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Custody: A Competent Cop Drama That Keeps The Viewers Invested In Spite Of Its Shortcomings

Venkat Prabhu’s latest directorial takes time to find its feet but eventually gets better as the plot becomes thicker.

Watch it for Aravind Swami and Naga Chaitanya!
Custody (Telugu)
  • Cast: Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swami, Priya Mani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji Amaren, Vennela Kishore, and Premi Vishwanath
  • Writer-Director: Venkat Prabhu
  • Producer: Srinivasaa Chitturi
  • Music: Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja
  • Runtime2 hours 28 minutes

Cop dramas usually have a superhero cop who takes on an army of villains and vigilante justice is delivered. Venkat Prabhu’s Custody belongs to a slightly different space.

Here, Naga Chaitanya’s Shiva has the duty of protecting a goonda (criminal) and making sure that he is produced before the court, without any harm.

Another factor that makes Custody different from other movies of the same genre is the fact that Shiva is a constable, not a higher official. There is an underdog quality about him that makes him endearing.

Synopsis

The movie is set in the 1990s. Its opening shot is a terrible incident where 40 people die in a small town due to a gas cylinder blast. After that, we cut to the constable Shiva.

Shiva is someone who believes that human life is more important than anything else. This is wonderfully established when he rushes to stop the convoy of the Chief Minister (Priya Mani) so that an ambulance can pass.

Revathi (Krithi Shetty) is Shiva’s love interest. They both have a steady relationship for a while but there are some serious obstacles from her parents’ side.

Things take a turn with a car accident when Shiva is on the way to her house to save her from a forced marriage.

After the accident, two men are seen fighting – one is Raju (Aravind Swami) and the other is a CBI official George (Sampath Raj). Shiva ends up arresting both.

On reaching the police station, Shiva learns the true identity of Raju, a well-connected goonda with political backing. He needs to be produced at the Bangalore court in the next 24 hours to testify against some influential people.

Meanwhile, there is an assassination attempt to kill Raju before he reaches court. Shiva makes sure that the assassination attempt is not successful.

He and George escape from the police station with Raju. But IG Natraj (Sarathkumar) is hell-bent on making sure that Raju doesn’t reach the Bangalore court.

Adding to the mayhem, Revathi escapes from her house by making her prospective groom (Vennela Kishore) a bakra.

The rest of the story deals with whether Shiva is successful or not in producing Raju before the court and what happens to him and Revathi later.

Shortcomings & best moments

Custody begins engagingly. As viewers, we instantly connect with Shiva’s honesty and want him to succeed in whatever he does.

But things go haywire with the addition of the love story and also an irritating comedy track featuring Vennala Kishore.

The songs also come as major speed breakers, which is surprising, given that it is the first time that the father-son duo of Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvun Shankar Raja have worked together.

It is a step down from Ilaiyaraaja after a soulful soundtrack in Krishna Vamsi’s Rangamarthanda (2023).

Nevertheless, the plot becomes more engaging with the entry of Aravind Swami. The action set piece in the police station is wonderfully staged. Here, it has to be mentioned that, the background score is much better than the songs.

The cat-and-mouse chase involving Natraj, Raju and Shiva gives the film some of its best moments.

Another action stretch that deserves a mention is the pre-interval block involving an underwater sequence.

We see an unlikely bond developing between Shiva and Raju through the journey. This has been well-etched by Venkat Prabhu.

Impressive show by actors

Aravind Swami does a wonderful job in making sure that Raju, despite being a goonda, comes across as endearing. He also brings in some dry humour that raises many chuckles.

Much like in Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story (2021), here too, Naga Chaitanya plays an underdog and delivers a wonderful performance.

He does justice to the arc of the character which goes from a happy-go-lucky guy in the flashback to a determined young man in the present.

Krithi Shetty alternates between a typically chirpy heroine and a serious woman. She does it quite well in spite of the romantic track coming across as a hurdle.

Sarathkumar as Natraj makes for a formidable opposition.

Final take

Watch Custody for the performances of Naga Chaitanya and Aravind Swami along with some thrills.

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Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo: Dimple Kapadia & Co Lead This Formidable Tale Of Badass Women

Director Homi Adajania makes a successful OTT debut with a perfect mix of emotions and thrills.

Leaves you with a solid high!
Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo (Hindi web series)
  • Cast:Dimple Kapadia, Isha Talwar, Radhika Madan, Deepak Dobriyal, Naseeruddin Shah, and Jimit Trivedi
  • Director:Homi Adajania
  • Producer: Dinesh Vijan
  • Music:Sachin Jigar
  • No. of episodes: 8
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

It is always refreshing when the stories are headlined by women — whether they are movies or web series. More so, when they are well made.

Homi Adajania’s debut OTT show Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo is one such tale. The director presents four inimitable women who are a treat to watch.

What makes the web series even more refreshing is the saas–bahu dynamics avoiding the clichéd tropes that you generally see in Indian television shows.

Synopsis

This web show is set in a remote village called Hastinapur, somewhere in Rajasthan.

Savitri (Dimple Kapadia) runs a company named “Rani Cooperative” which trades in various products. Some of these include jari–booti (herbs), balms and textiles. However, there is also a dark side to this company — drugs.

