Category: Hindi Movie Reviews

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Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: A Tent-Pole Commercial Entertainer That Celebrates Salman Khan’s Larger-Than-Life Persona

Director Farhad Samji’s film is more of Salman’s version of ‘2 States’ and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chennai Express’.

An Eid gift for Salman fans!
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (Hindi)
  • Cast:Salman Khan, Venkatesh, Pooja Hedge, Jagapathi Babu, Bhumika Chawla, Raghav Juyal, Jassie Gil, Siddharth Nigam, Shehnaaz Gil, Palak Tiwari, and Bhagyashree
  • Writer-Director: Farhad Samji
  • Producer: Salma Khan
  • Music: Ravi Basrur (background score), Himesh Reshammiya, Sukhbir Singh, Devi Sri Prasad, Sajid Khan, Payal Dev, and Amaal Mallik
  • RunTime 2 hours 24 minutes

Irrespective of their quality, several South films have been remade into Hindi in the recent past. A certain fatigue has set in which is evident in the way most of these remakes have fared.

Of course, Ajay Devgan’s Drishyam 2 was a huge blockbuster. But by and large, remakes have fallen flat on their face.

For those who are not aware, Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (Someone’s Brother, Someone’s Lover) is based on director Shiva’s Tamil film Veeram (Valour, 2014) starring Ajith and Tamannaah.

Veeram majorly worked because of Ajith’s charisma. It was also remade into Telugu as Katamarayudu (2017) with Pawan Kalyan. However, the Telugu version flopped big time.

Now, the film has been remade into Hindi. Though the trailer of Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan didn’t receive a great response, there was certain optimism as it is an Eid release.

The inclusion of the Telugu actors Venkatesh and Jagapathi Babu added a certain curiosity to it.

There are few films where the overall product turns out to be better than the first glimpse, and this one falls in that category.

Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan isn’t an outstanding cinema but is largely enjoyable. In a way, it can be called Salman Khan’s version of 2 States (2014) and Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express (2013).

Plot

Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan revolves around Bhaijaan (Salman Khan). He lives in Delhi with his brothers Luv (Siddarth Nigam), Ishq (Raghav Juyal) and Moh (Jassie Gill). They are not blood brothers but the bond between them is strong.

In a way, they are small-time mafia using violence to settle disputes in their locality. Luv, Ishq and Moh have girlfriends. But there is a problem — Bhaijaan is unmarried and he feels that the entry of a girl into their lives will ruin their bond.

Late Satish Kaushik plays a father figure to all four men. He plays his part with a lot of warmth and is a delight to watch.

Bhagyalaxmi (Pooja Hedge), an Andhra girl, lands in the same locality where Bhaijaan and his three brothers live, for research on antiques. She falls for Bhaijaan and soon, love blooms between the two.

Balakrishna Gundamaneni (Venkatesh) is the peace-loving elder brother of Bhagyalaxmi, or at least that is the impression we get in the beginning.

Two major villains get in the way of Bhaijaan getting his happy ending:  one is boxer-turned-actor Mahvir (Vijender Singh and the other is Nageshwar (Jagapati Babu).

Mahvir, like a typical real estate villain, wants to take over the basti where Bhaijaan lives.

On the other hand, Nageshwar has a major grouse with Balakrishna Gundamaneni. This is the story in a nutshell.

Characterisation

Director Farhad Samji wastes no time in establishing the larger-than-life persona of Salman Khan. The actor makes a dashing entry and the dialogue is filled with punch lines. Not all punch lines work but still, there is some joy to be had.

The camaraderie between the four brothers is established well. As viewers, you do root for them.

However, there is one major bump — the characters of the girlfriends. None of them stands out except for Pooja Hegde. Things get better with her entry.

Pooja is quite good in her chirpy role. She does come across as too animated in the initial portions, still her character Bhagyalaxmi is good to watch. This is easily Pooja’s best performance in a Hindi film so far.

The fight sequence in the Delhi Metro train – when Bhagyalaxmi learns how violent her boyfriend is — sets the stage for an engaging second half.

Venkatesh as the elder brother has a powerful presence that uplifts the second half considerably. His scenes with Salman are a delight to watch. Venkatesh also has his mass moments and the actor packs a strong punch.

Director Farhad Samji needs to be credited for not presenting the south Indianness of Balakrishna in a caricaturist way.

The dialogues are a mix of Telugu and Hindi and don’t come across as jarring at any point. Not surprisingly, Jagapati Babu as Nageswar fares much better than Vijender Singh. The reason is Jagapati Babu has mostly done negative roles in his second innings.

Bhaijaan Salman mostly plays to the gallery. However, he does shine in some of the emotional moments with the brothers. There are also hugely enjoyable Meta references. One of these is the scene involving his Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) co-star Bhagyashree.

Music

The songs composed by Ravi Basur, and Himesh Reshammiya & Co go with the vibe of Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

The songs “Yentamma” and “Naiyo Lagda” stand out. The presence of Ramcharan dancing with Salman and Venkatesh makes “Yentamma” more fun to watch.

There is also a dialogue where Ramcharan says that “Ram has come to attend Bhaijaan’s wedding”. This does crack the viewers up.

The trio of Jassie Gill, Siddarth Nigam and Raghav Juyal do a fine job in their limited screen time. However, as earlier said the girlfriends are one big minus point of the film.

For Salman Khan’s fans, this can be easily overlooked.

Verdict

Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan isn’t high on the story but there is enough to enjoy in this “North meets South” if you don’t analyse too much.

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Bholaa: A Competent Action Thriller, But Lacks The Vulnerability Of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Kaithi’

Better not to compare with the original!

Bholaa (Hindi)

  • Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Sanjay Mishra, Deepak Dobriyal, Gajraj Rao, Kiran Kumar, Amala Paul, and Abhishek Bachchan
  • Writer-Director: Ajay Devgn
  • Producer: Ajay Devgn FFilms
  • Music: Ravi Basur
  • Runtime: 2 hours 24 minutes

Ajay Devgn made his directorial debut with the romantic drama U Me Aur Hum in 2008. The film did just average business at the box office but that didn’t stop the acclaimed actor from continuing to direct films.

