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Save The Tigers: A Solid Entertainer With Good Treatment And Performances

A binge-worthy watch!

Save The Tigers (Telugu)

  • Cast: Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Abhinav Gomatam, Krishna Chaitanya, and Harsha Vardhan
  • Director: Teja Kakumanu
  • Music: Ajay Arsada
  • No. of episodes: 6
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Films about marital discord and frustrated husbands have a universal (should I say, male) appeal because of the way marital relationships have changed over the years.

Several films have humorously portrayed this and they have been hugely successful, too.

Director Teja Kakumanu’s Save the Tigers also follows the same route.

The husbands here come from three vastly different backgrounds but share one commonality – issues with wives. More than the story, what makes this show work is how the director used the background of his respective protagonists.

Synopsis

Ghanta Ravi (Priyadarshi) is a dairy farm owner, Rahul (Abhinav Gomatam) is an aspiring writer, and Vikram (Krishna Chaitanya) is a creative ad writer.

They meet at a school where their respective children are studying. Soon, they become friends and start bonding big time.

As mentioned above, they are frustrated married men. One day. they get arrested in a drunk-and-drive case.

Meanwhile, a noted actress gets kidnapped. The rest of the story deals with several aspects. Do the trio have any connection with her disappearance? What made these three men drink so much, and finally why do they call themselves “tigers”?

Highly entertaining

The title Save The Tigers here refers to how married men should also be saved from extinction as much as tigers.

The web series hits the ground running from the first frame. There are a lot of scenes that tickle our funny bones.

The case in point is the servant character played by Jabardasth-fame Rohini. Her interactions with Abhinav are an absolute laugh riot. What makes this track even more refreshing is the absence of body-shaming jokes.

Director Teja Kakumanu is also successful in creating conflicts that have certain credibility, more so if you are a male.

For example, Vikram’s wife is an activist-cum-lawyer who has issues with his mother. Like many children, Vikram’s daughter is the emotional anchor between them.

Save The Tigers also touches upon issues like workplace harassment, but without being preachy.

This comes out through the track of Sunaina who is a harassed employee working in the same office as Vikram. Harsha Vardhan plays the toxic boss.

These scenes are both poignant and entertaining.

There is also a passing comment on how literary standards are falling in recent times.

By the very nature of its story, Save the Tigers isn’t very high on logic.

Sometimes illogicality does come as a deterrent. The case in point is how the husbands bump into each other and realise that all their children study in the same school. The same thing happens to the wives, too.

Also, the kidnapping subplot needed to be etched far better.

Characterisation and performances

Priyadarshi’s Ganta Ravi has the trait of over-talking but this trait is never milked for stereotypical comedy.

On many occasions, his character repeatedly uses the word “paalu” which is similar to the pressure cooker obsession from the film Jathi Ratnalu (Jewels of The Nation, 2021).

The wife characters have also been written with some care.

A particular mention must be made of “Jordar” Sujatha who plays Priyadarshi’s wife. Her aspiration of wanting to live in a gated community has been well-written.

Out of the three men, Priyadarshi and Abhinav Gomatam are the best.

Priyadarshi gets the body language of a dairy farm owner spot on. The actor makes a huge impression starting from his body language to the way he delivers his dialogues in a particular accent.

Abhinav Gomatam is equally good with his satirical humour. The scenes where he is struggling to get over his writer’s block are hilarious, to say the least.

Krishna Chaitanya does not have many comic punch lines but the actor is still mighty impressive in whatever he does.

He is particularly good in the scenes when Vikram expresses his frustration on being sandwiched between his boss, mother and life.

Final take

Overall, Save the Tigers is an absolute binge-worthy watch. It is just six episodes and the duration of each episode is short. Have a fun weekend!

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Virupaksha: A Solid Thriller That Is High On Both Atmospherics And Content

Director Karthik Varma Dandu proves to be a worthy successor to his master Sukumar

Virupaksha (Telugu)                3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha, Sunil, Bramhaji, Ajay, Rajeev Kanakala and others

Direction and story: Karthik Varma Dandu

Screenplay: Sukumar

Producers: B.V. S. N Prasad and Sukumar

Production Company: Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra

Genre: Horror/thriller

Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Thrillers are one of the most difficult genres to execute for any filmmaker. The reason for that is – then the director has to ensure that audiences are constantly on the edge of their seat and keep guessing what will happen next. It becomes even trickier when the director has chosen a subject with undertones of paranormal activities concerning superstitions.

First time director Karthik Varma Dandu sets the story of Virupaksha in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The film begins off in the year 1979 where a couple is burnt alive by the villagers on the suspicion of practicing black magic. The dying couple puts a curse that the entire village will die by next Puskharam. From here we fast forward to 1991 where a series of deaths start happening. It is at this stage that we are introduced to Surya (Sai Dharam Tej). Surya is a city dweller who comes to his ancestral village with his mother and a friend.

On the way they are greeted by a crow which according to his mother is a bad omen but Surya downplays her concerns. Nandini (Samyukta Menon) is the daughter of the village head played by Rajeev Kanakala. Nandini suffers with seizures from time to time. Her health is quite delicate. Surya and his family are hosted by Savitri (Anchor Shyamala). Surya starts developing an interest in Nandini. He starts flirting with her in the typical style of Sukumar heroes. Some lovey dovey moments take place. But things take a turn for bad on the day of the main puja.

Team Virupakasha with Allu Aravind

A missing villager comes from forest in a possessed state and dies inside the sanctum of the temple. This obviously sends shock waves and an elaborate purification ritual is ordered. The priest (Sai Chand) tells the Sarpanch that the village borders should be closed. The priest further adds that outsiders should no longer remain in the village. Surya and his family prepare to leave, but half way through he has to come back to save Nandini’s life who has another seizure.

