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The Girl with the Seven Lives: Vikas Swarup delivers another engrossing page turner

The concoction of thrills and emotions make it a riveting read

Former Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup has had a fantastic start to his writing career. Both of his novels, Q&A, which was adapted into the movie Slumdog Millionaire, and Six Suspects, have been showered with praise. Six Suspects was made into a web series by Paan Singh Tomar director Tigmanshu Dhulia. A major reason for Vikas Swarup’s success is his ability in choosing plots that reflect different aspects of Indian society. The stories are thoroughly rooted in the Indian milieu making it relatable for the readers. 

With his latest The Girl With the Seven Lives the writer has again picked up a subject that effortlessly blends edge of seat thrills with a solid emotional graph. The central character of this novel Devi is a morally complex protagonist. She isn’t always likeable, some of her actions don’t fit the traditional compass of morality. However, we do not completely despise her because Vikas Swarup gives a psychological insight into her wretched past. The novel begins with a young woman Devi being held hostage by a dangerous man. He threatens to shoot her if she doesn’t talk about the 25 years of her life so far. Adding to Devi’s horror is an online auction, in this auction the person who bids the highest will determine her fate. Thus begins a long odyssey taking the readers on a rollercoaster ride. There are some shocking revelations keeping the readers thoroughly engrossed.

The Girl With the Seven Lives wastes no time in setting up the story. The very first chapter begins with the gruesome kidnap. The readers go through a lot of tension on the reasons behind the kidnap and  her eventual fate.

The plot thickens further with various attention-grabbing developments. Vikas Swarup’s writing of the various cities like Mumbai and Goa became a character in themselves. The dark underbelly beneath the shining glitter covers some important societal aspects. Whether it is the horrendous treatment of girls in observation homes, racket of fake degrees etc.

The bond between Devi and her dog Sheru also adds an emotional touch even if you aren’t a pet lover. As mentioned above Devi doesn’t fit into the traditional compass of morality but the readers also understand where she is coming from. Her childhood and teenage years are anything but happy. For example, her younger brother Sonu faces a brutal death due to a speedy BMW. A private hospital refused to treat him and a crooked cop showed zero empathy. Additionally, the elder brother is also unlawfully detained and the readers are given the impression of him being dead too. At one point a wealthy woman Devika takes an interest in Devi for her own selfish needs. She offers the comforts of a home pretending to be a kind person, but in actuality Devika just wants to use Devi as a subject to write an authentic novel about the poor. All these experiences shape up the person Devi grows up to be.

The readers root for Devi to come out safe from this ordeal. her journey through multiple identities and overcoming many obstacles give an important message on resilience.

(PS: Recently Vikas Swarup has talked about wanting Alia Bhatt to play central role of Devi if the book was made into a movie. Here’s hoping that his wish comes true.)

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Bollywood actors through the lens of South Indian directors

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

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

Ghajini

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

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

Kabir Singh

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

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

Jawan

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

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

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

Shah Rukh Khan also effortlessly slipped into the universe of Atlee

Animal

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

Ranbir Kapoor’s darkest avatar till date

Kalki

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

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

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

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

Not so lucky ones

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

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Paradise: A gripping insight into Srilanka’s economic crisis coupled with Ramayana and patriarchy

Recently I have seen a movie called Paradise streaming on Amazon Prime directed by Prasanna Vithanage. The film is set during the period of Srilanka’s economic crisis (2022). Paradise begins like one of those Mani Ratnam ones along the lines of Bombay or Roja but soon switches gears moving into an entirely different territory. Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran play a married couple, they are in Srilanka to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary fully aware of the political turmoil. They chose this place as they thought it would be less expensive.

The place of their home stay fits the title of Paradise perfectly given the coziness of their surroundings. Initially the viewers are given the impression of them being the perfect couple however a theft changes everything. Cell phones and laptops have been stolen. Roshan Mathew’s Keshav is terribly upset understandably too as the laptop contained all the material of his new project. He files a police complaint and also threatens Seargent Bandara (Mahendra Perera) that he would report to the Indian High Commissioner if the thieves aren’t caught along with getting back the stolen items. The police bring in the possible suspects acting very fast, but this only adds fuel to the already volatile situation in that area. Everything goes out of control for both the police and the couple. This is the story in brief.

