Divyang Thakkar’s Jayeshbhai Jordaar is what you get if you grind Ayushmann Khurrana’s formula of social films and also some Akshay Kumar ones like Toilet Ek Prem Katha.
The director takes up the issues of female infanticide and superstitions among others, he narrates it through the lens of entertainment. Even when the film moves into a dark zone the narrative style doesn’t lose its core.
Jayeshbhai Jordaar is definitely a breadth of fresh air among the spate of biggies like RRR and KGF 2. However you just wish that the director had paid more focus on the development of some characters, case in point being Shalini Pandey’s Mudra. It looks like the actress had hopped from the sets of Arjun Reddy to this one. Shalini tries very hard but the mostly one- dimensional character coupled with the forced Gujarati accent makes it hard to sympathize with her.
Ranveer Singh and Shalini Pandey play a young couple living under the thumb of the overbearing elders. They have to bow down to whatever the elders say, and this includes a sex determination test too. Jayeshbai’s father is sarpanch Ram Lal (Boman Irani). His character is very reminiscent of those politicians who think that woman wearing short clothes leads to rape. There is a bizarre scene where Ram Lal bans soap to protect the ladies. Siddhi (Jia Vaidhya) is the daughter of Jayesh and Mudra. Ratna Patak Shah plays Boman Irani’s wife. Both Ram Lal and his wife want Mudra to deliver a boy who will carry forward the lineage. There is also a subplot involving a village in Haryana. The people in that village want help as it is an all- men’s village. The sex-ratio is terribly skewed. The rest of the story plays out like a road movie with Jayeshbhai desperately trying to save his wife. The daughter Siddhi is Jayeshbhai’s biggest support.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/fppJtxJ7RWY?feature=oembed The best part of Jayeshbhai Jordaaar is how the director maintains the character of Jayesh. Jayesh is a timid person who cannot oppose his father publicly, but he still stands up for his wife on many occasions making sure that she doesn’t get hurt. There is a scene early on when Jayesh is asked to beat his wife by Ram Lal. The reason being Jayesh’s sister is being abused in her martial home. Mudra’s brother is the husband of Jayesh’s sister. Jayesh closes the door and creates a charade that makes Ram Lal and his wife think that he is beating Mudra severely.
Jayeshbhai is someone who relies on his brains and not fists. At no point Ranveer turns into a Salman Khan of the Tiger series.
Ranveer’s scenes with Jia Vaidhya are the soul of Jayeshbhai Jordaar. Ranveer shares a far better chemistry with Jia than he does with Shalini Pandey. There are occasions where Siddhi behaves more like an adult but it still works. Jia Vaidhya is a definite a fire cracker in her role.
The sub plot involving the Haryana village is also smartly integrated into the narrative. The comic scenes are also quite good. A particular mention must be made of the scene involving the black cat. It is hilarious.
Ranveer Singh has always been one of those actors who brings something new to the table.
As Jayeshbhai the actor delivers another terrific act. His role here is a far cry from the flamboyant Ram that he played in Ram Leela, that was the last time that Ranveer had played a Gujarati.
One big minus of Jayeshbhai is that a majority of the supporting actors are mere gap fillers. Even someone like Ratna Pathak Shah doesn’t get much to do. There is a transformation which happens toward the end, however it is too sketchily written for you to buy it.
Boman Irani is appropriately menacing but the one note characterization gets tiring after a point. His character also gets a makeover eventually, but again it is difficult to buy it. The hangover of films like Toilet Ek Prem Katha and others are very visible. As a result there is a sense of déjà vu that creeps in.
Musically there is not even one song that you would remember which is sad given that banners like YRF and Dharma are known to deliver popular soundtracks irrespective of the quality of the films. Jayeshbhai Jordaar has an important story to tell but a sense of familiarity plays the spoilsport here.
