Bollywood Movie Reviews August 2 2019 Page 3

Movie Review: Luka Chuppi

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

Movie Review: Sonchiriya

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

Movie Review: Total Dhamaal

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

Movie Review: Gully Boy

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

Movie Review: The Fakir Of Venice

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

Movie Review: Alita – Battle Angel

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

Movie Review: Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

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

Movie Review: Thackeray

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

Movie Review: Manikarnika – The Queen Of Jhansi

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

Movie Review: Fraud Saiyaan

Four years ago, Sonam Kapoor surprised everyone with her comic caper DOLLY KI DOLI [2015]. It was a tale of a woman getting married and then running away with the money of the groom. Now in a gender reversal, Arshad Warsi attempts something similar in FRAUD SAIYAAN. This is a delayed film but fortunately for the makers, it doesn’t seem dated. So does FRAUD SAIYAAN turn out to be a fun-filled entertainer? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. FRAUD SAIYAAN is the story of a guy who has multiple wives. Bhola Prasad Tripathi (Arshad Warsi) is a con man who gets married to women and then robs them of their money. He has got married to as many as 12 women and is searching for his next target. He is with his wife Sunita (Deepali Pansare) one day in Lucknow when she tells him to go to the station to fetch his uncle Murari Chaurasia (Saurabh Shukla). Murari however finds out the truth about Bhola. He tries to expose him but the effort proves futile. Then he pretends to be enamoured by Bhola and asks him to make him a part of the team. Bhola agrees reluctantly and Murari then gets a first-hand experience of how Bhola is handling so many wives and fooling them with ease. However both land in a soup as dacoit Chanda Yadav (Bhawana Pani) who was promised marriage by Bhola, abducts him and forces him to get married. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Sourabh Shrivastava’s story is interesting and does give a déjà vu of DOLLY KI DOLI and even Kapil Sharma’s debut flick KIS KISKO PYAAR KAROON [2015]. There are some loose ends and on the screenplay level, it could have been taken care of. However, Amal Donwaar and Sharad Tripathi’s screenplay makes no such attempt. Things happen quite conveniently in the film. One can excuse some of them since it’s one of those leave-your-brains-at-home kind of a film. But even then, there has to be some limit and the makers don’t adhere to it. For instance, Murari gets off on a desolate railway station which was not supposed to be his destination. And here, he finds an abandoned car with key in its ignition. Needless to say, he grabs it and keeps it with him till the very end! Amal Donwaar and Sharad Tripathi’s dialogues however are quirky and help in bettering the impact. Sourabh Shrivastava’s direction is average as the film is all over the place. Despite the short length, the film seems dragging. And the attempt to justify Bhola’s actions backfire badly.

Movie Review: The Accidental Prime Minister

Hollywood has churned out many biopics or films based on real-life politicians and ministers. In this regard, Bollywood has been lagging quite a bit. We have had political flicks but they often get fictionalized in order to avoid any trouble. THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER hence is a rare film in this regard. It doesn’t attempt to take pseudo names but boldly mentions the real identities of some important members of Indian politics. Moreover, the controversy regarding whether this is an agenda-driven film has added to the curiosity. Notwithstanding these factors, does THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER turn out to be an engaging entertainer? Or does it turn out to be a case of all-hype-no-substance? Let’s analyse. THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER is the story of the ex-Prime Minister of India. In 2004, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which has Indian National Congress as the principle party, wins the Lok Sabha elections. Sonia Gandhi (Suzanne Bernert), president of Congress and chairperson of UPA, is all set to become the Prime Minister. But the opposition protests against this development since she’s not a natural born citizen of India. Hence Sonia decides to find someone capable and who also enjoys the confidence of the allies, to take up the post of Prime Minister. After careful deliberation, she asks Dr. Manmohan Singh (Anupam Kher) to be India’s next PM. Dr. Singh does so and soon realises that all the major decisions would be taken by Sonia Gandhi herself and her subordinate, Ahmed Patel (Vipin Sharma). Dr. Manmohan Singh meanwhile asks journalist Sanjaya Baru (Akshaye Khanna) to be his media advisor. Sanjaya knows Dr. Singh since more than a decade and has utmost respect for him. He tries his best to strengthen his image in the media and continuously tells him to make himself heard. Dr. Manmohan Singh however is too soft spoken and has no qualms in letting others take credit for his work. He also agrees to be remote controlled by Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi (Arjun Mathur), the latter poised to be India’s next Prime Minister. What happens next forms the rest of the film. THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER is based on the book of the same name by Sanjaya Baru. The book must have been quite detailed but Mayank Tewari, Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, Karl Dunne and Aditya Sinha’s story is very weak. Same goes for Mayank Tewari, Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, Karl Dunne and Aditya Sinha’s screenplay. The film just jumps from one scene to another and in many scenes, back stories are not even provided, so the viewer has no context. As a result, many questions are left unanswered. Mayank Tewari, Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, Karl Dunne and Aditya Sinha’s dialogues are good but not memorable.

