Tag: Vikrant Massey

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Musafir Cafe: A tender tale of romance and finding oneself

Based on a book by the same name director Ruchir Arun does a good job in portraying the complexities of modern love. Musafir Cafe paints an interesting picture on the pressures of conventional society, certain expectations related to marriage and career plans. The web series also looks at how love can happen at different stages in life. The journey of Vikrant Massey’s Chander compliments the theme perfectly. In spite of some lag the web series remains largely watchable thanks to the solid cast and two well written love stories. A special mention must be made of Mahima Makwana as the third wheel. Both the writing and the actress make sure that the character doesn’t become a stereotypical rival.

Starcast: Vikrant Massey, Vedika Pinto, Mahima Makwana, Adil Hussain and others

Genre: Romance

Director: Ruchir Arun

Writer and creator: Sharanya Rajgopal

Based on: Musafir Cafe by Divya Prakash Dubey

Music: Raghav Kaushik. Neel Adhikari and Garvit Priyansh

Cinematography: Anirudha

Producers: Vikrant Massey and Anuj Gosalia

Production houses: Homemade stories and Terribly Tiny Tales Production

No of episodes: 8

Streaming site: Netflix

Before dissecting Musafir Cafe its necessary to appreciate Vikrant for venturing into production with this kind of story. A full-fledged romantic story in an Ott space is an anomaly and kudos to Vikrant for backing a show like this. Musafir Cafe primarily focuses on two love stories and three individuals. Vikrant Massey’s Chander starts off as software engineer, later though he follows his passion of opening an intimate mountain cafe. In one way the man is an Imtiaz Ali protagonist from something like Tamasha bored of conventional routine. Vedika Pinto is Sudha, she is a fiercely independent woman with clear cut career plans. Marriage doesn’t fit anywhere in her menu, without giving much away Chander and Sudha share a turbulent past. Last but not the least Mahima Makwana is Preeti, Preeti is Chander’s present partner both in the cafe as well as personal life. This is the basic synopsis

A strong aspect of Musafir Cafe is the intertwining of Chander’s past with his present life. The meet up of Chander and Sudha and their subsequent falling in love has an excellent mix of lighthearted and intense moments. How Sudha shapes up Chander’s eventual dream is straight out of an Imitiaz Ali movie still the writing coupled with the performances make it work.

Talking about the intense scenes a mention must be of the portions in which the two find themselves at crossroads. As already mentioned marriage isn’t in the menu of Sudha though she loves Chander. For her professional dreams and looking after mother is more important. There is a point of Chander deciding to move to Mumbai and settling down with her. There are a series of heated arguments with Sudha leaving Chander.

These portions are emotionally poignant making the viewers feel sad for Chander, at the same time it’s hard to dislike Sudha completely. The present portions of Chander with Preeti are also engaging in their own way. Yes, the writing in these portions isn’t fully developed still there is a palpable warmth in the scenes between Vikrant and Mahima. Some of their conversations like the portion of Preeti egging Chander to find a closure is solidly written and enacted. The Chander that we see in the present and the past varies significantly in terms of the mental space and Vikrant brings that out beautifully.

Mahima makes her presence amply felt too, she plays Preeti with grace and emotional maturity. There is a dialogue in the web series where a character describes Preeti as a life partner you shouldn’t miss, and Mahima does a very fine job in portraying those qualities while at the same time not being a complete saint. Vedika Pinto as Sudha has a strong screen presence, she too does an excellent job in portraying Sudha’s feisty nature as well as the more vulnerable moments. The supporting cast led by the ever-effective Adil Hussain are good too, but these characters could have done with better depth. Adil’s scenes with Vikrant have some solid dialogues especially an important scene of advice.

Musafir Cafe also benefits from soulful music and wonderful cinematography. The songs composed by multiple musicians perfectly compliment Chander’s journey. Among the songs Tera Hua, Kaafi Hain Na and Darmiyaan stand out. Anirudha’s cinematography especially the mountain shots and Musafir Cafe brimming with people makes for a good visual viewing.

