If we observe Vijay Varma’s filmography, we predominantly notice two types of roles – negative/grey roles and cop characters.
Vijay Varma started his acting career in 2008 with a short film titled Shor. But his big screen debut started with Chittagong in 2012. It was followed by late Satish Kaushik’s Gang of Ghosts (2014) and Priyadarshan’s Rangrezz (2013).
However, none of these movies gave a significant push to his career until Pink (2016) came along. Since then, as the saying goes, there is no looking back for the Bollywood actor. Vijay Varma is an FTII student, and this clearly shows how the actor has adapted to different roles. If we observe his filmography, we notice that two types of roles majorly stand out – negative/grey characters and cop roles. Let’s check them out here:
Ankit Malhotra
Pink was a breakthrough film for Vijay Varma where he played a deeply misogynistic person -Ankit Malhotra. He was the one who eggs on Rajveer Singh (Angad Bedi) to take revenge on Taapsee Pannu’s character, Minal. Ankit Malhotra just doesn’t stop there, he also molests her in a moving jeep and throws her on the road. He really looks menacing in that scene. We hate him as much as Angad Bedi.
Moen
Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019) saw Vijay Varma as a neighbourhood crook Moen who was also a friend of Ranveer Singh’s Murad. He was not a psycho but had his own grey shades. Throughout the film, viewers couldn’t make out if he was good or bad. The Bollywood actor owned the part with a brilliant performance.
Sasya
In Imtiaz Ali’s web series She (2020), Vijay Varma played a drug peddler named Sasya. In spite of not having a lot of screen time, he owned every frame that he was in. What also added to the performance was how he spoke Hyderabadi Deccani – a language spoken in Hyderabad where he grew up. Vijay also got the body language of the drug peddler spot-on.
Hamza
In Darlings(2022), Vijay Varma played an alcoholic, abusive husband named Hamza to Alia Bhatt’s Badru. He was someone who was extremely cruel and at the same time, lovey-dovey depending on the situation. Vijay looked like a truly scary psychopath. The actor received a lot of positive hate for his portrayal of Hamza. By Vijay’s own admission, it was not an easy task to be an abusive husband to the “heartthrob of the nation.” The Bollywood actor also said that he was very scared of unintentionally hurting Alia in the scenes involving physical abuse. Those scenes were so real that every time he appeared on the screen, we were as terrified as Alia. Coincidentally, their first feature films (Chittagong and Student of the Year) were released in the same month (October) in 2012.
Anand Swarnakar
Initially, the viewers have a positive impression of Vijay’s character Anand Swarnakar in Dahaad (2023). Apart from being an excellent Hindi professor, Anand also runs a mobile library for the underprivileged. But soon, this bubble breaks as the real face of Anand is revealed. Vijay Varma was absolutely terrific – both as a middle-class married man struggling to make ends meet and as a serial killer who has severe unresolved issues with his father.
Adi
Monsoon Shootout is an early film by Vijay Varma shot in 2013. It had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, but theatrically, it was released four years later in 2017. In the movie, Vijay Varma played a cop who was deeply influenced by his father’s principles. His father told him that all life’s choices were not black and white, and there was a middle path too. In spite of sharing screen space with a heavyweight like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vijay Varma more than held his own. He did a swell job of showcasing the different nuances of his character.
Ravi Shankar Tripathi
In the web series Kaalkoot (2023), Vijay Varma’s Ravi Shankar Tripathi was vastly different from the mainstream cops that the audiences are used to. For example, Dabbang (2010) and Singham (2011). He was a soft-spoken cop who considered himself a misfit in the police department. There was a constant desire in him to resign. But as the show progressed, his character underwent a transformation. This show had come right after Dahaad where he played a serial killer. He made the audience forget that this was the same man who appeared as a serial killer.
Karan Anand
In Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan (2023), an OTT film, Vijay Varma appeared as a charming cop. It was the closest he came to doing romance. The scenes where he flirts with Kareena Kapoor’s Maya D’Souza were so adorable to watch. He gave the film some much-needed lighter moments in an otherwise tense atmosphere.
Vijay Varma is now 37. He has already done 24 films, including web series. Here’s hoping that our filmmakers will tap his potential – much more in future – which goes beyond the above-mentioned characters!
An overview of how the talented Bollywood actress covered various Indian States and different dialects through her roles.
In a career spanning over a decade, Alia Bhatt has represented women characters from different parts of India. These women are not only varied in terms of physical demographics but also their social strata.
The states that Alia Bhatt has represented so far include Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Goa, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Bengal.
Though most of them are Hindu characters in three films, she played Muslim characters, too. They are Sehmat in Raazi (2018), Safeena in Gully Boy (2019) and Badru in Darlings (2022).
Alia Bhatt has proved her efficiency in moulding herself to suit each of them.
Let me start with the latest picture:
Rani Chatterjee
Rani Chatterjee in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani (2003) is a Bengali journalist who settles in South Delhi.
The Bengali imprint was clear in the gorgeous sarees she wore and also in the way she spoke her mind like any educated Bengali woman would do.
This came out brilliantly in her introduction scene itself when she bashed a minister for his sexist comments about how women should dress and what they should eat. It was much more of a massy entry than Ranveer got.
