Debut director Arjun Varain Singh gives an honest insight into the phenomenon of social media and how this made youth less communicative with each other.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (Hindi) Starcast: Ananya Pandey, Siddanth Chaturvedi, Adarsh Gaurav, Kalki Kochelin, Anya Singh and others Director and writer: Arjun Varain Singh Additional writers: Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Yash Sahai Music directors: Sachin- Jigar, Ankur Tewari and others Production Companies: Excel Entertainment and Tiger Baby films Genre: Drama Running time: 2 hours and 14 minutes Streaming site: Netflix
Since internet arrived there has been a huge bloom of social media in everyone’s life particularly the Gen Z. There is no denying that social media has its advantages; communication and spreading information has become easier whether it is for good or bad. But at the same time social media does come with its own share of negatives. There is an obsession to seek validification from complete strangers. Arjun Varain Singh uses the tonality of Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi na milegi dobara to deliver a timely story that never becomes preachy. What also helps Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is its principal cast. The trio of Ananya Pandey, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav are in brilliant form.
Ananya Pande, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan starts off with establishing the lifestyle of Ahana (Ananya Pandey), Imaad (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Niel (Adarsh Gourav). They live in a spacious apartment in South Bombay with French windows. Everything looks sleek on the surface but as the story progresses we come to know more and more about these characters. One of the things that make this trio relatable is the side effects of social media.
They have their own share of trauma and insecurities. Their only way of dealing with it is seeking validation on social media. For example Imaad is a Tinder addict who has a major problem with long term relationships. He is a standup comedian who uses humour as a tool to camouflage his internal issues.
Seems like someone dissecting my life: Ananya Pande
Seems like someone dissecting my life: Ananya Pande
Niel is a gym trainer who has dreams of starting his own one day. He doesn’t have the same financial safety as Ahana and Imaad. He constantly compares himself to others by looking at their social media posts and falls deeper into the abyss. He is also in a relationship with a social media influencer Lala (Anya Singh). Lala wants to keep her relationship with Niel a secret as she doesn’t want her ‘hot’ image to be disturbed.
Lastly there is Ahana who has the most stable job among the trio. Ahana is a marketing executive but she also comes with her own share of problems. These include both professional and personal. Her boyfriend suddenly decides to break from her with no valid reason. She retaliates by opening an instagram account and starts posting good pictures of herself presenting a happy image but deep down she just wants to gain back the attention of her ex boyfriend.
Hone do jo hota hai, the song that involves almost every actor
Things take a turn when three of them decide to start a business together. However their personal equations go through many upheavals that impact their professional moves.
A major strength of Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is the way the three protagonists have been written. All of them are flawed and there are times where they are outright unlikeable too. Still many youngsters will find a little bit of themselves in them. Thanks to Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s sensitive writing these characters never become one note or caricaturist.
Director Arjun Varain Singh also does a good job in weaving the angle of class disparity through the character of Niel. There are moments when Niel judges himself and feels like an odd man out.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan also makes some important points on the lifestyle of social media influencers and how this has a severe affect on youngsters who want to ape them.
Ananya Pande explores social media
The film begins off as a breezy friendship drama but soon enters into a very different zone altogether. It becomes a relationship thriller about loneliness in digital age.
Fortunately the direction coupled with the writing makes this a smooth process. However there are a couple of aspects that could have done with more insight. One of them is the co living.
The performances of the central cast also help the film immensely. After 2022’s Gehraiyaan Ananya finally gets a part with some substance. The actress is pitch-perfect in portraying the vulnerability of Ahana. Ananya displays a huge level of maturity in handling different emotions. She also shares a good camaraderie with her two co stars particularly Siddhant. There is a breezy vibe between them that makes it instantly endearing to the audiences.
Compelling watch
Siddanth Chaturvedi also gets into the skin of Imaad. He does a very good job in conveying the emptiness and the inner pain hiding behind the mask of standup comedy. Adarsh Gourav continues to show why he is a bundle of talent after White Tiger. He shines bright as the conflicted Niel who wants to hide his middle class upbringing.
Kalki Kochelin plays an older woman who gets involved with Imaad. She is a photographer who is seen doing a project on people who use Tinder. There is nothing to complain about her performance but the character could have done with more meat.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is both entertaining and also highly relatable. It should definitely be on your watch list.
2023 has definitely been a far better year for Bollywood in more ways than one. Films like Pathaan, Jawan, Animal, and Gadar 2 have become major blockbusters.
In addition to being blockbusters, both Pathaan and Jawan opened to good reviews.
On the other hand, Animal had mixed reviews. Despite severe criticism about the toxic masculinity promoted in the movie, Animal broke many box office records majorly due to the performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol.
Gadar 2, as a film, has no emotional impact like its prequel, but there was enough for the hardcore masses to enjoy. Sunny Deol proved he still has the charisma to play a mass hero by pulling off the gravity-defying action sequences.
Apart from these blockbusters, other films that attained hit status include Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and OMG 2.
2023 has also been a year where not-so-mainstream actors Pankaj Tripathi and Vikrant Massey successfully carried their films on their shoulders. Well, I’m talking about OMG 2 and 12th Fail.
Now, let us get into more details about the best of 2023 Bollywood films, not necessarily the blockbusters.
Pathaan
Siddarth Anand’s globetrotter was an eagerly-awaited movie since it marked Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback to the silver screen as a leading man after a long gap of five years.
Shah Rukh in a still from ‘Pathaan’. (X)
Siddarth Anand had a huge responsibility on his shoulders, and the director more than succeeded in delivering a popcorn entertainer with the aid of a fast-paced screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan.
What also made Pathaan the perfect mass entertainer was the strong antagonist in the form of John Abraham.
The combat sequences between Shah Rukh Khan and John were well-executed. John Abraham’s Jim was not just menacing, but he carried an angst. Jim had a solid back story explaining why he did what he did.
Another strong aspect of Pathaan is the backstory of how this spy gets this name. The scenes of Shah Rukh Khan with the locals of Afghanistan have so much warmth in them.
Shah Rukh had a blast playing a full-fledged action hero. He was in equal parts charming and rugged. However, after delivering a series of subpar outings, John Abraham surprised everyone in this action entertainer.
Dimple Kapadia, as the boss lady, was also in fine form.
There were some things in Pathaan which did not quite work. One was the simplistic way the topic of patriotism and the Pakistani angle were dealt with.
Also, the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika practically jumped out of nowhere.
However, in the final tally, Pathaan was the ideal mass comeback for Shah Rukh Khan.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Satyaprem Ki Katha were easily the best romantic films Bollywood produced this year.
A poster of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’. (X)
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani had all the staple elements that one expects from a Karan Johar entertainer.
There were larger-than-life sets and some exquisite costumes, particularly gorgeous saris worn by the women. However, there was more to the film than just mere gloss.
Karan Johar subverted some of his own themes from his previous films — like how fear is camouflaged as respect in our culture. He also made some pertinent points on the side effects of toxic masculinity.
