Tag: Vijay Varma

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IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack: An immersive web show revisiting a hugely agonizing period

The decision of releasing the three terrorists is something that is debated even to this day. Refreshingly Director Anubhav Sinha doesn’t take any sides and neither does he resort to the current over the top nationalism

  • Starcast: Vijay Varma, Manoj Pahwa, Aravind Swamy, Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Dia Mirza, Rajiv Thakur and others
  • Based on the book: Flight Into Fear – The Captain’s story by Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury
  • Director: Anubhav Sinha
  • Writers: Adrian Levy and Trishant Srivastava
  • Production houses: Matchbox Shots and Banaras Mediaworks
  • Streaming site: Netflix
  • No of episodes: 6
  • Cinematography: Ewan Mulligan and Ravi Kiran Ayyagari

In simple terms the story of ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ focuses on a flight hijacked by three Pakistani terrorists. The flight was going from Delhi to Katmandu. After being taken hostage the airplane lands at three different locations before the final destination of Kandahar which was then under the control of Talibans. These terrorists want the release of their imprisoned Kashmiri comrades along with a dead body of a militant. Director Anubhav Sinha and the other two writers recreate the eight harrowing days in a gripping manner. The continuous negotiations between the Indian agents and the Pakistani terrorists and the efforts of the passengers for survival is depicted authentically.

Passengers in the hijacked plane

Before going forward, I will slightly touch upon the unnecessary controversy that the show has found itself in. A section of people has raised objection to some of the hijackers having Hindu codenames, this objection feels very redundant. Assuming false names is a very common practice when you don’t want the real identity to come out. When the terrorists used certain code names how can a director change it, specially as this is based on a true story.

Now moving on to the show, earlier too we have seen stories of this genre where a larger-than-life hero saves the day. Here that has been subverted in a refreshing manner. Vijay Varma’s Captain Sharan Dev is the major pivot of this story as he is the head pilot. But the character never comes across as larger than life. He is as vulnerable as the other passengers and the fellow staff; Sharan Dev simply wants to survive through this ordeal so that he can meet his daughters again. At the same time, he shows determination too. This mix of fear and determination has been wonderfully portrayed by the actor. With this web show Vijay Varma once again proves his capability in adapting to different roles.

A mix of fear and determination

This web series follows a pattern of blending real life situations with dramatized events. A voice over runs alongside the archival footage. The merging of archival footage and the re-created scenes is not easy to blend but director Anubhav Sinha does a very good job in intermingling both.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is also refreshing in its portrayal of the terrorists. Thanks to the nuanced writing they never come across as one note characters. There is a scene of them participating in Antyakshari with passengers. In another scene one of the terrorists comforts an air hostess who vomits as she is unable to bear the stench. There is also a moment where a terrorist expresses his admiration for Sharan Dev.

The series also does a wonderful job in portraying the sheer hopelessness of the situation. In a particularly impactful scene, a helpless flight attendant is trying to clean out an over flowering toilet. It is a very disturbing image.

There isn’t much space in a show like this for lighthearted moments, but Manoj Pahwa raises many chuckles with his sarcastic humor. He plays an aggressive official and the senior actor as expected delivers a solid act. Whether it is the scenes of negotiation with the hijackers or his conversations with the suave Aravind Swamy in the role of an MEA official. In spite of a bulky physicality the actor commands your attention. Aravind Swamy as the smooth-talking officer with a different approach is charm personified.

Manoj Pahwa commands your attention
Aravind Swamy as the smooth-talking officer is charm personified

Like other hostage dramas this too comes with certain backstories. Anubhav Sinha does not explore them in detail but there is enough to chew on. For example, you have an orthopedician shrugging off his responsibility in saving a heavily wounded passenger. The same attitude can be seen later when he is stranded with a differently abled son. The Director links this behavior to a larger picture concerning the politicians and bureaucrats. Hijackers get into the aircraft with guns and bombs in a very convenient manner. These scenes show how a security lapse can result in deadly consequences.

The crux of ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ is more about the emotional battles, and less about combat. This has come out well. The role of Afghanistan in rescuing the passengers also gives the show some of its most heart warming moments.

Rajiv Thakur, a comedian earlier does a good job in the role of a menacing hijacker. Yes, the actor does fall short on certain occasions particularly in the scenes with Manoj Pahwa but still it is a commendable effort. Among others Dia Mirza and Amrita Puri also do a fine job. As a member of Press Dia portrays both the tenderness and intensity in an effective manner. Through the track of her and Amrita Puri Anubhav Sinha brought the conflict between newspapers and television into the story.

