Category: Hindi OTT Film Reviews

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Mission Majnu: This ‘Raazi’ Redux Lacks The Required Heft

Not a goosebump spy thriller!

Mission Majnu (Hindi)

  • Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Rashmika Mandanna, Parmeet Sethi, Sharib Hashmi, Mir Sarwar, Kumud Mishra, Arjan Bajwa, Zakir Hussain, and Rajit Kapur
  • Director: Shantanu Bagchi
  • Producers: Ronnie Screwvala, Amar Butala, and Garima Mehta
  • Music: Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli, and Arko
  • OTT platform: Netflix
  • Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes

Stories about unsung heroes, both fictional and based on real-life incidents, have become a genre in itself.

If we talk about fictional narratives, we have War, and The Tiger franchise, both produced by the Yash Raj banner. On the other hand, we have Meghana Gulzar’s Raazi and Vishnu Vardhan’s Shershah which are based on real-life events.

Shantanu Bagchi’s Mission Majnu tries to have the heft of Alia Bhatt’s Raazi. At the same time, it tries to be larger than life. This mixed khichdi never takes off.

Sure, the film has its moments but you get the feeling that it could have been so much more.

The timeline of Mission Majnu is set in the 1970s. It narrates the story of a covert spy agent who resides in Pakistan.

In the beginning, audiences are told that India has successfully carried out its first nuclear bomb test which shocks Pakistan. Now, the neighbouring country wants to build a nuclear bomb to destroy India.

Pakistan takes the assistance of a great scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan (Mir Sarwar), for the job. On learning this, the RAW hires spy agent Tariq alias Amandeep Ajitpal Singh (Siddarth Malhotra) to find out the location of and neutralise the nuclear facility.


Tariq is a tailor working in Pakistan. The rest of the story deals with how he finds the secret location and, in the process, saves India from the evil plan of Pakistan.

There is also the subplot of Nasreen (Rashmika Mandana), a visually impaired woman who has no idea about the real identity of her husband Tariq. Now, this reminds us of both Raazi and also Fanna.

Emotional quotient missing

Mission Majnu begins on a rather slow note with the unnecessary love angle of Tariq and Nasreen. The portion between Siddarth and Rashmika tests the audience’s patience in a big way.

What also doesn’t help the film is the convenient manner in which Tariq goes about his mission. You don’t feel tensed for Tariq which is a big drawback for a film of this genre.

The scenes where Tariq extracts sensitive information from the army brigadier appear too easy. Even random strangers don’t feel anything amiss when Tariq asks for crucial details.

It is only with the entry of Sharib Hashmi that things take a move on.

The scene before the interval takes the audience by surprise with an important twist revealed about the supporting character played by Kumud Mishra.

The scenes featuring the trio are easily the best part of the film. Their camaraderie elevates the film in a big way.

The second half gives some goosebump moments like an important train sequence featuring Sidharth.

Special mention must also be made of the shootout involving the various Indian RAW agents living in Pakistan. It is a sequence that has been well shot and leaves you sad.

Performances & technical crafts

Sidharth Malhotra as Tariq gives his best shot and is somewhat successful in making the audiences empathise with him, in spite of a fractured script.

Kumud Mishra and Sharib Hashmi as the Indian agents are brilliant in their respective parts and their death scenes have a certain poignancy.

Rashmika Mandanna doesn’t bring much depth to her part. Her chemistry with Sid is rather flat. This becomes a major hindrance in audiences empathising with her when Tariq’s secret is out.

The music composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli, and Arko is quite good. Special mention must be made of the songs sung by Sonu Nigam.

Verdict

In a nutshell, Mission Majnu might not be a goosebump spy thriller but a necessary story to be told.

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Govinda Naam Mera: An Entertaining Khichdi Of Genres

Not a masterpiece but an engaging watch!

