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Year Roundup Of 2021 Movies

Firstly advanced New Year to everyone and also hoping that we will finally get rid of this COVID in 2022. Just like 2020 this year was also truncated for obvious reasons, adding to the second phase of COVID a new variant called Omicron has also started. As a result it is difficult to make a comprehensive list of the movies which have come this year. Within the choices that we had following are the movies that I have loved across Hindi and Telugu.

83 :

The significance of India winning the 1983 world cup goes beyond just the tournament. It was much more than that. It was about respect and being taken seriously by the cricket world. Not surprisingly the 1983 victory has more emotional significance than the 2011 win under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The reason for that is prior to 1983 India had lost horribly in the previous two world cups. They had not even made it to the playoffs. As a result no one had the confidence that India would even make it to the playoffs let alone winning it.

There were constant humiliations and adverse circumstances. But Kapil Dev firmly believed that India could win and his confidence transformed the entire team.

It is a huge responsibility as a filmmaker when you are bringing that incredible real life story on screen for today’s audiences. In spite of the never ending COVID Kabir Khan was sure that he would release the film in theaters only. When you see the film you understand why he took such a decision. The hard work that has gone into recreating that era is very evident in every frame. 83 is one of those big ticket entertainers that you wouldn’t mind watching any number of times. As a viewer you go through a roller coaster of emotions. The icing on the cake was the performances led by Ranveer Singh. It is truly an award winning act. Others like Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Tahir Raj Bhasin and Pankaj Tripati also chipped in with winsome performance. It is unfortunate that 83 won’t achieve its full potential due to Omicron.

Sardar Udham Singh :

Shoojit Sarcar’s Sardar Udham Singh is a far cry from the typical jingoism that we have been seeing in films of this genre. Shoojit Sarcar delivered a layered biopic which gives you a physiological insight into the mind of the freedom fighter. For those who are not aware Sardar Udham Singh is someone who is known for assassinating Micheal O’Dwyer in London. He did that in order to take revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar.

One of the big strengths of the film was its writing. There were plenty of moments which would make you applaud the writers. Another refreshing aspect of Sardar Udham Singh was its non stereotypical portrayal of the British characters. As a result actors like Shaun Scoot also shined in their limited parts. Vicky Kaushal was simply terrific in the title role. He ably switched between being explosive and being restraint as per the demand of the script.

Shershaah :

Vishnu Vardhan’s biopic on Vikram Batra was a watchable film within the confines of a familiar war drama. For those who are not aware Vikram Batra was an officer of Indian army. He was posthumously awarded with Param Vira Chakra for his actions during the 1999 Kargil war.

The most interesting aspect of Shershaah was the equation that the onscreen Vikram Batra shares with the Kashmiri people during his first posting. We see him getting along with the locals with ease. It is also shown that the elders trust Vikram Batra more than the senior officers. Although it is highly debatable whether this really happened but nevertheless it makes for an engaging watch.

The action scenes were another major asset to the film along with Kamalijeet Negi’s cinematography. Lastly Siddarth Malhotra was in solid form, it was a performance that many didn’t see coming but Siddarth surprised one and all.

Pagglait and Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi :

There is more than one similarity between the stories of Pagglait and Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi. For example both stories are set in Lucknow and deal with the theme of widowhood. In Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi the death is of the head of the family, in Pagglait the death is of a man in his mid 20’s. The age of the female characters does vary but the theme is the same. Another similarity is the nature of the family members. We see the gossiping family members who have an eye on the dead man’s money. Since Paaglait came after the former it is possible that director Umesh Bist did take inspiration from Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi.

However keeping aside the similarities both are wonderful films that expose the society’s deep rooted patriarchy. They realistically portray the traits of dysfunctional families. Having said that Paaglait feels more complete as a film, performance wise both Supriya Pathak and Sanya Malhotra were brilliant in their respective films.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar :

Dibakar Banerjee’s Sandeep Aur Pinly Faraar was judged pretty harshly by the social media upon its release. The reason for the negativity was more to do with people’s preconceived notions than the content itself. Agree that the last film that Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor did wasn’t anything great but still the social media negativity was uncalled for. Fortunately the film found its audience after its digital release on Amazon Prime. Dibakar Banerjee along with writer Varun Grover gave a masterful take on masculinity, greed and corruption, they took the format of a chase film and made sure that it was much more than that.

The story of Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar revolved around a hotshot banker and a Harayana cop. The uniqueness of the story starts from the names of the protagonists itself. Parineeti Chopra plays Sandy aka Sandeep, Arjun Kapoor on the other hand is Pinky. Their paths cross one night and they are forced to flee because of certain circumstances.

Many of the male characters in this film are entitled, toxic etc. For example you have a timid bank manager in Pithoragrah, there is a scene where he tries to subjugate Sandy. Pinky is also someone who can be aggressive but he knows that she is smarter. There is also a tender side to him which comes out at the most unexpected time. There is also an elderly couple played by Raghubir Yadav and Neena Gupta. The character of Raghubir Yadav is someone who thinks that speaking in English automatically makes him superior.
After a series of disappointing performances Parineeti Chopra was back with a bang. She absolutely nailed the part. Arjun Kapoor has never been a great performer but Dibakar Banerjee managed to extract a good performance from him. He particularly shined in the pre-climax.

