Tag: Tabu

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Crew : A much-needed female buddy film in mainstream Hindi cinema

Despite the implausible heist portions of the second half, Rajesh A Krishnan delivers a fun movie aided by the trio.
Crew (Hindi); 29-03-2024, Comedy-Thriller, 2 hours 4 minutes, U/A, Theatre
  • Main Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Tabu, Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, and Kapil Sharma
  • Director: Rajesh Krishnan
  • Producer: Ektaa R Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor
  • Music Director: Badshah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vishal Mishra
  • Cinematography: Anuj Rakesh Dhawan
  • Rating: 3.5/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

The number of movies with well-known female actors playing buddies can be counted on fingers, particularly in mainstream Hindi cinema.

Sure, there have been the likes of Parched (2015) and Dhak Dhak (2023). Both movies celebrated sisterhood in their own way. But, as far as mainstream cinema goes, male bonding has always been more in number.

Rhea Kapoor went against the tide when she produced Veere Di Wedding (2018), starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania.

Veere Di Wedding had its problems in terms of storytelling. But it still did strike a chord with the target audiences.

And now, Rhea Kapoor is back with another female buddy film starring actors from different schools of acting — Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kriti Sanon.

Writers Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri have taken inspiration from the real Kingfisher Airlines and the fugitive Vijay Mallya.

Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri along with Rajesh A Krishnan have combined elements of heist and comedy and have made a movie that engages the viewers for the most part.

Synopsis

Tabu in ‘Crew’. (X)

The story of Crew is about three air hostesses — Geetha Sethi (Tabu), Jasmine (Kareena Kapoor Khan), and Divya Rana (Kriti Sanon).

On the surface, the three appear to be leading a glamorous life, but in reality, they struggle to keep themselves afloat.

For example, Geetha wants to use her provident fund to start her own business with her husband (Kapil Sharma), while Jessica is looking for someone to fund her start-up.

On the other hand, Divya has loans to repay. Additionally, she has given a picture of being a pilot to her parents when she actually is an air hostess.

The three work for Kohinoor Airlines, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. They have been facing a salary crisis for the last six months.

Crew begins with three of them being detained on suspicion of smuggling gold, but that is only a part of the movie.

In simple terms, the story of Crew is about how the trio is pushed to a corner and takes a route that isn’t ethically right to survive.

The film also gets into a heist mode in the later half when the three decide to take revenge on the fictional Vijay Mallya when he flees from the country.

Sisterhood and chemistry

Kriti Sanon in ‘Crew’. (X)

For a film of this nature, the female actors must have a crackling chemistry and a genuine sense of sisterhood.

Fortunately, both the sisterhood and the chemistry are very much on point.

The jokes, the fights, and the eventual patch-up feel authentic.

Rajesh A Krishnan also deserves credit for never getting into a judgmental mode about the things the trio do.

All three come with their share of flaws, and this makes the movie more endearing.

The brilliant performances, particularly of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Tabu, make Crew hugely enjoyable.

After an intense performance in last year’s Jaane Jaan, Kareena lets her hair down in a complete contrast role.

Her Jasmine is a hustler who is unapologetically greedy and doesn’t mind showing off. However, there is also a deep loneliness.

Kareena does a terrific job of portraying the different facets of Jasmine.

Tabu’s Geetha is someone who is torn between her responsibilities and desires. The accomplished actor is her usual brilliant self. Some of her comic exchanges with Kareena are an absolute riot.

The two also have a delightful action scene in a private jet.

Kriti Sanon is fairly good and holds her own, particularly in the scenes portraying Divya’s moral dilemmas.

Other characters

Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘Crew’. (X)

Despite their limited screen time, the male characters are also fun to watch. The husband and wife scenes between Kapil Sharma and Tabu have a lot of warmth.

The same applies to Diljit Dosanjh as Jasveer. The actor is his usual charming self and the way he flirts with Divya is adorable.

The viewers feel bad for Jasveer when Divvya deceives him for her needs.

Khulbhushan Kharbanda is Jasmine’s grandfather and an important pillar of support.

Again, the scenes they share are few. But still, Khulbhushan Kharbanda makes for an adorable grandfather.

Implausible heist drama

A couple of aspects come across as stumbling blocks in Crew. One is the heist portions, which border on being quite silly.

The landing portions of the film could have been done with better writing.

Also, the styling of the characters in some scenes leaves a lot to be desired.

They come across as too stylish, which doesn’t gel with the protagonists’ backgrounds.

Verdict

Keeping aside these small niggles, Crew is a breath of fresh air in many ways. It is a definite respite from the regular propaganda and the mass-heavy films we have been seeing in Hindi cinema of late.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/crew-movie-review/

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Khufiya : Vishal Bharadwaj-Tabu’s brand new release is a weak espionage drama,

The first half of ‘Khufiya’ has some good moments, but it is in the second half that the film completely nosedives.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya is based on the espionage novel “Escape to Nowhere” written by Amar Bhushan.

