Movie Review: Fanney Khan
It’s often said that not just talent, but luck is also required to fulfil your dreams of making it big in showbiz. As a result, those with oodles of talent but little luck find it tough to survive in this field. But many of these individuals don’t stop dreaming with the hope that one day luck will favour them. Atul Manjrekar’s directorial debut FANNEY KHAN talks about these relatable aspects and promises some touching as well as hilarious moments. So does FANNEY KHAN succeed in giving the audiences a great time? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
FANNEY KHAN is the story of a father going to desperate lengths to ensure his daughter becomes a star. Prashant Sharma aka Fanney Khan (Anil Kapoor) was a local orchestra singer in Mumbai who has to give up his singing dreams when his daughter Lata (Pihu Sand) is born. Lata is now approaching her 20s and Fanney is now working in a factory. Lata is a huge fan of sensational singer Baby Singh (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) and aspires to be like her. But her attempts to participate in singing competitions lead to humiliation, more so because of her weight. Fanney wants to save money and cut an album for her. However, his earnings are quite meagre. And one day his world comes crashing down after the factory he works in suddenly closes down. Fanney thankfully starts working as a taxi driver. One day he gets none other than Baby Singh as his passenger. Instead of dropping her at her location, he puts her to sleep by lacing her water with sleeping pills. He then takes her to the factory where he worked, which is now abandoned. With the help of his colleague Adhir (Rajkummar Rao), he officially kidnaps her and also calls Baby's manager Kakkad (Girish Kulkarni) and informs him about the abduction. However, he doesn’t ask for money as ransom. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
FANNEY KHAN is an official remake of the Belgian film IEDEREEN BEROEMD aka EVERYBODY’S FAMOUS [2000]. While the original film was shorter and had dark comedy, thereby maximizing impact, FANNEY KHAN on the other hand moves at its own pace and is too melodramatic. While this may work for some, others might find it unconvincing. Atul Manjrekar, Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal’s screenplay is lackluster at places but scores at a few places. Hussain Dalal, Abbas Dalal, Jasmeet K Reen and Athar Nawaz’s dialogues are simple but quite funny in some scenes.
Atul Manjrekar’s direction could have been better and that in turn would have made the film better. There’s no doubt that he handled some scenes exceptionally well. However, at many places, he loses the plot. The storyline is quite illogical in the first place and it needed an expert hand to ensure the film works logically. Unfortunately, Atul partly fails in his endeavour.
FANNEY KHAN has a decent commencement and sets the mood of the film. The introduction of characters however is not that impressive. The track of Adhir and Jinal (Swati Semwal) however is interesting. The film picks up thankfully once the kidnapping takes place. The manner in which Fanney Khan and Adhir make futile attempts to scare Baby Singh makes for a great watch. In the second half, the film drops again and hooks viewers only towards the end. The climax would be loved by a section of viewers as its quite moving. But some might find it too illogical.
The performances however are too good, thereby helping the film. Anil Kapoor is in a great form and is the soul of the movie. The emotional scenes work thanks to him. One can feel his pain and one can’t help but hoot for him even when one knows that what he did isn’t right. Rajkummar Rao genuinely puts his best foot forward and is endearing. He raises laughs in the kidnapping scene. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks like a million bucks and adds a lot to the film with her supporting role. Pihu Sand seems a bit irritating at places but she makes up for it with her touching performance in the climax. Divya Dutta (Kavita) is dependable as always. Girish Kulkarni as usual plays the negative part quite well. Satish Kaushik (Kadar bhai) has an interesting part but is wasted. Barbie Rajput (Rhea), Swati Semwal and Asif Basra are decent.
The songs are appropriate for the sequences in which they appear but could have better since the film is essentially a musical. ‘Achche Din’ is the best of the lot. ‘Tere Jaisa Tu Hai’ comes next and it comes at a crucial juncture. ‘Mohabbat’ serves as a fair introduction for Aishwarya. ‘Fu Bai Fu’ has interesting lyrics. ‘Halka Halka’ is the most unconvincing portion of the film as it shows a prominent singer, whose kidnapping has shaken the entire nation, roaming around freely! Tubby - Parik’s background score goes well with the various moods of the film.
S Tirru’s cinematography is quite effective. Ajay Vipin’s production design however is nothing great although it works in the house scenes of Fanney Khan. Monisha R Baldawa’s editing is passable. Eka Lakhani and Manish Malhotra’s costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Aishwarya.
On the whole, FANNEY KHAN is laced with illogical plot and a lot of loose ends. But the emotional and funny moments coupled with some fine performances ensure that the film turns out to be a decent, entertaining fare.
Movie Review: Vishwaroop II
Terrorism is a global menace and its impact is felt more in the world now than ever before. Kamal Haasan tackled this issue head-on with VISHWAROOP [2013] and tried to give the film a nice, novel touch and matched it with international standards in terms of scale and grandeur. The veteran multi-talented performer is now back with the sequel, VISHWAROOP II. So does it manage to entertain viewers as much as the first part or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
VISHWAROOP II continues from where the first film ended. After the plan of Al-Qaeda terrorist Omar Qureshi (Rahul Bose) to attack New York City is disrupted by RAW Agent Wisam Ahmad Kashmiri aka Vishwanathan aka Vis (Kamal Haasan), the former and his aide Salim (Jaideep Ahlawat) escape. Wisam's wife Nirupama (Pooja Kumar) slowly begins to accept the fact that her hubby is a dashing secret agent and not an effeminate dancer that she loathed. Wisam, Nirupama, Wisam’s protégé Ashmita (Andrea Jeremiah) and Wisam’s boss Colonel Jagannath (Shekhar Kapur) then head to United Kingdom where they get ambushed and they suspect that it’s the handiwork of the expat Rajesh Mehta (Ananth Narayan Mahadevan). Soon Wisam discovers that Omar has planned to explode the bombs situated under water since the time of World War 2 and thereby destroy the city of London. He also finds out about another shocking terror attack planned by Omar in Delhi. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Kamal Haasan’s story has some promise and it could have made for a nice, espionage action thriller. But Kamal Haasan’s screenplay is very weak and disjointed. The sequences are not stitched together well. There are some individualistic scenes involving Wisam and Nirupama and even Wisam and his mother (Waheeda Rehman) that stand out. But these scenes have no connection as such to the main plot and that’s not good for a film that’s actually an action entertainer. Atul Tiwari’s dialogues are simple and aren’t memorable.
Kamal Haasan’s direction is very poor and he completely lost the opportunity of taking this franchise forward nicely. The film doesn’t involve or move viewers at all and there are too many tracks running simultaneously and none of them leave an impact. What works are the few scenes that are helmed well like Ashmita and Wisam finding the bug in the room in UK, the action sequence in the beginning, the underwater action madness and Wisam’s heroic entry in the finale.
VISHWAROOP II’s opening credits are splendid and you expect the fireworks to begin right from the first scene and continue till the end. There’s an intense action scene in the first 15 minutes itself when the car topples after being attacked by a terrorist. From here on, the film goes downhill. The film then depicts some portions of VISHWAROOP (when Wisam goes undercover in a terror camp) in a fast-forward manner and at the same time, some extended sequences are also added. The manner in which it’s done is very bland and disinteresting. Also, VISHWAROOP doesn’t have a recall value and the first half wasn’t a critical or commercial success. Moreover, it had come 5 ½ years ago. As a result, most of the moviegoers will have no clue of the events that unfolded in part 1. But Kamal Haasan and team assume that viewers very well remember what all happened in VISHWAROOP. Even after the recap portions get over and the film comes back to present day, nothing much happens in the story. The intermission point is random but in the second half, a new chapter begins with no connection as such to the underwater sequence that happened before the interval. This bit too takes a lot of time to come to the main point and once it does, it is very abruptly and hurriedly done.
As for acting, Kamal Haasan is decent and tries to give his best shot. But due to faulty writing and execution, his performance gets affected. Also, some of his dialogues are difficult to decipher. Rahul Bose has a very short role this time since the film goes off track and hence he gets limited scope. He hams all the way like never before. See it to believe it! Pooja Kumar makes her presence felt more in the sequel and gives a fine performance. Also she adds the required sizzle in few scenes. Andrea Jeremiah too has a better fleshed out role and she’s confident. Shekhar Kapur is dependable. Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is memorable but his track doesn’t serve much of a purpose and it was flawed. Jaideep Ahlawat gets some scope only towards the end. Waheeda Rehman is endearing but again, her track is just forced in the film. Yusuf Hussain is okay while Rajendra Gupta is disappointing and it was frustrating to see how he kept on hammering the importance of ‘collateral damage’.
M Ghibran’s music is completely forgettable. None of the songs – be it the title song or 'Ishq Kiya Toh' or 'Tu Srotu Hai' - are good enough. But the background score is quite dramatic. Shamdat and Sanu John Varghese’s cinematography is eye-catching. Stefan Richter, Parvez Feroz, T Ramesh's action is too gory and bloody and would surely put off a section of audiences. Lalgudi N Ilayaraja’s art direction is authentic. Mahesh Narayanan and Vijay Sankar’s editing is nothing great.
On the whole, VISHWAROOP II is a highly avoidable flick. The film has too many tracks and the narration and execution is flawed and weak. Also at the box office, the film will have a tough time.
Movie Review: Satyameva Jayate
We all have seen corruption and apathy in the government and police force etc. from close quarters at some point in our lives. Most of the times, we have not protested and merely given up since the thought of taking on the system is just too much. But imagine if you could teach these corrupt officials a lesson. Milap Milan Zaveri’s SATYAMEVA JAYATE promises you to get into that space and give you a kick in seeing baddies facing a crushing defeat from an aam aadmi, as evident from the trailers. So does SATYAMEVA JAYATE turn out to be as action-packed, massy and satisfying as expected? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
SATYAMEVA JAYATE is the story of a vigilante on a killing spree for a personal reason. Veer (John Abraham) is an acclaimed artist who has taken up a mission to kill corrupt cops. His first target is Sadashiv Patil (Abhishek Khandekar). He sets him on fire alive and then sends his ashes to his police station in Santacruz, Mumbai. In no time, he bumps off Inspector Irrfan Qadri (Shaikh Sami Usman) from Andheri Police Station in the same manner. DCP Shivansh Rathod (Manoj Bajpayee) is given the charge of this case by the Commissioner (Manish Chaudhary). Veer meanwhile meets Shikha (Aisha Sharma) at a beach clean-up drive and both fall for each other. Meanwhile, Veer challenges Shivansh to stop him from killing his next target. Shivansh fails and Veer manages to eliminate Inspector Damle (Ganesh Yadav) of Thane Police Station. Shivansh is shaken by Veer’s audacity and his fearlessness and he goes on an overdrive in trying to know who his next target would be. Finally, Shivansh cracks the modus operandi of Veer. Shivansh realizes that Inspector Bhonsle (Rajesh Khera) from Yari Road police station is the next one in line. Shivansh lays a trap and is all set to catch Veer. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Milap Milan Zaveri's story is simplistic, massy and something that the masses would applaud. Milap Milan Zaveri's screenplay is also on the same lines but it gets repetitive. There’s no novelty value left after a point with regards to the killing of the cops. Also it’s a bit flawed. For instance, Veer giving all the clues through his painting was a bit too convenient. The climax is a bit confusing especially actions of Shikha. Milap Milan Zaveri's dialogues however are completely paisa vasool and would be greeted with seetis and taalis!
Milap Milan Zaveri's direction reminds one of the 90s action dramas. Although it works in most parts, at some places the film begins to give a dated feel. In the second half, he could have executed the killing sequences differently as that would have enhanced interest. Moreover, the film gets a bit stretched towards the finale and perhaps, he could have avoided this aspect too.
SATYAMEVA JAYATE begins with a dhamaka and the excitement keeps going. The entry of DCP Shivansh in the narrative adds to the fun. Veer’s first ever call to Shivansh is quite a dramatic sequence. The manner in which the three cops are eliminated are also quite interesting and viewers would surely root for these sequences. But the best sequence of the first half is the ‘namaaz’ sequence. Single screen audiences would go crazy at this point. The intermission point comes as a bolt from the blue. Post-intermission, the hospital sequence stands out. But then the film drops as it becomes too overdramatic and repetitive. Even the finale would be received with mixed reactions.
John Abraham delivers a fabulous, nuanced performance. John is known for his action avatar majorly and his role in SATYAMEVA JAYATE is definitely the best as compared to other such flicks of recent times like FORCE 2, ROCKY HANDSOME and DISHOOM. Watch out for the way he dons a cunning act in the hospital sequence. Manoj Bajpayee provides able support and enhances impact in some scenes. His confrontation with Veer at various points is too good. Aisha Sharma makes a confident debut but sadly doesn’t have much to do in the film. Amruta Khanvilkar (Sarita) is completely wasted and that’s unfortunate considering that she just gave a memorable performance in RAAZI. Manish Chaudhary is fine but hams a lot in the climax. Rajesh Khera leaves the maximum impact out of the police officers. Ganesh Yadav comes next. Abhishek Khandekar, Shaikh Sami Usman and Ankur Sharma (Inspector Mohan Shrivastav) are okay. Chetan Pandit (Inspector Shiv Rathod) leaves a mark. Archita Agarwal (Muslim girl harassed by cop) has a good screen presence. Nora Fatehi looks and dances like a dream and is quite sizzling.
The songs don’t have much purpose in the film. 'Dilbar' is the best of the lot and this chartbuster is very well picturised. 'Paniyon Sa' doesn’t register an impact while 'Tajdar-E-Haram' is relegated to the background. Sanjoy Chowdhury's background score is dramatic and exhilarating.
Nigam Bomzan's cinematography is decent while Priya Suhas' production design is a bit poor but works well for this film as it’s based in a realistic setting. Amin Khatib and Ravi Verma's action is the highpoint of the film. It’s not too gory but at the same time feels quite raw and real. Maahir Zaveri's editing should have been crisper.
On the whole, SATYAMEVA JAYATE is a powerful and gripping drama that leaves an impact as it resonates with the problems of the common man. It is sure to work big time in the single screens where the various scenes are bound to induce claps and whistles. This one is for the masses!
Movie Review: Gold
In the beginning of 2016, an Akshay Kumar starrer, AIRLIFT, opened our eyes about an incredible rescue mission carried out by an Indian and shockingly, very few knew about it. It made people realize that there are many such episodes that have been lost in the pages of history. The fact that these stories are not popularly known coupled with the heroism attached to it make it ideal for it to be captured on celluloid. 2 ½ years after AIRLIFT, Akshay is back with another real-life story with GOLD and this time the genre is sports drama. So does GOLD manage to entertain and move viewers like some of the previous well-made sports biopics? Or does it fail in its endeavour?
GOLD is a story of India’s first big win in an international sports tournament after attaining independence. Tapan Das (Akshay Kumar) is the junior manager during the 1936 Berlin Olympics for the British Indian hockey team. British India defeated Germany quite easily and won the gold medal. Since India then was still under the British rule, the British national anthem was played at the end of the match. Tapan feels humiliated and he vows to help a free India win the Olympics and then stand proudly as Jana Gana Mana will be played. Sadly the World War 2 begins soon enough and the 1940 and 1944 editions of the Olympics get cancelled. In 1945, the war ends and in 1946, it is announced that the 1948 Olympics will take place in London. The independence of India is also near. Tapan by now has become an alcoholic and owes a lot of money to many. He has been ousted from the Hockey Federation. But the announcement of the 1948 Olympics excites him. He manages to convince the Federation board that he’ll move heaven and earth and get the best team for India and a gold for India eventually. Thus begins his search. The captain of the 1936 Olympics, Samrat (Kunal Kapoor) refuses to come on board but he recommends Tapan that Imtiaz Shah (Vineet Kumar Singh) should be made the in charge. Tapan then tours around the country and finds gems like Himmat Singh (Sunny Kaushal) and Raghubir Pratap Singh (Amit Sadh). All is going fine until the Partition is announced. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Reema Kagti and Rajesh Devraj’s story is surely something that deserves to be told. Of course, it has been dramatized and slightly fictionalized but it’s done well. Reema Kagti’s screenplay is topnotch and she keeps viewers captivated. However a few sequences could have been shorter and crisper. Also a few scenes give a heavy déjà vu of CHAK DE INDIA [2007]. Reema Kagti’s dialogues are sharp and acidic and give the right punch.
Reema Kagti’s direction is neat and uncomplicated. The match scenes are very nicely presented but at a few places, some of the cliches could have been avoided. But it’s praiseworthy how she took the film on a high in the finale. The national anthem scene would surely move viewers and it doesn’t seem forced. The patriotic fervor comes out perfectly!
GOLD has a terrific commencement. The 1936 Olympics finale is very well shot and the pain of standing for a foreign national anthem comes out very well. The opening credits don’t make the desired impact but the film gets on track once Tapan starts getting the players. The entire bit of Raghubir Pratap Singh stripping after seeing an impoverished person is lovely. However the best sequence of the first half is the Partition sequence involving Imtiaz. Heartbreaking! Post interval, the Kanheri Caves sequence involving a mute priest is great and will bring the house down. Another sequence worth mentioning is Samrat compelling the players to pick up bricks to teach them a lesson in unity. The film however also gets a bit long and a song or two could have been done away with. But the climax makes up for it. The tension and drama in the last twenty minutes would surely keep you hooked.
Akshay Kumar might not be playing hockey in the film (save for one brief sequence) but he rocks the show. One can feel his passion and pain when he goes about convincing people that how important it is for India to win the gold. Even his comic timing is spot on, as always. Mouni Roy (Monobina) has an excellent screen presence and lights up few sequences. Unfortunately her role is limited. Kunal Kapoor looks every inch a star player and it would have been great if he had more screen time. Amit Sadh gives a brilliant performance and gets to play a very interesting character. Sunny Kaushal is the surprise of the film. His track is very touching and he’s sure to win hearts! His outburst in the pre climax is too good. Vineet Kumar Singh also wins hearts. His performance as expected shines and he gets to play a very memorable character. His track and the way India-Pakistan aren’t shown as rivals as it usually happens is a beautiful aspect of the film! Nikita Dutta (Himmat's girlfriend) is cute and does fine. The actors playing Mr. Mehta and Mr. Wadia are decent.
The songs are melodious and peppy but few of them are forced. ‘Naino Ne Baandhi’ works as it’s nicely shot. ‘Chad Gayi Hai’ is forced and looks very much like 'Monobina' played earlier. ‘Ghar Layenge Gold’ and ‘Khel Khel Mein’ are okay. Sachin-Jigar’s background score however is in sync with the film’s moods and even elevates impact.
Alvaro Guierrez’s cinematography is quite appropriate and helps a lot in simplifying the hockey scenes. Paul Rowan and Shailaja Sharma’s production design is outstanding and the duo recreates the bygone era authentically. But the VFX in the match scenes is bad, especially the spectators bit. Payal Saluja’s costumes are also quite realistic. Aimee Mcdaniel is the sports coordinator and he also deserves praise for his work. Anand Subaya’s editing is great, especially in the match scenes.
On the whole, GOLD is a brilliant, touching saga that would surely entertain viewers and make them hoot for the retro men in blue. At the box office, it is sure to strike Gold! Highly recommended!
Movie Review: Genius
We often come across reports of whiz kids who prove to be much smarter and intelligent than others their age. Anil Sharma’s GENIUS attempts to tell the story of not just one, but two such geniuses and what happens when they have a face off. So does GENIUS turn out to be as entertaining and exciting as some of the previous entertainers of Anil Sharma? Or does it prove to be a disappointment? Let’s analyse.
GENIUS is the story of two genius minds. Vasudev Shastri (Utkarsh Sharma) is an orphan from Mathura. His mind works faster than a computer. He not just knows his Sanskrit shlokas but also his algebra theorems and scientific formulas by heart. He goes to study at IIT Roorkee where he falls for Nandini (Ishita Chauhan). The RAW finds out about Vasudev and his intelligence and invites him to join the wing even before completing his course. Nandini however doesn’t reciprocate to his love. Vasudev gets depressed and one day he comes to the rescue of RAW when their servers get hacked. Vasudev then once again gets an offer to join RAW and this time he agrees. While investigating the hack and a fire in an ammunition godown in Ambala, Vasudev realises that the mastermind is the evil and mysterious MRS (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). How Vasudev tries to defeat this fellow genius forms the rest of the film.
Anil Sharma’s story is weak and flawed. Anil Sharma, Sunil Sirvaiya and Amjad Ali’s screenplay has loose ends and is scattered everywhere. The idea of having a non-linear narrative in the first half doesn’t work. Anil Sharma, Sunil Sirvaiya and Amjad Ali’s dialogues are over the top and preachy. Some of them are absolute trash and it won’t be surprising if a fun listicle is made on them.
Anil Sharma’s direction is dated and it looks like he’s stuck in the 90s, or even in the 80s. The way the songs are forced into the story and the manner in which few sequences are lifted from Hollywood films like the Batman series is shocking and is reminiscent of the bygone era.
GENIUS has a non-linear narrative and it makes no sense why it was done. In the first 10 minutes, viewers get a fair idea about what has happened. One expects the makers to rush through these developments. But instead they take their own sweet time to unravel the story. The entire idea of genius bit is hammered needlessly. Everyone is shown to be in awe of Vasudev's genius side, constantly praising him for just any random reason. He’s also shown as someone who plans not just ten, but thousand steps ahead. This could have been interesting but sadly, it seems laughable. In fact it is shocking how the script got approved in the first place. The first half is longer with the romantic portions being bland. And not just the love story, even the revenge saga fails to impress.
Utkarsh Sharma is terribly miscast for the role. He’s extremely raw and has a long way to go. He looks like a college kid and hence throughout the film, it becomes difficult to imagine him as a RAW agent or even as an IIT student. He also needs to work on his expressions. Ishita Chauhan also fails to give a decent performance. In the initial sequences, she has just one expression on her face. Nawazuddin Siddiqui makes an entry only minutes before the intermission. He saves the film with his excellent performance. Watch out for his dance in 'Pyar De Pyar Le'! Mithun Chakraborty (Jaishankar Prasad) is decent. Abhimanyu Singh (Pravin Joshi) is wasted. Same goes for K K Raina (Mr Das) and Ayesha Jhulka (Nandini's mother). Malti Chehar (Rubina Sheikh) and Dev Gil are hardly memorable.
Himesh Reshammiya’s music is peppy and soulful. It’s unfortunate that such nice songs are used in such a terrible film. 'Tera Fitoor', 'Dil Meri Na Sune' and 'Tujhse Kahan Juda Hoon Main' are melodious. 'Holi Biraj Ma' is very catchy and 'Pyar Le Pyar De' is entertaining. Monty Sharma’s background score is exhilarating and dramatic.
Najeeb Khan’s cinematography is nothing special. Abbas Ali Moghul’s action goes a bit overboard at places but otherwise it’s entertaining. The VFX however is very tacky. Bijon Das Gupta’s production design makes the film looks very rich. Ashfaque Makrani’s editing is haphazard.
On the whole, GENIUS is an extremely poor and senseless fare. At the box office, it will be rejected outright by the audience. Watching this film is surely not a genius idea. Avoid!
Movie Review: Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi
Every year, we have had sleeper hits that come out of nowhere and turn out to be surprise successes. HAPPY BHAG JAYEGI was easily the dark horse of 2016. It released with minimal buzz and ended up doing decent business at the box office. Audiences loved the humour quotient a lot which helped the film sustain and even have a recall value two years later. The makers are now back with the sequel, HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI and promises to be better or as funny as the first part. So does it manage to live upto the expectations? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse.
HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI is the story of mistaken identity that takes place in the neighbouring country of China. Harpreet Kaur aka Happy # 1 (Diana Penty) is accompanying her hubby Guddu (Ali Fazal) to Shanghai in China where the latter is invited to sing at an event. In the same flight, Harpreet Kaur aka Happy # 2 (Sonakshi Sinha) is also flying to Shanghai to find Aman Singh Wadhwa (Aparshakti Khurana) who was to marry her but ditched and flew to China on the wedding day. Happy # 2 mistakenly takes the cab that had come to pick up Happy # 1. It is learnt at this point that Guddu has been tricked into coming to China by Chang (Jason Tham). They want to kidnap Guddu and then force Happy # 1 to go to Pakistan, meet her friend Bilal (Abhay Deol) and compel his father to get into a business deal that he had promised to fulfill but had later cancelled. Sadly for Chang and his men, they got Happy # 2. With no other option, they are forced to kidnap Daman Singh Bagga (Jimmy Sheirgill) from India and inspector Usman Afridi (Piyush Mishra) from Pakistan and force them into finding Happy # 1 and take her to Pakistan. Happy # 2 meanwhile runs away from the clutches of Chang and bumps into Khushwant Singh Gill aka Khushi (Jassie Gill), a sardar who works at the Indian embassy. He decides to help Happy # 2. Usman and Bagga too manage to get free from Chang's hold and they team up with Khushi and Happy # 2. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Mudassar Aziz’s story is based on a wafer thin plot and doesn't have much logic in it but the humor makes up for it. Mudassar Aziz’s screenplay is engaging but one wishes he had done something about the loose ends. The scene where Usman gets horny on seeing the semi naked girls doesn’t really induce laughter. Mudassar Aziz’s dialogues are hilarious and witty. Dialogues had been the mainstay of the first part as well and in the sequel, they are funnier. At some places, it’ll pleasantly surprise you. For instance, the DANGAL reference is killer!
Mudassar Aziz’s direction is simple and uncomplicated. He uses a bit of a non-linear style in the beginning and it works very well. In the midst of fun and laughter, he inserts the somewhat sad flashback sequence of Happy # 2 and yet it engages viewers. It’s also thanks to his direction that the glitches in the script get overpowered to a great extent.
HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI doesn’t waste time and the story starts to move forward from the first scene itself. The misunderstanding owing to the name is neatly established. The real fun begins once Bagga and Usman enter the narrative. Their interactions are hilarious and take the film to another level. One of the funniest scenes is the madness that happens in Khushi's house when Chang arrives with Usman and Bagga. The flashback portion of Happy # 2 keeps the interest alive. The drama at the adult toy centre and the prison is not that funny but makes for an interesting watch. Also the film slips in the middle of the second half. But it picks up well in the pre climax. Watch out for the escalator sequence here; hilarious! The climax might be a bit underwhelming but has some funny moments. The film ends on a positive and 'Happy' note.
All the actors do a very commendable job. But it’s Jimmy Sheirgill and Piyush Mishra who take the cake. Jimmy Sheirgill is the soul of this series. By now he’s become a pro in playing roles of guys who don’t get the girl in the end. But he does it endearingly and it’s a treat to see that. Piyush Mishra comes next. He also contributes a lot to the funny quotient of the film. In the adult toy centre sequence, he is too good. Sonakshi Sinha delivers a very able performance. She completely looks the part and in some sequences, she dominates beautifully. Jassie Gill enters the series and even Bollywood with no expectations. However he turns out to be a nice surprise. Watch out for him in the scene where he starts blabbering nonsense while in shock. It’s sure to bring the house down! Diana Penty and Ali Fazal hardly have anything to do initially but give their best shot in the last 20 minutes. Jason Tham is an actor to watch out for. Denzil Smith (Adnan Chow) essays a novel and a never before seen character and is very impressive. Aparshakti Khurana leaves a mark but only in the second half. The actors playing Happy # 2’s father and sister are decent.
Sohail Sen’s music doesn’t work. The title song is the best of the lot. 'Swag Saha Nahi Jaye' comes next. 'Kudiye Ni Tere' is forced but stands out as it’s a rare song in today’s times sung by Udit Narayan. 'Koi Gal Nahi' is a forgettable composition but incorporating two Chinese men singing a Hindi song is funny! 'Chin Chin Chu' appears during the end credits. Sohail Sen's background score however is much better and suits the film's quirky mood.
Sunil Patel’s cinematography is sans complaints. Aparna Raina and Sheena Saini’s production design is realistic. Divya – Nidhhi and Ipshita Bhatnagar’s costumes are authentic and appealing. Ninad Khanolkar’s editing is slick but gets a bit dragging in the second half.
On the whole, HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI turns out to be a worthy sequel. Despite the loose ends, it manages to make audiences laugh thanks to its funny dialogues and situations, clean humour and bravura performances. At the box office, it will turn out to be a decent fare.
Movie Review: Stree
Horror comedies can be quite fun if handled well. Last year, we saw how GOLMAAL AGAIN became a blockbuster as it amalgamated horror and comedy in equal and entertaining doses. Earlier this year however, the Abhay Deol starrer NANU KI JAANU also belonged to this genre but failed miserably. Now debutant director Amar Kaushik is ready with his own horror comedy, titled STREE. So does STREE follow the footsteps of GOLMAAL AGAIN and entertain audiences? Or does it fail to impress, a la NANU KI JAANU? Let’s analyse.
STREE is based on folklore and a myth that has found acceptance in several states across India. Set in the Madhya Pradesh town of Chanderi, it tells the story of a bride’s wandering spirit who roams the streets for four days during an annual pooja. She calls out to young, unsuspecting men, and if they turn back, she takes it as their acceptance to be with her. Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is a gifted tailor in this town and he doesn’t believe in this myth. On the first day of pooja, a mysterious young girl (Shraddha Kapoor) approaches him to design her ghagra. She shows interest in him romantically and Vicky falls for him. Vicky tells his friends Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) and Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) about his love interest. Jana is happy for Vicky but Bittu cautions Vicky to be careful of her. Trouble arises when Bittu analyses the situation and realises that Vicky's love interest might be none other than Stree. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK and Pawan Sony’s story is based on a true phenomenon. They make great use of the plot as it’s quite fresh and they add the necessary elements to make it better. Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s screenplay is very effective and entertaining. The film’s duration is just right at 128 minutes and it keeps the audiences engaged. Sumit Aroraa’s dialogues are hilarious and very witty. Few one liners are sure to bring the house down.
Amar Kaushik’s direction is commendable, considering that this is his first film. He has handled the horror as well as dramatic scenes with panache. However for a horror comedy, the film gets a bit too spooky. Hence, it might be a bit too much for the family audiences. Secondly it seems he rushed through the ending. The build up is excellent but then he finishes it in a jiffy. Also the final scene will confuse a section of audiences and they might come out of the theatre in daze.
STREE begins on a high and sets the eerie mood. Immediately then, the entry of Vicky, Bittu and Jana make things light hearted. The manner in which Vicky and the girl fall in love is sweet. However the horror sequences are also neatly inserted in between. The sequence where Narendra (Aakash Dabhade) gets taken away is quite scary. However the most chilling sequence of the first half is the pre-interval sequence. Post intermission, the oscillation between fun and horror continues well. But the interest drops a bit at this point. Also, the ending has its moments but it’s also underwhelming and confusing.
Rajkummar Rao gets a chance to dabble in a new genre and he excels thoroughly. He genuinely gives an earnest performance and is a treat to see him getting spooked, delivering monologues and behaving madly in love. He is sure to bring the house down when he loses his cool in front of Jana and Stree. Also watch out for him in the second half sequence when he’s trying to analyse Stree. He’s terrific. Shraddha Kapoor delivers a fine performance and has a mysterious air about her as per the character's requirement. In the second half she gets better. Aparshakti Khurrana gives a great performance and he doesn’t get overboard. Same goes for Abhishek Banerjee. In fact he’s superb in the last one hour. Pankaj Tripathi is hardly there in the first half and he rocks big time in the second half. Vijay Raaz (Shastri) leaves a mark in the lone sequence. Flora Saini plays an important part with elan. Atul Srivastava (Vicky’s father) brings the house down in the scene where he talks to Rajkummar Rao about sex. Nora Fatehi is sizzling in the item number.
Sachin-Jigar’s music is entertaining. 'Darji' is peppy while 'Milegi Milegi' is the best of the lot but is played during the end credits. 'Kamariya' is entertaining while 'Nazar Na Lag Jaaye' is okay. 'Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe' is relegated to the background. Ketan Sodha’s background score is excellent and enhances the eerie quotient significantly. However the sound quality at some places could have been better.
Amalendu Chaudhary’s cinematography is ideal and sans any vague camerawork that certain horror films often have in Bollywood. He also has shot the locales of Chanderi beautifully. Madhusudhan’s production design is authentic. Manohar Verma and Gulzar Amin Khatib's action is nothing special. Prime Focus’ VFX is upto the mark. Hemanti Sarkar’s editing is simple and works well.
On the whole, STREE is a unique concoction of humour and horror that floors you completely. At the box office, this entertainer surely has a chance to tickle the audience’s funny bone, send a chill down their spine and ultimately give them a roller coaster experience. Impressive!
Movie Review: Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se
One of the most respected and humble film families has to be that of the Deols. It’s a treat to see the bond shared by Dharmendra with his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol. On-screen, it was first translated in APNE [2007]. But it was in the comic caper YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA [2011] where it worked big time. However, the sequel, YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA 2 [2013] failed to strike a chord with the audiences. Now the affable Deols are back with YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE. So does it entertain audiences like they did with the first part of the series? Or does it fail just like the second part? Let’s analyse.
YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE is the story of one man’s fight against a corrupt pharmaceutical company. Puran (Sunny Deol) is an Ayurveda expert who runs his clinic in Amritsar. He uses ancient medicinal knowledge passed on to him by his forefathers. Marfatia (Mohan Kapur), owner of Marfatia Pharma, tempts Puran’s younger brother, the good for nothing Kala (Bobby Deol), that he’ll offer Rs. 1 crore if he can convince Puran to part with the ‘vajrakawacha’ that can cure a host of diseases. Puran refuses the offer and even physically assaults Marfatia. Marfatia decides to take revenge for this humiliation. Meanwhile, Chikoo (Kriti Kharbanda), a surgeon from Surat, comes to Amritsar to study Ayurveda under Puran. Kala falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Marfatia slaps copyright case on Puran, alleging that he has the patent for ‘vajrakawacha’ and that Puran can’t use it in his clinic. Puran realizes that Marfatia has stolen the formula from him. Enter Jaywant Parmar (Dharmendra), Puran’s paying guest who has overstayed by years and pays a paltry Rs. 115 as monthly rent. Puran and Parmar don’t see eye-to-eye but when Puran gets into this legal tangle, Parmar, who’s an excellent lawyer, decides to help. What happens next forms the rest of the story.
Dheeraj Rattan’s story is very poor and dated. A plot like this would have worked in the 90s or even in the past decade but not anymore. Dheeraj Rattan’s screenplay is the biggest culprit. A wafer-thin plot can be turned into a great film if the script is cracked properly. But sadly, he makes a mess. A few sequences are well thought of at the story level but at the script level, it goes kaput. For instance, Parmar’s dilly-dallying in the court in the finale could have made for a hilarious sequence. Same goes for Kala’s drunken rants at night, a la ‘Mausiji’ sequence of Dharmendra in SHOLAY [1975]. Alas, these scenes are badly written and hence, make no impact whatsoever. Bunty Rathore and Vankush Arora’s dialogues are also not worthy enough. Only a few one-liners leave a mark.
Navaniat Singh’s direction is very ordinary. He didn’t add anything of his own and just executed a badly written script.
YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE does arrest attention in the beginning when sutradhar Annu Kapoor gives an introduction about Ayurveda medicines and its importance followed by Puran’s introduction. However, things go downhill once Kala is introduced. This is supposed to be a comic caper but throughout the film, there are hardly any scenes that would induce even a mild guffaw. The entire bit on who stole the formula from Puran’s clinic is very predictable. Kala-Chikoo’s love story is nothing special. In the second half, one expects things to get better as the madness shifts to Surat. But even here, there is hardly any scene that would be enjoyed or would touch audiences. The climax is long-drawn and the manner in which Parmar tries to waste time of the court goes on and on and tests audience’s patience.
Even in a poor film like this, Sunny Deol shines. He genuinely gives his best shot and he is the only one who strikes a chord with the audiences. His scene at the airport, for instance, is touching, though again the impact is marred by poor writing. In the climax, he gets a raw deal. His action scene should have got more footage than the dragging courtroom sequence. Bobby Deol is strictly okay and goes overboard in many scenes. Dharmendra shockingly has a late entry and has very little to do in the first half. It’s praiseworthy that he’s acting even at this age. He too tries his best but is letdown by the script. Kriti Kharbanda looks beautiful and gives a first-rate performance. She constantly tries to rise above the script and make the scene better. Shatrughan Sinha (Judge Sunil Sinha) is a well thought character and could have taken the film to another level had the writing being superlative. He looks quite old but entertains nevertheless. Mohan Kapur is alright as the villain while Rajesh Sharma (Lawyer Bhatia) leaves a mark in the courtoom scenes. Asrani (Nanu) is disappointing. Satish Kaushik (Bedi) is wasted. In fact, he is forced in the narrative in the climax. His presence makes no sense at all at this point. Paresh Ganatra (Real estate broker Paresh Patel) is fine and same goes for Binnu Dhillon (Billa). Bharat Bhatia (Sainath; Gujarati neighbour who’s always suspicious) plays his part well. Others are okay. Salman Khan has a cameo in the finale and he looks disinterested.
Music is also disappointing. 'Little Little' and 'Nazarbattu' have zero recall value. 'Rafta Rafta Medley' is shown in the end credits. Raju Singh’s background score is loud and over the top.
Jitan Harmeet Singh’s cinematography is nothing special. Rita Ghosh’s production design is theatrical. Vikram Dahiya’s action is quite nice. Manish More’s editing is okay.
On the whole, YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE is marketed as a comic caper but there are hardly any scenes that would make one laugh. Disappointing.
Movie Review: Laila Majnu
The eternal love story of Laila and Majnu has fascinated people over the centuries across several countries. In Bollywood itself, some 4-5 films have been made on the lovers, that too since the time of silent films era. Now Imtiaz Ali presents a film on this topic directed by his brother Sajid Ali in association with Ekta Kapoor. Imtiaz is known for his intense love stories and has shown obsessive characters in the past and Laila-Majnu’s tale is also on similar lines. So does LAILA MAJNU manage to do justice to the spirit of the story and turn out to be a great entertainer? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
LAILA MAJNU is the story of two lovers who are not destined to be together. Laila (Tripti Dimri) is a young girl in Srinagar who’s a flirt and likes attention from guys. One day she bumps into Kaes (Avinash Tripathy), a Casanova who has just returned from London. Laila at first is repulsed with Kaes’s stalking but slowly she falls for him. Both start dreaming of a future together. However, things aren’t going to be easy. Laila's father Masool (Parmeet Sethi) is in a feud with Kaes's father Ghulam Sarwar Bhat (Benjamin Gilani) with the former alleging that the latter took away his land by fraudulent means and built a five star hotel. Hence, the fathers of both Laila and Kaes get livid on finding out about their love affair. At the insistence of Kaes, Ghulam goes to meet Masool to ask Laila’s hand in marriage. Masool however humiliates him. A war of words ensues between the two. Masool decides to get Laila to Ibban (Sumeet Kaul), his trusted protégé. Kaes tries to find a way to stop this marriage. But when he’s not able to find any, he lands up at the wedding. He begs Masool to stop the marriage and when the latter doesn’t agree, Kaes insults him. Laila gets angry and asks him to leave. Kaes goes away in anger. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s story tries to do justice to the actual tale of Laila and Majnu. But Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s screenplay is difficult to digest especially in the second half. Also it gives a déjà vu of ROCKSTAR [2011]. Hence, the freshness element gets marred since viewers have already seen it before. But there are places where the craziness crosses all boundaries and it is unconvincing. Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s dialogues are however effective.
Sajid Ali’s direction is quite good for a first timer and he definitely seems inspired by brother Imtiaz. He keeps viewers engaged but he fails to achieve mass appeal for his film.
LAILA MAJNU's beginning evokes mixed reaction. The character of Laila is presented in a unique manner but to show her as a flirt is unconvincing. The sequence of Kaes peeing at the same spot where Laila is hiding is disgusting and one wonders why the writer wrote such a scene. Things get better once Laila and Kaes start seeing each other. The scene where Ibban follows Laila and Kaes is quite dramatic and same goes for the sequence where both the fathers meet. The intermission comes at a significant juncture. Post interval, the film goes on a different track as Kaes transforms into Majnu. This bit is bound to go bouncer for a lot of audiences as the depiction of his craziness is extreme. The film also ends on an unconvincing note.
Performances however are exemplary. Avinash Tripathy delivers a confident and a very impressive performance. As Kaes, he’s efficient but as Majnu, he goes on another level. And it doesn’t appear like a caricature. This is no easy feat. Tripti Dimri does a great job in playing the vivacious Laila and again, knows where to draw the line while enacting. In the second half however she gets limited screen time. Sumit Kaul is the surprise of the film. He plays his part very nicely and he’s sure to get noticed and talked about! Parmeet Sethi and Benjamin Gilani deliver decent performances. Sahiba Bali (Laila’s sister) is fine. Others do a good job.
Joi Barua and Niladri Kumar's music is indispensable to the film. Not all songs are memorable but they add to the impact. 'Hafiz Hafiz' is the best of the lot as it is in sync with the crazy happenings in the film. 'O Meri Laila', 'Tum', 'Sarphiri' and 'Gayee Kaam Se' are soulful and melodious. Hitesh Sonik’s background score is also very nicely done.
Sayak Bhattacharya’s cinematography is spectacular. Kashmir has been captured in a lot of films but never like this. Niharika Bhasin Khan’s costumes are very authentic and same goes for production design. Editing is simple and neat.
On the whole, LAILA MAJNU is embellished with some fine performances but it is not meant for the mainstream audience. Also with very little buzz surrounding the film, it will be a challenge for the movie to register impressive numbers at the box office.
Movie Review: Paltan
It’s always fascinating to know about a chapter of history which is forgotten but holds an important place. In the past, we have seen with films like AIRLIFT [2016], NEERJA [2016] and the recently released GOLD which spoke about heroic instances and all these films were lapped up by the audiences. Now, J P Dutta, known for his war films, is back with PALTAN. After BORDER [1997] and LOC: KARGIL [2003], J P Dutta completes his war trilogy with his latest flick which also enlightens viewers about something that they should be proud of. So does PALTAN succeed in giving the viewers an exhilarating time? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse.
PALTAN tells the story of a military clash between India and China in 1967. This is a time when the state of Sikkim isn’t a part of India. China wants to capture it by hook or by crook for strategic reasons but due to international pressure, they can’t make their intentions public. Yet, at Nathu La border in Sikkim, they keep engaging in minor skirmishes to scare the Indian forces which are stationed there after the king of Sikkim granted them permission. Maj. Gen. Sagat Singh (Jackie Shroff) appoints Lt. Col. Rai Singh Yadav (Arjun Rampal) as the in charge of Nathu La. Rai has undergone training in London and is well versed with Chinese tactics. Some of the officers under him at Nathu La are Major Bishen Singh (Sonu Sood), Captain Prithvi Singh Dagar (Gurmeet Choudhary), Major Harbhajan Singh (Harshvardhan Rane), 2 Lt. Attar Singh (Luv Sinha), Hawaldar Lakshmi Chand (Abhilash Chaudhary) etc. Frustrated with the constant harassment by Chinese, Rai recommends that a permanent fence be laid down dividing the Indian and Chinese border. This would stop the regular fights between the forces of both countries over where exactly the border line is. Work on the fencing begins on the Indian side and it rattles the Chinese as this would put their plan of capturing Sikkim in jeopardy. With no other option in hand, the Chinese forces open fire and a war breaks out between the two countries. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
J P Dutta's story is based on real life incidents and he tries his best to keep it as authentic as possible. J P Dutta’s screenplay is engaging. Even in the repetitive scenes, one doesn’t get bored. J P Dutta’s dialogues are simple and sharp. But there are far too many famous quotes mouthed by actors every few minutes.
J P Dutta’s direction is topnotch. Often, filmmakers who shined in the 80s and 90s are not able to move in with the times, a recent example being of Anil Sharma who directed GENIUS. But J P Dutta takes care of this bit and ensures the audience of today will be interested in the film. At the same time he has kept his sensibility intact. He however should have not let the proceedings to be stretched and should have avoided scenes similar to BORDER. But he executed the war scenes like a pro. Also he ensured the audiences can feel the tension at the border.
PALTAN is two and a half hours long and takes a long time in the build up. The war commences only in the middle of the second half and that’s when the film truly shines. Before that, the film has its moments but not in entirety. One of the most heartbreaking sequences of the film is in the beginning showing a postman delivering the telegram to several houses in a neighborhood and thereby informing them of the demise of their family members in the 1962 war. The manner in which the postman nonchalantly delivers the telegram and cries can be heard in the background is quite chilling. After the story shifts to 1967, the film continues to be engaging. But it gets repetitive. There are far too many sequences of the Chinese soldiers arguing with the Indians. Also some amount of time is devoted in throwing light on the personal lives of the soldiers and their lovers. It is interesting but it has a BORDER hangover. The war sequence however is sans complaints. It is heroic and would surely induce claps and whistles. Also the scene of the family members receiving the remains of the soldiers will put a lump in your throat.
Jackie Shroff is in a supporting role and does fine. Some of his English dialogues in the beginning are a bit difficult to comprehend. Arjun Rampal plays the main officer in charge of the border and he nicely plays his part. The way he shows aggression but also knows when to restrain himself is impressive. Sonu Sood is a natural and adds a lot to the film. Gurmeet Choudhary leaves a huge mark with his humour, temper and also his romantic side. Harshvardhan Rane also delivers a stupendous performance and looks perfect as the angry young Sardar. Both Gurmeet and Harshavardhan are going to receive maximum applause and whistles in the finale! These two young actors get a chance to show their true potential in this film. Siddhanth Kapoor gets limited scope but is memorable as he plays the interpreter. Luv Sinha is alright but gets to show his worth in some very important scenes in the 2nd half. Abhilash Chaudhary and Nagender Choudhary get very limited scope. Rohit Roy (Major Cheema) is wasted. As for the actresses, Monica Gill (Harjyot) gets the maximum scope followed by Dipika Kakar (Captain Prithvi Singh Dagar's fiance) and both are nice. Esha Gupta (Lt. Col. Rai Singh Yadav’s wife) is hardly there while Sonal Chauhan (Major Bishen Singh's wife) appears only for a few seconds in a song.
Anu Malik’s music isn’t of chartbuster variety but works for the film. The title track is average and 'Raat Kitni' is forced but somehow works. 'Main Zinda Hoon' generates the most impact. Sanjoy Chowdhury’s background score is dramatic and adds to the excitement.
Nigam Bomzan and Shailesh Awasthi's cinematography is breathtaking and has captured the locales beautifully. However in terms of authenticity, the film falters a bit as they have tried to recreate Sikkim in Ladakh and obviously the topographies of both regions are different. Amrish Patange and Dayanidhi Patturajan's production design is very real. The huge billboard of Mao Zedong creates an impact. Sham Kaushal’s action is terrific and makes the war scenes so real but at the same time he avoids gore. Ballu Saluja’s editing is appropriate. VFX however is could have better at a few places.
On the whole, PALTAN not only enlightens viewers about a lost chapter in history but also entertains viewers while doing so. Though the buzz is limited, a good word of mouth can definitely help the film.
