Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Babil Khan, R Madhavan, Divyenndu Sharma, and Juhi Chawla
Director: Shiv Rawail
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Music: Sam Slater
No. of episodes: 4
OTT platform: Netflix
The Bhopal Gas tragedy of 1984 is one of the darkest chapters in Indian history. Thousands lost their lives, and thousands are still suffering from the severe aftereffects.
As the title suggests, The Railway Men limited web series focuses the lens on the little-known heroes of the Indian Railways and how they had put their lives at stake to save as many lives as possible on that fateful night.
There are four main characters in the web show. Iftekaar Siddiqui (Kay Kay Menon) is the station master of Bhopal Junction. Imaad Riaz (Babil Khan) is the newly joined locomotive pilot.
R Madhavan plays the Central Railways GM. Divyenndu is a thug who wants to take advantage of the chaos around them but contributes to the rescue mission.
Meanwhile, Journalist Jagmohan Kumawat (Sunny Hinduja) runs a crusade against the American company Union Carbide — even before the gas leak — and warns the locals against the impending danger. This, he does, in spite of the attempts to silence him.
Synopsis
Babil Khan in ‘The Railway Men’. (NetflixIndia/ X)
Through the four episodes, director-cum-co-writer Shiv Rawail presents a horrifying picture of the tragedy.
The Railway Men web series hits the ground running for the first time. The director doesn’t mince any words in throwing light on the moral corruption within the political landscape, including how the chief of the Union Carbide factory got away without any punishment. This he does successfully through the character of Sunny Hinduja.
What also works for The Railway Men is the strong emotional connection that Shiv Rawail builds through his characters.
The subject of the Bhopal Gas tragedy is a difficult subject to handle for any director, let alone a debutant, but the newbie more than lives up to the challenge.
The limited web series has quite a lot of close-up shots of poison emanating from people’s mouths. These scenes are difficult to watch, but they leave a solid impact on the viewers’ minds.
A realistic portrayal
Kay Kay Menon in ‘The Railway Men’. (NetflixIndia/ X)
The web series also presents a realistic picture of the aftereffects of the gas leak.
Of course, as viewers, you do feel happy when the four men together save some lives. But the series is also a reminder of how things are still bleak for those who survived that night.
The production design of Rajat Poddar is another plus for the series. He does a splendid job of creating an authentic atmosphere.
The Railway Men also briefly touches upon the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, along with another brief subplot about a group of women who were going to participate in a swimming competition.
The angle involving the anti-Sikh riots has been well integrated, but the other one doesn’t really work.
Performances
R Madhavan in ‘The Railway Men’. (NetflixIndia/ X)
The performances of all the actors are top-notch, starting with the excellent Kay Kay Menon. The actor is at his usual best, portraying the determination and courage of Iftekaar.
Divyenndu Sharma portrays the dual-shaded personality of his character well. He delivers some punchy one-liners.
Babil Khan is also flawless. He perfectly adopts the Bhopali dialect. He is one of the men who dies on that tragic night.
R Madhavan has a late entry, but the actor is authoritative in all his scenes. There is a solid monologue involving Madhavan, where he delivers with his usual panache.
Juhi Chawla plays the solo woman representative of the government. She is good in her brief role.
Here, it has to be said that the women characters could have been more impactful.
Final take
The Railway Men is the first web series that YRF has produced. Let’s hope that Aditya Chopra continues to bankroll more web shows on various subjects.
One of the major characteristics of Yash Raj Films (YRF) is how it nurtures talent and gives several chances to directors and artistes in spite of their initial failures.
For example, Kabir Khan’s directorial debut Kabul Express (2006) wasn’t a commercial success but the director still got an opportunity to direct two more major Yash Raj Films — New York (2009) and Ek Tha Tiger (2012).
Both did well at the box office, especially Ek Tha Tiger, which laid the foundation for the flourishing spy universe.
Here’s the list of Bollywood celebrities who won multiple opportunities from the YRF chief Aditya Chopra despite their failures:
Maneesh Sharma
Maneesh Sharma has directed five films — all for YRF.
The first is the romantic comedy Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) starring Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma. The movie had low expectations, but Maneesh and Ranveer surprised the audiences.
A poster of the film ‘Tiger 3’. (X)
Maneesh’s second film too was a Ranveer-starrer: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011). Though it didn’t replicate the success of his debut, the Bollywood movie didn’t break Aditya Chopra’s trust in the director.
A third film, Shuddh Desi Romance (2013), was offered to him again. It was an engaging romantic comedy dealing with how the younger generation looked at marriage commitment in small-town India. The movie also dwelt on live-in relationships.
Its success led to Maneesh Sharma getting his fourth opportunity with the YRF — to direct Shah Rukh Khan in a double role. As the title Fan (2016) suggested, the film was about an obsessive fan who gets heartbroken with his idol.
Maneesh Sharma did a decent job in the first half, but the young director lost his grip in the second half, and everything went topsy-turvy.
In spite of the failure of Fan, Maneesh got yet another opportunity to direct a large-scale action film — Tiger 3 (2023).
Maneesh Sharma aimed to make a geo-political film with a lot of action. However, his inability to handle big scale once again came to the fore.
The hand-to-hand combats, Emraan Hashmi’s characterisation, and Shah Rukh’s extended cameo were all brilliant in Tiger 3. But the film never rose above the sum of its parts.
There is no denying that Tiger 3 is doing good business, but having said that, it is also a setback for the spy universe, particularly in comparison to the previous two films War (2019) and Pathaan (2023).
Vijay Krishna Acharya
Vijay Krishna Acharya made his directorial debut with the action drama Tashan (2008). The film had a galaxy of stars — Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Anil Kapoor.
It was an old-fashioned revenge drama in Hollywood style. True to the title, the film had plenty of style, particularly the characterisation of Akshay Kumar’s Bachchan Pandey.
A still from the film ‘Thugs of Hindostan’. (X)
But, just gloss can never substitute for a gripping story. And, that was what happened with Tashan too.
Kareena definitely found her soul mate in Saif Ali Khan and vice-versa, but for Aditya Chopra, the movie was a big loss.
However, Tashan‘s failure did not stop the producer from trusting Vijay Krishna Acharya again with the third instalment of the Dhoom franchise.
Vijay Krishna Acharya was only a story writer for the first two Dhoom films (2004, 2006) but for Dhoom 3 (2013), he was both writer and director.
Dhoom 3 did bring in profits for its producers, but at the same time, it was a step back as it paled in comparison to the fun and thrills provided by Dhoom 2.
Only Aamir Khan’s star power coupled with a more engaging second half made Dhoom 3 a hit at the box office.
Aditya Chopra was even more generous when he allowed Vijay Krishna Acharya to direct Bollywood “Shahenshah” Amitabh Bachchan and Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan together in Thugs of Hindostan (2018).
Unfortunately, for the fans and the production house, the experience was far from memorable. The film brought huge losses to everyone concerned.
Vijay Krishna Acharya’s last directorial is a religious comedy/drama titled The Great Indian Family (2023) also produced by YRF.
Despite being a much better product than Thugs of Hindostan, The Great Indian Family didn’t do much at the box office. Now, we have to wait and see if Aditya Chopra will give him another chance.
Shaad Ali
Shaad Ali was an assistant director to Mani Ratnam for Dil Se (1998).
Later on, he helmed seven films as a director. Of these seven projects, four were produced by YRF.
A poster of the film ‘Kill Dil’. (X)
The first is the romantic comedy/drama Saathiya (2002), a remake of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil blockbuster hit Alaipayuthey (2000). Saathiya was a moderate success and was well-received by the critics.
Before Saathiya, Rani Mukherjee had only seen limited success. With the film, her career saw a resurgence. For Vivek Oberoi, it was the third success of that year.
Shaad Ali’s second outing, Bunty Aur Babli (2005), also did well at the box office.
It gave Abhishek Bachchan a much-needed hit as the leading man. His sizzling chemistry with Rani Mukherjee also helped the movie become a blockbuster.
Later, Shaad Ali faced massive roadblocks in the form of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007) and Kill Dil (2014).
Jhoom BarabarJhoom was an expensive musical that brought no profits. It had a hit soundtrack composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. But good music and glossy cinematography couldn’t compensate for the lacklustre direction.
Shaad Ali was clearly not comfortable dealing with a story of this scale.
Despite Jhoom Barabar Jhoom‘s failure, the director helmed another YRF film — Ranveer Singh’s Kill Dil (2014). It was an action comedy film about two assassins raised by a local gangster. Here too, there was ample style but little substance.
Shaad Ali’s journey with YRF has come to a stop for now.
Siddarth P Malhotra
Siddarth P Malhotra’s debut directorial was We Are Family (2010). It is an official adaption of Stepmom (English, 1998).
Rani Mukherjee in ‘Hichki’.(X)
The film was produced by Karan Johar and had the likes of Kajol and Kareena Kapoor.
It had all the elements required to be a solid emotional drama, but Siddarth P Malhotra couldn’t do complete justice to it.
Despite We Are Family’s failure, the young director got an opportunity to helm a YRF film starring Aditya Chopra’s life partner, Rani Mukherjee.
Hichki (2018) was about a teacher with a passion for teaching in spite of suffering from Tourette syndrome and the impact she has on students of class 9F.
These students come from a nearby slum and are not interested in studies. Rani Mukherjee, as Naina Mathur, transforms their lives with patience and perseverance. Hichki was a classic underdog story that resonated well with the audience.
Siddarth P Malhotra showed that Aditya Chopra’s trust in him wasn’t misplaced.
Karan Malhotra
Just like Siddarth P Malhotra, Karan Malhotra, too, started his career with Dharma Productions.
He directed the action drama Agneepath (2012), a remake of the 1990 film of the same name.
A poster of the film ‘Shamshera’. (X)
While the original film had Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, the remake had Hrithik Roshan and two terrifying villains, Rishi Kapoor’s Rauf Lala and Sanjay Dutt’s Kancha Cheena
Agneepath was a well-made masala film that registered good numbers at the box office.
Later, Karan Malhotra directed Brothers (2015), also a remake. However, the source material this time was an English film titled Warrior (2011). He tried to replicate the success of Agneepath with the same treatment, but this time, the results were far from satisfying.
The failure of Brothers led to Karan Malhotra stepping out of Dharma Productions.
After a gap of seven years, Karan Malhotra directed Shamshera (2022) produced by Aditya Chopra.
The film was a period-action drama about an oppressed tribe with a double dose of Ranbir Kapoor. Ranbir gave it his all, but the movie ended up being a poor clone of the Baahubali (2015 and 2017) films.
Unlike the other Malhotra, this Malhotra couldn’t live up to the expectations of the YRF Chairman.
Pradeep Sarkar
Late Pradeep Sarkar directed five films. Of them, three were produced by YRF.
These include Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007), Lafangey Parindey (2010) and Mardaani (2014). Among these, only Mardaani did good business.
Not many would have trusted the Parineeta (2005) director with a subject like Mardaani, but the late Pradeep Sarkar ensured that Aditya Chopra’s trust in him was not misplaced.
Mardaani is a significant film in the career of Rani Mukherjee.