Meanwhile Nandini’s friend Sudha (Sonia Singh) plans to escape from the village with her beloved. One night she takes the plunge and leaves for the railway station. There she witnesses her lover being hit by a train. A few days later Sudha herself is found dead. In between two more murders happen. One of them includes Savitri. The rest of the story is about how all these mysteries are solved.

Virupaksha grips you from the start with the way Karthik Varma Dandu builds up the ambience. The screenplay written by director Sukumar is filled with many layers. Karthik Varma Dandu and Sukumar come up with some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Sonia Singh

Karthik Varma Dandu should also be credited for not making Surya larger than life. There are no pointless songs that deviate the audiences from the main core.

The cinematography of Shamdat Sainudeen adds certain eeriness to the proceedings. The sound effects are very effective in raising some genuine scares. On more than one occasion the viewers would want to close their eyes.

The twists and turns in Virupaksha engross you till the end. At no point we feel the duo has taken us for a ride. A special mention must be made of the revelation at the end. The climax punch works even more because of the way the foreshadowing has been done.

In spite of all its positives there are certain areas where the film is a little problematic, especially in portraying the children of burnt couple suspected of black magic. The way they go about their revenge using the same superstitions does not go well with the tonality of the film. Also some of the costumes worn by Sai Dharam Tej and Samyukta Menon come across as too modern for the period the film is set in.

Sai Dharam Tej delivers a convincing performance as a man who is on a mission to save his love and the village. Samyukta Menon has a meaty role and the actress does complete justice to her part. She particularly shines in the emotionally charged moments.

Out of the supporting characters Rajeev Kanakala and Ajay shine the most. Rajeev Kanakala melts your heart as a concerned father. Ajay on the other hand comes across as a breath of fresh air in his role of an Aghora. He commands the viewer’s attention with his body language and overall demeanor. Sai Chand also does a neat job in his role of a priest.

Virupaksha is a pure and honest thriller that tackles some important issues prevalent in our society.

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Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: A Tent-Pole Commercial Entertainer That Celebrates Salman Khan’s Larger-Than-Life Persona

Director Farhad Samji’s film is more of Salman’s version of ‘2 States’ and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chennai Express’.

An Eid gift for Salman fans!
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (Hindi)
  • Cast:Salman Khan, Venkatesh, Pooja Hedge, Jagapathi Babu, Bhumika Chawla, Raghav Juyal, Jassie Gil, Siddharth Nigam, Shehnaaz Gil, Palak Tiwari, and Bhagyashree
  • Writer-Director: Farhad Samji
  • Producer: Salma Khan
  • Music: Ravi Basrur (background score), Himesh Reshammiya, Sukhbir Singh, Devi Sri Prasad, Sajid Khan, Payal Dev, and Amaal Mallik
  • RunTime 2 hours 24 minutes

Irrespective of their quality, several South films have been remade into Hindi in the recent past. A certain fatigue has set in which is evident in the way most of these remakes have fared.

Of course, Ajay Devgan’s Drishyam 2 was a huge blockbuster. But by and large, remakes have fallen flat on their face.

For those who are not aware, Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (Someone’s Brother, Someone’s Lover) is based on director Shiva’s Tamil film Veeram (Valour, 2014) starring Ajith and Tamannaah.

Veeram majorly worked because of Ajith’s charisma. It was also remade into Telugu as Katamarayudu (2017) with Pawan Kalyan. However, the Telugu version flopped big time.

Now, the film has been remade into Hindi. Though the trailer of Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan didn’t receive a great response, there was certain optimism as it is an Eid release.

The inclusion of the Telugu actors Venkatesh and Jagapathi Babu added a certain curiosity to it.

There are few films where the overall product turns out to be better than the first glimpse, and this one falls in that category.

Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan isn’t an outstanding cinema but is largely enjoyable. In a way, it can be called Salman Khan’s version of 2 States (2014) and Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express (2013).

Plot

Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan revolves around Bhaijaan (Salman Khan). He lives in Delhi with his brothers Luv (Siddarth Nigam), Ishq (Raghav Juyal) and Moh (Jassie Gill). They are not blood brothers but the bond between them is strong.

In a way, they are small-time mafia using violence to settle disputes in their locality. Luv, Ishq and Moh have girlfriends. But there is a problem — Bhaijaan is unmarried and he feels that the entry of a girl into their lives will ruin their bond.

Late Satish Kaushik plays a father figure to all four men. He plays his part with a lot of warmth and is a delight to watch.

Bhagyalaxmi (Pooja Hedge), an Andhra girl, lands in the same locality where Bhaijaan and his three brothers live, for research on antiques. She falls for Bhaijaan and soon, love blooms between the two.

Balakrishna Gundamaneni (Venkatesh) is the peace-loving elder brother of Bhagyalaxmi, or at least that is the impression we get in the beginning.

Two major villains get in the way of Bhaijaan getting his happy ending:  one is boxer-turned-actor Mahvir (Vijender Singh and the other is Nageshwar (Jagapati Babu).

Mahvir, like a typical real estate villain, wants to take over the basti where Bhaijaan lives.

On the other hand, Nageshwar has a major grouse with Balakrishna Gundamaneni. This is the story in a nutshell.

Characterisation

Director Farhad Samji wastes no time in establishing the larger-than-life persona of Salman Khan. The actor makes a dashing entry and the dialogue is filled with punch lines. Not all punch lines work but still, there is some joy to be had.

The camaraderie between the four brothers is established well. As viewers, you do root for them.

However, there is one major bump — the characters of the girlfriends. None of them stands out except for Pooja Hegde. Things get better with her entry.