Through the runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes Prasanna Vithanage touches upon some important aspects without big speeches. For example, he makes viewers understand the socio-political happenings of Srilanka through dialogues about shortage of essential items along with the conversations of the supporting characters like Shyam Fernando who plays the tour guide. The movie also makes a strong statement on police brutality without any explicit scenes. In the movie some poor workers are accused of theft leading to severe beatings. One of them die in police custody.

Finally, the director also talks about how tourists should be more sensitive to the socio-political environment of the country they are in. The initial frustration of Keshav is definitely understandable but at some point, realization should have been there about how he is putting the lives of both himself and the wife at stake. Keshav shouldn’t have let himself get carried away in the wave of arrogance. Although Darshana Rajendran’s Amritha is more sensitive than Keshav she should have been firmer in making the husband understand what he is doing isn’t right.

Performances wise both Roshan Mathew and Darshana do justice to their respective parts. Darshana adds a lot of vibrancy with her charming nature. Sure, there are times where Amritha’s empathetic nature just seems to be an add on to compensate for Keshav’s insensitive behavior. However, Darshana does do a wonderful job as the movie’s conscience. Roshan Mathew also does a splendid job in portraying the desperation of Keshav particularly the mood swings. Keshav is someone who gives the impression of being all powerful when he is actually just another visitor, and the actor does a swell job in bringing out that. Throughs his lens cinematographer Rajeev Ravi expertly captures both the vibrant landscape and the looming dread.

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Raayan: Solid performances along with the technical department elevate a familiar saga of gangster wars and a protective brother

Dhanush does a good job in establishing the emotional bond of the siblings particularly the strong characterizations of Sundeep Kishan and Dushara Vijayan

  • Starcast: Dhanush, Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas Jayaram, Dushara Vijayan, S.J. Suryah, Prakash Raj, Aparna Balamurali and others
  • Director and writer: Dhanush
  • Music: A. R. Rahman
  • Production Company: Sun Pictures
  • Cinematography: Om Prakash
  • Running time: 2 hours and 25 minutes

Dhanush is one of those few actors who is both a bankable star along with being a fantastic performer. His name comes with a certain weightage. Raayan is Dhanush’s 50th movie, naturally there are some expectations of it being a solid one. Raayan is also the second movie directed by Dhanush after Pa. Pandi.

For his second venture Dhanush has chosen an emotional story of four siblings who flee from their village and come to the city of North Chennai. Raayan (Dhanush) is the elder one. The youngest one is Manickam (Kalidas Jayaram). The second youngest is Muthu (Sundeep Kishan). Durga (Dushara Vijayan) is the sister, she is the binding factor. All the four have their own distinct qualities. Their lives undergo a drastic change when Raayan finds himself sandwiched in a power struggle between two gangsters Sethu (SJ Suryah) and Durai (Saravanan). There is also a new cop in town played by Prakash Raj. Prakash Raj wants to turn the two gangsters against each other so that the city will become clean. This is the story in brief

Dhanush has chosen a strong emotional story of four siblings

There is no denying that Raayan gives a major deja vu of some previous movies set in the gangster milieu. Even the stoic nature of Raayan is far from novel. The viewers can predict the violent persona of Raayan that will eventually come through. However, what makes the movie somewhat engaging are sibling dynamics that come with a few unexpected twists and turns. Dhanush has made sure that the movie doesn’t become a one- man show.

Sundeep Kishan as Muthu gets a chance to display a wide spectrum of emotions and the actor doesn’t disappoint. The way he portrays the emotional turmoil of Muthu during a key sequence of the second half in particular deserves a lot of praise. Dushara Vijayan has a very meaty part never reduced to a doormat sister. Dushara Vijayan portrays her fiery character in an excellent manner. She even upstages Dhanush in some sequences.

