Category: Hindi Movie Reviews

Posted on

Salaam Venky: Venky’s Spirit Deserves A Salute, But Not The Film

Too much melodrama!

Salaam Venky (Hindi)

  • Cast: Kajol, Vishal Jethwa, Ahana Kumra, Rahul Bose, Rajeev Khandelwal, Prakash Raj, Anant Mahadevan, Priya Mani, Kamal Sadanah, Maala Parvathi, Ridhi Kumar, Aneet Padda, and Aamir Khan (special appearance)
  • Director: Revathy
  • Producers: Suraj Singh, Shraddha Agrawal, and Varsha Kukreja
  • Music: Mithoon
  • Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes

Salaam Venky, directed by Revathy, reminds the audiences of several films, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guazaarish.

In fact, the debate surrounding euthanasia (mercy killing) in this Kajol-starrer is inspired by Bhansali’s directorial.

However, to Revathy’s credit, she also brings the angle of organ donation through the protagonist.

The other significant influence is the 1971 classic Anand.

The protagonist, Venky, is heavily influenced by the late Rajesh Khanna’s philosophy in Anand. He firmly believes that “life must be big irrespective of the longevity”.

In Salaam Venky, Revathy tries to merge these two aspects, but it is not entirely successful.

There are some truly heartfelt moments, including an extended cameo of a big actor. However, the film never achieves its full potential.

The storyline

For those who are not aware, the story of Salaam Venky is inspired by the novel Last Hurrah. The novel itself was inspired by the true story of the 24-year-old chess player Kolavennu Venkatesh.

The movie follows the journey of a patient with the life-threatening condition DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), which weakens the muscles from an early age.

Vishal Jethwa is Venkatesh Krishnan aka Venky. His mother is Sujatha Prasad (Kajol).


Venky was expected to live only 16 years. But his zest for life coupled with Sujata’s efforts made him reach 24; however, his death is now imminent. It is only a matter of time.

Venky wants to donate his organs before he dies and urges his mother to appeal for euthanasia. Naturally, Sujata is unwilling as she has not given up on her son yet.

But soon, she reconciles with this bitter truth and accepts her son’s wishes. She finds a lawyer named Parvez Alam (Rahul Bose) with the help of Dr Shekhar (Rajeev Khandelwal).

The court agrees to hear the case but there is still a long way to go. Of course, Venky loses the case but he sparks a much-needed debate.

Apart from the aforementioned characters, there is also Aamir Khan in an extended cameo. But only Kajol can see him!

What really worked?

Before getting into the negatives, it is necessary to say a few things about what works for the film.

Revathy extracts solid performances from most of her cast.

Kajol is resilient and vulnerable in equal parts. She balances both these aspects wonderfully. She is particularly good in the scenes where she is battling her inner demons.

However, the scene-stealer is easily Vishal Jethwa. He does a successful U-turn from his roles in Mardaani 2 and the web series Human, showing good range.

The filminess of Venky’s character would have been grating in the hands of a less capable actor, but Vishal more than rises to the occasion.

His cheerful attitude in the face of adversity does bring a smile to your face.

A particular mention must be made of Venky’s scenes with his love Nandini (Aneet Padda). They are heartwarming and provide some much-needed respite.

One of the other subplots worth mentioning here is the one between Kajol and Aamir. Aamir has a mysterious presence and whenever he appears, there is curiosity in the minds of the audience.

The scenes between the two are few, but they leave a solid impact. Aamir, in an extended cameo here, is more watchable than in his last two ventures.

What didn’t work?

The second half is definitely more gripping than the first. The courtroom scenes between Rahul Bose and Priya Mani, the opposing lawyer, have some meat.

The arguments for and against euthanasia along with organ donation give the film some of its best moments.

However, the biggest issue with Salaam Venky is the tone that Revathy adopts, particularly in the first half. There is too much melodrama, which is not really needed, given the explosive content.

Additionally, the dialogues with filmy references feel overdone after a particular point. On more than one occasion, these dialogues come across as cringe rather than fun.

Some of the other subplots could have also been avoided. The case in point is Venky’s father, who makes an unnecessary comeback, only to disappear after showing how insensitive he was as a father and husband in the flashback.

Aahana Kumara as the TV reporter also doesn’t add much to the plot. The TV debates shown are artificial.

Music by Mithoon is pleasant, but the songs could have been more heartfelt.

Overall, Salaam Venky has all the right ingredients, but the garnishing is the problem!

Posted on

Bhediya: A Strong Cautionary Tale On The Importance Of Environment

Varun is brilliant, while Kriti gets relegated to the background!

Bhediya (Hindi)

  • Cast: Varun Dhawan, Abhishek Benarjee, Deepak Dobriyal, Paalin Kabak, and Kriti Sanon
  • Director: Aamir Kaushik
  • Producer: Dinesh Vijan
  • Music: Sachin-Jigar
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 36 minutes

Aamir Kaushik is known for his wacky sense of storytelling: his previous films Stree and Bala are examples.

Stree was based on the folk tale, “Oh Woman Come Tomorrow”. He gave it a feminist touch, elevating the film from the usual horror-comedy genre.