Pooja is quite good in her chirpy role. She does come across as too animated in the initial portions, still her character Bhagyalaxmi is good to watch. This is easily Pooja’s best performance in a Hindi film so far.

The fight sequence in the Delhi Metro train – when Bhagyalaxmi learns how violent her boyfriend is — sets the stage for an engaging second half.

Venkatesh as the elder brother has a powerful presence that uplifts the second half considerably. His scenes with Salman are a delight to watch. Venkatesh also has his mass moments and the actor packs a strong punch.

Director Farhad Samji needs to be credited for not presenting the south Indianness of Balakrishna in a caricaturist way.

The dialogues are a mix of Telugu and Hindi and don’t come across as jarring at any point. Not surprisingly, Jagapati Babu as Nageswar fares much better than Vijender Singh. The reason is Jagapati Babu has mostly done negative roles in his second innings.

Bhaijaan Salman mostly plays to the gallery. However, he does shine in some of the emotional moments with the brothers. There are also hugely enjoyable Meta references. One of these is the scene involving his Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) co-star Bhagyashree.

Music

The songs composed by Ravi Basur, and Himesh Reshammiya & Co go with the vibe of Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

The songs “Yentamma” and “Naiyo Lagda” stand out. The presence of Ramcharan dancing with Salman and Venkatesh makes “Yentamma” more fun to watch.

There is also a dialogue where Ramcharan says that “Ram has come to attend Bhaijaan’s wedding”. This does crack the viewers up.

The trio of Jassie Gill, Siddarth Nigam and Raghav Juyal do a fine job in their limited screen time. However, as earlier said the girlfriends are one big minus point of the film.

For Salman Khan’s fans, this can be easily overlooked.

Verdict

Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan isn’t high on the story but there is enough to enjoy in this “North meets South” if you don’t analyse too much.

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Jubilee: A Gripping Saga That Transports Viewers To The 1940s

Incredible performances by actors and strong technical aspects add to the immersive experience of the audience in director Vikramaditya Motwane’s latest offering.

The show shines the brightest in the technical aspects.
Jubilee (Hindi)
  • Cast: Aditi Rao Hydari, Aparshakti Khurana, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Ram Kapoor Wamiqa Gabbi, and Sidhant Gupta
  • Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
  • Producer: Dipa De Motwane
  • Music: Amit Trivedi
  • Episodes: Midseason 1 to 5
  • OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video

Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane’s web series Jubliee is out on Amazon Prime Video. The ace director has once again proved his directorial capabilities with this complex historical saga.

Period dramas have always been a safe bet to draw in the audience, primarily because of the curiosity of the viewers, as they know very vaguely of the periods which these dramas deal with.

The viewing experience becomes greater when a director like Vikramaditya Motwane helms the project. He already proved his capability with the likes of Udaan (Flight) in 2010 and Lootera (Robber) in 2013. He also co-directed the first season of Sacred Games (2018-19).

The show is set in the 1940s with the main focus on the film industry (Bollywood) with the backdrop of the independence movement and the partition.

For example, you have a refugee from Pakistan who wants to make it big in cinemas. It is a complex plot filled with several themes.

The director does a good job of sustaining the audience’s interest. As a viewer, you look forward to the next set of episodes.

The web series is broadly inspired by the lives of yesteryear film personalities like Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani.

Synopsis

Srikant Roy (Himanshu Rai’s role played by Prosenjit Chatterjee) is a filmmaker and also the head of a studio called Roy Talkies in this fictionalised version.

Sumitra Devi, also a star (Devika Rani’s role played by Aditi Rao Hydari), is the wife and co-owner of his production company.

he plot revolves around Srikant Roy who is on the hunt to launch a new face for his next film. After numerous auditions, he narrows upon a Muslim boy by name of Jehangir Khan (Nandish Singh Sandhu).

But conflict arises when Sumitra has an affair with Jehangir Khan. They even make plans to escape to Karachi.

Binod Das (Aparshakti Khurana) is the most trusted aid of Srikant. He is given the responsibility of making sure that Jehangir Khan doesn’t elope with Sumitra.

The situation takes a drastic turn when Jehangir Khan completely disappears and no one is aware of whether he is dead or alive.

There is also the parallel track of Jay Khanna (Sidhant Gupta), a Pakistani refugee who is desperately searching for work in Bombay. Courtesan Niloufer Qureshi (Wamiqa Gabbi) is also in the same city hoping to land a film role.

They both are street-smart and end up striking a friendship. They want to find their footing in the city as well as in Roy Talkies.

Performances

Most of the characters have been written with many layers and this makes the web series more nuanced. Particular mention must be made of the characters essayed by Sidhant Gupta, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Aparshakti Khurana.

The interaction between Niloufer Qureshi and Jay Khanna and the progress of their relationship gives the show some of its best moments.

Niloufer is a courtesan who has big aspirations. To fulfil those dreams, she takes all the possible routes. Some of it is questionable as well but at no point, Niloufer comes across as compromising.

Wamiqa Gabbi as Niloufer effortlessly portrays all the shades of her character. Her dances are also wonderful to watch. The best example of her dancing skills comes in the mujra titled “Woh Tere Mera Ishq Ka”.

Jay Khanna as Sidhant Gupta gets the best character of his career so far. Sidhant perfectly portrays the pain and also the spirit of a young man who has suddenly become a refugee in what recently was his own country. As viewers, you root for Jay.

Till now, Aparshakti Khurana has been seen in light-hearted roles. But here, he does a complete U-turn.

Binod Das who starts as a spot boy lands up in an unexpected new situation. It is a role that is filled with grey shades and the actor aces it.

Prosenjit Chatterjee also deserves a mention for his performance as the head of the studio. He plays his part with a certain panache.