Rajiv Thakur cast against type

A special mention must be made about Pankaj Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah playing senior officials. They are actors par excellence with a huge body of work behind them. It is a pleasure to watch the two veteran actors in one frame. Their interactions are laced with conflicting ideologies but underlined with mutual respect.

The cinematography of Ewan Mulligan and Ravi Kiran Ayyagari is also first rate. Both do a splendid job in capturing the high tension through their lens.

One aspect of the show which feels slightly underwhelming is the structure. The cuts between the episodes feel abrupt giving the impression that this was originally planned as a movie, but this doesn’t hamper the proceedings in a significant manner.

The final moments leave the viewers with a lot of thoughts on how the hijack happened so easily in the first place. But I suppose there is always scope for security lapses.

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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.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/murder-mubarak-hindi-movie-review/

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Jaane Jaan: Another Compelling Thriller From Sujoy Ghosh

In spite of obvious similarities with the Drishyam films this Netflix film stands on its own thanks to the atmospherics and the powerful cast.

Jaane Jaan (Hindi)                 

Starcast: Kareena Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma, Saurabh Sachdeva and others

Director and writer: Sujoy Ghosh

Additional writer and dialogues: Raj Vasant

Based on: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

Producers: Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Akshai Puri and others

Production Companies: Balaji Motion Pictures 12th Street Entertainment etc.

Streaming site: Netflix

Genre: Mystery/drama

Running time: 2 hours and 19 minutes

For those who are not aware Sujoy Ghosh’s  Jaane Jaan is based on the famous Japanese novel ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ by Keigo Higashino. This novel has seen many adaptations. In fact the Drishyam films are supposed to be inspired from this novel.

Jaane Jaan has been an eagerly awaited film for two reasons. One is its director Sujoy Ghosh who has established his credentials as a thriller specialist with Kahaani and Badla. Two is the diverse star cast featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma. Jaane Jaan is not in the same league as Kahaani but there is a lot to like here too.

Jaane Jaan primarily revolves around three characters. The setting of this film is a misty hill station called Kalimpong in West Bengal. Maya D’ Souza (Kareena Kapoor) is a single mother who works at the local café. Naren Vyas (Jaideep Ahlawat) is a mathematics teacher at a local school. Naren is also Maya’s neighbour. He is socially awkward but is besotted with Maya. Maya comes with a dark past which is connected to her ex husband Ajit Mhatre (Saurabh Sachdeva). Her new life is shaken up by his re entry but in an accidental scuffle husband dies. She buries him with the help of her neighbour.

Vijay Varma is a police Inspector who is assigned the task of finding Ajit Mhatre. For a change his character Karan Anand is not a deranged psycho (like in Darlings, Dahaad and Pink). What follows is a survival thriller of a determined single mother in the style of Drishyam films. In this case she also has the help of her besotted neighbour .

First and foremost Jaane Jaan is not about who the culprit is. So it is not a story of whodunit in the classical sense. It is more about how the culprit evades the authorities. Sujoy Ghosh takes his own sweet time to establish the daily routine of Maya and how Naren secretly loves her. For some the slow pace might be a hindrance but these portions are necessary in the overall scheme of things.

A big plus for Jaane Jaan is the technical department headed by Avik Mukhopadhyay. He captures the different colour pallets brilliantly through his lens. His cinematography is such that the hill station becomes a character in itself.

The background music composed by the band of Shor Police is in complete sync with the mood of the film. There is no scope for songs in a film like this but the title number pictured on Kareena Kapoor makes for a good watch and listen.

Kareena Kapoor Khan successfully takes off from where she left in Laal Singh Chaddha.  Her Maya D’ Souza is a mixture of steely resilience, vulnerability and charm among other things. Kareena delivers a knock out in her debut digital project.

The way Jaideep Ahlawat who played Naren is smitten by Maya brings a smile to the viewer’s face. His love for Maya and the extent to which he helps her makes you wish that Maya had ended up with him. He was terrific in bringing out the various nuances of his character.

Vijay Varma for a change is a charming cop and the actor plays it with the required coolness. It is refreshing to see Vijay in this avatar. The scenes between Vijay and Kareena are good to watch. During the investigation Karan also falls in love with Maya and the scenes where he flirts with her are adorable. Saurabh Sachdeva is pitch perfect as the abusive husband in his brief screen time.

