Category: Movie Reviews

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Crew : A much-needed female buddy film in mainstream Hindi cinema

Despite the implausible heist portions of the second half, Rajesh A Krishnan delivers a fun movie aided by the trio.
Crew (Hindi); 29-03-2024, Comedy-Thriller, 2 hours 4 minutes, U/A, Theatre
  • Main Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Tabu, Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, and Kapil Sharma
  • Director: Rajesh Krishnan
  • Producer: Ektaa R Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor
  • Music Director: Badshah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vishal Mishra
  • Cinematography: Anuj Rakesh Dhawan
  • Rating: 3.5/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

The number of movies with well-known female actors playing buddies can be counted on fingers, particularly in mainstream Hindi cinema.

Sure, there have been the likes of Parched (2015) and Dhak Dhak (2023). Both movies celebrated sisterhood in their own way. But, as far as mainstream cinema goes, male bonding has always been more in number.

Rhea Kapoor went against the tide when she produced Veere Di Wedding (2018), starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania.

Veere Di Wedding had its problems in terms of storytelling. But it still did strike a chord with the target audiences.

And now, Rhea Kapoor is back with another female buddy film starring actors from different schools of acting — Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kriti Sanon.

Writers Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri have taken inspiration from the real Kingfisher Airlines and the fugitive Vijay Mallya.

Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri along with Rajesh A Krishnan have combined elements of heist and comedy and have made a movie that engages the viewers for the most part.

Synopsis

Tabu in ‘Crew’. (X)

The story of Crew is about three air hostesses — Geetha Sethi (Tabu), Jasmine (Kareena Kapoor Khan), and Divya Rana (Kriti Sanon).

On the surface, the three appear to be leading a glamorous life, but in reality, they struggle to keep themselves afloat.

For example, Geetha wants to use her provident fund to start her own business with her husband (Kapil Sharma), while Jessica is looking for someone to fund her start-up.

On the other hand, Divya has loans to repay. Additionally, she has given a picture of being a pilot to her parents when she actually is an air hostess.

The three work for Kohinoor Airlines, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. They have been facing a salary crisis for the last six months.

Crew begins with three of them being detained on suspicion of smuggling gold, but that is only a part of the movie.

In simple terms, the story of Crew is about how the trio is pushed to a corner and takes a route that isn’t ethically right to survive.

The film also gets into a heist mode in the later half when the three decide to take revenge on the fictional Vijay Mallya when he flees from the country.

Sisterhood and chemistry

Kriti Sanon in ‘Crew’. (X)

For a film of this nature, the female actors must have a crackling chemistry and a genuine sense of sisterhood.

Fortunately, both the sisterhood and the chemistry are very much on point.

The jokes, the fights, and the eventual patch-up feel authentic.

Rajesh A Krishnan also deserves credit for never getting into a judgmental mode about the things the trio do.

All three come with their share of flaws, and this makes the movie more endearing.

The brilliant performances, particularly of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Tabu, make Crew hugely enjoyable.

After an intense performance in last year’s Jaane Jaan, Kareena lets her hair down in a complete contrast role.

Her Jasmine is a hustler who is unapologetically greedy and doesn’t mind showing off. However, there is also a deep loneliness.

Kareena does a terrific job of portraying the different facets of Jasmine.

Tabu’s Geetha is someone who is torn between her responsibilities and desires. The accomplished actor is her usual brilliant self. Some of her comic exchanges with Kareena are an absolute riot.

The two also have a delightful action scene in a private jet.

Kriti Sanon is fairly good and holds her own, particularly in the scenes portraying Divya’s moral dilemmas.

Other characters

Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘Crew’. (X)

Despite their limited screen time, the male characters are also fun to watch. The husband and wife scenes between Kapil Sharma and Tabu have a lot of warmth.

The same applies to Diljit Dosanjh as Jasveer. The actor is his usual charming self and the way he flirts with Divya is adorable.

The viewers feel bad for Jasveer when Divvya deceives him for her needs.

Khulbhushan Kharbanda is Jasmine’s grandfather and an important pillar of support.

Again, the scenes they share are few. But still, Khulbhushan Kharbanda makes for an adorable grandfather.

Implausible heist drama

A couple of aspects come across as stumbling blocks in Crew. One is the heist portions, which border on being quite silly.

The landing portions of the film could have been done with better writing.

Also, the styling of the characters in some scenes leaves a lot to be desired.

They come across as too stylish, which doesn’t gel with the protagonists’ backgrounds.