Technical crafts

The show shines the brightest in the technical aspects — the sets are authentic, and Vikramaditya Motwane does a great job of recreating the 1940s. He has assembled a first-rate technical team and has drawn some solid work from them.

The art direction by Priti Gole and Yogesh Bansod is top-notch.

Similarly, Pratik Shah’s cinematography adds to the immersive experience of the viewers.

Amit Trivedi’s music is also in perfect sync as his tunes instantly take you back to those times.

The flaws

Jubilee has also got its share of flaws. One of them is the not-so-powerful characterisation of Aditi Rao Hydari’s character. Her interactions with Nandish Singh Nandu needed to be written far better.

The character of Jehangir Khan also comes across as mostly flat. As a result, his disappearance doesn’t register strongly.

Some cuss words don’t gel with the show.

Verdict

Above all this, Jubliee is worth a trip down memory lane.

(Views expressed are personal.)

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Shaakuntalam: An Epic Story That Doesn’t Match Up To The Expectations

Gunasekhar is successful in creating a fantasy forest world but is unable to sustain the audience’s interest till the end.

Watch it for Samantha & Arha!
Shaakuntalam (Telugu)
  • Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Dev Mohan, Sachin Khedekar, Mohan Babu, Aditi Balan, Ananya Nagalla, Prakash Raj, Gautami, Madhoo, Kabir Bedi, Jisshu Sengupta, Allu Arha, Harish Uthaman, and Subbaraju
  • Director: Gunasekhar
  • Producer: Neelima Guna
  • Music: Mani Sharma
  • Runtime : 2 hours 36 minutes

Gunasekhar’s Shaakuntalam is an adaptation of Kalidasa’s “Abhignana Sakuntalam”.

It is a significant piece of literature that has relevance even in today’s times. Some galore men ditch women on various pretexts and leave them to their fate.

Shakuntala is a woman who had not seen any world outside the ashram where she is born. But all that changed with the entry of King Dushyant.

The trials and tribulations of Shakuntala are something that resonates with women even to this day like Sita. The love story of Dushyant and Shakuntala is, of course, familiar to everyone.

The play has also seen its share of onscreen adaptions. Hence, Gunasekhar should have put in more effort to make it more engaging for contemporary audiences.

Before Shaakuntalam, he made Rudramadevi — starring Anushka Shetty — ­which was also meant to be an epic tale but the director wasn’t completely successful in his endeavour.

This is despite Anuskha’s committed performance and also Allu Arjun’s thundering presence. Unfortunately, the same is the case with Shaakuntalam.

Much like Rudramadevi, this is also an ambitious attempt but Gunasekhar hasn’t got the technical finesse or storytelling craft needed for a film of this scale.

Synopsis

Shaakuntalam begins with a brief introduction regarding the birth of Shakuntala (Samantha). She is brought up in a tapovanam (a forest of spiritual practices). It is love at first sight for both Shakuntala and King Dushyant (Dev Mohan).

Their conversations are filled with poetic dialogues written by Sai Madhav Burra. Love leads to marriage but in Gandharva style (consensual acceptance without any rituals) with the animals and Nature as witnesses.

The king gifts Shakuntala his ring as a symbol of his love and leaves for his kingdom promising to take her later. However, Shakuntala’s happiness doesn’t last for long, thanks to sage Durvasa (Mohan Babu in a short but impactful role). He condemns Shakuntala to a life of unrequited love in his anger.

As a result, Dushyant forgets all about Shakuntala on his return to the kingdom. The result is something that the audiences are well aware of.

Samantha’s show all the way

Before going into the negatives, it is necessary to talk about the positives.

The trope of love, at first sight, is one of the most overused things in cinema. Yet, Samantha and Dev Mohan make it work with their chemistry. Both actors are successful in bringing out sensuousness. The passion is very much visible.

Before Shaakuntalam, Samantha did back-to-back action roles in The Family Man Season 2 and Yashoda. Here, the actress is seen in a vastly different avatar.

She does a good job of bringing out both the naivety of an ashram girl and the stoic strength of a wronged woman. A scene that deserves particular mention is when she questions Dushyant about his inability to recognise her. Samantha is simply terrific at that moment.

Dev Mohan as Dushyant also shows a wide range of emotions. He has also got the physicality required to portray the king. He is very convincing in all his shades.

Gunasekhar deserves appreciation for how he treats the reunion of Shakuntala and Dushyant. She doesn’t run into his arms after meeting him in the end. Dushyant pleads and begs for forgiveness. The entire scene has come out well.

Shaakuntalam has a huge plethora of supporting characters but there are only a few who make an impression. Mohan Babu as Durvasa has a short role but the senior actor commands your attention whenever he is onscreen. His modulation of voice is bang-on.

Madhoo (Roja fame) as Menaka comes in the second half. Again, she doesn’t get a lot of screen time but the actress makes a solid impression.

Last but not least, Allu Arha proves to be a worthy successor to her father Allu Arjun. She is an absolute dynamite with an undeniable screen presence.

Here’s hoping that Arha continues to do films and Shaakuntalam isn’t a one-off. Her interactions with Dev Mohan’s Dushyant do bring a smile to the audience’s face.

By its very nature, Shaakuntalam is heavily dependent on VFX. The special effects are not perfect but still, they are not a complete write-off either.

The portions involving ashram life and animals have been beautifully done. It successfully transports the audience to a fantasy world.

The costumes by Neeta Lulla are absolutely eye catchy. There is nothing expensive about them but Samantha looks gorgeous.

What doesn’t work?

The biggest problem with Shaakuntalam is the TV serial treatment of Gunasekhar. His narrative style hasn’t got the brevity that is needed for a film of this nature.

The director could and should have worked more on the tribulations of Shakuntala in the second half. But instead, the film becomes more about Dushyant’s redemption.