Govinda Naam Mera (Hindi)

  • Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani, Bhumi Pednekar, Renuka Shahane, Amey Wagh, Dayanand Shetty, Sayaji Shinde, and Ranbir Kapoor (special appearance)
  • Director: Shashank Khaitan
  • Producers: Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Shashank Khaitan
  • Music: Meet Bros, Tanishkh Bagchi, B Praak, Sachin Jigar, and Rochak Kohli
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 11 minutes
  • OTT platform: Disney+Hotstar

Shashank Khaitan is known for directing romantic films: the Dulhania franchise and Janhvi Kapoor’s Dhadak. With Govinda Naam Mera, the director switches gears by mixing comedy with thriller.

It starts in a certain manner but soon goes on a different path altogether. Shashank Khaitan’s direction isn’t watertight but it is an enjoyable watch.

Govinda Naam Mera tells the story of a Bollywood background dancer Govinda Waghmare (Vicky Kaushal). He is also an aspiring choreographer.

Govinda is petrified of his spouse Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar). They live in a mansion in the heart of Mumbai but the mansion is caught in a legal dispute, thanks to Govinda’s father Gopi Vishwakarma (Wilson Tiger).

Vishwakarma is married to Charulata (Veenah Naair) and they have a son. However, he has an affair with Govinda’s mother Asha Waghmare (Renuka Shahane). Vishwakarma leaves the mansion for Asha when he dies.

Since then, Asha and Charulata keep fighting in court for the ownership of the mansion.


Additionally, Govinda’s marriage is in deep trouble. He is in love with his fellow background dancer Sukku (Kiara Advani) who wants him to leave Gauri, but it is easier said than done.

Fed up with Gauri’s behaviour, Govinda buys a gun for ₹2 lakh from inspector Javed (Dayanand Shetty). However, he doesn’t have the guts to shoot her.

Things take a turn when Govinda and Sukku are asked to choreograph a music video for Sandeep Dharkar aka Sandy (Jeeva), son of the dreaded politician Ajit Dharkar (Sayaji Shinde).

They agree but things don’t go according to plan. Ajit is furious with how the video turned out. Instead of paying the amount, he asks them for a refund.

In short, Govinda’s problems are aplenty. At this point, things change for the better but it doesn’t last long. He gets embroiled in a murder mystery.

The rest of the story is about how he gets out of all this mess and what happens to his dream of being a choreographer, among other aspects.

Over-the-top yet amusing to watch

Director Shashank Khaitan wastes no time in setting up the world of Govinda. His love for Sukku and his fear of Gauri makes you invested.

The scenes depicting the legal dispute are showcased in a light-hearted manner.

These portions are quite over-the-top but are amusing to watch. Ranbir Kapoor’s cameo has also been smartly integrated.

Sukku is a fan of Ranbir Kapoor, while Govinda is a fan of Ranveer. The interaction between Vicky and Ranbir is short but it brings a smile to your face.

There is also a reference to Brahmastra 2 when Ranbir talks about Ranveer playing the lead in his next production. It is a nice meta-touch.

Things slow down in the middle but the film becomes more engaging when Govinda gets embroiled in a murder mystery. From here on, there are some interesting twists and turns, particularly with the characters of Sukku and Govinda.

The final 30 minutes are particularly gripping and the ending does catch you off guard.

On the flip side, some of the plot points come across as contrived. A chase scene involving Govinda and Sandy in the second half could have been easily avoided.

Bhumi Pednekar as Gauri suffers from a sketchy characterisation. Her family background is never properly established and this reduces the impact of the character.

Vicky Kaushal’s best commercial outing

Talking about performances, Vicky Kaushal handles his role with ease. This is Vicky’s most commercial outing so far and the actor doesn’t look out of place in any scene.

His comic timing coupled with his energy propels the narrative in a big way.

Kiara looks beautiful as always but more importantly, she has a good part to play. The actress did a good job. A special mention must be made of her outburst in the second half.

Bhumi Pednekar is loud as required but there is nothing memorable.

Renuka Shahane wholeheartedly embraces the quirkiness of her character. She is fun to watch in her whacky avatar.

The music goes well with the mood of the film. The “Bijli” song, in particular, is energetic and has been well-choreographed by Ganesh Acharya.

