Mimi review: "Light hearted yet emotional take on surrogacy!!!"

Over the years, we have been witness to various topics being chosen as the core theme in our movies. But quite a few of them haven't been explored as well as it should have. One such subject is 'surrogacy' which is what Laxman Utekar's "Mimi" has touched upon. From the looks of the trailer, it seemed to be a light hearted take on a rather serious subject that needs to be discussed rather than considered as taboo. So did Laxman manage to achieve that???

John (Aidan Whytock) & Summer (Evelyn Edwards) were an American couple who had come to India in search of a suitable surrogate mother. Despite their best efforts, they couldnt find an apt female until they came across Mimi (Kriti Sanon), a fine dancer & Bollywood aspirant. With the help of their driver, Bhanu (Pankaj Tripathi) they manage to convince her to be their surrogate in return for a substantial amount of money which Mimi intended to invest in her efforts to climb the ladder of stardom. But how will Mimi explain the pregnancy to her family & society to whom IVF would mean nothing more gibberish ???

This is Laxman's second directorial Bollywood venture after the superhit "Luka Chuppi" which also had Kriti Sanon in the lead. This time around he has opted to remake Samruddhi Porey's Marathi movie "Mala Aai Vhhaychy". Since I havent seen the original, there were hardly any expectations & I would have to admit that I did enjoy the movie. The screenplay by Laxman & Rohan Shankar made it pretty evident that they were not keen on addressing the main challenges that the female would have to face from the society. However, the maker still takes us through an emotional ride while at the same time making sure that it didnt become a full fledged tear jerker coz of the sprinkling of humour. On the technical side, they were reasonably well done.

On the performance front, Kriti has done a fine job which will surely rank as one of her best in her nascent career. Giving ample support was Sai Tamhankar & the ever reliable Pankaj Tripathi who has gone from strength to strength with each passing movie. His comic timing & expressions adds yet another weapon to his arsenal. Unlike the usual foreigners (with the exception of a few), who are just caricatures, both Aidan & Evelyn has done a decent job while the rest of the cast such as Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa have done their parts aptly.

Verdict:  I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few among of us expected a much more realistic & touching take on surrogacy such as Siby Malayil's "Dasaratham" or Onir's "I am Afia" segment from "I Am". Well if you are looking for that, then you might be disappointed but this still has its moments & is worth a watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Hungama 2 review: "Outdated & fails to evoke laughs!!!"

Ever since the National Awards was announced, one of the most eagerly awaited movies across the nation is Priyadarshan's "Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea" which was chosen as the best picture. However, its release has been postponed more than a couple of times coz of the pandemic. In the interim, he decided to make a return back to Bollywood after close to a decade with "Hungama 2". So does he still possess the ability to recycle the humour from Malayalam & amuse the audience in the North???

As most of you would have guessed (even if you didn't see the trailer), it is the remake of his own movie  "Minnaram" which released in 1994. For the benefit of those who haven't watched the original, Vaani (Pranitha Subhash) lands up in the doorsteps of her college sweetheart Aakash (Meezaan Jaffery) with a baby in her hand, who she claims to be their love child. Aakash vociferously denied such a relation existed, but the more he tried, the more he was proved wrong. So was it indeed his kid???

There is no denying the fact that more often than not, Priyan was proficient in making remakes & crafting it in a manner that it was relevant to the audience that it catered to. However his latest venture doesn't belong to the same category as it felt woefully outdated & the humour that had us in splits earlier, felt forced & failed to flex my cheek muscles except for some stray sequence. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention as they were average at best.

It is always a herculean task to cast artists to roles that were enacted to perfection by iconic actors like Lalettan & Jagathy and that's where the director's capability needs to come to the fore to choose the best talent possible. Though Paresh Rawal was chosen for Jagathy's role, his performance left a lot to be desired since it was surprisingly mediocre. Hence it would be unfair to even compare Meezaan with Lalettan, who tried his best but came across as 'poor man's Ranbir Kapoor'. On the other hand, Shilpa Shetty did a reasonably decent job but it was surprising as to why she chose to do a relatively small role as she was also making a comeback after fourteen years. As for the rest of the cast, Ashutosh Rana (as Thilakan), Tiku Talsania (as Shankaradi) etc. did their parts aptly.

Verdict: It's basically 'Minnaram without polycythemia vera' with a humour level that was relevant more than a decade back. In short, dont bother!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben

Sarpatta Parambarai review: "Ranjith, you bugger; that's a knockout punch!!!"

A couple of hours back, Mary Kom made her first strides towards the podium with a convincing win in the first round of her event. Similarly, Pa Ranjith made credible steps towards the critical & commercial success of his latest venture "Sarapatta Parambarai". Based in North Chennai of 1970s around the time that Emergency was enforced across the nation, this celluloid creation talks about the influence of the boxing culture and the prestige that it bestowed among the various clans. The canvas on which Ranjith had crafted this sports drama gave ample proof that he had set himself up for success. So what was the recipe that he had employed here after all brawn alone wont be able to sustain the movie.