Alia Bhatt’s Bengali accent wasn’t flawless, but the actress ensured that it didn’t become a distraction with her screen presence and acting capabilities. Well, Alia was bang on when she pronounced “Khela Hobe” which means “the game is on”.
Gangubai
In Gangubai Kathaiawadi (2022), which won Alia a National Award for her performance as Gangubai, the actor’s dialect had a mix of Gujarati and Marathi.
On many occasions, we see her speaking in the Kathiawadi accent. It came from the family that her character Gangubai was born in.
Alia Bhatt was not only good at showing a gamut of emotions through her eyes but she also aced the dialect.
The Gujarati touch can be particularly seen in the song “Dholida“.
Sita
In SS Rajamouli’s RRR(2022), there was one heavy scene that Alia Bhatt shared with Junior NTR’s Komaram Bheem. It came at a juncture when Ram Charan’s character Alluri Seetharama Raju was in jail and on the verge of being hanged.
She had to speak lengthy Telugu dialogues and the actress didn’t miss a beat in conveying the emotions.
Vaidehi
In Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), Alia played a rebellious girl from Rajasthan’s Kota who aspired to be an air hostess. Marriage was the last thing on her agenda.
Through her character Vaidehi, the Bollywood actor represented the ambitions of many small-town girls. She was also successful in pulling off the Kota accent.
Bauria
In Udta Punjab (2016), Alia Bhatt’s character Bauria is that of a Bihari migrant who goes to Punjab in search of work. For this film, the actress learnt the Bihari dialect under the guidance of the acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi.
There is a lengthy monologue where Bauria pours her heart out to an astonished Tommy Singh, played by Shahid Kapoor. Alia Bhatt was brilliant throughout the film, but her performance in this scene was heartbreaking.
It is not just about conveying the pain and pathos, but it is also about how she convincingly says it in the Bihari accent.
Ananya
In 2 States (2014), her very third film, Alia played a Tamilian.
In 2013’s Chennai Express, Deepika was criticised for her over-the-top portrayal of a Tamil girl. Although Deepika is a South Indian by birth, she has an exaggerated accent.
On the other hand, Alia Bhatt was much appreciated for portraying Ananya in a more nuanced way and speaking Tamil more naturally. At no point does her accent bother the viewers.
Other roles
Regarding the Muslim characters she played in Gully Boy and Darlings, both roles had a backdrop of slums in Mumbai.
In Gully Boy, there is a particular slang that the actress uses. Despite not being the central character, her dialogue became one of the highlights.
In a scene, she says, “Mere boyfriend ke saath koi gulu gulu karenga toh dhoptuingi hi na usko.”
In Darlings, Alia Bhatt’s Badru constantly spoke in odd plural phrases. These included “I loves you” and “bad lucks”.
In Raazi, the Bollywood actor played a Kashmiri Muslim named Sehmat. Naturally, there was some Kashmiri touch to her dialogues and the actress expectedly got it bang on.
What made the role of Sehmat even more interesting was that Alia is half Kashmiri and half Gujarati in real life.
Given the speculation that Alia Bhatt would play Roopmati in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film, she might soon add another name to her cross-cultural list of characters!
Much like Season 1, director Nikhil Advani successfully delivers a web show that is high on both thrills and emotions.
For those who haven’t seen the first season of Mumbai Diaries (2021), the plot was about the events that took place amidst the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. At the centre of this story were the doctors in the fictional Bombay General Hospital.
In Mumbai Diaries Season 2, director and creator Nikhil Advani focuses his lens on unfortunate events that took place when Mumbai city was submerged under the floods. He skillfully recreates how the Mumbaikars survived nature’s wrath and their fighting spirit.
Once again, you have the doctors and their staff, who are struggling to save the ailing patients. This time, the challenges are related to infrastructure in the hospital and of course, their personal demons.
For example, Dr Kaushik Oberoi (Mohit Raina) is under severe media trial due to the grieving wife of an ATS chief Mrs Kelkar (Sonali Kulkarni). She blames him for the death of her husband as he couldn’t save him.
Additionally, Oberoi chooses to treat a dreaded terrorist on that fateful night.
On the other hand, there is Chitra Das (Konkana Sen Sharma) who has a traumatic past that is related to her ex-husband Dr Saurav (Parambrata Chattopadhyay).
Dr Saurav visits the hospital on the same night with a delegation comprising of London-based doctors.
Initially, the viewers are made to believe that Dr Saurav’s presence in the hospital is only a coincidence. However, as the story progresses, there is much more to this tale than what meets the eye.
In a nutshell, the story is about how these groups of doctors battle both the unfavourable weather and their personal demons.
A big plus for Mumbai Diaries Season 2 is how the screenwriters have built a sense of urgency through the writing.
The viewers feel an emotional connection towards these doctors and want them to emerge victorious both professionally and personally.
Performances
The performances across the board are brilliant with the standouts being Mohit Raina and Konkana Sen Sharma.
Mohit Raina does a brilliant job of conveying both the inner turmoil and the fighting spirit of Dr Kaushik Oberoi.
Konkana Sen Sharma is wonderful in displaying both the vulnerability and steeliness of Chitra Das. Her subplot with the junior doctor Ahaan (Satyajeet Dubey) has some wonderful moments.
