Finding Fanny

Directed by: Homi Adajania

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor

Released: 2014

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Oh the irony! I always wait for DVDs to come out with English subtitles so I can enjoy the film. This one was to be in English... so naturally I downloaded the Hindi dubbed version and had to deal with speech not always matching the lip movement. It was a mild irritation, but irritation nontheless. And how are you to find Fanny, if you cannot find a gripping plotline? Truth is that I had looked forward to Finding Fanny with great expectations. I loved the trailers and promos, it had a wonderful star cast and sometimes you just have a good feeling about projects that are coming your way.

Unfortunately the expectations are not exactly met, though the movie manages to stand out of the crowd. It is very quirky (though not as delightfully quirky as Dedh Ishqiya, which too was labeled as black comedy), but lacks any wit. It deals with the bizarre and the absurd which life brings, but it is not as bizarre and absurd as I would need it to be to feel entertained rather than depressed. Using the statement of the drunken Russian who also makes an appearance: „Fanny? It is not funny!“ However crazy the situations in Finding Fanny become, they are not stepping over the line which makes black comedy funny. Instead you feel somehow sad, pitiful, and at time mildly disgusted (speaking the cat scene here, which was ever so much worse for me as a lover of animals and cats in particular). On the plus side it only lasts hour and a half, which is just about right for the subject. Plus points to be noted for fitting music (the main melody still rings in my ears) and visuals.

Stuffed in a flaked vintage car the five protagonists are on a way to find love and discover something about themselves. A young man Savio that sometimes one has to act instead of just waiting for something to happen. Beautiful Angie that not all stories have happy endings, but one must carry on. Elderly seductive siren Rosie that hollow pride combined with flattery may result in something very shameful. Adorable Ferdie that even the girl he once had loved did age. And art-obsessed Don Pedro that it may not be the best idea to get into a car with these other four, unless you wanna end up with an accidental bullet in your head and forever missing on the bottom of the sea. Many scenes are so very human one feels the acute embarasement at witnessing them, as an intruder in something that is not your business. I just cannot decide whether that is a good or a bad thing.

What saves Finding Fanny are ultimately very good performances from the whole cast. The young ones - Arjun and Deepika, do not go through many mood changes, and hold steadily and naturally against the elder three, who are acting masters in their own right. My favourite was definitely Naseeruddin Shah. Compare his Ferdie, who cries and howls without shame when sad, who is as soft and gentle as a child, to his Dedh Ishqiya character, who could boast of immense charm, but also vanity, cunningness and sneekiness - though the face remains the same, the two are so distinctly different I just felt in awe of Mr. Shah yet again.

I am glad Finding Fanny exists. It is different and not bad. Just not great either.  

8 : 20 Malayalam Movie Review

Even with the flaws and loose ends in the screenplay, 8:20 directed by Shyaam stands out for a treatment and story that is quite unique in Malayalam. I would not say the story resembles any English films but definitely the treatment and situation is inspired from a popular Hollywood franchise. No major star presence is there and the movie has very limited characters. In spite of these, 8:20 is an average thriller that will engage you if the wafer thin suspense element is not known to you. So the crux here is that suspense part which should remain as it is till the end and if that is revealed to you by someone before watching the film, you can stay away as that would make the movie an uninteresting one.

The story is a one day incidents from the life of Shyam and Ruchi whose marriage has been decided by their parents. Shyam is interested in music, dance, drinking and roaming with his friends but her fiancee want him to clear the supplementary exams which is his last chance to qualify. The film begins from 8.20AM on a particular day and follow their life and reach a stage in the half way mark. Post intermission too, the film begins on the same way just like it all started but as said earlier, that element of suspense makes me put a full stop here on the synopsis side.

Scripting could have been a bit more crisp and those college situations and humour could have been presented in a much better way instead of following the cliched route that made it boring and at the same time irritating as well especially those non vegetarian jokes. Still i would definitely recommend this film for a one time watch and coming from a fresh pair of hands in the directorial side, the treatment do make us sit through this two hour movie.

No stars are present on the acting side. Arjun Nandakumar and Avanthika enact the roles of Shyam and Ruchi respectively and they were upto the task of presenting those characters with the right emotions. Vijayaraghavan as Ruchi's father was impressive though in terms of screen presence, the character had very limited scenes. Bijukuttan handled the comedy side and it was a repetition of some of his earlier flicks. Majority of his jokes fell flat without making any impact. Poojappura Ravi and N L Balakrishnan for whom this should be his last movie getting released are also present with brief roles.

Technically there is nothing remarkable but all areas like cinematography,

editing and music doing a fair bit of share contributing to the overall technical side in their own way. Background score could have been bit more racy but it was okay. Overall, 8:20 is an experimental theme that has not failed but end up as an average outing coming from a first time director. I go with two and a half out of five as my personal rating for the film.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Nagaravaaridhi Naduvil Njan Malayalam Movie Review

Social messages through the medium of cinema is a good thought and if it can succeed or result as an eye opener for the public, well and good. Nagaravaaridhi Naduvil Njan is one such movie that touch on one such menace or problem that is very much relevant in the present day life especially in Kerala. Yes, we are talking about how daily waste is disposed of creating too much of a problem to everyone. Scripted by Sreenivasan who himself plays the lead role and directed by Shibu Balan, the film tried something good for the society and the public but how it is achieved was too much to digest and far from convincing.

Venugopal after spending twenty five years in Saudi Arabia returns to his home and to make his life move forward takes up a job in a flat as its security. His daughter who is too studious as she wants to clear her entrance and pursue a career as a doctor lets him know that if she is not able to clear the exams, she will be forced to commit suicide. Venugopal does not have an option to go for a payment seat and hence decide to dispose of his five cents of land in town that is now a pile of waste being disposed by the residential people there. Film focus on how he succeed in clearing of the debris amidst stiff opposition from the colony people.