Superstars playing characters with negative shades isn’t very common. Even if that happens an attempt is made at the end to sanitize the character. Generally things take a turn towards the climax. However debutant director Ratneena’s Puzhu is a different beast altogether, there are no redeeming qualities thrust on Mamooty’s character, neither have you got any quick whitewash. For much of the film you experience a combination of fear mixed with revulsion, it is akin to what the son Kichu (Master Vasudev) feels towards Kuttan. Essentially Puzhu is a character study of an unsympathetic guy through the lens of social, political and cultural degradation.
Mamooty plays a police officer called Kuttan. He is a widower who stays in a posh apartment along with his son Kichu. Kuttan has an overbearing nature that suffocates his young son. The son at times wishes his father to be dead; Kuttan starts to feel that someone is trying to kill him. He starts developing paranoia. This paranoia is further accentuated by the arrival of his younger sister Bharati (Parvathy Thiruvothu) who comes to stay in a nearby flat along with her husband who is a theatre artist. The husband name is Kuttappan. Kuttan shares a problematic equation with Bharati. The reason being she had eloped with Kuttappan. Kuttappan comes from a lower caste. This is just the synopsis of Puzhu, can’t reveal anything more since there are many more layers to the story.
Puzhu has many complex layers starting with how the character of Mamooty has been written. Rateena doesn’t waste any time in establishing Kuttan. From early on we understand that Kuttan has deep hatred for those who belong to different communities and castes. You also understand that his parenting skills need a serious change over. It is not just unhealthy but it also borders on child abuse. His handling of the son is akin to the way he would handle a criminal.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/276aSWaJ7gM?feature=oembed However there are certain moments in the film which make you empathize with Kuttan. There are scenes in the film where he tries to connect with his son after Kichu openly rebels against his father. There are also a few occasions where Kuttan draws out laughs. For example there are scenes where he keeps visiting a suspect every time he escapes an attempt on his life. The lighter scenes are few and far in between but they momentarily relieve the otherwise tense ridden drama.
Mamooty is an absolute revelation in his part. The way he generates hatred just through the twitch of his eyes is simply remarkable. The senior actor once again shows why he is considered as one of the legends of Malayalam cinema along with Mohanlal. He captures the various nuances of Kuttan without missing a single beat. Mamooty does all this without going overboard even for one bit.
The characters of Bharati and Kuttappan are mostly side players but they have their share of moments too. Parvathy in particular shines as Kuttan’s warm and still hopeful sister.
Special mention must be made of Master Vasudev as well. He stands his own and manages to not get overshadowed, this in spite of sharing screen space with Mamooty and Parvathy. The element of theatre also plays an important part here. A comparison is drawn between Kuttan’s situation and an epic play performed by his brother- in law. This angle adds more heft to the film.
Watch Puzhu for the subject matter and also the terrific Mamooty.
Raj Singh Chowdary’s Thar is a well staged thriller which had the potential of being more. Much like Koratala Siva’s Acharya here too you have the real life father and son duo playing important roles. Thar is technically sound and also benefits immensely from Anil Kapoor’s screen presence but unfortunately the same cannot be said about son Harshvardhan Kapoor.
The story of Thar takes place in the eighties. A series of violent killings are happening in a remote desert town in Rajasthan. Anil Kapoor plays the local cop Surekha Singh. Surekha Singh is given the responsibility of nabbing the killers. Satish Kaushik plays a subordinate cum friend. His character comes from the lower caste.
At this juncture a stranger called Siddarth (Harshvardhan Kapoor) enters the town. He has a certain stoic presence with an aura of mystery around him. He gets involved with a married woman played by Fatima Sana Sheikh. Nothing more can be said about the plot since this is a thriller.
Director Raj Singh Chowdary wastes no time in setting up the plot. The scenes between Anil Kapoor and Satish Kaushik in particular are good to watch. The actors bring in their real life camaraderie to the table.
Anurag Kshyap is the dialogue writer of this one and the stamp of Anurag can be seen at several junctures, particularly the ones related to caste.
