Beyond Reviews – Rigobertha Reviews

October 31, 2024October 31, 2024

Bollywood actresses turning producers: A look at women pushing the envelope

In the age of pan India Films, and reducing screenspace for women, it has become even more necessary for the actresses to take charge of the stories they are part of.

In the last few years, many Bollywood actresses have turned producers. They have produced films either starring themselves in lead roles or having new talents in prominent parts.

This trend of actresses turning producers proved to be a healthy change, giving them greater control over their roles, and allowing them to explore more challenging roles which mainstream cinema doesn’t always provide. While the box office figures for these movies aren’t massive, there is creative satisfaction.

It is a well-known fact that in today’s age of pan-Indian cinema, actresses are getting reduced to mere dolls with very little to do. Even the romantic track with heroes has become all about the male gaze.

In the recent big-budget film Devara (2024)—Janhvi Kapoor’s Tollywood debut, the actress makes her appearance only in the second half that too for a brief while. She is reduced to a person lusting after the hero and dancing to the sensuous “Chuttamalle”.

In this scenario, it becomes even more necessary for the actresses to take charge of the stories they are part of. Here is a list of actresses turning producers and the projects they undertook.

Anushka Sharma

One of the actresses who turned a producer early on was Anushka Sharma. She launched her own production company Clean Slate Filmz in the year 2013.

The first movie produced under her banner was NH 10 (2015), a gripping thriller. The film is about honour killings, in which a city couple find themselves witness to a brutal incident of honour killing leaving deep scars. In the film, Anushka Sharma portrays a wide range of emotions, from confidence to despair, to finally rage.

After the intense NH10, the actress did a complete U-Turn with her next production Phillauri (2017). In 2018, she produced and acted in yet another milestone film in her career— Pari.

While Philauri dealt primarily with superstitions in a comic tone, it also spoke about long-lost love and the culture of music and poetry in Punjab.

In this movie, she played a strong-willed woman with a flair for writing poetry. Later in the movie, she plays the role of a friendly spirit giving Anushka ample scope to demonstrate both her comic and dramatic chops.

Post Phillauri there was the horror movie Pari in the backdrop of satanic cults. Pari was a challenging part both physically and emotionally for Anushka. She was in equal parts scary and also emotionally vulnerable delivering a knock-out act.

All these movies are not major grossers at the box office but they showcased Anushka’s versatility in taking on challenging roles.

Roping in new talents

Tripti Dimri in Bulbbul — Tripti Dimri in ‘Bulbbul’. (X)

Apart from the above-mentioned ones Anushka has also backed movies featuring young talents, a case in point being Bulbbul (2020) and Qala (2022).

Both these movies featured young actress Tripti Dimri in author-backed roles. They opened to great reviews marking Tripti as a promising young talent which unfortunately the actress has not been able to capitalize on. Bulbbul also had another upcoming actor Avinash Tiwary making a strong impression.

Anushka also produced the critically acclaimed Amazon show Paatal Lok (2020).

Paatal Lok had the Raazi actor Jaideep Ahlawat in a breakthrough performance. The show gave Jaideep space to display his talent and he didn’t disappoint.

The show was also a breakthrough for Abhishek Banerjee, generally known for comic roles in the Stree franchise, the actor was extremely convincing as the deadly assassin.

Priyanka Chopra

Another prominent actress Priyanka Chopra has also backed hatke movies under Purple Pebble Pictures. Apart from the likes of Sky Is Pink (2019) and The White Tiger (2021) Priyanka has produced movies in Marathi as well.

Ventilator (2016) had director Ashutosh Gowariker in a major role. The movie opened to rave reviews apart from being a commercial success. Director Rajesh Mapuskar who also wrote the screenplay won awards for best screenplay and best debut director.

Speaking about her Hindi film, Sky Is Pink featured the actress in a multi-layered character. Her role as a determined parent spans from a young mother to an older woman. As a strong mother who wants to make sure that her child lives life to the fullest amidst a life-threatening disease, Priyanka‘s performance touched a huge chord with the audience.

The grief along with her inner strength is palpable in every scene.

In the English/Hindi movie The White Tiger Priyanka’s role was more of a supporting one, nevertheless, the actress made a striking impression.

The White Tiger had Adarsh Gaurav in the lead role, who got into the skin of his character. The movie opened new doors for the young talent.

Alia Bhatt

A poster of the film Darlings — A poster of the film ‘Darlings’. (X)

The national award-winning actress Alia started her own production house with the movie Darlings (2022).

The film is a dark thriller/comedy about two domestic abuse survivors, with her character Badru representing the numerous housewives who put up with their husband’s abusive behaviour in the hope that they would change one day. This doesn’t happen and eventually, Badru is forced to take things into her own hands.

The transition of Alia’s Badru from a battered housewife to a stronger woman was exciting to watch though the process could have been better etched. It was brave of Alia to choose a subject like Darlings for her debut venture and by playing a domestic abuse survivor she represented numerous Indian women whose patience is mistaken for submissiveness.

Darlings was followed by presenting the Malayalam web series Poacher (2024). Poacher was a crime drama based on the real-life incidents of Elephant poaching. The series had Nimisha Sajayan in an intense performance giving her new fame.

After Poacher came Jigra (2024) which she produced along with Karan Johar.

Jigra is a story about a fiercely protective elder sister, who would do whatever it takes to save her brother from the death sentence. There are intense combat sequences with an ally turned foe in a jungle.

Keeping aside the box office numbers, Alia showcased a different side to her in this movie proving that she can pull off action as well. Apart from being an emotional drama Jigra also touched upon the consequences of a delayed justice system where innocent prisoners are forced to take extreme measures in order to find freedom.

Deepika Padukone

In the year 2020 Deepika produced and starred in the flawed yet gutsy Chhappak movie under her banner Ka Productions.

Deepika took a huge risk with her stardom to play an acid attack survivor. In spite of falling short in a couple of sequences, Deepika was mostly competent in making the viewers feel the agony of Malati Agarwal based on the real-life Lakshmi Agarwal.

Taapsee Pannu

Pink (2014) actress Taapsee Pannu turned producer with the female buddy film Dhak Dhak (2023) under the banner Outsider Films. The movie focused on four women of different age groups and their journey of self-discovery on a long bike trip. It was a well-made feel good movie.

Kareena Kapoor Khan

Kareena Kapoor Khan also turned into a producer with a Hansal Mehta directorial The Buckingham Murders (2023). The name of her production house is Mahana Films.

Unlike her general glamorous roles, Kareena was seen in a very different avatar, a detective going through huge emotional turmoil while investigating a case. Kareena delivered a stunning performance, showcasing her versatility.

