Category: Hindi Movie Reviews

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Alpha: Strong sisterhood saves the day

Shiv Rawail and Uday Chopra succeed in presenting two badass women. The dynamics of estranged siblings is the film’s beating heart. Sharvari matches Alia step to step whether its the hand-to-hand combat or the emotional sequences. Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Dibyendu Bhattacharya also lend gravity to their respective parts. But the father and daughter thread needed stronger writing, also a Dhurandhar like twist feels forced. Yes, the scenarios leading up to the revelation is interesting but in the eventual scheme of things it feels like a hurried addition

Starcast: Alia Bhatt, Sharvari Wagh, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and others

Genre: Action thriller/drama

Director: Shiv Rawail

Story: Uday Chopra

Screenplay: Shoumik Shukla and Sridhar Raghavan

Dialogues: Ishita Moitra

Producer: Aditya Chopra

Production House: Yash Raj Films

Songs: Rohansh and Abeer Pandit

Cinematography: Rubais

Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

The spy journey of Yash Raj beginning with EK Tha Tiger has seen a roller-coaster of a journey. It has been a mix of massive highs and huge lows. Until Pathaan all the movies were commercial blockbusters but with Tiger 3 everything changed. Tiger 3 was a reasonable success but nowhere close to the blockbuster status of Pathaan and War among others. War 2 was a bigger dud than Tiger 3 with a lot of criticism on similar visual aesthetics, the matters got further compounded with the mega success of Dhurandhar movies. Shiv Rawail’s Alpha’s comes at an extremely crucial moment for the future of spy verse as well as Alia Bhatt. The actor’s previous tryst with action Jigra couldn’t do much at the box office and Alpha is likely to go the same way. The movie has solid action and good performances but the writing tapers off after some solid world building.

The story of Alpha begins with the aftermath off 1999 Kargil War. Bobby Deol is commander Fateh Sing Lakawat. He trains Alia Bhatt’s Sita with a very potent Alpha serum. Sita grows up to be a ruthless assassin following her adopted father’s commands without much questioning. Anil Kapoor plays RAW Cheif Kaul. Kaul was a part of Fateh’s Alpha program, but a particular incident leads to Kaul distancing himself from Fateh Singh. Sharvari Wagh plays the estranged twin sister Durga. Last but not the least Dibyendu Bhattacharya is a scientist cum partner to Fateh. In simple terms the film focuses on how Sita’s life changes after a crucial revelation and how the estranged siblings eventually team up taking down Fateh and save India.

The beating heart of Alpha as already mentioned is the strong sisterhood between Alia and Sharvari. The two have contrasting personalities in terms of how they look at life. Durga like Sita has also grown without mother’s love as Kaul’s wife played by a radiant Dia Mirza, the character dies while giving birth to the twins. However, their lives have shaped up differently due to the contrasting atmospheres. Fateh has trained Sita as a cold-blooded assassin not getting himself emotionally involved. A particular sequence of Sita 18th birthday with Fateh giving the first assignment is a perfect example of this.

The impact of Fateh’s upbringing can be clearly seen in Sita’s initial interactions with both Kaul and Durga. A situation comes where the two have to stick it out together and here Sita’s coldness gradually evaporates and by the end the two have developed a strong bond. This gradual process has come out in a solid manner. It also helps that Sharvari is positioned as an equal and not a mere sidekick. The young actress does a fantastic job in the scenes of physical agility as well as the few poignant moments. Alia Bhatt gets into the skin of a trained assassin with panache; at the same time, she is her usual competent self in the scenes of vulnerability. Alia and Sharvari together lift the movie’s muddled screenplay with their camaraderie. A mention must also be made of a pre interval action block with the two taking on each other unaware of being sisters. The fight has been solidly choreographed with some raw action.

Bobby Deol as the primary antagonist plays the part with the required ruthlessness. While the part is no Bandar in terms of the different shades Bobby still makes for a formidable villain. The deep baritone voice coupled with the overall physical demeanor is a treat to watch. Anil Kapoor continues his golden form with another solid act. In spite of the hurried writing the veteran actor brings in an emotional resonance in his scenes with both Alia and Sharvari. Dibyendu Bhattacharya is also impressive within his limited screen time. His sequence with the adult Sita deserves a specific mention. Hrithik Roshan as Kabir shows too up in an extended cameo. The actor brings his usual swagger and style, his interactions with Alia and Sharvari have some interesting moments.

The action sequences are another highlight of the movie. The pre interval block and the climatic fight deserve a special mention. Yes, the closing fight feels stretched but the raw action with Alia and Bobby combating has been wonderfully staged. As viewers you fear for Sita and the scene of her finally pinning down Fateh serves as a perfect culmination.

A major flaw with Alpha is the loose writing when it comes to the father and daughter dynamics, whether it’s Sita’s equation with her adopted father or the biological one. There is a sense of hurry in the way the interpersonal relationships are introduced and then left hanging only to be revisited later.

This juggling act of action and emotion doesn’t land seamlessly. The second half in particular seems in a rush for Alia taking on Bobby. As a result the emotions don’t stir the viewers the way it should.

Alpha also suffers from a Dhurandhar hangover. A crucial twist related to the actual identity of Bobby’s Fateh Singh feels like a last-minute addition to please the deshbhakts. But this twist though shocking isn’t likely to please even the most patriotic ones.

The music with its mix of Hindi and English lyrics doesn’t work either. Sharvari’s introduction song for example just doesn’t land.

Final word: Alpha deserves marks for trying to something different within the spy verse formula. But the inconsistent writing makes it difficult to root. Having said that it makes for a fun watch especially for those who like seeing strong women saving the day.

