tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77055379783533962122024-03-13T17:31:25.815+05:30The Filmy Basti...!My views and movie reviews, thode hatke!Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-83671136049175037772023-07-29T23:25:00.002+05:302023-07-29T23:26:25.458+05:30Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani - Movie Review<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">If I Had to sum up ‘Rocky Aur
Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ in a single sentence, it would be – This is the least ‘Karan
Johar-ish’ film, yet the most ‘Karan Johar-ish’ film that the filmmaker has
ever made. Read on to know why.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Set in the milieu of affluent Delhi,
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (RARKPK), is the quintessential Bollywood love
story between an over-the-top Gucci-wearing Punjabi boy, Rocky Randhawa
(Ranveer Singh) and a feisty, intelligent TV anchor, Rani Chatterjee (Alia
Bhatt). Expectedly, opposites attract and the two fall in love, at which point
their completely contrasting families enter the picture. Rocky belongs to a
hugely successful business family, whose tough matriarch, Dhanalakshmi Randhawa
(Jaya Bachchan) keeps a tight hold on both her family and the business. The
Randhawas are the uber-rich Punjabis of Delhi that we have all heard tales
about – palatial mansion, jazzy cars and an overbearing sense of ‘sanskaar’.
The Chatterjees, diametrically opposite to the Randhawas, are the intellectual
elite of Delhi. Their house has a painting of Tagore, walls lined with books
and discuss election voter turnout over morning tea. The father is a
Kathak dancer and mother is a senior English Professor in Delhi University (and
as Rani calls her – is the Shashi Tharoor of the house). As fate would have it,
the past of the elderly in both the houses – Kanwal Lund/Randhawa (Dharmender),
Dhanlakshmi Randhawa (Jaya Bachchan) and Jamini Chatterjee (Shabana Azmi) – get
intertwined forming the base of the love story. To convince their families, Rocky
and Rani switch homes to live with the others family. This is where the film
scratches more than the surface and touches upon a lot of issues that either
side of the families had buried for long. On the periphery, RARKPK is return of
Bollywood and Karan Johar to their mainstay – a romantic comedy peppered with family
drama. But there is more than what meets the eye.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHcNg7vVmvryKGHLd9gQtJXSSxdURIOfN2QwC0SP3a1jJfmHYHj9KWIYvDJPNHYjOFEXEC2r5E2REYgHfbPG_ZMZ2TMM_HzxsirGMvG3Qip0aG7JmnXh39Ns8vYRdmVJEqks8o9MprXnwVx8BT1Z_NLmWq7lcFCuxgNodm2_LjpD2hweMSdWqEjqE8CXo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHcNg7vVmvryKGHLd9gQtJXSSxdURIOfN2QwC0SP3a1jJfmHYHj9KWIYvDJPNHYjOFEXEC2r5E2REYgHfbPG_ZMZ2TMM_HzxsirGMvG3Qip0aG7JmnXh39Ns8vYRdmVJEqks8o9MprXnwVx8BT1Z_NLmWq7lcFCuxgNodm2_LjpD2hweMSdWqEjqE8CXo" width="192" /></a></div><br />I started off by calling this
movie the least ‘Karan Johar-ish’ film ever. That is because, unlike the usual
perception of his movies, this one is not superficial or just candy-floss drama
with pretty faces and handsome men flaunting their torsos. The writing by Shashank
Khaitan, Ishita Moitra and Sumit Roy brings in layers to the otherwise regular ‘Bollywood
Masala’ caper. They touch upon misogyny in our households, delve into compromises
that couples make to keep a marriage intact, try to challenge gender roles and
play heavily on human emotions. There are some beautiful moments that both the
leads get with their families, that make this movie connect with its viewers.
On the other hand, it continues to be a typical ‘Karan Johar-ish’ flick – there
are massive sets, grandeur in every detail, beautiful faces and gorgeous leads looking
their finest best – not even a hair out of its place! Also, like most his
films, RARKPK continues to be honest and truthful to its ‘Bollywood Masala’
quotient – numerous nostalgic songs, dialogue references to some of the
director’s work from the 2000s and over-the-top ‘<i>naach-gaana’</i>. When
Kanwal sings ‘<i>Abhi Naa Jao Chhodkar</i>’, even an octogenarian Dharmender
looks charming as ever. Only a true-blue Bollywood fanatic like Johar can make
that happen!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The performances are all quite good,
especially the actors who played the Chatterjee parents – Tota Roy Chowdhury and
Churni Ganguly, who play an intellectual Bengali couple and get to display a wide
range of emotions. Their scenes with Ranveer Singh after a Kathak performance
and lingerie shopping sequences, respectively, are deeply affecting. Complementing
perfectly in both these scenes and in all of the movie is Ranveer Singh. Playing
his natural self- in bright, outlandish clothes- Ranveer is perfectly cast as
the livewire Rocky Randhawa. Be it the Punjabi accent or the dance moves or the
emotional scenes, Singh is brilliant. Matching his energy is the calmer, yet
powerful performance by Alia Bhatt as Rani Chatterjee. She is fierce, strong
and unabashed – right from her introduction scene where she ticks off a
politician to her numerous face-offs with the Randhawas. Alia Bhatt does not
let her petite frame come in the way of the feistiness that her character
demands. Among the veterans, Jaya Bachchan – making a return to the large
screen after a hiatus- is very good both in her dialect and performance. I wish her character had a better arc, since it gets an unconvincing end. Multiple
National Award-winning actress, Shabana Azmi, delivers her roles well. Dharmender,
at 88, is mostly mellow but deserves an applause for still trying to charm his
leading ladies and the viewers alike. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">RARKPK does come with its flaws.
The writing falters post the interval, where some of the issues with the family
members seem contrived. Some of the sub-plots such as the one involving Rocky’s
sister, Gayatri, or his mother, Poonam, seem forced and not add much to the
plot. The climax also seems rushed, as if the makers suddenly became mindful of
the duration and decided to speed up. But all said and done, the movie does
have some beautiful moments and a typical Bollywood love story at its core. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One of Johar’s most loved directorial,
‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ (2001) had a tagline – It’s all about loving your
Parents. RARKPK, 22 years later, appears to be Johars adaptation to today’s day
& age and should come with a tagline – It’s all about loving your parents,
albeit with some rebellion!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My Rating – 3.5/5<o:p></o:p></p>Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-80853040505864979162021-09-25T08:28:00.006+05:302021-09-25T08:34:54.339+05:30Love Story - Movie Review<p><span style="text-align: justify;">Over the last few months, movie watching
experience has changed drastically owing to the pandemic. With cinemas shut, OTTs
became our entertainment destinations. Now that theatres are opening again, one
needed a good reason to take the risk and be back in theatres. And what better
reason than a Sekhar Kammula – Sai Pallavi film (after the stupendous success
of </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Fidaa</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, 2017). Add a not so conventional lead pair, Naga Chaitanya,
and you have created enough intrigue to get your seats filled. But, does Sekhar
Kammula’s much-awaited ‘Love Story’ deliver on its hype and expectations? I
would say it almost does, but misses the mark by a whisker!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Set in modern day Secunderabad,
Love Story begins with the harsh childhood of the protagonist, Revanth,<b> </b>raised
by his widowed mother (Eashwari Rao) in Armoor, Nizamabad. Right from his
childhood, Revanth and his mom internalise caste discrimination and accept it
as their reality, just as many of the lower castes in this country have. Strong-willed
and hard-working, Revanth grows up to be an ambitious and industrious young
man. The adult Revanth (Naga Chaitanya) lives in Secunderabad and runs a modest
Zumba centre, resolute to expand and grow his business. Equally ambitious and determined,
small-town-girl Mounica (Sai Pallavi) comes to Hyderabad with the quintessential
‘software dream’. Unlike Revanth, Mounica belongs to an upper-caste family.
But, hailing from a small-town, with a not-so-great academic background, Mouni
(as she is fondly called) struggles to get a job. As fate would have it, their
paths cross and Mouni joins Revanth, first as his business partner and then the
‘Love Story’ begins. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qbVvqhgoegM/YU6QPjO2-mI/AAAAAAAAARw/50DtOVB_HWstTI04ZkA9kMgU9pOKRUXJgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qbVvqhgoegM/YU6QPjO2-mI/AAAAAAAAARw/50DtOVB_HWstTI04ZkA9kMgU9pOKRUXJgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />The story, screenplay, dialogues
and the direction are by Sekhar Kammula, just as most of his previous movies, largely
making it a one man show behind the camera. Like most of his previous films, he
gives us strong-willed, righteous and independent lead characters, especially
the female leads. Much like Rupa in <i>Anand</i> (2004), Sita in <i>Godavari</i>
(2006) or most-recently as Bhanumathi in <i>Fidaa</i> (2017), Mounica is the driving
force in the movie. And such strong characters have become Sekhar Kammula’s
trademark and something we all love. But, unlike his earlier outings, Mr.
Kammula has attempted to skim through multiple themes in a single movie. On a
larger canvas, he starts to paint the film in the tones of caste-based discrimination,
societal divide and the fights for one’s ambitions. On a micro level, he also touches
his canvas with lighter strokes of gender inequality, child abuse and communal
oppression. These are quite diverse topics and inter-weaving them seamlessly is
a daunting task, which Mr. Kammula tries commendably, especially in a
mainstream film. But I wish these themes were tied together better, instead of mildly
feeling like a confused concoction as the movie jumps from one social evil to
the other.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This reminds me of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXNNsoDoWjM" target="_blank">review of
Zoya Akhtar’s <i>Gully Boy</i> (2019)</a> by film critic Sucharita Tyagi (Film Companion).
Gully Boy touches many a societal evil and passes strong commentary on them,
effortlessly! Ms. Tyagi describes this as “Watching Gully Boy is like seeing a European
Renaissance painting, where each stroke & shade of colour speaks a different
story”. And this kind of finesse is what I really craved for in Love Story. Not
just Zoya Akhtar, but there are many directors today who delivered on effectively
stitching together multiple unconnected themes in a single movie, such as
Venkatesh Maha in <i>C/O Kancherapalem</i> (2018), Alankrita Srivastava in <i>Lipstick
Under My Burkha</i> (2016), Vetrimaran in <i>Asuran</i> (2019), Amit Masurkar
in <i>Newton</i> (2017) & <i>Sherni</i> (2021) and Nagaraj Manjule in his
Marathi movies, especially <i>Sairat</i> (2016). Mr. Kammula’s efforts must
surely be applauded, with hopes of a better-stitched movie the next time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Sairat</i>, an ill-fated love
story between an upper caste girl and a lower caste boy, comes closest to the
central theme of Love Story. So does the recent sleeper-hit, <i>Uppena</i> (2021).
But what Love Story brings to fore in mainstream Telugu cinema is its honest
and real performances. Among the supporting cast – Eashwari Rao as Revanth’s
mother, delivers a warm and endearing performance. Rajeev Kanakala, as the evil
upper-caste uncle to Mouni, is effective in a negative role. Naga Chaitanya is
good as the boy yearning for a breakthrough and delivers a commendable performance,
devoid of toxic masculinity. He acts well, though he seems a bit woody in the
emotional scenes. Sai Pallavi, yet again, is a scene-stealing, natural
performer. Be it her raw comic timing, emotional scenes or flawless dance performances,
she is an outstanding asset to the film and Mr. Kammula utilises her full
potential. (Though I didn’t quite buy that a Nizamabad-bred girl dances
flawlessly on contemporary dance forms without any training :P – cinematic liberty,
I suppose) And yes, both the leads & most of the cast gets their Telangana
accent right. <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Love Story may be flawed, but it
does pick up some right conversations in mainstream Telugu cinema. Unlike
Uppena, where the caste divide was largely muted, Love Story brings the divide
more into focus – including the caste-based difference in places to get one’s haircut
to the places where one is laid to rest! It also gives us a warm and endearing love
story shrouded by various societal problems. I just wished it all came together
a little more seamlessly. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">You can watch Love Story in
theatres.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My Rating – 3/5<o:p></o:p></p>Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-53758997647063503812020-09-12T11:47:00.000+05:302020-09-12T11:49:13.751+05:30Cargo - Movie Review<p>O<span style="text-align: justify;">ne of life’s most fascinating and
curious facets has been life after death. There have been various studies and
research on what really happens after death? Is there an afterworld where
humans are re-wired and sent for rebirth? Is there a mythical ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Yamalok’</i><span style="text-align: justify;">
where all this happens? Writer-director Arati Kadav’s Netflix release, ‘Cargo’,
takes this promising premise, gives it Sci-Fi undertones and yet, gives us an
emotional tale, told through the eyes of two </span><i style="text-align: justify;">rakshasas</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> (demons),
Prahastha (Vikrant Massey) and Yuvishka (Shweta Tripathi).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Set in the year 2032, Cargo shows
an imaginary world where <i>Manushya</i> (humans) and <i>Rakshasa</i> (Demons) sign
a ‘peace pact’. The <i>Rakshasa’s</i> establish a Post Death Transition System
(PDTS), through a network of spacecrafts called ‘<i>Pushpaks’</i>, orbiting around
the earth and helping the dead transition to their afterlife. Calling themselves
the modern-day descendent of Yamraj, the god of death, <i>Pushpaks</i> have ‘agents’
who ‘transition’ <i>manushya</i> after death to their next lives. Commanding one
such <i>Pushpak</i> is Prahastha, who is assigned an assistant, Yuvishka, to
take on their mundane tasks of handling the dead & the deceased. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="Cargo (Netflix) review - Indian Link" height="318" src="https://www.indianlink.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Cargo-Movie-Hindi-Dubbed.jpg" width="557" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I couldn’t help but compare the
lives of Prahastha and Yuvishka to that of doctors we see around us. Usually, doctors
tend to become unfazed, unmoved and unaffected by death and pain, since this
becomes a part of their lives. The negativity of suffering and death does not
emotionally move them, as easily as it affects a commoner. Prahastha, having
manned his <i>Pushpak</i> for ages, is one such unremorseful ‘doctor’, who
heals, rehabilitates and transitions the dead to their next lives. In sharp contrast,
Yuvishka, like a medical intern, finds it difficult to handle her emotions and
inner turmoil. Her compassionate heart aches for the deceased and struggles to
remain objective, unlike her boss. How does she hold herself up for the
profession she has chosen? Would the arrival of a companion after ages make
Prahastha melt his stone-cold heart? Cargo is all about that. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Minutes into the viewing, I could
also see similarities with the 2016-Hollywood Sci-Fi drama, ‘<i>Passengers</i>’.
Much like Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, there are only two characters
stuck in the outer-space in Cargo. However, there isn’t much of a romantic
angle here – the leads remain largely platonic. Cargo is a movie about
emotions, characters and in a way, trying to unravel the baffling mystery of
life after death. Hence, we do not get to see hi-fi gadgets and equipment. In
fact, owing to the small budget probably, the set design and scenes in the
spaceship are quite primitive and look underwhelming. Speaking of the
spaceship, it’s cleverly been named ‘<i>Pushpak’</i> after the mythical spacecraft
owned by another <i>Rakshas</i>, Ravana, in the mythological tale of <i>Ramayana</i>.
Arati Kadav also takes clever (and fascinating) writing tropes in giving <i>Rakshas’s</i>
distinct traits –they have various powers like the X-Men, their news is from
the <i>Paatal Lok</i> and a singing sensation is named <i>Surpanakha</i>, after
another mythological demoness. All this add to the quirk element of this make-believe
world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Having said that, Cargo isn’t a Sci-Fi
extravagance. It is about the battle of emotions of its leads. On one hand, it
is about Prahastha’s realisation that life is beyond his mundane work. On the
other, it is about Yuvishka’s realisation that death is not the end of a person’s
story, it continues, probably in another birth. The essence of the movie is
beautifully explained by their handler from the base station, Nitigya (Nandu
Madhav) in a scene. When Yuvishka asks him what his superpower is, he says that
he can disappear upto 86%. When she questions its purpose if he cannot disappear
completely, he replies, “<i>Life mein kuch be completely disappear nahi hota”</i>.
