The T20 WC has come to an end while the Euros & Copa America have reached the business end of the tournament. So much so, that even though I did happen to watch some interesting sci-fi themed movies over the past couple of weeks, I didn't quite find the time to pen my opinion as to why I liked them. These include Nag Ashwin's "Kalki 2898 AD" & Arun Chandu's "Gaganachari". Whenever our Indian movies have ventured into sci-fi, more often than not; it came across as half baked & lacked convincibility. So what made these two flicks work for me???
Kalki 2898 AD: "Visually inspired from many others though creatively it had a soul of its own!!!"
One of the most awaited movie of the year was undoubtedly this flick & to be honest, I didn't have much expectations primarily because of the way majority of Prabhas's movies have shaped up after the "Baahubali" series. To do that, even the trailer looked like it was inspired from a plethora of Hollywood flicks. The only aspect that kept me interested was the stellar star cast which included Big B & Kamal Haasan and that the story was a mix of mythology and sci-fi.
Based on the script by Ashwin in collaboration with Rutham Samar, Sai Madhav Burra & Sarawagna Kumar, the story is set in the post-apocalyptic world in 2898 AD and it is about the protection of the mother of Lord Vishnu's next avatar, Kalki in Kali Yuga. The movie unfolds in the aftermath of the Kurukshetra War where Aswathama (Big B) tries to kill Uttara's unborn son, the heir apparent to the Pandavas; with Brahmastra, to avenge their loss. However, Krishna intervenes to prevent the mishap & curses Ashwathama to roam the land until redemption comes with him taking the role of a protector for Kalki's arrival.
This the second directorial venture that I had watched of Ashwin after "Mahanati" which I had also liked. Kudos to the manner in which he has seamlessly blended mythology with sci-fi and will undoubtedly go down as one of the the finest ever VFX/CGI Indian movie. There is no doubt that it was visually inspired from numerous movies like "Guardians of the Galaxy", "Dune", "Star Wars", "Mad Max", "Justice League", "Man of Steel" etc, the list goes on & on. Thankfully it was not just a blatant mediocre rip off but rather handled with finesse that acted as add-ons to a proper story that was engaging & awe evoking. That doesn't mean that it was all hale & hearty, as the first half had significant chunks that just beats around the bush for quite a while before it gets into the proceedings.
Kudos to the vision of Ashwin that went into the world building of Kurukshetra, Complex, Shambala etc & hats off to the dedication of the technical team which was top notch to say the least. Each & every visual aspect was done exceptionally well be it the VFX-CGI & the cinematography by Djordje Stojiljkovic. However, Santhosh Narayanan's music failed to leave a lasting impact though the BGM was impressive.
It might have been understandably marketed as a Prabhas movie but the one who steals the show is Big B. The legend was absolutely brilliant in all facets of the performance including action which was impressive considering he is 81. Another bonafide legend who made his presence felt was Kamal Haasan in a brief appearance who will take centre stage in the sequel. After numerous lack lustered performance since "Baahubali"(though I did like him in "Salaar"), Prabhas is back with a bang as Ashwin knew how to utilize his star power. Deepika puts on a praise worthy show along with Shobhana & Anna Ben (wish she had a longer role), Keerthy Suresh makes a mark with her voice as 'Bujji'. though not sure why Disha Patani was even there. There were a plethora of cameos, most of which failed to hit the mark barring one.
Verdict: It has already grossed a 1000 C at the box office which might not essentially translate into huge profits for Vyjayanthi Movies considering the production cost was in the range of 600C. Anyway kudos to Ashwin for a well crafted movie & sets the stage for an eagerly awaited sequel!!!
Rating: 3.5/5
Gaganachari: "Mockumentary that makes all the right noises!!!"
I still remember the first time I saw its poster as it had caught my eye due to its uniqueness. However, later on I forgot about it until there was news of it making news at various film festivals. This included the honour of being adjudged the best movie at the Art Blocks International Film Festival held at Copenhagen.
This is Arun Chandu's third directorial venture & this time around as mentioned earlier has opted for a sci-fi subject that he had penned with Siva Sai. They have placed the story in a dystopian Kerala in 2043 where the planet had ceased to exist in the manner that we know. Victor Vasudevan ( ganesh Kumar) was an ex-military officer that was part of the team that had taken on the aliens when they first came to the planet. Presently, he led a peaceful retired life in a secluded building along with his nephew, Alan (Gokul Suresh) & helper, Vaibhav (Aju Varghese). Things take a turn when Vaibhav unknowingly brings home a female alien (Anarkali Marikkar) & how they manage the situation before it goes out of control is what this movie is about.
Kudos to both Arun & Siva for pulling this off as it was no easy feat considering they had a minimalistic budget & yet had to convincingly convey to the audience about the sci-fi aspect whenever it was shown. They have intelligently focused their energies on the content which was both witty and quirky in equal measure. As per Arun, the inspiration behind it is Taika Waititi's "What We Do In The Shadows" whereby they made a concoction of Malayalam pop culture references with a liberal sprinkling of the socio-political climate, all of which provide ample moments of humour. The contribution of the technical team has to be really appreciated be it Surjith Pai's visuals, Shankar Sharma's score & Aravind Manmadhan's editing. Their work ensured that Arun's vision was executed in the best manner possible.
The only time that I could possibly remember when Ganesh genuinely made me to laugh must be in "Manichitrathazhu" (there might be others that I cant recollect). As Victor, he was top notch & handled the humour proficiently, which I believe is undoubtedly one of his best career performances. Another person who surprised me was Gokul as he showed his capability to handle humour. At times, he did tend to go overboard but in the context of his character, I felt it was fine. Aju gives a fine performance along with Anarkali & kudos to Mallika Sukumaran's vocal presence which was a master stroke by Arun.
Verdict: It is definitely an engaging watch that keeps us in good spirits for most parts. Anyway with the makers have already announced their intention to make another flick in the same genre, "Maniyan Chittappan" with Suresh Gopi in the lead (an easter egg related to the same is shown in the movie); it could possibly herald the beginning of sensible sci-fi flicks from our industry. In short, do check it out!!!
Rating: 3.25/5
Regards...Ben
No comments:
Post a Comment