Author: admin

Posted on

Kuruthi: A Nerve Wracking Thriller

Before going into the film Kuruthi (burnt offering) it is necessary to applaud Prithviraj Sukumaran for producing a film of this sort. It is a brave film which talks about how our country is fast slipping into divisiveness. Apart from dealing with religious bigotry it also talks about a kind of humanism where communities help each other to survive.

The film starts with a shot of a goat which is about to be ritually sacrificed by a plantation worker Ibrahim played by Roshan Mathew, his young daughter who has grown fond of the goat implores her dad to not kill him. It is not clear whether Ibrahim ultimately kills the goat but nevertheless the scene gives us an idea into his character. We see that he has a sense of kindness and consideration.

The background story of Roshan Mathew’s character is that a terrible landslide killed his wife. He lives with his child along with an aged father and a younger brother. The Hindu neighbour Sumathi played by Srindaa cooks for them and takes care of the family. Sumathi is the only woman in the ensemble of men.

One night as Ibrahim and his family are waiting for Sumathi and the dinner there is a knock on the door. An inspector (Mural Gopi) barges in with a Hindu prisoner. The prisoner is accused of accidentally killing a Muslim in the chaos which followed the desecration of a temple. Later when things get tense Sumathi asks Ibrahim if he would stay quiet if a mosque was to be ravished.

What follows is a cat and mouse game when Liaq (Prithviraj Sukumaran) along with his friend try to get into the house and kill the prisoner. This is the synopsis.

One of the highlights of Kuruthi is the characterization of Roshan Mathew’s Ibrahim. He is someone who is torn between the religious fanaticism and a sense of humanism. The way the character has been built up and how he goes to his maximum level of saving the Hindu boy has been portrayed with lot of finesse. A scene which deserves a particular mention is the one between the character of Srinaada and the family in the context of the prisoner.

In this scene she gives an important message on peaceful co existence and it is something which feels very relevant particularly in today’s times.

Director Manu Warrier uses the set up of a home invasion thriller to talk about many issues. Apart from the already mentioned ones you have the growing fear of the majoritarian sentiment, alienation of minorities etc. To pack these many things is a difficult task and in the hands of a less skilled director it would have fallen flat, however thanks to Manu Warrier’s skilled direction the film never gets dreary and works perfectly as microcosm of our society.

The ultimate message is that the violence committed in the name of a god is a vicious cycle and is never going to stop until the individual takes one for the greater good of human civilization.

Besides the political aspect of the film Kuruthi also works as a nerve wracking thriller. The set of the home invasion has been well used and the director skillfully builds up the suspense. He is aided well by the cinematography and the overall technical department.

The performances of all the actors add more magic to this film. But the ones who stand out are Roshan Mathew, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Srinaada.

Posted on

Rani Padmini – The Heroine Of Chittor: ‘She Is Real, Not An Imaginary Queen’

Rani Padmini (The Heroine of Chittor) by B.K.Karkra

Rani Padmini is someone who needs no introduction thanks to the various works that have been written about her and also Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmavaat released in 2018. B.K.Karkra in this latest book attempts to clear all the doubts regarding her existence. It is written with a clear purpose of stating that she isn’t a figment of someone’s imagination. How much you believe the writer is debatable but there is no denying that the book makes for a good read particularly for those who are into history.

The book is divided into seventeen chapters. It starts off with the various things that people have written about her. This includes the most popular of the lot ‘Padmaavat’ written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. After this we move to the Queens who were contemporaries of Queen Padmini along with various other facets of her period. There are also long chapters on Alauddin Khilji and Padmini’s husband Rana Rawal Ratan Singh.  Karkra also brings in the perspectives of poets and other people.

One of the most engaging chapters in this book is about the politics of her times along with the dangers and the humiliations that the Queens had to face particularly during the wars. It is a well known fact that women were the worst sufferers of wars but the details make you feel emotional. There is a detailed chapter on this where he talks about the conditions of women of that period.

Through this chapter we come to know about how the practice of Sati, Jauhar etc germinated in our society.

The chapters on Alauddin Khilji and Rawal Ratan Singh also make for a fascinating read. Talking about Alauddin Khilji, Karkra says that he was someone who had genuine respect for brave people irrespective of which side of the fence they were on. He takes the example of Hamir Dev Chauhan who was an adversery to Alauddin Khilji. We also get to know that he placed high value on loyalty.

