a priest and quite conservative. Hence he detests film industry and those working for it. As a result, he would never agree to the union of Anu and Maithili. With no other option in hand, the lovers decide to elope. However their plan is foiled as Janardhan finds out. He takes the help of local goon Guru Panda (Sikandar Kher) to nab them. Guru is aggressive and hates the idea of courtship. He stops Maithili and fires a shot at Anu. But Anu escapes. Meanwhile the husband-to-be for Maithili refuses to get married to her after the elopement episode. Guru Panda then agrees to get hitched with Maithili. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Tigmanshu Dhulia and Kamal Pandey’s story is predictable and done to death. So many films have been made on this subject for years. Tigmanshu Dhulia and Kamal Pandey’s screenplay is lacklustre and amateurish. The single screen theatre element gives some scenes a nice touch but it could have been utilised in a better way. Tigmanshu Dhulia and Kamal Pandey’s dialogues are simple and sans complaints. Tigmanshu Dhulia’s direction is disappointing and how. It’s shocking that the filmmaker who gave gripping films like HAASIL [2003], PAAN SINGH TOMAR [2012] and SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER [2011] has made this apology of a film. There’s no consistency and direction leaves so many loopholes out in the open. For instance, the film starts in the year 2010 and yet the makers wrongly depict Anti Romeo Squad wrecking havoc when it’s a common knowledge that it was formed only in 2017. Also the look and even the quality of opening credits is substandard and again, this is not expected from a filmmaker who has created magic with limited budget in the past. MILAN TALKIES has an extremely haywire beginning. Too much information is fed to the viewers in limited time. It becomes difficult to ascertain what exactly Anu does for a living as he’s shooting films, replacing his actors when they get arrested, selling exam papers and even entertaining patrons at Milan Talkies when there’s a power cut. Viewers might even mistaken Anu as the owner of Milan Talkies! It’s only in the scenes of Anu helping Maithili that the film gets a bit better. The scenes of romance are also engaging. Post interval the story moves three years and one expects some fireworks finally. But that doesn’t happen. The idea that Anu made a film with a hidden message for Maithili is extremely silly. Moreover, in a shocking sequence, Anu who is now an established filmmaker is assaulted brutally by Guru Panda in broad daylight. The media covers the incident immediately and yet no arrests are made. The finale is predictable and clichéd. Performances save the film from becoming an ultimate disaster. Ali Fazal is quite fine and shoulders the responsibility of a lead hero well. Shraddha Srinath has a striking face and a nice screen presence and gives a good performance. Ashutosh Rana is dependable. Sanjay Mishra is adorable. Sikandar Kher hams. Rajiv Gupta (Hariya) genuinely gives his best. Tigmanshu Dhulia the actor does a much better job than Tigmanshu Dhulia the director. Reecha Sinha (Babli), Deepraj Rana and the actors playing Ali Fazal’s pals are passable. Music is average and not of chartbuster variety. ‘Bakaiti’ is catchy followed by ‘Mind Na Kariyo Holi Hai’. ‘Jobless’ is foot tapping. ‘Din Dahade’ and ‘Shart’ are disappointing and forced just about anywhere in the film. Dharma Vish’s background score is nothing great. Hari Vedantam’s cinematography is okay. Dhananjay Mondal’s production design is poor. Nishant Khan’s action is realistic. Praveen Angre’s editing is haphazard. On the whole, MILAN TALKIES is a badly made film and riddled with a clichéd storyline. Avoid!

Movie Review: Photograph

The parallel cinema movement has been going on since many decades. A lot of well-made films have been made as part of this movement but most of them, due to niche factor, go largely unnoticed. Ritesh Batra’s THE LUNCHBOX [2013] however was an exception. It got noticed and even emerged as a commercial success. The way it became a rage in the festival circuit was so significant that even Dharma Productions got associated with it. Now, Ritesh Batra’s second Hindi film PHOTOGRAPH is all set to release and it once again seems to be an ode to Mumbai while depicting an unusual love story blossoming slowly. So does PHOTOGRAPH manage to work and be as good as or better than THE LUNCHBOX? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. PHOTOGRAPH is the story of two people belonging to different strata of society who come together thanks to an unusual circumstance. Rafiq (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a photographer at the Gateway of India, Mumbai. He stays in a slum in a small room shared by 3 other people. Rafiq’s grandmother (Farrukh Jaffar), based in his village in Uttar Pradesh, is old and is distressed by Rafiq’s refusal to get married. She hence stops taking her medicine as a sign of protest. To pacify his grandmother, Rafiq lies to her that he is in a relationship with a girl named Noorie. He even sends her a picture of a girl he claims is Noorie. The picture however is that of Miloni (Sanya Malhotra), a scholar from a Gujarati family. Rafiq had clicked her picture when she got separated from her family when they were at the Gateway Of India. When she saw her family is searching for her, a scared Miloni left taking the photograph and without paying Rafiq for it. Rafiq however is impressed by her innocence and beauty. Miloni meanwhile is extremely happy with the picture that he clicked as she believes that it captured her happiness and contentment like never before. Meanwhile, Rafiq’s grandmother is so happy with the news of Rafiq’s relationship with Noorie that she comes to Mumbai to meet her. With no other option in hand, Rafiq meets Miloni and persuades her to meet his grandmother once. Miloni agrees and what happens next forms the rest of the film. Ritesh Batra’s story is interesting and a bit in THE LUNCHBOX zone. Ritesh Batra’s screenplay is engaging at places but falls flat in several scenes. The element of consistency is missing. Ritesh Batra’s dialogues are simple and realistic. Ritesh Batra’s direction is average. With a bit of a shaky screenplay, ideally his direction should have compensated. But that doesn’t happen. A few sequences don’t add much to the film and this happens more in the second half. Also the film has some unconvincing moments which the execution is not able to hide well. For instance, the manner in which Miloni is okay with Rafiq stalking her with the former even agreeing to meet the latter’s grandmother is difficult to digest. Also, how is she able to find time to meet Rafiq and his grandmother? Is she bunking her classes? If yes, why doesn’t the professor (Jim Sarbh) inform her parents or ask her considering that she is the star pupil? If she is not skipping classes, why don’t her parents get the hint that she is coming home late, especially considering how strict they are about her education? PHOTOGRAPH begins on a sombre note and viewers will take a while to get into the mood of the film and characters. It’s only 20-30 minutes later that the film picks up. A few sequences stand out like Miloni meeting the grandmother for the first time and Miloni asking her maid Rampyaari (Geetanjali Kulkarni) about life in her village. The second half however is too dragging. Scenes of Rafiq buying the soap and comb and thereafter don’t work. PHOTOGRAPH is a 110 minutes long fare and ideally it shouldn’t have been more than 90 minutes. The entire sequence of Rafiq hunting down the cola manufacturer is quite unique. But nothing much happens with regards to it later. In fact the climax is quite ambiguous and as a result it’s a huge downer. The film just ends all of a sudden and even as an open ending, it’s unconvincing.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui as always delivers a commendable performance. He is apt as the soft spoken and good natured photographer. Sanya Malhotra however steals the thunder and gives a powerful performance, proving that she is one of the best talents around. She went completely into the skin of her character and looks apt for the part. Farrukh Jafar is likeable. Geetanjali Kulkarni is adorable and her scene with Sanya in the first half is a highlight. Sachin Khedekar (Miloni’s father) is passable with most of his dialogues being in Gujarati sans subtitles. Akash Sinha (photographer Baanke) and Saharsh Kumar Shukla are fine and authentic. Jim Sarbh (Professor Anmol) has an interesting look and is okay, performance wise. Vijay Raaz (Tiwari) doesn’t add much and his lone sequence is needless. Peter Raeburn’s music has a laidback feel just like the film. Ben Kutchins and Timothy Gillis’ cinematography is raw and captures Mumbai very well. Neha Kamra’s hair and makeup and Niharika Bhasin’s costumes are straight out of life, especially in case of Sanya Malhotra. Shruti Gupte’s production design is also in sync with the character’s strata. John F Lyons’s editing is too dragging. Also the intercutting in few scenes seem amateur. On the whole, PHOTOGRAPH is too niche and ambiguous and coupled with the lack of buzz it’s chances of success at the box office are slim.