This kind of sums up what Prahastha and Yuvishka learn towards the end of the movie
– death is an aberration and not an end. Lives do not disappear completely (at
least that’s what the movie’s writers seem to have deciphered). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Sci-Fi genre has largely been
dominated by big budget extravagant films, even in the Indian context. With
mammoth budgets, these films usually lean on cutting-edge technology,
awe-inviting action and stunning visuals. Even Indian Sci-FI drama, from the awfully
painful <i>Love Story 2050</i> (2008) to the recent Telugu-Sci Fi, <i>Antariksham
9000 KMPH</i> (2018), concentrate on science and technology-driven dramas. But
Cargo comes as a refreshing change and deserves an applause for its quirks and
innovation. Apart from writer-director, Arati Kadav, a deserving mention of the
great camerawork by Kaushal Shah and sharp editing by Paramita Ghosh. I wish
the set designs were better and not as cardboard-like as they appear. I suspect
the tight budget to be the reason behind it. Also, the narrative seems to lose
a bit of a steam in the second half. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Like <i>Passenger</i> (2016),
Cargo relies majorly on two actors – its leads. Vikrant Massey is terrific as
the loner Prahastha, who experiences a change of heart once he experiences
companionship. Playing his junior and new-found companion, Shweta Tripathi is
nicely cast as the young, ambitious and compassionate new ‘agent’. Though their
relationship remains unsaid and platonic, they share a warm chemistry. Nandu
Madhav, playing their handler from the base station is nicely cast and makes an
impact despite appearing only through a 14-inch monitor throughout the film. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After watching Malayalam genius
at display in <i>‘C U Soon’</i> (2020) last week, I wondered if the Hindi film
industry is headed anywhere close to similar innovation and story-telling.
Cargo may not be a flawless attempt, but is certainly a laudable step towards
interesting and innovative story-telling in Hindi cinema, which we do not see too
often. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My Rating – 3.5/5<o:p></o:p></p>Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-32649301367638347192020-08-13T11:12:00.002+05:302020-08-13T11:17:06.378+05:30Gunjan Saxena - Movie Review<div class="separator"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' to release directly on Netflix ..." src="https://th.thgim.com/entertainment/movies/owu0i0/article31785365.ece/alternates/FREE_435/gunjan-2" /></p></div><p>O<span style="text-align: justify;">ver the recent past, Bollywood
has churned out quite a few movies with the armed forces in the back drop, kindling
a fervour of ‘josh’ in a country that suddenly turned </span><i style="text-align: justify;">desh-bhakt</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> over
the last few years. Debutante director Sharan Sharma’s Netflix release, Gunjan
Saxena – The Kargil Girl, surprises you here. While the name sounds like yet
another story of valour and patronization of our armed forces, this Janhvi
Kapoor-starrer, on the contrary, is the story of a woman trying to break
through a man’s world.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The movie traces the journey of a
young girl, Gunjan, born to an Army Officer in the 70s. Raised in a patriarchal
society, Gunjan’s dreams and ambitions are given a flight by her extremely
supportive father, Lt Col Anup Saxena (Pankaj Tripathi). In a world where
misogyny is normalised and expects girls to be ‘controlled’, Gunjan grows up
with the sole aim of being in the skies – she wants to be a pilot! And the writers
and production designers ensure that we know this well – her world revolves
singularly around airplanes and being airborne. She wears aviators as a kid
even while watching movies, wind chimes in her room are the shape of airplanes
and she never misses to run when a plane passes over. She is obsessed about
being a pilot! Cut to a few years later, a 21-year old Gunjan (Janhvi Kapoor) becomes
the first woman to be a commissioned as a pilot in the Indian Air Force. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Now, this is where the movie surprises
by not becoming a war film, which it could have easily become. It remains
Gunjan’s story – her trials & tribulations through her initial days in the forces.
In a crucial scene, we see a nervous Gunjan tell her dad she only wanted to fly
and doubts her ‘<i>desh bhakti’</i>. To this, her dad brilliantly replies – <i>Imaandaari
se karo toh yeh bhi desh bhakti hai</i>. She takes this as her motto and puts
in her heart and soul to beat all odds – from not finding women’s restrooms to
struggling as the lone female pilot surrounded by men. The tough portrayal of
IAF instructors and training feels real and believable. Even Gunjan’s role in
the Kargil War is shown subtly, without unnecessary heroism until the sequence
in the climax. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">While it steers clear of war film
clichés (there are no ‘How’s the josh’ moments, thankfully) and jingoism, the
writers Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma resort to some unnecessary cinematic
liberties. While it is understandable that society in the 80s-90s was
conservative and expected girls to be a certain way, the negative portrayal of
the Air warriors was uncalled for and was unconvincing. The men in the armed forces
are known to be extremely chivalrous, dignified and are taught to respect women.
But the men in the movie have been written as misogynists and opportunists,
just to add to cinematic <i>masala</i> to Gunjan’s struggles. Now, this is a
story based on real-life and I am not sure how much of it has been altered for
cinematic effect, but as someone who has first hand experience of IAF, this
negative portrayal seemed unnecessary and far-fetched. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Keeping the cinematic liberties
aside, the other cinematic tropes have been used effectively – Music by Amit
Trivedi compliments well and the camera work by Manush Nandan recreates a world
of the 80s and 90s well. In terms of the performances, Manav Vij as the
commanding officer is the only one who looks convincing as an IAF pilot. Both
Vineet Kumar Singh and Pankaj Tripathi, playing officers from the Armed forces,
fall slightly short of looking dynamic and convincing as officers. Pankaj
Tripathi, as the soft-spoken father shines in his father-daughter scenes with
Gunjan. In a scene during the latter half when Gunjan calls her father, see his
glittering eyes filled with pride – a testimony of his acting prowess. Angad
Bedi looks the part as an Army officer, but gets a one-tone character. As
Gunjan’s elder brother, he is only pulling her down, trying to protect her and
kill her ambitions in the bargain. In the titular role, Janhvi Kapoor makes a
good attempt but succeeds only to a certain extent. Like I said in my blog on ‘<i>Dhadak’</i>,
she falters when she is required to give a wide range of emotions. She is fine
as the bubbly daughter and the shaken sole-woman-among-the-men, but cannot
convey Gunjan’s angst and frustration effectively. See her in a crucial outburst
scene with her fellow officer - she tries hard to appear effective but falls
short, especially in dialogue delivery. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">All said and done, Gunjan Saxena
is an inspiring story. The fact that it steers clear of unnecessary jingoism
and remains a tale of a woman breaking the glass ceiling, is commendable. If
you ignore the slightly negative portrayal of men in the armed forces, Gunjan
Saxena makes for a good watch.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My Rating – 3/5<o:p></o:p></p>Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-21527001199093729672020-07-26T09:35:00.001+05:302020-07-26T09:35:49.065+05:30Dil Bechara - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">At the beginning of Disney+ Hotstar’s
‘Dil Bechara’, the protagonist, Kizie Basu (Sanjana Sanghi), sums up the movie
for us – </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Ek thha raj, ek thhi rani, dono marr gaye, khatam kahaani</i><span style="text-align: justify;">. In
the Hindi screen adaptation of ‘Fault in our Stars’, we get a narrator in Kizie,
who suffers from thyroid cancer, giving us a glimpse of her morose life, until the
flamboyant Immanuel Rajkumar Junior AKA Manny (Sushant Singh Rajput) enters it.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is not the first time we
have a movie with terminally-ill protagonists. From <i>Anand</i> to <i>My
Brother Nikhil</i> or <i>Guzaarish</i>, we have had makers tell us stories of
diseases and the deceased. Dil Bechara comes closest to Mani Ratnam’s 1989 hit,
<i>Geethanjali</i>. Thematically, both the movies have the same beats – terminally
ill protagonists, one of them has a zeal for life and helps the other one come
around. However, <i>Geethanjali</i> was in a much lighter vein and Mani Ratnam
downplays their agony and pain, which is more pronounced in Dil Bechara. Other
way to look at it – probably Dil Bechara has a more real take on the lives of the
terminally ill – their bouts of health problems, their inner battles and mental
turmoil. So, we get to see a sombre Kizie always walking around with ‘Pushpinder’
(her oxygen cylinder), her fluctuating health and recurring cancer counselling
sessions. Her sullen life is lit up when Manny, a patient of osteosarcoma, enters
her life and brightens it up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Dil Bechara' review: Sushant Singh Rajput steals the show in his ..." height="232" src="https://www.deccanherald.com/sites/dh/files/articleimages/2020/07/25/DilBechara1-1595657610.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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Manny has a completely
contrasting take on life. Belonging to a rich household (much of which we are
not told about) and probably being able to afford best of medical care, he has
a more positive approach towards life. A chain ‘smoker’, he likes to hold cigarette
in his mouth without lighting it. He says its metaphorical – something that
causes cancer has been rendered useless by a cancer victim. He is a Thalaivar
AKA Rajinikanth fan and wishes to fulfil his best friend’s dream of directing a
Bhojpuri flick. Kizie, who frequents funerals as a hobby, is chosen as his ‘leading
lady’ in this ‘movie’ being shot on a handycam. Expectedly, he manages to make
Kizie look at life better and fall in love with him, ending up romancing in
Paris. But, does Kizie’s opening story - <i>Ek thha raj, ek thhi rani, dono
marr gaye, khatam kahaani</i> - come true? Is their story ephemeral? Watch to find
for yourself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Dil Bechara, with a crisp running
time of 100 minutes, does not thankfully meander into unnecessary subplots. We
do not have cliched sad drama involving the families – everyone is unbelievably
nice. But, unlike <i>Geethanjali</i> which focussed more on their love story,
Dil Bechara takes to the tragic pain that the protagonists go through, making
it a not so easy watch. Coupled with the collective pain we have been experiencing
since the untimely death of the lead actor, the movie feels a lot heavier than
it intended to be. For a movie title hinting at a love story, this required to
be more on the romantic side. (Except a glimpse in the song ‘<i>Khulke Jeene Ka’</i>,
not much of it is seen). But it ended up being a movie on life and death. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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A R Rahman’s music compliments
the theme well, though ‘<i>Main Tumhara’</i> - the track that brings them
together and acts as a major plot point, could have been better. Performance-wise,
Saswata Chatterjee, Swastika Mukherjee and Sahil Vaid provide good support to
the leads. Sanjana Sanghi is promising in her maiden lead attempt and uses her
petite frame to transition from an awkward college student to a girl madly in
love. Sushant Singh Rajput, in his last acting stint, is good as the goofy Manny,
giving us laughs and then takes us through his pains with equal conviction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, as everyone has been saying
(and warning), Dil Bechara does not deserve to be ‘critiqued’ and ‘rated’. It
is a tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput and I would also leave it at that (which
means no rating). Watch it, but beware of tearing up (mostly because of SSR,
the actor and not the character). <o:p></o:p></div>
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P.S: I admit it wasn’t easy watching
this movie objectively, after the sad turn of events in the past few days and the
cacophony that followed. That is why I decided to sleep over it to clear my
thoughts and be able to pen them better. It is ironic that a young star, with
promising acting skills, could not take inspiration from his zealous character,
Manny. While watching the movie with a mind shrouded by the recent unfortunate
events, one may find the dialogues sting at you. When Manny says ‘<i>hum kab marte
hai yeh hum decide nahi karte’</i> or when he begs Kizie <i>‘Can we pretend am
not dying aur kahi nahi jaa raha’</i>, you wonder if only Sushant Singh Rajput,
the actor, had taken these words to reinforce himself.</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-13089946452970802912020-06-24T19:08:00.002+05:302020-06-24T19:08:58.518+05:30Bulbbul - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">In a crucial scene in Netflix’s
latest release ‘Bulbbul’, we see the younger daughter-in-law of the house,
Binodini (Paoli Dam), console a shaken ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">badi bahu</i><span style="text-align: justify;">’, Bulbul (Tripti
Dimri), ironically, with dark and disturbing words. In the end, Binodini says, ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Bade
haveliyo mein bade raaz hote hai</i><span style="text-align: justify;">’ – which sums up this seemingly predictable,
yet intriguing movie with disturbing undertones. Written and directed by Anvita
Dutt, Bulbbul is a drama in the guise of a thriller, which challenges patriarchy
and the state of women in Bengal Presidency in the late 1800s.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bulbbul opens with a wedding in
1880s, where a child bride, Bulbul, is married off to a much older man. The
groom – Bade Thakur (Rahul Bose), is a feudal lord with a mentally unstable
twin brother, Mahendra, his suspicious wife, Binodini, and a teen brother, Satya,
older than his newly wedded ‘bride’! The kids grow up playing together, with
Bulbul being fond of Satya, more than her husband. This seemingly platonic relationship
is broken when Satya leaves for London to study law (reminds of Devdas? Feudal
lords, London, barrister). When he returns five years later, his home has
changed – Bade Thakur has left the house, his twin brother is murdered and
rumours of a dreaded ‘<i>chudail</i>’ killing men in the village. While he
tries to unravel the mystery behind these deaths, the normalised patriarchy,
male chauvinism and oppressive culture of the day come to the fore. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Bulbbul - Wikipedia" height="400" 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" 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As evident from its trailer,
Bulbbul is a spin-off on the fairy tales children grow up on. Unlike princesses
and fairies, Satya and Bulbul have their world filled with demonic characters hunting
evil. The murk that follows is majorly created by a shrewd & acerbic Binodini
and unfortunate misunderstanding between the characters. Behind the grandeur of
their haveli and shiny jewellery, they all hold dark secrets, stashed away from
each other. Their affairs and dalliances are hushed, just as the bruises on
their feet. As Binodini says, ‘<i>Bade haveliyo mein bade raaz hote hai. Chup
raho’</i>. Along with <i>bade raaz</i>, social evils against women and their ill-treatment
is normalised. But, will the ‘<i>chudail</i>’ obey the social construct and
stick to the norm of ‘<i>chup raho’</i>? The mysterious murders seem to say
otherwise. Bulbbul is as much a thriller as it is a commentary on the mistreatment
of women. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The movie has a sharp runtime of
90-odd minutes and has been written well by Anvita Dutt, moving back and forth
in time. However, the storyline is slim and one can predict the climax, which is
a flaw. But I think the makers wanted to highlight the trials and tribulations
of women – from child marriage to their place in the social construct, a lot of
issues have been touched upon. And may be that is the reason why the thriller
plot is a plain vanilla variant, and not developed intricately like a gourmet
flavour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shot in tints of red, greys and
burning fire, Bulbbul is visually an experiment which reminds us of the genius
photography of <i>Tumbbad</i> (2019). Shot stunningly by <span style="background: white; color: black;">Siddharth Diwan</span>, the red
tints symbolise <i>Kaali</i> – red, raging and thirsty for blood. After the
rage reduces, we see the movie in tints of greys and blues, symbolising tranquillity.
Or, probably, hinting at the approaching rage. A shoutout to the costumes and
production design by Veera Kapur and Meenal Agarwal, for creating the grand and
dark Bengal of the 1880s. Music by Amit Trivedi is sublime and goes well with
the intriguing structure of the movie. Despite its predictability and flaws,
Bulbbul is a brave attempt, especially for bringing leads in tones of grey.
Even as we think of Bulbul as a docile, demure young girl, her mysterious smile
holds dark secrets within. See her in the scene with a widowed Binodini – even as
Binodini remains sugar-coated and throws a barb at her, Bulbul, does not take
it back lying & stings harder. Talking of Binodini, while we see her as
cunning, opportunistic and manipulative all along, we realise in the end that
her circumstances and marriage to an unstable man make her the way she is. The
only man in the household who appears mildly kind and understanding towards the
women, Satya, actually turns out much like the other men – suspicious, jealous
and trying to do ‘the man’s job’. On the contrary, Bulbul’s doctor and
confidante, Sudip, is a more accommodative and supportive man – probably a
rarity in those days (probably a rarity even today!?). It is these characters
and their changing colours, which makes the movie intriguing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tripti Dimri is spectacular as Bulbul.