Love Story :

Sekhar Kamula went beyond his comfort zone with Love Story. He tackled a story which had serious undertones of caste and gender. It isn’t perfect by any means but Love Story still worked for a number of reasons. ‘

The biggest strength of Love Story was how Shekar Kamula developed the character of Revanth. There was lot of sensitivity and the director never resorted to unnecessary commercial elements to prop up the character. Revanth is someone who generally tries to avoid conflicts as much as possible. There is only scene towards the end where he decides that enough is enough however the action scene works because of the context behind it.

Additionally Naga Chaintanya also sprung up a pleasant surprise. He came out of his comfort zone and delivered a career defining act. He got the nuances of the character spot on starting with the dialect. Shekar Kamula was also fairly successful in showing the caste disparities. Sai Pallavi was good in her role of the upper caste Mounika but there are instances where she falls short. One big issue with the film was the serious hangover of Sairat and Highway. The director took caste from Sairat and child abuse from Highway.

Kondapolam :

This film was based on the novel of Sannpureddy Venkatarami Reddy by the same name. The novel was hugely successful and is considered to be a great read. Sannapureddy had addressed many significant topics through his book. For example you had the theme of need for coexistence between man and nature. It was also about the protagonist getting rid of his inner demons and facing life with confidence.

Director Krish retained the spirit of the novel and added his own touch as well. He removed certain unnecessary chapters from the book and made it crisper. The big change between the book and the movie is the insertion of Rakul Preet Singh’s Obulamma. It is the creation of the director but it doesn’t feel unnecessary or unwanted. In fact Rakul was a big revelation in her part; her role would be remembered for a long time just like Samantha’s one in Rangasthalam. Another big achievement of the film was how Krish set up the tale with the help of the technical department. Both the cinematography and the art direction shined big time. Vaishnav Tej as the protagonist Ravi was earnest and gave a sincere performance. He was able to do justice to the arc of Ravi. It was the second time after Uppena that Vaishnav Tej and Sai Chand acted as father and son, the comfort level between the two was very apparent.

Shyam Singha Roy :

Director Rahul Sankrityan took a familiar theme of reincarnation but he made it engaging for the audiences through his narration. There were certain flaws too but the film still worked for most part.

The story of Shyam Singha Roy is divided into two timelines. One is contemporary which features Nani as the aspiring director Vasu, the other one is that of Bengali activist and writer Shyam Singha Roy. Both these roles are played by Nani.

The heart of Shyam Singha Roy lied in the flashback episode of the second half. It touched upon many issues starting from untouchability and later going to the Devadasi system. The love story between Nani and the Devadasi women played by Sai Pallavi had plenty of heartwarming moments. The contemporary bits were also hugely enjoyable. The performances of all the actors were good but Nani deserves the highest marks for his seamless portrayal of the two characters.

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Some Of My Favorite Web Series Across Languages (2021)

Firstly advanced happy New Year and here’s hoping that we will finally get rid of this COVID in 2022. Following is a list of the web series that I have liked most this year. Out of the eight web series that I have chosen there are two Telugu, four Hindi, one English and one Pakistani.

Pakistani

1 Dhoop Ki Deewar– Director Haseeb Hasan’s Dhoop Ki Deewar is a show which is much needed for today’s times. Through a heart wrenching love story the director conveyed a strong anti- war message. The series begins off with an intense India and Pakistan cricket match. You have two families cheering for their respective nations. One family is from Amritsar and the other one is from Lahore.

The first episode gives you a basic idea about these two families. The audiences soon come to know that they are army ones. The main characters are Sara Sher Ali (Sajal Ally) and Vishal Malhotra (Ahad Raza). The fathers of these two are fighting in the Indian- Pakistan border in Jammu & Kashmir. Sara and Vishal don’t know that their lives are going to change forever.

Haseeb Hasan gets many things right with the show. One of those things is the consumption of entertainment across the nations. For example Vishal is shown to be a fan of Atif Aslam songs. The Indian family on one hand is shown to be fond of Pakistani dramas; on the other hand the Pakistani family is shown to be fond of Indian dramas. All these things are narrated in an entertaining way.

The love story between the leads keeps you guessing regarding where it is going to end. At one point it looks like they may have a happily ever after but that is soon drowned with the twists towards the final few episodes. The climax is a highly emotional one; it is very difficult not to be moved. Sajal Ally and Ahad Raza bring the characters to life with their terrific performances. Both of them are equally good and that also helps the audiences in making them root for the characters.

English

1. Sex Education Season 3– There is a major reason why the sex education series is hugely popular. It is a series which had juggled many delicate issues like teen sexuality, gender identity etc. All this was done in such a way that you never feel like being lectured. Sex education season 3 was a worthy successor as it goes a step further. This time the focus was on women’s rights, patriarchy and loving oneself.

