A big problem with ‘The Vaccine War’ is the extreme heavy-handedness with which Vivek Agnihotri narrates his story.
Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files was one of the biggest hits of 2022. The movie was a surprise hit as not much was expected from it.
And now, the director is back with another heavy subject. This time, the results are not so satisfactory.
The Vaccine War is about a group of determined scientists who face many challenges while making a vaccine when the entire world including India was crippled by the Coronavirus in 2020.
Synopsis
Nana Patekar plays Bhargava, the chief scientist, in the film. He is both eccentric and a workaholic.
At times, Bhargava also comes across as stone-hearted, but he enjoys certain respect from his team.
His army consists of mostly women. These include Priya Abraham (Pallavi Joshi), Nivedita Gupta (Girija Oak), and Dr Pragya Yadav (Nivedita Bhattacharya).
It is a treat to watch these women handling multiple roles, professionally and personally.
The main villain of this tale is a science journalist Rohini Singh Dhulia (Raima Sen). Her character is shown running a smear campaign against the government, with particular vehemence. She writes long articles that undermine the noble efforts of the scientists.
On the surface, The Vaccine War reminds us of Mission Mangal (2019). There too, you had a group of women scientists headed by Vidya Balan. However, the treatment of both the films is quite different.
Pluses and minuses
A big problem with The Vaccine War is the extreme heavy-handedness with which director Vivek Agnihotri narrates the story.
There is a lot of high-sounding terminology that the director uses, and this ends up boring the audience.
To give credit where it is due, Vivek is successful in staging some good emotional moments. Most of these moments are concerning the characters played by Pallavi Joshi and Girija Oak. Viewers feel genuine empathy towards them.
The struggles of the women scientists in balancing their professional and personal duties are shown well by the director.
He also gives some nice emotional touches to the character of Nana Patekar. The duo makes sure that Bhargava doesn’t come across as a caricature.
Another big problem with The Vaccine War is the characterisation of journalist Rohini Singh Dhulia. This is not the first film which is guilty of portraying the media in a negative light.
Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju (2018) also made the media a big scapegoat for Sanjay Dutt’s bad image, but the director balanced the negative portrayal of the media with other elements.
Nevertheless, in The Vaccine War, not only does Rohini Singh occupy much more space than needed, but also has a constant smirk on her face which is irritating to watch. There is no second layer either in her characterisation or performance.
Final take
To sum it up, The Vaccine War is a long-drawn showcase of the government’s “achievements”.
From Shah Rukh Khan and Sunny Deol to Ranveer Singh, these Bollywood actors made a comeback of sorts in the current calendar year.
2023 has been a remarkable year for Bollywood in more ways than one. The success rate of films is much higher than last year.
Additionally, some of the major stars have made a smashing comeback after a series of duds — be it Shah Rukh Khan with Pathaan and Jawan, or Sunny Deol with Gadar 2.
Shah Rukh in Pathaan and Jawan
There was a period when Shah Rukh Khan was struggling to deliver solid box-office hits. Films like Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), Fan (2016), and Zero (2018) are major examples of this.
Rahul Dholakia’s Raees (2017) was a box office success but it was nowhere close to what Aamir and Salman were delivering with 3 Idiots (2009), Dangal (2016), PK (2014), and Sultan (2016).
In between, Shah Rukh played an adorable shrink in Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi (2016) which was a moderate success. But it was only a relief considering how the aforementioned films went.
Of course, he was appreciated for playing a supporting role in a female-centric movie headlined by Alia Bhatt.
After Zero, the actor took time to sign his next films as a leading man and the wait has certainly paid off.
Reinventing himself
At the age of 57, Shah Rukh Khan reinvented himself as an action star in both Pathaan (2023) and Jawan (2023). On the surface, both are masala flicks, but the presentation of Siddharth Anand and Atlee are as different as chalk and cheese.
In Pathaan, Shah Rukh was in equal parts charming and rugged. The actor didn’t disappoint one bit — whether it was in the high-octane action sequences or in the more intense bits like the confrontation scenes with John Abraham.
In Jawan, the Bollywood Badshah further pushed the envelope with his double role. And within that double role, there were a lot of variations.
For example, he is a vigilante who uses unconventional ways to speed up societal changes. He is also a military officer who has been accused of cheating the nation and suffers from partial memory loss.
Jawan can be described as a South Indian thali (meal) with a North Indian flavour. Shah Rukh got the pitch of the film perfectly and delivered a thunderous performance, particularly in the father’s role.
There is also Dunki coming up in December and it is expected to rake in good box office numbers, considering the directorial skills of Rajkumar Hirani along with Shah Rukh Khan’s star power.
Sunny Deol in Gadar 2
When the trailer of Gadar 2 was released, it was dismissed as outdated with not many giving it a chance. But the film’s collections surprised many trade analysts.
The nostalgia associated with Gadar (2001) definitely played a part in making it a box-office hit. But more than that, it is Sunny Deol as Tara Singh who sold the movie with his intense performance. Even at the age of 65, Sunny has a commanding presence that resonates well with the audience.
After a series of disasters like Bhaiaji Superhit (2018), Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se (2018), and Mohalla Assi (2018), the Bollywood actor is back with a bang with Gadar 2.