Rangan (Pashupathy) was the much revered coach of the Sarapattai clan whose boxers ruled the roost for many years until Duraikannu (G M Sundar), coach of the Idiyappa clan introduced his prized student, Vembuli (John Kokken) into the mix. The latter's skill & strength struck fear among his opponents & Rangan's head bowed with embarrassment each year as none of his students could pin him down. As the last roll of the dice, Rangan agrees to the challenge that his clan would refrain from boxing if his next student failed to prevail over Vembuli. As expected, tempers brewed in Sarapatta's camp over his decision but the question was whether it was even possible to put an end to Idiyappa's reign???

Ever since Ranjith burst into the scene, he has made movies that spoke not just about the plot but also about the cultural, societal or political background in which the story is set. This is primarily one of the main reason why he has numerous fans & I certainly belong to that tribe. In "Sarapatta Parambarai", the impact of the political climate on the story is impressively etched in be it the Emergency, DMK's defiance against the political decision & MGR splitting the party. In addition, even the caste system (staple topic in Ranjith's movies) gets a subtle mention in the form of symbolism. Kudos to Ranjith & Tamizh Prabha for penning a wholesome sports drama that gives us a satisfying viewing experience. 

Another aspect that deserves an applause is the attention given to flesh out meaningful characters rather than just the protagonist be it Daddy, Dancing Rose, Mariyamma, Bakkiyam, Vetri, Raman etc. This is undoubtedly one of the main reason why despite a run time close to 3 h, it still doesn't take a toll on our patience. However, the movie still does have a couple of hiccups according to me & that is in the emotional outburst of the female characters as well as Kabilan in the latter half which didn't quite have the desired effect after a point of time. On the technical side, pretty much everything was top notch be it Santhosh Narayanan's fantastic BGM (one of the finest that I have heard for a sports drama) , art direction & action choreography. 

Though the protagonist is Arya, there were two other artists who I felt were absolutely magnificent & they are John Vijay (as David) and Shabeer Kallarakkal (as Dancing Rose). Both of them just lit up the screen whenever they were given the opportunity, John whenever he mouthed any dialogue & Shabeer in the boxing sequence (the inspiration for those antics might be the former British boxer Naseem Hamed). There is no doubt that Arya has done a fantastic job (damn, his ripped torso was a sight to behold)  but for some reason I felt the casting for that role could have been better as the portions that showcased his emotional side didnt quite pan out as well as it should have (maybe Suriya could have been a better choice). As for the rest, each & every one of them have done a praise worthy job be it Pashupathy (as Rangan), Santhosh Prathap (as Raman), Dushara Vijayan (as Kabilan's wife), Anupama Kumar (as Kabilan's mother), John Kokken (as Vembuli) etc.

Verdict: Undoubtedly one of the finest sports drama that I have come across in Indian cinema. It certainly has a significant run time but you can rest assured that you will be entertained. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 4/5

Regards...Ben

Toofaan review: "Lack of a toofani script hampers the earnest performances!!!"

The Tokyo Olympics has finally begun & Mirabai Chanu ensured that all of us had a wide smile on our faces as she claimed silver in the 49 kg weightlifting event. Hopefully our athletes will bring in more laurels in the days to come with the boxing team led by Mary Kom & Amit Panghal expected to reach the podium. Hence when Amazon Prime released Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra "Toofaan" last week, it created a sense of excitement among the audience primarily coz of Farhan's impressive make over for the character. So will the movie strike gold at the box office???

Ajju Bhai/Aziz Ali (Farhan Akhtar) was the premier henchmen of the extortionist Jaffar Bhai (Vijay Raaz) who made a living bashing up people who defaulted in their payments. As a result of which getting injured was a pretty routine affair & one such visit to the hospital got him acquainted with Dr. Ananya (Mrunal Thakur), who detested his so called "profession". At her insistence, he decides to lead a life of honour & boxing seemed to be the answer to that. However, it was easier said than done. 

Well Rakeysh is a director who needs no introduction especially when you have illustrious movies like "Rang De Basanti" & "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" in your resume. But to be frank, his latest venture doesn't come close to that league coz of an uninspiring script penned by Vijay Maurya & Anjum Rajabali. It's no secret that crafting a thrilling sports drama is no mean task due to the inevitable predictability that creeps in most instances. So it's imperative that the screenplay is engaging & that doesn't quite play out in this flick despite the earnest performances. In effect, it fails to connect with the audience be it the emotional track or the manner in which the protagonist pursues his ambition felt a tad too convenient. On the technical side, Jay Oza's visuals were fine while the music by a host of individuals including Shankar Ehsaan Loy didnt quite have the magic expected.

