Category: Short Takes

Posted on

Nayanthara Beyond the Fairy Tale: This Amit Krishnan documentary is a pleasant watch particularly for Nayanthara admirers

The details presented in the documentary often come across as curated, still Amit Krishnan does a fine job in exploring her rise to the top while breaking barriers along the way. What comes out strikingly through the documentary is Nayanthara’s mental strength in dealing with heavy trolling, letting the work do the talking

The number of female actresses who have done glamorous roles and have also created a strong image for themselves breaking the usual stereotypes aren’t many in number. Lady superstar Nayanthara is an exception. She has acted with many big heroes like Rajnikanth, Ajith and co but at the same time the actress has broken barriers with strong female centric films. Her market base is as strong as any big male actor. She has earned the tag of a female superstar. Even in big commercial movies like Viswasam Nayanthara’s character comes across as a strong woman.

Nayanthara Beyond the Fairy tale has been in the making for a long period finally releasing on Netflix. This 1 hour and 20 minutes documentary begins with event managers discussing with Nayanthara and Vignesh about the numerous options for their wedding venue. This includes the possibility of Tirupati. From here we go to a flashback of Nayanthara talking about her journey of 18+years. There are also Nagarjuna, Rana, Atlee etc. discussing her qualities.

The beginning portions of ‘Nayanthara Beyond the Fairy tale’ feel a bit flimsy. There is something off with the staging particularly the scenes of the event managers discussing the possible avenues of marriage. But soon the show finds its groove where the narrative shifts to her journey in showbiz.

A particular mention must be made of the part where Nayanthara talks about Ghajini. She reads out a particular sentence from the review of the movie. “An annoying and overweight, whose rolls of fat appear to be doing a Mexican wave across her waist in a song sequence. Ouch!” There is a palpable pain in the way Nayanthara talks about being body shamed and how it affected her mentally.

Right after this part the focus shifts to the bikini scene and her bold avatar in Ajith’s Billa. Director Vishnu Vardhan talks about how Nayanthara built a strong image for herself through this role. Another portion worth mentioning here is the part where Bhardwaj Rangan talks about Nayanthara’s role in the thriller/comedy Kolamaavu Kokila. Again, the importance of this role in breaking the general barriers associated with women characters and Nayanthara’s breakthrough performance makes it one of the best segments in the documentary.

Apart from the likes of Nagarjuna, Rana, Atlee and co you also have Radhika Sarathkumar, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Tammanna Bhatia etc. speaking about the relevancy of Nayanthara in breaking the notions of how a female actor’s star status is always linked to a male actor. The following statement of Parvathy Thiruvothu deserves a particular mention. Nayanthara made moves to assert herself in the movie industry at a time when “being a powerful woman was akin to witchcraft”.

The documentary would have had a larger impact if it had focused somewhat more on the ups and downs of her professional journey. Her love story with Vignesh Shivan is beautifully narrated but somewhat dominates the professional journey which the documentary needed to have more.

As already mentioned, ‘Nayanthara Beyond the Fairy Tale’ feels heavily curated on what information to give and what to hide. As a result, it lacks a wholesome quality which an actress of Nayanthara’s stature deserved.

‘

Posted on

12 Years of Alia Bhatt: From the snooty Shanaya Singhania to the sherni Satyabhama

A brief note on the twelve years of impactful characters that have resonated with audiences of different age groups. Looking forward to many more memorable acts and movies

Alia, you stormed into the viewers hearts with your abundant cuteness on October 19th, year 2012. There was little indication of the powerhouse actress who would capture the viewers hearts in the coming times. Excluding the special appearances, you have done 20 movies so far leaving a significant impact.

Through your characters you have represented different facets of a modern woman. For example, in Dear Zindagi you played an ambitious cinematographer going through a midlife crisis. The turbulent nature of Kiara and the anxieties that she goes through is something that numerous modern women can relate with. The final triumph of Kiara when she finally makes her short movie feels personal.