So far, he directed four films and each of these films covered different genres.

The latest is Bholaa. This time around, Ajay takes inspiration from Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2019 film Kaithi (Prisoner) starring Karthi.

Kaithi was a gripping thriller about a prisoner who is desperate to meet his daughter. The entire story took place in one night.

The mass masala elements were much there. But, at the same time, it was not just a mindless commercial entertainer.

There was enough tension in the protagonist’s journey that made you root for Karthik’s character Dilli. Audiences feel a certain connection when Dilli talks about his past in a lengthy shot.

On the other hand, Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa is more generic. The background score swells each time the actor gets into a fight with the baddies. A huge aura surrounds him and this is mixed with mythical undertones.

Synopsis

For those who haven’t seen Kaithi, Bholaa revolves around an ex-convict of the same name (Ajay Devgn). Tabu plays IPS officer Diana Joseph. In the original, the same role was essayed by Narain.

The film begins by establishing the heroics of Diana. The intense chase sequence makes it clear that she isn’t a woman whom anyone would want to mess around with.

Bholaa is desperate to meet his daughter who stays in an orphanage and has no idea that she has a parent. He hasn’t seen his daughter till now due to some unfortunate circumstances.

In an unavoidable situation, Diana seeks Bholaa’s help. He initially doesn’t agree but is coaxed to help her after Diana promises to help him in meeting his daughter.

Pretty soon, Bholaa finds himself in the middle of a war between the police and the drug trafficking mafia. The rest of the story looks at how he fights off these menacing foes and manages to unite with his daughter.

Tabu wins the brownie points

The best thing about Bholaa is the inclusion of Tabu. We have seen Tabu playing a cop before as well in Drishyam and Kuttey. But still, there is something new that the actress brings to the table.

She commands the viewer’s attention right from her introduction scene. Tabu does a brilliant job of portraying determination of Diana.

The scenes between her and Ajay benefit immensely from the comfort level that both actors share. A scene that deserves a particular mention is when Tabu talks about how people forget that even cops are human beings at the end of the day.

The performances

Among the plethora of bad guys, Deepak Dobriyal is the only one who makes a solid impression. His Ashwathama is deliberately over the top and Deepak chews the scenery whenever he is on screen.

Vineet Kumar as Nihaari starts promisingly but suffers on the account of a half-baked character.

The subplot of Bholaa and the on-screen daughter has its high points but doesn’t have the impact of the original. This is major because of how Ajay presents himself.

However, Devgn does deserve praise for how he handles the track of Sanjay Mishra.

Sanjay Mishra is more known for his comic roles. But here, he plays a subdued officer who is forced to bring out his inner courage.

Too much super-heroic

The biggest issue with Bholaa is that the protagonist comes across as too much of a superhero.

The action sequences start getting tiresome after a point. As viewers, you know well that Devgn will slice off all the bad guys.

Interestingly, Karthik’s Dilli was someone who experiences a lot of physical pain while going about his job. There is a certain emotion that the viewers feel when Dilli talks about his past. But here, Devgn is an all-powerful deity from the start.

Hence Bholaa becomes an extension of the many intense avatars that the senior actor has done so far.

Ajay only shines in a couple of emotional moments.

The flashback sequence involving Amala Paul halts the proceedings significantly. Their love story comes across as rather hurried. The flashback leaves you with more questions than answers.

A sequel on cards

The film ends with a hint of a sequel but it would have been far better if Ajay Devgn had tied up the loose ends.
Some of the supporting characters also needed to be better established. The character of Gajraj Rao is one such example.

The motivations behind his character are rather sketchy. And as far as Abhishek Bachchan is concerned, he makes a tiny appearance at the end without any impact. Maybe he has a better role in the sequel if it happens.

Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography is appropriate for the scale of the film.

Ravi Basur’s music and background score is quite good. The “Nazar Lag Jaayegi” song is melodious. The title song has a powerful beat.

A special mention must be made of how Ajay Devgan uses the classic “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai” song in an important situation.

Verdict

The best way to watch Bholaa is by not comparing it with Kaithi.

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Bheed: The Plight Of Migrant Workers Deserved A Better Film

The muddled treatment fails it!

Bheed (Hindi)

  • Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Dia Mirza, Pankaj Kapoor, Kritika Kamra, and Ashtoush Rana
  • Writer-Director: Anubav Sinha
  • Producer: Beneras Media works
  • Music: Anurag Saikia
  • Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes

Starting from 2018’s Mulk (Region or Country), Anubhav Sinha has repeatedly chosen issues that are important to society.

In Mulk, he successfully addressed the prejudices that Muslims are facing in our society, through the character of a respected Muslim patriarch played by the late Rishi Kapoor.

In Article 15 (2019), the topic was the horrors of caste discrimination. Ayushmann Khurrana played Ayan Ranjan, a police officer from society’s upper crust. He had no idea about the various caste divisions.

Article 15 was followed by an equally powerful Thappad (Slap) in 2020 which looked at the consequences of a slap by the husband in a momentary fit of anger.

Thappad made a powerful statement on how it isn’t okay for a husband to slap his wife.

All the above-mentioned films positioned Anubhav Sinha as a director with a strong progressive voice.

However, the director saw a downfall with Anek where he focused his lens on the strained relationship between the government and the separatist groups in the North East.

Despite the powerful subject, he floundered big time. Unfortunately, the same has happened with his latest – Bheed (Crowd).

There are passages in the film that keep the audiences completely hooked particularly the ones featuring Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Kapoor. But the film tries to address too many things at the same time. As a result, it never comes across as a comprehensive whole.

India’s pandemic exodus

Bheed begins with the shocking scene of the real-life incident of 16 migrant workers who were run over by a train. This sets the mood for the drama that follows. The film has been shot in black and white by cinematographer Soumik Mukherjee.

After the horrific death scene, we move to Surya Kumar Singh Tikas (Rajkummar Rao). Surya, a young cop, is appointed as in in-charge of a check-post at one of the state borders. This check-post has been closed due to Covid.

Surya’s girlfriend is an upper-class girl Renu Sharma (Bhumi Pednekar). She is a doctor who treats patients who are stranded at the check-post.

Aditya Shrivastava plays Surya’s subordinate who doesn’t like the latter much but has no other option other than to take orders from him.

On the other side of the barricade, you have the characters played by Dia Mirza and Pankaj Kapoor, among others.

Dia Mirza comes from a privileged class. She is a desperate mother who wants to cross the border to take her daughter back home. Her need is such that she doesn’t mind offering money to the in-charge officer.

Pankaj Kapoor plays watchman Balram Trivedi who also wants to return home from the city, much like his fellow friends and workers.

They arrive at the Tejpur border which is 1200 km from Delhi. However, the border has been sealed now.

There is also a young girl carrying her alcoholic father on a bicycle. Amidst all this, Kritika Kamra plays a TV journalist named Vidhi Tripati. She is an idealistic journalist with a lot of passion.

Revealing anything more wouldn’t be right as this is a story that has many layers to it.

The caste angle

Before getting into the shortcomings, it is necessary to highlight what works well for the movie.

It is successful in highlighting the plight of migrant workers. The scenes of families walking barefoot for miles, hungry kids crying for food and the inability of the mothers leaves a lump in your throat.

There are several other issues that the director tackles; chief among them is the issue of caste through Rajkummar Rao’s Surya Kumar Singh Tikas.

Surya is someone who hides his caste under the surname Singh because it is something that his father had done as well.

Surya Kumar feels happy to be the in-charge. But, at the same time, there is also a deep insecurity about his caste identity amidst the Sharmas and Tridevis.

Anubhav Sinha does a good job of fleshing out this character. Once again, Rajkummar Rao proves his versatility with his exceptional performance.

He is particularly good in a scene when he expresses his anguish and decides that he also wants to be a hero and not remain as part of the crowd (Bheed).

The prejudices related to Muslims

Another track worth mentioning in Bheed is that of Pankaj Kapoor’s Balram Trivedi. Though the character of Balram, Anubhav Sinha exposes the prejudices related to Muslims.

There is an important scene when Balram doesn’t allow his hungry companions to eat the food served by a Muslim man.

Balram is someone who is filled with bigotry. But fortunately, the character is not one-dimensional.

Pankaj Kapoor is a vastly experienced actor who has given many terrific performances. Here too, he packs a punch whenever he is on screen. His confrontation scenes with Rajkummar Rao deserve a particular mention.

The shortcomings

There are many issues that Anubhav Sinha tackles through Bheed. The intentions are worth applauding but the film tries to address/ highlight too many things at the same time. As a result, it feels cluttered.

The love track, for example, doesn’t make any sense. It feels more suited for a romantic drama than an issue-based film like this. It would have been far better if Surya and Renu Sharma were portrayed as strangers who meet in this difficult period.

There is also a forcefully inserted intimate scene between the duo. The conversations between Surya and Renu mostly don’t align with the genre of Bheed.

Bhumi is her usual feisty self but nothing is outstanding about her performance.

Kritika Kamra as an honest journalist has an impressive beginning. But, after a point, it is clear that the director has no idea about where to take the character.

The paradigm shift of journalism in those times is hardly touched upon.

Dia Mirza gets the most baked character in the ensemble. Her desperation to reach her daughter is painted in a rather insensitive manner.

A more nuanced characterisation was needed. Still, Dia does the best that she can do with this one-dimensional character.

Soumik Chatterjee’s black-and-white cinematography takes some time to get used to but it is an interesting experiment. There is no scope for songs in a film like Bheed but the composition of “Herali Ba” is quite powerful.

Verdict

Bheed is a perfect example of how good intentions don’t always translate into powerful films.

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Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway: A Real-Life Saga Marred By Flawed Execution

Deserves better on-screen adaptation!

Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway (Hindi)

  • Cast: Rani Mukherjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, Jim Sarbh, Balaji Gauri, and Neena Gupta (cameo)
  • Writer-Director: Ashima Chibber
  • Producers: Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani, and Nikhil Advani
  • Music: Amit Trivedi
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 14 minutes

Stories based on real life have an inherent potential of moving the audience, particularly, the mother and the children’s sagas. For those who are not aware, Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway is inspired by a real-life legal drama.

The children of Sagarika Chakraborty were taken away from her by the Norwegian government as they considered her to be an unfit mother. Sagarika fought relentlessly for her children’s custody and eventually won the battle.

At one point, the whole issue almost led to a diplomatic row between India and Norway.

Sagarika Chakraborty wrote about her entire ordeal in a book titled “The Journey of A Mother”. By its very nature, this is a story that has all the potential of a heart-wrenching saga.

But director Ashima Chibber lacks the nuances that are needed to depict this subject.

However, Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway isn’t a complete washout either, thanks to a more engaging second half and Jim Sarbh who elevates the proceedings.

Synopsis

In the onscreen adaption, Sagarika’s name has been changed to Debika (Rani Mukherjee). Debika is a young Bengali housewife grappling with motherhood and a new way of life in Norway.

Though her husband (Anirudh Chatterjee) adapts to the ways of the Norwegian language and norms, she prefers to retain her Indian roots and often wears them on her sleeve.

Her refusal to let go of her Indianness draws the attention of some officers in the Norwegian childcare services.

Common Indian practices like eating with hands and hand-feeding your children among others are seen as bad parenting. The officers feel these reasons are enough to separate the kids from their parents.

Debika decides to fight for her children’s custody at any cost. But her impulsive behaviour becomes her worst enemy and things start spiralling downwards.

It also doesn’t help that the husband’s character is more bothered about securing his Norwegian citizenship rather than helping his wife in this emotional and legal battle.

The rest of the story of Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway chronicles the long journey of Debika in getting back her children.

First half falters

The first half of Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway is a mixed bag, to be honest. It begins on a dramatic note and you are instantly invested in the pain of Debika. But things go downhill post that.