Jaane Jaan does suffer from editing issues. The film could have been cut short by fifteen minutes. The climax has the typical shock value of a Sujoy Ghosh thriller although it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

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Lust Stories 2: An Engrossing Anthology About Love, Sex, And Desire

Much like its predecessor ‘Lust Stories’ (released in 2018), ‘Lust Stories 2’ also offers a fresh perspective on female desires.

Lust Stories (2018) — directed by Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Anurag Kashyap, and Karan Johar — was a well-made anthology about female desire.

The protagonists in these segments belong to different generations, socio-economic statuses, and upbringings. But the common aspect that bound them was sex and lust.

The standout story in Lust Stories was the short directed by Zoya Akhtar. Her story was about a domestic worker and her boss. Zoya expertly tackled the issue of a class divide through the lens of lust.

Now, after a gap of five years, you have Lust Stories 2. Much like its predecessor, this also offers a fresh perspective on female desire.

Made For Each Other

Lust Stories 2 begins with R Balki short Made For Each Other. This short primarily looks at checking sexual compatibility before marriage. It opens with Veda (Mrunal Thakur) and Arjun (Angad Bedi).

You have both families discussing when their marriage should take place. At that exact moment, Veda’s  daadi (grandmother, played by Neena Gupta) asks Veda whether she and Arjun had pre-marital sex.

As expected, this leads to a complete silence in the room. Daadi also adds that checking sexual compatibility before marriage is as important as doing a test drive before buying a car.

In the hands of a lesser actor, daadi’s dialogue may have sounded awkward. However, Neena Gupta makes the cool daadi work with her natural performance. Her scenes with Mrunal in particular are very good to watch.

Mrunal Thakur and Angad Bedi don’t have a lot to work with. Nevertheless, they make for a good lovey-dovey couple.

The Mirror

The Mirror, directed by Konkana Sen Sharma, is more intense than Balki’s short.

Isheeta (Tillotama Shome) is an individual leading a mundane life. She has repressed sexual desires.

But one day, things take a significant turn when she accidentally sees her domestic help (Amruta Subhash) engaging in a sexual act with her husband in her house (Isheeta’s).

Instead of confronting the domestic help, Isheeta gets drawn to the scene. She gets a lot of pleasure from watching them.

This segment primarily looks at the inner desires of Isheeta and the complexities that arise from her voyeurism. This short also shows that lust knows no caste, colour or gender.

Both Tillotama and Amruta Subhash are in wonderful form with their uninhibited performances. Though it reminds you of Zoya Akhtar’s short in Lust Stories, Konkana adds many more layers.

Sex With Ex

Sujoy Ghosh’s Sex With Ex is a thriller in typical Sujoy Ghosh’s style. This segment of Lust Stories 2 doesn’t completely draw you in, but it isn’t a complete waste either.

David Chauhan (Vijay Varma) is involved in an accident on the outskirts of a town. While searching for a mechanic he visits a hamlet where he runs into his ex-wife Shanti (Tamannaah Bhatia).

Shanti was assumed to be dead for a long time. Expectedly, this reunion brings a flood of memories.

The best part of this segment is the real-life sensuality that Tamannaah and Vijay Varma bring to the table. The twist at the end also takes you by surprise.

Tilchatta

The last chapter of Lust Stories 2 is Tilchatta (Cockroach) directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma.

It deals with two issues mainly — firstly, it is about an upper-caste man who still feels that he is living in the age of kings; secondly, it is about a woman trying to find her agency in an abusive marriage.

The patriarch here is Kumud Mishra and the married woman is Kajol.

Tilchatta takes place in a sprawling haveli. Amit Ravindernath Sharma does a wonderful job of bringing out the toxicity and suffocation that Chanda (Kajol) and her son are going through in that large space.

There is an affecting subplot concerning sex workers since Chanda was a sex worker before getting into this haveli. This subplot adds more heft to the drama.

Both Kajol and Kumud Mishra bring their A-game. Kumud Mishra shows once again why he is considered a brilliant actor. He is absolutely terrific as the torchbearer of patriarchy. The way he unabashedly gazes at the bodies of women with so much lust makes the viewers hate him.

Kajol, as the woman trying to find her agency, conveys a lot with just her body language. As viewers, you want her to take the bold step which she eventually does, although things don’t go exactly according to the plan.

Verdict

Much like Lust Stories, Lust Stories 2 also makes a bold attempt at bringing taboo topics to the forefront through the digital space.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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Dahaad: A Gripping Thriller That Goes Much Beyond The Usual Police Procedural

Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti script a serial-killer story that also looks at important social issues plaguing our society.

