Sach Kahun Toh: An Insightful Account Into Neena Gupta’s Life
Sach Kahoon Toh: An Insightful Account Of Neena Gupta’s Life
Released on 14th June 2021
Neena Gupta’s Sach Kahoon Toh is an autobiography which makes for an interesting read at many levels. Most of all it is a book which is filled with honesty. This honesty is visible from the foreword itself. The foreword begins with her saying that “I know many readers are waiting to get the juicy bits of my life. Don’t lie. I know there’s a part of you that only picked up the book to read about my relationships and controversies that have been part of my media image for decades now.” Through the book Neena Gupta challenges the assumptions that people have about her.
Sach Kahoon Toh is divided into five parts. The five parts are her growing years in Delhi, life in Bombay, giving birth to Masaba, the downside of her career and the eventual resurgence starting with the superhit Badhaai Ho which was a major turning point in her career. In the last section she writes about her family members and these include mother, father, brother, daughter and her husband Vivek. There is also the chapter on Vivian Richards and her affair with him which resulted in the birth of Masaba, however the details are kept to a bare minimum. But that chapter has also got interesting anecdotes as she gives the background of how their paths met in Jaipur.
For any autobiography to work it is important that you bare your soul out which includes talking about your flaws and Neena does that for most part. There are times in the book where she comes across as someone who lacked faith in herself and her talent apart from being easy to manipulate at times. This comes out particularly when she talks about her early boyfriend who cheats her multiple times but she still gives him chances. Candid confessions like these make the book an interesting read.
Her friendships with Soni Razdan and Satish Kaushik comes across vividly and these portions are very heart-warming. An interesting detail has to be mentioned here regarding Satish Kaushik. He once told Neena to tell people that he is the father of Masaba if people ask who the father is. The reason being the color of Masaba and Satish matches. It is a small incident but it tells you a lot about the friendship between him and Neena Gupta.
Another good thing about the book is Neena Gupta doesn’t go overboard with details about Vivian Richards. She treats that phase of her life with respect and never sensationalizes it. You also get a peep into the personality of Vivian Richards.
A Power House Performance by Samantha Akkineni in The Family Man Season 2
Irrespective of how The Family Man Season 2 has been viewed, the common thread has been the talented Samantha Akkineni’s performance. Even those who haven’t liked the show that much have praised her performance. In fact there are many who have said that she outshone Manoj Bajpayee
Samantha has always been an actress with potential, examples being Rangasthalam and Super Deluxe. In Rangasthalam, she played a completely deglamourised part and challenging particularly given the roles that Samantha had done before then. However, she rose up to the challenge and delivered a very good performance.
Super Deluxe was another interesting part as she played the role of an adulterous. It is not a role that many actresses would take on but Samantha once again showed her ability to pick unique parts. In spite of sharing screen space with Fahadh Fassil, she more than stood her own.
However, as The Family Man has shown, those two films were just teasers. Samantha’s Raji is someone who comes across as a quiet person and as someone who doesn’t want to draw too much attention to herself. In fact she lets men grope her and touch her inappropriately. However, there is a suppressed rage that is visible, and that rage comes out in the brilliantly executed action scene. From a girl who is scared, she transforms into a killer within seconds.
In various interviews Samantha has said that she doesn’t look at her character as a villain and it is quite clear why she said that when you finish watching the series. Raji is someone who has faced brutality at the hands of not just Sri Lankan soldiers, but also at the hands of men and society at large. Therefore her anger is directed not just towards the government but also patriarchy.
Samantha embodied all the shades of her character perfectly and delivered a terrific performance. She was also excellent in the action scenes. Through her character, director duo Raj and DK showed how a freedom fighter is a terrorist for a person who is on the other side of the fence. In this case, it is Manoj Bajpayee’s Srikant Tiwari.
Here’s hoping that Samantha will continue to deliver very good performances and go from strength to strength.
The Family Man Season 2: A Scintillating Follow Up To Season 1
The Family Man Season 2: A Curtain Raiser
The Family Man Season 2 : Curtain Raiser
For those who haven’t seen the first season the plot is about Srikant Tiwari who lives a double life. On one hand he appears to be a regular middle- class man who works in a government office pushing files for a living but he is actually an agent at the threat analysis and Surveillance cell (TASC). Srikant’s job consists of going after terrorists and looking for clues while bombs are being defused by the experts. The terrorists here are a bunch of people with links to ISIS and Pakistan. The job of Srikant and his team is to uncover the plot and make sure that the plans of the extremists don’t work.
While all this going on there is also the track of Srikant’s family life crumbling. His wife played by Priyamani is on the brink of an affair. His daughter on the other hand is covering up for a boy who’s is pushing pills in their class. To top it the son is a little brat of his own.
What made this plot work was the treatment of the director duo Raj and DK. This can be particularly seen in how they handled the main character. While we are used to seeing spys as larger than life characters Raj and Dk gave a different spin to this character. Some of the best scenes in the series involve Srikant juggling between his personal and professional life. This juggling act makes the character of Srikanth and his world more relatable.