She beautifully uses her docile face and smile to hide her pain and angst. She is
complemented well by an equally unassuming Avinash Tiwari, as the
friend-cum-estranged-brother-in-law. As the man in a patriarchal society, he
grows to be a younger version of his brother and Avinash manages to exhibit
this transition beautifully. Paoli Dam and Parambrata Chattopadhyay also perform
well in their respective roles. But, the best performance here (apart from
Tripti Dimri) happens to be of its producer, Anushka Sharma’s. While ‘Clean
Slate Filmz’ has been churning out off-beat stories since its inception (<i>NH10,
Phillauri</i>), they have upped their game in OTT space with a hard-hitting ‘<i>Pataal
Lok</i>’ last month and a brave attempt in Bulbbul now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bulbbul has its flaws – biggest of
which is its predictable nature. But the uncomfortable subplots and feminist
angle do make it a relevant & interesting watch. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My Rating – 3.5/5 <o:p></o:p></div>
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P.S: I had to give the additional
half for the sheer cinematic vision and efforts put in by the technical crew.</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-53235588558510880592020-06-19T13:04:00.002+05:302020-06-19T13:52:48.967+05:30Penguin - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Watching debutante Eashvar
Karthic’s, ‘Penguin’, instantly reminded me of Mysskin’s ode to Alfred
Hitchcock – ‘<i>Psycho</i>’ (Tamil – 2020). While the plot and setting of this
amazon release are different, there are quite a few similarities in the craft
and subtexts, especially the handling of the gore. Also, it has a raw weirdness
seen in movies by ‘off-beat’ directors, such as Mysskin. Named after a
character from a kid’s story book, Penguin, headlined by a spectacular Keerthy
Suresh, is a thriller about a mother’s unshaken resolve to find her missing
son. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Like ‘<i>Psycho</i>’, Penguin is
set in an eerie, misted-by-fog area (its’ Kodaikanal), has a recurring Christian
cross and multiple references to Mother Mary, a not-so-subtle subtext of primal
mother, under whose shadows we see an equally determined mother, Rhythm (Keerthy
Suresh), looking for her lost son, Ajay (Master Advaith). Rhythm and Raghu
(Lingaa) are a married couple living in a sprawling house in Kodai with their 2-year
old son, Ajay, and a Labrador, Cyrus. Their child goes missing and years later,
while Rhythm is pregnant again, the poor boy is found in the dark forests that
hold the secret behind his disappearance and possibly, his captor. The rest of
the story is how Rhythm tries to stitch the pieces together to unravel the
mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Penguin Movie Review: Some chills and many cheats in this ..." src="https://static.toiimg.com/thumb/msid-71633196,width-219,height-317,imgsize-81394/71633196.jpg" /></div>
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Penguin has a promising start,
with the brilliant camerawork by Karthik Phalani, that captures the hills and valleys
in misted hues of blue and grey, which add to the thrill. The makers use their
shots to also convey their protagonist’s frame of mind – convoluted top shots
and a reversing waterfall as Rhthym drives through winding roads, as she
regresses to her past. This is complemented by the music of Santhosh Narayanan,
which does not merely create cheap-thrills, but provides a rather complementing
background score. Again, I invoke ‘off-beat’ Mysskinism here – when Rhythm and
Raghu spot shoes and clothes of (presumably) their son, the music is not sad or
emotional. On the contrary, it is positive (almost celebratory) with accordions
playing away. This signals that though we may be staring at an impending doom visually,
but there may be more than what meets the eye. Also, some details are well
thought of – Ajay’s nomadic mental & physical state upon returning from
captivity and Rhythm’s presence of mind in most challenging situations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Technically, Penguin has a lot of
strengths and deserves a pat for achieving these through mostly newcomers and novices.
However, it falters in its writing and casting (barring its protagonist). The
writer-director Eashvar Karthic chooses a formulaic ‘vengeful mother’ theme,
which we have seen umpteen times, most recently in Sridevi’s Mom (2017). Though
he sets out promisingly, he meanders into unnecessary tropes for thrills and
gives us a contrived climax. While he jumps back and forth seamlessly in time,
he does not develop characters well enough for us to relate to them in the
unexpected (and disappointing) climax. In fact, the Labrador – Cyrus, gets
better arc and space in the narrative than Rhythm’s husband. Speaking of characters
– the casting is the other let down here. Except for Keerthy Suresh, who
literally carries the film on her able shoulders, the supporting cast are
one-tone and perform badly at their already poorly-written roles. Also, the
screenplay has some loopholes such as Rhythm’s recurring dream, which remains
unexplained. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Right from the posters and promos
it was evident that Keerthy Suresh will do all the heavy lifting. And boy, she
does it so well! She is convincing as a mother with unflinching conviction to
find her son and does not lose steam for one bit. It’s so good to see her
utilise her potential and makes me wonder why does she choose abysmal and
inconsequential roles like Nila in Vijay’s <i>Sarkar</i> (2018). As Rhythm, she
is not a superhero and is aware of her fallacies. It is her convincing
portrayal that makes Penguin a decent watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Penguin had a lot of potential,
but the convoluted second half culminating in an unconvincing climax, leaves
you unsatisfied. It’s got enough thrills and gore, suitable for a mature OTT
audience. Add a terrific Keerthy Suresh and you should be able to sit through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My Rating – 2.5/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-25724002511855442020-06-13T12:33:00.001+05:302020-06-13T12:35:45.476+05:30Gulabo Sitabo - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Director Shoojit Sircar's 'Gulabo Sitabo' opens with a roadside puppet show in Lucknow, featuring two quarrelsome puppets - Gulabo and Sitabo. The puppeteer sings - '<i>Sitabo phul gayi, Gulabo phul gayi' </i>(Sitabo is flaring up, Gulabo is flaring up) about their conflict. Parallely, we get a glimpse of an old & rusty man, Mirza (Amitabh Bachchan), selling trivial things like light bulbs and cycle bells in scrap. The petty old man walks back to a sprawling but dilapidated <i>haveli </i>- Fatima Mahal. Owned by Fatima Begum (Farrukh Jaffar) and managed by Mirza, the dingy '<i>mahal</i>' (one cannot really call it that) has a bunch of tenants, who have inhabited the place for decades but pay a paltry 70 bucks as rent. Among them, Baankey Rastogi (Ayushmann Khurrana) makes for a perfect Gulabo to Mirza's Sitabo - the two are always at loggerheads with either one trying to outwit the other.</div>
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At a superficial level, Gulabo Sitabo is a landlord-tenant saga we have seen in various movies, the last of which I can remember was Priyadarshan's 2001 flick, 'Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar'. But, Gulabo Sitabo goes deeper - it also throws light on the sad and deprived lives that some of the erstwhile royal families lead in India, of which Fatima Begum and Mirza are fading examples. 70 years after Indian independence, the royalty and the pauper live together and both run after meagre alms. The movie also shows us how the simpletons of our country are taken for a ride by street-smart people and probably, their own government. When Mirza sells petty things form the 'mahal' and faints at the mere sound of a large sum of money, you think he is a miser looking to make money - by hook or crook. When Baankey disses his landlord and escapes from paying rent, you think he is being unfair to his shrewd but elderly landlord. As the knots open, one realises that our protagonists are not bickering Gulabo-Sitabo, but are just the victims of their circumstances and money (or the lack of it) has made them the way they are. While the theme and intent is noble, Gulabo Sitabo falters in conveying the message to its viewers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<img alt="Jootam Phenk -Gulabo Sitabo| Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana ..." height="225" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ozEdSc3Mu4I/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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Shoojit Sircar collaborates with his successful writer partner, Juhi Chaturvedi. Sircar-Chaturvedi combo are known for their quirky stories, realistic relationships and endearing characters. Much like the achingly beautiful, October or the gastronomic fun, Piku, Gulabo Sitabo is a slow and simmering tale which requires its viewers to immerse in their world. I felt the biggest problem here was the OTT release. With streaming platforms, one has access to a variety of content at their fingertips. For a movie being streamed at home, it is very important for it to be effective and interesting over the various distractions at home. To savour and relish something like Gulabo Sitabo, one needs an all-consuming attention and closed environment which can only be experienced in a theatre. I think this is where Gulabo Sitabo did not connect with me as much as I would have liked it to. Having said that, Gulabo Sitabo was meant to have a theatric release and probably that's why it was not tailored for streaming platforms. Yet, it remains a decent watch, if not as delightful and endearing as Sircar-Chaturvedi's previous works.</div>
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What works for the film is its cast and their on-point performances. Amitabh Bachchan is brilliant as the annoying and aging Mirza, hated by everyone yet your heart tugs at him towards the end. Right from his gait to his urdu to his look, he transforms from the BigB that we know, to a completely different person. Its baffling how he plays a Bhaskor in Piku and a Mirza in Gulabo Sitabo with such ease & elan. Ayushmann Khurrana (with a lisp) is nice as the uneducated and gullible bread-winner of his family. His character, along with the other gullible tenants and Mirza, show us how the needy are exploited at the hands of those in power. The rest of the cast fit well into the narrative especially Vijay Raaz and Brijendra Kaala as the manipoulative government official and lawyer, respectively. Special mention of Srishti Shrivastava as Guddo, Baankey's educated, sharp-tongued and smart sister. The cinematography by Avik Mukhopadhyay paints Lucknow vividly and creates a gloomy yet endearing Fatima Mahal for us. The stunning visuals are supported well by the folksy tunes by</div>
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Shantanu Moitra.</div>
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Honestly, I really wish Gulabo Sitabo worked better for me, having been a fan of Juhi Chaturvedi's writing and Shoojit Sircar's voice as a director. Probably it required an immersive movie experience that only theatres give us and it did not connect well when the medium changed from a big screen to a TV. But, all said and done, Gulabo Sitabo still deserves a watch for its delightful performances and a quirky story-line.</div>
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My Rating - 2.5/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-62720611012303411372020-05-16T12:16:00.003+05:302020-05-16T12:17:06.867+05:30Paatal Lok - Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Amazon Prime’s latest original, Paatal
Lok, opens with a scene in a Police jeep. A seemingly senior cop is driving while
explaining to his subordinate the concept of ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">teen lok</i><span style="text-align: justify;">’, as per
mythology. He later says Outer Yamuna Paar, the area under his jurisdiction, is
‘Paatal Lok’, because it only has pests and the downtrodden. Until, a high-profile
assassination bid is foiled and the case lands on his table for investigation. Sub
Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), leads us through the investigation
which is complicatedly knotted with politics, gangsters, petty thieves and a
media baron, Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi), who is to be assassinated. As Hathiram
and his junior cop, Ansari (Ishwak Singh) untie the knots, a deeply rotted system
is uncovered.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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At the core of the investigation
are four accused – Mary Lyngdoh, a masseuse and a call girl; Kabir, a petty car
thief; Tope Singh, a murderer on the run and Vishal Tyagi (AKA Hathoda Tyagi), a
criminal accused in 35 brutal murders, using his favourite device – a hammer (<i>hathoda</i>).
What begins as an investigation into the aborted attack on Sanjeev Mehra soon
turns into the unravelling of muck in the system – the deadly nexus between
politicians & gangsters and the power-hungry media ready to sensationalise
any ‘fake news’. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<img alt="Paatal Lok teaser: Anushka Sharma's web series promises to be a ..." height="222" src="https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/04/paatal-lok-1200-1.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But, Paatal Lok, gives us much
more to ponder about, commenting on almost all the issues in our society today.
From the blatant discrimination of people on the basis of caste and religion to
the plight of the LGBT community, the series touches upon a lot of uncomfortable
issues. And the writers do not make any of the issues come to the foreground or
force it into the narrative – all of them have been subtly put, without giving
a judgement and leaving the viewers to draw conclusions. The show also
brilliantly uses recent news events to weave into the story – there is even a
mob lynching sequence for allegedly eating beef! Again, none of these sub-plots
deviate from the main premise – investigating the four accused.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It also made me question what
makes us ostracise or look down upon a person or a community? Is it because people
are ill-treated and marginalised, that they take to violent means to vent out
their ire? Or is it because of their actions that they are marginalised? You ask
this question more than once here– when a young boy is bullied for being born in
a lower caste and he violently slits their throats. You also question this when
a schoolboy avenges the rape of his sisters by breaking the skulls of the
rapists. It also crosses your mind when you see a boy from a modest background
being bullied by his rich friends in a posh Delhi school, leading to him pointing
a gun at them. In all the three incidents, you see the oppressed being pushed against
the wall and the society being responsible for their actions. But the question remains
answered – who takes the blame here? Like a character says in the movie, ‘<i>Jab
bande ke paas koi aas na ho, toh who chup chaap sehen kar leta hai. Par jab
mann mein aas paida karde toh? Badi gandi cheez hai aas’ </i>(A person silently
endures when he has no hope. But when you ignite hope? Hope can wreck people’)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Paatal Lok is terrifying and has
some disturbing moments which are, sadly, a reflection of our society. While it
succeeds in dwelling into multiple issues, it tends to lose some steam,
especially in episodes 6 and 7, where it starts to feel a bit slow. However,
that is a very minor aberration. I also liked the fact that the show does not
show a Sub-Inspector to be larger than life, just because he is at the centre
of the story. Like he says towards the end, ‘<i>main chhota aadmi hu sahib,
chahu toh kya kar sakta hu?</i>’ (Am a small man sir, even if I want, what can
I do?) Unlike Sartaj (Saif Ali Khan) from Sacred Games, who is almost
invincible, Hathiram in Paatal Lok feels more real, rooted and vulnerable. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The fact that the show has stellar
actors only makes it an even better watch! Neeraj Kabi as the manipulative
leftist media baron is well cast. Abhishek Bannerjee gets only two or three
dialogues in the entire show yet speaks volumes through his menacing eyes and
spine-chilling demeanour. The rest of the case is great too, especially Ishwak
Singh and Jagjeet Sandhu as Ansari and Tope Singh, respectively. Gul Panag is
nicely cast as a supportive wife; however, I found her accent and language a
bit odd for the milieu that she belonged to. If that was a deliberate character
trait, it wasn’t explained well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But the star here is Jaideep Ahlawat,
in a spectacular performance as SI Hathiram Chaudhary. He shoulders the show perfectly
and does not get a single acting note wrong. This will certainly stand out in
his body of work. Not just the scenes at work, see him in the confrontational
scene with his son and his friend Raju, he is menacing yet a concerned father. Having
a troubled childhood, he continues to battle inner turmoil, which reflects in
his broken relationship with his son and a stagnant career. Jaideep delivers with
aplomb!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Paatal Lok can shook you and touch
uneasy nerves, but in the end, you realise it is probably a reflection of the
reality we live in. You realise this is hell – this is Paatal Lok!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Rating – 4/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-10840787120238681062020-01-25T12:13:00.002+05:302020-01-25T12:16:17.390+05:30Panga - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">One of the basic tenets of good cinema
is that it should be all-consuming and engrossing. Even if the viewers know the
beats of the story and can predict the end, it is the story-telling and
performances that carry the power to keep its viewers hooked. Director Ashwini
Iyer Tiwari’s third directorial, Panga, starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadda
and Jassi Gill is an endearing and heart-warming tale of a former Kabaddi
captain making her comeback after a hiatus of 8 years.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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While the plot may sound like a
sports biopic on the lines of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sultan</i> (2016)
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dangal</i> (2016), on the contrary, writers
Ashwini Iyer Tiwari and Nikhil Mehrohtra make us a part of the rich world of a simpleton
in her early 30s, taking us through her chores and suppressed ambitions. Jaya
Nigam (Kangana Ranaut) is a 32-year-old, mother of a 7-year old kid, married to
a railway engineer and working as a ticketing clerk. In the words of her doting
husband, Prashant Shrivastava (Jassi Gill), she values three things the most in
her life – her husband, her son (Yagya Bhasin) and Kabaddi. During the day,
Jaya is any regular working woman – tending to her family’s needs, juggling
between her work & home and a playing an extra cautious mom to her son, who
has an immunity disorder. Though she puts up a facade of happiness during the
day, it is in her sleep that the kabaddi player inside her is awakened, with
her poor husband bearing the brunt of her kicks! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for panga" height="400" src="https://www.pinkvilla.com/files/panga-box-office-prediction-this-factor-will-catapult-kangana-ranaut-starrer-to-a-great-run-at-bo.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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The rest of the story is anyone’s
guess – it is Jaya’s journey back into Kabaddi. But, the treatment and
narrative make us root for her, just as everyone else in her life does. Panga isn’t
about Kabaddi alone, it is about the sacrifices and choices every regular woman
makes – willingly or otherwise. Jaya puts this beautifully in a scene where she
tells her husband that looking at him or at their son gives her immense
happiness, but, looking at herself makes her regret not pursuing her passion.
While she left Kabaddi at the peak of her career – as the Captain of the Indian
team – she could never really let the sport leave her. But, like every <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hindustani</i> emotional mother, she is torn
between her dream to make a comeback and her guilt of neglecting her family. A huge
pat on the back of the director, Ashwini, for brilliantly showing Jaya’s
dilemma, guilt and vulnerabilities. Also, for subtly driving home the point
that it is only the women who are guilt-tripped into making tough choices while
their husbands remain unremorseful. Though Prashant is an exception – he is an enormously
supporting husband and a doting dad. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Panga also works a great deal
because of its positive narrative – there are no real ‘villains’ or hinderances.