Verdict

Keeping aside these small niggles, Crew is a breath of fresh air in many ways. It is a definite respite from the regular propaganda and the mass-heavy films we have been seeing in Hindi cinema of late.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/crew-movie-review/

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Swatantra Veer Savarkar: An Honest Insight Into India’s Freedom Struggle From A Different Perspective

The most interesting aspect of ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’ is the depiction of his ideological clash with Mahatma Gandhi.
Swatantra Veer Savarkar (Hindi)
22-03-2024, Drama, Biography, 2 hours 58 minutes, U/A, Theatre
  • Main Cast: Randeep Hooda, Ankita Lokhande, Amit Sial, and Rajesh Khera
  • Director: Randeep Hooda
  • Producer: Randeep Hooda
  • Music Director: Vipin Patwa
  • Cinematography: Arvind Krishna
  • Rating: 3/5

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is someone who does not need a particular introduction. Savarkar is a hugely polarising historical figure with more than one controversy.

He was the one who laid the foundation for the present Hindutva regime and has also been accused of having an indirect hand in killing India’s Father of the Nation — Mahatma Gandhi, the reason being the ideological differences along with Nathuram Godse being a student of Savarkar.

A biopic on a person like Savarkar is not easy to make, given his vastly turbulent life that is filled with many incidents.

Acclaimed actor Randeep Hooda not only plays the title role but also directs and co-writes the story.

The rawness of a first-time director is quite visible, particularly in the second half, but there is no denying the passion with which Randeep mounts the film.

Synopsis

In simple terms, the story of Swatantra Veer Savarkar is about the different stages in Savarkar’s long and turbulent life.

It starts with him losing his father at a young age. Then we see how the grown-up Savarkar decides to become a freedom fighter and does the things he does.

The major life-turning events of Savarkar are shown in great detail in the movie. This includes interaction with Gandhi, and his life imprisonment in the Andaman Islands aka Kaala Paani.

Stand out scenes

Ankita Lokhande in ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’. (X)

Among the many passages in the film, my favourite ones are the scenes featuring Randeep Hooda and Amit Sial as the supportive elder brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar (Amit Sial.) The bond between the brothers comes out strongly and moves us.

For example, there is a scene in the second half when Veer Savarkar and Ganesh Damodar Savarkar unexpectedly cross paths in the Andaman jail, Damodar is surprised to see his younger brother there and, in that shock, he forgets to hug him.

The portions of how Abhinav Bharat was formed and the ideology behind it are well shown.

The most interesting aspect of Swatantra Veer Savarkar is the scenes of ideological clash with Mahatma Gandhi. Thankfully, the clash of ideologies has been handled with maturity.

There is an important scene when someone tells Savarkar that he hates Gandhi. In response, Savarkar says he doesn’t hate Gandhi but dislikes the ideology of non-violence.

We are also shown that Gandhi wrote letters to the British government seeking the release of Savarkar from the Andamans. He also praises Savarkar, though they have a different approach to the freedom movement.

When Gandhi dies, there is a genuine pain that we see. In fact, Savarkar condemns the act of Nathuram Godse and says that Godse shouldn’t have done this.

Randeep Hoods — The USP

Another major USP of Swatantra Veer Savarkar is its leading man Randeep Hooda.

Randeep Hooda has always been one of the most dependable actors going to any lengths to portray his characters with authenticity — physical and mental.

Here too, Randeep immerses himself into the role, whether it is the fiery freedom fighter of the first half or the prisoner in the long and elongated portions of Kaala Paani.

The physical transformation is, of course, brilliant. But the way he showcases the fighting spirit of Savarkar makes his performance even more admirable.

Among the other actors, Amit Sial stands out as both a supportive elder brother and a freedom fighter himself.

Ankita Lokhande does not have many dialogues but does a fine job in her limited screen time. She effectively portrays the inner strength of a freedom fighter’s wife.

Crammed narrative

Savarkar’s life is on a huge scale given the many incidents. There are times when, as viewers, you might feel that the movie is crammed with too much information and a web series would have been a better option.

The second half in particular needs some brevity. The portions of Savarkar being tortured both physically and mentally need some serious trimming.

Also, the vilification of Congress reaches the point of exhaustion. It does not add anything substantial to the narrative.

Talking about the technical departments, cinematographer Aravind Krishna does a good job of capturing the vast landscape through his lens.

The production design and the art design are also in complete sync with the era of the film.

Final take

Swatantra Veer Savarkar can be watched if you like detailed history lessons and, of course, if you are Randeep Hooda’s fan.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/swatantra-veer-savarkar-movie-review/

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Shaitaan: A Chilling Atmospheric Horror-Thriller With A Delightfully Deranged Madhavan

Despite some hiccups in the second half, ‘Shaitaan’ is a welcome return to form for Vikas Bahl after the atrocious ‘Ganapath’.
  • Main Cast: Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Jyothika Saravanan, Jangki Bodiwala, and Anngad Raaj
  • Director: Vikas Bahl
  • Producer: Ajay Devgn, Jyoti Deshpande, and Abhishek Pathak
  • Music Director: Amit Trivedi
  • Cinematography: Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti
  • Run time: 2 hours 12 minutes
  • Genre: Horror-Thriller
  • Rating: 3.5/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

Vikas Bahl has had a roller coaster of a journey starting with Chillar Party (2011), which he directed along with Nitesh Tiwari.