Movie Review: Badla

A genre where Bollywood has lagged whereas the Western movie industry has progressed by leaps and bounds is the suspense. When it comes to Hindi cinema, very few such films are made out of which only a handful are memorable. KAHAANI [2012], directed by Sujoy Ghosh, is one of the best films in this category. As a result, the expectations are naturally high for his latest directorial venture, BADLA. What has also added to the curiosity is that it reunites the actors of the much-loved courtroom drama PINK [2016] – Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu – and that it is a remake of the much loved Spanish suspense thriller, THE INVISIBLE GUEST. So does BADLA manage to emerge as an entertaining and shocking fare? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. BADLA is the story of a murder accused trying to prove her innocence. Naina Sethi (Taapsee Pannu) is a successful businesswoman in London and married with a daughter. Her life turns around when she’s accused of murdering her lover, Arjun Joseph (Tony Luke). All evidences are against Naina since she was the only one in the hotel room where Arjun was killed. She claims a third person was present who carried out the murder and even hurt her on the forehead. But the preliminary investigations revealed that the room was locked from inside. Witnesses outside the room confirmed that nobody came out of the room. Naina’s lawyer Jimmy Punjabi (Manav Kaul) realises that it’s a tricky situation. Hence he hires expert defence attorney Badal Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan) to ensure she doesn’t have to go to jail. Badal reaches the residence of Naina and he begins his own investigation. Upon talking to Naina and insisting that she tell him the truth, a lot of skeletons tumble out of her closet. She reveals that the murder of Arjun has something to do with the disappearance of a young man from a small town of Aviemore named Sunny Kaur. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Oriol Paulo’s story (also the original writer of THE INVISIBLE GUEST) is quite impressive and unlike other murder mysteries. Sujoy Ghosh’s adapted screenplay tries it’s best to do justice to the original film and its plot. A lot of scenes are well written. However the film is complicated in the middle. For a layman, it might be difficult to ascertain what’s going on. Moreover, the RASHOMON style of narrative can get a bit heavy on viewers. Sujoy Ghosh and Raj Vasant’s dialogues are sharp and witty. A few dialogues however needlessly stretch the narrative. Sujoy Ghosh’s direction is exemplary and tries to keep the essence of THE INVISIBLE GUEST alive. There a few loose ends, which were present in the THE INVISIBLE GUEST as well. Yet his direction is such that one won’t mind since there’s so much happening in the film. Also with the shocking climax, he scores a brownie point. On the flipside, BADLA could have been shorter. THE INVISIBLE GUEST was just 106 minutes long and this one is 14 minutes longer. These extra minutes in this frame-by-frame remake are because of a few dialogues that were not needed. Moreover, Ghosh adds a crucial dialogue in the first half that is a give-away of the film’s climax and it’s surprising he did so. Also unlike KAHAANI, this film is slightly niche and this could affect its prospects. BADLA’s opening credits are quite interesting and slick. The beginning portions of the film are a bit dragging. Too much time is wasted in Badal persuading Naina to part with the truth. It’s only when she starts talking that the interest levels increase. The best part of the first half however is Arjun meeting Rani (Amrita Singh) and Nirmal and the shock he gets in their house. The intermission point is interesting as it sets the mood for things to come. Post interval, the film remains engaging but at the same time, it also starts to drop at places. It’s only in the last 20 minutes when the tables turn is when it arrests attention. The climax is definitely a bolt from the blue as no one could have seen it coming. But it should have been executed well for a better and more mainstream impact.

Amitabh Bachchan delivers a bravura performance as always. His scenes are only with Taapsee in an enclosed room. But he does it very well and adds to the dramatic and even funny quotient. Taapsee Pannu is exceptional and the way she brings out the various shades of her character to the forefront is praiseworthy. Throughout the film, it’ll be difficult to know if she’s the victim or not and this is possible majorly through her convincing performance. Amrita Singh is natural and has a crucial part in the film. She proves yet again that she deserves to be seen more. Tony Luke has an accent but that works for his character. Performance wise, he is first rate. Manav Kaul is fine in a small role. Denzil Smith (cop) and the actors playing Sunny Kaur, Naina’s husband Sunil are okay. BADLA is a song-less film with only the title song played during the opening credits. Clinton Cerejo’s background score is engaging and suits the mood of the film. Avik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography is appropriate and the outside country scenes are well captured. Kaushik Das, Subrata Barik and Paul Rowen’s production design is fine although it could have been a bit more realistic in the hotel room scene. Dipika Lal and Anirudh Singh’s costumes are spot on. Christian Tinsley and Dominie Till’s prosthetics is damn good as it plays a very important part in the film. Sham Kaushal and Alister Mazzotti’s action is real. Monisha R Baldawa’s editing is sans complaints except for few scenes in the first half and middle of second hour. On the whole, BADLA is a smart and impressive suspense drama with the shocking climax and riveting performances being its USP. At the box office, its prospects might be limited to multiplex audience.

Movie Review: Captain Marvel (English)

Over the past few years, a little over a decade to be precise, we have seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe take shape. With twenty films already released in the run up to an ultimate climactic ending, each release has taken the story line forward. Now doing just that as well as introducing Marvel’s first female lead superhero film is CAPTAIN MARVEL, which is the 21^st film in the MCU. But will CAPTAIN MARVEL that comes with immense expectations match up to the previous releases, and more importantly will it lay the foundations of what to expect in the much anticipated AVENGERS: ENDGAME are questions that fans across the globe are asking. Set in 1995 CAPTAIN MARVEL follows the story of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, as she turns into one of the galaxy’s mightiest heroes and joins Starforce, an elite Kree military team, before returning home with questions about her past and identity when Earth is caught in the centre of a galactic conflict between two alien worlds. Will Danvers manage to patch together her past to reveal who she was, will she be able to subvert the Skrull invasion that threatens the existence of humans and earth, and most importantly will she eventually be the one to undo the decimation are questions that make up the rest of the film. Being a film set in the 1990s, CAPTAIN MARVEL begins with detailing existing characters that we have come to know like Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Korath the Pursuer, and Ronan the Accuser. Said to be set even before the events from the first IRON MAN happened, CAPTAIN MARVEL makes use of Marvel’s de-aging technology to bring us a younger Coulson (Clark Gregg), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Right from the outset the viewer is well aware of the fact that like the previous MCU films that have introduced characters, this one too will give viewers a backstory of who Captain Marvel is, where she came from, how she got her powers, and what exactly her powers are. However, a major question that has been plaguing the MCU fan base is the possibility of spoilers that could mar the viewing experience of AVENGERS: ENDGAME. But, rest assured, since Captain Marvel is set in a time when the Avengers never existed, it will be a far cry for spoilers to be visible. That said, we have to admit that directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have done a neat job with CAPTAIN MARVEL. Keeping in line with the previous MCU films this one too does well in detailing a back story for Carol Dancers that gives her role depth and helps develop a connect with the audience. A point that deserves to be mentioned here is that though Danvers suffers from amnesia and is able to remember her past life in glimpses and dreams, the on screen proceedings are never confusing. In fact, Boden and Fleck have blended montages of her past life well into the narrative and give the story progression an easy flow. Coupled with this is the fact that though CAPTAIN MARVEL is an actioner, it does have its share of dramatic and comic moments that are well interspersed into the narrative. Speaking about performances Brie Larson as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel does well in her given role. Despite being burdened with the weight of essaying the first ever female superhero character in an MCU film, Larson does a commendable job. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual self as Nick Fury, a role that has now become synonymous with. Ben Mendelshon as Talos/ Keller has similarly done a good job. Though caked in layers of prosthetics for his Skrull look, Mendelshon’s acting skills still manage to shine through. Here a mention needs to be made for the stellar job done by the stunt coordinators who have executed the action sequences brilliantly. Coupled with a watertight screenplay and stellar performances, CAPTAIN MARVEL also features a good background score. Keeping in mind the time period the film is set in, the film’s directors have done their research in terms of audio. Besides this the directors have also paid detailed attention to the prevalent language and slang of that era. On the whole, CAPTAIN MARVEL, is a thrilling ride that has the right amount of action, drama, and comedy, all rolled together with some fine performances. Despite being the 21st film on the MCU, it still retains that freshness and edge of the seat thrill that is certain to drive viewers berserk. At the box office, the film is expected to do very well, given the high level of anticipation for it.