Govinda Naam Mera isn’t a masterpiece. But, at the same time, it is not something that will make the audiences tear their hair in frustration.

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Freddy: Karthik Aryan Scores A+, But The Film Could Have Been So Much More

The extra half-star is purely for Karthik Aryan’s transformation!

Freddy (Hindi)

  • Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Alaya F, Jennifer Piccinato, Karan A Pandit, Sajjad Delfrooz, Harshika Kewalramani, and Tripti Agarwal
  • Director: Shashanka Ghosh
  • Producers: Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa Kapoor, Jay Shewakramani, Narendra Hirawat, and Shreyans Hirawat
  • Music: Clinton Cerejo and Pritam
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
  • Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes

Karthik Aryan is someone who is synonymous with lighter roles. Whether it is the Pyar kaa Punchnama series or the recent Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. In between there was also Ram Madhvani’s Dhammaka, but Karthik is someone who is still largely associated with comedy and romance.

With Freddy, the actor does something drastically different. The same applies to director Shashanka Ghosh as well.

There is no denying that Freddy starts off promisingly, but it soon becomes a mundane revenge drama.

Freddy tells the story of Dr Freddy Ginwala (Karthik Aryan). Freddy is someone who has difficulty in communicating with people other than his patients. He is haunted by a childhood trauma. Freddy is a respected dentist but he has no friends except for a tortoise. He desperately wants companionship but it is not happening anytime soon.

Things take a turn when Freddy spots Kainaaz (Alaya F) at a wedding. It is love at first sight for Freddy. Kainaaz is a victim of an abusive marriage. Freddy soon becomes her companion; he also hatches a plan with Kainaaz to bump off her husband.

However, Kainaaz is not what she appears to be and soon enough Freddy faces a big jolt.

The rest of the story is about how Freddy’s personality goes through a sea change and what happens at the end.

The second-half problem

As mentioned, Freddy begins well enough. The social awkwardness of Freddy is well established and as an audience you are invested in his journey. Freddy’s desperation to find a partner makes you root for him. Alaya F’s entry spices up the film. There isn’t much scope for romantic chemistry, but still both Karthik and Alaya are wonderful to watch together.

Things go fine until the big twist comes along. From here the film enters the territory of Shahid and Kareena Kapoor starrer Fida. Much like that film, here, too, Freddy is seething with rage.

Shashanka Ghosh tries to give more dimensions to Freddy, throwing in the angles of mental health and childhood trauma. However, these efforts come across as rather half-baked.

The revenge of Freddy has also been portrayed in a haphazard manner. The thrills are mostly missing.

Kudos to Karthik Aryan

In the title role, Karthik Aryan gives it his all. There is a visible transformation that you see in his body language. He has drastically alternated his trademark mannerisms and merged himself into the character.

Alaya F embraces the dark shades of her character wholeheartedly. Her character-switch is rather abrupt but Alaya is consistently watchable.

The rest of the cast are there just for the sake of filling the screen.

Freddy is a decent attempt at making a psychological crime thriller. However, a lot more effort was the need of the hour, the extra half-star is purely for Karthik Aryan’s transformation.

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Monica O My Darling: A Noir Thriller That Keeps You On Your Toes

Vasan Bala is one of those directors who are known for a distinctive style of storytelling. For example in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota you had a protagonist who has a rare condition named Congenital insensitivity to pain. It was a whimsical ride that combined new age tropes with some old Bollywood elements. In the anthology segment Spotlight (the Satyajit Ray anthology) he made a social satire that combined religion and movies. His latest Monica O My Darling is a wonderful addition to the director’s repertoire. The film is based on the 1989 Japanese novel Burutasu No Shinzou.

Monica O My Darling follows the life of Jayant Arkhedkar (Rajkumar Rao). Jayant is a robotics genius who gets an opportunity to climb the social ladder after doing lot of hard work. A series of murders follow in the ‘Unicorn Group’, the workplace of Jayant. Huma Qureshi plays the titular character Monica. Monica is the secretary who serves the robotics company with great deal of zeal. Monica and Jayant are in secret relationship. But Jayant has no intention of marrying her as he is dating his boss’s daughter (Akansha Ranjan). ACP Naidu (Radhika Apte) is a quirky cop who is assigned to solve the case. There are a host of others too with special mention to Sikander Kher playing the entitled son of the boss. He is not very happy with the special attention that Jayant is getting. The film mainly talks about how being at the top of the social ladder isn’t always a great place to be.

