Kafeel Khan autobiography: A gripping real-life story that gives a deep insight into the medical crisis

Recently I have read a heart touching autobiography of a doctor who was suspended on the charges of medical negligence and corruption among other things. Dr Kafeel Khan went great lengths in order to procure oxygen cylinders in the year of 2017. He rallied the staff and did an incredible job in controlling the health care crisis. After being hailed as a hero the situation took a drastically different turn for both Kafeel Khan and nine more individuals.

As mentioned above Kafeel Khan’s autobiography is a deep dive into the various problems concerning the health care sector. He has given as many details as possible from his personal experiences, as a result the book comes across as authentic making the readers think and worry about the future of health care. A particular mention must be made of how he describes the shortage of Oxygen. The readers feel that they are watching the situation firsthand.

Through his writings Kafeel Khan has also touched upon the dangers of hate campaigns, how this hate campaigns can destroy both families and communities. How the media social and mainstream play a major role in escalating hatred has been elucidated in great detail.

The book also makes you salute the moral strength of Kafeel Khan. In spite of suffering so much his major concern is about the lives that have been lost and how more lives can be saved. He never gets into a communal debate regarding that incident.

Kafeel Khan’s autobiography leaves the readers with many thoughts not just about what Kafeel Khan had to go through, but the system of health care in general which is such an important part of our daily lives.

More Glamour Than Acting: A Critique Of Deepika Padukone’s Recent Choices

It is to the credit of Deepika that she took a big risk with her glamorous image when she produced and acted in ‘Chhapaak’ (2020).
published in southfirst

Deepika Padukone has always been a glamorous star. But earlier, she used to balance glamour with acting.

But of late, it has been more glamour and less acting.

Starting with Gehraiyaan (2022), Pathaan (2023), Jawan (2023) and now, Fighter (2024), all followed the same route — all in two years.

It is not that Deepika did not have her share of good performances.

For instance, in Shoojit Sircar’s Piku (2015), the actor shared the screen space with the legendary Amitabh Bachchan and the late Irrfan Khan. And still, she held her own opposite these stalwarts.

Lost in Bhansali’s grandeur 

Deepika Padukone in Padmaavat
Deepika Padukone in ‘Padmaavat’. (X)

In her first collaboration with Sanjay Leela Bhansali — Ram Leela (2013), Deepika Padukone delivered a performance that had the right mixture of spunk and vulnerability.

In Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Tamasha (2015), there was both glamour and acting.

In Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, her character goes from being a nerd to a more confident woman.

Deepika pulled off the different shades with finesse.

In Tamasha, the actor had less screen time. Nevertheless, she did make her scenes count.

The song sequence “Agar Tum Saath Ho”, in particular, deserves a mention.

But Deepika Padukone was disappointing in two of Bhansali’s big films — Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018), where she was central to the plot.

The Bollywood actor could have done so much more but confined herself to looking glamorous.

In both these films, Deepika was overshadowed by Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh respectively.

Her choice of roles

Deepika Padukone in ‘Chhapaak’. (X)

It is to the credit of Deepika Padukone that she took a huge risk with her glamorous image when she produced and acted in Chhapaak (2020). The Bollywood film was based on a real-life acid attack survivor named Lakshmi.

Performance-wise, Deepika was good, and credit has to be given to her for taking a risk like Chhapaak. However, the movie suffered from a documentary-style approach, and the key flashback portion required more heft in terms of writing and acting.

The financial failure of Chhapaak seems to have had an impact on Deepika’s selection of roles. This is visible from Gehraiyaan (2022).

Directed by Shakun Batra, Gehraiyaan was a keenly anticipated film, given the critical and commercial success of his Kapoor and Sons (2016). It was a complicated relationship drama. In the name of performance, Deepika Padukone was mostly seen doing only intimate scenes with Siddanth Chaturvedi’s Zain.

The focus was more on glamour rather than delivering a solid performance. In fact, Ananya Pandey was much better in the few emotional scenes that she got. The characterisation of Alisha also did not help Deepika Padukone. The best example of this is the portion involving the pregnancy drama.

Lost in action

Deepika Padukone in Pathaan
Deepika Padukone in ‘Pathaan’. (X)

In Pathaan, Deepika  Padukone made for a good action heroine. The actor was fluid in her movements as the Pakistani agent named Rubai. But there was no stand-out emotional scene. Even the love story between her and Shah Rukh jumped out of nowhere.

The highlight of Deepika’s presence remained the controversial “Besharam Rang” song. In Atlee’s Jawan, Deepika Padukone comes only in the second half as the wife of father Shah Rukh Khan.