Regarding Alauddin Khilji’s behavior towards women the writer says that he is believed to have behaved well with women in his harem. How much of that is true is something which cannot be ascertained.

The chapter on the practice of Jauhar before and after Padmavati is another engaging chapter. In this chapter Karkra talks about how majority of Jauhars are connected with the defeat of Hindus at the hands of the Muslim rulers. He adds that no Jauhars took place when Hindus won over Hindus or for that matter in wars related to the Britishers.

In the final tally, Rani Padmini makes an interesting read irrespective of how much you agree with B.K Karkra.

https://www.primepost.in/rani-padmini-was-real-not-imagination/

Posted on

Kudi Edamaithe

“Kudi Yedamaithe” is based on an interesting premise of two people having already lived through a particular day. They are trying to recollect things and make efforts on changing the turn of events. In the hands of a less compotent director the series would have crashed given the repetitive events and the concept of time loop but director Pawan Kumar does an extremely good job in making the audiences invested in the characters and also keeps them guessing.

The series spans eight episodes and never deviates from its core plot. The tension is well maintained and thankfully there are no unnecessary elements like comedy track and songs. For those who are not familiar with the name of the title, it is taken from a popular song in the film “Devadasu”. The phrase “Kudi Yedamaithe” is used here referring an unexpected turn of events that pushes life upside down.

Adi( Rahul Vijay) is an aspring actor who works as a food delivery agent for an agency. His routine starts from rushing to a neighbourhood food stall and having breakfast, this is followed by taking delivery orders and navigating through the city. In between he also gives auditions for roles in films. We get an idea of his bond with an older collegue called Farooq who cares for him. This is how his life goes and that day is no different.

On the other side of the coin there is a cop Durga played by Amala Paul. She is dependent on alchahol and is trying to focus on the tasks that she has to do for the day. There are cases regarding child kidnapping that she has to solve and also other challenging ones. As time becomes twelve both of them meet with an accident and dies, wakes up the following morning only to relive everything that happened all over again.

The rest of the series is about whether now both of them can change the turn of events that happened earlier since they are aware of what the rest of the day holds. The chief reason why “Kudi Yedamaithe” works is the way in which the events have been shown. Although they are common in nature you have subtle variations in the way they approach the situation.

A good example of the subtle variations is the audition scenes of Adi. When Adi first goes to the audition there is certain nervousness but by the second time nervousness is replaced by confidence. The reason being he has already gone through the drill. The third time it becomes disdain because something else becomes a priority for Adi.

The same happens with Amala Paul’s character too. The strategies that her character uses keep changing with the day as she is desperate to solve the crime. As the sense of urgency increases with both the characters you are riveted to the screen and want them to succeed.

The time loop is central to the plot and it could have easily gone into a boring zone, however it doesn’t. Apart from Pawan Kumar the technical team is another reason why it never gets boring. The atmospherics contribute in a big way to the suspense factor.

Amala Paul as Durga plays her complex character with ease. It is a treat to watch her performing. The surprise factor is Rahul Vijay. He also gets equal screen time and shows his potential.

“Kudi Yedamaithe” ends on an interesting note and makes you excited for the second season. The web-series is premiered in Aha.

Posted on

Narappa: An Unnecessary Remake

Vetrimaran’s Asuran was a powerful take on the caste system and made you root for the central character’s quest of protecting his family. Narappa on the other hand is not just an unnecessary remake but also doesn’t work as a standalone film. Director Srikant Addala misses the target by miles. It would have been best if Asuran was dubbed in Telugu instead of being remaked.

The film would have probably worked more in theatres for those who couldn’t  see Asuran. But given that it has released on OTT where you have many other options there are very less chances of Narappa being liked.

The plotline of Narappa is the same as Asuran with no changes at all, just the actors change. Venketash replaces Dhanush as the father who has left his violent past behind and is now living a quiet life with his wife and three children. He is satisfied with farming a small part of land and has no major expectations from life. The only thing he wants to see is his eldest son Munikanna getting married. Munikanna is a hot headed youngster who feels that his father is a coward and isn’t happy with the passive attitude of his father. Since Munikanna is  more aggressive he often gets into fights with an upper class family. During one of these conflicts the situation takes an ugly turn and Narappa and his family are forced to run away. While he is on the run Narappa is pushed to revisit his past which he had left many years ago. This is the basic plot for those who haven’t seen Asuran.