“Flamingo” is the name of the drug Rani Cooperative deals in.

Savitri operates out of a haveli (mansion) and is surrounded by a team of women, including two daughters-in-law Kajal (Angira Dhar) and Bijliee (Isha Talwar). There is also the rebellious daughter Shanta (Radhika Madan).

These four women together run the business with a firm hand and live life on their terms. They are always ahead of their enemies, including The Monk (Deepak Dobriyal).

Savitri also has two reckless US-returned sons — Harish (Ashish Verma) and Kapil (Varun Mitra). They both have zero knowledge about the nature of their mother’s business. But soon enough, they find out.

Things take a turn when Savitri announces that she would soon name a successor to her company. What follows is a thrilling tale that keeps you invested for the most part.

Engrossing drama

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo grips the viewers from the start.

There is a spine-chilling scene at the very beginning. Not many details can be revealed here but it sets the stage for an engrossing drama.

There is a certain authenticity to the way the village has been presented and no artificiality in the rustic makeover of the characters.

A major highlight of Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo is how Homi Adajania uses the palatial haveli of Dimple Kapadia’s Savitri. It is a character in itself. This is a palace filled with many secrets.

Brilliant characterisation

The story written by Saurav Dey, Karan Vyas & Co has many moments of tension and unpredictability.

It isn’t just high on thrills but it also packs in some strong emotional moments. The case in point is the characterisation of Dimple Kapadia.

Savitri is extremely brutal and menacing. But at the same time, there is also an emotional gravitas that makes the viewers empathise with her.

Another characterisation worth mentioning here is that of Isha Talwar. Her character has an additional layer of homosexuality which, thankfully, has been dealt with sensitively.

Director Homi Adajania also pays homage to Shekar Kapoor’s Bandit Queen (1994) and Ketan Mehta’s Mirch Masala (1987) with some brilliantly executed action scenes where the women take on Deepak Dobriyal and his henchmen.

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo also works because of its strong antagonist.

Deepak Dobriyal’s Monk hasn’t got many dialogues but the actor makes a solid impression with his eyes and expressions. He exudes menace without breaking a sweat.

This web series has some laugh-out-loud moments, thanks to Ashish Verma who plays one of Savitri’s sons. He raises many chuckles with his understated humour. His moments of bickering with Kapil are a delight to watch.

Dimple Kapadia stands out

Talking about the women characters, Dimple Kapadia is brilliant in exuding both raw power and the required vulnerability in equal measures. With this power-packed performance, the veteran actor shows that she is only getting better with age.

The other actresses who stand out are Isha Talwar and Angira Dhar. They deliver a class act and more than hold their own opposite Dimple Kapadia.

Radhika Madan’s Shanta isn’t different from what she played earlier but she too makes an impression.

The one slight flaw in the series is the underutilisation of Naseeruddin Shah. Much like his last release Kuttey (Dogs, 2023), here too, the senior actor packs a punch despite his limited screen time. But as viewers, we want to see more of him.

Talking about the music, Sachin Jigar’s score goes perfectly with the tonality of the show. Even his background score enhances the drama by several notches.

Cinematographer Linesh Desai does a spectacular job of capturing the parched and arid land through his lens.

Final take

Overall, this group of women in Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo leaves the viewers with a solid high making you look forward to Season 2

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From Urban Love Stories To Village Conflicts, Sukumar’s Protégés Follow His Lead

Buchi Babu Sana, Srikanth Odela, and Karthik Varma Dandu chose rustic tales for their debut films.

Director Sukumar is popular for his films which are usually set in urban scenarios. But he seems to have developed a fantasy for rustic tales now.

Right from his debut film, Allu Arjun’s Arya (2004) to Naga Chaitanya’s 100% Love (2011), Mahesh Babu’s 1: Nenokkadine (I Am the Only One, 2014), and NTR Jr’s Nannaku Prematho (To Father, With Love, 2016), the filmmaker delivered back-to-back hits that had an urban background.

Little did we know then that he would also successfully helm two rustic dramas — Rangasthalam (2018) and Pushpa (2021) — that would make the audience sit up and take notic

Rangasthalam and Pushpa have two mainstream heroes who are not particularly known for their rustiness; more so, Ram Charan. But the director’s gamble paid off in both cases.

Protégés follow in his path

Over the years, Sukumar has also nurtured some young filmmakers. Interestingly, three of them — Buchi Babu Sana (Uppena, 2021), Srikanth Odela (Dasara, 2023), and Karthik Varma Dandu (Virupaksha, 2023) — made their debut films in rustic scenarios with village issues.

Caste might not have been mentioned explicitly in their films, but it is obvious that the heroes in these movies are from lower castes. Only in Uppena (Tiday Surge), the protagonist’s caste is specifically mentioned. Viasshnav Tej plays a Dalit Christian belonging to the fishermen’s community.

In Virupaksha, Sai Dharam Tej plays an outsider who visits his ancestral village and tries to address the local issues.

But first, let us look into Sukumar’s Rangasthalam and Pushpa.

Rangasthalam

The story of Rangasthalam is set in a village of the same name. The theme is exploitation and feudalism.