In that extended special appearance, she has only two moods — one is anguish, and the other is sadness. On top of that, Deepika’s portions majorly slowed down the proceedings and brought the screenplay to a grinding halt.

Now, in her latest outing Fighter, Deepika Padukone’s character is supposed to represent women’s empowerment. She goes against her father’s wishes to become a fighter pilot.

However, for most of the flick, she is required to flirt and look at Hrithik Roshan’s Patty with adoration. She is supposed to heal him. Even the strained relationship with her father ends only because of Hrithik’s character. There is a glazed look that Deepika Padukone carries, throughout Fighter, which is painful to watch.

Even the scenes of her operating the fighter plane resemble a man driving an auto. Glamorous characters can also have substance, a case in point being Deepika’s Cocktail (2016). In the film, she plays an angst-ridden rich girl. The actor looked stunning as always and was impressive performance-wise.

Deepika Padukone and the power position

Deepika Padukone is in a position where she can pick and choose roles that showcase both her beauty and acting. The actor need not settle with the likes of Pathaan and Fighter. It is high time that the Bollywood actor gives more importance to the role she plays rather than acting with big male stars.

For example, when Vicky Kaushal acted with Alia Bhatt in Raazi (2018), he was not such a prominent name as he is now. Similarly, Shantanu Maheshwari was a rank newcomer when he worked with Alia in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022).

In both films, Alia Bhatt gave more importance to the part and the story rather than focusing on the commercial viability of her male actors.

Best Of Bollywood Films 2023: An Overview Of Some Impactful Hindi Movies That Did Good Business

2023 has definitely been a far better year for Bollywood in more ways than one. Films like PathaanJawanAnimal, and Gadar 2 have become major blockbusters.

In addition to being blockbusters, both Pathaan and Jawan opened to good reviews.

On the other hand, Animal had mixed reviews. Despite severe criticism about the toxic masculinity promoted in the movie, Animal broke many box office records majorly due to the performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol.

Gadar 2, as a film, has no emotional impact like its prequel, but there was enough for the hardcore masses to enjoy. Sunny Deol proved he still has the charisma to play a mass hero by pulling off the gravity-defying action sequences.

Apart from these blockbusters, other films that attained hit status include Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and OMG 2.

2023 has also been a year where not-so-mainstream actors Pankaj Tripathi and Vikrant Massey successfully carried their films on their shoulders. Well, I’m talking about OMG 2 and 12th Fail.

Now, let us get into more details about the best of 2023 Bollywood films, not necessarily the blockbusters.

Pathaan

Siddarth Anand’s globetrotter was an eagerly-awaited movie since it marked Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback to the silver screen as a leading man after a long gap of five years.

Shah Rukh in a still from Pathaan
Shah Rukh in a still from ‘Pathaan’. (X)

Siddarth Anand had a huge responsibility on his shoulders, and the director more than succeeded in delivering a popcorn entertainer with the aid of a fast-paced screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan.

What also made Pathaan the perfect mass entertainer was the strong antagonist in the form of John Abraham.

The combat sequences between Shah Rukh Khan and John were well-executed. John Abraham’s Jim was not just menacing, but he carried an angst. Jim had a solid back story explaining why he did what he did.

Another strong aspect of Pathaan is the backstory of how this spy gets this name. The scenes of Shah Rukh Khan with the locals of Afghanistan have so much warmth in them.

Shah Rukh had a blast playing a full-fledged action hero. He was in equal parts charming and rugged. However, after delivering a series of subpar outings, John Abraham surprised everyone in this action entertainer.

Dimple Kapadia, as the boss lady, was also in fine form.

There were some things in Pathaan which did not quite work. One was the simplistic way the topic of patriotism and the Pakistani angle were dealt with.

Also, the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika practically jumped out of nowhere.

However, in the final tally, Pathaan was the ideal mass comeback for Shah Rukh Khan.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Satyaprem Ki Katha were easily the best romantic films Bollywood produced this year.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani poster
A poster of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’. (X)

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani had all the staple elements that one expects from a Karan Johar entertainer.

There were larger-than-life sets and some exquisite costumes, particularly gorgeous saris worn by the women. However, there was more to the film than just mere gloss.

Karan Johar subverted some of his own themes from his previous films — like how fear is camouflaged as respect in our culture. He also made some pertinent points on the side effects of toxic masculinity.

Most importantly, Through the role of Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa, Karan Johar presented a protagonist willing to change and evolve into a better human being.