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Main Vaapas Aaunga: A stirring tale of trauma and loss of humanity

Imtiaz Ali once again employs his favorite two timeline plot sequencing. More than the partition horrors the movie holds a mirror to today’s displaced homes due to bloodshed. The end montage song with the ever-charming Diljit Dosanjh hits hard. A strong aspect of Main Vaapas Aaunga are the scenes between Nasseerudin Shah and Diljit. The portions have a perfect blend of humor with emotional pathos. The pre partition romance though needed better writing

Starcast: Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari Wagh and others

Genre: Romance/drama

Director and writer: Imtiaz Ali

Additional writer: Nayanika Mahatani

Music: A R Rahman

Cinematography: Sylvester Fonseca

Producers: Sameer Nair, Deepak Segal etc

Production Companies: Window Seat Films, Applause Entertainment etc

Running time: 2 hours and 46 minutes

Stories of Partition and Bollywood go hand in hand; numerous filmmakers have depicted the horrors of partition in their own ways but still there is always something left to be explored. Imtiaz Ali’s latest Main Vaapas Aaunga is also about pre partition and the horrors following it. But the genre here makes a difference. Imtiaz packs in an intense tale of unrequited love, love so intense that our protagonist hasn’t forgotten his heroine though he is 95 years old. Naseeruddin Shah is Keenu. He falls in love with a Muslim girl Jiya/Afshana played by a radiant Sharvari Wagh. Vedang Raina plays the younger version in the flashbacks. Their blossoming romance hits a roadblock due to partition. He manages to make a living, but the scars haven’t completely left. Diljit Dosanjh plays the grandson Nirvair Grewal. Nirvair is going through his own hassles both professionally and personally. Nirvair becomes Keenu’s support system, and he is determined to fulfill his grandfather’s last wish and how that happens is the essence of MVA.

A strong aspect of MVA are the scenes between Nasseerudin Shah and Diljit. Their interactions have undertones of humor in the beginning especially the hospital ones. But as Nirvair becomes more emotionally involved the dynamics takes a different turn. The portions start to become emotionally poignant and the two feed off each other wonderfully. After a long time Naseeruddin Shah has gotten an author backed part and the veteran makes complete use of it. Whether its his intense love for Jiya/Afshana or the pain of leaving one’s home the actor tugs at your heartstrings. He also raises chuckles in his initial interactions with Diljit.

Diljit as the grandson gets his own arc and the dependable actor doesn’t disappoint. In spite of sharing screen space with an in form Naseeruddin Shah he more holds his own. From being curious and then the strong determination of making sure that the grandfather finds peace at least in death the actor doesn’t miss a single beat.

The pre partition romance also has his moments. Both Vedang and Sharvari look the part of bestowed lovers, but the writing could have been better. The love track could have been developed more; there is a hurried nature to the proceedings here. Having said that the conversations between young Keenu and Jiya have the right romantic spark. Vedang in particular impresses more so in the post partition scenes. The scenes of subtle pain and grief has been excellently portrayed by the young actor. Sharvari has much less to do in comparison, but she has a luminous presence and does a fine job in portraying a certain inner resilience.

The theme of humanity loss has a realistic feel to it as well. Human beings getting carried away in the cycle of violence and behaving in a barbarious manner has a contemporary feel. The post credit song Kya Kamaal Hai takes the audiences on a short tour of present horrors and the incredible spirit of fighting back. The tune coupled with Diljit voice is simply fantastic.

AR Rahman’s music jells perfectly with the movie’s tone capturing both the young love as well as the emotional undertones perfectly. The cinematography of Slylvester Fonseca particularly the pre partition romance has some nice frames. The proceedings have a lived-in feel

One of the things sticking out like a sore thumb is the subplot of Nirvair and his off/on relationship with Banita Sandhu’s Kaveri. It doesn’t add much substance to the movie. The subplot feels like more of a crutch to amplify Keenu’s deep love for Jiya. But this is a minor misstep in a mostly heartfelt drama on what it means to leave your home.

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Bandar: A gritty drama on the inner workings of jail

Anurag Kashyap and Sakshi Mehta present a harrowing picture of the numerous tribulations faced by undertrial prisoners. The social commentary on corrupt public institutions as well as media trial hit hard. Bobby Deol gets a layered role with shades of grey, and he goes full throttle coming up with a first-rate act. The character Sameer Mehra isn’t completely white or black, and this makes the movie more interesting

Starcast: Bobby Deol, Sapna Pabbi, Sanya Malhotra, Indrajit Sukumaran, Saba Azad etc

Genre: Thriller/drama

Directors: Anurag Kashyap and Sakshi Mehta

Writers: Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Benarjee

Music: Amit Trivedi, Vishal Mishra etc

Cinematography: Saiyed Shaaz

Producers: Anurag Kashyap, Nikhil Tiwedi etc

Production Company: Saffron Magic Works

Running time: 2 hours plus

There is an important line in Anurag Kashyap’s latest Bander where Bobby Deol’s Sameer Mehra describes himself. He categorizes himself as sometimes good and sometimes bad. This scene with an ex-girlfriend turned adversary (a super Sapna Babbi) isn’t just a throw away portion. It sums up the role in many ways. At some points Bandar also reflects Bobby Deol’s real-life struggles before the fantastic resurgence in Animal. There is a portion of Sameer walking out of an airport after performing in a wedding. In spite of being popular in the past no one in media notices Sameer let alone clicking his photograph. Bandar in simple terms is about a woman accusing a man of raping her. Of course, nothing of that sort has happened. Sapna Babbi’s Gayatri is driven by vengeance when Sameer develops a cold feet. However, the bigger picture of Bandar are the hardships faced by undertrial prisoners and how they are boxed in a certain category irrespective of whether they have actually done the crime or not.

A strong aspect of Bandar is undoubtedly the depiction of jails nitty gritties. Anurag Kashyap along with his writers don’t sugar coat at any point, the portions have the required rawness and as viewers you are immersed on what would be the plight of Sameer. Of course, the technical departments deserve equal credit too whether it’s the cinematography or production design.