His performance particularly stands out in the emotional scenes that Tara Singh shares with his son Jeetay (Utkarsh Sharma). The action scenes are deliberately over the top but Sunny Deol sells them with his conviction.
Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani
Before the pandemic, Ranveer was having an absolute dream run with his varied characters. Whether it was the despicable Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat (2018), the masala cop in Rohit Shetty’s Simmba (2018), or the young Muslim boy who has a fascination for rap in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019).
In all these movies, the Bollywood actor got critical acclaim as well as box office success. But post-pandemic, things started going downhill for the actor.
It started with Kabir Khan’s 83 (2021). Ranveer won rave reviews for his portrayal of Kapil Dev and so did the film. And yet, it didn’t achieve its full potential. The sudden hurricane of Pushpa: The Rise(2021) definitely played a spoilsport for this Ranveer Singh-starrer.
His next release Jayeshbhai Jordaar (2022) was directed by a new director Divyang Thakur. The flick didn’t do well at the box in spite of tackling a socially relevant subject.
Much was expected from Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus (2022) but neither the director nor the actor could recreate the success of Simmba (2018).
Ranveer’s Rocky is a flamboyant Punjabi guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is someone who is neither politically nor culturally sophisticated.
His life undergoes a metamorphosis after falling in love with a fiercely opinionated Bengali journalist Rani Chatterjee (Alia Bhatt).
The role of Rocky gave Ranveer ample scope to display both his comic and dramatic skills.
On many occasions, Ranveer brought the house down with his broken English. A good example of this is when Rocky attempts poetry to flatter Rani who is very amused.
On the other hand, he was also equally effective while displaying the fragile side of Rocky. For example, there is a brilliant dramatic scene where he apologises to Rani’s onscreen dad (Tota Roy Chowdhury).
Rocky gives a heartfelt monologue about how he has been conditioned to think in a certain manner from childhood. He also talks about the Cancel Culture and how none of us will learn anything if we keep on cancelling each other.
Ranveer also surprised one and all with his Kathak performance on the famous number “Dhole Re Dhola.” His sizzling chemistry with Alia was an icing on the cake.
Ayushmann Khurrana in Dream Girl 2
Ayushmann Khurrana already proved his credentials as a good actor in different genres. Whether it is Sriram Raghavan’s thriller Andhadhun (2018) or Anubhav Sinha’s social drama Article 15 (2019), he gave a series of hits before the pandemic.
However, post-pandemic, Ayushmann’s brand of cinema stopped working; they were not just outright disasters, none of them took a good opening either.
As a result, the Bollywood actor took the route of a masala comedy with the film Dream Girl 2 (2023). Dream Girl 2 definitely had the sequel advantage.
Dream Girl (2019) remains Ayushmann’s highest-grosser to date. Dream Girl 2‘s critical response was mixed but Ayushmann’s performance, particularly as Pooja, did receive a good response.
Dream Girl 2 earned over ₹100 crore at the domestic box office.
John Abraham in Pathaan
In the last few years, John Abraham has been following the route of Akshay Kumar — either playing a patriotic hero or doing slapstick comedies.
The likes of Pagalpanti (2019) and Satyameva Jayate-2 (2021) were disasters both critically and commercially. But, with Pathaan, John more than made up for his previous lacklustre outings.
His role as Jim was not just about being a dashing villain, there is also an emotional back-story about why he does what he does. As viewers, you might not agree with his actions but you do understand his resentment with RAW (Research and analysis wing).
There are certain moments where John Abraham expresses the angst of his character and he did a good job.
Akshay Kumar in OMG 2
Unlike the above-mentioned actors Akshay Kumar is not the leading man of OMG 2 (2023), nor is it a major supporting role. In OMG 2, he had only an extended cameo as the messenger of Lord Shiva in Human form.
Though there was not much scope for performance, Akshay still brought the right amount of divinity to his part. It is easily his most relaxed performance in the recent past.
Akshay Kumar also pulled off a Shiv Tandav with ease. After the debacle of Samrat Prithviraj (2022) and Raksha Bandhan (2022), OMG 2 must have been a much-needed relief for him.
Based on: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
Producers: Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Akshai Puri and others
Production Companies: Balaji Motion Pictures 12th Street Entertainment etc.
Streaming site: Netflix
Genre: Mystery/drama
Running time: 2 hours and 19 minutes
For those who are not aware Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan is based on the famous Japanese novel ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ by Keigo Higashino. This novel has seen many adaptations. In fact the Drishyam films are supposed to be inspired from this novel.
Jaane Jaan has been an eagerly awaited film for two reasons. One is its director Sujoy Ghosh who has established his credentials as a thriller specialist with Kahaani and Badla. Two is the diverse star cast featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma. Jaane Jaan is not in the same league as Kahaani but there is a lot to like here too.
Jaane Jaan primarily revolves around three characters. The setting of this film is a misty hill station called Kalimpong in West Bengal. Maya D’ Souza (Kareena Kapoor) is a single mother who works at the local café. Naren Vyas (Jaideep Ahlawat) is a mathematics teacher at a local school. Naren is also Maya’s neighbour. He is socially awkward but is besotted with Maya. Maya comes with a dark past which is connected to her ex husband Ajit Mhatre (Saurabh Sachdeva). Her new life is shaken up by his re entry but in an accidental scuffle husband dies. She buries him with the help of her neighbour.