While some may feel this is all too convenient and makes Jaya’s struggles
easier, I beg to differ. The film presents an idealistic world – an extremely
supportive husband, a best friend who trains Jaya or even a helpful neighbour
looking after her son in her absence. While such an ideal world may be
difficult to find in reality, this structure of Panga gives its viewers hope. It
also subtly sends out the message to men and the society to encourage women to
take a flight of their choice and not be caged by the burden of family and
societal pressures. Kudos to the writers for not using monologues to sermon the
audience but underplay it effectively. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After a slew of not-so-successful
films, Kangana Ranaut is in top form in an equally well-made film. Playing a simpleton,
she reminds us of Rani from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queen</i> (2014),
though she is a dutiful wife and mother here. She brilliantly expresses the
various shades of an average woman and does not miss a single beat in any of her
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">avtaars</i>. One of my favourite scenes in
the film is when she leaves home, even though her husband and son are
supportive and encouraging, her eyes convey her hesitation and guilt in leaving
her family. Playing her backbone, Prashant, Jassi Gill gives an honest performance
as the man struggling to keep the house running in his wife’s absence. Their
adorable son, Adi, played by Yagya Bhasin is a delight to watch. It is commendable
to see such a young actor deliver quite a few laughs. Richa Chadda plays her
best friend and Kabaddi mate, Meenu, who gets some of the best one-liners in
the movie. If there is any actor who deserves to be on the screen more often,
it has to be her!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Apart from Kangana, the credit
for this lovely movie goes to its director-writer Ashwini Iyer Tiwari as well.
Like her debut film, Nil Battey Sanatta (2016), which touched a delicate
mother-daughter equation, Panga is her ode to the female tribe, giving them the
impetus to fly and that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Rating – 4/5</div>
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Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-10425035956554069962019-11-27T19:15:00.001+05:302019-11-27T19:15:19.971+05:30An ode to Ye Maaya Chesave!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">It is often said that good cinema
is a conversation between a movie and its viewers. It can not only transcend you
to another world, but also leave its imprints when you are back to reality. Some
movies become bed-time stories for kids, while some become vehicles for fans to
rever their ‘stars’. Yet, there are some movies which have a calming and
soothing effect on you. Commonly referred as ‘feel-good’ cinema (never really
understood the origin of it!?), every cinephile has a set of movies that they keep
going back to, probably to ‘feel good’ and cleanse the fatigue caused by life
(and watching a variety of other cinema). Simply put, it’s the ‘reset button’
that restores you to ‘default settings’.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In my long list of favourites, Gautham
Menon’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ye Maaya Chesave</i> (YMC) comes
right at the top. After a long & tiring day at work, give me A R Rahman’s melancholy-filled
beautiful soundtrack and the raw chemistry between the naïve and new, Samantha
and Naga Chaitanya, and you have me sorted! If one isn’t a sucker for slow-burning
love stories, YMC may seem slow and insipid. But, if one is patient with this
movie, it most certainly grows on you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
YMC came out in 2010, when I wasn’t
clued in enough about Telugu movies. Bollywood was Bae then. On a lazy
afternoon with nothing better to do, I decided to watch YMC only because I saw A
R Rahman’s name on the poster. Mind you, this was the 8<sup>th</sup> or 9<sup>th</sup>
week after its release and I hadn’t even heard a single song or seen its
trailer. It was a noon show in an almost empty screen at Cine Planet, Kompally,
Hyderabad (I reckon it has become Asian Cinemas now). The fact that I had zero
expectations helped YMC take over me completely over the next two and half
hours. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<img alt="Image result for ye maaya chesave" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71yWLsRv0bL._RI_.jpg" width="300" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Rahman’s magic begins with the
soothing instrumental version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hosaana</i>,
played along with the opening credits. After meandering through the backwaters
of Alleppey, we are taken to a church where the leads are introduced to us in
the backdrop of a wedding. A young boy (Naga Chaitanya) in the guests begins
with the movie with a question that essentially becomes the recurring question (for
the viewers as well) – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prapancham lo inta
mandi ammayilu undaga, nenu Jessie (Samantha Akkineni) ne enduku preminchanu?</i>
Aah! The wails of a broken heart! It is quite clever of Gautam Menon (also the
writer) to set the theme right in the first scene itself. Because the rest of
the movie revolves around you trying to decipher and decode Jessie. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
We are quickly taken back in
time. Karthik (Naga Chaitanya) is a mechanical engineer with keen interest in
film-making. While trying his luck in the films, he falls for his Christian Malayali
landlord’s daughter, Jessie. Jessie, two years older than Karthik, is an
obedient daughter who wears cotton sarees to work and is raised in a family
that considers movie-watching a sin! But, fate makes Karthik fall for Jessie in
the first sight itself! But you cannot blame him. The stunning cinematography
by Manoj Paramahamsa can make anyone fall in love with the beautiful girl
walking awkwardly in a blue cotton saree. Just like Karthik, even the viewers
are in trance and A R Rahman’s soulful music only pushes one further into it. Very
few contemporary directors (other than the late Yash Chopra) romanticize the
beauty of their heroines the way Gautham Menon does. Jessie is one such epitome
of beauty and grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Along with the opposing the couple,
Gautham Menon layers YMC with a highly confused and complex character, that of
Jessie. Her stoic and unaffected face acts as a perfect façade for her internal
turmoil. While she likes Karthik, she cannot admit it fearing the wrath of her
domineering father. She first rejects Karthik, berates him, walks out on him.
But then, she also breaks her wedding and feistily admits her love. A moment she
appears calm & patient and the next moment she impulsively breaks up with
Karthik. None of this makes her look demented. She is a victim of her
circumstances and ends up messing up two lives – hers and Karthik’s. You root
for them when Shreya Ghoshal mellifluously sings ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vintunava</i>’ and we see Jessie & Karthik unite. You root for them
harder when a sinful ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aaromale</i>’ plays
to the backdrop of their separation and estrangement. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The makers deserve a pat on their
back for writing such a layered character and then trusting a complete newcomer
with it. It is an undeniable fact that the fresh leads appear unbaked in their
skills as actors. While many may disagree with me, I think their raw chemistry
and unpolished acting skills add to the depth of their characters – they are two
young and confused people torn by love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Another reason why the movie
worked for me is that it ended on a positive note. For such a melancholic story
of love and separation, when the estranged lovers meet in Central Park, New York,
you can’t help but root for them! Speaking of which, the sequence between the
two in Central Park is one of the best scenes in the movie. (I know the dialogues
of this scene by heart!). The shock to see your beloved after a sudden
separation and then the small talk to break the ice is captured brilliantly! The
vastness of Central Park complements their palpable sexual tension. When an
impulsive Jessie agrees to marry Karthik, almost as impulsively as she breaks
up with him over a text, one tends to forgive her! This high that the viewers
get at the end is a perfect reward for staying through their love story.
Fortunately, Gautham Menon altered the sad end from the Tamil original and am
glad he did! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I write this as I watch Yem Maaya
Chesaave for the millionth time. After a long day at work, on the eve of
Gautham Menon’s next release, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enai Noki
Paayum Thota</i>, I want to reset myself with this ‘feel-good’ movie.</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-22870248681191339972019-09-07T12:04:00.000+05:302019-09-07T12:05:27.028+05:30Chhichhore - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">In the opening scene of this week’s
release, director Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore, we see a plumpy young hosteller
run through his college hostel in underpants with a bucket of water in the
middle of the night. Sexa (Varun Sharma), as the names suggests is a lecherous
lad, who wakes up his friend, Anni (Sushant Singh Rajput) with a mischievous plan
to drench the entire hostel. Soon, the entire hostel – H4 joins in, with kids
pouring water on each other for fun! Its Holi in the middle of the night! This
pretty much sets the tone of the 2-hours that are about to unfold in front of
you. Chhichhore is writer-director Nitesh Tiwari’s ode to friendship and bonds
made in college.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After watching the movie, I
realised how college drama can be legitimately considered a genre of its own.
They usually follow three common templates – college dramas centred around
sports like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Student of the Year (2012) or love
stories such as Dil (1990) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1999) or the ones made
around friendships in college like 3 Idiots (2009). But, Chhichhore falls
between a sports drama and a movie on friendships. It is a heart-warming tale about
friendship, eccentric hostellers in engineering colleges and how failure is not
the end of the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the movie is
well-intended and wishes to make a point about the unnecessary pressure today’s
kids go through to crack competitive exams, the message gets distorted in the
din of the crazy antics of the 6 friends – the LOSERS!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<img alt="Image result for chhichhore" height="225" src="https://www.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2019/09/04/Pictures/_eeda8adc-cf28-11e9-8e3f-6f5f9fecffe4.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<br /></div>
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Set in the 1990s in India’s best
engineering college – National College of Technology, Mumbai (assuming it to be
IIT-Bombay), Chhichhore is all about what happens outside the classrooms – ‘harmeless
fun’ as Anni calls it. These are the crackling moments of the film filled with
hilarious situations of seniors ragging their juniors, petty fights in the hostel
and the scarcity of girls on an engineering college campus. Students even get rechristened
with amusing pet names – the one who is always angry, toxic and abuses is ‘Acid’
(Naveen Polishetty), the momma’s pet is called ‘Mummy’ (Tushar Pandey) and the
drunkard is called, well, ‘Bevda’ (Saharsh Kumar Shukla)! Since girls are
scarce, a model-like girl is considered Halley’s comet – comes once in 75
years! And the comet here is Maya (Shraddha Kapoor), who chooses Anni among the
hordes of boys that throw themselves at her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The movie jumps between the past
and the present, where the LOSERS are middle-aged people, who are reunited by a
sudden unfortunate incident. Anni and Maya are married but estranged. The rest
of the gang has aged with a receding hairline common between them and their equation
and friendship intact as it was in college. And the reason for their bonding
was not classrooms or general fun in the hostel. It was the college tournament –
General Cup (deja vu of SOTY? Yes!), where the LOSERS of hostel H4 have always
been at the bottom of the table. The writers cleverly use the General Cup (GC)
to drive home the message that losing does not necessarily make one a loser.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The screenplay and editing of Chhichhore
deserve the loudest applause. Instead of writing a linear narrative which has a
single flashback portion woven into the present, the writers Nitesh Tiwari,
Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Mehrotra use a complicated narrative that keeps switching
between the past and the present, giving us a narrative which make both the timelines
appear to be running in parallel. The writers also cleverly use the struggles
and determination of the LOSERS to win GC as an analogy to a boy battling for
his life. As I said, the intentions are noble, but the message isn’t driven
home well. In 3 Idiots, the message was more pronounced – As Rancho says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Success ke peeche mat bhaago, excellence ke
peeche bhaago, success jhak maarke tumhare peeche aaegi’</i>. We know that is
the underlying theme of the movie. But Chhichhore falters in this aspect since
the message is not as pronounced as I would have liked it to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The editing by Charu Shree Roy is
perfect for such a convoluted narrative. For instance, see the magic of editing
the sports sequences – we have a football, basketball and table tennis match intertwined
and being played out for us in parallel, instead of showing each sport individually.
The costumes and set design are also on point, recreating the 1990s perfectly
well. The music, however, could have been better since there are no memorable
numbers in the album. Also, the movie loses some steam post the interval but
picks up soon, thankfully. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Another strength of the movie is the
great performances from the entire cast. While Shraddha Kapoor as Maya, hardly
seems to have aged in her older portions, she provides ample support as the
lone girl among the bunch of boys. Tahir Raj Bhasin and Sushant Singh Rajput as
Derek and Anni are good as the chief-and-his-deputy combo. Navin Polishetty seems
to have a hangover of the ranting and angry characters he has played in his
viral Youtube videos, yet, is delightful as the cussing Acid. But, it is Varun
Sharma as Sexa, who steals the show. With naughtiness in his eyes and innocence
in his antics, he is a treat to watch thanks to his brilliant comic timing.
After Choocha in Fukrey, he played inconsequential sidekicks in other films,
but finally gets to play a character that is as big as Choocha and honestly,
more hilarious!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Chhichhore is a nostalgia-filled
ride that uses a great premise to talk about the social pressure on kids today.
While I was not completely convinced with it, the fact remains that the movie
has its heart in the right place and thus, deserves a watch!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My Rating – 3/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-32466520887525666302019-08-10T11:51:00.001+05:302019-08-10T11:52:01.229+05:30Manmadhudu 2 - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">In an interview recently,
Nagarjuna admitted that director Rahul Ravindran has a distinctive style of
filmmaking, which does not necessarily communicate with the masses. It is something
labelled as offbeat cinema. Nagarjuna’s Manmadhudu 2, written and directed by
Rahul Ravindran, is his push into the bigger and massy film genre. On a day
when he won the National Award for Best Screenplay for ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Chi La Sow</i><span style="text-align: justify;">’, his big-ticket, Manmadhudu 2, hit the big screens. Retaining
only the title and male lead from ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Manmadhudu</i><span style="text-align: justify;">’
(2002), Manmadhudu 2 is a modern day take on the life of a Casanova pestered
into getting married. But its convoluted story-telling leaves you disappointed.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Set in Portugal, the story is
centred around a middle-aged singleton, Sam (Nagarjuna) who is a
third-generation Indian in Portugal. A brief history of the family reveals how
Cassandra in Portugal was inhabited over the years by people of Telugu origin –
a clever alibi explaining the large number of people speaking Telugu in Cass’Andhra’.
A perfumer by profession, Sam has a sharp taste in exotic fragrances and pretty
women – explained adequately through the song, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Menina</i>’ (girl in Portuguese). Unaware of his philandering,
flamboyant lifestyle, his family – Matriarch mother (Lakshmi), sisters (Jhansi,
Devadarshini and Nishanthi) plead, prod and force him to get married because “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">neeku evaru vandi pedtaru, evaru battalu utukutaru,
evaru illu chuskuntaru?”</i>. Yes, a Portugal-bred family has such regressive and
irrational reasons. Well, in their defence, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Panivaalu Portugal lo dorkaru</i>”! With a lame premise as this, the
movie becomes a ride into turning the womanizer into a householder. Enter Avantika
(Rakul Preet) a young waitress who is chosen to be married to Sam. And the rest
is just a convolution of elements of mass appeal and a Rahul Ravindran style of
slow and simmering filmmaking. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<img alt="Image result for manmadhudu 2" height="222" src="https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/08/manmadhudu-2-759.jpg?w=759&h=422&imflag=true" width="400" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Rahul Ravindran has been a part
of mostly indie and offbeat films, both as an actor and director. His
sensibilities are different from the tropes needed in a commercial Telugu film.
With Manmadhudu 2, he tries to retain his traits of simple story, subtle humour
and conversational story-telling. But this does not come out effectively, mainly
because of the poorly written dialogues. The premise is that Telugus in Cass’Andhra’
speak chaste language – something which could have been used effectively for
comic relief. But lines like ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Madhuramaina
vyaktivi’</i>, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">antaraayam kalingchaku’</i>
and ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vaidyulu em anaru’</i> seem farcical.
As Sam’s PA, Kishore (Vennela Kishore) says, it is Doordarshan Telugu which is
hard to decipher. Barring a few places where it is used comically, it acts as a
hindrance to connect to the characters. Also, the uneven pace does not help
either – some situations are elaborate while others move swiftly. The biggest inconsistency
is the way the lead character has been written. There is not enough explanation
for Sam’s aversion to marriage (except his already vibrant life). The love-hate
relationship he has with his doting family, which almost makes him look like a
Man-child, is not explained well. His quirks like a sensitive nose and OCD for
cleanliness do not add anything to the story. The entire blame falls on the
writing – the idea was novel but failed in writing or execution. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Coming to the supporting cast,
only Rao Ramesh and Lakshmi play on the strengths of their acting prowess and
stand out. Vennela Kishore gets major screen-time as the side-kick, but the
dialogues or situations do not give him enough material to play with. Even his
comic timing does not deliver enough laughs. Nagarjuna looks dapper and is a treat
to the eyes, until he takes his sunglasses off, revealing his paunchy-eyes that
give away his age. As admitted by himself, he is not a great actor but a great
star- not disappointing his fans on the star quotient. But, he is uneasy and
listless in most of the scenes that require emotion. Even the short flashback which
is meant to explain his current state has him overact and create a caricature
out of himself. It was refreshing to see Rakul Preet hold her ground by
delivering a strong performance. She flaunts her curves as much as she displays
her emotions. But, her efforts go in vain as it does not hold the movie
together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Cleverly naming the movie as Manmadhudu
2 ensured a certain section of the audience to return to the theatres,
expecting the fun and frolic ride of ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manmadhudu’</i>.