The different gangs within the jail and the rules which come with it also have an authentic texture. Initially Sameer aligns himself with a certain group, but things change in a heated moment. He switches sides joining with Indrajith Sukumaran’s Lijo. Lijo has a solid hold over the jail atmosphere. His influence can be seen clearly in numerous portions. Lijo guiding Sameer on how to maintain sanity and the cutthroat nature of the law gives Bandar some of its best moments. Indrajith Sukumaran brings in the required authority along with a certain warmth in equal measure.

The character of Sameer Mehta also deserves equal appreciation. As already mentioned the man isn’t completely white or black. At times the viewers feel that he is actually capable of doing the heinous crime he has been charged with. There is one portion of sexual innuendoes with Gayatri, the details of which cannot be mentioned here. The man also comes across as someone stuck in the past glory and not wanting to start fresh. In spite of some despicable behavior on certain occasions, the viewers still feel for Sameer when he gets emotionally vulnerable constantly pleading with the sister played by a wonderful Sanya Malhotra.

The sequences between the two are emotionally poignant and Bobby is particularly fantastic in these scenes. Sanya Malhotra as the sister trying to hold things together from crumbling also tugs at the viewers hearts.

The gradual unraveling of Sameer’s past with Gayathri has also come out well. From the initial lovey dovey moments and then the eventual rejection leading to a psychotic change in Gayathri, all this has been wonderfully written and enacted with Sapna Pabbi not missing a single beat.

The songs of Bandar composed by multiple artists have a nice variety. The title song in particular catches the movie theme well. A romantic number “Kyun Maaza Aa Raha Hai” makes for a soothing listen and watch too.

Apart from the actors mentioned above Saba Azad playing one of Sameer’s girlfriends has a lovely presence and does a good job within the limited scope. Jithendra Joshi as a corrupt policeman has an absolute ball especially in an early interrogation scene with Bobby. This portion also has some chuckle worthy moments.

The subject of Bandar featuring a male victim is likely to split the viewers especially in the context of the then Me Too Movement. Having said that the movie is very much worth watching. The performances alone make it worth the ticket.

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Chand Mera Dil: An intense tale of love and emotional reunion

The lovey Dovey moments are a mixed bag alternating between cute and cringe. But the film finds it feet once it explores the pressure of responsibilities and certain male ego. The best part of CMD is the character graph of Lakshya Lalwani’s Aarav. The repercussions of a violent moment and how he earns back Chandini’s love has been solidly written and enacted. Ananya Pandey as the titular Chandini continues to showcase her evolution with a strong act. The actress especially shines in the scenes of emotional fragility

Starcast: Lakshaya Lalwani, Ananya Pandey and others

Genre: Romance

Writer and director: Vivek Soni

Screenplay: Tushar Paranjape

Music: Sachin Jigar

Cinematography: Debojeet Ray

Producers: Karan Johar, Somen Mishra, Adar Poonawala etc

Production House: Dharma

The beginning portions of Vivek Soni’s Chand Mera Dil feel like a typical assemblage of campus romances. At one point the viewers are reminded of 2 states too mainly because of the engineering campus and a scene of Ananya Pandey’s Chandini entering a male hostel. There is also an undercurrent of Mani Ratnam’s Sakhi in the treatment of life post marriage. The movie feels like your average campus rom com until Chandini gets pregnant. The movie soon switches gears charting into some serious topics like the burden of responsibilities having an impact on relationships among others. The movie begins in US with Aarav finishing off his masters and Chandini congratulating him on a video call. But there is a layer of awkwardness underneath the short conversation, in the car Aarav reminiscences on how the two should have met now rather than the engineering college where everything started. In simple terms the story is about madness of youthful love and how the two become more responsible individuals winning in life as well as reconciling with a fresh start

A strong aspect of Chand Mera Dil is how it looks at the complexities of a marriage. Especially with two students who are trying to find their feet while managing multiple roles. Vivek Soni along with Tushar Paranjape get into a zone which most campus rom coms avoid and do a fine job with an unfiltered approach. The film gives an important message on how love alone isn’t enough to sustain a relationship. Perseverance and discipline is equally paramount to make sure that the relationship doesn’t crumble.

The confrontation scenes between Ananya and Lakshaya have a rawness with zero vanity. The two actors are particularly impressive in these dramatic moments. The characterization of Aarav also deserves a special mention. The man comes across as a chauvinist on a few occasions like the portion where he discourages Chandini from working. Similarly, a certain male ego is clearly visible in his sulking of Chandini getting a better job than him. Before the interval there is a moment where he snaps too showcasing his violent side.

But the film doesn’t justify Aarav’s loss of temper as hyper masculinity. Chandini leaves that night along with the daughter. She is very clear on self-respect being more important than love. Yes, Chandini hasn’t lost love for Aarav completely as she clearly says in a dialogue. At the same time for her a feeling of safety is more important. A subplot of Chandini’s broken family and how that plays a crucial role in her decisions adds emotional heft to the movie. The emotional fragility as well as a strong individuality has been superbly brought out by Ananya. Even the portion of Ananya being adamant on keeping the baby has been written and enacted with good psychological insight.

Coming back to Aarav the happy union feels earned rather than something obligatory. The redemption of the male protagonist has some touching scenes especially the ones with the on-screen daughter. Lakshaya Lalwani is successful in showcasing a different facet of him as an actor whether it’s the initial scenes of care or the darker areas.

As already mentioned in the beginning the lovey Dovey moments are a hit and miss. Aarav wearing the same color clothes as Chandini is interesting to begin with, soon though a tedium sets in with repetitiveness. Also, a 2 States inspired moment doesn’t quite land. It feels more like aping leaving little impact. But the scene of Aarav quitting smoking and his explanation makes for a lovely moment.