Movie Review: Luka Chuppi

The 2005 film SALAAM NAMASTE is credited for making the idea of live-in popular in India. It’s been nearly 14 years since the film released and although live-in is a known concept by now and we have also had a few more films on this topic, it’s still considered a taboo in many places, including in some progressive urban areas of the country. Hence, to show a couple living-in in a small Uttar Pradesh town secretly can make for a fun and entertaining watch. Cinematographer-turned-director Laxman Utekar’s debut Hindi film LUKA CHUPPI explores this aspect. Moreover, it stars Kartik Aaryan and this is the actor’s first film after the much loved and successful flick SONU KE TITU KI SWEETY. So does LUKA CHUPPI manage to provide entertainment in abundance? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. LUKA CHUPPI is the story of a couple living-in with their family. Superstar Nazim Khan (Abhinav Shukla) gets into a controversy when it comes to light that he is living-in with his girlfriend and is unapologetic about it. The moral police come out in full force to protest against his ‘indecent’ act. One such organisation is Rashtriya Sanskriti Manch and in Mathura, it is led by Vishnu Trivedi (Vinay Pathak). His daughter is Rashmi (Kriti Sanon) and she joins a local news channel after completing her media studies in Delhi. Here she bumps into Guddu (Kartik Aaryan) and both fall in love. After a fight with his elder unmarried brother Vikas (Himanshu Kohli) and brother in law Babulal (Pankaj Tripathi), he decides to tie the knot ASAP. He proposes to Rashmi. She however refuses to marry him so soon and insists on a live-in relationship. Guddu obviously freaks out. However inspired by an idea given by their colleague Abbas (Aparshakti Khurana), they decide to live in when they go on a 20-day assignment at Gwalior, where no one knows them. Hence they could live in without any fear. But in order to get the flat on rent, they pretend to be a married couple. Rashmi also has to go out wearing mangalsutra and apply sindoor. All is going well when Babulal catches them getting cosy in a public place. Assuming they are married, he tells his family about it and they all land up at their pad in Gwalior. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Rohan Shankar’s story is novel and entertaining and different from other such films in this genre. The characters are very well fleshed out and most importantly, they are relatable. Rohan Shankar’s screenplay is effective for most parts and evokes the right humour. At some places however, it is a bit weak, especially in the first half. In the attempt to establish the setting and the dynamics between the characters, the writer seems to have done a bit of a rushed job. On the positive side, a few scenes are exceptional and would surely be loved. Rohan Shankar’s dialogues are funny. Thankfully, there are no dialogues with double entendre. Laxman Utekar’s direction is good but could have been better. The script gets a bit off in the first half and his direction does not do much to polish the minuses. But he gets better as the film progresses. One of the best parts of the film is how it addresses a taboo topic and yet makes it mainstream. In the past, we have had films based on live-in like say OK JAANU [2017] but it was a niche product as majority of the country just couldn’t relate to it. Laxman however executes the plot well and the message comes out loud and clear. As a result, this film has a wider appeal and thanks to humour and treatment. LUKA CHUPPI begins on a surprising note, showing the Nazim Khan controversy. It makes it clear that besides being a comedy, it’s also going to make a social comment. Audiences however will go by the trailer and they expect to see romance and some dash of situational fun. And they definitely get that once the characters get introduced. At the same time however the film takes a while to get into its element. The falling-in-love happens quite quickly. The way the equation between Guddu with Vikas and Babulal is established seems forced. In fact the dream sequence where Guddu imagines that his nephew Chiku is getting married falls flat. It’s in the scene where the Gwalior neighbours create a havoc is when the film picks up. This particular scene is quite hilarious and even heroic and will be greeted with claps. The intermission point, when Guddu-Rashmi’s ‘luka chuppi’ gets exposed (though not entirely) is also quite entertaining. Post-interval, the film gets even better as Guddu and Rashmi pretend to be married when they are not. The sequence at the temple is quite impressive, especially when it brings a new angle into the film. Guddu-Rashmi attempting to get married in their house is touching and yes, guffaw-inducing. The best however is reserved for the finale. Usually, comic capers tend to go all over the place. Fortunately in the case of LUKA CHUPPI, it doesn’t happen and it ends on a good note.

Kartik Aaryan once again is in a great form. His boyish looks work instantly but it’s his performance that makes it even more endearing. In one scene in the bedroom with Kriti and Aparshakti, he does go into the ‘monologue’ zone but quickly composes himself. His silent, deadpan expressions, especially in scenes when his family members are calling him names, are quite hilarious. Kriti Sanon has a fantastic screen presence and maintains a strong position. She also surprisingly shines in an important emotional sequence in the second half.  Aparshakti Khurana as always is dependable. The prejudice that others have towards his character’s religious identity is quite hard hitting. Pankaj Tripathi’s humour seems forced initially but later, it’s him who raises the maximum laughs. Vinay Pathak is a revelation. Till now, he has been associated with funny and light roles. But in this film, he plays a role of a dreaded politician and he looks very convincing. Himanshu Kohli is the surprise of the film and his character helps a lot in adding to the humour quotient in the film, especially post-interval. Vishwanath Chatterjee (Guddu’s brother Varun) and Neha Saraf (Guddu’s bhabhi Janki) also get a chance to make their presence felt. Chiku (Master Samarth) is adorable. Sapna Sand (Mrs Srivastava) is good as the nosy neighbour in Gwalior. Ajit Singh (Srikanth) is irritating as Vishnu Trivedi’s sidekick but that was the idea as his character has a villainous tinge. Atul Srivastava (Guddu’s father Badriprasad) and Alka Amin (Guddu’s mother Shakuntala) are decent. Abhinav Shukla is okay and ideally, the makers should have cast a superstar in his place. There are only recreated songs in the film which is a first. ‘Poster Lagwa Do’, the biggest song of the film, is shockingly missing from the film and is played during the end credits. This might disappoint its fans. ‘Coca Cola’ is also played during the end credits and its foot tapping. ‘Photo’ and ‘Duniyaa’ are fine while ‘Tu Laung Main Elaachi’ is melodious. Ketan Sodha’s background score has a funny touch that instantly make the proceedings light-hearted. Milind Jog’s cinematographer is average. Manini Mishra’s production design is satisfactory. Sukriti Grover, Mallika Chauhan and Jia Bhagia’s costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Kriti Sanon. Manish Pradhan’s editing is appropriate. The film is just 126 minutes and moves swiftly. On the whole, LUKA CHUPPI is a funny take on the modern relationships laced with dollops of situational and funny moments. This clean comedy would get thumbs up not just from the youngsters but also from the family audiences. Recommended!

Movie Review: Sonchiriya

Hindi cinema at one point had a genre pertaining to films based on dacoits. Some highly memorable films are from this type of cinema like MOTHER INDIA [1957], GUNGA JUMNA [1961], BANDIT QUEEN [1994], JIS DESH MEIN GANGA BEHTI HAI [1960], MERA GAON MERA DESH [1971], CHINA GATE [1998] etc. Then there were films that weren’t completely on dacoits but had popular dacoit characters like SHOLAY [1975], LAJJA [2001] etc. In recent times, there has been only PAAN SINGH TOMAR [2012] which talked about the goons, that too of the dreaded Chambal region. Now Abhishek Chaubey attempts to bring back this cinema with SONCHIRIYA and just like PAAN SINGH TOMAR, he bases it in Chambal. Of course, Abhishek comes from a different cinema mindset and it is known from the start and more so after watching the trailers that SONCHIRIYA is not the usual commercial entertainer. Nevertheless, does SONCHIRIYA manage to make an impact? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse. SONCHIRIYA is the story of a group of rebels in Chambal. The year is 1975. The Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, has declared Emergency in the country. Man Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) meanwhile leads a gang in Chambal, a region that more or less is lawless. Vakil Singh (Ranvir Shorey) and Lakhna (Sushant Singh Rajput) are important members of this gang. Man Singh is in need of money to procure new arms. Based on a tip from Lacchu (Jaspal Sharma), he and his men descend to Brahmpuri village. A marriage is taking place in this hamlet where the groom is about to get a huge amount of gold and cash. Man Singh and his gang reaches the marriage venue in order to loot this wealth. However, the cops, led by Virender Gujjar (Ashutosh Rana) ambush the gang. In the tough fight, Man Singh and half of the gang get killed. Vakil, Lakhna and others escape. Vakil, now the leader of the gang, accuses Lakhna of betraying them and calling the cops. Lakhna is fed up of being a rebel and wants to surrender. Meanwhile, as they are running from the cops, they bump into Indumati Tomar (Bhumi Pednekar). She’s accompanied by her sister Sonchiriya (Khushiya) who has been brutally raped. Sonchiriya needs to be taken to the hospital urgently and she asks for Vakil’s help. The gang agrees. They halt to seek blessings of their goddess at a temple where Indu’s husband and other family members arrive. She is accused of killing her father-in-law and they ask the gang to hand over Indu and Sonchiriya. Vakil agrees but Lakhna realizes it’s not just and hence revolts. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Abhishek Chaubey and Sudip Sharma’s story is interesting and very-well written. The characters are also fleshed out very well. Sudip Sharma’s screenplay helps in keeping the narrative gripping. However, a few developments ought to be better explained. The dialect already makes things difficult to comprehend. And moreover, a few twists are so sudden and quick that viewers might not get a hang of it. Sudip Sharma’s dialogues are acidic and sharp. Abhishek Chaubey’s direction does justice to the plot and setting. This is a complicated film and on most counts, he manages to succeed. On the flipside, he should have avoided a few slow-motion shots as they didn’t seem appealing. Also, a film of such a budget and scale requires execution that makes the film more mainstream and commercial. SONCHIRIYA however is meant only for a niche audience. From ISHQIYA [2010] to DEDH ISHQIYA [2014] to UDTA PUNJAB [2016] and now SONCHIRIYA, Abhishek has remained consistent and has also become a pro in handling difficult subjects with élan. SONCHIRIYA’s intro scene is of flies feasting on a corpse of a reptile. The close-up shot is quite gory and makes it clear that you need to have a strong stomach to digest the proceedings. Also, the language is quite hard hitting. It takes a few minutes to get acclimatized to the setting, characters and most importantly, the Bundelkhandi dialect. But once that happens, there’s no looking back. The madness that erupts during the marriage scene is quite gripping. Same goes for the fight at the doctor’s residence. The entry of Indumati and Sonchiriya add to the drama and tension. The story takes a sharp turn when Indumati’s hubby lands up at the temple. Post-interval, the film slips a bit. The flashback portion, though very crucial, is too long. Till a point, it seems a bit repetitive as well since audiences have seen similar kind of action and dramatic sequences in the first half. But the way it ends is a shocker. The sequence in Beni Ram’s house also doesn’t come out quite well. It’s with the entry of Phuliya that the interest levels go up again. The finale also has a shocking twist. However, there are too many characters and far too many things are happening in the film. As a result, it might be difficult to comprehend some of the developments. The film also has excessive violence and abuses.