Satyajeet Dubey’s character is attracted towards Chitra Das.
Amidst an intense scene with his fellow junior doctors, Ahaan bursts out about how he brought tickets to watch Love Aaj Kal (2009) with Chitra Das. This brings a smile to the viewer’s face.
A refreshing change from the first season is the character arc of Mansi (Shreya Dhanwantary). Her part was a weak link in the first part, But, this time around, Mansi has been etched out much better.
Coming to the negatives, the show could have done with crisper editing. A couple of narratives have been stretched needlessly. These include a queer character that slows down the proceedings.
Ashutosh Pathak’s background score is another major winner. His work is particularly praiseworthy in intense scenes.
The background score helps in further elevating the performances.
Another noteworthy aspect of this web series is the production design of Priya Suhass. There is an authenticity to how the flood scenes have been recreated.
Final take
To sum it up, Mumbai Diaries Season 2 makes the viewers wish that Nikhil Advani comes up with a Season 3.
The first half of ‘Khufiya’ has some good moments, but it is in the second half that the film completely nosedives.
Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya is based on the espionage novel “Escape to Nowhere” written by Amar Bhushan.
It starts in Dhaka with the death of an undercover spy Hina Rehman (Azmeri Haque Badhon). Hina’s death sends shockwaves to the R&AW office in Delhi.
An investigation leads to the discovery of a mole, Ravi (Ali Fazal) who leaks sensitive information about India to other countries. Charu (Wamiqa Gabbi) is Ravi’s wife.
Tabu plays a raw agent named Krishna Mehra. KM Jeev (Ashish Vidyarthi) is her boss. He gives her the responsibility of catching Ravi.
For Krishna, this mission is not just professional but also personal because she had an intimate relationship with Hina.
The rest of the story is about whether Krishna is able to stop Ravi and what happens when Charu comes to know about the actual identity of her husband.
Second half falls flat
Before getting into the negatives of Khufiya, it is necessary to point out a few positive things.
The scenes between Tabu and Azmeri Haque Badhon are limited. But still, they give the film some of its best moments as they have so much warmth.
It also helps that Azmeri has a striking screen presence. The viewers wish that she had more screen time.
The first half of Khufiya has some good moments, but it is in the second half that the film completely nosedives.
The chief reason for that is the characterisation of Ali Fazal. The actor does a decent job in the first half. But in the second half, both the character and the actor lose the sheen.
Another issue with Khufiya is the serious hangover of both Kurbaan and Raazi. The scenes of Charu spying for Krishna Mehra are distinctly reminiscent of how Alia’s Sehmat communicates with Jaideep Ahlawat’s Khalid Mir in Raazi (2018). This déjà vu doesn’t help in any way.
The pre-climax and the climax are another sore point. Here again, the viewers are heavily reminded of Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019).
Performances
Tabu’s character has many layers. Apart from being a shrewd officer, she also deals with her own inner demons.
These include a failed marriage with Shashank (Atul Kulkarni) who has a brief appearance. She also has a troubled relationship with her son. Tabu portrays all these shades with her usual excellence.
Wamiqa Gabbi also gets a good arc. She starts off as this innocent housewife who presents a certain façade in front of her husband and mother-in-law. When neither of them is there, she is seen dancing with gay abandon and also smoking.
Once Charu gets to know about the real identity of her husband, she undergoes a transformation. The actress does a good job of showcasing those nuances.
Final take
To sum it up, the audiences have many expectations from this Netflix film, given that it was a reunion of Tabu and Vishal Bhardwaj. However, this reunion leaves the viewers with a bitter aftertaste!
A big problem with ‘The Vaccine War’ is the extreme heavy-handedness with which Vivek Agnihotri narrates his story.
Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files was one of the biggest hits of 2022. The movie was a surprise hit as not much was expected from it.
And now, the director is back with another heavy subject. This time, the results are not so satisfactory.
The Vaccine War is about a group of determined scientists who face many challenges while making a vaccine when the entire world including India was crippled by the Coronavirus in 2020.
Synopsis
Nana Patekar plays Bhargava, the chief scientist, in the film. He is both eccentric and a workaholic.
At times, Bhargava also comes across as stone-hearted, but he enjoys certain respect from his team.
His army consists of mostly women. These include Priya Abraham (Pallavi Joshi), Nivedita Gupta (Girija Oak), and Dr Pragya Yadav (Nivedita Bhattacharya).
It is a treat to watch these women handling multiple roles, professionally and personally.
The main villain of this tale is a science journalist Rohini Singh Dhulia (Raima Sen). Her character is shown running a smear campaign against the government, with particular vehemence. She writes long articles that undermine the noble efforts of the scientists.
On the surface, The Vaccine War reminds us of Mission Mangal (2019). There too, you had a group of women scientists headed by Vidya Balan. However, the treatment of both the films is quite different.
Pluses and minuses
A big problem with The Vaccine War is the extreme heavy-handedness with which director Vivek Agnihotri narrates the story.
There is a lot of high-sounding terminology that the director uses, and this ends up boring the audience.
To give credit where it is due, Vivek is successful in staging some good emotional moments. Most of these moments are concerning the characters played by Pallavi Joshi and Girija Oak. Viewers feel genuine empathy towards them.