In Bala, Kaushik used humour to convey an important message on baldness and societal standards of beauty.

With Bhediya, Kaushik once again scripts a folk tale with a strong message. This time, the setting is Arunachal Pradesh.

In Bhediya, he focuses his lens on how progress should not be at the cost of the environment. There is also a commentary on how the northeast people are alienated.

These are heavy themes but Kaushik makes them non-preachy through his storytelling.

The plot of Bhediya is centred on a small-time contractor Bhaskar (Varun Dhawan). He gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is given a road-construction contract inside the dense forests of Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.

This is his biggest project. But he is aware that this project will destroy the environment.

He also knows that the project would not benefit the local population. Still, he wants to continue the work for the benefits it brings.

His cousin Janardan (Abhishek Banerjee) accompanies him. He has a local friend, Jomin (Paalin Kabak).

Deepak Dobriyal plays sub-contractor Panda. One night, Bhaskar is stranded in the jungle and is bitten by a bhediya (wolf).

Veterinary doctor Anki (Kriti Sanon with a weird hairstyle) provides him first-aid.

However, things start getting worse for Bhaskar because he was bitten by a supernatural wolf. As a result, he too gets some supernatural powers now.

On the other hand, certain people associated with this controversial project are getting killed due to a particular animal.

The rest of the story is about how this mystery is solved and how Bhaskar manages to overcome his inner conflict. This is the synopsis of Bhediya.

Terrific visual effects

The best thing about the movie is how the director balances horror and comedy.

The scenes of Varun transforming into a werewolf at night will give goosebumps to the audience, more so if you are watching it in 3D.

The background music by Sachin-Jigar coupled with the cinematography of Jishnu Bhattacharjee heightens the impact of these scenes.

The computer-generated ‘wolf effects’ are in perfect sync with the nature of the film. The hard work that has gone behind the scenes is evident.

Comedy is a mixed bag

Abhishek Benerjee mostly handles the comedy part. He is a real hoot and often leaves the audience in splits.

Varun’s camaraderie with both Abhishek Benerjee and Paalin Kabak gives the film some of its best moments.

Paalin Kabak also stands on his own, particularly in the scene where he expresses his frustration about the stereotypes associated with northeastern people.

Deepak Dobriyal is fun to watch.

But some of the jokes are rather in bad taste. A case in point is the scene where Varun’s bum becomes a point of discussion; there is also some unnecessary toilet humour which dragged quite a bit.

There are also some avoidable racist jokes.

Varun is brilliant, Kriti is underused

Another major win for the film is how the character of Varun has been designed coupled with the actor’s terrific performance.

Bhaskar is someone who starts with an indifferent attitude towards nature. Becoming rich is his only ambition. However, all these changes after he gets bitten by the supernatural wolf.

The audiences get to see him going through a lot of internal conflicts and eventually changing for the better.

Varun captures all these shades meticulously. He also deserves huge credit for the physical transformation that he goes through when the wolf takes over.

Kriti Sanon has a mysterious presence much like Shraddha Kapoor in Stree. And just like Shraddha, Kriti is largely relegated to the background except for the pre-climax twist.

It has a good emotional touch. However, the impact would have been more if Kriti was better used it from the beginning. Her romance with Varun is rather half-baked.

Sachin-Jigar’s music was better in Stree than in this film but they more than make it up with their background score.

Rajkumar Rao and Aparshakti Khuranna make a surprise appearance, in the end, leaving the audiences curious about a possible crossover film between Bhediya and Stree in future.

Posted on

Drishyam 2 (Hindi): A Solid Remake That Stands On Its Own Feet. 

Abhishek Pathak delivers a solid thriller that will satisfy the audiences even if you have seen the original Malayalam film

Drishyam 2 (Hindi)           3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Ajay Devgan, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Akshay Khanna and others

Direction, screenplay and dialogues: Abhishek Pathak

Additional screenplay and dialogues: Aamil Keeyan Khan

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Abhishek Pathak, Krishan Kumar and Kumar Mangat Pathak

Production companies: Viacom 18 Studios, T- Series Films and Panorama Studios

Original story: Jeetu Joseph

Based on: Drishyam 2 (Malayalam) by Jeetu Joseph

Music: Devi Sri Prasad

Genre: Crime thriller/drama

Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Jeetu Joseph’s Drishyam films can easily fit in any language; the emotions in both the films are something that audiences can connect to irrespective of where they come from. When Jeetu Joseph made Drishyam 2 there were certain apprehensions about the sequel matching up to the original. But the director proved his skeptics wrong by delivering a highly satisfying sequel. Not surprisingly Drishyam 2 was remade into Telugu as well; Jeetu Joseph directed the Telugu version as well.  Now you have Hindi Drishyam 2 headlined by Ajay Devgan and directed by Abhishek Pathak. Late Nishikant Kamat had directed the first part. 

Drishyam 2 comes at a time when we are going through a saturation of remakes. However the film has created a certain buzz thanks to a well cut trailer and also the star cast. This time there is Akshaye Khanna too playing the police officer who takes on Ajay Devgan’s Vijay Salgaonkar. 