Another department that deserves a mention here is the production design and the cinematography. Both Wasiq Khan and Shreya Dev Dube are successful in capturing the rugged terrain of the place. There is a lived in feel with no sense of artificiality.
Not surprisingly Anil Kapoor towers over many of the cast members. It is a combination of Anil’s acting caliber and also the way the other characters have been written. He commands your attention from the word go. Satish Kaushik is the only other actor in the cast who makes an impression.
The one major drawback of Thar is how the character of Harshvardhan Kapoor has been written. In an attempt to create an aura of mystery the director forgets giving some emotional heft. The inadequacies also show up in Harshdvardhan’s performance. There is no denying that Harshvardhan has been making some brave choices like Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi. But he had to realize just making interesting choices isn’t enough.
Another issue with Thar is the forced romantic sub plot between Harshvardhan and Fatima Sana Sheikh. It adds nothing to the story. In fact it slows down the pace of the film considerably which is anyway moving at a sluggish space.
Lastly, the elements of dacoits, drug trafficking etc haven’t been properly explored by the director.
In a nutshell Raj Singh Chowdary shows promise, what he needs is a more fleshed out script.
Arun Matheswaran’s Saani Kaayidham is an amalgamation of two strong influences. One is Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen and other is Quentin Tarantino’s films. Much like Bandit queen here too the director mixes up caste and violence on women. The scenes of revenge on the other hand remind you of the Tarantino’s films. There are multiple shots of the villains being stabbed and tortured. The film is definitely not for the faint hearted. The story of Saani Kaayidham isn’t particularly new but what makes it engaging are the performances of Keerty Suresh and Selvaraghavan. Arun’s direction is at his strongest when he deals with the dynamics between these two. The direction in the revenge portions is less sure footed but more on that later.
Keerty Suresh and Selvaraghavan play half-siblings (Poni and Sangaiyah) respectively. Both of them have faced trauma beyond measure due to an unjust tragic event. Poni works in the police department but that doesn’t stop the upper caste men from raping her. Their excuse for raping her is the husband who stands up to the upper caste men. After being let down by the court and police she sets out on a journey of revenge with her half sibling Sangaiyah. The rest plays out like a cross between Bandit queen and Kill- Bill.
The basic theme of Saani Kaayidham is how a woman always becomes a soft target when men face humiliation and fight in their own worlds. This aspect has been brought out strongly by the director.
In the initial portions we see a strained relation between Poni and Sangaiyah. But once they get together the dynamics slowly change. There is an undercurrent of emotions that come to the surface. This entire process has been well developed by both the writers and the director.
Both Keerty Suresh and Selvaraghavan deliver outstanding performances. After Mahanati it looked like the actress in Keerty was lost. But here Keerty makes more than a strong comeback. She makes you feel the loss of Poni with her terrific acting. She expresses a lot through her fiery eyes. Keerty also gets to perform some action scenes and also punch lines that are generally reserved for men. Needlessly to say she rocks it.
Selvaraghavan also fits effortlessly into his role. He is the perfect foil for Keerty Suresh’s Poni. His role is comparatively more understated but the actor makes sure that the audiences don’t forget him.
The one major drawback of Saani Kaayidham is the excessive violence. It gets nauseating after a point. The vigilante justice is a trope which has been seen in many films, the presentation of the vigilante justice in this one is similar to what we have seen in other films of this genre.
As an audience you get the feeling that the director is glorifying the violence. Agree that Poni deserves justice for what she has undergone but that is no excuse for the blood curling violence that the director employs.
Another issue with the film is the lack of sufficient family scenes between Poni, her husband and the child. Addition of some family scenes would have given more emotional heft.
The villains are all one dimensional as expected. They are mere cardboard cutouts than flesh and blood characters. At the beginning the villains are shown to be very powerful but by the end they are reduced to being powerless.
In a nutshell, Saani Kaayidam is engaging but would have worked more if the director had taken a different approach.