Vijay Varma is a police Inspector who is assigned the task of finding Ajit Mhatre. For a change his character Karan Anand is not a deranged psycho (like in Darlings, Dahaad and Pink). What follows is a survival thriller of a determined single mother in the style of Drishyam films. In this case she also has the help of her besotted neighbour .
First and foremost Jaane Jaan is not about who the culprit is. So it is not a story of whodunit in the classical sense. It is more about how the culprit evades the authorities. Sujoy Ghosh takes his own sweet time to establish the daily routine of Maya and how Naren secretly loves her. For some the slow pace might be a hindrance but these portions are necessary in the overall scheme of things.
A big plus for Jaane Jaan is the technical department headed by Avik Mukhopadhyay. He captures the different colour pallets brilliantly through his lens. His cinematography is such that the hill station becomes a character in itself.
The background music composed by the band of Shor Police is in complete sync with the mood of the film. There is no scope for songs in a film like this but the title number pictured on Kareena Kapoor makes for a good watch and listen.
Kareena Kapoor Khan successfully takes off from where she left in Laal Singh Chaddha. Her Maya D’ Souza is a mixture of steely resilience, vulnerability and charm among other things. Kareena delivers a knock out in her debut digital project.
The way Jaideep Ahlawat who played Naren is smitten by Maya brings a smile to the viewer’s face. His love for Maya and the extent to which he helps her makes you wish that Maya had ended up with him. He was terrific in bringing out the various nuances of his character.
Vijay Varma for a change is a charming cop and the actor plays it with the required coolness. It is refreshing to see Vijay in this avatar. The scenes between Vijay and Kareena are good to watch. During the investigation Karan also falls in love with Maya and the scenes where he flirts with her are adorable. Saurabh Sachdeva is pitch perfect as the abusive husband in his brief screen time.
Jaane Jaan does suffer from editing issues. The film could have been cut short by fifteen minutes. The climax has the typical shock value of a Sujoy Ghosh thriller although it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Vijay Krishna Acharya is known for directing big-budget extravaganzas. All his films — Tashan (2008), Dhoom 3 (2013), and Thugs of Hindostan (2018) — belong to the action genre and feature big stars.
However, the subject of his latest outing — The Great Indian Family — on the surface appears as a misfit for the director. But he pleasantly surprises us, particularly, when the film gets to the meat of the story.
The Great Indian Family is about a Brahmin boy Ved Vyas Tripathi, also known as Bhajan Kumar.
Ved Vyas (Vicky Kaushal) faces an identity crisis when all of a sudden he comes to know that he is actually a Muslim by birth.
His father, rather the adopted father Siya Ram Tripathi (Kumud Mishra) is a most respected pandit of the small town where the film is set.
Manoj Pahwa plays the uncle of Ved Vyas. His character Balak Ram goes through a shift when the identity of Ved Vyas is known. All this happens when Siya Ram Tripathi is on a pilgrimage.
Yashpal Sharma, on the other hand, plays the rival pandit who wants to bring down the popularity of Siya Ram Tripathi.
And finally, you have the female lead Manushi Chillar who shows no improvement from her Samrat Prithviraj (2022) days.
Positives
The Great Indian Family does take time to get going. Vicky Kaushal’s scenes with his two friends don’t add much to the film.
Manushi Chjillar’s entry only further slackens the proceedings. Her attempt at being a Punjabi firebrand is rather laboured. There is zero spunk.
Vicky’s chemistry with Manushi has none of the sizzle that he shared with Sara Ali Khan in Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (2023).
The best portions of the film are the scenes where Ved Vyas is going through an existential crisis. There was a time when he was adored by his uncle and others. But now, the same family turns its back on him owing to societal pressure.
The situation reaches a point where Ved Vyas seriously thinks of embracing Islam. The paradox here is that without knowing his identity, he finds shelter in a Muslim family. Additionally, his Sikh girlfriend has no issues about him belonging to either of the religions.
It is in these bits that the directorial skills of Vijay Krishna Acharya come forth.
Performances
Another area where the movie scores is the scenes featuring the senior actors Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra.
Manoj Pahwa plays a citizen who is good at heart but can get easily influenced by WhatsApp forwards. But the director makes sure that he doesn’t become a caricature.
Vicky Kaushal and Manoj Pahwa have a couple of dramatic showdowns, and these bits are a delight to watch because of the intense acting on display.
Kumud Mishra conveys a lot with his silence and expressions. The actor particularly shines in the scene where he opens up to the other family members about how he and his wife decided to adopt the boy born to a Muslim mother.
What pulls the film apart from the female lead is the lacklustre music. The only song that works in The Great Indian Family is “Kanhaiya Twitter Pe Aaja“. It has a catchy tune along with Vicky Kaushal’s energy.
Pritam’s soundtrack in Rock Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (2023)had far better songs.
Final take
The story of The Great Indian Family might sound a little clichéd and a filmy attempt at unifying religions in these difficult times. But it is still an effort that needs to be appreciated.
Director Bharath YG takes the familiar template of a big mansion with scary elements to explore the negative shades in human beings.
The film industry across the languages has a fascination for horror/thriller stories. Periodically, one director or the other has revisited this genre.
Ram Gopala Varma was successful in delivering some genuinely scary films like Urmila Matondkar’s Bhoot (2003).