Movie Review: Manmarziyaan
Bollywood is primarily known for love stories and many of the films belonging to this genre have been huge successes. A lot of these have been love triangles. But soon it emerged that it doesn’t project the reality, especially the confusion that prevails in such situations. Anurag Kashyap, known for dark and hard-hitting cinema, decides to switch gears and make a light-hearted romantic story dealing with three characters. So does this ‘commercial experiment’ work? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
MANMARZIYAAN is the story of a girl trapped between two lovers. Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) is a rebellious girl from Amritsar. She is orphaned at a young age and stays with her paternal uncle and family. She’s in love with Vicky aka DJ Sandzzz (Vicky Kaushal) who stays close to her house. Vicky is used to secretly coming to her house to meet her in her bedroom. One day, he gets caught and all hell breaks loose. Rumi’s family members decide to get her married. But Rumi puts her foot down, stating that she’ll marry only Vicky. She also assures that Vicky and his parents will come to their house to ask her hand for marriage. However, Vicky shies away from responsibilities. Hence, he gets a jolt when Rumi brings up the topic of marriage. Meanwhile, Robbie (Abhishek Bachchan), based in London, arrives at Amritsar to meet his family and get married, as per the wishes of his family. Realizing that Vicky is commitment and marriage phobic, Rumi gives the nod to her family to find someone for marriage. Hence, Robbie and Rumi meet. For Robbie, it’s love at first sight. Rumi also agrees for marriage. Vicky gets livid when he hears about her wedding. A day before the marriage, he tells Rumi that he’s changed and is ready to take responsibilities and get married. Rumi still has love for Vicky and she agrees to elope with him. She first meets Robbbie at night and informs him that she can’t get married to him. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Kanika Dhillon’s story is impressive and a bit novel, despite based on a premise that’s been done to death hundreds of times. Kanika Dhillon’s screenplay is engaging and layered at places. The characters are very well fleshed out and the dynamics shared by them are superb. However, after a point, the film begins to slip in the second half. Also, at around 155 minutes, the film is a bit too long. Moreover, the bold theme of the film may put off certain section of audiences. The appeal of the film hence might be towards the urban and youth audiences more than others. Kanika Dhillon’s dialogues are powerful and acidic. The funny one-liners are also well written.
Anurag Kashyap’s direction carries his trademark stamp although the subject here is a bit lighter as compared to his other films. He does justice to the overall plot but when the film begins to get a bit repetitive, even his execution is not able to do much.
Let’s get one thing straight. MANMARZIYAAN is not a remake of DHADKAN [2000] or HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM [1999] as alleged by some netizens after watching the trailer. From the treatment to the characters to the happenings, there’s no similarity between these two films and MANMARZIYAAN. The film begins on a fun, musical note, depicting the hot romance between Vicky and Rumi. As the title suggests, the characters in the film do as their heart pleases. This aspect is brought right correctly, especially in the first half. The way dramatic sequences and songs are neatly blended also make for a good watch. One of the best scenes of the first half is when Rumi blasts Vicky in the middle of the highway. The intermission comes at a crucial point and one looks forward to what will happen next. Sadly, the film slips in the second half and even starts dragging. The pre-climax is unconvincing although the way the finale is presented makes up for it.
MANMARZIYAAN is embellished with some fine performances. Taapsee Pannu is electrifying and one can’t take one’s eyes off her. In recent times, she has given some memorable performances like PINK [2016], NAAM SHABANA [2017] and in the recently released MULK [2018]. But her performance in MANMARZIYAAN stands out and is surely her most accomplished work till date! Vicky Kaushal who is on a great spree this year delivers a yet another rocking performance. He gets totally into the skin of the character and looks every inch a wannabe musician cum DJ from a small North Indian town. His breakdowns, his silences, his way of communicating with his eyes are too good. Abhishek Bachchan maintains a strong position and it’s a pleasure to see him on screen after ages. He gets to play the role of a soft-spoken guy while the other two characters are quite dynamic. But this doesn’t mean that he gets overshadowed. He makes his presence felt and his breakdown in the second half is something to watch out for. Also watch out how he emotes in the ‘suhaag raat’ sequence immediately after interval and when the marriage bureau guy tries to badmouth Rumi. Supporting characters in the film also do a very fine job. Ashnoor Kaur (Kiran; Rumi’s cousin sister) is fine. Saurabh Sachdeva (Kaka ji, who runs the marriage bureau) has a crucial part and does very well. Vikram Kochhar (Robbie’s brother) adds to the fun quotient. The actors playing Rumi’s Darji and Robbie’s mother are also quite good.
Amit Trivedi’s music is one of the pillars of the film as it’s a musical. Not all songs are memorable but they are well inserted in the narrative. ‘Daryaa’ is the best of the lot and both the versions are played in some important scenes. ‘Grey Walaa Shade’, played in the very beginning, sets the mood of the film. ‘F For Fyaar’ is hardly there while ‘Dhayaan Chand’ is funky and well shot. ‘Bijlee Giregi’ is peppy and ‘Kundali’ is a nice celebratory track. ‘Hallaa’ is played during a very tense sequence. ‘Chonch Ladhiyaan’ and ‘Jaisi Teri Marzi’ are sweet while ‘Sacchi Mohabbat’ is poignant. Amit Trivedi’s background score is also very much in sync with the film’s theme. And watch out for the twin sensations, Poonam Shah and Priyanka Shah, dancing in the middle of the Amritsar streets while the characters go about with their lives. It gives a unique touch!
Sylvester Fonseca's cinematography captures the tensions, the realistic locations and the locales of Kashmir beautifully. Meghna Gandhi's production design is straight out of life and psychedelic in the scenes of Vicky’s studio. Prashant Sawant's costumes are quite appropriate. All characters are dressed as per their personalities. Aarti Bajaj's editing is simple and neat.
On the whole, MANMARZIYAAN comes across as a contemporary and an unorthodox tale laced with some brilliant performances and powerful writing. The bold theme of the film might restrict its appeal but its target audience is sure to give the film a thumbs up.
Movie Review: Mitron
The entrepreneur spirit of the Gujaratis is well known globally. However, this aspect and the overall flavour of Gujarat hasn’t been captured well in our films. Barring KAI PO CHE (2013), none of the films based in Gujarat in recent times like GORI TERE PYAAR MEIN (2013), SWEETIEE WEDS NRI (2017), PATEL KI PUNJABI SHAADI (2017) and YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE (2018) have failed to do justice to the Gujarat setting. Now FILMISTAAN director Nitin Kakkar tries his luck with a film based in a Gujarat city. So does he manage to put up a convincing show? Or does he fail in the process? Let’s analyse.
MITRON is the story of two people, both of whom are the black sheep in their respective families. Jai (Jackky Bhagnani) is a good for nothing youth in Ahmedabad. His father (Neeraj Sood) leaves no opportunity to chide him for wasting his life despite having a degree in automobile engineering. His interest lies in cooking and even he starts a YouTube channel. But it doesn’t pay dividends. He’s advised to make prank videos as it can get record views. Sadly his father catches him in the act. He decides to get him married, as per the recommendations of an astrologer and also with the hope that it’ll make him responsible. Meanwhile, Avni (Kritika Kamra) is a smart, responsible girl. She too doesn’t get respect from her father (Sunieel Sinha) since he always wanted a son. Hence he can’t wait to get her married. Avni is in love with Vikram (Prateik Babbar) and both plan to start a food truck business and also eventually settle down. However Vikram ditches her suddenly. Avni then accepts her father’s suggestion for arranged marriage. At this point, Jai and Avni meet. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Sharib Hashmi's story is adapted from a Telugu film PELLI CHOOOPULU (2016), which is written and directed by Tharun Bhaskar Dhaassyam. It is interesting and although a bit clichéd, it has potential. Sharib Hashmi's screenplay is entertaining and engaging. The food truck and the good for nothing character gives a déjà vu of CHEF (2017) and BAND BAAJA BAARAAT (2010). Sharib Hashmi's dialogues are quite creative and hilarious.
Nitin Kakkar's direction is neat and uncomplicated, despite the non-linear narrative in the first half. In the second half, he could have done a better job at few places. This is especially in the scene where Jai gets late for the engagement brunch. That he had too much of drinks a day before and the manner in which he had no plan in place for the snacks that he was supposed to prepare seemed very unconvincing. Moreover, the title of the film doesn’t completely capture the film’s essence. However, overall Nitin managed to capture the flavour of Gujarat very well.
MITRON's first ten minutes are flat with none of the jokes working. It’s only when Jai and Avni get trapped in a room and they narrate about their life is when the film picks up. The flashback is told interestingly; notice how the actors break the fourth wall at places smoothly while narrating their tale. The manner in which Jai catches his girlfriend Shruti indulging in cheating is sure to bring the house down. Also, Jai's attempt at pranking people by pretending to immolate himself is hilarious. The track of Avni and Vikram begins unexpectedly but it has its moments. The twist during the intermission point works. Post interval, the fun continues. The humiliation faced by Avni at the engagement brunch is a crucial sequence handled well (although the scenes that lead to it are difficult to digest) and also the following sequence involving Jai and Avni's father. The pace does drop here but it gets back on track in the climax.
This is a comeback of sorts for actor Jackky Bhagnani (his last Hindi film was WELCOME TO KARACHI in 2015) and he gives a genuinely good performance. He gets the diction right and keeps his act controlled. Kritika Kamra makes a very confident debut. She gets chance to display her talent in the second half. Pratik Gandhi (Raunak) steals the show and gets to mouth some very funny one-liners. Deepu (Shivam Parekh) gets totally sidelined. Neeraj Sood also ensures he doesn’t get overboard and irritating and does a fine job. Prateik Babbar is impressive. The actors playing Perline (Richa) and Shruti (Jai’s girlfriend in the call centre) are okay.
Songs are quite peppy and reflect the mood of the film. 'Kamariya', played in the intro scene and during the end credits, is the best song of the lot and is bound to linger in one’s mind for a long time. 'Sawarne Lage' comes next and its theme music is a bit loud but again, very catchy. 'Ghar Ke Hai Na Ghat Ke' has a nice 80s vibe and is also sung by Bappi Lahiri. 'Chalte Chalte' is sweet. ‘Door Na Ja’ doesn’t make much of an impact although it’s sung beautifully by Sonu Nigam. Sameer Uddin's background score is fun and dramatic.
Manoj Kumar Khatoi's cinematography gives the film a commercial touch. The locales of Ahmedabad, especially the long shots, are well taken. Urvi Ashar Kakkar and Shipra Rawal's production design is fine, with the food truck standing out. Mandira Shukla's costumes are quite real and appealing. Sachindra Vats's editing is quite impressive, especially in the first half.
On the whole, MITRON is a feel-good film and can surely appeal to the family audiences. Unfortunately, the lack of buzz and acute competition this week will prove detrimental.
Review: Batti Gul Meter Chalu is an average, one-time watch
It’s often said that there are 2 India’s within this country. One is the urban India where the infrastructure is developed and all facilities like electricity, water supply, sanitation etc. are readily available. But there’s a part of India which still struggles with basic facilities. Shortage of electricity is one of the major problems of our country even today with power cuts being very frequent almost daily. On top of it, it’s not uncommon to come across reports of people slapped with insanely inflated electricity bills. Director Shree Narayan Singh, who impressed audiences last year with the social entertainer TOILET – EK PREM KATHA, is now back with BATTI GUL METER CHALU, and it also promises to be an entertainer with substance. So does BATTI GUL METER CHALU manage to impress and move viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse.
BATTI GUL METER CHALU is the story of the struggles of the common man with regards to the inconsistent electric supply. Sushil Kumar Pant aka SK (Shahid Kapoor), Lalita Nautiyal aka Nauti (Shraddha Kapoor) and Sundar Mohan Tripathi (Divyenndu) are thick friends. All three are based in Tehri in Uttarakhand. While SK is a lawyer who likes to earn a quick buck by blackmailing people and arm-twisting them, Nauti runs a boutique shop and dreams of becoming a top designer. Sundar is a simpleton who has recently started his factory, called UK Packaging. Both SK and Sundar have feelings for Nauti. Nauti decides to date both of them one by one and decides to announce her decision as to whom she’ll eventually get into a relationship with. At first, she dates SK and she has a lovely time. Then, it’s Sundar’s turn and he floors her with his simplicity and honesty. One day, SK sees them cosying up to each other and he loses his mind. He stops talking to them and leaves for Mussoorie. Meanwhile, Sundar is slapped with a bill of Rs. 54 lakhs by the private electricity company SPTL. He tries his best to find a solution to it and explain to the concerned authorities that it’s impossible that he has consumed so much of electricity. Moreover, due to power cuts, he’s already using generator which has put additional burden on his finances. Realizing that he might have to sell off his ancestral house to pay off the dues, Sundar approaches SK for help. But SK is hurt that Nauti chose Sundar over him. Hence, he ridicules both of them. With no other solution in hand, Sundar decides to end his life. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Siddharth-Garima and Vipul Rawal’s story is simple which held a lot of promise but is not put together well. The basic premise has potential as it’s very relatable but it doesn’t come out properly. Siddharth-Garima’s screenplay is engaging only at places. There are far too many flaws and they get noticed easily. The film also reminds one of another courtroom drama, the JOLLY LLB series. Moreover, a crucial development is similar to Shahid’s own film CHUP CHUP KE [2006]. Siddharth-Garima’s dialogue has some funny punchlines. But the excessive use of terms like ‘thehra’ and ‘bal’ could have been avoided. In fact, the film’s length could have been reduced by ten minutes if these two words were chopped off!
Shree Narayan Singh’s direction is weak. He had a bit flawed but interesting write-up in hand and any other capable director could have turned things around. But Shree Narayan Singh doesn’t succeed much. There’s no doubt that he has handled some moments deftly and does make viewers aware about how acute the problem in question is. But his execution leaves a lot to be desired.
BATTI GUL METER CHALU is almost 161 minutes long and it’s first half could have been easily shortened by around 30 minutes. The beginning sequences depicting the friendship of the trio are strictly okay. Things begin to heat up once Nauti decides to date SK and then Sundar. The scene where Sundar spots Nauti and Sundar kissing is quite dramatic. Also, the entire Mussoorie sequence raises laughs and also has a great confrontational moment. The intermission point is dramatic. Post-interval, the scene of SK threatening the SPTL lawyer in the ombudsman office is whistle worthy. But the real fun begins with the courtroom sequence. The way SK catches hold of Gulnar Rizvi’s (Yami Gautam) soft-porn book and reads aloud an excerpt will bring the house down! A few of the facts revealed by SK are also startling. The climax ideally should have been a highpoint but sadly, it’s a point where the film comes down. Moreover, the villains in the story are not powerful enough. SK is fighting such a huge electricity company and he has even got the public on his side during the course of his fight. Yet, at no point does the company threaten him or his family members or physically assault him. They quietly let things happen and this bit looks very unconvincing.
Shahid Kapoor is one of the major reasons why the film succeeds to an extent. He’s in top form and will be loved for his comic timing. In the second half, he’s a riot! Also, he gives a wonderful performance in the emotional sequences. Shraddha Kapoor is over the top in the beginning sequences and it’s only in the serious scenes of the second half where she scores. Divyenndu is quite sincere and as always, gives an able performance. Yami Gautam has a very late entry and gives a fine performance. However, the scenes where she gets teased in the courtroom might not be liked by the female audiences. Atul Srivastav (Murarilal Tripathi; Sundar’s father) has some important scenes and is nice. Mukesh S Bhatt (Upreti) has quite a lot of screen time but doesn’t contribute much. Sushmita Mukherjee (Judge) tries to do a Saurabh Shukla of JOLLY LLB but looks forced. Sudhir Pande (D N Pant) is strictly okay and some of his scenes, shown in the trailer, are removed from the final cut. His entire track of trying to find a second wife doesn’t add at all to the main plot. Farida Jalal (Dadi) and Supriya Pilgaonkar (Beena Nautiyal) are wasted. Samir Soni (Sanjay Baduriya) looks tired and it seems like his voice has been dubbed. Rajendra Chawla (Janak Khanduri; officer at the complaint office) and Sukhvinder Chahal (Pankay Bahugana; SPTL official who gets caught in sting operation) are quite nice. Bijendra Kala (Deendayal Gangotri Travels owner) is as always good. Vikas (Sharib Hashmi) is unrecognizable while Badrul Islam (Kalyan) is decent. But their track is such that viewers might not be able to comprehend its significance. Anushka Ranjan (Rita) gets no scope.
As for the songs, ‘Gold Tamba’ is catchy and ‘Har Har Gange’ comes at a crucial juncture. ‘Hard Hard’ and ‘Dekhte Dekhte’ are forced. Vijay Verma, Anamik and Lyton's background score is disappointing in the light-hearted scenes but gets better in the second half. Anshuman Mahaley's cinematography is appropriate but the makers should have avoided taking too many long shots of the town. Udai Prakash Singh’s production design is realistic. Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Kumar Ghosh’s costumes are as per the requirements of the characters. Post House’s VFX is very bad especially in the scenes shot in the day but are presented as night sequences. Shree Narayan Singh’s editing could have been better and crisper.
On the whole, BATTI GUL METER CHALU is an average, one-time watch entertainer that appeals only in parts. The film has lot of flaws and loose ends and Shahid Kapoor’s entertaining performance saves the day to an extent. At the box office, it will require a really strong word of mouth to attract footfalls.
Movie Review: Manto
Is freedom of expression absolute? What constitutes obscenity and indecency? These are the questions our present-day Indian society is grappling with especially when artistes sometimes try to push the envelope. This is unfortunate, considering our history is replete with some very progressive artists who set the benchmark for progressiveness and yet, our society moved forward. Saadat Hasan Manto was one such writer and his works continue to fascinate readers even today. Nandita Das, after years of struggle, is finally ready with her film on this personality, titled MANTO. So does MANTO manage to stir and move viewers just like the writer’s works? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse.
MANTO throws light on the four decisive years of the life of Saadat Hasan Manto (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a rebellious writer. The story begins in 1946 in Bombay, India. Manto is a non-practicing Muslim but has his apprehensions when the communal riots break out at a time when the country is at the cusp of freedom. He is married to Safia (Rasika Dugal) and he earns his living by writing for films. His close friends are fellow liberal writer Ismat Chugtai (Rajshri Deshpande) and film actor Shyam Chadda (Tahir Raj Bhasin). Meanwhile, India gains Independence on August 15, 1947. Saifa goes to Lahore to attend her sister’s wedding. Manto meets Shyam’s family who have run from Rawalpindi to India and have lost a family member while escaping. Shyam, in a fit of rage, expresses his hatred for Muslims and even tells Manto that he could have killed him too. A distraught Manto decides to leave India permanently and settle in Lahore. There, he is slapped with obscenity charges over his story ‘Thanda Gosht’. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Nandita Das’s story is interesting as it doesn’t throw light on Manto’s entire life but only on the four years. It also makes a nice comment on the idea of freedom of expression and how society continues to create problems for those who are showing the mirror. Nandita Das’s screenplay has its moments with few scenes being exceptionally written. However, at a lot of places, the film fails to make the desired impact which is unfortunate since the film has a lot of potential. Nandita Das’s dialogues are sharp and acidic. Manto’s original quotes are also used and it adds an authentic touch. However, a lot of dialogues are in chaste Urdu and English subtitles thankfully have been provided.
Nandita’s direction is unhurried and breezy. The subject reminds one of Ketan Mehta’s RANG RASIYA [2014], which also spoke of an artist being dragged to court over a frivolous issue, and the acclaimed Spanish film NERUDA [2016], based on the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. But Nandita with her execution ensures that viewers don’t start drawing parallels with these two films. Special mention should be made of two aspects – one, she doesn’t get overwhelmed with the period setup and doesn’t try to focus more on the sets and props. She instead keeps her focus on her protagonist. Secondly, she handles few sensitive factors with panache, one of them being Manto’s friendship with Ismat. The manner in which their pure friendship is depicted with Manto’s wife also acknowledging it makes for a nice watch. But on the other hand, she makes the film too dry, especially in the second half. This heavily mars the impact.
MANTO is just 112 minutes long but could have been tighter, like Nandita Das’s previous directorial venture FIRAAQ [2009]. The characters are well established and the manner in which Manto’s stories are interspersed with the narrative smoothly is praiseworthy. The first half is shorter and has some memorable sequences – Manto getting livid with the producer (Rishi Kapoor), Manto and Safia trying to imagine the back story of a woman they see in a park and Manto and Safia witnessing the Independence Day celebrations. The best sequence of the first half however has to be Manto and Shyam’s confrontation in the local train. The second half is longer and this is where the film slips. Manto’s struggles could have been showed in a better manner. Also, the film has some great characters but barring 2 or 3, the rest don’t get their due like the lecherous film producer (Rishi Kapoor), Shaad Amritsari (Shashank Arora), Jaddan bai (Ila Arun), Nargis (Feryna Wazheir), Tea Stall Man (Neeraj Kabi), Ansar Shabnam Dil (Vijay Varma), Abid Ali Abid (Javed Akhtar) etc. The climax is symbolic but looks a bit abrupt. As a result, MANTO will appeal only to the high-end multiplex audiences.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the soul of MANTO and succeeds in giving a yet another memorable performance. The actor breathes life into the character and does justice as he portrays his various sides. One of the most underrated aspects of his performance is when he feels fearful (notice him in the scene with Ashok Kumar). Rasika Dugal has a crucial part and plays her part with aplomb. Tahir Raj Bhasin delivers a bravura performance. In the second half, his screen time is limited and although he does well, the happenings in the said sequence seem superficial. Rajshri Deshpande is terrific in a cameo and one wishes she had a longer role. Rishi Kapoor is good as the sleazy filmmaker. Shashank Arora has an important part but no explanation is given as to who exactly is he and how a bond is formed between him and Manto. Ila Arun gets to shine in the scene where she sings the song. Neeraj Kabi is as always exceptional but again, has hardly anything to do. Vijay Varma, mostly remembered as the antagonist in PINK, is decent. Javed Akhtar is impressive, giving one a déjà vu of Naseeruddin Shah’s cameo in the Pakistani film KHUDA KAY LIYE [2007]. Inammulhaq (Hamid) and Chandan Roy Sanyal (Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi) are okay and don’t get much scope. Feryna Wazheir gets no dialogue although she quite looks the part. The actor who played Ashok Kumar is a bit over the top but manages to get the nuances right.
Then there are actors who play the characters of Manto’s stories. Out of these, Ranvir Shorey (Ishrat Singh) and Divya Dutta (Kulwant Kaur) get the maximum scope and create a tremendous impact. This is followed by Vinod Nagpal (Bishan Singh; Sikh man in Toba Tek Singh). Paresh Rawal (Pimp), Tillotama Shome (Prostitute), Gurdas Maan (Sirajuddin) and Purab Kohli (Kaifiyat) also do very well.
Sneha Khanwalkar's music doesn’t get much scope. ‘Nagri Nagri’ gets registered as it’s played at an important part. ‘Bol Ke Lab Azaad Hain’ comes during the end credits. The rap song ‘Mantoiyat’ thankfully is not made a part of the film. Zakir Hussain's background score is subtle and impactful. Kartik Vijay's cinematography is neat. Rita Ghosh's production design, Sheetal Iqbal Sharma's costumes and Shrikant Desai's hair and make-up are too good and play an important role in giving the film a realistic, authentic touch. Prana Studios's VFX matches the global standards. All these come together very well in recreating the bygone era. A Sreekar Prasad's editing is simple.
On the whole, MANTO has its moments and makes an important comment which is relevant in today’s times. However, the second half is weak and the film overall is too niche. Hence, it won’t appeal to the mainstream audience and this would affect its box office performance.
