Tag: Wamiqa Gabbi

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Pati Patni Aur Woh Do: A madcap comedy with a misleading title

The one liners coupled with a committed cast especially Ayushmann Khurrana and the stunning Wamiqa Gabbi keep the movie afloat. An interesting aspect of PPAWD is the angle of casteism. Actor and filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia plays a regressive politician with certain notions of so-called social boundaries. His role sets the base for the ensuing chaos spilling out of hand.

Starcast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rakul Preet Singh, Sara Ali Khan, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ayesha Raza, Vijay Raaz and others

Genre: Comedy

Direction, writing and screenplay: Mudassar Aziz

Additional screenplay: Ravi Kumar

Music: Rochak Kohli, Taniskh Bagchi etc

Cinematography: Jishnu Bhattachatterjee

Producers: Krishan Kumar, Ravi Chopra etc

Production Companies: T- Series Films and BR studios

Running time: 2 hours and 2 minutes

Before dissecting PPAWD it’s necessary to get an important matter out of the way. The film is not about Ayushmann Khurrana’s Prajapati Pandey having an extra marital affair behind the wife’s back. Mudazar Azis steers clear of that angle even though the scenarios are tailor made for a film like Masti franchise. Prajapati Pandey is a green flag husband and a solid friend. In the process of helping Sara Ali Khan’s Chanchal Prajapati’s life turns upside down. The root cause of the chaos is Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Gajraj Tiwari. Gajraj has strict boundaries of what he thinks is acceptable, Chanchal and Gajraj’s son Sunny are in deep love, however things take a dramatic turn thanks to a leaked photo of Sunny with a burqa clad woman. Of course, the one under the burqa is Chanchal and this pic reaches Gajraj. This photo is clicked by no other than Prajapati’s wife Aparna (Wamiqa Gabbi looking absolutely stunning as well as delivering a solid act). Aparna is a journalist with an ambition of opening her own news channel. What follows is a major comedy of chaos with a pile of misunderstandings and a frantic climax.

A strong aspect of PPAWD are the tricky scenarios in which our protagonist finds himself in. There is a scene in the cafe where Prajapati decides to act like Chanchal’s boyfriend to keep her safe from Gajraj and his men. He promises to help Chanchal until her boyfriend makes arrangements for the two to get away. Initially Prajapati plans to take Aparna too in confidence however a crucial revelation lands our protagonist in a messy situation. Still Prajapati goes ahead as Chanchal’s life is in danger. There are portions of Chanchal play acting like a girlfriend and Prajapati feeling hapless but playing along. This leads to numerous entertaining moments.

What elevates these screwball situations is Ayushmann Khurrana’s performance. Ayushmann’s facial expressions itself generate humor. The actor is in solid form playing to the gallery in an uninhibited manner. Apart from the comic situations Ayushmann also does a fine job in the vulnerable moments. An example of the vulnerable portion is Prajapati feeling anxious on hurting Aparna. The scenes of the protagonist’s frustration with his married life spilling out of control has been excellently portrayed by the actor.

A mention must also be made of the caste subplot. Yes, it doesn’t go too deep but the threat of Gajraj Tiwari can be definitely felt especially in an early scene of Chanchal describing her prospective father-in-law. There is an explicit emphasis from Chanchal on her coming from a lower caste and how this a major hurdle. This lifts PPAWD beyond the comedy of errors. There is also a monologue on rumors being perceived as truth when repeated often

Mudassar Aziz also deserves credit for the strong woman characters he has written. Wamiqa Gabbi’s Aparna has the least comical role among the three, but the actress brings in an emotional depth. Whether it’s her journalistic ambitions or the hurt of her husband supposed cheating Wamiqa is very good besides looking breadth takingly beautiful. Rakul Preet Singh plays Aparna and Prajapati’s best friend Nilofer Khan. Rakul is suitably feisty especially in the scene where she warns Prajapati on not hurting her best friend. Her scenes with Ayushmann especially in the one where she mocks him have nice comic touches. The two share a good camaraderie, lastly Sara Ali Khan as Chanchal does a fine job too in bringing out the character’s desperation.