His second film Queen (2013) was much acclaimed for its progressive story along with getting good box office numbers.

Shaandaar (2015) was unfortunately a massive flop, but Vikas struck back with Super 30 (2019). It was a moving drama about the mathematics teacher-educator Anand Kumar (played by Hrithik Roshan). Despite some flaws, Super 30 was a well-made inspirational drama that talked about how education should be a level playing field.

Later, though Vikas Bahl went through a rough patch with Goodbye (2022) and Ganapath (2023), Ganapath ended up being a tough one to endure for both critics and audiences.

But with his latest Shaitaan, the filmmaker has made a good comeback.

Shaitaan is based on the Gujarati film Vash (2023). Since I have not seen that, this will be a standalone review.

Combining horror with suspense is not an easy task given the clichés of the Indian horror genre. But thankfully here there are no creaking doors. The scares mostly come from the sinister plans of the antagonist.

Synopsis

Ajay Devgn in ‘Shaitaan’. (X)

Shaitaan begins with the introduction of Kabir (Ajay Devgn). His family consists of Jyothi (Jyothika), their teenage daughter Jahnavi (Janki Bodiwala) and their son Dhruv (Anngad Raaj).

The first 10 to 15 minutes are devoted to the family moments.

Soon, everything becomes topsy-turvy with the arrival of Vanraj Kshyap (R Madhavan), an expert hypnotist who puts Jahnavi completely under his spell. She obeys every command he gives.

Soon, the commands of Vanraj become increasingly dangerous to both Jahnavi and the rest of her family.

Kabir and Jyothi are helpless in front of this demonic man.

The rest of the story unravels the mystery behind what makes Vanraj so powerful and what are his motives in wreaking havoc. But the most important question is whether Kabir and his wife can save their children from this highly dangerous tormentor.

Analysis

For a film of this nature, building an effective atmosphere of dread is of utmost importance. Director Vikas Bahl scores big time in creating a sense of unease with the help of his cinematographer Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti.

Amit Trivedi’s background music also helps big time, particularly in the portions where Vanaraj talks about his sinister plans.

Vanraj wants to control young women and make sure that they do not become rebels with a combination of black magic and science.

On occasions, the viewers are reminded of the Pied Piper story—a man who lures all the children to seek revenge on the mayor for not giving him gold as promised.

Coming back to the movie, the second half of Shaaitaan does lose its grip with some monotonous moments.

The plot is paper thin and this also contributes to some of the dogginess. Also, the psyche behind Vanraj doing these things could have been explored with more heft. But still, they do not become a major problem.

Brilliant cast

Madhavan in ‘Shaitaan’. (X)

What also makes Shaitaan work is its brilliant cast.

Ajay Devgn, as Kabir, is back in the Drishyam mode playing a determined father wanting to save his family. In spite of the obvious similarities, the actor does a terrific job of showcasing both the vulnerability and determination of Kabir.

There are many occasions where Kabir comes across as helpless and it is in these portions that Ajay particularly shines.

Jyothika is also in fine form. She plays her part with utmost honesty. A particular mention must be made of her combat scene with R Madhavan.

Janki Bodiwala is also pitch-perfect. She laughs, cries, and dances as required with absolute finesse.

Anngad Raaj is cute and his scenes with Ajay are quite adorable.

Last but not least, Madhavan is simply outstanding. As Vanaraj, the actor showcases a vastly different facet of his that audiences haven’t seen before.

Sure, he did play a grey character in Mani Ratnam’s Yuva (2004), but this performance is something else. He does a first-class job of portraying the sadistic and sinister nature of Vanraj.

The actor has had a blast in exploring the mean streak of his role.

Final take

Shaitaan is a good watch for those who are interested in stories that combine horror with suspense. The movie is also a treat for Madhavan’s fans.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/shaitaan-hindi-movie-review/

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Laapataa Ladies: A Well-Made Feministic Tale That Shouldn’t Be Missed

After making a respectable debut with ‘Dhobhi Ghat’, Kiran Rao goes a step ahead with this ‘Laapataa Ladies’— a perfect example of feel-good storytelling with solid content.
  • Main Cast: Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam
  • Director: Kiran Rao
  • Producer: Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan
  • Music Director: Ram Sampath
  • Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha
  • Genre: Comedy – Drama
  • Rating: 4/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

There are two ways of making a feminist movie. One is the heavy drama mode where everything is amped-up and the other is feel-good storytelling where the focus lies on subtlety without compromising on the core.

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies belongs to the second category.

On more than one occasion, the film feels like a warm hug.

Synopsis

The story of Laapataa Ladies is about two newlywed brides — Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel) and Pushpa Rani/Jaya (Pratibha Ranta).