Movie Review: Uri

While we usher into the New Year, one hopes that this year will be better for Bollywood than the last. While 2018 was a rather tumultuous period for films, 2019 looks more promising. 2019 will open with the release of URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE, a film based on true events of the Uri attack that shook the nation and the heroic revenge taken by the Indian Army by conducting surgical strikes across PoK. But will the film that features Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Yami Gautam, Kirti Kulhari and Mohit Raina entice the audience, is what we analyse. URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE is based on the true events of the surgical strike carried out by the Indian armed forces following the September 2016 Uri attacks, which was termed as one of the deadliest attacks on the Indian forces. The film opens depicting Indian soldiers being ambushed in Manipur, followed by retaliation by the forces on terror bases across the India – Myanmar border in the North East. From there, the story follows Major Vihaan Shergill (Vicky Kaushal), who seeks retirement owing to his mother’s ill health as she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. In the meantime, Pakistani terrorist outfits carry out an attack at Uri Army Base camp in Kashmir. Vihaan’s childhood friend and brother-in-law Captain Karan Kashyap (Mohit Raina) along with some other fellow army mates are martyred in this attack. Following this, Vihaan is forced back by emotions to extract revenge by leading the strike force. Vihaan puts together a team to conduct the surgical strike under the guidance of PMO bigwig Govind Bhardwaj (Paresh Rawal) with special orders from PM (Rajit Kapur) himself. Special Agent Pallavi (Yami Gautam) helps Vihaan to detect the location of the launch pads and details of the target. And what follows is the execution of the surgical strikes across PoK. Written and directed by Aditya Dhar, URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE, similar to the Hollywood film, Zero Dark Thirty, is based on a true life covert military operation. Though unlike the Hollywood counterpart, which was completely based on true events and served as the revelation of what exactly happened during the operation, URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE is fictionalised to a degree. However, URI manages to grip viewers with a telling story that inspires and entertains at the same time. For a first time feature film director, Aditya Dhar has done well in keeping the on screen proceedings tight and crisp. Dhar has managed to imbibe the essence of the film being an edge of the seat, gritty action thriller that keeps the audience gripped. While the first half of the film sets up the premise and details the story of the film, the second half is totally dedicated to the actual strike and action sequences. As far was the writing goes, while the first half is a balanced mix of story, drama, emotions along with action, the second half is absolutely dedicated to action. The inclusion of a dramatic or emotional track in the second half could have elevated the overall effect of the film, at the same time diverting the audience’s attention and giving them a break from the nonstop action. But since the incident is based on real life, Indian audiences already have that angst against what occurred in Uri, and hence this flaw in the script gets covered up when the action scenes showing attack on the terrorist launch pads in Pakistan begins. Besides this in the second half of the film, one tends to feel that as a writer, Aditya Dhar could have paid more attention to the script, and researched in terms of what went on beyond the strike. The whole Garud drone concept seemed a little gimmicky and convenient. Talking about performances, Vicky Kaushal has come a long way since his debut back in 2012. With noteworthy performances in films like Sanju, Raazi, and Masaan, Kaushal has slowly yet steadily built up an ardent fan following. This time too Vicky doesn’t disappoint as his performance in URI is spot on. His mannerisms as an officer from the armed forces who is solely focussed on one goal are bang on. His bravado performance and rigorous training to get into the role reflects on screen. Yami Gautam as Pallavi/Jasmine is severely underutilized as a special agent. Similarly, Kirti Kulhari as Seerat Kaur too is slotted in a minimalistic role. Paresh Rawal as Govind Bhardwaj, Mohit Raina as Major Karan Kashyap, Yogesh Soman as Ravinder Agnihotri, and Rajit Kapur as PM Narendra Modi have done well in their given roles. Though a special mention needs to be made for Raina who has done an exceptional job! On the other hand, Paresh Rawal’s character is repeatedly shown breaking cell phones, unfortunately the context and reason why is never shown.
Movie Review: Simmba is a sure-shot winner
Telugu film TEMPER is one of my favourites. A film that’s very fresh in my memory. A well-packaged entertainer, it was embellished with a bravura, commanding performance by the lead man Jr NTR. The expectations from SIMMBA – an official adaptation of TEMPER – are monumental. Rohit Shetty has to live up to the expectations for varied reasons: He teams up with Ranveer Singh for the first time… He attempts a cop story yet again… And, of course, those who have watched TEMPER will compare the two films minutely. Rohit borrows the essence from TEMPER, but modifies a major chunk of that film [especially the second half and climax]. What eventually unfolds on screen is so different, in a positive way. First, the plot line, without giving away the entire story / spoilers. Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba [Ranveer Singh] is a dishonest police officer. Once transferred to a different town, he meets Shagun [Sara Ali Khan] and love blossoms between the two. Sangram also develops a bond with Aakruti [Vaidehi Parashurami], a medical student who teaches poor kids. She realises her students are being used for drug peddling by the brothers [Saurabh Gokhale and Amrit Singh] of a powerful man, Durva [Sonu Sood]. Aakruti lands up at the pub where the illegal activities are taking place and manages to capture it all on her cellphone, but gets caught. What happens next? First things first. Rohit Shetty and screenplay writer Yunus Sajawal [additional screenplay by Sajid Samji] pick and choose some memorable, clap-trap moments from TEMPER and give SIMMBA an altogether different texture. The essence of the story remains intact, but it’s made more contemporary to suit the pan India tastes. There’s no denying that Rohit Shetty is the present-day Manmohan Desai of Hindi cinema. His fundas are crystal clear: Deliver entertainment in large doses. In SIMMBA, there’s a powerful message too that stays with you once the movie has concluded. SIMMBA is an absolute joyride in the first half. A number of sequences and the witty and sharp one-liners [dialogues by Farhad Samji] are sure to bring the house down. The post-interval portions get serious and you may miss the fun and laughter, but the issue that’s depicted demands seriousness.