Kriti Sanon

The last in this list is Kriti Sanon who co-produced the recently released Do Patti (2024) under her banner Blue Butterfly Films. The core concept of domestic abuse and the character graph of Kriti’s Saumya in this is similar to what Jasmeet K Reen already explored in Darlings.

Having said that it has to be mentioned that director Shashanka Chaturvedi brought his aspects too like post-traumatic stress and a jealous identical twin who undergoes a transformation. Playing two vastly different characters Kriti pushed herself as an actress coming up with a good performance.

Through the double act, Kriti showed that she can easily play a grey-shaded or a completely negative role.

Becoming decision-makers

In a way, this is a good trend as actresses are becoming decision-makers in showcasing women’s talent and pushing boundaries.

On the other hand, it is also a sad commentary on the film industry that actresses had to bankroll movies to display their talent, something which mainstream cinema is not giving them enough.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/bollywood-actresses-turning-producers-a-look-at-women-pushing-the-envelope/

September 25, 2024September 27, 2024

2024 the domination of horror: An overview into how the likes of Shaitaan, Munjya and Stree 2 have successfully spooked the audiences bringing in solid numbers

Shaitaan movie image

Munjya movie image

Stree 2 movie image

Unlike 2023 predominantly dominated by action movies with larger-than-life heroes this year has seen the horror genre ruling the roost. Horror stories of different kinds have entertained the viewers proving to be very profitable for the producers. The genre of horror isn’t something new. The banner of Vishesh films at their prime had made movies involving ghosts, the cast always used to be relatively new. Case in point being the first Raaz featuring Bipasha Basu. Noted filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma too has made impactful horror movies like Urmila Matondkar’s Bhoot. Bhoot is rightly considered to be one of Urmila’s most impactful performances till date. The movie even now sends a chill down the viewers spine.

Bhoot is rightly considered to be one of Urmila’s best performances till date

The likes of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Golmaal Again too have elements of spookiness particularly the first one directed by Anees Bazmee. However, the spooky elements here are mixed with slapstick or situational humor. Then you have Rahi Anil Barve’s gripping psychological horror thriller Tumbbad. The horror in this movie comes more from the director’s portrayal of human greed rather than the supernatural entity.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 directed by Anees Bazmee

The horror in Tumbbad comes more from the director’s portrayal of human greed rather than the supernatural entity

Coming to this year’s horror films the first one Shaitaan uses elements of a home invasion thriller where the protagonists in this case the father and mother have to save the children from a highly dangerous tormentor. R Madhavan in a delightfully deranged performance is the expert hypnotist with knowledge of black magic. The daughter Jahnavi played a brilliant Janki Bodiwala is under absolute control, doing everything he says. The storyline of Shaitaan is paper thin but the way Vikas Bahl build an effective atmosphere of dread engrossed the audiences thoroughly. Amit Trivedi’s background music coupled with Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti’s cinematography also made the movie gripping. Unlike most horror movies here thankfully the typical cliches of creaking doors are absent, instead the terror comes from R Madhavan’s sinister plans of wanting to control young women.

R Madhavan in a delightfully deranged performance

Next in the list are Munjya and Stree 2 both from the same production house Maddock. Both these movies feature grotesque demons. In the case of Stree 2 you have a headless creature whose target are young girls with modern outlook. In the case of Munjya the antagonist is a young Brahmin boy, he resorts to black magic to win over a girl named Munni. He also tries to sacrifice the life of his sister, but this only results in self-destruction. He becomes a restless spirit haunting the tree. Both movies have a folklore touch apart from impactful social commentary. Stree 2 like the first one is also set in the small town of Chanderi. Munjya on the other hand is set in the backdrop of a Konkan folklore.

Both Munjya and Stree 2 feature grotesque demons

A strong aspect of Munjya was the characterization of the leading man Bittu played by Abhay Varma. Bittu starts off as someone who is majorly underconfident and definitely not the type who would defeat the evil Munjya. However, we slowly seen him overcoming the inner fears. The profession of Bittu being a hairdresser also added an interesting layer. Sharvari Wagh played Bittu’s friend Bella. Bittu deeply loves Bella, but he never confesses. She is already in a relationship with an English man but isn’t very sure on marrying him. She has major career aspirations regarding Zumba dance.

Bittu starts off as someone who is majorly underconfident and definitely not the type who would defeat the evil Munjya

The interesting aspect here is that though Munjya and Bittu come from the same lineage their attitudes are as different as chalk and cheese. Bittu respects Bella’s career aspirations and never tries to force himself on her in spite of having a close proximity. This particular aspect stood out in the movie. The humor in this movie apart from the interactions between Bittu and Munjya also comes from Baahubali actor S. Sathyaraj he played a baba, but it isn’t the usual intense one. There is a whacky nature to the role which the actor pulled off successfully.

Finally, there is the mega hit Stree 2 which has broken quite a lot of records. Squeals are always a very tricky territory but Aamir Kaushik’s Stree 2 more than lived up to its prerelease buzz. It was a rollicking sequel generating both laughs and scares in equal measure. The movie also had a good blend of social commentary through the characterization of the headless Sarkate. He represents your every sexist leader who are uncomfortable with the thought process of a modern woman.

All these elements came across in a satisfying manner making it a monstrous hit. The trio of Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee and Pankaj Tripathi were in splendid form shouldering the acting department with utmost ease. One of the most hilarious scenes in Stree 2 is the one involving Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya and Abhishek Banerjee as Bhediya aka Bhaskar’s cousin. Varun’s character gets attracted to Shraddha and asks Abhishek how to impress her. In response Abhishek says that you are a Bhediya remain like that and don’t become an animal.

This list is by no means complete as the genre of horror will continue to be explored with different backgrounds. This Diwali there is Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 which will further explore the journey of Kartik Aryan’s Rooh Baba/ Ruhaan Randhawa. Tumbbad 2 has also been announced by Sohum Shah who was both the leading man and also producer for the first part.

July 31, 2024August 10, 2024

Bollywood actors through the lens of South Indian directors

A rundown into some of the Telugu and Tamil directors who have successfully presented Bollywood actors in a different light and gave major hits

As the wave of pan India has caught in a huge way, the crossover between Hindi film actors and South Indian directors, particularly those belonging to Telugu and Tamil cinema (also known as Tollywood and Kollywood) has resulted in some successful collaborations. One of the earlier examples is Aamir Khan’s Ghajini (2008). Director AR Murugadoss made a significant impact with this Tamil remake.

Ghajini

Ghajini opened the 100-crore club in Bollywood; it was a major money spinner in those times. For Aamir Khan Ghajini was altogether a different film from what he was doing till then, it presented him in a massy avatar. In spite of the obvious comparisons to Suriya’s stellar acting, Aamir also left his own imprint particularly the physical part of it. He looked like a wounded tiger out on an avenging spree.