The series also worked for the jugalbandi of Manoj Bajpai and Sharib Hashmi who plays Srikant’s trusted aid. The friendship that the characters share appeared very real thanks to both the actors. Every scene that both of them appeared brings a smile to your face.
The series also deserved appreciation for how it dealt with some of the issues affecting our country. Yes, the treatment could have been better at places but both Raj and DK deserve appreciation for what they have done.
For example there are scenes where we see the Muslim students being rounded up by the policemen for no fault of theirs. You also have videos of mob lynching that are circulated among the students.
You also have a segment on Kashmir when Srikant gets transferred to that place. There is a scene where Gul Panang’s character talks about how common people are the worst effected in the crossfire between Indian army and militants. She almost suggests that there is no difference between army and militants in this matter. Not surprisingly these dialogues didn’t go down too well with the RSS.
Last but not the least, the series gave the opportunity for Manoj Bajpai to lead from the front which is something that we don’t see in commercial Hindi films.
As a result of all these factors the second season has become one of the most awaited web series of this year. Family Man Season 2 was supposed to release in February but it is releasing now due to the controversy that Abbas Ali Zafar’s Tandav faced.
From the trailer of the second season it is very evident that Srikanth is still juggling between his dual duty of being a middle class family man and world class spy. There are witty one liners delivered by Manoj and the camaraderie between him and Sharib Hashmi looks crackling just like the first season.
The thing which I am looking forward most is watching Samantha. It looks like an edgy character with grey shades. Given the talent that Samantha has we can look forward for a powerful performance.
There has also been some controversy regarding Samantha’s character as some people feel that her character of LTTE militant has been shown in an objectionable manner. However, it wouldn’t be appropriate to judge the character based on the teaser. Raj and DK are sensitive directors and in all probability they would have dealt with the story in a responsible way.
November Story: Slow Paced But Effective Crime Thriller
There is a lot to like about Indhu Subramanian’s November Story streaming on Hotstar. The director takes an interesting premise and does a good job for most part of the show. The twists and the turns keep you engaged, there is a solid cliffhanger at the peak of each episode which will keep you intrigued. Yes, there are issues like the slow pace and the long drawn out climax but it still works in spite of its flaws. The reason for naming the show as November Story is because the character of the crime novelist goes to a particular house every year on November 16th. The series consists of seven episodes on the whole.
Tamannah plays Anu, she is the daughter of India’s best crime novelist Ganesan played by GN Kumar. Anu works as an ethical hacker while trying to look after her father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. She is trying to sell their ancestral property that they own without the knowlegde of her father in order to have more money for her father’s treatment. One day Anu comes across a woman whom she had briefly met in the train the previous day. The woman is found dead in the house she’s been trying to sell. To make things worse her father is there in that house at the time of the woman’s death. Anu is sure that her father is innocent and the rest of the series is about how she proves that her father is innocent along with finding out who actually killed that woman.
The good thing about the series is how the director unravels the plot. He builds up the characters really well. You get into the headspace of the characters and as a result you empathise with Anu’s efforts.
The father and the daughter relationship has also been portrayed with the required sensitivity. Anu’s efforts to be a caretaker daughter to her father will definitely strike a chord.
Another good thing about November Story is how things are tied up seamlessly. The narrative is always a step ahead with the guessing game and also in establishing the motives of the culprit.
The humour in the series comes from the cops’ viewpoint, portraying their restlessness and fatigue. While the comic scenes may look odd given the genre of the series but its understandable as the makers didn’t want to keep the narrative too serious at all times. However these scenes work quite well particularly the ones featuring Aruldoss as the investigating police officer.
Technically also November Story is a pretty good product. The background score of Saran Raghavan blends well with the narrative without screaming for attention. The cinematography of Vidhu Ayanna is in perfect sync with the premise of the show. The atmospherics contribute a lot in the audiences being invested in the series.
After playing the glamorous heroine for most part of her career Tamannah gets an opportunity to show her acting skills and she makes the most of her meaty character. One of the reasons why the character resonates is that it shows that a strong women can be vulnerable and have flaws too. The actress oozes confidence in her part, with this role Tamannah proves that she can be more than a glam doll.
GM Kumar plays the ailing crime novelist writer quite well. Another stand out performance comes from Pasupathy. He is very good as the forensic expert with shades of grey. It is a tricky part but the actor does complete justice to his role.
November Story on the whole is a compact whodunit thriller with a strong emotional thread.
Salman Khan: Please Choose Better Scripts
Cinema Bandi: A Feel Good Film
A good way to describe Cinema Bandi would be as an ode to cinema. It is an endearing story about a group of people who don’t know much about filmmaking but they give it their all to make a film. Set in a remote village the films protagonist is an auto rickshaw driver Veera played by Vikas Vasistha. His life is pretty mudane as nothing much happens in his life. The conversations are mostly about the lack of rains and the bad roads in the village and also the big divide between rural and urban. Although Veera doesn’t make much money he is an optimist who sincerely believes that things will change for better. He often argues that if everyone migrates to the city who will make things better for the village.
Things take a huge turn for Veera when someone leaves behind a bag and in that one you have a high-end camera. During that night he sees a news channel report on how Telugu films with smaller budgets can also become super hits. From here on begins a fun ride mixed with different emotions.
Veera firmly believes that the film will change the fortunes of not just his life but also that of the village. Apart from Veera other important characters include the wedding photographer turned cinematographer Ganesh (Sandeep Varanasi) and the hairdresser turned hero Maridayya (Rag Mayur). Maridayya puts his screen name as Maridesh Babu!
The biggest strength of Cinema Bandi is how the director Praveen explores the psyche of the characters. It takes a lot for the villagers who are mostly dependent on their daily wages to be part of a film. One of the best scenes in the film is when Manga played by Uma shuts up a man who questions her on why she is acting. She responds by saying how those involved in the film have gone the extra mile in their daily life in order to make the film happen.
Another interesting thing about the film is its varied mix of female characters. On one hand you have a heroine who has her own plans of love and marriage. On the other hand there is another woman who doesn’t want to be a damsel in distress. She wants to take things into her own control.
The track between Veera and his wife has also been done well. The ups and downs of their relationship after Veera decides to direct has been shown in an authentic manner.
The cinematography by Apoorva Shaligram and Sagar is suitably rustic and adds in a huge way to the film’s credibility.
Apart from the main characters the smaller characters have also been well written. For example there is a boy who keeps a constant watch on the continuity required for the scenes. There is also a grandfather and we are told that he is the writer for the story on which the film is based. However, for most part he sits without uttering a word.
The performances of the main cast work perfectly in sync with the setting of the story. Vikas Vasistha in particular is very good as the optimistic Veera.
In totality Cinema Bandi is a nice imagination on how a common man would direct a film if he ever gets a camera to shoot (don’t we all have that dream!).
Vakeel Saab Versus Pink: This Pink Remake Works Best Only When It Sticks To Its Original Source
There are certain things that you need to keep in mind as a viewer when you are watching Vakeel Saab. The chief most among them are the extra masala elements that are added to satisfy Pawan Kalyan fans. The masala in this one includes three fight scenes and the absolutely unnecessary romantic track with Shruti Haasan. Nerkonda Paarvai starring Ajith as the lawyer also had a couple of additions but the changes there fitted in more seamlessly when compared to this one. Following is my opinion on the areas where Vakeel Saab works and the areas where it could have been better.
Not surprisingly the biggest strength of Vakeel Saab is the second half. It is in this half that the story finds its footing. The courtroom face off between Pawan Kalyan and Prakash Raj engages you completely. Both the actors share a wonderful chemistry and it is very clear that they had a blast shooting these scenes. Of course the tone of these scenes is more masala laced but there is enough meat here to keep you hooked. Out of the three films Prakash Raj is easily the best opponent lawyer and beats Piyush Mishra by miles in the Hindi version.
The second half also works better because the focus is on the stories of the three women and the situation that they are caught in. In spite of having a star like Pawan Kalyan director Sriram Venu doesn’t side track the main theme of the film which is a no is a no. He effectively uses the star to get the message across.
Thaman’s Music and background score is another major winner. The film begins off with the beautiful Maguva Maguva. This song has been used by the director to establish the bond between the three women played by Nivetha Thomas, Anjali and Ananya. Other songs like Satyameva Jayate come at appropriate times and pack quite a punch. The female version of Maguva Maguva in particular is very emotional.
Coming to Pawan Kalyan it would be unfair to compare the actor to Amitabh Bachchan and Ajit for many reasons. However it has to be said that he does well in the courtroom scenes. The performances of Nivetha and Anjali are also very good. They bring out the different feelings of the character really well. Ananya also does a fair job.
The biggest grouse that I have with the film is pre- interval portions of Pawan Kalyan as the savior of people. It is peppered with scenes that will give you a major deja vu as we have seen this in many commercial films in the past. The character has also got shades of Sunny Deol from the film Damini.
The love story between him and Shruti Haasan is another thing which will test your patience. Shruti Haasan hasn’t got anything to do and even in the slight emotional scenes she messes it up big time. It was a track which wasn’t needed in the first place.
The fight scenes aren’t bad but they don’t really add much to the film. Except for the fight in the park the other two could have been easily chopped off.
In totality chances are that if you are a fan of Pawan Kalyan you would enjoy the film more. For those who have already watched Pink keep low expectations if you are planning to watch Vakeel Saab. But keeping aside the comparisons, it is good to see a film like this being made in so many languages. The important point is the message has to go down – A NO IS A NO.