Final word: Musafir Cafe is definitely worth binging for fans of romance and those who are interested in stories dwelling into relationships.

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Pritam and Pedro: An effective cautionary tale on cybercrime

Arshad Warsi and Vir Hirani rise above an uneven screenplay. The camaraderie between the two largely stirs the show. Vikrant Massey as the cybercriminal is excellent too. His entry gives the proceedings a much-needed gravity. The characters backstory and his dynamics with Vir Hirani give the show some of its best moments. Creator and writer Rajkumar Hirani gives an important message on malicious hackers, hacked web cams and parenting in digital age

Starcast: Arshad Warsi, Vir Hirani, Vikrant Massey, Satyadeep Misra, Mona Singh and others

Genre: Crime thriller

Creator and writer: Rajkumar Hirani

Additional writers: Abhijat Joshi and Suyash Trivedi

Direction and cinematography: Avinash Arun Dhaware

Producer: Rajkumar Hirani

Production House: Rajkumar Hirani films

No of episodes: 6

Streaming site: Disney+Hotstar

Music: Shantanu Moitra

Pritam and Pedro has a distinct stamp of Rajkumar Hirani films though it isn’t directed by him. The web series deals with heavy themes, but the show never gets too dark. The antagonist character gets a redemption arc too. This approach gives a show its distinct identity. For those excepting another Paatal Lok from Avinash Arun would be disappointed. But for fans of Rajkumar Hirani’s storytelling this makes for a fun weekend watch while also dwelling into relevant issues.

The story of Pritam and Pedro focuses on two distinct individuals. Arshad Wari’s Pedro is an old school cop having issues with the new age technology. Vir Hirani’s Pritam is a tech savvy young man, certain situations lead the two to teaming up, the show gets going with a high-profile kidnapping case. The minister’s son has disappeared. Pritam and Pedro are soon sucked into the world of cyber threats, hackers and digital crime networks. How Pritam’s past is tied up with Vikrant Massey’s Martin forms the major core.

A major strength of Pritam and Pedro are the contrasting personalities. Pedro is driven by the traditional methods of investigation unlike Pritam who sees solutions through coding and digital based technology. How the two strike a balance between old school and new school eventually developing a bond has been wonderfully written and enacted.

A special mention must be of the scenes in which Pedro gets transferred to cybercrime. Pedro neither understands nor respects that world. This leads to some genuinely funny moments. For example, there is the dialogue ” School taught us ABCD, then why does computer keyboard begin with QWERTY? Banda Kaam Kare Ye alphabet dhunde? the exasperation on Arshad Wari’s face coupled with the situaton leaves the viewers in spilts.

Both the writing and Arshad make sure that Pedro doesn’t become just a bumbling cop used for laughs. Yes the man is technologically changed but Pedro is an experienced cop who is competent at what he does. Pritam on the other hand happens to be very good at dealing with cybercriminals, but that doesn’t mean that he is an arrogant young man.

The humor never gets mean and is generated organically. Vir Hirani more than holds his own delivering a confident performance. There are some touching emotional bits when Pritam opens up about a certain past action. Vir does an excellent job in making the viewers feel the pain of Pritam.

Vikrant Massey as Martin enters at a crucial juncture when the show is sought of trudging along. His entry increases the stakes, as a cybercriminal with a solid back story the actor does an excellent job proving again why he is a very competent actor.

He especially stands out in a confrontation scene with Vir Hirani portraying anguish and threat in a wonderful manner. Satyadeep Misra and Shruti Marathe as anxious parents are also good in their respective parts. The usually brilliant Mona Singh as Pedro’s wife gets a raw deal, nevertheless the actress shines in her limited screen time.

The show also has some important passages highlighting children getting addicted to online games and how this makes them vulnerable to digital predators. The challenges of parenting in digital age has been organically woven rather than just a random passage.