The supporting cast led by Tigmanshu Dhulia and Ayesha Razia also lift the movie. Tigmanshu Dhulia plays the casteist politician with the right amount of authority, Ayesha Raza on the other hand is absolutely hilarious as Chanchal’s Buaji. The way she speaks with the speed of a Rajdhani express with a poker face leads to some chuckles. Vijay Raaz as a corrupt policeman is also competent with his dead pan humor.

Coming to the flaws Pati Patni Aur Woh do does suffer from scenes of excess. The second half in particular feels stretched in spite of the crisp running time. The pile of misunderstandings goes out of control. Also, a dream song featuring Ayushmann and Rakul doesn’t add much value to the proceedings. The songs in itself are a mixed bag with Roop Di Rani being the best of the lot. There is also a rather unnecessary character of an effeminate office boy speaking in a highly theatrical zone.

Final word: Pati Patni Aur Woh Do makes for an engaging screwball comedy especially if you are in the mood for some lighthearted fun.

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Bhooth Bangla: A competent cocktail of physical humor with scares

Priyadarshan’s latest Hindi venture feels like a mixed thali of the director’s own Bhool Bhulaiyaa 1 and Aamir Kaushik’s Stree movies. The physical humor is not for all, but a committed ensemble cast especially the veterans make it somewhat work. Akshay Kumar has a dual role one of a wastrel son and the other grey shaded character simmering with anger. Akshay makes a bigger impact in the second role. Among the three ladies Wamiqa Gabbi makes her presence felt in a mysterious character

Starcast: Akshay Kumar, Asrani, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Jisshu Sengupta, Rajesh Sharma, Wamiqa Gabbi, Mithila Parkar, Tabu and others

Genre: Horror/comedy

Direction and screenplay: Priyadarshan

Additional screenplay: Rohan Shankar and Abhilash Nair

Story: Aakash Kaushik

Dialogues: Rohan Shankar

Music: Pritam

Cinematography: Divakar Mani

Producers: Ekta Kapoor, Shoba Kapoor and Akshay Kumar

Production Companies: Balaji Motion Pictures, and Cape of Good Films

Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

In the last few years Horror comedies have emerged as a major recipe for success especially in Hindi Cinema. Whether its the Maddock horror universe Stree movies, Bhediya, Munjiya and Thamma. Or the Bhool Bhulaiyaa films. The combination of horror with laughs have been largely successful in entertaining the audience. At the same time an overkill has happened too with the largely familiar structure. Priyadarshan’s Bhoot Bangla feels like a spiritual sequel to his own movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa 1. The building up to the legend of Vadhasur and the progression of events have a major resemblance. Having said that Bhooth Bangla does a fair job in mixing slapstick humor with a well written origin story. An important flashback in mid second half has a good emotional touch.

Bhooth Bangla’s story in brief revolves around Akshay Kumar’s Arjun Maurya. He travels to an eerie place called Mangalpur, Arjun has ancestral palace. Mangalpur has a scary legend of a monster called Vadhasur. The marriage of Arjun Maurya’s sister played by Mithila Parkar is supposed to happen in these haunted surroundings. Arjun Maurya is casually dismissive of Vadhasur calling it as a cock and bull story. But he gradually realizes that Vadhasur is no myth. Unfortunately, the sister’s wedding has to happen here only, it has been destined by the high priest of the groom’s family. The rest of the story focuses on how Arjun Maurya saves the day with some help. Running parallel to this is Wamiqa Gabbi’s Priya in search of her loved one.

A strong aspect of Bhooth Bangla is Vadhasur’s origin story. The use of mythology here as the man born out of a union between an asura and deva has been well staged. The CGI effects are of a good order coupled with the cinematography of Divakar Mani. Mention must also be made of Akshay’s second role in a key flashback. His simmering anger and a feeling of being betrayed his own father has been brought out wonderfully by the actor. In one way this track is reminiscent of Christopher Marlowe’s novel Dr Faustus. How in a heated moment of insecurity the character Madhav sells his soul to Vadhasur for getting the woman he loves has been well written and enacted.

