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Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi: A remake done right with good dose of feminism

Director A R Sajeev does a fine job in capturing the soul of Jay Jaya Jaya Hey with the backdrop of Godavari. The biggest victory of OSSS is how it captures the different ways in which patriarchy continues to suffocate women. The subtle digs on the growing trend of Alpha male with a special mention to Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s problematic defense of Arjun Reddy is especially memorable.

Starcast: Tharun Bhascker, Esha Rebba, Bramhaji and others

Genre: Comedy/drama

Direction and screenplay: A R Sajeev

Dialogues: Nanda Kishore Emani

Original movie: Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey (Malayalam movie 2022)

Producers: Vivek Krishnani, Aditya Pitte, Naveen Sanivarapu etc

Production Companies: S Originals and Movie Verse Studios

Music: Jay Krish

Cinematography: Deepak Yaragera

Running time: 2 hours and 11 minutes

Remakes are always a tricky business especially stories taken from Tamil and Malayalam. The major reason for that is their distinctive style both in terms of narration and stories. If the reworking is frame to frame the director is called out for doing a copy paste job. On the other hand, adding certain things upsets the fans of the original hugely even if those changes are necessary. AR Sajeev’s interpretation of JJJH falls somewhere in between. The narrative structure is mostly similar with some scenes being more or less a copy paste: at the same time the movie does have some freshness too. This majorly comes from the Godavari setting along with some additional scenes. Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi uses humor as an effective tool. This particularly comes out in the combination scenes of Tharun Bhascker and Bramhaji playing a supposed well-wisher.

For those who haven’t seen JJJH this Telugu adaptation focuses on an arranged marriage between Esha Rebba’s Prashanthi and Tharun Bhascker’s Omkar Naidu. Both of them belong to the same social space but vary significantly in terms of marriage expectations. Omkar Naidu comes with major temper issues revealed gradually. How Prashanthi goes from a vulnerable young woman to taking things heads on forms the core of Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi.

A strong aspect of OSSS is the depiction of power dynamics. The scenes are reminiscent of most patriarchal households. This includes both the paternal and maternal. Elders camouflaging dominance in the name of concern has a realistic feel. This starts from the beginning itself and continues to be an underlying theme.

The characterization of Omkar Naidu is another plus. His entitled nature as earlier said comes out gradually. In the marriage meet up Omkar Naidu comes across as a progressive person when he talks about not having a problem in Prashanthi finishing her studies. There is also a first night sequence where Prashanthi says that she needs more time to get physically intimate. Omkar Naidu agrees with zero protest.

However, things gradually change when Prashanthi does some experiments in cooking. He has a set eating style like having Idli with Chutney for daily breakfast. Omkar Naidu reluctantly goes through Prashanthi’s cooking experiments but one day loses patience throwing away the plate and also slapping her.

Even his attempts to pacify after every slap is reflective of his entitled nature. Prashanthi ends up ordering the food in accordance with her husband and not her liking. This constant cycle has a repetitive nature but soon things reach a boiling point. It doesn’t help that Prashanthi’s mother and father show a casual attitude to their daughter’s sufferings.

As expected, things reach a saturation point and Prashanti gives Omkar a taste of his own medicine. Again, the pre interval twist won’t be new for those who have seen the original. Nevertheless, it sets a solid base for Prashanthi’s transformation.

Another major asset of OSSS are the portions featuring Bramhaji and Tharun. Bramhaji’s satirical comments especially his dialogue on Godavari people’s nature of being humorous does raise some chuckles. Bramhaji’s character is also casually misogynistic, this comes out clearly in the way he gives advises Omkar Naidu on how to control his wife by pretending to have changed and then making her pregnant.

The dialogues written by Nanda Kishore Emani are also wonderful whether its the satirical humor or the scenes questioning patriarchy. A mention here must be made of how he uses Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s extremely problematic defense of Arjun Reddy. The expression on Esha Rebba’s face with the mother defending the son’s in law beating through the director’s defense on how physical violence is an expression of love paints a disturbing picture. Nanda Kishore Emani through his dialogues successfully brings out how fellow women enable patriarchy as well. Nanda Kishore Emani is also there in a short but an important role, a college professor who makes big claims of being a liberal but is actually hollow.

The biggest asset of OSSS though is the lead pair of Tharun and Esha Rebba. In spite of most scenes being familiar the two actors stand tall. They are a big reason for the movie being compelling even for those who have watched the original. Tharun Bhascker embodies Omkar’s causal entitlement without any over the top theatrics. Tharun along with director and writer make Omkar a relatable character without coming across as a caricature. The particular slang used by Tharun adds to the entertainment quotient too. Tharun’s performance in the comic portions like trying to be a Alpha male by learning Karate with disastrous results is a laugh riot. Esha Rebba is also solid in portraying the transformation. She strikes the perfect balance between vulnerability and strong inner strength. The Karate sequences have been well executed too.

Having said that the use of karate as a give back in both the original and the remake isn’t quite practical. The reason is not all women have the physical strength. Coming back to OSSS the humor in some places lingers more than necessary. This is particularly true of the court room scene featuring veteran actor Bramhanandam.

The atmospherics of Godavari become a character in itself, and the locations are colorful well captured by Deepak Yaragera. Jay Krishna’s music goes well with the flow of movie without any unnecessary numbers.

Final word: Om Shanti Shanti Shanthi is a good adaptation with its own pluses. In one way this can be called The Girlfriend in a slice of life zone.

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Mardaani 3: Rani Mukherjee roars again

Director Abhiraj Minawala along with the writers bring new dimensions to the general template. The character of Janaki Bodiwala as a determined woman constable gives a fresh angle. The investigation scenes featuring her and Rani Mukherjee gives the movie some of its best moments.