The story of Drishyam 2 starts off with a slight recap of the first part. This recap helps the audiences to reconnect with the events. Seven years have passed but Vijay’s family is still haunted by that traumatic night and the events that followed. Vijay has now got his own film theatre. In fact he is writing a story too with plans of producing a film. Former inspector Meera Deshmuk (Tabu) is still searching for answers and closure regarding her son’s death. Nandini (Shriya Saran) cannot sleep alone at night. Whenever Vijay isn’t there she asks her neighborhood lady to sleep her. Anju (Ishita Dutta) suffers from fits during high tension moments. Tarun Ahlawat (Akshay Khanna) is a friend of Meera and is hell bent on making sure that Vijay is punished, however that is easier said than done. This is the basic synopsis. 

The first half of Drishyam 2 is slow paced and a lot of time is spent on setting things up. But Abhishek Pathak does a good job in keeping the audiences invested. The family dynamics don’t have the same warmth as the Malayalam and Telugu versions, but still there is enough meat. Some of the twists won’t be a surprise for those who have seen the Malayalam film. However there is a lot there for even those who have seen the Malayalam film. 

The film gathers steam with the introduction of Akshay Khanna. Akshay Khanna commands the viewer’s attention with his strong screen presence. The cat and mouse game which proceeds keeps the audiences engrossed. My favorite bit in the second half is when Akshay’s character visits the family of Vijay. The tension is palpable throughout. This in spite of the fact that Akshay Khanna never raises his voice, his demeanor is more than enough. Akshay Khanna brings a certain authority to his part and his one liners are too good. 

The background score by Devi Sri Prasad also helps immensely in building up the suspense. The background score adds to the thrills particularly in the second half when things start getting serious. Sudhir Kumar’s cinematography is another major plus for the film. His cinematography adds to the immersive experience. 

Much like the original Malyalam film and the Telugu remake here too as audiences you empathize with both Ajay Devgan and Tabu. There are no heroes and villains here. Both these actors don’t need a particular introduction about their acting capabilities. Their work speaks for themselves. 

Ajay Devgan is brilliant as the protective husband and father who would go any lengths to save them. Tabu has less screen time but she commands your attention as the mother who is waiting to strike back. 

Shriya Saran is fairly effective as Nandini but Meena did a better job in the Malayalam and Telugu Films. Kamlesh Sawant brings in the required ruthless to his part of a cop who is thirsty for revenge.  Final word: Drishyam 2 is a worthy successor. There are enough thrills backed by some solid performances. 

Posted on

Uunchai: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara For The Older Generation

A delightful trek that is high on visuals and emotions

Uunchai (Hindi)            3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Sarika and others

Director: Sooraj R. Barjatya

Story: Sunil Gandhi

Producers: Kamal Kumar Barjatya, Mahaveer Jain and others

Production Company: Rajashri Productions

Music: Amit Trivedi

Genre: Adventure/drama

Running time: 2 hours and 53 minutes

Sooraj Barjatya is one of the most successful commercial directors of the 90’s. He made Salman Khan into an overnight star with Maine Pyar Kiya. For a long time Salman’s off screen persona was synonymous with his onscreen image of Prem, thanks to the way the director presented him in multiple films. Often times the director repeated himself with simplistic plots. It was mostly set around large families and half way through an unfortunate incident happened resulting in a deep divide. Inevitably the protagonist would set things right with his basic goodness. Even his last film Prem Rathan Dhan Payo ticked all the boxes of 90’s family dramas; the only difference being that PPDP was set in a princely state where monarchy still exists.

However with Uunchai the director attempts something different, and for most part manages to pull it off. Barjatya not only takes a few elements from Farhan and Zoya Akhtar’s mode of storytelling but also takes inspiration from Nag Ashwin’s directorial debut ‘Yevade Subramanyam’. The inspiration can be clearly seen in the mountain scenes in the second half.

The film opens with a group of three friends- Amit Srivastava (Amitabh Bachchan), Om (Anupam Kher) and Javed (Boman Irani). There is also Mala (Sarika). These four are on a trek to reach the EBC (Everest base camp). The tour guide is Shraddha Gupta (A grumpy Parineeti Chopra). From there we move to a flashback from two months ago. This flashback involves the trio’s close friend Bhupen (A delightful Danny Denzonpa). It is refreshing to see Danny in this small but important part. His presence is felt throughout the film. Bhupen’s biggest desire is to go on a trek to the base camp of Everest with his three friends. However the friends are reluctant and they don’t take it too seriously. But things take a turn for bad after the birthday of Bhupen. The next morning he dies of cardiac arrest, this in spite of Bhupen being the fittest among the four. Amit decides to fulfill Bhupen’s last wish.

Both Om and Javed feel that Amit is being mad. But Amit manages to convince them about the importance of fulfilling their friend’s wish. However it is a trek that comes with many hurdles, the chief one being the age bracket that this trio comes under. Also Javed’s wife Shabina (Neena Gupta) is a controlling woman who doesn’t let him go outside the city and Mount Everest is a far off thing.

The rest of the story is about whether the trio is able to fulfill the last wish of their friend or not. Along the way the film also gives some important life lessons. These include how parents aren’t always in the right and children are not always in the wrong. How marriage partners sometimes need a certain distance, and lastly how love often can succumb to worldly comforts. The last one is brought out through the character of Mala. She has an important connection to Bhupen.