The first half is mostly devoted to scenes of slapstick comedy with major focus on physical humor. The portions of Rajpal Yadav as an electrician often border on farcical humor, he is slapped on more than one occasion by Akshay Kumar. Similarly, Paresh Rawal as the wedding organizer has a running joke on his bum being attacked. These scenes are deliberately low brow in nature, but Priyadarshan’s usual quartet of actors embrace these portions whole heartedly and are successful in raising some chuckles. Late Asrani has a substantial role too. More so in the first half. His scenes with Akshay have a fun tonality as well making the viewers chuckle.

The track between Akshay Kumar and Wamiqa Gabbi also has some interesting touches. Wamiqa lights up the screen the screen whenever she is there and the twist of a twin comes in the right time. Jisshu Sengupta as Akshay Kumar’s father may seem like an odd casting choice, but Jisshu does a fine job especially in the second half. Rajesh Sharma has an important role too. His act of desperate father comes with negative/grey shades much like Akshay’s Madhav and the actor does a very fine job.

Tabu comes in mid second half lending grace to an underwritten part. She looks like a dream though in the dance sequence. Mithila Parkar as the love-struck sister is good in the limited screen time.

A major problem with Bhooth Bangla is a significant hangover of the above-mentioned movies. The viewers get a major deja vu especially for the ones who have seen Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Stree, a more original approach was needed. Pritam’s songs also leave something to be desired. They are not bad per se but given the general track record of Pritam the tunes could have been much better.

Another problem is the scene of toilet humor; it reeks of very bad taste leaving a bitter after taste. Lastly the second half needed some trimming to make the film crisper.

Final word: Bhooth Bangla is a nostalgic horror comedy best watched with moderate expectations.

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Bhool Chuk Maaf (Forgive my mistakes): A quirky time loop romantic comedy with a social message

Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabi in Bhool Chuk Maaf

Though the inspiration of the storyline comes from Hollywood director and writer Karan Sharma gives it a distinct desi touch by using the elements of Indian mythology. The repetitive nature of the time loop sequences does get tiring but the movie’s chore themes coupled with the acting performances led by a terrific Rajkummar Rao help it to tide over the speedbumps

Starcast: Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Seema Pahwa, Sanjay Mishra and others

Director and writer: Karan Sharma

Genre: Romance/ fantasy

Producer: Dinesh Vijan

Production Companies: Amazon MGM Studios and Maddock Films

Cinematography: Sudeep Chatterjee

Music: Tanishk Bagchi and Ketan Sodha

Running time: 2 hours and 1 minute

There was a period when movies set in small town used to very profitable specifically before the pandemic. Infact Ayushmann Khurrana hugely profited with consecutive hits like Bala, Bareilly Ki Barfi and the first part of Dream Girl, Dream Girl 1 remains Ayushmann’s highest grosser till date, however just like any other genre a certain staleness crept in due to an overdose. Of course Stree 2 is an exception but by and large the formula of a small town movie with a flawed protagonist has led to a certain fatigue. Bhool Chuk Maaf starring Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi is a throwback to the Ayushmann Khurrana sub genre of small town movies. In spite of familiar beats Karan Sharma manages to infuse some freshness.

Set against the backdrop of Varanasi Bhool Chuk Maaf primarily focuses on Ranjan Tiwari (Rajkummar Rao) and Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi). The two are deeply in love and desperate to get married. The hitch is that Ranjan doesn’t do any kind of job, he has applied for government jobs but with zero luck. Things take a dramatic turn when Ranjan promises to get a government job in two months and then marry Titli. Through the system of jugaad Ranjan manages to get one but the joy is short-lived. A day before the wedding Ranjan finds himself stuck in a bizarre time loop where he relives the cycle of a particular day, the date refusing to move. This is the story in brief.