Debika’s constant screeching does get on the nerves of the audience. The tone is constantly high pitch, as a result, some of the emotional scenes don’t completely land. Also, most of the characterisations leave a lot to be desired.

The Norwegian officials come across more like the Bollywood villains of the 80s than actual human beings.

The husband and co have zero redeeming features. They are more cardboard cutouts meant to increase the audience’s sympathy for Debika.

There is no explanation for why Debika’s In-laws aren’t on her side. There is also a small subplot about domestic violence but that also is dumped midway.

Engaging second half

Things take a turn for the better with the entry of Jim Sarbh as Daniel Singh Ciupek, a lawyer of Indian descent practising in Norway.

He brings certain poise to the proceedings. His scenes with Rani Mukherjee are particularly good.

Neena Gupta plays a character based on Sushma Swaraj. She has a small but pivotal cameo in the second half. She gives a new direction to Debika’s fight.

Rani Mukherjee’s performance also gets better in the second half where the strain doesn’t show.

She shines particularly in the quieter bits. Her emoting through the eyes leaves a lot more impact than the melodramatic moments.

The courtroom drama in the second half is when the film finally comes together.

The face-off between Jim Sarbh and Debika’s counsel played by Balaji Gauri is exceptionally good. The arguments between them are laced with strong dialogue.

Balaji Gauri also brings a touch of humour to the proceedings. Both Jim Sarbh and Balaji Gauri leave the biggest impact despite their limited time.

Through Jim Sarbh’s character, Ashima Chibber raises questions about the stereotypes regarding adoptive parents.

Amit Trivedi’s music isn’t of the popular variety but the music composer is successful in embodying the spirit of a fearless mother. “Shubho Shubho”, in particular, is a worthy number in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway.

Verdict

In a nutshell, the spirit of Mrs Chatterjee does deserve kudos. But her battle deserved a better on-screen representation.

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Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar: Luv Ranjan’s Rom-Com Entertains Till It Lasts

Revives the rom-com genre.

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar (Hindi)

  • Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Anubhav Singh Bassi, Dimple Kapadia, Boney Kapoor and Hasleen Kaur; special appearances by Karthik Aryan and Nushrratt Bharuccha
  • Writer-director: Luv Ranjan
  • Producers: Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg
  • Music: Pritam
  • Runtime: 2 hours 39 minutes

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar comes at a time when there is a severe drought of quintessential romantic films. Its success is necessary for the revival of this genre.

Its director Luv Ranjan started his career with a small film titled Pyaar Ka Punchnama. Not much was expected of it but the movie ended up being a moderate hit. Since then, Luv created a brand for himself.

Except for Akaash Vani (2013), his filmography largely consisted of projects where friends come before love. Girlfriends are always the conniving type!

In Akaash Vani though, Luv Ranjan did address an important topic of martial abuse where the woman finally walks out of an abusive marriage. But the film didn’t find many takers.

But this time, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar has enough crowd-pleasing moments to help it to sail through.

Synopsis

The film is about the second-generation Delhi-based businessman Mickey (Ranbir Kapoor).

He also has a side business of helping people break up relationships. Except for his niece, no one else in the family knows about Mickey’s side business.

Anubhav Singh Bassi plays Mickey’s best friend-cum-business partner. Mickey believes that what he does is an art. All this is established wonderfully in the first fifteen minutes.

During a vacation, Mickey sees Nisha Malhotra (Shraddha Kapoor). Sparks fly immediately and in no time, they are head over heels for each other. Now, this part of the story has problems which I will talk about later.

Things take an unexpected turn before the interval when Micky’s expertise works in reverse to hurt him.

Nisha wants to break up with Mickey and she contacts him for help, without knowing that he is the very same person with whom she is trying to part with.

The rest of the story is about why Nisha wants to break up with Mickey and what eventually happens.

Routine love track

Luv Ranjan wastes no time in establishing the world of Mickey, his boisterous joint family headed by Dimple Kapadia and also his side business.

Dimple Kapadia plays this loud yet caring mother.

The niece (Inayat Verma) is the youngest of the family. Her scenes with Ranbir are particularly a laugh riot.

The bro-romance between Ranbir and Anubhav Singh Bassi has certain warmth. We instantly connect with their friendship.

The proceedings start stagnating when the scene shifts to Spain. The boy-meets-girl scenes have a distinct hangover of Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha but not in a good way.

The love story is very haphazardly written with no head or tail to it. It is high time that writers think of better ways to establish a love story with proper nuances.

However, Ranbir’s infectious energy coupled with Pritam’s chart-busting soundtrack does make you tide over these portions.

An engaging second half

The twist at the interval point sets the base for a more engaging second half and the film gets better.

The cameos of Karthik Aryan and Nushrratt Bharuchha have been smartly integrated into the narrative.

The meta references to the Pyar Ka Punchnama along with Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety do bring a smile to your face.

Luv Ranjan cleverly incorporates references to both Alia Bhatt and some of Sooraj Barjatya’s films. These dialogues also bring some amusing moments.

The second half works more because of the relatable conflict point.

Shraddha fails to pull it off

Shraddha’s character of a career-oriented girl who needs her own space in life is something that many girls can identify with. Her fears about adjusting to a joint family have some heft.

But it also has to be said that her insecurities could have been dealt with in a better manner without her coming across as selfish.

It also doesn’t help that Shraddha hasn’t got the acting chops to pull off the high-octane scenes.

The pre-climax and the climax have the perfect mix of both hilarious and emotional moments. A particular mention must be made of the airport scene which has ample chaos but, this time, in a good way.

Pritam is back

For any love story to work, music is an important ingredient. After an average soundtrack in Shehzada, Pritam is back in form with Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar.

Except for Shraddha’s forgettable introductory number, the rest of the work is big time.

On one hand, there are the groovy “Tere Pyaar Mein” and “Pyaar Hota Kayi Baar Hai” songs.

On the other hand, “O Bedardeya” is a soulful romantic number where the pain and vulnerability of Mickey are beautifully conveyed by Ranbir.

The performances

After a hiatus, Ranbir returns to the romantic genre. As expected, he makes for a charming Mickey. The actor also pulls off lengthy dialogues with a certain panache.

Anubhav Singh Bassi as Mickey’s buddy is another major highlight of Tu Jhoothi Main Makkkar. His jokes and camaraderie with Ranbir are both spots on.

Dimple Kapadia has a commanding presence whenever she appears on the screen. Despite the high pitch, the senior actress is still adorable.

Boney Kapoor making his acting debut hasn’t got a lot to do. But still, he is reasonably good for a newcomer.

Hasleen Kaur is also impressive as Mickey’s sister.

Final take

In a nutshell, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar does succeed in reviving the romantic comedy genre. Despite some hiccups in the first half, there is quite a lot to enjoy here.

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Selfiee: Clash Between A Superstar And His Fan Keeps You Engrossed

Akshay & Emraan are a treat to watch!

Selfiee (Hindi)

  • Cast: Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi, Diana Penty, and Nushrratt Bharuccha; Mrunal Thakur and Yo Yo Honey Singh (special appearances)
  • Writer-Director: Raj Mehta
  • Producers: Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Listin Stephen, Supriya Menon and Prithviraj Sukumaran
  • Music: Anu Malik, Tanishk Bagchi, and Yo Yo Honey Singh
  • Runtime: 2 hours 25 minutes

There is something magical about the bond that a fan shares with his\her favourite actor. Driving Licence, the 2021-released Malayalam film written by the late Sachy and directed by Lal Jr, was both entertaining and insightful on what happens if the fan takes on his favourite actor due to a misunderstanding.

It was also a brilliant take on the psyche of human nature. Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi’s Selfiee is an official remake of the Malayalam movie.

Interestingly, both Driving Licence and Selfiee have a lot of similarities with Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan. But in Fan, SRK’s Gaurav becomes a psycho who harms himself and also his idol. The war between the superstar and the fan was stretched endlessly with extreme violence.

However, in both Driving Licence and Selfiee, the treatment of the directors is far more mature with an amicable resolution at the end.

The story

Selfiee narrates the story of superstar Vijay Kumar (Akshay Kumar) who visits Bhopal for a shoot.

The film’s climax needs certain permissions which can only be granted if he has a valid driving licence. But Vijay Kumar loses his license and the new licence is yet to arrive.

A local politician, Vimala Tiwari (Meghana Malik) promises to get the new licence in two days. At the RTO office, she meets up with RTO inspector Om Prakash Aggarwal (Emraan Hashmi) who along with his son is a huge fan of Vijay Kumar. Indeed, their biggest dream is to click a selfie with their favourite actor.

As Vijay Kumar visits the RTO office at 7 AM the next day, the news gets leaked to the media. The superstar, who is already on an emotional edge due to personal issues, believes that Om Prakash alerted the media and he berates the latter in front of his colleagues and son.

Soon the news of Vijay Kumar not having a driving licence snowballs into a national issue. To make things worse, Om Prakash’s son gets hurt after a stone-throwing incident.

The RTO inspector assumes that it was all orchestrated by his idol Vijay Kumar. This leads to a huge battle between the superstar and his fan.

The rest of the story tells how this battle affects Vijay Kumar and how eventually things get reconciled.

The highlights

Director Raj Mehta and additional writer Rishabh Sharma retain the core of the original. But, at the same time, they make certain changes that help Selifee in a major way, particularly in the first half.

There are many potshots that Akshay sportingly takes on himself. For example, there is a scene where Vijay Kumar’s wife, played by Diana Penty, makes fun of her husband’s masoode-wali smile.

Similarly, a doctor advises him to do more classy films. The cherry on the cake though is the bit where Akshay Kumar takes a self-jibe at the number of films and brand advertisements that he has to do every year.

Raj Mehta also slips in a meta-reference to Vijay Kumar being a producer’s actor.

What adds even more to the fun factor is the presence of Abhimanyu Singh who plays Vijay Kumar’s contemporary. His character starts off his career at the same time as Vijay Kumar but there is a big difference in their statures now.

It is fun to watch Abhimanyu Singh trying his hand at physical comedy, given his general image. He lets his hair down and simply has a blast playing the jealous rival.

The interactions between Akshay and the local politician are another major highlight of the film.

Meghana Malik stands out with her impeccable comic timing. Her hunger for fame is relatable, given the political circus that we see in everyday life.

Emraan & Akshay are eye candies

Emraan Hashmi as Om Prakash finally gets a solid part after a long time. His transformation from a super fan to a nemesis, among other things, has been well etched out by both the director and writer.

In the beginning, Emraan doesn’t seem comfortable but he gets better as the film progresses. He shines particularly in the emotional bits.

The best thing about Akshay’s Vijay Kumar is the vulnerability beneath the entire swagger.

The actor does a good job of displaying not just the flamboyance of a superstar but also an equally good job of conveying the humanness beneath the stardom. This is easily the actor’s best performance in years.

Of the two leading ladies, Diana Penty lends a certain elegance to her part of a supportive wife who is a friend first and a spouse later. Her scenes with Akshay are filled with warmth.

Other technical crafts

The trouble with Selfiee starts midway through the second half.

The superstar versus fan moments could have done with more meat. The portions of Vijay Kumar taking the driving test feel a bit stretched.

The movie also takes a jibe at the phenomena of media trials. There is also a reference to the #BoycottBollywood movement. These are interesting scenes but they also get repetitive beyond a point.

Among the technicians, cinematographer Rajeev Ravi deserves appreciation for capturing the larger-than-life lifestyle of Vijay Kumar.

The music composed by Anu Malik and Co is not great but goes with the flow of the film. A special mention must be made of the opening song “Kudiyee Ni Teri” though.

Mrunal Thakur springs a pleasant surprise with her glamorous and hot avatar.

Verdict

In a nutshell, this Selfiee is worth a ride, particularly if you have ever been a fan of any actor.

