Directors Neeraj Pandey and Raghav M Jairath shed light on the unexplored lives of custom officers. What majorly works for the show are the grey areas and the nuanced manner in which the characters have been written. Emraan Hashmi in his 2-point O Version blends in wonderfully coming up with a restrained but impactful act. The women characters also have substance
Stories about men and women officers have been explored umpteen times. However, Taskaree (The smugglers web) is a different beast from the narratives we have experienced previously whether it’s on big screen or OTT. A big reason for the freshness is the airport backdrop becoming a major character in itself. After watching Taskaree, the viewers are sure about to ponder about the happenings behind the baggage belts.
Taskaree in brief focuses on the fight of Emraan Hashmi’s Arjun Meena and co against international smuggling rackets. The setting is Mumbai International Airport a place mostly associated with fan selfies etc. But here we see a completely different side. Sharad Kelkar plays the primary antagonist Bada Choudhary, however Bada Choudhary is not the only villain here. He is aided by a few more especially a person from the custom office.
For most part of Taskaree viewers are kept in suspense about the identity of informers as well as the ones working for Bada Choudhary. This is a major strength of this seven-episode saga. The show also benefits immensely from a non-fussy approach regarding the crime operations.
There is nothing flashy or heavily dramatic about the smuggling of goods. Routine baggage checks with bribed officials among other things give a sense of realism. The web series also does a fine job in not caricaturing people. The struggles of custom officers in dealing with family responsibilities, career stagnation etc lends a moral ambiguity.
The web series also gives an insight into how criminals are not always born out of a twisted mind. Sometimes it becomes a matter of survival where is no other resort. The perfect example of this is the angle of officials taking bribes.
As already mentioned the women characters have been written with substance. Whether it’s Amrita Khanvilkar as a single mother or Zoya Afroz as an airhostess turned informer. Both the actresses get solid parts, and they do a good job in portraying the different nuances.
Nandish Sandhu as Arjun’s confidante is solid too. He particularly shines in the emotional scenes. Anurag Sinha as the head of Arjun Meena has a character with different shades. Not much can be revealed since it will be spoilers, but the actor does a very fine job especially in a crucial reveal.
Emraan Hashmi has always been a proficient actor often undermined due to his serial kisser image. But as last year’s Haq showed the actor is having a resurgence with impactful roles. Taskaree is a solid addition to this. There is a controlled intensity to Arjun Meena and Emraan portrays that brilliantly. Sharad Kelkar as Bada Choudhary is understated yet very effective in bringing out the menace.
But the conclusion to the cat and mouse comes across as somewhat hurried. It could have done with more intensity. Similarly, a few passages could have been trimmed too. The rest of the cast are in fine form as well especially Jammel Khan in a twisted role.
Final word: Taskaree is a well-made crime thriller with a new concept. Definitely worth binge watching.
An overview into some of the best Hindi movies this year with a brief insight of gender and caste concerning Dhadak 2, Homebound and Phule
2025 like 2024 has also seen a handful of successful films. These movies are Chhaava, Saiyaara, Raid 2 and Aditya Dhar’s monstrous hit Dhurandhar. An interesting feature of 2025 though has been some solid films dwelling into the themes of gender and caste. Topping this list is Shazia Iqbal’s Dhadak 2 based on the hit Tamil movie Pariyerum Permul. Thankfully the movie improved on the original significantly with its depiction of the female protagonist. Unlike the original Dhadak 2 is set in a city but this change doesn’t lessen the caste horrors in any way. Apart from a much-improved gender angle Dhadak 2 also had dialogues related to the reservation taunts faced by the lower caste. There is an important portion in the movie where Priyank Tiwari’s Shekhar talks about the origin of reservation. The dialogue goes like this reservation came because of casteism and not the other way around.
The gender angle came out strongly with a fantastic Tripti Dimri. Vidhi is someone with a mind of her own asking uncomfortable questions however she stays in a privileged bubble with little awareness about the struggles faced by the lower caste. But all that changes when she falls in love with Siddanth Chaturvedi’s Neelesh a timid Dalit youth with big dreams. There is a very poignant conversation between the two when Neelesh opens up about his bitter experiences in the context of a college professor constantly taunting him for his reservation seat. This opens up a new world for Vidhi and the movie progresses the character becomes fiercer. Even when Neelesh keeps a certain distance due to her father Vidhi doesn’t give up on the relationship standing by her love. Apart from standing up for her love Vidhi also questions the patriarchal attitude of her cousin brother played a terrific Saad Bilgrami. Vidhi questions the concept of honour being solely attached to women’s actions. Tripti did an excellent job in bringing out the different shades of Vidhi. Siddanth Chaturvedi was first rate as well making the viewers feel the angst and cheering for the character when Neelesh decides that enough is enough especially the pre climax outburst.