Movie Review: Zero
ZERO is a crucial film for varied reasons. The main reason being, it’s the first collaboration of Shah Rukh Khan and Aanand L Rai, who has a hat trick of hits to his credit [TANU WEDS MANU, RAANJHANAA and TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS]. Unlike their previous ventures, the stakes are high this time. The actor features in a role he hasn’t portrayed earlier, while a significant part of the second half has space travel interwoven in its screenplay. Naturally, the expectations are colossal. Without giving away the minutest details of the story, here’s the spoiler-free plot: Bauua [Shah Rukh], a 38-year-old man, lives with his family in Meerut. He comes across the profile of Aafia [Anushka Sharma] at a marriage bureau and decides to woo her. Aafia doesn’t show interest in Bauua initially, but falls in love with him subsequently. Bauua backs off. A few months later, Bauua is shocked to see Aafia at his residence. Bauua’s father [Tigmanshu Dhulia] decides to get Bauua and Aafia married and a reluctant Bauua agrees too. Meanwhile, Bauua had signed up for a dance competition where the winner will get to meet the superstar, Babita [Katrina Kaif]. An ardent fan of Babita, Bauua ditches Aafia on the day of marriage. What happens next, forms the remainder of the film. To begin with, the story [Himanshu Sharma] hinges on a wafer thin plot. The writer has integrated space travel in the narrative and you may argue [and rightly so] that it’s this aspect that drives the story away from predictability. However, the writer fails to knit a compelling, riveting and captivating screenplay that stays with you. ZERO appeals in bits and spurts and a few moments in the first half do grab your attention, make you giggle and bring a smile on your face. A few individualistic sequences do catch your attention, but you realise, as the narrative progresses, there’s something amiss. You invest hopes in the post intermission portions, hoping that the writing and the emotional quotient – the hallmark of Aanand’s previous movies – will change the scenario for better. Unfortunately, the writing goes for a toss as the fun portions fall flat, romance seems superficial and emotions appear fake. What saves ZERO, besides the performances of its principal cast, are some sharp and witty lines. But the bitter truth is, great lines or individualistic sequences in a disjointed screenplay are forgotten once you exit the theatre.