Koratala Siva is a director who is known for taking social backdrops and giving them a commercial garnishing. It is a formula that paid rich diligence in films like Mirchi and Janata Garage. Here too you have the trademark Koratala Siva elements. There is naxalism and uranium mining among other aspects. The fights and the dances are also there but the missing link here is a solid base that binds the story together. The first half in particular is a big drag where nothing much happens. The second half is definitely far better but that is not enough to salvage the film.
The plot of Acharya revolves around a town with a mythical past. You have two settlements Dharmasthali and Paadaghattam. Both of them are surrounded by dense forests and a sparkling river. Mahesh Babu’s voice over at the start gives the audience an understanding of the town’s past. Now Dharmasthali has become Adharmasthali after Ramcharan’s Siddha disappeared from there.
ACHARYA HAS THE ELEMENTS BUT THE MIXING HAS GONE TERRIBLY WRONG. IT IS HIGH TIME THAT FILMMAKERS RETHINK ON WHAT THEY ARE MAKING IN THE NAME OF TWO HERO CINEMA.
Sonu Sood is once again the dreaded antagonist. But it is hard to imagine him as a villain particularly after the humanitarian work that he did during the first wave of COVID.
Jisshu Sengupta plays another forgettable part after last year’s Shyam Singha Roy.
Coming back to the story the people of Dharmasthali are waiting for a savior who will restore dharma. It is at this juncture that Chiranjeevi’s Acharya enters the town. The rest of the plot is about what the connection between Acharya and Siddha is, and how dharma is restored.
THE SCENES FEATURING THESE TWO ARE GOOD TO WATCH. THEY ARE IN PERFECT SYNC WITH EACH OTHER.
The lifeline of Acharya is without a doubt the back-story of Ramcharan and his connection with Acharya. The scenes featuring these two are good to watch. They are in perfect sync with each other, whether it is the stunt sequences or the dance number Bhale bhale Banjara. The song is no Natu Natu but still it is fun to watch them shaking a leg. There are certain moments in the film where you can see Chiranjeevi’s eyes swell with pride. This happens particularly in the scenes where Ramcharan’s Siddha holds forth on what is right and wrong, and goes to any length to save someone of his ilk. Putrotsaaham.
As Siddha Ramcharan once again delivers a formidable performance, his growth from a boy in Gurukul to the eventual transformation is well etched. There is a scene towards the end of the flashback regarding Ramcharan’s character. It is a moment that will make you feel emotional.
As Acharya Chiranjeevi shows that he has still got it in him to play a leading man. The intensity and the screen presence are still very much there. His dance moves are also fluid. The sets of Dharmastali are visually grand. The art work and the cinematography are a feast to the eyes.
THE BIGGEST MINUS OF ACHARYA IS THE LACKLUSTER FIRST HALF.
The biggest minus of Acharya is the lackluster first half. Nothing much happens after setting up the plot. Acharya’s interactions with the people are nothing great.
The characters of the town people on either side has been hardly explored by the director, they are used as props to elevate Chiranjeevi.
As a result it is difficult to feel any emotion for the suffering that they are undergoing. This is sad because you have a bunch of talented actors like Tanikella Bharani and Ajay but they are wasted.
POOJA HEDGE PLAYS AN EXTENDED VERSION OF WHAT ALIA BHATT DID IN RRR.
The love story between Ramcharan and Pooja Hegde is also done in a haphazard manner. The chemistry is good but you don’t root for the couple.
Pooja Hedge plays an extended version of what Alia Bhatt did in RRR. She is beautiful to look at but you will forget her character as soon as the movie is finished.
The villains are poorly etched; they are no match for the mega duo.
In a nutshell Acharya has the elements but the mixing has gone terribly wrong. It is high time that filmmakers rethink on what they are making in the name of two hero cinema.
