Sky Force : A competent and refreshing war drama avoiding the usual bombastic-ness

Subjects involving our beloved neighbour Pakistan have been one of Bollywood’s pet themes over many years, whether it is the likes of Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) or Aditya Dhar’s Uri (2019).

The love and hate-relationship between India and Pakistan has been the emotional fodder for numerous movies. When it comes to war movies portraying Pakistan there has been an increasing trend of playing to the gallery with zero nuances, of course, exceptions are also there like the Meghana Gulzar-directed Raazi (2018), a movie which looked at the human cost of war.

Synopsis

Sky Force directed by Sandeep Kelwani and Abhishek Anil Kapur is set during the tumulus war of 1965. The movie follows India’s daring and successful airstrike on Pakistani’s heavily protected Sargodha airbase.

In this very successful mission, the rebellious squadron leader TK Tabby (a promising Veer Pahariya) goes missing. He has a major disregard for protocols, which leads to him flying solo into the enemy territory during a sky-force mission.

TK Tabby goes missing and the higher authorities in the military have zero interest in knowing his whereabouts given his rebellious nature. It is left to Akshay Kumar’s KO Tiger Ahuja to uncover the mystery.

KO Ahuja is both a wing commander and also a fatherly figure to Tabby. The movie follows KO Ahuja’s relentless quest.

Sharad Kelkar in an extended special appearance plays Pakistani squadron leader Ahmed Hussain. He turns out to be a major link for Tiger Ahuja in unravelling the mystery.

What works and what doesn’t 

There is no denying that Sky Force has a bumpy start. The initial sequences of camaraderie and the air training portions have a distinct hangover from Siddarth Anand’s Fighter a movie which also featured many air combat sequences.

But the movie soon settles down as the intensity of the 1965 War takes centre stage.

The movie also taps into the bureaucratic frustrations and political red tape. These issues are briefly touched upon effectively. The pre-interval sequence leading to the successful airstrike and then the subsequent disappearance of Tabby is wonderfully staged thoroughly involving the viewers.

The second half focuses on KO Ahuja’s relentless quest and from here on the movie engages the viewers emotionally.

How KO Ahuja finds the first lead thanks to Ahmed Hussain and his determination to uncover bringing closure and also justice to Sarah Ali Khan’s Geeta Vijaya —Tabby’s wife packs in an emotional punch.

The ultimate revelation and how Tabby gets his much-deserved due for his bravery has both been wonderfully written and enacted.

Dynamics between the leads

A major plus for the movie apart from the strong emotional resonance, are the dynamics between Tabby and KO Ahuja.

The on-screen camaraderie between the two characters has been wonderfully established. KO Ahuja sees his lost son in Tabby— there is visible warmth in the light-hearted scenes.

KO Ahuja is a father-like figure to Tabby, someone he respects deeply. Ahuja treats Tabby with warmth but maintains an authoritative stance. In one scene, Tabby is kept on standby and not allowed to take part in any action. When Tabby asks for an explanation, saying he has always looked up to Ahuja as a father, Ahuja responds firmly, “I don’t owe you any explanations.”

Sky Force is also refreshing in the sense that there are no in-your-face celebrations after India defeats Pakistan, no over-the-top dialogues looking down at Pakistan.

The animosity between the two nations isn’t going to last forever. There is a mutual sense of respect for men in uniform in both India and Pakistan. The scenes featuring Sharad Kelker as the Pakistani squadron leader is a very good example of this.

Technical aspects and performances

The action sequences designed by Parvez Shaikh and Craig MacRae are a delight to watch particularly for fans of air combat sequences.

Santhana Krishnan Ravichandrana’s cinematography is also stunning. He perfectly captures the intense action like an action-packed sequence between Veer Pahariya and Sharad Kelkar.

Tanishk Bagchi’s music is of a good standard barring one rather unnecessary party number. Among his compositions, the standout number not surprisingly goes to B Praak’s “O Maaye Teri Mitti Bulaye”. The composition along with B Praak’s soulful voice will move the audiences.

