Salaar Part 1 Ceasefire: "Aura of the protagonists drives forward this heavily inspired action drama!!!"

I still remember the day when my friend asked me check out the trailer of "KGF" which completely took me by surprise. As I spent about 5 years of my career in IISc, I was no stranger to Kannada movies though barring a few, none of them had managed to make me sit through it for more than 15-20 minutes. Hence Prasanth Neel's magnum opus was a revelation & it was released around Christmas as well. After the "KGF" series, Prasanth is back with his latest release with Prabhas & Prithviraj in the lead which was more than ample reason for most of us to be excited about the project. So does the movie manage to live up to expectations???

The story is placed in the fictional region called Khansaar that had been in existence since the 12th century through the combination of three tribes, Mannars, Shouryaangas & Ghaniyaars, who chose to retain the autonomy of their state even after India's Independence.  The movie unfolds in 1985, where Vardharaja Mannar (Prithvi / Karthikeya Dev) & Deva (Prabhas / Videsh Anand) are the best of buddies who stuck for each other through thick & thin. However, when Vardha's father Raja Mannar (Jagapathi Babu), ordered the decimation of Shouryaangas to which Deva's family also belonged to; he stepped in to  protect them in exchange for his inheritance. As a result of this, the friends were separated but not before Deva promised that he would return whenever Vardha needed him.

As in the past, Prasanth had penned the script & there is an undeniable influence from his previous works. The story as such is inspired from his "Ugramm" while the location, maternal sentiment & monochromatic colour tone reminds of "KGF". As Prithvi mentioned in one of the interviews, it is essentially an Indianised Game of Thrones  & we are presented with a blend of medieval culture and modern artillery. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace in the first half & kind of lags to be frank. But it picks up pace from the action sequence which signals the interval block followed by an engaging latter half which is not coz of the story but rather stylized action set pieces. The history of Khansaar was an interesting thought though apart from that, the making style of Prasanth is what captures our attention. 

Kudos to the technical team as they have done an impressive job be it TL Venkatachalapathi's production design, Anbariv's stunt choreography (though some sequences have started to become repetitive) & Bhuvan Gowda's cinematography. At the same time, Ravi Basrur's music & the dialogues by Sandeep Reddy, Hanumaan Chaudhary & Dr.Suri lacked the punch of "KGF". 

This is undoubtedly Prabhas's best since "Baahubali" & with due respect to him, it isn't coz of his acting credentials but rather the manner in which Prasanth has presented him. The imposing aura & the gentle giant demeanor is what this character demanded & Prabhas was fantastic at it apart from being impressive in the action sequences. At the same time, Prithvi did complete justice as Vardha (except for the drunken scenes) & he was top notch in the intense scenes and action sequences. As for the rest of the cast, Bobby Simha, Sriya Reddy & Surabhi (as local tribal girl) were good, Jagapathi Babu & Tinnu Anand were ok, while John Vijay, Eeswari Rao & Shruti Hassan were mediocre at times. 

Verdict: It has already grossed humongous numbers at the box office which will have the Hombale Films in good spirits. However, in terms of the quality expected from Prasanth Neel; it has failed to rise to expectations. Both Prabhas & Prithvi were impressive and if you dont mind watching the gore violence which has been a staple in most movies this year, do check it out & that too in theatres (coz you might not necessarily enjoy it on the small screen as it is dependent more on visual impact than the story)!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Neru: "Impressive performances & neru paranjal, a role that did justice to Lalettan's caliber!!!"

The much awaited Jeethu Joseph's "Neru" finally hit the screens on Thursday. It was the biggest Malayalam release for this Christmas & undoubtedly, one of the most anticipated movie of the year. Though there are quite a few big banner releases from other industries like "Dunki" & "Salaar", I am sure that just like me many others would have been more excited to see the combination of Lalettan & Jeethu in the hope that they can recreate the "Drishyam" magic. As always, Jeethu had tried to tone down the hype by stating that it is an emotional courtroom drama that has been kept as authentic as possible without any awe inspiring suspense elements. Anyway how did the movie eventually pan out, after all it was a movie that I personally had a lot of hopes in as it's been quite a while since I saw Lalettan so realistically presented in a trailer. 

Based on the script by Santhi Mayadevi & Jeethu, it is essentially a courtroom drama where the case is about a visually impaired girl, Sara (Anaswara Rajan) who has been raped. Though Sara had identified the culprit, there was difficulty in proving it in court as she was blind. It was at this juncture that a reluctant & unconfident lawyer, Vijayamohan (Lalettan) is requested to appear for her as the special public prosecutor. Due to personal reasons, he had chosen not to be involved in trials for quite a while; however Sara's resilient attitude inspires him to fight for her justice. 

As mentioned earlier, it is a courtroom drama & Jeethu has still managed to picturize it an engaging manner. There is no over the top monologues on the part of the lawyer or the victim which is usually the strategy employed by movies of a similar genre. Kudos to Santhi & Jeethu for keeping it as grounded as possible without resorting to extensive cinematic elements and also for conveying the crime without resorting to graphic detail. At the same time, I felt that some of the characters were barely followed up in subsequent scenes or stuck out as sore thumbs. The climax might feel a bit far fetched though the segment showing Anaswara coming out of court & Lalettan disappearing into the crowd deserves applause. On the technical side, it was neatly done with Vishnu Shyam's BGM being worthy of special mention. 

There is no need to harp about Lalettan's acting credentials, as all of us know that he is an absolute legend at it. The issue over the past few years has been his choice of movies that barely made use of caliber. However, as Adv Vijayamohan, he finally got a role that gave him the opportunity to perform & he effortlessly showcased the vulnerabilities & insecurity through his expressions, body language & voice modulation (the last time I remember him doing that was in "Villain", though the movie wasn't great while the character profile in "Lucifer" & "Drishyam 2" where he was excellent were different). 

Equally impressive was Anaswara in a career best performance as it was not an easy role to portray. Irrespective of whichever role is given to Siddique in whichever movie it might be, he will always be excellent at it & over here as well, he was top notch. Jagadish continued to impress with his recent choice of movies while Sreedhanya & Ganesh Kumar did their parts well. At the same time, Priyamani was rather wasted while Santhi who appeared in way too many scenes than required was amateurish & at many instances, irritating as well (on a lighter note, reminded me of Rajappan refusing to give the script unless he is allowed to act in it in "Udayananu Thaaram"). 

Verdict: It was heartening to see Lalettan in a movie that gave him the scope to perform & with strong performances from Anaswara & Siddique; it is one that needs to be checked out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Dunki: "Far from Raju's best, but his combo with SRK should make it a blockbuster!!!"

Christmas is here & all the film industries have been looking to cash in on the holiday season. The biggest among them is definitely Rajkumar Hirani's "Dunki" (despite the presence of Prasant Neel's "Salaar") after all it featured his maiden collaboration with SRK. Raju's track record over the years has been enviable & King Khan has been on a roll this year with "Pathaan" & "Jawan". This has led to immense expectations & it would be interesting to see as to how much they will mint at the box office. 

Just as in most of his previous movies, Raju had penned the script with Abhijat Joshi while Kanika Dhillon has also contributed. They have touched upon the topic of illegal migration, known as 'donkey flight' or 'dunki' in Punjabi. The movie unfolds in Laltu where Hardy (Shahrukh), a soldier who had come over to return the radio of a fellow soldier, Mahinder (Suhail Zargar) who had saved his life during a mission. Over there, he gets to know that Mahinder had passed away & that the latter's sister, Manu (Taapsee Pannu) & her friends, Buggu (Vikram Kochhar) and Balli (Anil Grover) were trying to migrate to England in search of a better life. However, they neither had the means nor the required qualification to get the visa & that's when Hardy agrees to help them out by opting for 'dunki'. However, it was easier said than done. 

The template is pretty much similar to what Raju had opted for in the past whereby he conveys the main subject in a hilarious manner in the first half. Subsequently, the tone turns rather melodramatic & the victim of the core issue is shown ("Munna Bhai", "3 Idiots"), before the protagonist drives home the point in an emotional climax and a happy tail end. In the previous movies, the central point was conveyed effectively & the comedy aspect adds on to the enjoyment element; which unfortunately is not the case here (the humour does work). I dont mean to say that it had me bored, but the impact of illegal migration was way too diluted be it their journey & the sequences in England. As a result of which we barely empathise with the gravity of the situation that such immigrants go through. Another aspect that didn't quite gel was the appearance of the characters after they meet 25 years, coz I felt they looked much older than the role demanded. 