The film is a family drama and try to explore problems faced by the common man in their day to day life. Screenplay by Sreenivasan lacks that charm that was there in Chinthaavishtay

aya Shyamala or a Vadakkunokki Yanthram. Appreciating the noble intentions of conveying a good message to the public which is good but the way it is executed and how things end did not make a safe and intended landing for the movie. Bringing a political angle and a murder and also connecting the protagonist into that drama was a half baked one and did not succeed. Towards the end, the protagonist describe how he clear of his waste and also use the same for agricultural purposes where vegatables are cultivated for his own use was something which we all can take a cue from it but for that we need not watch this film, may be a good documentary on waste disposal would serve the purpose.

On screen, Sreenivasan as Venugopal was okay in that role while Sangeetha was a good choice as his better half but the script did not gave her much presence to bring out something best from the actress. Innocent, Lal, Vijayaraghavan, Manoj K Jayan and Joy Mathew are also part of the supporting actors and they were good in their respective characters. On the technical aspects, cinematography was okay and edits were also fine. Music is by Govind Menon but songs nevertheless did not have any importance in the film. Background score is by Ouseppachan and i did not find it that impressive.

Overall Sreenivasan's attempt to bring up a movie with a socially relevant plot is appreciable but at the same time, the writing demanded a much more care in how it was to be executed to make the story looks convincing for the audiences and in this aspect, Nagaravaaridhi Naduvil Njan directed by Shibu Balan doesn't succeed. I am going with two out of five as my personal rating for this movie.

Rating - 2 / 5

Aamayum Muyalum Malayalam Movie Review

"Form is temporary but class is permanent". These words are quite frequently used in sports and more in the game of cricket but when it comes to filmy world especially Mollywood we cannot relate these words going by the results of some of the recent movies of some established and famed directors of the 80's and 90's. Priyadarshan is one such director who lost his touch somewhere and is literally struggling to come up with something that is close to his best.

Priyan's latest work Aamayum Muyalum is one such movie that clearly shows the director has nothing left in his armour and is running out of steam with below average movies that cannot make much of an impact. It is basically the choice of selection of stories & scripts and their execution in the present day world where movie narration has come a long way from those days that is going against him. But again was expecting a bad and disappointing movie but it is not the worst from the director and is far better than many of his last few ventures.

In Aamayum Muyalum, the director is in reverse gear mode as he makes a rehash of his own Bollywood film Malaamaal Weekly unlike taking Malayalam scripts to Bollywood. Again slapstick humour that is one of his trademark genre is the backbone of Aamayum Muyalum and some of them work while others literally makes you irritated and bored. The main positives are few good performances and the visuals.

The film begins with the voice over of Mohanlal who introduce various characters in the film. Set in Gowlipadam, a village in between the border areas of Kerala and Karnataka where all the people are too innocent and are controlled by a lady head named Bhandaaramma (Sukanya). Kesu played by Nedumudi Venu is a lottery agent who realise that one the lottery he sold has won prize of five crores. He is desperate to get that ticket back and somehow finds the man whom he has sold it. But situation turns bad as the winner has more or less informed most of the folks in the village. Rest of the film is a run by the entire people of the village to get their share in the prize money.

Its the script that gets loose particularly in the post intermission session that works against the film. Having seen many of Priyadarshan's previous flicks where slapstick humour, loud comedies and dramas unfold, it is too easy to guess where the film is heading upto. Here beyond a particular point and once the movie looses the steam, things get unnecessarily stretched making Aamayum Muyalum a never ending drama.

There is a huge star cast and supporting actors and among them Nedumudi Venu as Kesu and Innocent as Nallavan, a milkman gets the maximum screen presence. Both of them did their part as usual but Innocent at times went overboard. Jayasurya is more or less reduced to the sidelines while Piya Bajpai the heroine doesn't have much to do. Mamukoya, KPAC Lalitha, Sukanya, Ambika, Kochu Preman, Idavela Babu and Harisree Asokan are also part of the cast. Nandu's character which is pivotal to the overall storyline was an interesting one. Anoop Menon appeared in an extended cameo and was good and funny in that role of the Lottery Inspector.

Just like any Priyadarshan movie, here in Aamayum Muyalum too, the technical side is one of the highlights with good frames captured by the man who wielded the camera. Art department and costumes too contributed their share in a positive manner. At two hours and forty five minutes, the film definitely demanded some trimming from the editing team. Songs crooned by MG Sreekumar were not that bad with the visuals on the big screen.

Overall, Aamayum Muyalum is not the worst film of Priyadarshan comparing with his previous few outings but at the same time it cannot entertain the audiences completely. Some of the humour and situations did evoke laughter while others fell flat. I am going with two out of five as my personal rating for the movie and still waiting for Priyan to make a big comeback and surprise the audience before it is too late.

Rating - 2 / 5

PK : A Quick Review

PK, another fine movie from Rajkumar Hirani. Heavy message presented in a light manner. So many messages are conveyed symbolically, and so many are conveyed directly. Every dialogue hit me hard. The movie leads to lot of introspection.

Aamir Khan (PK) plays an alien who is on earth (Rajasthan) to research about the human beings. The moment he lands on earth, all naked, with a child like curiosity, his ‘remote’ to send signals to his planet is being snatched by a person. The scene shifts to a foreign land where Anushka (Jaggu) is seen to be negotiating for a ticket to witness the show of Amitabh Bachchan reciting Big Bachchan. Anushka falls in love with Sushant (Sarfaraz), a Pakistani boy. Later Anoushka is shown working for a TV news channel.

The encounter between Jaggu and PK is interesting, where PK is distributing the pamphlets in Metro Rail (New Delhi) for ‘Missing Gods’. The scenes are hilarious as well as interesting.

Digs are taken on so many subjects. The desperation of a news channel to even make a depressive dog’s story as breaking news is shown. PK’s role forces one to think. He comes up with so much of innocence, who has altogether a different outlook towards things and life. He shares his journey of learning on earth to Jaggu, which has so many elements. He collects dress for himself from the ‘Dancing Car’. He slowly understands that all the human beings have the same type of skin but their dressing, style makes them look different. His amusement on the diversity is also beautifully depicted. He also feels that people on his planet are so truth-loving and non-complicated, but on earth, things are just not in order. On his planet, people don’t talk, they just touch the other person and get to know what is on that person’s mind. But on earth, PK feels that people even after communicating directly don’t understand one another. PK gets confused at the usage of a single word for expressing different feelings.

