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Liger: A Crossbreed That We Didn’t Need

Not long ago Puri Jagannadh was considered as one of the most successful commercial directors in Tollywood. The director had made a niche for himself with Ravi Teja’s Amma Nana O Tamil Ammaye and Pawan Kalyan’s Badri among other films. Puri reached his peak with the blockbuster Pokiri starring Mahesh Babu.

Vijya and the super rich Tanya, Ananya Pande

But since Pokiri Puri Jagnnadh has seen a dip with many indifferent films like Kalyan Ram’s Ism, Allu Arjun’s Iddarammmayilatho etc. These films lacked the solid masala that the director is known for. In the recent past only Junior NTR’s Temper and Ram’s Ismart Shankar have brought in some profits for the director. When Liger was announced people were excited to see what Puri would bring out from Vijay Devarakonda. Karan Johar backing it along with Mike Tyson’s special appearance made Liger an exciting project. Thanks to COVID Liger has been in the making for over two years and has finally released in a period of huge uncertainty. An apt description for Liger’s quality would be dead on arrival. It is a hotchpotch with zero direction.

Vijay’s physical appearance as MMA fighter is bang on

Balamani (Ramya Krishna) and her son Liger (Vijay Devarakonda) move from Karimnagar to Mumbai. Balamani wants to make her son big in the world of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Balamani makes her life by selling tea. The father was also an MMA fighter who died some time back. Liger has the appearance of a hulk with stammering issues. His stammering is ridiculed at certain points in the film. Ronit Roy plays the tough coach. He has a connection with Liger’s father; Ronit Roy teaches Mixed Martial arts for free to Liger. Both the coach and the mother give a warning saying that girls are a distraction and Liger shouldn’t get distracted.

This is the cue for Ananya Pandey’s super rich Tanya to come in. She is a social media celebrity with Hollywood aspirations. Tanya is impressed with Liger’s fighting skills and soon love happens. What follows is a cross pollination of genres that leaves your head scratching.

Liger, the largest cat in the world

Liger’s only redeeming qualities are the performances of Vijay Devarakonda and Ramya Krishna.  Vijay gets the physical appearance of an MMA fighter bang on, it is quite clear that the actor has worked on his physicality. He also pulls off the stammering part pretty well; to the credit of Puri Jagnaath the stammering aspect does bring a new dimension in the initial portions. Ramya Krishna also does justice to her part as a feisty mother with big dreams for her son. Sure Balamani comes across as screechy on more than one occasion but the fault here lies with the director and the writers. The mother and son bits are the only scenes where audiences feel some kind of emotion.

Vijya Devarakonda, the poster that shook the nation

The biggest issue with Liger is the lack of clarity on the part of the director; even the weakest Puri Jagnaath films had more cohesiveness than this one. The initial part of the film gives you an idea that it is going to be a mother and son story with the backdrop of MMA. But soon the love story takes way too much attention than needed.

Ramya Krishna justifies her part as a feisty mother and Vijay Devarakonda

Man woman relationships in Puri Jagnaadh’s universe have never had any political correctness but here the director takes it to a whole new level. Tanya falling in love after seeing Liger’s fight is the most clichéd thing you will ever see. Her flirting with Liger is more cringe worthy than fun. Right through the first half she is depicted as Menaka who is going to sabotage Liger’s ambitions. These are just some of the clichés that the director piles upon on. In the second half there is a forced attempt at patriotism with a chaiwalla representing India on the stage of mixed martial arts. There is zero creativity in the way the scenes involving the mixed martial arts have been shot.

The love story makes reappearance in the last twenty minutes where the twist about why Tanya dumped Liger is revealed. This leads to the most bizarre special appearance that you will ever see in the climax. You just wonder what Mike Tyson saw in his part to accept this drivel.

Ramya krishna, Vijay Devarakonda, Ananya. On quite a lot of occasions the cameraman focuses on her midriff. It is sad to see the actress in role like this after a fairly decent part in Shakun Batra’s Gehrayiyaan

The songs and their picturisations give another major headache. The abrupt placements also don’t help. Vijay and Ananya have zero sizzle in spite of the way Ananya is presented. On quite a lot of occasions the cameraman focuses on her midriff. It is sad to see the actress in a role like this after a fairly decent part in Shakun Batra’s Gehrayiyaan.