A ruthless president runs the village like a tyrant. The concept of a landlord/village president treating villagers as slaves is of course not new.  There are many films with that theme.

One of Chiranjeevi’s (Ram Charan‘s father) earlier films, Ma Voori Pandavulu (1978), also dealt with the struggles against the feudal system.

However, Sukumar’s treatment made Rangasthalam much more engaging, particularly for the new generation audience.

Ramcharan as Chitti Babu

Ram Charan’s character (Chitti Babu) in Rangasthalam not only comes from a lower caste but is also partially deaf.

Sukumar dealt with this disability in a sensitive manner. He never used it to generate crude comedy.

Ram Charan Tej as Chitti Babu was adorable right from the first frame.

Rough and rustic is not something that the viewers associate with the actor. But under the guidance of Sukumar, the actor delivered his career-best performance.

The actor also got the nuances of Chitti Babu spot on, both in his body language and accent.

Pushpa

Following the success of Rangasthalam, Sukumar once again teamed with his Allu Arjun. But this time, in a very different zone.

Just like Rangasthalam, Pushpa also featured a protagonist who is not only rustic but also an underdog.

In Pushpa, Sukumar majorly looked at the entire syndicate of the red Sandalwood business and the politics involved. It also briefly touched upon the dangers faced by the coolies from the police.

Allu Arjun as Pushpa

Chief among them is Pushpa’s characterisation and how Allu Arjun performed it.

Pushpa is one of the many coolies in the Seshachalam area, hired to chop down red sandalwood trees illegally. He is also an illegitimate son.

Despite being a coolie, there is an inherent swag in Pushpa which comes from his determination to climb up the social ladder to get over that stigma.

Beneath all the roughness, there is vulnerability whenever he is reminded of his birth status, which is brought up at various points in the film. Allu Arjun particularly shined in these moments.

He previously played a non-urban character in Gunasekhar’s Rudramdevi (2015), but that was a warrior role.

Pathbreaking films

These two films are significant in many ways.

After a long time, the viewer is taken back to the villages not to see the natural beauty or innocence of the people, the love or conflict among joint families, and the faction-based stories of Rayalaseema. But, the audience got to see some real conflict themes and exploitation in different forms.

The story of Rangasthalam might look a little outdated in comparison to Pushpa because the subject in the latter is an ongoing problem.

But as a hero, Ram Charan’s Chitti Babu is more relatable than Allu Arjun’s Pushpa because his macho image keeps growing every minute.

Now let’s look at some of the films made by Sukumar’s protégés who have also directed hinterland stories.

Uppena by Buchi Babu Sana 

A protégé of Sukumar, Buchi Babu Sana took the route of his master.

In Uppena, Vaisshnav Tej’s character (Aasi) belongs to the fishermen’s community. Here, the caste of Aasi is directly mentioned as Dalit Christian.

Buchi Babu needs to be credited for making a film like Uppena with a debutant; Vaisshnav Tej comes from the Mega (actor Chiranjeevi’s family) family though.

The first-time director did a wonderful job of exploring the bond that a fisherman shares with the sea.

Vaisshnav Tej’s Aasi also suffers from a stuttering problem. He cannot pronounce the heroine’s name properly however much he tries. Instead of Sangeetha, he calls her Santha.

However, this disability is also dealt with with a certain amount of sensitivity by Buchi Babu Sana, just like Ram Charan’s partial deafness in Rangasthalam.

Vaisshnav Tej also deserves appreciation for how he portrayed the rusticness and vulnerability of Aasi.

Dasara by Srikanth Odela 

Dasara is set against the backdrop of Singareni Coal Mines.

Nani’s Dharani is a ruffian who steals coal for a living. The influence of Sukumar is pretty visible in terms of how Srikanth Odela builds up the village’s atmospherics.

The caste politics are quite reminiscent of Rangasthalam. However, there is no denying that Srikanth has his voice, too. This can be seen in how the director built up the character of Nani.

Nani’s Dharani is timid when he doesn’t consume alcohol. But when on a high, he is altogether a different person. This trait was well used by Srikanth Odela, particularly in the later portions when Dharani decides to get over his alcoholism.

There is a local bar called Silk Bar which has a looming presence throughout the film. The director used this bar to highlight the caste dynamics, as the liquor here is reserved for upper-class men.

Virupaksha by Karthik Varma Dandu 

Much like Dasara and Uppena, Virupaksha is also directed by a first-time filmmaker, Karthik Varma Dandu who assisted Sukumar.

Sukumar himself wrote the screenplay for this film.

Virupaksha is a paranormal thriller set in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The director, along with writer Sukumar, made some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Unlike the heroes in the above-mentioned films, Sai Dharam Tej’s Surya is an outsider to Rudravaram. However, the issues addressed in the film are much rooted.

Nevertheless, if we compare the above-mentioned movies to the Tamil ones, there is a significant difference in how the issue of caste is portrayed.

There it is not just about the protagonist being rustic in overall demeanour; in Tamil movies, filmmakers like Vetri Maraan and Pa Ranjith are not afraid to take the name of the caste. Asuran (2019) and Kaala (2018) are the best examples.