The struggles of the women scientists in balancing their professional and personal duties are shown well by the director.
He also gives some nice emotional touches to the character of Nana Patekar. The duo makes sure that Bhargava doesn’t come across as a caricature.
Another big problem with The Vaccine War is the characterisation of journalist Rohini Singh Dhulia. This is not the first film which is guilty of portraying the media in a negative light.
Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju (2018) also made the media a big scapegoat for Sanjay Dutt’s bad image, but the director balanced the negative portrayal of the media with other elements.
Nevertheless, in The Vaccine War, not only does Rohini Singh occupy much more space than needed, but also has a constant smirk on her face which is irritating to watch. There is no second layer either in her characterisation or performance.
Final take
To sum it up, The Vaccine War is a long-drawn showcase of the government’s “achievements”.
From Shah Rukh Khan and Sunny Deol to Ranveer Singh, these Bollywood actors made a comeback of sorts in the current calendar year.
2023 has been a remarkable year for Bollywood in more ways than one. The success rate of films is much higher than last year.
Additionally, some of the major stars have made a smashing comeback after a series of duds — be it Shah Rukh Khan with Pathaan and Jawan, or Sunny Deol with Gadar 2.
Shah Rukh in Pathaan and Jawan
There was a period when Shah Rukh Khan was struggling to deliver solid box-office hits. Films like Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), Fan (2016), and Zero (2018) are major examples of this.
Rahul Dholakia’s Raees (2017) was a box office success but it was nowhere close to what Aamir and Salman were delivering with 3 Idiots (2009), Dangal (2016), PK (2014), and Sultan (2016).
In between, Shah Rukh played an adorable shrink in Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi (2016) which was a moderate success. But it was only a relief considering how the aforementioned films went.
Of course, he was appreciated for playing a supporting role in a female-centric movie headlined by Alia Bhatt.
After Zero, the actor took time to sign his next films as a leading man and the wait has certainly paid off.
Reinventing himself
At the age of 57, Shah Rukh Khan reinvented himself as an action star in both Pathaan (2023) and Jawan (2023). On the surface, both are masala flicks, but the presentation of Siddharth Anand and Atlee are as different as chalk and cheese.
In Pathaan, Shah Rukh was in equal parts charming and rugged. The actor didn’t disappoint one bit — whether it was in the high-octane action sequences or in the more intense bits like the confrontation scenes with John Abraham.
In Jawan, the Bollywood Badshah further pushed the envelope with his double role. And within that double role, there were a lot of variations.
For example, he is a vigilante who uses unconventional ways to speed up societal changes. He is also a military officer who has been accused of cheating the nation and suffers from partial memory loss.
Jawan can be described as a South Indian thali (meal) with a North Indian flavour. Shah Rukh got the pitch of the film perfectly and delivered a thunderous performance, particularly in the father’s role.
There is also Dunki coming up in December and it is expected to rake in good box office numbers, considering the directorial skills of Rajkumar Hirani along with Shah Rukh Khan’s star power.
Sunny Deol in Gadar 2
When the trailer of Gadar 2 was released, it was dismissed as outdated with not many giving it a chance. But the film’s collections surprised many trade analysts.
The nostalgia associated with Gadar (2001) definitely played a part in making it a box-office hit. But more than that, it is Sunny Deol as Tara Singh who sold the movie with his intense performance. Even at the age of 65, Sunny has a commanding presence that resonates well with the audience.
After a series of disasters like Bhaiaji Superhit (2018), Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se (2018), and Mohalla Assi (2018), the Bollywood actor is back with a bang with Gadar 2.
His performance particularly stands out in the emotional scenes that Tara Singh shares with his son Jeetay (Utkarsh Sharma). The action scenes are deliberately over the top but Sunny Deol sells them with his conviction.
Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani
Before the pandemic, Ranveer was having an absolute dream run with his varied characters. Whether it was the despicable Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat (2018), the masala cop in Rohit Shetty’s Simmba (2018), or the young Muslim boy who has a fascination for rap in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019).
In all these movies, the Bollywood actor got critical acclaim as well as box office success. But post-pandemic, things started going downhill for the actor.
It started with Kabir Khan’s 83 (2021). Ranveer won rave reviews for his portrayal of Kapil Dev and so did the film. And yet, it didn’t achieve its full potential. The sudden hurricane of Pushpa: The Rise(2021) definitely played a spoilsport for this Ranveer Singh-starrer.
His next release Jayeshbhai Jordaar (2022) was directed by a new director Divyang Thakur. The flick didn’t do well at the box in spite of tackling a socially relevant subject.
Much was expected from Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus (2022) but neither the director nor the actor could recreate the success of Simmba (2018).
Ranveer’s Rocky is a flamboyant Punjabi guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is someone who is neither politically nor culturally sophisticated.
His life undergoes a metamorphosis after falling in love with a fiercely opinionated Bengali journalist Rani Chatterjee (Alia Bhatt).
The role of Rocky gave Ranveer ample scope to display both his comic and dramatic skills.
On many occasions, Ranveer brought the house down with his broken English. A good example of this is when Rocky attempts poetry to flatter Rani who is very amused.
On the other hand, he was also equally effective while displaying the fragile side of Rocky. For example, there is a brilliant dramatic scene where he apologises to Rani’s onscreen dad (Tota Roy Chowdhury).
