Khamoshiyan: A Quick Review

Another movie of horror genre from Bhatt camp. Although the title song “Khamoshiyan”, one of the top chartbuster and the trailer of the movie had generated interest in it, but it had too much of silence to be appreciated.

It started in a very slow tone. Ali Fazal, a one-time wonder writer, after break-up, decides to restart writing and travels to a place (a hotel) managed by depressed and mysterious Sapna Pabbi (Serial 24 fame). Gurmeet plays the role of Sapna’s husband. Ali wants to understand what secret Sapna is not revealing. Khamoshiyan is the journey of the writer Ali to look for a story, but later becomes part of that story. Having left many projects of his life midway, he decides this time to stick to his commitment to his own self to complete the project this time in spite of creaky doors, spooky apparitions and mysterious situations happening in and around. But hardly any horror in the movie.

Ali, Sapna and Gurmeet are talented actors, but are absolutely wasted in this movie. The script lacks the pace. Songs are definitely very good.

Khamoshiyan has lot of khamoshiyan.

Rating: 2/5(Average)

Dusri Bivi - A Change in Thoughts

If I wrote positively about Zidd in my last post, then of course you can expect that this post will be a "bashing" post.

Unfortunately, my feelings about Pakistani dramas these days is that it's becoming increasingly difficult for writers/production houses/directors to maintain the quality of their product.  If a show like "Firaaq" started off on a fascinating note with great performances, it fell flat on its face and took the typical "two women, one man" route in the last few episodes and completed its run as a pitiful show.  Likewise with other big-budget shows like "Laa" and "Tum Meray Hi Rehna."  These days, even a great quality show like "Digest Writer" is repeating the same happenings and occurrences in the last few episodes and has become repetitive.

That's why shows like "Zidd," "Goyaa," "Jackson Heights" and "Sadqay Tumharay" receive so much praise from me - regardless of whether the pace is slow or fast, the content is solid.  You know where the show is headed.  You understand the characters.  You appreciate the concrete writing.  These shows are quality shows.

With such an intro, now we come to Dusri Bivi, specifically.

This show started with grandeur.  It came with expectations.  A big-budget show starring Fahad Mustafa and reportedly touching upon the concept of two wives in a way that the audience would be able to sympathize with all the involved parties - it sounded like a show that could be greatly successful.

Unfortunately, the show has failed to meet those expectations entirely.  The biggest problem?  Well, let's just say that the promise of making all 3 parties relatable is where the show suffers the most.

We have Hassan (Fahad) and Aashi (Hareem), a beautiful married couple together in a beautiful, happy marriage with their adorable daughter that they both dote on.  Suddenly, for no reason at all, Hassan becomes overly invested in Farah's life (Maha Warsi) and gets caught up in her problems to the point of having to marry her.  BUT.....did he really have to marry her?  No.  Not in my eyes.  If anything, Hassan progressively threw himself more and more into Farah's life in a very "Maan na maan, main tera mehmaan" sort of way.  The lack of decency was oozing from the situation as soon as Hassan began hiding the situation from Aashi.

Now at present, Aashi has suffered a miscarriage due to her stress and high blood pressure (also caused by Hassan's distance and neglect).  On the other end, Farah is also pregnant and looming/lurking all around Hassan in an effort to "protect" him, which causes Aashi's brother and Bhabi to discover Hassan's secret (of his 2nd marriage).  Rather than be apologetic and sincere, Hassan turns around and throws his second marriage in Bhai and Bhabi's face and tells them that if Aashi finds out and is unhappy, that will be on their heads.  TORTURE.  If there's a moment where I could say Hassan's character literally became unlikable, I would say this was the moment.  How men like this are able to take their mistakes and throw them on others is something that is almost unbelievable in a situation like this.

In the current episodes, we are now seeing Hassan trying to balance his two wives.  What makes this all the more irritating is that two women who should be mildly confident and independent are becoming more and more dependent on Hassan.  Farah is unable to lock her front door, so she gets robbed.  This is a woman who was fighting to build her career - and now suddenly she's a housewife, pregnant within a month of marriage and needy to the point of no return.  On the other end, we have Aashi who is becoming increasingly needier - high blood pressure, depression from a miscarriage, stress from Hassan not being around....and then we're treated to a scene where Aashi is suddenly unable to handle her daughter having a fever?  Why does a good mother need her husband to be there in order to take care of a sick child?

The situations being created in this drama are not only making Hassan unlikble, they are making his wives equally as unlikable.  If anyone in this show is looking GOOD, it's the characters of Bhai and Bhabi, who are the voices of logic and truth, the characters that react the way anyone would in reality.

It's unfortunate that a show that started off so well has sunk to this level within 9 episodes!  I am holding out hope that this show could possibly pick up and somehow mend itself in future episodes - but I'm not hoping too high.

Happy watching!

Rasam Malayalam Movie Review

Rasam is a very tasty and spicy soup we Keralites are so fond of. But the same thing cannot be said about RASAM the movie directed by Rajeevnath. Here is a best case of sloppy direction, an unfinished screenplay and a weak storyline that literally makes the film a boring affair. Even the presence of Mohanlal in an extended cameo but in a pivotal role and Indrajith could not save the film from this state.

Valliyottu Thirumeni played by Nedumudi Venu is a famous caterer of traditional Sadya and Balu is his son who is not that keen in taking up and following in his father's footsteps. The family gets an order for a marriage of Menon (Devan), a famous businessman Menon but they had to travel to Qatar to complete the order as the marriage is to take place there. Thirumeni who was reluctant to take this order had to ultimately change his mind as none other than Mohanlal appearing as himself personally comes to invite him due to the actor's proximity with Menon. The incidents that unfold at Doha form rest of the storyline.

The scripting credited with the director himself and also Nedumudi Venu it seems was not a completed one as on many occasions the movie gave a feel of incompleteness.

The makers tried it to make a traditional film with all that tharavaadu, catering, sadya and foody background but the lack of a solid screenplay for the half baked story that never looked to settle down at any stage acts as the major spoilers.

The posters, trailer and all the promotional work showed Mohanlal more than anyone else. Quite naturally thats on expected lines as the producers might be expecting to cash in on his image. The actual fact is its just an extended cameo but the character do have prominence in the overall storyline. Indrajith didn't looked that comfortable and was found confused and uneasy on many occasions. Nedumudi Venu, Devan, Nandu, Jagadeesh and a long list of unfamiliar actors are there as supporting actors.

Technically the film is weak with many areas not contributing to the expected level starting from direction and scripting. Overall, with a great actor and a good upcoming actor on his side, Rajeevnath could not do anything and end up making an uninspiring and poorly executed work. I am going with a generous two out of five as my rating for Rasam.

Rating - 2 / 5

BABY hindi movie Review

There is a dialogue in this movie where the main antagonist Maulana Mohammed (based on Pakistani terrorist group LET chief) says "India kuch nahi karega. Woh sirf Bateh karega aur uspay rawthay rahega" (India would not do anything, they just talk and cry). Perhaps for the people who ruled and those who are ruling our country, these words should be an eye opener to show our real power and what we are capable of instead of taking a soft stand taken all these years when it comes to terrorist attacks on us.

Leaving the political angle and diplomatic side away, Baby is an edge of the seat thriller narrated at a very fast pace. He is raising his own standard after each film of him that passes by. I am talking about Neeraj Pandey, the man who directed A Wednesday , Special 26 and now BABY.

Ajay (Akshay Kumar) is an agent of an undercover Intelligence wing to combat and thwart terrorist attacks in India. The group is in its initial stage and is code named BABY headed by Feroz Ali Khan. (Dany Denzongpa). Ajay who is a highly skilled commando travels from India to Turkey to Nepal and finally to the Gulf to nab terrorists and spoil any attempt by them to attack our country. The film basically cover the group's attempt in chasing Bilal (Kay Kay Menon) and Maulana Mohammed to ensure peace in India.

The first half moves at a steady pace setting up for an intriguing post intermission session filled with high octane action and chase sequences making Baby a well executed thriller. Neeraj Pandey continues his success run with another impressive work that gives little time to think but some scenes like how Bilal escapes from police vehicle after his trial in court could have been handled more maturely.

