Tag: Hrithik Roshan

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War 2: Watchable but doesn’t quite justify the tag of a popcorn entertainer

Hrithik Roshan and Junior NTR from War 2. The two stars lift the movie above the bumoy screenplay with their screen presence and performances

Ayan Mukherj’s War 2 is a significant improvement over the last spy installment Tiger 3 but the film relies heavily on gloss over substance. The absence of our neighbor and go to nation Pakistan is welcome but there is no escaping patriotism with the repletion of lines India first. Ayan’s direction shines best in the portions of high voltage clash between the two stars and also a poignant flashback in the second half

Starcast: Hrithik Roshan, Junior NTR, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor and others special appearance (Bobby Deol)

Genre: Action/thriller

Direction: Ayan Mukherji

Screenplay: Shridhar Raghavan

Story and Production: Aditya Chopra

Dialogues: Abbas Tyrewala

Cinematography: Benjamin Jasper

Music: Pritam

Production House: Yash Raj Films

Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes

When EK Tha Tiger released in 2012 the movie was one of its kind, a love story between an Indian and Pakistani spy and how they have a happily ever after by crossing the various hurdles of both raw and ISI. There was a certain groundedness to the character of Salman while keeping the larger than life image intact. As the spy movies have increased with addition of new actors and larger set pieces the charm is somewhat reducing and the latest installment is a perfect example of this.

War 2’s director Ayan Mukherjee started his career with rom coms but Bramhastra Part 1 marked a significant shift with a larger than life scale and an ambitious plot. In spite of the striking visuals Ayan’s inability to handle a scale of that nature was very visible. In War 2 the director is more in control specifically in his handling of the two stars, but in terms of delivering a perfect popcorn movie Ayan still has miles to go.

The plot of War 2 focuses on Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) coming into contact with a deadly cartel called Kali. This syndicate consists of numerous individuals, they want to cause severe harm to the nation. In a shocking turn of events Kabir kills his father like figure and RAW chief Luthra (Ashutosh Rana). The assassination of Luthra leads to the introduction of Junior NTR’s Vikram. Vikram along with some more are assigned to bring Kabir down. This is the story in brief without giving away much of the twists and turns.

A strong aspect of War 2 are the twists and turns related to the characters of both Kabir and Vikram. In the beginning portions the audience have the feeling that Kabir has really gone rouge, an important dialogue featuring Ashutosh Rana and him spiting on Hrithik’s face saying that I had brought you up as a son and you turned into a betrayer raises the curiosity of the audiences.

Even in case of Junior NTR’s Vikram the role comes with different shades. He is shown to be a brave and a honest agent till the interval, at one point Kabir and Vikram team up as partners too after Kabir makes an important closure about why he is doing what he is doing.

The interval bang with a surprising reveal ends the first half on a high. The beginning portions of the second half featuring a key flashback has a strong emotional weight. This flashback establishes how Kabir and Vikram then known as Raghu came into contact developing a friendship bond. The two do stealing for a living, however one major incident in a remand home changes everything. The personalities of the two and how in the present they are up against each other has been well connected.

The film also benefits from the strong performances of both Hrithik and Junior NTR. As Kabir Hrithik combines his hunk like presence with emotional vulnerability. The actor specifically shines in the scenes of showcasing Kabir’s moral dilemmas and a certain loneliness from operating in the shadows. Junior NTR as Vikram/Raghu also does a fine job in his Bollywood Debut. He pulls off the grey shades convincingly, the actor clearly has a ball with the one liners chewing the scenery along with Hrithik. The high intense moments between the actors with the cat and mouse game leads to some engaging sequences.

A major problem with War 2 apart from the usual patriotism is the criminal underutilization of the supporting cast. Anil Kapoor replacing Girish Karnad from the Tiger movies has a strong beginning with just the right amount of mystery on whether he is good or bad, however as the movie progresses the character gets lost. The same applies to its leading Lady Kiara Advani. Kiara has shown her potential in a film like Satyaprem Ki Katha but here she is largely wasted except for the action sequences. She carries the required attitude of a tough woman but the role is too thinly written and the patchily written love story also doesn’t help matters.