Dahaad (Hindi)
  • Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma, Sohum Shah and others
  • Directors: Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi
  • Music: Gaurav Raina Tarana Marwah
  • No. of episodes: 8
  • OTT platform: Amazon Prime

Zoya Akhtar has created a niche for herself in the industry with her strong storytelling skills; whether it is stories about the elite (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Dhadakne Do) or the underdogs (Luck By Chance and Gully Boy).

Audiences expect a certain quality when her name is associated with any project.

After co-directing the blockbuster web series Made In Heaven, Zoya delivers another winner, Dahaad.

Though she isn’t the director of this one, she is one of the creators and also has written the additional screenplay.

For those who are not aware, Dahaad is inspired by real-life serial killer Mohan Kumar, also known as Cyanide Mohan.

Synopsis

The story of Dahaad is set in a small town called Mandawa in Rajasthan.

Sonakshi Sinha plays Inspector Anjali Bhaati, an officer who belongs to a backward caste.

She gets the case of a girl who is said to have eloped with a Muslim man taking along cash, jewellery, and other things.

She initiates the investigation with her fellow officers Devilal Singh (Gulshan Devaiah) and Kailash Parghi (Sohum Shah).

During the investigation, the cops discover many similar cases of girls eloping with anonymous partners, which raises the question of whether they were all linked.

Eventually, Anjali finds that all the eloped girls died by consuming cyanide.

Anand Swarnakar (Vijay Varma) is the prime suspect. However, Anjali is not able to gather strong evidence against him.

Meanwhile, Anand plays many tricks with the police and poses as a victim who is being harassed by Anjali.

The rest of the story follows Anjali’s pursuit of the case. Where her suspicions about Anand right? If so, how does she and her team manage to arrest Anand red-handed?

Also. why is the killer attacking girls from only a particular social stratum?

The presentation

The best thing about Dahaad is how the Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, and Ruchika Oberoi team uses the town of Mandawa and Rajasthan.

Both these become a character in themselves, and the social issues have been presented in a hard-hitting manner.

For example, despite being a police officer, on more than one occasion Bhaati is reminded of her lower caste.

Anjali has to fight against both sexism at the workplace along with questions about her lineage.

A scene which deserves particular mention is the one when Anjali lashes out at a wealthy man who doesn’t allow her to enter the house because of her lower caste.

There is also a subplot of how people are used as scapegoats. It is brief but Ruchika Oberoi and Reema Kagti make some important points.

Standout performances

Gulshan Devaiah’s Devilal Singh is a character that stands out the most along with Vijay Varma’s Anand Swarnakar.

We see Devilal Singh not just as a determined police officer but also as a husband and a father who is weathering a storm at home.

He has a progressive outlook on how his daughter shouldn’t confine herself to being a housewife in future. He wants her to be strong and independent.

His wife on the other hand isn’t so progressive and as a result, there are constant tussles.

Devilal Singh is so progressive that he even makes his son understand that curiosity about sex is natural at his age and that there was nothing wrong with that. However, he also tells his son to be careful.

Gulshan Devaiah steals every scene he is in with a magnetic performance.

The antagonist

Vijay Varma is a veteran at playing socially deviant characters; whether it is Pink or last year’s Darlings.

Still, the actor makes a huge impact with his character in this series. Anand is a complex character as he appears to be a do-gooder on the surface.

Apart from being an excellent Hindi professor he also runs a mobile library for the underprivileged but soon enough the viewers can understand how calculative he is.

He spends most of his time outside the home and his equation with his father is not great as there are severe daddy issues.

Vijay Varma is in fantastic form. Both as a middle-class married man struggling to make out ends meet and also as a serial killer who has unresolved issues with his father.

Striking aspect

Another striking aspect of the web series is how it doesn’t paint all men as monsters.

Certain women characters in the web show are equally regressive.

This particularly comes out in the scenes when Anjali talks to the parents of the eloped girls. All of them think that it was good that their daughters eloped instead of being a financial burden at home.

They declare that they had nothing to do with girls.

It must be mentioned that Anand only targets women from the lower strata of society and whose parents were not in a position to pay a big dowry.

He camouflages himself as a different person and seduces them by talking sweetly. Once they fall for him and agree to have sex, he thinks they are loose characters and eliminates them with cyanide.

Slightly off

One of the areas that Dahaad slightly falters is the climax.

After all the cat and mouse game the confrontation between Sonakshi and Vijay could have been more impactful.