The performances in the film are of tall order. Sushant Singh Rajput’s entry scene is such that you might not even notice him, since he’s standing amongst the other gang members and he looks just like them. No attempt to stand out or shine! This itself is quite praiseworthy. Of course later, he gets to shine and proves yet again that he’s one of the finest actors around. He is quite endearing in the scene where he’s showing his magic trick. Bhumi Pednekar has a late entry but once she comes in the narrative, she rocks the show. This is unlike the other rural or semi-rural characters she has essayed and gives a praiseworthy performance. Manoj Bajpayee overpowers everyone in his special appearance. One wishes he had a longer role. Ranvir Shorey too does fine. Watch out for his performance in the pre-climax during his confrontation with Lacchu. In fact, his character graph and the way it progresses is an important arc of the film. Ashutosh Rana’s eyes do a lot of talking and are impressive. Khushiya hardly has any dialogues but she’s a very crucial part. In fact, the film is named after her character. But she does fine. Same goes for Hetal (Little Gujjar girl), who haunts Lakhna and Man Singh. Her expressions are horrifying. Sampa Mandal (Phuliya) is terrific and is a surprise of the film. She plays a role based on the real-life dacoit Phoolan Devi and she does it brilliantly. From the gang members, Ram Diwakar (Natthi), Mukesh Gour (Sheetla), Mahesh Balraj (Bhoora) and Abhimanu Arun (Balak Ram) are first-rate. Other actors who do well are Jaspal Sharma, V K Sharma (preist), Dev Chauhan (Beni Ram), Vijay Kumar Dogra (Dr Bhadoriya), Ashwini Mishra (Gopal) and Kumar (Lalla). Vishal Bhardwaj’s music is obviously not of chartbuster variety. However, none of the songs are memorable but they work well in the context of the film. ‘Baaghi Re’ and ‘Ruan Ruan’ stand out. ‘Sonchiraiya’ is well placed and shot. ‘Naina Na Maar’ and ‘Saanp Khavega’ are forgettable. Naren Chandvarkar and Bendict Taylor’s background score is subtle and impactful. Anuj Rakesh Dhawan’s cinematography is splendid and captures the arid landscape very well. The bird-eye shots are also well captured. Anton Moon and Sunil Rodrigues’s action is real and gory. There’s too much of blood and violence but again, it’s something that is required for a film of this genre. Rita Ghosh’s production design is authentic. Divya and Nidhhi Ghambir’s costumes are straight out of life and that era. Shrikant Desai’s make-up is spot-on. None of the actors look glamorous. Meghna Sen’s editing is simple and unhurried. However, the flashback sequence in the second half is stretched and could have been shorter. On the whole, SONCHIRIYA is a well-made and a well shot movie with a strong narrative and brilliant performances as its USP. At the box office, its prospects will be restricted as it caters to a different set of a multiplex going audience.

Movie Review: Total Dhamaal

The DHAMAAL franchise might not be counted in the same league as GOLMAAL or HOUSEFULL films. But the fact is that both DHAMAAL [2007] and DOUBLE DHAMAAL [2011] have been successful ventures and have worked on television as well. Therefore, the recall value is quite strong. Hence, it’s no surprise the third part of the franchise – TOTAL DHAMAAL – carries a lot of expectations. The makers have even upped the scale and madness by not only getting three prominent actors (Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor) in addition to the existing star cast (minus Ashish Chowdhry) but by also making it an adventure comedy, a rarely explored genre in Bollywood. So does TOTAL DHAMAAL manage to entertain and rock the show? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. TOTAL DHAMAAL is the story of a bunch of greedy madcap characters on an adventure. Guddu (Ajay Devgn) is a small-time conman. He along with his partner Johnny (Sanjay Mishra) gets a tip that a large sum of money is being exchanged in a hotel room. They reach there only to realize that the one receiving the money is the police commissioner (Boman Irani). Nevertheless, Guddu and Johnny rob the money from the commissioner and escape. At this point, their driver Pintu (Manoj Pahwa) double crosses them and runs away with the money, amounting to Rs. 50 crores. Meanwhile, Avinash Patel (Anil Kapoor) and Bindu (Madhuri Dixit) are married for 17 years and have filed for divorce. Lallan (Riteish Deshmukh) and Jhingur (Pitobash Tripathy) are firemen who are fired from their job for taking bribe. And Aditya Srivastav (Arshad Warsi) and Manav Srivastav (Jaaved Jaaferi) are in need of a job. They are employed in an antiques arts gallery by its owner Altaaf (Sudesh Lehri). Unfortunately, Manav ends up breaking these antique materials worth crores. With no other option, they run away from the gallery and that too by stealing Altaaf’s high-tech car. They along with Lallan-Jhingur and Avinash-Bindu are on the highway when they see a plane crashing. They go to the site and see Pintu who is inside the ill-fated flight. He’s about to die and he blurts out to them that he has hidden the money he stole from Guddu at a zoo in Janakpur, located almost 450 kms away from the site. Before he confesses, Guddu reaches there and tells the others to back off since it’s his money. But the others threaten to go to the cops. That’s when Guddu devises a plan – whoever reaches Janakpur Zoo first will be the sole owner of those Rs. 50 crores. Thus begins the race of these guys towards Janakpur. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter and Bunty Rathore’s story is lame as it’s just borrowed from the first part. There’s absolutely no novelty and it’s completely predictable. Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter and Bunty Rathore’s screenplay thankfully is a bit better as the funny situations this time are different than last time. But at certain points, it’s also a bit random. This is especially true in the second half. Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter and Bunty Rathore’s dialogues are one of the highpoints and add to the fun. Indra Kumar’s direction is a bit dated. He hasn’t realised that times have changed. The plot and script already takes viewers intelligence for granted and his direction doesn’t help much either.  The film gets stretched in the middle of the second half. Also certain communities are made fun of and it might not go down well with a section of audiences. On the positive side, there are numerous sub tracks as there are so many characters but he nicely shifts focus equally between them. TOTAL DHAMAAL begins with a bang. The entry scenes of all characters are hilarious, especially that of Guddu. Lallan’s entry scene would also raise loads of laughs. The manner in which all the principal characters bump into each other is also quite nicely done. But then, there’s no story movement as the next 80-90 minutes are devoted to the characters trying to reach Janakpur Zoo and the various obstacles they encounter on the way. Some scenes here are funny and genuinely raise laughs like the madness in the railway tunnel, Avinash-Bindu’s attempt to take a shortcut, the sequence involving the GPS (voiced funnily by Jackie Shroff) and Lallan’s scary helicopter ride. Post interval though it begins to seem repetitive. Also, the second half is devoid of humour especially when compared to the first half. The skydiving and waterfall scenes just don’t work. Notice how the makers have taken a jump in the narrative. They don’t explain how Avinash-Bindu escape from the waterfall and how Lallan got hold of a motorbike. It seems like director Indra Kumar suddenly realised that he’s invested too much time in doing ‘Total Dhamaal’ and hence quickly jumped to the climax. However he ought to have done it in a better way. The finale is also quite long drawn and again like DHAMAAL, it gets emotional. Thankfully the element of wild animals and the humour surrounding them give the climax a nice touch.