Akshay Kumar is the best choice as Ajay both in terms of acting as well as performing those stunts with ease. Danny Denzongpa as Feroz Ali Khan was okay in his role. Rana Daggubati with his macho looks perfectly suited the character but in terms of performance, he had little scope to do anything in Baby. Taapsee Pannu stole the show in an action sequence while Anupam Kher was apt as one of the agent and used effectively in filling up the humour side. Kay Kay Menon deserved more screen space while Pakistani actor Rasheed Naz was a surprise package as Maulana Mohammed and he was quite good making his presence felt right from the start till the very end.

Nice cinematography, good colour tone, impressive background score and well choreographed action sequences on the technical aspects elevates the film to the next level. Songs have no major presence in the film. So overall BABY from Neeraj Pandey qualify the box office test with distinction. This thriller is very much engaging and I am giving three and a half out of five as my personal rating.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Haider

Directed by: Vishal Bhardwaj

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Shraddha Kapoor, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan

Released: 2014

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

What to say? Everybody loved Haider. Or not? Everybody praised it. Or not? Perhaps there is still hope that others, just like me, ended up confused and uncomfortable as the closing titles rolled and Rekha Bhardwaj sang. Few things which distinctly stuck in my mind were the way pain and innocence on Shahid Kapoor´s handsome face transforming into insanity, the song picturized on the undertakers and then also the pristine, elf-like beauty which seems to radiate from Shraddha Kapoor´s very being. Then I also recall being grossed out at unnecessary gore and blood, and how I hate open endings.

Haider was probably the MOST universally praised movie of 2014, but somehow failed to click with me as a viewer. I am therefore unsure of even how to rate it. On one hand one has to admit this was something very unusual and as such a risk for a prolific Bollywood filmmaker, no matter what his previous track record. It also cannot be denied that the movie is extremely well acted, is well crafted. And finally this is what a good adaptation should look like – taking the essentials, directly referring to the original inspiration through the dialogues and even imagery, but still adding different background, contemporary touch and even its own twist. Oh - the two Salmans and their version of Mere Rang Mein was funny.

Yet for all this I could not bring myself to like the film. It disturbed me, but not moved me. I tried hard to immerse into the world of the characters, but for all my good will I remained a detached viewer. Part of it, at least in the beginning, probably has to do with me not having enough knowledge on the situation in Kashmir during the 90s. I felt it all a bit hazy as the bearded men wielding firearms kept running across the screen. Tabu´s large tragic eyes were completely believable, but for all her sadness I shed not a single tear for Ghazala (and I am a total crybaby. Like seriously, sometimes a simple happy hug on screen can turn me into a sobbing mess). Perhaps the realistic approach went against the film in the end, making it so credible I started longing for at least a bit of the damned escapist cinema. The songs were unnecessary (and quite forgettable), except for the theatrical Bismil, a take on the staged play from the original. Bhardwaj did better job as a composer this very year with Dedh Ishqiya. I also felt the movie was dragging, especially in the first half, and I made more than five breaks meanwhile.

What makes the experience worth it is without a doubt Haider himself – Shahid Kapoor in his best form post Kaminey. He becomes the character, leaving no trace of his stardom anywhere, not even as he dances with extreme energy and grace to „Bismil“. I do not think any other actor could match up to his standard in the scene when we for the first time see him „loosing his mind“, with a noose around his neck. Tabu and Irrfan Khan are both very good, though I perhaps expected something more from the former, given the amount of praise. Me and Tabu still have a long way to go, this being the first film where she actually does some acting. Kay Kay Menon is excellent. Shraddha Kapoor seems bit of a lost baby among others, but does a decent job, even though her character is only needed as a source of plot triggers (which do not even concern her).

I suppose that when asked, I am going to say that Haider is a good film. Just not really what I would watch repeatedly. Among Vishal Bhardwaj films I very much prefer his other Shakespearean venture in the form of Omkara, and at the cost of comitting a sacrilege, I would even give more points to his (often condemned) 7 Khoon Maaf.  

Mariyam Mukku Malayalam Movie Review

Noted scenarist James Albert turns director with Mariyam Mukku, a movie with an Anglo-Indian background that is set in a fictional coastal village of Mariyam Mukku. As a screenplay writer, James Albert is best remembered for his screenplay of class mates and he followed up that with couple of impressive works like Cycle and Ividam Swargamanu. But his last three scripts were a total washout and at a time when he is totally out of form, the man himself venture into a new area of direction with Fahadh Faasil playing the lead role.

Compared to the director's last few flicks as a script writer, this movie is far better than those but the promise showed in the first half is not sustained in the post intermission session. A glimse of a beautiful and feel good love story gets a backseat in the middle stages and that did not hold any good for the film.

Mariyam Mukku is the love story of Felix (Fahadh), a fisherman and Salomi (Sana Althaf). Felix who lost his parents at a very young age is brought up by Mariyan Aasaan (Manoj K Jayan). Felix meets his childhood friend Salomi but at a particular point he has to choose between his Aasaan and the people of Mariyam Mukku as they stand in his way to own Salomi. The events that unfold thereafter form the basic crux of this movie.

Its a confused script as the scenarist is caught midway through as to whether to proceed as a full length romantic film or add more drama to it. The latter option was chosen and thus that romantic track that was developing well looses its presence.

Direction from James Albert is not that bad and his screenplay had in it to deliver something good but it ended up as an average film that is visually good with all those beaches and sea backdrop beautifully captured by the cinematographer

who deserves credit for that. Renjan Abraham has done a decent work on the editing table while songs by Vidyasagar is not upto the standards set by the music director. Still it was refreshing to hear veteran singer Yesudas singing a song here.

Fahadh did a decent job as Felix. It was a neat effort from the Asin look alike Sana Althaf as Salomi who is also making her tinsel town debut. Manoj K Jayan as Mariyan Aasaan was able to make a good presence along with Joy Mathew, Irshad, Nandu, Sadiq and Neeraj Madhav. Prathap Pothan is also part of the film in a very brief role. Aju Varghese also appear in a pivotal role but somehow he was not able to make a big contribution. A lengthy list of other actors are also part of the supporting casts.

Overall, the film could have been a better one had the love story between Felix and Salomi been better handled and given more prominence than the events that unfolded later. Not a bad film but did not provide the required level of entertainment either. Impressed with his direction somewhat but not with the scripting completely and I am going with two and a half out of five for James Albert's directorial debut Mariyam Mukku.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Mili Malayalam Movie Review

Rajesh Pillai came into the limelight with Traffic , a film that set a new pattern and benchmark in Malayalam film industry. Though Hridayathil Sookshikaan is the first work from him, people and the industry more often relate the name of Rajesh Pillai to Traffic. But it took him another four years to come up with another film though the making time is just close to one year and he was busy with the Bollywood remake of Traffic.

Now coming to Mili , the film is a female oriented movie where Amala Paul appear as the title protagonist and Nivin Pauly supporting her as the male lead. About the movie, here we have a feel good film that makes us happy, sad and also makes us think. Yes, Mili is performance oriented film nicely scripted by editor Mahesh Narayanan.

The film focus on Mili ( Amala Paul) who is an introvert and everyone finds her character an odd one. Mili, the movie show us how she overcome her fears and rises to stand of her own. Couple of factors and people are responsible making Mili change.

The film begins on a slow note and gradually move forward settling in with an okay first half and picks up the momentum in the second half. The highlight of course is a thought provoking ending. But at the same time, the best and touching moments of the film is the portion where Mili share the screen with her father. The film had its share of little preaching towards the end but that is acceptable considering the overall storyline. Direction from Rajesh Pillai has been positive and for that the screenplay played a large part.

On the acting side, Nivin Pauly did the not so important role in the best possible way. All credits to Amala Paul for pulling up a special show totalling meeting the demands of the title character. Sai Kumar is another actor who made a lasting impression appearing as father of Mili. Ambika, Sija Rose, Sanusha, Praveena and Devi Ajith are also part of the cast who all did the roles they enacted in a convincing manner.