Rocky gives a heartfelt monologue about how he has been conditioned to think in a certain manner from childhood. He also talks about the Cancel Culture and how none of us will learn anything if we keep on cancelling each other.
Ranveer also surprised one and all with his Kathak performance on the famous number “Dhole Re Dhola.” His sizzling chemistry with Alia was an icing on the cake.
Ayushmann Khurrana in Dream Girl 2
Ayushmann Khurrana already proved his credentials as a good actor in different genres. Whether it is Sriram Raghavan’s thriller Andhadhun (2018) or Anubhav Sinha’s social drama Article 15 (2019), he gave a series of hits before the pandemic.
However, post-pandemic, Ayushmann’s brand of cinema stopped working; they were not just outright disasters, none of them took a good opening either.
As a result, the Bollywood actor took the route of a masala comedy with the film Dream Girl 2 (2023). Dream Girl 2 definitely had the sequel advantage.
Dream Girl (2019) remains Ayushmann’s highest-grosser to date. Dream Girl 2‘s critical response was mixed but Ayushmann’s performance, particularly as Pooja, did receive a good response.
Dream Girl 2 earned over ₹100 crore at the domestic box office.
John Abraham in Pathaan
In the last few years, John Abraham has been following the route of Akshay Kumar — either playing a patriotic hero or doing slapstick comedies.
The likes of Pagalpanti (2019) and Satyameva Jayate-2 (2021) were disasters both critically and commercially. But, with Pathaan, John more than made up for his previous lacklustre outings.
His role as Jim was not just about being a dashing villain, there is also an emotional back-story about why he does what he does. As viewers, you might not agree with his actions but you do understand his resentment with RAW (Research and analysis wing).
There are certain moments where John Abraham expresses the angst of his character and he did a good job.
Akshay Kumar in OMG 2
Unlike the above-mentioned actors Akshay Kumar is not the leading man of OMG 2 (2023), nor is it a major supporting role. In OMG 2, he had only an extended cameo as the messenger of Lord Shiva in Human form.
Though there was not much scope for performance, Akshay still brought the right amount of divinity to his part. It is easily his most relaxed performance in the recent past.
Akshay Kumar also pulled off a Shiv Tandav with ease. After the debacle of Samrat Prithviraj (2022) and Raksha Bandhan (2022), OMG 2 must have been a much-needed relief for him.
Vijay Krishna Acharya is known for directing big-budget extravaganzas. All his films — Tashan (2008), Dhoom 3 (2013), and Thugs of Hindostan (2018) — belong to the action genre and feature big stars.
However, the subject of his latest outing — The Great Indian Family — on the surface appears as a misfit for the director. But he pleasantly surprises us, particularly, when the film gets to the meat of the story.
The Great Indian Family is about a Brahmin boy Ved Vyas Tripathi, also known as Bhajan Kumar.
Ved Vyas (Vicky Kaushal) faces an identity crisis when all of a sudden he comes to know that he is actually a Muslim by birth.
His father, rather the adopted father Siya Ram Tripathi (Kumud Mishra) is a most respected pandit of the small town where the film is set.
Manoj Pahwa plays the uncle of Ved Vyas. His character Balak Ram goes through a shift when the identity of Ved Vyas is known. All this happens when Siya Ram Tripathi is on a pilgrimage.
Yashpal Sharma, on the other hand, plays the rival pandit who wants to bring down the popularity of Siya Ram Tripathi.
And finally, you have the female lead Manushi Chillar who shows no improvement from her Samrat Prithviraj (2022) days.
Positives
The Great Indian Family does take time to get going. Vicky Kaushal’s scenes with his two friends don’t add much to the film.
Manushi Chjillar’s entry only further slackens the proceedings. Her attempt at being a Punjabi firebrand is rather laboured. There is zero spunk.
Vicky’s chemistry with Manushi has none of the sizzle that he shared with Sara Ali Khan in Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (2023).
The best portions of the film are the scenes where Ved Vyas is going through an existential crisis. There was a time when he was adored by his uncle and others. But now, the same family turns its back on him owing to societal pressure.
The situation reaches a point where Ved Vyas seriously thinks of embracing Islam. The paradox here is that without knowing his identity, he finds shelter in a Muslim family. Additionally, his Sikh girlfriend has no issues about him belonging to either of the religions.
It is in these bits that the directorial skills of Vijay Krishna Acharya come forth.
Performances
Another area where the movie scores is the scenes featuring the senior actors Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra.
Manoj Pahwa plays a citizen who is good at heart but can get easily influenced by WhatsApp forwards. But the director makes sure that he doesn’t become a caricature.
Vicky Kaushal and Manoj Pahwa have a couple of dramatic showdowns, and these bits are a delight to watch because of the intense acting on display.
Kumud Mishra conveys a lot with his silence and expressions. The actor particularly shines in the scene where he opens up to the other family members about how he and his wife decided to adopt the boy born to a Muslim mother.
What pulls the film apart from the female lead is the lacklustre music. The only song that works in The Great Indian Family is “Kanhaiya Twitter Pe Aaja“. It has a catchy tune along with Vicky Kaushal’s energy.
Pritam’s soundtrack in Rock Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (2023)had far better songs.