In spite of the obvious comparisons to Suriya’s stellar acting Aamir also left his own imprint particularly the physical part of it.

Kabir Singh

Before Kabir Singh, again a remake of a south (Telugu) movie Arjun Singh, Shahid Kapoor did not have a major solo hit. The likes of Jab We Met, Udta Punjab and Haider were hit movies no doubt but not commercial blockbusters. Though Padmaavat did more than 300 crores Ranveer Singh walked away with all the accolades and rightly so. But Sandeep Reddy Vanga gave Shahid a big spectrum to play with in Kabir Singh and the actor didn’t disappoint. Whether it is portraying the highly toxic and passionate love of Kabir or in the breakdown scenes Shahid did his best. Although the movie was pretty much a carbon copy of the original Shahid brought his own intensity to the role. Much like Ghajini this remake also did far bigger numbers than the original. It is a separate matter that Shahid could not capitalize on this blockbuster success later in his career.

Jawan

It is a well-known fact that Shah Rukh Khan was going through a very rough patch both professionally and personally before the release of Siddarth Anand’s Pathaan and Atlee’s Jawan. For Atlee Jawan was a huge leap given that he had mostly collaborated with Vijay Thalapathy till then. For someone like him directing a megastar like Shah Rukh Khan is not a piece of cake.

But Atlee more than rose up to the challenge, he passed with flying colours. Atlee’s presentation of SRK particularly the father character of Vikram Rathore erupted huge cheers among the moviegoers. Shah Rukh also effortlessly slipped into the universe of Atlee having a lot of fun in a movie that has essentially 50 shades of SRK.

For SRK too it was a very profitable film both in terms of expanding his fan base and box office numbers. It was almost like a king size comeback with more than 700 crores.

Shah Rukh Khan also effortlessly slipped into the universe of Atlee

Animal

Animal directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga is easily the most polarizing movie of Ranbir’s career, more than even Sanju. Ranbir’s previous movies have also featured strained father and son relationships, but Animal took it to a whole new level. Animal showcased Ranbir in his darkest avatar till date, as Ranbir himself confessed that he was scared when he heard the script and had severe doubts about doing the role. However, to Ranbir’s credit he went full throttle and delivered a power packed performance though the story itself was highly controversial.

Ranbir Kapoor’s darkest avatar till date

Kalki

Lastly there is this year’s Kalki directed by Nag Ashwin, a Telugu language epic science fiction film. The last few outings of Amitabh Bachchan have varied from just average to good. While he had solid roles in Jhund and Uunchai, in Bramhastra and Ganapath he didn’t have much to do. He was particularly wasted in Bramhastra as just a mere guru. But his fans and neutral audiences got the opportunity to see vintage Amitabh Bachchan with Kalki 2989 AD.

Bachchan had the best written role by a long margin and the senior actor just chewed the scenery with a stellar performance. The way he takes on the character of Prabhas was a sheer delight to watch. On many occasions he overshadowed the other cast members with just his towering screen presence. With his performance of Ashwatthama Bachchan showed that he can give any young actor a run for their money even at the age of 81.

For someone like Nag Ashwin too handling a film of this scale and directing someone like Amitabh Bachchan is a major achievement.

The fans and neutral audiences got the opportunity to see vintage Amitabh Bachchan in Kalki 2989 AD

Not so lucky ones

At the same time, it has to be said that working with south directors or in remakes of south films hasn’t proved to be so lucky for other Bollywood actors. Case in point is Akshay Kumar’s Sarfira, a remake of the Tamil hit Soorarai Pottru directed by Sudha Kongara. She also helmed the remake. Soorarai Pottru got both rave reviews and major awards. Suriya got the best actor award in the prestigious national awards; the movie also won an award for best film. Later Soorarai Pottru was also dubbed into Hindi with the name of Uddan. Hence it makes no business sense to remake it and not surprisingly Sarfira got added to the long list of commercial failures of Akshay post pandemic. Before Sarfira there was Bachchan Pandey, a remake of Jigarthanda. That was also a major commercial failure. Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan’s Vikram Vedha also turned out to be a box office turkey. Though Hrithik Roshan got good reviews for bringing his own touch to the role of Vedha, but it wasn’t enough for the movie to sail through.

June 4, 2024June 6, 2024

A rundown of the best political films made in Bollywood

An overview into how Hindi Cinema used to make good political films that had coherence and didn’t pander to the ruling party

The state of the recent political movies in Bollywood cuts a very sorry figure. Movies like the Accidental Prime Minister and PM Narendra Modi are woeful products in more ways than one. Yes they are incoherently staged both in terms of acting and storytelling, but apart from these aspects the movies have been used as tools for negative political propaganda. In the case of The Accidental Prime Minister it was clearly made to malign the former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh along with the entire Congress party. PM Narendra Modi on the other hand was meant to absolve Modi from all crimes and put him on a pedestal.

On the other hand both Kashmir Files and the Kerala Story are hugely islamophobic in nature. There is no denying the sufferings of the Kashmiri pundits but director Vivek Agnihotri presented a rather one sided pictures with all the Hindus being sufferers and Muslims being monsters. The Kerala Story on the other hand hugely exaggerated story of Hindu women being radicalized by the ISIS. Much like Kashmir Files here too you won’t find any positive Muslim character. This hate against Muslims represents the attitude of the BJP government. The success of both these movies is a byproduct of the times we live in.

Then there are the likes of Uri: The Surgical Strike, Tejas and this year’s Fighter. Uri: The Surgical strike was a highly dramatized account of Indian army retaliating to the URI Attacks. The movie was clearly meant to establish that the surgical strike had taken place in real. Not surprisingly the BJP party used the movie as a tool of propaganda particularly the dialogue “How’s the josh”. Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter was on the other hand was inspired by the Balakot strike. The climax of Fighter is straight out of a single screen universe with patriotic dialogues and ample dose of jingoism.

This year the team of The Kerala Story returned with Bastar: The Naxal Story which made a mockery of the Naxal movement, it didn’t find audiences even with those who like propaganda movies. Article 370 on the other hand directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale did fairly well primarily due to the performances of the two leading ladies Yami Gautam and Priya Mani. However the characterizations of the Kashmiri locals which include the politicians was highly laughable. The director made it look like only Prime Minister Modi and BJP are concerned about the welfare of Kashmiri population.

Not surprisingly Narendra Modi mentioned about the movie urging the viewers to watch it a few before the movie’s release. Even you look at Kashmir Files the party workers played a significant role in promoting the movie. But it has to be said that political movies in Bollywood has not always been like this and following is an overview into some of the well crafted political ones.

Rang De Basanti directed by Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra was about the corruption in the defense department that leads to the death of a pilot played by R Madhavan. The movie did not shy away from showing the deep rooted corruption and the cynical attitude of the youth who believe that no good change can come.