The supporting characters needed better fleshing too. The friends for example don’t have much personality. Also, Aarav’s strained equation with his parents needed better writing, having said Vidushi Kaul’s scenes as Aarav’s sister has been well written and enacted. Her honest opinion on Aarav’s actions without letting the sisterly feelings come in the way makes for a good watch. Some abrupt jump cuts also act as a turbulence. The transition of scenes is not always smooth.

Sachin Jigar’s music adds soul to the movie. The title track played on various occasions is excellent both in terms of composition and the colorful visuals. Shreya Ghoshal’s rendition of the title song deserves a special mention. Faheem Abdullah of Saiyaara handles the male voice and he does a competent job too though not on the same level as his last one. Other tunes like Aaitbaar and Khasiyat make for a soothing listen and watch too. Debojeet Ray’s cinematography consists of interesting frames mirroring the turbulent relationship.

Final word: Chand Mera Dil is worth watching for those who like complex love stories

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Aakhri Sawal: Emotionally volatile but another propaganda

The intense clash between Sanjay Dutt and Namashi Chakraborty has its high points especially the newsroom debate. The back-and-forth arguments have some good dramatic moments. The two male leads are in solid form, but the film eventually becomes a showreel for RSS being a misunderstood organization. For supporters of RSS and Sangh Parivar in general Aakhri Sawal will be a treat to watch.

Starcast: Sanjay Dutt, Namashi Chakraborty, Amit Sadh, Sameera Reddy, Mrinal Kulkarni etc

Genre: Drama

Director: Abhijeet Mohan Warang

Writer: Utkarsh Naithani

Cinematography: Stanley Mudda

Producers: Sanjay Dutt and Nikhil Nanda

Production Companies: Neem Tree Entertainment and Nikhil Nanda Motion Pictures

Running time: 1 hour and 57 minutes

There is a crucial moment in Aakhri Sawal’s second half when Namashi Chakraborty’s Vicky Hedge questions his guru Gopal Nandakarni (Sanjay Dutt in a refreshingly non negative role). It’s about the heated topic of Babri Masjid demolition. Gopal Nandakarni does make a confession on how the then RSS members did some mistakes and how he doesn’t support their actions. At the same Gopal Nandakarni says that RSS didn’t entirely demolish Babari Masjid. He further talks about the encroached land on which the mosque was being built. There is a long-winded explanation giving an insight into the events leading up to that day. After Gopal Nandakarni finishes his talk Vicky hedge says are you justifying their actions with this big speech. This moment amply sums up Abhijeet Mohan Warang’s Aakhri Sawal. The movie wants to explore high intense topics; at the same time, it also wants to play safe. This two-way process eventually makes it just another propaganda rather than an insightful socio-political drama.

The story of Aakhri Sawal begins with the brutal murder of an RSS worker in Kerala. From here the plot flash forwards to a confrontation between a student and a professor. The student played by an intense Namashi Chakraborty is very upset on his professor rejecting the PHD thesis. The thesis is about RSS controversial history. Sanjay Dutt’s Gopal Nandakarni rejects Vicky’s thesis as he feels it is factually incorrect with a one-sided approach. Things heat up with Gopal Nandakarni slapping his student in a fit of anger. The confrontation and the slap is recorded live by the fellow students. What starts off as a campus debate snowballs into something much bigger. Eventually it becomes a newsroom debate with the student taking on his teacher. Amit Sadh as Aditya Rao is a former student of Gopal Nanakarni and now a journalist. He becomes the moderator for the intense discussion.

A strong aspect of Aakhri Sawal are the impactful performances of the two leads. As already mentioned it’s refreshing to see Sanjay Dutt in a non negative role. The actor does an extremely fine job in capturing the strong fighting spirit of Gopal as well as a certain anguish on how his student has become an opponent. Sanjay Dutt particularly shines in the vulnerable moments with Namashi. Namashi Chakraborty on the other hand also springs a surprise more than holding his own opposite Sanjay Dutt. The final twist with the character does reduce the impact somewhat, having said Namashi is excellent in portraying Vicky’s determination. The confidence with which Namashi takes on Sanjay Dutt gives Aakhri Sawal some of its best moments. The cockiness mixed with a little sarcasm is a delight to watch.

Mention must also be made of how the film doesn’t entirely sidestep RSS controversial history. Whether it’s the death of Mahatma Gandhi shot by a former RSS member Godse, the leaders of RSS writing letters of despair to Indira Gandhi from the jail and of course the Babri Masjid chapter. All these have been explored fairly well with Sanjay Dutt’s role representing RSS Point of view. Yes, the explanations end up in the favor of Sangh Parivar, having said that Abhijeet Mohan Warang and Utkarsh Naithani do deserve credit for not shying away from these burning topics.

The movie also does a fair job in discussing the hypocrisy of media. This particularly comes out in a conversation between Amit Sadh and a colleague played by Neetu Chandra. This is before Gopal Nandakarni is invited for the television debate. Aditya Rao questions the hypocrisy of his colleague by saying you had previously not allowed Nandakarni to come on the show because of his political leanings to RSS, but now you want the same man on your show debating. Amit Sadh delivers a restrained but impactful act; he particularly stands out in the portion of egging his former professor to present his point of view. In the same portion he talks about their different thought processes. Amit Sadh makes a solid impact in these scenes.

A major issue with Aakhri Sawal is the treatment of Sameera Reddy representing the left ideology. The character begins off promisingly but eventually ends being a caricature. In fact the roles written for the non-Sangh Parivar leave something to be desired. More than the eventual propaganda this becomes a major issue.

The film also suffers from thinly written women characters. Sameera Reddy who could have been a formidable opposition is reduced to a rather vampish figure. Similarly, Tridha Choudhary as Vicky’s girlfriend mostly stays on the fridges. Other than being worried for Vicky she has little to do. Mrinal Kulkarni as Nandakarni’s wife is the only female who makes some impact in spite of the role not offering much.

Technically there isn’t much there to praise. The background score as well as the songs function as speed breakers particularly the former with its melodramatic pitch.