Movie Review: Kedarnath
The charm of inter-faith love stories can never fade away. Since a long time, several filmmakers have made some memorable films on this topic like BOBBY [1973], JULIE [1975], BOMBAY [1995], GADAR – EK PREM KATHA [2001], VEER-ZAARA [2004], ISHAQZAADE [2012], RAANJHANAA [2013] etc. Now, Abhishek Kapoor attempts to tell one such story in his latest offing, KEDARNATH. The film promises to be more than a love story as it’s based in the holy town of Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. Moreover, it is loosely based on the devastating floods that rocked this region in 2013. These three elements can make for an exciting film if handled well. So does Abhishek Kapoor do justice to the premise in hand? Or does he fail in this endeavour? Let’s analyse. KEDARNATH is a love story that takes place right before a natural catastrophe. Mansoor (Sushant Singh Rajput) is a ‘pitthoo’ aka porter who carries pilgrims to the holy Hindu town of Kedarnath from the base. His Muslim identity doesn’t come in the way of fulfilling his duty and believing in the faith in Kedarnath. Another resident of Kedarnath is Mandakini aka Mukku (Sara Ali Khan). Her father Briraaj (Nitish Bharadwaj) is a priest and he owns a lodge and a shop on the way to the temple. He has fixed her marriage with Kullu (Nishant Dahiya), a big name in the temple town. Mukku is against this marriage as she doesn’t love Kullu. Also, Kullu initially was to marry her sister Brinda (Pooja Gor) but then he decided to opt for Mukku instead. Mukku meanwhile bumps into Mansoor and love happens. Kullu anyways hates Mansoor due to his Muslim identity. When he finds out that both Mukku and Mansoor are having an affair, it leads to madness. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Abhishek Kapoor and Kanika Dhillon’s story is extremely weak. The Hindu-Muslim love story has been done to death and it seems forced here just for the heck of it. Kanika Dhillon’s screenplay is inconsistent. A few scenes are decent but overall, it lacks any novelty and excitement. Kanika Dhillon’s dialogues however are impactful. Abhishek Kapoor’s direction is poor and it seems he hasn’t learnt his lessons after the big debacle of his previous film, FITOOR [2016]. For starters, he’s confused as to whether the film is a love story or a social drama or does it belong to the disaster genre. The film keeps switching among these genres, thereby diluting the impact. Also he takes too long to arrive at the point. In this 120 minute long film, the intermission point arrives in just 50 minutes and that too at an unexciting point. It catches viewers unaware since hardly anything has happened plot wise in the film until then. Also, at a crucial point in the second half, he turns the film into an unintentional funny fare by adding a scene of a sadhu baba who refuses to leave during the floods and gets washed away. KEDARNATH’s first ten minutes are beautiful. The day to day life of the temple town and the services of the porters are well established. A few scenes of the romance between Mansoor and Mukku also has its moments, especially their sequence in the cave. However, the film drags a lot. You know their love story is going to cause a problem and you know that floods would rock the town. But both these developments happen too late in the day. There’s no doubt that the flood sequences are attesting. But since the film fails on a script level, these sequences don’t move the audiences. The climax also could have been heart wrenching but the desired impact is missing.

Movie Review: 2.0
Can you imagine a life without a cell phone in today’s times? The answer obviously would be a ‘No’ as it’s like a boon in today’s times and almost like a digital extension of one’s arm. Ironically, even the ones fighting over the health hazards of mobile phone towers can’t help but use a mobile for their day-to-day activities. It is a necessary evil and would continue to be unless a solution is found to its harmful radiation. Director Shankar, one of the most imaginative and successful directors of India, has now taken this idea and neatly linked it to his earlier sci-fi flick, ROBOT [2010]. 2.0, the sequel to the 2010 blockbuster, promises to be India’s best film in terms of VFX and technology. But does this film ,that has faced numerous delays, has a story to tell that would appeal to the audiences emotionally? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. 2.0 is the story of an evil force wreaking havoc and how a robot is awakened to fight him. Dr. Vasigaran (Rajinikanth) has progressed in his field and is trying to promote the importance of robots. He has developed an attractive robot named Neela (Amy Jackson) which can do any domestic work. Meanwhile, a strange phenomenon begins to occur in the city. The mobile phones of every citizen gets zapped into the air and disappears, creating chaos. After the head of a mobile phone company Manoj Lulla (Kaizaad Kotwal), a wholesale retailer of cell phones and a prominent leader R S Vairamoorthy are killed by this evil force that can even take the shape of a giant bird, Dr. Vasigaran requests the government that he be allowed to reactivate Chitti the robot. However, Dhinendra Bora (Sudhanshu Pandey) objects since it had led to immense destruction the last time. But with no other option in hand, home minister Vijay Kumar (Adil Hussain) grants Dr. Vasigaran the permission. Chitti is brought back to life and gives a tough fight to the evil force. But soon even Chitti is unable to do much. The evil force, who is none other than Dr. Pakshirajan (Akshay Kumar), has a dark past and is too powerful. He won’t rest until he achieves his objective. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Shankar’s story is imaginative, modern and the need of the hour. It does give a déjà vu of KICK [2014] and Shankar’s very own APARICHIT [2006] while the VFX and setting in the city scenes remind one of KRRISH 3 [2013]. Shankar’s screenplay is taut, engaging and most importantly, simple and highly entertaining. It is commendable to see how he has infused an important message without compromising on the entertainment quotient. Abbas Tyrewala’s dialogues are nothing great but work. Shankar’s direction is highly effective and he proves once again why he’s one of our best filmmakers. He doesn’t get overwhelmed by the technology available and makes correct use of it. He also strikes a balance while talking about the harmful radiation and its ill effects on birds but again, he doesn’t get preachy. As a result, the impact is tremendous. In fact, 2.0 can start the much needed debate on this topic.