There are some comic bits in the second half that are meant to bring a smile to the audience’s face. But instead, the viewers feel more frustration than happiness.

The demon gang led by Kabir Singh Duban does not come across as a powerful villain at any point. They end up being caricatures.

The battle scenes have zero intensity. Except for increasing the run time they do not give any thrills to the viewers.

Mani Sharma’s music and background score is good but needed to be far more impactful for a movie of this nature. “Maliika Maliika” is easily the best among all the numbers though.

Final take

Gunasekhar needs to take a break from these period dramas. Watch Shaakuntalam if you want to see some good acting by Samantha and Arha and also enjoy yourselves in a fantasy world.

(Views expressed are personal.)

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Ravanasura: Ravi Teja Comes Out All Guns Blazing In This Decent But Muddled Thriller

Lacks solid story & screenplay!

Ravanasrura (Telugu)

  • Cast: Ravi Teja, Sushanth, Anu Emmanuel, Faria Abdullah, Megha Akash, and Daksha Nagarkar
  • Direction: Sudheer Varma
  • Producers: Abhishek Nama and Ravi Teja
  • Music: Harshvardhan Rameshwar and Bheema Ceciroleo
  • Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes

Sudheer Varma made an impressive directorial debut with the film Swamy Ra Ra starring Nikhil Siddharth in the lead. It was a well-made crime comedy that received both critical appreciation and commercial success.

Later, the director teamed up with Nikhil once again for Keshava in 2017. Though it was a revenge drama it had an interesting element to it.

The element is the condition of the hero who suffers from a rare congenital disorder called Dextrocardia. People with this disorder are prevented from doing activities which results in a faster heartbeat.

In between these two films, Sudheer Varma directed two absolute duds – one with Naga Chaitanya and the other with Sharwanand.

Still, Ravanasura created a certain buzz, thanks to the title and the different presentations of Ravi Teja in the promos.

The director does deserve appreciation for how he connects certain qualities of the famous mythological character Ravanasura to his protagonist Ravindra. However, the film lacks the required punch to make it a memorable experience.

Synopsis

Ravindra (Ravi Teja) is a junior lawyer working under Kanaka Mahalakshmi (Faria Abdullah). Kanaka Mahalakshmi is a reputed criminal lawyer.

One day, Harika (Megha Akash) approaches her to take up a murder case where her father (Sampath Raj) is accused.

Ravindra falls for Harika at the very first sight. At least that is the impression that the audiences get in the initial reels. He requests Kanaka Mahalakshmi to deal with the case.

Meanwhile, several murders happen with a particular pattern. The rest of the story deals with whether Harika’s father is connected to those crimes or not and also how heroes are not always innocent.

An engaging first half

Ravanasura begins interestingly. There is a proper mix of comedy and thrills. The scenes between Ravi Teja and Hyper Adi do bring many a smile to the audience’s faces.

The entry of Sushanth as a mysterious guy makes the film more interesting.

Although the suspense regarding the killer is revealed midway into the first half itself, we will still be interested in knowing about the motivations behind these murders.

The interval bang raises expectations for a gripping second half.

The flaws

However, things fall flat in the second half once we come to know the reasons behind the murders. The proceedings soon become tedious.

The Ramayana connection has its high points but at the end of the day, it doesn’t add much.

The flashback of Ravindra is dealt with in a rather haphazard manner. As a result, it lacks the required emotional connection. Vigilante justice is also hugely problematic.

It also doesn’t help the film except for Sushanth and to an extent Megha Akash the rest of the actors are severely handicapped by underwritten parts.

Rao Ramesh in particular suffers on the account of a weak characterisation.

Ravi Teja is a real surprise

Despite the film’s many flaws, Ravi Teja does manage to hold the movie together with his solid performance.

In the comic bits, he is his usual goofy self but the actor surprises you when he has to portray the unhinged nature of Ravindra. His menacing avatar will send a shiver down the audience’s spine.

Sushanth does a good job as a prosthetics artist. His confrontation scenes with Ravi Teja have come out well.

Megha Akash has a dual-shaded role and she does a good job of portraying the contrasting shades.

Among the technicians, Vijay Karthik Kannan’s cinematography deserves appreciation. It is in sync with the dark nature of the film.

Harshavardhan Rameshwar’s background score does provide some thrills.

Final take

Though Ravi Teja gives his all, Ravanasura needs a more solid story and screenplay.

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Bholaa: A Competent Action Thriller, But Lacks The Vulnerability Of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Kaithi’

Better not to compare with the original!

Bholaa (Hindi)

  • Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Sanjay Mishra, Deepak Dobriyal, Gajraj Rao, Kiran Kumar, Amala Paul, and Abhishek Bachchan
  • Writer-Director: Ajay Devgn
  • Producer: Ajay Devgn FFilms
  • Music: Ravi Basur
  • Runtime: 2 hours 24 minutes

Ajay Devgn made his directorial debut with the romantic drama U Me Aur Hum in 2008. The film did just average business at the box office but that didn’t stop the acclaimed actor from continuing to direct films.

So far, he directed four films and each of these films covered different genres.

The latest is Bholaa. This time around, Ajay takes inspiration from Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2019 film Kaithi (Prisoner) starring Karthi.

Kaithi was a gripping thriller about a prisoner who is desperate to meet his daughter. The entire story took place in one night.

The mass masala elements were much there. But, at the same time, it was not just a mindless commercial entertainer.

There was enough tension in the protagonist’s journey that made you root for Karthik’s character Dilli. Audiences feel a certain connection when Dilli talks about his past in a lengthy shot.

On the other hand, Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa is more generic. The background score swells each time the actor gets into a fight with the baddies. A huge aura surrounds him and this is mixed with mythical undertones.