It starts in Dhaka with the death of an undercover spy Hina Rehman (Azmeri Haque Badhon). Hina’s death sends shockwaves to the R&AW office in Delhi.

An investigation leads to the discovery of a mole, Ravi (Ali Fazal) who leaks sensitive information about India to other countries. Charu (Wamiqa Gabbi) is Ravi’s wife.

Tabu plays a raw agent named Krishna Mehra. KM Jeev (Ashish Vidyarthi) is her boss. He gives her the responsibility of catching Ravi.

For Krishna, this mission is not just professional but also personal because she had an intimate relationship with Hina.

The rest of the story is about whether Krishna is able to stop Ravi and what happens when Charu comes to know about the actual identity of her husband.

Second half falls flat

Before getting into the negatives of Khufiya, it is necessary to point out a few positive things.

The scenes between Tabu and Azmeri Haque Badhon are limited. But still, they give the film some of its best moments as they have so much warmth.

It also helps that Azmeri has a striking screen presence. The viewers wish that she had more screen time.

The first half of Khufiya has some good moments, but it is in the second half that the film completely nosedives.

The chief reason for that is the characterisation of Ali Fazal. The actor does a decent job in the first half. But in the second half, both the character and the actor lose the sheen.

Another issue with Khufiya is the serious hangover of both Kurbaan and Raazi. The scenes of Charu spying for Krishna Mehra are distinctly reminiscent of how Alia’s Sehmat communicates with Jaideep Ahlawat’s Khalid Mir in Raazi (2018). This déjà vu doesn’t help in any way.

The pre-climax and the climax are another sore point. Here again, the viewers are heavily reminded of Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019).

Performances

Tabu’s character has many layers. Apart from being a shrewd officer, she also deals with her own inner demons.

These include a failed marriage with Shashank (Atul Kulkarni) who has a brief appearance. She also has a troubled relationship with her son. Tabu portrays all these shades with her usual excellence.

Wamiqa Gabbi also gets a good arc. She starts off as this innocent housewife who presents a certain façade in front of her husband and mother-in-law. When neither of them is there, she is seen dancing with gay abandon and also smoking.

Once Charu gets to know about the real identity of her husband, she undergoes a transformation. The actress does a good job of showcasing those nuances.

Final take

To sum it up, the audiences have many expectations from this Netflix film, given that it was a reunion of Tabu and Vishal Bhardwaj. However, this reunion leaves the viewers with a bitter aftertaste!

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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Kuttey: Aasmaan Bhardwaj Proves To Be A Worthy Successor To His Father

Aasmaan Bharadwaj is here to stay!

Kuttey (Hindi)

  • Cast: Tabu, Arjun Kapoor, Kumud Mishra, Radhika Madan, Konkana Sen Sharma, and Naseeruddin Shah
  • Director: Aasmaan Bhardwaj
  • Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj, T Series and Luv Ranjan
  • Music: Vishal Bhardwaj
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 33 minutes

Vishal Bhardwaj is someone who started as a music director with films like Satya. He made a significant place for himself as a musician before getting into direction.

Since his directorial debut Makdee, he has given many masterpieces to the Hindi film industry. Films like Haider, Omkara and Maqbool are wonderful examples of that.

Vishal Bharadwaj’s son Aasmaan has a lot to live up to and the subject that he chose for his directorial debut clearly shows that he isn’t afraid to take risks.

Kuttey is a thriller with multiple characters and also plenty of back-and-forth narration. This isn’t an easy genre to crack for any director, let alone a debutant. But Aasmaan does a good job of capturing the audience’s attention. There are some rough edges, but he has the potential.

The story is about a few individuals who are eyeing a bank van carrying crores of money. Their desperation is compared to a pack of hungry dogs. Hence the title Kuttey.

There are three different groups (some intentionally and some accidentally) who want to lay their hands on the huge money. Each individual or group wants money for different reasons.

Gopi (Arjun Kapoor) and Paaji (Kumud Mishra) are police officers. They need money to get out of a terrible situation that they’ve landed themselves in.

Pammi (Tabu) is desperate for money as she wants to improve her standard of living.

Lovely (Radhika Madan) is the daughter of an underworld don Narayan Khobre (Naseeruddin Shah). She needs the money for spending the rest of her life with Danny Dandekar (Shardul Bhardwaj). Interestingly, Danny works for Narayan.

Lastly, there is Lakshmi (Konkana Sen Sharma). She runs a group of communist rebels who are on the run.