Movie Review: Pataakha
Ask anyone who has a sibling and they’ll admit that they have had physical fights with them while growing up. This aspect however has been rarely explored in our Hindi films, although a few films have talked about the relationship between brothers or sisters. While most grow out of our action avatars when it comes to our siblings, some don’t. Shakun Batra’s KAPOOR & SONS [2016] explored this aspect as it showed Sidharth Malhotra and Fawad Khan indulging in physical assaults as grown up adults. Vishal Bhardwaj now turns the tables with his latest outing PATAAKHA and throws light on the lives of two sisters who have no qualms fighting with each other. So does PATAAKHA succeed in entertaining viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse.
PATAAKHA is the bittersweet story of two badass sisters. Badki (Radhika Madan) and her sister Chhutki (Sanya Malhotra) reside in a village in Rajasthan. Their mother is no more while their doting father Bapu (Vijay Raaz) works as a mine contractor nearby. Badki and Chhutki are forever fighting and beating each other for the smallest of reasons. Bapu as a result is perennially tensed. The sisters then fall in love – Badki with Jagan (Namit Das) while Chhutki falls for Vishnu (Abhishek Duhan). On the other hand, Bapu risks losing his mine if he doesn’t give bribe to tune of Rs. 4 lakhs to the new forest officer. Patel (Sanand Verma), the Mr Moneybags of the village and also the one with a roving eye, agrees to pay the said amount to Bapu in exchange for marriage with either Badki or Chhutki. A simple toss decides who’ll marry Patel. Badki unfortunately is selected as Patel’s wife-to-be. Chhutki is overjoyed that she’ll finally be free of Badki’s torture. However, on the eve of the wedding, Badki elopes with Jagan. On the day of the marriage, Patel decides to marry Chhutki instead. When Patel arrives for the wedding at night, he’s shocked to see that Chhutki has run away as well, with Vishnu! Both the sisters get married to their respective lovers. However, their joy is shortlived when they realize that Vishnu and Jagan are brothers and even after marriage, they’ll have to share the household with each other. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Charan Singh Pathik’s story (originally published as a tale called ‘Do Behenein’) is interesting and novel. Vishal Bhardwaj’s screenplay has some plusses. He has kept the tone of the film light and fleshed out some scenes very well. An interesting sequence in the first half that stands out is Badki enquiring at the milk plant while Chhutki making inquiries at a coaching institute. Notice how the camera pans out to a poster of Narendra Modi hugging Donald Trump! It’ll surely induce chuckles. Also, the way he draws a parallel to India and Pakistan’s equation while describing Badki and Chhutki’s relationship is interesting. However, in the second half, he loses grip over several scenes. Vishal Bhardwaj’s dialogues are witty at places. At few places however, some dialogues are difficult to decipher.
Vishal Bhardwaj’s direction is controlled but in a few scenes, he could have done a better job. The entire portion of Badki and Chhutki facing physical ailments look very unrealistic and takes away the charm created by the earlier scenes. Moreover, a few scenes are disgusting and were avoidable. For instance, there was no need of showing excreta, people spitting on stones repeatedly etc. As it is, the visuals of women fighting are going to keep a section of audiences away and such scenes would further add to the alienation.
PATAAKHA is a black comedy and definitely has its moments. The duration thankfully is controlled, at 136 minutes. The beginning portions are breezy and entertaining. Thankfully, the scenes of physical fights between the sisters are not incorporated every now and then. The way Badki and Chhutki fall in love seems a bit quick but works. But the equation is very well established among the principal characters. The scenes where the sisters run away make for a nice watch and same goes for when they realize that their husbands are related. Post-interval, the interest dips a bit in the initial portions. The interest rises again when Badki and Chhutki hatch a plan for independence from each other. Once that happens, the film shockingly goes downhill. The withdrawal symptoms faced by them are too unconvincing and difficult to digest. The finale thankfully has some fun moments which bring the film back on track.
Sanya Malhotra, last seen in DANGAL [2016], can once again be seen getting into the mud while trying to defeat her opponent. This is no easy role and it required confidence and losing inhibitions. On both fronts, Sanya scores very well and the same goes for Radhika Madan. Not many actresses would like to do such a role in the initial years of their careers. But Radhika not only took up the challenge but also came out with flying colours. Sunil Grover (Dipper) has the most rocking character in the film and he’s surely the trump card of PATAAKHA. His scenes would be loved by the audiences as he tries to complicate matters into the lives of the warring sisters and her father. Performance-wise, he’s first-rate! Vijay Raaz delivers a terrific performance yet again. He contributes to the laughter but your heart also goes to him as he tries to survive amidst his ferocious daughters! Namit Das and Abhishek Duhan lend able support. Saanand Verma is decent. Chomina Beyong (Patel’s wife) is hilarious. Usha Nagar (Dadi), Sameer Khakhar (Sarpanch) and Ajay Kumar (Eye surgeon) are fine. Others do a good job.
Vishal Bhardwaj’s music is hardly memorable but is well incorporated in the film. ‘Naina Banjare’ stands out. ‘Balma’ also works thanks to its picturisation. The title song is forgettable while ‘Gali Gali’ comes at a crucial juncture. The much talked about item song ‘Hello Hello’ featuring Malaika Arora is shockingly missing from the film and is not even a part of the end credits, although the credits mention her presence in the film in the ‘mela’ sequence! Vishal Bhardwaj’s background score has a fun tone and it helps in keeping the mood light.
Ranjan Palit's cinematography is raw and grungy, in keeping with the film’s theme. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray's production design is realistic. Karishma Sharma’s costumes are straight out of life. Soma Goswami and Natasha Mathias’s makeup design deserve special mention for the heroines look quite convincing as rebellious village belles. A Sreekar Prasad’s editing is okay.
On the whole, PATAAKHA is a decent entertainer which has its moments but the post-interval portions are quite unconvincing. At the box office, it will need to rely on word of mouth to register decent collections.
Movie Review: Sui Dhaaga – Made In India
Since more than a decade, filmmakers have been increasingly setting their stories in the heartland of India. This gives the film an authentic and realistic touch and also helps the film get a wider appeal. More number of people watch such films, provided they are told in a simple and entertaining manner, as they could relate to such stories more than the ones set in urban or foreign regions. SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA, this week’s big release, is not only based in a village, but also makes some important comments about social entrepreneurship for the social and economic development of artisans. So does SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA manage to be an entertaining as well as enlightening tale? Or does it fail despite its honest intentions? Let’s analyse.
SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA is a heartwarming story of pride and self-reliance. Mauji (Varun Dhawan) stays in a village near Delhi with his wife Mamta (Anushka Sharma), father (Raghubir Yadav) and mother (Yamini Das). Varun works at a shop that sells sewing machines, owned by Bansal (Sidharth Bhardwaj) and his son Prashant (Ashish Verma). Both have a habit of ill-treating Mauji and make him do fun antics. When Prashant gets married, Bansal invites Mauji and his entire family. Mamta feels humiliated when she sees Mauji being asked to imitate a dog by the Bansals. Mamta encourages him to start his own business, especially since he is a pro at sewing. However, Mauji’s grandfather was a tailor who faced immense losses. Hence, his father vowed never to get into this business again. Mauji at first rejects Mamta’s suggestion but later leaves his job and puts a stall on the streets in Delhi. On the other hand, Mauji’s mother falls down in their house and she’s hospitalized. The tests reveal that she has multiple blockages in her heart. The family is already having a hand-to-mouth existence and Mauji’s mother’s hospitalization further add to their woes. Moreover, Mauji has left his job as well. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Sharat Katariya's story is simple and the need of the hour. It reminds one of the films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and gives a nice ode to that kind of adorable cinema. Sharat Katariya's screenplay however is much more impressive. He does total justice to the characters and the setting and also keeps the viewers involved. However, unlike his previous outing DUM LAGA KE HAISHA [2015] which had plenty of funny moments, SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA is more dramatic. There's not much scope for humour and a section of audiences might miss that. Sharat Katariya's dialogues are witty and play a major part in contributing to the laughter quotient.
Sharat Katariya's direction is brilliant and enhances the well written script. He could have made the film a bit tighter and less convenient and predictable but thankfully these are minor flaws.
SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA 's first shot is very impressive and captures a lot simply in one take. After establishing the characters and setting, the film wastes no time in getting on point soon. The hospital sequence is lovely but in the first half, what takes the cake is the pre interval sequence. Notice how the makers raise tension levels! In the second half, the film drops a bit. Also the manner in which Mamta and Mauji get shortlisted for the fashion tournament seems a bit convenient. But the finale makes up for it (though it gives a déjà vu of the 2008 comic caper MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI) and the film is sure to leave viewers with a smile.
SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA belongs to Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma. Both actors deliver powerhouse performances. Varun Dhawan looks every inch a village simpleton and is sure to be loved. He plays his part with earnesty and that shows. Notice his reaction when Bansals force him to act like a dog and how he beautifully hides his embarrassment. Also in the climax scene especially in the hotel lobby sequence, he's too good. Anushka Sharma gets mentioned before Varun in the opening credits and has a very crucial part. One forgets that she is THE Anushka Sharma and gives her hundred per cent. In a scene where she asks her mother in law if she's fine and whether she liked the hospital, the actress seems so natural. Raghubir Yadav gives a very touching performance. Towards the finale especially, he’s sure to make viewers teary-eyed. Yamini Das plays her part perfectly, especially in the hospital scenes. Puja Sarup (Harleen Bedi) leaves a huge mark. Same goes for Namit Das (Guddu). Bhupesh Singh (Naushad) is damn good. The actors playing Majnu, Majnu’s wife, Palteram and others are also very good.
Anu Malik’s music goes very well with the film, although it’s not of chartbuster variety. The title song comes at a very crucial juncture and makes an impact. 'Chaav Laaga' is melodious. 'Khatar Patar' and 'Tu Hi Aham' are situational songs and work. 'Sab Badhiya Hai' is missing from the film. Andrea Guerra’s background score is in sync with the film’s mood and is also subtle.
Anil Mehta’s cinematography is too good and doesn’t get lost in capturing the simplicity of the village or the glitz and glamour of the city life. The lensman captures only what’s essential. Meenal Agarwal’s production design is realistic. Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Kumar Ghosh’s costume designers deserve brownie points as it’s one of the pillars of the film. Charu Shree Roy’s editing is simple and neat.
On the whole, SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA is a simple tale told beautifully with strong emphasis on emotions. At the box office, the film will have to rely on a very good word of mouth to attract audiences. It has an extended five-day weekend of sorts (with October 2 being a National Holiday). Hence, the film would surely have a healthy run at the ticket window and would turn prove profitable or should we say ‘badhiya’ for the producers. Recommended!
Movie Review: AndhaDhun
Bollywood filmmakers have used blindness as an interesting aspect in their movies and most of these films have turned out to be interesting fares. In recent times, films like KAABIL [2017], AANKHEN [2002], BLACK [2005], FANAA [2006], LAFANGEY PARINDEY [2010] etc featured blind characters and it gave a distinct touch to the film. Now, Sriram Raghavan, known for his crime thrillers, uses this aspect in his latest fare, ANDHADHUN. So does it turn out to be a thrilling flick? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
ANDHADHUN is the story of a creative artist who gets involved in a crime scene. Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a blind piano player based in Pune. While crossing the road, he one day accidentally bumps into Sophie (Radhika Apte), who along with her father runs a restaurant named Franco’s. Impressed with his piano skills, she hires Akash to play at Franco’s. Akash impresses the guests with his performance and also Sophie. Both start a love affair. A frequent customer at Franco’s is yesteryear actor Pramod Sinha. He has retired from films and is now into real estate. Three years ago, he married Simi (Tabu), who is his second wife. He has a daughter from the first wife, Dani. Pramod loves Akash’s performance and is also moved by the fact that he is able to recognize Pramod by his voice. It’s his marriage anniversary the next day and he asks Akash to come to his house for a private concert for him and Simi. The same night, he tells Simi that he’s going to Bengaluru the next day for work purposes. He purposely lies as his plan is to surprise Simi and then have a concert by Akash. The next day, Pramod reaches his residence but he’s shocked to find Simi sleeping with her lover, Inspector Mahendra (Manav Vij). In the madness that ensues, Pramod is shot dead. Minutes later, Akash arrives for the concert. What happens later forms the rest of the film.
Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar and Pooja Ladha Surti’s story is inspired from the French short film L’ACCORDEUR [writer and director: Olivier Treiner]. However, a lot of changes have been done and it’s praiseworthy. Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar and Pooja Ladha Surti’s screenplay is flawless in the first half and is bound to leave viewers stunned. The second half becomes a bit routine and unrealistic. Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar and Pooja Ladha Surti’s dialogues are sharp and witty.
Sriram Raghavan’s direction is terrific. In the past, he has made some great urban thrillers like EK HASINA THI [2004], JOHNNY GADDAAR [2007] and BADLAPUR [2015]. ANDHADHUN is more in the JOHNNY GAADAAR zone and he treats the plot very well. The dark humour element comes out beautifully and that helps the film from becoming too gory or disturbing. Also, his love for the 70s Hindi cinema comes to the fore and it adds to the film’s charm. If only he had done something about the glitches in the second half, ANDHADHUN would have been a game changer!
ANDHADHUN’s first half is simply out of this world! The introduction of the characters is great and soon, the plot begins to unfold. There are surprises after every 10-15 minutes. The real fun however begins when Pramod Sinha gets murdered and Akash reaches his residence. This scene is seen to be believed! All scenes from hereon take the film to dizzying heights – whether it’s the scene at the police station or Manohar visiting Akash’s residence or Akash visiting Pramod’s residence the second time or the prayer meeting. The intermission point raises tension levels significantly. The second half begins with a bang and even a shocker. Although this hour also keeps the viewers gripped, the film begins to drop and get unconvincing. The proceedings become far-fetched which is not the case in the first half. Newer characters are added while a significant character from the first half gets sidelined. In fact, the first and second halves seem like two different films. The climax is interesting and watch out for the final scene!
Ayushmann Khurrana has done unconventional but mostly light films till now. ANDHADHUN is his first intense flick and he excels. This is a very challenging role as his character has lot of shades and a secret to hide. But he puts up an excellent act. He’s unforgettable in the sequence where Pramod Sinha is killed and also in the scene immediately after intermission. Ayushmann already has a wonderful filmography and this flick will add a lot of weightage. Tabu delivers a bravura performance as expected. The manner in which she plays the mind games and tries to manipulate the situations at various points is quite fun. Radhika Apte plays a chirpy character and delivers a fine performance. Sadly, she has very little to do in the second half. Anil Dhawan is terrific and leaves a mark. Manav Vij’s entry scene is chilling and notice how he conveys a lot merely with his eyes. A first-rate performance! Ashwini Kalsekar (Rasika) is too good and rocks in the scene wherein she’s discussing the murder of Pramod Sinha. Zakir Hussain (Dr Swami) is quite quirky and contributes to the fun quotient. Gopal Singh (Sub inspector) is fine. Chhaya Kadam (Maushi) is an actor to watch out for. Kabir Sajid (the kid) is too good and too funny. The actors playing Murli, Mrs D’Sa are nice.
Amit Trivedi’s music is melodious and suits the narrative well. ‘Naina Da Kya Kasoor’ is the best of the lot and is quite foot-tapping. ‘Laila Laila’ comes next despite coming immediately after ‘Naina Da Kya Kasoor’. ‘Oh Bhai Re’ is quite quirky while ‘Woh Ladki’ is played at a crucial juncture. Daniel B George’s background score has a very important part to play and enhances impact in several scenes. The piano pieces are excellent. K U Mohanan’s cinematography gives the film a captivating feel. Also, ANDHADHUN is a rare film shot almost entirely in Pune and captures the city like never before. Snigdha Pankaj and Anita Donald’s production design is quite rich and appealing, especially Pramod and Simi’s residence. Anaita Shroff Adajania and Sabina Haldar’s costumes are also eye-catching, especially the ones worn by Radhika Apte. Parvez Khan’s action is realistic. Pooja Ladha Surti’s editing is razor-sharp.
On the whole, ANDHADHUN is a thriller par excellence. Very rarely does Bollywood deliver a thriller that shocks and stuns you so well. Although the second half does drop, the impact is made and this would surely result in a good word of mouth. Recommended!
Movie Review: LoveYatri
The state of Gujarat is considered quite vibrant and colourful but surprisingly, very few films are based there. Out of these films, most of the movies based in this state have failed to do justice to its USP. Only select ones like KAI PO CHE [2013], RAEES [2017] and the recently-released MITRON [2018] have captured the essence well. Now, Aayush Sharma’s long impending debut flick LOVEYATRI is out and it promises to show Gujarat at its best. Moreover, the film is set during the much-talked about festival of Navratri. So does LOVEYATRI manage to succeed in its endeavour? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
LOVEYATRI is the story of romance that blossoms during a course of nine days. Sushrut aka Susu (Aayush Sharma) is a good for nothing guy in Vadodara, Gujarat. He is poor in studies and gives garba lessons to kids in his neighbourhood. Meanwhile, Manisha aka Michelle (Warina Hussain) is originally from Vadodara but stays in London with her father Sameer aka Sam Patel (Ronit Roy), who is a rich businessman. Manisha is studious and is about to get admission in a reputed business school. A day before Navratri, both arrive in Vadodara when their family members trick them. Manisha goes with her family and friends for a Navratri event and there she bumps into Susu. Encouraged by his maternal uncle Rasik (Ram Kapoor), Susu pursues her as he has fallen for her. Manisha too begins to get fond of him. Sam learns of this romance in the making and he tries to manipulate the situation. Susu has a fight with Manisha. By the time Susu realises his mistake, Manisha has already left for London. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Niren Bhatt’s story is too simplistic. There are a lot of interesting characters and even the setting is unique. But the writer doesn’t use them well. The biggest conflict arising between the lovers is insignificant but it takes forever for the misunderstanding to resolve. Niren Bhatt’s screenplay however is engaging and entertaining. Despite the fact that there aren’t many conflicts happening in the film, the script keeps viewers engaged. Niren Bhatt’s dialogues are quite nice. Some of them might remind of the WhatsApp forwards but considering the context and theme, it works.
Abhiraj K Minawala’s direction is neat and uncomplicated. It’s his debut directorial venture but he proves that he knows his job well.
LOVEYATRI begins well with the typical grand hero’s entry. His world is well established and also that of Manisha. The sequence where Susu sees Manisha for the first time might seem a bit far-fetched but it surely works. Susu's various interactions with his pals Negative (Pratik Gandhi) and Rocket (Sajeel Parekh) and Rasik mama are quite hilarious. Along with laughter, the film also depicts some tender, romantic moments between Susu and Manisha. But the best in the first half is reserved for the scene where Sam takes Susu for a ride in the giant wheel. Quite dramatic! The showdown in the high end restaurant followed by the intermission point is terrific. In the second half, things continue to remain interesting as Susu tries every trick in the book to go to London. Once in London, the fun gets better although the climax is sans any high.
Aayush Sharma makes a confident debut. The actor surely has spark and is set for a great career ahead. He dances like a dream and most importantly, he does very well in the confrontational sequences. Warina Hussain looks stunning but is not relegated as a PYT in the film. She has an important part and she shines. Watch out for her scene where she opens up about her mother. Ram Kapoor is the 'jaan' of the film. His characterization and performance are such that they lift the proceedings! The scene where he talks about Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan would be greeted with claps and whistles! Ronit Roy gets the Gujarati accent right and performance wise, he is first rate. Pratik Gandhi brings the house down while Sajeel Parekh also contributes to the laughter quotient. Kenneth Desai (Hari; Susu’s father) is fine. Manoj Joshi (Natu Kaka) is great but doesn’t get scope. Arbaaz Khan (Jignesh) and Sohail Khan (Bhavesh) are adorable.
Music is of chartbuster variety and utilized very well in the film. The title song is fun while ‘Chogada’ comes at an important juncture. 'Dholida' and 'Rangtari' are foot tapping. ‘Akh LadJaave’ has a nice seductive feel and lastly, ‘Tera Hua’ is melodious.
Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara's background score is dramatic and commercial. Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography is too good and captures the essence and colourfulness of Navratri flawlessly. Vaibhavi Merchant’s choreography is eye catching and adds to the film’s charm. Manish Malhotra, Alvira Khan Agnihotri and Ashley Rebello’s costumes are very appealing. Amit Ray and Subrata Chakraborty’s production design is simple and real. Ritesh Soni’s editing is neat.
On the whole, LOVEYATRI is a feel good and colourful film laced with some lovely moments and chartbuster music as its USP. It’s a clean entertainer and has the potential to attract youth and families in abundance!
Movie Review: Venom
Over the past few years, we have seen the rise of superhero films that have now become one of the best performing movies at the box office. In fact, Marvel has developed a fan base for almost each and every character they have, with standalone films doing brisk business. However, away from the Disney – Marvel universe, this week we see the release of a film based on Sony owned Marvel character, Venom. Starring Tom Hardy, VENOM features a character from the Spider-Man line of comics that features a grey character outline. An anti-hero at best, Venom is a symbiot that bonds with a host absorbing the personality and enhancing the host’s traits. But will this introduction of a relatively lesser known anti-hero work at the box office is what we analyse.
VENOM starts off with a space craft belonging to the CEO of Life Foundation - Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) that was on an exploratory mission crashing into earth. Carrying a payload of symbiotic lifeforms from deep space, the craft is destroyed on impact. However, while four specimens are recovered from the crash, one escapes. After the four are brought back to the Life Foundation research facility in San Francisco, Drake, becomes obsessed with bonding symbiots to humans to prepare humanity for Earth's inevitable ecological collapse, and begins illegally experimenting on vagrants, resulting in numerous deaths. In the meantime, investigative journalist Eddie Brock, who arranges an interview with Drake through his girlfriend Anne Weying, a lawyer affiliated with the Life Foundation confronts Drake with confidential materials indicating wrongdoing that he stole from Weying's e-mail, leading to them both being fired from their respective jobs and the end of their relationship. Six months later, Brock is approached by one of Drake's scientists, Dora Skirth, who disagrees with Drake's methods and wants to help Brock expose him. With her aid, Brock breaks into Drake's research facility to acquire evidence from his crimes, in the process learning that an acquaintance of his, Donna Diego, has become one of Drake's subjects. Brock attempts to rescue her, but Donna attacks him and the symbiot possessing her, transfers from her body to his, killing her in the process. Brock manages to escape, but soon begins displaying strange symptoms. Will Brock also fall victim to the symbiot, will the symbiot overpower its host, or will the two merge into one being is what forms the rest of the film.
VENOM starts off detailing the character of Eddie Brock, the investigative journalist and Carlton Drake, the CEO of life Foundation, and from here the film quickly moves on to establish the basic premise of how the symbiots arrive on Earth and what their mission is. Director Ruben Fleischer does a good job in keeping the proceedings fast paced and gripping at the same time. Not once does the film slow down, instead the script keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat with constant shifts and well executed action sequences. A special mention here needs to be made for the Visual Effects team that have done well to integrate CGI and live action sequences seamlessly. This facet is evident in multiple scenes through the film, especially since the subject matter involves a ton of CGI.
Coming to the performances in the film, both Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/ Venom and Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake/ Riot, have done an impeccable job with their given roles. Well timed humour and perfect timing in crucial moments propels the overall appeal of the film. Similarly, the rest of the cast, comprising of Michelle Williams as Anne Weying, and Reid Scott as Dr. Dan Lewis have done a decent job in their limited roles. Despite being a film that focuses solely on one character, VENOM features well detailed characters for each of the cast members.