PK’s efforts to buy carrots with Mahatma Gandhi’s photograph in newspaper, book cover etc. and later with the currency forces us to think – is actually Mahatma Gandhi alive only on currencies?

He gets amused by seeing God’s houses in every street and that too with so much of diversity. In PK’s language, God has managers who are running different companies (different religions) and have different set of rules for running the company. There is a scene, where PK goes desperately from God to God, temple to church to mosque to gurudwara, so that he is able to get back his lost remote. When he understands the diversities of the religion, he tries to check, whether God stamped children as Hindu-Muslim-Christian- Sikh. A great insight. Absolute delight to watch these scenes.

PK talks of two Gods: One is the God who made us and another one is the God whom we made. PK doesn’t question the belief in God but he definitely questions the blind faith upon God-like people for whom it is another way of money-making business.

At one point of time, PK is seen wearing all sorts of religious chains like, Rudraksh, Cross etc. which he later throws off saying that there is only one God who does not put any conditions on the mankind.

Aamir’s goblin-ears, wide eyes and his running with arms straight by his side and palms stuck out are very much noticeable. Anushka is effortless, Sushant, Saurabh Shukla, Sanjay Dutt and Boman Irani are also good in the movie.

PK is hilarious, leaves you in a reflective mode.

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Cousins Malayalam movie Review

The posters were too colourful and the same thing goes for the songs and its visualisation, big and lavish sets and last but not the least, eye candy costumes. So all in all, Cousins directed by Vaisakh tried to convey or gave a picture to the audience to be a colourful and mass entertainer trying to cash in on the festive season. But sadly, the film apart from generating a few laughs and fun here and there doesn't offer anything good and disappoints. May be for viewers looking for pure fun with a logicless and brainless story might find Cousins a one time watchable flick that doesn't offer any fresh air.
The film revolves around four cousins Sam, Jojy, Pauly and Tony played by Kunchacko Boban, Indrajith, Suraj Venjaramud and Joju George. Sam face a medical case connected with his memory where a particular phase of his past life haunt him as a result of an accident. The four cousins decide to venture into a journey to visit places that played a major part in Sam's life to get this condition cured. But things get worse and the movie narrate the incidents that lead to Sam's present situation.
Script by Sethu have tried its best to retain the fun element to make the film an entertaining one and with the four protagonists doing the humour part, there are occasional moments of comedy to tickle our funny bone. But the film looses the plot somewhere especially in the second half. Ultimately everything turns too predictable and boring. On the direction side, Vyshakh follow the same pattern and style he used for movies like Seniors and Mallu Singh.
Acting wise, Kunchacko Boban, Indrajith, Suraj and Joju did their part required in a colourful masala film. Female leads Vedika and Nisha Aggarwal were ok in their limited roles. Miya appear in a cameo while director Renji Panicker too appear in a friendly cameo. Pradeep Rawat with the dubbed voice of Shammy Thilakan was not a bad casting while P Balachandran's role was a funny one.
Gopi Sundar did the background score and it was ok for this film. Songs tuned by M Jaychandran were already on the hit charts and along with the visuals and choreography they looked fine on screen. Cinematography was decent while the cuts were ok. So Cousins turns out to be a colourful mass film but it is an old wine in an old bottle film that was a disappointing one for me. Being vacation time and a festive season, there will be takers for these genre of movies but i cannot recommend it to anyone. So the choice is yours. My personal rating is two and a quarter out of five.
Rating - 2.25 / 5

PK hindi movie review

Forget the results and success, each time an Aamir Khan movie releases, you can expect the unexpected and there are tons and loads of expectation on his films and the situation is all the more at its peak as the actor is reuniting with none other than another hit maker director Rajkumar Hirani. In PK, these two names synonymous with movies with quality as their trademark symbol come together for the second time in their successful career.

PK is a beautifully crafted movie that is totally a different one in terms of storyline and with solid performance from Aamir Khan to back it, the film hits the right chord among the audience. Rajkumar Hirani comes up with another film that has fun and entertainment but at the same time try to pass a strong message to the society.

Just briefing about the story which i will try my best to ensure that nothing is revealed to act as spoiler. PK ( Aamir Khan) lands up in our world in a desert in Rajasthan and gradually becomes part of our daily life. But he questions the belief and custom we follow in the name of religion, God and human Gods. The rest i am leaving it to you to watch and see for yourself on big screen. The first half concentrates on fun element while the latter half takes a small u turn and gets into a serious mode retaining the fun part.

The treatment especially towards the end has definitely shades of the Munnabhai series where the protagonist tries to prove his point to the public but in no way it is a copy or inspired versions of those films. As said, the plot is something unique in its own way that makes a connection with the viewers right from the word go. Rajkumar Hirani on the direction side has done his part and his vision and what he wanted to convey is there on screen crystal clear. His trademark style of narrating a story of victory for goodness and passing good messages to the people is visible in PK as well.

On screen, Aamir Khan is the perfect cast as PK. This character is definitely one of his best in his career and PK the movie is driven largely by the sheer screen presence of AK, the actor. He speaks in Bhojpuri language and the dialogue delivery by the actor was too good evoking laughter in us. Anushka Sharma as Jaggu supported Aamir Khan and complimented him in the film's overall perspective. Sushant Singh Rajput in a brief role as Sarfraz was impressive and the same goes for Sanjay Dutt. Boman Irani and Pareekshit Sahni who are the regulars in RKH movies is also part of the cast. Technically the film stands out with good cinematography and smooth cuts. Background score and songs were also good and jelled well with the film.

So overall, PK doesn't disappoint and offer a pleasing movie experience with good doses of spoofs, comedy and sentiments. He came and he conquer our hearts and make us think. Yes PK from Rajkumar Hirani with Aamir Khan for me is a must watch film and my personal rating is four out of five. Enjoy the fun ride and be ready for a little surprise in the end.

Rating - 4 / 5

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Review

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first two parts of The Hobbit trilogy, the third of the series was a fitting and perfect finale for me. Peter Jackson's prequels to the Lord of the Rings series was highly engaging films with good use of visual effects, grand and beautiful canvas to narrate the plot along with good and solid performances from the actors to support the above factors. Situation in The Battle of the Five Armies is not much different from the previous two movies and in terms of action, the third part scores more though some might feel the war and battles is an overdose.