Sundeep Kishan as Muthu gets a chance to display a wide spectrum of emotions

As Raayan Dhanush is mostly seen in a brooding manner, he emotes through his eyes and overall body language. Dhanush’s role of a protector is similar to the one already done in Asuran, nevertheless the actor impresses with his trademark intensity. Selvaraghavan also makes for a perfect guardian with his calm demanor.

Dushara Vijayan has a very meaty part and not reduced to a doormat sister

Om Prakash’s cinematography goes perfectly well with the mood of the movie. His frames perfectly capture the dangers lurking around. A. R Rahman’s music and background score also elevate the movie in many places. My favorite song of the album is “Uusure Nee Thaane,” this comes in the first half and perfectly captures the emotional bond among the siblings.

A major drawback for Raayan is the lack of development in Prakash Raj’s role. He gets a grand entry but ends up being a mere puppeteer in the larger scheme of things. His mind games are thoroughly uninspiring to say the least. He never comes across as an authoritative figure which was the need of the role. The film’s action while thrilling to watch also feels overdone after a point. The constant slashing and bone crunching makes the movie look like an assemblage of violent scenes. However, an action sequence in hospital where Dushara Vijayan takes on the bodies deserves distinction marks for the way it has been choreographed.

The story’s basic arc is of betrayal and revenge, something done to death. As a result, the viewers feel no major high at the end of the movie.

To sum it up Raayan doesn’t completely match the high standards that Dhanush has set for himself.

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Bahishkarana: A gripping rural drama which successfully transports the viewers back to the period of feudalistic landlords

Director Mukesh Prajapathi takes a leaf out of Sukumar’s Rangasthalam and also other village based social dramas however he does show his individual stamp

  • Starcast: Anjali, Ravindra Vijay, Sritej, Ananya Nagalla etc
  • Direction and screenplay: Mukesh Prajapathi
  • Dialogues: Shaymu Chennu
  • Music: Siddharth Sadasivuni
  • Cinematography: Prasanna Kumar
  • Production Company: Pixel Pictures Pvt LTD
  • No of episodes: 6
  • OTT platform: Zee 5

Mukesh Prajapathi takes the viewers back to the times of caste discrimination and landlords exploiting young girls of lower social strata. The strange thing is that these upper-class men do not want them in their houses but have no qualms about enjoying them in bed. The story of Bahishkarana isn’t particularly new. The village president Shivaya (Ravindra Vijay) is revered by the villagers of Peddapalli and also the surrounding ones. Darshi (Sritej) is Shivaya’s right-hand man; he reveres Shivaya like the rest. However not surprisingly Shivaya is not what he appears to be, there is an unknown dark side.

To this the director has added the angle of a mysterious woman who pops up in Peddapalli. Pushpa (Anjali) is the personal mistress of Shivaya and is kept far away from the village. Darshi is given the responsibility of looking after Pushpa instead he ends up falling in love with her and she too reciprocates his feelings. But Shivaya obviously isn’t pleased with this development and gets Darshi married to someone else in a cunning manner. As the plot thickens the story takes many turns and deals with different threads. For example, how the villagers come to know about the reality of Shivaya among others.

Darshi and Pushpa falling in love

An aspect which captures the viewer’s attention while watching the show is the period set up. The production design and the cinematography deserve a particular mention. Prasanna Kumar needs to be praised for how he has captured the rustic terrain of Peddapalli through his lens. His cinematography adds immensely in creating the right atmosphere.

Siddarth Sadasivuni’s songs perfectly gel with the nature of the story. My favorite song of the album is Kalaa Nijam, a melodious tune that establishes Darshi and Pushpa falling for each other. He has also delivered an impactful background score particularly in the scenes of tension.

The love story between Darshi and Pushpa has also been well developed. The process of them falling in love is filled with some adorable moments. As viewers you wish they had a happy ending.

