Theerpu: "Political verbosity though insightful at times comes across as shallow & might not warm up to many!!!"

Onam is here & though rains continues to wreck havoc across many parts of the state; each one of us are eagerly waiting for the skies to clear after all it's been a couple of years since we have celebrated this harvest festival in full spirits. Obviously one of the major highlight for Onam are the high profile releases with quite a few lined up from today. However, last week we had a major release in the form of Rathish Ambat's "Theerppu". Surprisingly, the makers didn't seem to have invested much into its promotions & despite the big names involved, it had a relatively low profile release. 

The crux of the story is about a kind of reunion of a group of childhood friends though the life of one of them, Abdulla Marakkar (Prithviraj) was rather traumatic & the reason for that was the treason that their fathers had done on his. Consumed by vengeance, Abdulla was keen on imposing the judgement on his friends for the betrayal and harm done to his family. As one would have guessed, the script is penned by Murali Gopi & he has collaborated yet again with Rathish after the interesting "Kammara Sambhavam". Thinking about it, there is nothing much to it apart from a normal revenge drama but Murali's politically laced dialogues keeps it engaging though after a point of time, it didn't seem to convey anything of significance to the plot (atleast that's how I felt). Similarly, the focus on a right wing rally & the police interactions didn't have any relevance at all. Amon other points, the backdrop to the flashback seemed to be a recreation of the Babri Masjid incident while Vijay Babu's character felt inspired from Monson Mavunkal. 

On the technical side, the movie was ok though it had a theatric and claustrophobic feel while Rathish did a decent job with the subject given to him. When it comes to performances, Siddique was the pick among the lot along with Shaju K S and Srikant Murali. Indrajith & Prithvi did their parts aptly though the latter was a bit over dramatic at times. Saiju Kurup was ok (I dont know if it was intentional but his emotions at times bordered on being comical) along with Isha & Hannah while Vijay Babu was rather mediocre. 

Verdict: It felt like a movie that promised a lot but by the time the end credits rolled, it fell well short of it. I believe it would have suited better for the OTT platform & likely to garner more reactions post that in terms of the statements that the characters make. In short, it was rather disappointing for me!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben 

Makal: "Lacked clarity as to how to tackle the basic theme!!!"

Whenever I think about feel good family dramas, the first name that comes to my mind is Sathyan Anthikkad. Despite being in the industry for four decades, the legend has constantly entertained us with his movies which is more often than not a replica of the life around us. However, unlike other times when his latest celluloid creation "Makal" was released, I wasn't able to check it out until it was eventually streamed on ManoramaMax. There is no doubt that the movie did have its moments but overall it came across as underwhelming. 

The script is penned by the celebrated Iqbal Kuttippuram, though his last effort was the forgetful "Meow". In "Makal", the focus is on the father, Nandan (Jayaram), a Gulf returnee & his daughter, Appu (Devika Sanjay) who are trying to figure out to live in harmony especially since the latter had stayed only with her mother, Juliet (Meera Jasmine). In essence the topic is on parenting with a couple of sub-plots that doesn't quite reach anywhere & eventually, a hurried climax that was so illogical and pointless. Sathyan Anthikkad has picturized it reasonably well with quite a few sequences evoking laughs thanks to Naslen's track. On the technical side, it felt average at best with nothing quite standing out. 

It's been quite a while since we had seen both Jayaram & Meera Jasmine in a Malayalam project and they have done their parts aptly though there was hardly much scope for performance. Devika has done a fine job along with Naslen while the veterans like Innocent & Siddique barely had much to do.

Verdict: It came across as rather average by Sathyan Anthikkad's standards. Hence if you watch it without much expectations, then it does offer something to smile at times or else forget it!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Raksha Bandhan: "Archaic story that released three decades late!!!"

Bollywood movies have been bombing faster than fire crackers in recent times irrespective of the cast & crew. Obviously there has been challenges like the boycott wave but the fact remains that the content that they have been churning out has been rather mediocre. However, many of the film makers seem to prefer being aloof of the truth as they found it easy to blame on other factors for the failure of their movies. Along with "Laal Singh Chaddha", Aanand L Rai's "Raksha Bandhan" had also hit the screens on August 11th hoping to cash in on the extended weekend. Well unsurprisingly it failed to break even as it barely had anything worthwhile. 

The script has been penned by Himanshu Sharma, who has been a regular in most of Aanand's previous ventures like "Tanu weds Manu", "Raanjhanaa" etc., along with Kanika Dhillon, who has been credited with "Manmarziyaan", "Kedarnath" etc. Hmm...that's quite a collaboration but surprisingly what the duo has come up was just pedestrian. It is basically about a doting brother who looks after his four sisters with the intention of getting them married off to respectful households even though that meant holding off his marriage with his childhood sweetheart. Sounds like Siddique's "Hitler" isn't it, except that this was a boring regressive family drama where the brother worries about the physical attributes of his siblings with the humour being crass as well. 