Sex education season 3

For those who haven’t seen the first two seasons the plot primarily followed the journey of Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield). He is a student at Moordale Secondary school. Otis is slightly ambivalent toward sex. The reason for that is his divorced mother Jean (Gillian Anderson). She is a sex therapist who has frequent affairs but is unable to maintain relationships.

Another major character is that of Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey).  Otis and Maeve set up a sex therapy business in school in order to help the students who have sexual problems. Season 2 was majorly about an outbreak called Chlamydia that causes students to question and struggle against topical issues.

Coming to Season 3 a major highlight of this one was how it dealt with the female characters. They were written with lot of insight. This insight can be particularly seen with Maeve and also the pregnancy of Otis mother Jean Melbourn. The writing of these characters was also strong in the first two ones but this time it went a notch higher. Emma Mackey and Gilan Anderson were the best out of the ensemble cast.

Telugu

1. Kudi Yedamaithe– Pawan Kumar’s Kudi Yedamaithe was based on an interesting premise of two people having already lived through a particular day. In the hands of a less competent director this premise would have fallen flat but Pawan Kumar did an extremely good job in making the audiences engrossed throughout.

The series comprised of eight episodes and it never deviated from its core plot. Thankfully, there were no forceful insertions like comedy track or songs. The two characters in question here are Adi (Rahul Vijay) and cop Durga (Amala Paul). Durga has her hands full as she is busy trying to catch the child kidnappers. Adi on the other hand is a delivery boy with aspirations of becoming an actor. The core plot is about whether these two can change the turn of events since they are aware of what the rest of the day holds.

One of the major strengths of the series is the subtle variations that the director brings to the table in terms of how he presents the events. This can be particularly seen with Adi’s character. The director also makes sure that the concept of time loop never gets into a boring zone. While Amala Paul is in good form as Durga it is Rahul Vijay who surprises you. He gets equal footage to show his potential.

2.  Unheard– Aditya KV’s Unheard is a series which packs in a lot. There are multiple themes going on. For example you have the ideological stand offs between the revolutionaries. It is a lot to focus on but the director does a good job of keeping you invested.

The series starts off with an idealistic young Gandhian Padma (Chandini Chowdary). She seeks help for an injured comrade played by Priyadarshini. The doctor who helps her is Chalapati (Bala Aditya). The night passes with Padma and Chalapati having heated arguments on the benefits and banes of Nizam rule along with the price of freedom. The next episode is about two revolutionaries with different ideologies, along with Priyadarshini this episode also features Ajay. The rest of the episodes mostly bring back the familiar characters.

One of the most striking aspects of the series is the conversations between the revolutionaries. The series by nature is heavy on dialogues as the characters are frequently saying their point of views. Thankfully the dialogues also written by Aditya KV are just as powerful. These dialogues along with the performances of the actors also aided the script.

Hindi

1. Family Man Season 2– The expectations from Family Man Season 2 was immense, fortunately season 2 more than lived up to the expectations. In fact it was better than the first one. Just like the first season director duo Raj and DK continued to showcase their ability in dealing with conflicts both global and domestic through humanist lens. You don’t come across simplistic heroes and villains here. There are shades of grey on both sides.

By the end of Season 1 Manoj Bajpai’s Srikant Tiwari had quit his task force job and joined an IT company. The reason for that is his guilt about certain events that had happened at the end of the first season. He also wanted to make his family life work but his attempts at neither are working. He is getting fed up of the IT job and the family life has become worse.

The backdrop of Season 2 is Northern Sri Lanka. Samantha’s character Raji is a hardened LTTE militant. The basic storyline is Srikant Tiwari deciding that he has had enough and returning back to where he belongs. The task of Srikant Tiwari this time is to save PM Basu (Seema Biswas) from the hands of LTTE. In addition the old nemeses have also made a comeback.

The biggest triumph of Family Man Season 2 is how Raj and DK deal with the characters of Samantha’s Raji and the entire LTTE thing in general. Samantha had said in various interviews that she doesn’t look at her character as a villain. You understand why she said like that when you see the show. Raji is someone who has faced brutality at the hands of both Sri lankan soldiers and also men in day to day life. Her anger is not just about the governments but it is also about patriarchy.

Samantha embodied all these aspects of her character and delivered a performance that pushes boundaries. The way she did the action scenes was also first rate. Manoj Bajpai as Srikant Tiwari started off from where he left off in the season. Sharab Hasmi in his supporting was equally impressive just like the first part.

2. Grahan– Rajesh Chandel’s Grahan was based on the novel  Chaurasi written by Satya Vyas. The eight episodes covers a story that is set three decades from each other, however there is a commonality that binds them.

Zoya Hussain plays the righteous police officer Amrita Singh. She firmly believes in using her position for the betterment of society. Pawan Malhotra plays the father. When Amrita tries to solve a case of an honest journalist she faces opposition from top politicians. Frustrated she decides to resign, but things take a turn when an old case regarding the Sikh riots in a place called Bokaro comes up. Her world comes crashing down as she finds that her father is the prime suspect in this case.