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Pati Patni Aur Woh Do: A madcap comedy with a misleading title

The one liners coupled with a committed cast especially Ayushmann Khurrana and the stunning Wamiqa Gabbi keep the movie afloat. An interesting aspect of PPAWD is the angle of casteism. Actor and filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia plays a regressive politician with certain notions of so-called social boundaries. His role sets the base for the ensuing chaos spilling out of hand.

Starcast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rakul Preet Singh, Sara Ali Khan, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ayesha Raza, Vijay Raaz and others

Genre: Comedy

Direction, writing and screenplay: Mudassar Aziz

Additional screenplay: Ravi Kumar

Music: Rochak Kohli, Taniskh Bagchi etc

Cinematography: Jishnu Bhattachatterjee

Producers: Krishan Kumar, Ravi Chopra etc

Production Companies: T- Series Films and BR studios

Running time: 2 hours and 2 minutes

Before dissecting PPAWD it’s necessary to get an important matter out of the way. The film is not about Ayushmann Khurrana’s Prajapati Pandey having an extra marital affair behind the wife’s back. Mudazar Azis steers clear of that angle even though the scenarios are tailor made for a film like Masti franchise. Prajapati Pandey is a green flag husband and a solid friend. In the process of helping Sara Ali Khan’s Chanchal Prajapati’s life turns upside down. The root cause of the chaos is Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Gajraj Tiwari. Gajraj has strict boundaries of what he thinks is acceptable, Chanchal and Gajraj’s son Sunny are in deep love, however things take a dramatic turn thanks to a leaked photo of Sunny with a burqa clad woman. Of course, the one under the burqa is Chanchal and this pic reaches Gajraj. This photo is clicked by no other than Prajapati’s wife Aparna (Wamiqa Gabbi looking absolutely stunning as well as delivering a solid act). Aparna is a journalist with an ambition of opening her own news channel. What follows is a major comedy of chaos with a pile of misunderstandings and a frantic climax.

A strong aspect of PPAWD are the tricky scenarios in which our protagonist finds himself in. There is a scene in the cafe where Prajapati decides to act like Chanchal’s boyfriend to keep her safe from Gajraj and his men. He promises to help Chanchal until her boyfriend makes arrangements for the two to get away. Initially Prajapati plans to take Aparna too in confidence however a crucial revelation lands our protagonist in a messy situation. Still Prajapati goes ahead as Chanchal’s life is in danger. There are portions of Chanchal play acting like a girlfriend and Prajapati feeling hapless but playing along. This leads to numerous entertaining moments.

What elevates these screwball situations is Ayushmann Khurrana’s performance. Ayushmann’s facial expressions itself generate humor. The actor is in solid form playing to the gallery in an uninhibited manner. Apart from the comic situations Ayushmann also does a fine job in the vulnerable moments. An example of the vulnerable portion is Prajapati feeling anxious on hurting Aparna. The scenes of the protagonist’s frustration with his married life spilling out of control has been excellently portrayed by the actor.

A mention must also be made of the caste subplot. Yes, it doesn’t go too deep but the threat of Gajraj Tiwari can be definitely felt especially in an early scene of Chanchal describing her prospective father-in-law. There is an explicit emphasis from Chanchal on her coming from a lower caste and how this a major hurdle. This lifts PPAWD beyond the comedy of errors. There is also a monologue on rumors being perceived as truth when repeated often

Mudassar Aziz also deserves credit for the strong woman characters he has written. Wamiqa Gabbi’s Aparna has the least comical role among the three, but the actress brings in an emotional depth. Whether it’s her journalistic ambitions or the hurt of her husband supposed cheating Wamiqa is very good besides looking breadth takingly beautiful. Rakul Preet Singh plays Aparna and Prajapati’s best friend Nilofer Khan. Rakul is suitably feisty especially in the scene where she warns Prajapati on not hurting her best friend. Her scenes with Ayushmann especially in the one where she mocks him have nice comic touches. The two share a good camaraderie, lastly Sara Ali Khan as Chanchal does a fine job too in bringing out the character’s desperation.

The supporting cast led by Tigmanshu Dhulia and Ayesha Razia also lift the movie. Tigmanshu Dhulia plays the casteist politician with the right amount of authority, Ayesha Raza on the other hand is absolutely hilarious as Chanchal’s Buaji. The way she speaks with the speed of a Rajdhani express with a poker face leads to some chuckles. Vijay Raaz as a corrupt policeman is also competent with his dead pan humor.

Coming to the flaws Pati Patni Aur Woh do does suffer from scenes of excess. The second half in particular feels stretched in spite of the crisp running time. The pile of misunderstandings goes out of control. Also, a dream song featuring Ayushmann and Rakul doesn’t add much value to the proceedings. The songs in itself are a mixed bag with Roop Di Rani being the best of the lot. There is also a rather unnecessary character of an effeminate office boy speaking in a highly theatrical zone.

Final word: Pati Patni Aur Woh Do makes for an engaging screwball comedy especially if you are in the mood for some lighthearted fun.