Avinash Arun’s cinematography captures the lush locations of Goa well. The music of Shantanu Moitra is quite forgettable barring Piya Piya Piya. The background score of Sanjay Wandrekar though is peppy especially the theme used for Vikrant Massey scenes.

One major issue with the show are the beginning episodes. The initial case of ATM feels like more of a filler for Pedro and Pritam to meet, it doesn’t hold much substance. Even the subplot of a lost radio and the deep attachment of Pritam’s grandfather with it isn’t developed sufficiently.

Final word: Pritam and Pedro is worth watching if you are in the mood for a feel-good entertainer in Rajkumar Hirani style.

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Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba: The central performances coupled with the first half makes the movie watchable

A convoluted second half makes the movie a not so Hasseen sequel

  • Starcast: Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Sunny Kaushal, Jimmy Shergill and others
  • Director: Jayprad Desai
  • Writer: Kanika Dhillon
  • Producers: Anand L Rai, Himanshu Sharma and others
  • Production Companies: Color Yellow Productions and T- Series Films
  • Music: Sachet- Parampara and Anurag Saikia
  • Cinematography: Vishal Sinha
  • Running time: 2 hours and 12 minutes
  • Streaming site: Netflix

The first part of Haseen Dilruba was a well-made exploration of love and marriage under the guise of a thriller. Director Vinil Mathews did an excellent job in showcasing the various stages of Rishabh Saxena (Vikrant Massey) and Rani Kashyap (Tapsee Pannu’s) marriage. The way the relationship swings between intense dislike and intense love kept the viewers hooked. Haseen Dilruba also worked as an investigative thriller with the viewers constantly guessing about a supposed murder along with the disappearance of Rishabh’s cousin Neel (Harshvardhan Rane). The sequel naturally comes with a certain baggage. Director Jayprad Desai does a good job in carrying forward the craziness of Risabh and Rani. This time around Sunny Kaushal plays the third wheel, and his character is also equally twisted. However, after a promising start the movie starts stagnating for two reasons. One is the unnecessary subplots and two overdose of twists in the second half.

In Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba Rani and Rishi have relocated to Agra. However, they live separately. Sometimes they do meet but give the impression of being strangers. Rishi pays a big amount to a travel agent who promises to make fake passports so that the couple can leave India. On the other hand, there is the compounder (Abhimanyu) who falls in deep love with Rani. Monty (Jimmy Shergill) is the uncle of Neel; he wants to see Rani behind the bars for a certain crime, he is also absolutely certain about Rishi being alive. He keeps track of everything Rani does, in the process the travel agent is also arrested. Rani decides to marry Abhimanyu to convince the cops about Rishi’s death. The plan is to escape with Rishi at the right time leaving Abhimanyu stranded but things go awry. This is the story in brief.

The story of Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba dwells into the familiar territory of love, obsession and betrayal. But to the credit of Jayprad desai he does keep the viewers tensed about what will happen next more so in the first half. The scenes of Rani and Rishi meeting as strangers is fun to watch. The conversations are filled with some quirky dialogues.

Initially the viewers feel that Abhimanyu is too meek, and things would be very easy for Rani and Rishi however the twist regarding Abhimanyu’s character takes the viewers by complete surprise.

Rani and Rishi give the impression of being strangers
Initially the viewers get the impression of Abhimanyu being too meek

The actions of Jimmy Shergill and his desperation in catching Rani keeps the viewers guessing about her eventual fate. Special must also be made of Dinesh Pandit’s pulp fiction novels. Both Rani and Rishabh quote lines from his works and this adds to the drama on numerous occasions. Here it has to be mentioned that Dinesh Pandit is not based on any real-life author. Writer Kanika Dhillon has just used a fictional name to pay homage to all the pulp fiction writers.

Coming back to the movie the plot becomes very messy in the second half. A major stumbling block is how Monty and his men are not able to catch Rani and Rishi when it is very clear on how they are taking help from these pulp fiction books. There is no denying that some of the second half developments are thoroughly unexpected but at the same time it makes the viewers scratch their heads. The changing dynamics also leaves the viewers bewildered because of the rushed storytelling.

