Tag: Akshay Kumar

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Selfiee: Clash Between A Superstar And His Fan Keeps You Engrossed

Akshay & Emraan are a treat to watch!

Selfiee (Hindi)

  • Cast: Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi, Diana Penty, and Nushrratt Bharuccha; Mrunal Thakur and Yo Yo Honey Singh (special appearances)
  • Writer-Director: Raj Mehta
  • Producers: Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Listin Stephen, Supriya Menon and Prithviraj Sukumaran
  • Music: Anu Malik, Tanishk Bagchi, and Yo Yo Honey Singh
  • Runtime: 2 hours 25 minutes

There is something magical about the bond that a fan shares with his\her favourite actor. Driving Licence, the 2021-released Malayalam film written by the late Sachy and directed by Lal Jr, was both entertaining and insightful on what happens if the fan takes on his favourite actor due to a misunderstanding.

It was also a brilliant take on the psyche of human nature. Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi’s Selfiee is an official remake of the Malayalam movie.

Interestingly, both Driving Licence and Selfiee have a lot of similarities with Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan. But in Fan, SRK’s Gaurav becomes a psycho who harms himself and also his idol. The war between the superstar and the fan was stretched endlessly with extreme violence.

However, in both Driving Licence and Selfiee, the treatment of the directors is far more mature with an amicable resolution at the end.

The story

Selfiee narrates the story of superstar Vijay Kumar (Akshay Kumar) who visits Bhopal for a shoot.

The film’s climax needs certain permissions which can only be granted if he has a valid driving licence. But Vijay Kumar loses his license and the new licence is yet to arrive.

A local politician, Vimala Tiwari (Meghana Malik) promises to get the new licence in two days. At the RTO office, she meets up with RTO inspector Om Prakash Aggarwal (Emraan Hashmi) who along with his son is a huge fan of Vijay Kumar. Indeed, their biggest dream is to click a selfie with their favourite actor.

As Vijay Kumar visits the RTO office at 7 AM the next day, the news gets leaked to the media. The superstar, who is already on an emotional edge due to personal issues, believes that Om Prakash alerted the media and he berates the latter in front of his colleagues and son.

Soon the news of Vijay Kumar not having a driving licence snowballs into a national issue. To make things worse, Om Prakash’s son gets hurt after a stone-throwing incident.

The RTO inspector assumes that it was all orchestrated by his idol Vijay Kumar. This leads to a huge battle between the superstar and his fan.

The rest of the story tells how this battle affects Vijay Kumar and how eventually things get reconciled.

The highlights

Director Raj Mehta and additional writer Rishabh Sharma retain the core of the original. But, at the same time, they make certain changes that help Selifee in a major way, particularly in the first half.

There are many potshots that Akshay sportingly takes on himself. For example, there is a scene where Vijay Kumar’s wife, played by Diana Penty, makes fun of her husband’s masoode-wali smile.

Similarly, a doctor advises him to do more classy films. The cherry on the cake though is the bit where Akshay Kumar takes a self-jibe at the number of films and brand advertisements that he has to do every year.

Raj Mehta also slips in a meta-reference to Vijay Kumar being a producer’s actor.

What adds even more to the fun factor is the presence of Abhimanyu Singh who plays Vijay Kumar’s contemporary. His character starts off his career at the same time as Vijay Kumar but there is a big difference in their statures now.

It is fun to watch Abhimanyu Singh trying his hand at physical comedy, given his general image. He lets his hair down and simply has a blast playing the jealous rival.

The interactions between Akshay and the local politician are another major highlight of the film.

Meghana Malik stands out with her impeccable comic timing. Her hunger for fame is relatable, given the political circus that we see in everyday life.

Emraan & Akshay are eye candies

Emraan Hashmi as Om Prakash finally gets a solid part after a long time. His transformation from a super fan to a nemesis, among other things, has been well etched out by both the director and writer.

In the beginning, Emraan doesn’t seem comfortable but he gets better as the film progresses. He shines particularly in the emotional bits.

The best thing about Akshay’s Vijay Kumar is the vulnerability beneath the entire swagger.

The actor does a good job of displaying not just the flamboyance of a superstar but also an equally good job of conveying the humanness beneath the stardom. This is easily the actor’s best performance in years.

Of the two leading ladies, Diana Penty lends a certain elegance to her part of a supportive wife who is a friend first and a spouse later. Her scenes with Akshay are filled with warmth.

Other technical crafts

The trouble with Selfiee starts midway through the second half.

The superstar versus fan moments could have done with more meat. The portions of Vijay Kumar taking the driving test feel a bit stretched.

The movie also takes a jibe at the phenomena of media trials. There is also a reference to the #BoycottBollywood movement. These are interesting scenes but they also get repetitive beyond a point.

Among the technicians, cinematographer Rajeev Ravi deserves appreciation for capturing the larger-than-life lifestyle of Vijay Kumar.

The music composed by Anu Malik and Co is not great but goes with the flow of the film. A special mention must be made of the opening song “Kudiyee Ni Teri” though.

Mrunal Thakur springs a pleasant surprise with her glamorous and hot avatar.