For any friendship film to work, the most essential aspect is that no character should end up overshadowing the others. A major reason why a Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or a Dil Chahta Hai works is due to the way the characters were written. As an audience you root for all the three protagonists.

Here too Sooraj Barjatya gives equal space to all of them and makes you empathize with all. All the three have their own inner battles and the director does a splendid job in portraying them. Uunchai also dwells into the importance of solitude and successfully showcases how certain battles are best fought alone.

The individual back stories have also been smartly used by Sooraj Barjatya. They come in when you least expect it. Case in point being how Mala is connected to Bhupen, or even Amit’s past with a woman called Abhilasha (Nafisa Ali in a graceful special appearance). These stories add to the impact of the film.

The dialogues written by Abhishek Dixit are mostly heartwarming, both in the situations involving the friends and also the husband and wife scenes between Boman Irani and Neena Gupta.

The cinematography by Manoj Kumar Khatoi is simply splendid. He deserves distinction marks for how he captures the mountains through his lens. The trekking scenes of Amit, Om and Javed give us lot of thrills. This thrill is further enhanced by the cinematographer.

Anupam Kher, Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani, none of the three veteran actors disappoints

The action and stunts by Sham Kaushal are filled with the right amount of tension. For example there is a scene in the second half where all of them have to cross a bridge with the weather at its worst. The audiences get the feeling that something tragic will happen to Amit in particular. However no damage happens and the weather does settle down.

Also read: Thank God: A fantasy ride that you won’t mind hopping on

Music by Amit Trivedi is also good. My favorite is the Keti Ko song which leaves you with a smile on your face.

Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher and Bomal Irani in a jovial dance sequence

Coming to the flaws the length of the film could have been easily trimmed down. The first half feels indulgent at certain places. The trek could have begun much earlier rather than leaving it to the second half.

Another issue with the film is the way the character of Parineeti has been written and performed. She spends most of her time either being exasperated or being angry with the senior citizens. There is an attempt at humanizing her but it comes across as rather labored.

Uunchai boasts of fantastic veteran actors and none of the seniors disappoint. Amitabh Bachchan is marvellous as Amit Srivastava. He captures all the nuances without missing a single beat. Amitabh’s brilliance can be particularly seen at a crucial juncture in the second half; in this important scene his character is revealed to have Alzheimers. Om and Javed scold Amit for hiding his condition and decide to go back. This is followed by Amit’s long dialogue where he talks about the purpose of this trip and how he is not backing down now. Amitabh Bachchan does a swell job in bringing out the emotions of Amit.

Sarika leaves solid impression in her part

Anupam Kher has been on a roll this year with a knockout performance in Kashmir Files. The actor also made a huge impression with his small role in the Telugu film Karthikeya 2. With Uunchai Anupam continues his golden form. He excels in both the lighter and emotional bits. It is a delight to see Anupam getting one meaty role after another. Boman Irani compliments Amitabh and Anupam wonderfully. He conveys a lot with his body language. Sarika and Neena Gupta are also very good. They leave a solid impression in their respective parts.

Final word: Uunchai is rich in both visuals and also emotions. A tighter edit would have made it even better. But still this is a delightful trek with the smashing veterans leading it.

Posted on

Mili: An Engrossing Survival Drama Led By Brilliant Janhvi Kapoor

The genre of Survival drama lends itself to a vast array of human emotions. A film like Tom Hanks’ Cast Away is still considered to be a classic. Closer home Vikramaditya Motwane’s Trapped was a brilliant exploration of the loneliness in a big city, captured in a nail biting manner through the character of Rajkumar Rao. The protagonist in Trapped accidently jams himself inside his apartment. This year itself Fahad Fassil’s Malyankunju explored caste through the lens of a survival drama. Mathukutty Xavier’s Mili, a remake of his own Malayalayam film Helen is a wonderful addition to this list.

Structurally speaking Mili stays close to the original except for a few tweaks. For example in Helen the love interest of Anna Ben is a Muslim boy. Here the director makes Sunny Kaushal a Hindu boy who is supposedly from a different caste.

Milli starts off with establishing the daily routine of its lead character (Janhvi Kapoor).Before getting into the gritty space the director sets up the two important relationships in Mili’s life. One is with her father Niranjan (Manoj Pahwa). The other is with her boyfriend Sameer (Sunny Kaushal). Father doesn’t know anything about the boyfriend. Mili works as cashier at Take Out Mall in Dehradun. Before that Mili worked as a nurse. Milli has aspirations of going to Canada which the father doesn’t exactly approve of but he has no option. Things take a turn when father comes to know about Sameer and all hell breaks loose. The next night Mili gets trapped in the freezer room after a late night shift and no one has any idea of where she has disappeared. What follows is a race against time where the father and boyfriend unite together in search of the person they love. The director also explores the misogyny and the stereotypes attached to young working girls through Inspector Satish (Anurag Arora). 

The first half of Mili is mostly about setting the base and giving an insight into her personality. These portions may appear stretched but they play an important part in the scheme of things. The father and daughter bond gives the film some of its best moments. In both the emotional and lighter bits, the scenes between Janhvi and Manoj Pahwa have certain warmth that touches the hearts of the audience. Manoj Pahwa is one of those actors who can do a variety of roles, case in point being Article 15 and Mulk. Here too as father Manoj makes the audiences root for him. The desperation of a father is brilliantly brought out by the actor.

The love story between Janhvi and Sunny could have been better written; nevertheless their scenes are still good to watch. Sunny Kaushal has less to do but the actor still stands out with his amiable presence. He is successful in bringing out a boyfriend’s concern for Mili. Mathukutty Xavier does a wonderful job in showcasing how Milli’s father develops a fondness for Sameer in their search together for Mili.

For any survival drama the technical departments have to be very strong. Much like the original, here too the production design is one of the biggest assets of the film. Apurwa Sondhi does a brilliant job in converting the freezer room into a battleground. The shots of Janhvi trying to survive in the freezer room are sure to give goosebumps. The cinematography by Sunil Karthikeyan is also award worthy particularly in the freezer room portions.

The police characters may come across as generic particularly Anurag Arora who hasn’t got any redeeming quality but still his character of Satish is an important reminder of how certain stereotypes can become dangerous to young working women’s lives. Sanjay Suri as the other Inspector is the ante thesis of Satish and the actor infuses his part with the required righteousness. Jackie Shroff as the prisoner has a short cameo but his role is important to the proceedings. The senior actor makes his presence amply felt.

Now let’s move to the leading lady Janhvi Kapoor. Since Dhadak there has been a concrete effort on the part of Janhvi to prove her worth in the industry, as someone who is much more than just late Sridevi’s daughter. The actress has been making some right choices with Gunjan Saxena and Good Luck Jerry but with Mili she outdoes herself with a spectacular performance. She is particularly brilliant when the focus shifts to the freezer room. Janhvi makes the pain of Milli so real. The audiences almost pray for her to come out safe. Irrespective of Mili’s box office result there is no denying that the actress is far ahead of her contemporaries like Sara Ali Khan.

AR Rahman’s music isn’t of the popular type but the tunes go perfectly with the mood of the film, they complement the story. Tum Bhi Raahi is my most favorite song in the album. Sun Aye Milli is also a wonderful number. The background score, also composed by Rahman himself, is praise worthy.

Final word: Watch Mili even if you have watched Helen. It is a survival drama that makes you go through a roller-coaster of emotions. Janhvi Kapoor’s performance is the cherry on the cake.

Posted on

Ram Setu: More Adventure And A Younger Hero Would Have Been Better

Before the pandemic entered our lives Akshay was easily one of the most bankable stars in the Hindi Film Industry. The actor had created a brand for himself as a kind of nationalistic hero. Akshay expertly juggled between doing films where he saves the day and also slapstick comedies like the Housefull franchise. Raj Mehta’s Good news was an exception as Akshay’s Varun Batra was an elitist jerk. But since pandemic a lot has changed and Akshay’s brand of cinema has stopped working for people. Bachchan Pandey, Bell Bottom and Samrat Prithviraj are examples of this. Yes, Sooryavanshi was a big hit in 2021 but the film immensely benefited from the timing of its release and also from Rohit Shetty’s fan base.

2022 has been particularly a bad year for Akshay as nothing has worked for the actor. Ram Setu directed by Abhishek Sharma is similar to Nikhil’s Kartikeya 2. Both deal with important mythological characters. Kartikeya 2 was about the existence of Dwaraka and the historicity of Lord Krishna. Ram Setu on the other hand is about Lord Ram and the debate surrounding the bridge of Ram Setu. The film Ram Setu has an interesting premise which could have resulted in a complete edge of the seat thriller but the film doesn’t completely live up to its promise.

Ram Setu revolves around an atheist archaeologist Aryan Kulshrestha (Akshay Kumar). Aryan has been entrusted with the job of disproving the mythological origins of Ram Setu, the bridge between India and Sri Lanka described in Valmiki’s Ramayana. However upon further research Aryan comes to the conclusion that the structure may be actually man- made, implying that Lord Rama may be a historical person after all. Nushrratt Bharuccha plays Akshay’s wife. She is a strong believer in god from the start. Dr Sandra (Jacqueline Fernandez) is an environmental scientist. Senior actor Nassar plays the corrupt businessman. Last but not the least Satyadev plays the Lankan guide AP. He has a mysterious background which we don’t know till the end. This is the story in a nutshell.

Ram Setu works best when we see all the three protagonists in the thick of action. The scenes of Akshay and Co searching for historical evidence keeps you involved. You are curious to know about how Aryan changes from an atheist to a believer and how he will save the bridge.

The scenes which I particularly liked were the ones when the team goes on a trail to find Ravan’s Lanka. They have a certain thrill.

Special mention must also be made of the stunning underwater sequences. Director Abhishek Sharma does a wonderful job in capturing the grandeur of Ram Setu under the Indian Ocean. These shots look straight out of a Discovery documentary.

What also helps Ram Setu are the scenes of Satyadev with Akshay Kumar. Satyadev brings in the much needed energy with his charm and adds a layer of intrigue. He also generates some humor with his poked faced comedy.