The most striking aspect of Grahan is the parallels that the director draws between 1984 India and today’s one. There are some sharp observations on how people can be quickly incited by What’sApp forwards and political manipulation. There are some scenes in the present timeline which show how easily people believe in these rumors and turn against each other in spite of living with them for a long time. The underlying message is that the issues are the same whether it is 1984 India or today’s one.

The emotional scenes between Zoya and Pavan Malhotra also struck a chord with the audiences.

3. Mumbai Diaries– Mumbai Diaries directed by Nikhil Advani and Nikhil Gonsalves is a gripping drama that is both emotional and intriguing. The directors took the real life incidents of 26//11 and penned down a fictional story.

The director duo set their story in a crowded, chaotic and low- on resources government hospital. The doctors and nurses are pushed to their limits as victims of gunshots are wheeled in one after another on the night of November 26th.

Although the medical professionals are the centre of the story they are not the only ones under the spotlight. In essence Mumbai Diaries is about the spirit of the people. It was a night where everyone had to be on their toes to fight this unexpected attack.

The biggest success of Mumbai Diaries lies in how they made a thriller that is both heartbreaking and heart stopping. The series makes you applaud the courage and the determination that both men and women showed in the face of death. It also avoided the cliché route of pitting one nation against another, or one religion against another.

Out of the huge ensemble the ones who stood out were Mohit Raina, Konkana Sen Sharma and Satyajit Dubey.

4. The Empire– Mitakshara Kumar’s The Empire was based on Alex Rutherford’s novel The Raiders from the north. It was the first in the series written by Alex Rutherford. The book essentially covered the journey of Babur from Fergana to setting up the Mughal Empire. Apart from Kunal Kapoor as Babur the ensemble cast also included Dino Morea, Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami etc.

The Empire wasn’t exactly as engaging as the book but it was still consistently watchable on the account of several factors.

The scale of the series was undoubtedly very striking. The camerawork by Nigam Bomzan and the production design by Priya Suhas was successful in transporting the audience. Mitakshara Kumar worked as an assistant director for several years under Sanjay Leela Bhansali, you can clearly see the influence of her mentor.

Just like Ranveer’s Khilji Dino Morea also had a more of an impactful role compared to Kunal Kapoor who played Babur. Initially we see Dino’s character as a ruthless villain but slowly a psychological insight is also given. His scenes with Drashti Dhami’s Khanzada Begum showed a different side to the character.

The female characters of Dhrasti Dhami and Shabana Azmi were another good aspect of the series. Drashti Dhami in particular molded herself well in a character that requires her to be bold yet restrained and impactful. Both the women characters play an important role in the politics of the kingdom and aren’t mere bystanders.

This is all about the year ender web series, once again advanced Happy New Year.

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Don’t Look Up: Leonardo DiCaprio And Jennifer Lawrence Headline This Important Film On Climate Change

Adam Mc Kay’s Don’t Look Up is an allegory of sorts in many ways. It talks about how world leaders, corporations, and big media are dealing with global warming and its consequences. It works both as a satire and also as a wakeup call. The satire mostly comes through the character of President Orlean (Meryl Streep). Her character is based on ex President Donald Trump.

The story of Don’t Look Up revolves around two astronomers Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Dr Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio). Both of them embark. While working on a research paper they stumble upon the existence of a comet “the size of Mount Everest.” It is hurtling towards the earth and is all set to make a deadly impact in 14 days. The comet is said to have the power of a billion Hiroshima bombs.

First they warn the American president who is in the midst of a political crisis over a Supreme Court appointment. She and her son along with the chief of staff make them wait for hours before sending them away. The next day she gives them twenty minutes to have their say. The president along with the administration don’t take their warnings seriously.

Left with no other option they go to a morning show of a television hosted by Brie Evantee (Cate Blancheet) and Jack Bremmer (Tyler Perry). They try to put their point across but  the television hosts are just another pair of guests who are not worthy of importance. The excitement is more about the break- up of a popstar (Ariana Grande in a cameo). Not surprisingly both the astronomers feel like they are talking to a wall. Kate in particular is livid and doesn’t shy away from showing her emotions. What follows is a cocktail of many socio political issues.

The most striking aspect of Don’t Look Up is how the director tackles the many themes in the film. In the hands of a less competent director this cocktail would have fallen flat but Adam Mc Kay does a terrific job in not only making you laugh but also making you thoughtful about how indifferent we have become towards climate change.

An important aspect of the film is how it looks at people from both ends of the spectrum. On one hand you have the realists who recognize where the world is heading, at the other hand you have those who pretend that everything is fine. The director does a terrific job in capturing both these sides.

The scenes involving Meryl Streep’s character is another major asset. Through her character the director talks about autocracy, he takes several jibes at the way Donald Trump has functioned. Anyone who has issues with the government is picked up and given a warning. This comes through in the scene involving Jennifer Lawrence character.

Leanardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are a delight to watch in their respective roles. They make you empathize with the frustrations of Kate and Dr Mindy. Meryl Streep is a complete hoot as President Orlean. It is clear that she has enjoyed playing this character a lot.

Don’t miss Don’t Look Up.