The trio of Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey and Sunny Kaushal leave a strong impact with their performances. As Rani Taapsee looks like a million bucks. The way she seduces Abhimanyu into marriage and sexual undertones have been wonderfully portrayed. She particularly stands out in the movie’s climax while showcasing the emotional turmoil.

As Rani Taapsee looks like a million bucks

Vikrant Massey is also a treat to watch with his striking portrayal of a man torn between love and madness. Sunny Kaushal proves to be a valuable addition in how he handles the different shades of Abhimanyu. He goes from meek to aggressive without any hitch.

As Monty Jimmy Shergill has a commanding presence delivering an impressive act. The character starts off with promise but after a point he becomes a mere pawn. Aditya Srivastava gets even less prominence

Sachet- Parampara and Anurag Saikia’s music goes well with the mood of the movie. Haaste Haaste in particular makes for a good number. This takes place during the marriage of Rani and Abhimanyu. Vishal Sinha’s cinematography is also of a fine standard.

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Haseen Dilruba: An Exploration Of Love And Marriage Under The Guise Of A Thriller

Vinil Mathew’s Haseen Dilruba starts off as an investigation thriller but as the story progresses it turns out to be more than that. Vinil Mathews last film was the romantic comedy Hasse Toh Phasse. This one is a dramatic shift in terms of many things but fortunetly he pulls it off for most part.

Tapsee Pannu plays a middle class girl from Delhi( Rani Kashyap). She has done a beautician course and has certain qualities in mind that she wants in her life partner. Vikrant Massey plays Rishabh Saxena from Jwalapur, he’s an electrical engineer with a government job. His only hobby is repairing electronic items whenever he gets an opportunity. Rishabh is a far cry from the husband that Rani wants but she still ends up in an arranged marriage with him. However the marriage soon starts falling apart. One reason for that is the sexual incompatibility and other reason being the timid nature of Rishabh.

At this point you have the arrival of Neel played by Harshvardhan Rane. Neel is someone who is into adventure sports and it doesn’t take long for Rani to get attracted to Neel. Both of them have a secret relationship and that includes physical too. Things take a huge turn when Rishabh is supposedly dead in a gas explosion and Neel has disappeared. Rani is considered to be the prime suspect for the alleged murder of her husband.

The biggest reason why  Haseen Dilruba works  is due to the way Vinil Mathew portrays the various stages of Rani and Rishabh’s marriage. It swings between Intense disklike and intense love for most part.

Intially Rishabh comes across as a henpecked one but there is a sudden shift in the character when Rani reveals about her having an affair with Neel. The darker tone has been portrayed with subtlety and it never goes over the top. You only have a subtle gesture in terms of the facial features that suggest what is going through Risabh’s mind. Vikrant is good as the timid husband but he is even better when the tonality changes.

The passion that the characters share comes out very palpably and we firmly root for the couple.

The film also looks at how time and circumstances shape our actions and behaviour. There are no heroes and villains here as each character comes out with its own set of flaws. We are ultimately shown how we do crazy things for each other and to each other just because at that time we feel this is the right thing to do.

The film also talks about how men get uncomfortable when women openly choose to express their sexual drive. There are scenes in the beginning  of the marriage when Rani drops her pallu to excite Rishabh but Rishabh feels very uncomfortable.

Like most films of this genre Vinil Mathew employs the technique of going back and forth. The thriller aspect has also been done well since you are constantly guessing about what actually happened.

The thriller format isn’t something new for Tapsee but she still delivers a wonderful performance. She is someone who knows that she has flaws and has a hard time accepting them. However at the same time she has the ability to change as well. Tapsee pulls off all these shades well. Harshvardhan Rane leaves an impact in his small role. He fits the part of the handsome hunk and you can easily understand why Rani falls for Neel.

The only things which stick out are parts of Tapsee’s family. They simply dissapear when the story takes a dark turn and you are not given any proper explanation.

Haseen Dilruba isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it is worth a watch for the plot and the performances.