Starcast: Rani Mukherjee, Janaki Bodiwala, Malika Prasad, Prajesh Kashyap, Jishu Sengupta, etc

Genre: Thriller/drama

Director: Abhiraj Minawala

Writers: Aayush Gupta, Deepak Kingrani, and Balijeet Singh Marwah

Cinematography: Artur Zurawski

Producer: Aditya Chopra

Production house: Yash Raj banners

Running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes

The Mardaani movies is a special franchise for how it places a female cop at its center. Yes, the format is more or less the same with psychotic villains and an action-packed showdown with Rani Mukherjee taking on the bad guys. There is also a strong ma Durga symbolism in the climatic moments. Still the three Mardaani films are refreshing in terms of how it balances the protagonists strong fighting spirit with moments of emotional vulnerability.

The third part of Mardaani ticks all the familiar boxes, at the same time there are some fresh aspects too. Apart from Janaki Bodiwala’s character the director has given good psychological insight into the mindset of the villains. How their actions are molded by the corrupt system rewarding human apathy adds an interesting layer to the movie. Mardaani 3 in brief focuses on the major network of human trafficking, in this case underage girls belonging to the lower strata of society. Things are going very smooth for Malika Prasad’s Amma but one kidnapping changes her life upside down. This is connected to the daughter of an influential man. Like the previous girls the men think that she belongs to a poor family, but this one misstep leads to a cat and mouse game between Amma and Rani Mukherjee’s Shivani Shivaji Roy. However, Amma isn’t alone in this there is one more hugely evil person aiding her. How Shivani Shivaji Roy exposes human trafficking network forms the basic premise of Mardaani 3.

A major strength of Mardaani 3 is the crisp narrative structure. This is especially true of the first half. Abhiraj Minawala doesn’t waste any time in setting up the plot. Weather it’s the daredevil nature of Shivani Shivaji Roy or Amma’s dastardly nature. The viewers are immediately hooked on what will happen next. The social commentary underneath the investigative has some powerful moments too. The attitude of the influential father in not caring about the other kidnapped girl gives a clear insight into social inequalities. Even the attitude of senior officers is reminiscent of societal apathy towards the not so privileged.

The meeting of Amma and Shivani Shivaji Roy in the latter’s house is striking too. The backstory gives good psychological insight into how she has become this hardened soul. Apart from Malika Prasad’s intimidating portrayal Prajesh Kashyap’s Ramanujan also leaves a lasting impact. His character comes with multiple shades. Not much details can be revealed but the interval twist springs a major surprise.

Janaki Bodiwala’s Fatima is another interesting aspect of Mardaani 3. She starts off a not so confident young woman restricted to just supplying tea, but Shivani sees a capable person in Fatima. As the film progresses the viewers see Fatima punching above her weight and facing near death situations. Janaki does complete justice to the part showing that her Bollywood debut Shaitaan was no fluke.

Ultimately though Mardaani 3 belongs to the ever-reliable Rani Mukherjee. She has made the character her own and this time too its no different. Rani Mukherjee is absolute fire in both the high intense moments as well the few dramatic scenes. Mention must be made of how Shivani feels emotionally knocked out when unable to save one of the kidnapped girls. The climatic fight has a big ma Durga hangover and Rani imbibes the fiery nature in a first-rate manner.

Jishu Sengupta another regular feature of Mardaani movies has an extended special appearance. He doesn’t have much screen time, but Jishu lends in a lot of warmth especially in an important conversation with Rani. Thankfully the movie doesn’t present all men as monsters. The team of Shivani has compassionate men too.

The second half somewhat suffers to a deja vu of Delhi Crime web show mainly because of women being the antagonists there and here as well. Also, a subplot of Fatima supposedly switching sides isn’t convincing enough. Nevertheless Mardaani 3 has a lot going for it

Coming to the technical departments the cinematography of Artur Zurawski fits the gritty tone. The atmospherics have the required tension especially the dark underbelly of human trafficking and beggar mafia. There is no scope for songs in this one and thankfully there is none. The background music of John Stewart Eduri enhances the action sequences like the pre interval twist and climatic showdown.

Final word: Maardani 3 is a worthy follow up especially for those who like gritty thrillers with impactful social commentary.

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Cheekatilo: A twisted tale of male unresolved trauma

Sharan Koppisetty takes a familiar set up of a police procedural but gives some interesting touches. A special mention must be made of how the movie questions society’s attitude towards sexual assault victims. The blame entirely placed on them and also the voyeuristic gaze of media channels. The movie also dwells into what real journalism means

Starcast: Sobhita Dhulipalia, Vishwa Rachakonda, Krishna Chaitanya, Vadlamani Srinivas and others

Genre: Thriller/drama

Director and writer: Sharan Koppisetty

Additional writer: Chandra Pemmaraju

Producer: Suresh Babu

Production company: Suresh Productions

Cinematography: Mallikarjun

Music director: Sricharan Pakala

Running time: 2 hours and 6 minutes

Streaming site: Amazon Prime

Cheekatilo streaming on Amazon Prime jigsaws in different directions. The film begins with a crime scenario like a template serial killer movie. From there we are introduced to Shobhita Dhulipalia’s Sandhya. She is a Television journalist who is going through immense suffocation. The reason being her boss attitude towards news presentation. The game of TRP with tragedy staged as a spectacle is weighing her down. Sandhya is going through a major inner conflict on the disconnect between her personal beliefs and the work she is doing. Simultaneously a series of murders are happening in a particular pattern. Things take a massive turn when Sandhya decides to quit her job and do real journalism through a podcast. She chooses the format of long-term investigation rather than just a clickbait. The identity of the serial killer and how Sandhya helps the police putting her personal life at stake forms the core of Cheekatilo.

There is no denying that Cheekatilo takes a while to get going. The initial portions of police investigation take a bit to warm up but things start to get interesting when Sandhya quits her job and starts podcast. How she does investigation and discovers a distinct pattern makes the viewers anxious on who this dastardly person is and what are his motivations.

The suspense of the killer has been kept well. When the revelation comes its indeed shocking. Not much can be said here but its hair raising which the viewers don’t see coming. The conversation between Sobhita and the antagonist when the latter talks about his modus operandi with an important flashback gives the movie its best moments.