2025 has also been a mini comeback for senior actor Akshay Kumar both in terms of box office and acting performances. A special mention must be made of Kesari Chapter 2 and Jolly LLB 3. In Kesari Chapter 2 Akshay played the role of C Shankaran Nair a real life lawyer who fought against the crown. The movie directed by Karan Singh Tyagi is based on a book The Case That Shook The Empire. As Shankar Nair Akshay did a very fine job in conveying the emotional turmoil along with the fighting spirit. Kesari Chapter 2 also featured a strong woman character in the form of Ananya Pandey’s Dilreet Gill. Dilreet breaks numerous social conventions of that period. Yes, this character doesn’t exist in the book nevertheless this role makes the movie more interesting. A specific mention must be made of an important cross examination portion where Ananya goes from being nervous to takings things head on. Similarly, there is also a scene of Dilreet confronting Shankaran Nair on how he shouldn’t run away, instead he should fight against the crown and bring the truth out. Ananya did an excellent job in both the above-mentioned scenes.
In Jolly LLB 3 Akshay played he played a crooked lawyer developing a social conscious with practiced ease. Akshay particularly shined in the fiery courtroom arguments. There is a palpable intensity in the way Akshay talks about farmer subsidies being dismissed as Khairat (charity). The actor makes you feel the transformation.
Emraan Hashmi too made a solid comeback with a layered role in Suparn Verma’s Haq. Yes, Yami Gautam is the center, but Emraan too has a significant role in making the movie more interesting with his nuanced performance of an entitled husband. True to its the title the movie is an important social drama on women’s rights and respect being equally important to love. The very underrated Akshaye Khanna knocked it out of the park with two solid negative roles. One Chhaava and another Dhurandhar. In Dhurandhar especially he stole the limelight with a swashbuckling act often overshadowing Ranveer.
Following are some of the best Hindi movies in 2025
Saiyaara: Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara is an intense romantic drama done right. Unlike Mohit Suri’s mostly doomed romances Saiyaara has a more contemporary touch. This particularly comes out in the second half when Ahaan Pandey’s Krish Kapoor goes from a hot headed rockstar to a devoted boyfriend. The way Krish takes care of Aneet Padda’s Vani gives relationship goals. He puts his love above the need for fame. At the same time there is no clichéd trope of sacrificing music altogether. Krish’s deep love for Vaani isn’t a weakness. Instead, it adds to his music. This comes out in a thunderous manner during the title song. Through the role of Krish Mohit gave a refreshingly different protagonist, a young man striking the perfect balance between ambition and love. Saiyaara also benefitted from two brilliant leads. Both Ahaan and Aneet Padda were terrific in their respective parts. Rajesh Kumar and Geeta Agarwal as Vani’s parents were also good. Special mention must be made of Alam Khan as KV. KV doesn’t understand Krish’s intense love for Vani, but this doesn’t stop him from standing by his friend.
Music has always been Mohit Suri’s biggest strength and Saiyaara is no different. Tracks like Humsafar and the super title song with fantastic vocals coupled with Ahaan’s acting adds to the movie’s emotional quotient.
Chhaava: Laxman Utekar’s Chhaava treads along the familiar path of Hindu nationalism with Muslims being portrayed as merciless invaders. The movie doesn’t break any new grounds in its treatment of Swarajya and Muslim rulers. Nevertheless, the movie is a worthy big screen experience mainly for the technical department along with a brilliant Vicky Kaushal and Akshay Khanna.
Thankfully Akshay Khanna’s Aurangzeb doesn’t become another version of Ranveer Singh’s Khilji. Akshay evokes terror with just his piercing gaze and overall demeanor. A special mention must be made of the scene where Aurangzeb expresses disappointment on hearing the news of Shivaji’s death. The admiration for Shivaji’s bravery is palpable.