On the technical side, Pritam's music was fine though the melodies weren't quite memorable. The frames were colourful & had that 'feel good' aura to it, & interestingly quite a few had worked on the cinematography such as C K Muraleedharan, Manush Nandan, Amit Roy & Kumar Pankaj. Coming to performances, SRK has done his part well though I felt some of his emotional segments didn't come across convincingly. However, his energy and aura carries the movie despite its evident shortcomings. Taapsee has done justice to her role, however the chemistry between her & SRK wasn't so palpable. Both Vikram & Anil have done their parts well while Boman Irani was rather wasted. But the standout performer was undoubtedly Vicky Kaushal who impresses in a special appearance as Sukhi. 

Verdict:  Certainly failed to match the expectations that was expected from this dynamic duo & the primary reason for that was Raju's treatment of the subject which lacked the impact that it deserved. However, it is still an enjoyable movie & worth a watch though I do rate it as Raju's weakest movie to date!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Shesham Mike-il Fathima, Maharani, Pazhanjan Pranayam, Antony, Philip's, A Ranjith Cinema: "Reasonably ok in general!!!"

Into the last month of the year & as always there has been a steady release of movies over the past few weeks, hoping to cash in before the big banner movies take centre stage. Well the ones that I got to watch over the past few weeks were a mixed bag which was kind of a relief considering there were many in the past which were pathetic. So without further ado, read on to know about my opinion of the six Malayalam movies that I had watched recently. 

Shesham Mike-il Fathima: "Kalyani carries the movie convincingly!!!"

As has been the trend for quite a while, Manu C Kumar became yet another director to mark his debut this year. Apart from calling the shots, he has also penned the script which focused on the journey of a young Muslim girl from Malappuram who wished to become a football commentator. It was quite an interesting thought & he touched upon the various challenges that a girl would face when they try to embark on such a dream such as patriarchy, misogyny, male dominated profession etc. 

On the whole, Manu has done a fine job & does keep us entertained, though the challenges that Fathima had to go through wasn't conveyed to the audience effectively. Obviously, we are aware that it is not an easy task to break into something like the IFL; but the manner in which Fathima is shown to tackle the challenges didn't come across as authentic. Kalyani has played the role of the protagonist & though it did have shades of her 'Beepathu' from "Thallumala", she has performed her part with conviction with the energy that her character demanded. The rest of the cast included Aneesh Mohan (as her brother, Asif), Sudheesh (as her father, Muneer), both of whom did their parts well while others such as Sarasa Balussery, Femina George, Sabumon etc. were also ok. On the technical side, it was well executed be it Kiran Das's frames & Hesham Wahab's music. 

Verdict: It belongs to that group of movies that gives us a laugh & an enjoyable time over the course of its run-time which to be frank isn't so common nowadays. Obviously it does have its flaws in terms of its writing, but it is still worth a watch!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Maharani: "Felt more like maha-bore!!!"

Prior to watching this, I did think twice whether I should risk my time for it especially since the recent track record of Shine Tom & G Marthandan wasn't exactly encouraging. However, I still decided to give it a try coz of the presence of Roshan Mathew & quite a few reliable veteran artists. Among the ones that Marthandan had helmed, the only one that I actually liked was "Paavada" but since he was collaborating with Ratheesh Ravi who had penned "Ishq", I presumed their combined efforts would lead to something worthwhile. Hmm...well I was completely wrong.

Viji (Roshan) was a casanova who had multiple relationships & dumped girls as per his whim & fancy. His latest romantic interest was one from a wealthy family & being a gold-digger, he decided to pursue that. In contrast, his brother, Aji (Shine) was in a serious relationship with Kavya (Sruthy Jayan) who was from an upper caste. Since her family was unlikely to agree to their relation, they decided to elope with the help of Viji. However, they had a bigger problem in store as Viji's girlfriend Rani who in a fit of anger for being dumped went missing & the blame fell on him. 

Ratheesh has touched upon a host of subjects such as right/left wing politics, casteism etc and all of this has been narrated in the backdrop of humour. But to be frank, except for a couple of sequences; none of the rest managed to evoke even a chuckle. It felt like an outdated tale that didnt provide anything that we haven't seen in the past & at times, I was left wondering whether it was a spoof or did Marthandan actually believe that it would make us laugh. None of the technical aspects deserves mention while in terms of performances, Harisree Ashokan, Jaffer Idukki, Nisha Sarang & Johnny Antony were fine in the limited scope provided while Roshan & Shine was pretty mediocre along with most of the rest.

Verdict: Undoubtedly, one of the weakest movies that I saw this year!!!

Rating: 1/5

Pazhanjan Pranayam: "Execution had a pazhanjan feel to it!!!"

On the back of the success of "Kannur Squad", Rony David & Azees Nedumangad joined hands for another project with the talented Vincy Aloshious as the female lead. This was more than ample reason for me to check out Bineesh Kalarikkal's debut directorial venture titled "Pazhanjan Pranayam". Though the trailer didn't inspire much expectations, I still decided to give it a try because of the above mentioned reasons. The story by Kiranlal was about Mohan (Rony) who was a teacher by profession but presently on indefinite leave to take care of his father who suffered from dementia. He was in the search of an ideal life partner, but none of the proposals quite worked out because of his traditional & timid attitude. It was around this time that he sought the services of a caretaker for his father which brought in Maya (Vincy) to their lives. Incidentally, her presence brings in a positive change in his father's condition. 

In terms of the story, this is pretty much what the movie is about & had a predictability in the manner it unfolds. This isn't a flaw at all provided it an engaging screenplay which isn't the case here. Both Rony & Vincy have done justice to their roles while the rest of the cast doesnt have much to do. Bineesh touches upon topics such as societal expectations and acceptance which judges an individual harshly especially if he doesn't fit into those norms. On the technical side, Amosh Puthiyattil's cinematography & Satish Raghunathan's music were fine. 

Verdict: It was rather predictable and doesn't quite have the content to keep us engaged. However, it doesnt test our patience & hence you may give it a try if you are into such kind of flicks. 

Rating: 2/5

Antony: "Not massy as Porinju but still engages!!!"

When the veteran Joshiy announced his latest directorial venture, "Antony"; the first thing that would have struck out for most of us would have been the similarity in the cast & crew of his previous flick, "Porinju Mariyam Jose". So much so, it almost seemed as to whether it was a spin off. This time around, Rajesh Varma had penned the script for the legend & I was pretty keen to check it out since I did enjoy Rajesh's "Life of Josutty" on repeated watch when it came on TV. 

The movie unfolds with the murder of Xavier (Tini Tom) by Antony (Joju George) who subsequently goes to jail for it. However, due to lack of convincing evidence; he is let off but as fate would have it he becomes the guardian of Xavier's daughter, Ann Maria (Kalyani Priyadarshan) on the insistence of his godfather, Avaran (Vijayaraghavan) & his friend, Fr Paul Kattakayam (Chemban Vinod). As one would expect, the two were at loggerheads with each other & how this relation influence their lives is what this movie is about. 

It is essentially an emotional action drama & comes across as a decent entertainer that is worth a one time watch. The action sequences were pretty standard affair while the emotional segments were neatly done for most parts. One aspect that was not well thought of was the antagonist, as none of them had any standout moments. Joju as always was impressive in a role that is tailor made for him and his chemistry with Chemban evokes laugh. Kalyani has done a decent job though her action sequences didnt come across as convincing. The rest of the cast have done their parts aptly be it Vijayaraghavan, Nyla Usha, Asha Sharath etc. Even the crew have done justice to their craft with Renadive's frames & Jakes Bejoy's music being fine. 

Verdict: It provides what was expected of the movie with emphasis for both emotion & action. In short, a decent entertainer though it could have been a tad shorter!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Philip's: "A family drama that has both pain & the feel good elements!!!"

To be frank, I had no clue that this movie was lined up for release until I saw some articles which mentioned about Alfred Kurian's "Philip's" as being the last movie in which the late Innocent had performed. To add to that, it was Mukesh's 300th movie & not to forget that it was from the same team that had made "Helen" which I had enjoyed. These were more than ample reason for me to watch this family drama & I would have to admit that I enjoyed it. 

Philip (Mukesh) was a widower who was settled in Bangalore with his children which consisted of his son, Basil (Noble Babu Thomas) & his two daughters, Blessy (Navani Devanand) and Bitty (Quinn Vipin). Basil shared the responsibilities with his father & life moved along peacefully until an unprecedented tragedy hit them which threatened to tear the family apart. Whether they managed to tide over the crisis & if so, at what cost is what this movie is about. 