By the time the dust settles, the audience is given a relevant social message though we are aghast at how did Aanand & the writers think that we would warm up to this story. If at all there is anything positive, then it is the run time as it lasts for only 108 minutes. Akshay has been slammed for working on numerous projects due to which it seems like he is interested solely on quantity rather than quality. Well I beg to differ on that, as he certainly performed well within the scope of the role but his choice of scripts in recent times has been pathetic. As for the rest of the cast, Sadia Khateeb (as Gayathri) was fine while the others were just about ok. 

Verdict: Well nothing much to say except that it is a movie that ought to have released in the 1990s. It offers hardly anything & hence its fate at the box office was not a surprise at all. In short, don't bother!!!

Rating: 1/5

Regards...Ben

Thiruchitrambalam: "Simple yet astute screenplay with endearing performances makes it an enjoyable watch!!!"

Is there any specific genre that the audience likes??? Well the truth is, there isn't & hence no point in film makers scratching their heads in bewilderment as to what will bring the public to the theatres. As long as the movie entertains & gives a fulfilling experience, then people wont mind shelling out their hard earned money. One such movie that I felt belongs to that category is Mithran Jawahar's "Thiruchitrambalam" & to be frank, I wasn't even planning to watch it until I was asked to check it out. It was indeed the right decision as this rom-com / family drama does gives us a smile on our face. 

The movie basically follows the life of Thiru aka Pazham (Dhanush), a delivery boy who lived with his grandfather (Bharathiraja) (after whom he was named) & his father, Inspector Neelakandan (Prakash Raj). Both father & son didn't meet eye to eye ever since his mother & sister passed away in an accident. Apart from his grandfather, the only other person to whom Thiru confided his feelings to was his bestie, Shobana (Nitya Menen). Even when he was down in the doldrums, she knew how to cheer him up & this movie captures the essence of their relationship which helps him deal with the ups and downs of life. 

This is the fourth collaboration between Mithran & Dhanush and they have yet again aced it with the former coming up with a script which is uncomplicated and devoid of mass masala. It is essentially a rom-com which at the same time is also a family drama with a strong overtone of emotion. Mithran made sure that it never became overtly serious with his smart sprinkling of situational humour while also tackling the relationship dynamics. There is hardly anything in this flick that we haven't watched in the past but the manner in which it has been crafted, the dialogues and the praise worthy performances makes it an enjoyable experience. Another huge positive was Anirudh's music which was impressive (it had a feel of Illayaraja)  with the choreography of 'Megham Karukkatha' deserving special mention. 

On the performance front, there is no doubt that Dhanush is a fantastic artist but in this movie, I felt Nitya & Bharathiraja outshone the former hands down. Nitya's talent has never been in doubt but her choice of movies more often than not failed to do justice to her capabilities. She was brilliant in this flick along with Bharathiraja who tickles the funny bone with his tongue in cheek one liners & philosophical insights. Dhanush was fine along with Prakash Raj while Raashi Khanna, Priya Bhavani, Munishkanth etc did their parts aptly.

Verdict: It is unlike many of the movies that has released in times & yet doesn't offer anything unique in terms of content. However, Mithran's command over his craft which was well complimented by the performances makes it an enjoyable watch. In short, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Laal Singh Chaddha: "Earnest remake that could have been better!!!"

About a week has passed since the much awaited Advait Chandan's "Laal Singh Chaddha" has hit the screens & by the looks of it, it's unlikely to hang around for much longer. As per box office reports, the movie has been branded as a failure as the world wide collection hovers around the 100 C mark. Due to other commitments, I haven't been able to pen my opinion about it until now. But was it as bad as the numbers says or did the #boycott had an effect as well??? 

Being a remake, the story as such remains true to "Forrest Gump" with changes incorporated so that it gelled with the Indian history and culture. The movie unfolds with Laal (Aamir Khan) narrating the story of his life experiences to co-passengers in the train en route to meet his childhood sweetheart, Rupa (Kareena Kapoor). Born into a family where his fore fathers had laid down their lives in the service of the country, Laal was slow-witted & required leg braces to aid him in walking. However, his mother (Mona Singh) made sure that he was treated equal to others & instilled confidence in her son to never set limits to his capabilities & aspirations. This belief & the love that he had for Rupa takes him through different experiences and that forms the crux of the movie.