Background score from Gopisundar and the songs were soothing for the ears. My personal picks are the Kanmani song (Gopi Sundar) and Meghamay number composed and sung by Shaan Rahman. Cinematography and cuts were on the brighter side. Mili is a motivational and appealing movie and I go with three and a half out of five for the movie as my personal rating.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Picket 43 Malayalam Movie Review

Critics as well as general audiences have equally contributed in venting their criticism of Major Ravi's films of late. Except Keerthichakra, Mission 90 Days ( a documentary style narrative and not a box office success) and to an extent Kuruskshetra, the rest (Karmayodha and Kandahar) were totally ignored at the box office. The reason is quite simple; the repetitive backdrop of army, wars and commando operations were in overdose from the director. Now Major comes up with his next movie with the same backdrop which he is comfortable and familiar with. At the very first outset, it seems Picket 43 Movie is a repetition but surprisingly the treatment is different to make the movie a decent and watchable flick.

This time more than the war and battles its the emotional factor that takes centre stage in the battle torn Kashmir. The film showcase an unexpected friendship and bond between and Indian and Pakistani soldier who both are manning their respective Pickets. Some Pickets are manned by a group while others have a single soldier who ensure that no infiltration happens from across the border. Picket 43 belongs to the latter category where Haveeldhar Hareendran Nair is the Indian jawan while Musharaf is on the opposite side of Indian picket. Movie also show a touching bond between Hareendran and Bacardi. Now who is Bacardi and what is his role in the movie, you will know that once you watch the film.

Aided by excellent visuals captured by cinematographer

Jomon T John and Rex Vijayan's impressive background score, Picket 43 by Major Ravi springs a surprise when we rate him based on his last two outings. The film runs on its own pace and the build up is slow but in the end, there is no disappointing feel. Beginning and ending with voice over of Mohanlal, Picket 43 is not your battle filled commando film but much more than that dwelling upon friendship of two soldiers from the opposite side.

Hareendran Nair was an ideal casting and the character was safely in the hands of Prithviraj Sukumaran. There was nothing challenging in the role but he did total justice to the character offered to him. Javed Jaffery was a surprise package. The guy won our hearts with a simple style of acting and flawless dialogue delivery that really touched our heart. Renji Panicker as the commanding officer, Sudheer Karamana and a few others are also part of the supporting actors.

As said, cinematography was a major highlight of this film giving a rich and appealing presence for the movie overall. Cuts were ok and background score was too good. Songs weren't that great but it was ok. So overall, Picket 43 works out well and deserved a watch on a guarantee that you won't lose your valuable time and money on it. I am giving three and a half out of five for Major Ravi's Picket 43.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Zidd - Something Different

After a lengthy hiatus and catch-up period, I figured it would be best (and easiest) to jump right back in with a brand new show.  Fortunately, that new show is "Zidd" and what a show it is!

I have long since given up on having expectations from Ahsan Khan shows and "Ladoon Mein Palli" really managed to break Maya Ali's track record - plus her last venture with Ahsan Khan was a complete, dismal failure and disappointment (Meri Zindagi Hai Tu).  So that being said, my expectations from Zidd were incredibly low.  Actually, even claiming to have expectations would be a sheer and utter lie, as I almost didn't bother watching the show at all.

Am I glad I did!  Zidd has ended up being an intriguing, fresh and refreshingly different show with a new concept (well, as new as concepts can be as far as TV goes).

Up until now, Zidd tells the story of a stubborn, selfish and self-obsessed character, Saman (Maya Ali).  Despite having logical parents and a level-headed brother (Hamayun Ashraf), Saman is, by Pakistani society standards, completely spoiled, egotistical and lacking in basic sense.  In her own eyes, she simply believes that she's honest and wants to live life on her own terms.  Saman breaks off several engagements, the last of the engagements being only days before the wedding.  This leaves her family disheartened and infuriated, not understanding what will happen to her and her life.

Enter Omer (Ahsan Khan), a Pakistani boy from the USA.  He comes from a good family and Saman's family instantly agrees to the rishta, not giving Saman any choice in the matter this time.  The nikkah is conducted in a rushed, hurried manner with Saman's family trying their best to not allow Omer & Saman to spend any time together before the wedding in the fear that Saman will, yet again, open her mouth and ruin the relationship.  The marriage is carried out, though not without its share of glitches and hiccups.

However, on the wedding night, Saman is forthcoming with Omer and tells him that she agreed to the marriage only because she wanted to escape to the USA and live life on her own terms and admittedly tells Omer that she used him, also telling him about her previous broken engagements.  Omer, in turn, gives Saman a huge shock:  This is his second marriage and her own family was well-aware of this fact.  He expresses his displeasure at being kept in the dark about her previous engagements and also informs Saman that she does not have the right to demand a divorce, according to their nikkah papers, so she should come to terms with their marriage and learn to accept him.

This starts off Saman & Omer's marriage on a rather awkward note, leaving Saman feeling lost, as she feels betrayed not only by Omer, but by her own family for not trusting her with the news of Omer's previous marriage.

Omer and Saman move to the USA, where Saman does her best to adjust to life in a new place, though not necessarily adjusting to life with her new husband.  While Omer does his best to accept Saman as his wife, Saman does not make life easy for him, constantly throwing accusations at him regarding his previous marriage.

This is what we've seen up until episode 5 and so far, the show doesn't seem to be losing pace.  What happens later on, only time will tell.  But so far, not only is the storyline interesting, the acting is great!  Maya Ali is not generally a favorite, but she's doing a really good job of portraying Saman as the brat she is intended to be.  Ahsan Khan is enacting the role of Omer in such a way that the audience is left confused - is he a good guy?  Is he not a good guy?  Is he as straightforward and clean-hearted as it seems?  Or does something else lurk behind those innocent expressions?  I hope Ahsan is playing this role like this on purpose, because it's making Omer seem like a very layered, intense character.  The supporting cast is all really good so far as well, especially Hamayun Ashraf.

This show comes highly recommended from my end!  I'm genuinely enjoying it and it's on par with shows like Goya, Sadqay Tumharay and Jackson Heights, though an entirely different type of show.  So far, 2015 is off to a great start regarding Pakistani shows!

Happy watching!

Alone Hindi Movie Review

It is quite easy to write a viewpoint on the desi horror movies especially the ones coming from the Bhatt camp these days. Almost similar with the cliched elements and flavours added by the makers, they follow a similar pattern and the only change will be the actors and backdrop of these projects. Other than these, there is nothing exciting in these B-grade horror flicks. The producers of these flicks might be earning a return on their investment or else how come we get to see such stuffs getting repeated. May be its time for the Bhatt camp and others in Bollywood to take a cue from director Mysskin in how the horror genre can be reinvented.

ALONE the latest movie from Bhushan Patel doesn't have any Bhatt connection but is a horror flick with Bipasha Basu (who is now called the Queen of Horror) doing a dual role; a pair of conjoined twins.

The story revolves around Sanjana (Bipasha) and her husband Kabir (Karan Singh). They come to Kerala from Mumbai after her mother (Neena Gupta) met with a serious accident. But the return is not on expected lines as Sanjana's conjoined twin Anjana's soul starts haunting her and creates problems for the couple to move forward. The prime focus of the movie is Sanjana's effort to know why the spirit of her sister is following her. The problem for her is only she is able to see the spirit and no one else.

Except for a couple of occasions, there is nothing in here as such to scare you and the narrative becomes a case for a laugh after some time. The film begins from the same old territory of a house that gave the feel of a haunted one. Based on a Thail film, ALONE could have been a better movie had the execution been done with a different approach and for that the screenplay needed a fine tuning. Bhushan Patel after Ragini MMS 2 and 1920: Evil Returns was on a familiar territory to him but sadly that experience have not been reflected in Alone.

Bipasha Basu makes a decent effort with her scary as well as ghostly expressions with ease and Karan Singh Grover makes a reasonably good debut as Kabir. Only very few actors are part of this movie as supporting casts and none stood out for making a mention here.

Not an impressive work by Bhushan Patel, ALONE is a disappointing film that fails to scare you. If you are looking for scarier stuff better go for the DVD's of some other films from the same genre. I go with one and a half out of five as my personal rating for this flick.