Darshi as Shivaya’s right-hand man

Dialogues by Shayam are another asset. His dialogues are power packed with some impactful social commentary on the exploitation of the poor. There are also some powerful scenes showcasing how the society looks at the likes of Pushpa.

What hampers the series somewhat though is the hangover of some village based social dramas particularly those that have featured the legendary actor Rao Gopal Rao. Apart from this the show could have also done with more attention-grabbing twists. The plot mostly runs on a single thread, and this does get monotonous at places.

The performances of the three principal actors elevate the drawbacks in a significant way. Anjali shines bright with her bold performance. Her portrayal of Shivaya’s concubine and also Darshi’s lover deserves distinction marks. Ravindra Vijay also does a splendid job in portraying a quiet menace. Shivaya is someone who portrays himself as a do- gooder from outside but he is actually a womanizer. The actor brings out the subtle variations in a wonderful manner. Sritej also gets into the skin of Darshi. The rugged look coupled with his performance in the emotional scenes deserves distinction marks. Ananya Nagalla is pretty good in her limited screen time.

Anjali shines with her bold performance

Bahishkarana is a must watch for those who like gritty dramas with village background.

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Me Before You: A must read for those who like intense love stories

Jojo Moye’s novel shares more than one similarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish but it is hard to say who was influenced by whom given that the movie came first.

The central subject of Jojo Moyes novel for those who haven’t read is Euthanasia, a person deliberately wanting to end his life with the permission of the law. This happens when an individual is no longer able to bear the suffering from a disease that cannot be cured. What makes the book more than just a love story is how the writer has given an insight into the condition of Quadriplegia (a form of paralysis that affects all four limbs) Yes, the ending of the book is definitely debatable much like the movie Guzaarish. Both the book and movie do seem to suggest that those suffering from Quadriplegia have no other alternative than ending their own life. However, there is no denying that Me Before You is an emotional roller coaster

The storyline of Me Before You is about the journey of two polar opposites. On one hand you have Lousia Clark a common girl leading a normal life. She hasn’t seen much of a life beyond her tiny village. On the other hand, there is Will Traynor a rich guy who once led a very active life. He had travelled worldwide and participated in extreme sports. An accident leads to him being wheelchair bound for life. In a twist of events Lousia becomes a caretaker of Will Traynor and from here begins a roller coaster of a journey.

A strong aspect of the book for me was the gradual progress in the relationship between Lousia and Will. In the beginning Will is mostly cranky with Lousia which isn’t surprising given that his once active life has gone for a toss, however as the story progresses the readers get to see a different side of Will too. The light repartee and the way he teases her are fun to read. Both of them have an influence on each other with Lousia learning self-love, Will meanwhile learns to enjoy life’s little moments. While entertaining the readers Jojo Moyes has also a done good in addressing some heavy topics, for instance the discrimination faced by disabled individuals and quality of life among others.

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Maharaja: Vijay Sethupathi and the non-liner storytelling elevate a standard revenge story.

The movie also deserves appreciation in how it portrays a rape survivor who wants to confront her attacker telling him in clear terms on how she isn’t going to live in shame.

  • Starcast: Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, Sachana Namidass, Natarajan “Natty” Subramaniam and others
  • Director and writer: Nithilan Swaminathan
  • Producers: Jagadish Palaniswamy and Sudhan Sundaram
  • Production Companies: Passion Studios etc.
  • Cinematography: Dinesh Purushothaman
  • Streaming site: Netflix

Some movies are elevated through a gripping screenplay more than the plot. Nithilan Swaminathan’s Maharaja is a very good example of this. On the surface it is about a father who wants to catch the perpetrators who have caused mayhem in his simple life, what makes the movie engaging though in spite of the gruesome violence is the back-and-forth narrative along with the intricate setting that throws in a lot of clues making the viewers think.