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Bhooth Bangla: A competent cocktail of physical humor with scares

Priyadarshan’s latest Hindi venture feels like a mixed thali of the director’s own Bhool Bhulaiyaa 1 and Aamir Kaushik’s Stree movies. The physical humor is not for all, but a committed ensemble cast especially the veterans make it somewhat work. Akshay Kumar has a dual role one of a wastrel son and the other grey shaded character simmering with anger. Akshay makes a bigger impact in the second role. Among the three ladies Wamiqa Gabbi makes her presence felt in a mysterious character

Starcast: Akshay Kumar, Asrani, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Jisshu Sengupta, Rajesh Sharma, Wamiqa Gabbi, Mithila Parkar, Tabu and others

Genre: Horror/comedy

Direction and screenplay: Priyadarshan

Additional screenplay: Rohan Shankar and Abhilash Nair

Story: Aakash Kaushik

Dialogues: Rohan Shankar

Music: Pritam

Cinematography: Divakar Mani

Producers: Ekta Kapoor, Shoba Kapoor and Akshay Kumar

Production Companies: Balaji Motion Pictures, and Cape of Good Films

Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

In the last few years Horror comedies have emerged as a major recipe for success especially in Hindi Cinema. Whether its the Maddock horror universe Stree movies, Bhediya, Munjiya and Thamma. Or the Bhool Bhulaiyaa films. The combination of horror with laughs have been largely successful in entertaining the audience. At the same time an overkill has happened too with the largely familiar structure. Priyadarshan’s Bhoot Bangla feels like a spiritual sequel to his own movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa 1. The building up to the legend of Vadhasur and the progression of events have a major resemblance. Having said that Bhooth Bangla does a fair job in mixing slapstick humor with a well written origin story. An important flashback in mid second half has a good emotional touch.

Bhooth Bangla’s story in brief revolves around Akshay Kumar’s Arjun Maurya. He travels to an eerie place called Mangalpur, Arjun has ancestral palace. Mangalpur has a scary legend of a monster called Vadhasur. The marriage of Arjun Maurya’s sister played by Mithila Parkar is supposed to happen in these haunted surroundings. Arjun Maurya is casually dismissive of Vadhasur calling it as a cock and bull story. But he gradually realizes that Vadhasur is no myth. Unfortunately, the sister’s wedding has to happen here only, it has been destined by the high priest of the groom’s family. The rest of the story focuses on how Arjun Maurya saves the day with some help. Running parallel to this is Wamiqa Gabbi’s Priya in search of her loved one.

A strong aspect of Bhooth Bangla is Vadhasur’s origin story. The use of mythology here as the man born out of a union between an asura and deva has been well staged. The CGI effects are of a good order coupled with the cinematography of Divakar Mani. Mention must also be made of Akshay’s second role in a key flashback. His simmering anger and a feeling of being betrayed his own father has been brought out wonderfully by the actor. In one way this track is reminiscent of Christopher Marlowe’s novel Dr Faustus. How in a heated moment of insecurity the character Madhav sells his soul to Vadhasur for getting the woman he loves has been well written and enacted.

The first half is mostly devoted to scenes of slapstick comedy with major focus on physical humor. The portions of Rajpal Yadav as an electrician often border on farcical humor, he is slapped on more than one occasion by Akshay Kumar. Similarly, Paresh Rawal as the wedding organizer has a running joke on his bum being attacked. These scenes are deliberately low brow in nature, but Priyadarshan’s usual quartet of actors embrace these portions whole heartedly and are successful in raising some chuckles. Late Asrani has a substantial role too. More so in the first half. His scenes with Akshay have a fun tonality as well making the viewers chuckle.

The track between Akshay Kumar and Wamiqa Gabbi also has some interesting touches. Wamiqa lights up the screen the screen whenever she is there and the twist of a twin comes in the right time. Jisshu Sengupta as Akshay Kumar’s father may seem like an odd casting choice, but Jisshu does a fine job especially in the second half. Rajesh Sharma has an important role too. His act of desperate father comes with negative/grey shades much like Akshay’s Madhav and the actor does a very fine job.

Tabu comes in mid second half lending grace to an underwritten part. She looks like a dream though in the dance sequence. Mithila Parkar as the love-struck sister is good in the limited screen time.

A major problem with Bhooth Bangla is a significant hangover of the above-mentioned movies. The viewers get a major deja vu especially for the ones who have seen Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Stree, a more original approach was needed. Pritam’s songs also leave something to be desired. They are not bad per se but given the general track record of Pritam the tunes could have been much better.

Another problem is the scene of toilet humor; it reeks of very bad taste leaving a bitter after taste. Lastly the second half needed some trimming to make the film crisper.

Final word: Bhooth Bangla is a nostalgic horror comedy best watched with moderate expectations.

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Dhurandhar 2 (The Revenge): Aditya Dhar’s Hindutva version of Gangs of Wasseypur

There is no denying Aditya Dhar’s technical prowess and his ability in staging a scene. However, it’s high time that the young director steps out of government mouthpiece image. Ranveer Singh as Jaskirat/Hamza Ali Makari gets a more of an author backed role here and the actor chews the scenery perfectly oscillating between understatedness and emotionally charged. Rakesh Bedi continues to entertain as the conniving politician with a solid twist towards the end

Starcast: Ranveer Singh, Rakesh Bedi, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Danish Pandor and others

Direction, story and production: Aditya Dhar

Additional screenplay: Ojas Gautam and Shivkumar V Panicker

Music: Shaswat Sachdev

Cinematography: Vikas Nokawala

Producers: Aditya Dhar, Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar

Production Companies: Jio Studios and B62 Studios

Running time: 3 hours and 53 minutes

There are two major reasons for the mega success of Dhurandhar movies. One is the YRF spy template with increasing focus on style with the same aesthetics. This has led to a lag after an impressive start with EK Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai etc. The other big reason for Dhurandhar’s blockbuster success is the gritty texture. The spy here takes his own sweet to roar. The first part of Dhurandhar in spite of the polarizing views became a monstrous hit especially Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakiat. Dhurandhar (the revenge) comes with massive expectations and is most likely to go the way of its predecessor splitting up the viewers on Aditya Dhar’s craft versus the political propaganda.

For those who haven’t seen Dhurandhar one the plot focused on Ranveer Singh’s Hamza infiltrating into the gang of Rehman Dakiat on the orders of R Madhavan’s Arjun Sanyal. The first one hinted at a backstory of how Jaskrit turned into Hamza. The second part is both a continuation and a prequel. The viewers see Jaskrit transforming from a young man with big dreams to his life turning upside down. In the present timeline the journey of a spy continues with him taking down the nation’s enemies one by one in a methodical manner. There is also the reveal of Bade Saab with a Dawood Ibrahim inspired character, but the biggest twist comes in the pre climax with Rakesh Bedi. The details of which are better enjoyed on the screen.