Ranjan and Titli are deeply in love and are desperate to get married

Rajkummar Rao’s Ranjan Tiwari stuck in a time loop

A strong aspect of Bhool Chuk Maaf is the gradual progression of Ranjan Tiwari in becoming a better person. Although Rajkummar Rao has previously played the role of a small time boy as well Karan Sharma manages to give it fresh nuances through the layered writing. Ranjan starts off as a wastrel of sorts by spending the money of either his mother or the girlfriend. He has no intention of being self sufficient until he is forced to become due to the desperate situation. A big reason for Ranjan’s attitude is the father played by Raghubir Yadav. Seema Pahwa playing Ranjan’s mother is the solo breadwinner of the family through the pickle business. The father also doesn’t do any job and Ranjan inherits his father’s extreme laid back attitude.

However things start changing when Ranjan gets stuck in a time loop where he is forced to confront on why things aren’t moving ahead in spite of praying to god and feeding people as well as animals. This gradual journey of self discovery and a complete arc through a series of absurd situations is a big strength of the movie.

The love story between Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi also has interesting touches due to their individual personality traits. Titli isn’t just Rangan’s love interest but also an equal partner who on certain occasions seems to be more invested in their relationship than him. At times its hard to see what Titli sees in Ranjan but Wamiqa Gabbi does a very good job in imbibing Titli’s passionate love. She does a very good job in portraying the different facets of the role, Wamiqa also raises ample chuckles with her wonderful comic timing. The duo of Rajkummar and Wamiqa also share a good chemistry specifically in the drunken conversation a day before the time loop. Rajkummar Rao as Ranjan is no stranger to playing a small town boy but the actor still manages to bring a freshness with his nuanced acting. He does complete justice to the journey of Ranjan making the viewers empathize with the bizarre scenarios that the character finds himself in. Among the elders Sanjay Mishra deserves a specific mention as Bhagwan Das, the film’s central message is conveyed through his role. He plays the character with the right amount of mysteriousness.

An important subplot in Bhool Chuk Maaf is the system of Juggad where a more worthy candidate doesn’t get what he deserves. The movie much like Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dragon talks about how real success isn’t about cheating your way to the top. There is an important subplot related to a Muslim man called Hamid Ansari, he repeatedly tries to commit suicide only to be saved by Ranjan. How this Muslim man triggers a change in Ranjan’s attitude makes the movie much more than just an average small town movie. The movie also critiques people’s obsession with government jobs and the marriage market where a certain kind of people are considered more marriage material.

Talking about the flaws on some occasions the movie seems stuck in a certain rut like the protagonist reliving the same day. There is a sense of repetitiveness to the sequences specifically in the portions where Ranjan keeps saving Ansari and persuading him on not to commit suicide. This does get exhausting, the movie could have done with more crispness in storytelling. The music also needed to be much better, the only track which makes a good impression is Tanishk Bagchi’s ‘Koi Na’ its a soothing love ballad perfectly capturing the romance between the lead pair.

Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee does a very fine job in capturing the small town essence. The atmospherics of Varanasi become a character in itself thanks to the divinity associated with the place.

Final word: Bhool Chuk Maaf makes for a good watch if you are in the mood for a morality tale with the concept of time loop.

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Baby John: ‘Theri’ dialled up to 1,000

Director Kaless and producer Atlee retain the soul of ‘Theri’ while adding some new spices like the angle of human trafficking however the film suffers from a remake fatigue and the highly amplified back ground score.

Baby John (Hindi); 25-12-2024, Action, Thriller, 2 hours 41 minutes, U/A, Theatre

  • Main Cast:Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Jackie Shroff
  • Director: Kalees
  • Producer: Murad Khetani
  • Music Director: S Thaman
  • Cinematography: Kiran Koushik
  • Rating: 2.5/5

The 2016 movie Theri marked the maiden collaboration of Vijay Thalapathy and Atlee, after the grand success of Theri the duo collaborated on two more successful movies Mersal (2017) and Bigil (2019).