What also added to the impact of Rang De Basanti was the way it intertwined the sacrifices made by our revolutionaries Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad among others and today’s youth who think thoughts of revolution and sacrificing for the country is an outdated thought. The gradual change in the protagonists played by Aamir Khan, Siddarth, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi etc was wonderfully written and directed.

Prakash Jha is someone who is well known for directing movies that have an undercurrent of socio political aspects. For example his 2010 film Rajneeti was modeled on the epic Mahabharata while looking at the dark underbelly of the political scenario in our country. Through the huge ensemble of actors Director Prakash Jha cooked a gripping cocktail of complex relationships, an uncontrollable lust for power and rivalry of the siblings among other things.

A major highlight of Rajneeti was the strong characterizations of all the actors. For example Ranbir Kapoor’s character Samar starts off as a young man leading a quiet life in the US. But getting sucked into the family politics brings out the monster in him. There is a hugely poignant scene towards the end where Samar decides that he has had enough and politics is not for him. Apart from the strong characterizations Rajneeti also had some powerful scenes showcasing the political circus that takes place when candidates meet ordinary people.

Aarakshan on the other hand directed by the same man took up with the burning topic of reservation, special benefits being given to people belonging to a particular caste. There are some powerful scenes in Aarakshan particularly the first half which depicts the class and caste conflict. Case in point being Pratik Babbar and Saif Ali Khan’s characters expressing their contrasting views about reservation, Pratik’s Sushant is a typical rich brat who thinks that Dalits should not be given any special privileges and are afraid of working hard.

Tamil Director S. Shankar is well known for making movies featuring vigilante protagonists. Through his protagonists the director has covered issues that are important to the common man. S. Shankar’s Nayak: The Real hero is the remake of his own Tamil movie Mudhalvan. Unlike the vigilante protagonists of his previous movies who have an inbuilt social consciousness Anil Kapoor’s Shivaji Rao Gaekwad is more of a reluctant hero who wants to lead to peaceful life. Shivaji starts off as a cameraman in a popular television channel; from there he eventually becomes a reporter. One day his life takes a dramatic turn while interviewing the chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shivaji questions the chief minister on certain things like choosing to not control a violent riot that causes a lot of damage. In a very filmy turn of events Shivaji ends up being the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a day and does a lot of good, eventually he replaces Amrish Puri’s Balraj Chauhan.

Of course there is nothing subtle in the way Shankar goes about depicting the issues plaguing the society. Every point feels hammered in but at the same time there is no denying the relevancy of what Shankar addresses. There are scenes in the movie that mirror the real life corruption that we read about everyday from grassroot to national level. Through the character of Amrish Puri director Shankar also explored the harmful affects of vote bank politics and appeasing a certain community to just win the elections.

Nayak: The Hero is a movie that has aged well. Sure it was not a hit movie at the time of its release but over the years it has made a certain place in the viewer’s hearts.

Anurag Kashyap’s Gulaal is also a noteworthy political movie. The plot of Gulaal is set in Rajasthan focusing on the community of the former royalty who want to restore both the Rajputana province and the kingship.

The central protagonist of this tale is Dilip Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary), Dilip Singh starts off as an unconfident guy but soon gets involved in local politics after the death of his roommate cum friend Rananjay Singh (Abhimanyu Singh). Rananjay Singh was contesting in college elections, a local commander Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) insists Dilip to contest in place of his slain roommate and he makes sure that Dilip does win on the behalf of the Rajputana party. Running side by side are multiple subplots.

Anurag Kashyap’s depiction of student politics and the violence is hard to stomach; nevertheless the movie makes a strong impact. Gulaal also works as a critique of some movements that talk about how a particular community or a region is superior to the rest.

Sometimes the movie also plays out like a Shakespearean tragedy combing elements of jealousy, greed and corruption. At other times you have the Quentin Tarantino touch in the staging of the scenes that show the lawlessness.

Here’s hoping that Bollywood gets back to making solid political movies. The current trend of propaganda political movies have reached a saturation point which is evident in the lackluster response of the recent ones.

May 31, 2024November 5, 2024

OTT opens new doors for female actors

With the advent of OTT, the likes of Shefali Shah, Sushmita Sen, Manisha Koirala, and Sonakshi Sinha got their due.

The advent of OTT platforms has led to a significant change in more ways than one. One of the major changes has been to the narrative style.

Thanks to the longer runtime and long-form format, web shows have more scope for sustained storytelling.

Another major positive change is the space OTT has created for female actors to challenge themselves in mainstream and middle-of-the-road cinema.

With the longer runtime in web series, the actors have more time to build their characters and delve deeper into the nuances, which is often not possible in mainstream films with a limited run time.

They are also breaking the stereotypes of age and conventional roles.

Many female actors, despite talent, have been limited to supporting roles, with minimal scope of showing their acting prowess.

Of course, there have been phases where women-centric films have garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success. Some of these include The Dirty Picture (2011), Kahaani (2012), Queen (2014), Neerja (2016), Raazi (2018), etc.

However, the format of a web series offers more scope for the portrayal of powerful characters.

With the advent of OTT space, female actors got their due, especially in the case of Shefali Shah and Manisha Koirala, who have shone in Delhi Crime (2019 and 2022) and Heeramandi (2024) respectively.

Careers of Shefali Shah & Sushmita Sen revived

Among the firsts is the web series Delhi Crime (2019 and 2022), which revived the career of Shefali Shah.

She played the role of a DCP in the Delhi police. DCP Varthika helms the team which investigates the Nirbhaya case and also handles the public anger owing to the heinous crime.

She is a strong-willed officer who is also dealing with a rebellious daughter. The audiences had not seen Shefali previously in this kind of role and she surprised one and all with a rock-solid performance. Shefali Shah further surprised the spectators with her negative role in Human (2021).

Another similar example is Sushmita Sen, known for her glamorous roles, including that of lecturer Miss Chandini in Farah Khan’s masala potboiler Main Hoon Na (2004). While she was presented glamorously, the actor in Sushmita has mostly taken a backseat on the big screen.

Then comes Aarya (2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024) and Taali (2023)—the perfect examples of why Sushmita deserves better roles in mainstream cinema.

In Aarya— a crime thriller, she goes from being a single mother to eventually being sucked into the world of crime.

Taali, on the other hand, was a biopic of the transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant. In both these series, Sushmita was absolutely brilliant.

A realistic portrayal by Huma Qureshi

Huma Qureshi reinvented herself with the web series Maharani.

She has always been a competent actor starting from the Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) movies. She played important roles in movies like Badlapur (2015) but has never carried a film on her shoulders.

However, in the three seasons of Maharani, Huma showcased her larger bandwidth to play with. Her role of Rani Bharati (based on Rabri Devi) starts as a simple woman who is happy in her domestic life.