Rating - 1.5 / 5

The Theory of Everything Movie Review

Brilliant, beautiful and poignant. Thats how I would summarise The Theory of Everything Movie. A biopic on renowned Physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking , TTOE is already nominated for the Oscars for Best Picture as well as Best actor and actress category. Justifying that selection in every respect, the film is backed up by powerful acting along with outstanding cinematography and background score to make for an intense movie that will stay on our minds for quite sometime.

The film focus on the early life of Stephen, a brilliant student at Cambridge university. He is diagnosed with a rare disease called motor neuron and has two years to live. In Cambridge he meets Jane Wilde shortly before Stephen is diagnosed with the disease but ignoring all this Jane decides to fight that together and marries him. Movie primarily focus on how they met, their early marriage life, Stephen's most challenging phase in life once he is mostly paralysed without the ability to speak and finally the meeting with the Queen when he is offered Knighthood which he actually rejected.

Based on a book written by Jane himself the film also show their separation stage when Stephen divorced Jane and starts life with his nurse. The movie has many moments that stays on our mind and i should say that the direction as well as the screenplay had a major role to play in that apart from the performances of the lead actors.

Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking was a treat to watch and rightly so he is right up there as an Oscar nominee for the Best Actor. There were moments he had to literally use just his eyes to express without any voice and facial expressions and the guy was on top of it giving a performance that will touch you. Equally good and complimenting was Felicity Jones as Jane and Stephen's lover and later his better half. Rest of the supporting casts was also able to perform well and among them, the nurse who later becomes part of Stephen's life was able to come up with a nice performance though the character appear only towards the end. The actor who portrayed Stephen's professor also did a fine act.

So overall, The Theory of Everything is one movie you will definitely cherish and this is a must watch movie for its quality in acting, music, cinematography and above all to know in detail the life of Stephen Hawking. More than his academics, physics and scientific theories, its his love life and his fight with the motor neurone disease that gets more prominence here. I go with four out of five as my personal rating for this movie.

Rating - 4 / 5

I Movie Review

He kept all of us waiting for more than three years and the reality is those three years and the waiting period have yielded results that Shankar should be proud of. 'I' is a magnanimous movie in all respects meeting all our expectations and pre release hype. No disappointments

whatsoever and Vikram, he is the man of the moment putting in efforts which we all can't even imagine. For Indian movie standards on the making side, 'I' is one level up and is definitely a benchmark to follow for other film makers especially the technical side. A commercial entertainer with all the flavours of a mass movie and at the same time giving technical side the perfect boost up, 'I' is a visual beauty.

Since it will be more of a spoiler if i go too much into the plot, i am summarising the same in very few lines. Lingesan (Vikram) is an ardent body builder who aims and works to win over the Mr.India title. He is madly in love with (Amy Jackson) who is a model and the film focus on their relationship and what happens to their life through some unfortunate turn of events.

Its an allround show of Vikram who carries the entire film on his shoulders right from the start till the very end. The film takes some time to give an insight of each and every character. Then it gradually build up with a well executed first half and culminates with a perfect second half to compensate the pre interval session. Its not a new storyline but a normal romantic tale of revenge but executed differently. Has its flaws and loose ends but covered up well.

On screen as said, Vikram has done a tremendous job portraying his role with different shades meeting the expectations. As we all know, lot of efforts have gone into his transformation of characters and full applause to him as well as the prosthetic team behind the film. Amy Jackson has not been reduced to the sidelines as she was able to make a mark in a hero dominated movie. Upen Patel looked good with problems with lip synching on the dubbing side. Santhanam was able to tickle our funny bone with his comic acts while Suresh Gopi did his brief but important role doing justice to the character given to him.

Now coming to the technical side which is the main highlight, direction by Shankar, Cinematography by P.C Sreeram and above all music from A.R. Rahman complimented completely giving a different feel for the movie.

Overall i would say the screenplay is just average but the execution by Shankar and the performance of Vikram takes the movie to the next level. Already the hype and expectations are its peak but still it would be good if you can keep your level of expectations a bit lower before coming to the cinema halls. As an entertainer that did not disappoint me, i go with four out of five for Shankar's 'I'

Rating - 4 / 5

Perariyathavar Malayalam Movie Review

Dr.Biju with a highly thought provoking subject makes a lasting impact and impression through his award winning movie Perariyathavar.

It is always a nice experience when socially relevant and eye opening subjects gets a mention through this medium. The experience is all the more special and refreshing when the treatment is done with less or no amount of preaching and any of those dramas we see quite often in these subjects. Nothing of that sort have happened in Perariyathavar and personally for me, it was one of the best offbeat film that I have seen in the recent past.

The film is seen from two people's eyes; a father and a son. The protagonist (Played by Suraj Venjaramoodu who doesn't have a name in the movie) is a temporary sweeper with the Corporation. He takes his son when he goes for collecting waste from within the city limits and see many problems faced by the downtrodden or people who have no identity of their own.

Direction is too good and here the director deserves special applause for bringing up many subjects of social interest and that too conveyed in a touching way in just under two hours. Its not that the hero tried something in his own way to fight everything he sees with his eyes but the narrative just makes us see or open our eyes to the problems faced by the people who have no identity and no one to defend for them.

Muthanga tribal rights, Vilappilsala Waste disposal, Vallarpadam land acquiring by Government for road development are some of the areas covered without any direct mention but which are shown in the closing title credits as references through a small documentary within the film. It is a fact that there are many people are affected by the above deals which no one care for and this is what Dr.Biju has tried to convey in the best possible way.

The acting scene has Suraj in a National Award winning role and kudos to him for enacting the character with such finesse. Master Govardhan as his son was impressive and was able to make a mark among the actors. Indrans, Nedumudi Venu, Sasi Kalinga, Chembil Asokan, Sona Nair and Seema G Nair are also part of the supporting casts and each one of them have acted as per the demands of the character.

The film's technical scene is okay and it was done meeting the demands of a film that doesn't have any of the so called entertaining elements. So everything in limited doses, that's how I would sum up the work on the technical department.

In summary, here we have a film that deserve a watch for its sincerity and simplicity in presenting a strong subject. I recommend the film to people who would like to watch cinema in its pure and raw form and I give a rate of 4 / 5 for Perariyathavar, a film that is a little gem.

Taken 3 Review

The beginning was highly engaging and the follow up was not that bad but unfortunately the ending is disappointing. I am talking about the Taken trilogy. The franchise is coming to a halt with the third part now in cinemas. With a story that doesn't connect in any sort with the prequels and a poor script, Taken 3 is way too far from convincing and falls on the wayside. If it was kidnapping that formed the centre stage earlier, the third part have no one taken but a murder mystery is resolved by the protagonist.

So Bryan Mills who is living a quiet life after those two rescue sagas of his daughter is reawakened through a murder mystery. His ex-wife is murdered and her body is found from his apartment. As the Police reach out on a conclusion that Bryan is the prime suspect, Bryan himself takes up a parallel investigation to find out who killed his ex-wife. All this he has to do on the run as the police are after him. Rest of the movie focus on how Bryan reach the culprits who did the crime.

It seems at sixty plus, it was too much for Liam Neeson for this role and quite rightly so they have decided to end the franchise. But the unfortunate part is that the ending has been executed poorly and deserved a better deal.

Direction is poor while the action sequences and all the visual effects were not done perfectly making it look irritating for the eyes. The makers realizing that the actor who cannot do all the running and similar stuffs tried to cover up things but in doing that, that natural feel of action and chases got lost. In spite of all this, the dialogues were on the positive side.

On the acting scene, it was not a bad effort from Liam Neeson as Brian Mills but somewhere deep down we feel for the actor who was in top form when it all started and had to end it quite tamely. Forest Whitaker as the investigative officer did his part quite well. Maggie Grace as Mill's daughter Kim did a neat job. Rest of the actors were just fine as the roles demanded and nothing impressive.

The technical side was severely affected by some sloppy edits and visual effects. Action sequences were hampered by poor VFX but cinematography and background score were okay in spite of the above said negative factors.