The Battle of the five armies begins from where The Desolation of Smaug ended. Angry dragon spit fire in Lake Town forcing people of Lake Town to flee for their lives. Bard somehow manage to kill the dragon therby making the huge wealth in the mountain open to anyone. Thorin Oakenshield is already there in Smaug's castle staking his claim for the gold and also the precious Arkenstone but the people of Lake Town too want their share of gold for rebuilding their life. Elf's army and Azog's army also come into picture to stake their claim for the treasure. This leads to an intriguing and interesting battle on cards and Peter Jackson opens up his movie for an epic battle between all these groups.

The film begins well and engages the viewers straightaway but somewhere in the middle portion the momentum gets lost and proceedings becomes dull but it gradually picks up the pace and the final one hour it is a highly engaging action with war & battle pictured in the most brilliant way. The romance between Fili the dwarf and Taureel has little space in this battle drawn movie.At two hours and twenty five minutes, its a lengthy drama that has its ups and downs but overall it was a pleasing and satisfying ending to the three part Hobbit series which ultimately lead us to Lord of the rings series.

On the acting side, Martin Freeman playing the character of the dwarf Bilbo Baggins this time has very little to do and even then he acted out that part well to make us like him. Thorin had a different tone to his character unlike the previous version and Richard Armitage did the character given to him with total conviction. Luke Evans as Bard was the pick of the lot among the actors doing a fine job. Rest of the characters like Wizard Gondolf played by Ian Mckellen, Lagolas portrayed by Orlando Bloom and Evageline Lilly as Taureel were also interesting ones along with a host of other actors.

Technically the film is rich with good visual effects and production values to boost the battle scenes. Cinematography was nice with not so bad cuts. Background score was also impressive in creating the mood for the different scenes. Use of 3D was just ok but couldn't make much of a difference or create a big impact.

Overall, The Battle Of The Five Armies is a must watch movie if you have seen An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug. Peter Jackson deserves credit for making this fantasy film to such an epic proportion to end the series on a high. I will go with three and a half out of five for this final hunt for the hidden treasure in Smaug's castle.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

A Dark Day for Pakistan

I haven't written in a few days and today should've been my day to put up a new blog post.  Unfortunately, today has been an incredibly heavy day emotionally.  While it's been a difficult day for all of Pakistan, today was particularly bad for my husband and I and our families, as we're from Peshawar.  While we were fortunate to have all our loved ones and family members home and safe, news continued to pour in all day of friends grieving the loss of their family members, acquaintances losing children, mothers and fathers and all-round chaos.  Today was not only a day where I did not watch a single show, it's also a day where the last thing on my mind was to write about any form of entertainment.

Pakistan is going through a rough time, namely Peshawar.  Please keep these grief-stricken families in your prayers tonight.  Hold your children tight and kiss them goodnight.  This could've been any one of us.  These victims were young, lively children.  These victims were great educators and parents.  These victims were all innocent human beings, 140 + of them.   Keep them in your duaas and prayers today.

That's all.

Lingaa Review

For fans of the superstar, there are enough punch lines and stylish mannerisms of the actor to satisfy them but still overall i would say K S Ravikumar has failed in his attempt to present and utilise Rajnikanth to the maximum unlike the way he did in blockbusters like Padayappa and Muthu. The film is highly logicless and that is on expected lines and who cares for reality, story and logic in a Rajnikanth film but the execution of this plot lacked charisma suiting the image of Thalaivar. Linga turns out to be a disappointing and below average film.

Rajnikanth plays a dual role here where in the present day, he is brought to open a Kovil near a dam and we are also taken to the late 1930's where the audiences are introduced to the character of Raja Lingeswaran who fights and work for the welfare of the people. The story is narrated with the backdrop of a dam that forms pivotal to the overall story line.

The film has some good quality scenes especially the flashback story where care has been taken to make and provide a feel of that era. Colour tones and costumes play its part in making the period look real and credit for that goes to the director as well. Story is not something new, its just a rehash with the backdrop and characters changing.

Direction i would say was good but Ravikumar could not utilize the screen presence of Rajni much. May be the expectations we have with the comparisons of the duo's previous flicks had a bearing on me arriving at this conclusion. Action scenes were poorly executed and the use of graphics were disappointing. The climax scenes and the bike scene was a total letdown.

On screen, Rajnikanth was in his elements and at the same time in the safe zone for the most part. He essayed both the characters with equal conviction and it was Lingeswaran the flash back character who scored the maximum but in terms of style it was Rajni in the present scenario that won the race. Anushka was good but Sonakshi Sinha was a let down. Telugu actor Jagapathi Babu as the antagonist promised much but with a poorly written character for him, he was unable to make his presence felt. Santhanam handled his humour as usual.

Cinematography and edits were fine but VFX failed. Rahman's background score was neatly packaged but the songs were not upto the standards already set by the maestro. A hardcore Rajni fan will find the film a watchable one but definitely Lingaa is not the film to celebrate Superstar's birthday for which it needed something big. I go with two and a half out of five for K.S.Ravikumar's

Lingaa.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Shanakht - Random Thoughts Up to Episode 17

When Shanakht first began, my mind, of course, immediately assumed that "end-game" would be Annie & Hashim.  Looking at the drama's posters, that's what most would think.  However, after 17 episodes have passed and we see the track on which this show is headed, we know this is not the case.

"Shanakht" - for those who don't know, this word roughly translates to "identity."  While throughout the drama, we've seen Annie (Maya Ali) struggling not only for the right to whole-heartedly embrace her identity, but to have it embraced by her own family and in-laws.  We see Rohan (Fahad Mirza) struggling with the same situation, which instantly makes Rohan and Annie the "perfect" fit.  But this perfect couple faced their own share of problems.  While Annie's family was completely opposed to accepting her, Annie's family was not happy with having a "maulana" as a son-in-law. Both Annie and Rohan won over their in-laws and own families by displaying their good virtues and displaying that being religious did not need to translate to being "judgmental."