Final take
The story of The Great Indian Family might sound a little clichéd and a filmy attempt at unifying religions in these difficult times. But it is still an effort that needs to be appreciated.
Director Bharath YG takes the familiar template of a big mansion with scary elements to explore the negative shades in human beings.
The film industry across the languages has a fascination for horror/thriller stories. Periodically, one director or the other has revisited this genre.
Ram Gopala Varma was successful in delivering some genuinely scary films like Urmila Matondkar’s Bhoot (2003).
In the recent past, Amar Kaushik was successful in reinventing the genre with his film Stree (2018). In Stree, the director used the popular legend of “O Stree Kal Aana” (Oh woman, visit tomorrow) and gave it a feministic touch.
On the other hand, directors like Rohit Shetty and Anees Bazmee have made popcorn entertainers with elements of horror.
Now, director Bharath YG takes the familiar template of a big mansion with scary elements in this web series to explore the negative shades in human beings. The shades include lust, anger, and greed.
But the jump scares are presented in a very clichéd manner. It is high time that filmmakers do away with such clichéd elements for scaring the audiences.
Synopsis
Athidhi — now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar — marks Venu Thottempudi’s debut in the OTT space.
Ravi (Venu Thottempudi) is introduced as a writer, who is living with his paralysed wife Sandhya (Aditi Gautam). He is trying to reinvent himself as a writer.
At this point, a mysterious woman Maya (Avantika Mishra) and a Youtuber Savari (Venkatesh Kakumanu), take shelter in his house. Savari makes videos on the non-existence of ghosts.
There is also a cop called Prakash (Ravi Varma). None of these characters are what they appear on the surface. They have secrets of their own. Revealing anything more will not be appropriate.
Positives
One of the things that stands out in Athidhi is the technical department.
Special mention must be made of Kapil Kumar’s background score and Manoj Katasani’s cinematography.
The background music definitely enhances the key scenes.
Manoj Katasani successfully captures the show’s eeriness through his lens.
The most impressive twist is the flashback regarding the ghost. Through it, Bharath YG raises some pertinent points about greed and jealousy.
There is also an underlying message — too much greed will lead to disastrous consequences.
The ghost is presented as a messenger of God to teach this lesson to humans.
Performances
The performances in Athidhi are a mixed bag.
Venu Thottempudi is someone who is mostly associated with comic romantic roles. But here, the actor ventures out of his comfort zone. He pulls off an impressive act, particularly in the key emotional scenes.
The next good performance comes from Avanthika Mishra. Her character has quite a few layers and the actress does a good job.
But Venkatesh Kakumanu overacts as a YouTuber. Instead of feeling sorry for Savari, viewers feel irritated whenever he is on screen.
Aditi Gautam as the wife suffers on account of a half-baked characterisation.
Final take
Athidhi is not an entirely satisfying ride but the show has its moments.
An overview of South Indian filmmakers who tried their luck in Hindi cinema with varying degrees of success.
In the last few years, more South Indian film directors have been working with Bollywood stars. We have seen Prabhudeva directing the likes of Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar and Atlee directing the Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan in the recent blockbuster hit Jawan.
Not that this trend didn’t exist earlier; both Bapu and K Viswanath had directed nine films each in the 1980s and 1990s. Filmmaker K Viswanath remade his own classic Swathi Muthyam (1986) as Eeshwar (1989) with Anil Kapoor.
K Raghavendra Rao also directed quite a few Hindi films — all were remakes of his Telugu movies. He debuted in Bollywood with Nishana (1980) starring Jeetendra and Poonam Dhillon. It was a remake of the Telugu movie Vetagadu (1979).
However, Jeetender-Sridevi’s Himmatwala (1983) helped Rao make a mark for himself in Hindi cinema. It, again, was a remake of the Telugu flick Ooriki Monagadu (1981).
Raghavendra Rao followed it up with films like Tohfa (1984), Masterji (1985), Suhaagan (1986), and Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa (2001), to mention a few.
In the later years, Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma carved their niche in Bollywood.
Following are some prominent South Indian film directors who went North starting from recent times to slightly old:
Atlee
Atlee has established his credibility as a successful commercial director in a short period. His stories always have shades of other films, particularly the hangover of Shankar’s films.
But Atlee has mastered the art of mixing all the elements in the right proportion with strong political and social touches. A good example of this is his Hindi debut Jawan starring Shah Rukh Khan which has already become a bigger blockbuster than Pathaan (2023).
Shah Rukh has done mass films in the past too. But Atlee’s presentation of the actor is something that’s never seen before.
What also makes Jawan such a monstrous hit is the rousing manner in which Atlee dealt with several problems plaguing our society. The director’s conviction is such that the viewers don’t mind the not-so-subtle treatment.
Not surprisingly, Atlee has become a hot-shot director with whom many actors would want to work. There are already rumours of Atlee doing a film with the National Award winner Allu Arjun.
Prabhudeva
Before foraying into Hindi Cinema Prabhudeva directed two Telugu films — Siddharth-Trisha’s Nuvvostante Nenoddantana (2005) and Prabhas-Trisha’s Pournami (2006). The first one did well at the box office and the second one got critical acclaim.