Pritam’s music is another sore point for the movie, whether its the love ballad featuring Hrithik and Kiara or the dance face off between Hrithik and Junior NTR. The songs come across as major spreedbreakers. The VFX is also a mixed bag, it comes across as too shoddy for a film of this scale, sometimes the shoddy VFX becomes a major deterrent in enjoying the action set pieces too. The stunts of Bea Arreugui does provide some thrills more so in the climatic face off. Benjamin Jasper’s cinematography is also efficient. He does a fine job in capturing the large scale through his lens making it a good theatrical experience specially for the die hard fans of Hrithik and Junior NTR.

War 2 ends with an introduction to the world of Alpha through a deadly Bobby Deol. Here’s hoping the female centric spy movie later this year becomes a much needed game changer.

Final word: War 2 is a major mixed bag and personally quite a bummer after the mega success of YRF last production Saiyaara. Watch it if you are in the mood for some large scale action or want to see how Junior NTR fares in his Hindi debut.

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Fighter: A Thrilling Action Extravagance With A Charismatic Hrithik Roshan

The storyline is clichéd but director Siddarth Anand packs in the right amount of masala. Fighter is a perfect Republic day outing for those enjoy patriotic action movies.

Rating 3
Starcast: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Oberoi, Karan Singh Grover and others.
Story and direction: Siddarth Anand
Additional story: Ramon Chibb
Producers: Ramon Chibb, Mamata Anand, Ajith Andhare and others
Music: Vishal Shekhar
Production Companies: Viacom 18 Studios and Marfix Pictures
Genre: Action/drama
Running time: 2 hours and 46 minutes

The genre of patriotic/ war movies have mostly been huge money spinners at the box office. There is a certain thrill associated with these films provided the filmmaker makes the viewers root for the men in uniform. Siddarth Anand’s Fighter very much falls under the traditional patriotic genre, but what makes this a different experience are the elements of aerial action. It offers a unique experience particularly if you are seeing it in 3D and IMAX format.

Hrithik Roshan

Fighter focuses on a squad called Air Dragons. The team includes Shamsher Pathania aka Patty (Hrithik Roshan), Taj (Karan Singh Grover), Basheer (Akshay Oberoi) and Meenal Rathore aka Minnie (Deepika Padukone). Anil Kapoor is Rakesh. He is their commander. There is a palpable tension between Shamsher and Rakesh. This is because of a tragic incident that had happened in the past. In brief the story chronicles the bravery of these men while protecting India along with their camaraderie and team spirit.

Deepika Padukone

A big USP of Fighter is its slick and enthralling action sequences. There are many shots of aerial combat and these are a treat to watch. The Action directors along with the cinematography department deserve a big applause. There are three action directors Parvez Sheikh, Sunil Rodrigues and Seyeong Oh. The trio have done a fantastic job in creating exhilarating stunts. Cinematographer Satchith Paulose also does a credit worthy job in capturing the action over the mountains, valleys and airbase through his lens.

Hrithik Roshan as Shamsher Pathania is an absolute treat to watch. The actor’s physique of course makes him a perfect fit for the character, but more than that his performance also stands out; the actor is charming, cocky and ferocious at the same time. Hrithik has some strong emotional moments and he does a swell job.

Deepika, Hrithik and Anil Kapur

The camaraderie between Shamsher, Taj and Basheer has also come out well. Director Siddarth Anand does a good job in etching out their friendship. Akshay Oberoi and Karan Singh Grover do a fine job in their respective parts.

Anil Kapoor plays a strict and brooding senior officer whose working methods are very different from Shamsher. This angle has also been well depicted. Rishabh Sawhney plays the main antagonist. He has a strong presence and manages to stand his own.

Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi

What doesn’t work for Fighter are the usual tropes of India and Pakistan. There are lines about the true meaning of religion and patriotism; but these dialogues have a jaded feel.

Deepika Padukone as Minnie pairs off well with Hrithik but the actor has shared a stronger chemistry with the likes of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. Character wise also there is nothing special. She is supposed to represent women empowerment but the ineffective writing coupled with Deepika’s glazed expressions makes it difficult for the viewers to care.

Fighter is an engaging fare particularly if you are an action buff and enjoy watching Hrithik Roshan.

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Vikram Vedha: A Solid Remake Powered By A Terrific Hrithik Roshan

Remakes are always a tricky business, more so when you are remaking Tamil and Malayalam films. The reason being both these industries have a certain grammar of storytelling. Having said that the Tamil and Malayalam industries have also butchered acclaimed Hindi films like Special Chabbis and Andhadhun respectively, earlier this year Siddarth Sen did a wonderful job in remaking Nelson Dilipkumar’s Kolamaavu Kokila. The director retained the core but at the same time upgraded it as well by setting it in Bihar.

Gayatri Puskhar’s Vikram Vedha is considered to be a classic and rightly so. The director duo used the Vikram and Betal analogy to create a new kind of cop versus gangster film. In the Tamil film Madhavan had played Vikram and Vijay Sethupati was Vedha. Vikram is a cop who has a very clear boundary of what is right and wrong. But his life turns upside down after the entry of the dreaded gangster Vedha. Vedha makes Vikram question his beliefs each time that they meet. The questions of Vedha form the crux of this multi layered story. The engaging narration coupled with Madhavan and Vijay Sethupati’s performances made this thriller an engrossing watch.

Much like the recent remakes here too you have original directors helming the project. The setting of the Hindi one changes from Chennai to Lucknow. The plot is largely the same expect that you have a fresh set of actors, Saif Ali Khan as Vikram and Hrithik as Vedha respectively. The character of Vedha in this one is also a bit massier compared to the original. Vikram also comes with his own set of quirks.

Much like the original the biggest strength of this too lies in the equation that the lead characters share. Both Hrithik and Saif get equal opportunities to shine. Yes Hrithik has the meatier part but Saif also stands his own as the cop who is forced to question his own morals. He particularly shines in the confrontation scenes with Hrithik. There is also some sly humor which the makers have added and the actor delivers it to perfection.

However there is no denying that Hrithik Roshan is the star of the show. As earlier said his role is massier compared to Vijay Sethupati and this works in the favor of the film.  As Vedha, Hrithik lets his eyes do most of the talking. His facial features and body language are a delight to watch. Hrithik is effortlessly menacing, ruthless and yet extremely emotional in parts. The Greek God looks have sometimes come in the way of people acknowledging the actor’s insane talent but with this role Hrithik firmly reestablishes his position as an actor/star who is not afraid to push the bar.  Much like the remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s Agneepath here too Hrithik makes Vedha his own. It is a treat to watch the actor embrace this rugged avatar.

The setting of Lucknow also gives the film a different touch. The director duo of Gayatri and Pushkar have done a good job in making sure that the localities of Lucknow are also an integral part of the story.  

The action scenes have also been choreographed well. My favorite bit is the pre-interval block where the police are searching for Vedha and you have Vedha escaping to a container yard. The confrontation that follows is a treat to watch.

Vedha’s emotional bond with his younger brother Shatak (Rohit Saraf) is also neatly done. It is not as effective as the Tamil original but still it does tuck at your heartstrings. Rohit Saraf is a great choice for the role. He brings in that required innocence. Special mention to also Sharab Hashmi, he stands out in the supporting cast as the ambitious sidekick. Radhika Apte hasn’t got a lot to do as Vikram’s wife with a different set of ideology, but their scenes are still good to watch

Coming to the flaws Yogita Bihani comes across as a weak link. Her love story with Shatak comes across a speed breaker unlike the original where Varalakshmi SaratKumar aced the same part. You also wish the makers had dwelled a bit more into the workings of the UP Police.

Final word- Vikram Vedha is a largely satisfactory reworking that does justice to the original. Hrithik Roshan is the garnishing that adds more flavor and makes it an appetizing meal.