Sparsh Shrivastava plays Deepak Kumar, the husband of Phool Kumari. On the way back from marriage, Deepak and Phool go through multiple modes of transportation — from a scooter and bus to a train.

A still from the film ‘Laapataa Ladies’. (X)

His friends and family eagerly wait to welcome the new bride. Things take a drastic turn as soon as the bride is unveiled. It turns out that Deepak mistakingly brings another man’s bride instead of his.

This is all because of the multiple newly-married women onboard the train in the same costume.

Naturally, Deepak’s world turns upside down with his dreams of married life crashing.

After the initial shock, Deepak decides to look for his bride along with finding the whereabouts of Pushpa Rani’s family.

Adding to this already chaotic situation is the dubious local cop (Ravi Kishan knocking it out of the park again with his second release of the week).

Director Kiran Rao and her writers have touched upon heavy topics like the importance of education, self-reliance, and the unnecessary practices and diktats women are subjected to.

But at no point does the film feel heavy-handed, this is because of Kiran Rao’s treatment apart from the sharp writing.

Best parts

‘Laapataa Ladies’ is a comedy-drama. (X)

My favourite portions in the film are those involving Phool and her interactions with a street vendor, a beggar, and a chai wali.

There is a unique bond that Phool forms with an elderly lady named Manju Maai (a delightful Chhaya Kadam).

Manju Maai was a victim of domestic abuse. Her husband used to drink alcohol and physically abuse her. His justification is that violence should be allowed in love as it is a way of showing affection, this seems to be an indirect attack on Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Arjun Reddy (2016) and the recent Animal (2023), although it could be unintentional.

Back to Laapaata Ladies, Phool learns important things from Manju Maai and in the process, she becomes self-reliant. There is so much warmth in the way Phool forms a bond with the three, it is a delight to watch.

My other favourite portions of the film are the ones involving Pushpa Rani/Jaya. There is a certain mystery involving her character, she is more than happy to stay away from the person she is married to.

Pushpa Rani develops a strong friendship with Deepak’s Bhabhi and encourages the women to find their voice.

She also plays an important role in Deepak eventually finding Phool.

Performances

Laapaata Ladies has many scenes of rib-tickling humour from the fantastic Ravi Kishan. His comic timing coupled with the dialect is top-notch.

At no point, did his performance come across as hammy. In simple terms, Ravi Kishan has an absolute blast as a cop who loves taking bribes but still has a conscience.

Both Nitanshi Goel and Pratibha Ranta are wonderful in their respective roles.

Sparsh Srivastava as Deepak also sparkles in his well-written role. He brings out the sensitivity of Deepak in a pitch-perfect manner.

Ram Sampath’s music is in perfect sync with the film’s nature. Sajni sung by Arjit Singh is a soothing number as is “Dheeme Dheeme” sung by Shreya Ghoshal

The one slight flaw of Laapataa Ladies is a minor subplot involving a crooked politician. It has been patchily written.

Final take

Laapataa Ladies is a small movie with a big heart, highly recommended.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/laapataa-ladies-hindi-movie-review/

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Article 370: An Unabashed Glorification Of Governments Policies

In simple terms, ‘Article 370’ is about how Zooni and Rajeshwari play a big role in bringing the government’s efforts to fruit.
  • Main Cast: Yami Gautam, Priya Mani, Arun Govil, Iravati Harshe, Raj Zutshi, and Divya Seth Shah
  • Director: Aditya Suhas Jambhale
  • Producer: Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar, and Lokesh Dhar
  • Music Director: Shashwat Sachdev
  • Cinematography: Siddharth Deena Vasani
  • Genre: Political, Drama
  • Run Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
  • Rating: 2.5
  • Published in: Southfirst

In the last few years, there has been a disturbing trend of movies pandering to the ruling party — whether it is Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files (2022) or Sudipto Sen’s Kerala Story (2023).

The latest, Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s Article 370, perfectly fits into this category.

The film is divided into six chapters and moves between the timeline of 2015 and 2019.

Synopsis

Article 370 primarily follows the journey of two women. One is a Kashmiri intelligence officer Zooni Haksar (Yami Gautam).

She has a firebrand personality. Zooni doesn’t believe in following orders and goes more by instinct, much like the leading men do in these kinds of films.

She manages to capture and kill Burhan Wani. But this only leads her to be transferred to Delhi.

On the other end of the spectrum lies bureaucrat Rajeshwari (Priya Mani).

Rajeshwari is the exact opposite of Zooni in terms of temperament. Rajeshwari is as cool as a cucumber. She is a representative of the government’s efforts to revoke Article 370.

In simple terms, the story focuses on how Zooni and Rajeshwari play a role in bringing the government’s efforts to fruit.

A slow start

‘Article 370’ is a political drama. (X)

The first half of Article 370 is more about setting up the plot. Nothing much happens, and as viewers, you feel a certain amount of restlessness. But thankfully, the film does pick up speed around the interval point.