In Badrinath Ki Dulhania you played a small-town girl Vaidehi with dreams of being an air hostess. The persistence of Vaidehi in achieving her goal and how she doesn’t give a damn about the society’s thinking was brilliant to watch. Also, the line where Vaidehi talks about self-respect being more important than love and eventually marrying Badri only after he changes completely was well written and enacted.

Apart from representing the different facets of a modern woman your characters have also covered different societal issues. For example, Darlings was flawed yet an important movie on the topic of domestic abuse. Your character of Badru represented all the housewives who put up with their husband’s abusive behavior hoping they would change one day. How Badru undergoes a transformation taking things into her own hands was exciting to watch even though the transition was a little abrupt. Kudos to you for backing this movie as a debutant producer.

In the latest production Jigra you pushed the envelope further by playing the role of a very protective sister. The grey shades along with emotional intensity of Satyabhama aka Satya was a treat to watch. Apart from the prison break aspect Jigra also talked about the delayed justice system that force innocent prisoners to take things into their own hands. How sometimes anarchy is the best solution to fight against the system came out wonderfully in the brilliantly shot prison riot. After Darlings and the Malayalam web series Poacher you once again showed your penchant for backing up interesting subjects.

This short note wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the national award-winning turn in Gangubai. In Gangubai your character Ganga aka Gangu represents those girls duped by their lovers and have no option other than to become a sex worker. Your empathetic act represented all those sex workers who like us are also humans with normal feelings and desires.

Posted on

Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl): Slow paced but a powerful take on silent rebellion

Anna Ben is mostly silent but wonderfully conveys defiance through her body language. Soori as the volatile Pandi shows once again his versatility. In spite of a hoarse voice, he instils terror. But the ending gives the impression of having watched an incomplete movie.

Recently I watched a movie called Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl) on Amazon Prime. The movie fits the genre of a slow burn. Director PS Vinothraj takes his own sweet time in establishing the narrative. The beginning scenes are ambiguous in nature bordering on tediousness. It can be called as a test of patience particularly for those who prefer fast paced narratives. But soon the movie starts to draw the viewers in, eventually turning out to be a powerful tale. The title of the movie perfectly goes with the main theme.

The story focuses primarily on Anna Ben’s Meena and Soori’s Pandi. We are told that they are soon going to get married. But now Meena is apparently possessed by a dangerous spirit. So, the families of both Meena and Pandi take her to a local goddess and then to Seer who cures people of ghosts. What happens in this journey forms the core plot line of Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl).

Through this movie PS Vinothraj has subtly explored the dynamics of caste, patriarchy and tradition. He expertly conveys the defiance of Meena with just visual metaphors. For example, there is a scene where the men had to carry the auto rickshaw on their shoulders while Meena is still inside. Meena refusing to get out can be interpreted as her way of rebelling.

Similarly, a hugely volatile scene takes place when Meena quietly hums a song ‘Othyadi Padhaiyila’, that plays in the background of a puberty ceremony. Pandi goes into a complete frenzy as it reminds him of her lover. He gets very angry thrashing people around, but Meena continues to maintain her stoic expression. She is unperturbed. It’s like I don’t give a damn.

Lastly there is also a rooster playing an important role. In one of the initial scenes the rooster is tied to a stone. It manages to escape for a moment only to be caught again. This rooster mirrors Meena’s journey in interesting ways.

The cinematography of B Shaktivel perfectly captures the rustic surroundings adding to the immersive experience. The film has no songs, but the viewers don’t feel the need for any music. The only background music is the engine sound of auto rickshaw.

It goes without saying that both Anna Ben and Soori are topnotch. The character of Meena has very few dialogues, her emotions mostly conveyed through body language. Anna does a terrific job in conveying the myriad emotions with just her eyes. Soori on the other hand instills terror making the viewers scared whenever he appears on the screen. After Vetrimaaran’s Viduthalai Part 1 this is another movie which showcases the Soori (mostly known for comedy) in a drastically different avatar. He is particularly good in the angry outburst.

The ending of this movie needed cohesiveness. Viewers don’t understand whether Pandi has changed. We see a little portion of him introspecting, but the film ends on a very abrupt note. Nevertheless, kudos to actor Sivakarthikeyan for backing this up.

Posted on

Revisiting the gripping psychological horror thriller Tumbbad

Some of my thoughts on what makes Tumbbad special upon its re- release

Much before the Maddock horror universe (Stree 1 &2 along with Munjya) there was Rahi Anil Barve’s Tumbbad, the movie was a gripping morality tale under the guise of a horror/thriller. What made Tumbbad stand out was the director’s portrayal of human greed, the movie portrayed how greed can turn ordinary human beings into monsters. Through this film Rahi Anil Barve showed how these types of men are more dangerous than a cursed supernatural entity.

The movie begins off with a CGI generated sequences giving an insight into the destruction that greed can cause. Tumbbad is an actual village in Maharashtra. The cursed village forms the fabric of this horror tale. The movie is set in the latter half of British Raj adding an interesting layer. In the first ten minutes we are introduced to a woman who looks more like a zombie than a living human being. We see this woman tied up in a remote house. She is mostly seen sleeping and has to be fed period periodically otherwise the situation will become dangerous. One night the duty of feeding falls upon a young boy Vinayak Rao (An excellent Sohum Shah plays the older version). The mother has taken the injured younger brother to a hospital. That particular night becomes an extremely dangerous rite of passage. That very night the younger brother dies. The mother along with Vinayak Rao leave the place, she takes a promise from him that he would never come back to Tumbbad. But Vinayak Rao has made up his mind on hunting for the ancestral treasure. This treasure is guarded by the first-born son of earth goddess and obviously he isn’t going to part with the treasure so easily. This is the story in brief.

There is a famous quote of Mahatma Gandhi on how the world has enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed. This quote perfectly the storyline of Tumbbad. A strong aspect of Tumbbad is the characterization of Vinayak Rao. Vinyak Rao’s obsession of unearthing the ancient treasure is not just about getting the gold but it is also about establishing his manhood. This later also seeps into the son played by Mohmaad Samad. Vinayak Rao is very much aware of his frailties but cannot overcome it. Through his character the director has also covered Brahmin patriarchy, the oppression of women along with greed.

One of the recurring motifs in Tumbbad is use of wheat. When Vinayak Rao first learns of his family secret he is completely covered with wheat flour. Later he uses a wheat flour to tempt a god, the wife is seen running a flour mill in his absence and even in the end the flour leads to the final deciding chapter. One way of interpreting this is that hunger makes human beings do things that they don’t normally do.

The movie is divided into three chapters spanning around thirty years. Rahi Anil Barve along with the story writer Narayan Dharap gave an insight into how upper-class Indian Men paved the way for feudalism and imperialism to thrive. The movie ends with the beginning of capitalism. It subtly hints on how the same social structure continues but with fresh intermediaries. All this makes Tumbbad relevant even now.

Of course, Tumbbad does have its share of flaws too. The middle portions do drag somewhat, also the track of Vinayak Rao and the mistress doesn’t organically jell, the mixture of Marathi and Hindi is also hard to follow but still there so much to like. Sohum Shah who is also one of the movie’s producers was truly brilliant in showcasing the various nuances of Vinayak Rao. He played the cold-blooded opportunist in a fantastic manner. Particularly admirable was his use of body language. Complementing him perfectly is the technical department. Pankaj Kumar captured the wide landscape of Tumbbad admirably sucking the viewers in, Nithin Zihani Choudhary and Rakesh Yadav’s production design also made the movie an immersive experience.

Posted on

Enola Holmes 1: A worthy successor to Sherlock Holmes

Millie Bobby Brown plays the determined sister with the right mix of feistiness and oodles of charm. Director Harry Bradbeer is successful in setting up an origin story with themes of feminism

Recently I have seen a film called Enola Holmes streaming on Netflix it is the first one in the series of movies focusing on a fictional sister to an already fictional detective. The movie is based on the book The Enola Holmes Mysteries: The case of missing Marquess by Nancy Springer. Millie Bobby Brown plays the central character. Like her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavil) she is extremely intelligent. The mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) gives her daughter a rather unusual upbringing given the times the film is set in. Through the movie Enola turns out to be an equal firebrand to her already feisty mother. Enola knows many things like deciphering messages that have been written in a secret code along with a Japanese marital art called Jujustu among others. The broad storyline of Enola Holmes 1 is about a young woman becoming a detective to find her missing mother, in the process of finding mother she comes other mysteries too.

The best part of Enola Holmes part 1 is the characterization of the central character coupled with Millie Bobby Brown’s charismatic performance. Throughout the movie she gives a running commentary on what Enola is going through. This could have been irritating in the hands of a mediocre actor, but the dialogues coupled with Millie Bobby Brown’s charm keeps the viewers engaged.

The various disguises of Enola are also charming to watch, often times she dresses up in men’s clothes. This feels like a running gag but at the same time there is a deeper symbolism too. For Enola dressing up in a man’s dress gives her a greater sense of freedom. It allows her to do what she wants without being discovered. How Enola navigates the 19th century patriarchy influenced by her mother is wonderful to watch.

The movie also benefits immensely from the recreation of Victorian England. The CGI coupled with the costume department is absolutely spot on. There is a historical context to the events happening in Enola Holmes. Like a decisive vote over a reform bill.

The different equations of Enola with the brothers also gives the movie some of its best moments. For example, Cavil’s Sherlock is seen mostly cold, but every time Enola outsmarts him there is also a palpable happiness. Apart from Millie Bobby Brown Helena Bonham Carter is also a treat to watch as the revolutionary mother Eudoria.

Posted on

Angry Young Men (docu series): Rides high on nostalgia but low on professional insights

Ironically for a duo known for their powerful screenplays Namrata Rao’s narration is quite lackluster

August 21, 2024

The duo of Salim- Javed have revolutionized mainstream Hindi Cinema with the likes of Sholay, Deewar, Zanjeer and Don among others. The plots are simple but their ability in capturing the angst of the common man and representing the anger through their writings have made the movies hugely memorable. The docu series of Angry Young men streaming on Amazon Prime is a series of interviews that merge the professional and personal lives of this powerhouse duo. Except for one tiny shot in the final episode both Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan aren’t seen together.

As mentioned in the headline Angry Young Men rides high on nostalgia. A lot of discussion is centered around Sholay, Zanjeer and Deewar. These parts of the documentary needed some serious editing. Nothing new emerges about these movies particularly for hard core movie buffs. However, there is one interesting bit where Javed Akhtar talks about the popularity of Gabbar Singh played by Amjad Khan. Although Sholay had many stars Amjad Khan was the actor who made the biggest impact as a merciless dacoit with no backstory.

One reason Javed Akhtar gives for Gabbar Singh’s popularity is the lack of moral compass. The viewers found it fresh to see an unapologetically bad villain. The centrality of mother figures in their movies also offers interesting anecdotes. Both of them lost their respective mothers at a young age. The female characters of Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan has also been touched upon. Except for Seeta Aur Geeta the writers had never written female oriented movies but still most of their heroines had substantial roles. Lastly it is also great to hear from the master director Shyam Benegal dissecting their popularity. He talks about how the 70’s needed a hero who would clean up the system on behalf of people and the likes of Zanjeer perfectly tapped into this.

One major problem with the Angry Young Men docu series is the overdose of stars. From Kareena Kapoor Khan, Abhishek Bachchan to Karan Johar the frames are filled with way too many people. Half of them don’t add much significance and this includes Amitabh Bachchan too. Amitabh Bachchan owes a lot of his stardom to them but that doesn’t come through. Lastly their writing process has been hardly explored, there is one mention of Salim Khan coming up with the storylines and Javed Akhtar doing the dialogue writing, but even that is superficial.

Posted on

Modern Masters SS Rajamouli: Self adulatory in nature, still an engaging watch

The insights of V Vijayendra Prasad, MM Keeravani, Rama Rajamouli etc. give the documentary some of its best moments

Modern Masters directed by Raghav Khanna and Tanvi Ajinkya is an absolute treat for the fans of the celebrated director. Right from the beginning it is clear that both of them are in awe of SS Rajamouli and how the documentary has been designed as a tribute. Just like his on-screen heroes the tonality is that of reverence and awe. This method does come with its drawbacks as there isn’t much of a critical analysis however there is never a dull moment

A strong aspect of Modern Masters is the narration of the family members. Through the various anecdotes the viewers understand the passionate nature of Rajamouli and his eccentricities while filming a movie. The documentary also successfully sheds light on Rajamouli’s modest beginnings. Seeing the struggles of his father and how that influenced the creative choices.

Although Rajamouli’s debut movie Student No 1 was a commercial success it is very clear that Rajamouli looks at Simhadri as his breakthrough movie. It was Simhadri that set the tone for Rajamouli’s future films. There is also an intriguing insight given by MM Keeravani about the use of a Tamil rustic song to showcase the transformation of Junior NTR. The producers weren’t very sure about its placement, but he was very clear about audiences enjoying it which turned out to be true. The courtship of SS Rajamouli and how he convinced Rama for marriage is charming. Just like his movies here too his persistent nature comes forth strikingly.

The anecdotes regarding the Baahubali films are also engaging. Initially the movie had a slow start with the talk being not so positive. One of the producers Shobu Yarlagadda went into a panic mode and there was major anxiety about Baahubali 2’s future however things changed with the movie growing on the audiences and eventually becoming a blockbuster. Karan Johar is the only one from the Hindi fraternity to appear in the documentary. The movie could have done with few more Hindi and Telugu personalities, keeping that aside Karan Johar makes an interesting analogy by comparing Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay with this. Upon its release Sholay also had a slow start with many people dismissing it but subsequently the film made a major splash and has now become a commercial benchmark.

Prominent film Journalist and reviewer Anupama Chopra is also a part of this documentary. She asks questions regarding the criticism of Bahubali and RRR being sexist and casteist. The answers aren’t completely satisfactory nevertheless there is an interesting bit where he talks about being an atheist while still being a believer of Sanatana dharma. According to him a person can be both. Talking about the controversial love scene in Bahubali 1 he says that Tamannaah’s Avanthika is much more than just a hard warrior, adding that there is also a woman looking for love beneath the tough exterior.

Rajamouli’s creation of strong villains particularly Rana Daggubati’s Bhallaladeva and how he likes Ravana more than Rama adds an interesting dimension to the documentary. To sum it up Modern Masters could have done with more depth particularly the questions about Bahubali and RRR, still it is entertaining enough.

Posted on

Paradise: A gripping insight into Srilanka’s economic crisis coupled with Ramayana and patriarchy

Recently I have seen a movie called Paradise streaming on Amazon Prime directed by Prasanna Vithanage. The film is set during the period of Srilanka’s economic crisis (2022). Paradise begins like one of those Mani Ratnam ones along the lines of Bombay or Roja but soon switches gears moving into an entirely different territory. Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran play a married couple, they are in Srilanka to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary fully aware of the political turmoil. They chose this place as they thought it would be less expensive.

The place of their home stay fits the title of Paradise perfectly given the coziness of their surroundings. Initially the viewers are given the impression of them being the perfect couple however a theft changes everything. Cell phones and laptops have been stolen. Roshan Mathew’s Keshav is terribly upset understandably too as the laptop contained all the material of his new project. He files a police complaint and also threatens Seargent Bandara (Mahendra Perera) that he would report to the Indian High Commissioner if the thieves aren’t caught along with getting back the stolen items. The police bring in the possible suspects acting very fast, but this only adds fuel to the already volatile situation in that area. Everything goes out of control for both the police and the couple. This is the story in brief.

Through the runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes Prasanna Vithanage touches upon some important aspects without big speeches. For example, he makes viewers understand the socio-political happenings of Srilanka through dialogues about shortage of essential items along with the conversations of the supporting characters like Shyam Fernando who plays the tour guide. The movie also makes a strong statement on police brutality without any explicit scenes. In the movie some poor workers are accused of theft leading to severe beatings. One of them die in police custody.

Finally, the director also talks about how tourists should be more sensitive to the socio-political environment of the country they are in. The initial frustration of Keshav is definitely understandable but at some point, realization should have been there about how he is putting the lives of both himself and the wife at stake. Keshav shouldn’t have let himself get carried away in the wave of arrogance. Although Darshana Rajendran’s Amritha is more sensitive than Keshav she should have been firmer in making the husband understand what he is doing isn’t right.

Performances wise both Roshan Mathew and Darshana do justice to their respective parts. Darshana adds a lot of vibrancy with her charming nature. Sure, there are times where Amritha’s empathetic nature just seems to be an add on to compensate for Keshav’s insensitive behavior. However, Darshana does do a wonderful job as the movie’s conscience. Roshan Mathew also does a splendid job in portraying the desperation of Keshav particularly the mood swings. Keshav is someone who gives the impression of being all powerful when he is actually just another visitor, and the actor does a swell job in bringing out that. Throughs his lens cinematographer Rajeev Ravi expertly captures both the vibrant landscape and the looming dread.

Posted on

Me Before You: A must read for those who like intense love stories

Jojo Moye’s novel shares more than one similarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish but it is hard to say who was influenced by whom given that the movie came first.

The central subject of Jojo Moyes novel for those who haven’t read is Euthanasia, a person deliberately wanting to end his life with the permission of the law. This happens when an individual is no longer able to bear the suffering from a disease that cannot be cured. What makes the book more than just a love story is how the writer has given an insight into the condition of Quadriplegia (a form of paralysis that affects all four limbs) Yes, the ending of the book is definitely debatable much like the movie Guzaarish. Both the book and movie do seem to suggest that those suffering from Quadriplegia have no other alternative than ending their own life. However, there is no denying that Me Before You is an emotional roller coaster

The storyline of Me Before You is about the journey of two polar opposites. On one hand you have Lousia Clark a common girl leading a normal life. She hasn’t seen much of a life beyond her tiny village. On the other hand, there is Will Traynor a rich guy who once led a very active life. He had travelled worldwide and participated in extreme sports. An accident leads to him being wheelchair bound for life. In a twist of events Lousia becomes a caretaker of Will Traynor and from here begins a roller coaster of a journey.

A strong aspect of the book for me was the gradual progress in the relationship between Lousia and Will. In the beginning Will is mostly cranky with Lousia which isn’t surprising given that his once active life has gone for a toss, however as the story progresses the readers get to see a different side of Will too. The light repartee and the way he teases her are fun to read. Both of them have an influence on each other with Lousia learning self-love, Will meanwhile learns to enjoy life’s little moments. While entertaining the readers Jojo Moyes has also a done good in addressing some heavy topics, for instance the discrimination faced by disabled individuals and quality of life among others.

Posted on

Cuckhold: A gripping novel that makes the viewers empathize with Bhoj Raj

Bhojraj Singh Sisodia is best known for being the husband of a reputed poet saint Meerabai, not much information is there about him other than being Meerabai’s husband. Kiran Nagarkar’s cuckhold is a biography of this man set against the backdrop of India in 1600’s.

It is hard to say how much of Kiran Nagarkar’s writing is fiction and how much reality is there. Keeping aside this aspect there is no denying that the writer has given a wholesome perspective of the ruler. The readers come to know about the different qualities of Bhojraj Singh Sisodia. For example, a courageous warrior and also someone who came up with distinctive schemes.

Kiran Nagarkar is successful in transporting the viewers to those times. The description of the war strategies and the ways of gathering information about the enemies’ position is very engaging. What also adds to the book are the numerous philosophical talks which represent the king’s thought process.

The internal battles of Bhojraj and his feeling of bewilderment with lord Krishna being his rival has also been written well. The readers can feel the various emotions that he goes through. Cuckhold is a long book, over 600 pages but for those who like elongated historical fiction it is a must read.