Synopsis

For those who haven’t seen Kaithi, Bholaa revolves around an ex-convict of the same name (Ajay Devgn). Tabu plays IPS officer Diana Joseph. In the original, the same role was essayed by Narain.

The film begins by establishing the heroics of Diana. The intense chase sequence makes it clear that she isn’t a woman whom anyone would want to mess around with.

Bholaa is desperate to meet his daughter who stays in an orphanage and has no idea that she has a parent. He hasn’t seen his daughter till now due to some unfortunate circumstances.

In an unavoidable situation, Diana seeks Bholaa’s help. He initially doesn’t agree but is coaxed to help her after Diana promises to help him in meeting his daughter.

Pretty soon, Bholaa finds himself in the middle of a war between the police and the drug trafficking mafia. The rest of the story looks at how he fights off these menacing foes and manages to unite with his daughter.

Tabu wins the brownie points

The best thing about Bholaa is the inclusion of Tabu. We have seen Tabu playing a cop before as well in Drishyam and Kuttey. But still, there is something new that the actress brings to the table.

She commands the viewer’s attention right from her introduction scene. Tabu does a brilliant job of portraying determination of Diana.

The scenes between her and Ajay benefit immensely from the comfort level that both actors share. A scene that deserves a particular mention is when Tabu talks about how people forget that even cops are human beings at the end of the day.

The performances

Among the plethora of bad guys, Deepak Dobriyal is the only one who makes a solid impression. His Ashwathama is deliberately over the top and Deepak chews the scenery whenever he is on screen.

Vineet Kumar as Nihaari starts promisingly but suffers on the account of a half-baked character.

The subplot of Bholaa and the on-screen daughter has its high points but doesn’t have the impact of the original. This is major because of how Ajay presents himself.

However, Devgn does deserve praise for how he handles the track of Sanjay Mishra.

Sanjay Mishra is more known for his comic roles. But here, he plays a subdued officer who is forced to bring out his inner courage.

Too much super-heroic

The biggest issue with Bholaa is that the protagonist comes across as too much of a superhero.

The action sequences start getting tiresome after a point. As viewers, you know well that Devgn will slice off all the bad guys.

Interestingly, Karthik’s Dilli was someone who experiences a lot of physical pain while going about his job. There is a certain emotion that the viewers feel when Dilli talks about his past. But here, Devgn is an all-powerful deity from the start.

Hence Bholaa becomes an extension of the many intense avatars that the senior actor has done so far.

Ajay only shines in a couple of emotional moments.

The flashback sequence involving Amala Paul halts the proceedings significantly. Their love story comes across as rather hurried. The flashback leaves you with more questions than answers.

A sequel on cards

The film ends with a hint of a sequel but it would have been far better if Ajay Devgn had tied up the loose ends.
Some of the supporting characters also needed to be better established. The character of Gajraj Rao is one such example.

The motivations behind his character are rather sketchy. And as far as Abhishek Bachchan is concerned, he makes a tiny appearance at the end without any impact. Maybe he has a better role in the sequel if it happens.

Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography is appropriate for the scale of the film.

Ravi Basur’s music and background score is quite good. The “Nazar Lag Jaayegi” song is melodious. The title song has a powerful beat.

A special mention must be made of how Ajay Devgan uses the classic “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai” song in an important situation.

Verdict

The best way to watch Bholaa is by not comparing it with Kaithi.

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Dasara: A Rustic Revenge Drama Bolstered By The Lead Actors’ Performances And The Atmospherics

Nani & Keerthy’s show all the way!

Dasara (Telugu)

  • Cast: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Anant Singh, Dheekshith Shetty, Samuthirakani, Shine Tom Chacko, Sai Kumar, Jhansi, Poorna, and Zarina Wahab
  • Director: Srikanth Odela
  • Producer: Sudhakar Cherukuri
  • Music: Santhosh Narayanan
  • Runtime: 2 hours 36 minutes

P Sukumar’s Rangasthalam (stage) and Pushpa: The Rise changed the mainstream Telugu cinema grammar in significant ways. They presented their heroes in a vastly different light from what the audiences are generally used to seeing.

First-time director Srikanth Odela was an assistant to Sukumar before making his directorial debut with Dasara. The hangover of Sukumar is visible in terms of how he sets up his story.

Like the above-mentioned films, Dasara also has a rustic background. In Pushpa: The Rise, the backdrop is a remote forest where the smuggling of red sandalwood is rampant.

In Dasara, it is the Singareni coal mine area. At its core, Srikanth Odela’s Dasara is a typical revenge saga where the viewers can easily guess how it is going to end.

What redeems the film is the performances and also how the young director has mounted the story.

Synopsis

The story of Dasara is set in a village called Veerlapally. The period is the 1990s.

The movie begins with the story of three childhood friends Dharani (Nani), Soori (Deekshith Shetty) and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh).

Dharani is attracted to Vennela but he sacrifices his love after learning about Soori and Vennela’s love. He also helps them in their endeavour to get married.

When everything is going hunky dory things change drastically and their lives turn upside down – all because of the politics between the two village heads.

Amidst these developments, Dharani faces a shock of his life that forces him to fight back. This is the story in brief.

Excellent cinematography & production design

The film starts in a gripping manner. The life of the three friends and the bond between them keeps you hooked.

The villagers’ addiction to alcohol in the coal mine area and the problems that come with it keep the audiences engaged.

Srikanth Odela is also successful in portraying the cultural and social specificities of that area. The case in point is the “Bathukamma” (a flower festival celebrated by the women of Telangana) performance during the Dasara festival.

A special mention must be made of cinematography and production design. Sathyan Sooryan does a splendid job of capturing the rawness of the area through his lens. Singareni Coal Mine area has an authentic feel to it.

