Simmba review: "Dabangg meets Singham!!!"

Who do you believe is the best Bollywood director when it comes to mass entertainers??? If I have to make an educative guess, then one of the most popular answer will be Rohit Shetty. Hence when he announced his latest project "Simmba" with Ranveer Singh, there was quite a bit of hype in the lead up to its release. The question that most of us have is how distinct is it going to be from "Singham" or other such flicks. Well the subsequent paragraphs will tell you about whether it was worth spending time. 

For audiences who are well versed with the "Singham" series will know that he hailed from Sivagadh & incidentally that also happens to be the home town of Sangram Bhalerao/Simmba (Ranveer Singh). As he was an orphan there was no one to instill the virtue of righteousness in him & he looked upon the police profession as a means of making easy bucks through corruption. In time, he becomes a corrupt officer who was hands in glove with the gangster Durva Ranade (Sonu Sood). But things take a turn when his loved ones get hurt.

Inspired from the Telugu flick "Temper" (which I havent watched), Rohit Shetty has given us a movie which seems like a mix of Dabangg & Singham. The reason for saying so is that in the first half Simmba is a fun loving bindaas police officer like Chulbul Pandey while in the latter half he resembles Bajirao Singham. With regard to the script by Vakkantham Vamsi, there is no element that could be considered as unique and fresh. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention as it was average at best.

Ranveer Singh has done utmost justice to the role after all comparisons with Ajay Devgn & Salman Khan were inevitable. He reveled in the buffoonery & was a hoot when he flexed his muscles to good effect. Ashutosh Rana had a rather interesting role which though was a cake walk was something that we have barely seen him in, Sara Ali Khan did her part aptly after all she didnt have much to do apart from shake her leg & utter a couple of dialogues. Sonu Sood was ok, Ajay Devgn's cameo was whistle worthy stuff while the rest of the cast were fine as well.

Verdict: The film delivers what it promises & that is a no holds barred masala entertainer. If you are in the mood to watch something without having to trouble your grey matter, then this is indeed the right choice. It is already making big bucks at the box office & brings the curtains down on Bollywood for this year with a bang!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Seethakaathi review: "Interesting theme with a sluggish pace!!!"

Among the numerous Xmas releases that had hit the screens, one movie that was particularly eager to check out was Vijay Sethupathi's "Seethakaathi". He has always been a wonderful performer & this seemed to be equally good atleast from the looks of the trailer. Was it just me, but the prosthetics on him kinda reminded me of Kamalhasan from "Indian". So will it be yet another classic performance from Sethupathi???

The first forty minutes takes us through the latter half of the 20th century when theatre was still a popular source of entertainment for the masses. In the Tamil theatre world, the most prominent actor in those days was 'Ayya' Aadhimoolam (Vijay Sethupathi). Despite offers from the film industry, Ayya preferred to ply his trade on the stage in front of packed audiences as that gave me a high. However, with the advent of television, internet & mobile phones, the footfalls to the theatres dwindled which worried Ayya & his fellow troupe members. To make matters worse, his grandson was diagnosed with a condition that required immediate surgery. How will Ayya tide over this difficult situation???

Balaji Tharaneetharan burst into the scene in 2015 with the comedy flick "Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom" which had the critics raving about it. However, since I havent watched that, I didnt have much of a reference regarding his style of direction. The first thing that struck me about his script was his humour sense which was in the expressions of the artists rather than their dialogues. He takes his own sweet time to set the stage which to be frank does test our patience. However, if you are able to tide over that initial hour, then we are in for a fun ride as it is concoction of humour and fantasy. Personally, I felt the climax was rather lame as it seemed like Balaji didnt have an idea as to how to conclude it. On the technical side, Saraskanth T K's visuals & lighting was excellent while Govind Vasantha could have made the initial half crisper. 

Surprisingly, Sethupathi is there only for the initial forty minutes but his impact is felt until the very end courtesy of Balaji's creative script. He has done a fantastic job as the elderly star performer in all aspects be it with the body language, dialogue delivery & expressions. Actually Mouli is the one who takes the story forward & he gives a solid performance. As for the rest of the cast, both Sunil Reddy (as Dhanapal) & Rajkumar (Saravanan) brings the house down with their antics.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the Sethupathi factor will attract eyeballs but the slow pace & melodrama is definitely a dampener. It has an art movie feel to it which many will find it hard to swallow. In short, it has an interesting theme with its share of shortcomings denying it the status of an entertainer!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Maari 2 review: "Better than the prequel!!!"

Just a week more for the New Year & one of the biggest Tamil movies to hit the screens in the lead up to it is "Maari 2". Bankrolled by Dhanush's Wunderbar Films, this is the sequel to "Maari" which was released in 2015 & had the audience entertained coz of the vibrant character of the protagonist. Hoping to cash in on the holiday season, Balaji Mohan has brought back the bindaas don once again with the intention of striking gold at the box office. So will Maari make the masses go crazy???

After the demise of Velu (Shanmugarajan), his son Kalai (Krishna Kulasekaran) becomes the boss of the gang on the insistence of Maari (Dhanush) who was his best buddy. The rival gang in the hope of gaining control over the whole region attempts to kill Maari for the 100th time & as always, he manages to escape unscathed. It was at around this time that Beeja aka Thanatos (Tovino Thomas),a hardened criminal who had some unfinished business with Maari join hands with the rival gang. Soon enough, cracks starts to appear in the friendship of Kalai & Maari, which sets the stage for Beeja to deliver the knockout punch to the latter or so he believed.

As in the prequel, apart from calling the shots Balaji Mohan has penned the script as well.  There is a marked improvement in the story as more masala elements are injected into proceedings & a worthy opponent in the form of Tovino as opposed to Vijay Yesudas in "Maari". Without doubt, there is a conscious effort to evoke Rajni mania with many sequences being a tribute to the thalaivar. Despite the predictability, it is engaging for the entire duration of the first half. It does falter in the latter half,when there is a marked difference in the character arc of Dhanush & Tovino which blunts the scenes since that was what made them unique. On the technical side, Yuvan Shankar Raja's music was a disappointment & Prasanna GK could have made it crisper while I loved the choreography of "Rowdy baby". 

Dhanush absolutely rocked as Maari & reminded me of Rajni in quite of a few of his antics. He was ably supported by Sai Pallavi who as mentioned by her in one of the dialogues wasnt just a 'loosu ponnu' type of character that we are so used to watching in such movies. Tovino Thomas was impressive as the antagonist, something which he has done well in "Style". As for the rest of the cast, Krishna, Robo Shankar etc have all done their parts aptly.

Verdict: As per the latest box office reports, it has got off to a roaring start at all the centres despite the presence of equally big movies like "Zero", "KGF" etc. Well to be frank, it's not surprising to see the reason why the movie is doing well coz it's pretty entertaining for large parts. In short, if watching a bindaas masala entertainer is fine with you, this wont disappoint despite the predictability!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Zero review: "Begins as a hero & ends up as zero!!!"