In a nutshell, the film is about who finally gets the money and what happens to those who don’t get the money.

An engaging treatment

The story of Kuttey hinges on a single track but what makes it engaging is its treatment by Aasmaan. The objectives of all three groups keep the audiences invested in what will happen next.

There is a strong animal analogy that the director presents and this enhances the film much like last year’s Darlings. There is liberal use of four-letter words. This makes the dialogues more entertaining, particularly for those who enjoy this brand of cinema.

Aasmaan also touches upon some important things through his multiple characters.

Through the track of Konkana Sen Sharma, the young director talks about how the marginalised are pushed to take up weapons. There is also a righteous cop who chooses to go on the dark side. All this enhances the drama.

The climatic twist takes you by complete surprise and also raises some chuckles.

Technical aspects

The cinematography by Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi is perfectly in sync with the nature of the film.

The music and the background score by Vishal Bhardwaj heighten the drama. Particular mention must be made regarding the use of “Dhan Te Nan” from Kaminey. It is a treat to watch.

There are a couple of aspects that could have been better. The cuss words feel overdone in places.

Also, both Naseeruddin Shah and Konkana could have been used better. The Naxalite angle could have been done with more depth. The violence also could have been trimmed down.

An ensemble of cast

Kuttey has a huge ensemble of actors and the ones who stand out are Tabu, Kumud Mishra, and Arjun Kapoor.

Tabu is at her usual best as Pammi. She has a ball uttering the Hindi swear words. She does a brilliant job of playing the badass boss that is generally reserved for men. She also brings in some comic relief.

Kumud Mishra delivers another ace performance as the conflicted cop. He lets his body language do most of the talking.

However, the surprise package of the ensemble is Arjun Kapoor. He holds his own opposite seasoned performers like Tabu and Kumud Mishra. His character sketch has an interesting quirk.

For example, he is religious and fasts on Tuesdays before going on a shooting spree. He is also shown to be a responsible father.

Radhika Madan and Shardul are good with the limited screen time that they have.

Kuttey has enough bite and the ensemble cast is the icing on the cake.

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Drishyam 2 (Hindi): A Solid Remake That Stands On Its Own Feet. 

Abhishek Pathak delivers a solid thriller that will satisfy the audiences even if you have seen the original Malayalam film

Drishyam 2 (Hindi)           3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Ajay Devgan, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Akshay Khanna and others

Direction, screenplay and dialogues: Abhishek Pathak

Additional screenplay and dialogues: Aamil Keeyan Khan

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Abhishek Pathak, Krishan Kumar and Kumar Mangat Pathak

Production companies: Viacom 18 Studios, T- Series Films and Panorama Studios

Original story: Jeetu Joseph

Based on: Drishyam 2 (Malayalam) by Jeetu Joseph

Music: Devi Sri Prasad

Genre: Crime thriller/drama

Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Jeetu Joseph’s Drishyam films can easily fit in any language; the emotions in both the films are something that audiences can connect to irrespective of where they come from. When Jeetu Joseph made Drishyam 2 there were certain apprehensions about the sequel matching up to the original. But the director proved his skeptics wrong by delivering a highly satisfying sequel. Not surprisingly Drishyam 2 was remade into Telugu as well; Jeetu Joseph directed the Telugu version as well.  Now you have Hindi Drishyam 2 headlined by Ajay Devgan and directed by Abhishek Pathak. Late Nishikant Kamat had directed the first part. 

Drishyam 2 comes at a time when we are going through a saturation of remakes. However the film has created a certain buzz thanks to a well cut trailer and also the star cast. This time there is Akshaye Khanna too playing the police officer who takes on Ajay Devgan’s Vijay Salgaonkar. 

The story of Drishyam 2 starts off with a slight recap of the first part. This recap helps the audiences to reconnect with the events. Seven years have passed but Vijay’s family is still haunted by that traumatic night and the events that followed. Vijay has now got his own film theatre. In fact he is writing a story too with plans of producing a film. Former inspector Meera Deshmuk (Tabu) is still searching for answers and closure regarding her son’s death. Nandini (Shriya Saran) cannot sleep alone at night. Whenever Vijay isn’t there she asks her neighborhood lady to sleep her. Anju (Ishita Dutta) suffers from fits during high tension moments. Tarun Ahlawat (Akshay Khanna) is a friend of Meera and is hell bent on making sure that Vijay is punished, however that is easier said than done. This is the basic synopsis. 

The first half of Drishyam 2 is slow paced and a lot of time is spent on setting things up. But Abhishek Pathak does a good job in keeping the audiences invested. The family dynamics don’t have the same warmth as the Malayalam and Telugu versions, but still there is enough meat. Some of the twists won’t be a surprise for those who have seen the Malayalam film. However there is a lot there for even those who have seen the Malayalam film. 