Overall, the film doesn't run smooth and offer a bumpy ride for the viewers. A better ending was expected and the series demanded such a climax to two reasonably successful films among the trilogy. I go with two out of five for the film as my personal rating and a thumbs down to Taken 3

Rating - 2 / 5

Mardaani

Directed by: Pradeep Sarkar

Starring: Rani Mukherjee, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Priyanka Sharma

Released: 2014

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

After thinking for a long while, I believe that one word which describes Mardaani in my book would be „believable“. Not slick, not bloody genius mystery investigation. There is nothing loud or theatrical, there is no misplaced patriotism to emotionally blackmail you. I am not saying it is completely logical (though I personally cannot think of anything I would question much), but yes, it is veiled in an atmosphere of near plausibility and the setting, the costume, the acting, everything seems familiar, real … simply believable.

The topic the movie chooses to cover – child trafficking and sexual exploitation - is highly disgusting. We are used to see our hero cops sort out the corruption, drug dealers and murderers, but „white meat“ dealing, possibly the worst of all the crimes imaginable, is usually silently avoided. Perhaps to spare the feelings of the audience? Mardaani does not spare us – thankfully. Some of the scenes are uneasy to watch (for example ripping the clothes off the girls, forcing them to pose naked, and then there is the hazy, yet still puke-worthy rape scene), but to give credit while showing some truly ugly stuff it does not dwell on the suffering of the victims, not making THAT into a spectacle.

The center of everything is Rani Mukherjee as a capable police officer, whose abilities nobody doubts, and who is definitely dangerous and strict, but also shown as caring wife and doting aunt. Shivani Shivaji Roy, as she is called in the film, is one of the truly well written characters, and a strong not because she can take on the villain and leave him a crying, bleeding mess at mercy of his victims, but because she is layered and non-formulatic. She feels real, and Rani´s solid performance makes her real. There is only one thing which I still am not in love with - I do not like Rani´s voice and how she works with it. In some of the scenes it sounded almost robotic. Everything else though is impressive and in my book Mardaani becomes one of the best efforts on Rani´s side.

The supporting cast manages to be just as believable. Tahir Raj Basin excels as the chief antagonist, sleazy, bit maniac and yet coldly sane, weeping for his father, with no mercy for anyone outside his closest circle. On the other side of the spectrum stands child-actress Priyanka Sharma as one of the kidnapped girls, breaking your heart with her helplessness. The picture is then completed with police officers and Shivani´s husband, all of whom may only have limited screen time, but even in that short space manage to give you an illusion of being real.

Mardaani is a good film, one of the better ones of 2014. And the best "female-action" one for sure. It has good pace and draws attention to an important, over-looked issue. It does feel a bit like high class TV cop show rather than a silver screen thing, and the end seems almost too abrupt and „too happy“, but you know what? After all the gore and pain, killing off any of the innocents may have been really too much to take. I could have done without the bit of hiring two black guys following the „We need someone who looks like drug dealers“ line though.

Ekalavya Review - Malayalam Dubbed version of Telugu Govindudu Andarivadele

By chance, happened to watch Ekalavya, the movie which is the dubbed version of Telugu flick Govindudu Andarivadele. Ram Charan Teja and Kajal Aggarwal are the lead pair that also has Prakash Raj, Rahman, Srikanth, Jayasudha and Kamalini Mukherjee in pivot roles. The movie is a family drama with regular doses of Telugu movies like songs and dance, action and romance in plenty but all for a loosing cause as the film fails to get you involved for the major part except for a few moments in the beginning stages. The drama was too lengthy, predictable and melodramatic. May be since i am new to these dubbed Telugu flicks, i could not come to terms with what is happening on screen and hence the enjoyment level was at zero level. Regular people who are used to watching such stuff may have a different opinion but for me the film was a washout.

The story revolves around Parameswaran (Prakash Raj) and his big family. Dr. Chandrasekhar (Rahman) his son have a serious dispute with Parameswaran and leave for US and settle there and have a family. After few years, Chandra's son Abhiram (Ram Charan Teja) travels to his father's home on the pretext of learning Agriculture but he has some hidden agenda which is to reunite his father with his grandfather. In doing that he becomes part of the family fights happening there and also gets romantically involved with Sandhya who is also a member of the family.

The plot has nothing unique and fresh and we have seen shades of the story in many films and that too years back. What promises in the beginning gradually sinks. Upto the halfway mark, the film is somewhat okay but the latter half gets too melodramatic and also stretched which makes it a pretty boring affair.

On screen, Ram Charan looked good as Abhiram and performed the dance and action sequences with ease while Kajal Aggarwal as Abhiram's love interest was okay. Rahman was able to make his presence felt through the character of Dr. Chandrasekhar though it was a brief one. For Prakash Raj, seemed it was a okay one in a powerful character but in dubbed film, we can't correctly judge the performance and that applies to all the actors.

Cinematography was good but editing deserved some sharp trimming to reduce the length by at least twenty minutes. Songs were good but their placement was wrong and we are forced to sit through six or seven songs that appear very often on screen without much break for each and every occasion. But should say that their choreography and visualisation was not bad.

Overall, i would not recommend this film to anyone unless you are a hardcore fan of dubbed Telugu flicks and also crazy about Ram Charan. So watching is at your own risk and my rating is one and a half out of five.

Rating 1.5 / 5

Tevar Review

Mahesh Babu starrer Telugu flick Okkadu was remade in Tamil as Ghilli with Vijay and Trisha in lead roles. The film was an instant blockbuster of that time (2004) and went on to make a huge collection. The reason of course was a fast paced screenplay, high octane action sequences and a good romantic track between the lead pair that made the audiences latch on to the film at the very outset. Now Okkadu / Ghilli gets a rebirth after almost ten years or so and its the turn of Bollywood as Tevar with Arjun Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha hits the big screen.

Without comparison with the original, Tevar doesn't disappoint and is not an embarrassment to the original but the film is not as speedy and engaging only in parts. Ten years is a pretty long gap and one could get a feel of an outdated plot, still the action and drama has that x-factor to keep you on the toes as well as offer few nail-biting moments. The villain here chases his dream girl along with the one man army lead by our hero who happens to be the leading lady's saviour.

Set in the Northern part of the country where Pintoo is a Kabaddi player who is being part of a competition but fate has something else for him as he rescue Radhika from Gajendra Singh, a local goon cum minister who wants to marry the girl at any cost. Pintoo and Radhika are chased by the antagonist and rest of the movie has in store the running and chasing of these characters.

Though for people who have seen either the Telugu or Tamil versions, predictability factor becomes a major drawback taking away the sheen and for Hindi audiences Tevar is a one watchable average entertainer. Close to one hundred and sixty minutes, a good dose of trimming would have definitely helped to make it a smooth and fast moving movie.

Direction is not bad while the dialogues at times had an artificial feel. Rest of the technical side is comparatively done well except the songs which was strictly average. As said earlier, a lengthy film that needed some fine tuning to make it crisp but sadly it didn't happen.

Acting wise, Arjun Kapoor did the character offered to him in the best possible manner. Sonakshi Sinha was okay and she continues the repeat act of her recent masala flicks. The most impressive among the actors were Manoj Bajpayee and Raj Babbar. While the former played the role of the main antagonist, the latter is the police officer who also happens to be Pintoo's father. Deepti Navel is also a part of the supporting casts.

In a nutshell, Tevar is not a great successor to its successful originals but apart from that, it is a one time watchable average flick. I am going with two and a half out of five for this old wine served in an old bottle.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Trying to Play Catch-Up!

This is just a message to my readers, who are probably wondering why I'm slacking off on writing so incredibly.  After the Peshawar attacks, I simply wasn't in the mood to write and then a week later, I left on vacation for over two weeks, so I have literally just gotten back to "reality."  And that also means that I'm 3 weeks behind on every single show that I was watching.  So far, I've had a chance to play catch-up on Goya, Jackson Heights, Daraar, Aik Pal and a couple of others, but there are many shows still hanging in the lurch.  As SOON as I manage to catch up (which I'm trying to do in record time), I will begin writing again!  So watch out for a new blog post within the next week.  =)  Thanks for your patience!

Happy new year and I hope everyone had a great vacation!

Happy watching!

Women In Black 2 Review

The scares were very much predictable as we can easily guess when we need to get ready to relax and not be too serious and concentrating on the screen to make the impact of horror in theatre to the bare minimum. Also, it has a setting recycled from many other Hollywood flicks. Even then Tom Harper directed The Women in Black 2 : Angel of Death (British film) a watchable film without too much of blood and violence. This is the second installment of The Women in Black series and since I haven't seen the first part, not going into that or making a reference to that first part.

Beginning from London in the early part of the 1940's on the sidelines of World War 2, caretakers Eve Parkins and Jean take a group of orphaned kids to the abandoned Eel Marsh house located in a remote British countryside for safety. But soon they realise that they are not safe anymore as they have come to a haunted house where the women in black is an inhabitant there. Their presence have awakened her and rest of the story focus on how they get out of the mess after few of the children start to disappear.

There are moments that will scare you but in no way this film is close to movies released recently like a Conjuring or The Insidious series. Still without comparisons, this is an average one time watchable flick without any boredom though the first half takes time to settle down as well and give us a picture of what is in store for us. At ninety three minutes, WIB 2 doesn't stretch things and there is a smooth flow in screenplay. Though visuals looked good, what the film lacks is that it is not scary enough and hence people expecting something of that sort will be a disappointed lot.

On the acting side, there are only very few characters in the film. Phoebe Fox and Helen McCrory play the roles of the two caretakers with ease while Jeremey Irvine play the role of the pilot who helps the ladies and children to get them safely from Eel Marsh house. Among the children, the boy who portrayed the character of Edward had more screen presence considering the importance of that character in the overall scheme of things.

Cinematography was good along with nice art works. Editing was sloppy at times as some of the scenes were cut before they ended giving a bad feel. Background score was done neatly without going too much louder. We have seen such BGM's that just uses that sound factor to scare us without showing much on the screen.

Super natural horror movies are making its way to theatres very frequently these days and to make a mark among them is a hard task considering the standards set by some predecessors of this genre. WIB 2 among them can stake a claim to be a part of good horror flicks. If you love to watch scary movies in a theatre ambience, do watch this one as it is not that bad. For me it was an average fare content wise but above average in terms of visual quality and my rating is two and a half out of five for WIB 2 : Angel of Death.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Pissasu Tamil Movie Review

All these years Indian audiences were craving from the makers of the horror genre to try out something different. It seems someone has finally heard our long pending demand in the form of Mysskin who has come out with a varied form of horror. His latest work Pissasu is a horror flick without too many of those blood and gore we have seen quite often from ghost movies. Backed by a beautiful screenplay minus all the cliched horror dramas, Pissasu stands tall among the genre with a different approach to storytelling and at the same time a notable making style with the trademark of Mysskin.

A little bit of spoiler alert is here so people yet to watch the film, I request you to please skip this paragraph of the review. Our hero here is Sidharth who is a violinist and a young man with a kind and good heart. He happens to witness a road accident of a beautiful girl whom he takes to hospital but the girl dies upon reaching the hospital holding Sidharth's hand. But what that follow him to his home is the ghost of the girl Bhavani. Siddharth's attempt to find out the cause of the ghost following him is what rest of the movie is all about.

Mysskin magic we have seen in movies like Onayum aatukuttiyum, Yudham Sei, Nandalala, Chithiram Pesuthadi etc are seen here in Pisasu also. The script is the backbone of any film and situation is here is no different. Screenplay, the making, the direction all holds together the movie which is just one hundred and thirteen minutes in duration. Along with excellent background score and camera angles, Mysskin puts his latest flick also into the big league. The attempt and approach is different and it has yielded results in a positive way.

Naga portrayed the character of Sidharth and eventhough he is a newcomer, he showed no signs of nervousness. Prayaga Martin is Bhavani and though her face will haunt us till the very end of the movie, the character as such have very little screen presence that later appear as the animated ghost character. Not much familiar actors among the supporting casts except Radha Ravi who appear as Bhavani's father and all of them were equally upto the task in terms of emoting.

The technical side also has its lions share in making the film a standard one. And here cinematography and background score are the two impressive areas that scored the most.

So overall its a Mysskin magic once again and his attempt in presenting a ghost story without any cliches and so called gimmicks of our desi horror movies definitely deserves to be appreciated. I go with three and a half out of five for Pissasu and recommend the film to people who likes experimental themes and experimentation

in movie making.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Kayal Tamil Movie Review

Prabu Solman comes up with another gripping tale. A feel good love story, KAYAL is technically a sound film backed up by excellent visuals, soothing and melodoius music and above all solid performances from the lead pair who all are making their debut. Set against the backdrop of the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Kayal tells the story of Aaron and Kayal and how they fall for each other.

The film begins with the Tsunami where Aaron is a survivor of that calamity and gradually takes us to the incidents that unfold a few days before the tragic Tsunami waves happen in Kanyakumari. Aaron and Socrates are childhood friends who are tourist visiting various places accidentally becomes part of an eloping act by two couples on the eve of the girl's marriage but the fortune makes Aaron meet his girl there.

Screenplay till the half way mark is too good but post intermission does not have the same momentum that was shown in the beginning. But with a strong and good climax, Prabu Solomon regain form and finish the film on a high. So we can say the director has a hatrick of victories in Mynaa, Kumki and Kayal.

The three main actors are Chandran, Anandhi and Vincent who all are newbies portraying the characters of Aaron, Kayal and Socrates respectively. Performance wise all three have done the job that is expected and it is more than appreciable since they are all into their first performance on the big screen. Rest of the supporting casts were also equally good.

Technical side stands out. With good visuals to back helped by nice cinematography,

the movie has a rich and beautiful feel. Music is another backbone of this movie and all credits to D Imman, the man behind the music scene. All songs are melodius & hummable ones and are well placed in the film and one song is a fast number but not a bad one as well.

So overall, Kayal is a beautiful romantic film that won't disappoint you. Barring a few glitches in the second half, the rest of the narrative doesn't disappoint making Kayal a one time watchable love story. I go with three out of five as my personal rating for the film. Not a bad start for my first film of the new year and hoping for the trend to remain and continue in the long run.

Rating - 3 / 5

First half of 2014 overview

From my perspective 2014 was lots better than 2013, even if only because there has been more than one film that I genuinely loved. I usually make one big overview, but catching up with new Bollywood releases has been difficult for me this time, so here I am to take a look at the first half of the year only. No worries – second overview is patiently waiting in the wings! The year 2014 started on the highest of highs with fantabulous Dedh Ishqiya, which eventually became my most favourite Bollywood film ever, unfortunately the very same day also witnessed one of the most regressive and atrocious pictures of the year in the form of Yaariyan. My January-line up then continued with muscle-flashing Jai Ho and utterly useless....

One By Two

Directed by: Devika Bhagat

Starring: Abhay Deol, Preeti Desai

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

Some films make you feel like they take a lifetime before their end. This one take a lifetime to start. In a way it never does. Few times Amit (Abhay Deol) is told by others that he is boring, and he indeed is. From looks to dialogue delivery and posture, his acting is completely lifeless. Preeti Desai fares better, but.... what good is that when the story has no point and every idea is still-born? We are watching two completely unrelated storyline of two people who only meet in the last two minutes of the film! Some of the songs are nice and there is a lot of dancing, but ironically choreography does nothing but show us that Preeti has really long and slender legs. One by Two are two completely different stories sloppily pasted together by a duckt tape, and neither is interesting. Unless you like farting jokes.

Fortunately cute, though not faultless, Hasee Toh Phasee came along, and while the follow-up film Gunday (review coming eventually) remains in the so bad it´s actually good cathegory, it too provided for fine, inconsequential entertainment. The true gem of the month of February though was served to us by Imtiaz Ali in the form Highway, in which Alia Bhatt actually debuted as an actress. Her role was ever so much better than even what an established star like Vidya Balan got in...