Just a day more for Xmas & what better to celebrate it than with friends & family. As is typical for any festive season, it's time to gorge on the goodies & entertain ourselves with some big banner movies. In Bollywood, this slot is usually booked by Aamir Khan, however this time around he opted for Diwali to release his dud "Thugs of Hindostan". So this Xmas holidays, we have King Khan's "Zero" which has attracted considerable pre-release attention as he was essaying the role of a vertically challenged individual. Hmm, the makers will be hoping that the box office collections does not turn out to be true to its name & protagonist's height???

Bauua Singh (SRK) is a 38 year old Meerut guy who was finding it hard to find a marriage alliance as he was vertically challenged even though he fantasized of making the Bollywood heart throb Babita Kumari (Katrina Kaif) his life partner. Despite the constant criticisms and mockery that he used to face from different quarters, he was cocky & oozed with confidence. This is when he happened to come across the wedding profile of Aafia Yusufzai (Anushka Sharma), a NASA scientist with cerebral palsy & ends up getting close to her, though he wasnt keen on taking the relationship forward. At this juncture he gets an opportunity to be part of a dance competition, the grand prize of which was a chance to meet Babita. The subsequent portions focuses on his relationship with the both of them & with whom he eventually ends up settling down. 

Aanand L Rai made a name for himself with movies like "Tanu weds Manu", "Raanjhanaa" etc apart from bank rolling praise worthy flicks like "Nil Battey Sannata", "Mukkabaaz", "Tumbbad" etc. His partner in crime, Himanshu Sharma like his previous directorial ventures have also scripted this one. The first half breezes through with humour sprinkled liberally. The thought that Himanshu invested into the character of Bauua Singh, his attitude to life, family dynamics, relation with Aafia & Babita's insecure spirit all deserves praise & the same also applies to Aanand as well for handling it aptly. Unfortunately, all these cheers dies down the moment the second half begins as it moves towards absurdity at a rapid pace. It seemed like the dress rehearsal for SRK's next movie which is the biopic of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma. By the time, the movie is over the audience are left confused as to what the hell the makers were trying to convey. 

On the technical side, Ajay-Atul's music was pretty good especially "Mere Naam Tu" rendered by Abhay Jodhpurkar which is my most favourite track in the past couple of years. The way Manu Anand had shot it was fantastic while the VFX though impressive at times lacked consistency. When it becomes to performances, after the debacle of "Dilwale"; there has been a conscious effort from SRK's side to take up roles that offered him something to perform. This is undoubtedly one of his best roles in recent times & SRK has done a fantastic job. Anushka Sharma has given an earnest effort, but her portrayal of cerebral palsy wasnt quite upto the mark. However, Katrina Kaif surprised me with her ace performance of the broken superstar. As for the rest of the cast, Zeeshan Ayyub was fine while talented artists like Tigmanshu Dhullia & Sheeba Chaddha were wasted. The same goes for the cameos of Madhavan & Abhay Deol as well while the mini "Om Shanti Om" lineup of actresses or Salman didnt have any sort of impact.

Verdict: Being a SRK movie & the curiosity of watching him as a vertically challenged individual should enable the movie make a killing at the box office in the opening weekend. However, the lack lustered latter half will create a significant dent in the collections & it will definitely struggle to make a sizable profit especially since it was made at a cost of 200 C. In short, the first half is worth watching but the latter half is an absolute drag, the choice is yours!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Odiyan review: "A decent movie let down by Shrikumar's audacious claims!!!"

It's been ages since I have written the review for a Malayalam movie & it was primarily coz of the lack of movies being released at my place on the same day as in back home. Hence when Lalettan's "Odiyan" was released here, I was naturally thrilled until I read crushing negative reviews about it on social media. However, I still decided to give it a try after all different people perceive the same movie in different ways & also maybe coz my last name was "Thomas". So was the flick as bad as what I heard???

The film unfolds in Varanasi where a drowning female is rescued by a long haired unkempt sage who in the next scene turn up in a village called  Thenkurissi. He turns out to be Odiyan Manikyan (Lalettan), the last among the Odiyan clan who were said to possess powers to assume animal forms. Odiyan was back in his village after a self imposed exile of 15 years after he was forced to leave it on the back of two murder accusations. Incidentally, one of them was the husband of his childhood friend Prabha (Manju Warrier) & it soon becomes evident that her cousin, Ravunni Nair (Prakash Raj) had masterminded the whole plot. So how will Manikyan prove his innocence as he put his skills to the ultimate test.

This has been a venture in the news for quite a while & there has been immense hype towards the lead up of its release. The project was helmed by the debutant V A Shrikumar Menon who is quite a known name in the ad world. Despite being his debut venture, one thing that had stood out was how Shrikumar boasted about himself & the movie as truly incredible prior to its release. Well it's a claim that most of us bought after all Harikrishnan of "Kutty Srank" fame took on the Odiyan folklore which was an interesting concept  that felt both fresh & intriguing. Surprisingly, rather than focus on the Odiyan angle it turned out to be a typical hero-villain revenge saga that we have watched numerous times. I am not saying that it has to be taken like the effects of "Vellichapadu" on a family as in Murali & Prithvi's "Veeralipattu", but the Odiyan theme could have been explored much more effectively. To make matters worse, Shrikumar's execution left a lot to be desired.

On the technical side, the visual effects was pretty average & though Peter Hein's action sequences were impressive, it didnt have the desired impact coz of the sloppiness or Shrikumar's lack of vision. With regard to music, M Jayachandran has given some incredible tracks especially 'Kondoram' rendered by Shreya Ghoshal & Sudeep Kumar which was equally well picturized though the placement of it was rather odd. Sam C S also deserves praise for his catchy BGM along with Shaji Kumar for his cinematography. There is no denying the fact that the movie moves at a snail's pace at times & Johnkutty ought to have done a better job with the editing as it wears down the audience by the end.

Lalettan has done a fine job as the protagonist & his effort is there to be seen be it with his expressions, body language or agile action scenes. Manju did complete justice to the role that was offered to her while the role didnt do justice to Prakash Raj's caliber as it was something that he has done innumerable times with the only difference being the dark makeup applied on him (did Shrikumar mean to imply dark means evil...so imbecile). As for the rest of the cast, Sana Althaf, Manoj Joshi, Innocent, Siddique etc, did their parts aptly,

Verdict: Prior to the release of the movie, Shrikumar has put up a FB post in which he claimed that they had already collected 100 C through the sale of rights & pre-release bookings. Well I dont know whether it's true but there is no doubt that after all his boastful statements I feel he ought to be called "Pushkumar". As far as the movie is concerned, it's a decent flick which if watched without the outrageous expectations that Pushkumar has created, then it will surely satisfy the audience. In short, wort hurt to give it a try but I hope MT Sir doesnt give him the script for "Randamoozham" as I doubt whether he has the caliber for it!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

2.0 review: "Visual treat doubles the thrills but the script lacks depth. Dot!!!"