Prabhudeva
Before foraying into Hindi Cinema Prabhudeva directed two Telugu films — Siddharth-Trisha’s Nuvvostante Nenoddantana (2005) and Prabhas-Trisha’s Pournami (2006). The first one did well at the box office and the second one got critical acclaim.
In 2012, Prabhudeva teamed up with Akshay Kumar for Rowdy Rathore, another remake. This time, it was the super-hit Telugu Film Vikramarkudu (2006) featuring Ravi Teja in a dual role. Rowdy Rathore went on to gross more than that of Wanted.
Post-Rowdy Rathore, Prabhudeva delivered movies that have largely missed the mark. The likes of R… Rajkumar (2013) were moderate successes, but his style of loud filmmaking has gone past its expiry date.
AR Murugadoss
AR Murugadoss is one of those filmmakers who want to entertain and enlighten.
Suriya-starrer Ghajini (Tamil, 2008) is a significant film in his career. Compared to his other works, Ghajini is cut from a different cloth as there is nothing political about it. It is a revenge drama revolving around a protagonist who suffers from a certain kind of amnesia due to a severe head injury.
Murugadoss remade the film in Hindi with the same name and with Aamir Khan as the protagonist. We all know how big a hit it is — more than the original. This was because of his skilful direction and also Aamir Khan’s dedication.
The director’s second Hindi film was also a remake of his own Tamil film Thuppaki (2012).
Akshay Kumar played Vijay Thalapathy’s role in Holiday: A Solider is Never Off Duty (2014). It was also a commercial success, but Thuppaki was more entertaining.
Puskhar-Gayatri
The duo of Puskhar-Gayatri remade their own Tamil film Vikram Vedha (2017) into Hindi in 2022 with Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan. What made Vikram Vedha a cut above the usual cop versus gangster drama was the moral ambiguities analysed through the Vikram and Betaal analogy.
A striking aspect of the Hindi remake was the more messy and flamboyant way in which Hrithik Roshan was presented as Vedha. This added a different dimension along with the Lucknow setting.
The Hindi Vikram Vedha wasn’t a box-office success, but Hrithik’s performance was vastly appreciated in terms of how he made Vedha his own.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Sandeep Reddy Vanga has already become a much-talked-about director despite making only two films — Vijay Deverakonda-starrer Arjun Reddy (Telugu, 2017) and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh (2019).
Kabir Singh starring Shahid Kapoor was a huge hit but the uproar was also equally big.
Now, he is making a straight Hindi film Animal with Ranbir Kapoor. There is a lot of curiosity and intrigue about this movie because of the title and also the violent depiction of the protagonist in the earlier one.
Gowtam Tinnanuri
Gowtam Tinnanuri made his Telugu film directorial debut with Malli Raava (2017). But it was Jersey (2019) starring actor Nani that made Gowtam a successful director.
This sports drama won a lot of acclaim along with commercial success. In the year 2021, it won several national awards which include Best Director and Best Actor as well.
Gowtam tried to recreate the same magic with Shahid with a nearly identical storyline except for setting it in Chandigarh.
The Hindi Jersey had some good reviews but suffered on account of the remake fatigue. The Punjabi setting also didn’t add any new dimension to the story.
In short, Shahid Kapoor’s strategy of getting another remake hit bombed badly.
Vishnu Vardhan
Tamil director Vishnu Vardhan made his Hindi debut with Vikram Batra’s biopic Shershaah (2021). He was appreciated for not making the flick overtly jingoistic and showing a certain restraint.
Vishnu Vardhan’s directorial skills particularly come out in the second half when the war drama sets in.
Shershaah had a direct OTT release, but it should have been ideally released in theatres.
Not surprisingly, Siddarth Malhotra got some good reviews for his performance as Vikram Batra.
Now, let’s go to the slightly older ones Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma.
Mani Ratnam
Before the film Dil Se (1998), made directly in Hindi, Mani Ratnam was already a known face in the North, thanks to Roja(1992) and Bombay (1995) dubbed in Hindi.
Dil Se was the third one in the trilogy of Roja and Bombay as this film also had the backdrop of insurgency.
Over the years, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer has acquired a cult of its own thanks to AR Rahman‘s scintillating music coupled with the intense performances of Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala.
After a long gap, Mani Ratnam simultaneously shot Aayutha Ezhutu (2004) in Tamil and Yuva (2004) in Hindi. Yuva was a significant game changer for Abhishek Bachchan before Guru (2007) and Sarkar (2005) happened. In Yuva, Abhishek Bachchan was brilliant as a ruffian with political ambitions.
After Dil Se, Guru was Mani Ratnam’s second straight Hindi film. The film was loosely based on the industrial tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani. It won critical appreciation along with good money. It is easily the most memorable solo outing of Abhishek Bachchan.
However, their next collaboration Raavan (2010) turned out to be a disaster of epic proportions. Despite a solid storyline, the movie turned out to be a cringe-fest both in acting and direction.
Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma scored a sixer with his debut Hindi film Satya (1998), a cult classic. It was the start of many more movies dealing with organised crime and the nexus between politicians and the underworld.
The film focuses on the life of an immigrant Satya (JD Chakravarthy) who visits Mumbai in search of a job. He gets drawn to the underworld by the gangster Bhiku Mhatre (Manoj Bajpai).
Satya gave birth to a lot of new talent, the chief among them being Manoj Bajpai and Saurabh Shukla. Their characters are remembered more than the lead hero.
It was followed by an equally successful Company (2002). The film was loosely based on the fallout between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan. Vivek Oberoi made a very promising debut as Chandrakant aka Chandu.
In both films, Varma was successful in humanising gangsters instead of painting them as cardboard cuts with no nuances.
He added more feathers to his cap with Sarkar (2005) and Sarkar Raj (2008). In these movies, the director combined Godfather (1972, 1974 & 1990) elements with that of Balasaheb Thackeray. Both the flick had the perfect mix of style and substance.
Ram Gopal Varma also directed the romantic-comedy Rangeela (1995) with Aamir Khan and Urmila.
Romance is the last thing that viewers associate Varma with. But to the director’s credit, he did pull off an enjoyable watch which also was a satire on the film industry.
But in the recent past, the filmmaker has been making one embarrassing movie after another. Sadly, the viewers are now more interested in what controversial remarks he would make rather than his works.
Priyadarshan
There was a period when Priyadarshan was a successful director in Hindi as well. Most of his Hindi films are remakes of his Tamil and Malayalam movies. But the director, more often than not, hit a jackpot.
He debuted in Hindi cinema with Muskurahat, a comedy-drama, which was a remake of his Malayalam film Kilukkam (1991).
Priyardarshan was a major reason behind the emergence of Akshay Kumar as a comic actor. In fact, many of Priyardarshan’s Hindi films featured Akshay Kumar.
The filmmaker delivered many flicks that have been both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. He delivered a good number of superhits like Gardish (1993), Virasat (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Hungama (2003), Hulchul (2004), Malamaal Weekly (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), and Rangrezz (2013).
However, things have been going downhill, of late, with Priyadarshan not being able to reinvent himself. A good example of this is Hungama 2 (2021) which was released on Disney+Hotstar. It opened to negative reviews.
Well, this list is not exhaustive. I am sure many more South Indian film directors have done movies in Hindi earlier too. But Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan is the latest and the most significant film in this trend.
Bhav Dhulia might have directed it but it is an extension of Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Baby’ and ‘Special Ops’; war-torn Syria is the USP here.
Keeps you hooked to your seats!
The Freelancer (Hindi)
Cast: Mohit Raina, Kashmira Pardeshi, Sushant Singh, and Anupam Kher
Director: Bhav Dhulia
Producers: Gaurav Banerjee, Varun Malik, and Mahesh Menon
Music: Sanjoy Chowdhury
No. of episodes: 4
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
After the hugely controversial and successfulTheKerala Story (2023), we have another story that looks at the ISIS terror groups who want to conquer the world and the extent they would go for it.
For those who are not aware this web show is based on the book “A Ticket to Syria” by writer Shirish Thorat.
In simple terms, The Freelancer focuses on the plight of a newly married girl named Aliya (Kashmira Pardeshi). Her husband Mohsin takes her to Istanbul on the pretext of honeymoon, but his actual intention is something else.
Aliya has no idea that her husband and in-laws have been completely brainwashed by ISIS and want her to be a tool in their plans, too. She is not allowed to communicate with her parents and becomes a virtual prisoner.
Mohit Raina plays Avinash Kamat, an ex-cop turned mercenary.
The title — The Freelancer — refers to this kind of mercenary who fights as a soldier for any group or country that would pay him or her.
Avinash’s physical prowess is established very early on.
Avinash and Aliya’s father Inayat (Sushant Singh) are good friends. After learning about her plight, Inayat tries to contact her, but he doesn’t succeed. In desperation and guilt, he commits suicide.
Aliya’s mother requests Avinash to somehow bring her back.
The first season primarily focuses on how Aliya gets trapped in Syria and how she manages to get in contact with Avinash.
Performances
The Freelancer works best when it focuses on the plight of Aliya, and also ravaged terrain of Syria.
Brainwashing done in the name of religion is something that we have seen earlier as well. But it becomes uncomfortable when the stories emanate only from groups like ISIS.
The character of Aliya is the backbone of The Freelancer. She goes through varied emotions.
The young actress delivers a commendable performance. Her conversations with her mother (Ayesha Raza) are particularly impactful.
As viewers, we feel anxious about Aliya’s safety and want her to come out safe.
Sushant Singh effectively conveys the desperation of a father in the screen time he has.
Mohit Raina makes for a formidable mercenary and also a concerned uncle.
Anupam Kher as the mentor figure has a pleasing presence but the part feels undercooked.
Technical aspects
Cinematographers Tojo Xavier, Arvind Singh, and Sudhir Palsane do a good job of capturing the many locations through their lenses. Their work stands out more when they recreate the harsh terrain of Syria — whether it is the camps, local markets or dilapidated houses.
Though a lot of back and forth keeps happening editing is quite seamless.
What doesn’t work for The Freelancer is the track of Mohit Raina and the complicated relationship that he shares with his on-screen wife (Manjari Fadnnis). It is weakly written, and as a result, their track comes across as more of an unnecessary distraction.
Final take
The Freelancer ends with a cliffhanger of Aliya’s in-laws turning suicide bombers. This makes the viewers even more hooked about what would unfold in Season 2.