                   
Our "perfect" couple of Rohan & Annie, however, do not overly display notions of being perfect.  They fight like a normal couple.  We see Annie's annoyance at Rohan's reluctance to attend family events.  We see Rohan's irritation at Annie ditching work to attend "silly" events with his mother.  But despite this very normal marital issues, we see that both parties mutually respect each other, are honest with each other and respect the families of the other.

Then on the other end, we're left with Hashim (Noor Hassan).  Hashim has yet to come to terms with his "shanakht."  While Hashim initially rejected Annie, shunning her for her beliefs, he now finds himself confused and looking for those beliefs in his UK-raised wife, Faryal (Kanza Wayne).  Faryal and Hashim's marriage is the polar opposite of Annie and Rohan's.  Despite caring for each other, Faryal and Hashim find themselves unable to respect each other.

Faryal's situation mirrors that of Annie's after marriage - her in-laws are unhappy with Hashim's choice and are not willing to accept her.  Each person has their own personality and way of dealing with things and, obviously, Faryal's is not the same as Annie's.  Hashim's mother (Shamim Hilali) is still hung up on the fact that Hashim didn't marry Annie and salt is further rubbed on her wounds each time mention is made of how successful Annie is in the workplace and in her own home.  This negatively affects her attitude towards Faryal further and we see Hashim's mother playing the "let's compare"game, something that completely irks Faryal.  Not only does her mother-in-law's attitude hurt Faryal, but it also seems to have an affect on Hashim, who seems to do everything he can to have Faryal mirror Annie's ways.  And logically speaking, what sort of wife would stand for that comparison?

The problem is that with Hashim's current work situation, working with Annie & Rohan, he consistently has the image of a "perfect wife" thrown in his face on a day-to-day basis.  Instead of seeing that his own family (namely his mother) are equally responsible for his hostile home environment, he begins to put all the blame on Faryal.  This is where the show is open for interpretation, of course:  Is it necessary for a daughter-in-law to tolerate the incredibly rude behavior of her mother-in-law?  Or is it her job to quietly listen to what her MIL has to say and silently change her perception (as Annie did)?  Does one way have to work for different people?  

In my personal opinion, Faryal is not a negative character.  Hashim accepted her in the UK as she was, with her own distinct personality.  She's a nice girl, but a girl who was not prepared to live in Pakistan with her in-laws and had the situation thrown at her.  Not only was she expected to simply "deal" with that situation, but her husband fails to understand how uncomfortable her mother-in-law makes her, constantly putting her down and criticizing her.  I do appreciate that the show is doing a great job of showing ALL sides here, not painting any particular party as negative.

After episode 17, we're left with Hashim and Faryal at bitter loggerheads in their marriage.  After repeatedly having Annie's name thrown in her face, Faryal has inherently learned to dislike Annie (despite initially loving her).  In an outburst, Faryal tells Annie that she's tired of hearing everyone praise Annie at her own expense, something which thoroughly embarrasses Hashim and leaves Annie miffed at what's happening in Hashim & Faryal's life.  Annie's feelings are understandably hurt, as are Faryal's.

What is refreshing to see from the promo for episode 18 is that, as usual, Annie is honest with Rohan and seeks his help in guiding her next move.  

Shanakht has proven to be a beautiful show to watch, neither coming off as preachy or unrealistic.  I think everyone at some level can connect to this show, whether it's in the marital aspect or the religious aspect.  Hope everyone else is enjoying this one as much as I am!

Happy watching!

Great Dramas, Beautiful OSTs

Just for a change of pace, today I thought I'd focus on the OSTs of some particular dramas.

While Pakistan's music scene has gone from being once-spectacular, in the past several years, it has landed completely flat on its face.  Coke Studio and Nescafe Basement aside (which both put out brilliant music), we have very little scope for good mainstream music in Pakistan.  What we do have are some excellent composers and singers who work for the drama industry (Waqar Ali being one) and put out incredible songs for these dramas.

Today, I just wanted to post (and discuss) some really wonderful drama original soundtracks that are currently on air.  We know that each OST is made with the intention of the drama itself, keeping the situation and feel in mind when writing lyrics and composing the music.  However, these songs are so  beautiful, they could stand alone without the drama!

Goya OST

This one just has to be mentioned, because it is completely, totally my obsession these days.  I can put this song on repeat over and over again and not tire of it.  The singing by Ghazal Ali and Shujat Haider is brilliant, the composition by Shuja Haider and the "feel" of the song are not only foreboding of what's to come in the show, but also contribute to how beautiful the song is in itself.

Dusri Biwi OST

This Ahmed Jahanzeb composition sounds like something that belongs on his own private album.  It's musically on par with his past works and his singing here does not let his fans down.  Beautiful.

Chup Raho

Alycia Dias is a favorite of mine when it comes to OSTs, because regardless what the situation is, she always hits the right notes, understands the mood of the composition and just "gets it."  While Chup Raho as a drama is not completely winning me over (I have my issues with it), this song is just perfect for explaining Rameen's predicament, turmoil and her problems with life.  What could've been a depressing, slow soundtrack is instead elevated by electric guitars and Alycia's vocals in a high-energy composition!

Mehram

In both the male and female versions of this OST, the listener is completely won over.  While Sara Ali Khan's singing is absolutely flawless and heart-wrenching, Waqar Ali's rendition is soul-stirring and romantic.  This song not only conveys the feelings of Iqra and Hamza in the drama perfectly, but also makes it to the list of Pakistani OST gems.

While there are other great OSTs out there right now as well (Sadqay Tumhare, Jackson Heights, etc.), these four are the ones currently making a loop on my playlist.  Hope you love them as much as I do!

Happy watching! 

Sadqay Tumhare and Goya - Equally Beautiful in Different Ways

If there are two dramas that have pulled me in, hook, line and sinker, it's Sadqay Tumhare and Goya.

"Jaan de dunga par Shano ko kisi aur ka honay nahin dunga."

There's something so beautiful about the dialogues in Sadqay Tumhare.  Generally, while I'm watching my drama-lineup, I'm usually cooking, cleaning or doing something else while watching.  Let's be honest - most shows these days don't require 100% of your attention.  However, with Sadqay Tumhare, it's as though a dialogue missed is like losing a gem.  It's a loss.  So while Sadqay Tumhare is on, it receives my full, 100% attention, my face in my hands, giggling and squealing like a schoolgirl.

It's been a long time since a drama has made me react like that - probably not since the Humsafar, Durr-e-Shahwar, Zindagi Gulzar Hai days.  That said, I have to commend the entire team for this beautiful show, at least so far.  9 episodes and not a scene (or even a dialogue) missed!  That's a feat for any drama these days.  When each episode ends, I'm left wishing it had been longer.

In episode 9, we see Shano clean Khalil's wounds.  Khalil is proud to have injured Fayyaz and his accomplices more than was dealt out to him.  Even Rashida seems distraught looking at Khalil's wounds and seems shaken by the extent to which Fayyaz went.  Regardless, "Khala and Khalu" are not heartless, but are simply unwilling to allow this alliance to occur.  They try to explain to both Shano and Khalil that they need to let this love affair go, as they will never allow them to get married.  Shano and Khalil both believe in one idea:  It doesn't matter if they get married, but neither will marry anyone else.

I have to commend the entire cast on their work (so far) on this drama.  It's not only Mahira and Adnan carrying this on their shoulders, but also the supporting cast.  Samiya Mumtaz is excellent as Rashida.  She's not an "evil" woman, but a woman who has made bad choices in life at a young age and those choices have left her bitter, resentful and spiteful.  Her acting in the scenes when she sees Khalil's "taqleef" is incredible - she's torn between her humanity and her vengeance.  Qavi Khan is a stand-out performer, as always, as the Maulana Sahab.  And who can't help but love Shamil Khan and Saniya Shamshad as Shano and Khalil's dear friends?  I'm waiting for more screen-time for Farhan Ali Agha, but I can't say I'm disappointed by the pace of the show at all!

Moving on to Goya, episode 4 aired today and what an episode!

It's nice to see a show where there is no clear-cut, concise lines of "good" and "evil."  Rather, these characters are human beings.  They have their beliefs, their societal norms, their ideas, values and concepts of social ranking in place.

In what could've been a stereotypically irritating scene between Umer & Zaara (Hira Tareen), we're treated to a sincere discussion between two people with different problems.  While Umer doesn't want to get married, Zara reveals that she also does not want to get married.  She desires to spend the next year in rehab, as she's been struggling with a drug addiction for 6 years and doesn't want to ruin the life of another person by getting married.  It was nice to see a character that could've otherwise been "negative" actually be a realistic human being.

When Umer came home from his dinner, it was interesting to see him plead with his stepmother to talk to his father about canceling the wedding.  Umer's disdain for his stepmother was clear and she didn't bother beating around the bush and asked him straight out why he behaved this way with her - and he replied that he didn't want her to take his mother's place.  Umer's issues came to the surface in this scene, displaying the amount of neglect he must've received from his father through the years (despite the strict controlling) and how he blamed that on his stepmother (who seems to be innocent, guilty only of trying to keep the peace between father & son).

Umer has a discussion with his friend Atif about his feelings for Mohini and how he plans on pursuing them.  He also pays Asmaa a visit in the office, asking about Mohini and how she's doing.  Asmaa is well-aware of Umer's interest in her daughter and finds it hard to dismiss him, admitting to Mohini that she thinks he's a great guy.  She tells Mohini that she wishes things were different and that Mohini could marry him.

The scene we've all witnessed in the promos finally came today - and it was such a cute scene!  Umer and Mohini get into a fight over Mohini's reluctance to accept Umer.  Umer makes it clear that he wants to marry her and that's it.  When Mohini tries to resist, he says that he doesn't want an answer right away and she has time to think and discuss it with her mother.  This scene was cute in that it was nice to see how understanding and patient Umer is in regards to Mohini.

On the other end, we see that Mrs. Imtiaz and Stepmom Hashmi are informed about Umer's whereabouts by his security team.  Stepmom Hashmi pays Mohini a visit and explains to her that their relationship (and Umer rejecting his engagement) will cause great problems for both his family and Mohini's.  She says that she has no vested interest, but would like to spare both families the pain, again showing that she's a good human being.

The highlight of the episode for me was the beach trip.  Umer and Mohini, accompanied by friends, take a day trip to the beach.  Umer's fiancee, Zara, also happens to show up with another friend.  It's here that Zara discusses with Mohini that Umer is a good guy and that she should stop fighting her feelings for him.  She makes it clear that she's not interested in marriage at this time and Umer deserves a good girl - and Mohini is a good girl.

This causes Mohini to give the situation serious thought and she heads off to discuss things with Umer.  She tells him that she's unwilling to marry into a household that won't accept her, to which Umer replies that he won't take her into such a household and will leave his family and wealth behind for her.  Umer asks her to support him in his life's first "stand."  

The episode ends there, but leaves room for a lot of excitement in future episodes.  The pace of this show is natural and the characters are realistic, which makes it a nice change!  

That's it for now.  If you aren't watching Goya and Sadqay Tumhare, you're missing out!

Happy watching!

Eeeeee. Eeeeee. Eeeeeee. What's that ANNOYING NOISE? Oh, just the latest episodes of these dramas!

When I talk about shows, I generally speak about them as a whole.  "Oh, ____ is  a great show," or "____ is really interesting right now" or "_____ is performing really well in this drama."  However, some of these shows either had 1-2 bad episodes in recent times OR some of these shows have just consistently had bad episodes for a while now.

Shows like Sadqay Tumhare, Goya, Jackson Heights, Shanakht, Digest Writer, Firaaq and even the newly started Dusri Biwi are not the shows I want to talk about.  These shows have been moving at a consistent pace and have been putting out the quality expected of them.

The shows I am going to speak about are.....well, it's a large list.

Warning:  This may seem more like a rant than a logical blog post, so I apologize in advance.

Day Ijaazat Jo Tu......- Episode 14
What. Happened. Here?  What started off as a nice, sweet, refreshingly different drama with a cute pair and a good pace has turned into a sob fest with very little left to care about!  What is this?!  Now Sarmad is gone and Ayla is left to fend off "the monsters" of the world.  This is NOT the story I signed on to watch.  Watching Ayla's co-workers conspire against her is more irritating than anything else, because what ever happened to the simple concept of "She's the boss"?  They clearly seem to have forgotten that little bit of information.  Meanwhile, Sarmad's "friend" is doing everything in his power to make Ayla look incompetent so he can take over.  If I wanted to watch a show about business deals and the woes of a woman in today's society.....it wouldn't have been this one.  With Farhan Saeed gone, the show has definitely lost its charm.