There are many thrilling moments in the second half where the audiences feel an adrenaline rush. A particular mention must be made of a battle sequence that takes place during a critical juncture. The action choreography here is top-notch, just like Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019).

Another USP of Article 370 is its two leading women. It is refreshing to see two female actors being the driving force of a story.

Yami Gautam delivers an intense performance. She nails the part of a hot-headed person who is also vulnerable.

Priya Mani’s performance, on the other hand, works as a perfect foil to the intensity of Yami. The actor underplays her role but still stands out.

The other supporting characters are fine, in their respective parts, with particular mention of Arun Govil as PM Narendra Modi.

The background score by Shashwat Sachdev also helps significantly make the second half more effective.

Politics of the film

A major problem with Article 370 is its depiction of the Kashmir politicians. They come across as more cartoonish villains rather than proper political personalities.

Throughout the movie, they are shown as greedy people who do nothing apart from scheming and creating paid stone pelters.

In contrast to this, Modi & Co are shown to be the only ones concerned about the welfare of the Kashmir state and its people.

Also, the voices of an ordinary Kashmiri are barely heard, except for one old man who is only seen lamenting against the existing leadership in the valley.

Verdict

Article 370 works perfectly if you are a devotee of Narendra Modi. But for the rest, it is a tough pill to swallow.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/article-370-movie-review/

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Yatra2: A Treat For Fans Of YSRCP And Jagan Mohan Reddy

Mammotty is his usual charismatic self in an extended special appearance. Tamil actor Jeeva slips into the role of Jagan Mohan Reddy with no hiccups
  • Rating: 3
  • Starcast: Jiiva Mammootty, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Suzanne Bernet, Ashrita Vemuganti, Mahesh Manjrekar and others
  • Director and writer: Mahi V Raghav
  • Music: Santhosh Narayan
  • Producer: Shiva Meka
  • Production Companies: Three Autumn leaves and Vcelluloid Official
  • Published in: Primepost

Mahi V Raghav’s Yatra 2 is the latest addition to the ever-growing list of political propaganda films. The agenda is very straightforward, the viewers should sympathize with what Jagan went through after his father’s demise. In simple terms the story focuses on how Jagan not only established a new political party but also rose to become the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. The two main adversaries are Chandra Babu Naidu (Mahesh Manjerakar) and Sonia Gandhi (Suzzane Bernard). For some strange reason the Congress has been named as Progress Party.

Keeping aside the predictable nature of the story there is no denying that Mahi V Raghav has created some powerful moments. Mahi V Raghav has also penned the dialogues for the film and they are definitely impactful. For example, there is a scene where Jagan (Jeeva) says that ‘the world may not recognize who I am but remember one thing I am the son of YS Rajasekhar Reddy.’ There is another important scene where Subhalekha Sudhakar’s character says ‘if we take a cat to a jungle, it will remain a cat, on the other hand even if you keep a Tiger in a cage it will continue to be a Tiger.’ Another dialogue which deserves a mention is ‘I don’t care if history will remember me or not but if it remembers me, I should go down as a son who did not sidestep the promise given to his father.’ Expectedly all these dialogues led to cheers in the cinema hall.

More than the political aspect what works for the film is the emotional drama. The various upheavals keep the viewers invested in spite of knowing where the film is heading. A special mention must be made of the portions where Jagan has to revive himself amidst the tactics of Chandra Babu Naidu

Jeeva Nails the role of Jagan with absolute precision starting from the body language. He does a wonderful job in portraying the different facets.  Whether it is the head strongness or the fragility.  Unlike the first part Mammotty’s role is more of an extended special appearance but still the legendary actor leaves a strong imprint in all his scenes. Another actor who stands out is Ashrita as Jagan’s mom. The actress plays her part with lot of warmth. The scenes between her and Jagan are one of the major highlights of the film. However here it has to be added that there is not even a single mention of Sharmila, let alone her character and this aspect comes across as very odd.

Mahesh Manjerakar as the conniving politician is more of a caricature but still, he is fine with what he does. However, Suzzane Bernard gets a very raw deal. Appearance wise she has an uncanny resemblance to Sonia which makes her a good fit. But the heavily accented Telugu comes across as jarring coupled with the characterization. There is a scene involving Jagan and her post the demise of YSR. Jagan is seen visiting many houses and consoling families who have lost fathers and other important members. Apparently, all these had died in the shock of losing YSR. Sonia Gandhi strictly tells Jagan to stop the Yatra. The impression that we get is of Sonia Gandhi being a cold-hearted lady.

Music composer Santhosh Narayan has delivered a rousing score. The songs uplift the drama at many places. The best example of that is the song ‘Choodu Nanna.’