None of the supporting actors register a strong impact. Ronit Roy is suitably dapper but he is mostly reduced to giving speeches and giving serious glares. Senior actor Ali is thoroughly wasted in an inconsequential role. You wonder what made Ali do a role like this.

Final word: It is high time that the makers think of what they are making in the name of pan India cinema, because this isn’t pan India.

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Ready To Fire: More Compelling Than The Movie

Ready to Fire co-written by Nambi Narayan himself is a book that leaves you with many thoughts much like the movie Rocketry which was released earlier this year. It makes us think about the heavy price that Nambi Narayan had to pay, because of his hefty dreams. It also makes us angry towards those who framed him as a traitor, and built up a false case against him. However, there is one major difference between the movie and the book. There is no denying that Madhavan’s directorial was a touching account of the brilliant scientist, but the book is definitely crisper. The book has two aspects. One is his scientific journey, and the other is the trials and tribulations he faced both professionally and personally. The chapters involving his wife are less but they still move you. Also there is less of technical jargon compared to the movie Rocketry.

In a nutshell, Ready to Fire covers the various aspects of ISRO spy case, Narayan’s development as a scientist and the passion that he had for his pet project Vikas among other things. This project Vikas played a major role in the PSLV and GSLV success later on. The book also touches upon the power struggle between Left v/s Congress in a subtle but impactful way.

The book is 350 pages but we don’t feel the length much. Ready to Fire is interesting for those who are not so much into science as well, because beneath the science it is a moving human story. Don’t know who has written more pages but the writing style of both Nambi Narayan and also Arun Ram keeps you engrossed.

One of my favourite chapters in the book is regarding the evolution of ISRO. The journey of ISRO from the inception to its present is filled with many interesting details. These anecdotes give a different dimension to the book. They are both hilarious and stunning.

The chapters involving the police investigation is painful to read, but there is also a fair amount of sarcasm in the way Nambi Narayan writes about the obvious loopholes in the case registered against him. You can clearly tell that police were under a great deal of pressure to prove that Nambi Narayan was indeed a traitor.

As said earlier the chapters involving his wife are less, but you are not likely to forget her. Her animal like cry on seeing her husband after a long time is easily one of the most disturbing parts in the book. She suffers a severe psychological condition leading to depression also. Finally she comes out of it with the help of her husband.

There is a part in the book where Nambi and his wife step out after a long time to attend a reception. During lunch Nambi gets a call that he has been declared innocent by the Supreme Court of India. At last justice is done. We feel immensely happy.

Lastly the bond of Nambi Narayan with Vikram Sarabhai and Abdul Kalaam also makes an interesting read.

Ready to Fire is a story of human spirit that one shouldn’t miss reading. Both the book and the movie should definitely be on your bucket list.

https://www.primepost.in/ready-to-fire-more-compelling-than-the-movie/

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Laal Singh Chadda: No Forrest Gump But Nevertheless A Worthy Adaptation

Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks is considered an iconic film and rightly also. The journey of a slow-witted yet a kind-hearted person touched many cords when the film was released in 1994. Forrest Gump is a film which is also remembered for its political overtones. Remaking a film like this is a huge responsibility for any filmmaker. Advait Chandan takes on the mantle of the director here while Aamir reprises the iconic role of Tom Hanks. The Indian adaptation has been done by the acclaimed actor Atul Kulkarni. Atul Kulkarni changes the identity of the protagonist to a Sikh in the Indian version. The story plays out in the form of narration, with Laal Singh Chaddha talking about the various stages of his life to fellow passengers on a train.

Director Advait Chandan and screenplay writer Atul Kulkarni stay mostly true to the fable like quality of the original. Where the screenplay differs from the original is how the character of Kareena Kapoor Khan has been integrated and the love story between her and Laal Singh Chaddha. These changes definitely helped the film. Though there is a heavy dosage of Punjabi dialogues thankfully they don’t irritate much.

Before going further it is necessary to get the biggest comparison out of the way, and that is Tom Hanks versus Aamir Khan. There is no denying that Aamir overdoes the simpleton act. The exaggerated expressions take some time to get used to. At some points he even comes across as a cousin brother of PK. Laal will also remind you of Shahrukh’s Rizwan Khan from My Name Is Khan. However to the credit of Aamir he is still successful in making the audiences connect to the various stages of Laal Singh Chaddha’s life.