As Sambhaji Vicky Kaushal did an excellent job in nailing both the physicality and emotional side. Keeping aside the historical controversies on the kind of man Sambhaji actually was Vicky was first rate. The action sequences were also a treat to watch especially the portions of Marathas outsmarting the Mughals using guerrilla tactics.
Thamma: Aditya Sarpotdar Thamma is a major gender bender reversing the usual Knight in shining armor trope. Rashmika Mandanna as Taraka/Tarika had a fantastic role with the right of ferociousness and also tender moment: Rashmika was simply in portraying the different shades. Ayushmann Khurrana as a small time reporter Alok also did well especially in the transformation portions. Whether it’s the initial shock of turning into a Betaal himself or adjusting to the new identity Ayushmann brought his usual finesse.
The love story is the core of Thamma. This aspect does take a while to gather momentum but as the plot progresses the viewers become engrossed on where the romance is heading. In the supporting cast veteran actor Paresh Rawal made his presence amply felt. He brought in some chuckles as well bringing gravity in a few emotional sequences. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the comic villain suffered somewhat on the account of weak writing: nevertheless, Nawazuddin was wonderfully eccentric embracing the whacky tone with flair.
Haq: Suparn Verma’s Haq is a gripping tale of perseverance and fighting for one’s rights. The movie is based on the landmark Supreme Court judgement in the case of Sha Bano. Though set in the 1980’s the battle for dignity holds relevance even today. The movie at no point demonises the Muslim community. The focus is on men twisting laws as per their convenience and using religion as a façade to justify male entitlement irrespective of faith.
Director Suparn Verma along with writer Reshu Nath take their own sweet time in unravelling the different layers. Emraan Hashmi’s Abbas isn’t presented as a chauvinistic villain from the beginning itself. There is a genuine romantic side. As a result of this gradual process the eventual transformation doesn’t come across as jerky. Haq also benefits from solid confrontation scenes with very good acting from both Yami and Emraan. The need for a respect in a relationship and how that’s equally important to love is one of the main themes in Haq. An important conversation between Yami Gautam and the second wife played by Vartika Singh perfectly reflects this, as Shazia Yami nailed both the vulnerable and ferocious side not afraid to voice her opinion in front of so called wise people.
Homebound: Neeraj Ghaywan’s return back to the big screen was very much worth the wait. Unlike his debut feature Masaan the politics of Homebound is more in your face but the effect is equally solid. Through the tale of two friends the director did an excellent job in capturing the struggles of marginalized. In this case it’s both caste and religion. Homebound also struck a chord for its heartfelt depiction of migrant worker’s plight.
The movie doesn’t directly critique the government but for those who can read between the lines the administrative failure is very much palpable. The movie is based on an article written by the noted writer Basharat Peer. In the second half his touch is very visible. Mention must also be made of the love story between Vishal Jethwa’s Chandan and Janhvi Kapoor’s Sudha. Both come from the Dalit community but the dynamics are different with Sudha being the more empowered one. Janhvi has a crucial monologue about educate, organize and agitate. She played the role with the required confidence bringing in a much needed lightness to the otherwise grim proceedings. As Chandan and Shoaib both Vishal and Ishaan got into the skin of their respective characters. They did a wonderful job in bringing the friendship alive. Ishaan especially shined in the sequence where he desperately wants to save his friend by egging him on. It’s so emotionally moving.
Metro In Dino: Anurag Basu’s Metro In Dino is a solid spiritual sequel exploring the complexities of love and marriage. He did an excellent job in reflecting the contemporary society like the fast lifestyles and sometimes fickle nature of marriages. Among the numerous parallel stories the one which stood out the most was the track involving Pankaj Tripati and Konkana Sen Sharma as Monty and Kajol respectively. The marriage is going through a midlife crisis, the relationship has lost its spark and Monty takes the aid of a dating app. This only complicates the matters with Monty chatting with Kajal unknowingly. Kajol also plays along go to see how far her husband would go leading to a chaotic situation. Both Pankaj and Konkana were excellent feeding off each other. Kajol comes across as someone with spine not forgiving her husband easily. Kajol is also not afraid to give back to her mother played by Neena Gupta. Kajol questions the mother about the passive acceptance of her husband’s infidelity and how she doesn’t want to end up like that.
Among the other parallel stories Neena Geena playing an older woman finding liberation in twilight years was also a treat to watch. The transformation of Neena Gupta’s Shivani from a doormat to becoming more independent was wonderful to watch.