This Yatra is worth taking particularly if you are a supporter of YSRCP or Jagan. Even if you aren’t a fan, the movie can be watched for the dialogues and the acting performances.

https://www.primepost.in/yatra2-a-treat-for-fans-of-ysrcp/

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Fighter: A Thrilling Action Extravagance With A Charismatic Hrithik Roshan

The storyline is clichéd but director Siddarth Anand packs in the right amount of masala. Fighter is a perfect Republic day outing for those enjoy patriotic action movies.

Rating 3
Starcast: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Oberoi, Karan Singh Grover and others.
Story and direction: Siddarth Anand
Additional story: Ramon Chibb
Producers: Ramon Chibb, Mamata Anand, Ajith Andhare and others
Music: Vishal Shekhar
Production Companies: Viacom 18 Studios and Marfix Pictures
Genre: Action/drama
Running time: 2 hours and 46 minutes

The genre of patriotic/ war movies have mostly been huge money spinners at the box office. There is a certain thrill associated with these films provided the filmmaker makes the viewers root for the men in uniform. Siddarth Anand’s Fighter very much falls under the traditional patriotic genre, but what makes this a different experience are the elements of aerial action. It offers a unique experience particularly if you are seeing it in 3D and IMAX format.

Hrithik Roshan

Fighter focuses on a squad called Air Dragons. The team includes Shamsher Pathania aka Patty (Hrithik Roshan), Taj (Karan Singh Grover), Basheer (Akshay Oberoi) and Meenal Rathore aka Minnie (Deepika Padukone). Anil Kapoor is Rakesh. He is their commander. There is a palpable tension between Shamsher and Rakesh. This is because of a tragic incident that had happened in the past. In brief the story chronicles the bravery of these men while protecting India along with their camaraderie and team spirit.

Deepika Padukone

A big USP of Fighter is its slick and enthralling action sequences. There are many shots of aerial combat and these are a treat to watch. The Action directors along with the cinematography department deserve a big applause. There are three action directors Parvez Sheikh, Sunil Rodrigues and Seyeong Oh. The trio have done a fantastic job in creating exhilarating stunts. Cinematographer Satchith Paulose also does a credit worthy job in capturing the action over the mountains, valleys and airbase through his lens.

Hrithik Roshan as Shamsher Pathania is an absolute treat to watch. The actor’s physique of course makes him a perfect fit for the character, but more than that his performance also stands out; the actor is charming, cocky and ferocious at the same time. Hrithik has some strong emotional moments and he does a swell job.

Deepika, Hrithik and Anil Kapur

The camaraderie between Shamsher, Taj and Basheer has also come out well. Director Siddarth Anand does a good job in etching out their friendship. Akshay Oberoi and Karan Singh Grover do a fine job in their respective parts.

Anil Kapoor plays a strict and brooding senior officer whose working methods are very different from Shamsher. This angle has also been well depicted. Rishabh Sawhney plays the main antagonist. He has a strong presence and manages to stand his own.

Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi

What doesn’t work for Fighter are the usual tropes of India and Pakistan. There are lines about the true meaning of religion and patriotism; but these dialogues have a jaded feel.

Deepika Padukone as Minnie pairs off well with Hrithik but the actor has shared a stronger chemistry with the likes of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. Character wise also there is nothing special. She is supposed to represent women empowerment but the ineffective writing coupled with Deepika’s glazed expressions makes it difficult for the viewers to care.

Fighter is an engaging fare particularly if you are an action buff and enjoy watching Hrithik Roshan.

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Main Atal Hoon: Pankaj Tripathi Delivers A Magnetic Performance In This Moderately Engaging Political Drama

The film is notches ahead of ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ and ‘PM Narendra Modi’ but continues the caricaturist portrayal of the Congress.

Rating : 2.5

  • Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Piyush Mishra, Daya Shankar Pandey, Pramod Pathak, and Prasanna Ketkar
  • Director: Ravi Jadhav
  • Producer: Vinod Bhanushali
  • Music: Payal Dev, Kailash Kher, Amitraj, and Salim–Sulaiman
  • Background Score: Monty Sharma
  • Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes
  • First Published in: SouthFirst

Bollywood’s track record of political dramas is not the greatest, particularly in the recent past. The Accidental Prime Minister (2019) and PM Narendra Modi (2019) were both absolute travesties in terms of storytelling and performance.

Acclaimed actor Anupam Kher reduced Manmohan Singh to a cartoon figure in The Accidental Prime Minister. Vivek Oberoi fared even worse with the horrible make-up and his horrid performance in PM Narendra Modi.

There is no denying that Main Atal Hoon comes under a political hagiography (the subject being treated with reverence).

But unlike the above-mentioned films, this is not a complete washout.

The main reason is Pankaj Tripathi’s histrionics and how Ravi Jadhav staged the speeches.

Synopsis

Main Atal Hoon is a biography of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Main Atal Hoon is a biography of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. (Supplied)

Main Atal Hoon introduces a young Vajpayee who cannot give a speech in the class.