In "Helen", Mathukutty Xavier had called the shots while Alfred had penned the script for it. However, this time around they have exchanged their roles as the latter made his directorial debut. Even though it starts off as that feel good family dramas, the makers made sure that the pain and insecurities that each of the characters goes through is also captured. That is essentially what made this movie work for me as we empathise with them. The situational humour works as both Mukesh & Innocent get their moments to showcase it. Both the veterans were fine be it with humour or emotion. Quinn was fine while both Navani & Noble who had more scope for performance in terms of the emotions that they go through, had done their parts pretty well. Whenever we talk about 'feel good' flicks, we instantly know the color tone & frames that such movies comes with & Jaison Jacob has done justice to it. Another important factor for such genre is music & in the hands of Hesham Wahab, it was safe.

Verdict: An engaging family drama that makes us smile & feel the pain that the characters experience. Certainly, a befitting swansong for the veteran legend Innocent. In short, do give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

A Ranjith Cinema: "Manages to engage in the latter half!!!"

I am pretty sure that the first thing that would have made the movie catch the attention of many was the smart choice for the title. Incidentally, Nishanth Sattu's debut venture also had an interesting name "IDI: Inspector Dawood Ibrahim". But then that was the only thing that I liked in that film apart from the funny pose that Joju & Sudhi Koppa used to show, which still cracks me up. Anyway will his second movie also have a similar fate???

This time around Nishanth decided to pen the life of an aspiring film-maker, Ranjith (Asif Ali) who also worked occasionally in a prank show for a television channel. On one of such shows, the prank was on a businessman, Sunny Cherian (Saiju Kurup) & that incident turned out to be life changing for Ranjith & Sunny, to such an extent that it seemed to threaten their very existence of them & their loved ones. 

We have seem quite a few movies in the past where the focus is on the movie within a movie & Nishanth has added a psychological element to it by bringing in the 'deja vu syndrome' (kind of reminded me of Mamas's "Cinema Company"). On paper it sounded like an interesting thought, but the primary flaw over here is that it takes its own sweet time to set the stage & that undoubtedly failed to entertain the audience. It however picks up on the intrigue factor in the second half & to be frank, that did engage me. On the technical side, it was average at best while on the performance front, Asif Ali has done a decent job along with Saiju Kurup. The rest of the cast such as Anson Paul, Hannah Reji Koshy, Harisree Ashokan were ok.

Verdict: The lack of a coherent & engaging first half is likely to be its bane, despite the latter segment being reasonably good. In short, if you can sit through the initial sequences, you might end up enjoying it!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Garudan, Tholvi FC, Bandra, Vela, Falimy & Phoenix: "Interesting titles but most had content that werent half as interesting!!!"

We are almost into the last month of the year with some big banner releases lined up in different languages for Christmas. Just like in the previous months, November also saw a plethora of movies hit the screens; some of which hit the mark while the others were a test of our patience. Since I haven't had the time to pen down my opinion about some of them, I thought to club them up & present it here. So it will be interesting to see how many of these will manage to bag fat pay checks from the OTT platforms???

Garudan: "Execution wasn't as engaging as the core idea!!!"

The first major release of the month was Arun Varma's "Garudan" which had Suresh Gopi & Biju Menon take centre stage. Apart from the presence of seasoned veterans, another major reason as to why I was interested to check this out was that the script was penned by Midhun Manuel which was based on Jinesh's story. The movie unfolds with the brutal rape of a college student, Theresa Philip (Chaitanya Prakash) which left her on life support & the investigation was entrusted to DCP Harish Madhav (Suresh Gopi). Soon enough it gets proved that the perpetrator was the professor, Nishanth Kumar (Biju Menon) & he gets sentenced to jail. However, after having served his sentence, he vows to prove his innocence which in turn raised questions about Harish's integrity.

There is no doubt that the central theme was interesting but the execution of it particularly the courtroom drama sections felt quite hurried & convenient. The emotional toll that takes on Harish in the second half keeps us hooked while the same cant be said about Nishanth. This was particularly important coz the story takes a predictable route and hence such dramas were the ones which was supposed to keep the movie together. 

But does it mean it was boring? Certainly not & Arun can be proud of his directorial debut. On the technical side, it was decently done though I cant think of anyone that deserves a special mention. As for performances, both the veterans were fine though I would rate Biju Menon better while the others such as Siddique, Jagadish, Divya Pillai etc have done their parts aptly.

Verdict: A promising crime thriller on paper that was kind of predictable & had an old school treatment to it. But it still manages to keep us engaged for large parts!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Tholvi F.C: "Not a complete tholvi but still!!!"

Over the past couple of years, if there was one genre that is kind of relegated to the sidelines that it has to be comic capers. The primary reason for that is the lack of quality writers coz if it isn't handled smartly it could very well to be a test of our patience. This month witnessed George Kora attempt one in that genre with "Tholvi F.C" that he himself had penned which is essentially about a disjoint family where every member of it had failed in their respective endeavours. 

It reminded me of those goofy Hollywood underdog comedies but the issue over here is that it ended up being a mishmash of numerous sequences but they did not get interlinked seamlessly. Though the technical aspects didnt have much to talk about, the performances were pretty good be it Johny Antony, Sharaf U Dheen & Meenakshi, and that is the reason why it felt like an acceptable time pass. 

Verdict: Well nothing much to talk about except that it provides a couple of laughs!!!

Rating: 1.25/5

Bandra: "Apart from the technical aspects, hardly anything else felt worthwhile!!!"

When was the last time did Udaykrishna pen a credible story that kept us genuinely engaged? Hmm...well I dont quite recollect to be frank. So this brings us to the question as to why did I watch Arun Varma's "Bandra" & the answer to that lied in the name of the director as I did enjoy his debut venture "Ramaleela". But what Udaykrishna gave us was an inferior rehash of what we have seen in many movies in the past like "Once upon a time in Mumbai" etc.

Sakshi (Mamta Mohandas) was an aspiring film maker who in search of a possible story for her debut directorial venture decided to research into the life of yesteryear Bollywood superstar Tara Janaki (Tamannaah Bhatia) who had committed suicide at the peak of her career. As Sakshi dug into more details, it brought to life the details of Tara's lover Ala (Dileep) who was a gangster. But the more she dug into the past, it revealed many truths that the world wasn't aware about. 

The major issue in Uday's script is the lack of authenticity as we have come across whatever is conveyed in some form or the other in much better movies in the past. At more than 2.5 hours, it was a test of my patience though to Arun's credit the execution of this stale tale did have some impressive moments especially when it came to the art direction team and the stunt choreography. When it came to performances, Dileep was ok in certain sequences while Tamannaah felt like an apt choice for the character though her expressions at times weren't in sync with the emotional dialogues that was dubbed for her. The rest of the cast which was literally an army of artists such as Mamta, Kalabhavan Shajon, Dino Morea, Lenaa etc., were average at best.

Verdict: High time that Udaykrishna reinvented himself & the makers be sensible about what they want to convey to the audience rather than just put the blame on the social media!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Vela: "Syam definitely knows his vela!!!"

Along with "Bandra", another movie that hit the screens on the same weekend was Syam Sasi's "Vela" which had Shane Nigam & Sunny Wayne in the lead. This was Syam's directorial debut & along with M. Sajas they have crafted a pretty decent crime drama that keeps us hooked for most parts. Ullas Augustin (Shane) had lost his father when the latter was in police service & as a result of which, he gets a job in the control room. Among the numerous calls that he attended, he happened to come across one that had a significant impact on his personal & professional life. Apparently, it was from a father who reported that a couple of guys along with his minor son was using drugs in his premises. Ullas promptly conveyed the news to a patrol unit in the area to check into the matter. Incidentally, SI Mallikarjun (Sunny) was in charge of that patrol & the minor was deemed missing after his raid. Ullas was certain that Mallikarjun was behind it, but his efforts to prove it had him suspended. 

Sajas has penned a pretty intriguing story where the focus is on Ullas's efforts to prove the crime that Mallikarjun was believed to be involved in. The latter who wielded significant political support, quashed those efforts with disdain. Both the characters were etched well and touches upon the influence of politics, narcotics, casteism and the manner in which those factors handicapped the law and order personnel. Syam has done an admirable job in executing it quite well and manages to keep the audience engaged with his narration style. If at all there was one aspect that could have been better then I would have to say it would be the climax as that was quite predictable & lacked the impact that was expected.

Kudos to both Sunny & Shane who has done a praise worthy job especially the former who finally had a meaty role after quite a while and made full use of it. The rest of the cast have also done their parts aptly especially Sidharth Bharathan (though I felt Binu Pappan could also have been a good choice for that role). On the technical side, Suresh Rajan captured the frames quite well considering most of the sequences happens at night. 

Verdict: An engaging story that was crafted reasonably well & performed admirably by both Sunny & Shane!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Falimy: "Hey Sulochana, you are both hilarious & emotional!!!"