Contrary to the title Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja is no king nor is he some business magnate. He works in a saloon. The life of this Maharaja revolves primarily around two things. One is his work, and the other is the daughter Jyothi (Sachana Namidass). Jyothi is a spirited teenager with dreams of being an athlete. It may sound bizarre but both of them worship a dustbin by the name of Lakshmi. We are told that this dustbin had saved Jyothi’s life. In an outlandish turn of events Maharaja goes to the station to file a case about a missing dustbin. The cops take him for a crazy guy and try to throw him out of the station, but Maharaja doesn’t budge constantly saying that he wants the dustbin back. Eventually the police agree to look into the case as Maharaja offers a huge amount of the money. What starts off as a simple case unravels many secrets leading to many twists and turns.

Vijay Sethupathi as the doting father

A strong aspect of Maharaja are the police station scenes where Vijay Sethupathi pleads to the cops about the missing dustbin. Yes, the scenarios may appear ridiculous but the earnestness with which Vijay Sethupathi repeats the story is amusing and moving at the same time. Although the viewers are laughing there is an undercurrent of tension too.

Vijay Sethupathi Maharaja talking about the missing dustbin

While the investigation is going on Nithilan Swaminathan introduces the viewers to another important character played by filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap. Anurag Kashyap is also a common man called Selvam. Selvam is a loving father to his daughter Ammu but there is a dark side to his life unknown to the wife. Initially the viewers wonder how this man is connected to Maharaj’s life but the director has connected the dots expertly. The police characters lead by Natarajan “Natty” Subramaniam have also been written fairly well. They start off as a bunch of opportunistic cops but end up developing a conscience towards the movie’s end.

Anurag Kashyap as the other father who has secrets of his own

It goes without saying that Vijay Sethupathi is the backbone of Maharaja. In the police station scenes, he leaves you in splits, at the same time his portrayal of a desperate father touches an emotional chord. Anurag Kashyap’s lip sync does take some time getting used to, but he brings in the required menace, at the same time there is a major reveal related to his character in the climax, this humanizes Selvam and Anurag’s breakdown deserves distinction marks. Among the rest Sachana Namidass shines in one intense confrontation scene.

Some portions of Maharaja though could have done with better writing. Case in point Mamata Mohandas as the PTI teacher Aasifa.  She is a mother-like figure to Jyoti. The bond needed more impactful scenes for the viewers to feel the motherly love of Aasifa, another problem with the movie are the gruesome scenes of violence involving the women. Particularly bothersome is a scene meant to establish the villainy of Selvam and co. The close-up shots make it nauseating.

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Bharateeyudu 2: A bloated sequel which doesn’t have the emotional complexities of the 1996 blockbuster

Director S. Shankar does a better job in the second half when he touches upon the consequences of cleaning corruption in your home. The ostracization that Siddarth’s Chitra Aravindan faces does touch the viewer’s heart, but the movie doesn’t come across as a whole

  • Starcast: Kamal Haasan, Siddarth, Samuthirakani, Kalidas Jayaram, Bobby Simha, Rakul Preet Singh and others
  • Direction, dialogues, story and screenplay: S Shankar
  • Producers: Subaskaran Allirajah and Udhayanidhi Stalin
  • Production Companies: Lyca Productions and Red Giant movies
  • Running time: 3 hours
  • Music director: Anirudh Ravichander
  • Cinematography: Ravi Varman

The genre of vigilante movies owes a lot to Shankar. Many of his movies have tackled corruption and featured crusaders of different natures. For example, in Gentleman and Aparichitudu (Anniyan) in Tamil, the protagonists took extreme measures to wipe out the rot in the system. On the other hand, there was Mudhalvan, where a television presenter ended up becoming a Chief Minister. In Mudhalvan, it was about repairing the system while staying within it.

Coming to the 1996 movie Bharateeyudu, it was one of its kind for those times. Apart from Shankar’s typical vigilante tropes, the movie also had some solid emotional drama with the vastly different viewpoints between Senapathy and his son Chandru, both played by Kamal Haasan. The writing and direction had shades of nuance, with Chandru not being painted as an all-out villain.

After a long gap of 28 years, the sequel is here, and the typical elements of Shankar, like long-drawn speeches and rants on corruption, have clearly worn out. It is high time that he finds a new cinematic language while talking about the same issues.