On the whole, VENOM makes for a fun action packed movie that keeps you in your seat. The constant twists and the rapid action does not let the tempo of the film drop. For the Indian market, being a film that does not come after any predecessor, VENOM is easy to understand and builds a story line around a lesser known character that can eventually become a major league player. At the box office, with competition from two other Bollywood releases viz. LOVEYATRI and ANDHADHUN, VENOM will face stiff competition. However, the wide release in four languages will work in favour of the movie.
Movie Review: Tumbbad
We have lagged behind considerably in the horror genre with only a handful of films succeeding in impressing the audiences. A sub category in horror genre is that of period horror. Here, only Vikram Bhatt has made a mark with 1920 [2008] and HAUNTED 3D [2011]. The rest of the films in 1920 franchise and 1921 [2018] failed to live upto the expectations. Now, Anand Gandhi and Sohum Shah, known for making the critically acclaimed SHIP OF THESEUS [2013], return with a scarefest, TUMBBAD, based in the pre-Independence era. So does TUMBBAD manage to send a chill down the audiences’ spine? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse.
TUMBBAD is the story of a man who gets access to unlimited gold thanks to the curse of a goddess. When the Universe was created, the Goddess of Prosperity, the symbol of unlimited food and gold, gave birth to 16 crore gods and goddesses. The Goddess however loved her first child the most – Hastar. But Hastar wanted all the food and gold possessed by the Goddess. He managed to get access to her gold but when he came to get hold of the food, the fellow Gods and Goddesses attacked him. Before he could get completely destroyed, the Goddess of Prosperity saved him by keeping him in his womb but on one condition – no one should ever worship him and that he should be forgotten. Many centuries later, the residents of Tumbbad village however made a shrine in honour of Hastar, turning this village into a curse. It became a village where it rains perennially. The story begins in 1918. A teenaged Vinayak, his younger brother Sada and their mother reside in this village. The mother is a mistress of the village Sarkar who stays in the ‘wada’ (estate) where the Hastar’s temple is situated. Vinayak and Sada are the illegitimate children of Vinayak and Sada. The Sarkar has tried to find the treasure possessed by Hastar but his search turned futile and he managed to find just one gold coin. The Sarkar’s mother is a wretched old lady who refuses to die and Vinayak’s mother takes care of him. The Sarkar dies and the next day, Sada falls from a tree and also passes away. The mother gets hold of the gold coin from the shrine and leaves Tumbbad permanently with Vinayak. 15 years later, in 1933, Vinayak (Sohum Shah) goes back to Tumbbad in the hope of finding the lost treasure. Luck smiles on Vinayak as he’s able to find a way that leads him to unlimited gold coins. But he gets hold of only certain coins at a time. Vinayak exchanges these coins with a local moneylender Raghav who grows suspicious of Vinayak and the way he regularly gets hold of the coins. Unable to control his curiosity and desperate to earn some quick buck for getting license from his opium business, Raghav goes to the estate to get hold of some gold coins. What happens next forms the rest of the story.
Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi’s story is unique and unconventional. With such a plot and setting, TUMBBAD could have turned into a game changer. But Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi’s screenplay doesn’t let that happen. It is inconsistent – at places, the setting and the legend is very well explained. But certain developments are depicted in a subtle manner and they might get missed. Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi’s dialogues are simple and not memorable as such.
Rahi Anil Barve’s direction is a bit weak as he too fails to do justice to the plot in hand. One of the biggest problems with the direction is certain things never get explained properly. For instance, who was the first one to remember Hastar and how did that person come to know about him, especially when he’s never mentioned in the scriptures anywhere? How come the Sarkar was never able to find gold coins in abundance, like Vinayak? The climax does grab your attention but again, a question arises why exactly such a twist occurs in the first place.
TUMBBAD’s first few minutes should not be missed at any cost. The entire legend of the village and Hastar is explained here and missing this bit would prove detrimental. The film is divided into three chapters. The first chapter, involving Vinayak’s childhood, is disturbing and needlessly gory. It doesn’t really engage well. The second chapter is slightly better, though a lot is still left to be desired. The intermission point is well shot and it’s from the second half that the film begins to get clearer. The scene in the womb immediately after the commencement of the second half leaves a mark. The third chapter has interesting developments, especially in the finale. But the way the makers don’t answer certain questions again hampers the impact.
Sohum Shah however delivers a fabulous performance. His deadpan expressions, dialogue delivery and eyes create an impact and works very well for this role. Anita Date (Vinayak’s wife) is quite good and makes a mark in few scenes. Ronjini Chakraborty (Vinayak’s mistress) gives a nice performance, especially in the scene where she meets Vinayak’s son. Mohd Samad (Vinayak’s son) is quite great and dominates a major chunk of the second half. Jyoti Malshe (Vinayak’s grandmother) is fine and her make-up itself is sure to scare a lot of viewers. Cameron Anderson (Sergeant Cooper) and the actors playing Hastar, Vinayak’s mother, younger Vinayak, Raghav are good.
Ajay-Atul’s music is nothing special and there’s just one song – the title song – played at various junctures in the film. Jesper Kyd’s background score however is brilliant and has an international feel. Pankaj Kumar’s cinematography is spectacular and one of the best of the year. The virgin locales of Maharashtra are very well captured. Filmgate Films AB’s VFX is quite good and doesn’t give any reason to complain. Nitin Zihani Choudhury and Rakesh Yadav’s production design is praiseworthy, especially in the scenes of the womb. Smriti Chauhan and Sachin Lovalekar’s costumes are reminiscent of the bygone era. Serina Mendonca Texeira and Shrikant Desai’s make up and Dirty Hands and Studio Hash’s prosthetics is something to watch out for. Parvez Shaikh’s action is decent while Sanyukta Kaza’s editing is smooth.
On the whole, TUMBBAD rests on a unique concept but the disjointed narrative spoils the show. It’ll be a challenge for this film to impress the masses and hence struggle to do good business at the box office.
FANNEY KHAN is the story of a father going to desperate lengths to ensure his daughter becomes a star. Prashant Sharma aka Fanney Khan (Anil Kapoor) was a local orchestra singer in Mumbai who has to give up his singing dreams when his daughter Lata (Pihu Sand) is born. Lata is now approaching her 20s and Fanney is now working in a factory. Lata is a huge fan of sensational singer Baby Singh (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) and aspires to be like her. But her attempts to participate in singing competitions lead to humiliation, more so because of her weight. Fanney wants to save money and cut an album for her. However, his earnings are quite meagre. And one day his world comes crashing down after the factory he works in suddenly closes down. Fanney thankfully starts working as a taxi driver. One day he gets none other than Baby Singh as his passenger. Instead of dropping her at her location, he puts her to sleep by lacing her water with sleeping pills. He then takes her to the factory where he worked, which is now abandoned. With the help of his colleague Adhir (Rajkummar Rao), he officially kidnaps her and also calls Baby's manager Kakkad (Girish Kulkarni) and informs him about the abduction. However, he doesn’t ask for money as ransom. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
FANNEY KHAN is an official remake of the Belgian film IEDEREEN BEROEMD aka EVERYBODY’S FAMOUS [2000]. While the original film was shorter and had dark comedy, thereby maximizing impact, FANNEY KHAN on the other hand moves at its own pace and is too melodramatic. While this may work for some, others might find it unconvincing. Atul Manjrekar, Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal’s screenplay is lackluster at places but scores at a few places. Hussain Dalal, Abbas Dalal, Jasmeet K Reen and Athar Nawaz’s dialogues are simple but quite funny in some scenes.
Atul Manjrekar’s direction could have been better and that in turn would have made the film better. There’s no doubt that he handled some scenes exceptionally well. However, at many places, he loses the plot. The storyline is quite illogical in the first place and it needed an expert hand to ensure the film works logically. Unfortunately, Atul partly fails in his endeavour.
FANNEY KHAN has a decent commencement and sets the mood of the film. The introduction of characters however is not that impressive. The track of Adhir and Jinal (Swati Semwal) however is interesting. The film picks up thankfully once the kidnapping takes place. The manner in which Fanney Khan and Adhir make futile attempts to scare Baby Singh makes for a great watch. In the second half, the film drops again and hooks viewers only towards the end. The climax would be loved by a section of viewers as its quite moving. But some might find it too illogical.
The performances however are too good, thereby helping the film. Anil Kapoor is in a great form and is the soul of the movie. The emotional scenes work thanks to him. One can feel his pain and one can’t help but hoot for him even when one knows that what he did isn’t right. Rajkummar Rao genuinely puts his best foot forward and is endearing. He raises laughs in the kidnapping scene. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks like a million bucks and adds a lot to the film with her supporting role. Pihu Sand seems a bit irritating at places but she makes up for it with her touching performance in the climax. Divya Dutta (Kavita) is dependable as always. Girish Kulkarni as usual plays the negative part quite well. Satish Kaushik (Kadar bhai) has an interesting part but is wasted. Barbie Rajput (Rhea), Swati Semwal and Asif Basra are decent.
The songs are appropriate for the sequences in which they appear but could have better since the film is essentially a musical. ‘Achche Din’ is the best of the lot. ‘Tere Jaisa Tu Hai’ comes next and it comes at a crucial juncture. ‘Mohabbat’ serves as a fair introduction for Aishwarya. ‘Fu Bai Fu’ has interesting lyrics. ‘Halka Halka’ is the most unconvincing portion of the film as it shows a prominent singer, whose kidnapping has shaken the entire nation, roaming around freely! Tubby - Parik’s background score goes well with the various moods of the film.
S Tirru’s cinematography is quite effective. Ajay Vipin’s production design however is nothing great although it works in the house scenes of Fanney Khan. Monisha R Baldawa’s editing is passable. Eka Lakhani and Manish Malhotra’s costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Aishwarya.
On the whole, FANNEY KHAN is laced with illogical plot and a lot of loose ends. But the emotional and funny moments coupled with some fine performances ensure that the film turns out to be a decent, entertaining fare.
VISHWAROOP II continues from where the first film ended. After the plan of Al-Qaeda terrorist Omar Qureshi (Rahul Bose) to attack New York City is disrupted by RAW Agent Wisam Ahmad Kashmiri aka Vishwanathan aka Vis (Kamal Haasan), the former and his aide Salim (Jaideep Ahlawat) escape. Wisam's wife Nirupama (Pooja Kumar) slowly begins to accept the fact that her hubby is a dashing secret agent and not an effeminate dancer that she loathed. Wisam, Nirupama, Wisam’s protégé Ashmita (Andrea Jeremiah) and Wisam’s boss Colonel Jagannath (Shekhar Kapur) then head to United Kingdom where they get ambushed and they suspect that it’s the handiwork of the expat Rajesh Mehta (Ananth Narayan Mahadevan). Soon Wisam discovers that Omar has planned to explode the bombs situated under water since the time of World War 2 and thereby destroy the city of London. He also finds out about another shocking terror attack planned by Omar in Delhi. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Kamal Haasan’s story has some promise and it could have made for a nice, espionage action thriller. But Kamal Haasan’s screenplay is very weak and disjointed. The sequences are not stitched together well. There are some individualistic scenes involving Wisam and Nirupama and even Wisam and his mother (Waheeda Rehman) that stand out. But these scenes have no connection as such to the main plot and that’s not good for a film that’s actually an action entertainer. Atul Tiwari’s dialogues are simple and aren’t memorable.
Kamal Haasan’s direction is very poor and he completely lost the opportunity of taking this franchise forward nicely. The film doesn’t involve or move viewers at all and there are too many tracks running simultaneously and none of them leave an impact. What works are the few scenes that are helmed well like Ashmita and Wisam finding the bug in the room in UK, the action sequence in the beginning, the underwater action madness and Wisam’s heroic entry in the finale.
VISHWAROOP II’s opening credits are splendid and you expect the fireworks to begin right from the first scene and continue till the end. There’s an intense action scene in the first 15 minutes itself when the car topples after being attacked by a terrorist. From here on, the film goes downhill. The film then depicts some portions of VISHWAROOP (when Wisam goes undercover in a terror camp) in a fast-forward manner and at the same time, some extended sequences are also added. The manner in which it’s done is very bland and disinteresting. Also, VISHWAROOP doesn’t have a recall value and the first half wasn’t a critical or commercial success. Moreover, it had come 5 ½ years ago. As a result, most of the moviegoers will have no clue of the events that unfolded in part 1. But Kamal Haasan and team assume that viewers very well remember what all happened in VISHWAROOP. Even after the recap portions get over and the film comes back to present day, nothing much happens in the story. The intermission point is random but in the second half, a new chapter begins with no connection as such to the underwater sequence that happened before the interval. This bit too takes a lot of time to come to the main point and once it does, it is very abruptly and hurriedly done.
As for acting, Kamal Haasan is decent and tries to give his best shot. But due to faulty writing and execution, his performance gets affected. Also, some of his dialogues are difficult to decipher. Rahul Bose has a very short role this time since the film goes off track and hence he gets limited scope. He hams all the way like never before. See it to believe it! Pooja Kumar makes her presence felt more in the sequel and gives a fine performance. Also she adds the required sizzle in few scenes. Andrea Jeremiah too has a better fleshed out role and she’s confident. Shekhar Kapur is dependable. Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is memorable but his track doesn’t serve much of a purpose and it was flawed. Jaideep Ahlawat gets some scope only towards the end. Waheeda Rehman is endearing but again, her track is just forced in the film. Yusuf Hussain is okay while Rajendra Gupta is disappointing and it was frustrating to see how he kept on hammering the importance of ‘collateral damage’.
M Ghibran’s music is completely forgettable. None of the songs – be it the title song or 'Ishq Kiya Toh' or 'Tu Srotu Hai' - are good enough. But the background score is quite dramatic. Shamdat and Sanu John Varghese’s cinematography is eye-catching. Stefan Richter, Parvez Feroz, T Ramesh's action is too gory and bloody and would surely put off a section of audiences. Lalgudi N Ilayaraja’s art direction is authentic. Mahesh Narayanan and Vijay Sankar’s editing is nothing great.
On the whole, VISHWAROOP II is a highly avoidable flick. The film has too many tracks and the narration and execution is flawed and weak. Also at the box office, the film will have a tough time.
SATYAMEVA JAYATE is the story of a vigilante on a killing spree for a personal reason. Veer (John Abraham) is an acclaimed artist who has taken up a mission to kill corrupt cops. His first target is Sadashiv Patil (Abhishek Khandekar). He sets him on fire alive and then sends his ashes to his police station in Santacruz, Mumbai. In no time, he bumps off Inspector Irrfan Qadri (Shaikh Sami Usman) from Andheri Police Station in the same manner. DCP Shivansh Rathod (Manoj Bajpayee) is given the charge of this case by the Commissioner (Manish Chaudhary). Veer meanwhile meets Shikha (Aisha Sharma) at a beach clean-up drive and both fall for each other. Meanwhile, Veer challenges Shivansh to stop him from killing his next target. Shivansh fails and Veer manages to eliminate Inspector Damle (Ganesh Yadav) of Thane Police Station. Shivansh is shaken by Veer’s audacity and his fearlessness and he goes on an overdrive in trying to know who his next target would be. Finally, Shivansh cracks the modus operandi of Veer. Shivansh realizes that Inspector Bhonsle (Rajesh Khera) from Yari Road police station is the next one in line. Shivansh lays a trap and is all set to catch Veer. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Milap Milan Zaveri's story is simplistic, massy and something that the masses would applaud. Milap Milan Zaveri's screenplay is also on the same lines but it gets repetitive. There’s no novelty value left after a point with regards to the killing of the cops. Also it’s a bit flawed. For instance, Veer giving all the clues through his painting was a bit too convenient. The climax is a bit confusing especially actions of Shikha. Milap Milan Zaveri's dialogues however are completely paisa vasool and would be greeted with seetis and taalis!
Milap Milan Zaveri's direction reminds one of the 90s action dramas. Although it works in most parts, at some places the film begins to give a dated feel. In the second half, he could have executed the killing sequences differently as that would have enhanced interest. Moreover, the film gets a bit stretched towards the finale and perhaps, he could have avoided this aspect too.
SATYAMEVA JAYATE begins with a dhamaka and the excitement keeps going. The entry of DCP Shivansh in the narrative adds to the fun. Veer’s first ever call to Shivansh is quite a dramatic sequence. The manner in which the three cops are eliminated are also quite interesting and viewers would surely root for these sequences. But the best sequence of the first half is the ‘namaaz’ sequence. Single screen audiences would go crazy at this point. The intermission point comes as a bolt from the blue. Post-intermission, the hospital sequence stands out. But then the film drops as it becomes too overdramatic and repetitive. Even the finale would be received with mixed reactions.
John Abraham delivers a fabulous, nuanced performance. John is known for his action avatar majorly and his role in SATYAMEVA JAYATE is definitely the best as compared to other such flicks of recent times like FORCE 2, ROCKY HANDSOME and DISHOOM. Watch out for the way he dons a cunning act in the hospital sequence. Manoj Bajpayee provides able support and enhances impact in some scenes. His confrontation with Veer at various points is too good. Aisha Sharma makes a confident debut but sadly doesn’t have much to do in the film. Amruta Khanvilkar (Sarita) is completely wasted and that’s unfortunate considering that she just gave a memorable performance in RAAZI. Manish Chaudhary is fine but hams a lot in the climax. Rajesh Khera leaves the maximum impact out of the police officers. Ganesh Yadav comes next. Abhishek Khandekar, Shaikh Sami Usman and Ankur Sharma (Inspector Mohan Shrivastav) are okay. Chetan Pandit (Inspector Shiv Rathod) leaves a mark. Archita Agarwal (Muslim girl harassed by cop) has a good screen presence. Nora Fatehi looks and dances like a dream and is quite sizzling.
The songs don’t have much purpose in the film. 'Dilbar' is the best of the lot and this chartbuster is very well picturised. 'Paniyon Sa' doesn’t register an impact while 'Tajdar-E-Haram' is relegated to the background. Sanjoy Chowdhury's background score is dramatic and exhilarating.
Nigam Bomzan's cinematography is decent while Priya Suhas' production design is a bit poor but works well for this film as it’s based in a realistic setting. Amin Khatib and Ravi Verma's action is the highpoint of the film. It’s not too gory but at the same time feels quite raw and real. Maahir Zaveri's editing should have been crisper.
On the whole, SATYAMEVA JAYATE is a powerful and gripping drama that leaves an impact as it resonates with the problems of the common man. It is sure to work big time in the single screens where the various scenes are bound to induce claps and whistles. This one is for the masses!
GOLD is a story of India’s first big win in an international sports tournament after attaining independence. Tapan Das (Akshay Kumar) is the junior manager during the 1936 Berlin Olympics for the British Indian hockey team. British India defeated Germany quite easily and won the gold medal. Since India then was still under the British rule, the British national anthem was played at the end of the match. Tapan feels humiliated and he vows to help a free India win the Olympics and then stand proudly as Jana Gana Mana will be played. Sadly the World War 2 begins soon enough and the 1940 and 1944 editions of the Olympics get cancelled. In 1945, the war ends and in 1946, it is announced that the 1948 Olympics will take place in London. The independence of India is also near. Tapan by now has become an alcoholic and owes a lot of money to many. He has been ousted from the Hockey Federation. But the announcement of the 1948 Olympics excites him. He manages to convince the Federation board that he’ll move heaven and earth and get the best team for India and a gold for India eventually. Thus begins his search. The captain of the 1936 Olympics, Samrat (Kunal Kapoor) refuses to come on board but he recommends Tapan that Imtiaz Shah (Vineet Kumar Singh) should be made the in charge. Tapan then tours around the country and finds gems like Himmat Singh (Sunny Kaushal) and Raghubir Pratap Singh (Amit Sadh). All is going fine until the Partition is announced. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Reema Kagti and Rajesh Devraj’s story is surely something that deserves to be told. Of course, it has been dramatized and slightly fictionalized but it’s done well. Reema Kagti’s screenplay is topnotch and she keeps viewers captivated. However a few sequences could have been shorter and crisper. Also a few scenes give a heavy déjà vu of CHAK DE INDIA [2007]. Reema Kagti’s dialogues are sharp and acidic and give the right punch.
Reema Kagti’s direction is neat and uncomplicated. The match scenes are very nicely presented but at a few places, some of the cliches could have been avoided. But it’s praiseworthy how she took the film on a high in the finale. The national anthem scene would surely move viewers and it doesn’t seem forced. The patriotic fervor comes out perfectly!
GOLD has a terrific commencement. The 1936 Olympics finale is very well shot and the pain of standing for a foreign national anthem comes out very well. The opening credits don’t make the desired impact but the film gets on track once Tapan starts getting the players. The entire bit of Raghubir Pratap Singh stripping after seeing an impoverished person is lovely. However the best sequence of the first half is the Partition sequence involving Imtiaz. Heartbreaking! Post interval, the Kanheri Caves sequence involving a mute priest is great and will bring the house down. Another sequence worth mentioning is Samrat compelling the players to pick up bricks to teach them a lesson in unity. The film however also gets a bit long and a song or two could have been done away with. But the climax makes up for it. The tension and drama in the last twenty minutes would surely keep you hooked.
Akshay Kumar might not be playing hockey in the film (save for one brief sequence) but he rocks the show. One can feel his passion and pain when he goes about convincing people that how important it is for India to win the gold. Even his comic timing is spot on, as always. Mouni Roy (Monobina) has an excellent screen presence and lights up few sequences. Unfortunately her role is limited. Kunal Kapoor looks every inch a star player and it would have been great if he had more screen time. Amit Sadh gives a brilliant performance and gets to play a very interesting character. Sunny Kaushal is the surprise of the film. His track is very touching and he’s sure to win hearts! His outburst in the pre climax is too good. Vineet Kumar Singh also wins hearts. His performance as expected shines and he gets to play a very memorable character. His track and the way India-Pakistan aren’t shown as rivals as it usually happens is a beautiful aspect of the film! Nikita Dutta (Himmat's girlfriend) is cute and does fine. The actors playing Mr. Mehta and Mr. Wadia are decent.
The songs are melodious and peppy but few of them are forced. ‘Naino Ne Baandhi’ works as it’s nicely shot. ‘Chad Gayi Hai’ is forced and looks very much like 'Monobina' played earlier. ‘Ghar Layenge Gold’ and ‘Khel Khel Mein’ are okay. Sachin-Jigar’s background score however is in sync with the film’s moods and even elevates impact.
Alvaro Guierrez’s cinematography is quite appropriate and helps a lot in simplifying the hockey scenes. Paul Rowan and Shailaja Sharma’s production design is outstanding and the duo recreates the bygone era authentically. But the VFX in the match scenes is bad, especially the spectators bit. Payal Saluja’s costumes are also quite realistic. Aimee Mcdaniel is the sports coordinator and he also deserves praise for his work. Anand Subaya’s editing is great, especially in the match scenes.
On the whole, GOLD is a brilliant, touching saga that would surely entertain viewers and make them hoot for the retro men in blue. At the box office, it is sure to strike Gold! Highly recommended!
GENIUS is the story of two genius minds. Vasudev Shastri (Utkarsh Sharma) is an orphan from Mathura. His mind works faster than a computer. He not just knows his Sanskrit shlokas but also his algebra theorems and scientific formulas by heart. He goes to study at IIT Roorkee where he falls for Nandini (Ishita Chauhan). The RAW finds out about Vasudev and his intelligence and invites him to join the wing even before completing his course. Nandini however doesn’t reciprocate to his love. Vasudev gets depressed and one day he comes to the rescue of RAW when their servers get hacked. Vasudev then once again gets an offer to join RAW and this time he agrees. While investigating the hack and a fire in an ammunition godown in Ambala, Vasudev realises that the mastermind is the evil and mysterious MRS (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). How Vasudev tries to defeat this fellow genius forms the rest of the film.