The most glaring thing about Narappa is the shifting of the story to Rayalaseema region. By placing the story in that particular region Srikant Addala adds to the streyotypes that have been associated with that place thanks to dozens of Telugu movies.

Narappa could have been easily placed somewhere else too but the director could only think of Rayalaseema of all the places.

It also doesn’t help that the accents of almost all the actors are inconsistent. Only Rao Ramesh gets the slang right, his scenes are the only ones which make some sort of impression even though they are copy pasted.

Coming to the obvious comparisions Venketash is no Dhanush and the reasons for that are very clear from the first frame. Venketash tries his level best but the performance comes across as laboured. He is no way able to bring the rustic presence of Dhanush. It is not just about histrionics but it is also about the physicality. Dhanush physicality also worked well for the original but here Venketesh’s one comes across as a misfit.

To make matters worse the flashback portions are not even half as impactful as Asuran.  The flashback portions in Asuran were important as it made you understand the reasons behind the lead character’s quietness and why he is the way he is. However here it comes across as not so natural. Venketesh is made to look younger in these scenes but it is hard for the audience to buy it.

GV Prakash’s music was a key element in Asuran but here the songs don’t add much to the plot. The background score is impactful but again it is not something new for those who have seen Asuran.

Technically the film is all right as Shyam K Naidu is able to capture the rusticness of the place and the surroundings.

Narappa just like Asuran gives a message which is very important for the society regarding how education can help you in overcoming the caste barrier. Wonder why they could not take an original story from Andhra Telangana regions.

Posted on

Grahan: An Impactful Story Handled With Great Sensitivity

It has become common for every web series to have a political background, case in point being Sacred Games, the two seasons of Family Man, Paatal Lok and others. Grahan is no different. The series is inspired by the novel Chaurasi written by Satya Vyas. The story traverses two timelines which are set three decades from each other but there is a commonality which binds these two timelines. The eight – episode series packs in many things but still makes a huge impact on the viewer’s mind. The major credit for that goes to director Rajan Chandel and the cast.

Zoya Hussain plays the righteous IPS officer Amrita Singh. Amrita is someone who strongly believes in using her position for betterment of society. She lives with her father in Ranchi played by Pavan Malhotra. Her father Rishi alias Gurusevak wants Amrita to move to Canada with her fiance Karthik( Nandish Sandu). When she tries to solve a case of a honest journalist Amrita is rebuked by top politicians who try to influence her. Tired of all these things she decides to resign from her job. However things take a turn when on old case regarding the Sikh riots in a place called Bokaro comes up. Amrita is asked to take charge of the reinvestigation of that particular incident. Amrita is more than happy to take it up but her world comes crashing down when she finds that her father Gurusevak is the prime suspect in the case.

What follows is a tough battle where Amrita finds herself at the crossroads. She starts questioning her own identity and feels that her entire life is a lie. Her father on the other hand stays silent as Amrita faces the dilemma of whether her father was really a criminal. The other timeline of the story is the love track of Gurusevak when he was young and Manu. These two parts have been played by newcomers Anshuman Pushlar and Wamiqa Gabbi. This is set in the 80’s. They meet in an unlikely sitiuation in Bokaro and fall in love. But the assassination of Indira Gandhi creates an unexpected havoc in their lives. People are seeking vengeance and Rishi heads a team of rioters. However the big question is did he really do it or is there more to this entire thing that meets the eye?

The most striking aspect of Grahan is the parallels that it draws between the 1984 Sikh riots and today’s India. It talks about how people can be quickly incited by WhatsApp forwards and political manipulation. There are scenes in the present timeline which effectively communicate how people easily believe in rumours and turn against each other in spite of living with them for a long time. The underlying message is that issues are the same whether it is 1984 or today.

On the surface, Grahan may look like part investigative drama and part love story but there are subtle references to many of burning issues in our country. These include casteism, sexism, poverty etc. There is a scene where a witness refuses to accept a glass of water from a cop, the reason for that is he (the cop) comes from the lower caste. This scene leaves you with a knot in the stomach.