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83: Expectations Have Come True

Directed by Kabir Khan, starring Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, it is bound to be talked about for a long long time. Other prominent cast includes Saqib Saleem as Mohinder Amarnath, Tahir Raj Bhasin as Sunil Gavaskar, Jatin Sarna as the late Yashapal Sharma, Tamil actor Jiva as Krishnamachari Srikanth and Pankaj Tripati as tour manger Man Singh among others. There is also Deepika Padukone who shows up as Kapil Dev’s wife Romi. The victory of 83 was not just about winning the world cup,  it wasmuch more than that. It was about respect and being taken seriously by the cricketing world. There is a dialogue in the film where Pankaj Tripati’s character says that India has won freedom but is still far from gaining respect. 83 world cup win did exactly that. Except for Kapil Dev no one thought that India would go the distance that it did. There were constant humiliations and many obstacles but one man’s desire transformed the entire team.

Not an easy film to make

It is not an easy film to make as a director for two reasons. One, you should be able to transport the audiences back to that era and two, you need to make sure that today’s generation connects with the journey of the then cricket team. Kabir Khan more than lives up to the expectations, he makes a rousing drama with the right dose of lightness and also some moving emotional scenes. The biggest success of Kabir Khan lies in the fact that he never reduces it to a one man show. Yes, Ranveer Singh is the heart of the film but all the cast members have their moments at different junctures of the film. A good example of that is the scene featuring Jiva. He delivers a moving monologue where he praises his captain in front of a British journalist much to the surprise of Kapil himself. It is something that you don’t see coming. Like this there are many scenes at different points in the film. Much like Bajirangi Bhaijaan here also Kabir Khan explores the idea of love triumphing over hate. Here the medium is cricket. This can be seen in the scene where all villagers along with police watch the final match together in an atmosphere of communal tension.

Recreation of action-packed event

The story of 83 is basically a recreation of what transpired between 1st march and June 25th. Director Kabir Khan along with writers Sumit Arora and Vasan Bala take us through the highs and the lows of this incredible real life story. We see India starting off with a bang as they beat West Indies and Zimbabwe but they start faltering in the next couple of games. A point comes where they are completely down and out. At this stage you have the famous innings of Kapil Dev. His score of 175 gave a huge boost to the team, it gave them the self-confidence that they can go far in the world cup. From that point a new Indian cricket team emerges.

Aseem Mishra, one of the strong points

One of the big strengths of 83 is the cinematography of Aseem Mishra. Through his camera lens Aseem Mishra successfully captures the tension of the matches. His cinematography particularly shines in the scenes involving the aggressive bowling of West Indies. The slow motion camera shots are wonderfully done.

Another striking aspect of 83 is the way Kabir Khan maintains the tempo of the film. He makes sure that you are constantly involved till the last minute. As viewers we know that India has won the 83 world cup but that doesn’t stop you from cheering out loud when that moment comes. A major reason for that is Kabir Khan’s direction.


Emotional moments

83 has plenty of moments that are both humorous and also highly emotional. There are lot of fun moments involving the characters of Yashpal Sharma, Krishnamachari Srikanth, Balwinder Sandhu and Man Singh. At the same time the emotional scenes also pack a solid punch. Apart from Jiva’s monologue my other favorite emotional scene is the one involving real Lala Amarnath and his on screen son Mohinder Amarnath. There is a telephonic conversation where Lala Amarnath says to his on screen son that he has made him younger by ten years. What follows will create a lump in your throat. Additionally there is also the footage of the real life players which is smartly used by Kabir Khan.

The music by Pritam is more functional but it still works in the context of the film. The song Lehra Do in particular gives goosebumps.

Cast made the difference

The cast put together by Kabir Khan takes the film to another level. Over the years, Ranveer has shown that he can transform into any character. With his performance as Kapil Dev he shows that he has reached another level. He manages to capture the attitude of Kapil Dev perfectly along with the physical aspect. There is a scene in the press conference where Kapil Dev says that we are here to win, the way Ranveer says it is a perfect example of how he has imbibed the spirit of Kapil Dev. His acting in the emotional scenes also deserves full marks. In short, he deserves all the best actor awards for next year. Pankaj Tripati is also hugely impressive in his role of Man Singh. He and Ranveer share some of the best moments in the film. Among the rest my favorites are Saqib Saleem, Jiva, Jatin Sarna and Tahir Raj Bhasin.

Deepika Padukone has a small role but she is efficient in what she does. It is also a case of clever casting as you already have a shared camaraderie off screen.

In the final tally 83 is a roll coaster of emotions. Yes, it is manipulative but you don’t complain as Kabir Khan gives you plenty of moments to savor. It is the perfect big ticket entertainer to end the year.

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Aarya Season 2: A Strong Follow Up To Season 1

Ram Madhvani’s first season of Aarya was an underdog which didn’t have many expectations; however, the Sushmita Sen starrer had surprised many upon its release. Based on the Spanish show Penoza it was a tightly knit emotional thriller. Sushmita Sen’s performance was widely acclaimed and it gave a new lease of life to the actress. Expectations from season 2 were naturally high. Thankfully, Aarya season 2 turns out to be a worthy one for most part. The beginning is a little sketchy but gradually it gets better and better.