Just like how Farhan aced his part as Milkha Singh, he has done utmost justice to his character as the boxer. Apart from chiseling his torso to perfection, he has portrayed the role of Aziz reasonably well. Mrunal Thakur lightened up the screen while Paresh Rawal was spot on as the Muslim bigot & the no nonsense coach, Nana Prabhu. As for the rest of the cast, Hussain Dalal was fine while it felt odd that talented artists like Supriya Pathak & Vijay Raaz were wasted in inconsequential roles.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the movie was a disappointment considering that there were some celebrated names both in the cast & crew. But to be fair, it is still a decent watch though one cant help thinking about the lack of a compelling screenplay!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Malik review: "Slow burner bolstered by strong performances!!!"

Whenever a movie begins with the disclaimer "Any resemblance to any person or event is purely coincidental", more often than not we can rest assured that it would have been heavily inspired from reality. So when the same words beamed in the title credits of the much awaited Mahesh Narayanan's "Malik" which released on Amazon Prime on Wednesday, it naturally further spiked the curiosity of most of us. Ever since the trailer was released a few months back which looked impressive there was significant hype about this big budget movie that had an enviable cast & crew. So will it be able to satiate the expectations???

Ali Ikka/Suliaman (Fahadh Faasil), the most revered and feared personality in Ramadapally was taken into custody from the airport under TADA charges when he was about to embark on a Haj. As expected, this creates an unrest in the region as some saw it as an opportunity to establish their unholy influence behind the cloak of fake concern. However, the men in power & the authorities knew that putting him behind bars was not a viable solution & hence, the only option would be to eliminate him within the prison premises. But was such a plan even worth contemplating as the backlash could be severe after all he was a messiah who stood up for the people against political apathy & vested interests???

A couple of months back, when the public was forced to follow the lockdown protocol; Mahesh Narayanan treated us to "C U Soon" which had most of the people sing praises in his ability to craft an engaging movie within the confines of an apartment. So when "Malik" that he had scripted as well was staged on a grand scale, the expectations were nigh high. With regard to the actual storyline, it is an interesting concoction of fact & fiction that is packaged as an atypical mass movie unlike the realism that we have started to get used to in recent times. It is essentially the recreation of the 2009 Bheemapally shootout & despite the influence of "The Godfather", "Nayagan" & "Vaada Chennai"; it manages to stand on its own. The primary reason for that are the performances & the manner in which it has been picturized. The script ought to have to been much more taut as there are quite a few sequences that lacked clarity & the art/make up department wasnt quite upto the mark. On the technical side, it was pretty top notch be it Sanu Varghese's impressive frames (hats off to the 12 minute single shot sequence) & Sushin Shyam's enticing music.

Well there is no point in even discussing about Fahadh since more often than not, he will ace his part just like how has done here where he appeared in different stages of the character's life & accordingly, brought in credible changes to his body language. The same also applies to Nimisha Sajayan (who has made a habit of being present in all praise worthy flicks), Dileesh Pothan, Jalaja, Joju George, Vinay Fort etc. However, I would like to specifically mention two artists & they are Sanal Aman (as Freddy) & Indrans both of whom have done utmost justice to their roles. 

Verdict: With a run time of about 161 minutes, it might test the patience of quite a few; however from a personal point of view, I barely felt that. It's the type of movie that ought to have released in theatres, but with the COVID restrictions still prevalent; it was understandable that the makers had to go for an OTT release. Is it a perfect movie? Certainly not as the script does have it's shortcoming but Mahesh & his team still managed to create an engaging crime saga. So do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Sara's: "Relevant topic handled reasonably well without being preachy!!!"

'Haven't your son completed his Medical course?', 'Is it worth pursuing PhD after Medicine?', 'When is he getting married?,' etc. etc. Well these are some of the queries that my parents & I had faced and Im pretty certain almost all of you would have come across similar queries about your personal & professional choices from relatives & even total strangers. Apparently, the society seems to be more concerned (I guess 'judgmental' would be the apt word) about us than our own parents & that irks me to no end. One such question that the women face is the core subject of Jude Anthany's "Sara's" that released on Amazon Prime y'day. Surprisingly, there was hardly any publicity until Lalettan posted it on his FB page a few hours prior to its release (which is how I came to know). So will it garner the word of mouth in its favour or remain unknown???