Having said that, for Telugu audiences, the likes of Rangasthalam and others are a definite step forward in the genre of caste-based films.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/urban-love-stories-to-village-class-conflicts-sukumars-proteges-follow-his-lead/

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Kerala Story: This Adah Sharma Starrer Is A Poignant Watch In Spite Of Its Melodramatic Tone And Questionable Politics

Director Sudipto Sen is successful in making you root his primary protagonist

Kerala Files (Hindi)                     3 out of 5

Starcast: Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and others

Director and writer: Sudipto Sen

Additional writers: Suryapal Singh and Vipul Amrutlal Shah

Producer: Vipul Amrutlal Shah

Production Company: Sunshine pictures

Music directors: Viresh Sreevalsa and Bishak Jyoti

Genre: Drama

Running time: 2 hours and 3 minutes

Vivek Agnihotri’s Kashmir Files has opened up a new genre of films where traumatic real life incidents are taken and made into films with a particular agenda against one community. Sudipto Sen’s Kerala Story has more than one similarity with this 2022 blockbuster. Much like Kashmir Files Kerala Story is also based on horrific true incidents. In this case it is brainwashing girls of other religions and converting them into Muslims by the ISIS. Another similarity is the devilish portrayal of Muslims. In this film most of the Muslim characters are dubious.

But keeping aside these aspects there is no denying the significance of the topics that Kerala Story uncovers. The film is successful in making you root for its primary lead character Shalini who undergoes a religious conversion later.

The movie Kerala Story begins in an interrogation room where a young mother Shalini (Adah Sharma) is revealing the details of her horrific past and why she is in the current situation. Her past involves a friendship with her roommates in a Nursing School of Kerala in a place called Kasargod. The movie is narrated from the perspective of Shalini. Her roommates are Gitanjali (Siddhi Idani), Nimah (Yogita Bihani) and Asifa (Sonia Balani). The other three are not aware of Asifa’s secret agenda which involves converting them to Muslims. There are also some male associates from outside. With the help of these associates Asifa is successful in radicalizing Shalini and Gitanjali. These people also use hallucinogenic drugs to make sure that their mission is successful. Shalini falls in love with one of the men and gets pregnant before marriage. Just before the marriage happens the person in question disappears without a trace. As a result she is compelled to marry someone else. After marriage she embarks on a long journey to Syria via Pakistan and Afghanistan. What follows is a hard hitting story with plenty of Islamophobia.

Before getting into the problematic portrayal of Muslims it is necessary to highlight the positives as well. Director Sudipto Sen is successful in creating moments that evoke a sense of uneasiness in the viewers appropriate to the storyline. The scenes which deserve a particular mention are the ones where Asifa successfully poisons the minds of Shalini and Gitanjali with her persuasiveness.

There are also some hard hitting dialogues through the character of Nimah. Nimah is someone who refuses to buy into the propaganda of Asifa. As a result drugs are mixed in her drink by one of the Muslim men and she is repeatedly raped in her drugged state but she somehow manages to escape. Nimah starts investigating on this entire thing and comes up with very disturbing information. Her emotional breakdown in the police station gives the film some of its best moments. Yogita Bihani who played Nimah does a brilliant job in this scene.

By the very nature of its story there aren’t many light moments in the movie. But some of the initial hostel portions do bring a smile on the audience’s face. The friendship between Shalini, Gitanjali and Nimah has been established well.

Sudipto Sen also touches upon how these girls are used as sex slaves in ISIS camps in Syria and Afghanistan. These scenes are presented without any sugarcoating and very moving.

As mentioned above most of the Muslims in this film come across as devilish with zero redeeming qualities starting from Asifa. This aspect does start bothering after a while particularly if you are a rational viewer. The amount of Islamophobia presented in the film is definitely dangerous.

The film also gets melodramatic at certain places which hinders the viewing experience. There are some scenes where Sudipto Sen tries to make the audiences emotional by manipulating them and they are definitely in bad taste.

Performances-wise Adah Sharma does a brilliant job. Her journey from Shalini to Fatima has been powerfully written and her performance makes it even more arresting. Sonia Balani as Asifa evokes the hatred required for the character. Siddhi Idnani is also competent in her performance.

Cinematographer Prasanthu Mohapatra is successful in capturing both the scenic beauty of Kerala and also the harsh terrain of Afghanistan through his lens. The music by Viresh Sreevalsa and Bikshah Jyoti has a nice mix of songs.

Watch Kerala Story for its ‘powerful’ story though one sided and also if you like the Kashmir Files brand of cinema.

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PS-2: A More Focused Film Than Part 1

In spite of the flaws director Mani Ratnam deserves credit for bringing alive a relatively unknown part of history

PS 2(Tamil) 3 out of 5

  • Starcast: Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayaram, Rehman, Trisha and others
  • Direction and screenplay: Mani Ratnam
  • Additional screenplay: B. Jeyamohan and Elango Kumaravel
  • Story: Kalki Krishnamurthy
  • Based on: Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy
  • Producers: Mani Ratnam and Subaskaran Allirajah
  • Production companies: Madras Talkies and Lyca productions
  • Genre: Historical drama
  • Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel on the Chola dynasty is considered to be a significant part of Tamil literature. The novel Ponniyin Selvan was also serialized in the weekly editions of a Tamil magazine. PS-1 (Ponniyin Selvan) was Mani Ratnam’s dream project which finally came alive in 2022. Not surprisingly PS-1 worked more in the Tamil belt given the nativity factor. The film had a mixed response in other languages particularly the Hindi market.