Through the back story of the villain Sharan Koppisetty along with his additional writer talk about unresolved trauma. How this can have an extreme effect is both solidly written and enacted. Yes, the flashback in no way justifies the violence nevertheless it makes the movie more interesting.

Another highlight of Cheekatilo is the depiction of women alone being shamed for the act of rape. How they are made to feel guilty has come out in a hard-hitting manner through two survivors coming forward to share their stories.

Mention must also be made of how Shobita’s character has been written. There is a groundedness to Sandhya with the right mix of vulnerability and fighting spirit. At one point Sandhya accepts defeat shutting down the podcast. Shobhita pulls off the different shades with finesse making the viewers root for Sandhya to win.

Krishna Chaitanya as the cop lends able support but Valdamani Srinivas steals the show in the supporting cast. His character has a major 360 degrees turn the details of which are better seen than me saying.

The cinematography of Mallikarjun adds to the movie’s eeriness especially in the portions of the serial killer hunting down his targets. The background score adds to the thrills too.

Final word: Cheekatilo is a gripping watch for how it intermingles a serial killer story with societal elements.

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Anaganaga Oka Raju: Pilla Zamindar in Naveen Pollishetty style

The movie is a throwback to the typical rural comedies with a nice coming of age angle. Naveen Polishetty who is also the dialogue and screenplay writer does a fine job in entertaining the viewers. The transformation of Raju in becoming a more socially conscious person has come out well. The election portions are a hit and miss nevertheless AOR makes for some harmless fun

Starcast: Naveen Polishetty, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Chammak Chandra, Mahesh Achanta, Rao Ramesh and others

Genre: Comedy/drama

Story, screenplay and dialogues: Naveen Pollishetty

Director: Maari

Producers: Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya

Production Companies: Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas

Music: Mickey J Meyer

Cinematography: J. Yuvraj

Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Naveen Polishetty’s latest venture has a significant hangover of Nani’s Pilla Zamindar in more ways than one. The backdrop of a royal family and the short cut nature of the heroes is the same. The second half with the villagers’ problems and Raju jumping into election bandwagon for his own selfish gains and how the eventual transformation happens plays out in a certain template. Nevertheless, AOR makes for a breezy watch primarily because of Naveen Polishetty’s treatment of a repetitive plot point.

The story of AOR in simple terms focuses on a young man from a royal family, the once rich family is in a somewhat improvised state now. When Raju goes for the relatives rich wedding, he faces humiliation from an aunt. This makes Raju extremely angry, and he makes a vow of marrying a rich girl himself and challenges that he would give the first wedding card to her. Enter Meenakshi Chaudhary’s Charulatha a seemingly naive girl falling for Raju. Things go smooth in fact too smooth for Raju, but the interval twist changes everything. What is that twist and how things unfold when the real intentions of Charulatha and her father come out forms the basic premise of Anaganaga Oka Raju.

It goes without saying that Naveen Polishetty is the biggest backbone of the movie. He completely justifies the tag of a star entertainment not just as an actor but also as a screenplay and dialogue writer. Most of the jokes work because of the actor’s timing and the energy he brings. The combination scenes with Mahesh Achanta and Chammak Chandra are especially a riot. The entire track of operation Charulatha is outright hilarious. There is a Bahubali like scene with Naveen emerging out of water with a dog. The conversation that follows is very humorous. Sankrantiki Vasthunam child actor Bheemla Revanth Pavan Sai Subhash is an important part of this sequence. His dialogues with Naveen adds to the fun quotient. At the same time, he is also successful in bringing out Raju’s transformation. A key emotional sequence with Meenakshi is a solid example of this.

Meenakshi Chaudhary as Charulatha is also fun to watch whether it’s her obsession with K Dramas or being an extreme dog lover. Her character starts off as someone who appears very naive, but the post interval portions bring out a different side making the movie more interesting. The marriage portions are somewhat hurried, and better writing was needed to develop the emotional bond nevertheless the chemistry between the two make up for the weak writing.

The election portions also have some funny moments particularly the initial scenes of Raju trying to win the confidence of the villagers. There is the track of a padayatra resembling real life incidents and the humorous depiction of countryside problems like lack of good doctors and water among others is narrated in a fun satirical way.

How Raju uses Instagram reels as a way to bring awareness is definitely innovative. The portion of press conference with Naveen trying to imitate a key scene from Mahesh Babu’s Bharat Ane Nenu raises many chuckles as well.

However the problem lies in the track of a weak antagonist, both generically written and performed. This was also a problem with Anil Ravipudi’s Mana Shankara Vara Prasad too. The tonal shift from comedy to serious feels abrupt too. A smoother flaw in the second half was needed.

Mickey J Meyers music is fairly fine but a special number in the middle of second half sticks out like a sore thumb. Among the supporting cast Rao Ramesh is underutilized nevertheless he is successful in bringing out the desperation of a once rich man.

Final word: Angangana Oka Raju is a treat for Naveen Polishetty fans and those looking for typical rural comedies

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Nari Nari Naduma Murari: A fun entertainer about the rashness of youth with some relationship lessons

Ram Abbaraju along with the writers give a fresh spin to the template of one-man caught between two women. The dynamics between Sharwanand and V K Naresh gives the movie its most entertaining moments. Sharwanand delivers his most relaxed performance in a while but VK Naresh as the father is the show stealer. Naresh’s unabashed portrayal of a fifty plus man falling for a 25-year-old and the son helping the father is a lot of fun to watch.

Starcast: Sharwanand, VK Naresh, Sakshi Vaidya, Samyukta, Sampath Raj, Sunil, Vennela Kishore and others

Genre: Comedy

Director and writer Ram Abbaraju

Additional writers: Bhanu Bhogavarapu and Nandu Savirigana

Producer: Ramabraham Shunkara

Production house: AK Entertainments

Music: Vishal Chandrasekhar

Cinematographers: Yuvaraj and Gnanasekhar VS

Running time: 2 hours and 34 minutes

Love triangles about one man caught between two women is as old as hills. Whether its ex and current or two wives. In these plots comedy of errors with secrets is common. Ram Abbaruju’s Nari Nari Naduma Murari has a familiar core with situations spiraling out of control and some suspense. However, the movie updates this familiar template with some lessons on true love and the importance of being honest with your partner.