In the recent past, Amar Kaushik was successful in reinventing the genre with his film Stree (2018). In Stree, the director used the popular legend of “O Stree Kal Aana” (Oh woman, visit tomorrow) and gave it a feministic touch.
On the other hand, directors like Rohit Shetty and Anees Bazmee have made popcorn entertainers with elements of horror.
Now, director Bharath YG takes the familiar template of a big mansion with scary elements in this web series to explore the negative shades in human beings. The shades include lust, anger, and greed.
But the jump scares are presented in a very clichéd manner. It is high time that filmmakers do away with such clichéd elements for scaring the audiences.
Synopsis
Athidhi — now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar — marks Venu Thottempudi’s debut in the OTT space.
Ravi (Venu Thottempudi) is introduced as a writer, who is living with his paralysed wife Sandhya (Aditi Gautam). He is trying to reinvent himself as a writer.
At this point, a mysterious woman Maya (Avantika Mishra) and a Youtuber Savari (Venkatesh Kakumanu), take shelter in his house. Savari makes videos on the non-existence of ghosts.
There is also a cop called Prakash (Ravi Varma). None of these characters are what they appear on the surface. They have secrets of their own. Revealing anything more will not be appropriate.
Positives
One of the things that stands out in Athidhi is the technical department.
Special mention must be made of Kapil Kumar’s background score and Manoj Katasani’s cinematography.
The background music definitely enhances the key scenes.
Manoj Katasani successfully captures the show’s eeriness through his lens.
The most impressive twist is the flashback regarding the ghost. Through it, Bharath YG raises some pertinent points about greed and jealousy.
There is also an underlying message — too much greed will lead to disastrous consequences.
The ghost is presented as a messenger of God to teach this lesson to humans.
Performances
The performances in Athidhi are a mixed bag.
Venu Thottempudi is someone who is mostly associated with comic romantic roles. But here, the actor ventures out of his comfort zone. He pulls off an impressive act, particularly in the key emotional scenes.
The next good performance comes from Avanthika Mishra. Her character has quite a few layers and the actress does a good job.
But Venkatesh Kakumanu overacts as a YouTuber. Instead of feeling sorry for Savari, viewers feel irritated whenever he is on screen.
Aditi Gautam as the wife suffers on account of a half-baked characterisation.
Final take
Athidhi is not an entirely satisfying ride but the show has its moments.
The biggest problem with ‘Kaala’ is the many back and forths dealing with multiple characters that float in and out.
A black mark in Bejoy Nambiar’s filmography!
Kaala (Hindi)
Cast: Rohan Mehra, Taher Shabbir, Avinash Tiwary, and Nivetha Pethuraj
Director: Bejoy Nambiar
Producers: Bejoy Nambiar, Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar
Music: Gaurav Godkhindi
No. of episodes: 8
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
The story of Kaala has certain elements inspired by the recent blockbusters Pathaanand Jawan, but the experience here is far from rousing.
Bejoy Nambiar’s Kaala moves along two parallel storylines.
On one hand, you have an IB officer named Ritwik Mukherjee (Avinash Tiwary). This is set in 2018. Ritwik Mukherjee is given the task of investigating a huge case of “reverse hawala” (a transaction where the money is transferred back to the original sender).
This reverse hawala is being run by Naman Arya (Taher Shabbir) in West Bengal. Naman Arya is a business tycoon who uses waste recycling as a front for the money laundering that he does.
As Ritwik gets deeper into the case, he finds a certain link that connects to his past.
Parallel storyline
Running parallel to this plot is the storyline set in 1988. This portion begins with a military truck being blown up on the Indo-Bangladesh border.
Subhendu Mukherjee (Rohan Vinod Mehra) is a solo survivor who somehow manages to escape by jumping into the water.
He is accused of cheating his own battalion by helping the rebel forces use the wartime tunnels as a route for smuggling.
As Kaala progresses, a complicated chain of events happens leading to Ritwik being labeled as a rogue and criminal, much like Subhendu Mukherjee.
But it goes without saying that they both have been falsely implicated. To nobody’s surprise, Subhendu turns out to be Ritwik’s father.
What follows is a familiar tale of a son avenging his father’s insult by gradually coming to know about his father’s courage.
Positives
One of the few positive aspects of Kaala is the portions involving Rohan Vinod Mehra. His scenes have an emotional resonance. As viewers, you feel for the plight of Subhendu Mukherjee.
Taher Shabbir also does well as a cool businessman.
Also, to the credit of Bejoy Nambiar, he doesn’t waste any time in setting up the world of money laundering.
Flaws
The biggest problem with Kaala is the many back and forths dealing with multiple characters that float in and out. Bejoy Nambiar does a lot of globetrotting, much like the other SRK-starrer Pathaan (2023). But here, the globetrotting doesn’t have any value to the plot.
The series starts with the issue of money laundering in the name of reverse hawala. But soon, that is relegated to the background. It becomes more about Ritwik’s fight for his father, but not in a positive way.
There is also a subplot dealing with homosexuality — involving one of the villains (Jitin Gulati). It is not just poorly placed but has been written with zero nuances.
This is sad because you have had web shows that have portrayed homosexuality in a much more nuanced manner.
A case in point is this year’s Taali, a web show on the transgender activist Gauri Sawant.