For those who haven’t seen season 1 the basic story revolved around a woman who is unaware of the illegal business that her husband is a part of. Things take a turn for the bad when Aarya Sareen’s husband Tej (Chandrachur Singh) dies mysteriously. The drug mafia and the illegal syndicates seek the death of his entire family. The show traced the journey of Aarya in becoming the mafia queen who seeks revenge against those who killed her husband. At the same time she also takes care of her three kids.

Season 2 begins off with Aarya’s father, brother and one more person awaiting their trail for their involvement with the drug mafia. Aarya had given a pen drive to ACP Yonis Khan, the pen drive consists of information regarding the black money trail and also the drug deals with the Russian mafia. Yonis Khan had promised that he would save Aarya from the Russian mafia in exchange for the pen drive. He had helped her to settle down in Australia with her children. However, Aarya has to make a comeback to her native place Rajasthan, the reason being she has to testify against all of them. But things start taking a dark turn when Aarya makes a return back. Aarya has to deal with a family on whom she has zero trust. The reason being their involvement in the death of her husband. Then there is also Udavyeer Shekhawat who wants to avenge his son’s death. He vows that Aarya will pay with her life. This is just the synopsis as many other things are happening simultaneously.

A major part of season 2 is how Aarya’s children are still dealing with the untimely death of their father. Out of the three children Veer (Viren Vazirani) has become a strong support system for his mother and siblings. Through the track of Aaru ( Virti Vaghani) the director deals with the track of depression and substance abuse. Ram Madhavani does a good job in exploring these issues. He is also equally adept in dealing with the character of the youngest son Adi ( Pratyaksh Panwar). These three characters combined give the series some strong emotional moments.

Another big strength for season 2 is the role of other women characters. They have a bigger role here compared to the first season.  A good example of that are the characters of Hina, Rajeshwari and Maya among others. Out of these my favorite character is that of Maya played by Maya Sarao. You feel like applauding Maya for her strong support to Aarya in adverse circumstances. The character of ACP Khan also makes a huge impact. His determination to smash the drug ring is well brought out but the sub plot involving his partner turns out to be an unnecessary add-on.

Lastly, Sushmita Sen continues from where she left off in the first part. She plays a grieving wife, a scared mother and a tough woman dealing with the crime lords. The actress gives the solid performance in all the three shades. She also gets to show her action side in some of the stunts. For example there is a scene in the interrogation room with her hands tied up to the ceiling. There is a bit where she attacks one of the government officials with her legs, it is a brilliantly executed one.

The one slight drawback of season 2 is that it takes time to get into the groove. Some of the scenes involving Aru’s depression and substance abuse could have been trimmed a bit.

In a nutshell, Aarya season 2 will make you eager for season 3.

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The Biggest Sin Of Pushpa The Rise

Director Sukumar’s last venture Rangasthalam was a vastly appreciated film both commercially and critically. It was a film which presented both its leading man and also the director in a new light. With Pushpa the director once again presents a story in a raw and rustic tone. This time he sets it in the Chittor belt, complete with the smattering of Tamil Lingo. However the result though is far from satisfactory. He takes the subject of Red Sandalwood coolies but ultimately turns it into a typical gangster drama, but the thing is he doesn’t do justice to either genres.

The film begins off with animated video that talks about the importance of Red Sandalwood. From here we move to the main character of Pushpa (Allu Arjun). We see Pushpa through the eyes of a daily wager Kesava (Jagadeesh Pratap Bandari) Kesava ends up being a loyal apprentice to Pushpa. The first part of Pushpa is essentially about the rise of the protagonist from a daily wager to controlling the smuggling syndicate. The story takes place in an era when pagers were in vogue and mobile phones a luxury. In between you have a barrage of villains starting from Ajay Ghosh and Sunil. Towards the end we are introduced to Fahadh Fassil’s character.

ONE OF THE FEW GOOD THINGS ABOUT PUSHPA IS ALLU ARJUN’S PERFORMANCE.

One of the few good things about Pushpa is Allu Arjun’s performance. The actor is seen in an avatar which is a far cry from what we generally associate with him. Allu Arjun not only brings in the required shrewdness needed for the character but he also brings a certain heft to the emotional scenes. The constant emotional trope in Pushpa is him being questioned about his family name. It is an overused troupe but the emotional scenes still work because of the actor’s performance. Another performance worth mentioning here is Jagadeesh Pratap Bandari. His scenes with Allu Arjun give the film some good moments. They bring a smile to your face.

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY BY KUBA BROZEK IS SUCCESSFUL IN ABLE TO TRANSPORT YOU TO THOSE ATMOSPHERICS.

Lastly the cinematography by Kuba Brozek is successful in able to transport you to those atmospherics. The visuals are in sync with the rustic nature of the story. The music by Devi Sri Prasad is fine but Rangasthalam had better songs.