Rani Mukherjee in ‘Mardaani’. (X)
Vani Kapoor
Vani Kapoor has acted in seven films so far. Out of seven, five were produced by YRF.
The Bollywood diva started her career promisingly with Shuddh Desi Romance. But her next outing, Aaha Kalyanam (2014), a Tamil-telugu remake of Band Baaja Baaraat produced by YRF (the only South film bankrolled by YRF) was a dud.
Despite Aaha Kalyanam’s failure, Vani Kapoor was paired opposite Ranveer Singh in Befikre (2016). Unfortunately, neither the film nor Vani could create any impact.
Still, she was cast in another YRF film – War (2019). But there wasn’t much heavy lifting for her, as the focus was primarily on Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff.
The actress was last seen in another YRF dud Shamshera (2022).
Vani Kapoor will next be seen in the web show Mandala Murders, co-produced by Aditya Chopra.
Here’s hoping that the actress will finally be able to repay the trust of her mentor.
Manushi Chillar
Manushi Chhillar has acted in two movies so far. Both were bankrolled by Aditya Chopra.
In spite of the failure of Samrat Prithviraj (2022), YRF gave her another chance in The Great Indian Family, which again was a failure.
The actress is a good looker, but she hasn’t proved her acting credentials until now!
She will be next seen in Operation Valentine alongside Varun Tej. The Telugu actor is making his debut in Bollywood with this Telugu-Hindi bilingual. It is hitting the screens on 8 December.
Cast: Tara Sutaria, Abhishek Banerjee, Rajpal Yadav, and Dhairya Karwa
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Producer: Murad Khetani
Music: Vishal Mishra
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Apurva is based on an extraordinary real-life story of a girl named Apurva who was kidnapped by some goons in the Chambal area.
With no substantial help, Apurva fought them all alone and emerged as a victor.
The film begins by establishing the extreme cruelty of the four bad guys.
The main antagonists among these are Abhishek Banerjee and Rajpal Yadav. From there, we see how Apurva’s (Tara Sutaria) path crosses with these four local dacoits.
Excellent characterisation
Tara Sutaria in ‘Apurva’. (X)
To put it briefly, the story of Apurva is about how a city girl transforms herself into goddess Durga and kills the bad guys, of course, not literally.
The big area where Apurva scores is the gritty atmosphere that pulls the viewers into the story.
Despite tonal similarities with NH10 (2015), director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and his technical team stage the Chambal area with authenticity. There is no artificiality whatsoever.
What also works for the film is a sense of dread that the director creates among the viewers with the help of the background score.
The characterisations of the dacoits are another major plus for the film.
Abhishek Banerjee and Co are truly scary as psychopaths. As a result, the viewers anxiously wait for Tara Sutaria’s Apurva to come out safe.
The characterisation of Apurva from a city girl to finding herself in a life-threatening situation has been written well. Her love story with Sid (Dhairya Karwa) gives some much-needed light moments. Both actors share good chemistry.
A brilliant Tara Sutaria
Tara Sutaria debuted with the sequel of Student of The Year 2 in 2019. Since then, she faltered in the selection of roles.
But here, the actress has an author-backed part, and Tara delivers a commendable performance. It is a juicy role with different shades, and Tara doesn’t miss a single beat.
Dhairya Karwa also does well as the supportive fiancée. He succeeds in portraying the love and desperation of Sid.
Coming to the local dacoits, Rajpal Yadav and Abhishek Banerjee successfully make the audiences hate them, particularly Abhishek, who plays an unhinged man with a lot of glee.
The major problem with Apurva is the excessive bloodshed and cuss words that won’t go down well with all. The serious hangover of NH10 also acts as a deterrent in some parts.
The police characters feel cardboard, more like an add-on, and don’t serve any purpose.
Same case with Apurva’s parents. They are hardly there.
Final take
To sum it up, watch Apurva if you are a fan of gritty dramas and real-life stories.
Emraan Hashmi roars the loudest with his portrayal of the menacing Aatish. Shah Rukh Khan more than makes his presence felt in an extended cameo.
Tiger 3 (Hindi) 2.5 out of 5
Starcast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi and others; Special appearances (Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan)
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Story: Aditya Chopra
Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan
Dialogues: Anckur Chaudhry
Music: Pritam
Production Company: Yash Raj Films
Genre: Action thriller/drama
Running time: 2 hours and 36 minutes
In the year 2012 the spy journey of Aditya Chopra and YRF began with the Kabir Khan directorial EK Tha Tiger. It was a love story between a RAW and an ISI agent. Ek Tha Tiger was appreciated for its action and also the love story.
The success of Ek Tha Tiger led to the creation of an entire spy universe like Tiger Zinda Hai, War and Pathaan. Tiger 3 is the fifth film of this universe and there are more to follow.
Maneesh Sharma the director of Tiger 3 had a huge responsibility on his shoulders as all the previous films of this franchise have gone on to become blockbusters. The director’s last film was Fan. Fan had a gripping first half followed by a lackluster and implausible second half. Viewers could clearly see Maneesh Sharma being overwhelmed by the scale of the film and losing focus. Tiger 3 is another example of Maneesh Sharma’s inability to handle stories of large scale. Tiger 3 is not a bad film but in comparison to War and Pathaan it does fall quite short.
Emraan Hashmi roars the loudest
The plot of Tiger 3 focuses on one of Bollywood’s most favorite theme. That is India, Pakistan’s love hate relationship. The mission of Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger (Salman Khan) is to prevent a military coup and also the assassination of the Pakistani Prime Minister (Simran modeled on Benazir Bhutto). Tiger’s biggest thorn in the back is a Pakistan agent gone rogue Aatish (Emraan Hashmi). The biggest desire of Aatish is to take over Pakistan and make sure that no kind of peace happens between both the countries.
Katrina Kaif also reprises her role of Zee Humaimi aka Zoya from the previous two Tiger films. This time around the character of Zoya has a back-story. In this back-story the viewers get to know that Aatish was her former handler. Once upon a time she was a protégée of Aatish but in the present scenario things have changed drastically.
Salman Khan gets into his shoes with practised ease
A big strength of Tiger 3 is the galore of twists and turns at regular intervals. For example in the beginning the viewers are led to believe that Zoya is betraying Tiger by hiding certain information. These twists and turns do keep the viewers on their feet.
Cinematographer Anay Goswamy also does a wonderful job in capturing the many locations of this globe trotter. These include Europe, Russia and Istanbul among others.
The action sequences have plenty of hand to hand combats and are a definite treat for those who like to see raw action. Two action scenes deserve a particular mention. One is the climax fight between Salman and Emraan Hashmi. The other one is Katrina fighting in a towel inside a Turkish hammam or bath. Both these sequences have been brilliantly shot.
Katrina Kaif in her towel fight scenes
As mentioned in the beginning Emraan Hashmi shines the brightest in this cast. His demeanor and the body language are a treat to watch. Emraan plays the ruthless villain without missing a single beat. A special mention must be made of the scenes that Emraan shares with Katrina in the flashback portions.
One of the most enjoyable portions of Tiger 3 is definitely Shah Rukh Khan’s extended cameo as Pathaan. It is a perfect mixture of action and some very witty dialogues. Viewers can clearly see that Shah Rukh is having a blast. In one of the scenes you have Shah Rukh Khan and Salman in a Sholay inspired motorcycle scene. Pathaan is in the driver’s seat and Tiger makes a joke about how the last time this vehicle was driven only one person came out alive. There is also a post credit scene involving Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir from War. The scene doesn’t last long but Hrithik’s swagger is unmissable.
A big problem with Tiger 3 is the overtly simplistic treatment of the issues between India and Pakistan. Director Maneesh Sharma doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the Indo-Pak angle. Tiger 3 operates in a fanciful zone of two rival nations hoping to initiate peace talks and end the fear of war. But these noble intentions do not translate effectively on screen.
Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, a camio scene
The love story between Tiger and Zoya is in the same space as in the previous two films. There is no substantial character development in spite of Zoya’s back-story.
Both Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif get into the shoes of their respective characters with practiced ease. As said earlier Katrina shines in the action sequences but her performance in the emotional ones leave a lot to be desired.
Some of the supporting cast from Tiger 1 and 2 are seen in this film as well. They include Ranvir Shorey and Kumud Mishra among others but they are reduced to side dishes. Revathi as the boss takes over from the late Girish Karnad. Unfortunately the senior actress has been severely underutilized. This is sad because Dimple Kapadia in Pathaan made a terrific boss woman.
Pritam’s music consists of only one good number and that is Ruaan. Pritam’s tune coupled with Arjit Singh’s voice makes it a good hear and watch.
To sum it up Tiger 3 is a step back for the spy universe but here’s hoping that War 2 and others bring it back on track.
Cast: Ishaan Khattar, Priyanshu Painyuli, Mrunal Thakur, and Soni Razdan
Director: Raja Krishna Menon
Producers: Ronnie Screwvala and Siddarth Roy Kapur
Music: AR Rahman
Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes
OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video
The significance of the 1971 Bangladesh War goes beyond winning the battle against Pakistan. It is more about liberating the large number of refugees who have faced many atrocities.
In a scene in Pippa, Ishaan Khattar’s character talks about how this is the first military battle fought to free the helpless.
For those who are not aware, Pippa is based on the book titled “Burning Chaffees“. Ishaan Khattar plays Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta (the author) aka Balli.
Ram Mehta (Priyanshu Painyuli), an army officer, is the elder brother of Balli. Ram’s personality is different from that of Balli. Not surprisingly, both brothers often find themselves at odds.
Their sister Radha (Mrunal Thakur) is an expert at cryptography and quite rebellious, too. This comes out well in a scene where we see her participating in a college protest.
Mrs Mehta (Soni Razdan) is their mother.
Balli’s family is a refugee family from Rawalpindi, West Pakistan. There is a brilliant scene when Mrs Mehta talks about how people don’t become refugees by choice.
As the story progresses, all three siblings play a vital role in the Indian victory.
Analysis
The first feeling that comes to viewers’ minds after watching Pippa is why it was not released in theatres. The war sequences have been brilliantly shot, and if seen on the big screen, the impact would have been tenfold.
Pippa has all the elements needed for a big theatrical experience. However, there is no point in dwelling on that now.
So, let’s go into the analysis. Raja Krishna Menon does not waste any time in setting up the plot.
There is a graphic representative story at the start that shows many people in East Pakistan being gunned down. This disturbs us, and you will instantly empathise with Bangladeshis.
After that, the director establishes the relationship dynamics of these siblings, which adds to the human drama when Ram becomes a war prisoner.
For those who don’t know, Pippa is a nickname given to the army tank PT 76 that Balli operates. The scenes of Ishaan Khattar leading this tank are a sight to behold.
The camaraderie between the members of Balli’s squadron has some amusing moments, like the scene where the mutton is cooked when the war preparations are going on.
Ishaan cements his place in Bollywood
Mrunal Thakur and Ishan Khattar in ‘Pippa’. (X)
On the performance front, Ishaan Khattar leads the show with his impeccable act. His character starts as a constantly flirting captain. From there, we see him as an unhappy officer who notes down maintenance reports to finally being a brave commander.
Ishaan strongly pulls all these shades. With this film, the actor cements his place as a young talent who is versatile with his choices.
Priyanshu Painyuli is also equally good as the elder brother. His confrontational scenes with Ishaan give some powerful moments.
Mrunal Thakur does well both as a caring young sister and a cryptographer who helps the nation.
Soni Razdan has a brief presence, but the actress is impactful in her scenes, particularly the one where she talks about refugees.
Rahman’s music & BGM do wonders
Ishan Khattar ‘in Pippa’. (X)
AR Rahman’s music and background score complement the film.
The soundtrack is diverse, starting with “Main Parwaana“. This song brings out the playful side of Balram. The choreography and the tune go perfectly well with the setting.
On the other hand, you have the more intense “Jazbaat” that gives an adrenaline rush.
The background score is also chilling and enhances many of the war scenes.
Director Raja Krishna Menon also deserves appreciation for how he gives equal importance to the character arcs of Ram Mehta and Radha. They are blended seamlessly into the narrative.
An area where the film could have been better is the visual effects. Also, 10 minutes could have been edited.
Verdict
Not many stories about the Bangladesh war are made into films. Let’s hope Pippa will rekindle interest in that glorious chapter in Indian history for the new generation.
For any detective/investigator story to work, two things are of primary importance, Firstly the audience should feel that the protagonist is having fun in solving the case. Secondly, the dangers that he/she faces should make the viewers anxious about what will happen next.
Earlier this year, Vishal Bhardwaj delivered a pulpy thriller titled Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley. It was a thoroughly enjoyable web show with an excellent Wamiqa Gabbi.
The setting of Solang Valley also became a major character itself, thanks to the cinematographer Tassaduq Hussain.
Unfortunately, PI Meena doesn’t even reach 5 percent of what the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial had achieved or even the Sujoy Ghosh directorial Jaane Jaanwhere the hill station Kalimpong was a significant part.
The protagonist in PI Meena comes across as too brooding with no sense of fun and the city of Kolkata fails to become a major character.
Synopsis
‘PI Meena’ is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. (X)
As the title suggests, Tanya Maniktala plays a private investigator named Meena. She is haunted by a tragic past involving her brother Joy who is in a coma.
On many occasions, we see Meena pouring out her angst to him.
Though Meena works as a private investigator, the cases only involve unfaithful spouses and rotten fiancés!
Pritam Sen (Harsh Chhaya) is her boss. He has a swanky office and powerful connections as well with higher levels of power. However, this doesn’t make any sense given the kind of cases they get.
Parambrata’s Chatterjee’s Subho Roy is Meena’s partner in crime and also a romantic interest who is very concerned about her. Subho Roy also has aspirations of getting into politics, though his interest in politics isn’t exactly about serving the nation.
The story takes an unexpected turn when Meena witnesses a bike rider named Partho Dey (Sawon Chakrobarthy) being knocked down by a truck. Surprisingly it doesn’t occur to Meena that she should take a picture of the departing truck.
Anyway, she takes the wounded Partho to the hospital and also files a police complaint.
Partho’s mother (Zarina Wahab) believes that her son has been murdered and this isn’t a simple case of hit and run.
Meena decides to dig deeper into the case and the investigation takes her to Littnong where she meets Dr Andre Rakshaw (Jisshu Sengupta).
There is also the track of the virus outbreak running simultaneously. Revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate.
Parambrata and Jisshu Sengupta shine
Parambrata Chatterjee and Jisshu Sengupta are solid in their performances.
Parambrata’s charming act is a major relief, particularly in comparison to Tanya’s constant brooding.
Subho Roy isn’t a complete saint or a sinner and Parambrata does a good job in bringing out these nuances.
Not a lot can be revealed about the character that Jisshu Sengupta plays. But it is a role which has many secrets.
At one point, he advises Meena to seek something more when she is in a big web of confusion. Jisshu Sengupta is brilliant in keeping the audience guessing about his actual intentions.
Drawbacks
Tanya Maniktala as PI Meena. (X)
There is no denying the gravity of Meena’s past, but on many occasions, she comes across as an unreasonable schoolchild who is annoyed with everything and everyone.
At no point do the viewers feel that Meena is having fun in solving the case. The constant frown on her face irritates the viewers.
Projecting intensity is different from coming across as bad-tempered and this is where director Debloy Bhattarchya and Tanya falter big time.
Actors like Vinay Pathak and Zarina Wahab are hardly there. They have been utterly wasted.
Another big problem with the series is its depiction of Kolkata. The city never feels like a major character. As a result, the viewers feel that the plot could have been set anywhere and didn’t particularly need this place.
The loose editing also plays a major spoilsport. The episodes could have much crisper and eight episodes feel too long for this story.
After a decent beginning, the web series goes in many directions like the journalist girlfriend of Joy among other things. But these tracks only add to dragging down the proceedings.
Final take
To sum it up, PI Meena is a good cure for insomnia.
Cast: Sushmita Sen, Vikas Kumar, Indraneil Sengupta, Ila Arun, and Viren Vazirani
Director: Kapil Sharma, Shraddha Pasi Jairath, and Ram Madhvani
Producer: Endemol Shine India and Ram Madhvani Films
Music: Vishal Khurana
No. of episodes: 4
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Aarya web series is a significant part of Sushmita Sen’s career.
In the web show, Ram Madhvani brought out a very different side of the actress that the audiences weren’t used to. Her performance and the show were widely appreciated.
The second season turned out to be a worthy follow-up. Yes, the initial portions were a little sketchy, but the web series became more gripping as it went along.
Season 2 was mostly about how Aarya’s children dealt with the untimely death of their father Tej (Chachundur Singh).
An important subplot in the second season was depression and substance abuse through the character of Aarya’s daughter Aaru (Virti Vaghani).
Her son Veer (Viren Vazirani) had matured beyond his years and became a strong pillar of support for his mother and siblings. This also includes the youngest one Adi (Pratyakash Panwar).
Sushmita Sen played a grieving wife, a scared mother and also a tough woman dealing with the crime lords. The actress did a solid job of portraying all these shades.
Now you have AaryaSeason 3 in two parts.
Season 2 ended with Aarya (Sushmita Sen) becoming a don. The first person that she had gunned down was her biological father.
He had a hand in the death of her husband Tej. The first episode of Season 3 has a slight recap set to the song “Bade Acche Lagte Hain“. It was a song that Tej was hugely fond of.
Aarya Season 3 begins with her getting shot. From there, the story moves into a flashback mode and tells what happened four weeks earlier.
In the flashback, it is revealed that Aarya is planning to expand the drug business. She has become a complete lady don.
Her chief enemy is Sooraj (Indraneil Sengupta), whose biggest mission in life is to destroy Aarya.
Aarya Season 3 isn’t just about her struggle with the mafia gangs. It is also about the inner battle that Aarya is going through.
In the previous seasons, it was clearly shown that Aarya had no interest in being part of this world, but now, she is a don herself.
Aarya constantly justifies her actions by saying that whatever she is doing is a part of protecting her family.
Season 3 is essentially about the challenges that Aarya faces both as a lady don and also as a mother who is dealing with her rebellious children, particularly the elder son.
Taut writing
One of the strong aspects of season 3 is how the directors portray the struggles of Aarya. On one hand, she tries hard to be a successful businesswoman; on the other, she faces difficulties in being a good mother — the conflicts arising from these situations give the show some of its best moments.
Aarya raises her children amidst all this blood and gory. The loose morals and ethics around them inevitably have a psychological impact.
For example, a situation comes when the elder son picks a gun to avenge the death of a woman whom he dearly loves. This woman was pregnant with his child when she died.
The youngest of the lot gets involved in a brawl.
Directors Ram Madhavani, Kapil Sharma, and Shraddha Pasi Jararth have done a brilliant job in designing their characters.
Another strong point of Aarya Season 3 is its antagonist.
Indraneil Sengupta’s Sooraj is not an inherently bad man. There are times when we see him being vulnerable, and there are a couple of tender moments too.
Indraneil Sengupta does a fantastic job of portraying both the ruthlessness and the ache of a husband who has lost his wife.
Ila Arun as Nalini Sahiba has a brief role, but the senior actress packs a strong punch whenever she is on screen.
Nalini Sahiba is a mini antagonist who will have a bigger space in Part 2 of Seasons 3.
Sushmita Sen is spellbinding
The scenes between Sushmita and the elder son (Viren Vazirani) have also been written with much depth. Viren particularly stands out in the confrontation scenes.
Sushmita Sen once again shows why she deserves meatier roles in films with this roaring performance. The actress makes the transformation from a scared mother to a lioness in a seamless manner.
Sushmita not only brings in the required authority with her body language but is equally effective in showcasing the vulnerable side of Aarya.
In the technical department, Vishal Khurana’s background score stands out the most. His background score plays a big part in elevating both dramatic and action bits.
There are a couple of areas where the directors could have done a better job. One of them is the characterisation of Sikander Kher, who gets minimal screen time this time.
Also, Vikas Kumar as ACP Yonous Khan doesn’t offer anything new with his portrayal.
Verdict
Part 1 of Aarya Season 3 ends with a thrilling cliffhanger, which increases the expectations of the audience.
Kangana Ranaut made her acting debut with Anurag Basu’s directorial Gangster in the year 2006. The film co-starred Shiney Ahuja and Emraan Hashmi.
In this movie, she played a young woman with a traumatic past. This included falling in love with a wanted gangster and running away with him.
Gangster opened to mostly positive reviews and Kangana was praised for her performance.
On the flip side, the success of Gangster led the actress to play similar roles (troubled women) in her subsequent films — Woh Lamhe (2006), Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009), and Fashion (2008).
35 films to date
With Chandramukhi 2 (2023) and Tejas (2023), Kangana Ranaut has done 35 films so far.
Some of her most notable performances are: Tanu weds Manu films (2011 and 2015), Queen (2013), Fashion, Rangoon (2017), Manikarnika (2019), and Panga (2020).
Vikas Bahl’s Queen is a significant film in the Bollywood actor’s career as her role of Rani Mehra is quite a departure from the likes of Gangster and Fashion. And, the actress rightfully won her first National Award for Best Actress for this film.
The Tanu Weds Manu films are another major landmark in Kangana’s career, particularly the sequel. In Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Kangana Ranaut played a double role and was hugely successful in carrying the film on her shoulders.
Tanu Weds Manu Returns did much more business than the prequel. The actress also got her second National Award for Best Actress for this film. The other National Awards came for Manikarnika and Panga respectively.
A downward graph
After Tanu weds Manu Returns, Kangana Ranaut became a bankable star actress considered on par with heroes. But unfortunately, after that, the graph has been going downwards with every new release.
It is a combination of bad script choices coupled with her excessive rants on social media which haven’t done her any favour even with her fans.
For example, she labelled both Swara Bhasker and Taapsee Pannu as needy outsiders.
She even called Vikrant Massey a cockroach.
Her continuous attacks on Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt are something that everyone is familiar with.
Before the release of Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), the actress went on record that crores of money would bite the dust along with the film.
She also attacked Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020) before its release.
All this has come back to haunt the actress with her latest release Tejas (2023). Fittingly, Vikrant Massey’s 12th Fail, released on the same day, has emerged as a big success.
Now, let’s focus on Kangana’s non-performing films and give an overview of why they have fared the way they have starting from Tejas.
Tejas
Tejas, debutant director Sarvesh Mewara’s Air Force thriller/drama, was a mix of patriotism coupled with women empowerment. But the filmmaker failed to succeed on both counts.
Sarvesh Mewara’s direction was dull, but having said that, Kangana Ranaut’s single-tone act made the film even more unbearable.
Irrespective of the scene that the actress was performing, there was a robotic quality to the way she was delivering her dialogues.
Ideally, the big speech about the Indian soldiers should have an emotional connection. But viewers don’t feel any connection because it comes across as more of a real-life rant that the actress is known for.
Chandramukhi 2
Rajinikanth and Jyotika-starrer Chandramukhi (2005, Tamil) is a movie that enjoys a special place in the hearts of the viewers.
It is widely considered as Jyotika’s best. Her performance as a married woman suffering from a split personality was a treat to watch.
Jyotika’s act was always going to be a tough one to match, but the extent to which Kangana Ranaut failed in Chandramukhi 2 (2023) was unimaginable.
A lot of the blame for this fiasco lied with the sketchy characterisation. But the fact that Kangana didn’t match even 5 percent of what Jyotika did in the prequel was also to be blamed.
Adding to viewers’ woes were Kangana Ranaut’s Bharatanatyam dances that generated unintentional comedy.
Thalaivi
The real-life story of Jayalalithaa is an inspiring one in many ways. She was a woman of steel with many highs and lows.
Before Thalaivi (2021), there was a web series called Queen (2019) directed by Gautham Menon and Prasanth Murugesan.
Both directors did a good job of portraying Jayalalithaa’s life. Ramya Krishna who played the title role was also solid in her performance.
But AL Vijay’s Thalaivi did not match Queen.
Vijay did a good job in the first half exploring the relationship between Jayalalithaa and MGR (Kangana Ranaut and Aravind Swamy respectively).
But in the second half, the director slipped badly and from then on it was all downhill.
The political side of Jayalalithaa was shown in a rushed manner. At certain points, it looked like AL Vijay was more interested in playing to Kangana’s real-life image rather than the story.
Another problem with the film was the characterisation of Nassar’s Karunanidhi; it was more of a caricature.
Panga
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga (2020) was a sports drama that revolved around a former kabaddi player who gave up her dreams just before a major tournament.
The movie did receive glowing reviews with Kangana receiving critical acclaim.
Kangana Ranaut’s role of Jaya was easily one of the best characters in her filmography. But, in spite of all the positive reviews, Panga was a non-starter at the box office.
A reason that could be attributed to its failure was a certain fatigue that had set in with this genre.
Manikarnika
Manikarnika co-directed by Kangana Ranaut and Krish Jagarlamudi was not an absolute disaster in comparison to the above-mentioned films.
The movie did reasonable business but wasn’t a blockbuster hit as the actress claimed.
Kangana Ranaut made for a perfect Jhansi ki rani. The ferociousness and swagger required of a Queen was very much there.
Neetu Lulla’s costumes also came in for much praise particularly the ones worn by Kangana Ranaut.
However, the big problem with Manikarnika was that it became all about Kangana alone with not much space for anyone else.
The cardboard British characters were another eyesore.
Judgemental Hai Kya
Actor-director Prakash Kovelamudi tried to do many things with Judgemental Hai Kya (2019).
On one hand, it was a dark comedy. In the second half, the film turned into a whodunit combined with commentary on mental health.
However, this khichdi of genres didn’t amalgamate into something truly memorable.
The film had solid performances from both Kangana Ranaut and Rajkumar Rao.
Of course, the actress is no stranger to playing mentally unhinged characters and she did do a good job. Rajkumar Rao also did a wonderful job in his negative role.
Just like Thalaivi, this movie too suffered from the curse of the second half. It could have been so much more but it ended up neither here nor there.
The multiplex audiences didn’t completely get it and the masses were simply not interested in it.
Katti Batti
Nikhil Advani’s Katti Batti (2015) is a concoction of many films. There was clear inspiration from Hollywood romantic movies coupled with his directorial debut Kal Ho Na Ho.
For reasons best known to Nikhil, he placed the weight of Katti Batti on the shoulders of a struggling Imran Khan.
Kangana Ranaut enters and exists as per the convenience of the screenplay, though she rated her performance in this movie on par with Tanu Weds Manu Returns.
Not surprisingly, the audiences preferred to do “Katti” with the flick!
Well, it is sad to see a good actress losing both on- and off-screen and getting embroiled in unnecessary controversies.
Wish Kangana Ranaut would refocus on her craft and deliver many more Queens and Tanus!
This Martin Scorsese’s directorial might look too long but the end results are hugely satisfying
Killers of The Flower Moon (English) 4 out of 5
Starcast: Leonardo Di Caprio, Robert De Niro, Lilly Gladstone and others
Direction and screenplay: Martin Scorsese
Additional screenplay: Eric Roth
Based on: Killers of The Flower Moon by David Grann
Producers: Martin Scorsese, Bradley Thomas and others
Production Companies: Appain Way Productions, Apple Studios Imperative Entertainment and others
Running time: 3 hours and 26 minutes
Genre: Crime drama
For those who are not aware Killers of The Flower Moon is based on a 2017 novel written by David Grann. The book and the movie is a recreation of the real life killings of Osage community who were in peaceful co-existence with white people. What drove these murders was immense greed of the white Americans. These crimes began after oil was discovered in their lands and Osages began to live a life of wealth.
Director Martin Scorsese and his technical team transports us to the 1920’s so much so that we feel we are actually living with Osages and their experiences.
Killers of The Flower Moon is mostly narrated from the perspective of two white men Ernest Buckhart (Leonardo Di Caprio) and William ‘Billy’ Hale (Robert De Niro). It is a story of how this uncle and nephew duo along with their extended kith and Klan plan to usurp the wealth of the Osages. They do this by marrying the daughter of the head of the Osage community and plotting the murders of her family members.
Robert De Niro, the veteran actor as expected delivers a master class in acting.
Killers of The Flower Moon is a film that grips you from the start. Martin Scorsese along with his technical team transports us to the 1920’s so much so that we feel we are actually living with Osages and their experiences. We feel immense pain to know how a particular community was targeted just because they had mineral rights over their land and became rich with the oil found there.
Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography is a major plus for the film. He does a brilliant job in capturing the visual tapestry and also the horror of the events through his lens.
Lily Gladstone more than holds her own opposite both Leonardo and Robert De Niro
The film is essentially dark in nature but having said that there are also moments which bring a smile to the viewers face. Most of these can be seen in the track between Leonardo Di Caprio and Mollie (Lily Gladstone) the woman he falls in love with. The way he flirts with her and their interactions in some parts of the first half are genuinely fun to watch.
There is no denying that Ernest (Leonardo) is a major accomplice to his uncle in this horror but his love for Mollie is also genuine and we do see flashes of regret from him.
Leonardo Di Caprio delivers a fantastic performance
Leonardo Di Caprio delivers a fantastic performance in portraying the complexities of his character. Lily Gladstone more than holds her own opposite both Leonardo and Robert De Niro. The actress does an exceptional job in essaying the inner strength of Mollie. There are scenes where we see Mollie fighting to get justice for her killed family members while suffering with ill health.
Robert De Niro’s character looks like he is doing a lot for the Osage community but deep down is a loathsome monster. The veteran actor as expected delivers a master class in acting; whether it is the scenes of showing mock concern for the killings or the ones where he terrorises Ernest with just a slight shift in his voice.
Of course in the end both of them are caught and put in jail for some years. Millie divorces him and marries another man from her community.
The film is an important reminder of American Colonisation at its worst and what the insanity of greed can do to fellow human beings.
Season 2 is about the lives of three friends outside Old Rajinder Nagar in Delhi as adults. But it doesn’t match its predecessor.
Not as gripping as Season 1!
2.5
Aspirants Season 2 (Hindi)
Cast: Sunny Hinduja, Naveen Kasturia, and Namita Dubey
Director: Apoorv Singh Karki
Producer: Vijay Koshy, Shreyansh Pandey
Music: Sangeet Haldipur, Siddharth Haldipur
No of episodes: 5
OTT platform: Prime Video
For those who haven’t seen Aspirants Season 1 (2021), the story revolves around the past and present of three friends — Abhilash Sharma (Naveen Kasturia), Gurupreet aka Guri (Shivankit Singh Parihar), and Shwetketu aka SK (Abhilash Thapiyal).
The past dealt with their aspirations of cracking UPSC and the various struggles that came their way.
The first season of Aspirants was a big success. An important reason for the show’s success was the realistic portrayal of the UPSC aspirants.
The distinct characterisations also made the show a big winner. For example, Abhilash is a serious person.
Guri, on the other hand, is more carefree. Finally, SK is an introvert who struggles on the account of low self-esteem and confidence.
Now the makers are back with Aspirants Season 2, which also moves between two timelines.
The setting of Season 1 is Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. The present portions are about their lives outside Rajinder Nagar as adults.
Synopsis
In Aspirants Season 2, Abhilash is posted as a DM in Rampur. Guri makes constant attempts to get government contracts. SK works as a teacher.
‘Aspirants Season 2’ is streaming on Prime Video. (X)
The story in this series primarily focuses on how these three navigate the challenges of their respective professional careers along with friendship dynamics.
One of the things that Apoorv Singh Karki gets right is the problems that arise in maintaining friendships when priorities shift in life. This has been portrayed realistically and will definitely find an echo with many men and women.
The director also does a good job of showcasing Abhilash’s journey as a district magistrate. The day-to-day challenges of an administrative job have been portrayed with authenticity.
Abhilash finds himself at odds with Sandeep Bhaiya (Sunny Hinduja), his senior in the coaching institute. There was a time when Abhilash idolised Sandeep. But now, they are at a crossroads because of their different ideologies.
Sunny Hinduja plays an assistant Labour commissioner. This war of ideologies plays a major part in Aspirants Season 2 and gives the show some of its best moments.
A major area where Apoorv Singh Karki fails is his depiction of the political problems. One of the subplots involves protesting villagers. This has been dealt with in a very haphazard way, making them come across as semi-villains.
Characterisation and performances
Sunny Hinduja in ‘Aspirants Season 2’. (X)
A character from Northeast India is introduced in Aspirants Season 2, but it doesn’t have any particular significance to the story.
The depiction of women’s characters is another major problem.
Namit Dubey, as Guri’s wife, is impressive. But the character doesn’t go beyond a traditional housewife. Her compromises don’t make any sense.
The performances across the board are good, particularly Naveen Kasturia and Sunny Hinduja.
Naveen Kasturia is successful in carrying the intensity from the first season. His character arc is designed well, and the actor does complete justice to it.
Sunny Hinduja also does a wonderful job of showcasing the pain of Sandeep.
Apoorv Singh Karki is good at portraying the difficulties of sustaining friendship. But the series doesn’t completely match its predecessor.
Final take
The best way to enjoy Aspirants Season 2 is by watching it with low expectations.