Anil Sharma’s story is weak and flawed. Anil Sharma, Sunil Sirvaiya and Amjad Ali’s screenplay has loose ends and is scattered everywhere. The idea of having a non-linear narrative in the first half doesn’t work. Anil Sharma, Sunil Sirvaiya and Amjad Ali’s dialogues are over the top and preachy. Some of them are absolute trash and it won’t be surprising if a fun listicle is made on them.
Anil Sharma’s direction is dated and it looks like he’s stuck in the 90s, or even in the 80s. The way the songs are forced into the story and the manner in which few sequences are lifted from Hollywood films like the Batman series is shocking and is reminiscent of the bygone era.
GENIUS has a non-linear narrative and it makes no sense why it was done. In the first 10 minutes, viewers get a fair idea about what has happened. One expects the makers to rush through these developments. But instead they take their own sweet time to unravel the story. The entire idea of genius bit is hammered needlessly. Everyone is shown to be in awe of Vasudev's genius side, constantly praising him for just any random reason. He’s also shown as someone who plans not just ten, but thousand steps ahead. This could have been interesting but sadly, it seems laughable. In fact it is shocking how the script got approved in the first place. The first half is longer with the romantic portions being bland. And not just the love story, even the revenge saga fails to impress.
Utkarsh Sharma is terribly miscast for the role. He’s extremely raw and has a long way to go. He looks like a college kid and hence throughout the film, it becomes difficult to imagine him as a RAW agent or even as an IIT student. He also needs to work on his expressions. Ishita Chauhan also fails to give a decent performance. In the initial sequences, she has just one expression on her face. Nawazuddin Siddiqui makes an entry only minutes before the intermission. He saves the film with his excellent performance. Watch out for his dance in 'Pyar De Pyar Le'! Mithun Chakraborty (Jaishankar Prasad) is decent. Abhimanyu Singh (Pravin Joshi) is wasted. Same goes for K K Raina (Mr Das) and Ayesha Jhulka (Nandini's mother). Malti Chehar (Rubina Sheikh) and Dev Gil are hardly memorable.
Himesh Reshammiya’s music is peppy and soulful. It’s unfortunate that such nice songs are used in such a terrible film. 'Tera Fitoor', 'Dil Meri Na Sune' and 'Tujhse Kahan Juda Hoon Main' are melodious. 'Holi Biraj Ma' is very catchy and 'Pyar Le Pyar De' is entertaining. Monty Sharma’s background score is exhilarating and dramatic.
HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI is the story of mistaken identity that takes place in the neighbouring country of China. Harpreet Kaur aka Happy # 1 (Diana Penty) is accompanying her hubby Guddu (Ali Fazal) to Shanghai in China where the latter is invited to sing at an event. In the same flight, Harpreet Kaur aka Happy # 2 (Sonakshi Sinha) is also flying to Shanghai to find Aman Singh Wadhwa (Aparshakti Khurana) who was to marry her but ditched and flew to China on the wedding day. Happy # 2 mistakenly takes the cab that had come to pick up Happy # 1. It is learnt at this point that Guddu has been tricked into coming to China by Chang (Jason Tham). They want to kidnap Guddu and then force Happy # 1 to go to Pakistan, meet her friend Bilal (Abhay Deol) and compel his father to get into a business deal that he had promised to fulfill but had later cancelled. Sadly for Chang and his men, they got Happy # 2. With no other option, they are forced to kidnap Daman Singh Bagga (Jimmy Sheirgill) from India and inspector Usman Afridi (Piyush Mishra) from Pakistan and force them into finding Happy # 1 and take her to Pakistan. Happy # 2 meanwhile runs away from the clutches of Chang and bumps into Khushwant Singh Gill aka Khushi (Jassie Gill), a sardar who works at the Indian embassy. He decides to help Happy # 2. Usman and Bagga too manage to get free from Chang's hold and they team up with Khushi and Happy # 2. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Mudassar Aziz’s story is based on a wafer thin plot and doesn't have much logic in it but the humor makes up for it. Mudassar Aziz’s screenplay is engaging but one wishes he had done something about the loose ends. The scene where Usman gets horny on seeing the semi naked girls doesn’t really induce laughter. Mudassar Aziz’s dialogues are hilarious and witty. Dialogues had been the mainstay of the first part as well and in the sequel, they are funnier. At some places, it’ll pleasantly surprise you. For instance, the DANGAL reference is killer!
Mudassar Aziz’s direction is simple and uncomplicated. He uses a bit of a non-linear style in the beginning and it works very well. In the midst of fun and laughter, he inserts the somewhat sad flashback sequence of Happy # 2 and yet it engages viewers. It’s also thanks to his direction that the glitches in the script get overpowered to a great extent.
HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI doesn’t waste time and the story starts to move forward from the first scene itself. The misunderstanding owing to the name is neatly established. The real fun begins once Bagga and Usman enter the narrative. Their interactions are hilarious and take the film to another level. One of the funniest scenes is the madness that happens in Khushi's house when Chang arrives with Usman and Bagga. The flashback portion of Happy # 2 keeps the interest alive. The drama at the adult toy centre and the prison is not that funny but makes for an interesting watch. Also the film slips in the middle of the second half. But it picks up well in the pre climax. Watch out for the escalator sequence here; hilarious! The climax might be a bit underwhelming but has some funny moments. The film ends on a positive and 'Happy' note.
All the actors do a very commendable job. But it’s Jimmy Sheirgill and Piyush Mishra who take the cake. Jimmy Sheirgill is the soul of this series. By now he’s become a pro in playing roles of guys who don’t get the girl in the end. But he does it endearingly and it’s a treat to see that. Piyush Mishra comes next. He also contributes a lot to the funny quotient of the film. In the adult toy centre sequence, he is too good. Sonakshi Sinha delivers a very able performance. She completely looks the part and in some sequences, she dominates beautifully. Jassie Gill enters the series and even Bollywood with no expectations. However he turns out to be a nice surprise. Watch out for him in the scene where he starts blabbering nonsense while in shock. It’s sure to bring the house down! Diana Penty and Ali Fazal hardly have anything to do initially but give their best shot in the last 20 minutes. Jason Tham is an actor to watch out for. Denzil Smith (Adnan Chow) essays a novel and a never before seen character and is very impressive. Aparshakti Khurana leaves a mark but only in the second half. The actors playing Happy # 2’s father and sister are decent.
Sohail Sen’s music doesn’t work. The title song is the best of the lot. 'Swag Saha Nahi Jaye' comes next. 'Kudiye Ni Tere' is forced but stands out as it’s a rare song in today’s times sung by Udit Narayan. 'Koi Gal Nahi' is a forgettable composition but incorporating two Chinese men singing a Hindi song is funny! 'Chin Chin Chu' appears during the end credits. Sohail Sen's background score however is much better and suits the film's quirky mood.
Sunil Patel’s cinematography is sans complaints. Aparna Raina and Sheena Saini’s production design is realistic. Divya – Nidhhi and Ipshita Bhatnagar’s costumes are authentic and appealing. Ninad Khanolkar’s editing is slick but gets a bit dragging in the second half.
On the whole, HAPPY PHIRR BHAG JAYEGI turns out to be a worthy sequel. Despite the loose ends, it manages to make audiences laugh thanks to its funny dialogues and situations, clean humour and bravura performances. At the box office, it will turn out to be a decent fare.
STREE is based on folklore and a myth that has found acceptance in several states across India. Set in the Madhya Pradesh town of Chanderi, it tells the story of a bride’s wandering spirit who roams the streets for four days during an annual pooja. She calls out to young, unsuspecting men, and if they turn back, she takes it as their acceptance to be with her. Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is a gifted tailor in this town and he doesn’t believe in this myth. On the first day of pooja, a mysterious young girl (Shraddha Kapoor) approaches him to design her ghagra. She shows interest in him romantically and Vicky falls for him. Vicky tells his friends Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) and Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) about his love interest. Jana is happy for Vicky but Bittu cautions Vicky to be careful of her. Trouble arises when Bittu analyses the situation and realises that Vicky's love interest might be none other than Stree. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK and Pawan Sony’s story is based on a true phenomenon. They make great use of the plot as it’s quite fresh and they add the necessary elements to make it better. Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s screenplay is very effective and entertaining. The film’s duration is just right at 128 minutes and it keeps the audiences engaged. Sumit Aroraa’s dialogues are hilarious and very witty. Few one liners are sure to bring the house down.
Amar Kaushik’s direction is commendable, considering that this is his first film. He has handled the horror as well as dramatic scenes with panache. However for a horror comedy, the film gets a bit too spooky. Hence, it might be a bit too much for the family audiences. Secondly it seems he rushed through the ending. The build up is excellent but then he finishes it in a jiffy. Also the final scene will confuse a section of audiences and they might come out of the theatre in daze.
STREE begins on a high and sets the eerie mood. Immediately then, the entry of Vicky, Bittu and Jana make things light hearted. The manner in which Vicky and the girl fall in love is sweet. However the horror sequences are also neatly inserted in between. The sequence where Narendra (Aakash Dabhade) gets taken away is quite scary. However the most chilling sequence of the first half is the pre-interval sequence. Post intermission, the oscillation between fun and horror continues well. But the interest drops a bit at this point. Also, the ending has its moments but it’s also underwhelming and confusing.
Rajkummar Rao gets a chance to dabble in a new genre and he excels thoroughly. He genuinely gives an earnest performance and is a treat to see him getting spooked, delivering monologues and behaving madly in love. He is sure to bring the house down when he loses his cool in front of Jana and Stree. Also watch out for him in the second half sequence when he’s trying to analyse Stree. He’s terrific. Shraddha Kapoor delivers a fine performance and has a mysterious air about her as per the character's requirement. In the second half she gets better. Aparshakti Khurrana gives a great performance and he doesn’t get overboard. Same goes for Abhishek Banerjee. In fact he’s superb in the last one hour. Pankaj Tripathi is hardly there in the first half and he rocks big time in the second half. Vijay Raaz (Shastri) leaves a mark in the lone sequence. Flora Saini plays an important part with elan. Atul Srivastava (Vicky’s father) brings the house down in the scene where he talks to Rajkummar Rao about sex. Nora Fatehi is sizzling in the item number.
Sachin-Jigar’s music is entertaining. 'Darji' is peppy while 'Milegi Milegi' is the best of the lot but is played during the end credits. 'Kamariya' is entertaining while 'Nazar Na Lag Jaaye' is okay. 'Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe' is relegated to the background. Ketan Sodha’s background score is excellent and enhances the eerie quotient significantly. However the sound quality at some places could have been better.
Amalendu Chaudhary’s cinematography is ideal and sans any vague camerawork that certain horror films often have in Bollywood. He also has shot the locales of Chanderi beautifully. Madhusudhan’s production design is authentic. Manohar Verma and Gulzar Amin Khatib's action is nothing special. Prime Focus’ VFX is upto the mark. Hemanti Sarkar’s editing is simple and works well.
On the whole, STREE is a unique concoction of humour and horror that floors you completely. At the box office, this entertainer surely has a chance to tickle the audience’s funny bone, send a chill down their spine and ultimately give them a roller coaster experience. Impressive!
YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE is the story of one man’s fight against a corrupt pharmaceutical company. Puran (Sunny Deol) is an Ayurveda expert who runs his clinic in Amritsar. He uses ancient medicinal knowledge passed on to him by his forefathers. Marfatia (Mohan Kapur), owner of Marfatia Pharma, tempts Puran’s younger brother, the good for nothing Kala (Bobby Deol), that he’ll offer Rs. 1 crore if he can convince Puran to part with the ‘vajrakawacha’ that can cure a host of diseases. Puran refuses the offer and even physically assaults Marfatia. Marfatia decides to take revenge for this humiliation. Meanwhile, Chikoo (Kriti Kharbanda), a surgeon from Surat, comes to Amritsar to study Ayurveda under Puran. Kala falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Marfatia slaps copyright case on Puran, alleging that he has the patent for ‘vajrakawacha’ and that Puran can’t use it in his clinic. Puran realizes that Marfatia has stolen the formula from him. Enter Jaywant Parmar (Dharmendra), Puran’s paying guest who has overstayed by years and pays a paltry Rs. 115 as monthly rent. Puran and Parmar don’t see eye-to-eye but when Puran gets into this legal tangle, Parmar, who’s an excellent lawyer, decides to help. What happens next forms the rest of the story.
Dheeraj Rattan’s story is very poor and dated. A plot like this would have worked in the 90s or even in the past decade but not anymore. Dheeraj Rattan’s screenplay is the biggest culprit. A wafer-thin plot can be turned into a great film if the script is cracked properly. But sadly, he makes a mess. A few sequences are well thought of at the story level but at the script level, it goes kaput. For instance, Parmar’s dilly-dallying in the court in the finale could have made for a hilarious sequence. Same goes for Kala’s drunken rants at night, a la ‘Mausiji’ sequence of Dharmendra in SHOLAY [1975]. Alas, these scenes are badly written and hence, make no impact whatsoever. Bunty Rathore and Vankush Arora’s dialogues are also not worthy enough. Only a few one-liners leave a mark.
Navaniat Singh’s direction is very ordinary. He didn’t add anything of his own and just executed a badly written script.
YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE does arrest attention in the beginning when sutradhar Annu Kapoor gives an introduction about Ayurveda medicines and its importance followed by Puran’s introduction. However, things go downhill once Kala is introduced. This is supposed to be a comic caper but throughout the film, there are hardly any scenes that would induce even a mild guffaw. The entire bit on who stole the formula from Puran’s clinic is very predictable. Kala-Chikoo’s love story is nothing special. In the second half, one expects things to get better as the madness shifts to Surat. But even here, there is hardly any scene that would be enjoyed or would touch audiences. The climax is long-drawn and the manner in which Parmar tries to waste time of the court goes on and on and tests audience’s patience.
Even in a poor film like this, Sunny Deol shines. He genuinely gives his best shot and he is the only one who strikes a chord with the audiences. His scene at the airport, for instance, is touching, though again the impact is marred by poor writing. In the climax, he gets a raw deal. His action scene should have got more footage than the dragging courtroom sequence. Bobby Deol is strictly okay and goes overboard in many scenes. Dharmendra shockingly has a late entry and has very little to do in the first half. It’s praiseworthy that he’s acting even at this age. He too tries his best but is letdown by the script. Kriti Kharbanda looks beautiful and gives a first-rate performance. She constantly tries to rise above the script and make the scene better. Shatrughan Sinha (Judge Sunil Sinha) is a well thought character and could have taken the film to another level had the writing being superlative. He looks quite old but entertains nevertheless. Mohan Kapur is alright as the villain while Rajesh Sharma (Lawyer Bhatia) leaves a mark in the courtoom scenes. Asrani (Nanu) is disappointing. Satish Kaushik (Bedi) is wasted. In fact, he is forced in the narrative in the climax. His presence makes no sense at all at this point. Paresh Ganatra (Real estate broker Paresh Patel) is fine and same goes for Binnu Dhillon (Billa). Bharat Bhatia (Sainath; Gujarati neighbour who’s always suspicious) plays his part well. Others are okay. Salman Khan has a cameo in the finale and he looks disinterested.
Music is also disappointing. 'Little Little' and 'Nazarbattu' have zero recall value. 'Rafta Rafta Medley' is shown in the end credits. Raju Singh’s background score is loud and over the top.
Jitan Harmeet Singh’s cinematography is nothing special. Rita Ghosh’s production design is theatrical. Vikram Dahiya’s action is quite nice. Manish More’s editing is okay.
On the whole, YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA PHIR SE is marketed as a comic caper but there are hardly any scenes that would make one laugh. Disappointing.
LAILA MAJNU is the story of two lovers who are not destined to be together. Laila (Tripti Dimri) is a young girl in Srinagar who’s a flirt and likes attention from guys. One day she bumps into Kaes (Avinash Tripathy), a Casanova who has just returned from London. Laila at first is repulsed with Kaes’s stalking but slowly she falls for him. Both start dreaming of a future together. However, things aren’t going to be easy. Laila's father Masool (Parmeet Sethi) is in a feud with Kaes's father Ghulam Sarwar Bhat (Benjamin Gilani) with the former alleging that the latter took away his land by fraudulent means and built a five star hotel. Hence, the fathers of both Laila and Kaes get livid on finding out about their love affair. At the insistence of Kaes, Ghulam goes to meet Masool to ask Laila’s hand in marriage. Masool however humiliates him. A war of words ensues between the two. Masool decides to get Laila to Ibban (Sumeet Kaul), his trusted protégé. Kaes tries to find a way to stop this marriage. But when he’s not able to find any, he lands up at the wedding. He begs Masool to stop the marriage and when the latter doesn’t agree, Kaes insults him. Laila gets angry and asks him to leave. Kaes goes away in anger. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s story tries to do justice to the actual tale of Laila and Majnu. But Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s screenplay is difficult to digest especially in the second half. Also it gives a déjà vu of ROCKSTAR [2011]. Hence, the freshness element gets marred since viewers have already seen it before. But there are places where the craziness crosses all boundaries and it is unconvincing. Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s dialogues are however effective.
Sajid Ali’s direction is quite good for a first timer and he definitely seems inspired by brother Imtiaz. He keeps viewers engaged but he fails to achieve mass appeal for his film.
LAILA MAJNU's beginning evokes mixed reaction. The character of Laila is presented in a unique manner but to show her as a flirt is unconvincing. The sequence of Kaes peeing at the same spot where Laila is hiding is disgusting and one wonders why the writer wrote such a scene. Things get better once Laila and Kaes start seeing each other. The scene where Ibban follows Laila and Kaes is quite dramatic and same goes for the sequence where both the fathers meet. The intermission comes at a significant juncture. Post interval, the film goes on a different track as Kaes transforms into Majnu. This bit is bound to go bouncer for a lot of audiences as the depiction of his craziness is extreme. The film also ends on an unconvincing note.
Performances however are exemplary. Avinash Tripathy delivers a confident and a very impressive performance. As Kaes, he’s efficient but as Majnu, he goes on another level. And it doesn’t appear like a caricature. This is no easy feat. Tripti Dimri does a great job in playing the vivacious Laila and again, knows where to draw the line while enacting. In the second half however she gets limited screen time. Sumit Kaul is the surprise of the film. He plays his part very nicely and he’s sure to get noticed and talked about! Parmeet Sethi and Benjamin Gilani deliver decent performances. Sahiba Bali (Laila’s sister) is fine. Others do a good job.
Joi Barua and Niladri Kumar's music is indispensable to the film. Not all songs are memorable but they add to the impact. 'Hafiz Hafiz' is the best of the lot as it is in sync with the crazy happenings in the film. 'O Meri Laila', 'Tum', 'Sarphiri' and 'Gayee Kaam Se' are soulful and melodious. Hitesh Sonik’s background score is also very nicely done.
Sayak Bhattacharya’s cinematography is spectacular. Kashmir has been captured in a lot of films but never like this. Niharika Bhasin Khan’s costumes are very authentic and same goes for production design. Editing is simple and neat.
On the whole, LAILA MAJNU is embellished with some fine performances but it is not meant for the mainstream audience. Also with very little buzz surrounding the film, it will be a challenge for the movie to register impressive numbers at the box office.
PALTAN tells the story of a military clash between India and China in 1967. This is a time when the state of Sikkim isn’t a part of India. China wants to capture it by hook or by crook for strategic reasons but due to international pressure, they can’t make their intentions public. Yet, at Nathu La border in Sikkim, they keep engaging in minor skirmishes to scare the Indian forces which are stationed there after the king of Sikkim granted them permission. Maj. Gen. Sagat Singh (Jackie Shroff) appoints Lt. Col. Rai Singh Yadav (Arjun Rampal) as the in charge of Nathu La. Rai has undergone training in London and is well versed with Chinese tactics. Some of the officers under him at Nathu La are Major Bishen Singh (Sonu Sood), Captain Prithvi Singh Dagar (Gurmeet Choudhary), Major Harbhajan Singh (Harshvardhan Rane), 2 Lt. Attar Singh (Luv Sinha), Hawaldar Lakshmi Chand (Abhilash Chaudhary) etc. Frustrated with the constant harassment by Chinese, Rai recommends that a permanent fence be laid down dividing the Indian and Chinese border. This would stop the regular fights between the forces of both countries over where exactly the border line is. Work on the fencing begins on the Indian side and it rattles the Chinese as this would put their plan of capturing Sikkim in jeopardy. With no other option in hand, the Chinese forces open fire and a war breaks out between the two countries. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
J P Dutta's story is based on real life incidents and he tries his best to keep it as authentic as possible. J P Dutta’s screenplay is engaging. Even in the repetitive scenes, one doesn’t get bored. J P Dutta’s dialogues are simple and sharp. But there are far too many famous quotes mouthed by actors every few minutes.
J P Dutta’s direction is topnotch. Often, filmmakers who shined in the 80s and 90s are not able to move in with the times, a recent example being of Anil Sharma who directed GENIUS. But J P Dutta takes care of this bit and ensures the audience of today will be interested in the film. At the same time he has kept his sensibility intact. He however should have not let the proceedings to be stretched and should have avoided scenes similar to BORDER. But he executed the war scenes like a pro. Also he ensured the audiences can feel the tension at the border.
PALTAN is two and a half hours long and takes a long time in the build up. The war commences only in the middle of the second half and that’s when the film truly shines. Before that, the film has its moments but not in entirety. One of the most heartbreaking sequences of the film is in the beginning showing a postman delivering the telegram to several houses in a neighborhood and thereby informing them of the demise of their family members in the 1962 war. The manner in which the postman nonchalantly delivers the telegram and cries can be heard in the background is quite chilling. After the story shifts to 1967, the film continues to be engaging. But it gets repetitive. There are far too many sequences of the Chinese soldiers arguing with the Indians. Also some amount of time is devoted in throwing light on the personal lives of the soldiers and their lovers. It is interesting but it has a BORDER hangover. The war sequence however is sans complaints. It is heroic and would surely induce claps and whistles. Also the scene of the family members receiving the remains of the soldiers will put a lump in your throat.
Jackie Shroff is in a supporting role and does fine. Some of his English dialogues in the beginning are a bit difficult to comprehend. Arjun Rampal plays the main officer in charge of the border and he nicely plays his part. The way he shows aggression but also knows when to restrain himself is impressive. Sonu Sood is a natural and adds a lot to the film. Gurmeet Choudhary leaves a huge mark with his humour, temper and also his romantic side. Harshvardhan Rane also delivers a stupendous performance and looks perfect as the angry young Sardar. Both Gurmeet and Harshavardhan are going to receive maximum applause and whistles in the finale! These two young actors get a chance to show their true potential in this film. Siddhanth Kapoor gets limited scope but is memorable as he plays the interpreter. Luv Sinha is alright but gets to show his worth in some very important scenes in the 2nd half. Abhilash Chaudhary and Nagender Choudhary get very limited scope. Rohit Roy (Major Cheema) is wasted. As for the actresses, Monica Gill (Harjyot) gets the maximum scope followed by Dipika Kakar (Captain Prithvi Singh Dagar's fiance) and both are nice. Esha Gupta (Lt. Col. Rai Singh Yadav’s wife) is hardly there while Sonal Chauhan (Major Bishen Singh's wife) appears only for a few seconds in a song.
Anu Malik’s music isn’t of chartbuster variety but works for the film. The title track is average and 'Raat Kitni' is forced but somehow works. 'Main Zinda Hoon' generates the most impact. Sanjoy Chowdhury’s background score is dramatic and adds to the excitement.