This is Advaith's second directorial venture after "Secret Superstar" & attempting to remake an iconic movie like Robert Zemeckis's "Forrest Gump" is a recipe for disaster. But Atul Kulkarni who had adapted Eric Roth's original screenplay had done a decent job which made Advaith's task much easier. If the original spoke about Vietnam War, John Lennon, Watergate scandal etc., then this touched upon Blue Star Operation, 1984 Sikh riots, 1990 Rathyatra, Kargil War etc. All these events blended well with the narrative though I felt they could have incorporated more. On the technical side, there were indeed a couple of impressive aspects such as Pritam's music & Setu's exquisite frames. However, Hemanti Sarkar's editing ought to have been much better in the second half coz the number of sequences focusing on Laal's longing for Rupa required trimming. 

The major flaw in the movie was in the character arc as well as performances of some of the primary artists. It might sound surprising but Aamir's performance left a lot to be desired as it seemed like he had a hangover of "PK", "3 Idiots" & "Dhoom 3". There is no doubt that he comes across likable in certain sequences but I felt that they should have opted for a younger artist as de-ageing him came across as rather odd. On the other hand, Kareena was impressive as her performance and the character arc given was much better than the original. Even Mona Singh has done a fine job while SRK's cameo evoked a smile. At the same time, Naga Chaitanya's performance was mediocre while Manav Vij was fine though I felt his character as such didn't make much sense. 

Verdict: Rather than the screenplay, I would say that the movie was hampered by average performances which obviously affected the viewing experience especially when that list included the protagonist. There is no doubt that comparisons will be inevitable & by that yardstick, this will come across as pretty ordinary. But if you are a person who haven't watched the original or would watch it as a standalone movie, then I would say give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Nna Thaan Case Kodu: "Nna thaan definite aayi cinema kaananam!!!"

Among the numerous movies that had released this weekend, the one that I was most eager to watch was Ratheesh Balakrishnan's "Nna Thaan Case Kodu". The primary reason for that was the hilarious & unique makeover of Chackochan, the catchy posters & especially, his excellent performance for the iconic 'Devadoothar' song. I don't know how many times I would have watched it, but each time I did; it never failed to crack me up. If this wasn't enough, the credentials of Ratheesh built on the back of his previous ventures made it all the more irresistible. 

Kozhumal Rajeevan (Chackochan) is a petty thief who decides to mend his ways after he gets into a live-in relationship with Devi (Gayathrie Shankar). Just as life seemed to blossom for the couple, Rajeevan gets caught for trespassing into the MLA's residence & is accused of theft. Apparently, he sustained grievous physical injury from the MLA's dogs & according to him, all of this was primarily because he was forced to jump into the compound coz of a pothole on the road in front of that house. With his honor & livelihood at stake, he decides to fight it out in the court though he was up against political bigwigs. So does he stand a chance at all???

This is Ratheesh's third venture after the much appreciated directorial debut "Android Kunjappan" & yet again he decided to go ahead with the script that he had penned. It is undoubtedly the best among the three as the characters that he had created be it the judge, lawyers, police, politicians etc. all had their own traits and characteristics, not to forget his intelligent manner of showing the time period. He had made sure that all of them were given screen space & they paid dividends to his trust. Kudos to Rajesh Madhavan for his fantastic casting which did justice to the subject that was being conveyed. It is an interesting satire that tickles our funny bone time & again. However, I did feel that opposition could have been presented as being tougher & the incident that led to the whole sequence of events deserved to be presented with more significance. On the technical side, almost all of them have done a fine job be it Rakesh Haridas's visuals, Dawn Vincent's music & the make up department.

This is undoubtedly one of Chackochan's best performances as his body language, expressions & diction were impressive. However, I felt PP Kunhikrishnan (as Magistrate) was the best among the lot with his impeccable comic timing & excellent expressions. Rajesh & the female who acted as his lover were brilliant, while the police officer, Advocates Shukoor & Krishnan, Sibi Thomas & even Basil Joseph in a cameo did utmost justice to their roles.

Verdict: In all probability, this will be one of the biggest hits of Chackochan & kudos to the veteran for constantly trying to reinvent himself. Hats off to Ratheesh for yet another interesting movie & as a matter of fact, it looks like a different version of "Mahaveeryar" but something which will appeal to all sections of people. In short, definitely check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Darlings: "A quirky satirical take on domestic violence!!!"

With a plethora of movies lined up for release to cash in on the extended weekend, I am eagerly looking forward to checking out some of them. However, prior to that I happened to watch Jasmeet Reen's "Darlings" which had released on Netflix. It was an interesting movie as it was a satirical take on domestic violence presented as a dark comedy making sure that the core subject wasn't belittled. Another reason why I was eager to watch the movie was the presence of Roshan Mathew who has made it a habit of managing to feature in some interesting projects. 