Is it a bird??? is it a plane??? no..it's Pakshirajan & in true gladiator style, he is in a slug fest with our badass Chitti 2.0 in 10,500 screens across the globe. Finally after years of hype & anticipation Shankar's magnum opus "2.0" has hit the screens much to the delight of fans & movie lovers alike. It is the most expensive Indian movie ever with a budget that is said to hover around a gargantuan 550 C. With such a hefty budget, the question is whether Shankar was able to invest the money judiciously & give us something that will blow our mind. Being a Rajini & Akki fan , my expectations just like million others are sky high. So was "2.0" able to satiate it???

The film unfolds with an elderly man hanging himself atop a cell tower in a remote area & his lifeless form being swarmed by hundreds of avians. Back in the city, Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajini) introduces his latest creation, a human android named Nila (Amy Jackson) to a group of enthusiastic students. Soon after, a peculiar phenomenon occurs in the region whereby cell phones seemed to attain life & soars away like a bird from the grasp of its owner. As panic sets in across the state, the Government calls for an emergency meeting of eminent scientists and law and order forces. Vaseegaran was of the view that since the present threat seemed to suggest a fifth force, their best line of action would be to reassemble Chitti & entrust him to negate the menace. However, that proposal gets vetoed & the authorities decides to engage the military instead. But soon enough they realize that if they stood a chance, then their best bet was Chitti.

The showman of Indian cinema, Shankar is one who doesn't need any introduction after all he has constantly pushed boundaries ever since he burst into the scene with "Gentleman" quarter of a century back. His latest creation is no exception as it is the finest sci-fi movie that has been made in India & which can proudly rub shoulders with similar Hollywood flicks. Shankar has crafted his celluloid creation brilliantly & we would be awe struck as to how exquisitely he has executed his marvelous vision. But I would have to admit that I was disappointed & surprised at his rather feeble script which could have elevated the experience to stratospheric levels. 

The message that he wants to convey is really worth thinking about & even the back story for Akshay was impressive. Though I am not questioning cinematic liberties, but still the subsequent portions which led to the creation of the birdman doesnt quite gel. The movie starts off with a bang & then slacks off though the graphics keeps us engrossed for most parts of a rather weak first half. However, we wont have any such complaints in the latter half as it is exhilarating stuff pretty much until the very end. From a technical point of view, it's just MIND BOGGLING as it is a visual treat with the VFX from the top drawer. Kudos to Nirav Shah for the mesmerizing visuals along with the make up & art team; all of whom have done outstanding jobs. Unlike the prequel, A R Rahman's music doesnt feature much while his BGM was praise worthy. 

The Superstar floors us yet again with his style & charisma especially when he enters the sequence as the rogue Chitti after all thalaivar revels in villainy. For such an imposing hero, the impact will be delivered only if he has an equally matched adversary & Akki deserves full points for that. The Khiladi has done utmost justice to his role & reminded me of Thanos in a subtle way. I never thought I would be saying this but Amy Jackson was a perfect choice as the human android & she does provide a couple of chuckles as well. There are quite a few others as well & all of them have done their parts aptly. 

Verdict: As per reports, the producers have recovered about 370 C prior to the movie's release through the sale of rights etc. With the first day collections estimated to be more than 100 C, it has more or less recovered its costs as well. Despite a rather weak script, the VFX & the star power of Rajini & Akki should make this venture a blockbuster. So will it pose a challenge for "Dangal" & "Baahubali 2"? Hmm...to be frank I dont think so, though I wont be surprised if it crosses the four digit mark. In short, a must watch in theatres to enjoy the visual extravaganza!!! 

Rating : 3/5

Regards...Ben

Thugs of Hindostan review: "Bugs audience into shouting azaadi from the theatre!!!"

It was a rather sedate Saturday with hardly much to do & I couldn't have chosen a better day to watch "Thugs of Hindostan" which I was eagerly looking forward to. Though I never read reviews prior to watching any movie, a couple of my friends did mention that they werent impressed with TOH. I have to admit that it did dampen my spirits, but I was still optimistic after all Aamir rarely falters in choosing a worthy script. With the Super Sunday matches just a couple of hours away, will TOH prove to be a sumptous appetizer for it or will I have the same experience as my buddies???

The story unfolds in the late 18th century when the East India Company were slowly & steadily establishing themselves as rulers of India. Led by the ruthless British officer Clive (Lloyd Owen), their latest target was Raunakpur which was ruled by Mirza Sikander Baig (Ronit Roy). As the brave & proud king refused to bow before the company, his whole family was brutally murdered by Clive's men. However, Princess Safira (Fatima Sana Shaikh) was rescued by their General, Khudabaksh (Big B). As time passed by, Khudabaksh, Safira & his band of soldiers proved to be a constant headache for the British. With all their efforts to imprison Khudabaksh proving to be futile, they hatch a plot to infiltrate the former's group. They entrust the task upon the cunning Firangi Mallah (Aamir Khan) in exchange for wealth. So will Firangi nail Khudabaksh or will the latter succeed in making Firangi into a worthy human being???

The last time that Vijay Krishna Acharya had called the shots was for "Dhoom 3" which was close to half a decade back. Though it set the box office on fire, it didnt quite match upto the usual standards of an Aamir movie. So I was really surprised when Aamir decided to join hands with Vijay yet again, but when Big B was also roped in; it proved to be a casting coup that had everyone excited. Unfortunately that was the only thing that Vijay managed to do to enthrall the audience with as his script & screenplay was mediocre. Apart from the fact that the characters & template of the movie looked heavily inspired from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series such as Firangi/Jack Sparrow, Khudabaksh/Barbossa etc, the story just didnt have anything worthwhile that would have made it unique. On the technical side, the film definitely looked grand & kudos to Manush Nandan for the stunning visuals. Even the action sequences were pretty impressive while John Stewart did a praise worthy job with the BGM especially the one used for Firangi while there was another score which seemed like inspired from "Avengers: Infinity War". The same cant be said for Ritesh Soni whose editing was far from ideal while Ajay-Atul's music was average.

Despite the pedestrian script, I felt Aamir did a fine job as the duplicitous Firangi who goes all out with his whacky mannerisms which is endearing for most parts. Big B had a rather stiff character to portray but he did utmost justice to it though it wasnt a challenging role for a person of his caliber. As for the rest, Lloyd Owen was ok, Fatima Sheikh wasnt quite upto the mark, Katrina didnt have much to do apart from groove while Mohammed Ayyub was wasted.