Most importantly, Through the role of Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa, Karan Johar presented a protagonist willing to change and evolve into a better human being.
Just like Ranbir Kapoor’s Ranvijay Singh in Animal, Rocky does not share the best relationship with his father. But he never uses it as an excuse to become a wild “animal”.
In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, many scenes could be watched on repeat mode. The sequences of Rocky flirting with Alia’s Rani Chatterjee in his broken English and her amusement bring a smile to the viewers’ faces.
The decency of Ranveer backing off when Rani clarifies that nothing more can happen between them was refreshing.
The scene where Rani proposed to Rocky in the middle of a road was definitely filmy but adorable, given how Karan switched the gender roles.
A major highlight of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was the recreation of the song “Dola Re Dola” from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002).
Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa performing Kathak with his prospective father-in-law (Tota Roy Chowdhury) was a pleasant surprise.
The different emotions that Rani Chatterjee went through — from shock, wonder, and finally extreme happiness — were portrayed brilliantly by Alia.
In the second half, the messaging got heavy. Nevertheless, it was not a deterrent.
The performances of the principal cast were brilliant all through, with particular mention of Tota Roy Chowdhury as the Kathak-loving man.
Satyaprem Ki Katha
A still from ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’. (X)
Just like Rocky Randhawa in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Kartik Aryan’s Sattu in Satyaprem Ki Katha was also a protagonist willing to evolve and change.
Sattu was initially shown as an underdog well out of Katha’s (Kiara Advani) range.
But circumstances not only bring them together but also get them married.
Katha had a haunting past that was initially assumed to be the result of a bad break-up with her ex-boyfriend. But later, it turned out to be something more sinister.
The film was essentially a relationship drama while dealing with an important social issue like date rape.
Director Sameer Vidwans did a good job of depicting the issue of consent in relationships.
At times, Sattu came across as too patient with Katha, but he was never presented as some social reformer. The change in Sattu happened gradually.
Both Kartik and Kiara delivered brilliant performances.
The supporting cast, led by Gajraj Rao, was also in fine form.
OMG 2
A poster of ‘OMG 2’. (X)
This spiritual sequel to the 2012-released film Oh My God was a compelling social drama that looked at the taboo yet important subject of sex education.
The best part of Amit Rai’s direction was how he normalised the discussions around physical intimacy without making it look awkward or uncomfortable.
One of the standout scenes in OMG 2 was Pankaj Tripathi’s Kanti Sharan Mudgal explaining how the body parts of males and females should be taught in school. Pankaj Tripathi did complete justice to the arc of his role.
Akshay Kumar had an extended cameo as Lord Shiva’s messenger in human form.
In Oh My God, Akshay played Lord Krishna. Much like that film, here too, he played the part with the right amount of divinity.
The scenes of Akshay imparting wisdom to Kanti Sharan were good to watch.
Jawan
Jawan was a film that can ideally be described as a Khichdi of Shankar’s brand of vigilante cinema and Shah Rukh’s Chak De India.
At its core, Jawan was a father-and-son drama with 50 shades of Shah Rukh Khan as both father and son.
Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Jawan’. (X)
Atlee absolutely nailed these father-son moments besides addressing various grassroots problems like underdeveloped government facilities.
One of the women in Shah Rukh Khan’s vigilante gang was played by Sanya Malhotra. Her backstory was based on a real-life person named Dr Kafeel Khan.
Dr Kafeel Khan was falsely accused of the death of several kids at a hospital where the real issue was a lack of proper facilities along with corruption. Dr Kafeel Khan tried to procure oxygen, but his best efforts failed to save the children.
Yes, the presentation of these grassroots issues was simplistic, but still, it hit the viewers hard.
Jawan also benefitted immensely from Shah Rukh Khan submitting totally to the director’s script and giving it his all.
Nayanthara also made a solid Bollywood debut in her dual-shaded role as a determined NSG commander and a single mother.
On the other hand, Vijay Sethupati made for a good opponent, particularly in the second half.
The same cannot be said about Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt.
The energy dipped during the brief flashback scenes of Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika.
Sanjay Dutt’s extended cameo did not add great value to the proceedings.
Nevertheless, Jawan, on the whole, proved to be “paisa vasool” entertainment.
Jaane Jaan (Netflix)
A poster of Bollywood film ‘Jaane Jaan’ . (X)
For those who are not aware, Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan was based on the best-selling Japanese novel “Devotion of Suspect X“, which already has many onscreen adaptations.
Jaane Jaan was primarily about a single mother named Maya D’Souza (Kareena Kapoor), who runs a local café.
Maya has a dark past related to her ex-husband (Saurabh Sachdeva). Jaideep Ahlawat, Maya’s neighbour and a Mathematics teacher, secretly loves her but is socially awkward. Every day, he visits the café, leading to some amusing moments.
Maya’s life turns upside down after the re-entry of her ex-husband. From here, the movie goes into the zone of the Drishyam series.
Jaane Jaan was a survival thriller about a determined single mother. In this story, she gets the help of a neighbour who would go to any lengths to save her.
The soul of Jaane Jaan was the relationship dynamics between Kareena Kapoor’s Maya and Jaideep Ahlawat’s Naren. Sujay Ghosh did not miss a single beat in depicting this complex love. He also did complete justice to the novel “Devotion of Suspect X“.
The hill station of Kalimpong also became a character in itself, thanks to Avik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography.
The scenes between Kareena and Vijay Varma, playing a charming cop for a change, were good to watch.
Both Kareena and Jaideep got into the skin of their characters.
Vijay Varma brought a lot of charm to his scenes.
12th Fail
A poster of the film ’12th Fail’. (X)
12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was a classic underdog drama about a real-life IPS officer — Manoj Kumar Sharma.
The DNA of 12th Fail was quite similar to the underdog stories that Rajkumar Hirani directed — 3 Idiots (2009) and Munna Bhai (2003, 2006) films.
It was meant to give the viewers a warm hug and make them leave the theatres with a happy feeling.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra mostly succeeded in his endeavour. The director, along with his leading man Vikrant Massey, did a wonderful job of showcasing the numerous challenges that Manoj faces.
There were places in the first half where the pace dipped, but having said that, there was also a lot to enjoy, especially if you are a fan of inspirational films based on real life.
Apart from the overall strong performances by technicians, 12th Fail scored distinction marks.
The cinematography of Hemant Wagh, in particular, stood out — whether it was the initial scenes in Chambal or the later ones in Delhi Streets.
Dunki
A still from Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’. (X)
Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki will not do the business of Shah Rukh Khan’s last two films — Pathaan and Jawan, but there is no denying that this is an important film in terms of how it addresses an important social issue.
The issue is about borders existing only for the underprivileged. It presents a hard-hitting tale of immigrants in this case Punjabi migrating to England through illegal means for different reasons.