Another issue with the web series is the casting of Sonakshi in the role of Anjali Bhaati. Sonakshi is adequately fierce in her demeanour but is rather one-dimensional in how she approaches the character.

The cinematography by Tanay Satmam is of the first order. He does a wonderful job of capturing the rusticness of the terrain. The Rajasthani dialect used is also mostly flawless.

Final verdict

Dahaad is definitely a worthy roar and a noteworthy addition to the career of Zoya Akhtar.

(Views expressed are personal)

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Year-End Roundup: Best Hindi Movies Of 2022

2022 has been a mixed year for films in Bollywood. It witnessed the best Hindi movies, and the worst, too.

Several male stars delivered big duds. For example, Ranveer Singh had two releases: Jayeshbhai Jordar and Cirkus. Neither of them had set the box office on fire.

Similarly, several remakes have bitten the dust. The Hindi remakes of Vikram Vedha, Mili, and Jersey are a few examples. Only Drishyam 2 managed to become a blockbuster.

2022 also had its share of wonderful films both in theatres and OTT. Let’s check the best Hindi movies of 2022:

Gangubai Kathiawadi

It was the first big Bollywood release, post the second wave of the pandemic. Gangubai Kathiawadi was released at a time when theatres were operating at 50 percent occupancy, particularly in Mumbai.

The film was based on a chapter from Hussain Zaidi’s book The Mafia Queens of Mumbai. There was certain scepticism on whether Bhansali would be able to pull off this gritty real-life story, considering that his Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmavat were larger-than-life movies.

However, both Bhansali and its leading lady Alia Bhatt surprised one and all. Though Gangubai Kathiawadi had its share of Bhansali-trademark elements in the way the area of Kamatipura was staged, the film had a beating heart which made it much more than just a visual spectacle.

Gangubai Kathiawadi also offered Alia her widest canvas to date. The actor made sure Bhansali’s faith in her did not go in vain.

In fact, Alia sunk her teeth into the role and came up with a performance that is far superior to her previous ones. Physicality was a problem at times, but it is to the actor’s credit that this aspect did not become bothersome for the audience.

Alia expressed a lot just through her body language. The best example of this is the song “Meri Jaan” which takes place between her and Shantanu Maheswari in a car.

There was a multitude of emotions that she had to convey and the actress just killed it.

Another example is one of the initial scenes when the character stands in front of a brothel, leaning on a wall and calling out for men in whispers.

There are no dialogues, let alone a heavy monologue, but Alia conveys the pain of Gangu superbly, just through her eyes. Her performance easily stands amongst the best seen on-screen.

The supporting cast made this film even more memorable. Shantanu Maheswari as the Muslim tailor Afshan made a successful detour from television to films.

The love story between him and Gangu was handled with a lot of sensitivity. Audiences feel sad when the couple does not have a happy ending.

Ajay Devgan as Rahim Lala only had an extended special appearance, but the senior actor was as solid as ever.

Another character worthy of mention is Jim Sarbh, as a journalist. In their first scene, Gangubai introduces herself as Gangubai, the prostitute. This shocks Jim’s character.

Darlings

A story on domestic abuse on-screen is something that calls for a lot of sensitivity. Debut director Jasmeet K Rheen was brave enough to pick it up and mix it with elements of thriller and comedy.

This is a difficult mix to pull off for any director, let alone a debutant. But she managed to make it mainstream.

However, Darlings (released on Netflix) has its flaws: The tonal shift in the second half feels rather abrupt; the dark comedy doesn’t completely land. The indecisiveness of Badru makes the audience impatient.

But then, there is also a lot to like about Darlings. Chief among them is the mother-daughter dynamics portrayed excellently by Shefali Shah and Alia Bhat. The constant tussle between mother and daughter led to some thoroughly entertaining moments.

Jasmeet K Rheen also makes some valid points on the unequal power structure of marriage.

Unlike in Gangubai Kathiawadi, Alia is not the driving force in this film. But the audience roots for her because each one of us can see a family member or friend in her plight.

Kudos to the actor for choosing this film as her maiden production venture.

While Vijay Varma looked truly a scary psychopath, Roshan Mathews in the role of Zulfi was charm personified.

Jalsa

The story of Jalsa (streaming on Amazon Prime Video) is far from cheerful, as the title indicates.

Director Suresh Triveni packs a lot of serious stuff in the movie, starting from moral ambiguities to class divide. There are occasions when it feels too scattered and the characterisation of Vidya Balan leaves a lot to be desired, which I will get to later.