But, if you expect Trivikram’s stellar dialogue writing, impeccable comic
timing of all the actors and a coherent story, you will be disappointed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My Rating – 2/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-72914526670749930772019-07-27T09:04:00.002+05:302019-07-27T09:14:01.959+05:30Bon Appetit with Curious Appetite!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">India is a country with great obsession
for cricket, films and food. We may be divided by languages and states, but we
all share a common love for food. Being a film fanatic and a food lover, I have
always been fascinated by the drool-worthy food that our cinema brings to the
big screen. From the mouth-watering dabbas in ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Stanley ka Dabba</i><span style="text-align: justify;">’ to the delectably described bourguignon in ‘Julie
and Julia’, the glimpses of food from across the world gives foodies like me a
major high! Though shows like MasterChef Australia enjoy immense patronage in
India, a food-loving country such as ours needs frequent doses of food-porn!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So, when you are in the middle of
a never-ending meeting or stuck in the traffic, even a glimpse of delicious
food can satiate you. This is when I stumbled upon a great food blog, curated
by a dear friend of mine – <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" target="_blank">Curious Appetite</a>! Curious Appetite gives a peek into
finger-licking good food, that gives you an instant rush! While I loved all of
their posts, listing a few favourites here: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Eat like a King when served like a King</b>: Bored of the usual fare at
home or the typical menu at most restaurants? A sumptuous and lavish Thali is
the answer! Just like Jodhaa’s rich and extravagant Thali for Akbar (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jodhaa Akbar – 2008</i>), this Thali from
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" target="_blank">Curious Appetite</a> got me all drooling! Continue reading while I run to Ardor 2.1
for this Thali - RIGHT NOW!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxxaTjEl5K8/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Saw a lot promotion for this place all over the social Media so decided to head to Ardor 2.1 at CP . . We went to try the Modiji ki 56” ki thali aka Khalibali Bahubali Thali . . They claim it to be India’s largest thali that weighs approximately 8.5kg Net . . This thali can be shared with 4 persons, incase it is more than 4 then the per person charge is linearly proportional to the total price of Thali . You can refill the curries , drinks , breads and sweets but not the appetisers . . They will make you wait 30-40 minutes for this thali claiming that it is prepared from the scratch basis every order they receive. This was something which I found it hard to believe though. . The presentation of thali is totally instagram worthy but The taste and quality was totally average. It didn’t meet the expectations and the hype that was created around this place . . Even the service was not upto the mark . It was quite slow , the staff had to be reminded time and again for everything. . Would definitely appreciate them for the unique and new concept of thalis that they have come up with. Kudos !! You can also try their election special thali which comes in the shape of India ‘s Map with dishes from different states . However it didn’t live up to it’s aura that was created around it . . Also they didn’t even accept the confirmed booking from eazydiner and made us wait for the table @eazydinerdelhi . . Ratings 🌟🌟 . . What has been your experience? Share in the comments below . . Stay curious!! . . #food #foodblogger #indianfoodbloggers #bloggersofindia #foodiesofinstagram #eatgram #forthegram #foodporn #foodphotography #foodie #foodgasm #likeforlikes #followforfollowback #ardor2.1 #cp #delhifood #delhi #thali #indianthali #modijikithali #bahubali #khalibali #eazydiner #curiousappetite</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Curious Appetite</a> (@curiousappetite50) on <time datetime="2019-05-22T16:47:12+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 22, 2019 at 9:47am PDT</time></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Easy on the pockets and pleasing for the tummy</b>: Not every delicious
meal you eat out must pinch your pockets. Like DJ (Aamir Khan) relishes food at
his mother’s Dhaaba (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rang De Basanti -
2004</i>) and says – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dhabe mein maa ke
haath ka khana milta hai!</i> And this post of garma-garam Amristari Kulcha
with dollops of butter, served with Dhaba-style Chhole and Pyaaz ki Chutney can
make anyone salivate and run to the nearest dhaba! I think I have got your
weekend plans sorted – head to a dhaba and relish such kulchas! <o:p></o:p></div>
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</a> <div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwOogSdBPvL/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">For a Sunday Punjabi Breakfast Baljeet’s Amritsari Koolcha is the place to head to !Everyone who resides in west delhi knows this place . This place serves a variety of Kulchas ranging from Paneer , Aloo and Mixed . The best thing here is that there unlimited quantity of Chole , Raita and Pyaaz Chutney . A Must recommended for all Breakfast lovers in town . A meal for two would be around INR 320 . Taste Ratings : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #WestDelhi #PaschimVihar #ChurChurNaan #PunjabiBreakfast #BaljeetNaan #Food #Foodlover #Foodie #FoodOrgasm #FoodIsLove #FoodForLife #KhaaoPioo #foodporn #foodgasm #foodiesofinstagram #foodblogger</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Curious Appetite</a> (@curiousappetite50) on <time datetime="2019-04-14T08:06:28+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 14, 2019 at 1:06am PDT</time></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Khata Rahe Mera Dil</b>: If the South is synonymous with Idli-Sambaar,
Chole Bhature can be declared the staple diet of the North! Making us drool
every Sunday, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" target="_blank">Curious Appetite</a> brings to us handpicked restaurants and eateries
that serve delicious Chole Bhature, turning our Sundays #TemptingSundays. Like
Chef Roshan Kalra (Saif Ali Khan in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chef</i>
- 2017) says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World ke Best Chhole
Bhature Dilli mein milte hai</i>”, I am craving for this Dilli-wali delightful
spread of tangy chhole and crispy bhature from Billi Di Hatti. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</a> <div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzDH7JUFUY7/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">#TemptingSundays #post2 Food that takes you to your own little bubble of Nostalgia . We celebrated India’s thrilling victory over Afghanistan by going to this famous age old food joint serving chole Bhature cum poori chole . ▶️Just can’t forget the aroma of Bhature served with achar and onion salad . ▶️ This place is a must visit for people who are health conscious yet crave to have Bhatura’s because these Bhatura are so light . . ▶️A big glass of lassi with malai on top to cool you down in this scorching heat is a highlight of this place. . Ratings-4.5 . #Staycurious Keep Following @curiousapetite50 . FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK #foodie #delhifood #delhieats #sodelhi #billedihatti #delhifood #foodgasm #foodporn #foodelhi #delhieats #indianfood_lovers #indianfoodbloggers #billedihatti #sodelhi #eatgram #foodphotography #foodiesofdelhi #likeforlikes #followusonfacebook #curiousappetite</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Curious Appetite</a> (@curiousappetite50) on <time datetime="2019-06-23T10:24:19+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 23, 2019 at 3:24am PDT</time></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comfort Food Craves</b>: There are days when we treat our tummies to a
rich and lavish spread at restaurants. But some days, we crave for our comfort
food like the humble kadi - chawal or the evergreen combo of naan with dal
makhni. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" target="_blank">Curious Appetite</a> gets us glimpses of such food as well, such as this
heavenly spread from Empress Delhi or the crispy fritters from Bahadurgarh! <o:p></o:p></div>
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</a> <div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxCbLVog4iD/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Get yourself some desi tadka with heavenly rich food, creamy Dal makhni , Robust Paneer lababdar , quintessential Yellow dal and crunchy mirchi parantha ▶️Where - @empressdelhi ▶️Ratings ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ▶️Other dishes tried- Manchow soup, Honey chilli potato By now you must be knowing our love for Dal makhni Let us know which is your best place to have Dal makhni or Any place you want us to review for Dal makhni #daltadka #likesforfollow #likeforlikes #followforfollowback #paneerlababdar #foodgasm #foodies #foodporn #foodbloggers #foodbloggerindia #westdelhifoodies #curiousappetite #honeychillipotato #manchowsoup #weekendvibes #foodisbliss #foodislove❤️</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Curious Appetite</a> (@curiousappetite50) on <time datetime="2019-05-04T10:50:31+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 4, 2019 at 3:50am PDT</time></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; text-align: start;"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw2MQeTggtm/" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #FFF; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: -webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width: 99.375%; width: calc(100% - 2px);">
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</a> <div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw2MQeTggtm/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Have you tried these yummy crispy stuffed pakodas at Standard Sweets Bahadurgarh. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 Our All time favourites are the Palak , Aloo and Paneer !! 😋😋. Ps : What Murthal is for paranthas , Bahadurgarh is for pakodas 😋😋 Comment below with your favourite places to have pakodas! Don’t forget to tag your foodie partners here ! Stay curious ! Keep Following us for food updates 🤩 #foodblogger #foodphotography #foodie #foodiesofinstagram #foodporn #instafood #foodgasm #indianfoodblogger #foodbloggersofinstagram #discoverdelhi #pakoda #pakodas #bahadurgarh #standardsweets #snack #pakodalovers #likeforlikes #followbackinstantly #followforfollowback #follow4followback #followusnow #followusforupdates #foodtalkindia #indianfood #delhifoodbloggers #delhifood #delhistreetfood</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Curious Appetite</a> (@curiousappetite50) on <time datetime="2019-04-29T16:49:16+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 29, 2019 at 9:49am PDT</time></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Delish Desserts:</b> It wouldn’t be wrong to declare that a majority of
us Indians have a sweet tooth. People like us don’t say cheese when we click
pictures. We say sweets! (Bad joke, I Know!) But <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curiousappetite50/" target="_blank">Curious Appetite</a> has an eye
for some of the most yummilicious desserts and shakes, and they regularly post
tons of pictures and videos on their account! Check out these lick-worthy,
chocolate-laden ice creams! Slurping at these pics right now!<br />
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Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-53188124662540535852019-07-27T08:59:00.001+05:302019-07-27T08:59:32.136+05:30Judgementall Hai Kya - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">There are some movies where it is
easier to form an opinion, while there are some where the audience needs time
to process what they have seen. Director Prakash Kovelamudi’s ‘Judgemental Hai
Kya’ falls in the latter category and leaves its shaken audiences to ponder over
the last two hours they spent amidst quirks, chills and thrills.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The movie opens in the twisted, wild
world of Bobby Balliwala Grewal (Kangana Ranaut), an eccentric dubbing artist with
a dark childhood, who is just released from a mental asylum. She dresses
herself in quirky outfits, has a fetish for clicking herself in the avtars of
the horror characters she dubs for and lives surrounded by paper puppets that
she makes. Just like the colourfully tinted glasses on her windows, her life
isn’t plain and two-toned. She suffers from a mental illness, which makes her
hallucinate and imagine things which are not always real. The writer Kanika
Dhillon brilliantly adds quirks and thrills by showing us the world through
Bobby’s mind, blurring the lines between reality and hallucinations, keeping us
constantly unsure. This works well for the movie since the audience can never
really predict who is the culprit in the scheme of things. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for judgemental hai kya" height="231" src="https://data1.ibtimes.co.in/cache-img-0-450/en/full/719143/1564049774_judgemental-hai-kya-critics-review-rating.png" width="400" /></div>
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There are mysterious deaths that
happen around Bobby, who has a knack for intuitively sensing anomalies around
her. Her suspicion always points towards her tenant, Keshav (Rajkummar Rao),
whom she constantly accuses of murders. But it’s never easy to prove – she also
seems to harbour feelings for Keshav, snoops into her tenant’s house and joins
him and his partner on their Lonavala holiday, uninvited. As I said, it takes
time to process this movie because your perspective changes when you think in
the hindsight. Was it really her lust for Keshav that made Bobby track him? Not
really. She was probably investigating her suspicion. It is such nitty-gritties
that make this movie an edgy experience. The second half is replete with
bizarre things – adding further to the audience’s confusion of what is real and
what isn’t. Interestingly, the writer links the whodunit to Ramayana, with Sita
looking for Ravan. To be talking anymore about the plot would lead to spoilers
but I would just say the second half could have been tighter. The movie slumps
post interval. Again, in the hindsight, may be the writer drops the pace to let
the audience experience angst and restlessness, just as Bobby experiences these
on-screen. If that really was the writer’s intention, then she succeeds in
making me shift in my seat uncomfortably. Yet, I would have preferred if she
got to the point faster. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Before talking about the
performances, a huge shout-out to the edgy camerawork by Pankaj Kumar, who makes
sure his camera captures Kangana in all her quirks. The art design and costumes
deserve a mention for creating an outlandish world and dressing the characters
appropriately, especially Kangana – giving her a bizarre, ‘mental’ look. The
background score by Daniel George adds to the suspense and thrills. But, such a
difficult movie belongs to its writer-director/wife-husband duo, Kanika Dhillon
and Prakash Kovelamudi. Choosing such a difficult narrative to tell a story through
the lens of a mentally ill protagonist is commendable. But adding both humour
and elements of a thriller to such a twisted tale deserves a bigger applause. Certain
parts of it also felt inspired by Shriram Raghavan’s style of dark humour
(probably that is why he gets a mention in the opening credits).</div>
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Apart from strong writing and
direction, the movie also has a great cast to its advantage. Satish Kaushik and
Brijendra Kala as the cops add a fun element to the murder investigation and
bring to the table their great comic timing. Writer-actor Hussain Dalal as
Bobby’s manager/probable boyfriend is a treat to watch – his banter with
Kangana is especially funny. Rajkummar Rao is a great actor and does not
disappoint this time either. While he plays a sane yet mysterious Keshav,
unlike the eccentric Bobby, he shines in his scenes with Kangana. But, alas,
the movie belongs to Kangana Ranaut. She is spectacular as the eccentric Bobby
and gets to display her strong acting skills. She switches from sad to scared
to happy to helpless – everything in a jiffy! Even her unfunny jokes have a
tinge of unintended humour, which displays her impeccable comic timing. Just
like her accusations on all and sundry in real life, Bobby passes accusations
at the drop of the hat, mostly without any proof. It’s a very difficult
character to play and Kangana floors us with her performance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Judgemental Hai Kya is an
exciting thriller and works for most parts of it. Whether I liked it? Yes.
Would I recommend it? Most certainly. But would it appeal all kinds of audience?
Not really. It is dark, it is edgy and it is unsettling. It may not be everyone’s
cup of tea. Watch it for great performances and a whacky, weird and disturbing
story-telling. If you are looking for a light-hearted movie, stay away from
this. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Rating – 3/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-58888085183112835772019-07-22T18:35:00.000+05:302019-07-22T18:35:35.050+05:30Kumbalangi Nights - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">One of the best ways to watch a
movie is to watch it without knowing what to expect. And that is precisely what
I did last weekend with debutante director’s Malayalam hit, ‘Kumbalangi
Nights’.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Unaware of what ‘Kumbalangi’
means or the plot of the movie, I let the movie unfold before me. Set in a
quaint little town of Kumbalangi, we are introduced to four brothers living in
a half-constructed building. The eldest, Saji (Soubin Shahir) runs a small
laundry with his friend, Vijay, and leads a life unconnected with his brothers.
Bonny (Sreenath Bhasi), the second amongst the four, is mute and prefers to
spend his time away from his dysfunctional home, reserving his love and
adulation only for the youngest among the four, Franky (Mathew Thomas). Franky
studies on a scholarship in a boarding school and returns reluctantly to their
nomadic household during his vacations. The third sibling, Bobby (Shane Nigam),
is a jobless youth who falls for a tourist guide, Baby (Anna Ben). Baby lives
in a household run by women, until her sister marries Shammi (Fahadh Faasil)
who moves in with them as the society deems everyone needs a ‘man of the
house’. While the brothers lead a nomadic existence, evident from their unkempt
appearance and shabby house, Bobby’s love story brings them closer. This is
where Kumbalangi Nights blooms and gives us a subtle peek into various social
issues. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Image result for kumbalangi nights" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjYyZTNkZGYtZGJjZC00NmM2LThjNjMtMjYxYTI0NTg1NzViXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQ5Njc3NzU@._V1_.jpg" width="268" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The biggest strength of the movie
is how it underplays serious issues, without overemphasizing or making a big deal
out of them. Be it the difference in class between Bobby and Baby or the gaze
of contempt that the society casts over a platonic relationship between Saji
and Vijay’s wife, the writer Syam Pushkaran deals them with utmost delicacy.