The storytelling in Monica O My Darling will remind you of Sriram Raghavan’s thrillers at a few places in terms of how it explores the dark nature of human beings. Much like Sriram Raghavan films here too none of the characters are pure white, each of them come with their own shades of grey. However Vasan Bala gives his own touches to this tale of an ambitious outsider.

Every time Jayant considers himself as a winner or hero life cuts him to size as no wins are absolute.

Both Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota and the short segment Spotlight had plenty of pop culture references which added to the story.  And Monica O Darlings is no exception to that. The film’s title itself is taken from the iconic song sung by RD Burman. The title song keeps playing in the background at important junctures which adds to the immersive experience.

Monica O My Darling is filled with multiple characters and each of them are important, even the side characters. Vasan Bala does complete justice to each of them.

The dialogues co-written by Bala and Yogesh Chandekar have a lot of wit particularly those spoken by Radhika Apte. More importantly the film is an allegory to class struggle.  

In this galaxy of actors Huma Qureshi stands out in the title role. She has to switch her mood from being frustrated, sad and maniac in a matter of minutes. And the actress does it splendidly. Huma does a commendable job of keeping Monica humane in spite of her grey areas.

Rajkumar Rao proves once again why he is one of the best actors that we have. The character of Jayant requires him to showcase a range of emotions and the actor nails it. Radhika Apte has a late entry but the actress is fun to watch with her cool demeanor. Sikandar Kher has a limited part but the actor is nevertheless good.

The film’s music and cinematography are also perfectly in sync with the film.

Final word: Monica O My Darling is a delicious watch particularly if you like Sriram Raghavan’s brand of cinema. The talented ensemble is the cherry on the cake.

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Jogi: Diljit Dosanjh Excels In This Important Retelling Of The Atrocities On Sikhs

The sufferings of the Sikh community in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star is easily one of the most harrowing chapters in the history of India, both Gulzar and Shonali Bose delivered heartbreaking films with Maachis and Ammu respectively, you have also had the web series Grahan that was critically acclaimed. Abbas Ali Zafar’s Jogi is an attempt at revisiting those dark times. Abbas Ali Zafar is someone who is known for a certain style of storytelling which is more commercial in nature, case in point being Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai, Gunday etc. With the web series Tandav the director tried something different but the attempt wasn’t so successful.

With Jogi the director takes a subject that needs a sensitive treatment. Jogi isn’t exactly a Maachis or an Ammu but it still makes an impact.

The film begins off by showing a happy family planning to celebrate their nephews’ birthday. Diljit Dosanjh plays Joginder fondly called Jogi. It is the evening of October 31st, 1984. The opening scene foreshadows what is going to happen next. You know that the nephew’s birthday is not going to happen. Right after this we are shown how the city erupts in riots, with the then Prime Minister being shot dead by her two Sikh bodyguards.  Jogi’s family suffers a personal tragedy as the brother-in-law is set ablaze in a shop. On the other hand the councilor of the Trilokpuri constituency Tejpal Arora (Kumud Mishra) wants to exploit this horrific situation for his own political gains.

He orders the policemen to eliminate the Sikhs from that locality. One of those policemen is the honest cop Ravinder Chautala (Mohmmad Zeeshan Ayyub). Ravinder however decides to help Jogi and his family. But Jogi on the other hand wants to save the entire neighborhood and not just his family. The two of them take the help of the third friend Kaleem Ansari  (Paresh Pahuja) who comes forward without any hesitation. There is also Hiten Tejwani as Lali Katyal. He wants to take revenge on Jogi for his own personal reasons. What follows is a survival drama that gives an important message on religious harmony and the importance of friendship and togetherness.