Both the cinematography and the production design are also a treat to watch. They give a grand feel which adds to your viewing experience.

What pulls down Ram Setu is the casting of the protagonist. Akshay Kumar as the archeologist is a mixed bag. He is good as the atheist but becomes less interesting as the believer. One reason for that is we have seen Akshay do this in the past too. Also you get the feeling that a younger actor like Karthik Aryan who is light on his feet would have been better. This becomes even more apparent whenever the scenes of Akshay and Nushrratt come up. The significant age gap coupled with their inability to generate any warmth is a major put off.

We also don’t understand why Jacqueline Fernandez was cast as an environmental scientist. She looks beautiful as always but there is nothing that she does, except for mouthing some scientific terms.

The climax in the courtroom is way too elongated. The message is hammered in instead of being organically integrated. By the time the court declares that Ram Setu shouldn’t be demolished you feel thoroughly exhausted. In Kartikeya 2 you cheer for Nikhil when he is successful in his adventure but here there is no feeling of euphoria, just tiredness. As a result the revelation of Satyadev’s identity in the end doesn’t give the necessary high.

Final word: Ram Setu is definitely the best Akshay starrer in the recent past but that is not enough for the film to sail through. Watch Ram Setu if you are interested in mythology or if you want to see how Satyadev fares in his Hindi debut.

Posted on

Thank God: A Fantasy Ride That You Won’t Mind Hopping On

Indra Kumar’s Thank God is an attempt at creating a make believe world that wants to entertain, as well as give a message. This is a difficult tightrope and the dramatic bits don’t completely land but still there is no denying that Thank God is a film that leaves you in a good mood. For those who are not aware Thank God is based on the Danish social comedy Sorte Kugler.

Ayaan Kapoor (Siddarth Malhotra) is a bankrupt real estate agent married to a cop played by Rakul Preet Singh. Ayaan is someone who has many flaws. He has anger management issues, low self-esteem, and doesn’t get along well with either his wife or the daughter. Additionally he is very jealous and adores Nora Fatehi as a fantasy figure. One day, he meets with an accident. Instead of waking up in a hospital room he wakes up to afterlife. Indra Kumar’s version of afterlife consists of a giant stadium full of people who would be judging him in a game show called The Game of life. The host is C.G shortcut for Chitragupt (A flamboyant Ajay Devgan). If Ayaan gets enough white balls he would be sent back to be resurrected. However, abundance of black balls would mean hell.

What follows is a roller coaster journey where Ayaan has no other option other than to win this Game of life. There are many life lessons along the way presented in the format of an escapist fantasy.

The best parts of Thank God are easily the interactions between Ajay Devgan and Siddarth Malhotra. The one liners of Ajay will leave you in splits. The first half has lot of situational humor. Thankfully Indra Kumar stays away from making it a vulgar comedy. One of my favorite bits in the first half is when Siddarth Malhotra tries to bring his inner Singham but ends up failing miserably. There is also a KBC reference when Ajay Devgan talks about how a superstar had come here once, and took the idea of his game and adapted it as KBC.

Another good thing about Thank God is how the director portrays the transformative journey of Ayaan. The way CG makes Ayaan relive episodes from his own life make the drama more interesting.

The gradual progression in his character and how he learns to appreciate the good happenings in his life and letting go off the bad has been well portrayed.

Thank God heavily relies on the shoulders of Ajay Devgan and Siddarth Malhotra and both don’t disappoint. Siddarth Malhotra is successful in capturing the different shades of Ayaan. This is the first time that Siddarth has tried his hand at a situational comedy and the actor does a pretty good job. The scenes in the first half where he pretends to be a broker in order to sell his bungalow are hilarious to say the least.

Ajay Devgan makes for the perfect modern Chitragupt. The actor is a delight to watch as the all knowing game host who has nothing but the best interests of the contestants at heart. You can clearly see that Ajay is having a ball.

Rakul Preet Singh is good as a devoted wife but suffers majorly due to a one note characterization. Like numerous female characters in this year Rakul ends up being a prop later on. More scenes between Siddarth and Rakul would have enhanced the romantic portions. The talented Seema Pahwa is also relegated to the backseat.

The music is more situational but thankfully the songs do not come across as speed breakers. The song Manike filmed on Siddarth and Nora Fatehi is easily the best song in the album.

Final word: Watch Thank God for some lighthearted moments and if you are in the mood for some life lessons.

Posted on

Vikram Vedha: A Solid Remake Powered By A Terrific Hrithik Roshan

Remakes are always a tricky business, more so when you are remaking Tamil and Malayalam films. The reason being both these industries have a certain grammar of storytelling. Having said that the Tamil and Malayalam industries have also butchered acclaimed Hindi films like Special Chabbis and Andhadhun respectively, earlier this year Siddarth Sen did a wonderful job in remaking Nelson Dilipkumar’s Kolamaavu Kokila. The director retained the core but at the same time upgraded it as well by setting it in Bihar.