Phule: Ananth Narayan Mahadeven’s autobiographical drama Phule is a hard-hitting tale of revolution and solid companionship. The movie tackles issues which are relevant to today’s times. In spite of facing CBFC brunt like Dhadak 2 Phule still came out as an unsparing movie. This is majorly due to the power packed dialogues. There is crispiness to the arguments made by Pratik Gandhi. For example, there is a brilliant portion in which the male protagonist questions an upper caste man for avoiding a barber by doing his own shaving.
Apart from tackling social issues director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan also did an excellent job in showcasing the mutual love and respect Jyothiba and Savitri Bhai Phule had for each other. Jyothiba truly comes across as a feminist in the way he treats Savitri. He acknowledges her contribution numerous times. Jyothiba also stands up for Savitri in an importance scene when the father suggests a second marriage. The love and affection that the two had for each other is difficult to find in any married couple whether it’s of past or present.
Phule also benefitted from solid acting. Both Pratik Gandhi and Patralekha imbibed the strong nature of their respective characters. Pratik brought a quiet intensity expressing a lot with his eyes. Whether its showcasing pain, determination or the tender moments. Patralekha too disappeared into the part capturing the feministic spirit with ease. A special mention must be made of the scene where Savitri Bhai Phule is threatened by an upper caste man. Instead of retreating she holds her ground with a solid response.
Raid 2: Rajkumar Gupta’s follow up to the 2018 Raid works as a utopian tale delivering justice, the beats are familiar nevertheless Raid 2 is engaging especially the antagonist role played by a wonderful Ritesh Deshmukh.
Unlike Saurabh Shukla’s rustic character from the first part Ritesh Deshmukh’s Dada Bai is more of a sophisticated politician. This worked as an interesting contrast to the first part. Ritesh did a very good job in capturing the different shades. He was particularly good in conveying menace with just his eyes. Saurabh Shukla in an extended was also a hoot. He made the movie more entertaining with his punch lines especially in the portions of taking pleasure in Dada Bai’s downfall.
Mrs (Zee 5): Mrs directed by Aarti Kadav is a very good take on internalized patriarchy. Like the original movie The Great Indian Kitchen Mrs also does a fine job in giving a voice to those women relegated to the household. Aarti Kadav brought in small but significant changes enhancing the story. A big change from the original is the profession of the protagonist coupled with the urbane location.
The appliances and the kitchen structure in Mrs are glossier: but the drudgery of a housewife remains the same. The dripping of water is also familiar coupled with numerous cooking shots of same nature.
In this movie Nishant Dahiya plays a gynaecologist. This element adds an interesting layer as man is able to understand other women’s bodies but when it comes to his own wife there is a very mechanical process. He doesn’t give a care on whether she also wants to participate in that moment. Sanya Malhotra as Richa did an excellent job in showcasing the different shades making the viewers root for her.
Stolen (Amazon Prime): Karan Tejpal’s Stolen is a taut social thriller/drama; The atmospherics are similar to Navadeep Singh’s NH10 but Stolen has its own identity. The distinctiveness comes from the plot centred on two brothers. One of the brothers played by Shubham Vardan is the more considerate one. Abhishek Benarjee on the other hand is a typical corporate guy trying his level best to dissuade the other one from helping a poor woman.
This sibling dynamics with an emotional undercurrent gives the movie some of its best moments. The cinematography of Ishaan Ghosh also played a significant role. The visuals had a lived in feel. A major divide between the privileged and underprivileged came out in a solid manner as well.
Abhishek Benarjee in one of his best characters till date did an excellent job. The way Abhishek showcased the eventual transformation was fantastic to watch. Shubham Vardan also provided solid support. Mia Maezler as a desperate woman in search of her missing child was good too bringing in a raw intensity.