From there on, we follow his journey of becoming a prominent opposition leader and eventually becoming the prime minister of India.

A major USP of Main Atal Hoon is how the director captures the spirit of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s politics. His ideologies have come out well, including wanting peace between neighbouring countries and respecting his political rivals.

This particularly comes out in the dialogues related to Jawaharlal Nehru.

The film is replete with many poems by Vajpayee. Thankfully, these poems have been integrated well and do not come across as tacky.

Performances

Pankaj Tripathi as Atal Bihari Vajpayee in ‘Main Atal Hoon’. (X)

Pankaj Tripathi as Atal Bihari Vajpayee in ‘Main Atal Hoon’. (X)

The scenes of Pankaj Tripathi delivering political speeches also leave a huge impact. A particular mention must be made of the scene where Atal expresses his anguish about the horrific events that happened during the emergency.

The cinematography in these portions is also rock-solid. Lawrence D’Cunha has done a brilliant job in capturing the big scale.

The songs are all melodious. My favourite ones are “Ram Dhun” and “Desh Pehle“.

Among the subplots, Atal’s relationship with his father Krishna Bihari Vajpayee (Piyush Mishra) and Rajkumari (Divya Uppadhayay) has been written well.

In the title role, Pankaj Tripathi adds another feather to his cap. The actor commands the viewers’ attention from the first frame. There is an instant charisma that captivates the audience.

Drawbacks

A big flaw of Main Atal Hoon is the rushed second half. The entire duration of the second half comes across as a political advertisement for the BJP.

Also, the film needed more insight into the statesmanship of Atal.

Lastly, the Congress characters come across as extras from The Accidental Prime Minister and PM Narendra Modi.

Payal Nair, as Indira Gandhi, suffers the most with a very weak characterisation. The stone-faced expressions of Payal Nair also don’t help in any way.

Final take

Main Atal Hoon is worth watching if you want to see how Pankaj Tripathi has stepped into the shoes of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

But those looking for a nuanced political drama are advised to look elsewhere.

(https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/main-atal-hoon-movie-review/)

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Merry Christmas:  A Concoction Of Darlings And Andhadhun

Sriram Raghavan’s latest doesn’t hit the high notes of his previous films but still this is an intriguing thriller

Rating 3
Starcast: Vijay Sethupathi, Katrina Kaif, Sanjay Kapoor, Ashwini Kaleskar, Vinay Pathak and others
Director and writer: Sriram Raghavan
Additional writers: Arjit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Suruti and Anukruti Pandey
Based on: Le Monte Charge by Federic Dard
Producers: Ramesh Taurani, Jaya Taurani, Sanjay Routray and Kewal Garg
Production Companies: Tips Films and Matchbox Pictures
Genre: Thriller/drama
Running time: 2 hours and 25 minutes

Sriram Raghavan has established his credits as a thriller specialist starting from his debut film Ek Hasina Thi starring Saif Ali Khan and Urmila Matondkar. Except for Agent Vinod also starring Saif Ali Khan the director has created some delicious characters and has done an excellent job in capturing the dark nature of human beings. Additionally Sriram is also known for casting actors against the type. The perfect examples of these are Varun Dhawan in Badlapur and Ayushmann Khurrana in Andhadhun.

Katrina, Vijay Sethupathi and Sriram Raghavan, the director.

The director has continued his penchant for unusual casting with Merry Christmas. Not many directors would have thought of casting Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi together in a movie. This unique casting has created anticipation for the film. For those who are not aware Merry Christmas is based on a French novel Le-Monte- Charge.

Merry Christmas starts off as a date movie between two strangers. Katrina Kaif is Maria and Vijay Sethupathi is Albert. Both of them meet on Christmas Eve and end up forming a certain connection in a short span of time. Maria is stuck in a turbulent marriage much like Alia Bhatt’s Badru in Darlings. Vijay Sethupathi’s Albert has returned to the city of Bombay after a long gap. Here it has to be mentioned that the story takes place in the 90’s before Bombay had become Mumbai.

Sriram Raghavan’s dark christman with Katrina

Both Maria and Albert have some secrets which they are hiding from each other. As the story progresses the plot turns into a murder mystery when a dead body is found on the couch of Maria, what follows is a tale of deception, death and darkness.

A big strength of Merry Christmas is the recreation of the 90’s Bombay. The viewers feel a certain sense of nostalgia. Like Johnny Gaddaar and Andhadhun there is a certain retro touch which adds to the story.

The casting of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif has raised many eyebrows given the huge discrepancy in terms of the acting capabilities. But it has to be said they do feed off each other. Katrina Kaif’s acting does fall a little short in a key emotional sequence related to her husband however it has to be said that overall she has given a proficient performance.  Katrina has done a good job in conveying the different emotions through her body language particularly the portions where Maria has to come across as alluring. Additionally her character has also been designed well going from a gorgeous and vulnerable single mom to a hurt and revengeful wife.