Shaadi Ke Side Effects

Directed by: Saket Chaudhary

Starring: Farhan Akhtar, Vidya Balan

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

After she was completely exiled into obscure shadows of a silly film named Ghanchakkar, Vidya Balan is yet again more of a supporting character in this. And it just not feels right, simply because she is Vidya Balan and she deserves the best. Thus Shaadi Ke Side Efects (which really should have been named Parenthood ke Side Effects or something of that sort) becomes a Farhan Akhtar show. Fortunatelly he too is very talented and plays his character with much conviction. The plot, built around a universal truth that a baby will change your life forever, could have been a really fertile ground for a laugh riot comedy with relatable situations. But the opportunity passed the filmmakers by. The humorous scenes provoke a mild smile, but hardly any laughs. It is not all lost until the point when Vidya´s character decides to get even with her hubster, and invents a situation which in comparison is much, much worse than whatever he has done. From there it is all going quickly down the hill and whatever message of “learning” was intended to be, it goes down the drain with the very last scene, which just makes you think “What was the point of this film then?”

Gulaab Gang (review coming eventually) spelled a big let-down for me, no wonder that Queen won the hearts instead (though I personally was not nearly as swayed of my feet by it). For the rest of the March Queen was probably the only movie worth attention, which could not be changed even by two films releasing right after:

Total Siyapaa

Directed by: Eshwar Niwas

Starring: Ali Zafar, Yami Gautam, Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher

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

This film might be a new definition of useless. It does nothing for anyone be it actors or audience. A Pakistani boy love an Indian girl, who brings him home so he could be introduced to her (as we soon find out) totally xenophobic family consisting of a hysterical mother, senile grandpa, violent brother etc. A story of just one night spent in their company turns out to be pointless and random. It may have worked magic if only the writers actually added some good jokes, but much like Anupam Kher for 90% of his screentime they keep looking for something, but they have no idea if it exists. Ali and Yami are two beautiful people with obvious talent, so naturally one feels disappointed that they are so utterly wasted on a film so... well, useless.

Beewakoofiaan

Directed by: Nupur Asthana

Starring: Ayushman Khuranna, Sonam Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor

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

It took me exactly five sitting to watch the movie. It is just too slow, too boring and too predictable. And full of really awkward kissing. Ayushman Khuranna seems to have big trouble after Vicky Donor to find a good film and a good role, Rishi Kapoor is solid but his role has no intersting quality, and Sonam Kapoor is probably forever going to be „that pretty girl who cannot act“. Her best is being decent. In the movie she is yet again just a hanger for designer clothes. What starts as a typical „you are not good (aka rich) enough to marry my daughter“ romcom never manages to create moments of charm, neither there is anything witty and funny. Everything flows steadily and without excitement. I would compare the film to a music they always play at supermarkets as you shop. You know it exists but you just really don´t care.

The month of April truly signalized that the young ones took over. Both Main Tera Hero and 2 States (reviews coming eventually) were entertaining and showed us that Bollywood of future years is not going to be without talent, and there will be someone worth the interest. The same cannot be said for one of the famed Bollywood directors Subhash Ghai, who also laid his bet on some new blood, but his arrow failed to even come near to the target.

Kaanchi

Directed by: Subhash Ghai

Starring: Mishti, Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborthy, Kartik Tiwari

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

I feel rather conflicted about Kaanchi. I intended to hate it, but I did not. At least not all of it. The first hour or so is, in fact, quite decent, unfortunately the second half of the film is a hot and boring mess. Advertising the film as a fight of a girl against the system was misleading to say the least, since Kaanchi fights to get even on a personal front, not to change anything about society or the world. Furthermore for the longest time one cannot be sure of what is Kaanchi feeling – we are as distant from her as her detective friend who actually narrates the story. Connection, so important in such a story, is missing. The thrill stalls when it should be gaining a momentum. Newcomer Mishti, who looks like a lovechild of Aishwarya Rai (she is styled like her in Taal) and Mahima Chaudrey (who actually makes a blink-and-miss cameo), is better as spunky village kid rather than a dangerous woman set after a revenge, yet overal is poor and her lack of personal charm further harms her cause of winning over the audience. Then there are further little annoyances: like Kaanchi´s perfect and heavy makeup she wears even as she races on a bike through the mountains and roams Mumbai all homeless, or avoidable and vulgar songs, or super-awkward kissing. And the fact that people are deaf so a speeding truck or train just come unnoticed. Rishi Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborthy are given ill-written characters in which both annoy. Kartik Tiwari gets the short straw, but is likeable. You know what.... maybe I did hate it and not even noticed. Or not? After all, this film has one girl who needs no saving and does what she wants, which is rare in Hindi films. See. I am indeed conflicted.

After Queen Kangana Ranaut drew the attention of the public towards her next release, which, though interesting, could not repeat the box office magic for her.

Revolver Rani

Directed by: Sai Kabir Shrivastav

Starring: Kangana Ranaut, Vir Das

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad –whatever – flawed but enjoyable (I guess ???) - good – great – amazing

This was weird in a weird kind of sense. Crazy and absurd in a Kill Bill way, but not absurd enough to be as fascinating. Not great on action either, in spite of the badass title. Oh no! This one, my dears, is yet another one of the corrupt politicians fight for the sets in local elections films. I suppose it says a lot about India if the traditional evil villains turned from disgusting rapists and heartless gangsters into sleek politicians. Revolver Rani had an interesting concept, but the story was not strong enough to carry all the craziness, that actually could have made it into something memorable. The movie does not pass the Bechdel test, but from the feminist point of view it was great to see that Alka Singh (Kangana) is a power to reckon with while not a single person (including armed to the teeth goondas) ever thinks less of her because she is a woman. Nobody discusses her gender. She is there and she is feared and hated. But the start is too slow, the narrative too focused on politics (instead on let´s say the relationship between Alka and Rahul, or even who she really is) and the ending kind of a mess, which definitely does not feel satisfactory. And yet, I liked Kangana in this better than in Queen (but Queen overall is a better film no doubt). I will always maintain that she is in her element when playing disturbed, not really normal characters - and Alka, with her violent mood swings, gangster image and almost childish, simplistic thinking, is right up her alley. Basically as an ordinary girl, Kagana annoys me. As a psycho I like her. Vir Das is good, and makes you hate him effortlessly (he is totally one of the biggest douchebags on big screen ever). Other actors do not make a mark, simply because they all do the same angry, power-hungry act for which I did not care. In the end I felt that the main point should have lied with Alka and her predicament, yet not enough time was spent on it. I´d say it´s "flawed but enjoyable", except it gets so bizarre I do not think anyone could really "enjoy". I was intrigued once the first boring 30 minutes were over though, so there go the brownie points.

Now let´s move on to....

Hawaa Hawaai

Directed by: Amole Gupte

Starring: Partho Gupte, Saqib Saleem

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

Hawaa Hawaai is a film made with lots of honesty. It is simple, creating a new story for a set formula (victory of a self-made underdog), and since it is a story about a young boy, it has a clear, pure touch of innocence. A child´s view is not really used, aside perhaps from application of simple beliefs that when you want something done, there is no problem in getting it. Where adults would five million reasons of why they might fail, small homeless boys see no obstacles in anything. The relationships are always sincere and no child feels envious or jealous. Idealistic perhaps, but makes for a nice change actually. All the child actors are very good, among the adults only the handsome Saqib Saleem has a role of importance and he is very convincing. The only, unfortunately quite major, drawback is that if you are not like me and do not enjoy films that are simply nice but without much thrill, the story is simply not engaging or complicated enough to hold your interest for two whole hours. Not on par with the best Bollywood children film I have seen (Chillar party), Hawaa Hawaai is still an endearing venture.