The transition of the four brothers from a ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Satte
Pe Satta’</i> style dysfunctional family to a loving brotherhood happens
organically and does not seem forced. For instance, the movie begins with a
reluctant Franky shown to be unexcited about returning home for the vacations.
His lack of excitement is explained in the way he is welcomed – there are no
warm hugs or his brothers waiting for his arrival. He barely smiles or shows
his warmth to his emotionally estranged brothers. This behaviour changes when a
foreigner, Nylah, moves into their home, as he misses having a female companion
at home. His yearning for his mother’s love is satiated when Vijay’s wife moves
in with her baby. See his child-like innocence on hearing her sing lullabies. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The writing and direction also
deserve an applause for the subtly driving home the point of consent in a
relationship. When Baby declines Bobby’s lustful advances during a movie, an
angry Bobby walks out while the confident Baby stands her ground. As he walks
off, we are shown on the screen – Arjun Reddy! A brilliant way of showing the
contrast between an unconsented kiss on-screen and an off-screen couple
defining what consent means. It is such subtleties that help this simple story
make an effective ground for various social issues. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Among the performances, the one
that stands out is the one I least talked about till now. Fahadh Faasil is
spectacular as the slightly eccentric and immensely puzzling, Shammi. Even with
a wide smile on his face, he creates an environment of tension and impending
doom. The viewer anticipates something wrong to happen the moment he is on
screen, but he keeps his eccentric ways in check, till it breaks loose in the
end. Apart from producing the film, it is commendable that he took up such a
complicated and unlikeable character. The rest of the cast is very good,
especially Anna Ben as the spirited and independent, Baby. A special mention of
the stunning camerawork by Shyju Khalid, for capturing Kerala in all its glory.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With a crisp run-time of 2 hours,
Kumbalangi Nights is a delightful watch and definitely recommended for a light,
yet riveting watch. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Review – 3.5/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-6768112849185905782019-07-03T12:47:00.001+05:302019-07-03T12:47:48.467+05:30Falaknuma Das - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Telugu Film Industry (TFI) has
suddenly seen a spurt in small-ticket Indie movies. From Vishwak Sen’s </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Hangover</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> style, ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi’</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, to the latest ‘</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Mallesham</i><span style="text-align: justify;">’ (which I missed watching in the theatres), TFI seems to
be experimenting with its content, which is a welcome change. After watching
Falaknuma Das, I checked its Wikipedia page to be pleasantly surprised that it
is apparently a remake of the critically acclaimed Malayalam hit, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Angamaly Diaries</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> (another movie on top
of my watchlist). I am not sure how close is Falaknuma Das to its original,
because I felt it was not sure of its intent and faltered in conveying the
message.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The movie is set in the
culturally-rich by-lanes of the old city in Hyderabad. Amidst the aromas of biriyanis
and payas, a bunch of kids inspired by the local goon Shankar Anna, form their
own ‘gang’. As a school-going Das (Vishwak Sen) proclaims to his friend,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manani kotte poradu ee Falaknuma lo ne ledu</i>”,
a wrong sense of pride, valour and aggression sets in these young minds. They
grow up to become small-time goons, often resorting to petty fights and brawls.
As they age to their late twenties (the movie transitions between 1997 and
2009), over a couple of love affairs, they get embroiled in a gang war which
implicates them in a murder. The rest of the story focusses on how they get out
of this mess. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Image result for falaknuma das" height="200" src="https://data1.ibtimes.co.in/cache-img-0-450/en/full/715357/1559225160_falaknuma-das.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
From the trailer itself, it was
clear that the movie aims at being real and true to the area it is set in –
Falaknuma. The camerawork by Vidya Sagar Chinta succeeds in creating a haunting
yet beautiful milieu, capturing the chaos and flavours of the old city, right
from the montage shots in the opening credits. I really liked the way the
festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi and Bonalu were shot, not to forget the
drool-worthy shots of food from Shadaab to Ram Ki Bandi. The writing by Vishwak
Sen also adds to the authenticity, with the usage of typical Hyderabadi
language and accent. Though I felt the dialogues and diction of the actor
playing Das’s mother were not authentic. But, nonetheless, it felt good to see
an authentic Hyderabadi movie after a long time, the last of which I remember
was Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hyderabad Blues’</i>
(Not considering sub-standard movies such as ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hyderabad Nawabs’</i> and ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Angrez</i>’).
The music by Vivek Sagar, including a Hyderabadi rap, blends well with the
theme and so does the wonderful art direction, creating authentic households of
the old city. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While the movie is strong in
terms of technical details, it did not connect with me emotionally. I go back
to what I said initially – it was not sure of its intent and faltered in
conveying the message. The movie begins with a tone of brawn winning over
brain, where school-going kids take fancy to the rough and rugged goons. There
are many children who take this route and turn into hyper-masculine men when
they grow up, which is a fair depiction. But, the movie tends to oscillate
between the story of a bunch of alcohol-loving vagabonds to a gang-war like
story, including a murder. Also, the movie made me ponder over the age-old
inconclusive ‘nature vs nurture’ debate. Do young minds get infatuated by brawn
over brain and turn into toxic humans, who prefer their physical might over
their intelligence? It is noteworthy how this has been subtly pushed into the
narrative, by showing the transition of young kids into a brawling brood of
men. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The romantic angles also do not
add much weight, especially the one involving Saloni Mishra as Dr. Zoya. If <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Taxiwala</i> showed us a much-contrived love
story between a taxi driver and a medico, Falaknuma Das shows a smart doctor
falling for a small-time goon. Even if they knew each other from their childhood,
the equation seems forced and farcical. An interesting observation is that Das
is ill-tempered, male-chauvinist and passes snide comments against his
girlfriend, but he does not come across as a misogynist. With all the talk
about toxic masculinity and misogyny lately, the one scene where he breaks-up
with Sakhi (Harshita Gaur) shows his humane side too. As I said, the movie
remains on the surface, oscillating between various themes, not helping the
audience connect with the point it is trying to make. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As for the performances, director-actor
Vishwak Sen gives a great performance as the Hyderabadi lad, trying to start a
business while getting into brawls on the sly. His gang of friends have funny
banter, but somehow the camaraderie does not liven the screens like it does in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pellichoopulu</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi</i>. There are few scenes of fun, especially the
opening scene in a bar, where Sonu Shanawaz as Filament stands out. Among the
rest of the cast, Uttej shows his experience as an actor and makes a mark. Director
Tharun Bhascker Dhaasyam leaves an impactful impression as the upright cop. The
girls do not get enough screen-time or material and their over-the-top make-up
and appearance make them stand out amongst the other real-like characters. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Honestly, I had higher expectations
from the film and it left me mildly disappointed. It is a great stride in TFI
towards off-beat stories, but somewhere it falls short. Yet, for a young actor
to turn director for such a risky film deserves an applause. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Rating – 2.5/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-26571526438963442092019-05-25T09:15:00.000+05:302019-05-25T10:08:01.429+05:30India's Most Wanted - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">One of the basic tenets of a spy
is to be non-descript. Being undercover means being as normal as anyone else
around them and blending into the crowd. Director – writer Raj Kumar Gupta’s
latest release, India’s Most Wanted, starring Arjun Kapoor in the lead does not
seem to believe in the basic tenets I spoke about and only wishes to
concentrate on the so-called genius of his protagonist.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Using an all-male-cast, India’s
Most Wanted is a fictional retelling of the covert operation undertaken by
Indian security forces to nab the mastermind behind multiple blasts in India in
late 2000s. The screenplay by Raj Kumar Gupta tries to keep the narrative
crisp, by cutting down the chase and getting straight to the point from the
word go. The movie begins with a glimpse of Pune blasts of 2008 and cuts to an
IB officer in Bihar, Prabhat Kapoor (Arjun Kapoor), who wishes to pursue
intelligence received from Nepal about the whereabouts of a dreaded terrorist.
Red tape bureaucrats and the complacent North Block in Delhi does not pay heed
to his credible information, yet, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">desh
ke liye jaan bhi de denge’</i> is their motto and wearing their nationalism on
their sleeves, Prabhat and his team head to Pokhara in Nepal to validate the
intelligence received and nab India’s Most Wanted terrorist! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Image result for india's most wanted" height="225" src="https://cdn.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2019/05/23/827499-indias-most-wanted.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The movie is well-intended, but
not well-executed. Raj Kumar Gupta made his debut with a crisp,
edge-of-the-seat thriller, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aamir’</i>.
The characters were layered, their conflicts seemed real and his narrative had
an emotional connect. He followed it up with a decently watchable, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘No One Killed Jessica’</i>, which worked to
a certain extent thanks to its brilliant leads. And then he spiralled
into mediocrity. From <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Ghanchakkar’</i>
to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Raid’</i> to now, India’s Most
Wanted. Nationalism and movies with a flavour of patriotism are always lapped
up by the audiences, but Raj Kumar Gupta does not let his characters develop or
build an emotional connect with us. The characters are one-tone, with a hurried
family angle added to each of them to create sympathy. The writing also seems
inept, because of the glaring loopholes. A terror suspect is identified based
on CCTV footage and in an IB briefing, a character shows his picture and says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Yousuf kaisa dikhta hai, yeh koi nahi janta”</i>.
Er, didn’t you just show a picture, apparently identifying him from a week-old
CCTV footage? I laughed my heart out when Prabhat and his team climb on top of
a water tank to make a discreet phone call, but his superior discusses the entire
covert operation with a ministry official, running through the office lobby! By
the same standards, he could have discussed it over a picnic! The opponents in
the form of ISI are thankfully not shown as fools, yet, they are incapable and
slow. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Much like Ajay Devgn in ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raid’</i>, Arjun Kapoor is made to look
larger than life, relegating the others to the backdrop. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Raid’</i> was made watchable by the thrills in the writing,
complemented by a good actor like Ajay Devgn. But, when you have an
inexpressive face carrying your film, the thrills fall flat. Agreed that the
movie comes from a John Abraham school of nationalism and does not bear a
Raazi-like nuanced craft, but using lofty statements without even slightest of
expressions on your face is disheartening and plain sad. The supporting cast is
passable, with the exception of the actor who plays their informer in Nepal. He
is sorely annoying. Arjun Kapoor, hogging half the screen time and half the
screen space (owing to his bulky size), carries a single, straight-faced
expression throughout the film. As I said, an undercover agent needs to be
non-descript. Here, Arjun stares into the oblivion and looks so morbid that any
normal person would suspect him to be a terrorist! In a scene where he is on a
phone call with his superior, an unemotive Prabhat says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Sir, hum nervous hai”</i>, with not even the slightest hint of anxiety.
His boss (Rajesh Sharma) replies with a frown and between heavy breathes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Hum bhi”</i>. You can see the difference
between a non-actor and an actor. I wish the director and the producers had
also noticed this before signing on a log of wood to act as their protagonist!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While Arjun Kapoor is the biggest
liability that this movie carries, it also has some assets which are major plus
points. There are moments of suspense in the middle and a few clever moves by
the undercover team in Nepal. Also, the cinematography by Dudley captures Nepal
in all its scenic glory. Also, with a short run time of about 2 hours and no
unnecessary song-and-dance routine, India’s Most Wanted thankfully cuts us some
slack. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The movie is billed as an action
thriller, but there is not enough action and the thrills fall flat, thanks to
Arjun Kapoor. Even the patronizing dialogues of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deshbhakti</i> evoke little emotions. A character in the end says to
Prabhat, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Ab wapis bhi aaoge, ya sirf
dialogue baazi karte rahoge?”</i>. It almost felt like he was speaking for the audiences.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Rating – 2/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-10337275153866396252019-04-05T23:42:00.000+05:302019-04-05T23:42:39.176+05:30Majili - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">In 2017, Mani Ratnam directorial </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Katru Veliyidai</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> (</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Cheliyaa </i><span style="text-align: justify;">in Telugu) opened at the box-office. A hardcore love story
set against fighter jets and Kargil war, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Katru
Veliyidai</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, gave us a woman madly in love with an abusive and unappreciative
lover. 2017 also gave us debutante director Shiva Nirvana’s, Nani-Nivetha
Thomas-Aadi starrer, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Ninnu Kori</i><span style="text-align: justify;">. The
reason I bring these up while talking about Shiva Nirvana’s Majili, is for two
reasons – unwavering love of the leads and the dichotomous narrative juggling
between a love story and a parallel story of the hero. While </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Katru Veliyidai</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> had the Indian Air Force
punctuating the love story, Majili has cricket injected into its love story.
And this dichotomy is the very problem of the movie.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Majili tracks the life of Poorna
(Naga Chaitanya) from a teen aspiring to be a cricketer to an alcoholic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Devdas. </i>During his formative years as a
regional cricketer, he falls for Anshu (Divyansha Kaushik), daughter of a Naval
officer. Just like the unauthentic Navy household, the equation between a
well-read North Indian Navy kid and an ITI student looks contrived. In the
midst of making his way to the Railway cricket team and over the course of a song,
they fall for each other. This is the binary nature of the story that I was
talking about. The writing by Shiva Nirvana gets uneven – it straddles between
a movie on cricket and a love story. This impacts the emotional intensity the
love story requires. There are a few endearing moments, such as an excited
young Poorna trying to get intimate with Anshu. But, such moments are far and
apart, and so the love story feels half-baked. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Related image" height="282" src="https://data1.ibtimes.co.in/cache-img-0-450/en/full/711789/1554384321_naga-chaitanya-samantha-akkineni-majili.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As expected, the lovers are
separated leading to Poorna ruining his career and taking to vices. Years later,
an alcoholic Poorna is married to his neighbor’s daughter, Sravani (Samantha
Akkineni), who harbours a strong crush on Poorna since her childhood. Poorna’s
strong love and longing for his long-forgotten girlfriend, Anshu, does not let
him accept Sravani as his wife. Sravani is a spirited girl, who puts a brave and
independent face to the world – she stands up for her husband and goes against
her parents and father-in-law. As a girl besotted by Poorna from her school
days, she continues to bear his tantrums and be his devoted wife. The writing helps
the audiences sympathise with her and question her decision to continue in an
unhappy marriage. For a girl who gushes over the sight of this young boy and
whose feet she touches as a teen - like a typical Indian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pativrata</i> wife - it is believable that her one-sided love made her bear
his tantrums. Like Dr. Leela Abraham (Aditi Rao Hydari) in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Katru Veliyidai</i>, Sravani displays unconditional love, but does not
reduce herself to a slave at the hands of her unappreciative husband (though
not abusive, thankfully). I just wish Sravani’s character was introduced earlier
on in the narrative, which would have been more emotionally evocative. Again,
just when this love story begins to simmer and the audience starts to question
the unaffected Poorna, cricket makes a comeback! This time, thankfully, to
unite the couple. Also, I found the timelines to be blurry – how old are they?
The teenage romance is shown to be around the period when ‘Bhoot’ came out–
implying it is set around 2003. But the events that follow make the timeline
look slightly unclear. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Keeping the cricket versus love
story aside, there are a few moments between the leads that are charming. The
awkwardness between a platonic couple married for two years is endearing and
one of my favourite scenes is the one with ‘Maata raani mounam idi’ song in the
backdrop. Samantha shows restrain and maturity that the character demands, even
while appearing to be meek. She complements the story and her husband well.
Debutante Divyansha Kaushik is decent, but does not have an impactful role.
Making her debut in a cliched <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">girl-hates-guy-turns-into-love</i>
template, she gets a rather raw deal. Carrying the film entirely on his
shoulder, Naga Chaitanya looks confident and delivers a rather impressive
performance. Last year when he tried the formulaic, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sailaja Reddy Alludu</i>, I had opined that he does not have a charismatic
personality like NTR Jr or Ram Charan to carry a masala movie on his shoulders.
But, Majili seems to be resting comfortably on his shoulders, even during
certain unimpressive emotional scenes. This is a marked improvement over his
last few movies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ninnu Kori</i>, Majili also delivers well on the technical departments,
especially the cinematography by Vishnu Sharma and the music by Gopi Sundar. Shiva
Nirvana, writing and directing again, attempts a mature love story, but falls
short of the craft that the likes of Gautam Vasudev Menon have. Like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ninnu Kori</i>, his writing centres around a
jilted, staunch lover but he does not let the love story brew enough, often diluting
it with other elements (here it was cricket). Giving credit where it is due, his
signature dialogues such as ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love Letter
lo unna peru, wedding card lo radu’</i>, are again in display.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Majili is certainly an enjoyable
watch, especially if you are sucker for love stories. But it is not entirely
engrossing and evocative. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Rating – 3/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-87540672391829273832019-03-09T13:23:00.000+05:302019-03-09T13:24:44.409+05:30Badla - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Before I talk about this week’s
crime thriller, Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla, I want to jog your minds to the
underwhelming murder mystery from 2017, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Ittefaq</i><span style="text-align: justify;">.