All on one leaf

Vijay Sethupathi on the other hand is as brilliant as ever. He portrays the different emotions of grief, pain and others in his trademark style. The actor also leaves you in splits with the one liners.

The supporting cast comprising of Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Ashwini Kalsekar and others also do a good job in maintaining the mystery with their impactful performances. However it has to be said the supporting characters in Badlapur and Andhadhun had a bigger impact.

Talking about twists and turns some of twists have the trademark Sriram Raghavan touch but they are not entirely satisfactory. The climax in particular is a low point. It has not got the thrill and the heft of the last scene in Andhadhun where many people had come up with different theories.

Merry Christmas does not entirely live up to the standards that Sriram Raghavan has set but for Katrina Kaif this film is a new start. Here’s hoping the actress continues to take on challenging roles like this.

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Guntur Kaaram Review: A Tired Rehash Of ‘Attarintiki Daredi’ And ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’

Watch it Mahesh Babu!

Guntur Kaaram (Telugu)

  • Cast: Mahesh Babu, Sreeleela, Jagapathi Babu, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Ramya Krishnan, Jayaram, and Prakash Raj
  • Director: Trivikram Srinivas
  • Producer: S Radha Krishna
  • Music: Thaman S
  • Runtime: 2 hours 39 minutes
  • Rating: 2

There is a profound line in Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) where Jayaram’s character talks about how the greatest battles are fought with people closest to you.

As a filmmaker, Trivikram Srinivas seems fascinated with this concept and has constantly churned out movies along these lines — Attarantiki Daredi (2013), Agnayaathavaasi (2018) or his last blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo.

His latest outing Guntur Kaaram, too, has a similar theme and gives a déjà vu due to the presence of Jayaram.

The storyline of Guntur Kaaram has good scope for a festive family drama while also being a star vehicle. But here, Trivikram Srinivas falters in balancing the two aspects.

Mahesh Babu, as Ramana, is refreshing to watch.

Further, the film brings back the memories of his comic timing in Pokiri (2006) and Khaleja (2010).

Synopsis

Guntur Kaaram begins on an eventful night that ends with a murder. Jayarama’s royal Satyam is sent to prison. Vasundhara (Ramya Krishnan) disowns her husband (Jayaram) and son.

She gets remarried under the advice of her father Venkataswamy (Prakash Raj). Rahul Ravindran plays the hugely embarrassing role of Vasundhara’s second son, who is about to enter politics.

Vasundhara grows into an influential politician. Ramana becomes rowdy.

Venkataswamy feels “Rowdy” Ramana might become an obstacle and wants him to sign a document which would permanently erase him from her life.

However, Ramana refuses to sign the document despite never getting his mother’s love and care in his growing years.

As the story progresses, more layers reveal why Vasundhara has kept a distance from her husband and son.

Guntur Kaaram has a good beginning where the conflict is established without wasting time.

As viewers, you want to know the reasons behind her indifference. But the film soon stagnates as multiple characters are introduced whose relevance to the plot is better left unsaid.

Performances

Mahesh Babu in a still from Guntur Kaaram
Mahesh Babu in a still from ‘Guntur Kaaram’. (X)

There are a slew of actors who have been terribly wasted. Among them, the prominent ones are Jagapathi Babu, Rahul Ravindran, Rao Ramesh and Jayaram.

The comic punches definitely raise some chuckles.

Mahesh Babu’s comedic exchanges with Vennela Kishore are fun to watch. Their chemistry is reminiscent of Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022).

Mahesh Babu also gets dialect well, and there is a certain carefree nature, which is refreshing to watch after his Bharat Ane Nenu (2018) and Maharshi (2019).

Prakash Raj makes the biggest impact in the supporting cast. His confrontation scenes with Mahesh Babu are good to watch.

Ramya Krishnan also delivers a commendable performance as Vasundhara but the film needed more scenes between her and Mahesh Babu.

Apart from the multiple characters, another big issue with Guntur Kaaram is the insipid love story between Ramana and Sreeleela’s Ammu.

Sreeleela entertains with her dance moves. Apart from that, there is nothing much for the actor to do. This is sad because Sreeleela showed good potential in Bhagavanth Kesari (2023).

There is also Meenakshi Chowdhary of Hit 2 (2022) fame. She is supposed to be the second female lead, but her only job is to offer Mahesh Babu a plate of omelette or a bottle of soda when he consumes alcohol.

The action sequences are formulaic in nature, with the standard hero elevations that get tiring after a point. These action sequences have some trademark Trivikram Srinivas humour. But these are not enough to salvage the slow narration.

Thaman’s music is suitably massy, but most songs come across as speed bumps in an already tired narrative.

Final take

Guntur Kaaram is a massive downfall for a man who delivered commercial films that can be watched on repeat mode!