Abbas Ali Zafar keeps you hooked right from the start and does a successful job in making you root for Jogi. There are no long drawn out back stories of the characters. The film gets right into the issue at hand. The director also takes a bold move by setting the story in the national capital, this makes the film even more hard hitting.

The characters and the way they have written also makes Jogi stand out. The friendship between Jogi, Ravinder, and Kaleem and how the other two stand up for Jogi through thick and thin gives the film some of its best moments. One of the most disturbing moments in the film involves Diljit cutting his hair in order to escape from the rioters. Laal Singh Chaddha featuring Aamir also had a scene where Mona Singh does the same thing in order to save her son, but here this scene hits in a different way.

Some of the closes up shots are difficult to watch but at the same time it does make the film more impactful.

Diljit Dosangh is the perfect casting choice for the title role. There is a certain quality about the actor that makes it easy to root for him. The actor had previously acted in the Punjabi Film 1984 based on a similar subject and that comes in very handy for this. He lets the eyes do most of the talking without any over the top speeches.

Mohmmed Zeeshan Ayyub shines the brightest in the supporting cast. He excels as the police officer who decides to go against his superiors. Kumud Mishra is also suitably evil. The background music by Julius Packiam adds to the tense atmosphere.

The couple of soft spots include the reason for Lalli’s hate towards Jogi. The short flashback feels forcefully inserted and you get the feeling that it doesn’t belong here. The unnecessary love story featuring Diljit and Amyra Dastur slows down the proceedings for a while. It also doesn’t help that Laali has an abrupt change of mind after one lengthy dialogue by Diljit. It would have also been nice if more scenes of Jogi with family were shown.

Final word: Keeping aside the flaws there is no denying that Abbas Ali Zafar reinvents himself with this one.

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Darlings: Watch This Domestic Noir For The Acting Performances And The Message

Jasmeet K Rheen’s Darlings is a domestic noir filled with elements of a dark comedy and thriller. It is a difficult genre to crack for any director let alone a debutant. The rough edges are very much visible but there is no denying that Jasmeet makes some important points on domestic abuse, most importantly it doesn’t paint all men as monsters. It is also a delight to watch the ensemble cast of Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew. Alia has co produced this film under the banner of Eternal Sunshine productions.

The story of Darlings is set in a lower middle-class Muslim dominated neighbourhood. Badrunisaa (aka Badru) played by Alia Bhatt is a  woman who is married to an abusive man Hamza (Vijay Varma). Badru represents those housewives that put up with abuse in hope that the husband will change one day. Shefali Shah plays Badru’s mother Shamshunisaa. Shamshunisaa is a more practical woman who knows that Hamza is never going to change, the reason being she has had her own share of domestic abuse in the hands of her deceased husband. She constantly advises Badru to leave Hamza but Badru is admant that her husband will change. The fourth key character is Zulfi (Roshan Mathew). He is the antithesis to the violent Hamza. He is an aspiring screenplay writer who also sells household appliances for a living. Zulfi also serves a solo delivery boy for the dabba service of Shamshu. Coming back to the marriage of Badru and Hamza, a certain incident happens, which leaves Badru with no option, other than to make Hamza pay for his sins with the help of her mother. These plans lead to several risky situations. The dark humour is generated out of the outlandish situations that arise out of these plans.

Jasmeet K Rheen does a wonderful job in setting up the world of Badru and Shamshu. Both these women are as different as chalk and cheese, this makes the dynamics between the two more interesting.

The bustling chawl where the film takes place plays out as a character in itself. The scenes leading up to the domestic violence is filled with a sense of dread that makes you uncomfortable.

Jasmeet also does a good job in addressing the unequal power structure of marriage. This comes out brilliantly in a scene  of police station where Shefali Shah says that world may have changed for those on twitter and facebook but not for them.

The biggest pleasure of watching Darlings lies in watching the scenes between Shefali Shah and Alia. There is a constant tussle happening throughout between the mother and daughter. This leads to many entertaining moments.