Starring Sonakshi Sinha, Siddharth Malhotra and Akshay Khanna, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Ittefaq</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> was a retelling of yesteryears
film with the same title. The reason why I bring up </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Ittefaq</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> now, is the similarity in the narrative with Badla – multiple
narratives of the same crime. Also, much like </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Ittefaq</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, this Amitabh Bachchan – Taapsee Pannu starrer takes the
route of complicated twists, just to appear smart. Does it succeed in appearing
smart? Not really.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Naina Sethi (Taapsee Pannu) is a
young businesswoman, married to a supportive husband and her work. In a
mysterious turn of events, she is accused of murdering her paramour Arjun Mehta
(Tony Luke). Though she pleads her innocence, she gets pulled into a criminal
case thanks to various people with different motives - An Indo-British couple
Nirmal Singh and Rani Kaur (Tanveer Ghani and Amrita Singh), looking for their
missing son. A lawyer (Manav Kaul) who can go to any lengths to save his client.
A powerful investigative lawyer, Badal Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan), who has never lost
a case in 40 years. I will refrain from talking about the plot since this is a
suspense thriller. But I cannot keep myself from comparing the narrative style
with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ittefaq</i>. In my review as well, I
had lauded the writing since it was cleverly written to oscillate between
different sides of the same crime. Similarly, Badla takes us through multiple
narratives of the murder in question – Naina’s story, Arjun’s perspective and Badal
Gupta’s investigative analysis. Now, this is a very effective style of writing
to keep the audiences hooked, but Badla falls slightly short of striking a chord.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<img alt="Image result for badla" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Badla_poster.jpg" width="276" /><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sujoy Ghosh’s 2013 superhit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kahaani</i> was also a suspense thriller. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kahaani</i>, which was also written by Sujoy
and won him a National Award, had an intriguing style, with the right amounts of
chills and thrills. This is where the writing by Sujoy Ghosh and Raj Vasant
suffers, with various tropes being deployed towards the climax. Though it is an
official adaptation of 2017 Spanish film, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Invisible Guest</i>, I cannot comment how true is it to its original. Another reason
why it didn’t strike a chord with me, was due to the inconsistent tonality. The
first-half was slower, simmering on the plot, while the second-half suddenly
picks up pace, filled with multitudes of twists and turns. Having said that,
the writing does not leave many loopholes and all the open ends are fastened
well towards the end. (Though I could spot one anomaly. Saving that one for
later) It makes for an interesting watch, but not as engrossing as it should
have been.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The characters are written well,
layering them enough to justify the things they do. Taapsee Pannu as a
successful businesswoman, is shown to be powerful and unrepentant, though her demeanor
in the opening sequence seemed inconsistent with that image. Nonetheless, she
delivers what is expected of her. Amrita Singh, barring her silly banter with
her husband Nirmal, is subdued and brings about a sense of mystery to her character.
Amitabh Bachchan, as dynamic and captivating as ever, gets witty one-liners and
uses his sharp tongue to deconstruct the mystery well. The camaraderie between Naina
and Badal builds over the course of the film and adds a tinge of tension to the
plot. Malayali actor Tony Luke makes a decent debut but does nothing much to
write about. Though his accent seemed slightly off. Another interesting feature
was the references to Mahabharat – many of which come up in the conversations between
Naina and Badal. Also, Badal refers to the plot of the murder as a ‘Chakravyuh’
(another Mahabharat reference), which takes in Arjun (yes, a Mahabharat reference
again). Ghosh seems to have a penchant for the Indian epic, since he used similar
references in Kahaani as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Badla is a good thriller, with
some strong performances and a crisp runtime. I just wish the twists in the
second half were more convincing than convenient. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Rating – 3/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-86281224558546355012019-03-03T09:09:00.000+05:302019-03-03T09:09:57.571+05:30Sonchiriya - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">When a movie opens with a
close-up shot of a rotting snake, mauled by flies and ants, it is not only a
disturbing scene but also sets the tone of the impending doom that is about to unfold.
Director Abhishek Chaubey’s Sonchiriya, is a melancholic tale of the lives of the
notorious rebels of Chambal, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh
Rana, Ranvir Shorey and Manoj Bajpayee in pivotal roles. Based in the late
1970s and as the same era as the award-winning </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Bandit Queen</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, Sonchiriya – golden bird – is a sad take on the
conflicted lives of dacoits, who not just fight the Special Task Force (STF)
but also fight against their conscience.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The movie tracks the life of a
dreaded Chambal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baagi</i> (rebel), Man
Singh (Manoj Bajpayee), and his army of rebels, including a trusted deputy,
Vakil Singh (Ranvir Shorey) and a smart younger lad, Lakhna (Sushant Singh
Rajput). Even as they traverse the painfully dry terrains of the Chambal ravines
– running away from STF officer, Virejnder Singh Gujjar (Ashutosh Rana) – they have
inner conflicts that make them ill-tempered and confused in their pursuits of
life. They say their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dharam</i> is to
live in the ravines and serve their community – the Thakurs. Justice for them
is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">khoon ke badle khoon</i>. While they
appear to be ruthless killers, they really aren’t. Whether it is to offer a
shagun ka tohfa to a bride they loot or chant mantra after laying a snake to
rest, they are human and seem to have landed themselves in an unfortunate
situation of doom. On the run from STF, they bump into a rifle-wielding young
woman, Indumati Tomar (Bhumi Pednekar), found running away with a young girl
who has been violated. On knowing that she belongs to their cast – Thakurs –
they offer to help her reach the nearest hospital, which begins their cat-and-mouse
chase through the rivers and ravines of Chambal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Image result for sonchiriya" 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" /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
On the outset, Sonchiriya may seem
like a tale about the fight of bandits against the cops. But the writers,
Abhishek Chaubey and Sudip Sharma, deserve the credit for elevating it above
the usual good versus evil fight. There is a well-established class and caste
divide, that existed in the 1970s (perhaps, exists even today). There are
references to untouchability and patriarchy. Neither the self-righteous bandits
nor the government serving STF is above the caste divide – for instance, two
constables loathe their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Daroga </i>(inspector),
because they belong to a higher Thakur clan, while their boss belongs to an
inferior Gujjar community. Or when a feisty Indumati is offered to be inducted
into a band of bandits, she questions their offer since they belong to Mallah
community, inferior to her Thakur community. It is such minor details that help
them build a narrative which makes one wonder if the bandits and the cops are
essentially peas of the same pod!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While it is good to see the
problem being layered, it does not really come out well for the lack of
empathy. The movie is set at a time, when the gang of dacoits is at the abyss
of its survival – they are deranged, lost and dying in frequent encounters.
But, to empathize with the characters, their back stories come much later in
the film, reducing the ability of the audience to connect with them. The movie
has a sad tone, but it is not completely evocative. Also, the movie feels a
little too long – much like Abhishek Chaubey’s previous directorial ventures. The
first half could have certainly been much shorter, since the movie simmers port-interval.
But these aberrations are made up by the stellar performances and the stunning
camerawork. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
All the actors in the pivotal roles
shine in their performances. They are all rugged, dusty and ooze the right
amount of dreadfulness. Manoj Bajpayee and Ranvir Shorey as the gang leaders are
terrific. Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar deliver a strong performance,
also getting the dialect right. Sushant Singh Rajput is real and shows the
sensible side of the confused bandits, with the ability to be agile and think straight.
Playing a woman suppressed by patriarchy and fighting for justice for a young
girl, she is the only woman stuck amid a bunch of men. One of the best
sequences is the kidnapping scene in the second half, where her tact and Lakhna’s
quick thinking save the day for them. Ashutosh Rana, as the man on the side of
the law, is a tough cop in-charge to curb the bandit menace, but also has
personal scores to settle. He is top-notch, as usual. The cinematography by
Anuj Rakesh Dhawan captures the sad and miserable textures of the rivers and
ravines of Chambal, adding to the depressing tone of the movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sonchiriya is not perfect, nor is
it an easy movie to watch. Also, the dialect may alienate a large section of
the audience. Recently, Zoya Akhtar subtly touched a dozen odd issues in Gully
Boy. Abhishek Chaubey tries the same with caste & class divide, patriarchy,
untouchability and oppression of women. But, this leads to a drag in the
narrative and the movie does not evoke enough empathy. In the end, it also
becomes a cop versus goons chase film and as the movie says, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Choohe ko Saamp khata hai aur saamp ko gidd’</i>
(Rat is eaten by snakes and snakes are eaten by vultures). That pretty much
sums up what transpires in this two-an-a-half-hour journey through Chambal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Rating – 3/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-37963446071042760672019-02-27T13:31:00.004+05:302019-02-27T13:31:53.633+05:30Women in Zoyaverse!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Currently, Gully Boy is the toast
of the season. It struck a chord with the audiences and critics alike, for
being an underdog story where every character had a strong part to play. Ignoring
this week’s release, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Total Dhamaal</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, I
watched Gully Boy again and was left mesmerized yet again. Spectacular
performances aside, the movie was strong technically – especially the script.
Written by its director, Zoya Akhtar with her long-time collaborator, Reema
Kagti, Gully Boy made me sit up and notice an interesting pattern in Zoya Akhtar’s
filmmaking.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Apart from Ayan Mukerji and
Shakun Batra, Zoya Akhtar is the only current mainstream Bollywood director,
who explores human relations and emotions beautifully. But I noticed something unique
to her voice in all the movies she has directed. I call it the Zoyaverse. Arguably,
though the credit must be shared with her co-writer Reema Kagti, I decided to
call it Zoyaverse as I feel it is her voice as a director that creates this
world. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If you are wondering what I mean
by Zoyaverse, I essentially mean the strong and well-written women that drive
her stories, whether they are central characters or not. These may not always
be perfect, positive characters, but are flawed, just as humans are. In all her
six movies till date, the Zoyaverse is a beautiful aspect of her filmmaking. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
1. Luck by Chance (2009): One of
the underrated movies of that decade, Luck by Chance was Zoya Akhtar’s directorial
debut. The movie gave us a glimpse into the glitz and glamour of Bollywood and
how two outsiders (Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma) make their way into
it. Zoya gives us the first glimpse into Zoyaverse – in the form of Neena Walia
(Dimple Kapadia) and Sona Mishra (Konkona Sen Sharma). Neena is a fading
yesteryear superstar – pushed into the trade in her dark childhood – she nudges
her daughter into the same world. She acts as a strong catalyst to debutante Vikram
Jaisingh (Farhan Akhtar). Sona Mishra is the other strong character, torn
between her love for an ambitious boyfriend and her own urge to make it big. These
are strong and independent women, burdened by their circumstances.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7q6vrNkHr0/XHY_X3e7POI/AAAAAAAAAKY/X6gOYDiA7yE5XhAIMhwxqRb-eZoZH4ziwCLcBGAs/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="712" height="182" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7q6vrNkHr0/XHY_X3e7POI/AAAAAAAAAKY/X6gOYDiA7yE5XhAIMhwxqRb-eZoZH4ziwCLcBGAs/s320/1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dimple Kapadia and Konkona Sen Sharma</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
2. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011): Her second
movie was branded as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dil Chahta hai</i> -
revisited and a free TVC for Spain Tourism! Interestingly, a movie headlined by
three men with focus on their friendship and bromance, also had interesting
female characters. Imran Qureshi (Farhan Akhtar) had internal battles with his
mother (Deepti Naval) over the identity of his father. A spirited freelance
Scuba instructor Laila (Katrina Kaif) helps a disciplined Arjun Saluja (Hrithik
Roshan) break away from monotony. The dilemma of Kabir Dewan (Abhay Deol)
created by his possessive and suspicious girlfriend, Natasha Arora (Kalki
Koechlin). Now, even though the characters are smaller, Zoya does not let them get
reduced to the backgrounds. They may be flawed but help in carving the path of
the story. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--8fCnegx7LU/XHZDD7UaflI/AAAAAAAAAKs/UncMw82xbRgcGqa94yO7Cj1jxON5oD3wgCLcBGAs/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="614" height="216" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--8fCnegx7LU/XHZDD7UaflI/AAAAAAAAAKs/UncMw82xbRgcGqa94yO7Cj1jxON5oD3wgCLcBGAs/s320/2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise: Kalki Koechlin, Deepti Naval, Katrina Kaif</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
3. Bombay Talkies – Sheila Ki
Jawaani (2013): In her short in this anthology, Zoya Akhtar gives us a 10-year
old Vicky (Naman Jain), who is chided by his parents for taking interest in
hobbies which are deemed to be ‘girly’. An innocent Vicky is pushed by his
father (Ranvir Shorey) into Football training, while he craved to dance. And
dance to his idol, Katrina Kaif’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sheila
Ki Jawaani</i>! Delicately handling a sensitive topic, Zoya makes the audience
question the definitions of masculinity. She tries to explain how a boy longing
to dance in skimpy clothes should not be treated as queer. With Vicky, she gave
us a fleshed-out character of a boy, with effeminate qualities. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2SZ8jSU90s/XHZDD-1IMpI/AAAAAAAAAKo/0QsjBjZrhUcS5zeLFdNr0_pW4j1CErBOwCEwYBhgL/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2SZ8jSU90s/XHZDD-1IMpI/AAAAAAAAAKo/0QsjBjZrhUcS5zeLFdNr0_pW4j1CErBOwCEwYBhgL/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Naman Jain</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
4. Dil Dhadakne Do (2015): A
movie which made her detractors label her stories as ‘only about the rich and
elite’, DDD was much more than that. With a brilliantly cast ensemble, it was an
engaging movie that touched various topics – infidelity, ambition, failing marriages
and the fake facades families create. Among the four leads, Neelam Mehra
(Shefali Shah) and Ayesha Mehra (Priyanka Chopra) stand out. Neelam is stuck in
an unhappy marriage with a cheating husband. She portrays a happy face for the World
but is shattered and helpless within. A scene where she gorges on a tray full
of desserts, after her husband calls her fat, is one of the best scenes where her
vulnerabilities are in full display. She puts up with a failing marriage and
advises her ambitious daughter to do the same. But Ayesha is her alter-ego. She
stands up for herself and decides to walk-out of an unhappy relationship. It is
interesting to see how Zoya Akhtar layers her characters – they are never one
tone. This makes them confused, flawed and real. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rRDFeoN_84w/XHZDDx6txQI/AAAAAAAAALI/DVSyJxQIG3sbbhfsCry1U-kbQX13e_oYACEwYBhgL/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="800" height="128" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rRDFeoN_84w/XHZDDx6txQI/AAAAAAAAALI/DVSyJxQIG3sbbhfsCry1U-kbQX13e_oYACEwYBhgL/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shefali Shah in an angst-filled scene where she gorges on desserts </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S3581o4mQVc/XHZDEriks9I/AAAAAAAAALA/HMJfFm1beEAt9AaCMpvHkWKw7MzYi1AygCEwYBhgL/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S3581o4mQVc/XHZDEriks9I/AAAAAAAAALA/HMJfFm1beEAt9AaCMpvHkWKw7MzYi1AygCEwYBhgL/s1600/6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Priyanka Chopra</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
5. Lust Stories (2018): In her
short film, Zoya Akhtar presents a passionate affair between a housemaid Sudha
(Bhumi Pednekar) and Ajit (Neil Bhoopalam). Sudha is a demure, young domestic
help, who for a while assumes her boss’s sexual advances to be love for her. Zoya
barely uses any dialogue, mostly letting Sudha’s eyes and the claustrophobic
apartment do the talking. It is through her eyes and demeanor that one
understands Sudha’s angst and her feeling of betrayal. It is a complex
character, which could make one question her morality. But Zoya makes the
audience empathize with her, instead. The most heart-warming moment is when
Sudha eats a sweet in the end – signifying her acceptance of her fate!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEQcIZQlYcE/XHZDE4BgkiI/AAAAAAAAALI/YQat_WwCLyAAawJoFKNifxHrr6yrPikIACEwYBhgL/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="670" height="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEQcIZQlYcE/XHZDE4BgkiI/AAAAAAAAALI/YQat_WwCLyAAawJoFKNifxHrr6yrPikIACEwYBhgL/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Bhumi Pednekar</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
6. Gully Boy (2019): Amid MC
Sher, Moeen and Murad, two women stand out in this Gully – Safeena Firdausi
(Alia Bhatt) and Razia Ahmed (Amruta Subhash). The usual template in underdog
stories - we see a supportive girlfriend, appearing sporadically in a scene or
a song. But not in Zoyaverse. If Safeena is Murad’s backbone, he embodies freedom
for her. If he calls himself a building with no watchman without her, she says
her love for him is because he lets her be herself. Also, while Safeena is a ticking
timebomb, Zoya does not leave her as an ill-tempered, possessive girlfriend. Her
angst is driven by her own internal battles – against patriarchy, a conservative
family and the need to break free. Just as Safeena finds refuge in Murad, his mother
Razia pins her hopes on her son. Her son is her beacon of hope, after her
abusive husband remarries. Another interesting feature of the two characters is
their docile and petite frames, camouflaging their inner strength and
willpower. Again, in a story about the rise of a boy against all odds, it is
not common to see strong supporting characters. The last I saw such a strong female
character in an underdog movie was Divya Dutta in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bhaag Milkha Bhaag</i>. But hey, it’s Zoyaverse!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eOF3ugMGyw/XHZDFLTPx0I/AAAAAAAAALM/JOXIMHnGaOwxMsbN4gRzCej1ixba3BY8gCEwYBhgL/s1600/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="445" height="145" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eOF3ugMGyw/XHZDFLTPx0I/AAAAAAAAALM/JOXIMHnGaOwxMsbN4gRzCej1ixba3BY8gCEwYBhgL/s320/8.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Amruta Subhash and Alia Bhatt</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Zoya Akhtar may not be the only gifted
filmmaker of this generation. But, the ability to let her stories work with a woman
standing behind the man, is an ability very few other filmmakers have.</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-23681029088545079162019-02-16T20:52:00.002+05:302019-02-18T11:39:19.826+05:30Gully Boy - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">In the current lot of mainstream Hindi
directors, only Shakun Batra, Ayan Mukerjee and Zoya Akhtar know the art of
balancing mainstream movies with a nuanced craft of film-making. With Ranveer
Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer ‘Gully Boy’, director Zoya Akhtar takes her craft forward
and shuts her detractors who slander her for movies about the urban rich. Not
stopping at just that, in a movie centered around a male-rapper, she brilliantly
questions a lot of social issues, especially for women.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The movie opens with a glimpse
into the life of a Dharavi-bred undergrad student, Murad Sheikh (Ranveer Singh).