Ajay Devgn is hilarious and his expressions are spot on, thereby inducing maximum laughs. Anil Kapoor is loud but it works overall. Madhuri Dixit gets her comic timing just right. Her character also has a sensitive side – she is the one who urges the others to try to save Pintu and even the animals. However, Anil-Madhuri’s tu-tu main-main gets on one’s nerves after a point. Riteish Deshmukh sadly gets a raw deal and gets dominated, although he too gets his share of funny scenes. Arshad Warsi is sans complaints as always. Jaaved Jaaferi, one of the biggest strengths of the franchise, is quite good. Since there are too many actors, his screen time is a bit less as compared to the last two films. But his admirers will surely have no reason to complain. Esha Gupta (Prachi) has a very late entry but leaves a mark. Boman Irani is decent and his scenes with Ajay and Vijay Patkar (Inspector Patkar) are quite funny. From the supporting cast, Vijay Patkar, Sanjay Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Pitobash Tripathy, Sudesh Lehri, Mahesh Manjrekar (Chinappa Swami) and Srikant Maski (Reddy) are notable. Johny Lever (Shubroto) however leaves the maximum impact out of these supporting actors. Special mention should also go Crystal the monkey (Zoo security official) as he’s funny and cute and also to Jackie Shroff who is funny as the voice of the GPS. Sonakshi Sinha is okay in the ‘Mungda’ song. Gourav-Roshin’s music gets no scope and thankfully, no songs are added in the middle of the adventure. ‘Paisa Yeh Paisa’ is the most memorable from the lot. ‘Mungda’ is disappointing while ‘Speaker Phat Jaaye’ is played in the end credits. Kookie Gulati’s song direction is visually great. Sandeep Shirodkar’s background score suits the genre of the film. Keiko Nakahara’s cinematography is satisfactory. Durgaprasad Mahapatra’s production design is a bit gaudy and poor in some scenes. R P Yadav’s action is fine while NY VFXWaala’s VFX is average. In the scenes of the animals, VFX is quite good but in some sequences, it’s a letdown. Dharmendra Sharma’s editing could have been crisper. At the same time, the way the focus shifts from one character to the other is praiseworthy. On the whole, TOTAL DHAMAAL is a ‘leave-your-brains-behind-at-home‘ entertainer with its share of funny moments. If you are not looking for wisdom and rationale in a light-hearted entertainer, then this movie is definitely for you. At the box office, it’s only the masses who might give the film thumbs up and they’ll majorly determine the fate of the film from Monday onwards.

Movie Review: Gully Boy

Rapping is a celebrated form of music worldwide. It came up from the streets and was able to resonate with all sections of society. India too has had a rapping scene and two of them who are quite famous in this category are Divine and Naezy. Zoya Akhtar’s GULLY BOY is loosely based on their lives and has managed to generate tremendous hype. The presence of Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt has also added to the buzz. So does GULLY BOY manage to fulfil all the expectations and emerge as a complete entertainer? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. GULLY BOY is the story of a timid slum dweller whose life changes thanks to his talent. Murad (Ranveer Singh) is a college student who lives in a slum in Mumbai’s Dharavi. He’s in a relationship with the fiery Safeena (Alia Bhatt), a medical student who comes from an orthodox upper caste Muslim family. There’s tension in Murad’s house as his father Shakir (Vijay Raaz) gets a second wife, much to the dismay of his mother Razia (Amruta Subhash). Meanwhile, one day an upcoming rapper MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi) performs in Murad’s college and he gets floored. After all, he’s always been interested in rapping. MC Sher one day asks aspiring performers to meet him and Murad jumps at this opportunity. MC Sher takes a liking for Murad and motivates him to rap publicly. Murad is hesitant at first but he performs for the crowd who give him thumbs up. MC Sher even gets him to shoot a video which becomes very popular. However, Murad is not able to pursue his passion full time. He is compelled to step into his father’s shoes and become a chauffeur after the latter fractures his leg. He also has a complex on account of his social status. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar’s story is promising. The character of Murad is very well written and also the world around him. Many who had criticized Zoya for showing the world of the elite in ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA [2011] and DIL DHADKANE DO [2015] would surely be surprised. Also the writers have ensured that the film doesn’t turn out to be just a story of a rapper. It speaks about passion, aspiration and also makes an important commentary on poverty, social strata, juvenile delinquency, polygamy etc. Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar’s screenplay is highly effective. A lot of research has gone into the film and it shows. Several sequences are powerful and they hit you hard. Even the humour comes out very well. Vijay Maurya’s dialogues further add to the impact as they are acidic. The poems of Murad are penned by Javed Akhtar and they have their own charm. Zoya Akhtar’s direction is exemplary yet again and she proves she is worthy of setting her film in diverse world and yet emerging victorious. However, the film has a few rough edges and one wishes she had taken care of it. The second half is quite lengthy. In fact, it feels like one is watching a three hour long film. A few characters like Safeena and Sky (Kalki Koechlin) are interesting but they don’t have much to do and are conveniently disappeared in the middle. Also the tone and the theme of the film is such that it won’t appeal to audiences pan India. The film features scenes of rap battle where one is supposed to roast the opponent and get personal. Such scenes may put off a section of the audience. GULLY BOY is not the usual entertainer and this becomes evident in the first scene itself. However, the goings on are very interesting and suck you into the world of these characters. The entry of Safeena adds to the fun and the sequence where she assaults Albina, a girl who shows interest in Murad, will bring the house down. Murad’s struggles and his bond with MC Sher is also well depicted. A few scenes are exceptionally directed like Murad’s first performance. Another scene that stands out in the first half is when Murad gets the idea of the song ‘Doori’ in the car. Post interval, the interest dips a bit. The film gets stretched and also has far too many sub plots. The climax thankfully is when the film picks up beautifully. The film ends on a high.

Ranveer Singh gets completely into the skin of his character. He is ten years older than Murad in real life and yet he convincingly manages to essay the role of a college student. Even as a rapper, he seems like a pro and not even once does it feel that he’s acting for the part. Also watch out for the scenes where he’s playing second fiddle to MC Sher in the first half. For a lead actor to do so is quite praiseworthy. Alia Bhatt is explosive to say the least. Her role would be loved and she’s so good that one wishes she had more screen time. Siddhant Chaturvedi makes a solid debut. He has a crucial part and would surely be talked about. Kalki Koechlin leaves a tremendous mark in a small role. Vijay Varma (Moeen) is satisfactory. Vijay Raaz is quite nice and makes an impact, especially in the pre climax. Amruta Subhash is decent. Shrishti Shrivastava (Albina) is hilarious. Jyoti Subhash (Murad’s grandmother) makes her presence felt in a crucial scene in the second half. Others are fine. There are far too many songs in the film and none of them are conventional chartbusters, considering the theme of the film. But few of them stand out. ‘Apna Time Aayega’ has got noticed and takes the film to another level. ‘Mere Gully Mein’ is peppy while ‘Azadi’ is riveting. ‘Doori’ is quite touching. ‘Sher Aaya Sher’, played during MC Sher’s entry is decent. Background score is in sync with the film. Jay Oza’s cinematography is magnificent and gives the film a fine look. Even in the finale, the lensman’s fine job adds to the effect. Arjun Bhasin and Poornamrita Singh’s costume are stylish and realistic. Manohar Verma and Sunil Rodrigues’ action is also quite real. The latter has choreographed Alia Bhatt’s action scene and it’s one of the film’s highpoints. Suzanne Caplan Merwanji’s production design is authentic. Nitin Baid’s editing is stylish but could have been crisper in the second half. On the whole, GULLY BOY is a fun and moving entertainer that will surely resonate with the youth and multiplex-frequenting urban audiences. At the box office, the four day weekend will ensure that it emerges a profitable venture for its makers.