The series is also effective in giving a psychological insight into the mindset of the people who let themselves be influenced by the situation around them. There is a powerful scene where a rioter sheds tears after 30 years while talking about the people that he killed during the riots. He says that he picked up the gun only to feel powerful and goes on to say how wrong he was.

The 80’s love track gives the series some of its most charming moments. Both the newcomers play their parts with conviction. You root for them to have a happy ending which doesn’t happen.

The cinematography of Kamaljeet Singh also deserves a special mention as he is able to capture the period of 80’s perfectly and make it believable for today’s audiences. The background score is also equally effective particularly in the scenes of the riots.

Another major highlight of the show is the father and the daughter equation and the ups and downs that it goes through the entire process. The emotional scenes between Zoya and Pavan Malhotra will definetly strike a chord in your hearts. It also helps that they deliver brilliant performances.

The only slight issue that I had with the show was the editing of some episodes. It could have been tighter. Also there are certain subplots that take time to unravel.

Grahan is a story with many emotions. Watch it particularly for the sensitive handling of the subject matter.

Posted on

Haseen Dilruba: An Exploration Of Love And Marriage Under The Guise Of A Thriller

Vinil Mathew’s Haseen Dilruba starts off as an investigation thriller but as the story progresses it turns out to be more than that. Vinil Mathews last film was the romantic comedy Hasse Toh Phasse. This one is a dramatic shift in terms of many things but fortunetly he pulls it off for most part.

Tapsee Pannu plays a middle class girl from Delhi( Rani Kashyap). She has done a beautician course and has certain qualities in mind that she wants in her life partner. Vikrant Massey plays Rishabh Saxena from Jwalapur, he’s an electrical engineer with a government job. His only hobby is repairing electronic items whenever he gets an opportunity. Rishabh is a far cry from the husband that Rani wants but she still ends up in an arranged marriage with him. However the marriage soon starts falling apart. One reason for that is the sexual incompatibility and other reason being the timid nature of Rishabh.

At this point you have the arrival of Neel played by Harshvardhan Rane. Neel is someone who is into adventure sports and it doesn’t take long for Rani to get attracted to Neel. Both of them have a secret relationship and that includes physical too. Things take a huge turn when Rishabh is supposedly dead in a gas explosion and Neel has disappeared. Rani is considered to be the prime suspect for the alleged murder of her husband.

The biggest reason why  Haseen Dilruba works  is due to the way Vinil Mathew portrays the various stages of Rani and Rishabh’s marriage. It swings between Intense disklike and intense love for most part.

Intially Rishabh comes across as a henpecked one but there is a sudden shift in the character when Rani reveals about her having an affair with Neel. The darker tone has been portrayed with subtlety and it never goes over the top. You only have a subtle gesture in terms of the facial features that suggest what is going through Risabh’s mind. Vikrant is good as the timid husband but he is even better when the tonality changes.

The passion that the characters share comes out very palpably and we firmly root for the couple.

The film also looks at how time and circumstances shape our actions and behaviour. There are no heroes and villains here as each character comes out with its own set of flaws. We are ultimately shown how we do crazy things for each other and to each other just because at that time we feel this is the right thing to do.

The film also talks about how men get uncomfortable when women openly choose to express their sexual drive. There are scenes in the beginning  of the marriage when Rani drops her pallu to excite Rishabh but Rishabh feels very uncomfortable.

Like most films of this genre Vinil Mathew employs the technique of going back and forth. The thriller aspect has also been done well since you are constantly guessing about what actually happened.

The thriller format isn’t something new for Tapsee but she still delivers a wonderful performance. She is someone who knows that she has flaws and has a hard time accepting them. However at the same time she has the ability to change as well. Tapsee pulls off all these shades well. Harshvardhan Rane leaves an impact in his small role. He fits the part of the handsome hunk and you can easily understand why Rani falls for Neel.

The only things which stick out are parts of Tapsee’s family. They simply dissapear when the story takes a dark turn and you are not given any proper explanation.

Haseen Dilruba isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it is worth a watch for the plot and the performances.

Posted on

Ray (Anthology): A Good Tribute To The Master Director

Satyajit Ray was not just a celebrated filmmaker he was also a man of many talents. One of his talents was writing stories. Ray anthology directed by Srijit Mukherjee, Abhishek Chaubey and Vasan Bala is a reimagination of Ray’s stories for the modern audience. It is quite a huge task on hand and fortunately the makers do a good job for most part. My most favourite one is Abhishek Chaubey’s Hungama Hai Kyon. The least impressive segment is the last one directed by Vasan Bala. Below is my brief opinion on the four films.