The film gathers steam with the introduction of Akshay Khanna. Akshay Khanna commands the viewer’s attention with his strong screen presence. The cat and mouse game which proceeds keeps the audiences engrossed. My favorite bit in the second half is when Akshay’s character visits the family of Vijay. The tension is palpable throughout. This in spite of the fact that Akshay Khanna never raises his voice, his demeanor is more than enough. Akshay Khanna brings a certain authority to his part and his one liners are too good. 

The background score by Devi Sri Prasad also helps immensely in building up the suspense. The background score adds to the thrills particularly in the second half when things start getting serious. Sudhir Kumar’s cinematography is another major plus for the film. His cinematography adds to the immersive experience. 

Much like the original Malyalam film and the Telugu remake here too as audiences you empathize with both Ajay Devgan and Tabu. There are no heroes and villains here. Both these actors don’t need a particular introduction about their acting capabilities. Their work speaks for themselves. 

Ajay Devgan is brilliant as the protective husband and father who would go any lengths to save them. Tabu has less screen time but she commands your attention as the mother who is waiting to strike back. 

Shriya Saran is fairly effective as Nandini but Meena did a better job in the Malayalam and Telugu Films. Kamlesh Sawant brings in the required ruthless to his part of a cop who is thirsty for revenge.  Final word: Drishyam 2 is a worthy successor. There are enough thrills backed by some solid performances. 

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Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2: A Wholesome Commercial Entertainer

Priyadarshan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a remake of the Tamil film Chandramukhi which starred Rajinikanth and Jyotika. Chandramukhi itself was a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu. Bhool Bhulaiyaa wasn’t as good as Chandramukhi but it was still highly watchable thanks to the comic timing of Akshay Kumar and also the performance of Vidya Balan in the post interval portions. It was also the time when Priyadarshan was in good form. Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a psychological thriller with ample doses of comedy.

Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is an extension of that universe. This one plays out like a horror comedy, a genre which has brought good box office numbers. Karthik Aryan steps into the shoes of Akshay Kumar, Tabu on the other hand steps into the shoes of Vidya Balan. Tabu plays a double role in this one. The only cast member who is common between both the films is Rajpal Yadav. He returns back as Chota Pandit. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is one of those wholesome entertainers that have something for everyone.

Strangers Ruhan Randhawa (Karthik Aryan) and Reet Thakur (Kiara Advani) meet at a hill station. Just like most Bollywood love stories there is an instant connection followed by a song and dance sequence. Things take a turn when Ruhan and Reet land up in an abandoned haveli where the spirit of Manjulika is believed to held captive for 18 years. Ruhan turns into Rooh Baba in no time and convinces people that he can talk to ghosts. Things are going well for Ruhan, but he invites self trouble when he accidently unleashes the spirit that has been locked for 18 years. The rest of the story is about why the spirit of Manjulika is so angry and will Rooh baba be able to handle the situation. The back story of Manjulika and the connection of the twin sisters form an integral part of the second half.

The best thing about Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is how the director combines the elements of horror and comedy. The scares aren’t particularly new but still they do spoke you. The scenes of Karthik Aryan as Rooh Baba are an absolute laugh riot. His interactions with the family of Kiara Advani bring the house down. The subplot of Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra and Ashwini Kaleskar also raise some chuckles, even if the nature of the humor is somewhat questionable. The dialogues by Aakash Kaushik deserve praise for the way punch lines have been written.

Karthik Aryan gets ample scope to display his comic timing and the actor doesn’t disappoint one bit. Karthik is also very impressive in pre-climax scene where you have a big reveal.

Another thing that Anees Bazmee gets right is the track of twin sisters. After Karthik Aryan, Tabu has the meatiest role among the rest. She serves as the catalyst of the plot. The parts of the twin sister are as different as chalk and cheese. Tabu effortlessly switches between Anjulika and Manjulika. She gets her big moment in the climax and as usual Tabu kills it with her performance. The big twist here is quite satisfying as you don’t really see it coming. Special mention must also be given to the makeup of Tabu in the flashback portions. Tabu looks effortlessly young. Performances wise it is Karthik Aryan and Tabu who shoulder the film on their shoulders.

There are two areas where the film falters. One is the romance between Karthik and Kiara. There is a lot of flirting and also one kiss. But the chemistry is nowhere visible. In fact the romantic portions come across as speed breakers. The songs of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 are another major sore point. The only song that makes any impression is the reworked version of Hare Ram from the original. Karthik’s dance moves in that are quite fluid.

In a nutshell, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a wholesome entertainer that is going to keep its target audiences engaged. It is a film which is sure to break the dry run that Bollywood has been having since the success of Gangubai and Kashmir Files.