Tag: Rajat Kapoor

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Khauf: A slow burn paranormal thriller about the horrors of patriarchy

Khauf web series

Pankaj Kumar and Surya Balakrishnan’s Khauf juxtaposes the real world issues with the traditional jump scares. The series gives a strong message on how a certain kind of men are more dangerous than the supernatural entities. The show isn’t perfect by all means but there is a lot to like led by an explosive Monika Panwar. Rajat Kapoor and Geetanjali Kulkarni also make their presence amply felt.

Starcast: Monika Panwar. Rajat Kapoor, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Chum Darang and others

Genre: Horror

Directors: Pankaj Kumar and Surya Balakrishnan

Writer and creator: Smita Singh

Producers: Sarita Patil, Vipin Agnihotri etc

Production Company: Matchbox shots

Cinematography: Pankaj Kumar

No of episodes: 8

Streaming site: Amazon Prime

In the last few years the horror genre has undergone a major reinvention with stories that go beyond creaking doors, there has been a conscious effort to give these plots a social subtext whether it is the whacky Stree films directed by Aamir Kaushik or Tumbbad a psychological horror/thriller about the devastating consequences of unlimited greed. Vishal Furia’s Chhorii movies also dealt with societal aspects combining elements of horror. The web series Khauf is a good addition to this trend. The major victory of the two directors is how they perfectly merge the real world issues faced by modern young women and combining that with the usual spooky elements.

The story of Khauf primarily revolves around Madhu (Monika Panwar). She has moved from Gwalior to a women’s hostel in Delhi. She is looking to make a fresh start but the room that she has been assigned comes with a dark past. Running parallel to this is the hakim played by a creepy Rajat Kapoor. He preys on young vulnerable girls in order to prolong his life. Geetanjali Kulkarni plays Madhuri, she is an alcoholic cop in search of her missing son. This is the story in brief nothing more can be revealed.

A strong aspect of Khauf web series is the technical department led by a brilliant Pankaj Kumar. Pankaj Kumar is a very reputed cinematographer whose work in Tumbbaad is hugely admired. Here too he brings the same level of craft, the hostel in which the young women stay becomes a major character in itself. He does a very good job in capturing a certain sense of claustrophobia. The long silences and a certain kind of lighting add to the eerie atmosphere. The setting of the story also plays a significant part in building up the tension. Delhi city has some shameful scars in cases related to atrocities on women and this includes not just the gruesome Nirbhaya case. Grounding the show in Delhi makes the horror elements even more chilling.

The hostel becomes a major character in itself

The show also does a very fine job in addressing the different issues faced by modern females. The way Madhuri juggles between the haunting past of the room and the men who prey on women gives the show some of its best moments. Monika Pawar does a fantastic job in showcasing the different emotions like anxiety and rage. The young actress is also mighty impressive in the portions where Madhuri becomes more confident after being possessed by a certain thing. Rajat Kapoor is also fantastic as a man who has zero regret about the evil things that he does. He brings in the right amount of creepiness instilling fear in the viewers minds. Geetanjali Kulkarni is also top class in a grey shaded role. The way she oscillates between a tough police women and a worried mother of an erratic boy is a delight to watch. The hostel mates played by Chum Darang, Priyanka Setia and Aasheema Vardan also make their presence amply felt. Each of these character represent a different facet of the problems faced by an everyday women in today’s society. Through their tracks the director duo of Pankaj Kumar and Surya Balakrishnan have addressed the aspect of societal expectations among other things.

Chum Darang as one of the hostel mates

A major issue with Khauf is the use of trauma as the only way to give agency for a victim, It becomes both cliched and problematic. Also the show’s tonal shift from ghosts to internalized trauma could have been handled better, a sense of clumsiness creeps in. The etching of the romantic relationship also leaves something to be desired. Abhishek Chauhan as Arun renders an instant likeability as the sweet and reliable boyfriend but the love story would have been more heartwarming with better depth.

Watch Khauf if you are a fan of horror stories mixed with social commentary

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Lootere: Jai Mehta makes a respectable debut in this thriller with elements of action and drama

Despite the pacing issues, good performances and the atmospherics make this action-on-the-high-seas web show worth a watch.
Lootere (Hindi), 22-03-2024, Action-Drama, 8 Episodes, 16+, OTT
  • Main Cast: Vivek Gombler, Deepak Tijori, Rajat Kapoor, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Aamir Ali, and Amruta Khanvillkar
  • Director: Jai Mehta
  • Producer: Vishal Chaturvedi and Ruchira Janwalikar
  • Music Director: Achint Thakkar
  • Cinematography: Jall Cowasji
  • Rating: 3/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

Hansal Mehta is a filmmaker who has created a strong niche for himself with content-oriented stories both on the big screen and also the digital space.

Though he has never been part of the big commercial directors club, his name comes with a certain credibility.

Jai Mehta, son of Hansal Mehta, has a big reputation to live to. His maiden attempt at direction — Lootere web series — is noteworthy.

Sure, certain aspects need to be tighter. For instance, the Somalian backdrop could have done with more depth. But still, Jai shows his capability in how he draws some fine performances and also builds up the tension.

Synopsis

Aamir Ali in ‘Lootere’. (X)

The central plot of Lootere is a ship that is hijacked by a group of Somalian pirates.

AK Singh (Rajat Kapoor) is the captain of the ship. He has a tough task in keeping the crew united given the rising tensions among the crew.

Running parallel to this is the track of a businessman played by Vivek Gomber. His character, Vikrant Gandhi, deals in shipping companies.

Vikrant has a secret consignment in that captured ship and he tries to manipulate a big crisis in such a way that it would help him.

What follows is a roller coaster of a journey with various layers and subplots.

A visual feast

Lootere begins on a high and the screenplay starts as fast-paced. But some of the episodes feel drawn out.

Also, the scenes of Vikrant with his wife Avi (Amruta Khanvilkar) could have been fleshed out better.

Jai Mehta along with the writers could have explored the reasons behind Somalia’s very volatile environment with better depth.

However, a stand-out aspect of Lootere is the stunning cinematography. The visuals of the high seas and the action inside the ship make the viewers feel that they are also part of the action.

Additionally, the dusty bylanes of Somalia have a gritty feel.

Cinematographer Jall Coswaji deserves distinction marks for a job very well done.

Boasts brilliant performances

Vivek Gomber in ‘Lootere’. (X)

Much like the protagonists in Scam 1992 and Scam 2003 — both created by Hansal Mehta (he was also the director of the first one), here too, the show features an unlikely hero.

Vikrant Gandhi is someone who is filled with unlimited greed for power and his actions fuel the narrative.

Yes, it is hard to empathise with him, given his actions are the root cause for a lot of destruction that happens. But having said that, he does have a redemption arc too, and Vivek Gomber does a wonderful job of portraying the different shades.

The Somalian Pirates have also been crafted in a detailed manner. Each of them has a specific personality trait that makes them stand out.

A particular mention must be made of Martial Batchamen. His character, Bharkad, has been written with nuances.

He is not a template pirate leader. He is fighting his own battles while managing the group. Martial Batchamen is in excellent form.

The scenes of AK Singh trying his best to keep the spirits of the crew high while maintaining his own give the show some of its best moments.

Verdict

Watch Lootere if you are a fan of thrillers that have the subject of high jacking or if you are curious to check how Hansal Mehta’s son fares as a director.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/lootere-web-series-review-jai-mehta-makes-a-respectable-debut-in-this-thriller-with-elements-of-action-and-drama

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Call My Agent: A Satire Which Needed More Bite

For those who are not aware Shaad Ali’s Call My Agent is a remake of a French show with the same name. Since I haven’t seen the French one I will be looking at the Bollywood version as a standalone one. Call My Agent is a series which had the potential to be a solid satire on how the Filmy universe of Bollywood works. However, what we get instead is a half baked product which never becomes more than the sum of its parts. The series also ends with a hint of season 2 coming, but the makers need to come up with a tighter script next time around.

The Bollywood version of Call My Agent revolves a company called ART and the team of agents headed by Soumyajit Dasgupta (Tinu Anand). Rajat Kapoor plays the senior most agent in the company. He is a hustler by nature; He has a daughter from an undisclosed family in Goa. The daughter is played by Radhika Seth. Soni Razdan is the second senior most agent. Aahana Kumara plays a volatile woman with a colorful love life. Ayush Mehra plays the other important member of ART. There are also a host of cameos from Dia Mirza, Jackie Shroff, Akshara Hasan, Sarika, Nandita Das etc.

The most interesting bits of Call My Agent are the long list of cameos from the stars. My most favorite one is that of Dia Mirza. She plays an actor in 40’s who faces the tough choice of getting cosmetic surgery or losing a Hollywood role. In that episode Shaad Ali covers topics like ageism in the industry. In a non preachy manner the director addresses some important issues.

Another interesting cameo is the one of Lara Dutta. In this episode we see Lara Dutta being in a fix about starring in a multiplex film that requires her to be on the set of the ravines of Chambal.

The chief reasons why these cameos work is because they seemed to have enjoyed playing these parts.

Out of the agents only Ayush Mehra and Aahana Kumara work well in their parts. The chemistry between these two characters is far more believable than Aahana Kumara’s lesbian track. Her lesbian affair with Jasleen ( Anuschka Sawhney) is more awkward than enjoyable.

The biggest flaw of Call My Agent are the characters of Rajat Kapoor and Soni Razdan. Rajat Kapoor is sorely miscast and his body language isn’t appropriate for the role of master negotiator he is supposed to play. Soni Razdan is supposed to be a veteran in the company but we never see her handling any stars. She is mostly restricted to observing and giving advice.

Another problem with Call My Agent is that it stays superficial and never digs deep. You get a huge hangover of Madhur Bhandarkar recent films and that is never a good sign.

In a nutshell Call My Agent is a case of looking glossy from outside but shallow from inside.