Saqib Saleem was my favourite newcomer back in 2011, in 2014 the same title is to be bestowed on, of all people, a star child:

Heropanti

Directed by:

Starring: Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Prakaash Raj

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

I am biased towards everything Jackie Shroff and so I really hoped that Mr. Tiger boasting with his genes would be... well.... Shroffy enough. And while he does not remind me of his papa in any way, he certainly is my favourite newcomer of 2014. Unconventionally looking and hence easily recognizable among more handsome lots (which includes Siddhart Malhotra and Varun Dhawan whom I could not tell apart for first few months), Tiger is brimming with earnestness and positive energy so much you just cannot not like him. The movie he carries more or less on his shoulders is an average fare, that gets better and gets worse with different scenes, and all in all is a fitting "tribute" to the popular macho films so popular in the 80s. One gets easily tired of "friends" and fat poor NRI kid, the opressive treatement of the girls and also our hero´s limited vocabulary (which consists, on most occassions, from three sentences). On the plus size there is the already mentioned likeable debutant, who needs to work on his dialogue delivery, which is not the best, but makes up for it with restrained expressions, very good dancing and acrobatic-like action, quite unlike the usual Bollywood punching through the walls style. There is also a very pretty Kriti Sanon, who obviously has talent she can work on, and her filmi father Prakash Raj. Even though a villain et again, this character of his finally feels rather different from all the unscrupulous politicians he has presented us with in past few years over and over again. In fact the relationship between him and his two daughters is the brightest spot of the film. For all the family tradition, pride and misunderstandings there is palpable love between the parents and his children, and perhaps for the first time the audience gets an intimate glimpse into the soul of the authoritative baap - and gets to sympathize, at least a bit. Perhaps if the silly bits were left out and replaced by more of an inner turmoil of the hero being torn between his love and his sympathy of the father, the movie may have been really good. As it is, it entertains, it balances the silly and the serious well, and there are Jackie Shroff genes running around so all is well in the world. 

Not everything was right in the world for Siddhart Malhotra in Ek Villain, and neither the protagonists of another June release had it easy in life:

Filmistaan

Directed by: Nitin Kakkar

Starring: Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq

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

A wanna-be Indian actor is kidnapped by mistake by a small-time terrorist group and finds himself in a precarious situation. He does not loose heart, good spirits or hope. He makes friends with almost all around. But naturally, wants to return home. I was looking forward to this one, because the trailers had me in splits. However I was in for a big let down. The movie is not as half as funny as it had promised to be, the pace is sluggish and the story lacks a grip. It gets dark at few places, which threw me off the track, as I expected something else. And I did not manage to sit through it in just one sitting. The main point of the movie seems to be that Bollywood is one of the main things which binds India and Pakistan together, but I cannot really stand behind the message since I simply cannot know if it is true, being neither Pakistani nor Indian. Eventually it becomes really a story of friendship between a Pakistani and an Indian. Aside from few references in the first half there is not much about cinema or film-making, something the picture seemed to be about from the promos and posters. In spite of all the good intentions, the film felt very ordinary. Stale. English subtitles did not make things better, obviously modified for people not-familiar with Hindi cinema (for example "Prem Chopra" became "Voldemort"; Suman in Maina Pyaar Kiya became "daughter"). It did not offend me in any way, the actors were all natural, but the story... the story needed to be a lot stronger. As a viewer, you are also left with open ending, which considering the situation, is both depressing and unsatisfactory. Pity.

Akshay Kumar attacked us several times this year (as is, after all, his good custom), his first release being...

Holiday: A soldier is never off duty

Directed by: A. R. Murugadoss

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Govinda, Sumeet Raghavan

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

This started out rather awful, full of silliness and annoying, generic jokes, but it got increasingly better as it progressed. It had something from Special 26 and something from the usual Akshay flicks (for which he rarely gets my favour), and it is both Akshay´s charismatic performance as well as out of the box approach to the hero which carries the film into a more or less successful finish. Upon arrival for his annual holiday Virat (Akshay) first needs to go through an embarrassing rishta proposal (embarrassing both for him and the viewers, as the beautiful Sonakshi Sinha takes on one of the most annoying and useless roles of her life, which is already full of roles more or less the same), yet soon finds himself much more engaged in uncovering a terrorist sleeper cells, aided by his army comrades. There is plenty of action (quite toned down and mostly sans the inhuman gimmicks so common for this type of films) and plenty of suspense, as well as some severed fingers, dislocated limbs and explosions engulfing school buses and family restaurants. The sudden changes of the mood do little for the picture, transitioning from dark thriller into over the top comedy, fortunately in the second half even the comedy finds its place to fit it. Same cannot be said for the songs. Not only they remain unremarkable, but they just needlessly slow the narrative down. The film belongs to Akshay Kumar from start to finish, and I am stating the obvious saying that of all his contemporaries he is the one looking most fit and overal the best. His leading lady is a gorgeous girl, whom I have liked since the beginning of her career, yet ma patience is at an end. She has talent, she has the best possible screen presence, yet she chooses to be a side-kick in a role I would not wish upon a newcomer. Things would stand different if these were the only films she were offered, but Sonakshi Sinha has refused movies by filmmakers like Mani Ratnam in recent past. She might yet reinvent herself, but her line up does not look promising at all. Little cameo by Govinda was pleasant and Sumeet Raghavan as a police officer torn between the sense of what is right and what is comfortable did well. Perhaps Holiday would have made a finer film if treated like a full blooded thriller rather than a masalla potboiler, but it still manages to stand on two feet, rather firmly.

Eyeing the position of the worst film of the year and trying to snatch it from Yaariyan was Sajid Khan, and thus we were given....

Humshakals

Directed by: Sajid Khan

Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Tamanna Bhatia, Esha Gupta, Bipasha Basu

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

The film offers:

• a medication which after consumation changes your genes and you behave like a dog
• parathas made of cocain
• Indian who worships Hitler and he would like to put mental patients into a gas chambers (Award for most tasteful joke goes to…..)
• alternative reality where every white person understand Hindi perfectly, including Prince Charles
• stereotypical OTT gay portrayal
• laziest choreography ever
• background chants which explicitly say what is going on on the screen, in case you are as stupid as the director
• peeing jokes
• talented, beautiful actors being pathetic beyond words
• parathas made of vodka
• pheromones sold in little doses
• ridicule of women, homosexuals, mental patients, midget people, children slavery, your intelligence

The only mildly amusing thing in the whole film is Ram Kapoor as Johnny. Sajid Khan needs to be stopped. And preferably lynched.

Of course, one cannot expect anything of worth from him anymore, least of all, let´s say a cute film about a girl detective like Bobby Jasoos, which kicked off the month of July and redeemed Vidya Balan as someone who carries the film on her shoulders and needs no help from anyone. The month also saw Alia Bhatt for the third time last year, but as it appears the quality of her films was lowering with the passing time.

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania

Directed by: Shashank Kaitank

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ashutosh Rana

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

„I was born hot“ says Alia Bhatt while looking like 13 years old. However this is not the most cringeworthy moment of the film, considering you are in for stupid teenage imitation of sex and later some spying on a couple having sex. And then you go and blackmail them. What a likeable hero our Humpy makes, nah? I am not a big fan of DDLJ, but this attempt at a „tribute“ to the iconic film, does not have a iota of the chart the original had. The first half is very slow, random and I felt bored to tears, stopping the movie after every few minutes. Second half was better, but did not improve the film overal. Probably hastily scripted to take advantage of new popular faces, the movie does little for both Varun and Alia (who do share a very nice chemsitry and are endearing as a jodi), since it remains very basic, without any novelty at all. I would rather watch Prabu Deva´s Ramaiya Vastavaiya again.

Finally, just before the year skipped the line into its second half, Salman Khan appeared out of the mist with....

Kick

Directed by: Sajid Nadiadwala

Starring: Salman Khan, Randeep Hooda, Jacqueline Fernandez

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

Well, this was stupid. It is not completely hopeless but I have a feeling it would have been better if they treated it as a comedy - every single scene that tried to be serious and cool immediatelly made me roll my eyes as there was no logic whatever, not even a tiny bit of it. Salman Khan, all bulky and with a brat-like expression that made me want to give him a kick (preferably to the face to wipe that annoying smirk off), wearing a really ugly mask which actually hid nothing, is naturally nothing short of a saint - pity since his most interesting parts are the brief moments when it seems he just might have turned to "the dark side". But no. The film, much like Jai Ho, becomes yet another massive advert to Being Human. Salman is bad, while Randeep Hooda rocks. Jacqueline looks gorgeous and her performance too was good, considering how limited her screen-time was - heck, this heroine did not even have a reconciliation with her lover or a happy ending!!! Average film. And by the way I doubt double deckers heading to King´s Cross drive through Warsaw.

And that is it for the overview. Have a great day, folks! :)