Nari Nari Naduma Murari begins with Sharwanand’s Gautam eloping with a girl. The viewers think that he is helping a friend. Satya playing an auto driver supports Gautam at the cost of his auto facing blows. However, the twist is that Gautam is helping the father Kartik (V K Naresh continuing his golden run of form). Kartik is an unabashed 50 plus man who believes that love has no age barrier. Gautam is an architect in a committed relationship with Sakshi Vaidya’s Nithya. She is a daughter of a well-known lawyer played by Sampath Raj. Sampath Raj’s Ramalingam isn’t fully convinced about his daughter’s choice as he believes that there love isn’t true since everything is smooth flowing. However, he agrees for the alliance albeit reluctantly. Gautam though has a secret connected to an ex called Diya (Samyukta Menon). His past love becomes a hurdle for the present love story due to his rash behavior with Sunil playing a marriage registrar. How Gautam overcomes the tricky situations forms the core Nari Nari Naduma Murari.

A strong aspect of NNNM is the entertainment quotient. Whether its the son’s complicated love life or the father’s second marriage. There is an organic flow to the proceedings with many scenes landing. The scenes between Sharwanand and VK Naresh in particular are solid. For example, there is a portion in a tattoo shop with both coming for different purposes. Kartik has come for having a tattoo in the name of the second wife Pallavi, Gautam on the other hand wants to remove the tattoo in the name of the ex-Dia. This leads to a flashback with Gautam talking about his past relationship.

Similarly, the entry of Sunil as a marriage registrar in Gautam’s past is neatly executed. Gautam and Dia have a Sakhi style marriage with the former challenging Sunil on how they would be called as the best couple. This brash attitude of Gautam turns his present love life upside down. Sharwanand’s interactions with Sunil with the former trying to appease raises many chuckles. Sunil as the semi villain is also entertaining with his serious demeanor.

However, the major highlight of NNNM is VK Naresh. In the hands of a lesser actor his track might have turned distasteful given the large age gap, however the senior actor makes the love story work with his unabashed portrayal. He looks completely in love whether its the youthful energy or portraying the sadness when there is a brief spilt. Through the track of Naresh Ram Abbaraju along with the writers show that age is no barrier for love and this majorly works because of Naresh’s committed performance. The character often becomes the punchline of the jokes but Naresh’s bold attitude in portraying the role is top notch. On a side note, cannot to see the actor in the upcoming Hey Bhagwan with Suhas and Shivani Nagaram.

Sharwanand as Gautam is uninhibited, its his most relaxed performance in a while. His mannerisms and expressions especially in the present portions with Samyukta is a treat to watch. The two leading ladies Sakshi Vaidya and Samyukta are in fine form within the confines of their roles. Samyukta though fares better with a dual shaded character.

Sampath Raj as the concerned father waiting for an opportunity is also good. He brings in a certain gravity amidst the comedy of errors. His view on what true love means like the importance of having arguments and patching up has a good philosophical touch. Vennela Kishore shows up briefly as Ramalingam’s former student. The role has a quirky nature with his obsession of cleaning the Guru’s legs as part of showing gratitude. This irritates Ramalingam to no end, but he has no other option.

last but not the least Sree Vishnu in a guest appearance also makes his presence amply felt. His dialogue about the importance of being transparent with your partner and a punchline on Gautam being inspired by Sakhi is very good.

Vishal Chandrasekar’s music is quite good. A particular mention must be made of the song Bhalle Bhalle featuring Sharwanand and Sakshi Vaidya in Kerala. The picturesque locations coupled with the tune makes it a soothing watch and listen. The cinematography is eye pleasing with good production values.

Final word: Nari Nari Naduma Murari perfectly fits the tag of a Sankranti entertainer with its breezy tone, at the same it explores some interesting things too with a comedic touch.

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Freedom At Midnight Season 2: An introspective history lesson on partitions aftermath

Nikhil Advani along his writers give an important reminder on the very foundation of our constitution. The consequences of partition felt even today is depicted in a hard-hitting manner. The stellar cast led by Siddhant Gupta is top notch

Starcast: Siddhant Gupta, Rajendra Chawla, Chirag Vohra, Arif Zakaria Luke MC Gibney and others

Genre: Historical drama

Director and creator: Nikhil Advani

Writers: Divy Nidhi Sharma, Revantha Sarabhai etc

Producers: Nikhil Advani and Madhu Bojwani

Production houses: Studio Next &Emmay Entertainment

Music: Ashutosh Patak

Cinematography: Malay Prakash

No of episodes: 7

Streaming site: SonyLiv

There is a very poignant moment in Freedom At Midnight season 2 when Chirag Vohra’s Mahatma Gandhi expresses his anguish over divided India. It goes like this “How you divide pain soaked into the soil? How do you divide regret?”. This is one of the many introspective moments in this solid follow up. The second season takes a deep dive into the human paradox of freedom. As a nation we were free on paper with new filled hopes: but the triumph of freedom came with a huge cost something which we need to remember as a nation especially in today’s politically divisive environment.

For those who haven’t seen season 1 this web series is based on a significant novel of the same name. This elaborately detailed work was written by Larry Collins and Dominquie Lapierre. It was centered around partition with the complex scenarios faced by Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabai Patel and of course Mahatma Gandhi among others. Nikhil Advani did a fantastic job in portraying the leaders with their contradictions.

Season 2 also follows this blueprint. This time around the focus is on the division of India leading to terrible consequences. The loss of humanity with friends becoming foes and the bloodbath that followed forms a major part of Freedom At Midnight Season 2. The series also looks at the mismanagement from both India and Pakistan as the scenarios quickly spiraled out of control.