Movie Review: Bhaiaji Superhittt
The last decade saw the emergence of the action comedy genre. Rohit Shetty exceled a lot in this genre as most of his films had action coupled with some fun moments. Besides, SINGH IS KINNG [2008], READY [2011] KHILADI 786 [2012], DISHOOM [2016] etc. were some of the popular action comedies that worked for the audiences. Sunny Deol, who also toyed with this kind of cinema in YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA franchise, is now back with another action comic fare, BHAIAJI SUPERHIT. This film has been in the making since almost five years and faced lot of obstacles. Now that it releases finally, does BHAIAJI SUPERHIT turn out to be an entertaining ride? Or does it fail to deliver? Let’s analyse BHAIAJI SUPERHIT is the story of a gangster who enters into films. Devi Dayal Dubey aka Bhaiaji (Sunny Deol) is a goon with a heart of gold based in Mirzapur, a town close to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. He’s married to the dynamic Sapna Dubey (Preity Zinta) who leaves him after she suspects Bhaiaji of having an affair with the widow of a deceased fellow gangster. Eight months pass and Bhaiaji is depressed and is unable to focus on his work. His team therefore take him to a psychologist, Dr. Gyan Prakash Buddisagar (Sanjay Mishra). He tells Bhaiaji that Sapna won’t like if his work suffers and people start ridiculing him as a result. He motivates him to become popular not just in his town but the whole of India. Bhaiaji hence decides to get into films. Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Goldie Kapoor (Arshad Warsi) is a director who also cons producers of their money smartly. He’s kidnapped by Bhaiaji’s men and compelled to make a film on his life. Realizing that Bhaiaji is super-rich and in this vulnerable state, he can be fooled into passing millions to him, Goldie agrees. He then brings a writer, Tarun Porno Ghosh (Shreyas Talpade) to script the film and the hot and cunning Mallika Kapoor (Ameesha Patel) to essay the role of Sapna. While Bhaiaji is busy in the making of the film, his rival, Helicopter Mishra (Jaideep Ahlawat) is trying to usurp his place and establish himself. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Neerraj Pathak’s story is poor although the basic plot has promise. A track in Anees Bazmee’s comic caper WELCOME [2007] had Nana Patekar, playing a gangster, trying his hand into films. This particular sequence was loved and is remembered even today as it was so funny. So this central idea can work wonders if handled well. Moreover, even the characters like Sapna Dubey, Goldie Kapoor, Tarun Porno Ghosh and Dr. Gyan Prakash Buddisagar have a lot of potential. But they are horribly utilized. Neerraj Pathak’s screenplay is one of the biggest culprits as the scenes are haphazardly written and there’s no flow. The humour quotient is also below par which takes the film further down. Neerraj Pathak, Aakash Pandey, Raaj Shaandilyaa, Shirish Sharma and Sumit Nijhawan’s dialogues are quite okay and only a few scenes of Goldie and Tarun Porno Ghosh raise laughs. Neerraj Pathak’s direction is inconsistent and messy. There are far too many characters and subplots and the manner in which he has stitched everything together is horrible. To add to it, the script is flawed and his execution further ruins the impact.