Theri had an often repeated story of a cop going underground for personal reasons and later forced to come out of a temporary exile creating havoc. The wafer-thin plot was elevated by Vijay Thalapathy’s charisma particularly his act of a caring father, what also helped the movie was Atlee’s ability to pack the commercial elements in the right proportion.

Coming to the latest release, there is a huge gap of eight years between Baby John and its source material, leading to a certain sense of datedness that Baby John carries.

Synopsis

Much like the original this one is also filled with major melodrama and is crammed with many social issues. As a Varun Dhawan star vehicle, Baby John is a treat for his fans but for those who have seen numerous South commercial entertainers, there is little to take back.

Varun Dhawan in Baby John
Varun Dhawan in ‘Baby John. (X)

For those who haven’t seen Theri, Baby John focuses on John/ACP Satya Verma (Varun Dhawan). In the beginning portions, John is seen leading a normal life with the daughter Khushi (a very endearing Zara Zyanna).

Wamiqa Gabbi plays a school teacher Tara. There is a hint of a budding love story between John and Tara but John comes with a certain past which his daughter isn’t aware of.

In the flashback, we come to know about his identity as a fearless cop ACP Satya Verma a terror for his enemies. Satya Verma’s path crosses with that of Jackie Shroff’s Babbar Sher. Due to certain incidents, Babbar Sher becomes Satya’s nemesis leading to the tragic death of both his mother and wife (Sheeba Chaddha and Keerty Suresh in her Hindi debut).

Another important character is the head constable Ram Savek (a terrific Rajpal Yadav).

Performances

Baby John is an action entertainer
‘Baby John’ is an action entertainer.

As already mentioned Baby John is mostly a star vehicle for Varun Dhawan and he does keep the movie afloat even when proceedings start to crumble. He gets the cocky attitude spot on leading to some entertaining moments. His face-off with Jackie Shroff has the right masala thunder.

At the same time, his act of a caring father is also touching. The scenes with the child actor Zara Zyanna are fun to watch.

Rajpal Yadav as Ram Savek in a refreshingly non-comic role is a delight to watch too. He brings in an emotional resonance as John/Satya Verma’s trusted aid. He also gets the movie’s biggest highlight when a goon mocks him for being a comedian, to which he replies “Comedy is serious business” leading to a mass-ey sequence.

Wamiqa Gabbi thankfully has more to do than Amy Jackson from the original. There is a subplot of her being an undercover cop leading to an interesting dynamic. Wamiqa too gets her fair share of action which the actress pulls off competently.

Lastly, Jackie Shroff also deserves a mention for his intimidating portrayal. He makes for a formidable villain with his chilling presence.

Thaman’s background music is both loud and repetitive. However, the songs are fairly good like “Haazar Baar” and “Nain Matakka.”

Flaws

Varun Dhawan and Keerthy Suresh in Baby John
Varun Dhawan and Keerthy Suresh in ‘Baby John’. (X)

A major problem with Baby John is the unnecessary angle of human trafficking. Director Kaless doesn’t bring anything new to the table; this addition is only there to make ACP Satya Verma more heroic. Also, the movie’s southern flavour particularly the melodramatic scenes gets on the audience’s nerves.

The movie’s running time of 2 hours and 41 minutes also tests the viewer’s patience with some unnecessary additions. Apart from the human trafficking angle even Salman Khan’s extended cameo feels forced.

The love story between Keerty Suresh and Varun is also underexplored. The chemistry between the two just doesn’t add up, unlike Theri.

Keerty Suresh looks stunning but doesn’t have much to do apart from being a devoted housewife.

Final take

To sum it up Baby John ends up as a Christmas dampener, it is strictly for those who enjoy South-styled larger-than-life heroes and Varun Dhawan fans.

(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha)

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/baby-john-hindi-review/

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Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley: A Pulpy Thriller That Keeps You Hooked

Vishal Bhardwaj shows his mastery at creating a dramatic murder mystery, with each suspect coming with his/her secrets.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s fascination with literature is something that needs no introduction.