A strong aspect of Freedom At Midnight Season 2 is how it never romanticizes independence. Nikhil Advani doesn’t shy away from showing the disturbing reality. How the nation became fragile with huge communal and religious divide comes out in a stark manner.

There is a scene where Siddhant Gupta’s Jawaharlal Nehru says in this new India nothing will be decided on the basis of religion. Ek azaad, secular Hindustan ki pehchan sirf insaaniyat hogi”. This is followed by Sardar Vallabhai Patel looking at Nehru with hope as well as unspoken fears.

This foundation of secular Hindustan is something that we have forgotten thanks to the current political environment and certain films which have aided this. Mention must also be made of how the series depicts the character of Radcliffe the man responsible for drawing the line. There are scenes of Radcliffe pleading with Mountbatten on how he knows nothing about the geography and the people of India. But Mountbatten is hell bent that Radcliffe should be the one and also there shouldn’t be much delay. It’s hard to not feel for the situation which Radcliffe finds himself in.

The moments of conflict between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabai Patel has also come out in an excellent manner. Both Nehru and Vallabai Patel have different ideas regarding the running of governance leading to some showdowns. In spite of the bitter arguments between the two it never takes a venomous side. There is a moment post Gandhi’s death where Vallabai Patel faces an accusation and Jawharlal Nehru stands up for the senior statesmen.

Chirag Vohra as Gandhi is another highlight of the second season. The questions that he asks about the consequences of partition and his firm belief in the method of Ahimsa gives the show some of its best moments.

Arif Zakaria’s Jinnah is mostly a bitter person but even he too gets moments of humanness. The best example of this is his conversation with Jawaharlal Nehru on how the immense bloodshed was never his intention. There is a genuine regret in the voice. There is also an important portion when Jinnah has to leave Bombay post partition. His mood is very much cranky when seeing the house filled with half closed cartons. In an angry tone he asks the sister Fatima Jinnah (underutilized but effective Ira Dubey) on what the hell is happening. She replies that they are going home. There is a certain emptiness in the eyes of Jinnah brilliantly portrayed by Arif Zakaria.

Ashutosh Patak’s music like the first season is haunting here too. They perfectly encapsulate the human tragedy. The cinematography of Malay Prakash is first rate as well. He successfully brings alive the big scale on which the series has been mounted. There is a lived-in feel to the atmospherics.

On the performances front both Siddhant Gupta and Rajendra Sharma are top notch in their respective parts. They lead the acting department with their excellent performances. The talented Siddhant Gupta brings alive Nehru’s determination as well as portraying the internal and external conflicts with authenticity. Rajendra Sharma as the no nonsense Vallabai Patel brings in the required authority in the confrontation scenes with Siddhanth. At the same time, he aces the emotional scenes too. Mention must also be made of Abhishek Benarjee in an extended special appearance. He is both a victim and perpetrator of the riots. His confrontation scene with Chirag Vohra is an example of some solid acting.

Final word: Freedom At Midnight Season 2 is a much-needed history lesson, to learn from our past mistakes and not repeat.

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Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu: The return of vintage Chiranjeevi in a perfect commercial package

Director Anil Ravipudi takes a simple husband and wife reconcilation plot but packs it with the right garnishing. The self-deprecation associated with his heroes is in full flow here as well. Chiranjeevi puts up an all-around show embracing the zone of Anil Ravipudi with gay abandon. Daggubati Venkatesh in an extended cameo is an absolute riot too. The scenes between the two senior actors is high on fun.

Starcast: Chiranjeevi, Nayanathara, Sachin Khedakar, Abhinav Gomatam, Harshavardan, Daggubati Venkatesh and others

Genre: Comedy

Story, screenplay, dialogues and direction: Anil Ravipudi

Producers: Sushmita Konidela and Sahu Garipati

Production Company: Shine screens

Music: Bheems Ceciroleo

Cinematography: Sameer Reddy

Running time: 2 hours and 42 minutes

Among the young crop of directors Anil Ravipudi has the highest success rate delivering hits back-to-back. One of Anil’s biggest strengths has been his handling of stars whether its Venkatesh, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Mahesh Babu and now Chiranjeevi. The plots are often outlandish and not high on political correctness: Bhagavanth Kesari is somewhat of an exception to this with the strong message of female empowerment.

But what makes Anil Ravipudi tick is his strong conviction in narrating these outlandish stories. In a short span of time Anil Ravipudi has emerged as a successful commercial filmmaker with shades of late E. V. V Satyanarayana and Krishna Reddy. His latest Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu perfectly fits the typical template of an Anil Ravipudi entertainer. The story is wafer thin and sometimes stretched too but the presentation makes it an ideal Sankranti entertainer.

The plot in simple terms is about a middle-class man and NSG officer played by Chiranjeevi. Nayanathara’s Sasirekha is an extremely successful businesswoman with consecutive awards. The two were happily married once upon a time but in the present separated. After many years their lives are intertwined again due to a life threat to Sachin Khedekar’s JVR (he is the father of Sasirekha). How the reconciliation happens forms the spine of Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu.

A strong aspect of Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu is undoubtedly the return of vintage Chiranjeevi. The character has ample shades of comedy, romance, action and drama and Chiranjeevi attacks the part with relish. There are numerous scenes of self-deprecation in typical Anil Ravipudi style and Chiranjeevi raises many chuckles.

His interactions with the team members played by Harshvardhan, Abhinav Gomatam and Catherine Teresa are very funny to say the least. For example, there is a scene of Shankara Vara Prasad trying to reconnect with the two children by introducing himself as PT Teacher first and then taking things forward. The members in the team caution Shankara Vara Prasad saying that they need to make a proper plan. An overconfident Shankara Vara Prasad is dismissive resulting in a jeopardy.