Nigam Bomzan and Shailesh Awasthi's cinematography is breathtaking and has captured the locales beautifully. However in terms of authenticity, the film falters a bit as they have tried to recreate Sikkim in Ladakh and obviously the topographies of both regions are different. Amrish Patange and Dayanidhi Patturajan's production design is very real. The huge billboard of Mao Zedong creates an impact. Sham Kaushal’s action is terrific and makes the war scenes so real but at the same time he avoids gore. Ballu Saluja’s editing is appropriate. VFX however is could have better at a few places.
On the whole, PALTAN not only enlightens viewers about a lost chapter in history but also entertains viewers while doing so. Though the buzz is limited, a good word of mouth can definitely help the film.
MANMARZIYAAN is the story of a girl trapped between two lovers. Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) is a rebellious girl from Amritsar. She is orphaned at a young age and stays with her paternal uncle and family. She’s in love with Vicky aka DJ Sandzzz (Vicky Kaushal) who stays close to her house. Vicky is used to secretly coming to her house to meet her in her bedroom. One day, he gets caught and all hell breaks loose. Rumi’s family members decide to get her married. But Rumi puts her foot down, stating that she’ll marry only Vicky. She also assures that Vicky and his parents will come to their house to ask her hand for marriage. However, Vicky shies away from responsibilities. Hence, he gets a jolt when Rumi brings up the topic of marriage. Meanwhile, Robbie (Abhishek Bachchan), based in London, arrives at Amritsar to meet his family and get married, as per the wishes of his family. Realizing that Vicky is commitment and marriage phobic, Rumi gives the nod to her family to find someone for marriage. Hence, Robbie and Rumi meet. For Robbie, it’s love at first sight. Rumi also agrees for marriage. Vicky gets livid when he hears about her wedding. A day before the marriage, he tells Rumi that he’s changed and is ready to take responsibilities and get married. Rumi still has love for Vicky and she agrees to elope with him. She first meets Robbbie at night and informs him that she can’t get married to him. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Kanika Dhillon’s story is impressive and a bit novel, despite based on a premise that’s been done to death hundreds of times. Kanika Dhillon’s screenplay is engaging and layered at places. The characters are very well fleshed out and the dynamics shared by them are superb. However, after a point, the film begins to slip in the second half. Also, at around 155 minutes, the film is a bit too long. Moreover, the bold theme of the film may put off certain section of audiences. The appeal of the film hence might be towards the urban and youth audiences more than others. Kanika Dhillon’s dialogues are powerful and acidic. The funny one-liners are also well written.
Anurag Kashyap’s direction carries his trademark stamp although the subject here is a bit lighter as compared to his other films. He does justice to the overall plot but when the film begins to get a bit repetitive, even his execution is not able to do much.
Let’s get one thing straight. MANMARZIYAAN is not a remake of DHADKAN [2000] or HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM [1999] as alleged by some netizens after watching the trailer. From the treatment to the characters to the happenings, there’s no similarity between these two films and MANMARZIYAAN. The film begins on a fun, musical note, depicting the hot romance between Vicky and Rumi. As the title suggests, the characters in the film do as their heart pleases. This aspect is brought right correctly, especially in the first half. The way dramatic sequences and songs are neatly blended also make for a good watch. One of the best scenes of the first half is when Rumi blasts Vicky in the middle of the highway. The intermission comes at a crucial point and one looks forward to what will happen next. Sadly, the film slips in the second half and even starts dragging. The pre-climax is unconvincing although the way the finale is presented makes up for it.
MANMARZIYAAN is embellished with some fine performances. Taapsee Pannu is electrifying and one can’t take one’s eyes off her. In recent times, she has given some memorable performances like PINK [2016], NAAM SHABANA [2017] and in the recently released MULK [2018]. But her performance in MANMARZIYAAN stands out and is surely her most accomplished work till date! Vicky Kaushal who is on a great spree this year delivers a yet another rocking performance. He gets totally into the skin of the character and looks every inch a wannabe musician cum DJ from a small North Indian town. His breakdowns, his silences, his way of communicating with his eyes are too good. Abhishek Bachchan maintains a strong position and it’s a pleasure to see him on screen after ages. He gets to play the role of a soft-spoken guy while the other two characters are quite dynamic. But this doesn’t mean that he gets overshadowed. He makes his presence felt and his breakdown in the second half is something to watch out for. Also watch out how he emotes in the ‘suhaag raat’ sequence immediately after interval and when the marriage bureau guy tries to badmouth Rumi. Supporting characters in the film also do a very fine job. Ashnoor Kaur (Kiran; Rumi’s cousin sister) is fine. Saurabh Sachdeva (Kaka ji, who runs the marriage bureau) has a crucial part and does very well. Vikram Kochhar (Robbie’s brother) adds to the fun quotient. The actors playing Rumi’s Darji and Robbie’s mother are also quite good.
Amit Trivedi’s music is one of the pillars of the film as it’s a musical. Not all songs are memorable but they are well inserted in the narrative. ‘Daryaa’ is the best of the lot and both the versions are played in some important scenes. ‘Grey Walaa Shade’, played in the very beginning, sets the mood of the film. ‘F For Fyaar’ is hardly there while ‘Dhayaan Chand’ is funky and well shot. ‘Bijlee Giregi’ is peppy and ‘Kundali’ is a nice celebratory track. ‘Hallaa’ is played during a very tense sequence. ‘Chonch Ladhiyaan’ and ‘Jaisi Teri Marzi’ are sweet while ‘Sacchi Mohabbat’ is poignant. Amit Trivedi’s background score is also very much in sync with the film’s theme. And watch out for the twin sensations, Poonam Shah and Priyanka Shah, dancing in the middle of the Amritsar streets while the characters go about with their lives. It gives a unique touch!
Sylvester Fonseca's cinematography captures the tensions, the realistic locations and the locales of Kashmir beautifully. Meghna Gandhi's production design is straight out of life and psychedelic in the scenes of Vicky’s studio. Prashant Sawant's costumes are quite appropriate. All characters are dressed as per their personalities. Aarti Bajaj's editing is simple and neat.
On the whole, MANMARZIYAAN comes across as a contemporary and an unorthodox tale laced with some brilliant performances and powerful writing. The bold theme of the film might restrict its appeal but its target audience is sure to give the film a thumbs up.
MITRON is the story of two people, both of whom are the black sheep in their respective families. Jai (Jackky Bhagnani) is a good for nothing youth in Ahmedabad. His father (Neeraj Sood) leaves no opportunity to chide him for wasting his life despite having a degree in automobile engineering. His interest lies in cooking and even he starts a YouTube channel. But it doesn’t pay dividends. He’s advised to make prank videos as it can get record views. Sadly his father catches him in the act. He decides to get him married, as per the recommendations of an astrologer and also with the hope that it’ll make him responsible. Meanwhile, Avni (Kritika Kamra) is a smart, responsible girl. She too doesn’t get respect from her father (Sunieel Sinha) since he always wanted a son. Hence he can’t wait to get her married. Avni is in love with Vikram (Prateik Babbar) and both plan to start a food truck business and also eventually settle down. However Vikram ditches her suddenly. Avni then accepts her father’s suggestion for arranged marriage. At this point, Jai and Avni meet. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Sharib Hashmi's story is adapted from a Telugu film PELLI CHOOOPULU (2016), which is written and directed by Tharun Bhaskar Dhaassyam. It is interesting and although a bit clichéd, it has potential. Sharib Hashmi's screenplay is entertaining and engaging. The food truck and the good for nothing character gives a déjà vu of CHEF (2017) and BAND BAAJA BAARAAT (2010). Sharib Hashmi's dialogues are quite creative and hilarious.
Nitin Kakkar's direction is neat and uncomplicated, despite the non-linear narrative in the first half. In the second half, he could have done a better job at few places. This is especially in the scene where Jai gets late for the engagement brunch. That he had too much of drinks a day before and the manner in which he had no plan in place for the snacks that he was supposed to prepare seemed very unconvincing. Moreover, the title of the film doesn’t completely capture the film’s essence. However, overall Nitin managed to capture the flavour of Gujarat very well.
MITRON's first ten minutes are flat with none of the jokes working. It’s only when Jai and Avni get trapped in a room and they narrate about their life is when the film picks up. The flashback is told interestingly; notice how the actors break the fourth wall at places smoothly while narrating their tale. The manner in which Jai catches his girlfriend Shruti indulging in cheating is sure to bring the house down. Also, Jai's attempt at pranking people by pretending to immolate himself is hilarious. The track of Avni and Vikram begins unexpectedly but it has its moments. The twist during the intermission point works. Post interval, the fun continues. The humiliation faced by Avni at the engagement brunch is a crucial sequence handled well (although the scenes that lead to it are difficult to digest) and also the following sequence involving Jai and Avni's father. The pace does drop here but it gets back on track in the climax.
This is a comeback of sorts for actor Jackky Bhagnani (his last Hindi film was WELCOME TO KARACHI in 2015) and he gives a genuinely good performance. He gets the diction right and keeps his act controlled. Kritika Kamra makes a very confident debut. She gets chance to display her talent in the second half. Pratik Gandhi (Raunak) steals the show and gets to mouth some very funny one-liners. Deepu (Shivam Parekh) gets totally sidelined. Neeraj Sood also ensures he doesn’t get overboard and irritating and does a fine job. Prateik Babbar is impressive. The actors playing Perline (Richa) and Shruti (Jai’s girlfriend in the call centre) are okay.
Songs are quite peppy and reflect the mood of the film. 'Kamariya', played in the intro scene and during the end credits, is the best song of the lot and is bound to linger in one’s mind for a long time. 'Sawarne Lage' comes next and its theme music is a bit loud but again, very catchy. 'Ghar Ke Hai Na Ghat Ke' has a nice 80s vibe and is also sung by Bappi Lahiri. 'Chalte Chalte' is sweet. ‘Door Na Ja’ doesn’t make much of an impact although it’s sung beautifully by Sonu Nigam. Sameer Uddin's background score is fun and dramatic.
Manoj Kumar Khatoi's cinematography gives the film a commercial touch. The locales of Ahmedabad, especially the long shots, are well taken. Urvi Ashar Kakkar and Shipra Rawal's production design is fine, with the food truck standing out. Mandira Shukla's costumes are quite real and appealing. Sachindra Vats's editing is quite impressive, especially in the first half.
On the whole, MITRON is a feel-good film and can surely appeal to the family audiences. Unfortunately, the lack of buzz and acute competition this week will prove detrimental.
BATTI GUL METER CHALU is the story of the struggles of the common man with regards to the inconsistent electric supply. Sushil Kumar Pant aka SK (Shahid Kapoor), Lalita Nautiyal aka Nauti (Shraddha Kapoor) and Sundar Mohan Tripathi (Divyenndu) are thick friends. All three are based in Tehri in Uttarakhand. While SK is a lawyer who likes to earn a quick buck by blackmailing people and arm-twisting them, Nauti runs a boutique shop and dreams of becoming a top designer. Sundar is a simpleton who has recently started his factory, called UK Packaging. Both SK and Sundar have feelings for Nauti. Nauti decides to date both of them one by one and decides to announce her decision as to whom she’ll eventually get into a relationship with. At first, she dates SK and she has a lovely time. Then, it’s Sundar’s turn and he floors her with his simplicity and honesty. One day, SK sees them cosying up to each other and he loses his mind. He stops talking to them and leaves for Mussoorie. Meanwhile, Sundar is slapped with a bill of Rs. 54 lakhs by the private electricity company SPTL. He tries his best to find a solution to it and explain to the concerned authorities that it’s impossible that he has consumed so much of electricity. Moreover, due to power cuts, he’s already using generator which has put additional burden on his finances. Realizing that he might have to sell off his ancestral house to pay off the dues, Sundar approaches SK for help. But SK is hurt that Nauti chose Sundar over him. Hence, he ridicules both of them. With no other solution in hand, Sundar decides to end his life. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Siddharth-Garima and Vipul Rawal’s story is simple which held a lot of promise but is not put together well. The basic premise has potential as it’s very relatable but it doesn’t come out properly. Siddharth-Garima’s screenplay is engaging only at places. There are far too many flaws and they get noticed easily. The film also reminds one of another courtroom drama, the JOLLY LLB series. Moreover, a crucial development is similar to Shahid’s own film CHUP CHUP KE [2006]. Siddharth-Garima’s dialogue has some funny punchlines. But the excessive use of terms like ‘thehra’ and ‘bal’ could have been avoided. In fact, the film’s length could have been reduced by ten minutes if these two words were chopped off!
Shree Narayan Singh’s direction is weak. He had a bit flawed but interesting write-up in hand and any other capable director could have turned things around. But Shree Narayan Singh doesn’t succeed much. There’s no doubt that he has handled some moments deftly and does make viewers aware about how acute the problem in question is. But his execution leaves a lot to be desired.
BATTI GUL METER CHALU is almost 161 minutes long and it’s first half could have been easily shortened by around 30 minutes. The beginning sequences depicting the friendship of the trio are strictly okay. Things begin to heat up once Nauti decides to date SK and then Sundar. The scene where Sundar spots Nauti and Sundar kissing is quite dramatic. Also, the entire Mussoorie sequence raises laughs and also has a great confrontational moment. The intermission point is dramatic. Post-interval, the scene of SK threatening the SPTL lawyer in the ombudsman office is whistle worthy. But the real fun begins with the courtroom sequence. The way SK catches hold of Gulnar Rizvi’s (Yami Gautam) soft-porn book and reads aloud an excerpt will bring the house down! A few of the facts revealed by SK are also startling. The climax ideally should have been a highpoint but sadly, it’s a point where the film comes down. Moreover, the villains in the story are not powerful enough. SK is fighting such a huge electricity company and he has even got the public on his side during the course of his fight. Yet, at no point does the company threaten him or his family members or physically assault him. They quietly let things happen and this bit looks very unconvincing.
Shahid Kapoor is one of the major reasons why the film succeeds to an extent. He’s in top form and will be loved for his comic timing. In the second half, he’s a riot! Also, he gives a wonderful performance in the emotional sequences. Shraddha Kapoor is over the top in the beginning sequences and it’s only in the serious scenes of the second half where she scores. Divyenndu is quite sincere and as always, gives an able performance. Yami Gautam has a very late entry and gives a fine performance. However, the scenes where she gets teased in the courtroom might not be liked by the female audiences. Atul Srivastav (Murarilal Tripathi; Sundar’s father) has some important scenes and is nice. Mukesh S Bhatt (Upreti) has quite a lot of screen time but doesn’t contribute much. Sushmita Mukherjee (Judge) tries to do a Saurabh Shukla of JOLLY LLB but looks forced. Sudhir Pande (D N Pant) is strictly okay and some of his scenes, shown in the trailer, are removed from the final cut. His entire track of trying to find a second wife doesn’t add at all to the main plot. Farida Jalal (Dadi) and Supriya Pilgaonkar (Beena Nautiyal) are wasted. Samir Soni (Sanjay Baduriya) looks tired and it seems like his voice has been dubbed. Rajendra Chawla (Janak Khanduri; officer at the complaint office) and Sukhvinder Chahal (Pankay Bahugana; SPTL official who gets caught in sting operation) are quite nice. Bijendra Kala (Deendayal Gangotri Travels owner) is as always good. Vikas (Sharib Hashmi) is unrecognizable while Badrul Islam (Kalyan) is decent. But their track is such that viewers might not be able to comprehend its significance. Anushka Ranjan (Rita) gets no scope.
As for the songs, ‘Gold Tamba’ is catchy and ‘Har Har Gange’ comes at a crucial juncture. ‘Hard Hard’ and ‘Dekhte Dekhte’ are forced. Vijay Verma, Anamik and Lyton's background score is disappointing in the light-hearted scenes but gets better in the second half. Anshuman Mahaley's cinematography is appropriate but the makers should have avoided taking too many long shots of the town. Udai Prakash Singh’s production design is realistic. Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Kumar Ghosh’s costumes are as per the requirements of the characters. Post House’s VFX is very bad especially in the scenes shot in the day but are presented as night sequences. Shree Narayan Singh’s editing could have been better and crisper.
On the whole, BATTI GUL METER CHALU is an average, one-time watch entertainer that appeals only in parts. The film has lot of flaws and loose ends and Shahid Kapoor’s entertaining performance saves the day to an extent. At the box office, it will require a really strong word of mouth to attract footfalls.
MANTO throws light on the four decisive years of the life of Saadat Hasan Manto (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a rebellious writer. The story begins in 1946 in Bombay, India. Manto is a non-practicing Muslim but has his apprehensions when the communal riots break out at a time when the country is at the cusp of freedom. He is married to Safia (Rasika Dugal) and he earns his living by writing for films. His close friends are fellow liberal writer Ismat Chugtai (Rajshri Deshpande) and film actor Shyam Chadda (Tahir Raj Bhasin). Meanwhile, India gains Independence on August 15, 1947. Saifa goes to Lahore to attend her sister’s wedding. Manto meets Shyam’s family who have run from Rawalpindi to India and have lost a family member while escaping. Shyam, in a fit of rage, expresses his hatred for Muslims and even tells Manto that he could have killed him too. A distraught Manto decides to leave India permanently and settle in Lahore. There, he is slapped with obscenity charges over his story ‘Thanda Gosht’. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Nandita Das’s story is interesting as it doesn’t throw light on Manto’s entire life but only on the four years. It also makes a nice comment on the idea of freedom of expression and how society continues to create problems for those who are showing the mirror. Nandita Das’s screenplay has its moments with few scenes being exceptionally written. However, at a lot of places, the film fails to make the desired impact which is unfortunate since the film has a lot of potential. Nandita Das’s dialogues are sharp and acidic. Manto’s original quotes are also used and it adds an authentic touch. However, a lot of dialogues are in chaste Urdu and English subtitles thankfully have been provided.
Nandita’s direction is unhurried and breezy. The subject reminds one of Ketan Mehta’s RANG RASIYA [2014], which also spoke of an artist being dragged to court over a frivolous issue, and the acclaimed Spanish film NERUDA [2016], based on the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. But Nandita with her execution ensures that viewers don’t start drawing parallels with these two films. Special mention should be made of two aspects – one, she doesn’t get overwhelmed with the period setup and doesn’t try to focus more on the sets and props. She instead keeps her focus on her protagonist. Secondly, she handles few sensitive factors with panache, one of them being Manto’s friendship with Ismat. The manner in which their pure friendship is depicted with Manto’s wife also acknowledging it makes for a nice watch. But on the other hand, she makes the film too dry, especially in the second half. This heavily mars the impact.
MANTO is just 112 minutes long but could have been tighter, like Nandita Das’s previous directorial venture FIRAAQ [2009]. The characters are well established and the manner in which Manto’s stories are interspersed with the narrative smoothly is praiseworthy. The first half is shorter and has some memorable sequences – Manto getting livid with the producer (Rishi Kapoor), Manto and Safia trying to imagine the back story of a woman they see in a park and Manto and Safia witnessing the Independence Day celebrations. The best sequence of the first half however has to be Manto and Shyam’s confrontation in the local train. The second half is longer and this is where the film slips. Manto’s struggles could have been showed in a better manner. Also, the film has some great characters but barring 2 or 3, the rest don’t get their due like the lecherous film producer (Rishi Kapoor), Shaad Amritsari (Shashank Arora), Jaddan bai (Ila Arun), Nargis (Feryna Wazheir), Tea Stall Man (Neeraj Kabi), Ansar Shabnam Dil (Vijay Varma), Abid Ali Abid (Javed Akhtar) etc. The climax is symbolic but looks a bit abrupt. As a result, MANTO will appeal only to the high-end multiplex audiences.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the soul of MANTO and succeeds in giving a yet another memorable performance. The actor breathes life into the character and does justice as he portrays his various sides. One of the most underrated aspects of his performance is when he feels fearful (notice him in the scene with Ashok Kumar). Rasika Dugal has a crucial part and plays her part with aplomb. Tahir Raj Bhasin delivers a bravura performance. In the second half, his screen time is limited and although he does well, the happenings in the said sequence seem superficial. Rajshri Deshpande is terrific in a cameo and one wishes she had a longer role. Rishi Kapoor is good as the sleazy filmmaker. Shashank Arora has an important part but no explanation is given as to who exactly is he and how a bond is formed between him and Manto. Ila Arun gets to shine in the scene where she sings the song. Neeraj Kabi is as always exceptional but again, has hardly anything to do. Vijay Varma, mostly remembered as the antagonist in PINK, is decent. Javed Akhtar is impressive, giving one a déjà vu of Naseeruddin Shah’s cameo in the Pakistani film KHUDA KAY LIYE [2007]. Inammulhaq (Hamid) and Chandan Roy Sanyal (Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi) are okay and don’t get much scope. Feryna Wazheir gets no dialogue although she quite looks the part. The actor who played Ashok Kumar is a bit over the top but manages to get the nuances right.
Then there are actors who play the characters of Manto’s stories. Out of these, Ranvir Shorey (Ishrat Singh) and Divya Dutta (Kulwant Kaur) get the maximum scope and create a tremendous impact. This is followed by Vinod Nagpal (Bishan Singh; Sikh man in Toba Tek Singh). Paresh Rawal (Pimp), Tillotama Shome (Prostitute), Gurdas Maan (Sirajuddin) and Purab Kohli (Kaifiyat) also do very well.
Sneha Khanwalkar's music doesn’t get much scope. ‘Nagri Nagri’ gets registered as it’s played at an important part. ‘Bol Ke Lab Azaad Hain’ comes during the end credits. The rap song ‘Mantoiyat’ thankfully is not made a part of the film. Zakir Hussain's background score is subtle and impactful. Kartik Vijay's cinematography is neat. Rita Ghosh's production design, Sheetal Iqbal Sharma's costumes and Shrikant Desai's hair and make-up are too good and play an important role in giving the film a realistic, authentic touch. Prana Studios's VFX matches the global standards. All these come together very well in recreating the bygone era. A Sreekar Prasad's editing is simple.
On the whole, MANTO has its moments and makes an important comment which is relevant in today’s times. However, the second half is weak and the film overall is too niche. Hence, it won’t appeal to the mainstream audience and this would affect its box office performance.
PATAAKHA is the bittersweet story of two badass sisters. Badki (Radhika Madan) and her sister Chhutki (Sanya Malhotra) reside in a village in Rajasthan. Their mother is no more while their doting father Bapu (Vijay Raaz) works as a mine contractor nearby. Badki and Chhutki are forever fighting and beating each other for the smallest of reasons. Bapu as a result is perennially tensed. The sisters then fall in love – Badki with Jagan (Namit Das) while Chhutki falls for Vishnu (Abhishek Duhan). On the other hand, Bapu risks losing his mine if he doesn’t give bribe to tune of Rs. 4 lakhs to the new forest officer. Patel (Sanand Verma), the Mr Moneybags of the village and also the one with a roving eye, agrees to pay the said amount to Bapu in exchange for marriage with either Badki or Chhutki. A simple toss decides who’ll marry Patel. Badki unfortunately is selected as Patel’s wife-to-be. Chhutki is overjoyed that she’ll finally be free of Badki’s torture. However, on the eve of the wedding, Badki elopes with Jagan. On the day of the marriage, Patel decides to marry Chhutki instead. When Patel arrives for the wedding at night, he’s shocked to see that Chhutki has run away as well, with Vishnu! Both the sisters get married to their respective lovers. However, their joy is shortlived when they realize that Vishnu and Jagan are brothers and even after marriage, they’ll have to share the household with each other. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Charan Singh Pathik’s story (originally published as a tale called ‘Do Behenein’) is interesting and novel. Vishal Bhardwaj’s screenplay has some plusses. He has kept the tone of the film light and fleshed out some scenes very well. An interesting sequence in the first half that stands out is Badki enquiring at the milk plant while Chhutki making inquiries at a coaching institute. Notice how the camera pans out to a poster of Narendra Modi hugging Donald Trump! It’ll surely induce chuckles. Also, the way he draws a parallel to India and Pakistan’s equation while describing Badki and Chhutki’s relationship is interesting. However, in the second half, he loses grip over several scenes. Vishal Bhardwaj’s dialogues are witty at places. At few places however, some dialogues are difficult to decipher.