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Shehzada: Kartik Aaryan Tries Hard But This ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’ Remake Lacks Commercial Grip

Shehzada (Hindi)

Director: Rohit Dhawan

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Paresh Rawal, Kriti Sanon, Ronit Roy, Sachin Kundalkar, Manisha Koirala, Rajpal Yadav, and others.

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Allu Aravind, Kartik Aaryan, Aman Gill, and S Radha Krishna

Original story and screenplay: Trivikram

Music: Pritam

Duration: 2 hours 26 minutes

Trivikram’s Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo isn’t an example of great cinema. It is a commercial template film with all the elements of the 1980s and 1990s.

The storyline of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, which raked in somewhere between $260-280 crore at the Box Office, was also hugely problematic.

However, what worked for it was its packaging. Director Trivikram Srinivas understands the pulse of the mass and as a result, he delivered an entertaining cocktail of romance, comedy, action, and drama.

The story

For those who haven’t seen Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, it is necessary to narrate the story in brief.

Shehzada starts with Valmiki (Paresh Rawal) in the midst of child swapping. He is extremely jealous of multi-millionaire Randeep Jindal (Ronit Roy).

Both of them had started their journey on the same scooter, but Randeep’s life took a turn for the better when the boss made him his son-in-law. The daughter is Yashu (Manisha Koirala).

There is a lot of inner resentment at this sudden change of fortune in Valmiki, resulting in the swapping of his baby with Randeep’s baby.

Randeep’s real son grows up as Valmiki’s son in a middle-class neighbourhood, while Valmiki’s son leads a luxurious life.

…And it continues

Cut to the present, Bantu (Kartik Aaryan) cannot understand why his father has more affection for Randeep’s son Raj (Ankur Rathee).

Mid way, Bantu learns of his true identity, which serves as the ideal time for an intermission.

As a true blue-blooded hero, he decides to solve the various problems of the Jindal household and also save them from a villainous gang led by Sarang (Sunny Hinduja).

Kriti Sanon plays the lawyer-cum-girlfriend (Samara). Sachin Kundalkar reprises his role from the original as the lovable grandfather.

It was Allu Arjun’s magic

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo success was also hugely aided by the sheer screen presence of Allu Arjun, who made the audiences look past the many problematic elements.

The equation between Allu Arjun’s Bantu and Murali Sharma’s Valmiki was a major highlight. In fact, Murali Sharma can be called the second hero of the film.

S Thaman also contributed majorly by giving blockbuster music.

Director Rohit Dhawan tries to replicate the same energy with the remake. However, Shehzada turns out to be a dull cousin that makes the original look like a masterpiece.

Shehzada also has a few moments with Kartik Aaryan and Paresh Rawal trying their darnedest best but, unfortunately, their efforts aren’t enough to salvage this wreck.

But Kartik does his best

Before diving into the negatives, let’s cover some positives. Allu Arjun’s shoes are difficult to fill, let’s accept that first. He has a distinct swag that is tough to replicate.

Kartik Aaryan has done comedy and romance in the past too, but this one requires him to be an all-round hero.

To Kartik’s credit, he does embrace the film’s many absurdities with conviction. He brings a certain charm to the lighter moments. He is also good in the emotional scenes.

Paresh Rawal is a vastly experienced actor whose skills need no particular introduction. As Valmiki, the actor brings his usual gravitas. His scenes with Kartik are some of the redeeming parts of the film.

Music not on par with the original

Pritam’s music is no match for what S Thaman had created, but it’s not completely terrible either.

The title track sung by Sonu Nigam is quite groovy and does make you tap your feet. The romantic number Mera Sawaal ka, featuring Kartik and Kriti, is also quite enjoyable to watch and hear.

Some of the one-liners written by Hussain Dalal do bring a smile to the audience’s face. A mention here must be made of the scene between Rajpal Yadav and Kartik Aaryan.

Rajpal Yadav plays a police officer who comes to investigate the murder attempt on Randeep. The scene of Bantu explaining what is happening in the Jindal household leaves the audience in splits.

Lack of conviction

The biggest problem with Shehzada is the lack of conviction in the storytelling.

Rohit Dhawan’s style is clearly influenced by his dad David Dhawan, but Shehzada lacks the energy and wittiness of the best of David Dhawan films.

Stories like Shehzada primarily work based on how successful the director is in building a make-believe world, and Rohit falters here.

To Rohit’s credit, however, he does remove many of the unnecessary characters from the original, but it doesn’t help the film in any way as it mostly turns out to be a showreel for Kartik Aaryan.

Fleeting appearances

Characters appear and disappear at the fancy of the director. One example of this is the actor who plays Bantu’s sister. She sporadically appears in the first half and, in the later half, she is never seen again.

The portrayal of the rich kid in the original was also filled with lazy stereotypes, but here the director dumbs down the character to a whole new level.

Ankur Rathee as Raj comes across as more annoying than lazy. His emotional outburst leads to unintentional comedy rather than help the audience feel for the character.

Kriti Sanon is less objectified than Pooja, but her role as a feisty lawyer is absolutely dispensable. Ronit Roy and Manisha Koirala are sincere, but they deserved much more.

Verdict

In a nutshell, Shehzada is a poor replica that the Hindi film industry could have done away with.

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Pathaan: An Entertaining Globetrotter With A Lesson On What Makes One A Patriot

Worth the four-year wait!

Pathaan (Hindi)

  • Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Ashutosh Rana, Dimple Kapadia, Gautam Rode, Gavie Chahal, Shaji Choudhary, and Salman Khan (cameo)
  • Director: Siddharth Anand
  • Producer: Aditya Chopra
  • Music: Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara
  • Runtime: 2 hours 26 minutes

In the climax of Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan talks about how a true soldier doesn’t ask what the country has done for him but reflects on what he can do for the country. This one dialogue perfectly sums up the essence of the film.

In fact, Pathaan can be called SRK’s answer to those who question his patriotism time and again.

In style, Pathaan is reminiscent of the Tiger film (Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai) and also 2019’s War. All of them have been produced by Yash Raj Banner.

This is an extension of that universe where the focus is on giving a complete package which will make the audiences, particularly the masses, happy.

The story

The movie begins with India’s revocation of Article 370 (Special Status of Jammu and Kashmir).

This affects a Pakistani officer who feels that India is doing a huge mistake. This officer joins hands with an ex-RAW agent Jim (John Abraham) who was wronged by his own people.

Aiding Jim in this mission is the mysterious Rubai (Deepika Padukone). Rubai is not what she appears to be and it is only in the second half that her real identity is revealed.

The rest of the story is about how RAW agent Pathaan (Shah Rukh) locks horns with Jim across continents and who eventually wins.

Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana play important parts.

What worked out?

As earlier said, the focus here is on giving a complete package and director Siddharth Anand does succeed in keeping the audiences engaged, more so if you buy into the treatment.

For any hero versus villain story to work, the antagonist must come across as equally strong and this is where the director succeeds the most.

John Abraham’s Jim has a solid back story. Jim isn’t your regular clichéd villain.

He is always a step ahead of our hero and this adds more zing to the victory of the film at the end. The action scenes between SRK and John have both style and grit.

What also helps Pathaan is the fast-paced screenplay of Shridhar Raghavan, particularly in the first half.

The non-linear narrative hopping from one continent to another is filled with interesting twists and turns. A perfect example of that is Deepika’s Rubai.

At one point, we feel that she is with John and the next second with SRK. This helps in increasing the curiosity of the audience.

One of my favourite scenes in the first half is how SRK gets his name Pathaan. His scenes with the locals of Afghanistan are filled with a certain warmth.

Another major highlight of Pathaan is the train sequence involving Salman’s Tiger and SRK’s Pathaan.

The elaborate action sequence of both taking on the baddies is a delight to watch, more so if you are a fan of the stars.

The interaction between the two superstars has moments of nice humour. Not surprisingly this sequence got the biggest whistle in the theatres.

The music by Vishal and Shekhar is quite groovy, particularly the song “Besharam Rang”.

What didn’t work out?

One major issue with Pathaan is the abrupt love angle between SRK and Deepika. It practically jumps out of nowhere.

More focus has been given to creating a sensual chemistry between the two stars rather than an emotional gravitas.

Deepika looks great in her action sequences and makes for a perfect action heroine. But beyond the glamour, there isn’t much.

In fact, Dimple Kapadia in a smaller role lends more gravitas.

Another major issue is the simplistic and clichéd manner in which it deals with the topic of patriotism. And the Pakistani angle doesn’t add much to the story.

The real eye feasts

As Pathaan, Shah Rukh has a blast playing a full-fledged action hero.  It is a part which gives him ample opportunities to be both rugged and charming and SRK doesn’t falter.

However, it is John Abraham who springs a pleasant surprise. After a series of subpar outings, John is finally in form.

He not only looks menacing but also shines in portions where Jim expresses his angst about being betrayed.

Verdict

For hardcore SRK fans, Pathaan is well worth the four years wait. For neutrals, it is worth a watch if you can get past the simplistic treatment.

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Kuttey: Aasmaan Bhardwaj Proves To Be A Worthy Successor To His Father

Aasmaan Bharadwaj is here to stay!

Kuttey (Hindi)

  • Cast: Tabu, Arjun Kapoor, Kumud Mishra, Radhika Madan, Konkana Sen Sharma, and Naseeruddin Shah
  • Director: Aasmaan Bhardwaj
  • Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj, T Series and Luv Ranjan
  • Music: Vishal Bhardwaj
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 33 minutes

Vishal Bhardwaj is someone who started as a music director with films like Satya. He made a significant place for himself as a musician before getting into direction.

Since his directorial debut Makdee, he has given many masterpieces to the Hindi film industry. Films like Haider, Omkara and Maqbool are wonderful examples of that.

Vishal Bharadwaj’s son Aasmaan has a lot to live up to and the subject that he chose for his directorial debut clearly shows that he isn’t afraid to take risks.

Kuttey is a thriller with multiple characters and also plenty of back-and-forth narration. This isn’t an easy genre to crack for any director, let alone a debutant. But Aasmaan does a good job of capturing the audience’s attention. There are some rough edges, but he has the potential.

The story is about a few individuals who are eyeing a bank van carrying crores of money. Their desperation is compared to a pack of hungry dogs. Hence the title Kuttey.

There are three different groups (some intentionally and some accidentally) who want to lay their hands on the huge money. Each individual or group wants money for different reasons.

Gopi (Arjun Kapoor) and Paaji (Kumud Mishra) are police officers. They need money to get out of a terrible situation that they’ve landed themselves in.

Pammi (Tabu) is desperate for money as she wants to improve her standard of living.

Lovely (Radhika Madan) is the daughter of an underworld don Narayan Khobre (Naseeruddin Shah). She needs the money for spending the rest of her life with Danny Dandekar (Shardul Bhardwaj). Interestingly, Danny works for Narayan.

Lastly, there is Lakshmi (Konkana Sen Sharma). She runs a group of communist rebels who are on the run.

In a nutshell, the film is about who finally gets the money and what happens to those who don’t get the money.

An engaging treatment

The story of Kuttey hinges on a single track but what makes it engaging is its treatment by Aasmaan. The objectives of all three groups keep the audiences invested in what will happen next.

There is a strong animal analogy that the director presents and this enhances the film much like last year’s Darlings. There is liberal use of four-letter words. This makes the dialogues more entertaining, particularly for those who enjoy this brand of cinema.

Aasmaan also touches upon some important things through his multiple characters.

Through the track of Konkana Sen Sharma, the young director talks about how the marginalised are pushed to take up weapons. There is also a righteous cop who chooses to go on the dark side. All this enhances the drama.

The climatic twist takes you by complete surprise and also raises some chuckles.

Technical aspects

The cinematography by Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi is perfectly in sync with the nature of the film.

The music and the background score by Vishal Bhardwaj heighten the drama. Particular mention must be made regarding the use of “Dhan Te Nan” from Kaminey. It is a treat to watch.

There are a couple of aspects that could have been better. The cuss words feel overdone in places.

Also, both Naseeruddin Shah and Konkana could have been used better. The Naxalite angle could have been done with more depth. The violence also could have been trimmed down.

An ensemble of cast

Kuttey has a huge ensemble of actors and the ones who stand out are Tabu, Kumud Mishra, and Arjun Kapoor.

Tabu is at her usual best as Pammi. She has a ball uttering the Hindi swear words. She does a brilliant job of playing the badass boss that is generally reserved for men. She also brings in some comic relief.

Kumud Mishra delivers another ace performance as the conflicted cop. He lets his body language do most of the talking.

However, the surprise package of the ensemble is Arjun Kapoor. He holds his own opposite seasoned performers like Tabu and Kumud Mishra. His character sketch has an interesting quirk.

For example, he is religious and fasts on Tuesdays before going on a shooting spree. He is also shown to be a responsible father.

Radhika Madan and Shardul are good with the limited screen time that they have.

Kuttey has enough bite and the ensemble cast is the icing on the cake.

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Cirkus: This Rohit Shetty Directorial Is More A ‘Golmaal’ Than ‘Comedy Of Errors’

A massive letdown from Rohit Shetty!

Cirkus (Hindi)

  • Cast: Ranveer Singh, Varun Sharma, Pooja Hedge, Jacqueline Fernandez, Murali Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Mukesh Tiwari, Siddarth Jadhav, Johnny Lever, and Deepika Padukone (special appearance)
  • Director: Rohit Shetty
  • Producers: Rohit Shetty and T series
  • Music: Devi Sri Prasad, Badshah, and Lijo George-DJ Chetas
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 18 minutes

William Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors is a play that naturally lends itself to a delicious comedy. The play has seen several movie adaptions in different languages.

For example, in 1982, Gulzar made Angoor with Sanjeev Kumar and Devan Verma. It was much appreciated for its subtlety and clever humour. The performances, led by Sanjeev Kumar, were the icing on the cake.

There is also the Kannada film Ulta Palta which was remade in Telugu by the same name.

Cirkus, directed by Rohit Shetty, is the latest addition to the movies inspired by Comedy of Errors. But the sensibilities of Rohit are vastly different from that of a filmmaker like Gulzar.

Rohit primarily specialises in two kinds of films: First is the Golmaal franchise which runs on slapstick comedy, and the other is the macho cops seen in Singham and Simbaa, among others.

Although slapstick in nature, the Golmaal films were fun to watch because there was a method to the madness. However, Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus comes across as a hurried project where the director took the audience for granted.

Here, Rohit Shetty tries to incorporate a social message: How a person’s nurturing is more important than his bloodline. It is a noble idea. However, it is something which comes across as more of an afterthought.

An experiment with twins

The film begins with the introduction of Dr Roy (Murali Sharma) who is hell-bent on proving that nurture always trumps nature.

To prove that he is right, Dr Roy separates two sets of identical twins who have been set up for adoption. The first pair of boys are adopted by a circus owner and are named Roy and Joy. Strangely, the other couple also names the twins with the same names!

The first Roy (Ranveer Singh) and Joy (Varun Sharma) run the circus of their late father. Roy’s wife Mala (Pooja Hedge) writes thrillers under a mysterious pen name.

The second Roy (Ranveer Singh) and Joy (Varun Sharma) are raised in Bangalore by a rich businessman. The second Roy has a girlfriend Bindu (Jacqueline Fernandez) whose father Rai Sahab (Sanjay Mishra) and his secretary Prem (Anil Charanjeet) are always spying on them.

There is a unique connection that both the Roys share. The first Roy, who lives in Ooty, can handle live electricity without getting harmed. Whenever current flows through him, the other Roy who lives in Bangalore, feels the shock.

Murali Sharma acts as a doctor-cum-narrator who monitors both sets of twins while not letting the secret out.

Things take a comic turn when the second Roy and Joy have to go to Ooty. From here on, we move to mistaken identities and deliberately over-the-top situations.

The rest of the story is about how all the mess is cleared up and what happens at the end.

The positives

Before getting into the negatives, it is necessary to get done with the few positives.

Cirkus is majorly set in the 1960s and, to give credit where it is due, the retro music has been smartly integrated.

Particular mention has to be made of the situations where the characters mimic signature steps of that era while they are under electric shock. It becomes repetitive after a point. But still, it brings in some laughs.

The movie has a huge ensemble but the actor who stands out is Sanjay Mishra.

The senior actor embraces the overtop tone and somehow manages to make his lines funny. His interactions with both the Ranveers are fun to watch.

Anil Charanjeet as the secretary is also pitch-perfect in his portrayal.

Ranveer gives it his all to the double role. He is more effective than the first Roy. It is refreshing to see the actor playing a family man. There is also some physical comedy which Ranveer pulls off convincingly.

Out of the two heroines, Pooja Hedge fares better, although her being a writer could have been better explored.

The negatives

The biggest issue with Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus is the lack of connective tissue. Many of the jokes feel recycled from the Golmaal films and this becomes bothersome pretty fast.

Also, the angle of nature versus nurture gets buried under the slapstick humour. It resurfaces towards the end but it is too late by then.

Rohit Shetty handled multiple characters with success in the past. But here, the characterisations are mostly sketchy.

The sketchiness becomes even more glaring with how Varun Sharma has been portrayed. The actor becomes more of a sidekick. As a result, neither of the Joys leaves an impact.

Further, the much-needed comic camaraderie between Ranveer and Varun Sharma is sorely missing.

In keeping with Rohit Shetty’s previous films, Cirkus is also colourful to look at. However, the colours feel too statured after a point.

The music composed by Devi Sri Prasad, Badshah and Lijo-George DJ Chetas is pleasant to hear.

“Sun Zara” sung by Shreya Ghosal and Papon is soothing. On the other hand, “Current Laga Re” has an energetic beat. Ranveer’s dance with his real-life partner adds some masti.

Verdict

Cirkus is a massive letdown from a director who has been successful in entertaining the masses. It is time for Rohit Shetty to rethink his strategy!