Aik Pal - Episode 2
Affan Waheed is doing a good job as Musaf.  Sumbal Iqbal is doing a good job as Noor Fatima.  Ali Safina is doing a good job as Imran.  So what's the problem?  Well, it's simple.  These three actors are not given nearly as much screen time as the "nails on a blackboard" characters of Bareera (Arij Fatima) and Umair (Danish Taimur).  These characters are not only LOUD, they also have more ego than a normal person would ever have.  In real life, a person like this would not only NOT have any FRIENDS whatsoever, their family members would also not wave off their bad behavior as "bachpana."  It's not bachpana - it's badtameezi.  And it's horrible to watch.  The show is also lacking any clear-cut direction.  The viewer is unable to get a sense of where the show is headed, what the overall "mood" of the show is and even how and why these characters will become connected with each other.  The bottom line is that after only 2 episodes, this show is more background noise than anything entertaining.

Chup Raho - Episode 14
Chup raho.  CHUP raho.  CHUP RAHO!  No, I'm not repeating the name of the drama over and over to you.  I'm asking the actors and characters in this drama to please SHUT UP.  "Baaa baaaa baaaaa," it's literally non-stop bleating that's beginning to hurt my ears!  How hard is it for Azhar to put two and two together?  Is he that dense?  Numair is everywhere, always trying to control situations and Azhar can't even realize that Rameen tried to call off their wedding and was visibly disturbed at that time?  He didn't wonder why?  Rather, he's now thinking that his wife and cousin are having an affair?  WHY?  What he overheard wouldn't even lead a person to come to that conclusion.  Now let's move on to Rameen's mother.  MORE BLEATING.  WHY?  Why did she send Azhar away?  Now he thinks badly of his own wife.  Is that what she wants for her daughter?  That she stay married to a man who hates her?  Sick.  Her entire mentality is so WRONG.  Numair just says "blah blah blah" and everyone falls under his spell.  I want to give kudos to Jibran though for playing this part SO WELL.  He's convincing - annoying, but very convincing!  And then we come to Manal, the most "jaahil" of all these people.  She purposely has tied this weird blindfold on her eyes, despite doubting her husband.  She believes everything he says and doesn't trust her own family.  It's painful!  Anyways, this show has been heading in a downward spiral for the last 5-6 episodes and I'm still waiting for it to somehow, magically pick up!

Khataa - Episode 12
I'm just struggling here.  Rabiya's mother-in-law and sister-in-law are legitimately the worst human beings on earth.  What makes this hard to digest is that in the first two episodes, we see them as mildly normal, sensible people.  What's even harder to digest?  RUMI.  This child-of-a-man is the only one other than Rabiya who knows that Rabiya did NOT run away with him - rather, he forced her along with him to save  HIMSELF from being KILLED.  So why on earth is he throwing that ridiculous "taana" of Rabiya being a "ghar se bhaagi hui ladki"?  Does he not have ANY shame WHATSOEVER?  It makes me want to root for Saad "Bhai" all the more!  Rabiya should ditch the crazies and start her life over.  And my final gripe:  Rabiya told her mother what Rumi said and that he's accusing her of having a chakkar with Saad......NOW that your mother is listening to you, WHY aren't you telling her what actually transpired when you "ran away"?  This information is important, no matter what the situation is in the present!  But these are technically minor gripes and I am still happily watching this show, because hey, it's interesting.

Tum Meray Hi Rehna - Episode 13
If the point of this show is to drive home the lesson that love can be horribly FOOLISH, then yes, that point is being made very clear.  Numail and Rania are in love.  That's great.  But was that love worth Raheel's death and Rania's father being sentenced to death?  Was Sumbal's obsession with Numail worth causing such a commotion that it led to the death of her brother-in-law?  The answer is no.  Sumbal's plotting will never get her what she wants:  Numail's love.  Numail and Rania's marriage will never get them what they wanted:  Happiness.  Will they ever be able to look at each other the same way again?  Will they ever feel that "pure love" that they once had again?  I'm not even sure if that's the point the writers were TRYING to make, but that's the point this show has projected on to me.  Family is important.  Without the happiness of your family, what's the point?  I don't know what the right or wrong thing to do in this sort of situation would've been, but what I do know is that the most lovable character on this show is now gone and that makes me very sad.  This was a hard episode to watch.

Daraar - Episode 16
Oh my goodness.  Someone please make this torture stop!  I expected so much more from an Umera Ahmed drama.  Ayla is the most unlikable character I've seen on a show in a long time.  At least a vamp is a vamp, but Ayla honestly believes that she's a good person and supports her good-for-nothing family to the point of it being ridiculous!  She finally managed to get her way and had Annie marry Atif, who barely wasted a week before allowing Annie to see his true colors.  This part did make me smile.  What didn't make me smile?  Ayla's reaction at hearing that "Amma and Abba" are making rotis instead of Annie.  Did you think your spoiled sister in law would cook for your no-good family and be their servant while you're bossing everyone around in her home?  Ayla was also successful in kicking Taabish and Yusra out of their home.  The highlight of this episode was definitely when Sohaib told Ayla that her family problems were starting to ruin their home life.  If there's anything keeping me connected to this show, it's just for that moment where Ayla "gets hers."  I want to see her kicked out of that house!

Dil Nahin Manta
I just have one thing to say about this show:  The entire premise is weak.  Phupo put it in Javed Sheikh's mind that Huzaifa is in love with Sohaina.  Mr. Sheikh repeatedly says he's for this marriage because it's his son's "pasand."  When Huzaifa can see that marrying Shanzay is important to his mother and she suggested it to him before his father had said anything, he should've stepped in and said "But I don't like Sohaina."  The entire mess would've been avoided.  But no - rather Huzaifa is keeping his mouth shut, playing the "I'm so confused" card at the cost of his own parents' divorce.  And then his great mastermind idea?  I'll marry both!!  When it's clear that one girl is good and the other is bad, why is he trying to play this goody two shoes?  This is marriage!  It's not a joke!  And it seems like Huzaifa is well aware of his Phupo's manipulations, which makes it even harder to digest.  Anyway, the storyline still seems like it will be interesting, so I'll stick with it!