Movie Review: The Fakir Of Venice

In today’s times, getting a right release for your film is as crucial as shooting and writing it. But there are times when movies don’t get a timely release due to certain reasons. However, there have been films that have got delayed by more than five and even ten years such as DEEWANA MAIN DEEWANA [2003], YEH LAMHE JUDAAI KE [2004], MEHBOOBA [2008], SANAM TERI KASAM [2009], MILENGE MILENGE [2010] etc. Now THE FAKIR OF VENICE gets added to this list. It’s the first-ever film of actor Farhan Akhtar, even before he shot for ROCK ON [2008], which eventually became his debut flick. So does THE FAKIR OF VENICE manages to entertain despite the delays and dated feel? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. THE FAKIR OF VENICE is the story of an Indian fixer who has a life-changing experience. Adi Contractor (Farhan Akhtar) works in films as the production controller. His job is to ensure that the bizarre demands of the producers are met. He once manages to get a monkey from China as per the requirement of an urgent film shoot in the Himalayas near the border on the Indian side! He is based in Mumbai where his ex-girlfriend Mandira (Kamal Sidhu) and her colleague Avantika (Sushma Prakash) ask him to meet the requirement of a reputed art gallery in Venice. They are in search of a fakir or a sadhu who can be buried in the sand for hours and thus can awe the visitors. Adi takes up the offer and he sets off to Varanasi to find the fakir in question. But his search yields no results. After returning to Mumbai, he decides to meet Amin aka Goldtooth (Joginder Singh), who’s also a ‘jugaadu’ guy. Amin introduces Adi to Sattar Shaikh (Annu Kapoor), a poor and impoverished slum dweller who paints buildings for a living. Adi realizes that Sattar is apt for this job. Sattar too agrees since he realizes that he’ll be paid handsomely and he can give the money to his married sister Hamida (Jhilmil Hazrika) with whom he resides. Adi with the help of Mandira trains him to pretend to be a fakir and gives him the right clothes. Both then reach Venice and the madness begins. Visitors are awed to see Sattar being buried in the ground with just his hands protruding out. Adi meanwhile spins imaginary story about the extraordinary powers of the ‘fakir’. However, Sattar is fighting his set of demons and there’s a risk that it can expose their lies. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Rajesh Devraj’s story is reportedly based on the life of filmmaker Homi Adajania, known for directing BEING CYRUS [2006], COCKTAIL [2012] and FINDING FANNY [2014]. The plot is interesting and if it was in the right hands, it could have made for a nice watch. Rajesh Devraj’s screenplay is a bit messy and fails to make the required impact. This is especially in the second half when Sattar’s issues come to the fore. But a few scenes here are unconvincing while the ones that are fine don’t really take the film to a high. Rajesh Devraj’s dialogues are simple but gets a little preachy. Also, Adi is narrating the film in English and such tactics would further reduce its box office prospects. A lot of dialogues have abuses which have been muted, courtesy the CBFC. Hence, it is difficult to comprehend some of the sentences muttered by the characters. Anand Surapur’s direction is nothing great as he could have done a lot with the subject matter and characters. The dated feel further pulls down the film. THE FAKIR OF VENICE begins on a fun note but the thrilling background score seems out of place. It soon becomes clear that the film has a film festival-feel and that it should be viewed in that regard. The film is just 98 minutes long and the first half is breezy and light-hearted and does engage viewers. However, the second half gets too heavy and bizarre. Sattar repeatedly waking up with a scream becomes repetitive. His entire dilemma could have been better explained. The scene where Sattar runs away from the hotel is quite over the top but does raise interest level. Moreover, he enters the same place where Adi is partying. Despite Sattar going berserk and rocking the show there, he doesn’t bump into Adi and the latter doesn’t even come to know that Sattar was present in the party. It seems difficult to digest since there weren’t too many people at the bash. Technically too, the film is not sound and the dated feel also kicks in at certain places. Although the film ends on a good note, it is too late in the day to make the desired impact. Farhan Akhtar, as expected, looks quite young and reminds one of his style and appearance in his first two films – ROCK ON [2008] and LUCK BY CHANCE [2009]. And this look really suits him. Performance wise, he does a fine job, sans complaints. He’s playing a selfish guy and that side comes out very well. Also, one can feel that he’s dominating Sattar – this bit seems very convincing. Annu Kapoor is the soul of the film and saves it from becoming a disaster. Two scenes where he really was the best were when his sister bids him goodbye and his monologue at the beach. Kamal Sidhu is wasted. Valentina Carnelutti (Gia) has a crucial part in the second half and does well. Jhilmil Hazrika looks very authentic. Sushma Prakash, Joginder Singh and Mathieu Carrière (Massimo) are passable. A R Rahman’s music makes no impact. The song ‘Wako Naam Fakir’ is played in the background and isn’t memorable. The background score is awkward at places and a bit too loud in a few scenes. Deepti Gupta, Preetha Jayaraman and Bakul Sharma’s cinematography is okay. Some hand-held and long shots look a bit off and fail to give the film a big-screen look. The colour correction also is not done correctly in a crucial scene. Susanna Codognato’s production design is decent. Anand Surapur’s editing is quite okay and bit haphazard. On the whole, THE FAKIR OF VENICE boasts of an interesting plot and bravura performance by Annu Kapoor. But the flawed execution, festival-style narrative and most importantly the delayed release will go against the film heavily.

Movie Review: Alita – Battle Angel

Over the years we have seen an increasing number of films being based on comic books. With an audience that laps up this cinematic ‘Marvel’ and with technology being advanced enough to offer a seamless visual treat such films have become a rage. Continuing with the same, this week’s release ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is a film that is based on Yukito Kishiro’s manga Gunnm that was developed in 1990. While manga fast became a rage and developed a cult following. But, will the new live action – animation adaptation of this popular manga entice the audience is the question of the hour. Set against a post-apocalyptic future, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL follows the story of Alita (Rosa Salazar), a cyborg who has lost all memories and is found in a garbage heap by a cybernetics doctor, Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz), who rebuilds and takes care of her. She discovers that there is one thing she remembers, the legendary cyborg martial art Panzer Kunst, which leads to her becoming a Hunter Warrior or bounty hunter. The story traces Alita’s attempts to rediscover her past and the characters whose lives she impacts on her journey. Will Alita remember who she is and where she came from? Will she become what she was built to be or will she fall in love and live a new life is what forms the rest of the story. Based on the first four books in the series, the film starts off with a monologue detailing the post-apocalyptic scenario after the technological downfall that is referred to as ‘The Fall’. From there the story traverses Alita’s journey of discovering who she really is, and also includes the aspect of ‘Motorball’ that played an intrinsic role in helping her become the Battle Angel. James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis have done a good job in adapting the books to celluloid, while there obviously major chunks of the story from the original manga that are missing, director Robert Rodriguez does a commendable job of weaving a coherent story. In fact, the makers of the film have done a convincing job of detailing a whole new CGI world and adding life to it. With over 30 minutes in the first half spent on giving the viewers a look and feel of the city, the film develops from being an action entertainer to one that tells the story of life. Once done, detailing the city and the issues and circumstances under which life exists, Rodriguez next focuses on Alita played by Rosa Salazar. Giving the character a well-defined back story that gradually unfolds with her recollecting lost memories, the film keeps the viewer riveted. Along with this, the director has ensured that the onscreen proceedings are pacy enough to keep the ball rolling with twists and turns that keep the cogs in the machine turning. Unfortunately, the second half of the film comes across as a bit rushed, especially since most of the key plot points have already been explored in the first half. Coupled with this are the performances in the film, though acting stalwarts like Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali and Jackie Earle Haley are featured in supporting roles, each of them shines with brilliant and convincing performances. However, with a story that is based solely on one character, the entire focus is on Alita played by Rosa Salazar, and one has to admit that she has done a good job with the given role. Here a special mention has to be made for the CGI and visual effects team that have done a marvellous job of seamlessly creating a believable and lifelike resemblance on screen. With life like expressions and attention to minor details like hair movement, pupil dilation and even the finer motor functions that are part of walking, the CGI team have gone above and beyond the call. In fact, one can easily say that this film might just be one of the best, if not the best in film animation spectacle. However, the film is not all positives only, as for fans of manga, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL leaves out quite a few plot points that make the manga that much more interesting. In fact, the second half of the film comes across as a rushed job with the makers opting to skip over the entire ‘Motorball’ fights that Alita has in the arena that eventually leads to her being christened as the Battle Angel. This, along with other smaller plot lines that are omitted or ignored totally might not go down well with the hard core fans of the manga. In addition to this, since Alita is the main focus of the story, very little time is dedicated to elaborating on the character of Vector (Mahershala Ali) and Nova (Edward Norton). Sadly, neither of their villainous roles is explored and remains as foot notes in the film. On the whole, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is filled with the right amount of empathic visual cues which builds an emotional rapport with viewers. A rapidly progressing story line peppered with action sequences and seamless visuals make the film a visual spectacle that captures the eye. However, fans of the original manga might be let down a bit, while those new to the story will relish the film.