Out of the two Shefali Shah has the more fleshed role and not surprisingly the actress does a stellar job. She pulls off her quirky character with ease, and is the source of comic relief in many scenes. Alia as Badru starts off this as this submissive wife and it takes some time for Badru to transform. The transition could have better etched out but it is to the credit of the actress that she sells it. Alia plays the character with complete conviction and wholeheartedly embraces all the contradictions of Badru. Alia is particularly impressive in the climax scene. Vijay Varma makes for a terrific psychopath. He effortlessly switches from a loving husband to a violent demon within a matter of second. Lastly Roshan Mathew is also charming as the loving Zulfi. His scenes with the mother and daughter do bring a smile on your face.

Darlings falters when the director starts mixing elements of dark comedy with thriller. The situations in the second half lack plausibility factor even within the outlandish situation. Badru tying Hamza with dupatta and constantly giving him sleeping pills is too farfetched. The policemen led by Vijay Maurya come across as bumbling fools.

Another major problem is that director Jasmeet takes way too much time for Badru to finally come to a decision. This indecisiveness of Badru till the last moment makes it hard for the audiences to root for her character in entirety.

All said and done, Jasmeet addresses the different dynamics in an abusive marriage, but mixing of elements needed to better. A more matured director was the need of the hour.

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Good Luck Jerry: Janhvi Kapoor Leads This Delicious Crime Comedy

Siddarth Sengupta’s Good Luck Jerry is a delicious crime comedy that works both as a standalone film, and also as a remake of Nelson Dilipkumar’s Tamil classic Kolamaavu Kokila. Siddarth takes the beats of the original and adds his own touch. For those who haven’t seen the original, the story of Kolamaavu narrated the tale of a girl from lower middle class family played by Nayanthara. She lives a happy life with her parents. But things take a turn when her mother is diagnosed with lung cancer. Kokila tries her level best to get money for treatment but nothing works. Left with no other option she takes up the risky job of drug peddling without the knowledge of her parents. After a point she tries to get out of drug peddling but that is something which is easier said than done.

In the remake the director transports the plot to Punjab. Like Alia Bhatt in Udta Punjab Janhvi and her family are also Bihari migrants. You don’t have any father character unlike the original. There is a kind hearted neighbour Anil (Neeraj Sood). Anil has eyes for Jerry’s mother (Mita Vashisht). There is also Rinku (Deepak Dobriyal) who is in love with Jerry. I won’t elaborate further since the basic hook of the storyline is the same.

Janhvi is particularly good in the masala moments of the second half

Like the original the best thing about this too is the way the lead character has been written and performed. It would be unfair to compare Nayanthara with Janhvi given that Nayanthara is a more seasoned actress but to Janhvi’s credit she delivers a solid performance. She does justice to the character arc of Jerry, which goes from a petrified girl to eventually taking things in her own hands. Janhvi is particularly good in the masala moments of the second half. Her Bihari accent is mostly on spot. Deepak Dobriyal is another actor who stands out with his impeccable comic timing. His one side lover act leaves you in splits. His scenes with Janhvi and the family are thoroughly enjoyable.

There are many instances of subtle humour that keeps you involved. These scenes include Jerry smuggling cocaine in her dabba and hiding it beneath instant noodles, or even those ones when Jerry’s family transports kilos of drugs pretending to drive a cancer-stricken woman. Music is more functional by nature but the songs don’t disrupt the narrative.

The twists and turns also keep you engrossed. As a viewer you want Jerry and her family to get out of this mess much like the original. The villains headed by Sushant Singh are suitably menacing as per the requirements.

Janhvi does justice to the character arc of Jerry, which goes from a petrified girl to eventually taking things in her own hands.

The one thing which could have been better though are the scenes between Janhvi and Mita Vashishat. The scenes that they share are good but more focus could have been there on developing the bond between the mother and daughter.

Comparisons to the original aside, watch Good Luck Jerry for a much improved Janhvi and also the dark humour.