Falters after interval bang

Much like Rangasthalam, here too, caste politics play an important role. Though the angle of caste politics isn’t as strong as in Rangasthalam, Srikanth Odela still does a fairly fine job.

The pre-interval chase sequence and the intermission bang have been expertly handled. But things stagnate quickly after the true intentions of the villain are revealed. As a consequence, things become dull.

The running time of two hours-plus feels quite heavy, particularly the elongated climax when Dharani goes on an absolute killing spree.

Santhosh Narayanan’s music goes well with the Telangana flavour. The “Bathukamma” song and “Chittu Chittula Gumma”, in particular, have been well-tuned.

Nani & Keerthy Suresh shine

As Dharani, Nani knocks it out of the park. There is no trace of the boy next door that we generally associate with the actor.

The actor just disappears into the rustic avatar starting from his body language. He portrays the many emotions with ease.

Dharani’s character has an interesting design to it. When he doesn’t consume alcohol, he comes across as timid. But when he drinks, he is completely another person.

This character trait of the protagonist has been effectively used by the director, particularly in the later portions when Dharani decides to get over his alcoholism.

Keerthy Suresh stands out as Vennela. The actress shines bright in both the light and the emotional bits. She shares good chemistry with both Deekshith Shetty at the beginning and Nani later on.

Dheekshith Shetty as the friend gives an effective performance. Although he is there only till the interval, the actor more than makes his presence felt.

The likes of Sai Kumar and Samuthirakani needed to be better used.

The same applies to Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chako as well. He has a good presence but the character needed to be more unhinged to make an impact

Except for Keerthy Suresh, neither Poorna nor Jhansi has anything worthwhile to do. They mostly don’t have a say.

Verdict

Watch Dasara for Singareni and Nani.

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Rocket Boys Season 2: A Worthy Follow-Up to The First Season

Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh takes the center stage

Rocket Boys Season 2

Cast: Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Saba Azad etc.

Screenplay, Dialogues and Direction: Abhay Pannu

Story: Abhay Koranne

Additional dialogues: Kausar Munir

Genre: Biographical drama

Producers: Siddarth Roy Kapoor, Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani

Number of episodes: 8

OTT: SonyLiv

Season 2 of Rocket Boys is a worthy follow-up to the first season. It mainly looks at the decisions that shaped the nation’s space and nuclear programmes under the leadership of Jim Sarbh’s Homi Bhabha and Ishwak Singh’s Vikram Sarabhai.

There is also a major subplot of how their decisions ended up creating geopolitical ripples across the subcontinent.

Strong women characters

Much like the first season, the new season also has strong women characters.

Mrinalini Sarabhai played by Regina Cassandra is one example of this. She is the wife of Vikram Sarabhai and also a classical dancer. Her presence is significant both at home and also in the outside world.

Saba Azad who played Pipsi, a close friend of Homi Bhabha, has less to do in comparison to the first season, but she also gets her moments at a critical juncture.

The biggest strength of Rocket Boys Season 2 is the humane touch that director Abhay Pannu brings to the table. One example of this is how the director deals with the political undertones of the plot.

For instance, there are scenes showcasing the struggle of Indira Gandhi (Charu Shankar) post the death of her father Jawaharlal Nehru.

The entire process of Indira Gandhi coming to terms with her father’s death has been portrayed with a lot of sensitivity. Charu Shankar is impressive in capturing the spirit of Indira Gandhi. She brings in the required authority.

Humane touch in characters

The arguments between Ishwak and Jim Sarbh, though fierce, never get into the shrill territory.

The turbulent interpersonal relationship between them has been brought out well by the director. In spite of their great scientific achievements, they don’t come across as superheroes at any point.

On certain occasions, we see them vulnerable to provocations and also not shying away from their weaknesses.

The scenes between Vikram and Mrinalini Sarabhai are another major highlight of the series.

Their marriage is under severe strain because of Sarabhai’s long absences from home and his other attractions.

Still, Mrinalini doesn’t come across as a nagging wife at any point. She has her own ambitions of becoming a classical dancer.

There is certain assertiveness to the character which is refreshing to watch. Regina does a fantastic job of capturing the feistiness of Mrinalini. She has effectively portrayed the vulnerable moments of the character.

Impressive technical team

Season 2 also benefits from a very impressive technical team.

The cinematography by Harshvir Oberoi is successful in transporting the viewers back to that era with the frames being perfectly in sync with the nature of the story without overriding the content.

The sound design by Subhash Sahoo is also top-notch. A special mention must also be made of the show’s theme music, which is an absolute winner.

Falters at some places

The positive being told, there are certain areas where the series falters.

Primarily, the characterisation of the young Dr APJ Abdul Kalam could have been better written.

Also, some of the supporting characters come across as more of TV serial villains which are not in sync with the tonality of the show.

Particularly those played by Namit Das and KC Shankar.

Jim Sarbh, Ishwak take centrestage

The performances by Jim Sarbh and Ishwak are simply terrific.

There is no dull moment whenever Jim is on screen. He gets ample opportunities to be a charmer which Jim pulls off with ease. He is equally good in the more intense bits.
The scene leading to the death of Homi Bhabha has an emotional poignancy that stays with the audience for a long time.

Ishwak Singh’s part is less colourful but the young actor makes his presence felt.

He is particularly good in the vulnerable bits with his wife. He is successful in bringing out the zen-like attitude of Vikram Sarabhai.

Saba Azad enters pretty late but she does hold her own in the few scenes that she has got.

A special mention must be made of the intense scene where she questions the futility of war.

Dibyendu Bhattacharya is also in form, as a misunderstood scientist who has to prove his innocence.

Verdict

In a nutshell Rocket Boys Season 2 is a worthy tribute to the two great scientists. What elevates this underdog story is the humane touch that the director brings.