Director Suparn Verma does an excellent job in making sure that the movie doesn’t end up demonizing the Muslim community. It’s more about men twisting laws and using religion as an excuse to have their way irrespective of the faith. Yami Gautam as Shazia Bano is excellent as is Emraan Hashmi who has the trickier part. Both the writing and Emraan make sure that the husband doesn’t slip into a caricature
Producers: Harman Baweja, Vishal Gurnani and Juhi Parekh Mehta
Production Companies: Baweja Studios, Insomnia Films and Junglee Pictures
Cinematography: Pratham Mehta
Music: Vishal Mishra
Running time: 2 hours and 16 minutes
The landmark Supreme court judgement of Sha Bano upholding her rights of maintenance is a very significant one even today. Of course, the entire scenario took a political turn as well making it a matter of national debate; but beyond that it become a milestone case for women’s rights in this case an Indian Muslim. It raised questions about gender equality and protecting women’s rights. Haq directed by Suparn Verma and written by Reshu Nath successfully brings alive the long and arduous battle of Sha Bano with Yami Gautam playing Shazia. Emraan Hashmi is Shazia’s husband turned adversary Abbas.
The story of Haq in simple terms focuses on the emotional turmoil faced by Shazia (an excellent Yami Gautam). Everything seems perfect with a loving husband and children, but her life goes upside down with Abbas (Emraan Hashmi) doing second marriage. Shazia as expected is very angry with her husband’s actions. She tries to make peace with the situation but that becomes difficult as Abbas gives little to no attention for Shazia. She takes the decision of going back to parent’s house. The situation takes a major dramatic turn when Abbas cuts of all ties starting with the children. He stops giving the maintenance money and then comes the divorce with just the three words Talaq. This is the story in brief.
A strong aspect of Haq is the gradual revealing of different layers. Suparn Verma first establishes the happy moments of their married life. Abbas isn’t painted as a complete jerk. There is a visible romantic side in the initial scenes like the portion involving Shazia’s wish of wanting a rose garden. Gradually though things start to change after two children. He spends more time in the office giving not much time for her and children. Even when Shazia calls to talk about important matters Abbas asks her to not disturb and handle things on her own. The seeds of a scarred marriage start from there and take a full shape with the arrival of Vartika Singh’s Saira.
As a result of this layered writing the transformation of Abbas doesn’t come as jerky. The battle of Shazia has also been depicted well both in the terms of direction and Yami’s solid act. The role has the perfect mixture of vulnerability and a mother’s fighting spirit. A specific mention must be made of the emotional scenes where Shazia questions her husband. The dialogues are power packed, and the performances of both the actors make it even better.
Emraan Hashmi though has a trickier role as already mentioned. Abbas could have easily slipped into an over-the-top villain but Suparn Verma along with Reshu Nath give a psychologist insight into a man trapped in a sense of entitlement. Someone who refuses to see his wrong doings. There is also a sense of tragedy to Abba’s downfall. This is wonderfully captured in the moment where the one of sons doesn’t even make eye contact with the father. There is a palpable pain in the way Abbas talks about this to Shazia before the landmark Judgement. Emraan does an excellent job in capturing the little nuances.
The biggest victory of Haq though is that it never demonizes the Muslim community. The battle of Shazia Bano has a universal touch not restricted to a particular religion. Its more about men reinterpreting laws as per their convenience and using religion as a tool to hide behind their regressive thought process.
The dialogues are also power packed. The best of the lot involves a conversation between Shazia and Abba’s second wife. Shazia gives an important message on the need for respect in a relationship and how that is sometimes equally important. Vartika Singh as the second wife has a dignified presence and thankfully the movie doesn’t turn into two women fighting over one man. There is a wonderful moment involving the two when Saria places a basket of vegetables for cooking. This happens after Shazia starts facing social ostracization. Similarly in another moment she strongly says to Abbas about Shazia being right which obviously doesn’t go down well with the husband.
Danish Hussain as the supportive father is also wonderful to watch. The way he boosts Shazia’ ‘s spirit when the chips are absolutely down is a treat to watch. Through him the movie gives a progressive Muslim man. Sheeba Chadda as Shazia’s lawyer is excellent too in the courtroom scenes. Assem Hattangady as Faraz Sayeed is fine as well. The way he stands with Sheeba Chadda’s Bela Jain in spite of certain misgivings is nice to watch.
There isn’t much place for music in a movie like Haq but an important romantic number between Emraan and Yami has been smartly integrated. The song Qubool has a lovely melody establishing how happy they were. Pratham Mehta’s cinematography is successful in taking back the viewers to those times. The atmospherics have a lived-in feel.
As for the flaws the final courtroom arguments have a rushed feel. Also, the heavy use of Urdu in some sequences can be hugely distracting.
Final word: Haq is a very relevant tale with the issues being the same even today. On a side note, its great to see two women centric narratives the Girlfriend and Haq in the same week.
Kannan Iyer deserves credit for bringing to live an unheard talefrom the pages of history but sharper writing and a stronger actor would have made this movie more memorable.
21-03-2024, Biographical Drama, 2 hours and 13 minutes U/A, OTT
Main Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Sparsh Shrivastav, Anand Tiwari, Emraan Hashmi, Sachin Kedekar, and Abhay Verma
Director: Kannan Iyer
Producer: Karan Johar and Somen Mishra
Music Director: Mukund Suryawanshi, Akashdeep Sengupta, and Sashi Suman
Cinematography: Amalendu Choudary
India’s independence is a result of many people’s blood and sweat. These include not just the ones that we have read in history books.
There are many unsung heroes about whom we have little to no knowledge.
Kannan Iyers Ae Watan Mere Watan is about one such personality.
Synopsis
Usha Mehta (Sara Ali Khan) is a big devotee of Mahatma Gandhi.
Her father Hariprasad Mehta (Sachin Kedakar) is a judge working for the British regime. Neither he approves of his daughter’s rebellious nature nor Usha likes the ways of her father.
Things take a dramatic turn when Mahatma Gandhi and some more leaders are imprisoned during the Quit India Movement.
The British have complete control over the media. The radio, in particular, becomes a medium to divide the nation by spreading misinformation.
In retaliation, Usha and her fellow revolutionaries launch a radio channel — Congress Radio.
The Congress Radio becomes an instant hit; it catches the attention of Ram Manohar Lohia (Emraan Hashmi).
Ram Manohar Lohia was a pre-independence leader who managed not to get caught by the British.
Of course, this Congress Radio also comes under the notice of the British and they decide to track down the people behind this radio channel.
The rest of the story is about how Usha and her comrades fight to keep the radio alive and the role of Ram Manohar Lohia in this.
Back in 1942
Sara Ali Khan on the sets of ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’. (X)
A strong aspect of Ae Watan Mere Watan is how Kannan Iyer has recreated the pre-independence era.
The production design and cinematography, in particular, deserve praise for a job well done.
The costumes along with the architecture of buildings etc are spot on.
Usha’s dynamics with her father Hariprasad give the film some of its best moments — whether it is the scenes of playful innocence in her childhood like the one where Usha is watching Serbian birds flying in the sky and talks about wanting to have wings, or the later portions where the father and daughter have heated arguments given their different ideologies.
The scene where Hariprasad writes a letter to his daughter after Usha is jailed has been wonderfully written and performed.
Another track which deserves a mention is that of Sparsh Srivastava’s Fahad. Fahad suffers from polio but this physical disability never comes in the way of his zeal.
Inconsistent writing
There are two major issues with Ae Watan Mere Watan. One is the lack of more impactful writing by Darab Farooqui and Kannan Iyer.
The ineffective writing is particularly reflected in the love story between Usha and Abhay Varma’s character Kaushik.
Kaushik is not just a comrade but loves Usha. However, this aspect never comes out strong.
Another example of weak writing comes in the portions of Usha using a transmitter and the radio for the first time. We are never shown how Usha learns to use these things.
Compare this to the scenes of Alia’s Sehmat in Raazi (2018), the difference is as clear as day and light, both in terms of staging and acting performance.
Music and background score are of great importance for a film like this. But the movie is a big letdown in that area, too. None of the songs including the title track register.
Performances
Emraan Hashmi in ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’. (X)
Sparsh Srivastava shows that his terrific performance in Laaptaa Ladies(2024) was no fluke. He portrays the fighting spirit of Fahad in a heart-touching manner.
Emraan Hashmi, as Manohar Lohia, makes a late entry but makes a striking impact. The actor also gets some impactful dialogue which he nails. For instance, there is a scene in a dark room.
A person is trying to generate light by using matchsticks but the matchsticks are getting doused.
You have the following dialogue by Manohar Lohia. “Chahe Kitni bhi teeliyan bujh jayein, hamaare seene ki aag kabhi nahi bujheg,” (No matter how many matchsticks get doused, the fire in our hearts will always remain.)
As Usha Mehta, Sara Ali Khan is like a fish out of water. The actor is earnest but her shrill dialogue delivery annoys the viewers, big time. She is unable to bring the required conviction.
The British characters are, of course, your usual stereotypes and they leave zero impact.
Particularly irritating to watch is Alex O ‘Niel as the antagonist who is given the responsibility of apprehending Usha and co.
Final take
To conclude an unsung hero like Usha Mehta deserved a far better movie based on her life.
Emraan Hashmi has always worked best when playing characters with grey areas and ‘Showtime’ is one more example of that.
Main Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Rajeev Khandewal, Mouni Roy, Shriya Saran, and Naseerudin Shah
Director: Mihar Desai and Archit Kumar
Producer: Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Somen Mishra, and Mihir Desai
Music Director: Anand Bhaskar
Cinematography: Vivek Shah
Genre: Drama
Episodes: 4
Published in: Southfirst
The story of Showtime has an outlandish but interesting premise.
Raghu Khanna (Emraan Hashmi) is the heir apparent of a studio named Viktory, started by his father Viktor Khanna (Naseeruddin Shah).
The son and father have very different approaches towards filmmaking and the movie business. As a result, they are constantly at loggerheads.
Raghu’s latest production is Pyaar Dangerous. Raghu tries to bribe critics to give good reviews.
A critic of the news samachar is unwell therefore he asks the junior Mahika Nandy (Mahima Makwana) to review the film and say only positive stuff.
Emraan Hashmi in ‘Showtime’. (X)
Raghu’s aide Ziko (Gurpreet Saini) even gifts her the latest smartphone. But on TV, Mahika brutally blasts the film adding that she was given a bribe for a positive review. The review and Mahika’s confession go viral and she loses her job.
But that very night, Viktor Khanna invites Mahika to his home, where they have a heart-to-heart conversation. Mahika expresses her wish for Viktory Studios to return to the heartfelt films they used to make.
After a few hours, Viktor passes away and things take a ludicrous turn when it is revealed that Mahika is Viktor’s granddaughter.
Naturally, Raghu gets the shock of his life but things don’t end there.
The lawyers read out Viktor’s will, which says that the ownership of Viktory Studios has been handed over to the granddaughter.
This changes the lives of Raghu and Mahika forever. Nothing more can be revealed as numerous parallel subplots are integrated into the main story.
Analysis
Showtime works best when it focuses on the characters of Emraan Hashmi and Mahima Makwana.
The interpersonal dynamics and how Mahika takes on the big challenges after the initial shock give the show some of its best moments.
Emraan Hashmi has always worked best when playing characters with grey areas and Showtime is one more example of that.
His Raghu Khanna is supremely brash, hurting people close to him like his love interest Mouni Roy who also plays an item dancer with aspirations of becoming a heroine.
But beneath the brashness, there is also a vulnerability to him that comes through strongly.
Performances
Mahima Makwana in ‘Showtime’. (X)
Emraan Hashmi does a brilliant job of portraying the different shades.
Mahima Makwana also does well in showcasing the switch of a Mahika Nandy from a regular girl to an assertive boss lady.
Among the supporting characters, Rajeev Khandelwal makes the biggest impact. He plays an obnoxious superstar who outlives his stardom but continues to throw tantrums. The actor has a blast in portraying the eccentricities.
Showtime also tackles some important questions regarding South Cinema Vs Bollywood and what should be prioritised more — script or superstars.
What doesn’t work for Showtime is the overtop and formulaic approach taken by the directors.
Directors Mihir Desai and Archit Kumar try to merge real with reel ageing superstars losing touch with reality, and sexy item girls struggling to make a mark as actresses. But this showcase of Bollywood’s dark side offers nothing particularly new.
Also, many actors have been woefully underutilised. These include Naseerudin Shah and Mouni Roy.
Final take
Showtime can be watched if you like some harmless fun and Emraan Hashmi’s acting.
Emraan Hashmi roars the loudest with his portrayal of the menacing Aatish. Shah Rukh Khan more than makes his presence felt in an extended cameo.
Tiger 3 (Hindi) 2.5 out of 5
Starcast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi and others; Special appearances (Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan)
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Story: Aditya Chopra
Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan
Dialogues: Anckur Chaudhry
Music: Pritam
Production Company: Yash Raj Films
Genre: Action thriller/drama
Running time: 2 hours and 36 minutes
In the year 2012 the spy journey of Aditya Chopra and YRF began with the Kabir Khan directorial EK Tha Tiger. It was a love story between a RAW and an ISI agent. Ek Tha Tiger was appreciated for its action and also the love story.
The success of Ek Tha Tiger led to the creation of an entire spy universe like Tiger Zinda Hai, War and Pathaan. Tiger 3 is the fifth film of this universe and there are more to follow.
Maneesh Sharma the director of Tiger 3 had a huge responsibility on his shoulders as all the previous films of this franchise have gone on to become blockbusters. The director’s last film was Fan. Fan had a gripping first half followed by a lackluster and implausible second half. Viewers could clearly see Maneesh Sharma being overwhelmed by the scale of the film and losing focus. Tiger 3 is another example of Maneesh Sharma’s inability to handle stories of large scale. Tiger 3 is not a bad film but in comparison to War and Pathaan it does fall quite short.
Emraan Hashmi roars the loudest
The plot of Tiger 3 focuses on one of Bollywood’s most favorite theme. That is India, Pakistan’s love hate relationship. The mission of Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger (Salman Khan) is to prevent a military coup and also the assassination of the Pakistani Prime Minister (Simran modeled on Benazir Bhutto). Tiger’s biggest thorn in the back is a Pakistan agent gone rogue Aatish (Emraan Hashmi). The biggest desire of Aatish is to take over Pakistan and make sure that no kind of peace happens between both the countries.
Katrina Kaif also reprises her role of Zee Humaimi aka Zoya from the previous two Tiger films. This time around the character of Zoya has a back-story. In this back-story the viewers get to know that Aatish was her former handler. Once upon a time she was a protégée of Aatish but in the present scenario things have changed drastically.
Salman Khan gets into his shoes with practised ease
A big strength of Tiger 3 is the galore of twists and turns at regular intervals. For example in the beginning the viewers are led to believe that Zoya is betraying Tiger by hiding certain information. These twists and turns do keep the viewers on their feet.
Cinematographer Anay Goswamy also does a wonderful job in capturing the many locations of this globe trotter. These include Europe, Russia and Istanbul among others.
The action sequences have plenty of hand to hand combats and are a definite treat for those who like to see raw action. Two action scenes deserve a particular mention. One is the climax fight between Salman and Emraan Hashmi. The other one is Katrina fighting in a towel inside a Turkish hammam or bath. Both these sequences have been brilliantly shot.
Katrina Kaif in her towel fight scenes
As mentioned in the beginning Emraan Hashmi shines the brightest in this cast. His demeanor and the body language are a treat to watch. Emraan plays the ruthless villain without missing a single beat. A special mention must be made of the scenes that Emraan shares with Katrina in the flashback portions.
One of the most enjoyable portions of Tiger 3 is definitely Shah Rukh Khan’s extended cameo as Pathaan. It is a perfect mixture of action and some very witty dialogues. Viewers can clearly see that Shah Rukh is having a blast. In one of the scenes you have Shah Rukh Khan and Salman in a Sholay inspired motorcycle scene. Pathaan is in the driver’s seat and Tiger makes a joke about how the last time this vehicle was driven only one person came out alive. There is also a post credit scene involving Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir from War. The scene doesn’t last long but Hrithik’s swagger is unmissable.
A big problem with Tiger 3 is the overtly simplistic treatment of the issues between India and Pakistan. Director Maneesh Sharma doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the Indo-Pak angle. Tiger 3 operates in a fanciful zone of two rival nations hoping to initiate peace talks and end the fear of war. But these noble intentions do not translate effectively on screen.
Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, a camio scene
The love story between Tiger and Zoya is in the same space as in the previous two films. There is no substantial character development in spite of Zoya’s back-story.
Both Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif get into the shoes of their respective characters with practiced ease. As said earlier Katrina shines in the action sequences but her performance in the emotional ones leave a lot to be desired.
Some of the supporting cast from Tiger 1 and 2 are seen in this film as well. They include Ranvir Shorey and Kumud Mishra among others but they are reduced to side dishes. Revathi as the boss takes over from the late Girish Karnad. Unfortunately the senior actress has been severely underutilized. This is sad because Dimple Kapadia in Pathaan made a terrific boss woman.
Pritam’s music consists of only one good number and that is Ruaan. Pritam’s tune coupled with Arjit Singh’s voice makes it a good hear and watch.
To sum it up Tiger 3 is a step back for the spy universe but here’s hoping that War 2 and others bring it back on track.
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.