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Thar: Watch It For The Atmospherics And Anil Kapoor

Raj Singh Chowdary’s Thar is a well staged thriller which had the potential of being more. Much like Koratala Siva’s Acharya here too you have the real life father and son duo playing important roles. Thar is technically sound and also benefits immensely from Anil Kapoor’s screen presence but unfortunately the same cannot be said about son Harshvardhan Kapoor.

The story of Thar takes place in the eighties. A series of violent killings are happening in a remote desert town in Rajasthan. Anil Kapoor plays the local cop Surekha Singh. Surekha Singh is given the responsibility of nabbing the killers. Satish Kaushik plays a subordinate cum friend. His character comes from the lower caste.

At this juncture a stranger called Siddarth (Harshvardhan Kapoor) enters the town. He has a certain stoic presence with an aura of mystery around him. He gets involved with a married woman played by Fatima Sana Sheikh. Nothing more can be said about the plot since this is a thriller.

Director Raj Singh Chowdary wastes no time in setting up the plot. The scenes between Anil Kapoor and Satish Kaushik in particular are good to watch. The actors bring in their real life camaraderie to the table.

Anurag Kshyap is the dialogue writer of this one and the stamp of Anurag can be seen at several junctures, particularly the ones related to caste.

Another department that deserves a mention here is the production design and the cinematography. Both Wasiq Khan and Shreya Dev Dube are successful in capturing the rugged terrain of the place. There is a lived in feel with no sense of artificiality.

Not surprisingly Anil Kapoor towers over many of the cast members. It is a combination of Anil’s acting caliber and also the way the other characters have been written. He commands your attention from the word go. Satish Kaushik is the only other actor in the cast who makes an impression.

The one major drawback of Thar is how the character of Harshvardhan Kapoor has been written. In an attempt to create an aura of mystery the director forgets giving some emotional heft. The inadequacies also show up in Harshdvardhan’s performance.  There is no denying that Harshvardhan has been making some brave choices like Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi. But he had to realize just making interesting choices isn’t enough.

Another issue with Thar is the forced romantic sub plot between Harshvardhan and Fatima Sana Sheikh. It adds nothing to the story. In fact it slows down the pace of the film considerably which is anyway moving at a sluggish space.

Lastly, the elements of dacoits, drug trafficking etc haven’t been properly explored by the director.

In a nutshell Raj Singh Chowdary shows promise, what he needs is a more fleshed out script.

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Kaun Pravin Tambe: A Heartwarming Saga That Touches Your Heart

It is difficult to make an engaging sports film given that the audiences know what will happen at the end. Over the years there has been a flurry of sports biopics like  Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom. Farhan Akhtar’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and late Sushant Singh Rajput’s MS Dhoni among many others.

As a result the genre has lost some of its sheen. But Jayprasad Desai’s Kaun Pravin Tambe works not only as a sports film, but it also gives an important message on patience, perseverance and resilience. It gives an important lesson to all underachievers on continuing to do what they do best until the tables turn in their favor.

For those who are not aware, Pravin Tambe is a cricketer who made his debut at the age of 41. He had played in the Indian premier league without any first class or international experience.

The director perfectly captures the grit of Pravin Thambe and makes sure that the audiences root for him. Apart from Shreyas Talpade the other important cast members include Ashish Vidyarthi, Anjali Patil and Parambrata Chatterjee.

An interesting aspect of the film is how Jayprasad Desai captures the life of those cricketers who haven’t made it to the big league. However, they still continue to play cricket thanks to the private companies who hire them for their cricketing teams.

The jobs are mundane but they provide a steady income to these cricketers. As a result they are able to use their skills on the field.

The chief reason why Pravin Tambe is able to pursue his dream is because of his talent and the kindness of the people that he encounters.

The home life of Pravin, and his wife, also gives the film some of its best moments. The director authentically captures the middle class lifestyle. There is certain realisticness to the proceedings.

Anjali Patil’s character never comes across as a nagging wife. She has her arguments with the husband but at the same time she understands his passion for cricket, this has come out really well.

The scenes between Ashish Vidyarthi and Shreyas are also a delight to watch. Initially the audiences along with Pravin don’t understand why Ashish Vidyarthi’s character insists that Pravin should change from being a medium pace bowler to a spinner. But as we go along we understand why he is insisting so much.

The reason is Pravin’s wrists and grip is very strong. It is a pleasure to see Ashish Vidyarthi in a positive role. The actor delivers a solid performance.

Parambrata Chatterjee’s Rajat starts off as some kind of villain. He doesn’t think much of Pravin’s talent. There is a dismissive attitude that he has towards Pravin. He never seems to appreciate anything that Tambe does,

But thankfully the character doesn’t slip into a caricature thanks to the assured direction and also the actor’s performance.

Coming to the onscreen Pravin Tambe, it is great to see Shreyas Talpade doing something substantial after a long time. The actor delivers a performance which is on par with his debut role in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal. It looks like Shreya’s acting career has come full circle with Kaun Pravin Tambe.

He throws himself into the part with full conviction. He makes the audiences resonate with Tambe’s passion for cricket.

In a nutshell, Kaun Pravin Tambe is much more than just your regular sports drama. It will inspire you to pursue your dreams until you achieve your goals.

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Sharmaji Namkeen: The Perfect Swan Song To Rishi Kapoor

Sharmaji Namkeen is a special movie primarily for two reasons. It is of course the last time that we will see Rishi Kapoor on screen, but it also the first time in the history of cinema that two actors have played the same role. Paresh Rawal had stepped in to complete the film after the death of the actor. It is very generous of Paresh Rawal to do it, the reason being the film would be remembered for Rishi Kapoor and not Paresh Rawal.

Sharmaji Namkeen tells the story of a retired manager Brij Gopal Sharma (Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal). Brij Gopal is someone who cannot sit idle at home. The retired life is frustrating him. He contemplates taking up Zumba classes and becoming a property agent among other jobs. His son Rinku (Suhail Nayyar) tells him to enjoy his post-retirement life and not to do unnecessary things. Sharma ji’s biggest hobby is cooking.

He takes his passion for cooking to another level. He is tricked by his friend Chadda (Satish Kaushik) into cooking at a ladies kitty party, and soon it becomes a regular affair. In this process he meets Veena (Juhi Chawla). She becomes his friend and confidante. But things take a turn when Sharmaji’s sons come to know about his secret job. This is all about the plot in brief.

Hitesh Bhatia’s story takes a little time to get into the groove. The initial portions are a bit hazy but he soon finds his groove. The experiment of two actors playing the same role is well managed by the director.

The story has certain similarities to Amitabh Bachchan’s Baghban. In that film too you have got a retired father but there is a sea difference between the treatment of both the films.

In this one, Sharmaji starts his second innings independently without any approval from his sons. There is a scene in the film where the character insists that he should not be dependent on his sons and look after himself.

There are several comic punches that bring a smile to your face. The best ones of course are those featuring late Rishi Kapoor. There is a certain warmth that Rishi Kapoor brings to the role.

My favorite scenes in the film are those featuring Juhi Chawla and Rishi Kapoor.  There is lot of charm in the scenes featuring the two. There is an undercurrent of romance between them; this is well explored by Hitesh Bhatia. You look forward to seeing their scenes. Juhi Chawla is a delight to watch as Veena.

The film also takes certain digs at the patriarchal ways of our society. The director openly talks about how a woman still needs to take permission from their male counterparts before following her passion.

Coming to Paresh Rawal the actor does a pretty good job in maintaining the continuity, however there are times when you feel that he doesn’t fit the character as well as Rishi Kapoor. The warmth that Rishi Kapoor exudes is missing in Paresh Rawal.

Another factor is that both of them come from different schools of acting. Rishi Kapoor is someone who has always been a natural actor. There is a spontaneity that he brings to the table. Paresh Rawal on the other hand is a method actor. The role of Sharmaji fits Rishi Kapoor’s acting style more than Paresh Rawal’s.

Satish Kaushik as Chadda does a fairly fine job. The rest also contribute in making the film enjoyable.

In a nutshell, watch Sharmaji Namkeen to witness the magic of Rishi Kapoor one last time.