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Bheed: The Plight Of Migrant Workers Deserved A Better Film

The muddled treatment fails it!

Bheed (Hindi)

  • Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Dia Mirza, Pankaj Kapoor, Kritika Kamra, and Ashtoush Rana
  • Writer-Director: Anubav Sinha
  • Producer: Beneras Media works
  • Music: Anurag Saikia
  • Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes

Starting from 2018’s Mulk (Region or Country), Anubhav Sinha has repeatedly chosen issues that are important to society.

In Mulk, he successfully addressed the prejudices that Muslims are facing in our society, through the character of a respected Muslim patriarch played by the late Rishi Kapoor.

In Article 15 (2019), the topic was the horrors of caste discrimination. Ayushmann Khurrana played Ayan Ranjan, a police officer from society’s upper crust. He had no idea about the various caste divisions.

Article 15 was followed by an equally powerful Thappad (Slap) in 2020 which looked at the consequences of a slap by the husband in a momentary fit of anger.

Thappad made a powerful statement on how it isn’t okay for a husband to slap his wife.

All the above-mentioned films positioned Anubhav Sinha as a director with a strong progressive voice.

However, the director saw a downfall with Anek where he focused his lens on the strained relationship between the government and the separatist groups in the North East.

Despite the powerful subject, he floundered big time. Unfortunately, the same has happened with his latest – Bheed (Crowd).

There are passages in the film that keep the audiences completely hooked particularly the ones featuring Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Kapoor. But the film tries to address too many things at the same time. As a result, it never comes across as a comprehensive whole.

India’s pandemic exodus

Bheed begins with the shocking scene of the real-life incident of 16 migrant workers who were run over by a train. This sets the mood for the drama that follows. The film has been shot in black and white by cinematographer Soumik Mukherjee.

After the horrific death scene, we move to Surya Kumar Singh Tikas (Rajkummar Rao). Surya, a young cop, is appointed as in in-charge of a check-post at one of the state borders. This check-post has been closed due to Covid.

Surya’s girlfriend is an upper-class girl Renu Sharma (Bhumi Pednekar). She is a doctor who treats patients who are stranded at the check-post.

Aditya Shrivastava plays Surya’s subordinate who doesn’t like the latter much but has no other option other than to take orders from him.

On the other side of the barricade, you have the characters played by Dia Mirza and Pankaj Kapoor, among others.

Dia Mirza comes from a privileged class. She is a desperate mother who wants to cross the border to take her daughter back home. Her need is such that she doesn’t mind offering money to the in-charge officer.

Pankaj Kapoor plays watchman Balram Trivedi who also wants to return home from the city, much like his fellow friends and workers.

They arrive at the Tejpur border which is 1200 km from Delhi. However, the border has been sealed now.

There is also a young girl carrying her alcoholic father on a bicycle. Amidst all this, Kritika Kamra plays a TV journalist named Vidhi Tripati. She is an idealistic journalist with a lot of passion.

Revealing anything more wouldn’t be right as this is a story that has many layers to it.

The caste angle

Before getting into the shortcomings, it is necessary to highlight what works well for the movie.

It is successful in highlighting the plight of migrant workers. The scenes of families walking barefoot for miles, hungry kids crying for food and the inability of the mothers leaves a lump in your throat.

There are several other issues that the director tackles; chief among them is the issue of caste through Rajkummar Rao’s Surya Kumar Singh Tikas.

Surya is someone who hides his caste under the surname Singh because it is something that his father had done as well.

Surya Kumar feels happy to be the in-charge. But, at the same time, there is also a deep insecurity about his caste identity amidst the Sharmas and Tridevis.

Anubhav Sinha does a good job of fleshing out this character. Once again, Rajkummar Rao proves his versatility with his exceptional performance.

He is particularly good in a scene when he expresses his anguish and decides that he also wants to be a hero and not remain as part of the crowd (Bheed).

The prejudices related to Muslims

Another track worth mentioning in Bheed is that of Pankaj Kapoor’s Balram Trivedi. Though the character of Balram, Anubhav Sinha exposes the prejudices related to Muslims.

There is an important scene when Balram doesn’t allow his hungry companions to eat the food served by a Muslim man.

Balram is someone who is filled with bigotry. But fortunately, the character is not one-dimensional.

Pankaj Kapoor is a vastly experienced actor who has given many terrific performances. Here too, he packs a punch whenever he is on screen. His confrontation scenes with Rajkummar Rao deserve a particular mention.

The shortcomings

There are many issues that Anubhav Sinha tackles through Bheed. The intentions are worth applauding but the film tries to address/ highlight too many things at the same time. As a result, it feels cluttered.

The love track, for example, doesn’t make any sense. It feels more suited for a romantic drama than an issue-based film like this. It would have been far better if Surya and Renu Sharma were portrayed as strangers who meet in this difficult period.

There is also a forcefully inserted intimate scene between the duo. The conversations between Surya and Renu mostly don’t align with the genre of Bheed.

Bhumi is her usual feisty self but nothing is outstanding about her performance.

Kritika Kamra as an honest journalist has an impressive beginning. But, after a point, it is clear that the director has no idea about where to take the character.

The paradigm shift of journalism in those times is hardly touched upon.

Dia Mirza gets the most baked character in the ensemble. Her desperation to reach her daughter is painted in a rather insensitive manner.

A more nuanced characterisation was needed. Still, Dia does the best that she can do with this one-dimensional character.

Soumik Chatterjee’s black-and-white cinematography takes some time to get used to but it is an interesting experiment. There is no scope for songs in a film like Bheed but the composition of “Herali Ba” is quite powerful.

Verdict

Bheed is a perfect example of how good intentions don’t always translate into powerful films.