Vishal Bhardwaj’s direction is controlled but in a few scenes, he could have done a better job. The entire portion of Badki and Chhutki facing physical ailments look very unrealistic and takes away the charm created by the earlier scenes. Moreover, a few scenes are disgusting and were avoidable. For instance, there was no need of showing excreta, people spitting on stones repeatedly etc. As it is, the visuals of women fighting are going to keep a section of audiences away and such scenes would further add to the alienation.
PATAAKHA is a black comedy and definitely has its moments. The duration thankfully is controlled, at 136 minutes. The beginning portions are breezy and entertaining. Thankfully, the scenes of physical fights between the sisters are not incorporated every now and then. The way Badki and Chhutki fall in love seems a bit quick but works. But the equation is very well established among the principal characters. The scenes where the sisters run away make for a nice watch and same goes for when they realize that their husbands are related. Post-interval, the interest dips a bit in the initial portions. The interest rises again when Badki and Chhutki hatch a plan for independence from each other. Once that happens, the film shockingly goes downhill. The withdrawal symptoms faced by them are too unconvincing and difficult to digest. The finale thankfully has some fun moments which bring the film back on track.
Sanya Malhotra, last seen in DANGAL [2016], can once again be seen getting into the mud while trying to defeat her opponent. This is no easy role and it required confidence and losing inhibitions. On both fronts, Sanya scores very well and the same goes for Radhika Madan. Not many actresses would like to do such a role in the initial years of their careers. But Radhika not only took up the challenge but also came out with flying colours. Sunil Grover (Dipper) has the most rocking character in the film and he’s surely the trump card of PATAAKHA. His scenes would be loved by the audiences as he tries to complicate matters into the lives of the warring sisters and her father. Performance-wise, he’s first-rate! Vijay Raaz delivers a terrific performance yet again. He contributes to the laughter but your heart also goes to him as he tries to survive amidst his ferocious daughters! Namit Das and Abhishek Duhan lend able support. Saanand Verma is decent. Chomina Beyong (Patel’s wife) is hilarious. Usha Nagar (Dadi), Sameer Khakhar (Sarpanch) and Ajay Kumar (Eye surgeon) are fine. Others do a good job.
Vishal Bhardwaj’s music is hardly memorable but is well incorporated in the film. ‘Naina Banjare’ stands out. ‘Balma’ also works thanks to its picturisation. The title song is forgettable while ‘Gali Gali’ comes at a crucial juncture. The much talked about item song ‘Hello Hello’ featuring Malaika Arora is shockingly missing from the film and is not even a part of the end credits, although the credits mention her presence in the film in the ‘mela’ sequence! Vishal Bhardwaj’s background score has a fun tone and it helps in keeping the mood light.
Ranjan Palit's cinematography is raw and grungy, in keeping with the film’s theme. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray's production design is realistic. Karishma Sharma’s costumes are straight out of life. Soma Goswami and Natasha Mathias’s makeup design deserve special mention for the heroines look quite convincing as rebellious village belles. A Sreekar Prasad’s editing is okay.
On the whole, PATAAKHA is a decent entertainer which has its moments but the post-interval portions are quite unconvincing. At the box office, it will need to rely on word of mouth to register decent collections.
SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA is a heartwarming story of pride and self-reliance. Mauji (Varun Dhawan) stays in a village near Delhi with his wife Mamta (Anushka Sharma), father (Raghubir Yadav) and mother (Yamini Das). Varun works at a shop that sells sewing machines, owned by Bansal (Sidharth Bhardwaj) and his son Prashant (Ashish Verma). Both have a habit of ill-treating Mauji and make him do fun antics. When Prashant gets married, Bansal invites Mauji and his entire family. Mamta feels humiliated when she sees Mauji being asked to imitate a dog by the Bansals. Mamta encourages him to start his own business, especially since he is a pro at sewing. However, Mauji’s grandfather was a tailor who faced immense losses. Hence, his father vowed never to get into this business again. Mauji at first rejects Mamta’s suggestion but later leaves his job and puts a stall on the streets in Delhi. On the other hand, Mauji’s mother falls down in their house and she’s hospitalized. The tests reveal that she has multiple blockages in her heart. The family is already having a hand-to-mouth existence and Mauji’s mother’s hospitalization further add to their woes. Moreover, Mauji has left his job as well. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Sharat Katariya's story is simple and the need of the hour. It reminds one of the films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and gives a nice ode to that kind of adorable cinema. Sharat Katariya's screenplay however is much more impressive. He does total justice to the characters and the setting and also keeps the viewers involved. However, unlike his previous outing DUM LAGA KE HAISHA [2015] which had plenty of funny moments, SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA is more dramatic. There's not much scope for humour and a section of audiences might miss that. Sharat Katariya's dialogues are witty and play a major part in contributing to the laughter quotient.
Sharat Katariya's direction is brilliant and enhances the well written script. He could have made the film a bit tighter and less convenient and predictable but thankfully these are minor flaws.
SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA 's first shot is very impressive and captures a lot simply in one take. After establishing the characters and setting, the film wastes no time in getting on point soon. The hospital sequence is lovely but in the first half, what takes the cake is the pre interval sequence. Notice how the makers raise tension levels! In the second half, the film drops a bit. Also the manner in which Mamta and Mauji get shortlisted for the fashion tournament seems a bit convenient. But the finale makes up for it (though it gives a déjà vu of the 2008 comic caper MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI) and the film is sure to leave viewers with a smile.
SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA belongs to Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma. Both actors deliver powerhouse performances. Varun Dhawan looks every inch a village simpleton and is sure to be loved. He plays his part with earnesty and that shows. Notice his reaction when Bansals force him to act like a dog and how he beautifully hides his embarrassment. Also in the climax scene especially in the hotel lobby sequence, he's too good. Anushka Sharma gets mentioned before Varun in the opening credits and has a very crucial part. One forgets that she is THE Anushka Sharma and gives her hundred per cent. In a scene where she asks her mother in law if she's fine and whether she liked the hospital, the actress seems so natural. Raghubir Yadav gives a very touching performance. Towards the finale especially, he’s sure to make viewers teary-eyed. Yamini Das plays her part perfectly, especially in the hospital scenes. Puja Sarup (Harleen Bedi) leaves a huge mark. Same goes for Namit Das (Guddu). Bhupesh Singh (Naushad) is damn good. The actors playing Majnu, Majnu’s wife, Palteram and others are also very good.
Anu Malik’s music goes very well with the film, although it’s not of chartbuster variety. The title song comes at a very crucial juncture and makes an impact. 'Chaav Laaga' is melodious. 'Khatar Patar' and 'Tu Hi Aham' are situational songs and work. 'Sab Badhiya Hai' is missing from the film. Andrea Guerra’s background score is in sync with the film’s mood and is also subtle.
Anil Mehta’s cinematography is too good and doesn’t get lost in capturing the simplicity of the village or the glitz and glamour of the city life. The lensman captures only what’s essential. Meenal Agarwal’s production design is realistic. Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Kumar Ghosh’s costume designers deserve brownie points as it’s one of the pillars of the film. Charu Shree Roy’s editing is simple and neat.
On the whole, SUI DHAAGA - MADE IN INDIA is a simple tale told beautifully with strong emphasis on emotions. At the box office, the film will have to rely on a very good word of mouth to attract audiences. It has an extended five-day weekend of sorts (with October 2 being a National Holiday). Hence, the film would surely have a healthy run at the ticket window and would turn prove profitable or should we say ‘badhiya’ for the producers. Recommended!
ANDHADHUN is the story of a creative artist who gets involved in a crime scene. Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a blind piano player based in Pune. While crossing the road, he one day accidentally bumps into Sophie (Radhika Apte), who along with her father runs a restaurant named Franco’s. Impressed with his piano skills, she hires Akash to play at Franco’s. Akash impresses the guests with his performance and also Sophie. Both start a love affair. A frequent customer at Franco’s is yesteryear actor Pramod Sinha. He has retired from films and is now into real estate. Three years ago, he married Simi (Tabu), who is his second wife. He has a daughter from the first wife, Dani. Pramod loves Akash’s performance and is also moved by the fact that he is able to recognize Pramod by his voice. It’s his marriage anniversary the next day and he asks Akash to come to his house for a private concert for him and Simi. The same night, he tells Simi that he’s going to Bengaluru the next day for work purposes. He purposely lies as his plan is to surprise Simi and then have a concert by Akash. The next day, Pramod reaches his residence but he’s shocked to find Simi sleeping with her lover, Inspector Mahendra (Manav Vij). In the madness that ensues, Pramod is shot dead. Minutes later, Akash arrives for the concert. What happens later forms the rest of the film.
Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar and Pooja Ladha Surti’s story is inspired from the French short film L’ACCORDEUR [writer and director: Olivier Treiner]. However, a lot of changes have been done and it’s praiseworthy. Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar and Pooja Ladha Surti’s screenplay is flawless in the first half and is bound to leave viewers stunned. The second half becomes a bit routine and unrealistic. Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar and Pooja Ladha Surti’s dialogues are sharp and witty.
Sriram Raghavan’s direction is terrific. In the past, he has made some great urban thrillers like EK HASINA THI [2004], JOHNNY GADDAAR [2007] and BADLAPUR [2015]. ANDHADHUN is more in the JOHNNY GAADAAR zone and he treats the plot very well. The dark humour element comes out beautifully and that helps the film from becoming too gory or disturbing. Also, his love for the 70s Hindi cinema comes to the fore and it adds to the film’s charm. If only he had done something about the glitches in the second half, ANDHADHUN would have been a game changer!
ANDHADHUN’s first half is simply out of this world! The introduction of the characters is great and soon, the plot begins to unfold. There are surprises after every 10-15 minutes. The real fun however begins when Pramod Sinha gets murdered and Akash reaches his residence. This scene is seen to be believed! All scenes from hereon take the film to dizzying heights – whether it’s the scene at the police station or Manohar visiting Akash’s residence or Akash visiting Pramod’s residence the second time or the prayer meeting. The intermission point raises tension levels significantly. The second half begins with a bang and even a shocker. Although this hour also keeps the viewers gripped, the film begins to drop and get unconvincing. The proceedings become far-fetched which is not the case in the first half. Newer characters are added while a significant character from the first half gets sidelined. In fact, the first and second halves seem like two different films. The climax is interesting and watch out for the final scene!
Ayushmann Khurrana has done unconventional but mostly light films till now. ANDHADHUN is his first intense flick and he excels. This is a very challenging role as his character has lot of shades and a secret to hide. But he puts up an excellent act. He’s unforgettable in the sequence where Pramod Sinha is killed and also in the scene immediately after intermission. Ayushmann already has a wonderful filmography and this flick will add a lot of weightage. Tabu delivers a bravura performance as expected. The manner in which she plays the mind games and tries to manipulate the situations at various points is quite fun. Radhika Apte plays a chirpy character and delivers a fine performance. Sadly, she has very little to do in the second half. Anil Dhawan is terrific and leaves a mark. Manav Vij’s entry scene is chilling and notice how he conveys a lot merely with his eyes. A first-rate performance! Ashwini Kalsekar (Rasika) is too good and rocks in the scene wherein she’s discussing the murder of Pramod Sinha. Zakir Hussain (Dr Swami) is quite quirky and contributes to the fun quotient. Gopal Singh (Sub inspector) is fine. Chhaya Kadam (Maushi) is an actor to watch out for. Kabir Sajid (the kid) is too good and too funny. The actors playing Murli, Mrs D’Sa are nice.
Amit Trivedi’s music is melodious and suits the narrative well. ‘Naina Da Kya Kasoor’ is the best of the lot and is quite foot-tapping. ‘Laila Laila’ comes next despite coming immediately after ‘Naina Da Kya Kasoor’. ‘Oh Bhai Re’ is quite quirky while ‘Woh Ladki’ is played at a crucial juncture. Daniel B George’s background score has a very important part to play and enhances impact in several scenes. The piano pieces are excellent. K U Mohanan’s cinematography gives the film a captivating feel. Also, ANDHADHUN is a rare film shot almost entirely in Pune and captures the city like never before. Snigdha Pankaj and Anita Donald’s production design is quite rich and appealing, especially Pramod and Simi’s residence. Anaita Shroff Adajania and Sabina Haldar’s costumes are also eye-catching, especially the ones worn by Radhika Apte. Parvez Khan’s action is realistic. Pooja Ladha Surti’s editing is razor-sharp.
On the whole, ANDHADHUN is a thriller par excellence. Very rarely does Bollywood deliver a thriller that shocks and stuns you so well. Although the second half does drop, the impact is made and this would surely result in a good word of mouth. Recommended!
LOVEYATRI is the story of romance that blossoms during a course of nine days. Sushrut aka Susu (Aayush Sharma) is a good for nothing guy in Vadodara, Gujarat. He is poor in studies and gives garba lessons to kids in his neighbourhood. Meanwhile, Manisha aka Michelle (Warina Hussain) is originally from Vadodara but stays in London with her father Sameer aka Sam Patel (Ronit Roy), who is a rich businessman. Manisha is studious and is about to get admission in a reputed business school. A day before Navratri, both arrive in Vadodara when their family members trick them. Manisha goes with her family and friends for a Navratri event and there she bumps into Susu. Encouraged by his maternal uncle Rasik (Ram Kapoor), Susu pursues her as he has fallen for her. Manisha too begins to get fond of him. Sam learns of this romance in the making and he tries to manipulate the situation. Susu has a fight with Manisha. By the time Susu realises his mistake, Manisha has already left for London. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Niren Bhatt’s story is too simplistic. There are a lot of interesting characters and even the setting is unique. But the writer doesn’t use them well. The biggest conflict arising between the lovers is insignificant but it takes forever for the misunderstanding to resolve. Niren Bhatt’s screenplay however is engaging and entertaining. Despite the fact that there aren’t many conflicts happening in the film, the script keeps viewers engaged. Niren Bhatt’s dialogues are quite nice. Some of them might remind of the WhatsApp forwards but considering the context and theme, it works.
Abhiraj K Minawala’s direction is neat and uncomplicated. It’s his debut directorial venture but he proves that he knows his job well.
LOVEYATRI begins well with the typical grand hero’s entry. His world is well established and also that of Manisha. The sequence where Susu sees Manisha for the first time might seem a bit far-fetched but it surely works. Susu's various interactions with his pals Negative (Pratik Gandhi) and Rocket (Sajeel Parekh) and Rasik mama are quite hilarious. Along with laughter, the film also depicts some tender, romantic moments between Susu and Manisha. But the best in the first half is reserved for the scene where Sam takes Susu for a ride in the giant wheel. Quite dramatic! The showdown in the high end restaurant followed by the intermission point is terrific. In the second half, things continue to remain interesting as Susu tries every trick in the book to go to London. Once in London, the fun gets better although the climax is sans any high.
Aayush Sharma makes a confident debut. The actor surely has spark and is set for a great career ahead. He dances like a dream and most importantly, he does very well in the confrontational sequences. Warina Hussain looks stunning but is not relegated as a PYT in the film. She has an important part and she shines. Watch out for her scene where she opens up about her mother. Ram Kapoor is the 'jaan' of the film. His characterization and performance are such that they lift the proceedings! The scene where he talks about Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan would be greeted with claps and whistles! Ronit Roy gets the Gujarati accent right and performance wise, he is first rate. Pratik Gandhi brings the house down while Sajeel Parekh also contributes to the laughter quotient. Kenneth Desai (Hari; Susu’s father) is fine. Manoj Joshi (Natu Kaka) is great but doesn’t get scope. Arbaaz Khan (Jignesh) and Sohail Khan (Bhavesh) are adorable.
VENOM starts off with a space craft belonging to the CEO of Life Foundation - Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) that was on an exploratory mission crashing into earth. Carrying a payload of symbiotic lifeforms from deep space, the craft is destroyed on impact. However, while four specimens are recovered from the crash, one escapes. After the four are brought back to the Life Foundation research facility in San Francisco, Drake, becomes obsessed with bonding symbiots to humans to prepare humanity for Earth's inevitable ecological collapse, and begins illegally experimenting on vagrants, resulting in numerous deaths. In the meantime, investigative journalist Eddie Brock, who arranges an interview with Drake through his girlfriend Anne Weying, a lawyer affiliated with the Life Foundation confronts Drake with confidential materials indicating wrongdoing that he stole from Weying's e-mail, leading to them both being fired from their respective jobs and the end of their relationship. Six months later, Brock is approached by one of Drake's scientists, Dora Skirth, who disagrees with Drake's methods and wants to help Brock expose him. With her aid, Brock breaks into Drake's research facility to acquire evidence from his crimes, in the process learning that an acquaintance of his, Donna Diego, has become one of Drake's subjects. Brock attempts to rescue her, but Donna attacks him and the symbiot possessing her, transfers from her body to his, killing her in the process. Brock manages to escape, but soon begins displaying strange symptoms. Will Brock also fall victim to the symbiot, will the symbiot overpower its host, or will the two merge into one being is what forms the rest of the film.
VENOM starts off detailing the character of Eddie Brock, the investigative journalist and Carlton Drake, the CEO of life Foundation, and from here the film quickly moves on to establish the basic premise of how the symbiots arrive on Earth and what their mission is. Director Ruben Fleischer does a good job in keeping the proceedings fast paced and gripping at the same time. Not once does the film slow down, instead the script keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat with constant shifts and well executed action sequences. A special mention here needs to be made for the Visual Effects team that have done well to integrate CGI and live action sequences seamlessly. This facet is evident in multiple scenes through the film, especially since the subject matter involves a ton of CGI.
Coming to the performances in the film, both Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/ Venom and Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake/ Riot, have done an impeccable job with their given roles. Well timed humour and perfect timing in crucial moments propels the overall appeal of the film. Similarly, the rest of the cast, comprising of Michelle Williams as Anne Weying, and Reid Scott as Dr. Dan Lewis have done a decent job in their limited roles. Despite being a film that focuses solely on one character, VENOM features well detailed characters for each of the cast members.
On the whole, VENOM makes for a fun action packed movie that keeps you in your seat. The constant twists and the rapid action does not let the tempo of the film drop. For the Indian market, being a film that does not come after any predecessor, VENOM is easy to understand and builds a story line around a lesser known character that can eventually become a major league player. At the box office, with competition from two other Bollywood releases viz. LOVEYATRI and ANDHADHUN, VENOM will face stiff competition. However, the wide release in four languages will work in favour of the movie.
TUMBBAD is the story of a man who gets access to unlimited gold thanks to the curse of a goddess. When the Universe was created, the Goddess of Prosperity, the symbol of unlimited food and gold, gave birth to 16 crore gods and goddesses. The Goddess however loved her first child the most – Hastar. But Hastar wanted all the food and gold possessed by the Goddess. He managed to get access to her gold but when he came to get hold of the food, the fellow Gods and Goddesses attacked him. Before he could get completely destroyed, the Goddess of Prosperity saved him by keeping him in his womb but on one condition – no one should ever worship him and that he should be forgotten. Many centuries later, the residents of Tumbbad village however made a shrine in honour of Hastar, turning this village into a curse. It became a village where it rains perennially. The story begins in 1918. A teenaged Vinayak, his younger brother Sada and their mother reside in this village. The mother is a mistress of the village Sarkar who stays in the ‘wada’ (estate) where the Hastar’s temple is situated. Vinayak and Sada are the illegitimate children of Vinayak and Sada. The Sarkar has tried to find the treasure possessed by Hastar but his search turned futile and he managed to find just one gold coin. The Sarkar’s mother is a wretched old lady who refuses to die and Vinayak’s mother takes care of him. The Sarkar dies and the next day, Sada falls from a tree and also passes away. The mother gets hold of the gold coin from the shrine and leaves Tumbbad permanently with Vinayak. 15 years later, in 1933, Vinayak (Sohum Shah) goes back to Tumbbad in the hope of finding the lost treasure. Luck smiles on Vinayak as he’s able to find a way that leads him to unlimited gold coins. But he gets hold of only certain coins at a time. Vinayak exchanges these coins with a local moneylender Raghav who grows suspicious of Vinayak and the way he regularly gets hold of the coins. Unable to control his curiosity and desperate to earn some quick buck for getting license from his opium business, Raghav goes to the estate to get hold of some gold coins. What happens next forms the rest of the story.
Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi’s story is unique and unconventional. With such a plot and setting, TUMBBAD could have turned into a game changer. But Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi’s screenplay doesn’t let that happen. It is inconsistent – at places, the setting and the legend is very well explained. But certain developments are depicted in a subtle manner and they might get missed. Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi’s dialogues are simple and not memorable as such.
Rahi Anil Barve’s direction is a bit weak as he too fails to do justice to the plot in hand. One of the biggest problems with the direction is certain things never get explained properly. For instance, who was the first one to remember Hastar and how did that person come to know about him, especially when he’s never mentioned in the scriptures anywhere? How come the Sarkar was never able to find gold coins in abundance, like Vinayak? The climax does grab your attention but again, a question arises why exactly such a twist occurs in the first place.
TUMBBAD’s first few minutes should not be missed at any cost. The entire legend of the village and Hastar is explained here and missing this bit would prove detrimental. The film is divided into three chapters. The first chapter, involving Vinayak’s childhood, is disturbing and needlessly gory. It doesn’t really engage well. The second chapter is slightly better, though a lot is still left to be desired. The intermission point is well shot and it’s from the second half that the film begins to get clearer. The scene in the womb immediately after the commencement of the second half leaves a mark. The third chapter has interesting developments, especially in the finale. But the way the makers don’t answer certain questions again hampers the impact.
Sohum Shah however delivers a fabulous performance. His deadpan expressions, dialogue delivery and eyes create an impact and works very well for this role. Anita Date (Vinayak’s wife) is quite good and makes a mark in few scenes. Ronjini Chakraborty (Vinayak’s mistress) gives a nice performance, especially in the scene where she meets Vinayak’s son. Mohd Samad (Vinayak’s son) is quite great and dominates a major chunk of the second half. Jyoti Malshe (Vinayak’s grandmother) is fine and her make-up itself is sure to scare a lot of viewers. Cameron Anderson (Sergeant Cooper) and the actors playing Hastar, Vinayak’s mother, younger Vinayak, Raghav are good.
Ajay-Atul’s music is nothing special and there’s just one song – the title song – played at various junctures in the film. Jesper Kyd’s background score however is brilliant and has an international feel. Pankaj Kumar’s cinematography is spectacular and one of the best of the year. The virgin locales of Maharashtra are very well captured. Filmgate Films AB’s VFX is quite good and doesn’t give any reason to complain. Nitin Zihani Choudhury and Rakesh Yadav’s production design is praiseworthy, especially in the scenes of the womb. Smriti Chauhan and Sachin Lovalekar’s costumes are reminiscent of the bygone era. Serina Mendonca Texeira and Shrikant Desai’s make up and Dirty Hands and Studio Hash’s prosthetics is something to watch out for. Parvez Shaikh’s action is decent while Sanyukta Kaza’s editing is smooth.
On the whole, TUMBBAD rests on a unique concept but the disjointed narrative spoils the show. It’ll be a challenge for this film to impress the masses and hence struggle to do good business at the box office.