It did decently well in Telugu also but in Hindi the film didn’t attract many eyeballs. A big shortcoming of PS-1 was its convoluted screenplay coupled with the addition of too many subplots. There were also some editing lags.

Hence the anticipation around PS-2 was not the same as SS Rajamouli’s Bahubaali 2. However a Mani Ratnam directorial always garners attention even though the director has not been in his best form of late.

The second part begins at the exact point where the first part ended. The Cholas led by Arunmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan (Jayam Ravi), brother of Chola king Aditya Karikaludu and Vallavaraiyan Vandhiyadevudu (Karthi) are fighting with Pandyas in the sea. While fighting they fall into the waters. Fortunately, they are saved by a mute woman Mandakini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a double role). Later Arunmozhi gets treated by the Buddha monks in Sri Lanka. At the same time a conspiracy is taking place. Nandini (again Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) along with the Pandyas is planning to eradicate the Chola dynasty. There are also some Chola chieftains who want to make Madhuranthakudu (Rehman) the Chola king by dethroning Aditya Karikaludu (Vikram).

The rest of the film deals with how the power struggle maps out. And also who is Mandakini and what is her connection with Nandini? Do Arunmozhi and Vallavaraiyan Vandhiyadevudu return to the Chola kingdom? And lastly, who gains the upper hand- Cholas or Pandyas?

First and foremost – the screenplay of PS-2 is a definite improvement over the first part. Mani Ratnam does a good job in connecting all the loose ends and coming up with satisfactory answers.

Some of the twists and turns do catch the viewers unaware. A particular mention must be made of the Nandini’s back story.

The dramatic scenes in PS-2 have also been far better written. A good example of that is the love hate relation between Aditya Karikaludu and Nandini. Vikram and Aishwarya don’t have many scenes together, but the intensity is very much palpable in the brief encounters that they have. There is an important sequence late in the second half featuring the two. This scene does pierce the audience’s heart thanks to the direction and also the performances of Vikram and Aishwarya. Vikram in particular is brilliant with certain unhingedness.

Vikram and Aishwarya do not have many scenes together, but the intensity is very much palpable

As Nandini Aishwarya does a good job in bringing out the dilemmas that her character goes through. Nandini isn’t very likeable person but at the same time you don’t hate her completely either. It also does help that Nandini has a certain charm about her which Aishwarya portrays effortlessly. As Mandakini though she does fall short majorly due to the way the character has been written.

As Nandini Aishwarya Rai Bachchan does a very good job in bringing out the dilemmas that her character goes through.

The romantic scenes between Karthi and Trisha’s Kundavai have a classic Mani Ratnam stamp. There is a scene in the island where Karthi’s character is blindfolded, and subtle romance follows between the two.

Karthi and Trisha romance

As Vandhiyadevudu Karthi continues from where he left off in the first part. He not only provides entertainment with his antics, but also shows his all-round capability in the more emotional scenes. Jayam Ravi brings out the required authority. He commands our attention with his mere presence.

As Vandhiyadevudu Karthi successfully takes off from where he left in the first part
Jayaram Ravi brings out the required authority

Technically PS- 2 is as rich as the first one. The production design by Aparna Thota Tharani is fantastic. The production design enhances the work of the cinematographer Ravi Varma. He does a good job in showcasing the scale of the film through his lens. The VFX department also does a fair job.

Coming to the shortcomings PS 2 feels super stretchy as the first part. The run time of 2 hours and 50 minutes does feel quite long more so with the severely underwhelming battle scenes. The battle scenes have been rather clumsily staged and doesn’t provide the viewers with any high.

The portions featuring Jayaram is reduced to a stock comic character. Even the likes of Prakash Raj and Sarath Kumar suffer on the account of ineffective characterizations.

The film has also got some unnecessary slow mo. moments and close up shots that end up irritating the audiences more than giving an extra edge.

In spite of these flaws Maniratnam deserves credit for exploring a relatively unknown part of history on pan India screen. And in this he is aided by some good performances along with the technical team.

PS-2: A more focused film than part 1

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Agent: A Moderately Engaging Spy Thriller That Needs More Sharpness

The biggest takeaway is the impressive makeover of Akhil. His scenes with Mammootty are easily the best part of the film.

Surender Reddy fails to deliver an entertainer!
Agent (Telugu)
  • Cast: Akhil Akkineni, Mammootty, Sakshi Vaidya, Dino Morea, Sampath Raj, and Denzil Smith
  • Director: Surender Reddy
  • Producer:Anil Sunkara and Sunkara Ramabrahmam
  • Music Director: Hiphop Tamizha
  • RunTime 2 hours 36 minutes

Surender Reddy’s Agent, starring Akhil Akkineni, is closer to the space of Shah Rukh Khan’s recently-released Pathaan. The antagonist (Dino Morea)’s character in Agent is pretty similar to that of the one (John Abraham) in the Shah Rukh-starrer.