Indian 1 and 2. Shankar needs to change his cinematic language while talking about the same issues.

Indian 2 begins with the introduction of Siddarth’s Chitra Aravindan and his three friends. They run a YouTube channel called ‘Barking Dogs’. This channel makes political satires using the comic strips of R.K. Laxman. They can be called digital media activists. The channel receives a lot of views, but there isn’t much of a ground impact. In this situation, Aravindan believes that only Senapathy, aka Indian Thatha, can clean the rotten system. They start a campaign with the name ‘Come Back Indian’. Aravindan firmly believes that Senapathy is alive even after all these years, and his hunch turns out to be true. In a Facebook Live video, Senapathy tells all the youngsters to focus on exposing the corrupt individuals within their families while he would wipe out corruption through extrajudicial methods. However, this two-way route comes with its own dire consequences that severely affect both Senapathy and Siddarth and his friends. Running parallel to this is the track of Bobby Simha, a CBI officer hot on the trail of Senapathy. He is the son of the inspector Krishnaswamy from the 1996 film, played by the late Nedumudi Venu.

Siddarth runs a YouTube channel Barking Dogs

The first half of Bharateeyudu 2 is a slog in more ways than one. The typical elements of Shankar are dialed up 100 notches. There are excessive dialogues on corruption, and the way Senapathy comes back to India appears very convoluted. The tweets of Come Back Indian trending so fast feel comical, to say the least. The rich businessmen that Senapathy kills seem to be an amalgamation of Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. All of them are North Indians with a big appetite for wearing bling clothes. Senapathy uses different martial art techniques.

All of them come across as irritating caricatures rather than flesh-and-blood characters. The conversations of Kamal Haasan with these men play out way longer than needed and border on utter ridiculousness. For instance, a rich man gallops like a horse for a long distance after Senapathy strikes him. As audiences, you are completely unmoved because of the flat writing and staging.

However, Shankar does redeem himself in the second half, particularly in the scenes that showcase the aftereffects of Senapathy’s advice. Chitra Aravindan exposes his own father, resulting in severe discord with his mother, who eventually ends up committing suicide. Chitra Aravindan isn’t even allowed to perform the last rites, facing severe ostracization. Siddarth’s showdown with Kamal Haasan has some powerful dialogues where the character questions Senapathy on how his advice of first cleaning up corruption in your own house may look like a great idea but in reality has dire consequences. He further adds that what is the point of having a corrupt-free society when you don’t have a happy home. From being loved by youngsters, Senapathy goes to being the most hated. Senapathy also briefly faces public ire; they throw stones at him. This portion comes late in the second half but saves the movie from being a complete washout.

Siddarth’s showdown with Kamal Haasan

Mention must also be made of the few scenes between Siddarth and Samuthirakani. The emotional scene where Samuthirakani’s character asks his son why he did this, and the subsequent dialogues make a powerful impact. Siddarth scores as an actor, particularly in these scenes.

As Senapathy, Kamal Haasan makes the viewers believe in the superhero qualities of his role. Yes, the role doesn’t pack the same emotional resonance as it did in 1996, but to Kamal Haasan’s credit, he does sell the big speeches.

The music of Bharateeyudu 2 is nowhere close to the first one; however, the background score by Anirudh Ravichander is impactful in a few scenes. The action sequences are way too prolonged and quickly become tedious. Shankar’s eye for grandeur does make the movie a visual feast, but the storyteller Shankar is absent for the most part.

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Kill: Visceral action yet a thrilling ride

Kill movie banner

Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt elevates a standard action plot by bringing class divide and blurring the lines between what we consider as hero and anti hero.