Forget Me Not directed by Srijit Mukherjee

Forget Me Not focuses on Ipsit Nair (Ali Fazal) who has successfully climbed up the corporate ladder. He is called as a human computer by his colleagues because of his sharp memory. He is adored by everyone around him. But things take a turn when he bumps into an old flame and start spiralling down fast. Ipsit is haunted by that girl whom he cannot remember and slowly starts getting restless and loses focus on the job.

Due to his restlessness he also gets into an accident. Initially the impression that we get is he just lost his memory, some sort of dementia but as the story goes along more things come out of the closet and the darker side of Ipsit’s personality is revealed.

That is when we realise that Forget Me Not is not about a single person. It talks about a very important thing which is the growing selfishness of young men and how they will do anything in order to climb up the social ladder. The best thing about this segment is how Srijit Mukherjee unravels the plot and its characters. This can be best seen in Shweta Basu’s role. Initially she comes across as someone who is not so important but Srijit gives a super twist to the character in the climax.

Ali Fazal nails his part of a man whose life is spiralling downwards. The madness and the eccentricity came out perfectly. Shweta Basu Prasad also does a good job particularly when it matters most.

Bahrupiya also directed by Srijit Mukherjee stars Kay Kay Menon as a clerk with an obsession for prosthetics. He is also an aspiring makeup artist who is stuck with a job and a life both of which he hates. His grandmother was a makeup supplier for Hollywood studios, when she passes away she leaves him a lot of fortune which includes prosthetics too. Bahrupiya uses a Joker kind of setting where the protagonist is pushed to doing things which aren’t exactly right. The path that he chooses leads him to do several unpleasant things which also bring him a question of his own identity.

Bahrupiya makes an interesting viewing because you get invested in the character of Kay Kay Menon’s Indrashish and the world that he is tangled in. The Joker kind of setting has been cleverly adapted and the prosthetics that Indrashish uses to fool people has been well executed.

The best part of the story is the existential question that the character faces of who he really is. Is he Indrashish or the Bahrupiya who is hiding under the prosthetics. Kay Kay Menon is at his usual best and he is successful in portraying the character’s transformation.

Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa

After two intense stories this one comes across as a welcome breather by Abhishek Chaubey. The plot is essentially a train journey and focuses on a disorder called Kleptomania. For those who are not aware Kleptomania is an impulse that results in an urge to steal. Manoj Bajpai plays an Urdu Ghazal singer Musafir. During a train journey he meets Asleem Beig (Gajraj Rao), a wrestler turned- sports journalist. As the story progresses it is revealed that it is not for the first time that these two met. Also a shocking revelation is given about Musafir before he became a famous singer that he is today.

This one rests on a thin plot but works because of Abhishek Chaubey’s treatment. The director cleverly uses the glass of the train’s washroom as a device to narrate the story. It is also a pleasure to watch the crackling chemistry between Manoj Bajpai and Gajraj Rao. Both of them are in perfect sync with each other. The Urdu dialogues muttered by Manoj Bajpai’s character are a pleasure to watch.

The dark humour will make you chuckle at many instances. The editing is also razor sharp and it perfectly complements the fast paced journey of these two. Needless to say that the two actors are in perfect form.

Spolight directed by Vasan Bala

It is easily the weakest link in this anthology. The story is about a superstar Vikram Malhotra played by Harshvardhan Kapoor. He has become a sensation just for his one look. He loves to be in the spotlight but he soon faces an adversary in the form of Didi (Radhika Madan). She is a religious leader who is coincidentally living in the same hotel as Vikram. Vikram starts feeling threatened. They eventually meet which reveals a big twist regarding Didi. This twist is the only thing which works in the story.

The biggest problem with this one is the lack of cohesiveness in what Vasan Bala wants to say. The filmy references don’t work except for a couple of ones. Harshvardhan Kapoor also doesn’t have the star aura about him to play this character. Akansha Ranjan is sincere but is let down by a haphazard characterization. Radhika Madan in her brief appearance is the only one who shines here.

Ray anthology can definitely be watched in spite of a limp ending.