There is no denying that Akhil’s latest outing is a lavish film. There is plenty of style in how the actor has been presented along with the action set pieces.

But the movie doesn’t quite turn out to be the popcorn entertainer that it ideally should have been.

The main reason for that is the meandering screenplay. It also doesn’t help that the songs coupled with the romantic angle turn out to be major speed breakers.

Synopsis

P Ramakrishna aka Ricky (Akhil) is a hyperactive youngster with dreams of becoming a spy. However, he is rejected three times by the RAW. So, he decides to hack the system of the RAW chief Mahadev aka The Devil (Mammootty) to get noticed by him.

After some persuasion, Mahadev gives Ricky an assignment (anybody else would have thrown him out though). He also appoints him on a mission to find out what “God” (Dino Morea) is up to (God has some big plans to destroy India).

The rest of the story is about who “God” is and why he has turned into a villain. And more importantly, would Ricky succeed in his ambitions?

Akhil finally sheds his inhibitions

First and foremost, Surender Reddy deserves appreciation for presenting Akhil differently. There is certain unpredictability to Ricky in how he goes about things.

Akhil delivers his most uninhibited performance so far. There is also nimbleness to his dance moves.

Two scenes deserve a mention here – one is when he interacts with Minister Jayadev (Sampath Raj) and the other is the fight sequence before the interval. Akhil is too good in both of these sequences.

Mammootty’s Mahadev is a more serious character in comparison. This contrast works well for the scenes where they are together.

There is certain ruthlessness to Mahadev which Mammootty pulls off with his signature gravitas. In fact, at one point, audiences even feel he left Ricky to his fate in a dangerous situation.

Dino Morea as the villain gets a powerful presence, but his backstory does not have the emotional resonance of John Abraham in Pathaan. Nevertheless, the actor does make for a striking antagonist.

The supporting cast features the usual suspects comprising Sampath Raj and Murali Sharma. But none of them have anything worthwhile to do. They only increase the runtime of the film.

The drawbacks

As earlier said, Agent has a rich look. The action scenes have been designed well. Some of the action blocks are quite power packed.

For example, there is an intense chase sequence in Kashmir where Akhil is on the run.

One major disappointment with Agent is how the romantic track has been integrated into the storyline.

Sakshi Vaidhya plays an aspiring pilot and there is no place for love in her life. But later, she falls for Ricky. Her character could have been so much more, but Surender Reddy reduces her to a single-tone character as the film progresses.

The songs composed by Hiphop Tamizha are also a major downer despite Akhil’s graceful dance moves. The songs come in situations when the story least requires them.

Another problem with Agent is the backstory of Dino Morea. His reasons for going rogue aren’t one bit convincing. As a result, the audience doesn’t feel any sympathy for him when he bursts out in anger regarding Mahadev to Ricky.

Final take

Overall, Akhil Akkineni makes for a striking Agent but Surender Reddy fails to deliver a big-pole entertainer.

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Save The Tigers: A Solid Entertainer With Good Treatment And Performances

A binge-worthy watch!

Save The Tigers (Telugu)

  • Cast: Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Abhinav Gomatam, Krishna Chaitanya, and Harsha Vardhan
  • Director: Teja Kakumanu
  • Music: Ajay Arsada
  • No. of episodes: 6
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Films about marital discord and frustrated husbands have a universal (should I say, male) appeal because of the way marital relationships have changed over the years.

Several films have humorously portrayed this and they have been hugely successful, too.

Director Teja Kakumanu’s Save the Tigers also follows the same route.

The husbands here come from three vastly different backgrounds but share one commonality – issues with wives. More than the story, what makes this show work is how the director used the background of his respective protagonists.

Synopsis

Ghanta Ravi (Priyadarshi) is a dairy farm owner, Rahul (Abhinav Gomatam) is an aspiring writer, and Vikram (Krishna Chaitanya) is a creative ad writer.

They meet at a school where their respective children are studying. Soon, they become friends and start bonding big time.

As mentioned above, they are frustrated married men. One day. they get arrested in a drunk-and-drive case.

Meanwhile, a noted actress gets kidnapped. The rest of the story deals with several aspects. Do the trio have any connection with her disappearance? What made these three men drink so much, and finally why do they call themselves “tigers”?

Highly entertaining

The title Save The Tigers here refers to how married men should also be saved from extinction as much as tigers.

The web series hits the ground running from the first frame. There are a lot of scenes that tickle our funny bones.

The case in point is the servant character played by Jabardasth-fame Rohini. Her interactions with Abhinav are an absolute laugh riot. What makes this track even more refreshing is the absence of body-shaming jokes.

Director Teja Kakumanu is also successful in creating conflicts that have certain credibility, more so if you are a male.

For example, Vikram’s wife is an activist-cum-lawyer who has issues with his mother. Like many children, Vikram’s daughter is the emotional anchor between them.

Save The Tigers also touches upon issues like workplace harassment, but without being preachy.

This comes out through the track of Sunaina who is a harassed employee working in the same office as Vikram. Harsha Vardhan plays the toxic boss.

These scenes are both poignant and entertaining.

There is also a passing comment on how literary standards are falling in recent times.