The first half of Dunki is mostly a breezy watch, but things take a serious turn just before the interval. Vicky Kaushal has an extended special appearance and is at his usual best.
The comic portions in this film don’t have the brilliance of the Munnabhai MBBS (2003), Three Idiots (2009), and PK (2014), but it recovers ground, particularly in the second half when the proceedings get serious.
The second half shows the many dangers Shah Rukh’s Hardy, Taapsee Pannu’s Manu and others go through to reach London. Here, their utopia comes crashing down. The viewers get a short but powerful glimpse of the menial jobs that these immigrants have to do even after securing citizenship.
One of these immigrants is Vikram Kocchar’s Buggu. Buggu passes the IELTS exam and goes to London legally before Hardy and Manu, but he is still not living a happy life.
Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial skills come out in the second half the way he handles the drama.
One of the things that work for Dunki is the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee. Both the actors share a good chemistry in both light and emotional scenes.
Anil Grover and Vikram Kocchar also bring a certain gravitas to their respective parts.
Overall, Dunki is a well-made social film. It is not flawless but there is a lot to take away.
Besides blockbusters in the form of Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, and Animal, Bollywood has also witnessed its share of box-office duds in 2023.
While many Hindi films didn’t do well, Salman Khan’s two releases — Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Tiger 3 — proved to be disappointments. Neither was an outright disaster, but the box-office collections were nowhere close to what Shah Rukh Khan enjoyed this year.
Likewise, Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War was a nonstarter. Much like his last film The Kashmir Files (2022), this one was also a propaganda film with a different subject. However, the results were contrastingly different.
Akshay Kumar had another disappointing year in 2023. Out of the three releases, only OMG 2 did good business; the other two —Mission Raniganj and Selfiee were dead on arrival.
For Prabhas (since Adipurush is primarily a Hindi film, I am including it here) too, 2023 has been disastrous. Many thought that Om Raut’s Adipurush would break the dry spell of Prabhas after Baahubali (2015, 2017) but nothing of that sort happened. On top of that, the film itself got massively trolled on many counts.
Here’s an overview of the Bollywood flops in 2023:
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
Salman Khan’s ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’. (X)
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is much like Chiranjeevi’s Bhola Shankar, a remake of Ajit’s Tamil film Veeram (2014).
However, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is not a complete washout unlike Bhola Shankar, thanks majorly to its Eid release.
The film can be best described as Salman Khan’s version of 2 States (2014) and Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express (2013).
For those who haven’t seen Veeram,Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is about a man called Bhaijaan and his bond with his three younger brothers. All three have a girlfriend each but the big brother doesn’t know about them. Bhaijaan himself is unmarried.
He firmly believes that a girl’s entry into the family will ruin their bond. At this point, you have the arrival of Pooja Hedge’s Bhagya with whom he falls in love later. This is the story in brief.
The major problem with Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is the half-baked love stories of the three brothers. As a result, viewers don’t feel any empathy for their desperation to find a girl for their Bhai.
The second half of the movie is more engaging, thanks to the scenes of Venkatesh who plays Bhagya’s elder brother with a turbulent past. However, it didn’t turn out to be a wholesome feast for the fans.
Tiger 3
Salman Khan in a still from ‘Tiger 3’. (Facebook)
A lot was expected from Salman and Katrina’s Tiger 3, more so after the blockbuster success of the previous spy films War (2019) and Pathaan. There was immense pressure on Maneesh Sharma to deliver. Unfortunately, Tiger 3 was a massive step back.
Tiger 3 had plenty of style but the amalgamation of geo-politics and action didn’t strike a complete chord. For Maneesh Sharma, this was the second consecutive big film where he let down producer Aditya Chopra.
Adipurush
Prabhas-Kriti Sanon’s ‘Adipurush’. (X)
Om Raut tried to do a masala retelling of Ramayana much like his first film Tanhaji (2020) but here, that formula backfired disastrously.
He along with lyricist-writer Manoj Muntashir took many cinematic liberties with the Ramayana.
The dialogues were too modern (or should I say funky), particularly the ones of Hanuman. If late Bapu had seen this Ramayana interpretation, he would have squirmed in his seat.
Saif Ali Khan single-handedly carried the acting department. He visibly had a blast playing Lankesh.
Both Kriti Sanon and Prabhas failed to capture the divinity of Rama and Sita respectively.
The Vaccine War
Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Vaccine War’. (X)
The Vaccine War directed by Vivek Agnihotri did have its heart in the right place. It depicted the many challenges that a group of scientists, particularly women faced in making a vaccine.
Vivek Agnihotri did stage some good emotional moments. A case in point is the scenes featuring Pallavi Joshi and Girija Oak. However, the extreme heavy-handedness in storytelling became a major roadblock.
The Vaccine War was also severely problematic in the way it portrayed the journalist community. Raima Sen playing Rohini Singh Dhulia has a constant smirk on her face.
We only see her writing long articles downplaying the sincerity of our scientists. There is no second layer and as a result, the viewers feel that she gets more importance than required.
Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue
Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in ‘Mission Raniganj’. (X)
The DNA of Mission Raniganj is similar to several Akshay Kumar films where he plays the saviour role.
The storyline of Mission Raniganj had all the potential to be a thrilling evacuation drama but unfortunately, nothing of that happens.
Instead of rooting for Akshay and Co, the viewers only feel a sense of dullness.
What also didn’t help Mission Raniganj were the shoddy production values coupled with bad VFX.
Parineeti Chopra as the dutiful wife had a miss-and-blink appearance much like her last film with Kumar Kesari.
It was a pity to see Parineeti Chopra wasting herself after showing solid potential in her initial films like Ishaqzaade (2012) and Shuddh Desi Romance (2013).
Selfiee
Akshay Kumar-Emraan Hashmi’s ‘Selfiee’. (X)
Selfiee is the remake of the critically acclaimed Malayalam film Driving Licence (2019). It was directed by Lal Jr and written by the late Sachy.
Driving Licence was both insightful and entertaining in how it depicted a fan taking on his favourite actor due to a misunderstanding.
The film was also a brilliant take on the psyche of human nature. Both Driving Licence and Selfiee have more than one similarity with Shah Rukh Khan’s film Fan (2016) but unlike that movie, here you have an amicable solution.
Director Raj Mehta along with his writer Rishabh Sharma delivered an entertaining film. It was easily Akshay’s best outing as a leading man in recent times.
He took many potshots on himself like the scene where his character Vijay Kumar talks about the number of films and advertisements he has to do every year. The makers also did a good job of showcasing the vulnerability beneath all the swag.
Emraan Hashmi’s fan act was initially not so convincing but he settled into a groove soon. Despite being an entertainer, Selfiee joined the list of those South remakes that have bitten the dust.
Shehzada
Shehzada directed by Rohit Dhawan is a perfect example of how a masala film should not be made. The original, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is no classic and has problematic aspects at its core.
Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon in ‘Shehzada’. (X)
However, Trivikram’s directing skills combined with Allu Arjun’s swag majorly contributed to Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo being a smash hit. The music of Thaman S was an absolute chartbuster too.
A big problem with this toothless remake (Shehzada) is the absolute lack of conviction and energy. Rohit Dhawan badly faltered in delivering a proper entertainment package.
Though Shehzada is crisper with some unnecessary characters removed it did not help the film. Kriti Sanon as a hotshot lawyer is also less objectified when compared to Pooja Hedge.
Another hugely problematic aspect of Shehzada is the portrayal of the rich kid. In the original too, this was a problem but here, Rohit dumbed down Ankur Rathee’s Raj to a whole new level.
Kartik Aryan tried his best to fill the big shoes of Allu Arjun. Though he was reasonably good, he is no Allu Arjun!
Gumraah
Aditya Roy Kapur’s ‘Gumraah’. (X)
Gumraah is another Hindi remake of the Tamil Film Thadam (2019). Director Vardhan Ketkar took a huge risk by casting Aditya Roy Kapur in a double role.
The only solo successful venture of Aditya Roy Kapur’s career so far has been Aashiqui 2 which became a big hit more due to the chartbuster album, particularly the song “Tum Hi Ho“.
Gumraah primarily suffered on two counts. The one is the fatigue factor of seeing many remakes. The other issue was its leading man.
Aditya Roy Kapur was given too much to handle. He was definitely earnest but that was not enough to lift the film. Mrunal Thakur and Ronit Roy were efficient in their respective parts but their roles could have been done with more meat.
Tejas
Kangana Ranaut in ‘Tejas’. (X)
Sarvesh Mewara’s Tejas was a major misfire in many ways. If we compare it to other successful patriotic films the thrilling moments can be counted on our fingertips. The women empowerment angle too was done far better in Gunjan Saxena (2020).
A big problem with Tejas is how it became an extended version of Kangana’s angry rants on social media. The perfect example of this is the pre-climax scene where Tejas (Kangana Ranaut) goes on a long rant about the sacrifices made by the Indian soldiers and how they go unnoticed. There is nothing heartfelt about the entire scene.
Much like her other release Chandramukhi 2, Tejas too ended up as an epic disaster. This female version of Uri (2019) did not strike a chord even with the hardcore BJP fans.
2023 has not been a great year for many star actors in Telugu — Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Ravi Teja, Vijay Devarakonda, and Samantha.
In the case of Megastar Chiranjeevi, he started off the New Year well with a commercial hit Waltair Veerayya. Though not a great film, the festival season of Sankranthi along with the mass elements made it a profitable venture.
However, his Bhola Shankar failed big time in getting a thumbs-up from critics and audiences.
Chiranjeevi’s co-star in Waltair Veerayya, Ravi Teja also delivered big financial disasters in the form of Ravanasura and Tiger Nageswara Rao in 2023.
Likewise, Pawan Kalyan’s Bro did not attract the audience in a big way, despite Trivikram writing the screenplay and dialogues.
Following is an overview of some of the Telugu films that failed to meet the expectations:
Bhola Shankar
Nothing worked for Bhola Shankar since its inception. Its director Meher Ramesh delivered two massive disasters before this — Shakti (2011) and Shadow (2013). In fact, he never had a significant success in his career.
On top of that, Bhola Shankar was a remake of a regular commercial potboiler Vedalam (2015, Tamil), which had nothing extraordinary in terms of storyline.
So, it was quite baffling to see Chiranjeevi remaking this, that too with a flop director.
Expectedly, the film bombed even with the loyal fans.
Meher Ramesh made Vedalam look like a classic with his direction.
The most cringeworthy scene in Bhola Shankar is the recreation of the famous bench scene of Khushi (2000) where Pawan Kalyan keeps looking at Bhumika’s navel. Here, you had Chiranjeevi and anchor Sreemukhi. It was so awkwardly filmed and definitely was not a pretty sight.
Ravanasura and Tiger Nageswara Rao
Both Ravanasura and Tiger Nageswara Rao had interesting storylines where Ravi Teja did push himself as an actor.
For example, Tiger Nageswara Rao was based on a real-life dacoit and the events that happened in Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s.
Ravi Teja’s character had some grey shades, which the actor pulled off with conviction.
However, the problem was with the inconsistent direction of Vamsee along with repetitive shots of bloodshed. What also did not help Tiger Nageswara Rao were the romantic subplots of Ravi Teja with his leading ladies.
Ravanasura, too, had Ravi Teja playing a character with grey shades.
In the beginning, we see him as a bumbling junior lawyer, but soon enough, there is a significant U-turn. Ravi Teja did a fantastic job of portraying the unhinged nature of his role.
However, his efforts were not enough to save the movie from drowning.
A major reason for the failure of Ravanasura was the haphazard flashback of his character Ravindra. Viewers did not feel any emotional connection with him.
Once the flashback ends, the proceedings become even more tedious.
Only the Ramayana connection was well done, but it does not add much to the film in the overall scheme of things.
Kushi
Shiva Nirvana’s Kushi was a crucial film for Vijay Devarakonda, Samantha, and of course, the director himself.
As the title suggests, Kushi had a safe subject, which could have given a lot of happiness to everyone. However, Shiva Nirvana did not make complete use of this opportunity.
Kushi had an interesting backdrop of two vastly different families. The hero’s father is a staunch atheist who does not shy away from expressing his opinions on God and astrology.
The heroine’s father, on the other hand, is not just a staunch believer in God but also gives religious lectures.
In structure, Kushi is similar to Mani Ratnam’s Sakhi (2000). Like Sakhi, here too, you have two rebellious lovers who decide to make their own home.
Both Vijay Devarakonda and Samantha delivered good performances and shared a scintillating chemistry on screen.
But the first half of Kushi dragged a lot, particularly in portions where Samantha’s Aaradhya is pretending to be a Muslim. As a result, viewers felt restlessness, despite Vennela Kishore’s comic excellence.
The second half was much better when the focus shifted to marital issues. When Samantha’s character has a miscarriage, she thinks that it happened because of her husband not doing homa (homam). Expectedly, some serious arguments lead to discord in domestic life.
The music of Hesham Abdul Wahab was melodious for the most part. However, all these elements were not enough to save Kushi from bombing.
Bro
Bro, directed by Samuthirakani, had a decent pre-release buzz, thanks mostly to Sai Dharam Tej and Pawan Kalyan coming together. Additionally, you had Trivikram writing screenplays and dialogues.
Markandeya (Sai Dharam Tej) is a man with many family responsibilities. He cannot afford to give time to anyone, including his girlfriend. One day, he meets with a road accident on the way from Visakhapatnam. Pawan Kalyan plays “Titan”, also known as the God of Time.
He gives Markandeya 90 days to complete his duties. In these 90 days, Markandeya undergoes a major transformation.
Stories revolving around God-giving life lessons are as old as hills. Still, they can be engaging if the narration is interesting.