  • Starcast: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Tanya Manikatla, Abhishek Chauhan, Ashish Vidyarti and others
  • Director and writer: Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt
  • Music: Shashwant Sachdev and Vikram Montrose
  • Cinematography: Rafey Mehmood
  • Producers: Karan Johar, Guneet Monga etc
  • Production houses: Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment

On surface the plot of Kill may appear as a series of action sequences, a show reel for debutant Lakshya to establish himself as a massy hero who can vanquish villains even after facing severe blows.  But what makes Kill different from other violent movies is a strong emotional poignancy. The character graph of Lakshya’s Amrit Rathod from a commando who initially just wants to control the situation to eventually becoming a bigger monster has strong undercurrent of emotions. As the movie progresses Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt questions our notions of what we consider as hero and anti-hero. No wonder Kill got rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, kudos to Karan Johar for giving a movie like this a significant platform along with Guneet Monga.

The initial minutes of Kill are devoted to the love story between Amrit Rathod and Tulika (Tanya Maniktala). Tulika is returning to Delhi after a reluctant engagement. Amrit and his fellow commando/ friend Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan) are also on the same train. Amrit is making plans on how to convince his future father in law with the help of Viresh. A romantic story soon turns into a catastrophic night thanks to a group of dacoits (armed robbers). The leader of this gang is Fani (Raghav Juyal). Ashish Vidyarthi plays Fani’s father and a fellow dacoit. The father and son don’t get along well. What should have been a simple robbery ends up in a violent bloodbath because of Fani’s thoughtless actions who is desperate to get his father’s approval and love. Nothing more can be revealed here.

The initial moments start as a love story

A strong aspect of Kill is the humanizing of the dacoits. There are portions of the second half where the armed robbers vent out their vulnerabilities and fears. They want an escape from this havoc seeing the brutal deaths of their family members. On more than one occasion they plead to Ashish Vidyarti’s Beni about deboarding the train.  Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt is successful in bringing out a strong sense of brotherhood. He also subtly highlights the class divide and the impoverished state that leads to these men becoming robbers and looting rich people. On the surface they appear as ordinary men but there is a deep angst within.

The scenes between Ashish Vidyarti and Raghav Juyal is another major highlight of the movie, there is a constant friction in spite of both being armed robbers. A particular scene that has to be mentioned is the one where Beni talks about how Fani has dumped his father’s values and principles. To this Fani replies sarcastically that they are dacoits and he isn’t Amitabh Bachchan’s Narayan Shankar  from Mohabbatein to talk about principles and values, this scene raises ample chuckles.

The action sequences by nature are very violent and definitely not for family audiences, however stunt directors Se- Yeong along with Parvez Sheikh deserve kudos for coming up with innovative combat sequences in the confined spaces. A particular mention must be made of how they have used the window curtains that become death traps. Cinematographer Rafey Mehmood camera work is also fantastic. He successfully captures the tense atmosphere through his lens.

Kill wouldn’t be what it is without the brilliant acting particularly lakshya and Raghav. Lakshya makes for a perfect action hero. He captures the turmoil of Amrit many times with just his eyes and overall body language. Lakshya fully convinces the audiences that Amrit has become a killing machine. Fani’s taunt at Amrit on how he isn’t a hero but a big monster feels very true. Raghav Juyal best known for his dancing skills springs a very pleasant surprise. He knocks it out of the park as a cold blooded villain who has his own vulnerabilities. Fani’s anguish at seeing the violent deaths of the family members including his own father has been well portrayed by Raghav.

Both Lakshya and Raghav deliver terrific performances

Tanya Manikatala does well in her brief yet important role. She brings in an understated strength to Tulika. Her lovey-dovey moments with Amrit that include him proposing to her in a toilet seat comes across as a respite from the breathless action. Ashish Vidyarthi also makes his presence amply felt as the frustrated father who prophesies that the reason for him dying before time would be his son. Abhishek Chauhan has a straight forward role of being Amrit’s ally in the initial phase nevertheless the actor has his moments.

True to the title Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt has killed it, this violent saga may make you apprehensive of train journeys but it is a must watch for those who like blood and gore with a solid storyline.