By the very nature of its story, Save the Tigers isn’t very high on logic.

Sometimes illogicality does come as a deterrent. The case in point is how the husbands bump into each other and realise that all their children study in the same school. The same thing happens to the wives, too.

Also, the kidnapping subplot needed to be etched far better.

Characterisation and performances

Priyadarshi’s Ganta Ravi has the trait of over-talking but this trait is never milked for stereotypical comedy.

On many occasions, his character repeatedly uses the word “paalu” which is similar to the pressure cooker obsession from the film Jathi Ratnalu (Jewels of The Nation, 2021).

The wife characters have also been written with some care.

A particular mention must be made of “Jordar” Sujatha who plays Priyadarshi’s wife. Her aspiration of wanting to live in a gated community has been well-written.

Out of the three men, Priyadarshi and Abhinav Gomatam are the best.

Priyadarshi gets the body language of a dairy farm owner spot on. The actor makes a huge impression starting from his body language to the way he delivers his dialogues in a particular accent.

Abhinav Gomatam is equally good with his satirical humour. The scenes where he is struggling to get over his writer’s block are hilarious, to say the least.

Krishna Chaitanya does not have many comic punch lines but the actor is still mighty impressive in whatever he does.

He is particularly good in the scenes when Vikram expresses his frustration on being sandwiched between his boss, mother and life.

Final take

Overall, Save the Tigers is an absolute binge-worthy watch. It is just six episodes and the duration of each episode is short. Have a fun weekend!

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Virupaksha: A Solid Thriller That Is High On Both Atmospherics And Content

Director Karthik Varma Dandu proves to be a worthy successor to his master Sukumar

Virupaksha (Telugu)                3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha, Sunil, Bramhaji, Ajay, Rajeev Kanakala and others

Direction and story: Karthik Varma Dandu

Screenplay: Sukumar

Producers: B.V. S. N Prasad and Sukumar

Production Company: Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra

Genre: Horror/thriller

Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Thrillers are one of the most difficult genres to execute for any filmmaker. The reason for that is – then the director has to ensure that audiences are constantly on the edge of their seat and keep guessing what will happen next. It becomes even trickier when the director has chosen a subject with undertones of paranormal activities concerning superstitions.

First time director Karthik Varma Dandu sets the story of Virupaksha in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The film begins off in the year 1979 where a couple is burnt alive by the villagers on the suspicion of practicing black magic. The dying couple puts a curse that the entire village will die by next Puskharam. From here we fast forward to 1991 where a series of deaths start happening. It is at this stage that we are introduced to Surya (Sai Dharam Tej). Surya is a city dweller who comes to his ancestral village with his mother and a friend.

On the way they are greeted by a crow which according to his mother is a bad omen but Surya downplays her concerns. Nandini (Samyukta Menon) is the daughter of the village head played by Rajeev Kanakala. Nandini suffers with seizures from time to time. Her health is quite delicate. Surya and his family are hosted by Savitri (Anchor Shyamala). Surya starts developing an interest in Nandini. He starts flirting with her in the typical style of Sukumar heroes. Some lovey dovey moments take place. But things take a turn for bad on the day of the main puja.

Team Virupakasha with Allu Aravind

A missing villager comes from forest in a possessed state and dies inside the sanctum of the temple. This obviously sends shock waves and an elaborate purification ritual is ordered. The priest (Sai Chand) tells the Sarpanch that the village borders should be closed. The priest further adds that outsiders should no longer remain in the village. Surya and his family prepare to leave, but half way through he has to come back to save Nandini’s life who has another seizure.

Meanwhile Nandini’s friend Sudha (Sonia Singh) plans to escape from the village with her beloved. One night she takes the plunge and leaves for the railway station. There she witnesses her lover being hit by a train. A few days later Sudha herself is found dead. In between two more murders happen. One of them includes Savitri. The rest of the story is about how all these mysteries are solved.

Virupaksha grips you from the start with the way Karthik Varma Dandu builds up the ambience. The screenplay written by director Sukumar is filled with many layers. Karthik Varma Dandu and Sukumar come up with some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Sonia Singh

Karthik Varma Dandu should also be credited for not making Surya larger than life. There are no pointless songs that deviate the audiences from the main core.

The cinematography of Shamdat Sainudeen adds certain eeriness to the proceedings. The sound effects are very effective in raising some genuine scares. On more than one occasion the viewers would want to close their eyes.

The twists and turns in Virupaksha engross you till the end. At no point we feel the duo has taken us for a ride. A special mention must be made of the revelation at the end. The climax punch works even more because of the way the foreshadowing has been done.

In spite of all its positives there are certain areas where the film is a little problematic, especially in portraying the children of burnt couple suspected of black magic. The way they go about their revenge using the same superstitions does not go well with the tonality of the film. Also some of the costumes worn by Sai Dharam Tej and Samyukta Menon come across as too modern for the period the film is set in.

Sai Dharam Tej delivers a convincing performance as a man who is on a mission to save his love and the village. Samyukta Menon has a meaty role and the actress does complete justice to her part. She particularly shines in the emotionally charged moments.