Movie Review: Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

Recently, the draconian and regressive Section 377 was put down as ‘unconstitutional’ by the Supreme Court of India, giving hope to millions of those who were attracted to members of their own sex but couldn’t come out publicly. Bollywood has made films on this aspect but they are few and far between. Those who did talk about it upfront like FIRE [1996], ALIGARH [2016], ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES [2015], MY BROTHER NIKHIL [2005], MARGARITA WITH A STRAW [2015] etc. were meant for niche audiences and on the other hand, GIRLFRIEND [2004] was too sleazy for mainstream audiences. DOSTANA [2008] however was a mainstream film but here, the characters pretended to be gays. KAPOOR & SONS [2016] took a serious, no-nonsense approach but it was just a small track in the film. And in DEDH ISHQIYA [2014], it just touched upon the aspect in a very subtle manner. In this regard, EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA is an important flick as it centres around a lesbian character and at the same time, it features prominent actors and backed by a reputed production house. So does EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA make good use of the opportunity and work big time? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA is the story of a girl wanting to love but is not allowed to due to societal pressures. Sweety (Sonam Kapoor Ahuja) lives in Moga, Punjab and is the daughter of Balbir Singh Chaudhury (Anil Kapoor), who runs a big garment factory. She completes her graduation and Balbir starts hunting for a suitable groom for her to marry. Sweety’s authoritative brother Babloo (Abhishek Duhan) however realizes that Sweety secretly is in love with someone. When she goes to Delhi to meet the lover, Babloo follows her. Sweety realizes and she runs away. She lands up in a drama auditorium where she bumps into play director Sahil Raza (Rajkummar Rao). Sweety ends up seeing the play rehearsal and remarks that the play lacks soul, as if the writer-director has never fallen in love. Sahil falls for her at that very instant. Babloo however lands up at the theatre and Sahil helps her in running away from him. So smitten is Sahil by Sweety that he lands up in Moga. He pretends to conduct an acting workshop there and he’s helped in his ‘mission’ by the lovable Chatro (Juhi Chawla). Babloo meanwhile tells Balbir and Beeji (Madhumalti Kapoor) that Sweety loves Sahil, a Muslim boy. Balbir is shocked and decides to immediately find a suitable match for Sweety. Meanwhile, Sahil finds out from the house help in Chaudhury’s Kothi, Chaubey (Brijendra Kala), that Sweety’s family knows about him and that Sahil is here for his ‘girlfriend’ Sweety. Sahil’s joy knows no bounds as he presumes that even Sweety likes him. On Beeji’s grand birthday bash, Sahil meets Sweety in private and professes his love. This is when Sweety admits to him that she doesn’t love him and that her love interest is a girl. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Gazal Dhaliwal and Shelly Chopra Dhar’s concept is progressive and makes an important comment, which is praiseworthy. But just having a good message isn’t enough and there are a few blemishes that should have been taken care of, for a better impact. Gazal Dhaliwal and Shelly Chopra Dhar’s screenplay is decent but doesn’t have the hard-hitting feel. As a result, the film’s impact is limited. On the plus side, a few scenes are well written. Gazal Dhaliwal’s dialogues are good. Director Shelly Chopra Dhar sensitively handles the subject of homosexuality. However, the conflicts don’t seem that extreme for some reason. Ideally, the confrontation between Sweety (Sonam) and her family should have been more extreme and that’s when it would have made a smashing impact. Also, the finale seems a bit too simplistic. EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA has a somewhat awkward beginning as the celebrations in the song ‘Gud Naal Ishq Mitha’ seem a bit superficial. The story picks up as Sweety and Sahil meet in the auditorium and later in the sequence inside the metro train. The manner in which Sahil decides to leave the play rehearsal in the middle and embark to Moga to find Sweety is quite difficult to digest. And this aspect continues throughout the film. A few scenes here and there thankfully entertain like Balbir secretly going to the kitchen and Balbir-Sahil’s first meeting. The intermission point could have been more impactful but nevertheless, it works to an extent. Post-interval, Sweety’s flashback is worth watching and a lot of unanswered questions get solved. Again, Sahil’s decision to stay back in Moga to help Sweety feels a bit far-fetched. The climax could have gone quite wrong, a la AAJA NACHLE [2007] but thankfully, it doesn’t. At the same time, it doesn’t induce a feeling of goose bumps, which it ideally should have.

Sonam K Ahuja gives a fine performance but doesn’t impress much. She could have done a lot with such a brilliant part but she lets the opportunity go. Her performance is not a failure but at the same time, not as memorable either. The film centres on her but it’s the other actors who carry the film. Anil Kapoor steals the show with his performance and leaves a tremendous mark as the patriarch caged by society and its expectations. He is bound to put a smile in scenes where he is passionately cooking in the kitchen and when he gets charmed by Juhi. In the finale, it’s his performance that lifts the film. Rajkummar Rao has a bit of a supporting part and is great as always. In fact, he’s so good that one wishes that he had a longer role. But he’s letdown by the characterization. Juhi Chawla is very adorable. Surprisingly, she tries too hard to be funny in the beginning portions but once she lands up in Moga, she is something else. Her Google map scene will surely be appreciated! Abhishek Duhan plays the negative part well. Madhumalti Kapoor is sweet. Brijendra Kala is quite good and raises laughs in the scene where he’s chased by Rajkummar. Seema Pahwa (Billo) gives a lovely and hilarious performance. Sara Arjun (young Sweety) is satisfactory. Akshay Oberoi (Raza) is wasted. Kanwaljit Singh (Sahil’s father) and Alka Kaushal (Sahil’s mother) are sweet. And finally, Regina Cassandra (Kuhu) is quite an important part of the film and impresses with her confident act. Though one wishes her character was given more screen time. Rochak Kohli’s music is subtle and touching but not of chartbuster variety. ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha’ is played at crucial junctures. ‘Gud Naal Ishq Mitha’ doesn’t make the desired impact. ‘Chitthiye’ is touching. ‘House Party Song’ and ‘Good Morning’ are groovy but aren’t memorable. Sanjay Wandrekar and Atul Raninga’s background score is good. Himman Dhamija and Rangarajan Ramabadran’s cinematography is quite good and captures the locales and emotions well. Rajat Poddar and Teddy Maurya’s production design is realistic and has the small town feel. Sheetal Sharma’s costumes are glamorous. Ashish Suryavanshi’s editing is abrupt at several places. On the whole, EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA makes an important commentary on same-sex relationships in India and is embellished with some fine performances. But the narrative is very convenient to make any emotional impact. At the box office, its appeal will be restricted to niche urban multiplex audiences.

Movie Review: Thackeray

Maharashtra is one of the most significant states of India due to its rich history and culture and also because it houses Mumbai, the country’s financial capital. And post-independence, some prominent leaders left a mark on Indian politics and the most supreme out of them was Balasaheb Thackeray. The man amassed millions of followers who continue to worship and swear by him. A biopic on him thus is quite ideal as it can make for a great watch. Moreover, some of his acts and beliefs were quite controversial and had evoked polarized views. THACKERAY, the biopic, promises to tell his tale and also touch upon these sensitive topics. So does THACKERAY prove to be a hard-hitting entertainer? Or does it fail to make a mark? Let’s analyse. THACKERAY is the story of the Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. Bal Keshav Thackeray (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is the eldest son of social reformer Prabodhankar Thackeray and is married to Meenatai (Amrita Rao). The story begins in late 50s when Bal is working in Free Press Journal as a cartoonist in Mumbai. He feels stifled with the restrictions put on him by superiors over attacking certain political figures. Hence, Bal resigns and starts his own political weekly called Marmik. Bal realizes that the South Indians have dominated businesses and offices in Mumbai and look down upon Maharashtrians. Through his cartoons and later his speeches, he begins to inform the sons of soil that they should fight for their rights and not let ‘outsiders’ to take over the reins of Mumbai. His speeches begin to motivate Maharashtrians and they commence the fight for their rights. As his stature and popularity grows and as he begins to be addressed as Balasaheb, he floats his own political party called Shiv Sena, in 1966. The party suffers a lot of ups and downs but slowly makes its mark. In the 80s however, Balasaheb shifts his agenda and becomes pro-Hindutva. The Shiv Sainiks also have a part to play in the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, which leads to riots and widespread wave of shock across the country. How Balasaheb tides over this crisis fearlessly and also overcomes other challenges forms the rest of the film. Sanjay Raut’s story is interesting and a winner since a film on such a strong political figure itself is a great idea. He has focused on the most notable and even lesser known episodes of Balasaheb’s life (his meeting with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi stands out, in this regard). Also, most of these aspects are controversial and these factors surely appeal to the viewers.  Abhijit Panse’s screenplay is engaging and more importantly, massy. The film has been written in such a way that it can reach out to as many people as possible. Arvind Jagtap and Manoj Yadav’s dialogues however are acidic and sharp. Balasaheb never minced words in his speeches and interactions and the dialogue writers do justice in this regard. Abhijit Panse’s direction is very good and his narrative keeps the viewers hooked on to their seats from start to finish. A few scenes are exceptional and would be greeted with claps and whistles. Also, in a rare instance, the first half of the film is almost entirely in black-and-white. This gives a nice touch to the film and the transformation from black-to-white to colour is quite creative. The film is 2.19 hours long but it doesn’t feel so as there’s so much happening in the story. However, one wishes the significant people in Balasaheb’s life were also given a little more screen time. This would have helped viewers to know more about them and their equation with the leader himself. Panse also jumps narrative and this could have been reduced. For instance, Balasaheb gets jailed after the Morarji Desai incident but no attempt is made to explain when he was released. The climax of the film leaves you wanting for more, considering the mood and theme of the film, but it seems like the makers are already planning a sequel for the latter half of Thackeray’s life.