Unfortunately, both Samuthirakani’s direction and Trivikram’s screenplay were subpar.
Bro had too many references to Pawan Kalyan’s political ideology and his previous hit songs.
It was clear that Samuthirakani banked heavily on audiences coming to see real-life mama-alludu (uncle-nephew) on screen. The chemistry between Sai Dharam Tej and Pawan Kalyan was pleasant but nothing great.
Agent
Director Surender Reddy’s Agent tried to be an action-packed spy entertainer like Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, but the required sharpness was missing.
The film was definitely lavish in scale along with some well-executed action sequences.
However, Agent suffered from a meandering storyline along with a vapid heroine — Sakshi Vaidya.
Another problem with the Telugu film was the weak back-story of Dino Morea’s character, who calls himself God.
Akhil, in his new avatar, delivered an uninhibited performance, but that was not enough to save the film from sinking badly.
Skanda
Boyapati Srinu’s Skanda is a signature Boyapti macho film that is high on testosterone but low on emotional coherence.
The director has been most successful with Nandamuri Balakrishna. Their duo delivered three blockbusters — Simha (2010), Legend (2014) and last year’s Akhanda (2022).
However, Boyapati Srinu did not have the same level of success as other actors like Ramcharan in Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019) and now Ram in Skanda.
At its core, Skanda is a tale of revenge with the backdrop of the two-state chief ministers. Ram tried his level best to save this sinking ship. He definitely looked at ease in this Boyapati universe, but the film, on the whole, did not appeal to even hardcore Boyapati fans.
Shaakuntalam
After burning hands with the 2015-released Rudramadevi, director Gunasekhar yet again tried his hand with a large-scale epic. This time, the film is based on the famous play Abhigyana Shakuntalam, written by the legendary playwright Kalidas.
Gunasekhar tried to marry the sensibilities of an Indian epic with the texture of a Hollywood Disney film.
But Shaakuntalam turned out to be an even bigger dud than Rudramadevi. It was a colossal disaster, particularly for Gunasekhar and Samantha.
Samantha did justice to the different shades of Shakuntala; the naivety of an ashram girl in the beginning and then, the inner strength of a wronged woman.
Shaakuntalam had its share of powerful moments, like the court scene where Shakuntala questions the inability of Dev Mohan’s Dushyant to recognise her.
Allu Arha also made a sparkling debut in her short screen time. But the film never came across as a cohesive whole.
The film can be described as Kannada’s Game of Thrones with the ambience of KGF films. Prithviraj Sukumaran makes his presence amply felt as the parallel hero
Dialogues: Sandeep Reddy Bandala, Hanumaan Choudary, Dr. Suri and others
Producer: Vijay Kiragandur
Production Company: Homabale Films
Based on: Ugram ( Kannada movie) by Prashant Neel
Genre: Action drama
Running time: 2 hours and 58 minutes
Published in: Primepost
Not much was expected from Prashanth Neel when the first KGF released but the action drama surprised one and all with its box office numbers. Originally made in Kannada, the film also released in Hindi clashing with Anand L Rai’s Zero and completely outsold the SRK starrer. The raw action and Yash’s swag coupled with the backdrop of Kolar Gold Fields made it a huge success.
The second part of KGF went on to do even bigger business. The buzz around Salaar has been huge since its inception, this in spite of Prabhas’s lackluster form in the recent past. A lot of hopes were pinned on Salaar and thankfully the director has given the perfect mass treat that rewinds memories of Chatrapathi. However Salaar isn’t for those who despise macho heroes and are not huge fans of the KGF films.
Shruti Haasan, Prashanth Neel and Prabhas
Salaar begins with establishing the ultra strong friendship of Deva (Prabhas) and Vardha (Prithviraj Sukumran). They have each other’s back in both good and bad times. The very first scene of Salaar has Deva fighting a seasoned wrestler just to get Vardha’s nathooni back (a particular nose ring that the clan wears). Later on we see Vardha saving Deva and his mother (Easwari Rao) from his father’s men. In this process Vardha also sacrifices a major part of the territory his clan owns. That night Deva and his mother vanish. But before going Deva takes a promise from Vardha that he should not hesitate in reaching out for his help in times of distress.
From here the story goes into a flash forward where Deva and his mother are living in Assam. Through some vague hints we understand that Deva has sworn to his mother to never touch a weapon again. The mother in fact is so touchy even when she sees a plastic knife. All this changes with the entry of Aadhya Krishnakanth (Shruti Hassan with a heavy American accent); her life is in danger for reasons that will become more clear in the second part. Things take a turn when Deva’s mother frees Deva from his promise, in order to save Aadhya. This results in Deva smashing a lot of people to pulp.
Shriya Reddy makes a solid impression
The second half is entirely devoted to a dystopian city of Khansar that has several tribes with distinct characteristics. The politics and the character dynamics of this dystopian city are similar to the popular web show Game of Thrones.
Not surprisingly the biggest strength of Salaar is the strong brotherhood showcased between its two main leads. Deva’s intense affection for his friend is reminiscent of Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Animal. There is also a Mahabharata touch in how they are shown to be fierce warriors.
Easwari Rao plays Prabhas’ mother
Prabhas shares most sparks with Prithviraj and that is clearly visible on more than one occasion. For example there is a scene where both of them take on some drug infested zombies. It is a sequence that enthralls the masses. The two actors are also seen indulging in banter amidst the fight and have some hilarious punch lines.
The world building of Khansar has also been done well. Bhuvan Gowda’s cinematography is top notch. He effectively captures the tumultuous atmosphere of this fictional city. Some of the themes explored in the second half are right to leadership and loyalty among others. Prashanth Neel has done a good job in exploring these themes. Ravi Basur’s soundtrack goes well with the mood of the film. Thankfully there is no forced romantic subplot between Prabhas and Shruti.
Shruti Haasan’s American accent is irritating
Shruti Hassan’s put on American accent is irritating to say the least. In fact most of the women characters in Salaar are relegated to the background (of late most big action movies are doing the same). The only actress who makes a solid impression is Sriya Reddy. She plays the firebrand daughter of Jagapathi Babu’s Raja Mannar.
The second half has an overdose of violence which will be off putting for a section of audiences. The film’s runtime is almost three hours; some portions of the film could have been trimmed or chopped.
Prabhas plays a mostly brooding character who does not even break into a smile. The actor has not got many dialogues but he is successful in portraying the raw aggression. Prabhas particularly shines in the scenes with Prithviraj.
Prithviraj Sukumaran as a parallel lead more than makes his presence felt
Prithviraj Sukumaran as a parallel lead more than makes his presence felt. The actor does a solid job in portraying both the vulnerability and the determination of a future successor caught in the power struggle. The actor’s own dubbing of Telugu does take some time in getting used to but it is not a major hindrance.
Salaar part 1 ends on a cliffhanger that sets a good base for the second part, there are indications that this brotherhood may turn into enmity.