Movie Review: Pihu
The most indispensable part of parenting, especially during the initial years, is supervision. It’s impossible that any parent would let the child go off their sights or that of the guardians. The fear that their kid might get hurt is forever looming over their heads. Vinod Kapri’s PIHU plays on this idea. It attempts to throw light on what happens when a child is let loose with nobody to look after, in an urban dwelling. The premise is quite intriguing, more so because it’s based on a true story. So does PIHU manage to give a nail-biting experience to the viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. PIHU is the story of a toddler trapped in a house. Pihu (Myra Vishwakarma aka Pihu) turns two years old and her parents – Puja (Prerna Sharma) and Gaurav (voiced by Rahul Bagga) – throw a bash for her. At night, after Pihu goes to sleep, the parents have a huge showdown. They have had a lot of such fights in the past. The next day, Gaurav leaves for Kolkata for work purposes early in the morning. Unable to bear the trauma of the problems in her marriage, Puja consumes pills and ends her life. Pihu wakes up next to the lifeless body of Puja. However, she’s unable to comprehend that her mother is no more. She tries to wake her up but to no avail. Gaurav meanwhile calls Puja to scold her for not packing his bags and also to inform her that he forgot to switch off the iron. However, Pihu answers the phone and due to her young age, she’s unable to inform her father about her mother’s state. Pihu meanwhile also feels hungry and goes down to the kitchen to have milk and snacks. However, she wreaks havoc as she tries to use the gas stove, microwave oven and refrigerator. She also accidentally switches on the geyser. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Vinod Kapri’s story is quite novel and interesting and it’s shocking to know that it’s based on a true story. Vinod Kapri’s screenplay (additional screenplay by Abhishek Sharma and Pihu herself) however has quite a few rough edges. It’s a bit too convenient after a point and also drags. Ideally, this 90 minute long film should have been further shorter by 15-20 minutes. Vinod Kapri’s dialogues are quite natural. Thankfully, subtitles have been provided and hence, one can correctly understand what the child is muttering. Vinod Kapri’s direction is simple and uncomplicated. But he should have known where to draw the line. He just goes on and on using all the props available and somewhere, the impact gets diminished. On the positive side, a few scenes are very well executed like Pihu getting trapped in the refrigerator, Pihu trying to locate the source of the smoke in the bedroom and Pihu’s conversation with her father in the second half.

Movie Review: Mohalla Assi
Globalization has brought the world closer. But a section of people, who are very rooted and swear by their age-old traditions and values, feel threatened by it. They always fear the Westerners are here to ruin their ancient tradition and that would mean a loss of identity. Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s MOHALLA ASSI majorly talks about this aspect. Based in Varanasi, which is also a hot bed for political discussions, this film also has a political and communal colour to it. The film was stuck at the Central Board of Film Certification for a few years and it was passed by the High Court recently. This controversy has got the film some traction. So does this controversy and content help MOHALLA ASSI in making a mark? Or does it turn out to be a disappointing fare? Let’s analyse. MOHALLA ASSI is the story of a man with principles forced to make compromises. Dharmnath Pandey (Sunny Deol) is a priest who sits on Assi Ghat in the holy city of Varanasi. He attends to the pilgrims during the day and teaches Sanskrit in the afternoon. The income is meagre and unlike others, he doesn’t compel his visitors to pay him exorbitantly. This causes lot of distress to his wife Savitri (Sakshi Tanwar) and she’s forever cursing him for not earning enough. But Pandey feels that there’s no end to a man’s greed and that one should be happy with what he/she earns. He’s also a firm protector of the values of Assi and would not tolerate any ‘corruption’. A lot of other Pandas like him also reside in Assi which gives a clear view of river Ganga. As a result, foreign tourists insist on renting a room in this locality. But Pandey not only refuses to allot a room to any tourist in his house but doesn’t even allow others Brahmin Pandas do so. His neighbour and fellow panda Upadhyay ji (Saurabh Shukla) is hence always cross with him on this aspect. Besides Dharmnath Pandey, the film consists of subplots comprising of a tourist guide Kanni Guru (Ravi Kishan) who’s ready to do anything to earn more money and Nekram (Faisal Rashid), a barber who falls for a tourist, Kathryn (Alisha). Lastly, the film also focuses on a group of men, comprising of right-winger politician Radhe Shyam (Mukesh Tiwari), Tanni Guru (Akhilendra Mishra), Gaya Singh (Mithilesh Chaturvedi), lawyer Srivastava (Rajendra Gupta), communist sympathizer S P Mishra etc – who meet at Pappu’s tea shop and discuss about politics, religion and how foreigners are trying to pollute Varanasi. MOHALLA ASSI is based on the book ‘Kashi Ka Assi’ by Kashinath Singh. The story is interesting and even quite brave as it boldly takes names of controversial incidents and episodes of modern Indian history. From a film point of view however, there’s too much happening and neither of the various tracks make the ultimate impact. Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s screenplay is engaging only in a few sequences but overall, it’s not put together properly. The tea-stall conversations seem interesting initially but later, it tests the patience of the viewers. Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi and Kashinath Singh’s dialogues are sharp and acidic at several places. A lot of abuses are used frequently but they are as per the requirements. Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s direction is simple and works at some places. But it’s also flawed as besides the character of Dharmnath Pandey and Savitri, one doesn’t connect with other dozens of characters in the film. Also, the major developments happen in the second hour and it doesn’t make for an exciting watch. This is especially after Dharmnath Pandey dreams about Lord Shiva cursing him and the developments that follow. The climax is strictly okay and the film doesn’t really end on a high. Also, one more problem with the film is that the plot begins in 1988 and ends in 1998. But barring Dharmnath Pandey’s kids, not a single character is shown aging. MOHALLA ASSI’s first hour is majorly devoted in just establishing the characters and the setting. Some sequences stand out like Gaya Singh forcing the cops to stop sealing the tea shop, Nekram and Kathryn eloping and Dharmnath Pandey deciding to go to Ayodhya for the cause of the construction of Ram Temple. The last-mentioned episode is expected to be a highpoint in the film but it quickly gets forgotten. It’s only in the second hour that Dharmnath Pandey takes centre stage and his problems get talked about. Few scenes here are moving and the sequence where Kanni Guru tells him to make major changes in his house is quite interesting. But after the much talked about dream sequence, the film goes downhill.