His tiny house is in the infamous slums of Mumbai, which also doubles up as a
tourist attraction for the foreigners. He lives with an overbearing father, a
submissive mother, a bickering grandmother and a younger brother on one hand,
and a bunch of thick friends and a smart & supportive girlfriend of 9
years, Safeena Ali (Alia Bhatt). What begins as a refuge from his unhappy life,
soon turns into a passion for writing lyrics to rap on. The plot seems like any
musical underdog story – which we have seen from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rock On</i> to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rockstar</i> – but
Gully boy stands out for its beautiful subtext and authenticity. Writers Zoya
Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Vijay Maurya (dialogues), create an authentic world set
in Dharavi and get the aesthetics and dialect correct. Also, in a movie set
around the journey of a rapper, it is pleasant to see it address issues ranging
from misogyny, polygamy, patriarchy to something as obscure as the Indian love
for fair skin – it touches them all! And the beauty lies in the subtle
references to these issues, without being preachy or over-the-top. The world
constructed around Murad explains the dichotomy in his life – a confident brat
in the slum, who is awed yet intimidated by the glitzy Mumbai. His gradual transition
from an under-confident underdog to a determined rapper, is also brilliantly explained
by breaking the divide between both the worlds. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Related image" height="180" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JfbxcD6biOk/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With standards of Bollywood music
falling by every passing day, thanks to the incessant raps and remixes, it is
refreshing to see a movie introducing us to ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">asli hip-hop</i>’! As Murad aptly puts it, rap does not mean a bunch of
random rhyming words like ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teri chokri,
meri gaadi, mera paisa’</i> put together. And the movie drives this point home,
with the brilliantly written rap by a group of 52 artists, headlined by Divine
and Naezy. All the songs and rap have been written colloquially and perfectly
apt for the situation it is set to. Not sure if Ranveer Singh acquired this talent
for the movie, but his rap is completely on-point, arising naturally from his character’s
circumstances and experiences. The language has an authentic flavor of Mumbai –
filled with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">punter log, kya bolreli hai
public</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hard hai bhaaaaiii</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
One of the strongest points of a
Zoya-Akhtar-film is her casting and she does not let us down here. While every
actor plays their part well, Amruta Subhash as Murad’s mother Razia Sheikh, is
a scene-stealer. One of the best scenes in the movie is when she goes from a
submissive wife to an agitated woman against her husband. Another character that
particularly stands out is that of Murad’s mentor-turned-friend MC Sher, played
by Siddhanth Chaturvedi. Playing a young rapper who supports his family and counters
misogyny with his rap, he makes a very strong debut. Alia Bhatt almost plays a dual
role as the demure and feisty student of medicine, Safeena. As Murad refers to
her, she is an unpredictable ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hateli’</i>,
reminiscent of the firecracker Sweety Bhope played by Priyanka Chopra in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kaminey</i>. She is Murad’s backbone, that pounces on other women for
her man, with no regret. While she supports him emotionally through his troubles,
she also silently battles her conservative family for what she calls her ‘freedom’
(again, one of the social issues the movie touches upon). When he sings, she embodies
his nervousness. Alia Bhatt, a gem of an actor, is lovely and draws your heart
to her character. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
From a whacky and energetic
personality, Ranveer Singh transforms into a reclusive and restrained Murad. He
does complete justice to his well-written character that evolves from an under-confident
son of a driver, to a confident rapper on the block! He plays his role with
conviction, even in scenes where he is not central to the narrative. Not skipping
a single beat, he shines the brightest, without over-shadowing the other
characters. Again, the credit also goes to the writers and director, for giving
every character a well-defined arc, which makes them stand out, not relegating them
to the background. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The movie is technically very
sound and keeps you invested, especially in the first half. The second half loses
a bit of steam and could have been shorter by writing certain subplots better,
like the ones with Kalki Koechlin. At two hours and thirty minutes, it feels
long, but the writers let the plot simmer till it reaches its zenith in the
climax, giving the viewers a major high!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In an industry where movie about
the underdogs only aim to glorify him, it is a refreshing change to see how the
movie lets its supporting cast gain prominence and, subtly nudge various issues
that we see in our society. Kudos to the makers for this. As the rappers in the
movie say, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yeh movie hard hai bhai’</i>!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My Rating: 4/5</div>
</div>
Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-69328388830151092432019-02-02T09:55:00.000+05:302019-02-03T19:14:51.823+05:30Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">In the middle of a play rehearsal
at a non-descript theatre in Delhi, a young playwright, Sahil Mirza (Rajkummar
Rao) is disturbed by a young girl, Sweety Choudhary (Sonam K Ahuja), who stealthily
sneaks into the hall. She watches the play and points out at the insipid nature
of it. She says,” </span><i style="text-align: justify;">True love ke raaste mein
siyappa na ho, toh love story mein feel kaise aaegi’</i><span style="text-align: justify;">. This dialogue pretty
much explains the movie – which has enough </span><i style="text-align: justify;">siyappa</i><span style="text-align: justify;">
(problems in punjabi) but less of love.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mainstream Hindi cinema has
always shied away from taboo topics such as homosexuality, mostly adding these
references for comic relief. A decade ago, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dostana</i>
brought this topic out in the open, but ended up poking fun at gay
relationships. This is where writer Gazal Dhaliwal and director Shelly Chopra Dhar
deserve the credit for delicately handling such a sensitive topic in Ek Ladki
Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (ELKDTAL). While the treatment is nuanced, and the
message is conveyed rather subtly, do not expect the craftsmanship of Academy-award
winning movies like Moonlight (2016) or Brokeback Mountain (2005), which dealt
with LGBT themes. With LGBTs in India celebrating the recent strike down of the
archaic Section 377, ELKDTAL sets the ball rolling and they need to be
commended for bringing this subject to the attention of mainstream cinema audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for ek ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga" height="300" src="https://img.timesnownews.com/story/1548846849-54fd6121-title-song-of-ek-ladki-ko-dekha-toh-aisa-laga-sweetness-of-the-old-world-charm-640x480.jpg?d=600x450" width="400" /></div>
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As credited by the makers, the
plot of the story is inspired from P.G Wodehouse’s 'A Damsel in Distress'. A young
girl, Sweety, bumps into a budding writer, Sahil Mirza at a theatre in Delhi.
Besotted by her frankness and a whirlwind run through the bylanes of Delhi makes
him fall for her. Along with his colleague, Chatro ji (Juhi Chawla), he reaches
Moga in Punjab to look for her. He discovers that she is the daughter of a local
garment manufacturer, Balbir Choudhary (Anil Kapoor), who makes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saree se le kar Kache tak,</i> even as he dabbles in the kitchen, much to his Mother’s (Madhumalti Kapoor) disappointment.
A case of confused identity ensures the lead characters meet, only to realize that
one of them cannot reciprocate the other’s feelings, because they like people
of their own sex. (Keeping it spoiler free :P )<o:p></o:p></div>
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The most endearing feature of the
movie was the tone of the film. The cinematography and the art design
successfully create a colorful Punjabi household, replete with fancy house parties,
a henna-dyed maid (played superbly by Seema Pahwa) and a trademark SUV in the
Punjabi household. The dialogues by Gazal Dhaliwal and Shelly Chopra Dhar are tongue-in-cheek
in the first half and somber in the second. The movie also subtly, yet strongly,
questions masculinity and feminity – why is cooking by a man seen to be effeminate
and how is a Tomboy seen as masculine? The writers do not force their
point but let the story and actors speak it through the performances. Anil
Kapoor and Juhi Chawla are endearing as the older couple. Anil Kapoor is
restrained and paternal when with Sweety, but child-like when around Chatro.
Juhi Chawla reaffirms that she is one of the finest actors of her generation
and plays a loud and gaudy Punjaban to the hilt. She reminds us of Minty Rolly
that she played in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Luck by Chance</i>
(2009). Using her catch-phrase for her – she is mind shattering! Rajkummar Rao plays
the catalyst in the movie, who brings same-sex relationship out of the closet,
but I wish the character had more layers. Sonam Kapoor, playing the central character,
displays with conviction the pains and angst that her character goes through,
but her acting skills appear to be weak, among the better actors she is
surrounded with. She is good, but not great. The rest of the cast is fine and
delivers a notice-worthy performance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Going back to what I said
initially, the movie has adequate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">siyappa</i>
but not enough love. The drama surrounding the acceptance of same-sex
relationship has been portrayed well. For Indian audience, not accustomed to
these, it may feel uncomfortable, but the makers keep the references at surface
level, not delving deeper. But this reduces the impact of the love story being
shown. A 2-hour long struggle of the protagonist to fight for her love cannot
be summed up in a 5-minute long song. It does not look convincing enough. Also,
some of the characters seemed one-tone. For instance, Chatro is a warm
character but does not really have any layers apart from being the caterer at a
theatre. Even Sahil Mirza, introduced as the son of a major film producer, is
not given enough weight to understand him better. I suppose the focus was
primarily on conveying the message for the acceptance of LGBT, which shrouded
the development of other characters. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In 1996, when Deepa Mehta made a movie
on homosexuality, Fire, it was met with widespread protests. It is a welcome
change that we have evolved as a society. The conversation that this movie has
begun has a long way ahead. And that is why, despite its flaws, it is a movie
that is meant to be seen. And as they say, Let Love Be!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Rating: 2.5 + 0.5 for speaking
about a taboo topic <o:p></o:p></div>
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P.S: It was disappointing to see the
insensitivity of some in the audience, including women, to the homosexual
nature of the movie. The makers did not reveal the theme until recently, which many
did not know. I hope word-of-mouth does not deter people from watching a movie
that touches a ‘taboo’ topic!</div>
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Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705537978353396212.post-59861907420218206402019-01-26T09:05:00.001+05:302019-02-02T09:55:13.526+05:30Manikarnika - Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">As I watched this week’s
big-ticket release, Manikarnika, I wondered how much of it is a Kangana Ranaut
directorial and how much of it can be attributed to its first maker, Krish Jagarlamudi.
Starring Kanagana Ranaut in the titular role as Manikarnika aka Rani Lakshmibai
of Jhansi, Manikarnika seemed like a half-cooked product, focusing on the valor
and might of one of the biggest freedom-fighters of India, without delving
enough into her emotional construct. (Note: small spoilers ahead)</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most of us have read about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jhansi ki Rani</i> in school and hence, know
the premise. Therefore, it becomes even more pertinent to develop the
characters with required emotions, rather than just blood and flesh. This is
where the story by Vijayendra Prasad, dialogues by Prasoon Joshi and direction by
both its directors ends up disappointing us. Right from the onset, we are shown
of a brave and strong girl, Manikarnika (played by Kangana Ranaut), being
raised amid books and swords in Marathwada. But, instead of letting the
audience develop a bond with the character, the makers blatantly try to push their
point. There are no subtle nuances, but everything is over-the-top. For instance,
when a naïve Manikarnika expresses her inhibitions about getting married, the
Peshwa (played by Suresh Oberoi) replies, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Har
cheez seekhi nahi jaati mani, matrubhoomi se prem ho, toh sab ho ajega</i>” and
this is followed by a patriotic song. Not exactly the way you would allay a
girl’s apprehensions before her wedding! As I said, the makers go overboard in
establishing Manikarnika as the bravest woman on the planet. All I wished was revering
Manikarnika in moderation, with better dialogues. That would have helped
connecting with the character.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for manikarnika" src="https://in.bmscdn.com/iedb/movies/images/website/poster/large/manikarnika-et00056928-05-05-2017-05-18-43.jpg" /></div>
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It was not just excessive praise
for Manikarnika that was problematic, much like Krish’s other movies, Manikarnika
went overboard in making a point. Like loads of melodrama to show the
atrocities by the British. Or the fact that a submissive King is shown to be
wearing ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">choodi</i>’ – symbolizing his
inability to go against the British. And the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">choodi</i> are referred to quite often – in case the audience forgets
how incapable the King is. Or my favorite – an English officer dreams of
Manikarnika in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kaali</i> avtaar – does he
even know Indian Goddess <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kaali</i>?! Having
seen some of Krish’s previous works, including the recent <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">NTR Kathanayukudu</i>, Manikarnika seemed to bear his stamp in certain
parts – inconsistencies in the narrative, beautiful canvas yet lack of connect
and a climax fight scene reminiscent of Krish’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gautamiputra Satakarani</i>. Similarly, Vijayendra Prasad leaves a few
trademark motifs of his – exaggerated common-man scenes, a people’s queen (like
people’s king <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bahubali</i>) or an out-of-the-blue
item song! As I said, it is difficult to point out which part of it was
directed by Kangana Ranaut, but she can certainly share the onus for the
incoherence. <o:p></o:p></div>
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All things aside, some of the things
that worked in favor of the movie were the art design, the costumes and the
lead! Kangana Ranaut is feisty and digs her teeth into the character. She is a
delight to watch, especially in combat sequences in the second half. She may
not have a regal aura like Aishwarya Rai in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jodhaa
Akbar</i> or Deepika Padukone in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Padmaavat</i>,
but she is believable as the people’s queen. A fine actor that she is, she does
not disappoint, except in delivering her dialogues which I felt were not
powerful enough. Two of my favorite scenes were her confrontation with her
mother-in-law and her sword-fight scene with a bunch of British soldiers in
front of a Kaali statue. The music felt more contemporary than belonging to that
era and the graphics felt like cheap videogames. The rest of the cast was fine,
but were over-shadowed by the tall performance by Kangana Ranaut. Though I
would like to mention that Zeeshan Ayub was the most underutilized actor in the
movie!<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the end, Manikarnika feels
largely like a lifeless canvas, painted with rich colors. Kangana Ranaut has
been shouldering her movies single-handedly in her last few outings. And much
like them, despite a stellar Kangana Ranaut, the movie does not really work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My Rating – 2/5</div>
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Anuraghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12592074662338903674noreply@blogger.com0