Verdict: After a record breaking initial of more than 50 C, it has since then been on a steady slide which was understandable after all the movie was well short of expectations. This was one of those rare movies where Aamir's judgement of the script had faltered & a classic movie from two of the finest actors in Bollywood was denied to the audience. Hopefully we will get to see them paired up again in a much better movie. But until then, it's better not to be bothered by this mundane flick!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Regards...Ben

Sarkar review: "Not quite matching the expectations like Modi Sarkar!!!”

The Festival of Lights is here as the nation celebrated Lord Rama’s return from exile & Krishna’s slaying of Narakasura apart from similar other mythologies. Despite a restriction of 2 h to the bursting of crackers, there hasn’t been any such restriction to the release of some cracking movies. The most prominent among them happens to be Vijay’s “Sarkar” & “Thugs of Hindostan” which had kept the audience wait with bated breaths ever since the trailers had hit the screens. With “Sarkar” having released earlier, I decided to check it out in the hope that it would be as exciting as their previous ventures together. The question is will it set the box office on fire???

Sundar Ramaswamy (Vijay), a NRI was the CEO of GL & known as the “corporate monster” in the business world for his style of decimating rival companies pretty much like Thanos. His visit to India was met with apprehension by the Indian corporates, though it turned out that he had flown down to Chennai to cast his vote in the assembly elections. Much to his dismay, an imposter had voted in his name & he decided to seek legal assistance to stay the election results in his constituency. Interestingly, there is a provision in the Conduct of Election Rules under Rule 49P where a voter can cast a “tendered vote” & Sundar obtains the permission for the same from the judiciary. He subsequently sets in motion an awareness campaign about the rule which eventually results in the elections being annulled. This irks Masilamani (Pala Karuppiah), the CM & his brother, Malarvannan (Radha Ravi) who were corrupted to the core & had clung onto power taking advantage of the hapless citizens. The stage was set for an all-out showdown between Sundar & Masilamani, both of whom had vanquished their opponents with disdain in the past. So, who will have the last laugh???

AR Murugadoss is a name that needs no introduction as his craft over the years has earned him an honourable position in the industry. This was his third venture with Vijay after “Thuppakki” & “Kaththi”, both of which had garnered huge numbers at the box office. His latest effort, looked classy in the trailer but can’t quite say the same about the movie. Scripted by Murugadoss himself (not exactly, as writer Varun Rajendran had to be compensated & credited after he launched complaints that it was plagiarized from his story “Sengoi”), it kicks off in an engaging manner giving us ample awareness as to what Rule 49P is about. However, once that stage is over then it proceeds into the ‘tried & tested’ territory of one guy taking on the whole system. It morphs into a political podium for Thalapathy as he speaks about capitalism, Jallikattu, government freebies, fishermen issues etc. to name a few. 

Interestingly, there were quite a few subtle references to real life characters as well such as Google CEO Sundar Pichai/ GL CEO Sundar Ramaswamy, top lawyer Jethmalani & Varalaxmi's Komalavalli which happens to be Jayalalitha's real name. It was kinda evident that the makers have tried to show AIADMK in poor light and rather than the script taking the movie forward, it’s Vijay’s charisma they have heavily relied upon & he pulls it off impressively for most parts. Another major disappointment was AR Rahman’s music which was strictly average though his BGM was catchy. However, Girish Gangadharan’s visuals were praise worthy while the other technical aspects were kinda ok.

As mentioned earlier, the film depends entirely on Vijay’s histrionics & he manages to carry his suave style with elan. At the same time, he was extremely over dramatic in many sequences with exaggerated body language be it with his hand gestures, laughs & even dialogue delivery. Keerthy Suresh was barely given anything substantial to perform except make wide eyed expressions despite sharing the screen with Vijay in numerous scenes. Varalaxmi did her part well but the character required someone more impactful & it should also have been introduced much earlier. As for the rest of the cast, Yogi Babu was fine while Pala Karuppiah lacked consistency as his character oscillated from being evil to comical.

Verdict: It has all the elements that will make the fans go wild & that in turn should facilitate its way to being a huge hit. As a person who had really looked forward to the magic of the Vijay-Murugadoss duo, this movie came across as a disappointment as it started off with a bang before meandering itself into the oft witnessed storyline. In short, it’s a decent time pass if you watch it without expectations!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards…Ben

Namaste England review: "Travelling on Air India to England will be more enjoyable!!!"

After a rather lazy Saturday, we were (I am talking about the sports fan clan) treated to some thrilling games courtesy of Sania Nehwal & Team India. Even though the former faltered in the finals of the Denmark Open to her nemesis & World No.1 Tai Tzu Ying yet again, she proved that she still has lots left in her tank. This was followed by Kong Kohli & Hitman's blistering tons, which made 323 a mere cakewalk as the Men in Blue emphatically won the contest. Since I had some time to spare after the matches,  I decided to watch "Namaste England", hoping it will be a decent time pass as its name sake. Little did I realise that it will be a decision that I will rue. 

Param (Arjun Kapoor) is an educated Punjabi dude who was close to his family & interested in pursuing farming as a profession like his father. On the occasion of Dussehra, he happened to chance his eyes upon Jasmeet (Parineeti Chopra) in between the festivities & fell head over heels for the beautiful lass. Soon enough, they get into a relation which is solemnized through marriage with the blessings of both their families. However, her folks were adamant that she shouldnt pursue a profession even after marriage. That's when she hatches a plan to go to England away from the eyes of their relatives, so that she could pursue a career of her choice. However, it was a plan way too twisted even for Param to come to terms with. 

It's been close to a decade since Vipul Shah had called the shots who does have a couple of reasonable hits to his name like "Aankhen" & "Namaste London". His latest movie is nothing more than a rehashed inferior version of the latter & it defies logic as to why he opted to make something like that. Was he on a high or did he have a lot of cash to bust??? I have no clue but the script by Ritesh Shah (can you believe that he had penned the script for movies like "Pink", "Raid " & "Citylights") & Suresh Nair was one of the worst I have come across in recent times. None of the technical aspects deserves a mention, though there were a couple of grooving numbers from Badshah.

Arjun Kapoor is not a charmer like Akki who could liven up a dull sequence with his histrionics. He does try but fails miserably & the same applies to Parineeti Chopra. The supporting cast does their bit but they cant salvage a sinking ship.

Verdict: Do yourself a favour & dont repeat the mistake I made of watching it.

Rating: 1/5

Regards...Ben

Vada Chennai review: "Can the Vetrimaaran-Dhanush duo do anything wrong??"

Over the years, the Tamil film industry has been graced with the creations of Mani Ratnam, K Balachander, Balu Mahendra etc to name a few. Another name that I am confident which is going to feature pretty soon in that illustrious list is Vetrimaaran, who has given us some brilliant movies ever since he burst into the scene about a decade back. Hence when his latest project " Vada Chennai" was announced, I was pretty sure that it will be yet another classy effort. So will it be a critical as well as commercial success???

At the start of proceedings, the events are narrated from 1987 with four men sitting around a table with blood stained knives & attire. From their conversation , it was evident that they had killed someone influential & they plan among themselves as to how to absolve themselves of the crime. However, things doesnt quite pan out as expected as Senthil (Kishore) doesnt keep his part of the bargain which makes his friend Guna (Samuthirakani) into a sworn enemy for life. In due time, they form gangs of their own & they constantly clashed with each other in their fight for supremacy. About a decade later, Anbu (Dhanush) makes his presence felt in the locality as the most promising carroms player who seemed poised to move into the national league. However, destiny had other plans for him as he gets dragged into the gang wars.

This is Vetrimaaran's fourth movie after "Polladhavan", "Aadukalam" and "Visaaranai", and it is on par or even better than the others. What makes this one stand apart from other similar gangster movies is the thought that Vetrimaaran has invested in the story as well as in the development of each & every character. The relation between the characters & the plethora of human emotions such as greed, envy, betrayal etc., is showcased adequately & aptly. At one point, there is even a fleeting reference to "Hamlet". Similarly, if "Aadukalam" had the cock fight sport integrated into the script then this time around it was carroms which had significance to the story. Another person who has done a brilliant job is Velraj whose visuals were exquisite especially the fight sequence under the collapsed cloth ceiling which was just WOW!!!. Santhosh Narayanan's BGM was spot on & G B Venkatesh deserves a pat on the back for his excellent editing which was surely difficult considering the numerous switching of time lines.

The Dhanush-Vetrimaaran duo has always created magic & it even gave the former the National award for the best actor in "Aadukalam". He was fantastic as Anbu & his performance here is likely to win him a lot of laurels. Equally impressive was Ameer who is the pivotal character that takes the story forward. Giving both of them able support was Samuthirakani, Kishore & Daniel Balaji. Among the female performers, it was refreshing to see Andrea do utmost justice to a meaty role while Aishwarya Rajesh also did her part well.

Verdict: The film got off to a bombastic start making it the bigger ever initial for Dhanush. It has all the ingredients that will keep the audience engaged & is undoubtedly one of the finest ever gangster movie that I have watched. As has been trend in the past, it has all the makings of impressing the awards committee yet again. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 4/5

Regards...Ben

Badhaai Ho review: "Badhaai to the makers for striking gold!!!"

It's been an eventful week with the Sabarimala issue & MeToo campaign creating waves across the nation. Bollywood has been at the centre of the MeToo campaign with Nana Patekar, Alok Nath, Vikas Bahl etc. being accused of having made sexual advancements towards their colleagues. But even as this issue is burning on, we had a couple of movies that had hit the screens this weekend. One of them happened to be Amit Ravindernath's "Badhaai Ho" which had quite an interesting trailer due to which I decided to check it out. Hope it wont be as mediocre as "Helicopter Eela".

Nakul (Ayushmann Khurrana) works in a MNC & dates his colleague, Renee (Saniya Malhotra). He hailed from a middle class Delhi family where his father, Jeetender Kaushik (Gajraj Rao) worked in the Railways while his mother, Priyamvada (Neena Gupta) was a typical housewife who took care of her rather irritating mother in law (Surekha Sikri). Things moved along uneventfully in the household until Priyamvada becomes pregnant which her sons disapproved of as it made many of their friends & relatives to mock them. It even rocked Nakul's relationship with Renee & how he as well as his family comes to terms with the arrival of the new member forms the crux of the movie.

After the forgetful "Tevar" that released in 2015, Amit Sharma is back this time with a story rooted in reality which is portrayed with a dash of humour. The major strength of the movie is the manner in which the situations are treated with sensitivity & realism and kudos for the script goes to Shanatanu Shrivastava, Akshat Ghildial and Jyoti Kapoor. Amit deserves praise for having done justice to the script as it doesnt bore the audience even for a brief moment. On the technical side, Sanu Varghese's visuals were impressive while Tanishk Bagchi's music & Abhishek Arora's BGM was fine.

Though Ayushmann might not be in the league of Rajkummar Rao, I have always been impressed with his choice of movies as he makes an earnest effort to dabble with various genres. More often than not, he invariably comes out in flying colours just like how he has done here & "Andhadhun" a fortnight back. It's been a while since we have seen Neena Gupta in a meaty role & she was brilliant as Priyamvada as her expressions more than effectively conveyed the emotions without having to use words. Gajraj Rao was fantastic along with Surekha Sikhri, who could have easily gone overboard but handled with elan. As for the rest of the cast, Saniya Malhotra continues to impress with each performance while Sheeba Chaddha was classy as usual.

Verdict: It has all the ingredients that will make it endearing to the audience. In all probability, it should be a winner at the box office. Though we have had movies like "Pavithram" etc. which dealt a similar scenario, this is an interesting movie in its own way. In short, definitely give it a try!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

96 review: "Apt portrayal of love being beyond words!!!"

A couple of weeks more for Diwali but there has been no dearth of quality movies in Tamil with movies like "Kolamavu Kokila", "CCV", etc., to name a few. One of the major positives in Mani Ratnam's "CCV" was Vijay Sethupathi & incidentally, we have yet another flick from him this week in the form of "96" where he's paired with Trisha Krishnan. Apart from the unique star cast, the trailer & the sound tracks were impressive as well which further aroused my curiosity. So will it be yet another winner for Sethupathi???

Ramachandran (Sethupathi) is a travel photographer who on his trip to his hometown Thanjavur pays a visit to his school. The experience overwhelms him with nostalgia which sets in motion the idea of a reunion for their batch that had passed out in 1996. It was at this function that he meets with his teenage lover Janu (Trisha) after 22 years. Soon they realise that though destiny took them along separate paths & they have grown older, the love that they had for each other was still very much alive. The movie then takes us down their memory lane & how they looked forward to each other being happy in life. 

This is the debut venture of C Prem Kumar who made a name for himself with the cinematography of "Nadavula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom". Without mincing words, I have to admit that Prem has done a wonderful job & didnt seem like an amateur in the manner that he has gone about his task. Since he had penned the script as well, he had a perfect idea as to how he wanted it to be projected on celluloid. Actually to be frank, there wasnt much of a script as he has relied more on realistic situation rather than cinematic freedom. Even though the movie has a soul of its own, it did remind me of "Before Sunset" & "Autograph" in some parts.  The beauty of the screenplay is that we could feel the love that the protagonists had for each other without having to put it in words. A significant portion of that praise is the sole right of the talented pair, coz if it wasnt for Sethupathi & Trisha, the story wouldn't have had the desired effect. 

Another key factor is Govind Menon's music (of Thaikkudam Bridge) that was both soulful & enhances the romantic mood which was also done by the legendary Illayaraja's music that comes up in various segments. I pretty much liked all the tracks though I would choose 'Vasantha Kaalangal' rendered by Chinmayi as my favourite track. As expected, Sethupathi was brilliant & re-emphasized that he is beyond doubt one of the finest actors in the industry. It's been a while since I have seen Trisha in a meaningful role & the last time that I actually loved her performance was in "VTV" & "Thoongaavanam". This will surely rank as one of her best career roles & she deserves all the accolades. Equally impressive were Aaditya Bhaskar & Gouri Kishan, who had played the parts of the younger Ram & Janu. Even though the others didnt have much to do, Varsha Bollama, Bhagavathi Perumal etc., did their roles aptly.

Verdict: Surely one of the finest romantic movies that I have watched in this decade. I have come across very few stories that has been so effective in conveying love without words. It will surely make many of us nostalgic of the times that has gone by & keep us vested in the movie. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Andhadhun review: "Not a single moment that warrants turning a blind eye!!!

With Team India having demolished the Windies inside three days in the first Test at Rajkot, it pretty much meant that there was hardly anything else to watch over the weekend. That's when I happened to come across a couple of articles that spoke highly of "Andhadhun". Since it was directed by the brilliant  Sriram Raghavan & had Tabu as one of the protagonists. I was more than eager to watch it.

Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a talented 'blind' pianist who aspired to make it big in the music world. Despite numerous efforts, he wasn't able to earn a break & it was at this juncture that he meets Sophie (Radhika Apte) who offers him a job at her father's club. His performance at the club earns him numerous fans one of them happens to be yesteryear Bollywood star, Pramod Sinha (Anil Dhawan), who invites him over to his apartment for a private concert as an anniversary gift for his wife, Simi (Tabu). But little did Akash realise that this honour would turn out to be a nightmare & change his life forever. 

Based on the French short film "L'Accordeur" (The Piano Tuner) in 2010 by Oliver Treiner, this flick belongs to the black comedy thriller genre that keeps us hooked until the very last scene. Sriram's credentials as a film-maker needs no introduction with movies like "Ek Hasina Thi", "Johnny Gaddaar" etc to his credit. He has also penned this engaging script in the company of Arijit Biswas, Pooja Surti & Yogesh Chandekar and it has got the various elements like murder, betrayal, double crossing, sex etc with a liberal sprinkling of wry humour. Just as in his previous movies, all characters have shades of grey & they are morally flawed. The unusual sequences which is a signature of Sriram can be observed right from the first shot (& be sure to watch it keenly) while his love for the past like Chitrahaar, Sholay, Scream etc., is all showcased here. Though the tempo slacks off towards the early part of the second half, it slowly regains its punch later on & finishes with a bang.

Apart from the script, the technical aspects have also contributed significantly in enhancing the viewer's experience. Key among them was Amit Trivedi's music & BGM which was impressive with 'Wo Ladki' rendered by Arijit Singh being my personal favourite. Equally praise worthy work was observed from K U Mohanan's smartly lighted frames & Pooja Surti's well thought out editing. In the performance part, Ayushmann was fantastic & continues to improve with each movie. It was imperative that he was in form as he was up against Tabu who always gives a thumping performance & this was a meaty role that gave her more adequate scope to rock. As for the rest of the cast, Radhika Apte didnt have much screen space while Zakir Hussain , Anil Dhawan, Manav Vij did their parts aptly.

Verdict: With a cracking script, skillful direction & excellent performances; it should be a winner at the boxoffice, However, more often than not intelligent movies like these fail to garner the adequate number of footfalls. Anywaz it deserves to be watched & if you are a fan of thrillers, then dont think twice. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Sui Dhaaga review: "Manages to stitch our attention onto the celluloid!!!"

A couple of weeks back, I happened to come across an interesting video where quite a few popular stars like Shahrukh, Akshay etc. were asked to thread a needle. That’s when I realized that it was for the promotion of Sharat Katariya’s “Sui Dhaaga” which had Varun Dhawan & Anushka Sharma as the lead pair. Since the trailer showed both in completely different avatars, it aroused my curiosity & I decided to check it out. Hopefully it didn’t dampen my spirits after the high of Mani Ratnam’s CCV.

Based in a small town, the film takes us into the life of Mauji (Varun Dhawan) who worked at a retail sewing machine shop. Apart from his work, his bosses were particularly interested in his ability to entertain them with his antics. Though he knew that his bosses belittled him, he looked at it as an opportunity to remain in their good books since he needed the job to support his family. Incidentally, they belonged to the artisan clan, but since it wasn’t sufficient to support the household, his father (Raghubir Yadav) opted for the job of a peon & was adamant that his sons also didn’t pursue their traditional profession. Things moved along uneventfully, until Mauji’s wife Mamta (Anushka Sharma) instills in him the urge to earn self-respect & the confidence to set up his own tailoring establishment. How they both support each other & realize their dreams forms the crux of the movie.

This is the third venture of Sharat Katariya with his previous being “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” which was kinda entertaining. Apart from direction, he had taken on the responsibility of writing the script as well & has given us an endearing story that works for more parts. The only portion where he went overboard was the climax where it was not in sync with reality be it the fashion show sequence & the wardrobes that he had created for it. As far as the technical aspect goes, Andrea Guerra’s BGM added more impact to many of the scenes and reminded me of Hollywood underdog movies.

Among the younger Bollywood actors, Varun Dhawan will surely rank as one among the few to look out for in the future since he does many of the genres reasonably well. As Mauji, he has given an earnest performance while  Anushka Sharma who has been choosing roles carefully for quite a while has done appraise worthy job as well. As for the rest of the cast, Raghubir Yadav, Yamini Das etc have done their parts aptly.

Verdict: As expected, it has performed quite well at the box office with the families warming onto it. There is no doubt that it has an endearing tale that makes us root for the underdog despite the climax being rather outlandish. In short, give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards…Ben

  

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam review: "Mani Ratnam in vintage form!!!"

"Chekka Chivantha Vaanam" has finally hit the screens amid much expectations and fanfare. Well the response wasn't surprising after all the project is helmed by Mani Ratnam, the director par excellence. The weekend got off to an exciting start courtesy of the performance of our Men In Blue who defended the Asia Cup title in style. If the trailer is any indication as to how CCV would be, then it's likely to be the icing on the cake after Team India's triumph.

The film unfolds with a failed assassination attempt on Senapathi (Prakash Raj), the most powerful crime lord in the city & his wife, Lakshmi (Jayasudha) on their way back from the temple. This spurs their three sons into action who frantically searches for answers as to the mastermind behind the assassination. Their eldest son, Varadan (Aravind Swami) was a hot tempered impulsive individual who took care of the empire in the region. Their second son, Thyagu (Arun Vijay) had his own business in Dubai while the youngest, Ethi (STR) did his operations in Serbia. With the help of Varadan's friend suspended Inspector Rasool (Vijay Sethupathi), they come to the conclusion that their rival, Chinnappadasan (Thiagarajan) might have orchestrated the attack. At around the same time, Senapathi succumbs to a heart attack & this results in a power tussle between the brothers for supremacy over the empire. 

Mani Ratnam is undoubtedly one of the finest directors that this country has seen but it's been a while since we have seen a movie that is worthy of his caliber with "Aayatha Ezhuthu" being his last venture that I thoroughly enjoyed along with "Raavanan" to a certain extent. I wasnt particularly fond of his subsequent releases like "Kaatru Veliyidai", "OK Kanmani" & "Kadal", as I felt they were average at best. However, he has more than made up for it with CCV which is a crime thriller as well as family drama that focused on various aspects of human emotions. Since most of us have watched numerous gangster movies like "Sarkar" etc., the story as such would come across as rather straightforward & even the twists were quite predictable (atleast for me). But what makes this movie damn good is Ratnam's excellent screenplay & the thought that has gone into the character framework as well as interpersonal dynamics making sure that each actor got adequate screen space. However, with the exception of Jyothika & maybe Jayasudha to a certain extent, none of the other female artists had a significant part to play which was kinda surprising as Ratnam is always known to have strong female characters in his movies.

Just as in any Ratnam's flick, the technical aspects were brilliant which included Santosh Sivan's mesmerising visuals & Sreekar Prasad's slick editing. Another huge factor that elevated the viewing experience was AR Rahman's awesome music & exceptional background score. Among the artists, everyone has done their parts brilliantly but the pick among the lot was Vijay Sethupathi who never fails to impress irrespective of the project. Aravind Swami continues to surprise with his grey shades, STR with his screen presence, Arun Vijay with his suave style (though I felt Fahad would have done a better job) while the others like Thiagarajan, Mansoor Ali were ok. As for the ladies, Jyothika impressed while the rest were fine.

Verdict: Without a shadow of doubt, CCV is undoubtedly Mani Ratnam's best in the past decade. It is expected to cross 30 C over the weekend in the TN market alone & is definitely on its way to becoming a blockbuster. The story as such wont surprise many but you can rest assured to be thoroughly entertained coz of the engaging screenplay. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Batti Gul Meter Chalu review: “Whole movie was gul!!!”

It was one of the most exciting weekends in recent times courtesy of the high-profile matches which were on offer. This included Tiger Wood’s 80^th PGA tour title, Team India’s emphatic win over the Paks & Federer led Team Europe’s successful defense of the Laver Cup. There were a couple of movies as well that I got to check out apart from the games & one of them happened to be Shree Narayan’s “Batti Gul Meter Chalu”. Since his previous outing was Akki’s “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha”, I was particularly interested to watch it after all this also seemed to be rooted in reality.

SK (Shahid Kapoor), Nauti (Shraddha Kapoor) & Tripathi (Divyendu Sharma) were childhood friends who stuck to each other through thick & thin. Among the three, SK was a sly lawyer who was always on the lookout for some quick bucks which he acquired through the blackmail of potential law offenders. Nauti was a fashion designer while Tripathi who was the meekest among the three ventured into business & opened a small-scale printing company.  However, with constant power shortages in the region; it wasn’t easy to meet the demands of the customers & to make it worse, the electricity board also slapped him with outrageous bills for illogical reasons. Hoping to resolve the matter, he took it up with the ombudsman but to no avail. In the meantime, the friendship between the trio also crumbled due to the affair between Nauti & Tripathi which SK found it difficult to accept. Even though Tripathi turned towards SK for his legal support, the latter’s frosty behavior kinda made it evident that he wasn’t keen to help him out. So how was Tripathi going to get out of this mess before he loses his entire livelihood???

With a host of praise worthy movies to his credit, Shree Narayan has earned himself a respectable name as an editor & hopes to achieve the same as a director as well. This happens to be his third venture & just like “TEPK”, he has opted for a social issue like the lack of electricity & the cut-throat attitude of the electricity boards. He takes a considerable amount of time to set the stage & by the time, he does come to the core issue it doesn’t hit you as forcefully as one would expect. Apart from a couple of scattered chuckles, the court scenes don’t make us sit up & take notice, the blame for which also lies on Vipul Rawal’s rather average script which had the potential but fizzes out with barely a whimper. None of the technical aspects quite caught my eyes & hence doesn’t deserve a mention.

Despite the rather uninspiring making, I felt all the three main artists has done a reasonably good job with Shahid being the pick among the lot. He has given an earnest performance with his humour & energy while quite a few like Sudhir Pandey, Farida Jalal & Sushmita Mukherjee who are proven artists are wasted.

Verdict: With not much of a competition, the producers would have hoped that the movie will recreate the magic of “TEPK”. But with a rather uninspiring & bland script, it failed to impress the audience. In short, a rude shock to Shree who would have hoped that the people would back him after his previous praise worthy outing!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Regards…Ben

Saamy square review: "Offers nothing new except assault the senses!!!"

This weekend promises to be one of the most exciting for sports lovers like me as we have the Laver Cup, PGA Tour Championship & Asia Cup. With the first two events reaching it culmination on Sunday along with the Indo-Pak match, it promises to be one hell of a day. Since I didn't have much work to do on Saturday apart from the usual groceries, I decided to watch Vikram's "Saamy square"; the prequel of which I had absolutely loved. Can Hari recreate the magic of Aarusaamy???

Almost a year has passed since Perumal Pichai (Kota Srinivasa Rao) had been announced missing & his sons were adamant that they would unearth the truth behind their father's disappearance. Soon after, Raavana Pichai (Bobby Simha) & his brothers finds out that their father was killed by DCP Aarusaamy (Vikram). They avenge the death of their father by murdering Aarusamy & his wife, but Saamy's son miraculously survived the attack. For the next quarter of a century, Raavana & his brothers build their empire through money laundering activities for the political parties. In the meantime, Raamsaamy (Vikram) grows up into a fine IPS officer & as destiny would have it, Raam & Raavana crosses paths. 

When "Saamy" released in 2003, Hari was a relatively unknown name in the Tamil film industry after all this was his second project. But the success of "Saamy" followed by the "Singham" series made him a household name. So when "Saamy square" was announced there was both excitement as well as apprehension. The biggest challenge in front of Hari who had penned the script as well was to make it distinct from "Singham" & make it engaging as well. Unfortunately, he has failed miserably as the story offered nothing new with the first half being pathetic (the Anniyan type expression scenes, mailing the President & he takes action in a matter of mins...OMG)  & the comedy sequences being the WORST that I have come across in many years. Though the second half was comparatively better, it still didnt showcase anything that we havent seen in other flicks. None of the technical aspects deserves mention as it ranged from average to mediocre. 

Vikram was the only saving grace in the whole movie, but what can a talented actor like him do if the script itself is so weak. He could have done the smart thing & rejected it like Trisha, who foresaw that she was about to board a sinking ship. Since Trisha had backed out, Aishwarya takes up the guest role & did what she could. Bobby Simha was average as his character seemed to growl more rather than do some serious planning. As for the rest of the cast, Keerthy Suresh (expected her to be more judicious in picking roles after "Mahanadi") , Prabhu etc, were ok. 

Verdict: The film will take an excellent initial due to the effect of its prequel but I dont believe it will be able to sustain it as there isn't anything unique in the story. It's the same old police story that we have watched innumerable number of times. In short, watch "Saamy" if you haven't watched that or else forget it!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Regards...Ben

Manmarziyaan review: "Seemed like 2018 version of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam!!!"

Just a week back, I was profusely praising Anurag Kashyap for his brilliant performance in "Imaikka Nodigal" & the maestro was back this week in his director's apparel for "Manmarziyaan". From the trailer, it was kinda evident that it’s quite unlike what Anurag has worked with in the past & that in itself excited me further. Interestingly, the movie featured Abhishek Bachchan who is back after a two-year break (“to re-energise” as per what he said; hmm, so it wasn’t due to lack of movies???). Anywaz his success rate as a solo hero has been patchy, pretty much like Sri Lanka’s abysmal record since Sanga & Mahela retired. So, will his movie follow the fate of the Lankans in the Asia Cup???

Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) is an attractive, bold & free-spirited Punjabi kudi who was madly in love with the equally crazy & bindaas Vicky Sandhu (Vicky Kaushal). The latter was a DJ who aspired for a successful music career though he didn’t seem to work hard for it, while Rumi oversaw her family’s sports goods store. Their affair was known to everyone in the locality & her family after having caught them goofing around started searching alliances for her. However, Rumi’s adamancy forces them to offer some time to her, so that Vicky could seek his folks’ permission to ask her hand in marriage. But with Vicky being apprehensive of commitment, Rumi decided to tie the knot with Robbie Bhattia (Abhishek Bachchan), a UK based banker that her family had chosen for her.  The question was whether Rumi & Vicky could forget everything & get on with their new lives or will Robbie be handed out a raw deal???

Nowadays, we hardly come across directors who works in more than two projects in a single year & interestingly, “Manmarziyaan” happened to be Anurag’s third directorial venture this year after “Mukkabaaz” & “Lust Stories”. Unlike his previous movies, this hasn’t been scripted by him as it was by Kanika Dhillon who had earlier written the screenplay for “Ra One” & “Size Zero” (Telugu/Tamil). It might sound odd, but I felt like this was the 2018 version of “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” with carnal instincts being more prominent. Despite having a running time of 155 minutes, it still manages to keep us engaged for large portions especially in the first half. Apart from Anurag’s decent direction & Sylvester Fonseca’s visuals, there are two major reasons which makes this movie work & those are the cast as well as Amit Trivedi’s excellent music. The latter has undoubtedly produced the best soundtrack among all the movies that has released this year.

Ever since “Pink” released a couple of years back, Taapsee has consistently impressed with her choice of scripts & praise worthy performances. She was brilliant as the vivacious Rumi & should be in pole position to claim a couple of awards for the best actress. Equally impressive was Vicky Kaushal who floored me yet again after “Sanju” & has been consistently churning out good performances. Last but not the least, Abhishek has done a fine job as well with his ability to convey emotions convincingly through expressions. The rest of the cast have all also done their parts aptly.

Verdict: As per the latest box offices, the film made credible collections over the opening weekend making it the biggest in Anurag’s career (who usually barely make it beyond 10 C). I don’t think it will make much of an impact on the single screens & will have to depend on multiplexes for the revenue. However, it’s worth a watch & I would suggest that you guys should give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards…Ben

Paltan review: "Weakest among Dutta's war trilogy!!!"

Whenever we speak about war movies, there are quite a few that instantly comes to mind instantly such as "Saving Private Ryan", "Hurt Locker", "Dunkirk" etc., to name a few. In general, it would be fair to admit that Hollywood has always done an impressive job in crafting such war drama. Unfortunately, the same yard stick cant be applied to Indian movies as we haven't explored much in that genre & among the ones that were picturised, "Border" was definitely my favorite. So when it was announced that J.P Dutta was back with yet another war saga, "Paltan" I was eager to check it out.  The question was whether Dutta still had the goods to deliver another gritty movie???

As history says, our nation suffered a crushing defeat in the hands of China in the war of 1962. This included documented reports as to how the Chinese resorted to dishonorable war tactics to defeat the famed Rajput regiment. About five years has passed but the tension between the nations shimmered at the border which led to constant skirmishes between the armies. Lt Col Rai Singh  (Arjun Rampal) & his battalion was entrusted with the task of protection of Nathu La region from possible Chinese incursions. With the Chinese constantly needling his forces with the construction of bunkers & other structures into our land, Col Rai orders fencing to to be laid along the perceived border. As expected, this irks the Chinese & it eventually blown out into a full fledged war. So did our Army finally have their revenge for 1962???

J.P Dutta is an individual who needs no introduction with movies like "Border", "LOC:Kargil" to his credit. However, he has been keeping a low profile in recent times with his last release being the forgetful "Umrao Jaan", more than a decade back. Apart from direction, he has also taken on the responsibility of the script & screenplay; all of which were below par to be frank. He had a compelling tale to narrate but he wasn't able to do justice to it as the conflict between the nations portrayed here seemed more like kids fighting in school. The dialogues at most instances were short slogans & the people who mouthed them didn't even an iota of expression on them. Unlike his previous war dramas which had charismatic actors, over here we are left with a bunch of earnest individuals including experienced campaigners who struggles to capture our attention. The age old problem in Indian movies of portraying foreigners like British, Pakis etc as dimwits & with a single shade in their character is repeated yet again with the Chinese portrayed as an easily agitated school bully. On the technical side, Shailesh Awasthi & Nigam Bomzan has captured the locales pretty well while Anu Malik's music was average at best.

None of the known names like Jackie Shroff & Arjun Rampal were worthy of their roles as they seemed  disinterested & even a robot could have delivered the dialogues as well as them or maybe even better. Among the rest, Harshvardhan Rane as Major Harbhajan Singh has done a fine job along with Gurmeet Choudhary while Sonu Sood was ok. 

Verdict: Without mincing words, I would have to say that this movie doesn't have anything working in its favour & is destined to tank at the box office. Except for the emotional scenes that unfold towards the end, there is nothing else that would even remotely make us empathize with the movie. In short, forget it!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben