Tag: Aamir Khan

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Bollywood actors through the lens of South Indian directors

A rundown into some of the Telugu and Tamil directors who have successfully presented Bollywood actors in a different light and gave major hits       

As the wave of pan India has caught in a huge way, the crossover between Hindi film actors and South Indian directors, particularly those belonging to Telugu and Tamil cinema (also known as Tollywood and Kollywood) has resulted in some successful collaborations. One of the earlier examples is Aamir Khan’s Ghajini (2008). Director AR Murugadoss made a significant impact with this Tamil remake.

Ghajini

Ghajini opened the 100-crore club in Bollywood; it was a major money spinner in those times. For Aamir Khan Ghajini was altogether a different film from what he was doing till then, it presented him in a massy avatar. In spite of the obvious comparisons to Suriya’s stellar acting, Aamir also left his own imprint particularly the physical part of it. He looked like a wounded tiger out on an avenging spree.

In spite of the obvious comparisons to Suriya’s stellar acting Aamir also left his own imprint particularly the physical part of it.

Kabir Singh

Before Kabir Singh, again a remake of a south (Telugu) movie Arjun Singh, Shahid Kapoor did not have a major solo hit. The likes of Jab We Met, Udta Punjab and Haider were hit movies no doubt but not commercial blockbusters. Though Padmaavat did more than 300 crores Ranveer Singh walked away with all the accolades and rightly so. But Sandeep Reddy Vanga gave Shahid a big spectrum to play with in Kabir Singh and the actor didn’t disappoint. Whether it is portraying the highly toxic and passionate love of Kabir or in the breakdown scenes Shahid did his best. Although the movie was pretty much a carbon copy of the original Shahid brought his own intensity to the role. Much like Ghajini this remake also did far bigger numbers than the original. It is a separate matter that Shahid could not capitalize on this blockbuster success later in his career.  

Kabir Singh gave Shahid Kapoor a big spectrum to play with and the actor didn’t disappoint

Jawan

It is a well-known fact that Shah Rukh Khan was going through a very rough patch both professionally and personally before the release of Siddarth Anand’s Pathaan and Atlee’s Jawan. For Atlee Jawan was a huge leap given that he had mostly collaborated with Vijay Thalapathy till then. For someone like him directing a megastar like Shah Rukh Khan is not a piece of cake.

But Atlee more than rose up to the challenge, he passed with flying colours. Atlee’s presentation of SRK particularly the father character of Vikram Rathore erupted huge cheers among the moviegoers. Shah Rukh also effortlessly slipped into the universe of Atlee having a lot of fun in a movie that has essentially 50 shades of SRK.

For SRK too it was a very profitable film both in terms of expanding his fan base and box office numbers. It was almost like a king size comeback with more than 700 crores.

Shah Rukh Khan also effortlessly slipped into the universe of Atlee

Animal

Animal directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga is easily the most polarizing movie of Ranbir’s career, more than even Sanju. Ranbir’s previous movies have also featured strained father and son relationships, but Animal took it to a whole new level. Animal showcased Ranbir in his darkest avatar till date, as Ranbir himself confessed that he was scared when he heard the script and had severe doubts about doing the role. However, to Ranbir’s credit he went full throttle and delivered a power packed performance though the story itself was highly controversial.   

Ranbir Kapoor’s darkest avatar till date

Kalki

Lastly there is this year’s Kalki directed by Nag Ashwin, a Telugu language epic science fiction film. The last few outings of Amitabh Bachchan have varied from just average to good. While he had solid roles in Jhund and Uunchai, in Bramhastra and Ganapath he didn’t have much to do. He was particularly wasted in Bramhastra as just a mere guru. But his fans and neutral audiences got the opportunity to see vintage Amitabh Bachchan with Kalki 2989 AD.

Bachchan had the best written role by a long margin and the senior actor just chewed the scenery with a stellar performance. The way he takes on the character of Prabhas was a sheer delight to watch. On many occasions he overshadowed the other cast members with just his towering screen presence. With his performance of Ashwatthama Bachchan showed that he can give any young actor a run for their money even at the age of 81.

For someone like Nag Ashwin too handling a film of this scale and directing someone like Amitabh Bachchan is a major achievement.

The fans and neutral audiences got the opportunity to see vintage Amitabh Bachchan in Kalki 2989 AD

Not so lucky ones

At the same time, it has to be said that working with south directors or in remakes of south films hasn’t proved to be so lucky for other Bollywood actors. Case in point is Akshay Kumar’s Sarfira, a remake of the Tamil hit Soorarai Pottru directed by Sudha Kongara. She also helmed the remake. Soorarai Pottru got both rave reviews and major awards. Suriya got the best actor award in the prestigious national awards; the movie also won an award for best film. Later Soorarai Pottru was also dubbed into Hindi with the name of Uddan. Hence it makes no business sense to remake it and not surprisingly Sarfira got added to the long list of commercial failures of Akshay post pandemic. Before Sarfira there was Bachchan Pandey, a remake of Jigarthanda. That was also a major commercial failure. Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan’s Vikram Vedha also turned out to be a box office turkey. Though Hrithik Roshan got good reviews for bringing his own touch to the role of Vedha, but it wasn’t enough for the movie to sail through.

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A rundown of the best political films made in Bollywood

An overview into how Hindi Cinema used to make good political films that had coherence and didn’t pander to the ruling party

The state of the recent political movies in Bollywood cuts a very sorry figure. Movies like the Accidental Prime Minister and PM Narendra Modi are woeful products in more ways than one. Yes they are incoherently staged both in terms of acting and storytelling, but apart from these aspects the movies have been used as tools for negative political propaganda. In the case of The Accidental Prime Minister it was clearly made to malign the former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh along with the entire Congress party. PM Narendra Modi on the other hand was meant to absolve Modi from all crimes and put him on a pedestal.

On the other hand both Kashmir Files and the Kerala Story are hugely islamophobic in nature. There is no denying the sufferings of the Kashmiri pundits but director Vivek Agnihotri presented a rather one sided pictures with all the Hindus being sufferers and Muslims being monsters. The Kerala Story on the other hand hugely exaggerated story of Hindu women being radicalized by the ISIS. Much like Kashmir Files here too you won’t find any positive Muslim character. This hate against Muslims represents the attitude of the BJP government. The success of both these movies is a byproduct of the times we live in.

Then there are the likes of Uri: The Surgical Strike, Tejas and this year’s Fighter. Uri: The Surgical strike was a highly dramatized account of Indian army retaliating to the URI Attacks. The movie was clearly meant to establish that the surgical strike had taken place in real. Not surprisingly the BJP party used the movie as a tool of propaganda particularly the dialogue “How’s the josh”. Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter was on the other hand was inspired by the Balakot strike. The climax of Fighter is straight out of a single screen universe with patriotic dialogues and ample dose of jingoism.

This year the team of The Kerala Story returned with Bastar: The Naxal Story which made a mockery of the Naxal movement, it didn’t find audiences even with those who like propaganda movies. Article 370 on the other hand directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale did fairly well primarily due to the performances of the two leading ladies Yami Gautam and Priya Mani. However the characterizations of the Kashmiri locals which include the politicians was highly laughable. The director made it look like only Prime Minister Modi and BJP are concerned about the welfare of Kashmiri population.

Not surprisingly Narendra Modi mentioned about the movie urging the viewers to watch it a few before the movie’s release. Even you look at Kashmir Files the party workers played a significant role in promoting the movie. But it has to be said that political movies in Bollywood has not always been like this and following is an overview into some of the well crafted political ones.

Rang De Basanti directed by Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra was about the corruption in the defense department that leads to the death of a pilot played by R Madhavan. The movie did not shy away from showing the deep rooted corruption and the cynical attitude of the youth who believe that no good change can come.

What also added to the impact of Rang De Basanti was the way it intertwined the sacrifices made by our revolutionaries Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad among others and today’s youth who think thoughts of revolution and sacrificing for the country is an outdated thought. The gradual change in the protagonists played by Aamir Khan, Siddarth, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi etc was wonderfully written and directed.

Prakash Jha is someone who is well known for directing movies that have an undercurrent of socio political aspects. For example his 2010 film Rajneeti was modeled on the epic Mahabharata while looking at the dark underbelly of the political scenario in our country. Through the huge ensemble of actors Director Prakash Jha cooked a gripping cocktail of complex relationships, an uncontrollable lust for power and rivalry of the siblings among other things.

A major highlight of Rajneeti was the strong characterizations of all the actors.  For example Ranbir Kapoor’s character Samar starts off as a young man leading a quiet life in the US. But getting sucked into the family politics brings out the monster in him. There is a hugely poignant scene towards the end where Samar decides that he has had enough and politics is not for him. Apart from the strong characterizations Rajneeti also had some powerful scenes showcasing the political circus that takes place when candidates meet ordinary people.