A strong aspect of Dhurandhar (The Revenge) is the effective world building. Much like the first part there is a lived in a feel to the proceedings whether it’s the Baluchistan politics or the internal strife especially the rivalry of gangs. In one way the film can be easily termed as Aditya Dhar’s Gangs of Wasseypur. The sprawling world of Lyari is a good example of this.

Shaswat Sachdev’s music and the background score also uplifts many scenes. The Aari Aari song continues to be a pulsating number, the placement of this signifying the transformation of Jaskirat is extremely well done. Another number worth mentioning here is Jaan Se Guzarte Hain. The background score is another winner for the movie, especially in the portions of tension and Ranveer turning into a ferocious beast.

Vikas Nokawala’s cinematography is of an excellent order too. He captures the rugged atmospherics of Lyari in a first-rate manner. His work in the hardcore action sequences also deserves a mention. A special mention must be made of the brutal showdown involving Ranveer and Arjun Rampal.

Talking about the villains the presence of Akshaye Khanna is definitely missed. There was a magnetic charm in the way Rehman Dakiat was written and performed. Arjun Rampal’s major Iqbal lacks that nevertheless the actor makes for a formidable antagonist especially in the scenes of Hamza’s real identity coming out. Aditya Dhar also gives a slight backstory into why Iqbal hates India and this gives a good psychological insight.

Sanjay Dutt as the semi villain is entertaining with his one liners like the humorous interaction with Rakesh Bedi amidst a shoot-out. He plays the grey shaded cop in a charismatic manner. However, Rakesh Bedi continues to be the strongest pillar. Much like the first part his character switches shades like a chameleon and the actor nails it. At the same time there is a surprising emotional touch in the pre climax conversation with Ranveer showcasing a different facet.

Ranveer Singh in the titular role gets more of a wholesome arc unlike the first one. The actor throws himself deeply coming up with a first-rate performance. The performance has the right mixture of emotional vulnerability and ferociousness. At the same time, he also plays the part with the required understatedness. Ranveer especially stands out in a post interval stretch when the cover is almost blown. R Madhavan also gets more screen time in comparison to the first one and the actor makes his presence amply felt as the strategist. Among the rest Danish Pandor as Rehman Dakiat’s younger brother starts off promisingly but is soon relegated to the background.

Blatant glorification of ruling party:

A major problem with Dhurandar (The revenge) is the extremely blatant glorification of the ruling party. Narendra Modi twice makes an appearance and there is an extended subplot of praising demonetization. His dialogues talk about how the entire operation created a big dent for terrorists and this is stretching enmity too far. The first part had its share of open propaganda, but this one makes the movie look like a film funded by BJP whether it is the demonetization angle or the slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai. The surgical strikes also find a mention.

The women characters are also patchily written. Sara Arjun as the wife is relegated to the background for most part. Apart from being tensed in the post interval portions there is nothing more. There is a crucial emotional sequence with the character going through a heartbreak but as viewers you don’t feel anything because the romantic relationship was hardly developed in the first place. Even the powerhouse Yami Gautam is wasted in a cameo adding zero substance.

The violence is also more grating than the 2025 movie. Its more violence for the sake of effect than anything else in spite of Ranveer putting his heart and soul.

The Pakistani characters too are more of barbarians than fleshed out human beings. There is an attempt at nuance when Jaskirat talks about how Pakistan is equally suffering due to terrorism and that his war is not against the common man. But this feels like more of lip service than something concrete.

Final word: Dhurandar 2 (The Revenge) is best enjoyed for fans of patriotic action dramas or if you are a huge admirer of Ranveer Singh.

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Assi: A heavy-handed social drama

Director Anubhav Sinha’s latest crusade has the right intentions. The society’s attitude towards sexual assault victims coupled with corruption in legal systems. The first half moves along smoothly but the second half is bloated with the angle of vigilante justice. Also, the track of opposition lawyer feels like a recycled version of Pink. Strong performances led by Kani Kusruti keeps the movie afloat

Starcast: Kani Kusruti, Taapsee Pannu, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Kumud Mishra and others

Genre: Drama

Director, writer and producer: Anubhav Sinha

Additional writer: Gaurav Solanki

Additional Producers: Bhushan Kumar and Krishna Kumar

Production Companies: Beneras Media Works and T Series Films

Cinematography: Ewan Mulligan

Running time: 2 hours and 14 minutes

Anubhav Sinha’s filmography from romance, action and now social dramas has an interesting trajectory. Right since 2018’s Mulk Anubhav Sinha has consistently chosen hard hitting subjects. Both Mulk and Article 15 were solid films, but a certain jadedness has crept into the director’s recent work barring the web show IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Assi is another example of how Anubhav Sinha needs to reinvent his social drama format.

The storyline of Assi mainly focuses on the sexual assault of Kani Kusruti’s Parima. This happens when she is coming back from a school celebration. Taapsee Pannu plays advocate Raavi. She stands up for Parima in spite of a long ordeal fighting desperately to give justice. However, the road ahead is very difficult given the loopholes of legal system. This is the story in brief.

A strong aspect of Assi is definitely the actors. Kani Kusruti as the rape survivor particularly stands out: Parima’s gradual recovery both physical and mental has been well portrayed by the actor. There is a strong fighting spirit in spite of everything and Kani Kusruti brings that out well. She particularly shines in a courtroom scene when giving it back to the opposition lawyer. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub as the supportive husband plays with his part with understated strength. The way he stands with her more through actions than words is a delight to watch.