Similarly, the second half portions of trying to woo back Sasirekha also results in many laughs. As far as the emotional scenes there are moments of pain when Shankara Vara Prasad talks about missing his family while seeing happy family gatherings, Chiranjeevi aces this as well with understated acting. This especially comes out when the daughter unaware of Chiranjeevi being the father talks about how he was a bad example of being a parent. For a moment there is a visible pain masked quickly by Shankara Vara Prasad.

The love story has its moments too like the scenes where the characters are seen communicating with just facial expressions and hand gestures. Both Chiranjeevi and Nayanthara bring in the required charm even though there is a hurried nature to how they fall in love.

Daggubati Venkatesh appears as a third angle adding to the fun element. The two senior actors share a fun camaraderie. Venkatesh as Venky Gowda has lot of fun especially in the scene of describing Sasirekha’s beauty much to the discomfort of Shankara Vara Prasad. The use of songs with Venkatesh dancing to Chiranjeevi’s tunes and Chiranjeevi to Venkatesh is also exciting to watch especially for the fans.

Nayanathara as Sasirekha plays the self-assured woman with grace even though the writing needed to be much better. How she becomes a very successful businesswoman is hardly explored. Also, the end suggesting that she has left business altogether and has become a traditional wife is quite problematic. Nevertheless, Nayanthara is solid in bringing out the tough attitude and a certain feistiness in living life on her own terms. Sachin Khedakar in a semi negative role is impressive as well in spite of the caricaturist portrayal. The actual villain track though is rather flat. It would have been much better if Anil Ravipudi skipped it altogether.

Gender politics has mostly been a problem with Anil Ravipudi’s movies, and this too isn’t an exception. A scene involving divorce laws caters to a stereotypical mindset painting women in a certain way. There is also a portion of Zarina Wahab as Shankara Vara Prasad’s mother talking about her husband slap and she immediately leaving him in anger. She later talks about coming back and the two having a heart-to-heart conversation. A thing like slapping a partner is a serious thing but Anil Ravipudi treats it in a casual manner making it appear as normal. Having said that it’s refreshing to watch the mother not requesting the former daughter in law to come back: as she rightly says marriage is a personal thing and Sasirekha has every right to go out. Zarina Wahab lends in a quiet dignity in spite of the less screen time.

The music of Bheems Ceciroleo gels perfectly with the movie’s Sankranti vibe. Both Sasirekha and ‘Meesala Pilla’ have been well integrated. The cinematography of Sameer Reddy is suitably lavish.

Final word: Mana Shankara Vara Prasad is an absolute treat for Chiranjeevi fans and those looking for a festive entertainer. The gender politics though is a different matter

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The Raja Saab: Prabhas reigns supreme in this hit and miss

Maruthi’s latest directorial is a high concept horror comedy with elements of hypnotism and the power of human emotions: the results though are quite mixed. The emotional bond between Prabhas and Zarina Wahab has been etched well aided by strong performances. But the listless romantic subplots along with the songs slacken the narrative making it somewhat tedious.

Starcast: Prabhas, Zarina Wahab, Sanjay Dutt, Malivaka Mohanan and others

Genre: Horror comedy/drama

Director and writer: Maruthi

Producers: TG Vishwa Prasad, Vivek Kuchibotla and Ishan Saksena

Production Companies: People Media Factory and IV Entertainment

Music: S Thaman

Cinematography: Karthik Palani

Running time: 3 hours and 10 minutes

Maruthi has had an interesting journey starting from the low budget Ee Rojullo in 2012. Since then, he has grown by leaps and bounds directing films with stars. His heroes especially in Bhale Bhale Magadivoy and Mahanubavudu come with certain quirks. These quirks have generated ample chuckles making him a mostly successful director. The hero characterization in his latest The Raja Saab has elements which the director known for. At the same though the film’s commercial elements feel like a story force fitted into the mold of pan India cinema. This holds especially true of the three female leads presented in a very glamorous and sexually overt manner with little substance.

The story of The Raja Saab primarily focuses on Prabhas Raju and Zarina Wahab’s Gangamma. Gangamma is an Alzheimer’s patient needing constant care. She has a deep attachment to her husband’s memories played by Sanjay Dutt. We are initially given the impression of Sanjay Dutt’s character Kankaraju being a good person but as the movie progresses different layers come out. Raju’s desperate search for his grandfather leads to Hyderabad where secrets are unleveled about his grandfather’s dark past and how this ultimately shapes up the battle between grandfather and grandson.

The spine of The Raja Saab is undoubtedly the strong emotional thread between Prabhas and veteran actress Zarina Wahab. Their scenes together are both funny and moving. Raju’s constant frustration with Gangamma’s Alzheimer’s with her talks about the grand past along with her husband raises ample chuckles. For example, there is a scene early on where Raju threatens to walk out of the house annoyed with his grandmother’s nature. This is followed by a poignant moment of her making a promise to never bring up the topic again and then immediately forgetting. This leaves Raju bewildered.

Coming to the drama part the elongated pre climax stretch with shades of the Hollywood movie Inception as well our own Arundati is emotionally stirring. There is an extreme helplessness to Raju making the viewers feel for him, the viewers cheer for Raju when he finally finds a way to defeat Kankaraju and also saves his grandmother.

Zarina Wahab in the stretch resembling Arundhati is seen in a royal avatar, and the senior actress brings in the required authority with her voice modulation. The way she propels Raju to fight back in spite of all the hurdles is a delight to watch.

This stretch also has some fantastic action set pieces and good use of visual effects. Maruthi’s potential as a mainstream director can be felt here in the way he combines scale with content. However, it also has to be said that the direction is very inconsistent something which I will get to later.

Prabhas as Raju is refreshing to watch in a different avatar. The roles has different shades whether it’s being goofy, vulnerable and a strong fighting spirit driven by his love for grandmother. Prabhas is successful in bringing alive all these shades. Much like Kalki 2898AD the character here too isn’t invincible, and this comes out on more than one occasion.

Zarina Wahab brings in a much-needed depth as the Alzheimer’s patient. Her longing for Kanakaraju not knowing the reality of her husband makes the viewers feel for her.