Talking about the main leads Akshay Kumar as KO Ahuja plays a senior officer and a concerned mentor with absolute finesse. He brings in a lot of gravitas making the viewers root for his character.

Veer Pahariya makes a confident debut; he plays the determined soldier with conviction effortlessly embodying a rebellious nature. Sharad Kelkar also leaves a significant impact in his brief role with a restraint act.

Nimrat Kaur and Sara Ali Khan play the typical army men-wife characters. They are good in their limited portions but the characterizations of both leave a lot to be desired.

Final take

To sum it up Sky Force is worth boarding on despite a familiar territory.

(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha)

Murder Mubarak: A Toothless Whodunit That Fails To Capture The Spirit Of Anuja Chauhan’s Novel ‘Club You To Death’

Director Homi Adajania tries to mix humour with suspense but fails spectacularly. Also, too many characters add to the fatigue.
  • Main Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Vijay Varma, Dimple Kapadia, Tisca Chopra, Pankaj Tripathi, and Sanjay Kapoor
  • Director: Homi Adajania
  • Producer: Maddock Films
  • Music Director: Sachin-Jigar
  • Cinematography: Linesh Desai
  • Genre: Murder Mystery-Comedy
  • Rating: 2/5
  • Run Time: 2 Hours 21 minutes
  • Published in: Southfirst

Anuja Chauhan’s 2021 novel “Club You To Death” was much more than just a murder mystery. It was a book that looked at discrimination based on class. The novel was a social satire in many ways.

For those who haven’t read Anuja Chauhan’s work, the setting of the movie is the Royal Delhi Club, known for its lavish parties and high-profile guests.

A murder is committed on its premises and ACP Bhavani Singh (Pankaj Tripathi) is given the responsibility of unravelling the mystery.

Bhavani Singh’s character is modelled on British writer Agatha Christie’s hugely popular fictional detective Hercule Poirot.

Also, there is Karisma Kapoor as superstar Shehnaz Noorani.

The lives of these rich people are juxtaposed with the working class.

For example, there is a caretaker with dementia Guppie Ram (Brijendra Kala).

In simple terms, the story is about what led to the death of the Zumba instructor Leo Mathews (Ashim Gulati) along with the various secrets of the suspects.

Analysis

A still from ‘Murder Mubarak’. (X)

What makes Murder Mubarak somewhat tolerable is the basic storyline.

Sure, the narrative style is tedious but the suspense of who the murderer is keeps the viewers going.

Here, director Homi Adjania and the writers must be given credit.

The last 20 minutes of Bhavani Singh solving the case is interesting.

Among the sprawling cast, Pankaj Tripathi has the most fun. The dependable actor brings his charismatic charm and also gets some good lines.

For instance, in a scene, he says “Aaj kal anti-national banne ke liye zyada patishram nahi karna padta hai (These days, it is quite easy to be labelled anti-national).

A big problem with Murder Mubarak is the overindulgence of Homi Adajania. This can be seen in how the director overstretches the narrative.

Most characters have also been poorly etched; a case in point is Vijay Varma and Dimple Kapadia.

In the second half, there is a badly placed love story between Sara Ali Khan and Vijay Varma while they are doing their parallel investigation.

The writing and the chemistry between the actors are weak.

Sara Ali Khan has one important scene in a crucial flashback towards the end. But the actor messes that scene up with her overacting. As a result, the viewers do not feel the emotional turmoil of her role.

Final take

Despite its engaging subject and an interesting set of actors, Murder Mubarak is a major misfire.

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke: A Fun Ride While It Lasts

The film benefits from both Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan. Their chemistry is on point and keeps the viewers invested.

Has its moments.
Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (Hindi)
  • Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Sara Ali Khan, Neeraj Sood, Rakesh Bedi, and Sharib Hashmi
  • Director: Laxman Utekar
  • Producer: Dinesh VIjan and Jyoti Deshpande
  • Music: Sachin Jigar
  • Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes

Before making his directorial debut with Luka Chuppi (2019), Laxman Utekar was a noted cinematographer who worked on films like English Vinglish (2012) and Dear Zindagi (2016). He was vastly appreciated for his work in these films.

In 2019, Utekar directed the Karthik Aryan and Kriti Sanon-starrer Luka Chuppi, a romantic comedy that explored the concept of live-in-relationships through the lens of comedy. The film also had some satire about moral policing and communal biases in small towns.

The director used the same formula in 2021 with Mimi, starring Kriti Sanon in the lead.

Mimi was about an aspiring actress who agrees to be a surrogate mother for a rich foreign couple as they promise her a lot of money. It is again a film with a lot of situational humor.

But, in both films, Laxman Utekar wasn’t entirely successful in maintaining the balance between humour and social commentary.

His latest, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is no exception.

The director takes the story of a middle-class couple struggling to find some space for intimacy. The wife tries to find a house of their own. This is a promising premise but the director uses dubious means to achieve this simple desire.

Synopsis

The film begins with a wedding anniversary celebration. Vicky Kaushal plays Kapil Dubey and Sara Ali Khan plays Saumya Chawla Dubey.

Apart from Kapil’s parents, there are also his nosy uncle and aunt in the house. They shift to Kapil’s house due to some personal problems.

The wedding celebration changes into something tragic as Kapil’s aunt smells an egg in the cake. This results in a huge ruckus.

Saumya decides that she and Kapil need a space of their own as their romantic life is frequently interrupted by their relatives. The mama’s son also sleeps between the two.

To achieve her dream, Saumya tries to get a flat under the government programme Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY).

Here, we are introduced to a dubious agent (Inaamulhaq). He tells Saumya that she would be eligible to get the flat under the single woman’s quota. However, for that, she and her husband need to have a fake divorce. They can remarry once the house is allotted.

What follows is your typical comedy of errors where the couple tries to pursue both the families and the judge that they must be divorced.

To make things spicier, there is also a love triangle coupled with a watchful guard Daroga (Sharib Hashmi).

Creates authentic middle-class milieu

There is no denying that Saumya’s step of faking a divorce in order to get a new flat is very drastic, but having said that, Laxman Utekar is successful in creating an authentic middle-class milieu.

A particular mention must also be made of how he portrays the relationship dynamics between Kapil and Saumya. Their romantic scenes have their share of adorable moments that are simple yet impactful.

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke also benefits from both Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan. Their chemistry is on point and keeps the viewers invested even when the plot goes off rails.

Vicky Kaushal brings certain reliability to his role as a middle-class husband who would go to any length to make his wife happy.

He particularly stands out in the pre-climax scene in a hospital when Kapil and Saumya have a heart-to-heart talk to iron out their differences.

Sara Ali Khan lends the required fire to her part of a feisty Punjabi Girl. She does go over the top in the emotional bits. But still, she makes an impact.

The film has also got some laugh-out-loud moments.

For example, there is a scene where a government official inspects Saumya’s home to ensure that she is indeed separated from her husband. Kapil is with her at that time. He decides to act like a plumber and that results in some chuckle-worthy moments.

Technical crafts

Sachin Jigar’s music is quite melodious.

Arjit Singh’s “Phir Aur Kya Chahiye” is the number that stands out the most.

Raghav Ramadoss’s cinematography goes well with the mood of the film. He creates some beautiful frames that add a vibrant tone. The art design is also good, particularly in the family’s house.

Derails in second half

However, the big issue with Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is how the plot derails in the second half. There are some subplots that the film could have easily done away with.

There are portions where Kapil and Saumya have to act like brother and sister. These scenes come across as unnecessary.

Kapil’s mami has a backstory of suffering from a deadly disease. This comes out of nowhere.

But then, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke ends on a happy note when they realise that their fake divorce is leading to real quarrels. After that, they give up on the new flat and settle in their old house.

Verdict

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is a fun ride. At the end of the day, you take away the performances, music and some delightful moments, particularly in the first half.

(Views expressed are personal.)