Ever since Sara (Anna Ben) could remember she was pretty sure that motherhood wasn't quite up her alley. This didn't quite appeal to the guys & as she said figuratively for her first boyfriend "the guy didn't want the puffs without the egg".  Her ambition was to become a film maker & she passionately followed that dream by assisting various projects with the support of her parents especially her father, Vincent (Benny Nayarambalam). With the experience gained, she decided to pen a script & as part of that research  she visited a forensic surgeon, Dr. Sandhya Philip (Dhanya Varma). Incidentally, Sandhya's brother Jeevan (Sunny Wayne) also had a similar outlook to parenthood like Sara & that proved to be the catalyst that kindled the chemistry between them. However, Sara was reluctant to tie the knot until her debut venture had sprouted wings. Though Jeevan supported her decision, will they be able to convince their families???

This is Jude's third venture & he has yet again chosen a woman as the protagonist with a relevant subject whereby the family & society pressurizes the girl into marriage & other related phases of it. Interestingly, the script was the creation of Dr. Akshay Hareesh who were one among the many who had sent their creations to Jude after the latter made a request about the same on his FB page. Despite the similarity in the equation between father & daughter as in "Om Shanthi Oshana", this still had a distinct soul of its own. Kudos to Jude for treating the subject without ever getting overtly serious but at the same point not backing down from raising questions about some common stigmas. It also had some sequences that really stood out such as Siddique's counselling session & the veteran actress who is asked to make a comeback. If at all there is one aspect that I didn't quite warm up to was the reason for the reactions of some of the characters in the climax which I felt wasn't conveyed convincingly. The technical aspects of the movie were impressive be it Shaan Rahman's melodies & BGM, Nimish Ravi's colourful visuals that imparted positive vibes & also the art team.

Once again, Anna Ben hits the bull's eye with a praise worthy performance & hats off to her ability to choose interesting scripts until now which gave her ample opportunity to showcase her skills. Sunny did a decent job though in some sequences he lacked the naturality while Siddique as usual rocked in the limited time he was on screen. It was refreshing to see Benny (in a role similar to Renji Panicker from "OSO") share screen space with his daughter & he has done a fine job. But one artist, who really surprised me was Mallika Sukumaran as I barely recollect liking any of her dramatic performances. However as Sunny's mom she was spot on as the conventional orthodox parent with the right amount of love, attitude & authority. As for the rest of the cast, Dhanya Varma, Prasanth Nair "Collector Bro" etc., have done their parts aptly.

Verdict: No matter how progressive we are, there is still a prevalent mindset in the society that when it comes to  relationships and both the guy & gal have to adhere to certain norms and expectations. Is it wrong to say that such parents shouldn't have expectations? They certainly can have their wishes & advise their loved ones, but ultimately we need to realize that a girl have the right to take decisions about her life and career and as to what might be her priority. As a movie, it has raised some important questions in a light hearted manner & certainly deserves a watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Cold Case review: "Unlikely to be cold shouldered, though the response will be lukewarm!!!"

With the theatres still a few weeks away before it would echo to whistles & brim with excitement, more & more directors have warmed to the OTT culture. The latest to join the bandwagon is Tanu Balak with his debut venture "Cold Case" that had Prithvi treading into the Amazon platform as well. As most of you are aware or would have easily understood from the trailer, the movie is a combination of horror and crime thriller. Hmm, sounds familiar...so is it like "The Priest"??? Well not quite, but did it offer anything different especially since our industry is not quite adept when it comes to horror.

The film unfolds with ACP Satyajit (Prithviraj) called in to investigate a murder as a skull was recovered from the river wrapped in a packet. With the victim itself unknown, the task in the hands of the police was daunting. Around the same time, a TV journalist, Medha (Aditi Balan) who dealt with paranormal stories with a reputed channel moved into a rented house along with her daughter. With the legal pressure of the custodial case of her daughter from her husband, she hoped that the new abode would script a fresh chapter in their life. But it didn't quite seem like that as the house seemed to be haunted or was it just a figment of her imagination???

Though Tanu Balak will be a relatively unknown name to the public, he is quite known in the industry for his cinematographic skills that has been showcased in numerous ads and few movies. His decision to don the hat of a director had the involvement of his family literally as the script was penned by his brother in law, Sreenath V Nath. With regard to the storyline, they brought in an interesting thought whereby two parallel investigations are portrayed. For a significant length of the movie, both these aspects were handled sensibly but as it gradually converged it kinda lost its spark. The climax was a damp squid as neither the premise nor the cast managed to create an impact.

On the technical side, it was pretty impressive as the visuals were handled by the brilliant Jomon T John & Girish Gangadharan while the BGM was the creation of Prakash Alex. Coming to performances, Prithvi was average as he looked a bit too uptight compared to his last few movies. Aditi Balan looked the part of the journalist & has done a decent job but the dubbing artist did a pretty mediocre job. as for the rest of the cast, they did their parts fairly ok. 

Verdict: It certainly had the potential to be an absolute winner but lost its edge towards the latter half. However, the manner in which the investigation moves along for a significant portion will keep the audience entertained. In short, give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben