Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty: Another winner from Kavita Kane

The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty book banner

This Kavita Kane’s novel is a must read for those who like reinterpretation of mythological characters. Like her previous ones here too the author has chosen a neglected female character, this time Satyavati

Starting from The Karna’s Wife: The Outcast Queen in 2013 Kavit Kane has written eight books so far. She has made a significant place herself by reinterpreting epics from the perspective of women who have been mostly neglected, case in point being Ravana’s sister Surpankha. As far as I know no other work has come on Surpankha keeping her as the main protagonist. Same applies to Menaka Apsara. Of course, like other writers who reinterpret epics Kavita Kane is also famous for adding her imagination like in the case of her first one. Nevertheless, she has engaged the viewers thoroughly with her writings.

Starting from Karna’s wife Kavita Kane has written eight books so far

As far I know no one else has written a book with Surpankha as the main protagonist

Coming to The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty the story traces the journey off Satyavati, from toiling away as a fisherwoman to becoming the wife of Shantanu. For those who don’t know Satyavati was the stepmother of Bhisma Pitamah. The story focuses on her ambitious nature and how her actions lead to a complex chain of events.

The characterization of Satyavati is in a way similar to Surpankha. Both the woman aren’t very likeable in terms of their actions but the readers don’t hate them completely either because of the psychological insight.

There is no denying that Satyavati is shrewd and cunning. In the process of securing the throne both for herself and the sons many lives are destroyed. However, beneath the shrewd demeanor there is also a broken woman. Due to the hardships faced from childhood she firmly believes that only power will get her respect. In order to maintain that power she keeps on making mistakes.

The equation between Bhisma and Satyavati also keeps the readers hooked. Bhism is the only person that Satyavati thrusts wholeheartedly, she constantly seeks him out. There are also hints of her having more than motherly affection when she gets jealous of Amba. There is an underlying animosity in the way Bhisma taunts Satyavati on certain occasions, but you also seen him admiring her inner strength.

Although The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty is primarily about Satyavati and Bhisma other characters also have their moments. Particularly mention must be of Amba a woman who desperately wants to marry Bhisma.

Overall, The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty is a wonderful exploration of Mahabharata from Satyavati’s perspective. As far as I know in simple English no other book has come on Satyavati as the main protagonist. Of course, the debate on what part of the book is imagination and how much is taken from the original text is never ending. But for those who like a mixture of both this is a must read.

Posted on

Thangalaan: Pa Ranjith’s movie feels like an arthouse subject force fitted into a pan India cinema

Pa Ranjith continues his repertoire of politically charged storytelling, but overdose of magic realism coupled with many symbolisms make it a very tedious watch

  • Starcast: Vikram, Parvathy Thirovuthu, Malavika Mohanan, Pasupathy, Daniel Caltagorine and others
  • Direction story and screenplay: Pa Ranjith
  • Additional screenplay and story: Azhagiya Periyavan and Tamil Prabha
  • Music: GV Prakash Kumar
  • Production Companies: Studio Green and Neelam Productions
  • Running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Pa Ranjith’s Thangalaan feels like a prequel to Prashant Neel’s massive hits KGF 1 and 2. Through this movie Pa Ranjith has showcased the origin of gold mining in the Kolar Gold Fields. Pa Ranjith is known for depicting socially relevant issues using big stars as a medium – case in point are the two movies made with Rajnikanth Kabali and Kaala. The latter in particular was an impactful movie. In this film too Pa Ranjith talks about the lower caste people deprived of their lands first by the landlords and then by the British who promise to give them dignity. Thangalaan would have been a good addition to Pa Ranjith’s repertoire if he had struck to the core plot, but unnecessary addition of magic realism coupled with a confusing screenplay make it an extremely boring movie. The film has its moments like the scene where the women wear blouses for the first time. Malavika Mohanan springs a pleasant surprise with her intense portrayal of a warrior woman, Parvathy Thirovuthu as Gangamma also delivers a praiseworthy act, but these aren’t enough to save this overstuffed movie.

Malavika Mohanan springs a very pleasant surprise

The story of Thangalaan focuses on a tribe of people making a living from agriculture. Vikram plays the central character. Thangalaan is haunted by certain visions of a warrior goddess Aarthi (Malavika Mohanan). Parvathy plays Thangalaan’s wife Gangamma. Pasupathy is another key member of the tribe. His role has a major aspiration of reaching Vaikuntam through Ramanuja’s teachings. His character is often used for generating humor. Things take an interesting turn when an Englishman Lord Clement (Daniel Caltagorine) asks the villagers to help him in locating the gold mines. Thangalaan firmly believes that gold will bring a positive transformation in their lives. Additionally, Lord Clement also promises a share in the gold along with a better standard of living, Thangalaan foolishly believes this. Locating the gold is easier said than done as a warrior woman was supposed to protect the area. This is the story in brief.

The positives in Thangalaan can be counted on the tip of one’s fingers. Malavika Mohanan as Aarthi is definitely one of them. Malavika is mostly known for her hot image but here the actress sheds all vanity getting into the skin of the role. There is a palpable anger in her eyes. Throughout the movie Aarthi makes more sense than the central character. Along with anger a certain concern is also there for Thangalaan. She constantly reminds him that he is not doing right. Malavika does an extremely good job in portraying these facets. Parvathy Thirovuthu is the feisty wife who doesn’t back down from confronting her husband when needed. Parvathy’s acting skills doesn’t need any specific introduction and here too she makes the viewers feel the emotional turmoil of Gangamma.

Parvathy as the feisty wife

One of the few memorable scenes in Thangalaan is the scene where the women wear blouses for the first time. There is a certain wonder in their eyes that is fun to watch. The song and dance sequence that follows makes for a good moment, a much-needed relief from the heavy bloodshed.

A major issue with Thangalaan is the characterization of Vikram. As an actor Vikram gave his usual hundred percent, but the characterization lets Vikram down. Thangalaan’s belief in Lord Clement having genuine empathy towards them feels terribly misplaced. He becomes the major reason for the tribe’s suffering, putting their life at stake ignoring Aarthi’s warnings. It is hard to think of Thangalaan as a leader, more so when he doesn’t listen to his own kin in spite of people dying around him. This sketchy characterization hampers the movie in a major way. The best example of this is the pre- climax where Thangalaan finally shows repentance but by then the damage has already been done.

As an actor Vikram gives his usual hundred percent

Thangalaan also suffers from way too much abstractness. There is a constant crosscut between Thangalaan’s visions of his ancestors and the present day. This juggling act adds to the viewers impatience. It becomes hard to follow the storyline because of it. Additionally, GV Prakash’s background music threatens to break audience’s ears. It is too loud and jarring.

To sum it up Thangalaan is Pa Ranjith’s Raavan (Mani Ratnam movie) moment. It is a massive downfall for a respected filmmaker who gave Rajinikanth one of his best movies Kaala. Watch it only if you are a die-hard Pa Ranjith or Vikram fan.

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

Alia Poem: March 15th 2024

A very happy 31st birthday to you Alia

Alia you are like a shining star forever sparkling

You have proved to be a smart cookie in adapting to different on-screen characters

You have made the roles of Gangubai, Veera Tripathi, Safeena, Bauria and more your own

In spite of not being a natural dancer there is so much joy in seeing you dance

I can never forget your Kathak dance in the film Kalank, the grace and those expressions were too good

Similarly, the scene in Gangubai where your character goes into a trance like state while dancing was so well enacted

In Rocky Aur Rani ki Prem Kahani you pulled off both What Jumka and Dhindora Bajare Re in an excellent manner

The first song had undertones of mischievousness and the second was a high energy one which required absolute lack of inhibitions

In both the songs Alia your movements were as smooth as butter without a single false step

Both the songs can be watched any number of times particularly for your expressions

As a producer of course it is early days but the subjects you have backed in both Darlings and Poacher are very commendable

Thank you so much for replying to my comment on your Instagram page regarding Poacher

It felt so good when you replied back with emojis and also took my name Prabhatha

Honestly it felt like I had climbed Mount Everest that day

In my mind I was flying with unadulterated happiness. Wish I had wings really like birds

It is a day that I can never forget and will forever cherish

Keep shining like the star you are

All the very best for your new chapter in professional life starting with Jigra where you will do some hardcore action

You have always proved the sceptics wrong by successfully portraying different characters

I am sure that both Jigra and the solo YRF spy film will showcase a vastly different facet of you

Once again wishing you a very happy 31st birthday from one of your biggest fans, you are truly a queen of hearts and absolute Rani

May you continue to flourish as an actor, producer and businesswomen along with other roles in your personal life

Posted on

Priyanka Chopra Autobiography Unfinished

Recently I have read Priyanka Chopra’s autobiography Unfinished, it is a collection of stories that cover the many aspects of her life both professional and personal. However Unfinished is not just the story of Priyanka Chopra, it is as much about her parents who were a big pillar of support in the process of Priyanka achieving global stardom.

This autobiography works best when Priyanka shares anecdotes about her parents. Oftentimes she paints them as superheroes. Her daddy was a doctor in the army. There is an instance where Priyanka talks about him dislodging a bullet from a dying soldier. Similarly the mother rescuing a girl child outside a hospital on a rainy night. Her father’s battle with cancer and how it took her a long time to cope with his death feels heartfelt.

But when it comes to the professional part the book needed more insight into how she brings her characters to life. For example Priyanka’s act in Barfi is hugely acclaimed. She expressed her sadness on her performance being overlooked at major award functions that year however there is no insight into how she became the character. After a point the novel becomes more of a Wikipedia entry with how she has emerged victorious overcoming obstacles. The only portion regarding the professional chapter that works is when she goes in detail about the failure of her musical career in America. Unfinished is no by means unreadable there is a crispness in the narration but the book could have done with more description of her acting process.

Posted on

Reviews Sample

Add Your Heading Text Here

Perfume (Telugu)
Cast: Che Nag, Prachi Thaker, Abhinaya, Bushan, Rayala Harischandra, Meer, and Krishna Teja
Director: JD Swamy
Producers: J Sudhakar, Shiva B, Rajeev Kumar B, and Srinivas Lavuri
Music: Ajay Arasada
Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

3.5

Posted on

Maara: For The Wanderer Within You

Dhilip Kumar’s Maara is one of those films which need patient viewing. The reasons are – one, the pace, two, the concept of magic realism. It is good that the film is released on Amazon and not in theatres.

Inspired from Dulqer Salman’s Charlie it tells the story of Maara played by Madahavan as discovered by Paaru played by Shraddha Srinath. Paaru is a restoration architect and a relentless romantic. When she goes to Kerala for an assignment she comes across some paintings by a person called Manimaaran/ Maara. Impressed by his art she tries to know more about him. Since he is elusive she tries to know about him through the real characters he drew. What follows is a stunning visual imagery mixed with the charm of Madhavan. Apart from being a painter Maara is also a wanderer who touches people’s lives. However, he is not a wanderer just for the sake of it. There is a larger purpose for it.

The first thing that strikes you about the film is the heavy influence of Imtiaz Ali and also Sanjay Leela Bhansali to an extent. Just like Imtiaz Ali’s films here also you have the concept of finding yourself and also the right atmospherics. You can also see the influence of the poet Rumi who himself is an inspiration to filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali.

Two things stand out most in Maara. One is the fantastic cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan and the art direction by Ajayan Chelissery. The painted roads, the ageing houses and the grass peeping out of the walls are all done well. Everything is aesthetically very good and works well for the camera. The art direction is equally well complimented by Dinesh Krishnan who captures the beauty of the landscapes and the created set designs.

As regards to the main plot it is definitely a ‘Feel Good’ story. Maara is jovial, friendly and empathetic to people irrespective of their status. In short a Good Samaritan. Among his interactions with people my favorite one is that of sex worker Selvi played by Abhirami. It reminds you of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya. The character of Madhavan itself is written well and the actor plays it with his trademark charm. He shines in both the light moments and also the emotional scenes. One of my favorite lines of Maara is “they will only remember the reason why you died and not you.’’ He says this to a girl who tries to commit suicide. The supporting cast also works well. Mouli as Velliya is particularly impressive as the person who brings up Maara. He plays his part with a perfect mixture of cuteness and strictness. His love for Meenakshi and the pre climax scene when he finally meets her leaves you emotionally moved.

The biggest problem with the film is the character of Paaru played by Shraddha Srinath. It is written very loosely and on top of it the actress doesn’t help her cause either. In fact you feel happy that Madhavan has only one scene with her and that too at the end. Her battles with the family have also not been dealt convincingly enough. They are forgotten midway through. Also you don’t see a single scene where Paaru is doing restoration work as she is supposed to do.

The pace of the film is also a major villain. It is only at halfway point that you get a sense of what the director is trying to say, that too only for niche audience. For the rest it will go over their head.