The ace director is once again successful on taking the audiences through an emotional rollercoaster particularly in the second half
Dunki (Hindi) Rating 3.5 out of 5 Starcast: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Anil Grover, Vikram Kochhar, Boman Irani and others extended special appearance (Vicky Kaushal) Director and writer: Rajkumar Hirani Additional writers: Kanika Dhillon and Abhijat Joshi Producers: Gauri Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Jyoti Deshpande Production Companies: Jio Studios, Red Chillies entertainment and Rajkumar Hirani films Genre: Comedy/drama Running time: 2 hours and 36 minutes
Rajkumar Hirani is one of those filmmakers who has struck a chord right from his first one Munnabhai MBBS. The director has successfully developed the knack of bringing social issues to the fore in a way that is accessible to the mainstream audiences. The one exception though is Sanju as that was an autobiographical work.
With his latest Dunki Rajkumar Hirani has focused his lens on Donkey Flight (illegal immigration). The film opens with the characters of Manu (Taapsee Pannu), Buggu (Vikram Kochhar) and Balli (Anil Grover). They have been in London for the past 25 years but now they are homesick and want to return to India. But this is not possible for reasons that cannot be revealed here.
Taapsee Pannu and Shah Rukh Khan
The only person who can get them back to the country is Hardyal Singh Dhillon aka Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan). Manu, Buggu and Balli plan a meeting with Hardy in Dubai. The irony here is that once upon a time three of them were desperate to make a good living in London. The story shifts to a flashback where we are introduced to a group of people apart from those already mentioned. Their biggest dream is going to London in search of better prospects. Unfortunately all of them are poor in terms of both social status and education. In this scenario Hardy comes to that town situated in Punjab. Boman Irani plays Gulati. He runs an English speaking course. In this group of friends only one manages to pass the IELTS Exam. Manu and Balli manage to overcome their disappointment. Vicky Kaushal’s Sukhi though is not able to swallow the bitter pill. Sukhi’s reasons for going to London are different from Manu and Balii. He wants to save his ex girlfriend from an abusive marriage. Just before the interval there is the disturbing scene of Sukhi committing suicide by burning himself. Now Hardy takes it upon himself to make sure that Manu, Balii and others reach London even if it is through the illegal and dangerous means of Dunki.
Shah Rukh Khan with Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Vikram Kochhar and Anil Grover
The first half of Dunki mostly has a breezy tone to it. There are many instances of Raj Kumar Hirani’s trademark humor in the portions featuring Boman Irani. The humor here hasn’t got the quality of the directors previous ones particularly the Munnabhai films and PK. The punch lines in fact come across as forced on certain occasions. However there are scenes which tickle your funny bone too.
There are also cute moments between Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee that bring a smile to the viewers face. Through this love Rajkumar Hirani focuses on the serious subject of illegal migrants. How they resort to dangerous routes in order to reach foreign countries. Many of them do not even make it and die in the process.
There are scenes in the second half where we see the characters going through several ordeals in harsh terrains. These moments are disturbing to watch.
Raj Kumar Hirani, the successful director
Rajkumar Hirani is also successful in making some pertinent points about the struggles of Non English speaking Indians.
What doesn’t work for Dunki apart from the inconsistent humor are its foreign characters. They are mostly reduced to stock caricatures.
Talking about the performances Shah Rukh Khan blends well into the world of Raj Kumar Hirani. He particularly shines in the second half when things get serious. Taapsee Manu is also solid as Manu. She shares a good chemistry with SRK. Her Punjabi dialect is also spot on bringing back memories of Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan.
Shah Rukh Khan plays the soldier
There are portions in the film where SRK and Taapsee are seen with grey hair reminding the viewers of Khan and Preity Zinta in Veer Zara. The prosthetic work is neat and as a result the audiences feel that they have convincingly aged.
Vikram Kochhar and Anil Grover also lend good support. They don’t feel burdened by the presence of SRK at any point. Vicky Kaushal in an extended special appearance makes his presence amply felt.
Pritam’s music is not a chartbuster but goes well with the mood of the film. Lutt Putt Gaya has a catchy tone. O Maahi and Nikile The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se are soulful in nature.
Watch Dunki for the top notch performances and the social relevancy of the subject.
Mohit Raina delivers an explosive performance. Kashmira Pardeshi effortlessly brings out various emotions of fear, hope, and vulnerability.
Has its issues but you’ll enjoy!
The Freelancer The Conclusion (Hindi)
Cast: Kashmira Pardeshi, Mohit Raina, Anupam Kher, and Ayesha Raza
Director: Bhav Dhulia
Producer: Neeraj Pandey
No. of episodes: 3
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
For those who haven’t seen the first season of The Freelancer, the story is primarily about a newly married girl struck in ISIS-controlled Syria. The web series is based on the novel “A Ticket To Syria” by Shirish Thorat.
Alia (Kashmira Pardeshi) is manipulated by her husband and in-laws and taken to Syria. She does not know the real identity of her new family.
However, after a while, Alia realises that the terrorist outfit has brainwashed her husband and in-laws.
On the other hand, ex-police officer-turned-mercenary Avinash (Mohit Raina) shares a close bond with Alia from her childhood. He takes it upon himself to bring her back from Syria, no matter the dangers involved.
Avinash instils confidence in Alia to hang in there and not lose hope.
And now, The Freelancer —The Conclusion, the second season of The Freelancer, is about how Avinash carries out this dangerous operation with the help of his friends and fights his inner demons.
Analysis
A poster of ‘The Freelancer-The Conclusion’. (DisneyPlusHS/X)
A strong aspect of The Freelancer —The Conclusion is the technical department.
The production values of the web series are fantastic.
The recreation of ISIS-controlled Syria has an authentic feel.
The action sequences have been well choreographed.
Director Bhav Dhulia is also successful in maintaining a good pace.
Of course, Alia gets eventually rescued, but you are still tense about how she will come out safe. There is one moment in particular when everything seems lost, and the viewers feel tense about the safety of Alia.
Unlike the first season, the scenes of Avinash and his wife (played by Manjari Fadnnis) suffering from the aftermath of their son’s death have come out much better.
A good example is the scene where the husband and wife finally find closure and decide to move on.
Mohit Raina & Kashmira Pardeshi are show-stealers
‘The Freelancer-The Conclusion’ web series is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. (DisneyPlusHS/X)
The character arc of Anupam Kher, who plays the mentor-cum-guiding force of Avinash, has not seen any growth. But still, the senior actor has a pleasing presence.
It is Mohit Raina and Kashmira Pardeshi who majorly shoulder the acting department.
Mohit Raina delivers an explosive performance both in action scenes and serious ones.
Kashmira Pardeshi carries off from where she left in the first season without hiccups. She effortlessly brings out various emotions of fear, hope, and vulnerability.
What does not work for The Freelancer — The Conclusion is the staging of the final operation. Here, the director makes it look like an absolute cakewalk.