The acclaimed director has adapted three works of Shakespeare into movies — Maqbool (2003) from “Macbeth“, Omkara (2006) from “Othello“, and Haider (2014) from “Hamlet“.

All these three movies won a lot of critical acclaim along with box office success.

The director has also tried his hand at adapting Ruskin Bond stories— The Blue Umbrella (2005) and Saat Khoon Maaf (2011).

Now, he is back with Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley based on The Sittaford Mystery, one of the crime novels written by Agatha Christie.

The mystery thriller is set in Solang Valley and Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

Synopsis

Right from the first scene, Vishal Bhardwaj shows his mastery at creating a dramatic murder mystery, with each suspect coming with his secrets. Wamiqa Gabbi is the determined Punjabi detective Charlie Chopra.

Brigadier Meherbaan Rawat (Gulshan Grover) is an esteemed member of the Rockford Estate community. Towards the end of the first episode, his shocking death is revealed. It sends huge shockwaves through the community.

Charlie Chopra takes up this case as her fiancé Jimmy (Vivaan Shah) becomes the major suspect. As Charlie Chopra digs deeper and deeper into the case, many secrets tumble out.

The rest of the story is about who the actual culprit is and whether there is something more to the mysterious death of Meherbaan Rawat.

Technical brilliance

For any suspense thriller, it is necessary that the viewers are intrigued throughout. Vishal and his two co-writers successfully manage to keep them hooked till the end.

The setting of the Solang Valley also ends up being a major character in itself, thanks to the cinematographer Tassaduq Hussain. He does a brilliant job in not just showcasing the picturesque setting but is also equally good at imbuing it with an air of enigma.

Vishal Bhardwaj also dwells on social commentary through the supporting cast. He talks about refugees, unrequited love, oppression, and killed aspirations. This gives the story a certain emotional heft.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s music blends perfectly into the atmospherics. Special mention must be made of the two Ghazals sung by Rekha Bhardwaj.

Performances

The ensemble cast is also mostly on point with a particular mention to Wamiqa Gabbi. After this year’s Jubilee (2023), the actress once again shows her versatility with her portrayal of Charlie Chopra.

A scene which particularly stands out is when she breaks down during an imaginary phone call to a character. There are also scenes where Wamiqa breaks the fourth wall with aplomb.

Priyanshu Painyuli also makes a huge impression in his role as a small-time news reporter. Their partnership is quite reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Priyanshu brings in some much-needed comic relief.

Among the suspects, Lara Dutta and Ratna Pathak Shah have better etched-out roles.

Lara Dutta plays Wilayat Hussain, a Ghazal singer from Lucknow. As the series progresses, it is revealed that she was once Colonel Rawat’s love interest.

Now, Wilayat and her daughter Waseema are leading a life of indignity. Wassema suffers from schizophrenia. Lara Dutta effortlessly portrays both the protective mother and the Ghazal singer.

Ratna Pathak Shah’s character, on the other hand, is someone who fakes disability in order to claim insurance money. The veteran actress pulls off the grey shades with the finesse that you expect from her.

Final take

To sum it up, Vishal Bhardwaj delivers another winner. Here’s hoping that the director continues to take inspiration from literature.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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Jubilee: A Gripping Saga That Transports Viewers To The 1940s

Incredible performances by actors and strong technical aspects add to the immersive experience of the audience in director Vikramaditya Motwane’s latest offering.

The show shines the brightest in the technical aspects.
Jubilee (Hindi)
  • Cast: Aditi Rao Hydari, Aparshakti Khurana, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Ram Kapoor Wamiqa Gabbi, and Sidhant Gupta
  • Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
  • Producer: Dipa De Motwane
  • Music: Amit Trivedi
  • Episodes: Midseason 1 to 5
  • OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video

Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane’s web series Jubliee is out on Amazon Prime Video. The ace director has once again proved his directorial capabilities with this complex historical saga.

Period dramas have always been a safe bet to draw in the audience, primarily because of the curiosity of the viewers, as they know very vaguely of the periods which these dramas deal with.