Verdict

In a nutshell, this Selfiee is worth a ride, particularly if you have ever been a fan of any actor.

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Ram Setu: More Adventure And A Younger Hero Would Have Been Better

Before the pandemic entered our lives Akshay was easily one of the most bankable stars in the Hindi Film Industry. The actor had created a brand for himself as a kind of nationalistic hero. Akshay expertly juggled between doing films where he saves the day and also slapstick comedies like the Housefull franchise. Raj Mehta’s Good news was an exception as Akshay’s Varun Batra was an elitist jerk. But since pandemic a lot has changed and Akshay’s brand of cinema has stopped working for people. Bachchan Pandey, Bell Bottom and Samrat Prithviraj are examples of this. Yes, Sooryavanshi was a big hit in 2021 but the film immensely benefited from the timing of its release and also from Rohit Shetty’s fan base.

2022 has been particularly a bad year for Akshay as nothing has worked for the actor. Ram Setu directed by Abhishek Sharma is similar to Nikhil’s Kartikeya 2. Both deal with important mythological characters. Kartikeya 2 was about the existence of Dwaraka and the historicity of Lord Krishna. Ram Setu on the other hand is about Lord Ram and the debate surrounding the bridge of Ram Setu. The film Ram Setu has an interesting premise which could have resulted in a complete edge of the seat thriller but the film doesn’t completely live up to its promise.

Ram Setu revolves around an atheist archaeologist Aryan Kulshrestha (Akshay Kumar). Aryan has been entrusted with the job of disproving the mythological origins of Ram Setu, the bridge between India and Sri Lanka described in Valmiki’s Ramayana. However upon further research Aryan comes to the conclusion that the structure may be actually man- made, implying that Lord Rama may be a historical person after all. Nushrratt Bharuccha plays Akshay’s wife. She is a strong believer in god from the start. Dr Sandra (Jacqueline Fernandez) is an environmental scientist. Senior actor Nassar plays the corrupt businessman. Last but not the least Satyadev plays the Lankan guide AP. He has a mysterious background which we don’t know till the end. This is the story in a nutshell.

Ram Setu works best when we see all the three protagonists in the thick of action. The scenes of Akshay and Co searching for historical evidence keeps you involved. You are curious to know about how Aryan changes from an atheist to a believer and how he will save the bridge.

The scenes which I particularly liked were the ones when the team goes on a trail to find Ravan’s Lanka. They have a certain thrill.

Special mention must also be made of the stunning underwater sequences. Director Abhishek Sharma does a wonderful job in capturing the grandeur of Ram Setu under the Indian Ocean. These shots look straight out of a Discovery documentary.

What also helps Ram Setu are the scenes of Satyadev with Akshay Kumar. Satyadev brings in the much needed energy with his charm and adds a layer of intrigue. He also generates some humor with his poked faced comedy.

Both the cinematography and the production design are also a treat to watch. They give a grand feel which adds to your viewing experience.

What pulls down Ram Setu is the casting of the protagonist. Akshay Kumar as the archeologist is a mixed bag. He is good as the atheist but becomes less interesting as the believer. One reason for that is we have seen Akshay do this in the past too. Also you get the feeling that a younger actor like Karthik Aryan who is light on his feet would have been better. This becomes even more apparent whenever the scenes of Akshay and Nushrratt come up. The significant age gap coupled with their inability to generate any warmth is a major put off.

We also don’t understand why Jacqueline Fernandez was cast as an environmental scientist. She looks beautiful as always but there is nothing that she does, except for mouthing some scientific terms.

The climax in the courtroom is way too elongated. The message is hammered in instead of being organically integrated. By the time the court declares that Ram Setu shouldn’t be demolished you feel thoroughly exhausted. In Kartikeya 2 you cheer for Nikhil when he is successful in his adventure but here there is no feeling of euphoria, just tiredness. As a result the revelation of Satyadev’s identity in the end doesn’t give the necessary high.

Final word: Ram Setu is definitely the best Akshay starrer in the recent past but that is not enough for the film to sail through. Watch Ram Setu if you are interested in mythology or if you want to see how Satyadev fares in his Hindi debut.

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Sooryavansi: Bollywood Finally Gets Its Big Ticket Entertainer

Out of all the industries Bollywood has been struggling to get a big hit since the revival of theaters. It has been a combination of several factors; you have had films like Chehre with niche content. On the other hand a big film like Radhe couldn’t meet the expectations of masses. Lot of hopes are pinned on Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavansi to revive Bollywood business  and the director doesn’t disappoint. Rohit Shetty’s films have never been about great plots, it is always about delivering entertainment to the masses whether that is Golmaal series or films like Singham and Simmba. Story wise Sooryavansi is pretty straight forward but what makes it click is the director’s treatment and the infectious energy of Akshay Kumar. After the underwhelming Lakshmi and Bell Bottom the actor is back in his elements. The cherry on the cake are the extended cameos of Ajay Devgan and Ranveer Singh. The scenes featuring the trio are a delight to watch. The film also gives a message on communal harmony which I will be talking about later.