Out of the supporting characters Rajeev Kanakala and Ajay shine the most. Rajeev Kanakala melts your heart as a concerned father. Ajay on the other hand comes across as a breath of fresh air in his role of an Aghora. He commands the viewer’s attention with his body language and overall demeanor. Sai Chand also does a neat job in his role of a priest.

Virupaksha is a pure and honest thriller that tackles some important issues prevalent in our society.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Characterisation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Music

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict

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

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Jubilee: A Gripping Saga That Transports Viewers To The 1940s

Incredible performances by actors and strong technical aspects add to the immersive experience of the audience in director Vikramaditya Motwane’s latest offering.

The show shines the brightest in the technical aspects.
Jubilee (Hindi)
  • Cast: Aditi Rao Hydari, Aparshakti Khurana, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Ram Kapoor Wamiqa Gabbi, and Sidhant Gupta
  • Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
  • Producer: Dipa De Motwane
  • Music: Amit Trivedi
  • Episodes: Midseason 1 to 5
  • OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video

Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane’s web series Jubliee is out on Amazon Prime Video. The ace director has once again proved his directorial capabilities with this complex historical saga.

Period dramas have always been a safe bet to draw in the audience, primarily because of the curiosity of the viewers, as they know very vaguely of the periods which these dramas deal with.

The viewing experience becomes greater when a director like Vikramaditya Motwane helms the project. He already proved his capability with the likes of Udaan (Flight) in 2010 and Lootera (Robber) in 2013. He also co-directed the first season of Sacred Games (2018-19).

The show is set in the 1940s with the main focus on the film industry (Bollywood) with the backdrop of the independence movement and the partition.

For example, you have a refugee from Pakistan who wants to make it big in cinemas. It is a complex plot filled with several themes.

The director does a good job of sustaining the audience’s interest. As a viewer, you look forward to the next set of episodes.

The web series is broadly inspired by the lives of yesteryear film personalities like Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani.

Synopsis

Srikant Roy (Himanshu Rai’s role played by Prosenjit Chatterjee) is a filmmaker and also the head of a studio called Roy Talkies in this fictionalised version.

Sumitra Devi, also a star (Devika Rani’s role played by Aditi Rao Hydari), is the wife and co-owner of his production company.

he plot revolves around Srikant Roy who is on the hunt to launch a new face for his next film. After numerous auditions, he narrows upon a Muslim boy by name of Jehangir Khan (Nandish Singh Sandhu).

But conflict arises when Sumitra has an affair with Jehangir Khan. They even make plans to escape to Karachi.

Binod Das (Aparshakti Khurana) is the most trusted aid of Srikant. He is given the responsibility of making sure that Jehangir Khan doesn’t elope with Sumitra.

The situation takes a drastic turn when Jehangir Khan completely disappears and no one is aware of whether he is dead or alive.

There is also the parallel track of Jay Khanna (Sidhant Gupta), a Pakistani refugee who is desperately searching for work in Bombay. Courtesan Niloufer Qureshi (Wamiqa Gabbi) is also in the same city hoping to land a film role.

They both are street-smart and end up striking a friendship. They want to find their footing in the city as well as in Roy Talkies.

Performances

Most of the characters have been written with many layers and this makes the web series more nuanced. Particular mention must be made of the characters essayed by Sidhant Gupta, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Aparshakti Khurana.

The interaction between Niloufer Qureshi and Jay Khanna and the progress of their relationship gives the show some of its best moments.

Niloufer is a courtesan who has big aspirations. To fulfil those dreams, she takes all the possible routes. Some of it is questionable as well but at no point, Niloufer comes across as compromising.

Wamiqa Gabbi as Niloufer effortlessly portrays all the shades of her character. Her dances are also wonderful to watch. The best example of her dancing skills comes in the mujra titled “Woh Tere Mera Ishq Ka”.

Jay Khanna as Sidhant Gupta gets the best character of his career so far. Sidhant perfectly portrays the pain and also the spirit of a young man who has suddenly become a refugee in what recently was his own country. As viewers, you root for Jay.

Till now, Aparshakti Khurana has been seen in light-hearted roles. But here, he does a complete U-turn.

Binod Das who starts as a spot boy lands up in an unexpected new situation. It is a role that is filled with grey shades and the actor aces it.

Prosenjit Chatterjee also deserves a mention for his performance as the head of the studio. He plays his part with a certain panache.

Technical crafts

The show shines the brightest in the technical aspects — the sets are authentic, and Vikramaditya Motwane does a great job of recreating the 1940s. He has assembled a first-rate technical team and has drawn some solid work from them.

The art direction by Priti Gole and Yogesh Bansod is top-notch.

Similarly, Pratik Shah’s cinematography adds to the immersive experience of the viewers.

Amit Trivedi’s music is also in perfect sync as his tunes instantly take you back to those times.

The flaws

Jubilee has also got its share of flaws. One of them is the not-so-powerful characterisation of Aditi Rao Hydari’s character. Her interactions with Nandish Singh Nandu needed to be written far better.

The character of Jehangir Khan also comes across as mostly flat. As a result, his disappearance doesn’t register strongly.

Some cuss words don’t gel with the show.

Verdict

Above all this, Jubliee is worth a trip down memory lane.

(Views expressed are personal.)