She is a school dropout much like the other women in her village. However, her life undergoes a huge change when her husband who is also the Bihar chief minister gets severely injured in a shootout.

From feeling like a fish out of water to becoming a fierce administrator, there is a huge canvas that Huma Qureshi got to play with and the actor absolutely nailed it.

In all three seasons, she got the nuances of the role spot on. She also did a good job of getting her dialect right.

Sonakshi Sinha & her acting prowess

Then comes Sonakshi Sinha, who has shown that she is here to stay with Dahaad (2023) and Heeramandi (2024).

For a large part of her movie career, Sonakshi has played roles where she is restricted to just a song and dance routine, and being a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued.

These include Rowdy Rathore (2012), R Rajkumar (2013), the Dabbang films (2010, 2012, and 2019) and even the last theatrical release Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

Yes, some of these movies have turned out to be money spinners but a sense of repetitiveness crept in.

However, the two-web series—Dahaad and Heeramandi—showed the actor in a very different light.

In Dahaad, Sonakshi Sinha was seen as a Dalit police officer (Anjali Bhaati).

On more than one occasion, she is insulted because of her gender and caste.

Sonakshi was adequately fierce and managed to capture the grittiness of a determined police officer well.

In Heeramandi, Sonakshi played an archrival to Manisha Koirala’s Mallikajaan; Sonakshi’s Fareedan is as ruthless and emotional as Mallikajaan.

Sonakshi Sinha chewed the scenery and more than held her own opposite the more accomplished Manisha Koirala. Fareedan was an absolute firebrand and Sonakshi did complete justice to her part.

A powerful comeback for Manisha Koirala

Heeramandi has also given a fresh lease of life to Manisha Koirala’s career.

In the films post her cancer recovery, the actor played a mother to heroes Ranbir Kapoor and Kartik Aryan respectively. There is a little depth in these characters for Manisha to chew into.

However, Heeramandi is a show that will give a major impetus to her second innings.

The role of Mallikajaan is far removed from all her previous roles; she never played a terrifying matriarch before. The body language along with dark shades is a completely new territory.

It is something that the viewers don’t expect from Manish Koirala, but the actor surprised everyone.

She portrayed both dark shades and emotional vulnerability with finesse.

Konkana Sen & Karishma Tanna

Konkona Sen, an actor par excellence, proved her talent over and over again in many shows and films. However, with Killer Soup (2024), the versatile actor proved she could play a negative character with equal finesse.

Konkona did play a negative role in Ek Thi Daayan (2013), but in that movie, she was just one of the three heroines. The Abhishek Chaubey directorial, though, had her as a major pivot.

In the Killer Soup web series, Konkona Sen played a housewife named Swati Shetty.

Swati dreams of opening a restaurant so she can have an identity of her own. But all she gets in the name of support from her husband are empty promises.

The role of Swati goes from a loving wife to a plotting woman. Konkona pulled off the different moods without fumbles.

Finally coming to the splendid performance of Karishma Tanna in Scoop (2023). The actor, too, has been part of known movies like Grand Masti (2013) and Sanju (2018). In these films, she was a mere glam doll.

But Scoop turned out to be a big game changer as the role was author-backed and Karishma made complete use of it.

In this web show, she played a journalist named Jagruti, who was falsely implicated in the murder of a fellow investigative journalist.

The role comes with many shades, starting as a confident woman who later becomes dejected yet maintains a fighting spirit in the harsh jail atmosphere.

Karishma Tanna was immensely successful in making the viewers root for Jagruti.

This is just a brief peek into how OTT has opened new doors for female actors. Many more women actors from mainstream and middle-of-the-road cinema are likely to join this list in the future.

May 9, 2024November 6, 2024

Emerging stars: Telugu cinema’s new wave of actors takes center stage

An overview of how a handful of Telugu actors broke through the dynastic ‘herodom’ and carved a niche for themselves.

Published in: Southfirst

Many new-age actors from outside the film industry have made their mark as heroes in Telugu cinema in the last few years. Their success augurs well for the industry.

They might not be ‘mass’ heroes but they played roles that resonated with different types of audiences. They also endeared themselves to the audiences with their multiple skills.

Actors like Naveen Polishetty and Siddhu Jonnalagadda would never enjoy the mass patronage of an Allu Arjun or a Jr NTR.

The reason is the market dynamics coupled with their backgrounds. So, they have chosen a different path for themselves by playing underdog characters in the case of Suhas. Or doing movies where both comedy and thrills are intermingled.

There is also a certain sense of self-depreciation in the roles. Let’s go one by one:

Naveen Polishetty

Naveen Polishetty started his career with Shekar Kammula’s film Life is Beautiful (2012), where he played a negative role.

This was followed by D for Dopidi (2013) and Sukumar’s 1: Nenokkadine (2014).

However, Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya (2019) gave him a much-needed break in his career. Naveen was the leading man in the film and also the co-writer.

The movie minted money at the box office and also won critical acclaim; a promising new talent was born.

Naveen further consolidated his status as a hero with the nonsensical comedy Jathi Ratnalu (2021).

The flick also featured Rahul Ramakrishna and Priyadarshi, but Naveen was the star of the show. He embraced the tonality of the film with zero inhibitions.

What additionally made Jathi Ratnalu special was the backing of Nag Ashwin, the director of Yevade Subramanyam (2015) and Mahanati (2018). It was a big promotion for Naveen.

Though the film was released at a tricky time, right after COVID-19, it became a huge success.

Naveen Polishetty scored a third consecutive hit with the romedy drama Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty (2023), directed by Mahesh Babu P. His role demonstrated that he was also an emotionally intelligent actor.

Naveen has a striking screen presence and an energy that makes him endearing. He has impeccable comic timing that can lift the most bizarre of situations, as we already witnessed in Jathi Ratnalu.

Siddhu Jonnalagadda

Siddhu Jonnalagadda is another new-age Telugu actor who proved himself as a writer and a hero, too.

He wrote both DJ Tillu (2022) and the superhit sequel Tillu Square (2024).

Siddhu thoroughly entertained the viewers with his antics. His comic punches often left the viewers in splits.

But what made DJ Tillu and the sequel a big success was how the actor-writer integrated the elements of comedy and thriller.

Apart from the above-mentioned film, Siddhu Konnalagadda was also the co-writer of Krishna and his Leela (2020). It was a breezy romantic film that dealt with contemporary relationships.

Siddu’s strength as an actor majorly comes from his ease in front of the camera and a certain style with which he delivers his dialogues.

Sure, his dramatic skills have not been tested yet, but characters like Tillu are a perfect fit for him.

Adivi Sesh

Unlike Naveen and Siddhu, Adivi Sesh is someone who comes with the looks of a dashing mainstream hero.

He also has a literary family background. His grand-uncle Adivi Bapiraju is a famous novelist and a playwright. However, that does not mean he had it easy in the industry.

It has taken a while for him to establish his space after playing small roles in big films; a case in point is SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Beginning (2015).

Sesh’s good looks and strong physicality helped him gain a strong base. But, apart from his looks, the actor impressed everyone with his acting and writing skills.

He became a thriller specialist with the likes of Kshanam (2016) and Goodachari (2018).

The actor‘s speciality is strong characterisations. For example, Anasuya Bhardhwaj and Satyam Rajesh in Kshanam or Vennela Kishore in Goodachari.

Adivi Sesh made the well-known story of Sandeep Unnikrishnan a hugely engrossing film both with his acting and writing abilities in Major (2022).

As a director, he has done only one movie — Karma (2010), which unfortunately was a big dud.

Hope he proves himself a good director, too, one day!

Suhas

The physical structure of Colour Photo (2020) and Ambajipeta Marriage Band (2024) actor Suhas is very similar to Tamil actor Dhanush.

Of course, the young Telugu actor does not have the mass image of the latter, but still, there are certain similarities in the underdog roles he has chosen.

Suhas also started with supporting roles in Agent Sai Srinivas Athreya and Prathi Roju Pandage (2019), among others.

However, he got his first break as a leading man in Colour Photo.

In the National Award-winning film, he played the role of a milkman’s son and won appreciation for his awe-inspiring performance.

This was followed by Writer Padmabhushan (2023) and Ambajipeta Marriage Band. Both these movies also had Suhas as an underdog.

But, in Ambajipeta Marriage Band, his character is fierier in comparison to Colour Photo, which belongs to the same terrain. In the second half, the actor pulled off scenes of aggression proficiently.

Priyadarshi Pulikonda

Priyadarshi is coming up with ‘Save The Tigers 3’ web series. (X)

Priyadarshi Pulikonda is another bright talent in Telugu cinema who has proved himself beyond comedy.

His performances in Mallesham (2019) and Venu’s Balagam (2022) are solid examples.

The actor also proved his mettle in the digital space with both seasons of Save the Tigers (2023 & 2024). The makers are soon coming up with the third season.

Priyadarshi was seen in the role of a dairy farm owner Ghanta Ravi in this web series. He was spot-on in capturing the nuances of the Telangana dialect.

The second season of Save the Tigers had some good father-and-daughter scenes.

What made the new-age Telugu actor successful is his imbibing the body language of the roles he portrays — in Mallesham or Save the Tigers web series.

Well, this is a brief account of some of the new-age Telugu actors who found success despite not having a filmy background.

There are also the likes of Raj Tarun, who started promisingly but could not sustain due to poor choice of roles.

Let’s hope many more actors outside the dynasties will try their luck in the Telugu film industry!

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/the-rise-of-new-age-telugu-actors

May 7, 2024November 6, 2024

Goat Days: Novel and movie complement each other

Goat Days written by Benyamin and the movie based on that Adujeevitham (The Goat Life) directed by Blessey complement well with each other. There are definitely more details and nuances in the book but at the same time the movie brings both the protagonist’s family life in Kerala and the drudgery of the desert in Saudi Arabia visually more alive.

One of the best aspects of the book for me was the crisp writing of Benyamin. The life of Najeeb in the desert is narrated in a racy manner making it a very easy read. Even slow readers can finish the book very fast. Najeeb’s struggles with rearing the goats and how he formed a bond is sketched in greater detail here in comparison with the movie.

For example in the novel there is a portion where a goat gives birth to its child right in the hands of Najeeb. Najeeb considers the baby goat as his son and names it Nabeel. Nabeel was the name he considered for his actual child if his wife had given birth to a male. She was pregnant when he left. Now he doesn’t know whom his wife delivered boy or girl. Still he believes it is a boy and proceeds to look after the baby goat as his own offspring.

He pampers the animal a lot. He even allows Nabeel to drink milk from his mother now and then which is a taboo in that place. If the owner of the goats comes to know of it Najeeb will have to face his wrath in the form of lashings and deprivation of food.

There is also a hugely disturbing portion in the book where Nabeel’s genitals are cut off. In the place Najeeb worked only a few male goats are allowed to have their genitals intact. It might be a universal practice with all goat rearers in the world but Najeeb finds it hard to accept it for his little one.

He tries his level best to save Nabeel by picking up some other goat for castration. But the Arab, his master, is a shrewd man with a great memory. He loses his patience and gives a tight kick to Najeeb. Najeeb begs the Arab not to cause any harm to that goat but in vain. The heartbreak of Najeeb is palpable.

The movie Aadujeevitham would have been even more engaging if director Blessey had included these scenes. However one area where the movie scores over the book is the Juxtaposition of Nabeel’s past life in Kerala backwaters and his present status of a wretched life. This juxtaposition added a lot to the movie because we get a thorough idea of how happy his earlier life was. In the book we do not see Najeeb remembering his wife so much.

The book also gives more clarity on why preservation of water is considered so important in that desert area. In the movie there is a scene where Prithviraj’s character uses water to clean himself after going to the toilet but his master kicks him for doing it, telling him to use stones instead of water. We feel it is so inhuman.

But while watching the movie we don’t initially understand why the Arab objected for the use of water for such a basic need. Book gives more clarity on this. Similarly we also don’t understand why the goats are taken for a walk every day in that scorching heat in spite of no grassland anywhere nearby. Actually this goat walking is meant to keep the animals active and healthy. If they are lazy their meat doesn’t taste good is something we come to know only after reading the book.

The escape scenes of Najeeb, Hakim and his co worker Ibrahim Khadiri in the desert come much later in the book unlike the movie where it occupies almost the entire second half. Though this journey of theirs is heartbreaking it felt a little dragged in the movie. The space given to it in the book seemed right because after a point it gets repetitive.

Both the film and the book have their own advantages and disadvantages. Keeping aside the stretched second half in the movie, director Blessey and actor Prithviraj Sukumaran deserve a huge appreciation for a gritty survival drama that makes you think about the plight of so many not so educated men and women who become easy target in those unknown lands.

If no other man or woman is fooled to slavery in this way ever again, the purpose of both the book and the movie will be served. Hope the Governments of both lands take notice. The movie should have come much earlier considering the huge success of the novel (more than 100 reprints in the Malayalam original). Thanks Najeeb, Thanks Benyamin, Thanks Blessey and Thanks Prithviraj Sukumaran.

March 4, 2024November 30, 2024

Social Dramas Shift From Theatres To OTT Space

A rundown of how gritty stories are of late being made more for the OTT platforms, both as films and web series.

Published in: Southfirst

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes in the film industry. The uncertainty of what works and what doesn’t work on the big screen has grown bigger than before.

The demand seems to be more for larger-than-life entertainment — whether it is Pushpa: The Rise (2021), RRR (2022), Pathaan (2022), Jawan (2023), or Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023).

Sure, there are also the likes of Vikrant Massey’s 12^th Fail (2023), which sprung a huge surprise. But many films which did well since COVID-19 are full of action and heroism.

Of course, movies with messages when mixed with entertainment — social dramas — do reach more audiences.

For example, in Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, director Atlee touched upon some pressing grassroots issues like poor facilities in government hospitals and farmer suicides among others.

In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani — a mainstream love story, director Karan Johar made some important points on inclusivity, the side effects of toxic masculinity, etc.

However, commercial trappings don’t always gel with issue-based films. For example, take Bheed (2023). It was mainly a story about the mass migration of workers during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Director Anubhav Sinha chose to insert a love story which didn’t gel in the overall tonality of Bheed. It was the commercial elements like these that hampered the film in a big way.

Now, let us look at the social dramas streaming on the OTT platforms:

OTT space sees influx of social dramas

After the advent of OTT, many social issues have come to light on screen.

For example, Manoj Bajpayee’s Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (2023) was a legal drama based on the trial of Asaram Bapu who raped a minor. This movie garnered a lot of acclaim for the realistic portrayal of the courtroom along with Manoj Bajpayee’s performance.

Pankaj Tripathi’s Kaagaz (2021) was about the struggle of a farmer who was declared dead in official papers. This social drama got decent reviews with particular praise for Pankaj Tripathi’s performance as a common man.

Vidya Balan’s Sherni (2021), again a social drama, dealt with the protection of wildlife which includes saving tigers.

Now, even the big production houses and stars have made a foray into OTT. I will start with King Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies made a few films on some important topics — Love Hostel (2022), Darlings (2022), and Bhakshak (2024). Darlings is a co-production of Alia and Shah Rukh Khan.

Love Hostel

Vikrant Massey and Sanya Malhotra’s Love Hostel was set amidst the background of families and Khap panchayats resorting to honour killings.

Sanya Malhotra played a Hindu girl named Jyothi in it, while Vikrant Massey played a Muslim named Ahmad. They stay in a protection home after marrying without the consent of their respective families, but this protection home does not guarantee their safety in any way.

Bobby Deol as Dagar is seen in the role of a ruthless mercenary who is hired to kill these young lovers.

Director Shankar Raman made this chilling film that questioned the self-appointed custodians of society.

The subject of Love Hostel isn’t particularly novel but what made this film click was the taut narration coupled with the trio of Vikrant Massey, Sanya Malhotra and Bobby Deol.

As the ruthless mercenary, Bobby evoked fear with just his demeanour. Dagar is someone who believes that his actions are necessary to keep the social fabric intact and the actor got the nuances of the character spot on.

Vikrant and Sanya as young lovers also made a striking impact; they aced the dialect apart from sharing a wonderful chemistry.

Bhakshak

Bhakshak, directed by Pulkit, was based on the real-life incidents of sexual abuse that happened in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur shelter home.

Bhumi Pednekar played the role of a small-time independent journalist who wants to bring out the reality of this shelter home.

In the recent past, the portrayal of journalists in movies has been quite objectionable. But here, the director did an authentic job of depicting journalism and journalists.

The scenes of sexual exploitation were also shown with the required sensitivity, never bordering on exaggeration.

Bhumi Pednekar aced her role as did Sanjay Mishra and Aditya Srivastava, among others.

Darlings

Jasmeet K Reen’s Darlings is a dark comedy/thriller about two Muslim women; Alia Bhatt as Badrunissa—the daughter and Shefali Shah as Shamshunissa—the mother.

Badrunissa faces both physical and emotional abuse from her husband Hamza (a scary Vijay Varma) but is always hopeful that he will change.

Shefali Shah’s Shamshunissa is more practical as she already experienced abuse from her spouse.

Darlings does have tonal issues in the second half but for a debut director Jasmeet K Reen did a good job in showcasing the unequal power structure of marriage and also the usage of the bustling chawl (lower middle class colony) which became a character in itself.

After Darlings, Alia Bhatt co-produced Poacher, a web show on another important social issue, which is about the poaching of elephants.

Richie Mehta is the director. His follow-up to Delhi Crime works as both an investigative thriller and human drama. It makes the viewers do some serious soul-searching about the need for peaceful co-existence between man and nature.

The Railway Men

Yash Raj Films is mostly known for producing big-scale entertainers. But, of late, it came up with a web show on a social issue — The Railway Men.

Of course, they have produced films like Chak De India (2007), Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009), etc. However, The Railway Men, produced by Aditya Chopra is a different entity altogether, as the series is based on the sensitive subject of the Bhopal gas tragedy.

Shiv Rawail made his debut as a writer cum director with this one. The debutant focused his lens on the little-known heroes of the Indian Railway who put their lives at stake to save thousands of people from the lethal gas.

The subject of The Railway Men is not an easy one to handle but Shiv Rawail showed a lot of maturity aided by some powerful performances from Kay Kay Menon and Babil Khan, among others.

More social dramas

Director-producer Karan Johar also sprang a pleasant surprise on the eve of Valentine’s Day with the docu-series Love Storiyaan (2024).

Love Storiyaan (2023) focused on real-life couples across age groups and states narrating their stories of resilience and strength. The narratives could have easily fit into a movie but he chose to do a docu-series.

Arjun Varain Singh’s Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023) is a friendship-based story on the loneliness of Gen Z in the digital era.

Zoya Akhtar also is a commercially successful director but she chose Kho Gaye Hum Kahan‘s story for the OTT space.

This increase in social issues in OTT platforms has its positives as more authentic presentation is possible. But at the same time, there is also the danger of theatrical experience being reduced to just larger-than-life entertainment stories.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/trend-alert-social-dramas-shift-from-theatres-to-ott-space/

February 20, 2024November 13, 2024

The triumph of ‘Hanu-Man’ amidst star-studded Sankranthi films…

Storywise, ‘Hanu-Man’ doesn’t boast of much novelty. It is a classic tale of good versus evil with the superhero tropes of Hollywood.

Published in: Southfirst

Much like Teja Sajja’s character Hanumanthu in the film, Hanu-Man is also an underdog in more ways than one.

Neither Prasanth Varma is a blockbuster director nor the leading man Teja Sajja. The young actor was still finding his footing as a commercial hero when the fantasy flick was released.

Sure, he was a part of the hugely successful film Oh! Baby (2019), but that was primarily Samantha and Lakshmi’s vehicle.

In such a scenario, Hanu-Man was up against Mahesh Babu, Venkatesh, and Nagarjuna — three big stars of Tollywood.

Guntur Kaaram (2024) was the reunion of Mahesh Babu and Trivikram. Saindhav (2024), on the other hand, was the 75th film of Venkatesh.

Saindhav had a massive pre-release buzz, and Venkatesh sounded very confident in his interviews and functions. Additionally, director Sailesh Kolanu of the successful HIT franchise was helming it.

Lastly, Naa Saami Ranga (2024) was expected to rake in good numbers given the rural atmospherics. Furthermore, Nagarjuna’s last two Sankranthi releases were commercially successful.

The USP of Hanu-Man

A poster of Teja Sajja’s ‘Hanu-Man’. (X)

Hanu-Man not only held its own among all four Sankranthi releases but also emerged as the biggest winner.

Storywise, Hanu-Man doesn’t boast of much novelty. It is a classic tale of good versus evil with the superhero tropes of Hollywood.

The protagonist of this tale is a small-time thief in a fictional village called Anjanadri, a village located miles away from urbanisation.

The protagonist here is the last person whom you would associate with having superhero powers.

What made Hanu-Man click was how Prasanth Varma weaved the elements of mythology in a contemporary setting. The amalgamation of devotion with the superhero elements made a perfect mix.

The transformation of Teja Sajja’s character was also done well, and the young actor pulled off the different shades with finesse.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, as Hanumanthu’s elder sister, was another big strength of the film.

The brother-sister bond gave the movie an emotional gravitas. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar also had her masala moment, which was a treat to watch.

Though the film’s budget doesn’t come anywhere close to Adipurush (2023), the special effects are far superior. These factors made Hanu-Man a big hit among all age groups.

Underwhelming performances

A poster of Mahesh Babu’s ‘Guntur Kaaram’. (X)

The other three Sankranthi releases underperformed for different reasons.

In the case of Guntur Kaaram, Trivikram’s favourite theme of discord in families and an estranged son fixing things backfired badly. Mahesh Babu had fun with his role but for the audiences, it was a slog for the most part.

The tone of Venkatesh’s Saindhav is similar to Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo (2023), a family man with a violent past.

Venkatesh works as a crane operator in the port city of Chandraprastha. Before taking up this job he was a member of a drug cartel.

Things take a drastic turn when his daughter is diagnosed with SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). To survive, she needs urgent medical treatment that costs ₹17 crore.

Saindhav had all the elements needed for a solid action drama. Venkatesh, as the single father, also delivered a commendable performance and pulled off the action sequences with the required intensity.

But the film was not entirely satisfying for fans of the action genre. The big reason for that is the uneven screenplay coupled with the lack of attention-grabbing twists.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui played an eccentric antagonist with a mix of Hindi and Telugu dialogues. But the unhingedness of his character comes across as irritating.

Doesn’t hit the mark

A poster of Nagarjuna’s ‘Naa Saami Ranga’. (X)

Naa Saami Ranga, directed by Vijay Binni, is a decent entertainer, provided you are not looking for a lot.

The village atmospherics are good as are the performances, particularly of Allari Naresh.

But the sharp writing needed for a wholesome Sankranti film is missing. The portions of Nagarjuna with his love interest Varalakshmi (Ashika Ranganath) feel dated.

The friendship between Nagarjuna’s Kishtayya and Allari Naresh’s Anji needed to be etched better.

To conclude, Hanu-Man has once again proved why big stars are not always needed to draw the audience in huge numbers.

Sometimes, solid storytelling can transform an actor into a star!

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/the-triumph-of-hanu-man-amidst-star-studded-sankranthi-films/

January 27, 2024November 24, 2024

Three Bollywood Biopics Based On Indian Prime Ministers — All Congress Bashers!

All three biopics depicted the Congress leaders as cardboard cut-outs; they are either scheming villains or incompetent buffoons.

Indian biopics in general turn out as reverential portraits where the flaws of a person are mostly hidden or camouflaged. They end up being more of a highlights reel.

This is even more so in the case of movies dwelling on the lives of politicians and those related to the army.

All three movies mentioned in this article have one striking thing in common—Congress bashing.

Congress leaders reduced to cardboard cut-outs

All three biopics, including The Accidental Prime Minister (2019) depict the Congress party as cardboard cut-outs. The Congress characters are either scheming villains or incompetent buffoons.

PM Narendra Modi (2019) was always meant to be a highly respectful portrait and the film did just that.

Director Omung Kumar took many cinematic liberties in presenting Modi as the perfect person.

An example of this cinematic liberty comes in the portions involving the Gujarat riots. He even showcased Narendra Modi as the hero of religious minorities!

This movie also has some Congress characters who seem to have stepped straight out of the sets of The Accidental Prime Minister.

A better biopic

Pankaj Tripathi in ‘Main Atal Hoon’. (X)

The recent addition Main Atal Hoon (2024) is a biopic on Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This film is definitely notches ahead of the other two movies.

Yes, the movie does come across as a highlights reel, particularly in the second half. But at the same time, there is some visible craft.

Director Ravi Jadhav did a good job of showcasing the different stages of Atal’s life.

The USP of Main Atal Hoon was the use of his poems; they come at the right juncture.

The speeches of Atal are another highlight of the film, especially the scene where he expresses anguish about the disturbing events of the emergency.

Ravi Jadhav also did a fine job of showing Atal’s political ideology, which includes wanting peace between India and Pakistan.

One of the early scenes in Main Atal Hoon perfectly establishes how he was the right mixture of calmness and aggression.

Pankaj Tripathi, in the title role, added another feather to his cap. The actor was magnetic and owned the screen.

A subplot featuring Pankaj Tripathi and Piyush Mishra (as Krishna Bihari Vajpayee, the father of Atul) was filled with so much warmth. The father-son scenes are so endearing, with portions of subtle humour.

But here, too, the portrayal of the Congress continues to be caricaturist.

The characterisation of Indira Gandhi, in particular, left a lot to be desired.

Payal Nair, as Indira Gandhi, was blank in her expressions. She had a sullen face throughout.

A clumsy propaganda

Vivek Oberoi in ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi’. (X)

Now, to The Accidental Prime Minister, which was released much before these two biopics.

It was released during the run-up to the 2019 general elections. As it was also a biopic on Manmohan Singh, the previous PM, one would have naturally expected some good things about his life and deeds.

But even that film was meant to valorise the BJP and downgrade Congress.

Apart from BJP propaganda, another big problem with The Accidental Prime Minister was the clumsy manner in which the role of Manmohan Singh was written and enacted.

Manmohan Singh is a man who has donned multiple hats apart from being the prime minister. He was an economist and academician.

But in the film, he comes across as eternally confused and a puppet figure.

Anupam Kher is an acclaimed actor who has brought many characters to life. But here, he was doing more mimicry with exaggerated hand movements and a stiff voice.