The biggest issue with Pushpa is the formulaic approach that director Sukumar takes. With the topic of Red Sandalwood coolies the director could have ventured into a new direction but he sticks to the often seen template. It soon becomes clear that the director isn’t really interested in the nitty gritties of the coolie’s lives. They are just mere bystanders to propel Allu Arjun’s character.

RASHMIKA IN HER DEGLAMORISED AVATAR HASN’T GOT MUCH TO DO. SHE IS DECENT BUT NOTHING MEMORABLE.

The opponents aren’t great either. Sunil is comparatively more menacing than the others but that is not saying much. Adding to the disappointment is Fahadh Faasil. Yes we will see more of him in the second part but whatever little is there of him here certainly isn’t promising.

Rashmika in her deglamorised avatar hasn’t got much to do. She is decent but nothing memorable. The women characters here are completely forgettable in contrast to the ones that you had in Rangasthalam.

HERE’S HOPING THAT THE SECOND PART TURNS OUT MUCH BETTER.

The biggest sin of Pushpa though is that it makes you apprehensive for the second part. There is no solid hook line which makes you eager. At the end of Rajamouli’s Bahubali one there was suspense over why a loyal servant like Kattapa killed Bahubali but no such luck here.

Here’s hoping that the second part turns out much better.

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Two Intimate ‘Memoirs’

Recently I read two books in the genre of memoirs. One is Ravi Sastri’s ‘Star Gazing’ (The players in my life). The other is ‘Actually… I Met Them’ by Gulzar.  The structure of both books is very similar. Both have an episodic feel to them as they focus on the various prominent personalities they came to know in their respective fields. While Ravi Sastri’s narration has an intimate touch Gulzar’s style is more measured. Both of them do not hesitate to discuss the good and bad of the persons concerned but not harshly, never judgmentally.

 ‘Star Grazing’

Ravi Sastri touches upon many cricketers through the book. The cricketers are of various nationalities and also belong to different age groups. For example he begins off with the likes of Allan Border, Malcolm Marshall, Sunil Gavaskar etc. Later he goes on to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson among others.

There is a lot to enjoy in ‘Star Gazing’ particularly if you are a cricket buff. The book has many anecdotes which are highly interesting. A good example of that is the one on Javed Miandad. On one hand he talks about the street smartness and never say die attitude of Javed Miandad and on the other hand he also reveals the eccentric side of the Pakistani batsman.

One of my favorite chapters in the book though is about Kevin Peterson. He titles it as ‘Great career interrupted’. Kevin Peterson is described as one of the most dangerous batsman ever seen at the batting crease. He was someone who could knock the wind out of any bowling team, spin or fast but his career was cut short because of the unfortunate incidents involving his teammates and also the English Wales board. After that his career was cut short at its peak. Without blaming anyone Ravi Sastri bemoans the loss of an indomitable cricketing talent to the world. He feels all the parties involved could have resolved the situation. There is a comparison to Australia’s Ricky Ponting who was also a bit volatile at the start of his career but later on transformed into a run machine.

The chapters on the likes of Kapil Dev, Jacques Kallis, Ian Botham etc are also engaging but at the same time it is a bit of a mystery why he left out someone like Shaun Pollock since Shaun was also a great all rounder.

Other chapters worth mentioning are the ones on Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. He lays out the techniques and temperaments of both these batsman which distinguish them from each other. The best thing about these chapters is that he never goes into the zone of clichéd comparisons. Instead he explains the merits and demerits of each and leaves it to the audience’s judgment. ‘Star Gazing’ is worth a read not just for cricket buffs but others will also enjoy it because of Ravi Sastri’s narration.

‘Actually…I Met Them’

Gulzar’s book was a little disappointing in the beginning. I even thought his memories were not as enchanting as his lyrics. That is because his style is not racy, a bit dry I must say. It looked as though he measured every word ten times before putting it on paper. But all that was reserved for his mentors/elders like Bimal Roy, Salil Chowdhury, Satyajit Ray, Utham Kumar etc. His memories of them had more of respect and less of interaction. From Kishore Kumar onwards he warms up. Since Kishore, Pancham (R.D.Burman), Sanjeev Kumar and Basu Bhattacharya are his close friends he could give us a real intimate peep into their personalities.

While talking (by the way these are oral narrations, not written pieces; first published in Bengali and later translated into English) about Kishore Kumar he says “Even in his madness he remained hundred percent aware. For him each love affair was pure while it lasted.”

Gulzar is called ‘Gullu’ by all his friends. When Pancham died he said “A large part of me departed with him; the Gulzar that remains now is but half complete.” He shares many memories of Pancham very fondly.

Sanjeev Kumar is another dear friend close to his heart. He recounts many incidents where Sanjeev was appreciated by senior actors, co actors etc. He ends the essay with ‘What sort of a person was I that I could make films even after he was no more?’ He mourns the death of Basu Bhattacharya similarly with the words – “A hungry silence seemed to descend upon me.”

In total he wrote about 18 people. All of them well known film personalities, mostly from Bengal; maybe because this column was written for a Bengali newspaper. In the context of Ritwik Ghatak his observation is worth quoting. “The artistic landscape is made up of diversity of talents. There will always be those who are nomads, radiant with talent and transient like comets. We must learn to accept such people on their own terms”.