Taapsee Pannu brings out Raav ‘s anguish well but is somewhat let down by the melodramatic dialogues. This holds especially true of the pre climax stretch. Kumud Mishra as Karthik plays a character dealing with his own trauma. Not much can be revealed about his track, but the senior actor does a good job in portraying Karthik’s inner turmoil. His conversations with Naseerudin Shah has some hard-hitting dialogues.

Revathy as the judge lends dignity. Her expressions of exasperation in particular has understated moments of humor. A special mention must also be made of Manoj Pahwa. He plays the father to one of the boys. His son doesn’t assault Parima but he is also responsible for the rape as he doesn’t actively do anything to stop his friend. As a guilt-ridden father fighting for his son Manoj Pahwa does an excellent job in pulling off the dual shades.

A major problem Aasi is the second half especially the track of vigilantism. The frenzy of social media in supporting a vigilante by the name of Umbrella Man has moments of relevance but the overall integration is very clumsy. It doesn’t add much to the narrative since the case is won through the legal system even though the process is lengthy.

Some scenes also border on too much of melodrama, and this holds true of Taapsee’s speech. It comes across as a more of a moral sermon on the lines of self-defeating rather than packing a punch. The inclusion of school children in this sequence also comes across as insensitive. The role of Satyajit Sharma as the opposition lawyer doesn’t help the matters either. His line of questioning feels like a rehash of Piyush Mishra from Pink. Finally, the statistics of rape on numerous occasions feels more of a shock value than adding something cohesive.

Final word: Assi is a perfect example of how noble intentions alone cannot make for a compelling movie.

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Tu Yaa Main: A gritty survival thriller and a solid relationship drama

Director Bejoy Nambiar strikes a good balance between scares and emotions. Shanaya Kapoor as the rich influencer is the surprise package here. She brings in both emotional vulnerability as well as solid inner strength. Her character Avani is the one who saves the day for herself, and also the male protagonist played by an excellent Adarsh Gourav

Starcast: Adarsh Gourav, Shanaya Kapoor etc

Genre: Thriller/drama

Direction: Bejoy Nambiar

Writer: Abhishek Bandekar

Story: Himanshu Sharma

Based on: The Pool (Thai Movie)

Cinematography: Remy Dalal

Music: Aditya N

Producers: Aanand L Rai, Himanshu Sharma etc

Production Company: Color Yellow Productions and Bhanusali Studios limited

Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Bejoy Nambiar’s Tu Yaa Main is a mix of different themes. On one level the movie examines the world of content influencers and a certain need for validation. At the same time the film also looks at the topics of trust and responsibility in love. How the principal characters stick together as a team getting out of a life-threatening situation is the perfect example of this. The different social backgrounds in this case rich and poor is also a key part especially with Adarsh Gaurav’s character who wants to climb up the social ladder. Last but not the least the movie also briefly addresses animals being displaced from their natural environment and how this can lead to violent consequences. All this a heady cocktail but Bejoy Nambiar does a good job for most part.

In brief the storyline of Tu Yaa Main focuses on the paths of Adarsh Gourav’s Maruti Kadam and Shanaya Kapoor’s Avani Shah interconnecting. Avani finds Maruti Kadam’s ruffian like nature interesting in spite of the vastly different social backgrounds. The two soon fall in love much to the displeasure of Avani’s family. Things take a dramatic turn with Avani becoming pregnant and Maruti developing cold feet. Cracks start appearing as Avani is thinking of keeping the baby which Maruti doesn’t approve. While on the way to Goa the bike of Maruti faces problems. With the help of a kind inspector, they reach a hotel late in night. Without giving much away the film soon descends into a horror story with a killer crocodile and two young people put to extreme test. The only way to get out of the mess is working together as one unit. How the two eventually come out alive with the relationship becoming stronger than before forms the main premise of Tu Yaa Main.

A major strength of Tu Yaa Main is how Bejoy Nambiar and Abhishek Bandekar built the worlds of Avani and Maruti. The huge contrast in the terms of the social dynamics and also the aspirations of Maruti has come out in an excellent manner. The love story plays out in an interesting manner too with the gradual evolution. A key emotional sequence with Avani talking about her parents’ death connected to an accident in water is solidly written and enacted. This scene holds an important connection in the pre climax where one of Maruti’s legs is stuck with a crocodile following them. Avani’s desperation is juxtaposed with what happened to her parents. Thankfully here though the situation doesn’t end in a tragedy as Avani is able to free Maruti.

Tu Yaa Main also works because of the atmospherics especially the design of the reptile and the deep pool. The pool with its 20 feet length feels like a scary forest in itself and add to that you have two crocodiles one underground and one above. The cinematography of Remy Dalal especially shines in the second half. The way he captures the dread through the lens is fantastic. The background music by Prateek Rajgopal is chilling too in the scenes of face between the crocodile and the two leads. The production design also has an authentic feel whether its the two worlds of Mumbai or the pool sequences. The use of monsoon drenched Mumbai also plays an important role in amplifying the horrors of pool sequences.

The themes of responsibility and trust in a relationship have also been well explored in the conversations between Adarsh and Shanaya. Shanaya’s Avani in spite of her rich background isn’t presented as a caricature. She comes across as a flesh and blood human being with her vulnerabilities and a firmness on doing what she wants to do. Shanaya delivers a very good act especially in the dramatic moments of the second half. Adarsh Gourav as the ambitious rapper with dreams of better life is solid as well. He gets the attitude of a ruffian type spot on both in terms of body language and dialogue delivery. Yes, there is a Siddhanth Chaturvedi hangover from Gully Boy on a few occasions. But Adarsh does a fantastic job in capturing the angst and a desire to rise above his social status.

The theme of environment, in this case displacement of animals could have been explored a bit more though rather than just reducing it to a conversation between Adarsh and a helpful police officer. On the musical front the remixes work more than the original numbers. Having said that Jee liya featuring the blossoming romance works well.

Final word: Tu Yaa Main is an immersive watch especially for fans of high-stake thrillers