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Kartik Aryan: From a comic actor to a versatile star

A rundown of Kartik’s journey from Pyaar Ka Punchnama to Chandu Champion

Starting with Pyaar Ka Punchnama Kartik has done 17 movies so far. He  started out with lighter roles that have shades of comedy and romance but with movies like Dhamaka, Freddy and the latest Chandu Champion Kartik has proved that he has got good range. He also tried his hand at an out and out commercial movie Shehzada, a remake of Telugu smash hit Ala Vaikuntapurramulo, though the movie ended up being a disaster because of the weak direction. However to Kartik’s credit he did make for a credible all-round hero.

In Pyaar Ka Punchnama Kartik played one of the frustrated boyfriends; there is a particular scene where Kartik vents outs his anger in a lengthy monologue about issues that men face in contemporary relationships. It struck a huge chord with young boys making Kartik an instant hit.  The sequel of Pyaar Ka Punchnama had an even bigger monologue that Kartik aced. For a long period Pyaar Ka Punchnama image stayed with the actor but thankfully Kartik managed to come out of those shadows.

Singing Ami Je Tomar in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

One of Kartik’s biggest strengths has been his charming nature and an endearing goofiness. A good example of this is Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022); in this movie he played the role of Ruhan Randhawa. In the process of helping a girl he pretends to be a fake Baba convincing people that he has the ability to communicate with the spirits of dead people.

Kartik generated a lot of humor with his dialogue delivery and expressions. He brought the house down on many occasions particularly when he pretends to be an expert Baba.

At the same time he was equally intense in the song Ami Je Tomar where he pretends to be possessed by the devil. Apart from his goofiness what also makes Kartik a success is his ability to experiment and work in genres that people don’t associate him with.

Kartik Aryan as the disgrunted man in Dhamaka

Much before Chandu Champion there was Ram Madhvani’s Dhamaka released in the year 2021. In Dhamaka Kartik played the role of a former prime time anchor Arjun Pathak now demoted to a radio jockey. On the personal front too his life isn’t going well. In short he is a disgruntled man. The character is far away from the usual boy next door roles and Kartik did a wonderful job in portraying the different shades.

In the year of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 there was also Shashanka Ghosh’s Freddy a dark psychological romantic thriller about an introvert dentist who craves for companionship. Often times Kartik’s character of Dr Freddy Ginwala is mocked for his social awkwardness. In the title role Kartik aced the many aspects starting from desperation to the eventual dark turn.

kartik-aaryan Freddy showing the simmering rage within the calmness

The best part of Kartik’s performance was how he showcased the simmering rage beneath the calmness. Even in terms of body language one can see the big variation.  In spite of similarities to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Kartik made sure that his performance has its own individuality.

Now to the latest Chandu Champion directed by Kabir Khan. The role of Muralikanth Petkar, a Paralympics champion is a tough one to portray both emotionally and physically.

Kartik in this movie also appeared as an older man for the first time in his career. Before the movie there was lot of chatter about how he went from 39 percent body fat to just 7 percent.  

Kartik-Aaryan in Chandu Champion

The physical transformation was definitely extraordinary getting the perfect look to portray an athlete. But more than the physical transformation what stood out was how Kartik showcased the despair of Muralikanth after getting paralyzed waist down. There is a deep sadness including a suicide attempt. Kartik made sure that the audience’s heart went out for Muralikanth, because of which audiences feel happy for Muralikanth when he creates a world record in the sport of swimming.

Kartik Aaryan Sattu (Satyaprem Ki Katha) from a simpleton to standing up for his wife

Talking about romantic dramas Kartik’s best performance in this genre is Satyaprem Ki Katha (2023). Directed by Sameer Vidwan  Satyaprem Ki Katha was an impactful romantic drama focusing on the issue of date rape. Kartik’s Sattu starts off as a goofy guy but there is a solid emotional graph too as the movie takes a serious turn. The performance is particularly good in the high emotional moments. The evolution of Sattu from a simpleton to someone who stands for his wife was very well showcased by the actor.

This is a brief rundown of Kartik’s roles that showcase his versatility. Here’s hoping that this younger star goes from strength to strength and does many more versatile roles.