The list of debutants continued to grow in November as well as Nitish Sahadev made his directorial debut with "Falimy". It was quite a smart choice for the title coz it emphasises the dysfunctionality in the family who are the protagonists of this comedy drama. Along with Sanjo Joseph, Nitish touches upon each of the characters in the family & the struggles that they go through which creates tensions among them. Janardhanan (Meenaraj Palluruthy), the patriarch fed up with the constant squabbles in his family had been wishing to make a visit to Varanasi for quite a while & made attempts to embark on that journey quite a number of times. However, each time it was prevented by someone or the other, until his grandson, Anoop (Basil Joseph) who was frustrated with the numerous failed marriage proposals decides to take him with the rest of the family tagging along. The hilarious and emotional moments that unfold over the course of their journey is what this movie is about. 

It is an endearing movie that make us laugh and reflect upon the emotional baggage that each character carries, who might appear insensitive to others. It has shades of "Home" & "Jan-E-Man", and we are pretty sure as to how it would eventually pan out. But it still has a soul of its own and the manner in which humour and emotions are intertwined has an authentic feel to it rather than merely trying to squeeze in sequences to make the audience laugh. 

The technical aspects were neatly done be it Bablu Aju's cinematography, Vishnu Vijay's music and Nidhin Raj'e editing. However, it is the impressive performances from each member of the family that made it delightful. In recent times, Jagadish had the opportunity to don characters that showcased his abilities and he has never failed to deliver in such occasions which includes here as well. Manju Pillai is an artist that I have always admired for her calibre & it is heartening to see her showcase it more on the big screen nowadays. Over the past year or so, Basil's credentials as a performer has grown by leaps and bounds which is a testament to the hard work he has put in with regard to expressions and nuances that the character demanded. The rest of the family included Sandeep Pradeep as Abhi & Meenaraj Palluruthy, both of whom have done their parts well.

Verdict: Certainly one of the most endearing movies that had released this year which keeps us in good spirits thanks to its clean humour!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Phoenix: "Doesn't rise from the ashes that it created!!!"

This month also saw Midhun Manuel collaborating yet again as a writer & this time around it was with Vishnu Bharathan who was making his directorial debut with "Phoenix". Along with Bigil Balakrishnan, he had penned this romantic horror flick for which Midhun had drafted the screenplay. In terms of what they wanted to convey, it did have an intriguing element to it in the first half which set the stage for an engaging second half. But that is where the movie fizzled out as the backstory lacked the punch & consistency. 

The movie is set in the 90s & it unfolds with Advocate John (Aju Varghese) & his family, in search of a home. Being a person who preferred privacy, he eventually opted for one by the seaside. Even as they start to get accustomed to their new home, a couple of sinister events start to happen which threatened to put their lives at risk. Left with no option, John sought the help of the church but even they seemed to have no immediate solution in their hands. 

As I mentioned earlier, the back story that is narrated in the second half is the weak point of this movie. When they brought in elements of the Cholera epidemic in the 70s, it felt like it would have a significant effect but apart from a visual depiction perspective; it didnt add much. Even the lack of consistency when it came to character arcs was kind of odd be it the gruffy nature of Aju, the silent sufferer in Nilja as Daisy or Chandhunath as Freddy. It felt like they wanted to present it as a romantic tale that lived on beyond life but they failed to provide that impact due to the lack of credible stuff in the script. However, the technical aspects were pretty neat especially Alby's cinematography, the visual effects & Sam CS's BGM. Coming to performances, Aju was good along with Baby Aavni (as Mariya) while Chandhunath, Anoop Menon etc were ok.

Verdict: It certainly had the makings of an engaging horror thriller in the first half which gets watered down as it moved to the backstory!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Kaathal: "Relevant subject treated sensibly & executed excellently by the cast & crew!!!

Ever since the announcement of the Mammookka-Jeo Baby project, I have been eagerly waiting for its release just like many others. When the legend himself decided to bankroll the project, it was evident that he was in the process of creating yet another delight after all his production house has already made a reputable name for itself courtesy of his choice of movies. Most probably, most of you would be aware of the subject that is being discussed in this movie but if you aren't aware, then I would suggest to watch it as soon as possible.

The movie unfolds in Teekoy where Mathew (Mammookka) & Omana (Jyothika) had been married for about two decades, blessed with a daughter, Femi (Anagha Maya Ravi) and lives with his father, Devassy (RS Panikkar). Mathew was a retired bank manager & was also involved in politics whereby he was chosen by the party to represent them in the panchayat election. However, on the eve of submission of his nomination; Omana filed for divorce unexpectedly & the reason for it left everyone stunned. 

Jeo Baby has already earned a name for himself with the type of movies that he had crafted & "Kaathal" was no different as it adds yet another golden feather on his hat. However, unlike his previous flicks, the script has been penned by Adarsh Sukumaran & Paulson Skaria, and the duo deserves praise for handling the subject sensibly without adopting a preachy tone. Jeo's expertise came to the fore in the manner it was executed as the audience are made to feel empathetic for each and every character affected by the situation. The choice of location, people involved & how different generations handled the situation gave it an authentic feel to it. Equally impressive were the technical aspects be it Salu K Thomas's frames, Mathews Pulickan's BGM which elevated the impact in many sequences in the second half and Francie Louis's editing which maintained the tempo it required. 

What do I even say about Mammookka??? The legend continues to take on roles and movies that gives him the opportunity to perform which absolutely floors us. Incidentally, he doesn't have a lot of dialogues but he was able to express his anxiety, helplessness & indecisiveness brilliantly. As for his voice modulation in which he is obviously a master, was top notch as it will invariably gives us a lump in our throat in a couple of scenes. Jyothika also deserves praise for a fine performance with some touching scenes in the latter half though in some sequences, I felt Jomol who did the dubbing could have done a better job. Another individual that deserves the same amount of applause is Sudhi Kozhikode who gave a touching performance though his part deserved to be explored more. The rest of the cast such as RS Panikkar, Muthumani, Chinnu Chandni, Joji John, Anagha, Alex Alister etc have done complete justice to their roles. 

Verdict: Kudos to Mammookka for taking up this role & also for producing it. The legend continues to inspire with his decision to keep pushing the envelope with such varied roles. Both Jeo Baby & the script writers have done a fine job, with Jyothika and the rest backing it with credible performances. It is a slow drama & hence there might be few who might be irked by its pace but trust me, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Kasargold, Theepporri Benny, Vaathil, Chaaver, Pulimada & Otta: "Even England's abysmal WC campaign felt better!!!"

As has been the trend for quite a while,  plethora of movies releases every week with most of them disappearing even before we come to know about them. Since Onam, there were quite a few movies that I had watched but none of them seemed quite worthwhile. More often than not, I am left wondering as to whether the investors have no clue as to whether the product is worth the time of the audience. There is no point in lamenting later on when the movie tanks & putting the blame on external factors rather than the inferior quality of their movie.

Kasargold: "As a bedtime story it would have worked but not as a movie!!!"

This is Mridul Nair's second directorial venture after "B.Tech" & along with Sajimon Prabhakar, he has chosen to focus his attention on gold smuggling. It is a relevant topic considering the regularity with which such news appear on our channels. At the same time, it was important for the makers to understand that it is a subject that has been explored in quite a few movies like "Loham", "Thankam" etc. So in order to make the audience interested, they had to provide something that was distinct & intriguing. Well to be frank, they haven't been to achieve that as they also resort for the tried and tested route of showing the nexus between the politicians and the kingpins, and the fate that befalls on those who tries to double cross them. 

In terms of the content, it just didnt have the flesh to pull off as a full fledged flick & would have better off if it was shot as a short film. There is no denying that there were some elements in the movie which felt like it might come across as something unique or at least in terms of the treatment. But it wasnt to be as all the sequences are very predictable & even the technical aspects didn't have anything unique to praise about. On the performance front, Asif Ali did his part neatly, Sunny Wayne didn't come across as natural in many portions while Vinayakan's swag and attitude was fine. As for the rest of the cast, it was reasonably ok though Ratheesh Poduval was impressive.

Verdict: Reminds one of other movies that followed a similar template & fails to quite pull off what it aspired to achieve, though it did have the thread for it!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Theepporri Benny: "Hardly felt any theepporri in the story!!!"

When I started watching this flick, the first thing that caught my eye was the house where the protagonist was staying & it seemed like Biju Menon's home in "Vellimoonga". Later on, when I saw the credits; it became evident that what I felt as indeed true as Joji Thomas who is one of the directors had written the script for the former. This time around he has donned the hat of a director in the company of Rajeesh Mohan apart from penning the script along with him. To be frank, I dont think they even attempted to write a script since it felt more like one of the versions that they would have written for Jibu Jacob's venture.

Well the movie is about Benny (Arjun Ashokan) who detested his Communist father's (Chettayi: Jagadeesh) selfless helping mentality even as he struggled to make a livelihood that he aspired for. Though Chettayi tried to mend his relationship with son, the latter didn't quite warm up to it. Unlike his father, Benny decided to use politics for his own benefits & how that decision pans out is what is explored in the movie.

There are certainly some hilarious moments, but more often than not it doesn't provide anything that we haven't seen in the past & to make matters worse, it gives us a lingering feeling of it being a rehashed inferior version of "Vellimoonga". It does tries to create an identity of its own in the latter half as the general tone in the movie changes to a more melodramatic mode but it lacked the punch that would have made us buy the emotions that the directors wanted us to have. On the technical side, it was neatly done such as Ajay Francis's cinematography. Even in the performance department, Jagadeesh did his part well while Arjun Ashokan was fine and Femina George was ok. As for the rest of the cast such as Nisha Sarang, Muhammed Rafi (as Binu Mon), T.G Ravi, Shaju Sreedar (as Manthan Baby) etc did their roles aptly.

Verdict: The biggest flaw is undoubtedly the lack of an identity of its own & ends up as one of those movies that we watch, laugh a bit & forget as soon as it ends.

Rating: 1.75/5

Vaathil: "An engaging latter half, just about manage to make us not to close the vaathil on it!!!"

Unhappy martial relationships is a topic that has been explored by many film makers over the years with varying degrees of success. The latest to add to that list is Ramakanth Sarju's "Vaathil" who returns to call the shots more than a decade after his forgetful directorial debut in "Utharaswayamvaram". He has sought the help of Shamnad Shabeer is his latest venture whose has penned the script on the discord in marital harmony.

The movie begins with the focus on the strained relationship of Tani (Anu Sithara) & Denny (Vinay Forrt) who had drifted apart for quite a while. The first half movie pretty much focuses on that aspect as to what had led them to the present crisis in their lives. However, an unexpected event that involved Denny threatened to change their lives forever & whether he manages to overcome that forms the crux of the movie.

It would be fair to say that the first half failed to create much of an impact while the latter half does manage to engage coz of the tension that it palpably manages to create. At the same time, the incidents that unfold lacked the believability factor as it seemed way too convenient and easy which is literally impossible to happen. The technical aspects were handled decently and the performances by both Anu & Vinay was fine. The rest of the cast such as Krishna Shankar, Sruthy Jayan, Merin Philip were ok as well.

Verdict: Despite the lack of believability in the events of the latter half, it still manages to keep us engaged. However, as a whole; the film had significant shortcomings.

Rating: 1.75/5

Chaaver: "Technical quality can't mask the lack of a fleshed out script!!!"

The pre-release hype and anticipation that awaited Tinu Pappachan's "Chaaver" created hope that the box office will be in for some good times. Well it was kind of expected after all his previous two ventures certainly provided the belief that he would have an ace up his sleeve. However, the response from various quarters were quite mixed; to which he reacted stating that his movie was being intentionally degraded. 

Since the script was penned by Joy Mathew, I looked forward to it & the manner in which the events unfolded early on held promise. Apparently, a quotation team that included Ashokan (Chackochan), Musthafa (K.U Manoj), Asif (Sajin Gopu) & Thomas (Anuroop) were on the run after having committed a murder. Since Ashokan had sustained an injury, Musthafa sought the help of Arun (Arjun Ashokan), a medical student to help them out. However, on the instructions of the leader who had assigned them the quotation, Arun was forced to remain with them & it seemed like it was for a journey with no return.

Despite Kannur politics and the associated murders becoming the topic of discussion for the nth time in our movies, I still believed that in the hands of Joy Mathew & Tinu, we would be in for an engaging ride. It turned out to be so far away from the truth, since what Joy gives us is just an extremely generic scenario with none of the characters quite having the depth to arrest our attention. It was evident that the heavy lifting had to be done by Tinu & to be fair to him, he has done that as I felt the technical aspects were pretty notch especially Jinto George's cinematography, Nishadh Yusuf's editing & Justin George's music. 

Coming to performances, Chackochan had the looks that his character demanded; but in quite a few sequences his dialogue delivery came across as quite artificial & the same applies to Arjun Ashokan, when it came to showcasing his naivety. The rest of the gang actually did a fine job be it Manoj KU, Sajin & Anuroop while Sangita & Antony Varghese were rather wasted in roles that intended to be significant but didnt came across as such on screen. 

Verdict: There is no denying the effort that Tinu & his technical team has done; but without a credible story or fleshed out characters; there is precious little that it could accomplish.

Rating: 2/5

Pulimada: "Joju's performance makes it engaging to a certain extent!!!"

Whenever Joju George is involved in a project nowadays, it raises hope that it might have something that would make it a worthwhile watch. His latest release is A K Sajan's "Pulimada" & the manner in which the events panned out after 15 minutes into the movie, evoked similar belief. But it wasn't to be and I wouldn't put the blame for that on Joju coz he did a fine job to be frank. 

The movie unfolds in a house situated in a rocky terrain which was decked up for Vincent Scaria's (Joju) wedding. He had been a loner for quite a while after the demise of his mother since none of his earlier proposals had progressed for various reasons though one main factor could possibly be the fact that he was a patriarchal person. However, his hope for a life partner doesn't quite materialise yet again as the bride had eloped with her relative. It was a shock that he wasn't ready to accept and he goes on a rampage leading him to situations that he least expected. 

Apart from calling the shots, Sajan had penned the script as well and I would have to admit that the settings and the tone that he had set for large parts of the movie gave an intriguing feel to it. The introduction of a character like Mahishmati (Aishwarya Rajesh) raises more questions in the audience but rather than build on it; it fizzles out in the end with a rather tame climax. The technical aspects were average, however Joju deserves praise on a fine performance. The way he portrays the myriad of emotions that he goes through over the course of the night makes it engaging. Aishwarya has also given a good performance in a type of role that we havent seen her much while the rest of the cast such as Chemban Vinod, Jaffer Idukki, Johny Antony, Lijomol Jose etc., were also ok. 

Verdict: Despite quite an underwhelming conclusion, it is still worth a watch coz of Joju's performance!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Otta: "Relevant theme that lacked depth in its script & execution!!!"

Resul Pookutty, a name that needs no introduction has finally decided to try his hand in direction & came out with a movie that focused on the relevant theme of toxic parenting. His directorial debut known as "Otta" was based on S Hariharan's "Runaway Children" with Kiron Prabhakar adapting it into a cinematic version. The protagonists were Hari (Asif Ali) & Ben (Arjun Ashokan) who were kept on a tight leash by their respective father (Sathyaraj) & mother (Bhavana Ramanna). The similarity in their situations drew them together & an incident that unfolds in Ben's life makes them decide to leave their homes. 

The primary issue with this movie is that it feels like it has a lot of stuff to convey but fails to do so effectively. It drags on from situation to situation in a predictable manner that does not provide with anything that we haven't observed in the past. One of the main reason why I wanted to watch this was Indrajith's presence but he was provided with a role that barely had anything worthwhile. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention & as for performances, Indrajith was fine while Asif Ali did his part neatly. Arjun Ashokan wasn't effective & the rest of the cast were just about ok at the max, though the reason to bring in artists like Satyaraj & Bhavana and make them utter Malayalam felt rather unnecessary. 

Verdict: As the title says, the number of people in the theatres would have been otta after a couple of shows!!!

Rating: 1.25/5

Regards...Ben

Leo: "Not so bloody sweet"

The much awaited Lokesh Kanagaraj's "Leo" has finally hit the screens after the pre-release hype and expectations had touched stratospheric levels. It has already broke quite a few opening day records and looks poised to be in pole position to claim a few more enviable records. There is obviously a lot of hype when Thalapathy's movies are up for release but this time around with Lokesh & his LCU being part of the discussion, it was quite unprecedented. So the question is whether it has managed to deliver what the audience expected???

The movie unfolds in Himachal Pradesh where Parthiban (Vijay), & his wife, Satya (Trisha) is happily married and settled with their kids. Apart from being a cafe owner, he was also an animal rescuer & his expertise came to the fore as he was called in to tame a spotted hyena that had wrecked havoc in his locality. A few days after that incident, he became the talk of the town when a botched robbery attempt in his cafe ended with the gang being murdered by him. However, the court left him free of charges as he had committed the crime in self defense. But it was just the start of his troubles. 

Based on David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence", Lokesh along with Rathna Kumar & Deeraj Vaidy has definitely adapted it well to cater to the sensibilities of a Tamil action thriller. Unlike the usual Vijay flicks, which has a standard template of celebrating his stardom and making the fans swoon for it; this one has a subtle take which is more in sync with Lokesh's style. During the promotions, Lokesh was harping about not missing the first ten minutes & I would have to admit that the VFX work that as gone into the hyena was impressive (though the VFX in the car chase in the second half lacked finesse). The mood is set right in the beginning & it continues to build on it in the first half, though unlike the other LCU flicks there is more emphasis on family and emotions. With the introduction of the antagonists, the anticipation is significantly built with the belief that Lokesh will build an enthralling character arc for those characters & take the movie to the next level.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be as the movie fizzles out in the latter half with the core theme for the conflict being rather tame & hardly any homework being done to cash in on the screen presence of Sanjay Dutt and Arjun. It literally felt like the movie was directed by someone else from this point or Lokesh was forced into thinking that he needed to keep Thalapathy fans happy and hence resorted to the usual mass masala observed in the former's movies. Even the LCU angle felt added for the sake of it rather than being blended into it. In all likelihood, I doubt whether we will see Leo in an extended role in the rest of the LCU. At the same time on the technical side, it is made pretty well be it Manoj Paramahamsa's delightful visuals and colour tone, Philomin Raj's editing, Anbariv's action choreography in the first half & Anirudh's music which unlike his recent blockbusters is much more subtler but still gels well with the mood and sequences. 

It would be fair to say that I was pretty impressed with the performances as most of them have done complete justice to their roles irrespective of how their characters were written. First & foremost, it has to be Vijay who pulled off Parthibhan's character really well as he effectively conveyed the angst and anger. However, as Leo; it felt like a repeat of his usual style but still that was what the role demanded and he did it fine. Both Trisha & Gautam Menon did their roles neatly along with Mathew Thomas. Arjun had an stylish aura to him while Sanjay Dutt oscillated between being an imposing character to rather mediocre. As for the rest, Sandy Master was impressive, Madonna was a miscast as Sai Palavi would have been a better choice while Babu Antony was wasted.

Verdict: From an engaging first half which started off promisingly to being below average by the time it ended. Undoubtedly, the weakest in the LCU & Vijay's best performance in recent times. In short, it is still very much worth a watch!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Kannur Squad: "Brothers emulate their Dad as they create success with Mammookka!!!"

1989 an iconic year in Mammookka's career as it led to his maiden National award & also landed him with his fourth State award. Among the movies that made him worthy for the latter honour was Joshi's "Mahayanam" which was bank rolled by C T Rajan. Despite the critical acclaim, the movie incurred losses at the box office which put Rajan in financial crisis. However, more than three decades later his sons, Roby & Rony collaborated with the legend in "Kannur Squad" & it would be fair to say that they have a winner in their hands. 

Kannur Squad as the team was known was formed by Kannur SP Krishnalal (Vijayaraghavan) and comprised of ASI George Martin (Mammookka), CPOs Jose (Azees Nedumangad), Jayan (Rony David) & Shafi (Shabareesh). The team had already created a credible name for themselves over the years with their investigation skills and efficiency. It was at this juncture that Kasaragod SP Cholan (Kishore) requests for their help to nab the culprits behind the dacoity and murder of an affluent politician, Abdul Wahab (Manoj K U). However, due to the politically sensitive nature of the issue there was pressure to wrap up the case in ten days not to mention the tensions that brewed within the team.

Roby Varghese Raj is a relatively known cinematographer having worked in projects like "Puthiya Niyamam", "Eesho", etc.  This is his directorial debut in which he joined with his brother, Rony & Muhammed Shafi who had penned the script. As many of you would be aware, there is an actual team called 'Kannur Squad' which was formed by the former Kannur SP Sreejith & the events captured in the movie was basically two cases that they had handled. It is essentially a police procedural drama but they have been sensible enough to introduce cinematic elements to it making sure that they didn't go overboard with it. In terms of the story template, it is similar to Rajeev Ravi's "Kuttavum Shikshayum" & Vinoth's "Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru"; but still manages to have an identity of its own with its engaging screenplay. A prime example is the way that they managed to create an emotional connect with the Tata Sumo, the fifth member of the squad. Even the technical aspects were well executed be it Muhammed Rahil's cinematography, Praveen Prabhakar's editing & the exceptional sound track of Sushin Shyam which elevated the impact of many of the sequences (loved the intro track). 

The real Kannur squad

On the performance front, there is nothing much to say about the veteran legend as he was spot on with his performance & still manages to make it distinct from the innumerable police officers he portrayed in the past. Just like Mammookka had mentioned in the promotions, Azees has done an impressive job & will in all probability get more meaty roles just like how Kalabhavan Shajon's career zoomed off after "Drishyam". Among the four, Rony was the one who had more of a backstory & he has done his part aptly along with Shabareesh. Whenever Arjun Radhakrishnan has appeared in a movie, I have always found him do utmost justice to his part & over here as well, he was impressive in bringing out the menacing feel to his character. As for the rest of the cast, Kishore, Vijayaraghavan, Sarath Sabha, the North Indian constable (not sure of the name) etc. did justice to their roles. 

Verdict: Mammootty Kampany continues to be associated with quality script & "Kannur Squad" is the latest addition to it. Kudos to the legend who continues to awe us with his eye for talent as yet another director makes his entry into the industry & also for his own performances. In short, don't miss it!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

Jawan: "King Khan's swag & aura shoulders this cliched South Indian masala template!!!"

Just five days since it's release & Atlee's "Jawan" has entered the 300 C club in the domestic circuit while the world collection has gone past 500 C. It's undoubtedly validation of the star power of King Khan who took an hiatus from the industry for about four years and came back with a vengeance. After the roaring success of "Pathaan", it seems more than likely that this would also clock similar number by the end of its run. So does the content actually justify the numbers generated? Well, to be frank that it is not even a relevant question coz what matters is whether it managed to entertain the audience. In that sense, what is my opinion about SRK's juggernaut at the box office???

The movie unfolds three decades back with an unconscious injured man nursed back to health by villagers & how he became their Messiah. The story jumps to the present day, where a balded man who called himself Vikram Rathore (SRK) along with his band of girls hijacked a Mumbai metro train for a ransom of 40,000 crores in exchange for the lives of the passengers which included the daughter of Kailee Gaikwad (Vijay Sethupathi), the biggest arms dealer in the country. The negotiation was done with NSG Officer Narmada Rai (Nayanthara) & Kailee transferred the money to the gang. However, what surprised the NSG was that the money in turn was re-directed to the accounts of seven lakhs farmers to waiver their loans. So who was this Vikram Rathore & what was his motive to become a modern day Robin Hood??

For starters, I have to confess that I have not been a fan of the type of movies that Atlee had churned out with "Raja Rani" being the sole exception. When it was announced that SRK was collaborating with Atlee I was interested to know whether it would indeed be a Bollywood movie or rather SRK in a Tamil movie spoken in Hindi. Well the second statement turned out to be true as it was mish mash of numerous Tamil mass movies that we have seen in the past with elements of the story literally taken from "Bigil", "Mersal", "Thaai Naadu", "Aarambham" etc. In essence, it felt like we were watching a reel of all these movies in a single movie. Apparently, the screenplay is credited to Atlee & S.Ramanagirivasan and I seriously dont think much thought has gone into into it as it felt like they were hurrying to tell all the issues that plagued the nation and make the protagonist handle everything. But still it manages to keep us engaged for large parts & that is solely because of SRK, who just owned the screen. On the technical side, it was executed quite well be it G K Vishnu's visuals, the action choreography, VFX etc., though I would have to admit that I was a tad disappointed with Anirudh's efforts which was average at best unlike what he did in "Jailer". Another part that felt odd was the make up for Vijay Sethupathi which just didn't suit him & at times, lacked continuity. 

King Khan was fantastic as the protagonist as he had the swag and aura that the character required. The only segment that I felt rather odd was when both the avatars of SRK were on screen together whereby the younger one's performance felt rather odd. Despite the presence of Sethupathi, Nayanthara, Priyamani etc ., none of their characters were written well enough due to which except for certain scenes none of them managed to create an impression. The only exception to that was surprisingly the extended cameo of Deepika Padukone whose part had more meat to it & which she performed well. 

Verdict: Well the audience have already spoken & given their verdict. As for me, it does throw light on many issues (far too many, rather than being focused) & the breaking of the fourth screen at the end was also impactful, but it all worked solely coz of SRK. So watch it solely for King Khan's swag !!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

King of Kotha, Boss & Co & RDX: "Audience satisfaction turned out to be inversely proportional to the hype created!!!"

On the eve of Thiruvonam, we had a trio of movies hitting the screens over the weekend hoping to cash in on the holiday season. It's that time of the year where literally every Malayali tries to make the most of the festive mood, after all the time with our family makes it completely worth it. Apart from the goodies, sadya & cultural events, an inevitable part of Onam are the big banner movies and this time too, it was no different. Though all three of them came with varying degrees of hype, the satisfaction that each one gave was quite unlike that.

King of Kotha: "Screenplay lacked the punch to make it unique despite the potential!!!"

Over the past year or so, whenever the topic of "King of Kotha" came up in interview of artists who were part of the cast; all of them were profuse in their praise for the project. As a result of which, this was one of the most awaited movie of the year with Abhilash Joshiy making his directorial debut with DQ's Wayfarer Films bankrolling the project with Zee Studios bringing back memories of the successful collaboration of their fathers. The promotions were literally unprecedented by Malayalam standards & definitely generated a lot of hype, though the trailer as such didn't quite catch my fancy.

Abhilash decided to take up Abhilash Chandran's script, who had earlier penned "Porinju Mariam Jose" for the former's father. The movie unfolds in 1996 in the fictional town of Kotha where violence was a way of life as Kannan bhai (Shabeer Kallarakkal), the dreaded gangster ruled over the place with an iron fist. His narcotics empire had put the people at his mercy & CI Shahul Hassan (Prasanna), who had recently taken charge hoped to put an end to it. But it was a task that was easier said than done as the only person who could challenge Kannan was Raju (DQ) who was last seen in Kotha more than a decade back. 

It is the standard story template that we have come across in numerous movies in the past & which is still fine as long as you have an engaging screenplay. Unfortunately, that is where Abhilash had faltered as neither the characters were etched properly nor most of the sequences lacked the punch that it required. There were elements such as friends turned foes, Manju's track (Nyla Usha), elevation of Kannan etc. indicating that it had the skeletons to create an engrossing gangster saga. But it failed to do so & instead they resorted to focus on the protagonist, in which also they weren't able to do justice convincingly. Another major flaw that I felt was the dialogue which at times came across as unintentionally funny & lacked the zing that such a movie required . 

However, on the technical side; the movie has been crafted well such as Nimesh Ravi's cinematography which did have a feel of "Porinju" & his own earlier "Kurup" in terms of the lighting and colour tone. Jakes Bejoy has done a praise worthy job as his BGM was responsible for elevating many of the scenes. In addition, kudos to the action choreographers though I personally feel we are going way too far in the manner the rawness of violence is portrayed.

DQ has done a decent job though at times I felt he didn't quite radiate the menacing aura that the character required. I barely recognized Shabeer who had rocked as 'Dancing Rose' in "Sarpatta Parambarai" & over here as well, he was fine. Another artist who impressed was Shammi Thilakan while the rest of the cast such as Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nyla Usha, Prasanna & Gokul Suresh were ok. 

Verdict: The pre-release hype has worked in two ways with the movie not able to match the lofty expectations while the initial brought in significant returns. To be frank, it isn't as bad as some of the YouTube videos that I saw claimed, though it failed to elevate itself to being a unique standout among the numerous other gangster movies that we had watched!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Ramachandra Boss & Co.: "Except for some comedy, hardly anything else works!!!"

Among the other Onam releases, Haneef Adeni's latest directorial venture was expected to have an advantage as it seemed like a fun filled hilarious flick that would have the family audience flocking towards it. But without a shadow of doubt, this is the weakest among the trio as Haneef's idea of heist in the backdrop of humour came across as rather lame & unimaginative. 

There is no dearth of style as has been the hallmark of Haneef's movies as he brings in a group of individuals who were in financial crisis for a heist masterminded by the protagonist, Boss (Nivin Pauly). His aim was to steal a priceless portrait that was in the custody of Amar (Munish), a business tycoon & & how they got about that task is what this movie is about.

In a way, it kind of reminded me of Farah Khan's mediocre "Happy New Year" & this one felt inferior to that. For a heist movie, it is essential that it should have elements that would surprise us with their plans & twists. But there was hardly anything of that sort with the only saving grace being the humour and that too, fell flat more often than not. On the technical side, Vishnu Thandassery's visuals were good while the rest of the aspects were ok.

None of the characters were written well & barely had much to do. The only credible back story was given for Jaffer Idukki's character which he did neatly. Vinay Fort evoked laughs occasionally and his banter with Nivin was entertaining at times. I fail to understand as to why Nivin agree to be part of such movies that just tarnishes his brand value even further. To make matters even worse, the part of the villain essayed by Munish Sharma was the worst written part & it was a torture to say the least.

Verdict: Nivin's wait for redemption at the box office continues indefinitely!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

RDX: "As explosive as the same!!!"

When I initially heard that this movie was going to be released for Onam along with the other two, I have to admit that I was circumspect about their prospects. However, with Sophie Paul's Weekend Blockbusters bank rolling the project; that certainly had me interested in it. By the end of the movie, it was evident as to why she believed that Nahas Hidayath's celluloid creation had what it takes despite this being his debut directorial venture.

In one of the promotional interviews, Antony Varghese (Pepe) mentioned the struggles that Nahas had to go through especially since the latter's directorial debut "Aaravam" in which he had collaborated was shelved in the first schedule itself due to financial crisis. But Nahas kept on trying & came up with the script of "RDX" which was a full on action flick and indicated the three protagonists, Robert (Shane Nigam), Dony (Pepe) (who were brothers) & Xavier (Neeraj Madhav). All three of them were trained in martial arts and boxing by Xavier's father Antony (Babu Antony) and used to get regularly involved in brawls. However, certain events in their lives make them resort for a peaceful livelihood & things moved along peacefully for a few years until Dony's father, Philip was manhandled by a gang during a function. What subsequently happened was a series of events which threatened their very existence. 

On paper it seems like a pretty normal story but Adarsh Sukumaran's screenplay made sure that the events were knitted together neatly thereby making it an engaging survival drama. It reminded me of Tinu Pappachan's "Ajagajantharam" as the action sequences kept on coming which is the USP of the movie for which hats off to action choreographer duo Anbariv who has been on roll with projects like "KGF 2", "Vikram", "Sarapatta Parambarai" etc. to name a few. Equally impressive was the cinematography which was handled by Alex Pulickal while the choreography was neatly done for Sam C S's music. 

All three of the main leads have done their parts well with Neeraj Madhav's performance with the nunchaku being absolutely phenomenal. However, I would place Vishnu Agasthya a step above the rest as he just embodied the negativity that the character demanded. He has definitely made the audience sit up and notice in whichever role he has featured in recent times. Looking forward to seeing more of him as he surely has the potential & the versatility. The rest of the cast such as Babu Antony, Mahima Nambiar (kudos for her impressive action segment), Lal, Baiju, Nishanth Sagar etc. have all done their parts aptly.

Verdict: Certainly the pick among the Onam releases & should see more screens added up over the next few days. An entertaining action flick that will cater to the masses though the families are likely to stay away!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

 

Gadar 2, OMG 2 & Ghoomer: "Both sequels have set the box office on fire!!!"

Even as "Jailer" had the crowd flocking to the theatres in South India, Bollywood decided to cash in on the long weekend with sequels of "Gadar" & "OMG". Well as in most cases, both of them doesn't quite match upto the impact that its prequels had created. However, the box office numbers tells a totally different story as it has been clocking mind boggling numbers & hence it's quite evident that my opinion is quite different from many others. So why didn't the movies work for me???

Gadar 2: "Anil Sharma's movie sensibility still stuck in the past!!!"

When "Gadar" had released in 2001, I was in my second year of Medical college & over the past two decades, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. Though it was a blockbuster, I didn't enjoy it much even then & with the passage of time, the movie has also led to many trolls. So the next question naturally would be, why have I bothered to watch it? The answer to that is Sunny Deol coz it's been quite a while since we have seen him on screen with the last one being "Chup" in which I felt he did a decent job. 

The movie begins 17 years after the events in the prequel & against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) & Sakeena (Ameesha Patil) led a contented life along with their son, Utkharsh (Jeete), until Tara goes missing in action during an attack between the armies at the border. This is when Utkharsh decides to go to Pakistan to rescue his father who was believed to be in one of the high security prisons. What subsequently happens is pretty much predictable as Shaktimaan Talwar has just rehashed the prequel and followed the exact same template (the insane decibel level from Sunny, the hand pump etc)  with the only change being the characters.

There is nothing in the movie that could be termed as fresh and different as it literally felt like watching something that was more than two decades old. So much so, there were quite a few sequences that were unintentionally hilarious. However, Mithoon's music was reasonably fine while Sunny Deol gave an honest performance, to the extent that we will actually buy the fact that he is indeed capable of wrecking havoc. Ameesha was pathetic while Utkharsh, Manish Wadhwa (as Major Iqbal) & Simran Kaur (as Muskaan) were average.

Verdict: Certainly glad for the makers that it has grossed close to 400 C. But the movie just didn't work for me!!!

Rating: 1/5

OMG 2: "Still impresses with its execution laced with humour!!!"