Vidya is introduced as Maya, a strong-willed journalist. She is someone who believes that truth should come out no matter what.

However, when she gets embroiled in an unfortunate accident, she does not stand up to what she preaches. The victim happens to be the daughter of her domestic help Ruksana, played by Shefali Shah.

Despite Jalsa being a new genre for Suresh Triveni, there is no denying the command that the director showed.

He is particularly impressive in showcasing the intricacies of human behaviour when they are pushed to the edge. The class divide between the two central characters was captured well by him.

There is a scene in the first half when Ruksana’s son gets fascinated with the motion flush in the toilet. For him, it is like a toy that only rich people can buy.

Rohini Hattangadi as Vidya’s mother spreads so much warmth whenever she appears on the screen.

Lastly, Ruksana’s bond with Maya’s 10-year-old son, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is also good to watch.

As mentioned earlier, Vidya’s character severely suffered from loose characterisation. At no point do we get a glimpse of Maya’s remorse.

Yes, a certain fear is there about police catching up with her. However, there is no proper scene where Maya feels bad for what she has done. This doesn’t go down well with what is shown in the beginning.

The looseness in the writing also reflects in Vidya’s acting. The actress is sincere but we have seen her do far better in the past.

The climax also ought to have been more power-packed. The stereotypical representation of journalists is another put-off. Not surprisingly, Shefali Shah walked away with the top honours.

Drishyam 2

The Hindi remake of the second Drishyam arrived at a time when there was a saturation of remakes.

Films like Vikram Vedha, Jersey, and Mili couldn’t do much despite having good reviews. However, there were more expectations from this sequel, given that the Malayalam original didn’t release in theatres and there was no dubbed Hindi version available.

The trailer was well received and the presence of the underrated Akshay Khanna added to the curiosity. The film was expected to be at least a hit; however, it went far beyond the expectations of the trade.

Drishyam 2 is one of those rare films that holds its own, both as a remake and also as a standalone film.

Much like the Malayalam original, here too, there are no heroes and villains. The audiences root equally for the common man Vijay (Ajay Devgan) and the police officer (Tabu).

Director Abhishek Pathak deserves huge appreciation for how he adapted the source material, while at the same time, adding certain things that don’t disturb the flow of the original.

Akshay Khanna brought a certain dynamism to his role of a determined cop-cum-friend.

Some sarcastic one-liners brought a smile to our faces, like the one when Akshay’s Tarun mocks Vijay about the latter’s story on what happened that night.

Good Luck Jerry

This is a remake of the acclaimed Tamil film Kolamaavu Kokila. The original was greatly appreciated for its performances and direction. Nayanthara aced her parts in the original.

There were doubts if Janhvi Kapoor would be able to pull off this author-backed role. However, to her credit, she was more than efficient.

Siddarth Sen, who directed Good Luck Jerry (streaming on Disney+ Hotstar), transported the Tamil original to Punjab. He added the angle of Jerry and her family as Punjabi migrants.

The father was replaced by a kind-hearted neighbour. Much like the original, here too, you root for the leading lady.

Good Luck Jerry had elements of both crime and comedy. This concoction was well handled by the director. Much of the film’s laughter comes from Rinku (Deepak Dobriyal). His one-side lover act packs quite a punch.

The movie also gave Janhvi some moments to showcase her masala side and the actress made full use of it. She is particularly good when Jerry has to take things into her own hands.

Mili

This is a survival drama starring Janhvi Kapoor. It is a remake of the Malayalam super-hit flick Helen, starring Anna Ben in the title role.

Survival drama is not a genre that can be watched on a repeat mode and it certainly isn’t for the weak-hearted. Mathukutty Xavier remade his own Malayalam hit into Mili.

Not surprisingly, it didn’t find many takers. But it did great justice to the original. In fact, we can watch Mili even if we have seen Helen.

The best part of the movie is when the survival drama takes over, with Mili’s father and boyfriend joining hands for their loved one.

The freezer room portions make you feel that you are actually with Mili. AR Rahman’s background music also added to the thrills.

The father-daughter relationship was the major backbone and it was a delight to watch Manoj Pahwa and Janhvi sharing screen space.

Sunny Kaushal could have had more scenes with Janhvi but even in those few scenes, he made his presence amply felt with his amiable nature.

Janhvi knocked it out of the park with her terrific performance as Mili, the title role. She makes the pain of the character so real.

Mili also had some impactful social commentary in terms of portraying the stereotypes attached to young working women.