The political aspect in Laal Singh Chaddha film isn’t very overt, but you can clearly tell where the heart of the director and its leading man lies. The portions leading up to the Sikh riots are particularly effective. For example there is a scene where Laal’s onscreen mom (Mona Singh) saves her young son from the rioters by shortening his hair so that he won’t be identified as a Sikh. This scene is truly terrifying. Much later on we have a scene where Laal Singh Chaddha is tying a turban with a swelling background score playing.

Advait Chandan also does a wonderful job in creating two well etched female characters in the form of Mona and Kareena. The love story between Aamir and Kareena has been wonderfully etched starting from portions when they were children. You root for Laal and Kareena’s Rupa.  After a long time Kareena is in solid form. The actress imbibes Rupa with lot of sensitivity and compassion. Additionally Kareena is also stunning to look at. Mona Singh is also wonderful as the compassionate mother. She doesn’t miss a single beat and the lessons that she imparts to her son stay with us for a long time.

Naga Chaitanya making his Bollywood debut has a tricky role to play, which he manages to pull off well. He is from Kakinada whose family sells chaddis and banians. His character Balaraju is a fellow mate of Aamir during Laal’s army stint. There is a lot of chaddi and banian talk between the two, which brings a smile on our faces.

Laal Singh Chaddha also makes you travel to many places. The locations are a feast to the eyes, more so if you see it on the big screen. The music by Pritam is also in complete sync with the narrative.

While the first half of Laal Singh Chaddha is seamless, the bumps come in the second half. The track involving Manav Vij playing an enemy turned friend sounds very implausible. Advait does make a comment on how terrorists are misguided but this comes across as more contrived than organic. Also the film gets overdramatic once Aamir meets Kareena after a long gap. Ideally it should have ended with Aamir having a happy ending with Rupa, but in order to stay true to the original the director inserts a cancer track. From then on the film drags painfully. Aamir’s outburst in the pre-climax also doesn’t have the desired emotional affect, the reason being you are already exhausted by the running time. Fifteen minutes of the film could have been easily chopped.

PS: Of late more and more simpleton characters in films are humane and message oriented. Wonder why!!

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Sita Ramam: This Tale Of Star Crossed Lovers Touches Your Hearts

Hanu Raghavapudi’s Sita Ramam is a poetic love story that works on many levels. The twists and turns keep you hooked. Most importantly the chemistry between Dulqer and Mrunal works like magic. The director also looks into the Indo-Pak conflict with Kashmir. He smartly integrates this subplot into the film and makes sure that it never comes across as just an add on.

Rashmika Mandanna tasked with uniting Dulqer and Mrunal

In the mid-1960’s Lieutenant Ram (Dulqer Salman) falls in love with a stranger (Mrunal Thakur as Sita) after an exchange of letters. Ram meets Sita and she also reciprocates his love. But Sita has problems due to her family, cut to 20 years later Afreen (Rashmika) is assigned with the task of delivering Ram’s letter to Sita by her grandfather-army general (Sachin Khedar). Afreen has no inclination to deliver the letter but she has no other option, the reason being her grandfather’s will, Afreen is a Pakistani Muslim who hates Indians. The rest of the story focuses on why the letter is so important and what is the connection between Ram and Afreen’s grandfather.

For a love story like this to work the casting of the lead pair is very important, director Hanu Raghavapudi gets the casting absolutely spot on. Both Dulqer and Mrunal deliver wonderful performances. The chemistry between them is a treat to watch. Dulqer turns on his charm fully and makes the audiences fall in love with him. The actor is in splendid form in both romantic and emotional scenes. The surprise package though is Mrunal. She makes a stunning Tollywood debut. She not only looks gorgeous but also performs with ease.

Rashmika Is Not A Heroine But The Hero Of This Film! - Movie News
Rashmika is not the heroin of the film but a very important character

Hanu Raghvapudi has handled the portions between Dulqer and Mrunal in a classy manner. Some of the emotional bits featuring the lead pair give you goosebumps.

The director has also made sure that the supporting characters come out well. The roles of Sumanth and Rashmika are beautifully woven into the story. Both the actors do a splendid job in their gray shade characters.

Indo-Pak conflict mixed with a love angle is something that Indian audiences are always keen to watch. The film reminds you a bit of Veer Zara in the sense that Dulqer’s Ram is prisoner in a Pakistani jail. The scenes involving war makes you tense about what will happen next.

There are twists and turns at regular intervals and the last one leaves you teary eyed.

Sita Ramam teaser is visually appealing | Telugu Cinema
Dulqer in army uniform bringing in war atmosphere

Technically also Sita Ramam makes for an eye pleasing product. The cinematography by PS Vinod and Shreyas is of very high standards. The music by Vishal Chandrasekhar is soothing and suits the mood of the film perfectly.

Sita Ramam is not without its flaws though. Some of the comic portions are oddly placed. The track of Vennela Kishore could have been better etched out. Also there are some logical errors. For example Mrunal Thakur’s character doesn’t de age for a bit even after twenty years.

Sita Ramam is a feast particularly if you are a fan of Dulqer and also intense love stories.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Masaba Masaba Season 2: Neena And Masaba Score Once Again

Sonam Nair’s Masaba Masaba Season 1 was one of those loved web series when it released in the year 2020. Neena Gupta was expectedly brilliant, the surprise package though was daughter Masaba also playing herself. She stood her own and the scenes featuring Neena and Masaba were very good to watch. The plotline was basically Neena and Masaba playing a fictionalized version of themselves. The web series covered the professional and personal lives of the mother and daughter duo. There were also some important issues that season 1 covered like ageism in the industry, and how it is not so easy for senior actors particularly for the women to get solid parts. Director Sonam Nair smartly intergrated the film Badhai Ho into one of the episodes, for those not aware Badhai Ho was a huge gamechanger for Neena Gupta. The series also took several potshots at the fashion industry. At the end of season 1 you were eager to know how the story would go forward.

The tonality of Season 2 which has seven episodes is more or less the same, but director Sonam Nair is successful in bringing different dimensions to the same story. Season 2 begins off with Masaba’s pregnancy scare, and this unfortunately leads to Neena going all guns blazing on her. Masaba’s professional life isn’t exactly going well either. She puts all her energy into the fashion show but things don’t turn the way she expects, the reason for that is a young designer who steals the limelight. Neena, on the other hand, doesn’t want to confine herself to the backseat and is on her way to challenge the expected norms. In a way the problems addressed are similar to the first season, but the handling of it is more intense.

Director Sonam Nair dwells deep into the burden that successful women have to carry on their shoulders. She does a good job in capturing both the public scrutiny and also the unrelenting social media. In spite of being a fashion designer for a decade and learning the craft, Masaba still has to justify her talent time and again. Masaba even ends up hiring a publicist for her professional life to get better.

This publicist makes Masaba do things that she isn’t comfortable with. A segment that stands out is when Masaba is invited on a reality show as a judge. Masaba is made to go against her nature.

Another segment worth mentioning is the involving Neena Gupta.  Neena Gupta wants to revive her hit show Fursat but her script has been turned into a ridiculous joke by the producers and also a young-know-it all director. The reason for changing the script is that no one is apparently interested in watching older people romance on screen. It doesn’t take long for the director’s sexism to come out.

Sonam Nair also brings a certain sensitivity in handling the scenes between Masaba and Niel Bhooplam’s Dhairya Rana. Dhairya is Masaba’s investor. He has feelings for Masaba but there is a past incident involving her personal life and things get complicated. Niel Bhooplam plays his part with lot of understatedness.

As expected both Neena and Masaba knock it out of the park both together and also individually. Their scenes together have a real life warmth that makes you root for them.

Through the mother and daughter duo director Sonam Nair tells a heartwarming story of women standing up for each other, and how this changes each other’s lives.

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Good Luck Jerry: Janhvi Kapoor Leads This Delicious Crime Comedy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Shamshera: The Duo Of Ranbir And Sanjay Dutt Make it Worth A Theater Watch

Karan Malhotra is someone who established himself as a successful mass director with his debut film Agneepath. The film was a remake of the old one by the same name. It was an unabashed masala film with little nuance. But still Agneepath was very much watchable; there were two main reasons for that. One is a certain craft that Karan brought along with the powerful performances led by Hrithik Roshan. Agneepath also gave us two powerful villains in the form of Sanjay Dutt’s Kancha Cheena, and late Rishi Kapoor’s Raut Lala. His next Brothers was also a remake, this time a Hollywood film. Brothers was less successful but still the film had its moments.

His latest Shamshera pretty much treads on the same path. It is a mass masala entertainer that presents Ranbir in a very different light. Earlier also Ranbir has tried his hand at mass genre, case in point being Besharam and Bombay Velvet directed by Abhinav and Anurag Kshyap respectively. Shamshera is a far more successful mass stint than the above mentioned ones. The film isn’t without its share of lapses but there is no denying that it is an absolute big screen experience.

Fictional tribe and city

The movie begins with Ronit Roy’s narration about a fictional lower caste warrior tribe called Khammeeran. This tribe is led by Shamshera (Ranbir Kapoor in a double role as father and son). They are imprisoned in an imaginary city of Kaza. In Kaza they are enslaved and tortured by the ruthless authoritarian general Shuddh Singh (Sanjay Dutt once again in a negative role). After a lot of humiliation Shamshera decides to free his tribe but he only ends up dying. After a leap of 25 years we are introduced to the son Baali who looks exactly like his father.

However, Baali’s inner personality is very different from his father. He likes singing and dancing. This is established wonderfully in the intro song Ji Huzoor. The aim of Baali is to join the security forces working for the British. He is blissfully unaware about the truth behind his father’s painful death.

Soon enough Baali comes to know about how much his tribe has suffered, he takes over the mantle of Shamshera and thus a new fight begins. It is a fight for the freedom of his people and their self respect. Added to this mix you also have Vaani Kapoor playing Baali’s love interest. Her introduction is very similar to what Katrina Kaif had in Thugs of Hindustan. In a way her character can be called as a distant cousin of what Katrina Kaif had played. There is also Saurabh Shukla who is reminiscent of Satyaraj’s Kattappa in the Bahubali films.

The most striking aspect of Shamshera is how it has been staged. The imaginary city of Kaza never feels fake. A major reason for that is the production design by Sumit Basu. It looks intrinsic and detailed. A shout out also has to be given to the cinematographer Anay Goswamy. He does a wonderful job in capturing the terrain of the Nubra Valley, the film has been mostly shot there. The constantly swirling dust has been brilliantly used by the cinematographer.

Music and background score by Mithoon is another high point of the film. The best examples of this are the two distinctively different intro songs for the father and son. The one song which sticks out like a sore thumb is the Vaani Kapoor’s introduction song.

From the first frame it is very clear that Karan Malhotra has banked heavily on the duo of Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, fortunately for the director neither disappoint. Ranbir Kapoor is on point both as the father and son. The characters of Shamshera and Baali give enough scope for Ranbir to showcase his all round capability, and the actor doesn’t disappoint one bit. He holds the film together with his charisma and acting chops even when the script starts wobbling. Ranbir is particularly good when he aces the vulnerable side of the father and the son. As an action hero he never appears out of place.

A terrific villain

Sanjay Dutt makes for a terrific villain. Shuddh Singh is cut from the many villain roles that the actor has been playing of late. But unlike KGF 2 here Sanjay Dutt doesn’t come across as sleepwalking. It is easily the best negative role that the actor has played post Agneepath. The action scenes between Ranbir and Sanjay are a delight to watch. More so given that Ranbir played Sanjay Dutt in the latter’s biopic Sanju.

The biggest flaw of Shamshers is how it treats its secondary characters, starting from Vaani Kapoor’s Sona. In the first half her only job is to do sensual dances. In the second half there are some dramatic moments where she could have shined, but Vaani fails miserably. The love story between Ranbir and Vaani comes across as an unnecessary extra. The actress playing Shamshera’s wife is mostly reduced to a weeping figure.

On the other hand, capable actors like Ronit Roy and Saurabh Shukla are mostly reduced to loyal elderly men, for the father and son respectively, the other members of Shamshera’s tribe don’t fare any better.

Shamshera also suffers from a distinct hangover of Bahubali films and RRR. There is a seen there feeling that the audiences get at many junctures.

The climax is too elongated and by the time Shuddh Singh dies you feel utterly exhausted. Karan Malhotra uses crows as a helping hand very frequently; this plot device doesn’t bring anything substantial to film.

There is a lot to enjoy if you are a fan of Ranbir Kapoor. It is indeed a treat to watch the actor on the big screen after four years. However, an original approach would have made this more worthwhile. Shamshera would have fared better if it had come before Bahubali and RRR.