Aarakshan on the other hand directed by the same man took up with the burning topic of reservation, special benefits being given to people belonging to a particular caste. There are some powerful scenes in Aarakshan particularly the first half which depicts the class and caste conflict. Case in point being Pratik Babbar and Saif Ali Khan’s characters expressing their contrasting views about reservation, Pratik’s Sushant is a typical rich brat who thinks that Dalits should not be given any special privileges and are afraid of working hard.

Tamil Director S. Shankar is well known for making movies featuring vigilante protagonists. Through his protagonists the director has covered issues that are important to the common man. S. Shankar’s Nayak: The Real hero is the remake of his own Tamil movie Mudhalvan.  Unlike the vigilante protagonists of his previous movies who have an inbuilt social consciousness Anil Kapoor’s Shivaji Rao Gaekwad is more of a reluctant hero who wants to lead to peaceful life. Shivaji starts off as a cameraman in a popular television channel; from there he eventually becomes a reporter. One day his life takes a dramatic turn while interviewing the chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shivaji questions the chief minister on certain things like choosing to not control a violent riot that causes a lot of damage. In a very filmy turn of events Shivaji ends up being the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a day and does a lot of good,  eventually he replaces Amrish Puri’s Balraj Chauhan.

Of course there is nothing subtle in the way Shankar goes about depicting the issues plaguing the society. Every point feels hammered in but at the same time there is no denying the relevancy of what Shankar addresses. There are scenes in the movie that mirror the real life corruption that we read about everyday from grassroot to national level. Through the character of Amrish Puri director Shankar also explored the harmful affects of vote bank politics and appeasing a certain community to just win the elections.

Nayak: The Hero is a movie that has aged well. Sure it was not a hit movie at the time of its release but over the years it has made a certain place in the viewer’s hearts.

Anurag Kashyap’s  Gulaal is also a noteworthy political movie. The plot of Gulaal is set in Rajasthan focusing on the community of the former royalty who want to restore both the Rajputana province and the kingship.

The central protagonist of this tale is Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary), Dilip Singh starts off as an unconfident guy but soon gets involved in local politics after the death of his roommate cum friend Rananjay Singh (Abhimanyu Singh). Rananjay Singh was contesting in college elections, a local commander Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) insists Dilip to contest in place of his slain roommate and he makes sure that Dilip does win on the behalf of the Rajputana party. Running side by side are multiple subplots.

Anurag Kashyap’s depiction of student politics and the violence is hard to stomach; nevertheless the movie makes a strong impact. Gulaal also works as a critique of some movements that talk about how a particular community or a region is superior to the rest.

Sometimes the movie also plays out like a Shakespearean tragedy combing elements of jealousy, greed and corruption. At other times you have the Quentin Tarantino touch in the staging of the scenes that show the lawlessness.

Here’s hoping that Bollywood gets back to making solid political movies. The current trend of propaganda political movies have reached a saturation point which is evident in the lackluster response of the recent ones.

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Laapataa Ladies: A Well-Made Feministic Tale That Shouldn’t Be Missed

After making a respectable debut with ‘Dhobhi Ghat’, Kiran Rao goes a step ahead with this ‘Laapataa Ladies’— a perfect example of feel-good storytelling with solid content.
  • Main Cast: Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam
  • Director: Kiran Rao
  • Producer: Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan
  • Music Director: Ram Sampath
  • Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha
  • Genre: Comedy – Drama
  • Rating: 4/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

There are two ways of making a feminist movie. One is the heavy drama mode where everything is amped-up and the other is feel-good storytelling where the focus lies on subtlety without compromising on the core.

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies belongs to the second category.

On more than one occasion, the film feels like a warm hug.

Synopsis

The story of Laapataa Ladies is about two newlywed brides — Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel) and Pushpa Rani/Jaya (Pratibha Ranta).

Sparsh Shrivastava plays Deepak Kumar, the husband of Phool Kumari. On the way back from marriage, Deepak and Phool go through multiple modes of transportation — from a scooter and bus to a train.

A still from the film ‘Laapataa Ladies’. (X)

His friends and family eagerly wait to welcome the new bride. Things take a drastic turn as soon as the bride is unveiled. It turns out that Deepak mistakingly brings another man’s bride instead of his.

This is all because of the multiple newly-married women onboard the train in the same costume.

Naturally, Deepak’s world turns upside down with his dreams of married life crashing.

After the initial shock, Deepak decides to look for his bride along with finding the whereabouts of Pushpa Rani’s family.

Adding to this already chaotic situation is the dubious local cop (Ravi Kishan knocking it out of the park again with his second release of the week).

Director Kiran Rao and her writers have touched upon heavy topics like the importance of education, self-reliance, and the unnecessary practices and diktats women are subjected to.

But at no point does the film feel heavy-handed, this is because of Kiran Rao’s treatment apart from the sharp writing.

Best parts

‘Laapataa Ladies’ is a comedy-drama. (X)

My favourite portions in the film are those involving Phool and her interactions with a street vendor, a beggar, and a chai wali.

There is a unique bond that Phool forms with an elderly lady named Manju Maai (a delightful Chhaya Kadam).

Manju Maai was a victim of domestic abuse. Her husband used to drink alcohol and physically abuse her. His justification is that violence should be allowed in love as it is a way of showing affection, this seems to be an indirect attack on Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Arjun Reddy (2016) and the recent Animal (2023), although it could be unintentional.

Back to Laapaata Ladies, Phool learns important things from Manju Maai and in the process, she becomes self-reliant. There is so much warmth in the way Phool forms a bond with the three, it is a delight to watch.

My other favourite portions of the film are the ones involving Pushpa Rani/Jaya. There is a certain mystery involving her character, she is more than happy to stay away from the person she is married to.

Pushpa Rani develops a strong friendship with Deepak’s Bhabhi and encourages the women to find their voice.

She also plays an important role in Deepak eventually finding Phool.

Performances

Laapaata Ladies has many scenes of rib-tickling humour from the fantastic Ravi Kishan. His comic timing coupled with the dialect is top-notch.

At no point, did his performance come across as hammy. In simple terms, Ravi Kishan has an absolute blast as a cop who loves taking bribes but still has a conscience.

Both Nitanshi Goel and Pratibha Ranta are wonderful in their respective roles.

Sparsh Srivastava as Deepak also sparkles in his well-written role. He brings out the sensitivity of Deepak in a pitch-perfect manner.

Ram Sampath’s music is in perfect sync with the film’s nature. Sajni sung by Arjit Singh is a soothing number as is “Dheeme Dheeme” sung by Shreya Ghoshal

The one slight flaw of Laapataa Ladies is a minor subplot involving a crooked politician. It has been patchily written.

Final take

Laapataa Ladies is a small movie with a big heart, highly recommended.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/laapataa-ladies-hindi-movie-review/

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These Bollywood heroes and heroines made our jaws drop as onscreen baddies too!

Unlike many top actors who did negative roles later in their careers, Shah Rukh Khan started off his film career as an anti-hero.

It is hugely liberating for any actor who is relatively comfortable in one’s career doing roles that fall outside the conventional zone. It gives the artiste a certain abandon where he or she doesn’t have to pander to a certain image.

Following is a list of some Bollywood actors and actresses who have tried their hand at grey/negative roles and found varying degrees of success.

Let us start with “Bollywood Baadshah” Shah Rukh Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan

Unlike many top actors who did these kinds of roles later in their careers, Shah Rukh Khan started off his film career with a spat of anti-hero roles.

Both Baazigar (1993) and Darr (1993) made him a household name much before Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995).

The impact of Shah Rukh in Darr was so much that the audiences hardly remember Sunny Deol. Not surprisingly, the “Bollywood Baadshah” was the obvious choice for the remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s Don (1978).

In spite of comparisons with Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh made the character of Don his own with his stylish performance in the 2006 release. The actor effortlessly played the negative shades.

Aamir Khan

Among the other Khans, Aamir Khan played a character with grey shades to great success in Deepa Mehta’s directorial 1947: Earth (1999).

Here, he played an ice candy man named Dil Navaz who falls in love with Shanta (Nandita Das), a Hindu woman.

Shanta works as a nanny for a wealthy Parsi Family. However, she loves a Muslim man named Hassan (Rahul Khanna).

This is something that Aamir’s character cannot digest. Partition and the ensuing family tragedy change him completely.

As a person who gets swayed by the hate around him, Aamir delivered a brilliant performance. He did a wonderful job of bringing out the many nuances of his character.

Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan also made a huge impression with his negative roles in Omkara (2006), Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), and Adipurush (2023).

With Omkara, the actor successfully broke his urban image under the skilful direction of Vishal Bhardwaj.

Even in Adipurush, the actor brought certain energy whenever he appeared on the screen.

Interestingly, Salman Khan is the only Khan who did not play a negative role yet.

John Abraham

Before Pathaan (2023), John did several roles mainly consisting of chest-thumping patriotism and slapstick comedies. Nevertheless, most of these films didn’t click.

But the actor made a strong comeback in Siddharth Anand’s globetrotting entertainer Pathaan.

In Pathaan John’s Jim was not the regular clichéd villain. He is someone who is always a step ahead of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, which adds to the victory of the protagonist at the end.

The action scenes choreographed between Shah Rukh and John had a lot of grit.

Jim also had a solid back story explaining why he does what he does.

After a series of sub-par outings, John Abraham was finally in form. The best part of his performance was how he expressed his angst in the more dramatic bits.

Tabu

In Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), Tabu played a double role — one of a dutiful daughter-in-law Anjulika and the other of her twin sister Manjulika who wreaks havoc in Anjulika’s life.

As Manjulika, Tabu let her hair down with a delightfully devilish performance. It was clear that the actress was having a blast.

Apart from Kartik Aryan’s comic timing, Tabu’s double act was another major reason why the film worked.

In Andhadhun (2018), the actress played the wife of a yesteryear movie star. Her character had many layers. She was erratic, vulnerable and deceitful all at the same time. She was simply brilliant in portraying these shades.

Tabu also made a huge impact with Maqbool (2003) and Haider (2014). Both these were adaptations of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” respectively.

Ranveer Singh

There is no denying that Ranveer Singh’s Alauddin Khilji was more of a caricature meant to glorify the Rajputs in Padmaavat (2018).  But at the same time, his Khilji was easily the biggest backbone of the film.

Ranveer gave an electrifying performance which easily overshadowed both Shahid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. As viewers, we wanted to see more of him on the screen.

Ranveer’s scenes with Jim Sarbh as Malik Kafur were way more enjoyable than the poetic romance of Shahid and Deepika.

Priyanka Chopra

In Aitraaz (2004), Priyanka Chopra played an ambitious woman for whom fame and glamour are more important than anything else. In this quest, Priyanka’s Sonia marries a much older man (late Amrish Puri). Her desire for fame and success is fulfilled, but she doesn’t get sexual satisfaction from her husband.

In order to fulfil her desires, she tries to seduce her ex-boyfriend Raj Malhotra (Akshay Kumar). However, Raj rejects her advances as he is a happily married man. Sonia gets upset by his rejection and falsely accuses Raj of sexually harassing her.

Priyanka played this role very early on in her career. It was a bold move that could have easily backfired, but Priyanka made a huge impact. In fact, she shined more than Kareena Kapoor, who was playing the conventional heroine.

Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt‘s Hollywood debut is not exactly a smashing one, particularly for those who have seen her work in Hindi films. But the actress needs to be credited for taking up a grey character in her very first Hollywood venture — Heart of Stone (2023).

She tries to procure it for the villain without knowing his actual purpose. In the process, she is pitted against Gal Godot, the main protagonist.

In the initial portions, we see Alia’s harsh demeanour towards Gal. There is a visible arrogance in the way she speaks to her.

However, there comes a point when Keya goes through an existential crisis. All this was well portrayed by Alia. There is also a tough fight scene between them in mid-air.

Ajay Devgn

In Khakee (2004), Ajay Devgn played a formidable opponent who creates havoc for the police officers, played by Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar among others.

The actor brought a lot of quirks to his character. The subtle humour that he brought with his dialogues won the hearts of audiences.

His confrontation scenes with Amitabh Bachchan were easily one of the best parts of Khakee. With Khakee, Ajay Devgn showed that he can do a variety of roles.

Amitabh Bachchan

Amjad Khan’s Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975) is easily one of the most iconic villains that Indian cinema has seen. It is not an easy task to recreate that villainy given how firmly the character has been etched in the minds of the Indian viewers.

But Amitabh managed to play the new-age Gabbar Singh in his trademark style in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007). If we keep the comparisons aside, the veteran actor was also quite menacing as a villain.

Apart from the above-mentioned actors and actresses, others too did roles that fell outside the convention of hero and heroine.

For example, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan played a character with a lot of vengeance on her mind in both the Ponniyin Selvan films (2022, 2023).

Akshay Khanna in Race 1 (2008) was superb in his role as a scheming younger brother.

In Race 3 (2018), Anil Kapoor played an illegal arms dealer named Shamsher Singh. Of late, he has been doing more negative/grey roles, and the actor seems to be enjoying them also.

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Salaam Venky: Venky’s Spirit Deserves A Salute, But Not The Film

Too much melodrama!

Salaam Venky (Hindi)

  • Cast: Kajol, Vishal Jethwa, Ahana Kumra, Rahul Bose, Rajeev Khandelwal, Prakash Raj, Anant Mahadevan, Priya Mani, Kamal Sadanah, Maala Parvathi, Ridhi Kumar, Aneet Padda, and Aamir Khan (special appearance)
  • Director: Revathy
  • Producers: Suraj Singh, Shraddha Agrawal, and Varsha Kukreja
  • Music: Mithoon
  • Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes

Salaam Venky, directed by Revathy, reminds the audiences of several films, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guazaarish.

In fact, the debate surrounding euthanasia (mercy killing) in this Kajol-starrer is inspired by Bhansali’s directorial.

However, to Revathy’s credit, she also brings the angle of organ donation through the protagonist.

The other significant influence is the 1971 classic Anand.

The protagonist, Venky, is heavily influenced by the late Rajesh Khanna’s philosophy in Anand. He firmly believes that “life must be big irrespective of the longevity”.

In Salaam Venky, Revathy tries to merge these two aspects, but it is not entirely successful.

There are some truly heartfelt moments, including an extended cameo of a big actor. However, the film never achieves its full potential.

The storyline

For those who are not aware, the story of Salaam Venky is inspired by the novel Last Hurrah. The novel itself was inspired by the true story of the 24-year-old chess player Kolavennu Venkatesh.

The movie follows the journey of a patient with the life-threatening condition DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), which weakens the muscles from an early age.

Vishal Jethwa is Venkatesh Krishnan aka Venky. His mother is Sujatha Prasad (Kajol).


Venky was expected to live only 16 years. But his zest for life coupled with Sujata’s efforts made him reach 24; however, his death is now imminent. It is only a matter of time.

Venky wants to donate his organs before he dies and urges his mother to appeal for euthanasia. Naturally, Sujata is unwilling as she has not given up on her son yet.

But soon, she reconciles with this bitter truth and accepts her son’s wishes. She finds a lawyer named Parvez Alam (Rahul Bose) with the help of Dr Shekhar (Rajeev Khandelwal).

The court agrees to hear the case but there is still a long way to go. Of course, Venky loses the case but he sparks a much-needed debate.

Apart from the aforementioned characters, there is also Aamir Khan in an extended cameo. But only Kajol can see him!

What really worked?

Before getting into the negatives, it is necessary to say a few things about what works for the film.

Revathy extracts solid performances from most of her cast.

Kajol is resilient and vulnerable in equal parts. She balances both these aspects wonderfully. She is particularly good in the scenes where she is battling her inner demons.

However, the scene-stealer is easily Vishal Jethwa. He does a successful U-turn from his roles in Mardaani 2 and the web series Human, showing good range.

The filminess of Venky’s character would have been grating in the hands of a less capable actor, but Vishal more than rises to the occasion.

His cheerful attitude in the face of adversity does bring a smile to your face.

A particular mention must be made of Venky’s scenes with his love Nandini (Aneet Padda). They are heartwarming and provide some much-needed respite.

One of the other subplots worth mentioning here is the one between Kajol and Aamir. Aamir has a mysterious presence and whenever he appears, there is curiosity in the minds of the audience.

The scenes between the two are few, but they leave a solid impact. Aamir, in an extended cameo here, is more watchable than in his last two ventures.

What didn’t work?

The second half is definitely more gripping than the first. The courtroom scenes between Rahul Bose and Priya Mani, the opposing lawyer, have some meat.

The arguments for and against euthanasia along with organ donation give the film some of its best moments.

However, the biggest issue with Salaam Venky is the tone that Revathy adopts, particularly in the first half. There is too much melodrama, which is not really needed, given the explosive content.

Additionally, the dialogues with filmy references feel overdone after a particular point. On more than one occasion, these dialogues come across as cringe rather than fun.

Some of the other subplots could have also been avoided. The case in point is Venky’s father, who makes an unnecessary comeback, only to disappear after showing how insensitive he was as a father and husband in the flashback.

Aahana Kumara as the TV reporter also doesn’t add much to the plot. The TV debates shown are artificial.

Music by Mithoon is pleasant, but the songs could have been more heartfelt.

Overall, Salaam Venky has all the right ingredients, but the garnishing is the problem!