Mothers seeking justice for their daughters has become a genre in itself. Late Sridevi’s Mom along With RaveenaTandon’s Maatr are very good examples of that. Directors Atul Mongia and Anshai Lal take this familiar premise but they still make it work. They make sure that the audiences connect emotionally with the main protagonist Sheel Chaudhary (SakshiTanwar). She is the mourning mother in search of justice. The story takes place in the labyrinthine of Lucknow over six episodes.
Wamiqa Gabbi plays the daughter Surpriya. She is a mute girl who is not just a doctor, but she also does standup comedy. She is in love with a married police officer Faroque Siddiqui (Ankur Ratan).In the very opening episode we see her being hit by a truck. Sheel is absolutely convinced that it’s a murder and not a hit and run accident. She sets out to find the killers. However, Sheel has no idea that she is going to rub shoulders with a big syndicate that takes lives each day. What starts off as a search for killers turns into a tangle of crime, more murders, corruption etc.Other important caste members include Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Raima Sen and Vivek Mushran among others.
There are many things which work for Mai. To begin with the co-directors have done a very impressive job in building up the character of Sheel. When Sheel gets into the revenge mode she doesn’t become cunning or smart overnight.
She is a woman who has not even thought of slapping a stranger let alone killing someone. Her moves at the beginning are a little foolish but sheel still makes it work.
Of course, sheel gets smarter with time, but there is a journey to the entire thing and this journey has a strong emotional connect.
The husband and the wife relationship between Sheel and Vivek Mushran’s Yash also gives the show some of its best moments. The ups and downs of their marriage particularly after the death of their daughter has been dealt with the required sensitivity. Vivek Mushran is also in good form as the husband who is facing the storms of life with a smile.
There are many subplots that the co-directors have integrated into the narrative. My most favorite of the lot is the one involving Ankur Ratan’s Faroque Siddiqui. He is a police officer who could not fit into the world of his upper class wife. He is also not successful in ensuring that Surpriya had a passage to enter his. Initially Sheel just sees him as a Muslim. But as the series progresses the dynamics between these two undergo a significant change. Both of them realize that they are living in a very complex space grappling with many inner demons. He along with Wamiqa Gabi give arresting performances in their respective parts.
The biggest reason why the series works though is the conviction that Sakshi Tanwar brings in. She embodies the various aspects of her character without missing a single beat. The guilt, grief, anger, vengeance and the softness of being a mother to a dead child is all brought out superbly by the actress. She constantly osculates between being a homemaker and a badass woman who is on the quest of finding her daughter’s killers. This juggling act majorly works because of Sakshi Tanwar’s performance. This series should do what Aarya web series did for Sushmita Sen.
DOP Ravi Kiran’s work is another big plus for the series. He captures the three distinct landscapes of Lucknow without much effort. The three distinct landscapes here are the elite, middleclass and slum dwellers. Ravi Kiran had earlier worked on a classic like Sairat and you can see a bit of that perspective.
There are some things which stick out like a sore thumb in this series. One among them is Raima Sen’s character and performance. The character is sketchily etched and Raima’s stone faced act doesn’t exactly help the cause either. She is not able to muster up the deadliness which is required.
The story also ends up being convenient at certain junctures. Sheel is always there at the right time and that sometimes looks odd. Also the percentage of family scenes could have more.
All said and done Mai is a haunting series that is going to stay with you.
Narratives weaved around the characters of visually impaired isn’t something really new. For example you have had Nayanathara’s Netrikaraan. Director Chandoo Mondeti’s Bloody Mary is an intense thriller with a social cause integrated into it.
Mary (Nivetha Pethuraj) is a nurse in a hospital. She is also an orphan who lives in a small apartment along with her childhood friends Basha and Raju (Kriti Damaraju and Rajkumar Kasireddy). Basha aspires to become an actor although he cannot speak. One day a hospital doctor tries to misbehave with Mary, Mary accidentally kills him.
Parallel to this you have her friend Basha seeing a murder committed by the area circle inspector (Played by Ajay). The rest of the plot is about how Mary will handle the situation? Who is Mary? What is her actual Identity? Among others. Revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate given that it is a thriller.