The viewing experience becomes greater when a director like Vikramaditya Motwane helms the project. He already proved his capability with the likes of Udaan (Flight) in 2010 and Lootera (Robber) in 2013. He also co-directed the first season of Sacred Games (2018-19).

The show is set in the 1940s with the main focus on the film industry (Bollywood) with the backdrop of the independence movement and the partition.

For example, you have a refugee from Pakistan who wants to make it big in cinemas. It is a complex plot filled with several themes.

The director does a good job of sustaining the audience’s interest. As a viewer, you look forward to the next set of episodes.

The web series is broadly inspired by the lives of yesteryear film personalities like Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani.

Synopsis

Srikant Roy (Himanshu Rai’s role played by Prosenjit Chatterjee) is a filmmaker and also the head of a studio called Roy Talkies in this fictionalised version.

Sumitra Devi, also a star (Devika Rani’s role played by Aditi Rao Hydari), is the wife and co-owner of his production company.

he plot revolves around Srikant Roy who is on the hunt to launch a new face for his next film. After numerous auditions, he narrows upon a Muslim boy by name of Jehangir Khan (Nandish Singh Sandhu).

But conflict arises when Sumitra has an affair with Jehangir Khan. They even make plans to escape to Karachi.

Binod Das (Aparshakti Khurana) is the most trusted aid of Srikant. He is given the responsibility of making sure that Jehangir Khan doesn’t elope with Sumitra.

The situation takes a drastic turn when Jehangir Khan completely disappears and no one is aware of whether he is dead or alive.

There is also the parallel track of Jay Khanna (Sidhant Gupta), a Pakistani refugee who is desperately searching for work in Bombay. Courtesan Niloufer Qureshi (Wamiqa Gabbi) is also in the same city hoping to land a film role.

They both are street-smart and end up striking a friendship. They want to find their footing in the city as well as in Roy Talkies.

Performances

Most of the characters have been written with many layers and this makes the web series more nuanced. Particular mention must be made of the characters essayed by Sidhant Gupta, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Aparshakti Khurana.

The interaction between Niloufer Qureshi and Jay Khanna and the progress of their relationship gives the show some of its best moments.

Niloufer is a courtesan who has big aspirations. To fulfil those dreams, she takes all the possible routes. Some of it is questionable as well but at no point, Niloufer comes across as compromising.

Wamiqa Gabbi as Niloufer effortlessly portrays all the shades of her character. Her dances are also wonderful to watch. The best example of her dancing skills comes in the mujra titled “Woh Tere Mera Ishq Ka”.

Jay Khanna as Sidhant Gupta gets the best character of his career so far. Sidhant perfectly portrays the pain and also the spirit of a young man who has suddenly become a refugee in what recently was his own country. As viewers, you root for Jay.

Till now, Aparshakti Khurana has been seen in light-hearted roles. But here, he does a complete U-turn.

Binod Das who starts as a spot boy lands up in an unexpected new situation. It is a role that is filled with grey shades and the actor aces it.

Prosenjit Chatterjee also deserves a mention for his performance as the head of the studio. He plays his part with a certain panache.

Technical crafts

The show shines the brightest in the technical aspects — the sets are authentic, and Vikramaditya Motwane does a great job of recreating the 1940s. He has assembled a first-rate technical team and has drawn some solid work from them.

The art direction by Priti Gole and Yogesh Bansod is top-notch.

Similarly, Pratik Shah’s cinematography adds to the immersive experience of the viewers.

Amit Trivedi’s music is also in perfect sync as his tunes instantly take you back to those times.

The flaws

Jubilee has also got its share of flaws. One of them is the not-so-powerful characterisation of Aditi Rao Hydari’s character. Her interactions with Nandish Singh Nandu needed to be written far better.

The character of Jehangir Khan also comes across as mostly flat. As a result, his disappearance doesn’t register strongly.

Some cuss words don’t gel with the show.

Verdict

Above all this, Jubliee is worth a trip down memory lane.

(Views expressed are personal.)