Sooryavansi begins after 13 years of the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai, when a terrorist group is back in action and is planning another mission. DCP Veer Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar) is the head of the Mumbai Anti- Terrorism squad. He is assigned the task of finding their whereabouts and stopping the attacks. Akshay’s character has got a personal connection to the 1993 blasts as his parents had died in it. Director Rohit Shetty adds another personal layer with the character of Riya (An efficient Katrina Kaif). Both of them are on the verge of divorce. Rohit Shetty packs in Sooryavanshi’s personal life and also his camaraderie with the members of his ATS force. He weaves all these elements in a satisfactory way in the climax. Apart from the above mentioned actors, the film features a huge ensemble which consists of Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Kumud Mishra etc.

What really works for the film is how the director sketches the character of Akshay Kumar. You have elements of both intensity and also quirkiness, the intense part is taken from Ajay Devgan’s Singham and the quirky part is from Ranveer Singh’s Simmba. Akshay Kumar combines both these elements really well in his performance. He is intense when required but is equally adept at evoking laughter in the lighter scenes. A running gag in the film is about how Sooryavanshi keeps forgetting names. While the gag feels overused after a point it still delivers plenty of laughs. The most laughs comes in the climax where there are many in house jokes between the three cops. Both Ranveer and Ajay have a blast in their extended cameos.

The pace of the film is another asset. The tension is built up well and things get more intriguing in the second half. The editing for most part is fine but the climatic portions do feel stretched.

As I earlier said the film touches upon communal harmony. It also talks about Hindu-Muslim unity. The director’s understanding of religious dynamics hasn’t got the nuance which is required but it has to be said that it still makes an impact. There is a song called Hum Hindustani where some Muslims help Hindus in carrying the Ganesh idol. This happens amidst people running away when there is fear of bomb. The song is beautifully shot and is sure to make you emotional.

Actors like Jackie Shroff and Kumud Mishra have small parts but they make an impact in the screen time that they have got.

Sooryavanshi isn’t for those who are looking for something new. It glorifies cops like Singham and Simmba which is problematic. However, if you are looking for some mainstream entertainment you will in all probability like it.

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Laxmii: Good Message, But A Little Too Loud

Over the years Akshay Kumar has taken subjects outside the commercial arena and made them accessible within the commercial zone. For example, there is Padman where Akshay played a man who creates a machine that can make affordable sanitary pads. There is also Toilet Ek Prem Katha in which Akshay’s character has to go against the entire village and also his father in order to build a toilet for his wife. In short he has been playing the social reformer in commercial films. 

Laxmii directed by Raghava Lawrence is no different. In this film Akshay’s character is possessed by a transgender ghost who is looking for revenge. For those who do not know Laxmii is a remake of the Tamil film Kanchana directed by the same man. Just like the original it is loud and takes time to come together, but it has its heart at the right place particularly in the flashback portion. 

The basic plot in both the films is about a transgender spirit taking over an unsuspecting man to settle her scores. In the remake Akshay (Asif) and Kiara Advani play a married couple. Asif is an outsider for her family because he is a Muslim and Rajesh Sharma who plays Kiara’s father doesn’t approve of his daughter’s choice. But things take a good turn after a long time when the mother invites her daughter and son in law for a special occasion. What follows is a horror comedy, at the heart of which is societal discrimination of transgenders. 

The film takes its time to kick in and it honestly starts engaging you after Akshay’s character starts behaving as a transgender person. These portions have been well executed and here we see a totally different Akshay Kumar. It also helps that Akshay plays this part with gay abandon and embraces the character whole heartedly. Earlier also we have had actors playing transgender roles like Paresh Rawal in Tamanna but it makes a huge difference when you have an A list actor playing this role as it reaches a wider audience. 

However the film’s biggest strength is its flashback episodes where we see Sharad Kelkar playing Laxmii. Sharad is extraordinary. Even if he is not there for a long time he does complete justice to it. Through his role Raghava Lawrence effectively portrays the message that he wants to deliver. 

The climax although loud is still satisfying. The entire dance sequence of Bambole has been done with lot of enthusiasm and the different dance steps are interesting to watch. The one thing that is particularly admirable is the energy of Akshay Kumar. You feel happy when Laxmii gets her revenge with many transgender people cheering on. 

The comedy track of Ayesha Raza and Ashwini Kaleskar (mother and sister in law of Kiara Advani’s character) belongs to the loud category but it still works better than the romantic angle of Akshay and Kiara. 

What would have made the film better are the initial portions. The conflict point of why Rajesh Sharma doesn’t accept Akshay has not been explored and after a point it is pushed to the background. In fact the entire track of Rajesh Sharma is disappointing. But Kiara’s character is more so. She is the biggest weak link in Laxmii. She doesn’t have a lot to do but even in the scenes where she could have done something she disappoints. It looks like she is still stuck in the Kabir Singh zone. 

For a film like this suspension of belief is very necessary particularly if you have not seen the original. There will be scenes where you will think about the lack of rationality.  In totality, Laxmii is one of those commercial entertainers which has its heart in the right place. It delivers an important message about respecting transgenders and treating them as fellow human beings.