Movie Review: Thugs Of Hindostan is a King-Sized disappointment!
A Diwali release is an event in itself. And this year, Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan team up for the first time in the hugely awaited THUGS OF HINDOSTAN. Let’s come to the point right away. Does THUGS OF HINDOSTAN manage to live up to the monumental expectations? Or does it turn out to be a shocking disappointment? Unfortunately, the film is a king-sized disappointment. THUGS OF HINDOSTAN is the story of a group of rebels fighting the British. The year is 1795. The kingdom is ruled by a benevolent king [Ronit Roy]. The evil Clive [Lloyd Owen] annexes the kingdom by treacherous means and kills the king and queen. The king’s guardian, Khudabaksh [Amitabh Bachchan], escapes with the king’s daughter Zafira [Fatima Sana Shaikh]. 11 years later, Khudabakash, Zafira and their gang are now considered thugs. They have wrecked havoc in the lives of the Britishers. With no other option in hand, Clive summons Firangi Malla [Aamir Khan] to trace the whereabouts of Khudabaksh. Firangi is a devious character and it’s difficult to trust him. Betrayal is his second nature by his own admission. With the help of his friend Shanichar [Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub], Firangi devises a plan and enrols into Khudabaksh’s army. What happens next? To start with, the story is formula-ridden and utterly predictable. The writer could have done so much with the content but, sadly, he lets go of this golden opportunity. The screenwriting has some moments [especially in the first half], but the narrative loosens the grip as it progresses. Worse, too many cinematic liberties and a lifeless second hour act as roadblocks. The dialogues are interesting, especially between the senior actors, but they are few and far between. Vijay Krishna Acharya’s direction is shoddy. Frankly, with such poor written material on hand, the director couldn’t have salvaged the show either. However, he does manage to make an impact in a few sequences…