The movie unfolds in the suburban areas of Mumbai were Hamza (Vijay Verma) & Badru (Alia Bhatt) is a couple who seems to be leading a happy life within their limited means. But all wasn't hale & hearty under their roof as Hamza's alcoholism constantly disrupted their marital bliss as he inflicted bodily harm on his wife. Despite the constant request from her single mother, Shamsu (Shefali Shah) to leave Hamza, Badru still harbored hopes that things would get better with time. However her mother was indeed right as he continued to fool Badru with his hollow promises of turning into a new leaf. It was now upto Badru to decide as to how she wanted to take her life forward.

Apart from being her directorial debut, Jasmeet has also penned the script along with Parveez Sheikh. This is at no instance a social commentary, so I would request you not to watch it in that angle but rather as a quirky entertainer presented as dark comedy. The writers deserves praise for the characterization of the core subjects namely Badru & Hamza. The former believes that things would get better if her husband quits alcohol & becomes a father. Hamza on the other hand is socially conditioned to believe that a couple of slaps on his wife doesn't indicate that he doesn't love her but rather it is merely to enforce the fact that he is indeed the man in power. All of us have come across numerous incidents of domestic violence & in cases, where the wife decide to file for a divorce the social stigma attached to it is hard to explain. Even the police more often than not takes a very passive step which is not what the screenplay showcases here as it is an idealistic situation whereby pretty much everyone is supportive of Badru. At about 134 minutes, it does lag at times as Nitin Baid could have done a better job with the editing. All the other technical aspects were ok.

On the performance front, Shefali, Alia & Vijay have given praise worthy performances as both the ladies tread the thin line of comedy and grimness with finesse. As for the rest of the cast, Roshan, Rajesh Sharma & Vijay Maurya have done their parts well. 

Verdict: It was an interesting take on a serious subject which stands out coz of the solid performances from its cast. It is not a movie like "Thappad" but still manages to convey what it wanted to say to a certain extent.  In short, do give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Sita Ramam: "Cliched romantic flick yet manages to emotional connect!!!"

One of the most oft used terms in the movie industry over the past couple of years is 'pan-indian' & by that definition DQ can be said to be one of those who has steadily made strides to position himself as that. His latest release is in Telugu as he dons the lead role in Hanu Raghavanpudi's "Sita Ramam". The trailer & the songs have already garnered a lot of views & Vyjayanthi Movies has packaged it as an epic love story. To be frank, it falls well sort of it coz of the cliched scenes & dialogues that we have seen in numerous other movies. However, the manner in which Hanu has crafted it definitely manages to keep us engaged especially as the story enters into the latter half. 

The movie unfolds in 1964, where Ansari, a Mujahideen leader comes up with the masterplan to disrupt peace in the Kashmir Valley. This involves sending in brain washed teenagers who are asked to gel in with the citizens there until further orders. The timeline shifts to 1984 where Afreen (Rashmika Mandanna), a Pakistani student studying in London sets fire to a car belonging to an Indian philanthropist Anand Mehta (Tinnu Anand). The only way that she could possibly prevent herself from being jailed was to offer a hefty compensation for which she decided to reach out to her grandfather Brigadier Tariq (Sachin Khedekar). However, he had passed away before she could meet him & as per his will, entrusted her with the duty to deliver a letter that Lt Ram (DQ) wrote in the 1960s to his lover, Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal Thakur). Left with no option, Afreen unwillingly tries to track down Sita & in the process learns about the divine love that the two shared. 

Since I havent watched any of Hanu's earlier movies, I didn't have much of an idea about his style of film making. Anyway after watching this, it would be fair to admit that I did like the manner in which he has crafted the story that he had penned along with Raj Kumar Kandamudi. There was nothing unique as such in the first half which came across as rather average with a lot of time being invested in setting the stage. At the same time, he manages to create an intrigue about Ram's character. The second half is much better before it culminates in a fine climax. Well I'm not going to question the political correctness of the plot though it is undeniable that certain elements were deliberately placed. It did have a feel of "Veer Zaara" & "Mahaanati", but still had an identity of its own. Almost all the technical aspects were top notch be it P S Vinod & Shreyaas Krishna's mesmerizing visuals, Vishal Chandrashekhar's excellent BGM that gelled with the mood perfectly as well as the hummable tracks, art direction etc. However, Kotagiri Venkateshwara could have made the movie crisper.

Both DQ & Mrunal Thakur have done their roles well & the former's looks and body language certainly made the audience feel the character. It was a pleasant surprise to see Rashmika in a supporting role & though her performance in the first half was rather average, it improves as the story builds on. As for the rest of the cast, Sumanth as Brigadier Vishnu felt too uptight, Sachin Khedekar was fine while the others were ok.

Verdict: There is no doubt that it would come across as a cliched romantic story but the manner in which Hanu has crafted it deserves praise. In all probability, it will be yet another hit for DQ in Tollywood. In short, you can give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben