Category: Features

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Most Impactful Hindi Web Series Of 2023

A good thing about these web series is several of them have left a huge impression in the minds and hearts of the audiences.

In the last few years, the number of web series in Hindi has been on the rise, particularly after the advent of mainstream production houses in the OTT space.

For example, YRF Chief Aditya Chopra forayed into the digital space in 2023 with the impactful human drama The Railway Men, based on the Bhopal gas tragedy.

First-time director Shiv Rawail had a difficult subject to deal with given the sensitivity of the issue. However, the newbie more than rose to the challenge. He didn’t shy away from addressing the moral corruption within the political landscape of that period.

Zoya Akhtar, of course, created her own stamp in the OTT space with the two seasons of Made in Heaven and Dahaad.

Similarly, acclaimed director Neeraj Pandey struck gold with the web series Special OPS and The Freelancer (though he is only the creator and not the director of The Freelancer his imprint is visible).

A good thing about these web series is several of them have left a huge impression in the minds and hearts of the audiences.

Kaala Paani, directed by the duo of Sameer Saxena and Amit Golani, was a gripping dystopian drama set in the backdrop of a mysterious disease in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The show dealt with various themes like environmental exploitation and the harmonious relationship that indigenous people share with nature. It did suffer from pacing issues but still, it was gripping enough.

The ensemble cast led by Mona Singh also delivered brilliant performances. For Mona Singh, it was a double whammy after her impactful turn in Made in Heaven Season 2.

Similarly, director duo Prashanth Nair and Randeep Jha also delivered an unforgettable tale of courage and resilience Trial by Fire based on a real-life story.

After a long gap, Abhay Deol did some of his work here as Shekhar Krishnamurthy. Much like the other Deols — Dharmendra, Sunny, and Bobby Abhay — also rocked this year but in the digital format.

Now, let’s check the most impactful web series made this year in Hindi.

Made in Heaven Season 2

Radhika Apte in Made In Heaven Season 2
Radhika Apte in ‘Made In Heaven Season 2’. (S)

Contrary to the title Made in Heaven, there is nothing heavenly about how most of the marriages are portrayed in the two seasons. There were solid expectations from the second season, given how the first one was received.

Directors Zoya Akhtar and Neeraj Ghaywan among others not only delivered a solid follow-up but also pushed the envelope further in exposing the double standards and hypocrisies that dwell in our society through different weddings.

Just like the first season, here too, the social aspects came out strongly. Yes, the show could have been done with a crisper edit, but that didn’t diminish the impact of these stories.

Out of all the episodes, my two most favourite are the ones directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. One of them is about a successful author and Professor Pallavi Menke (Radhika Apte).

She is a Dalit Buddhist who asserts her Dalit identity at every step, including her wedding ceremony. Radhika Apte’s fiery performance coupled with Neeraj Ghaywan’s direction made this a punch-packed episode.

Another episode directed by Neeraj Ghaywan revolves around a man and a woman in their 50s having an extramarital affair without the knowledge of their respective spouses. Neelam Kothari and Samir Soni played Kriti and Gulshan respectively.

They were lovers while in college. This episode ends with Kriti taking a bold step that obviously doesn’t go down well with her children.

The performances across the board were first class with special mention to Radhika Apte and Mrunal Thakur in their extended special appearances.

Mrunal played a beauty queen struggling in an abusive relationship. The actress did a wonderful job, particularly in the breakdown scenes.

Dahaad

Gulshan Devaiah in Dahaad
Gulshan Devaiah in ‘Dahaad’. (X)

Dahaad directed by Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi was more than a police procedural about a serial killer.

Some important social issues were also addressed in a hard-hitting manner.

Zoya Akhtar wrote the screenplay for Dahaad. For those who are not aware, Dahaad is inspired by the story of a real-life serial killer Cyanide Mohan.

Vijay Varma as the serial killer was terrific. He played socially deviant roles in the past too, like Darlings. Here too, he makes a huge impact as Anand Swarnakar.

He appears to be a do-gooder on the surface but what he actually does is seduce women from the lower strata of society, particularly the daughters of those who cannot afford to give dowry.

He camouflages himself into a different person each time and seduces them with sweet talk. Once they fall for him and sex takes place, he believes they are characterless and deserve to die.

Vijay was simply fantastic both as a serial killer who has unresolved issues with his dad and also as the middle-class married man who pretends to be a great husband and father.

Another standout feature of Dahaad is the performance of Gulshan Deviah as Devilal Singh. Devilal Singh is not only a determined police officer but also weathers a big storm at home due to his progressive outlook.

Devilal wants his daughter to be independent and not confine herself to being a housewife in future. His wife doesn’t think that way and this results in a conflict between husband and wife.

His progressive outlook can also be seen in the few scenes he shares with his son. The best example of this is the moment when Devilal tells his son that it is natural to have curiosity about sex at his age but at the same time, he needs to be cautious in these matters.

Gulshan was absolutely magnetic in every scene.

Sonakshi Sinha was adequately fierce but her performance feels like a letdown in comparison to others.

Another area where Dahaad slightly faltered was its climax. The confrontation scene between Vijay and Sonakshi needed to be more powerful. Still, Dahaad was definitely a worthy roar.

Scoop

Karishma Tanna in Scoop
Karishma Tanna in ‘Scoop’. (X)

Hansal Mehta has made a niche for himself with stories based on real life, whether it is Shahid (2012), Aligarh (2015) or Omerta (2017).

His web series debut Scam 1992 (2020) was also based on the real-life rags-to-riches story of stockbroker Harshad Mehta.

Continuing this route, Hansal Mehta once again chose a real-life story for his second web series — Scoop. This time the focus was on a real-life investigative Journalist Jigna Vora.

Jigna Vora was falsely suspected of having a hand in the murder of another investigative journalist, Jaideb Sen (Prosenjit Chatterjee). As a result of her arrest, Jigna changes from being a confident journalist to a dejected woman. Karishma Tanna delivered a breakthrough performance in the titular role.

Apart from Karishma, Harman Baweja and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub were also competent in their respective parts.

In fact, the character of Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is also based on a real-life person named Hussain Zaidi. Hussain Zaidi is, of course, a prominent investigative journalist along with being a prolific writer. He was the mentor of the real-life Jigna.

A strong aspect of the Scoop web series is not only how Hansal Mehta depicted the challenge faced by these journalists in their everyday lives and the effect it has on them, but he also did a first-class job in showing the prejudices that female professionals face.

Hansal Mehta also deserves credit for how he fearlessly exposed the nexus between Dawood Ibrahim and the police.

Hussain Zaidi was also involved in this web series as part of research and his hand is clearly visible on many occasions.

Jubilee

After co-directing Sacred Games in 2018, Jubilee is the first full-fledged web series that Vikramaditya Motwane directed. He successfully transported the viewers into the 1940s.

Aparshakti Khurrana in Jubilee
Aparshakti Khurrana in ‘Jubilee’. (X)

The focus was the Hindi film industry of that time with the backdrop of the Independence movement and partition.

It is broadly inspired by the lives of prominent yesteryear film personalities Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani (Shrikant Roy and Sumitra Devi in the web series). Prosenjit Chatterjee and Aditi Rao Hydari played these parts.

The other prominent characters include Binod Das (Aparshakti Khurrana) Shrikant’s Man Friday who aspires to become a big actor. Niloufer Qureshi (Wamiqa Gabbi) is a courtesan.

Sidhant Gupta is Jay Khanna, a Pakistani refugee who is desperate to find a footing in Bombay. They both are street smart and end up striking a friendship with a common goal of making it big in the city and Roy Talkies.

Jubilee is a show that immerses the viewers from the first frame. The technical department deserves major kudos along with the director.

The art direction in particular is top-notch. The sets of Priti Gole and Yogesh Bansod are truly era-appropriate. Similarly, the cinematography of Pratik Shah enhances the overall experience.

What also made Jubilee binge-worthy was how Vikramaditya captured the turbulent political atmosphere and the effect it had on the film industry. Many scenes resonate with today’s times.

For example, there is a moment where Prosenjit Chatterji’s Shrikant Roy talks about the dangers of using cinema for propaganda. The characterisations were also layered particularly the ones essayed by Sidhant Gupta, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Aparshakti Khurrana.

Sidhant Gupta perfectly portrayed the pain and also the fighting spirit of a young man who has suddenly become a refugee in what was until recently his own country.

Wamiqa Gabbi’s Niloufer is someone who has big aspirations and to fulfil those dreams she takes all the possible routes. Some of it is questionable too but at the same time, Niloufer never comes across as compromising. Wamiqa effortlessly portrayed all these shades.

Aparshakti Khurrana took a huge U-turn from his regular comic roles. His character Binod Das has some grey shades which the actor pulled off with panache.

Certain passages in the show could have been done with a tighter edit.

Also, Aditi Rao Hydari’s Sumitra Devi needed to be more power-packed both in writing and performance. Her romantic scenes with Jamshed Khan (Nandish Singh Sandhu) with whom she tries to elope are loosely written.

Despite these flaws, Jubilee is still a very well-made web series.

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo

Filmmaker Homi Adajania created a niche for himself with the likes of Being Cyrus (2005) and Finding Fanny (2014).

With Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo, the director made his digital debut. The show was produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films.

Dimple Kapadia in Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo
Dimple Kapadia in ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo’. (X)

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo was a formidable tale of four badass women set in the remote village of Hastinapur, somewhere in Rajasthan.

Savitri (Dimple Kapadia) is a matriarch who runs a company named “Rani Cooperative”. On the surface, this company produces various products but there is also a dark side.

Savitri’s team of women includes Kajal (Angira Dhar), Bijilee (Isha Talwar), and Shanta (Radhika Madan). While Shanta is the rebellious daughter Kajal and Bijilee are daughter-in-laws of Savitri.

These four together run drug business with a firm hand and live life on their terms. Deepak Dobriyal played the role of “The Monk” who is the arch-villain. Ashish Verma and Varun Mitra played the sons of Savitri.

Their characters have zero knowledge about the nature of their mother’s business. However, they soon come to know.

A strong aspect of Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo is how the director Homi Adajania makes Savitri’s palatial haveli a character in itself.

This is a place that is full of secrets. There was also an authenticity to the way the village was portrayed and the rustic makeover of these characters.

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo is high on both thrills and emotions. There are many moments of tension and unpredictability as the plot thickens.

The emotional aspect can be particularly felt in the characterisation of Dimple Kapadia. Savitri is extremely brutal and menacing. At the same time, there is an emotional gravitas in the way her flashback is revealed.

Similarly, Isha Talwar’s Bijilee had the additional layer of homosexuality. Thankfully, this angle was dealt with sensitivity.

There are also some laugh-out-loud moments, thanks to Ashish Verma playing one of the sons. He brought in many chuckles with his understated humour.

Through his web series, the director also paid homage to both Mirch Masala (1987) and Bandit Queen (1994).

Talking about the performances, Dimple Kapadia led the ensemble by exuding both raw power and required vulnerability.

Angira Dhar and Isha Talwar also stood out with their power-packed performances.

The one slight flaw is the underutilisation of the legendary Naseeruddin Shah. The senior actor was a delight to watch in his portions. Still, the viewers feel that there could have been more of him.

Overall, this group of women gave a solid high to the viewers.

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Best Of Tollywood 2023: These Telugu Films Not Only Made Good Business But Also Won The Hearts Of Audiences With Their Content

In 2023, the Telugu film industry did not have any monstrous successes on the scale of RRR (2022) but there are many decent hits like Hi Nanna, Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty, Bhagavanth Kesari, and Virupaksha headlined by stars and tier-2 actors.

Small-budget films like Writer Padmabhushan and Balagam also struck a chord with audiences and critics alike.

Further, in 2023, several new and unconventional themes have been explored in Tollywood.

For example, Balagam was a human drama set against the backdrop of a funeral in rural Telangana. The practices of a specific region were portrayed with authenticity and this majorly contributed to the audience’s connection with the film.

Writer Padmabhushan delves into the struggles of both an aspiring writer and the unfulfilled aspiration of a housewife who wanted to become a writer. This is again a theme that we don’t see in Telugu cinema.

Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty explored the concept of a young man falling in love with an older woman in the backdrop of sperm donation.

Hi Nanna is about the trials of a single father and a complex love story that ends happily. Both these films worked well with their target audiences.

The biggest surprise of 2023 though is the transition of Balakrishna from a macho hero to a father hero. In Bhagavanth Kesari, the actor played a foster father with a salt-and-pepper look that went with his age.

Lastly, Virupaksha was a paranormal thriller that raised some important points about the prejudices and superstitious beliefs set against the backdrop of a particular village.

Now, let us delve a little more into these Tollywood releases:

Hi Nanna

First-time director Shouryuv delivered a riveting emotional saga about a single father and his daughter, along with a mother who battles her inner demons. Hi Nanna moves at a slow pace and is definitely not for those who prefer high-octane entertainers.

A poster of the film Hi Nanna
A poster of the film ‘Hi Nanna’. (X)

The trio of Nani, Baby Kiara, and Mrunal Thakur were simply splendid in their respective parts. For Nani, the role of Viraj is a cakewalk. But still, the actor was a delight to watch — whether it was the boyishness of a young lover or a determined single father in the later stages.

Baby Kiara more than held her portraying innocence and vulnerability like a pro.

Mrunal Thakur as Yashna/Varsha delivered a performance that was a step ahead of last year’s Sita Ramam (2022) in many ways.

On many occasions, she conveyed various feelings with just her expressive eyes, proving yet again why she is a bundle of talent.

Overall, Hi Nanna proved to be a perfect balm for those traumatised by the violent father-and-son dynamics of Animal.

Another strong aspect of Hi Nanna is the mostly soothing soundtrack of Hesham Abdul Wahab. My favourite songs in the album are “Samayama”, “Gaaju Bomma”, and “Ammaadi“.

The one song that sticks like a sore thumb though is “Odiyamma” featuring Shruti Haasan in an extended cameo, which the film could have easily done away with.

Sanu Varghese’s cinematography is icing on the cake, particularly the portions where Viraj talks about his wife in a fairy tale format.

Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty

P Mahesh Babu’s Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty is a romantic drama filled with many layers. On one hand, you have an older woman Anvitha (Anushka Shetty), who wants children but not through marriage. She wants to go for IVF, that too, by choosing her sperm donor.

Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty best telugu films 2023
A poster of ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’. (X)

On one level, the movie has a distinct hangover of Ayushmann Khurrana’s Vicky Donor (2012). But Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty is very much its beast.

A big strength of the film is how P Mahesh Babu has sketched his two protagonists.

Anvitha comes across as very stubborn, at times cold-hearted too, but having said that, the viewers also understand why she is the way she is. The inner trauma of Anvitha was both well-written and enacted.

The director was successful in creating an authentic middle-class milieu through the characters of Murali Sharma and Tulasi playing Siddhu’s (Naveen Polishetty’s) parents.

Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty benefitted immensely from its two primary actors — Anushka Shetty and Naveen Polishetty.

Anuskha fits perfectly into the part of an older woman who is scared of getting into relationships.

Naveen Polishetty was an absolute livewire. His real-life experience of doing standup comedy came very handy. However, he was equally good in the more dramatic portions.

Jayasudha had an extended cameo as Anvitha’s mother, and her fan act of Balakrishna raised some chuckles. A couple of flaws include the rushed transformation of Siddhu’s parents, particularly the father.

Also, the likes of Nassar could have been utilised better.

Bhagavanth Kesari

In Bhagavanth Kesari, director Anil Ravipudi successfully moved away from his regular style of filmmaking and delivered an emotional drama that showed a different side to Nandamuri Balakrishna. At the same time, he satisfied his hardcore fans.

Balakrishna in Bhagavanth Kesari
Balakrishna in ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’. (X)

Bhagavanth Kesari is primarily about an ex-police officer turned foster father to Vijji (Sreeleela).

As a young child, Vijji meets Bhagavanth in a jail where her father (R Sarathkumar) worked. Bhagavanth feels an emotional connection with the child from the beginning. After the sudden death of Vijji’s father, he takes over her responsibility.

The biggest USP of Bhagavanth Kesari is easily the emotional drama between Bhagavanth and Vijji. The thought processes of Bhagavanth and Vijji are vastly different from each other.

Vijji’s interests lie more in marrying the love of her life. Bhagavanth, on the other hand, wants to raise her like a lion. In that process, he pushes Vijji to do certain things.

In these portions, the attitude of Bhagavanth reminds the viewers of Aamir Khan’s Mahavir Singh Phogat in Dangal (2016).

Director Anil Ravipudi also made some important points about good and bad touch through a rousing monologue of Balakrishna.

Both Balakrishna and Sreeleela delivered powerful performances. Balakrishna’s command over the Telangana dialect was also commendable. Arjun Rampal made for a worthy opponent.

He brought in the right amount of swag and ruthlessness. It is not the most innovative character, but Arjun Rampal still made it work.

Virupaksha

Karthik Varma Dandu’s Virupaksha is a solid paranormal thriller that scores equally on both the atmosphere and the content.

The filmmaker proved to be a worthy successor to his master — the hugely successful filmmaker Sukumar, who is also the screenplay writer for this film.

best of tollywood 2023 telugu films virupaksha
Sai Dharam Tej’s ‘Virupaksha’. (X)

Virupaksha is one of those movies that instantly draws the viewers in with its ambience. It has some genuine jump scares; on more than one occasion, the viewers would want to close their eyes.

Sukumar’s screenplay is filled with many layers. He, along with his director, comes up with valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

They also deserve credit for not making their protagonist Surya (Sai Dharam Tej) larger than life. There are no unnecessary songs or comedy tracks that deviate the audience’s attention.

The twists and turns are engrossing till the end.

A special mention must be made of the climactic punch regarding the character of Samyukta Menon’s Nandini.

On the performance front, Sai Dharam Tej delivered a convincing performance. But it was Samyukta who stole the show with a complex character.

The supporting cast comprising Rajeev Kanakala, Ajay, and Sai Chand were also fine in their respective parts.

Hello Meera (Amazon Prime)

Hello Meera, directed by Srinivasu Kakarala, is a well-made experimental film.

The story revolves around a single character. Gargeyi Yellapragada played the titular role.

Meera is all set to marry a man called Kalyan and is busy finalising the last-minute formalities for her big day in Vijayawada.

A poster of the film Hello Meera
A poster of the film ‘Hello Meera’. (X)

She is on her way back home, but at that exact moment, a cop from Hyderabad calls her to report to a police station at the earliest. The reason is her ex-boyfriend had attempted suicide mentioning her name in the suicide note.

What follows is a story that is not just high on thrills but also dwells on the prejudices that a modern woman faces.

It is not an easy task for any filmmaker to write and engage the audience with a script with only a single actor at its centre. But Srinivasu Kakarala more than rose to the occasion. He ensured that the audience was invested in the plight of Meera. As viewers, you want her to come out safe from this ordeal.

Hello Meera has a series of voice conversations. At times, it does get monotonous, but these voice characters also have a variety.

For example, there is her conservative mother, a father who stands by his daughter, and a future partner who comes across as slightly insensitive.

Teja Paruchuri of Vismai Foods has given his voice to the future spouse.

Gargeyi Yellapragada as Meera is thoroughly impressive. Her reactions to different situations do not come across as staged at any point. She is supremely natural. Her character of a modern woman who is forthright and owns up to the mistakes she has made in the past is something that many modern women can relate to.

Saalar: Part 1-Ceasefire

Saalar: Part 1-Ceasefire directed by Prashanth Neel is an important movie for its leading man Prabhas. The Baahubali star has been struggling big time to maintain his image as a pan-India star.

Prabhas in Salaar
Prabhas in ‘Salaar’. (X)

Many thought that Om Raut’s Adipurush (2023) would bring back the lost glory, but nothing of that sort happened. In fact, the movie only added to Prabhas’ misery.

With Saalar: Part 1-Ceasefire, Prashanth Neel delivered a masala treat which should appeal to the fans of Prabhas.

The biggest strength of Saalar: Part 1-Ceasefire is the intense brotherhood showcased between Prabhas’ Deva and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Vardha.

Deva’s intense affection for Vardha is visible right from the first scene, and this brotherhood only becomes stronger as the film goes on. Not surprisingly, Prabhas shares most sparks with Prithviraj.

Shruti Haasan played the role of Aadhya. She speaks in a heavily accented American accent, which is irritating, to say the least. Prabhas and Shruti do not have many scenes and aren’t romantically paired at least in this first part.

Prabhas doesn’t have many dialogues, but the actor is successful in portraying the raw aggression reminiscent of Chatrapathi (2005) days.

Prithviraj is also wonderful in portraying both the vulnerability and determination of a future successor caught in the power struggle.

The world of Saalar: Part 1-Ceasefire is similar to Game of Thrones in terms of drama and character dynamics.

Some of the themes explored by the film are the right to leadership and loyalty among others. Prashanth Neel has done a good job of depicting these themes.

Saalar: Part 1-Ceasefire ends with a cliffhanger that sets a good base for the second part.

Apart from an irritating Shruti Haasan, the KGF (2022) hangover does play a spoilsport. Also, the bloodshed in the second half gets too gory much like Animal which was also released in December.

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Best Of Bollywood Films 2023: An Overview Of Some Impactful Hindi Movies That Did Good Business

2023 has definitely been a far better year for Bollywood in more ways than one. Films like Pathaan, Jawan, Animal, and Gadar 2 have become major blockbusters.

In addition to being blockbusters, both Pathaan and Jawan opened to good reviews.

On the other hand, Animal had mixed reviews. Despite severe criticism about the toxic masculinity promoted in the movie, Animal broke many box office records majorly due to the performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol.

Gadar 2, as a film, has no emotional impact like its prequel, but there was enough for the hardcore masses to enjoy. Sunny Deol proved he still has the charisma to play a mass hero by pulling off the gravity-defying action sequences.

Apart from these blockbusters, other films that attained hit status include Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and OMG 2.

2023 has also been a year where not-so-mainstream actors Pankaj Tripathi and Vikrant Massey successfully carried their films on their shoulders. Well, I’m talking about OMG 2 and 12th Fail.

Now, let us get into more details about the best of 2023 Bollywood films, not necessarily the blockbusters.

Pathaan

Siddarth Anand’s globetrotter was an eagerly-awaited movie since it marked Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback to the silver screen as a leading man after a long gap of five years.

Shah Rukh in a still from Pathaan
Shah Rukh in a still from ‘Pathaan’. (X)

Siddarth Anand had a huge responsibility on his shoulders, and the director more than succeeded in delivering a popcorn entertainer with the aid of a fast-paced screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan.

What also made Pathaan the perfect mass entertainer was the strong antagonist in the form of John Abraham.

The combat sequences between Shah Rukh Khan and John were well-executed. John Abraham’s Jim was not just menacing, but he carried an angst. Jim had a solid back story explaining why he did what he did.

Another strong aspect of Pathaan is the backstory of how this spy gets this name. The scenes of Shah Rukh Khan with the locals of Afghanistan have so much warmth in them.

Shah Rukh had a blast playing a full-fledged action hero. He was in equal parts charming and rugged. However, after delivering a series of subpar outings, John Abraham surprised everyone in this action entertainer.

Dimple Kapadia, as the boss lady, was also in fine form.

There were some things in Pathaan which did not quite work. One was the simplistic way the topic of patriotism and the Pakistani angle were dealt with.

Also, the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika practically jumped out of nowhere.

However, in the final tally, Pathaan was the ideal mass comeback for Shah Rukh Khan.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Satyaprem Ki Katha were easily the best romantic films Bollywood produced this year.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani poster
A poster of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’. (X)

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani had all the staple elements that one expects from a Karan Johar entertainer.

There were larger-than-life sets and some exquisite costumes, particularly gorgeous saris worn by the women. However, there was more to the film than just mere gloss.

Karan Johar subverted some of his own themes from his previous films — like how fear is camouflaged as respect in our culture. He also made some pertinent points on the side effects of toxic masculinity.

Most importantly, Through the role of Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa, Karan Johar presented a protagonist willing to change and evolve into a better human being.

Just like Ranbir Kapoor’s Ranvijay Singh in Animal, Rocky does not share the best relationship with his father. But he never uses it as an excuse to become a wild “animal”.

In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, many scenes could be watched on repeat mode. The sequences of Rocky flirting with Alia’s Rani Chatterjee in his broken English and her amusement bring a smile to the viewers’ faces.

The decency of Ranveer backing off when Rani clarifies that nothing more can happen between them was refreshing.

The scene where Rani proposed to Rocky in the middle of a road was definitely filmy but adorable, given how Karan switched the gender roles.

A major highlight of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was the recreation of the song “Dola Re Dola” from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002).

Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa performing Kathak with his prospective father-in-law (Tota Roy Chowdhury) was a pleasant surprise.

The different emotions that Rani Chatterjee went through — from shock, wonder, and finally extreme happiness — were portrayed brilliantly by Alia.

In the second half, the messaging got heavy. Nevertheless, it was not a deterrent.

The performances of the principal cast were brilliant all through, with particular mention of Tota Roy Chowdhury as the Kathak-loving man.

Satyaprem Ki Katha

A still from Satyaprem Ki Katha
A still from ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’. (X)

Just like Rocky Randhawa in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Kartik Aryan’s Sattu in Satyaprem Ki Katha was also a protagonist willing to evolve and change.

Sattu was initially shown as an underdog well out of Katha’s (Kiara Advani) range.

But circumstances not only bring them together but also get them married.

Katha had a haunting past that was initially assumed to be the result of a bad break-up with her ex-boyfriend. But later, it turned out to be something more sinister.

The film was essentially a relationship drama while dealing with an important social issue like date rape.

Director Sameer Vidwans did a good job of depicting the issue of consent in relationships.

At times, Sattu came across as too patient with Katha, but he was never presented as some social reformer. The change in Sattu happened gradually.

Both Kartik and Kiara delivered brilliant performances.

The supporting cast, led by Gajraj Rao, was also in fine form.

OMG 2

OMG 2 poster
A poster of ‘OMG 2’. (X)

This spiritual sequel to the 2012-released film Oh My God was a compelling social drama that looked at the taboo yet important subject of sex education.

The best part of Amit Rai’s direction was how he normalised the discussions around physical intimacy without making it look awkward or uncomfortable.

One of the standout scenes in OMG 2 was Pankaj Tripathi’s Kanti Sharan Mudgal explaining how the body parts of males and females should be taught in school. Pankaj Tripathi did complete justice to the arc of his role.

Akshay Kumar had an extended cameo as Lord Shiva’s messenger in human form.

In Oh My God, Akshay played Lord Krishna. Much like that film, here too, he played the part with the right amount of divinity.

The scenes of Akshay imparting wisdom to Kanti Sharan were good to watch.

Jawan

Jawan was a film that can ideally be described as a Khichdi of Shankar’s brand of vigilante cinema and Shah Rukh’s Chak De India.

At its core, Jawan was a father-and-son drama with 50 shades of Shah Rukh Khan as both father and son.

Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan
Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Jawan’. (X)

Atlee absolutely nailed these father-son moments besides addressing various grassroots problems like underdeveloped government facilities.

One of the women in Shah Rukh Khan’s vigilante gang was played by Sanya Malhotra. Her backstory was based on a real-life person named Dr Kafeel Khan.

Dr Kafeel Khan was falsely accused of the death of several kids at a hospital where the real issue was a lack of proper facilities along with corruption. Dr Kafeel Khan tried to procure oxygen, but his best efforts failed to save the children.

Yes, the presentation of these grassroots issues was simplistic, but still, it hit the viewers hard.

Jawan also benefitted immensely from Shah Rukh Khan submitting totally to the director’s script and giving it his all.

Nayanthara also made a solid Bollywood debut in her dual-shaded role as a determined NSG commander and a single mother.

On the other hand, Vijay Sethupati made for a good opponent, particularly in the second half.

The same cannot be said about Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt.

The energy dipped during the brief flashback scenes of Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika.

Sanjay Dutt’s extended cameo did not add great value to the proceedings.

Nevertheless, Jawan, on the whole, proved to be “paisa vasool” entertainment.

Jaane Jaan (Netflix)

A poster of Jaane Jaan film
A poster of Bollywood film ‘Jaane Jaan’ . (X)

For those who are not aware, Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan was based on the best-selling Japanese novel “Devotion of Suspect X“, which already has many onscreen adaptations.

Jaane Jaan was primarily about a single mother named Maya D’Souza (Kareena Kapoor), who runs a local café.

Maya has a dark past related to her ex-husband (Saurabh Sachdeva). Jaideep Ahlawat, Maya’s neighbour and a Mathematics teacher, secretly loves her but is socially awkward. Every day, he visits the café, leading to some amusing moments.

Maya’s life turns upside down after the re-entry of her ex-husband. From here, the movie goes into the zone of the Drishyam series.

Jaane Jaan was a survival thriller about a determined single mother. In this story, she gets the help of a neighbour who would go to any lengths to save her.

The soul of Jaane Jaan was the relationship dynamics between Kareena Kapoor’s Maya and Jaideep Ahlawat’s Naren. Sujay Ghosh did not miss a single beat in depicting this complex love. He also did complete justice to the novel “Devotion of Suspect X“.

The hill station of Kalimpong also became a character in itself, thanks to Avik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography.

The scenes between Kareena and Vijay Varma, playing a charming cop for a change, were good to watch.

Both Kareena and Jaideep got into the skin of their characters.

Vijay Varma brought a lot of charm to his scenes.

12th Fail

12th Fail film poster
A poster of the film ’12th Fail’. (X)

12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was a classic underdog drama about a real-life IPS officer — Manoj Kumar Sharma.

The DNA of 12th Fail was quite similar to the underdog stories that Rajkumar Hirani directed — 3 Idiots (2009) and Munna Bhai (2003, 2006) films.

It was meant to give the viewers a warm hug and make them leave the theatres with a happy feeling.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra mostly succeeded in his endeavour. The director, along with his leading man Vikrant Massey, did a wonderful job of showcasing the numerous challenges that Manoj faces.

There were places in the first half where the pace dipped, but having said that, there was also a lot to enjoy, especially if you are a fan of inspirational films based on real life.

Apart from the overall strong performances by technicians, 12th Fail scored distinction marks.

The cinematography of Hemant Wagh, in particular, stood out — whether it was the initial scenes in Chambal or the later ones in Delhi Streets.

Dunki

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A still from Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’. (X)

Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki will not do the business of Shah Rukh Khan’s last two films — Pathaan and Jawan, but there is no denying that this is an important film in terms of how it addresses an important social issue.

The issue is about borders existing only for the underprivileged. It presents a hard-hitting tale of immigrants in this case Punjabi migrating to England through illegal means for different
reasons.

The first half of Dunki is mostly a breezy watch, but things take a serious turn just before the interval. Vicky Kaushal has an extended special appearance and is at his usual best.

The comic portions in this film don’t have the brilliance of the Munnabhai MBBS (2003), Three Idiots (2009), and PK (2014), but it recovers ground, particularly in the second half when the proceedings get serious.

The second half shows the many dangers Shah Rukh’s Hardy, Taapsee Pannu’s Manu and others go through to reach London. Here, their utopia comes crashing down. The viewers get a short but powerful glimpse of the menial jobs that these immigrants have to do even after securing citizenship.

One of these immigrants is Vikram Kocchar’s Buggu. Buggu passes the IELTS exam and goes to London legally before Hardy and Manu, but he is still not living a happy life.

Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial skills come out in the second half the way he handles the drama.

One of the things that work for Dunki is the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee. Both the actors share a good chemistry in both light and emotional scenes.

Anil Grover and Vikram Kocchar also bring a certain gravitas to their respective parts.

Overall, Dunki is a well-made social film. It is not flawless but there is a lot to take away.

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Major Duds Of Bollywood In 2023: An Overview Of Some Of Hindi Films That Underperformed At The Box Office

Besides blockbusters in the form of Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, and Animal, Bollywood has also witnessed its share of box-office duds in 2023.

While many Hindi films didn’t do well, Salman Khan’s two releases — Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Tiger 3 — proved to be disappointments. Neither was an outright disaster, but the box-office collections were nowhere close to what Shah Rukh Khan enjoyed this year.

Likewise, Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War was a nonstarter. Much like his last film The Kashmir Files (2022), this one was also a propaganda film with a different subject. However, the results were contrastingly different.

Akshay Kumar had another disappointing year in 2023. Out of the three releases, only OMG 2 did good business; the other two  —Mission Raniganj and Selfiee were dead on arrival.

For Prabhas (since Adipurush is primarily a Hindi film, I am including it here) too, 2023 has been disastrous. Many thought that Om Raut’s Adipurush would break the dry spell of Prabhas after Baahubali (2015, 2017) but nothing of that sort happened. On top of that, the film itself got massively trolled on many counts.

Here’s an overview of the Bollywood flops in 2023:

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan

bollywood duds of 2023 Salman Khan Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
Salman Khan’s ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’. (X)

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is much like Chiranjeevi’s Bhola Shankar, a remake of Ajit’s Tamil film Veeram (2014).

However, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is not a complete washout unlike Bhola Shankar, thanks majorly to its Eid release.

The film can be best described as Salman Khan’s version of 2 States (2014) and Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express (2013).

For those who haven’t seen Veeram, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is about a man called Bhaijaan and his bond with his three younger brothers. All three have a girlfriend each but the big brother doesn’t know about them. Bhaijaan himself is unmarried.

He firmly believes that a girl’s entry into the family will ruin their bond. At this point, you have the arrival of Pooja Hedge’s Bhagya with whom he falls in love later. This is the story in brief.

The major problem with Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is the half-baked love stories of the three brothers. As a result, viewers don’t feel any empathy for their desperation to find a girl for their Bhai.

The second half of the movie is more engaging, thanks to the scenes of Venkatesh who plays Bhagya’s elder brother with a turbulent past. However, it didn’t turn out to be a wholesome feast for the fans.

Tiger 3

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Salman Khan in a still from ‘Tiger 3’. (Facebook)

A lot was expected from Salman and Katrina’s Tiger 3, more so after the blockbuster success of the previous spy films War (2019) and Pathaan. There was immense pressure on Maneesh Sharma to deliver. Unfortunately, Tiger 3 was a massive step back.

Tiger 3 had plenty of style but the amalgamation of geo-politics and action didn’t strike a complete chord. For Maneesh Sharma, this was the second consecutive big film where he let down producer Aditya Chopra.

Adipurush

bollywood duds 2023 Prabhas Adipurush
Prabhas-Kriti Sanon’s ‘Adipurush’. (X)

Om Raut tried to do a masala retelling of Ramayana much like his first film Tanhaji (2020) but here, that formula backfired disastrously.

He along with lyricist-writer Manoj Muntashir took many cinematic liberties with the Ramayana.

The dialogues were too modern (or should I say funky), particularly the ones of Hanuman. If late Bapu had seen this Ramayana interpretation, he would have squirmed in his seat.

Saif Ali Khan single-handedly carried the acting department. He visibly had a blast playing Lankesh.

Both Kriti Sanon and Prabhas failed to capture the divinity of Rama and Sita respectively.

The Vaccine War

Vivek Agnihotri The Vaccine War bollywood duds 2023
Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Vaccine War’. (X)

The Vaccine War directed by Vivek Agnihotri did have its heart in the right place. It depicted the many challenges that a group of scientists, particularly women faced in making a vaccine.

Vivek Agnihotri did stage some good emotional moments. A case in point is the scenes featuring Pallavi Joshi and Girija Oak. However, the extreme heavy-handedness in storytelling became a major roadblock.

The Vaccine War was also severely problematic in the way it portrayed the journalist community. Raima Sen playing Rohini Singh Dhulia has a constant smirk on her face.

We only see her writing long articles downplaying the sincerity of our scientists. There is no second layer and as a result, the viewers feel that she gets more importance than required.

Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue

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Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in ‘Mission Raniganj’. (X)

The DNA of Mission Raniganj is similar to several Akshay Kumar films where he plays the saviour role.

The storyline of Mission Raniganj had all the potential to be a thrilling evacuation drama but unfortunately, nothing of that happens.

Instead of rooting for Akshay and Co, the viewers only feel a sense of dullness.

What also didn’t help Mission Raniganj were the shoddy production values coupled with bad VFX.

Parineeti Chopra as the dutiful wife had a miss-and-blink appearance much like her last film with Kumar Kesari.

It was a pity to see Parineeti Chopra wasting herself after showing solid potential in her initial films like Ishaqzaade (2012) and Shuddh Desi Romance (2013).

Selfiee

Akshay Kumar Emraan Hashmi Sellfiee
Akshay Kumar-Emraan Hashmi’s ‘Selfiee’. (X)

Selfiee is the remake of the critically acclaimed Malayalam film Driving Licence (2019). It was directed by Lal Jr and written by the late Sachy.

Driving Licence was both insightful and entertaining in how it depicted a fan taking on his favourite actor due to a misunderstanding.

The film was also a brilliant take on the psyche of human nature. Both Driving Licence and Selfiee have more than one similarity with Shah Rukh Khan’s film Fan (2016) but unlike that movie,  here you have an amicable solution.

Director Raj Mehta along with his writer Rishabh Sharma delivered an entertaining film. It was easily Akshay’s best outing as a leading man in recent times.

He took many potshots on himself like the scene where his character Vijay Kumar talks about the number of films and advertisements he has to do every year. The makers also did a good job of showcasing the vulnerability beneath all the swag.

Emraan Hashmi’s fan act was initially not so convincing but he settled into a groove soon. Despite being an entertainer, Selfiee joined the list of those South remakes that have bitten the dust.

Shehzada

Shehzada directed by Rohit Dhawan is a perfect example of how a masala film should not be made. The original, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is no classic and has problematic aspects at its core.

Kartik Aaryan Shehzada
Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon in ‘Shehzada’. (X)

However, Trivikram’s directing skills combined with Allu Arjun’s swag majorly contributed to Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo being a smash hit. The music of Thaman S was an absolute chartbuster too.

A big problem with this toothless remake (Shehzada) is the absolute lack of conviction and energy. Rohit Dhawan badly faltered in delivering a proper entertainment package.

Though Shehzada is crisper with some unnecessary characters removed it did not help the film. Kriti Sanon as a hotshot lawyer is also less objectified when compared to Pooja Hedge.

Another hugely problematic aspect of Shehzada is the portrayal of the rich kid. In the original too, this was a problem but here, Rohit dumbed down Ankur Rathee’s Raj to a whole new level.

Kartik Aryan tried his best to fill the big shoes of Allu Arjun. Though he was reasonably good, he is no Allu Arjun!

Gumraah

Aditya Roy Kapur Gumraah bollywood duds 2023
Aditya Roy Kapur’s ‘Gumraah’. (X)

Gumraah is another Hindi remake of the Tamil Film Thadam (2019). Director Vardhan Ketkar took a huge risk by casting Aditya Roy Kapur in a double role.

The only solo successful venture of Aditya Roy Kapur’s career so far has been Aashiqui 2 which became a big hit more due to the chartbuster album, particularly the song “Tum Hi Ho“.

Gumraah primarily suffered on two counts. The one is the fatigue factor of seeing many remakes. The other issue was its leading man.

Aditya Roy Kapur was given too much to handle. He was definitely earnest but that was not enough to lift the film. Mrunal Thakur and Ronit Roy were efficient in their respective parts but their roles could have been done with more meat.

Tejas

bollywood duds 2023 Kangana Ranaut in Tejas
Kangana Ranaut in ‘Tejas’. (X)

Sarvesh Mewara’s Tejas was a major misfire in many ways. If we compare it to other successful patriotic films the thrilling moments can be counted on our fingertips. The women empowerment angle too was done far better in Gunjan Saxena (2020).

A big problem with Tejas is how it became an extended version of Kangana’s angry rants on social media. The perfect example of this is the pre-climax scene where Tejas (Kangana Ranaut) goes on a long rant about the sacrifices made by the Indian soldiers and how they go unnoticed. There is nothing heartfelt about the entire scene.

Much like her other release Chandramukhi 2, Tejas too ended up as an epic disaster. This female version of Uri (2019) did not strike a chord even with the hardcore BJP fans.

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Disasters Of Tollywood 2023: These Telugu Films Failed Big Time In Meeting The Box-Office Expectations

2023 has not been a great year for many star actors in Telugu — Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Ravi Teja, Vijay Devarakonda, and Samantha.

In the case of Megastar Chiranjeevi, he started off the New Year well with a commercial hit Waltair Veerayya. Though not a great film, the festival season of Sankranthi along with the mass elements made it a profitable venture.

However, his Bhola Shankar failed big time in getting a thumbs-up from critics and audiences.

Chiranjeevi’s co-star in Waltair Veerayya, Ravi Teja also delivered big financial disasters in the form of Ravanasura and Tiger Nageswara Rao in 2023.

Likewise, Pawan Kalyan’s Bro did not attract the audience in a big way, despite Trivikram writing the screenplay and dialogues.

Following is an overview of some of the Telugu films that failed to meet the expectations:

Bhola Shankar

Nothing worked for Bhola Shankar since its inception. Its director Meher Ramesh delivered two massive disasters before this — Shakti (2011) and Shadow (2013). In fact, he never had a significant success in his career.

On top of that, Bhola Shankar was a remake of a regular commercial potboiler Vedalam (2015, Tamil), which had nothing extraordinary in terms of storyline.

So, it was quite baffling to see Chiranjeevi remaking this, that too with a flop director.

Expectedly, the film bombed even with the loyal fans.

Meher Ramesh made Vedalam look like a classic with his direction.

The most cringeworthy scene in Bhola Shankar is the recreation of the famous bench scene of Khushi (2000) where Pawan Kalyan keeps looking at Bhumika’s navel. Here, you had Chiranjeevi and anchor Sreemukhi. It was so awkwardly filmed and definitely was not a pretty sight.

Ravanasura and Tiger Nageswara Rao

Both Ravanasura and Tiger Nageswara Rao had interesting storylines where Ravi Teja did push himself as an actor.

For example, Tiger Nageswara Rao was based on a real-life dacoit and the events that happened in Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s.

Ravi Teja’s character had some grey shades, which the actor pulled off with conviction.

However, the problem was with the inconsistent direction of Vamsee along with repetitive shots of bloodshed. What also did not help Tiger Nageswara Rao were the romantic subplots of Ravi Teja with his leading ladies.

Ravanasura, too, had Ravi Teja playing a character with grey shades.

In the beginning, we see him as a bumbling junior lawyer, but soon enough, there is a significant U-turn. Ravi Teja did a fantastic job of portraying the unhinged nature of his role.

However, his efforts were not enough to save the movie from drowning.

A major reason for the failure of Ravanasura was the haphazard flashback of his character Ravindra. Viewers did not feel any emotional connection with him.

Once the flashback ends, the proceedings become even more tedious.

Only the Ramayana connection was well done, but it does not add much to the film in the overall scheme of things.

Kushi

Shiva Nirvana’s Kushi was a crucial film for Vijay Devarakonda, Samantha, and of course, the director himself.

As the title suggests, Kushi had a safe subject, which could have given a lot of happiness to everyone. However, Shiva Nirvana did not make complete use of this opportunity.

Kushi had an interesting backdrop of two vastly different families. The hero’s father is a staunch atheist who does not shy away from expressing his opinions on God and astrology.

The heroine’s father, on the other hand, is not just a staunch believer in God but also gives religious lectures.

In structure, Kushi is similar to Mani Ratnam’s Sakhi (2000). Like Sakhi, here too, you have two rebellious lovers who decide to make their own home.

Both Vijay Devarakonda and Samantha delivered good performances and shared a scintillating chemistry on screen.

But the first half of Kushi dragged a lot, particularly in portions where Samantha’s Aaradhya is pretending to be a Muslim. As a result, viewers felt restlessness, despite Vennela Kishore’s comic excellence.

The second half was much better when the focus shifted to marital issues. When Samantha’s character has a miscarriage, she thinks that it happened because of her husband not doing homa (homam). Expectedly, some serious arguments lead to discord in domestic life.

The music of Hesham Abdul Wahab was melodious for the most part. However, all these elements were not enough to save Kushi from bombing.

Bro

Bro, directed by Samuthirakani, had a decent pre-release buzz, thanks mostly to Sai Dharam Tej and Pawan Kalyan coming together. Additionally, you had Trivikram writing screenplays and dialogues.

Markandeya (Sai Dharam Tej) is a man with many family responsibilities. He cannot afford to give time to anyone, including his girlfriend. One day, he meets with a road accident on the way from Visakhapatnam. Pawan Kalyan plays “Titan”, also known as the God of Time.

He gives Markandeya 90 days to complete his duties. In these 90 days, Markandeya undergoes a major transformation.

Stories revolving around God-giving life lessons are as old as hills. Still, they can be engaging if the narration is interesting.

Unfortunately, both Samuthirakani’s direction and Trivikram’s screenplay were subpar.

Bro had too many references to Pawan Kalyan’s political ideology and his previous hit songs.

It was clear that Samuthirakani banked heavily on audiences coming to see real-life mama-alludu (uncle-nephew) on screen. The chemistry between Sai Dharam Tej and Pawan Kalyan was pleasant but nothing great.

Agent

Director Surender Reddy’s Agent tried to be an action-packed spy entertainer like Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, but the required sharpness was missing.

The film was definitely lavish in scale along with some well-executed action sequences.

However, Agent suffered from a meandering storyline along with a vapid heroine — Sakshi Vaidya.

Another problem with the Telugu film was the weak back-story of Dino Morea’s character, who calls himself God.

Akhil, in his new avatar, delivered an uninhibited performance, but that was not enough to save the film from sinking badly.

Skanda

Boyapati Srinu’s Skanda is a signature Boyapti macho film that is high on testosterone but low on emotional coherence.

The director has been most successful with Nandamuri Balakrishna. Their duo delivered three blockbusters — Simha (2010), Legend (2014) and last year’s Akhanda (2022).

However, Boyapati Srinu did not have the same level of success as other actors like Ramcharan in Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019) and now Ram in Skanda.

At its core, Skanda is a tale of revenge with the backdrop of the two-state chief ministers. Ram tried his level best to save this sinking ship. He definitely looked at ease in this Boyapati universe, but the film, on the whole, did not appeal to even hardcore Boyapati fans.

Shaakuntalam

After burning hands with the 2015-released Rudramadevi, director Gunasekhar yet again tried his hand with a large-scale epic. This time, the film is based on the famous play Abhigyana Shakuntalam, written by the legendary playwright Kalidas.

Gunasekhar tried to marry the sensibilities of an Indian epic with the texture of a Hollywood Disney film.

But Shaakuntalam turned out to be an even bigger dud than Rudramadevi. It was a colossal disaster, particularly for Gunasekhar and Samantha.

Samantha did justice to the different shades of Shakuntala; the naivety of an ashram girl in the beginning and then, the inner strength of a wronged woman.

Shaakuntalam had its share of powerful moments, like the court scene where Shakuntala questions the inability of Dev Mohan’s Dushyant to recognise her.

Allu Arha also made a sparkling debut in her short screen time. But the film never came across as a cohesive whole.

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Ranbir Kapoor And His On-Screen Universe Of Daddy Issues

From ‘Wake Up Sid’ to ‘Animal’, an overview of the different kinds of daddy issues that Ranbir Kapoor’s films have covered so far.

One of the most depicted relationships in cinema is that of a parent and child. Irrespective of the number of times we have seen it — whether it is father and son or mother and daughter, there is something universal about these relationships.

For example, a reason for the success of Jawan (2023) is the double role played by Shah Rukh Khan. The scenes featuring the Bollywood Badshah as father and son were an absolute treat for his fans and movie buffs.

The interval bang when the father saves the son and the subsequent dialogue drew cheers in the cinema halls.

Another example of the father-son bond this year is OMG 2. In the movie, Pankaj Tripathi plays a diehard devotee of Shiva who also runs a pooja shop. Things take a turn when his son gets admitted to a hospital due to exhaustion caused by excessive masturbation.

Things get even more problematic when the youngster’s video of masturbation in the toilet is secretly filmed and circulated on the internet.

For the sake of his son, Pankaj Tripathi’s character slowly changes from a distraught father to a revolutionary.

Coming to Ranbir Kapoor’s relationships with his on-screen fathers, there has always been certain unease in his movies — be it in Animal (2023), Sanju (2018), Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani (2013), Tamasha (2015), or Wake Up Sid (2009), they all have daddy issues.

It is a well-known fact that Ranbir’s real-life relationship with his father, the late Rishi Kapoor, was not smooth. This might be a factor for the directors to choose him for the roles or Ranbir Kapoor getting attracted to such characters.

Well, let us take a quick look at some of Ranbir’s on-screen father-son problematic relationships:

Animal

In Animal, Ranbir Kapoor’s Ranvijay is the son of a successful industrialist Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor). Balbir Singh is a typical old-time patriarch obsessed with his factory and has little time for anything else, including his children.

The relationship between Ranvijay and Balbir is strained and goes into a toxic territory as life goes on. The parody here is that Ranvijay loves his father too much but makes him angry at every step.

When a murder attempt is made on his father, Ranvijay gets so obsessed about finding his father’s enemies that he soon becomes a wild animal himself. He doesn’t listen to anyone, including his father.

The most engaging part of Animal is easily these twisted dynamics coupled with how Ranbir throws himself into this dark territory. There is no denying that in most households, there is a certain distance between the father and the son.

However, in this case, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga takes it to an extreme level with little or no care for social repercussions.

Sanju

In Sanju — a biopic on Sanjay Dutt, Ranbir Kapoor played a son who feels immense pressure to live up to the lineage of his illustrious parents — Paresh Rawal (Sunil Dutt) and Manisha Koirala (Nargis). This pressure leads Sanjay to take drugs, among other things.

There is no denying that Rajkumar Hirani did go soft on the transgressions of Sanjay Dutt. But having said that, the emotional upheaval of Sanjay Dutt cannot be denied.

One of the best moments in Sanju is when Ranbir Kapoor writes an apology letter and plans to surprise his dad by reading it publicly.

However, things don’t go according to the plan, and that very night, Paresh Rawal’s Sunil Dutt dies. Ranbir’s Sanjay Dutt ends up reading the letter to his dead body.

In this letter, he talks about how bad a son he has been and the troubles he has caused.

Tamasha

In Tamasha, Ranbir Kapoor plays a son who feels suffocated due to his demanding father. His character (Ved) gets stuck in a typical corporate job while his passion lies somewhere.

There is a certain bipolar nature to Ved, and there are scenes in the second half that focus on the issues of mental health.

In pre-climax, there is a powerful scene between Ranbir’s Ved and Javed Sheikh, who plays the father. It is a confrontation scene that most Indian sons can identify with.

Ranbir Kapoor and Anil Kapoor in ‘Animal’. (X)

In Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Ranbir Kapoor played a free-spirited youngster who constantly seeks thrill.

Late Farooq Sheikh played the father.

Ranbir’s Bunny has an awkward relationship with his father. There are two main reasons for this; one is personality differences between them, and the other is his father’s second marriage.

There are only a few scenes of the father-son relationship, but still, they are impactful.

Wake Up Sid

In Wake Up Sid, Ranbir Kapoor plays a carefree young man who lacks clarity about what he wants to become. There is a laid-back nature to Sid.

Like most fathers, this does not go down well with his father, played by Anupam Kher. Naturally, this leads to a certain amount of friction. These moments are few but still very powerful.

A special mention must be made of the showdown scene that leads to Sid leaving the house and staying for some time with Konkana Sen Sharma’s Aisha Banerjee.

There, he discovers his passion for photography and goes back to his family.

Ranbir Kapoor and Farooq Sheikh in ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’. (X)

Apart from these films, in Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani (2009), the discord between the son and father was used to generate moments of slapstick comedy.

Well, these are some shades of Ranbir Kapoor’s relationships with on-screen fathers. Maybe it is time for the Bollywood actor to take a break from these daddy issues and move on to other subjects!

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Aditya Chopra and his penchant for giving second chances

One of the major characteristics of Yash Raj Films (YRF) is how it nurtures talent and gives several chances to directors and artistes in spite of their initial failures.

For example, Kabir Khan’s directorial debut Kabul Express (2006) wasn’t a commercial success but the director still got an opportunity to direct two more major Yash Raj Films — New York (2009) and Ek Tha Tiger (2012).

Both did well at the box office, especially Ek Tha Tiger, which laid the foundation for the flourishing spy universe.

Here’s the list of Bollywood celebrities who won multiple opportunities from the YRF chief Aditya Chopra despite their failures:

Maneesh Sharma

Maneesh Sharma has directed five films — all for YRF.

The first is the romantic comedy Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) starring Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma. The movie had low expectations, but Maneesh and Ranveer surprised the audiences.

A poster of the film Tiger 3

A poster of the film ‘Tiger 3’. (X)

Maneesh’s second film too was a Ranveer-starrer: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011). Though it didn’t replicate the success of his debut, the Bollywood movie didn’t break Aditya Chopra’s trust in the director.

A third film, Shuddh Desi Romance (2013), was offered to him again. It was an engaging romantic comedy dealing with how the younger generation looked at marriage commitment in small-town India. The movie also dwelt on live-in relationships.

Its success led to Maneesh Sharma getting his fourth opportunity with the YRF — to direct Shah Rukh Khan in a double role. As the title Fan (2016) suggested, the film was about an obsessive fan who gets heartbroken with his idol.

Maneesh Sharma did a decent job in the first half, but the young director lost his grip in the second half, and everything went topsy-turvy.

In spite of the failure of Fan, Maneesh got yet another opportunity to direct a large-scale action film — Tiger 3 (2023).

Maneesh Sharma aimed to make a geo-political film with a lot of action. However, his inability to handle big scale once again came to the fore.

The hand-to-hand combats, Emraan Hashmi’s characterisation, and Shah Rukh’s extended cameo were all brilliant in Tiger 3. But the film never rose above the sum of its parts.

There is no denying that Tiger 3 is doing good business, but having said that, it is also a setback for the spy universe, particularly in comparison to the previous two films War (2019) and Pathaan (2023).

Vijay Krishna Acharya

Vijay Krishna Acharya made his directorial debut with the action drama Tashan (2008). The film had a galaxy of stars — Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Anil Kapoor.

It was an old-fashioned revenge drama in Hollywood style. True to the title, the film had plenty of style, particularly the characterisation of Akshay Kumar’s Bachchan Pandey.

A still from the film Thugs of Hindostan

A still from the film ‘Thugs of Hindostan’. (X)

But, just gloss can never substitute for a gripping story. And, that was what happened with Tashan too.

Kareena definitely found her soul mate in Saif Ali Khan and vice-versa, but for Aditya Chopra, the movie was a big loss.

However, Tashan‘s failure did not stop the producer from trusting Vijay Krishna Acharya again with the third instalment of the Dhoom franchise.

Vijay Krishna Acharya was only a story writer for the first two Dhoom films (2004, 2006) but for Dhoom 3 (2013), he was both writer and director.

Dhoom 3 did bring in profits for its producers, but at the same time, it was a step back as it paled in comparison to the fun and thrills provided by Dhoom 2.

Only Aamir Khan’s star power coupled with a more engaging second half made Dhoom 3 a hit at the box office.

Aditya Chopra was even more generous when he allowed Vijay Krishna Acharya to direct Bollywood “Shahenshah” Amitabh Bachchan and Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan together in Thugs of Hindostan (2018).

Unfortunately, for the fans and the production house, the experience was far from memorable. The film brought huge losses to everyone concerned.

Vijay Krishna Acharya’s last directorial is a religious comedy/drama titled The Great Indian Family (2023) also produced by YRF.

Despite being a much better product than Thugs of Hindostan, The Great Indian Family didn’t do much at the box office. Now, we have to wait and see if Aditya Chopra will give him another chance.

Shaad Ali

Shaad Ali was an assistant director to Mani Ratnam for Dil Se (1998).

Later on, he helmed seven films as a director. Of these seven projects, four were produced by YRF.

A poster of the film Kill Dil

A poster of the film ‘Kill Dil’. (X)

The first is the romantic comedy/drama Saathiya (2002), a remake of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil blockbuster hit Alaipayuthey (2000). Saathiya was a moderate success and was well-received by the critics.

Before Saathiya, Rani Mukherjee had only seen limited success. With the film, her career saw a resurgence. For Vivek Oberoi, it was the third success of that year.

Shaad Ali’s second outing, Bunty Aur Babli (2005), also did well at the box office.

It gave Abhishek Bachchan a much-needed hit as the leading man. His sizzling chemistry with Rani Mukherjee also helped the movie become a blockbuster.

Later, Shaad Ali faced massive roadblocks in the form of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007) and Kill Dil (2014).

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was an expensive musical that brought no profits. It had a hit soundtrack composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. But good music and glossy cinematography couldn’t compensate for the lacklustre direction.

Shaad Ali was clearly not comfortable dealing with a story of this scale.

Despite Jhoom Barabar Jhoom‘s failure, the director helmed another YRF film — Ranveer Singh’s Kill Dil (2014). It was an action comedy film about two assassins raised by a local gangster. Here too, there was ample style but little substance.

Shaad Ali’s journey with YRF has come to a stop for now.

Siddarth P Malhotra

Siddarth P Malhotra’s debut directorial was We Are Family (2010). It is an official adaption of Stepmom (English, 1998).

Rani Mukherjee in Hichki

Rani Mukherjee in ‘Hichki’.(X)

The film was produced by Karan Johar and had the likes of Kajol and Kareena Kapoor.

It had all the elements required to be a solid emotional drama, but Siddarth P Malhotra couldn’t do complete justice to it.

Despite We Are Family’s failure, the young director got an opportunity to helm a YRF film starring Aditya Chopra’s life partner, Rani Mukherjee.

Hichki (2018) was about a teacher with a passion for teaching in spite of suffering from Tourette syndrome and the impact she has on students of class 9F.

These students come from a nearby slum and are not interested in studies. Rani Mukherjee, as Naina Mathur, transforms their lives with patience and perseverance. Hichki was a classic underdog story that resonated well with the audience.

Siddarth P Malhotra showed that Aditya Chopra’s trust in him wasn’t misplaced.

Karan Malhotra

Just like Siddarth P Malhotra, Karan Malhotra, too, started his career with Dharma Productions.

He directed the action drama Agneepath (2012), a remake of the 1990 film of the same name.

A poster of the film Shamshera

A poster of the film ‘Shamshera’. (X)

While the original film had Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, the remake had Hrithik Roshan and two terrifying villains, Rishi Kapoor’s Rauf Lala and Sanjay Dutt’s Kancha Cheena

Agneepath was a well-made masala film that registered good numbers at the box office.

Later, Karan Malhotra directed Brothers (2015), also a remake. However, the source material this time was an English film titled Warrior (2011). He tried to replicate the success of Agneepath with the same treatment, but this time, the results were far from satisfying.

The failure of Brothers led to Karan Malhotra stepping out of Dharma Productions.

After a gap of seven years, Karan Malhotra directed Shamshera (2022) produced by Aditya Chopra.

The film was a period-action drama about an oppressed tribe with a double dose of Ranbir Kapoor. Ranbir gave it his all, but the movie ended up being a poor clone of the Baahubali (2015 and 2017) films.

Unlike the other Malhotra, this Malhotra couldn’t live up to the expectations of the YRF Chairman.

Pradeep Sarkar

Late Pradeep Sarkar directed five films. Of them, three were produced by YRF.

These include Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007), Lafangey Parindey (2010) and Mardaani (2014). Among these, only Mardaani did good business.

Not many would have trusted the Parineeta (2005) director with a subject like Mardaani, but the late Pradeep Sarkar ensured that Aditya Chopra’s trust in him was not misplaced.

Mardaani is a significant film in the career of Rani Mukherjee. 

Rani Mukherjee in ‘Mardaani’. (X)

Vani Kapoor

Vani Kapoor has acted in seven films so far. Out of seven, five were produced by YRF.

The Bollywood diva started her career promisingly with Shuddh Desi Romance. But her next outing, Aaha Kalyanam (2014), a Tamil-telugu remake of Band Baaja Baaraat produced by YRF (the only South film bankrolled by YRF) was a dud.

Despite Aaha Kalyanam’s failure, Vani Kapoor was paired opposite Ranveer Singh in Befikre (2016). Unfortunately, neither the film nor Vani could create any impact.

Still, she was cast in another YRF film – War (2019). But there wasn’t much heavy lifting for her, as the focus was primarily on Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff.

The actress was last seen in another YRF dud Shamshera (2022).

Vani Kapoor will next be seen in the web show Mandala Murders, co-produced by Aditya Chopra.

Here’s hoping that the actress will finally be able to repay the trust of her mentor.

Manushi Chillar

Manushi Chhillar has acted in two movies so far. Both were bankrolled by Aditya Chopra.

In spite of the failure of Samrat Prithviraj (2022), YRF gave her another chance in The Great Indian Family, which again was a failure.

The actress is a good looker, but she hasn’t proved her acting credentials until now!

She will be next seen in Operation Valentine alongside Varun Tej. The Telugu actor is making his debut in Bollywood with this Telugu-Hindi bilingual. It is hitting the screens on 8 December.

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Kangana Ranaut: The Rise And Decline Of The National Award-Winning Actress

Kangana Ranaut made her acting debut with Anurag Basu’s directorial Gangster in the year 2006.  The film co-starred Shiney Ahuja and Emraan Hashmi.

In this movie, she played a young woman with a traumatic past. This included falling in love with a wanted gangster and running away with him.

Gangster opened to mostly positive reviews and Kangana was praised for her performance.

On the flip side, the success of Gangster led the actress to play similar roles (troubled women) in her subsequent films — Woh Lamhe (2006), Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009), and Fashion (2008).

35 films to date

With Chandramukhi 2 (2023) and Tejas (2023), Kangana Ranaut has done 35 films so far.

Some of her most notable performances are: Tanu weds Manu films (2011 and 2015), Queen (2013), Fashion, Rangoon (2017), Manikarnika (2019), and Panga (2020).

Vikas Bahl’s Queen is a significant film in the Bollywood actor’s career as her role of Rani Mehra is quite a departure from the likes of Gangster and Fashion. And, the actress rightfully won her first National Award for Best Actress for this film.

The Tanu Weds Manu films are another major landmark in Kangana’s career, particularly the sequel. In Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Kangana Ranaut played a double role and was hugely successful in carrying the film on her shoulders.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns did much more business than the prequel. The actress also got her second National Award for Best Actress for this film.  The other National Awards came for Manikarnika and Panga respectively.

A downward graph

After Tanu weds Manu Returns, Kangana Ranaut became a bankable star actress considered on par with heroes. But unfortunately, after that, the graph has been going downwards with every new release.

It is a combination of bad script choices coupled with her excessive rants on social media which haven’t done her any favour even with her fans.

For example, she labelled both Swara Bhasker and Taapsee Pannu as needy outsiders.

She even called Vikrant Massey a cockroach.

Her continuous attacks on Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt are something that everyone is familiar with.

Before the release of Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), the actress went on record that crores of money would bite the dust along with the film.

She also attacked Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020) before its release.

All this has come back to haunt the actress with her latest release Tejas (2023). Fittingly, Vikrant Massey’s 12th Fail, released on the same day, has emerged as a big success.

Now, let’s focus on Kangana’s non-performing films and give an overview of why they have fared the way they have starting from Tejas.

Tejas

Tejas, debutant director Sarvesh Mewara’s Air Force thriller/drama, was a mix of patriotism coupled with women empowerment. But the filmmaker failed to succeed on both counts.

Sarvesh Mewara’s direction was dull, but having said that, Kangana Ranaut’s single-tone act made the film even more unbearable.

Irrespective of the scene that the actress was performing, there was a robotic quality to the way she was delivering her dialogues.

Ideally, the big speech about the Indian soldiers should have an emotional connection. But viewers don’t feel any connection because it comes across as more of a real-life rant that the actress is known for.

Chandramukhi 2

Rajinikanth and Jyotika-starrer Chandramukhi (2005, Tamil) is a movie that enjoys a special place in the hearts of the viewers.

It is widely considered as Jyotika’s best. Her performance as a married woman suffering from a split personality was a treat to watch.

Jyotika’s act was always going to be a tough one to match, but the extent to which Kangana Ranaut failed in Chandramukhi 2 (2023) was unimaginable.

A lot of the blame for this fiasco lied with the sketchy characterisation. But the fact that Kangana didn’t match even 5 percent of what Jyotika did in the prequel was also to be blamed.

Adding to viewers’ woes were Kangana Ranaut’s Bharatanatyam dances that generated unintentional comedy.

Thalaivi

The real-life story of Jayalalithaa is an inspiring one in many ways. She was a woman of steel with many highs and lows.

Before Thalaivi (2021), there was a web series called Queen (2019) directed by Gautham Menon and Prasanth Murugesan.

Both directors did a good job of portraying Jayalalithaa’s life. Ramya Krishna who played the title role was also solid in her performance.

But AL Vijay’s Thalaivi did not match Queen.

Vijay did a good job in the first half exploring the relationship between Jayalalithaa and MGR (Kangana Ranaut and Aravind Swamy respectively).

But in the second half, the director slipped badly and from then on it was all downhill.

The political side of Jayalalithaa was shown in a rushed manner. At certain points, it looked like AL Vijay was more interested in playing to Kangana’s real-life image rather than the story.

Another problem with the film was the characterisation of Nassar’s Karunanidhi; it was more of a caricature.

Panga

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga (2020) was a sports drama that revolved around a former kabaddi player who gave up her dreams just before a major tournament.

The movie did receive glowing reviews with Kangana receiving critical acclaim.

Kangana Ranaut’s role of Jaya was easily one of the best characters in her filmography. But, in spite of all the positive reviews, Panga was a non-starter at the box office.

A reason that could be attributed to its failure was a certain fatigue that had set in with this genre.

Manikarnika

Manikarnika co-directed by Kangana Ranaut and Krish Jagarlamudi was not an absolute disaster in comparison to the above-mentioned films.

The movie did reasonable business but wasn’t a blockbuster hit as the actress claimed.

Kangana Ranaut made for a perfect Jhansi ki rani. The ferociousness and swagger required of a Queen was very much there.

Neetu Lulla’s costumes also came in for much praise particularly the ones worn by Kangana Ranaut.

However, the big problem with Manikarnika was that it became all about Kangana alone with not much space for anyone else.

The cardboard British characters were another eyesore.

Judgemental Hai Kya

Actor-director Prakash Kovelamudi tried to do many things with Judgemental Hai Kya (2019).

On one hand, it was a dark comedy. In the second half, the film turned into a whodunit combined with commentary on mental health.

However, this khichdi of genres didn’t amalgamate into something truly memorable.

The film had solid performances from both Kangana Ranaut and Rajkumar Rao.

Of course, the actress is no stranger to playing mentally unhinged characters and she did do a good job. Rajkumar Rao also did a wonderful job in his negative role.

Just like Thalaivi, this movie too suffered from the curse of the second half. It could have been so much more but it ended up neither here nor there.

The multiplex audiences didn’t completely get it and the masses were simply not interested in it.

Katti Batti

Nikhil Advani’s Katti Batti (2015) is a concoction of many films. There was clear inspiration from Hollywood romantic movies coupled with his directorial debut Kal Ho Na Ho.

For reasons best known to Nikhil, he placed the weight of Katti Batti on the shoulders of a struggling Imran Khan.

Kangana Ranaut enters and exists as per the convenience of the screenplay, though she rated her performance in this movie on par with Tanu Weds Manu Returns.

Not surprisingly, the audiences preferred to do “Katti” with the flick!

Well, it is sad to see a good actress losing both on- and off-screen and getting embroiled in unnecessary controversies.

Wish Kangana Ranaut would refocus on her craft and deliver many more Queens and Tanus!

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Vijay Varma: A Decade Of Formidable Talent – From ‘Pink’ To ‘Jaane Jaan’

If we observe Vijay Varma’s filmography, we predominantly notice two types of roles – negative/grey roles and cop characters.

Vijay Varma started his acting career in 2008 with a short film titled Shor. But his big screen debut started with Chittagong in 2012. It was followed by late Satish Kaushik’s Gang of Ghosts (2014) and Priyadarshan’s Rangrezz (2013).

However, none of these movies gave a significant push to his career until Pink (2016) came along. Since then, as the saying goes, there is no looking back for the Bollywood actor. Vijay Varma is an FTII student, and this clearly shows how the actor has adapted to different roles. If we observe his filmography, we notice that two types of roles majorly stand out – negative/grey characters and cop roles. Let’s check them out here:

Ankit Malhotra

Pink was a breakthrough film for Vijay Varma where he played a deeply misogynistic person -Ankit Malhotra. He was the one who eggs on Rajveer Singh (Angad Bedi) to take revenge on Taapsee Pannu’s character, Minal. Ankit Malhotra just doesn’t stop there,  he also molests her in a moving jeep and throws her on the road. He really looks menacing in that scene. We hate him as much as Angad Bedi.

Moen

Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019) saw Vijay Varma as a neighbourhood crook Moen who was also a friend of Ranveer Singh’s Murad. He was not a psycho but had his own grey shades. Throughout the film, viewers couldn’t make out if he was good or bad. The Bollywood actor owned the part with a brilliant performance.

Sasya

In Imtiaz Ali’s web series She (2020), Vijay Varma played a drug peddler named Sasya. In spite of not having a lot of screen time, he owned every frame that he was in. What also added to the performance was how he spoke Hyderabadi Deccani – a language spoken in Hyderabad where he grew up. Vijay also got the body language of the drug peddler spot-on.

Hamza

In Darlings (2022), Vijay Varma played an alcoholic, abusive husband named Hamza to Alia Bhatt’s Badru. He was someone who was extremely cruel and at the same time, lovey-dovey depending on the situation. Vijay looked like a truly scary psychopath. The actor received a lot of positive hate for his portrayal of Hamza. By Vijay’s own admission, it was not an easy task to be an abusive husband to the “heartthrob of the nation.” The Bollywood actor also said that he was very scared of unintentionally hurting Alia in the scenes involving physical abuse. Those scenes were so real that every time he appeared on the screen, we were as terrified as Alia. Coincidentally, their first feature films (Chittagong and Student of the Year) were released in the same month (October) in 2012.

Anand Swarnakar

Initially, the viewers have a positive impression of Vijay’s character Anand Swarnakar in Dahaad (2023). Apart from being an excellent Hindi professor, Anand also runs a mobile library for the underprivileged. But soon, this bubble breaks as the real face of Anand is revealed. Vijay Varma was absolutely terrific – both as a middle-class married man struggling to make ends meet and as a serial killer who has severe unresolved issues with his father.

Adi

Monsoon Shootout is an early film by Vijay Varma shot in 2013. It had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, but theatrically, it was released four years later in 2017. In the movie, Vijay Varma played a cop who was deeply influenced by his father’s principles. His father told him that all life’s choices were not black and white, and there was a middle path too. In spite of sharing screen space with a heavyweight like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vijay Varma more than held his own. He did a swell job of showcasing the different nuances of his character.

Ravi Shankar Tripathi

In the web series Kaalkoot (2023), Vijay Varma’s Ravi Shankar Tripathi was vastly different from the mainstream cops that the audiences are used to. For example, Dabbang (2010) and Singham (2011). He was a soft-spoken cop who considered himself a misfit in the police department. There was a constant desire in him to resign. But as the show progressed, his character underwent a transformation. This show had come right after Dahaad where he played a serial killer. He made the audience forget that this was the same man who appeared as a serial killer.

Karan Anand

In Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan (2023), an OTT film, Vijay Varma appeared as a charming cop. It was the closest he came to doing romance. The scenes where he flirts with Kareena Kapoor’s Maya D’Souza were so adorable to watch. He gave the film some much-needed lighter moments in an otherwise tense atmosphere.

Vijay Varma is now 37. He has already done 24 films, including web series. Here’s hoping that our filmmakers will tap his potential – much more in future – which goes beyond the above-mentioned characters!

Published in SouthFirst on 15.10.2023. Click on the below link for https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/vijay-varma-a-decade-of-formidable-talent-from-pink-to-jaane-jaan/

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Four Women And Alia

On a rainy night in Mumbai’s Kamatipura area an unusual get together happened.

It was in a restaurant called Princess Plaza.

Badru was sitting at the cash counter when Gangubai walked in.

I am sure you know Badru; the battered wife in the movie Darlings. Now she started a restaurant after her cruel husband Hamza died in a train accident; when the entire nation heaved a sigh of relief. In Mumbai, I suppose, that is the easiest way to get rid of bad guys. But to be fair to Badru she did not push him under the wheels though she thought of it many times. It is he who got knocked down by a speeding train on his own accord while standing on the rail tracks shouting and threatening his wife till his last breadth. One thing is certain. He left at the right time; because if he had continued to live with Badru one of us would have definitely gone and smashed his head.

Coming back to the present Badru is now financially and emotionally a very happy person. On the third anniversary of the restaurant she decided to invite Gangubai, Veera and Bauria aka Mary Jane to her restaurant and spend some time with them. She wanted to know a few things from them.

In few minutes Veera and Bauria also joined them. They seemed to have met at the railway station. One was coming from Himalayas and the other from Goa. Both of them looked quite cheerful. There was an air of enthusiasm and anticipation in everyone’s face. Badru warmly invited them and after a round of introductions they sat down for a chat.

Snacks and chai followed with some light banter. After a while Gangubai asked Badru why she arranged this meeting. Badru looked at all of them and said “Any guesses?”

“All of us suffered in life for no fault of ours. Maybe you wanted to know how each one of us is coping with it now.” Veera was the first one to speak. She seemed to have given a lot of thought about the purpose of this meeting.

“Of course… that is one of the reasons. But did you ever think of whose faults we all suffered” replied Badru.

 “I am not very educated like some of you. But I can say that we women are also very gullible. Why did I elope with a man whom I hardly knew and leave my house? In my obsession to become an actor, a heroine I neglected my safety and paid the price” said Gangubai.

 “You might think it was your fault. But for many women like me there is no choice. My father died. I had no one look after me. I had to migrate for work. How would I guess I will land up with rapists and drug mafia? Many things are not in our hands” Bauria said.

 “True. Look at me. I am from a rich family. Ideally I should not have had any serious problems. But see what happened. My own uncle sexually abused me. I was a child. Even my mother could not protect me. The man who accidentally kidnapped me was much more decent than my own uncle” Veera recollected her ordeal.

Badru was silent for a long time. Then she looked at each one of them intensely. Slowly she started to speak.

 “For Veera it was her uncle. For Gangubai it was her lover. For me it was my husband. For Bauria it was the outside male world. I feel we are not safe anywhere – inside home or outside; with anyone – family or outsiders. Swimming in oceans and climbing high mountains are considered great achievements. People don’t realise we are no less achievers. We are the SURVIVORS of male cruelty. We are the ones who should be shown to the suffering girls and women of this country as the real role models, at least until the society changes for the better. I wish no woman should think of taking her life after seeing how we shaped our lives. I invited all of you to celebrate our new life.”

They looked at each other and broke into laughter. They all seem to agree with the new term they coined for themselves. “Let us change the name of this restaurant to Survivors and invite all our fellow survivors to this place” laughed Gangubai.