Sanjay Dutt as Kanakaraju is successful in making the viewers detest him. It’s not the most unique role but Sanjay Dutt plays the part with the required abandon. He makes for more than a worthy opponent with his mind games and a strong ability in hypnotizing people. A particular mention must be of the scene between him and Boman Irani. It’s high on psychological play making the viewers anxious on how Raju will eventually defeat Kanakaraju.

A major problem with The Raja Saab are the forced commercial elements. The comedy hits the mark on numerous occasions thanks to Prabhas comic timing as well as the combination scenes with Saptagari and Prabhas Seenu. But the major issue here are the three heroines. None of them share any chemistry with the leading man. Malavika somewhat fares better than Nidhi and Riddhi Kumar. She gets a solid action sequence but soon the character becomes just like any other mainstream heroine.

The scenes of jealousy between Nidhi and Malavika with Raju caught in a thug of war makes the proceedings excruciating to say the least. The sudden appearance of Riddhi Kumar in the haunted haveli making it a quadrangle coupled with the song Nache Nache just makes the viewers impatient.

Even the misunderstanding between Prabhas and Nidhi leading to a quick separation just like the beginning of their love makes the viewers scratch their brains. The editing honestly needed to be much tighter cutting off the unnecessary fluff. The Raja Saab is again a reminder on how these big ventures are treating its heroines unlike the smaller films. Case in point last years The Girlfriend, Paradha and even the teenage rom com Little Hearts.

None of Thaman S songs make any impression, the background score though is much better especially in the climatic portions.

Final word: The Raja Saab is a worthy experiment from Prabhas but could have been a more wholesome experience.

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Akshaye Khanna’s resurgence

An overview of how Akshaye Khanna has become one of the most sought out character artists in today’s times with a range of characters whether it’s playing the antagonist or police parts among others

Starting from the year 1997 Akshaye Khanna has featured in over 40 movies as a leading man, second lead and character artist roles. As a conventional leading man Akshaye didn’t much have success with the song and dance routine: however, Akshaye has had a great run of form with layered characters where there is no baggage of a mainstream hero as well as a star kid. There was a significant gap of four years when Akshaye took a sabbatical 2012-2016 but the comeback has been resounding to say the least.

One of Akshaye Khanna’s most iconic characters came in the movie Dil Chahta Hai directed by Farhan Akhtar. Over the years the character Sid has become a fan favourite. The role is more mature in comparison to the ones played by Aamir and Saif. There is an understated romance to his scenes with Dimple Kapadia making the viewers wish that they had a happy ending. Akshaye Khanna especially stands out in the interval block with Aamir when the latter chides him for falling in love with a much older woman.

One of Akshaye’s biggest strengths is letting his work doing the talk rather than indulging in extra pr machinery. He comes and chews the scenery, then goes underground resurfacing again at the time of his next release. The perfect example of this attitude is the latest release Dhurandhar. Akshaye has received a lot of praise and rightly so for his fantastic portrayal of Rahman Dakiat. Akshaye has been called the scene stealer overshadowing Ranveer but there have been zero interviews from Akahaye about his show stealing turn. Of course this method doesn’t work for every actor as each has a different personality. Akshaye meanwhile has quietly moved on to his Telugu debut Mahakali amidst both the mega success and also the controversial exit from Drishyam 3. Akshaye Khanna’s attitude towards acting may appear non serious but the intensity which he brings on screen is terrific.

Akshaye Khanna’s Telugu debut Mahakali

In simple terms he has constantly reinvented himself with a variety of characters and is currently in the best phase of his career. Along with Bobby Deol Akshaye Khanna is another example of how some actors peak much later in their careers.

Following are some of Akshaye Khanna’s best performances across different genres

Much before the negative roles in 2025’s Dhurandhar and Chhaava Akshaye Khanna delivered some scintillating acts in the films Race, Humraaz and Section 375. All these come under negative/grey roles. In the first Race Akshaye played a calculative and cunning man, the character Rajiv Singh alternates between brotherly affection and scheming against his own sibling. Akshaye pulled off the different shades with finesse: his work especially stands out in the scene of Rajiv pouring out his frustration regarding his half elder brother.

In Humraaz Akshaye played a conman Karan Malhotra. Karan is very good at deception, and this is revealed gradually. The best part of Akshaye’s performance is the slyness with which he plays the role particularly in the second half when the malicious side comes to the fore. Much like Race this is also a character with simmering anguish. He starts off as an ardent lover before turning into a spiteful man. Akshaye pulled off this transformation in an excellent manner.

In Ajay Behl’s Section 375 Akshaye is defence lawyer Tarun Saluja. He played a shrewd layer fighting for a filmmaker accused of rape. Tarun is a firm believer in the quote “We are not in the business of justice; we are in business of law”. In short his ideology differs significantly from Richa Chadda’s Hiral Gandhi. This difference of ideological stance gave the movie some of its best moments. Akshaye Khanna simply chewed the scenery with his fantastic act. In the hands of a lesser actor the role would have become extremely detestable but the conviction with which Akshay uncovers the botched-up police investigation with the sharp arguments is a delight to watch. One of the stand out scenes concerning Akshaye’s acting is when the character is splashed with ink by a protester: this is followed by Tarun looking at his reflection in the mirror, the anguish in those eyes is very palpable. Yes, the politics of Section 375 is a bit slippery given the timing of the then Me Too Movement. The movie looks at how men can also be falsely accused of sexual assault but for Akshaye’s acting alone Section 375 is very much worth a watch.

Apart from wonderful performances in negative roles Akshaye has also aced cop characters in the 2017’s Ittefaq a remake of the 1969 one and also Drishyam 2. In Ittefaq the actor effortlessly switched between comedy and being serious: The way Akshaye’s goes about investigating the double murder case gives the movie its best moments. Whether it’s chiding his junior officers for indulging in tea during a crime scene or straightening out a colleague with just a piercing gaze the actor was simply sublime.

In Drishyam 2 Akshaye once again stole every scene that he was a part of. The cat and mouse game between him and Ajay is where the movie gathers momentum. A stand out portion is Akshaye visiting the house of Ajay Devgan’s Vijay Salgoankar. Akshaye doesn’t even raise his voice but the overall demeanour is more than enough. The actor brought in a certain authority in his interactions with Ajay and the family. Mention must also be made of the solid one liners: yes dialogues itself are first rate but Akshaye with his portrayal enhanced them further.

Apart from the above-mentioned parts Akshaye has also proved his versatility in comedy. These include the likes of Hungama (2003), Hulchul and Tees Maar Khan. In Hungama he played the role of Jeetu. An ambitious entrepreneur caught in a web of misunderstandings. Akshaye raised ample chuckles in the scenes of banter with the ever-reliable Paresh Rawal. In Hulchul Akshaye’s character falls in love with a woman from rival family, Akshaye’s scenes with Arshad Warsi playing a friend/sidekick raised ample chuckles. Last but the not the least there is Tees Maar Khan by Farah Khan. In this movie Akshaye played a caricature of a popular Hindi actor. It’s over the top by design but the gleeful abandon with which Akshaye plays the role makes the portions interesting.

This is all about some of Akshaye Khanna’s best performances and how he has evolved over the years. Here’s hoping the actor continues to shine and entertainers the viewers with diverse roles.

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Ikkis: An introspective war drama and a far cry from Dhurandhar’s hyper nationalism

Director Sriram Raghavan successfully charts into a new territory with Ikkis. The film is successful in not just honoring the bravery of Arjun Khetarpal (a Param Vir Chakra hero): but it also explores the aftermath and the human cost of war. Above all though Ikkis is a perfect swan song for the late Dharmendra. The veteran actor brings in an emotional resonance especially in his monologue about the endless cycle of violence. His scenes with the ever-reliable Jaideep Ahlawat gives Ikkis its best moments

Starcast: Agastya Nanda, Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vivan Shah, Sikander Kher, Rahul Dev and others

Genre: Drama

Director and writer: Sriram Raghavan

Additional writers: Arjit Biswas and Pooja Ladha Surti

Producer: Dinesh Vijayan

Production Company: Maddock

Cinematography: Anil Mehta

Music: Sachin Jigar

Running time: 2 hours and 24 minutes

In today’s age of hyper nationalism, the term patriotism is often confused with demeaning our neighbor Pakistan or presenting Muslims in a certain way. Aditya Dhar’s films starting with Uri to Dhurandhar are a perfect example of making movies to please a certain political party. Nuanced depiction of war is hard to fine but Sriram Raghavan achieves a unique feat with his latest Ikkis. The broad story has the familiar tropes of sacrifice and a young man fighting against all odds in the direst of circumstances.

However, within this familiar palate Sriram Raghavan brings in something new. The newness comes from the characterization of Jaideep Ahlawat’s Brigadier Nissar. Nissar is a far cry from the stereotypical Pakistani commanders. There’s a humanness to him and this comes out wonderfully on numerous occasions. The storyline of Ikkis juggles with three different timelines. One timeline is about Agastya Nanda’s Arjun Khetarpal fighting in the war, two the romantic track and lastly the scenes between Brigadier Nissar and late Dharmendra’s M. L Khetarpal. Brigadier Nissar hosts M.L Khetarpal taking him to different places in Pakistan. There is a specific reason for Nissar doing it and this is something to be explored on screen rather than me saying.

The strongest aspect of Ikkis is undoubtedly the scenes between Dharmendra and Jaideep. The movie’s core themes is explored through them. Both these men have fought numerous wars for their respective nations, so they perfectly understand the emotional baggage that comes with it. The scars of a war are always there and this has been wonderfully explored in their conversations. The approach is refreshingly restrained without making it us versus them. M.L Khetarpal like the many partition refugees has his origins in Pakistan but eventually settles in India.

A major reason for Khetarpal’s Pakistan visit is seeing his ancestral home apart from a reunion party with former army mates. For a man who has seen a lot of emotional turmoil he has an upbeat nature brilliantly portrayed by Dharmendra. A special mention must be made of how Khetarpal reacts to Nissar’s confession. There is a remarkable restraint followed by an important monologue on the futility of war and the cycle of violence with its tragic aftermath. The beautiful bond shared between these characters in a short span of time is a delight to watch. In more ways than one Ikkis feels like a Sriram Raghavan’s version of Bajarangi Bhaijaan. Ikkis has a much-needed message of humanity, and this is very important especially in today’s politically divisive environment.

Apart from the late Dharmendra Jaideep Ahlawat is another strong pillar for Ikkis. The fantastic actor never overplays the guilt of Nissar. There is a grace to his overall demeanor and Jaideep nails the different shades especially when he has an important breakdown. Jaideep is truly one of the best actors that we have today, someone who is extremely versatile.

Agastya Nanda as Arjun Khetarpal turns out to be a good choice for the titular protagonist. The rough edges are still there in the scenes of drama nevertheless the young actor makes a good impression: its a performance which is far ahead of the OTT debut Archies. He brings in the right amount of enthusiasm and the required daredevil nature. The romantic scenes though act as a major speed breaker. They have been loosely written, and it doesn’t help that Simar Bhatia is rather flat with her expressions. The songs too by Sachin Jigar belong to a different movie and not this.

In the supporting cast Vivan Shah, Sikander Kher and Rahul are competent especially Vivan playing Arjun Khetarpal’s captain. Agastya and Vivan share a good camaraderie especially in the scene where Vivan advises Arjun on how firing alone doesn’t make someone a man.

Vivan Shah from Ikkis

In the technical department Anil Mehta’s work deserves a special mention. How he has captured the nature of war tanks with a gritty texture is praiseworthy. The action sequences have a different feel to them as you don’t have the usual template of action seen in war dramas.

Final word: Ikkis is a much-needed tale of patriotism without demeaning Pakistan. The thread of emotional baggage across borders makes Ikkis a poignant war drama.