Just like Ranbir Kapoor’s Ranvijay Singh in Animal, Rocky does not share the best relationship with his father. But he never uses it as an excuse to become a wild “animal”.

In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, many scenes could be watched on repeat mode. The sequences of Rocky flirting with Alia’s Rani Chatterjee in his broken English and her amusement bring a smile to the viewers’ faces.

The decency of Ranveer backing off when Rani clarifies that nothing more can happen between them was refreshing.

The scene where Rani proposed to Rocky in the middle of a road was definitely filmy but adorable, given how Karan switched the gender roles.

A major highlight of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was the recreation of the song “Dola Re Dola” from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002).

Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa performing Kathak with his prospective father-in-law (Tota Roy Chowdhury) was a pleasant surprise.

The different emotions that Rani Chatterjee went through — from shock, wonder, and finally extreme happiness — were portrayed brilliantly by Alia.

In the second half, the messaging got heavy. Nevertheless, it was not a deterrent.

The performances of the principal cast were brilliant all through, with particular mention of Tota Roy Chowdhury as the Kathak-loving man.

Satyaprem Ki Katha

A still from Satyaprem Ki Katha
A still from ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’. (X)

Just like Rocky Randhawa in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Kartik Aryan’s Sattu in Satyaprem Ki Katha was also a protagonist willing to evolve and change.

Sattu was initially shown as an underdog well out of Katha’s (Kiara Advani) range.

But circumstances not only bring them together but also get them married.

Katha had a haunting past that was initially assumed to be the result of a bad break-up with her ex-boyfriend. But later, it turned out to be something more sinister.

The film was essentially a relationship drama while dealing with an important social issue like date rape.

Director Sameer Vidwans did a good job of depicting the issue of consent in relationships.

At times, Sattu came across as too patient with Katha, but he was never presented as some social reformer. The change in Sattu happened gradually.

Both Kartik and Kiara delivered brilliant performances.

The supporting cast, led by Gajraj Rao, was also in fine form.

OMG 2

OMG 2 poster
A poster of ‘OMG 2’. (X)

This spiritual sequel to the 2012-released film Oh My God was a compelling social drama that looked at the taboo yet important subject of sex education.

The best part of Amit Rai’s direction was how he normalised the discussions around physical intimacy without making it look awkward or uncomfortable.

One of the standout scenes in OMG 2 was Pankaj Tripathi’s Kanti Sharan Mudgal explaining how the body parts of males and females should be taught in school. Pankaj Tripathi did complete justice to the arc of his role.

Akshay Kumar had an extended cameo as Lord Shiva’s messenger in human form.

In Oh My God, Akshay played Lord Krishna. Much like that film, here too, he played the part with the right amount of divinity.

The scenes of Akshay imparting wisdom to Kanti Sharan were good to watch.

Jawan

Jawan was a film that can ideally be described as a Khichdi of Shankar’s brand of vigilante cinema and Shah Rukh’s Chak De India.

At its core, Jawan was a father-and-son drama with 50 shades of Shah Rukh Khan as both father and son.

Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan
Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Jawan’. (X)

Atlee absolutely nailed these father-son moments besides addressing various grassroots problems like underdeveloped government facilities.

One of the women in Shah Rukh Khan’s vigilante gang was played by Sanya Malhotra. Her backstory was based on a real-life person named Dr Kafeel Khan.

Dr Kafeel Khan was falsely accused of the death of several kids at a hospital where the real issue was a lack of proper facilities along with corruption. Dr Kafeel Khan tried to procure oxygen, but his best efforts failed to save the children.

Yes, the presentation of these grassroots issues was simplistic, but still, it hit the viewers hard.

Jawan also benefitted immensely from Shah Rukh Khan submitting totally to the director’s script and giving it his all.

Nayanthara also made a solid Bollywood debut in her dual-shaded role as a determined NSG commander and a single mother.

On the other hand, Vijay Sethupati made for a good opponent, particularly in the second half.

The same cannot be said about Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt.

The energy dipped during the brief flashback scenes of Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika.

Sanjay Dutt’s extended cameo did not add great value to the proceedings.

Nevertheless, Jawan, on the whole, proved to be “paisa vasool” entertainment.

Jaane Jaan (Netflix)

A poster of Jaane Jaan film
A poster of Bollywood film ‘Jaane Jaan’ . (X)

For those who are not aware, Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan was based on the best-selling Japanese novel “Devotion of Suspect X“, which already has many onscreen adaptations.

Jaane Jaan was primarily about a single mother named Maya D’Souza (Kareena Kapoor), who runs a local café.

Maya has a dark past related to her ex-husband (Saurabh Sachdeva). Jaideep Ahlawat, Maya’s neighbour and a Mathematics teacher, secretly loves her but is socially awkward. Every day, he visits the café, leading to some amusing moments.

Maya’s life turns upside down after the re-entry of her ex-husband. From here, the movie goes into the zone of the Drishyam series.

Jaane Jaan was a survival thriller about a determined single mother. In this story, she gets the help of a neighbour who would go to any lengths to save her.

The soul of Jaane Jaan was the relationship dynamics between Kareena Kapoor’s Maya and Jaideep Ahlawat’s Naren. Sujay Ghosh did not miss a single beat in depicting this complex love. He also did complete justice to the novel “Devotion of Suspect X“.

The hill station of Kalimpong also became a character in itself, thanks to Avik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography.

The scenes between Kareena and Vijay Varma, playing a charming cop for a change, were good to watch.

Both Kareena and Jaideep got into the skin of their characters.

Vijay Varma brought a lot of charm to his scenes.

12th Fail

12th Fail film poster
A poster of the film ’12th Fail’. (X)

12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was a classic underdog drama about a real-life IPS officer — Manoj Kumar Sharma.

The DNA of 12th Fail was quite similar to the underdog stories that Rajkumar Hirani directed — 3 Idiots (2009) and Munna Bhai (2003, 2006) films.

It was meant to give the viewers a warm hug and make them leave the theatres with a happy feeling.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra mostly succeeded in his endeavour. The director, along with his leading man Vikrant Massey, did a wonderful job of showcasing the numerous challenges that Manoj faces.

There were places in the first half where the pace dipped, but having said that, there was also a lot to enjoy, especially if you are a fan of inspirational films based on real life.

Apart from the overall strong performances by technicians, 12th Fail scored distinction marks.

The cinematography of Hemant Wagh, in particular, stood out — whether it was the initial scenes in Chambal or the later ones in Delhi Streets.

Dunki

srk dunki
A still from Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’. (X)

Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki will not do the business of Shah Rukh Khan’s last two films — Pathaan and Jawan, but there is no denying that this is an important film in terms of how it addresses an important social issue.

The issue is about borders existing only for the underprivileged. It presents a hard-hitting tale of immigrants in this case Punjabi migrating to England through illegal means for different
reasons.

The first half of Dunki is mostly a breezy watch, but things take a serious turn just before the interval. Vicky Kaushal has an extended special appearance and is at his usual best.

The comic portions in this film don’t have the brilliance of the Munnabhai MBBS (2003), Three Idiots (2009), and PK (2014), but it recovers ground, particularly in the second half when the proceedings get serious.

The second half shows the many dangers Shah Rukh’s Hardy, Taapsee Pannu’s Manu and others go through to reach London. Here, their utopia comes crashing down. The viewers get a short but powerful glimpse of the menial jobs that these immigrants have to do even after securing citizenship.

One of these immigrants is Vikram Kocchar’s Buggu. Buggu passes the IELTS exam and goes to London legally before Hardy and Manu, but he is still not living a happy life.

Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial skills come out in the second half the way he handles the drama.

One of the things that work for Dunki is the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee. Both the actors share a good chemistry in both light and emotional scenes.

Anil Grover and Vikram Kocchar also bring a certain gravitas to their respective parts.

Overall, Dunki is a well-made social film. It is not flawless but there is a lot to take away.

Hi Nanna: A Heart Touching Tale Of A Father’s Love For His Daughter

Hi Nanna works a perfect balm for those who had a tough time with the violent father and son dynamics in Animal. Nani pulls of his role with the expected panache but it is Mrunal Thakur who steals the show

Rating 3.5 out of 5
Starcast: Nani, Mrunal Thakur, Baby Kiara, Priyadarshini, Jayaram, Angad Bedi and others
Story, direction and screenplay: Shouryuv
Additional screenplay: Bhanu Deeraj, Rayudu, Vasanth Sameer and Pinnamaraju
Dialogues: Vamshi Bommena and Nagendra Kasi
Producers: Mohan Cherukuri, Murthy K.S and others
Production Company: Vyra Entertainments
Genre: Romantic drama
Running time: 2 hours and 35 minutes

There has been a heavy dose of father oriented stories this year. Whether it is Shah Rukh Khan’s double act of a father and son in Jawan , or Pankaj Tripati’s turn in OMG 2 as a disgruntled parent who slowly becomes a revoluntary for his son. Even Vijay Thalapathy who is generally known for his mass characters delivered an affecting performance in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo as a family man with a dark past.

Baby Kiara and Nanni in a song sequence

Hi Nanna directed by debutant director Shouryuv is an emotional rollercoaster that makes the viewers feel many things. Sure the pacing is slow and the story does take a little time to get going however the end results are mostly satisfying. But it has to be said that the movie isn’t for fans of high octane entertainers.

Viraj (Nani) is a professional photographer and a single father. Mahi (Baby Kiara) is the 6 year old daughter. Viraj has always kept the story of Mahi’s mother in the dark. Whenever she asks about where her mother is Viraj simply skips the matter. Things take a turn when Viraj promises Mahi that he would tell about her mother provided she scores first rank. Mahi does score first rank but Viraj doesn’t adhere to his promise. Expectedly Mahi gets very angry and leaves the home. She almost faces an accident but is saved in the nick of time by Yashna (Mrunal Thakur). The rest of the story is about what had happened between Viraj and his wife along with how Yashna changes the lives of Viraj and Mahi.

Nani and Mrunal Thakur

As mentioned above the pacing of Hi Nanna is slow. Director Shouryuv takes his own sweet time in setting up the plot. The initial minutes are devoted to the bond of Viraj and Mahi. The story gathers momentum with the entry of Yashna. Viraj narrates his past in a fairy tale format. In these flashback portions Mahi imagines Yashna as her mother. Viraj’s love at first sight is slightly clichéd but it doesn’t get too bothersome thanks to the chemistry between Nani and Mrunal Thakur. The characters of Viraj and the wife are contrastingly different from each other. Viraj is someone who is eternally hopeful irrespective of what the situation is. The wife on the other hand has anxiety issues that primarily stem from growing up in a broken home.

She is someone who is very clear about not getting into the complications of a marriage having seen her parents constantly argue with each other. However she does end up marrying Viraj much to the annoyance of her mother. There is a lovely scene between Viraj and his prospective mother- in- law where the economical differences are highlighted. What makes this scene special is how he deals with the situation in the most empathetic way. The viewers instantly root for Viraj. Viraj initially says that they need not have children but that changes later on. There is a huge argument between Viraj and the wife followed by a heartwarming moment. This scene is a major highlight of the film and a perfect example of the sizzling chemistry between Nani and Mrunal.

Angad Bedi makes his debut with Hi Nanna

Towards the end of the first half director Shouryuv gives a major twist to the character of Yashna. The second half is heavier. In spite of some predictable scenarios the viewers are still invested in how the tale will end. This is majorly because of the strong emotional cord. A drunken banter between Nani and Mrunal Thakur does come across as a respite from the otherwise heavy drama.

What doesn’t work though is a party song featuring Shruti Haasan. It looks completely out of sync with the overall tone of the film. The extended special appearance of Sruthi Haasan could have been easily scrapped. Angad Bedi plays a character modeled on Salman Khan’s Amar in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He is pretty good but lacks the charm of what Salman Khan brought to the table as the third wheel.

Priyadarshi plays the friend cum colleague part with his usual effervescence. His comic timing is spot on as always and his camaraderie with Nani is fun to watch. Another member who stands out in the supporting cast is Jayaram. The actor delivers a nuanced performance as Mahi’s grandfather. He particularly shines in an emotionally charged sequence at a critical juncture.

Debutant director Shouryuv makes the viewers feel many things

Apart from Nani and Mrunal’s sizzling chemistry another strong point of Hi Nanna are the father and daughter scenes between Nani and Baby Kiara. They simply melt your heart on many occasions. Baby Kiara performs like an absolute pro with the right amount of innocence and vulnerability.

Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music and background score another big strength of Hi Nanna. Except for the Sruthi Haasan number the rest are a delight to watch and listen. My favorite numbers are Gaaju Bomma, Ammaadi and Samayama.

Priyadarshi’s comic timing is spot on as always and his camaraderie with Nani is fun to watch.

The cinematography of Sanu John Varghese is a visual delight particularly the flashback portions in Connor.

For Nani the role of Viraj is a cake in the park but nevertheless the actor is a delight to watch. He does a splendid job in portraying the different shades of Viraj whether it is the boyishness of a young lover or as a father later on who will do anything for his daughter. However it is Mrunal Thakur who steals the show with an outstanding performance. She plays a complicated character with ease. Mrunal conveys the various feelings with just her expressive eyes showing once again the bundle of talent she is. It is a performance that is a step ahead of last year’s Sita Ramam in many ways. Chinmayi’s dubbing adds to the impact.

Hi Nanna is a heartwarming story of a father and daughter along with a mother battling her own inner demons, a definite breadth of fresh air which needs to be seen.