OK, that's it!  The rant is over.  These shows managed to disappoint me in one way or the other recently, so I just needed to get that out!  Haha.

As always, thanks for reading!  Happy watching!

Dusri Biwi - Interesting Concept, Great Presentation

Straight off, this show has gripped viewers through promotions.  To say the show used innovative ways to captivate the drama audience would be an understatement.  Whether it be heading to public places and asking women their thoughts on men having multiple wives, roping in Ahmed Jahanzeb for a beautiful OST, the show being Fahad Mustafa's last "acting-in" drama or the overall production value quality of the show itself - all these factors made "Dusri Biwi" a show worth looking out for.

While the expectations weren't colossal, they were still existent.  And boy were they met! The subject is interesting, because we as viewers know from the on-set that Maha Warsi's character of "Farah" is set to become Hassan's 2nd wife (Fahad Mustafa).  How and why this will happen and at what cost is what we're looking forward to watching.  Disclaimer:  Throughout this entire episode, I never managed to catch Hareem Farooqi's character's name!  Haha.  I believe "Hassan" refers to her as "Aashi" at one point, so that's what I'm referring to her as.

We see that Hassan & Aashi are a married couple with a daughter, Saman.  They are not only married, but absolutely besotted with each other.  Aashi is a perfect wife who lives for her husband, but Hassan also dotes on Aashi and does everything in his power to make her happy.  They give off the impression of being the perfect couple and instantly, the audience falls in love with their pairing.

Personal life apart, we see that Hassan is successful in his field and attends a 3-day conference, which he is leading.  It is there that he meets Farah (Maya Warsi).  This meeting is not shady, nor is it one of instant attraction.  Rather, it's an innocent meeting of employee and boss, a relationship of kindness and respect, nothing more.  We are also introduced to Farah's overbearing, scene-creating, horribly orthodox fiance, Aamir.  Aamir is your typical "educated jaahil," a man who wants his wife under his thumb and cannot fathom that she may want to work - nor will he tolerate it.  Farah and Aamir argue over this point several times, after which Farah agrees to stop working after marriage, but not before then.  Aamir and Hassan get into a fight or two over his behavior at the workplace (Aamir does not work there, yet insists on showing up for no good reason).

Hassan is open and honest with Aashi, repeatedly declaring his love for her, helping her with housework, serenading her with love songs.  He does not hide phone calls from her, nor does he stop her from answering his phone - which she does not do out of respect and on principle.  He shares his concerns about Farah with Aashi and discusses the toxic marriage she's getting herself into.  It's refreshing to see this honest, sincere relationship on screen.  What will go wrong?  That's what I'm waiting to see!

At this point, there aren't any negatives to this show.  The acting is natural, the chemistry between Fahad & Hareem is captivating and the situations are realistic.  Let's see how this story shapes up!  So far, I'm in love!

Happy watching!

Masoom

Directed by: Shekar Kapoor

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Saeed Jaffrey, Tanuja, Supriya Pathak, Jugal Hansraj, Urmila Matondkar

Released: 1983

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

The over the top reactions and dramatics are part of Bollywood and you just have to go with the flow. It is not a bad thing per se (except sometimes, when it does not go over the top, rather like over the galaxy). But from time to time even in Bollywood there are movies which abandon both traditional mainstream formulas and (let´s say) fiercely passionate acting, and become perhaps not a great entertainment, but an interesting probe into more everyday lives of more common people. They are relatable to the fullest and remind us of what it is to be.... well, normal, with the failings and generosity of which we are all capable of. Shekar Kapoor is undoubtedly a great director with a touch for..... that special something which makes your heart feeling all fuzzy in the end. Be it in fantastic extravaganza of Mr. India or quiet, wide-eyed Masoom.

Naseeruddin Shah is a loving husband to Shabana Azmi and an adoring father to their two little daughters (the elder of whom is none other than baby Urmila Matondkar). He has everything he could possibly want, except sometimes he jokes he lacks a son. However he is in for a shock. Once upon a time he was unfaithful to his wife, for reasons he himself cannot explain, and he indeed had sired another off-spring. Now the boy´s mother is dead and he must take responsibility for the child. While he could probably cope with the situation, the child, oblivious about the facts, could easily break his home and all the certainties it once represented.

Not many words are needed for the two spectacular lead actors to convey their painful inner struggle to the viewers. Naseeruddin tells everything with his eyes. With Shabana, it is little things. Slight change of intonation when talking to her own children and her husband´s son. Her apprehension on serving him food. Her own confusion whether to hate the child or not. Hers is not an easy role. Easily she could have become an evil step-mother. Instead she is what she is – a woman trying to cope. She realizes the child is innocent, yet she is not capable of seeing him that way. One cannot hate her even during her more rash outbursts. We just know her pain. At the same time we pity the child. The whole situation is heartbreaking, yet there are no villains, only humans.

The children in the film are really good, Jugal Hansraj especially deals with a heavy-load of his role brilliantly. Shekar Kapoor is one of the very few Bollywood directors who know how to find a child actor, that is not artificial and annoying (which is really Hindi cinema standard even today). The supporting cast too is good, even though I was somehow baffled by the character played by Tanuja. I understand she was meant to be sort of Shabana´s trusted genius, whose own actions would show her friend which road is best to take, unfortunately she was really the one that felt somehow preachy and forced into the plot. Shabana could have made up her mind herself easily enough, without Tanuja´s transformation from „strong, single, yet miserable“ to „beaming with happiness cause my dude decided to come back“. Supriya Pathak makes only a brief appearance in flashbacks. I can only say hee complete difference from Shabana, in both appearance and character, makes it easy to imagine that Naseeruddin fell for the temptation of an unknown and unfamiliar, even if just once.

Masoom is very human, sad but ultimately beautiful, soulful movie. A true tribute to a family spirit. (unlike some other films....)