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Shyam Singha Roy: Watch It For The Performances And Aesthetics

There is a lot to admire about Rahul Sankrityan’s Shyam Singha Roy. The theme of reincarnation isn’t something new in films but what makes the difference here is the narration. That is not to say that the film is flawless. The second half could have been trimmed down; also the climax is a letdown. However for most part the director makes you invested.

The story begins off with the struggles of a debut director Vasu (Nani plays both Vasu and Shyam Singha Roy). Vasu has ambitions of becoming a film director; in order to achieve that goal he starts off with a short film. The story is set but the issue is that Vasu is not able to find the heroine for his short film. At this point he comes across a postgraduate student played by Krithi Shetty of Uppena fame. Kriti’s character Keerty has no interest in films whatsoever let alone acting, but Vasu is convinced that she is the one. After some effort he is able to convince her. From here you have some romance between the two. The romance isn’t particularly something new but the staging of these scenes have a certain freshness to it. In between Vasu has flashes of Shyam Singa Roy. During those times he goes into a trance. Once he goes into a trance while getting intimate with Keerty and calls her Rose. This leads to a split between the two.

THE HEART OF SHYAM SINGHA ROY LIES IN THE FLASHBACK EPISODE OF THE SECOND HALF. THE DIRECTOR DEALS WITH MULTIPLE ISSUES STARTING FROM UNTOUCHABILITY.

Coming back to the short film it becomes a success. A producer asks him to come with up a bound script with the assurance that he would provide all the resources that Vasu needs. The film becomes a massive success and Vasu is asked to make the same film in Hindi.
Things are going very well but it is here that the life of Vasu turns upside down. He is accused of a plagiarism by a leading publication house. Their accusation is that Vasu has directly copied the stories of Bengali activist and writer Shyam Singha Roy. Vasu denies that he has copied these stories and this leads to an intriguing court case where history and religion are linked.

The heart of Shyam Singha Roy lies in the flashback episode of the second half. The director deals with multiple issues starting from untouchability. Later it goes to the Devadasi system and how the Devadasi’s are abused. The director makes a powerful statement on how they shouldn’t be slaves to anyone not even god. Yes the role of Shyam does fall under the upper caste savior but it still works.

SAI PALLAVI IS TERRIFIC IN BOTH THE DANCES AND ALSO OTHERWISE. SHE CONVEYS SENSUOUSNESS AND VULNERABILITY AT THE SAME TIME THROUGH HER DANCES.

The romance between the Devadasi woman ( Sai Pallavi) and Nani gives plenty of heartwarming moments. Sai Pallavi is terrific in both the dances and also otherwise. She conveys sensuousness and vulnerability at the same time through her dances. Their romance is built up well and the director makes sure that you root for them.

Another key character here is of Rahul Ravindran who plays one of Shyam Singa Roy’s brothers Manoj Singa Roy. Nani and Rahul Ravindran don’t have many scenes but their scenes are filled with warmth. Rahul Ravindran gives a strong performance but he is particularly impressive in his old man avatar in the pre climax. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about Jishu Sengupta who plays the elder brother. It is a character which could have been played by anyone. It would have been best if Jishu had not played this role.

The contemporary bits in the first half are also hugely enjoyable. The comic scenes featuring Abhishek Gomatam and Nani raise lot of chuckles. The struggles of Vasu are something that many aspiring filmmakers would connect with. Kriti Shetty as Keerti has a very different role from Uppena and the actress makes her presence amply felt. What also makes the first half work is the role of Madonna Sebastain as lawyer Padmavati.

NOT SURPRISINGLY NANI IS SUPER EFFICIENT IN BOTH HIS ROLES. HE SHIFTS SEAMLESSLY BETWEEN THE BEWILDERED VASU AND THE DASHING SHYAM SINGA ROY.

Micky J Myer’s music is another strong pillar of Shyam Singa Roy. His compositions add a lot to the film. Malayalam cinematographer Sanu Varghese makes his Tollywood debut with this film. His cinematography deserves distinction marks. The way he captures the atmospherics in the second half is particularly commendable. Avinash Kolla’s art direction is also first rate.

Not surprisingly Nani is super efficient in both his roles. He shifts seamlessly between the bewildered Vasu and the dashing Shyam Singa Roy. His performance is a major reason why we buy into this recarnation drama.

Coming to the dampeners the big downer is the climax. It doesn’t make any sense to keep Sai Pallavi’s character alive. The director could have easily avoided that. It is not just melodramatic but plain unnecessary. It also doesn’t help that the prosthetic used are in no way convincing. Rahul Ravindran’s old man get up is far better than Sai Pallavi’s one.

Another problematic thing is how the director depicts the violent actions of Nani and Jishu Sengupta at different points in the film. There are two gory murders in the film but at no point we are told that they are punished leave alone a police case. Another problem is that we don’t see Shyam Singa Roy doing any activism post marriage. He does write books and also gives speeches but you don’t see much of on ground activism.

Irrespective of these flaws the film the movie is watchable and the director is promising.