Also, the show needed some good emotional moments between Avinash and Alia after the final rescue.
From the beginning, the viewers are made to believe that this rescue operation is personal for Avinash. But that does not come across strongly in the final portions due to the sketchy writing.
Verdict
The Freelancer — The Conclusion has its issues, but there is enough to enjoy, especially if you are a fan of Neeraj Pandey.
One of the things that work for ‘Vadhuvu’ is the short duration of its episodes. Each episode is a little above 20 minutes.
A watchable fare!
Vadhuvu (Telugu)
Cast: Avika Gor, Nandu Vijay Krishna, and Ali Reza
Director: Poluri Krishna
Producers: Abhishek Dogra and Shrikant Mohta
Music: Sriram Maddury
No. of episodes: 7
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Thrillers are one of the most tough genres to execute for any director.
Engaging the audience in the guessing game and making them feel a sense of high throughout is not an easy job.
Vadhuvu, directed by Poluru Krishna, has an interesting storyline and mysterious characters who come with a set of motivations. However, the director is not entirely successful in keeping the audience hooked.
For those who are not aware, Vadhuvu is based on a Bengali show titled “Indu“. Since I have not seen that, this will be a standalone review.
Synopsis
Poluru Krishna’s directorial ‘Vadhuvu’. (X)
Anjuri Indu’s (Avika Gor) wedding gets cancelled when her younger sister runs away with her groom.
This affects Indu and her family psychologically. After a year, Indu finally gets another match. She is married to Anand (Nandu), but even this doesn’t happen smoothly.
After entering Anand’s house, Indu comes across some mysterious scenarios.
What are the reasons behind Anand’s family behaving suspiciously? Why did Indu’s sister run away with the groom that Indu was supposed to marry?
The rest of the plot is about unravelling answers to these questions.
Analysis
One of the things that work for Vadhuvu is the short duration of its episodes. Each episode is a little over 20 minutes. As a result, the viewers don’t feel restlessness even when things stagnate.
As mentioned above, the characters in Vadhuvu are mysterious, and this works for the series, at least initially. As viewers, you know something weird is happening, and this keeps you hooked on what might be the reasons behind it.
In the technical department, the background score deserves a definite mention. It is suitably eerie and adds to the tense atmosphere.
There isn’t much scope for the cameraman to showcase his work here since the series has an indoor setting. Nevertheless, the cinematography is quite good.
Performances
Avika Gor in ‘Vadhuvu’. (X)
As far as acting is concerned, the trio of Avika Gor, Ali Reza, and Nandu do most of the heavy lifting. Avika Gor does a good job of depicting the turmoil of Indu.
Ali Reza gets a good amount of screen time as Indu’s brother-in-law Arya. He successfully showcases the grey shades of his role.
Nandu, as Iindu’s husband, is a delight to watch in the way he skillfully conveys the frustration and suspicious nature of Anand.
The rest of the actors leave little to no impact.
A major issue with Vadhuvu is certain repetitiveness in the proceedings and the slow pacing. There are some redundant scenes which the director could have easily done away with.
Also, the web show leaves you with more questions than answers. There are too many cliffhangers that come across as a major deterrent in the way of the audience’s enjoyment.
Final take
Vadhuvu is a web series that is just about watchable.
The mysterious characters and the performances of the central trio leave an impact. It is not a solid thriller though.
Hi Nanna works a perfect balm for those who had a tough time with the violent father and son dynamics in Animal. Nani pulls of his role with the expected panache but it is Mrunal Thakur who steals the show
Rating 3.5 out of 5 Starcast: Nani, Mrunal Thakur, Baby Kiara, Priyadarshini, Jayaram, Angad Bedi and others Story, direction and screenplay: Shouryuv Additional screenplay: Bhanu Deeraj, Rayudu, Vasanth Sameer and Pinnamaraju Dialogues: Vamshi Bommena and Nagendra Kasi Producers: Mohan Cherukuri, Murthy K.S and others Production Company: Vyra Entertainments Genre: Romantic drama Running time: 2 hours and 35 minutes
There has been a heavy dose of father oriented stories this year. Whether it is Shah Rukh Khan’s double act of a father and son in Jawan , or Pankaj Tripati’s turn in OMG 2 as a disgruntled parent who slowly becomes a revoluntary for his son. Even Vijay Thalapathy who is generally known for his mass characters delivered an affecting performance in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo as a family man with a dark past.
Baby Kiara and Nanni in a song sequence
Hi Nanna directed by debutant director Shouryuv is an emotional rollercoaster that makes the viewers feel many things. Sure the pacing is slow and the story does take a little time to get going however the end results are mostly satisfying. But it has to be said that the movie isn’t for fans of high octane entertainers.
Viraj (Nani) is a professional photographer and a single father. Mahi (Baby Kiara) is the 6 year old daughter. Viraj has always kept the story of Mahi’s mother in the dark. Whenever she asks about where her mother is Viraj simply skips the matter. Things take a turn when Viraj promises Mahi that he would tell about her mother provided she scores first rank. Mahi does score first rank but Viraj doesn’t adhere to his promise. Expectedly Mahi gets very angry and leaves the home. She almost faces an accident but is saved in the nick of time by Yashna (Mrunal Thakur). The rest of the story is about what had happened between Viraj and his wife along with how Yashna changes the lives of Viraj and Mahi.
Nani and Mrunal Thakur
As mentioned above the pacing of Hi Nanna is slow. Director Shouryuv takes his own sweet time in setting up the plot. The initial minutes are devoted to the bond of Viraj and Mahi. The story gathers momentum with the entry of Yashna. Viraj narrates his past in a fairy tale format. In these flashback portions Mahi imagines Yashna as her mother. Viraj’s love at first sight is slightly clichéd but it doesn’t get too bothersome thanks to the chemistry between Nani and Mrunal Thakur. The characters of Viraj and the wife are contrastingly different from each other. Viraj is someone who is eternally hopeful irrespective of what the situation is. The wife on the other hand has anxiety issues that primarily stem from growing up in a broken home.
She is someone who is very clear about not getting into the complications of a marriage having seen her parents constantly argue with each other. However she does end up marrying Viraj much to the annoyance of her mother. There is a lovely scene between Viraj and his prospective mother- in- law where the economical differences are highlighted. What makes this scene special is how he deals with the situation in the most empathetic way. The viewers instantly root for Viraj. Viraj initially says that they need not have children but that changes later on. There is a huge argument between Viraj and the wife followed by a heartwarming moment. This scene is a major highlight of the film and a perfect example of the sizzling chemistry between Nani and Mrunal.
Angad Bedi makes his debut with Hi Nanna
Towards the end of the first half director Shouryuv gives a major twist to the character of Yashna. The second half is heavier. In spite of some predictable scenarios the viewers are still invested in how the tale will end. This is majorly because of the strong emotional cord. A drunken banter between Nani and Mrunal Thakur does come across as a respite from the otherwise heavy drama.