Chandoo Mondeti doesn’t waste any time in setting up the plot. There are no unnecessary diversions here; as a result you are hooked to the narrative. He is also well aided by the technical team. Kala Bhairava’s background music is very much apt for the film’s genre. The photography by Karthik Ghattamaneni is also in perfect sync. The framing and the set up aid immensely in building up the perfect atmospherics.
The runtime is another huge plus for Bloody Mary. It is very much slick.
A major reason why Bloody Mary works is because of the way the title character has been developed. We initially see her as this subdued person but more and more layers are revealed as we go along. The director is successful in making you root for her.
Nivitha Pethuraj gives an arresting performance as a lady with big dreams in life. Her screen presence along with the performance brings depth to the key episodes. She also gets some nice masala moments which are usually reserved for heroes.
The scenes between Nivetha and Ajay are also good to watch. The cat and the mouse between Mary and the cop keeps you engaged. Ajay gets a good amount of screen time and he does his aggressive cop act perfectly.
The bond that Mary shares with Basha and Raju is also well presented.
Bloody Mary does suffer a bit from impossibility issues. Some of the twists will put you off but these are minor grouses as the film is mostly satisfying.
It is difficult to make an engaging sports film given that the audiences know what will happen at the end. Over the years there has been a flurry of sports biopics like Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom. Farhan Akhtar’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and late Sushant Singh Rajput’s MS Dhoni among many others.
As a result the genre has lost some of its sheen. But Jayprasad Desai’s Kaun Pravin Tambe works not only as a sports film, but it also gives an important message on patience, perseverance and resilience. It gives an important lesson to all underachievers on continuing to do what they do best until the tables turn in their favor.
For those who are not aware, Pravin Tambe is a cricketer who made his debut at the age of 41. He had played in the Indian premier league without any first class or international experience.
The director perfectly captures the grit of Pravin Thambe and makes sure that the audiences root for him. Apart from Shreyas Talpade the other important cast members include Ashish Vidyarthi, Anjali Patil and Parambrata Chatterjee.
An interesting aspect of the film is how Jayprasad Desai captures the life of those cricketers who haven’t made it to the big league. However, they still continue to play cricket thanks to the private companies who hire them for their cricketing teams.
The jobs are mundane but they provide a steady income to these cricketers. As a result they are able to use their skills on the field.
The chief reason why Pravin Tambe is able to pursue his dream is because of his talent and the kindness of the people that he encounters.
The home life of Pravin, and his wife, also gives the film some of its best moments. The director authentically captures the middle class lifestyle. There is certain realisticness to the proceedings.
Anjali Patil’s character never comes across as a nagging wife. She has her arguments with the husband but at the same time she understands his passion for cricket, this has come out really well.
The scenes between Ashish Vidyarthi and Shreyas are also a delight to watch. Initially the audiences along with Pravin don’t understand why Ashish Vidyarthi’s character insists that Pravin should change from being a medium pace bowler to a spinner. But as we go along we understand why he is insisting so much.
The reason is Pravin’s wrists and grip is very strong. It is a pleasure to see Ashish Vidyarthi in a positive role. The actor delivers a solid performance.
Parambrata Chatterjee’s Rajat starts off as some kind of villain. He doesn’t think much of Pravin’s talent. There is a dismissive attitude that he has towards Pravin. He never seems to appreciate anything that Tambe does,
But thankfully the character doesn’t slip into a caricature thanks to the assured direction and also the actor’s performance.
Coming to the onscreen Pravin Tambe, it is great to see Shreyas Talpade doing something substantial after a long time. The actor delivers a performance which is on par with his debut role in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal. It looks like Shreya’s acting career has come full circle with Kaun Pravin Tambe.
He throws himself into the part with full conviction. He makes the audiences resonate with Tambe’s passion for cricket.
In a nutshell, Kaun Pravin Tambe is much more than just your regular sports drama. It will inspire you to pursue your dreams until you achieve your goals.