There is no denying that Kaala has been stylishly mounted. But the slickness cannot compensate for the overall dullness.
Final take
To sum it up, Kaala is a big black mark in the filmography of Bejoy Nambiar who is capable of doing much better stuff as we have seen in Shaitan (2011) and Wazir (2016).
An overview of South Indian filmmakers who tried their luck in Hindi cinema with varying degrees of success.
In the last few years, more South Indian film directors have been working with Bollywood stars. We have seen Prabhudeva directing the likes of Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar and Atlee directing the Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan in the recent blockbuster hit Jawan.
Not that this trend didn’t exist earlier; both Bapu and K Viswanath had directed nine films each in the 1980s and 1990s. Filmmaker K Viswanath remade his own classic Swathi Muthyam (1986) as Eeshwar (1989) with Anil Kapoor.
K Raghavendra Rao also directed quite a few Hindi films — all were remakes of his Telugu movies. He debuted in Bollywood with Nishana (1980) starring Jeetendra and Poonam Dhillon. It was a remake of the Telugu movie Vetagadu (1979).
However, Jeetender-Sridevi’s Himmatwala (1983) helped Rao make a mark for himself in Hindi cinema. It, again, was a remake of the Telugu flick Ooriki Monagadu (1981).
Raghavendra Rao followed it up with films like Tohfa (1984), Masterji (1985), Suhaagan (1986), and Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa (2001), to mention a few.
In the later years, Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma carved their niche in Bollywood.
Following are some prominent South Indian film directors who went North starting from recent times to slightly old:
Atlee
Atlee has established his credibility as a successful commercial director in a short period. His stories always have shades of other films, particularly the hangover of Shankar’s films.
But Atlee has mastered the art of mixing all the elements in the right proportion with strong political and social touches. A good example of this is his Hindi debut Jawan starring Shah Rukh Khan which has already become a bigger blockbuster than Pathaan (2023).
Shah Rukh has done mass films in the past too. But Atlee’s presentation of the actor is something that’s never seen before.
What also makes Jawan such a monstrous hit is the rousing manner in which Atlee dealt with several problems plaguing our society. The director’s conviction is such that the viewers don’t mind the not-so-subtle treatment.
Not surprisingly, Atlee has become a hot-shot director with whom many actors would want to work. There are already rumours of Atlee doing a film with the National Award winner Allu Arjun.
Prabhudeva
Before foraying into Hindi Cinema Prabhudeva directed two Telugu films — Siddharth-Trisha’s Nuvvostante Nenoddantana (2005) and Prabhas-Trisha’s Pournami (2006). The first one did well at the box office and the second one got critical acclaim.
Prabhudeva
Before foraying into Hindi Cinema Prabhudeva directed two Telugu films — Siddharth-Trisha’s Nuvvostante Nenoddantana (2005) and Prabhas-Trisha’s Pournami (2006). The first one did well at the box office and the second one got critical acclaim.
In 2012, Prabhudeva teamed up with Akshay Kumar for Rowdy Rathore, another remake. This time, it was the super-hit Telugu Film Vikramarkudu (2006) featuring Ravi Teja in a dual role. Rowdy Rathore went on to gross more than that of Wanted.
Post-Rowdy Rathore, Prabhudeva delivered movies that have largely missed the mark. The likes of R… Rajkumar (2013) were moderate successes, but his style of loud filmmaking has gone past its expiry date.
AR Murugadoss
AR Murugadoss is one of those filmmakers who want to entertain and enlighten.
Suriya-starrer Ghajini (Tamil, 2008) is a significant film in his career. Compared to his other works, Ghajini is cut from a different cloth as there is nothing political about it. It is a revenge drama revolving around a protagonist who suffers from a certain kind of amnesia due to a severe head injury.
Murugadoss remade the film in Hindi with the same name and with Aamir Khan as the protagonist. We all know how big a hit it is — more than the original. This was because of his skilful direction and also Aamir Khan’s dedication.
The director’s second Hindi film was also a remake of his own Tamil film Thuppaki (2012).
Akshay Kumar played Vijay Thalapathy’s role in Holiday: A Solider is Never Off Duty (2014). It was also a commercial success, but Thuppaki was more entertaining.
Puskhar-Gayatri
The duo of Puskhar-Gayatri remade their own Tamil film Vikram Vedha (2017) into Hindi in 2022 with Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan. What made Vikram Vedha a cut above the usual cop versus gangster drama was the moral ambiguities analysed through the Vikram and Betaal analogy.
A striking aspect of the Hindi remake was the more messy and flamboyant way in which Hrithik Roshan was presented as Vedha. This added a different dimension along with the Lucknow setting.
The Hindi Vikram Vedha wasn’t a box-office success, but Hrithik’s performance was vastly appreciated in terms of how he made Vedha his own.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Sandeep Reddy Vanga has already become a much-talked-about director despite making only two films — Vijay Deverakonda-starrer Arjun Reddy (Telugu, 2017) and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh (2019).
Kabir Singh starring Shahid Kapoor was a huge hit but the uproar was also equally big.
Now, he is making a straight Hindi film Animal with Ranbir Kapoor. There is a lot of curiosity and intrigue about this movie because of the title and also the violent depiction of the protagonist in the earlier one.
Gowtam Tinnanuri
Gowtam Tinnanuri made his Telugu film directorial debut with Malli Raava (2017). But it was Jersey (2019) starring actor Nani that made Gowtam a successful director.
This sports drama won a lot of acclaim along with commercial success. In the year 2021, it won several national awards which include Best Director and Best Actor as well.
Gowtam tried to recreate the same magic with Shahid with a nearly identical storyline except for setting it in Chandigarh.
The Hindi Jersey had some good reviews but suffered on account of the remake fatigue. The Punjabi setting also didn’t add any new dimension to the story.
In short, Shahid Kapoor’s strategy of getting another remake hit bombed badly.
Vishnu Vardhan
Tamil director Vishnu Vardhan made his Hindi debut with Vikram Batra’s biopic Shershaah (2021). He was appreciated for not making the flick overtly jingoistic and showing a certain restraint.
Vishnu Vardhan’s directorial skills particularly come out in the second half when the war drama sets in.
Shershaah had a direct OTT release, but it should have been ideally released in theatres.
Not surprisingly, Siddarth Malhotra got some good reviews for his performance as Vikram Batra.
Now, let’s go to the slightly older ones Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma.
Mani Ratnam
Before the film Dil Se (1998), made directly in Hindi, Mani Ratnam was already a known face in the North, thanks to Roja(1992) and Bombay (1995) dubbed in Hindi.
Dil Se was the third one in the trilogy of Roja and Bombay as this film also had the backdrop of insurgency.
Over the years, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer has acquired a cult of its own thanks to AR Rahman‘s scintillating music coupled with the intense performances of Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala.
After a long gap, Mani Ratnam simultaneously shot Aayutha Ezhutu (2004) in Tamil and Yuva (2004) in Hindi. Yuva was a significant game changer for Abhishek Bachchan before Guru (2007) and Sarkar (2005) happened. In Yuva, Abhishek Bachchan was brilliant as a ruffian with political ambitions.
After Dil Se, Guru was Mani Ratnam’s second straight Hindi film. The film was loosely based on the industrial tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani. It won critical appreciation along with good money. It is easily the most memorable solo outing of Abhishek Bachchan.
However, their next collaboration Raavan (2010) turned out to be a disaster of epic proportions. Despite a solid storyline, the movie turned out to be a cringe-fest both in acting and direction.
Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma scored a sixer with his debut Hindi film Satya (1998), a cult classic. It was the start of many more movies dealing with organised crime and the nexus between politicians and the underworld.
The film focuses on the life of an immigrant Satya (JD Chakravarthy) who visits Mumbai in search of a job. He gets drawn to the underworld by the gangster Bhiku Mhatre (Manoj Bajpai).
Satya gave birth to a lot of new talent, the chief among them being Manoj Bajpai and Saurabh Shukla. Their characters are remembered more than the lead hero.
It was followed by an equally successful Company (2002). The film was loosely based on the fallout between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan. Vivek Oberoi made a very promising debut as Chandrakant aka Chandu.
In both films, Varma was successful in humanising gangsters instead of painting them as cardboard cuts with no nuances.
He added more feathers to his cap with Sarkar (2005) and Sarkar Raj (2008). In these movies, the director combined Godfather (1972, 1974 & 1990) elements with that of Balasaheb Thackeray. Both the flick had the perfect mix of style and substance.
Ram Gopal Varma also directed the romantic-comedy Rangeela (1995) with Aamir Khan and Urmila.
Romance is the last thing that viewers associate Varma with. But to the director’s credit, he did pull off an enjoyable watch which also was a satire on the film industry.
But in the recent past, the filmmaker has been making one embarrassing movie after another. Sadly, the viewers are now more interested in what controversial remarks he would make rather than his works.
Priyadarshan
There was a period when Priyadarshan was a successful director in Hindi as well. Most of his Hindi films are remakes of his Tamil and Malayalam movies. But the director, more often than not, hit a jackpot.
He debuted in Hindi cinema with Muskurahat, a comedy-drama, which was a remake of his Malayalam film Kilukkam (1991).
Priyardarshan was a major reason behind the emergence of Akshay Kumar as a comic actor. In fact, many of Priyardarshan’s Hindi films featured Akshay Kumar.
The filmmaker delivered many flicks that have been both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. He delivered a good number of superhits like Gardish (1993), Virasat (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Hungama (2003), Hulchul (2004), Malamaal Weekly (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), and Rangrezz (2013).
However, things have been going downhill, of late, with Priyadarshan not being able to reinvent himself. A good example of this is Hungama 2 (2021) which was released on Disney+Hotstar. It opened to negative reviews.
Well, this list is not exhaustive. I am sure many more South Indian film directors have done movies in Hindi earlier too. But Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan is the latest and the most significant film in this trend.
Producers: V. Vamsi Krishna Reddy and Pramod Uppalapati
Production Company: UV Creations
Music: Radhan
Running time: 2 hours and 27 minutes
Genre: Romantic comedy/drama
Miss. Shetty Mr. Polishetty is refreshingly different from what we generally see in Telugu Cinema. Director Mahesh Babu P uses the genre of a feel good Rom-Com to tell a story that is filled with many layers. On one hand it is about an older woman who wants a child but not through marriage. There is also a coming of age story exploring the art of standup comedy through the male protagonist character. The film has also got a distinct Ayushmann Khurrana hangover for those who have seen the likes of Vicky Donor.