What doesn’t work though is a party song featuring Shruti Haasan. It looks completely out of sync with the overall tone of the film. The extended special appearance of Sruthi Haasan could have been easily scrapped. Angad Bedi plays a character modeled on Salman Khan’s Amar in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He is pretty good but lacks the charm of what Salman Khan brought to the table as the third wheel.
Priyadarshi plays the friend cum colleague part with his usual effervescence. His comic timing is spot on as always and his camaraderie with Nani is fun to watch. Another member who stands out in the supporting cast is Jayaram. The actor delivers a nuanced performance as Mahi’s grandfather. He particularly shines in an emotionally charged sequence at a critical juncture.
Debutant director Shouryuvmakes the viewers feel many things
Apart from Nani and Mrunal’s sizzling chemistry another strong point of Hi Nanna are the father and daughter scenes between Nani and Baby Kiara. They simply melt your heart on many occasions. Baby Kiara performs like an absolute pro with the right amount of innocence and vulnerability.
Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music and background score another big strength of Hi Nanna. Except for the Sruthi Haasan number the rest are a delight to watch and listen. My favorite numbers are Gaaju Bomma, Ammaadi and Samayama.
Priyadarshi’s comic timing is spot on as always and his camaraderie with Nani is fun to watch.
The cinematography of Sanu John Varghese is a visual delight particularly the flashback portions in Connor.
For Nani the role of Viraj is a cake in the park but nevertheless the actor is a delight to watch. He does a splendid job in portraying the different shades of Viraj whether it is the boyishness of a young lover or as a father later on who will do anything for his daughter. However it is Mrunal Thakur who steals the show with an outstanding performance. She plays a complicated character with ease. Mrunal conveys the various feelings with just her expressive eyes showing once again the bundle of talent she is. It is a performance that is a step ahead of last year’s Sita Ramam in many ways. Chinmayi’s dubbing adds to the impact.
Hi Nanna is a heartwarming story of a father and daughter along with a mother battling her own inner demons, a definite breadth of fresh air which needs to be seen.
Zoya Akhtar’s launch pad for Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, and Agastya Nanda is a major misfire. The musical format only adds to the woes.
Zoya Akhtar’s weakest work to date!
Archies (Hindi)
Cast: Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda, Vedang Raina, Yuvraj Menda, and Aditi “Dot” Saigal
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Tiger Baby Productions
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
OTT Platform: Netflix
Archies is one of those movies that has created a significant buzz from its inception.
There are many reasons for this. One is the popularity of its source material Archie Comics. The characters in Archie Comics have appeared in numerous films and television programs among others.
Secondly, this movie is also a launch pad for three-star kids hailing from illustrious families. Agastya Nanda is the grandson of Bollywood Shahenshah Amitabh Bachchan, Khushi Kapoor is the younger daughter of the late Sridevi, and lastly, Suhana Khan is the daughter of Bollywood’s Badshah Shah Rukh Khan.
There is a general fascination that viewers have with star kids as much as we may hate nepotism.
Zoya Akhtar has created her own identity as a storyteller — be it is movies or the digital platform. This also has contributed to Archies being much anticipated.
Archies falls flat
However, this time, Zoya Akhtar falls flat in her attempt at combining a coming-of-age drama with social issues like development versus environmental good.
‘Archies’ directed by Zoya Akhtar. (X)
Among the cast, it is the non-star kids who fare much better, particularly Vedang Raina.
Karan Johar did a far superior job with his young cast in Student of The Year (2013).
For those who are not familiar with the Archie comics, the story is set in a picturesque hill station called Riverdale.
Riverdale is home to many Anglo-Indians who chose to stay in India after independence. The viewers are first introduced to the constantly flirting Andrews aka Archie (Agastya Nanda). Andrews has a small band which he proclaims will soon become the best in the world after the Beatles.
After this, we are introduced to the other important characters. Some of these are Betty (Khushi Kapoor) and Veronica (Suhana Khan). Veronica is a rich kid who constantly keeps pouting and generally comes across as annoying.
In simple terms, the story of Archies is about how Andrews and his seven friends navigate friendship, romance, and social responsibility.
Riverdale has a Green Park which holds a significant place in the local community.
Just like any other masala film you have Veronica’s businessman father who is hell-bent on destroying the park and wants to build a posh hostel in that place.
Performances
Before getting into the dissection of the movie, it is necessary to get done with the performances of the new cast.
Suhana Khan in ‘Archies’. (NetflixIndia/ X)
As mentioned above Suhana Khan was disappointing in her debut performance.
In places, Suhana tries to channel her father, particularly in the portions where Veronica has to show arrogance. But it comes across as too off-putting and doesn’t endear her to the audience in any way.
Alia Bhatt also played a rich girl (Shanaya Singhania) in Student of The Year but that was written far better despite the less screen time.
In Student of The Year, too, there were occasions where Shanaya came across as arrogant but director Karan Johar and Alia were successful in humanising her as well.
Unfortunately, nothing of that sort happens here. Suhana Khan overplays the snootiness and falters badly in the few emotional bits.
Khushi Kapoor is also very bland in her debut. In fact, Janhvi Kapoor was much better in her first film Dhadak (2018) despite the raw edges.
Agastya Nanda is suitably charming in the beginning but soon enough, his performance also becomes wooden.
It is the non-star kids who save the film from completely sinking. A particular mention must be made of Vedang Raina. He brings in the right amount of swag as the Rakish Reggie.
A special mention must be made of the scene between him and Dilton (Yuvraj Menda). It has the right mix of tenderness and vulnerability.
Flaws
Agatsya Nanda in ‘Archies’. (X)
Coming to the flaws, a big problem with Archies is the overdose of songs. Agree that the film is a musical but still, Zoya Akhtar overdoes the songs.
All the characters express their feelings through songs. This becomes too much after a point.
A good example of this is the scene where Andrew realises that politics is personal and that some causes are worth fighting for. This huge transformation happens through an incoherently staged “Everything is Political” song.
There is no denying that Archies looks visually colourful, thanks to Nikos Anaritsaksi’s cinematography and Suzanne Caplan Merwanji’s production design. However, soon enough, a sense of artificiality creeps in. This is because of the hollowness beneath the gloss.
The character of Suhana’s father (Ally Khan) is another big joke. The character has been poorly written and the way he praises his daughter after the Green Park has been saved comes across as a big joke.
The scenes between Varun Dhawan and his rich father in Student of The Year (Ram Kapoor) had much more of an impact despite the clichés.
Both Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), despite being about rich people, had genuine emotions and characters that viewers invested in.
However, the characters in Archies are cardboard cuts and the weak performances, particularly from Suhana, Khushi, and Agastya don’t help the cause either.
Final take
Archies is Zoya Akhtar’s weakest work to date. The acclaimed director has put more focus on how to present the star kids rather than making an impactful film.