Gayatri Puskhar’s Vikram Vedha is considered to be a classic and rightly so. The director duo used the Vikram and Betal analogy to create a new kind of cop versus gangster film. In the Tamil film Madhavan had played Vikram and Vijay Sethupati was Vedha. Vikram is a cop who has a very clear boundary of what is right and wrong. But his life turns upside down after the entry of the dreaded gangster Vedha. Vedha makes Vikram question his beliefs each time that they meet. The questions of Vedha form the crux of this multi layered story. The engaging narration coupled with Madhavan and Vijay Sethupati’s performances made this thriller an engrossing watch.

Much like the recent remakes here too you have original directors helming the project. The setting of the Hindi one changes from Chennai to Lucknow. The plot is largely the same expect that you have a fresh set of actors, Saif Ali Khan as Vikram and Hrithik as Vedha respectively. The character of Vedha in this one is also a bit massier compared to the original. Vikram also comes with his own set of quirks.

Much like the original the biggest strength of this too lies in the equation that the lead characters share. Both Hrithik and Saif get equal opportunities to shine. Yes Hrithik has the meatier part but Saif also stands his own as the cop who is forced to question his own morals. He particularly shines in the confrontation scenes with Hrithik. There is also some sly humor which the makers have added and the actor delivers it to perfection.

However there is no denying that Hrithik Roshan is the star of the show. As earlier said his role is massier compared to Vijay Sethupati and this works in the favor of the film.  As Vedha, Hrithik lets his eyes do most of the talking. His facial features and body language are a delight to watch. Hrithik is effortlessly menacing, ruthless and yet extremely emotional in parts. The Greek God looks have sometimes come in the way of people acknowledging the actor’s insane talent but with this role Hrithik firmly reestablishes his position as an actor/star who is not afraid to push the bar.  Much like the remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s Agneepath here too Hrithik makes Vedha his own. It is a treat to watch the actor embrace this rugged avatar.

The setting of Lucknow also gives the film a different touch. The director duo of Gayatri and Pushkar have done a good job in making sure that the localities of Lucknow are also an integral part of the story.  

The action scenes have also been choreographed well. My favorite bit is the pre-interval block where the police are searching for Vedha and you have Vedha escaping to a container yard. The confrontation that follows is a treat to watch.

Vedha’s emotional bond with his younger brother Shatak (Rohit Saraf) is also neatly done. It is not as effective as the Tamil original but still it does tuck at your heartstrings. Rohit Saraf is a great choice for the role. He brings in that required innocence. Special mention to also Sharab Hashmi, he stands out in the supporting cast as the ambitious sidekick. Radhika Apte hasn’t got a lot to do as Vikram’s wife with a different set of ideology, but their scenes are still good to watch

Coming to the flaws Yogita Bihani comes across as a weak link. Her love story with Shatak comes across a speed breaker unlike the original where Varalakshmi SaratKumar aced the same part. You also wish the makers had dwelled a bit more into the workings of the UP Police.

Final word- Vikram Vedha is a largely satisfactory reworking that does justice to the original. Hrithik Roshan is the garnishing that adds more flavor and makes it an appetizing meal.

Posted on

Chup: A Cautionary Message For Film Critics

R Balki is someone who is known for his audacious ideas. For example in Ki and Ka Arjun Kapoor played a homemaker while Kareena on the other hand was the working woman. The film challenged the gender stereotypes. In Padman Akshay kumar’s character puts on a sanitary pad and squats several times to get an understanding about whether the pad is fitting or not. With the exception of Paa and to an extent Cheeni Kum Balki’s films have never been successful at the box office but there is no denying the ‘inventiveness’ of his films.

With his latest Chup the director goes into a very dark alley. Films about serial killers have been made in the past too. Case in point being Mohit Suri’s EK Villain and the sequel EK Villain Returns. However Balki gives his unique touch here by focusing on dishonest movie critics. The film is also a love letter to the legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt’s films, particularly his last one Kaagaz Ke Phool, a film that was panned severely at the time of its release, only to be acknowledged as a classic after the death of Guru Dutt.

Chup begins off with a gruesome murder of a film critic that begins a chain of events. This serial killer is not after all film critics but only a select few. The commonality in the killings is that all have stars etched on their forehead in the shape of a triangle. Sunny Deol plays inspector Arvind Mathur. Aravind is trying to figure out the motive behind these murders. Parallel to this you have a young entertainment reporter Nila (Shreya Dhanwanthary). She starts falling in love for her neighborhood florist Danny (Dulqer Salman). Nila is someone who is immensely passionate about films and wants to be a critic herself one day. In the beginning this parallel track may seem unrelated but soon enough you realize the importance of this subplot.

First and foremost Chup isn’t really a suspense drama as the identity of the killer is revealed to the audiences just before the interval. The focus here is more on the psychology of the killer and why he is doing what he is doing. R Balki does a splendid job in exploring the psyche of the killer (maybe he took some of his own angst here).

The cat and mouse game between the Inspector and the killer keeps you completely invested. The director gives equal importance to both the men.

The romantic angle between Dulqer and Shreya has also been smartly juxtaposed into the main plot by the director. Nila’s profession also hugely helps in this. Dulqer and Shreya share a warm chemistry, and their romance is very poetic in nature. You wish that they had a happy ending.

As earlier said the film is also homage to Guru Dutt. The many references to Guru Dutt take the story forward and make the character of Dulqer’s Danny more interesting, even though you don’t agree with his methods. The dialogues make you chuckle at several places and also leaves you thinking, particularly if you are an aspiring film critic.

The cinematography by Vishal Sinha also deserves appreciation with special mention to the scenes featuring Dulqer and Shreya.

There is no denying that Balki makes a strong point on how a critic should judge a film for the content and the emotion it evokes and not put their own biases in the review. But killing them to put the message across is taking it a little too far. At the same time you wish the director had put some focus on the community of the filmmakers and their responsibilities as well. There are some logical glitches too, for example we are not clearly shown how the killer is able to kidnap people out of their homes and kill them at different sites. Particularly given that he only owns a bicycle but these are trivial aspects that don’t majorly come in the way of the movie watching experience.

Chup has one of the most unlikely ensembles that you will ever see and each actor knocks it out of the park. Over the years Dulqer has established his niche in not just the Malayalam Industry but also in the other industries that he has worked. His role of Danny has to be the darkest character that the actor has ever played, and Dulqer delivers a stellar performance. He does a stupendous job in bringing alive Danny’s extreme fondness for Guru Dutt and why he identifies with the filmmaker so much. There is a scene in the end where he poses like Guru Dutt in Pyaasa and it is a sight that you are not likely to forget. It is hard to believe that this is the same man who played the romantic lieutenant in Sita Ramam.

Sunny Deol has played a cop in the past too but here the characterization is very different from the commercial films that he did earlier. Sunny is successful in bringing alive the honesty and the desperation of Aravind to catch the killer. The actors screen presence is solid as ever. Pooja Bhatt is also a delight to watch as the psychiatrist even though she doesn’t have a lot of screen time. The same applies to Tamil actress Sharanya playing Nila’s mother.

Final word: Watch Chup for the sheer audacity that R Balki brings to the table and also for some winsome performances.

Posted on

Bramhastra : This Astraverse Needed More Finesse

There is a lot riding on Ayan Mukherjee’s Bramhastra, with many expecting it to be the savior for Bollywood. A chief attraction for Bramhastra apart from its visual grandeur is the coming together of its two leads Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The addition of Amitabh Bachchan and Nargarjuna among others has also helped in heightening the buzz.

Bramhastra begins with the booming voice of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. He introduces you to the secret society of rishis known as the Brahmansh. This Brahmansh possess the powers to control the different astras, the most powerful of these astras are the Bramhastra which was broken into three pieces 30 years ago. After setting up the premise the location shifts to Delhi where we are introduced to the scientist Mohan Bhargav played by the dashing Shah Rukh Khan, Mohan possess the vanarastra. The portion of Shah Rukh is small but the actor draws you in with his charm.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/g7dTjZuwlAM?feature=oembed Junoon (Mouni Roy) is the queen of darkness who wants a piece of Bramhastra. From here we cut to the film’s actual hero Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor) Shiva is seen worshipping in a Durga temple. His eyes fall on a beautiful young woman Isha (a luminous Alia Bhatt). It is love at first sight. Shiva is a DJ with no blood family; Isha on the other hand is a rich young woman. In between the romance Shiva keeps having strange dreams. Shiva has a connection with fire which he cannot explain. This is just the basic synopsis. Saying anything more wouldn’t be appropriate.

There is no denying that Ayan Mukherjee sets up his story well. The voice over of Amitabh Bachchan along with Shah Rukh’s presence does add a certain intrigue to the plot. The foundation of the love story between Ranbir and Alia is rather cliché but both the actors do bring in their real life chemistry. Some of their conversations do bring a smile on your face particularly in the first half.

The Varanasi portions featuring Nagarjuna definitely add a thrill element. A scene which deserves a particular mention is the chase sequence in the hills. This chase sequence raises your heartbeat and you desperately want Shiva and Isha to come out safe from the clutches of the villain.

The interval bang raises expectations with the arrival of Amitabh Bachchan but it is from the second half that the film starts derailing. The real life story of Shiva and how he is connected to this astraverse is way too complex for a common man to understand. The romantic bits in the second half also come across as major speed breaker, only adding to the already exhaustive length of the film.

The climatic fight between Shiva and Junoon is also way too stretched, you feel like you have fought a battle yourself. The climax scene although intense and well acted doesn’t have the required emotional connect.

Ayan also does a poor job in developing the secondary characters. The best examples of this are the characters of Dimple Kapadia and Amitabh Bachchan. Nagarjuna in his shorter screen time has far more of an impact than Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan’s character is mostly reduced to making Shiva realize his powers. Mouni Roy as the primary antagonist has an arresting screen presence.

Coming to the leads both Ranbir and Alia do the best that they can do with the written material. The good thing about Alia’s Isha is that she is always in the thick of action and does get a lot of screen time; however the character could have done with some agency instead of just making Shiva’s mission her mission. Badru in Darlings with all its contradictions had far more agency than this one. The same applies to her small part in RRR where she at least had that one scene with Junior NTR.

Pritam’s music is pleasing to both the eyes and ears. My favorites among the songs are Kesariya, Deva Deva and Rasiya. But the background score though is far from pleasing. Bramhastra ends with the tease of the second part but that makes the audiences more apprehensive than excited.