Anushka Shetty with Naveen Polishetty
Anvitha Shetty (Anuskha Shetty) is a top chef in London. Her mother (Jayasudha in an extended cameo) wants Anvitha to get married but Anvitha is someone who has no belief in either love or marriage. She doesn’t want to get into the complications of married life. The mother soon dies because of an ailment. After a while Anvitha decides to have a child outside marriage through IVF. In her search for a sperm donor she comes across Siddhu Polishetty (Naveen Polishetty).
Siddhu works in software but his real passion lies in doing standup comedy. He does his shows without the knowledge of his parents. Anvitha is vastly impressed with his standup humour and feels that his sperm would be best for her child. In order to know more about him she gets into a friendship which Siddhu mistakes for love. The rest of the story is about the complications that happen when Siddhu comes to know about Anvitha’s real intentions.
Naveen Polishetty
Mahesh Babu P takes his own sweet time to establish the plot. The initial portions are dedicated to establishing Anvitha’s personality. The film actually gets going when Anvitha starts her search for a sperm donor. Naveen Polishetty’s entry as a standup comedian perks up the proceedings. The dynamics between Anvitha and Siddhu is not what we usually see in Telugu films and this gives a refreshing touch.
As mentioned in the beginning the film has a distinct Ayushmann Khurrana hangover in terms of the sperm donor angle; having said that it is still refreshing to watch because of Mahesh Babu P’s treatment.
The director also deserves credit for how he sketched his two protagonists. Anvitha is someone who comes across as this very stubborn woman who is very clear about not wanting a partner. There is a big inner trauma within her. This stubbornness may have come across as cold hearted but the viewers understand why she is the way she is. Even when Anvitha realises her feelings for Siddhu she doesn’t want to accept it and prefers going away from his life.
Anushka Shetty
Naveen Polishetty’s Siddhu on the other hand comes from a typical middle class family with an upbringing that is vastly different from Anvitha. As said earlier he does a software job just to please his parents but his passion is only standup comedy. Mahesh Babu P does a good job in exploring the art and intricacies of standup comedy. The reaction of Siddhu when Anvitha reveals what she wants feels very natural. The characters of Murali Sharma and Tulasi have an authentic middle class milieu. However the transformation of these characters particularly the father’s character when he takes his son’s autograph after a show feels quite rushed. Also the likes of Nassar could have been better used.
Jayasudha
As the title suggests the film majorly hinges on Anuskha and Naveen Polishetty and both the actors do not disappoint. Anuskha Shetty plays a character which goes with her age. She fits the part of an older woman who is scared of getting into relationships. Anuskha carries the cold heartedness and the aggressive nature well.
Naveen Polishetty’s real life experience of doing standup comedy comes in very handy during the comic portions. The actor is an absolute live wire. He also does a swell job in the more dramatic portions.
Jayasudha’s cheerfulness brings a smile to the viewers face. Her fan act of Balakrishna in particular does raise some chuckles.
Music composed by Radhan goes well with the flow of the film. Lady luck in particular is an upbeat number. I am sure many young people would connect with the theme of the film.
Jawan is easily SRK’s most political film in the recent past with the actor taking on the establishment. He also delivers a passionate monologue about the importance of choosing wisely.
Starcast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Vijay Sethupathi and others
Direction, screenplay and story: Atlee
Additional screenplay: S Ramanagrivasan
Producers: Gaurav Verma and Gauri Khan
Production Company: Red Chillies Entertainment
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Genre: Action thriller/drama
Director Atlee’s stories are never original; they are more about effective packaging. Jawan is no different. In simple terms if you mix Shankar’s brand of cinema with Chak De India the result would be Jawan.
Jawan is a father and son drama at its core; Azad and Vikram Rathod (Shah Rukh Khan in a double role). One of them is a masked vigilante who wants to speed up the societal changes in unconventional ways. Helping him in this mission are a bunch of women prisoners headed by Sanya Malhotra and Priyamani. Each of these prisoners have their own back stories that cover different issues plaguing our society. Kaali (Vijay Sethupati) is a dangerous arms dealer who has a history with the father SRK. Last but not the least is Narmada (Nayanthara) who is a determined NSG officer on the lookout for the vigilante. In a twist of events she also ends up marrying one of the SRKs (one of the absurdist thing in the story) for the sake of her daughter. She is a single mother. Revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate as the film goes through a non linear storyline with many twists and turns.
A big strength of Jawan is the packaging of the various social issues that Atlee takes up. Sure the treatment isn’t subtle and does require suspension of belief but the conviction of Atlee and SRK is such that as viewers we can’t help but cheer. As mentioned above Jawan is Shah Rukh’s most political film in the recent times. Many of societal problems find a place in Jawan. Whether it is farmers being driven to suicide because of loan sharks, the severely underdeveloped government facilities, the frauds taking place in election and the manufacture of bad quality military weapons among others. There is also a Meta moment where SRK directly addresses his fans and delivers a passionate monologue. All this has come out in a powerful manner. Sumit Arora’s dialogues hugely aid in this.
Father and son drama has always an emotional connect, irrespective of how many times we have seen it. There is a rousing interval bang when the son SRK has been tied up with no hopes of getting away. At that exact moment you have the arrival of the father. The dialogue there is “Bete ko Haath Lagane se pahle, baap se baat Kar (Deal with the father before you touch the son).” This comes at the moment when the father is assumed to be dead. This again is a perfectly placed Meta moment and looks like a warning from SRK to not mess with his son Aryan Khan in the future. The father character is a military officer who was accused of being a traitor. He was thrown from a helicopter by Kaali and suffers from a partial memory loss. As a result he doesn’t completely remember the past. The scenes where both the SRKs feature are an absolute treat.
Early on there is a sequence where the vigilante Shah Rukh takes a metro train as hostage. When Nayanthara asks him what are his demands over the wireless he gives a witty reply saying “I want Alia Bhatt but she is younger in age.” The reaction shot of the passenger sitting next to him adds to the humour. Many dialogues both political ones and humorous ones like this evoked a lot of hooting and cheering from the audiences.
Shah Rukh Khan has successfully ventured into the mass zone in the past too but Atlee’s presentation of the superstar is something else. Shah Rukh owns every frame that he is in. He embraces the masala tone of Atlee with absolute fervour. Nayanathara makes a solid Bollywood debut with her portrayal of Narmada both as a determined cop and also as a single mother. There is a terrific action sequence where Narmada takes on the masked SRK. It is a treat to watch.
The few romantic scenes between Nayanthara and SRK are pleasant to watch particularly in the song Chaleya. However the same cannot be said of the brief flashback portion consisting of Deepika. It has been written patchily. Sanjay Dutt also has an extended cameo. The women prisoners have reasonably fleshed out parts. The ones who stand out are Sanya Malhotra and Priyamani.
Vijay Sethupati who locks horns with both the father and son does not have a lot to do in the beginning but he more than makes up for it in the second half. He gets some comic punches that leave you in splits.
Anirudh Ravichander’s music doesn’t quite match the scale of the film but Zinda Banda and Chaleya are foot tapping numbers. There is also Aararaari Raaro which has a good emotional touch. But his background score is excellent particularly in the scenes where the vigilante SRK takes over.
At a time when most systems are failing in delivering justice the success of Jawan would represent the angst of the common man and the justice (by whatever means) that he is hoping for in Bharateeyudu style.
Bhav Dhulia might have directed it but it is an extension of Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Baby’ and ‘Special Ops’; war-torn Syria is the USP here.
Keeps you hooked to your seats!
The Freelancer (Hindi)
Cast: Mohit Raina, Kashmira Pardeshi, Sushant Singh, and Anupam Kher
Director: Bhav Dhulia
Producers: Gaurav Banerjee, Varun Malik, and Mahesh Menon
Music: Sanjoy Chowdhury
No. of episodes: 4
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
After the hugely controversial and successfulTheKerala Story (2023), we have another story that looks at the ISIS terror groups who want to conquer the world and the extent they would go for it.
For those who are not aware this web show is based on the book “A Ticket to Syria” by writer Shirish Thorat.
In simple terms, The Freelancer focuses on the plight of a newly married girl named Aliya (Kashmira Pardeshi). Her husband Mohsin takes her to Istanbul on the pretext of honeymoon, but his actual intention is something else.
Aliya has no idea that her husband and in-laws have been completely brainwashed by ISIS and want her to be a tool in their plans, too. She is not allowed to communicate with her parents and becomes a virtual prisoner.
Mohit Raina plays Avinash Kamat, an ex-cop turned mercenary.
The title — The Freelancer — refers to this kind of mercenary who fights as a soldier for any group or country that would pay him or her.
Avinash’s physical prowess is established very early on.
Avinash and Aliya’s father Inayat (Sushant Singh) are good friends. After learning about her plight, Inayat tries to contact her, but he doesn’t succeed. In desperation and guilt, he commits suicide.
Aliya’s mother requests Avinash to somehow bring her back.
The first season primarily focuses on how Aliya gets trapped in Syria and how she manages to get in contact with Avinash.
Performances
The Freelancer works best when it focuses on the plight of Aliya, and also ravaged terrain of Syria.
Brainwashing done in the name of religion is something that we have seen earlier as well. But it becomes uncomfortable when the stories emanate only from groups like ISIS.
The character of Aliya is the backbone of The Freelancer. She goes through varied emotions.
The young actress delivers a commendable performance. Her conversations with her mother (Ayesha Raza) are particularly impactful.
As viewers, we feel anxious about Aliya’s safety and want her to come out safe.
Sushant Singh effectively conveys the desperation of a father in the screen time he has.
Mohit Raina makes for a formidable mercenary and also a concerned uncle.
Anupam Kher as the mentor figure has a pleasing presence but the part feels undercooked.
Technical aspects
Cinematographers Tojo Xavier, Arvind Singh, and Sudhir Palsane do a good job of capturing the many locations through their lenses. Their work stands out more when they recreate the harsh terrain of Syria — whether it is the camps, local markets or dilapidated houses.
Though a lot of back and forth keeps happening editing is quite seamless.
What doesn’t work for The Freelancer is the track of Mohit Raina and the complicated relationship that he shares with his on-screen wife (Manjari Fadnnis). It is weakly written, and as a result, their track comes across as more of an unnecessary distraction.
Final take
The Freelancer ends with a cliffhanger of Aliya’s in-laws turning suicide bombers. This makes the viewers even more hooked about what would unfold in Season 2.