THACKERAY starts with a bang. The entry of Balasaheb in the Lucknow court is clapworthy and would be loved by audiences. The beginning portions are very engaging and the way the makers depict the sad state of Marathi-speaking people through animation is very novel. It is amusing but at the same time, it makes an impact. Also impressive is how Balasaheb resigns from Free Press Journal in his own unique style. The first half has several scenes that stand out like Balasaheb helping a helpless landlord (Bachan Pachehra) in getting back his property, the violence that erupts when Morarji Desai (Rajesh Khera) lands in the city and the track of Krishna Desai (Sanjay Narvekar). Post-interval, the entertainment continues. However, some scenes are excellent like Balasaheb forcing the film Tere Mere Sapne to be replaced by popular actor Dada Kondke’s Marathi film Songadya, Balasaheb’s meeting with the then PM Indira Gandhi, Balasaheb insisting on a Muslim old man to perform namaaz in his house and Balasaheb’s meeting with Dilip Vengsarkar and Javed Miandad. The film also goes back and forth with the courtroom sequences and these are also quite impactful. The film ends with an impactful monologue with the announcement of the sequel in the finale being the icing on the cake. Nawazuddin Siddiqui rocks the show and delivers a stupendous performance. He goes totally into the skin of the character and tries his best to not just mimic Balasaheb’s mannerisms and body language but also live and breathe him. This talented performer has given several fine performances in his life and this surely would rank as one of his most accomplished acts. Amrita Rao is lovable in her supporting role. Rajesh Khera is quite good and leaves a huge mark. Sanjay Narvekar is okay. Prakash Belawadi (George Fernandes) is nice in the lone scene. Same goes for Nikhil Mahajan (Sharad Pawar). The other actors who give fine performances are the ones playing Indira Gandhi, Prabodhankar Thackeray, Emmanuel Modak, the prosecutor in the court, Dilip Vengsarkar and Javed Miandad. Rohan-Rohan’s music doesn’t get scope. ‘Saheb Tu Sarkar Tu’ is the only song in the film and is played in the end credits. Amar Mohile’s background score is quite exhilarating and adds to the excitement. Sudeep Chatterjee’s cinematography is topnotch. P K Swain’s action is realistic. Sandeep Sharad Ravade’s production design is authentic and ensures the bygone era is realistically depicted. Same goes for Santosh Gavde’s costumes. Kiran Kamble’s make up and hair and Pritisheell Singh’s prosthetics are praiseworthy. Ashish Mhatare and Apurva Motiwale Sahai’s editing is fine and it’s great to see how various episodes of his life are neatly stitched and how it all flows well. But in a few scenes, it could have been better and not so razor shop, especially in the second half. On the whole, THACKERAY is a well-made and well-told biopic about one of the most important political figures of Maharashtra and India. The target audience and the centres in Maharashtra would surely accept this film with open arms. However, the film also has a pan-India appeal and this can surely go in its favour.

Movie Review: Manikarnika – The Queen Of Jhansi

The recent super success of URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE has proved that when true stories of brave people are told well cinematically and in an entertaining manner, the sky is the limit. Just two weeks after this film based on the 2016 surgical strike released, Kangana Ranaut is now all set to unveil the long-in-the-making and much talked about flick MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI. It is based on a warrior known and celebrated throughout the country. So does MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI manage to leave a mark and emerge as a winner? Or does it fail to do so? Let’s analyse. MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI is the story of the brave Rani Laxmibai. Manikarnika (Kangana Ranaut) lives in Bithoor and is a favourite of the Peshwa (Suresh Oberoi) and he has brought her up with lot of love. One day Dixit Ji of Jhansi (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) spots her facing a ferocious tiger fearlessly. Impressed, he asks Peshwa for her hand in marriage with Jhansi’s king Gangadhar Rao (Jisshu Sengupta). Dixit Ji is aware that the British is eyeing Jhansi and wants to annexe the kingdom at any cost. He realises that her brave persona would play a crucial role in giving a tough fight to the British. The marriage takes place and the king gives her a new name – Laxmibai. All these developments upset Gangadhar’s brother Sadashiv (Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub). He is friendly with the British and wants to usurp the throne by hook or by crook. Laxmibai, after a few years, gives birth to Damodar and she is unable to contain her happiness. Her joy however is short-lived as Sadashiv surreptitiously poisons Damodar. Gangadhar, at the same time, falls ill too. Knowing that his end is near, he and Laxmibai adopt a son. Gangadhar passes away and the British attempt to annexe the throne. However, Laxmibai surprises everyone as she decides to take over the reins. She proclaims herself as the queen of Jhansi and challenges the British openly. What happens next forms the rest of the film. K V Vijayendra Prasad’s story is simple and tries to be as historically accurate as possible. K V Vijayendra Prasad’s screenplay is very effective and impactful. He tries to ensure he sticks to the facts and dramatizes it convincingly. The first half is however slightly weak due to slow proceedings. The second half however picks up as the story moves fast with lot of twists and turns. Prasoon Joshi’s dialogues are sharp, clap worthy and acidic and add to the impact. Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi and Kangana Ranaut’s direction is quite good and both manage to more or less do justice to the film’s scale and historical importance. It’s important to note that more than half of the film has been reshot by Kangana. But except for a few places, it doesn’t seem like that the film has been helmed by two different directors with very different sensibilities. Some scenes are exceptionally helmed and stand out like Manikarnika’s entry, the demise of her son, the intermission point, Laxmibai’s dramatic entry at Gwalior Fort etc. besides the action scenes. On the flipside, the direction is inconsistent at times and it hampers the impact. Also, this is a time when viewers have already seen films like BAAHUBALI [2015, 2017], BAJIRAO MASTANI [2015], PADMAAVAT [2018] and these films had more impactful executions. MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI lacks that at a lot of places. MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI is 2.28 hours long with the first half being just around an hour in duration. The makers use this first hour mainly for establishing the characters and other minor developments. This portion is interesting but is slow. The intermission point is clapworthy and gives an indication of what the second half has to offer. And sure enough, the film does go on a high. The action scenes are entertaining and watch out for the sequence where Laxmibai kills multiple British soldiers single handedly near the idol of Goddess Kali. The cinema halls would thunder with whistles and claps at this point! Also, emotionally, the film connects beautifully and hence, viewers root for Laxmibai constantly. The climax could have been better but nevertheless it is moving. The factual details mentioned in the end also add to the impact. Kangana Ranaut delivers a terrific performance and owns this challenging character. The Rani of Jhansi has a lot of significance and the actress ensures she does complete justice to it. In the action scenes, she is great but watch out for her performances in the emotional sequences as well! Jisshu Sengupta is likeable in the supporting role. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub is a bit of a caricature but doesn’t ham. Suresh Oberoi is impressive. Danny Denzongpa (Ghulam Ghaus Khan) has a sudden entry but performance wise he is dependable. His voice and personality adds a lot to his character. Ankita Lokhande (Jhalkari Bai) is excellent and leaves a tremendous mark in limited screen time. A fine debut! Atul Kulkarni (Tatya Tope) is good in his introduction scene but later he doesn’t have much to do. Mishti Chakravarty (Kashi) has a good screen presence but is hardly there. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is quite appropriate for his role. Tahir Mithaiwala (Sangram Singh) has a badass character but is arguably wasted. Unnati Davara (Mundar), Suparna Marwah (Rajmata), Nihar Pandya (Rao) and Pir Ali (Anil George) are okay. Talking of actors playing British officers, Edward Sonnenblick (Gordon) is over the top. But Richard Keep (Hugh Rose) is genuine. Others are fine.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is not of chartbuster variety but works very well in the film. ‘Bharat’ is like the theme of the film and lingers in one’s mind. ‘Vijayi Bhava’ and ‘Bolo Kab Pratikar Karoge’ also add to the theme and mood of the film. ‘Rajaji’ doesn’t work and ‘Shiv Tandav’ is hardly played. ‘Dankila’ lacks the energy of a ‘Malhari’ but is entertaining. Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara’s background score is exhilarating. Gnana Shekar V S and Kiran Deohans’s cinematography is spectacular and captures the various moods of the film well. Murlidhar J Sabat, Ratan Suryawanshi, Sukant Panigrahy, Sujeet Shubhash Sawant and Sriram Kannan Iyengar’s production design is grand and helps in giving the film a big screen feel. Nick Powell, Todor Lazarov and Habib Riyaz’s action is not too gory but makes for a nice watch. At a few places however it could have been better. Neeta Lulla’s costumes are appealing, especially the sarees worn by Kangana Ranaut and Ankita Lokhande. Prime Focus, Prana Studios, Drishyam VFX and Future Works’s VFX is quite good but certain shots could have been better. Rameshwar Bhagat’s editing is praiseworthy considering that he seamlessly merges the works of two different directors. But the jumps in the narrative were avoidable. On the whole, MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI is a well-made historical with the right scale, emotional quotient and battle sequences as its highpoint. Also, Kangana Ranaut’s performance is the icing on the cake. At the box office, the film comes at the right time as the Republic Day period will further add to the film’s prospects.