Movie Review: Baazaar
The stock market is the most important aggregation of India’s financial centre, Mumbai. The updates of the rising and falling stocks always makes it to the news regularly. Yet, hardly any film has been made on this subject. In the last decade, Samir Hanchante’s GAFLA [2006] sank without a trace, although it was a decent attempt and inspired from the stock market scam of 1992. Now, Nikkhil Advani and debutant director Gauravv K Chawla unveil BAAZAAR, probably Bollywood’s first big film on stock market. So is BAAZAAR an interesting and worthy entertainer? Or does it turn out to be a dampener? Let’s analyse. BAAZAAR is the story of hunger, greed and power. Rizwan Ahmed (Rohan Mehra) is a small time stock broker in Allahabad. He’s not happy with the paltry earnings and hence, comes to Mumbai. His ultimate aim is to work with the dynamic business tycoon Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan). He first manages to get a chance to work with Kishore Wadhwa (Denzil Smith) in his trading company. Here, he befriends Priya Rai (Radhika Apte) and both later get into a relationship. Once, both go for a high profile event where Rizwan finally manages to come face to face with Shakun. Rizwan impresses Shakun by correctly predicting an upcoming market development which nobody is able to foresee. Shakun hence opens his trading account with Rizwan and slowly both become very close. On the other hand, a SEBI official Rana Dasgupta (Manish Chaudhari) is aware of Shakun Kothari’s misdealings but doesn’t have enough evidence. Realising that Shakun and Rizwan have become close friends, Rana now starts to closely monitor Rizwan as well. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Parveez Shaikh’s story is quite interesting and promising. There’s no similarity to the Hollywood flick WALL STREET (1987) as such. Parveez Shaikh and Aseem Arora’s screenplay is effective and engaging in the first half. In the post interval portions though, it goes downhill heavily and becomes cumbersome. Aseem Arora’s dialogues are sharp and impactful. Gauravv K Chawla’s direction is quite good for a first timer. Some scenes are exceptionally handled especially in the first half. However he makes a mess in the second half. The script had loopholes and he couldn’t cover it well. Moreover, too many technical terms are used in the film which a layman may not understand. So it’ll be difficult for them to comprehend the proceedings. This restricts the appeal of the film to a great extent.

Movie Review: Namaste England
Times have changed when it comes to women empowerment and gradually, the people on the whole are realizing that equal opportunities are a must for people of all genders. Yet, a lot needs to be done especially in the places which are away from the mega cities. NAMASTE ENGLAND, which marks the return of Vipul Shah as a director after eight years, throws light on this aspect and also promises to be a beautiful love story. Moreover, it’s the second film in the franchise, the first being the much loved NAMASTEY LONDON [2007], starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. So does NAMASTE ENGLAND manage to be better than or at least as good as its predecessor? Or does it fail to make an impact? Let’s analyse. NAMASTE ENGLAND is the story of a couple torn between love and their dreams. Param (Arjun Kapoor) and Jasmeet (Parineeti Chopra) reside in a tiny village in Punjab. Both fall for each other. Meanwhile, Jasmeet, who’s interested in jewellery designing, gets a job in Amritsar. She has to work there for three days a week. Jasmeet’s grandfather (Shivendra Mahal) is strictly against women working. So Jasmeet hides this bit from him but one day the truth comes out. Param at this point asks Jasmeet to get married to him and asserts that she can work then without any problem. Param’s family visits Jasmeet’s house to ask her hand in marriage. Jasmeet’s grandfather agrees but he has a condition – Jasmeet should not work once she ties the knot. Both ultimately get married and a year later, Jasmeet meets her friend Harpreet (Mallika Dua). She lives in UK with her husband and is very happy and settled. Seeing her, Jasmeet gets a desire to leave India and settle in England so that she can work there and have an independent life. Param is even ready to move there with her and his father also has no issue. The issue however is that Param can’t go out of India. On his wedding day, Param has an altercation with his friend Gurpreet (Anjum Batra), who’s well connected, and the latter vows that he’ll not let Param get a visa of Europe, where the couple were planning a honeymoon. Jasmeet hence devises a plan – she’ll move to UK alone at first and after securing residency, she’ll be entitled to let Param enter UK. Param is fine with the arrangement. However, Jasmeet hasn’t been completely truthful to him. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Ritesh Shah and Suresh Nair’s story is very weak and silly and rests on a wafer thin plot. The story has too many flaws. Ritesh Shah and Suresh Nair’s screenplay is juvenile and does nothing to hide these glitches. It’s shocking that the duo is associated with some fine films of recent times like AIRLIFT [2016], D-DAY [2013], RAID [2018], MARDAANI [2014] and even NAMASTEY LONDON and yet they collectively penned this apology of a script. Ritesh Shah and Suresh Nair’s dialogues are also terrible and dated. Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s direction is haywire and it seems like he has lost his touch. The scenes begin and end all of a sudden and he tries to incorporate a lot. He also tries to repeat the magic of NAMASTEY LONDON, be it during the intermission point or during the scene where Param delivers a patriotic speech. But while the latter sequence was powerful in NAMASTEY LONDON and is still remembered today, the one in NAMASTE ENGLAND looks forced.