About a decade has passed since Umesh Shukla's "OMG" had released where the exploitation of people on the basis of religion was explored. This time around, the responsibility of calling the shots was on Amit Rai who had also penned the story where the focus is on the need for sex education in schools. The protagonist this time around is Kanti Sharan (Pankaj Tripathi), an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Life moves along peacefully until his son is rusticated from school for immoral conduct. Though Kanti was hard on his son initially, it eventually dawns on him that the school authorities also need to take responsibility for not giving proper guidance to his son. So he decides to take them to court & the events that unfold is showcased in the movie. 

The need for sex education in schools is conveyed reasonably without adopting a preachy pattern. Just as in the prequel, the subject matter is conveyed with humour and that is an effective of putting the message across. The manner in which God's presence is shown to provide hints to the protagonist was also impressive as it does not resort to any showcase of divine power. The technical aspects were handled well though it does not deserve special mention.

Just like Paresh Rawal in the prequel, Pankaj has done a fine job as the protagonist as his way of presentation of dialogues and body language were all spot on. Despite a cameo, I personally felt Akki was pretty damn good in Lord Shiva's avatar & actually better than his version in the prequel. Yami Gautam was good though I felt the role demanded a much tougher character. As for the rest, Pavan Malhotra (as the Judge), Geeta Agrawal (as Kanti's wife) etc have all done their parts aptly.

Verdict: The move has been termed as a blockbuster as the cost of production was modest by normal standards. It is certainly worth a watch as it does provides a few laughs while talking about a relevant subject!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Ghoomer: "Impressive performances makes this standard template engaging!!!"

It's no secret that I love sports especially cricket & hence I have been a huge fan of sports dramas. So when one of my favourite Bollywood director, R. Balki decided to craft his latest creation in that genre; I was more than eager to check it out. The trailer looked promising & the movie also lived upto the expectations that were created. In terms of the template adopted by Balki along with Rahul Sengupta & Rishi Virmani, it is pretty much along expected lines but the former managed to keep the audience engaged.

Anina (Saiyami Kher), a promising batter has been chosen for her debut series to England, but fate had other plans as she met with an accident whereby her right hand had to be amputated. However, Padam Singh Sodhi (Abhishek Bachchan), an ex- Indian cricketer instills confidence in her that she can make it back into th.e team as a bowler. But his methods were unconventional & there was no guarantee whether their efforts will even bear fruit. In effect, it is crafted along the lines of Nagesh Kukunoor's "Iqbal"

Usually in sports dramas, the biggest issue is the authenticity with which the game is shown; but over here Balki has managed to ace that part. Kudos to his choice of Saiyami & Abhishek, both of whom were fantastic in their roles with the former's body language and skills would have convinced many that she is indeed a professional cricketer. Even the family dynamics that Balki was interesting as it featured a emotional father who constantly prayed for his daughter's success while her grandmother was a cricket buff & a Roger Federer fan who preferred to keep her emotions in check. The latter half had a 'Lagaan' vibe with 'Munna Bhai' like emotions, so I presume that will give you an idea as to what to expect. On the technical side, Amit Trivedi's music and Vishal Sinha's cinematography were good. 

As I mentioned earlier, both Saiyami & Abhishek have done utmost justice to their parts. Abhishek's dialogue delivery in certain segments reminded me of his father but still managed to own his part in his own typical style. Just as in the case of all his previous movies, Balki yet again had Big B in a cameo role which in all probability would have been cheesy & corny, but the veteran still managed to bring class to it with his baritone. As for the rest, Shabana Azmi, Angad Bedi etc did their parts aptly.

Verdict: It doesn't quite have as much authenticity that we would normally expect from Balki's movies but the cinematic liberties taken and the impressive performances makes it an enjoyable watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962, Kunjamminis Hospital, 1001 Nunakal: "Surprising twist to the expectations created!!!"

Onam is just round the corner & in the interim period there has been a number of low profile releases. Unfortunately, none of them has managed to attract attention & to be frank, it isn't the fault of the audience but rather the lack of quality in the movie that are being screened. Over the past week, I happened to watch quite a few of them & it was hard to understand as to why talented artists like Urvashi, Indrans, Indrajith etc., wanted to be associated with such mediocre stuff.

Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962: "The title was the only interesting part!!!"

Lat year saw courtroom dramas such as Ratheesh Balakrishna's "Nna Thaan Case Kodu" & Tharun Moorthy's "Saudi Velakka" gain critical acclaim for the manner it engaged the audience. Hoping to garner a similar response from the audience, Ashish Chinnappa chose the same genre and worked on the script with Prajin MP based on the story by Sanu Chandran. Without mincing words, I have to say that both of them have miserably failed to come up with anything worthwhile with the exception of a couple of sequences.

It is basically about the delay of our judicial system which takes a toll on everyone involved in the case. Over here, Mani (Indrans) had attempted to steal the water pumpset from Mrinalini's house (Urvashi), but was caught during the act. Her husband, Chandran Maash (Vijayaraghavan) decided to pursue the case as both of them being teachers believed that law should take its course. Little did they realize that the case would drag on for seven years during which time Chandran had passed away & his wife, decided to continue the legal battle.

The main factor that makes such dramas interesting are the legal arguments, evidence & the struggles that the petitioner and accused goes through. None of these are credible enough in the movie with the exception of  maybe the last point where they tried to explore the equation of Mrinalini & Mani with their respective daughters. But that was not properly fleshed out due to which it failed to create the impact that was possible. It was evident that they hoped that the sprinkling of humour would make up for the lack of an empathetic story & that also wasn't up to the mark. 

As in most movies, Urvashi has done a fine job as she balanced humour and the emotional segments with elan. Indrans & TG Ravi did their parts well also along with Nisha Sarang while Sanusha & Sagar Rajan (as Unni) were average to mediocre at times.

Verdict: Just like the seven year wait tested Mrinalini, this 139 minute directorial debut of Ashish will test the audience!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Kunjamminis Hospital: "Hmm...the producer might have to get his vitals checked!!!"

Another director who made his debut over the past week was Sanal V Devan who collaborated with the writer duo,  Abhayakumar & Anil Kurian who came up with the theme of a comic horror flick. Incidentally, both of them had penned the techno horror "Chathur Mukham" which though interesting on paper failed to impress. Over here, it is no different as they barely had no idea what they wanted to convey.

It is essentially about spirits that haunted a mansion which was being renovated into a hospital by the present owner, Riny (Nyla Usha). Apparently, it was a hospital initially before it was converted into a lodge where quite a few had died under mysterious circumstances. The challenges that Riny had to overcome to ensure that her hospital wasn't shut down forms the basis of the story. 

None of the characters failed to create an impact as the characterization was poor & even the comedy that is pushed in to make up for the lack of a credible story, failed to create genuine laughs. Despite the presence of talented artists like Prakash Raj & Indrajith, they barely had anything worthwhile to do. the only person who did have something to work with was Nyla & that didnt quite have the punch to take the story forward. There were quite a few other artists as well, but I don't think it is worth mentioning. 

Verdict: Fail to understand why artists like Prakash Raj & Indrajith want to tarnish their reputation with such mediocre projects!!!

Rating: 1/5

1001 Nunakal: "An interesting take on lies and candour in a relationship!!!"

Frankly speaking, I had no idea what to expect from this flick though there were two factors which attracted me to it. The first was the title as it reminded me of the famous 1001 Arabian Nights & secondly, it was released on Sony LIV which usually has a reputation of choosing movies that has quality. Anywaz it managed to keep me engaged over its relatively short run time of 104 minutes. 

The movie unfolds in Saudi where a residential building had caught fire due to which two families decide to take refuge in their friend's mansion, Vinay & Divya (Vishnu Agasthya & Ninin Kaassim). Incidentally, it was their 10th wedding anniversary & they arrange a party for their close friends. One among them was a lawyer (Sudheesh Scaria) who suggests that they all play a variant of the "Truth or Dare" game whereby each couple will reveal one lie that their partner wasn't aware of.  Though it initially starts off as fun, things starts to get serious as some lies seemed to threaten the very existence of their relationship. 

This is Thamar k V's debut directorial venture & he deserves praise for having done a neat job on a script that he had worked on along with Hashim Sulaiman. It follows the same template as Jeethu Joseph's "12th Man" but I felt this was much better coz of the relatability in the equations of the various couples and the scenarios that each one faces at various stages of their relationship felt realistic. Despite being set within a confined space, all the technical aspects were handled well be it Jithin Stansilaus's visuals, Neha Nair & Yakzan's music score and Yusuf's editing which maintains the right tone. Even all the artists have done their parts well.

Verdict: An neatly made movie that doesn't have much to boast about in terms of the cast & crew. However, the word of mouth should gain it audience!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben