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