Movie Review : Shaitaan

‘SPELL’ BOUND !

Image Courtesy : IMDb

Horror / Paranormal / Supernatural has always been a tricky genre for filmmakers in India. Reasons being challenges in implementing technology, special effects &  set designs effectively, persuading main- stream actors to be part of such films, and catering to wider audience. While Ram Gopal Varma, Vikram Bhatt and a few others somewhat succeeded in churning out great horror films, there have also been a few extraordinary stories (Tumbbaad for example) which unfortunately didn’t do well at the box office. Nevertheless, regional & Hindi cinema continue to get fascinated by the category. Shaitaan (2024) directed by Vikas Bahl and written by Krishnadev Yagnik is the Hindi remake of Vash which was Yagnik’s own directorial Gujarati film.

The story of Shaitaan begins in Dehradun where Kabir(Ajay Devgn) a chartered accountant by profession, his wife Jyoti (Jyotika) and kids Janhavi (Janki Bodiwala) and Dhruv (Anngad Raj) are spending their holidays. While the parents dote on their children,  the generation gap does invite playful arguments & harmless banter within the family. One fine day, an outsider Vanraj (R Madhavan) bumps into the four at a restaurant and manages to cast a spell on young Janki. Hereon, all hell breaks loose and the family’s desperate attempts to fight Vanraj and restore normalcy is how the story unfolds.

The introduction of all the characters is pretty much simple and quick. The entry of Vanraj from his initial interaction to befriending them, and then slowly taking  control of  the entire situation evenly progresses through the first half. Post interval there is a slight dip, but the screenplay gets back on track soon and then moves smoothly. The pre-climax, the highest point of the film, is brilliantly picturized but leaves a few things unexplained. Further, the grand- finale (climax) brings down dopamine levels & comes across more like a post credit scene. Having said that, in totality the film does manage to entertain, shock and scare you at the right moments.

While writer Krishnadev Yagnik interestingly showcases the clash between modern technology and ancient techniques, a little more focus on the psyche of his characters, involving mental games, would have made it an edge of the seat thriller. Aamil Keeyan Khan does a fair job with the dialogue writing. The conversations bring out the key elements of fear, anger, humor, desperation, and spookiness quite effectively. The set designs and VFX are top notch. The beautiful locales of Uttarakhand, the non cliched use of incessant rain and lightning (Cinematographer – Sudhakar Reddy) are wonderfully etched in the narrative. Music & lyrics by Amit Trivedi / Amitabh Bhattacharya aligned with different moods as the story’s moves on, is seamless. Background score adds tremendous value. The stunts by Junaid Shaikh are quite realistic. Editing by Sandeep Francis and Mandar Khanvilkar is almost apt, except for some portions in the second half. Overall, director Vikas Bahl does well in adapting the original Gujarati version to suit Hindi  audience.

Performance wise, Jyotika makes an impressive comeback to Hindi cinema after 13 long years. Her portrayal is graceful, restrained and matured. Ajay Devgn plays his part brilliantly with his character graph advancing step by step with each challenge thrown at him. Though one may draw parallels to the Drishyam franchise, Shaitaan is distinct in its own way. R Madhavan excels in a role never seen before. His ruthless body language, deep baritone, casual sarcasm, and fear inducing eyes are an ode to perfection. After Ayutha Ezuthu, Thambi, Irudhi Suttru (Saala Khadoos) and Breathe Season1,  Shaitan manages to unleash Maddy’s raw intensity to the fullest, with elan. Anngad Raj the young boy is cute and shows great potential.

However, the star of the show is undoubtedly Janki Bodiwala (as Janhavi). The actress reprising her own role from the original does complete justice to the part and performs beyond expectations ! Even her character transition from a carefree, fun loving Gen Z teenager to a controlled, sensitive, traumatized girl is just phenomenal. Other actors provide adequate support.

All in all, Shaitan is a good film worth a one-time watch for its different storyline, shock value and amazing performances.

Rating : ***1/2

Jawan and its protagonist’s strange similarities with Anil Kapoor’s Mr. Azaad

_{Image courtesy : IMDB}

Jawan proved to be one of the top grossing Hindi films in India last year. This was perhaps one of the first instances where Shah Rukh Khan donned an out-n-out massy avatar, that too in a proper South Indian-type masala flick, directed by Atlee (hailing from the Tamil cinema). This also brought Shah Rukh on par with his peers Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, who have worked with Prabhudeva, Murugadoss in the Hindi remakes of their south Indian originals.

Now, post Jawan’s release, hard-core Hindi movie buffs drew parallels of its storyline with previously released south Indian and Hindi films. While the different getups taken by Shah Rukh’s vigilante character Azaad were said to be inspired by S. Shankar’s Anniyan / Aparichit (2005), the idea of a child being born and raised amongst women in a ladies’ prison was seen earlier in Iqbal Durrani’s Dhartiputra (1993).

Talking about remakes, the ‘forever Jawan’ (young) Anil Kapoor can easily qualify as an actor to have done maximum Hindi remakes of south Indian films, right from his first successful film as a leading man, Wo Saat Din (1983) to Calcutta Mail (2003).  These include some of most sensitive & strong performances till date viz. Eeshwar, Beta, Viraasat and Nayak.

Among all of these, he also did one forgettable film Mr. Azaad (1994), directed by T Rama Rao. It was a badly made Hindi version of the Tamil film Ulle Veliye (In-Out, 1993), directed by Parthiban, not be confused with Andar Bahar (1984), another Anil Kapoor starrer (remake of 48 Hours from Hollywood).

In fact, Anil Kapoor himself mentioned in one of his interviews about being forced to act in a series of trashy films between 1994 – 96, post the Roop Ki Rani Choron ka Raja debacle, to clear the financial crunch the family was into.

Coming back to Mr. Azaad, the basic plot had Raj Babbar playing Satyaprakash, a righteous union leader who gets into trouble with some politicians and is killed. His wife, played by Deepti Naval, gets framed for his murder and is imprisoned in a ladies’ jail while she is pregnant. She gives birth to a boy, raised amidst women prisoners and names her son Azaad!! The coincidental similarities with Jawan don’t end here. Azaad who grows up to be Anil Kapoor is initially a modern day Robinhood, and later ends up joining the police force! There is also a title track which goes ‘Azaad aaya re, khushiyan laaya re, Oooo’.  Subsequently, Azaad’s character falls in love with a girl who is also a police officer! In the climax, with all the regular good-vs-evil revenge drama, Azaad manages to go scot-free. Now, whether the writers of Jawaan took part inspiration from Ulle Veliye or Mr. Azaad, is something only Atlee can answer !

Nevertheless, as it appears, both Anil Kapoor and idea of ‘the birth of Azaad in a ladies’ prison shall remain young (Jawan) forever and keep inspiring filmmakers in future as well.

Santa and Cardinals

Movie Review : Merry Christmas

Courtesy : IMDB

Writer – director Sriram Raghavan is known to be fascinated by crime thriller novels (esp. James Headley) and  fairly succeeding to adapt them into entertaining Hindi film premises. Most of his films irrespective of box office numbers have been a compelling watch for hardcore mystery lovers. Merry Christmas, his latest offering is inspired by Frederic Dard’s 1961 novel “Bird In A Cage”. One of the other major reasons for the film to have created buzz since its announcement, was the unusual lead pairing of Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif. Both actors come from diametrically opposite schools of acting and have never associated previously with Raghavan.

The film begins in Mumbai (then Bombay) during the early 90s when Albert Ramesh (Vijay Sethupathy) returning to his home on a Christmas eve. Tired and a trifle sad, Albert decides to go out & cheer himself up for the occasion. He bumps into Maria (Katrina Kaif) and her young daughter Annie (Pari Sharma) at a restaurant. Circumstances lead them to talk to each other and they manage picking up candid conversations. How lives of these complete strangers get connected and entwined is how the story progresses from here.

While the introduction of characters and setting up of the backdrop is quick, it does take some time to establish the chemistry among the principal characters. The first half definitely progresses through regular twists but stretches a bit. Post interval portions are comparatively tighter, fast-paced and grittier.  Sriram Raghavan here unlike his previous body of work, experiments with the treatment of the narrative. He focusses more on emotional connect and human relationships. As a result, the surprise elements are slightly underplayed, shock values don’t peak beyond a limit and few points are left to viewers’ discretion. This may draw varied reactions from average cine-goers. Having said that, Raghavan’s smart use of philosophical metaphors, biblical references, out-of-the-box props, making the audience connect the dots via exciting analogies are top notch as usual. The highlighted credits offered to veteran Shakti Samanta, Ittefaq, the X’mas Widow and other inspirations are interestingly done.

Co-writers Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti and Anukriti Pandey have done a commendable job.  Cinematography by Madhu Neelakandan is exceptional with his cinematic camera angles, aerial shots and fast movements. Mayur Sharma does a fantastic job in recreating retro Bombay (old roads, streetlights, Regal cinema, etc.). Daniel B. George’s background music is well aligned with the narrative. Music by Pritam is good, lyrics by Varun Grover hummable. Dialogues are deep and novelistic.

Performance wise, Vijay Sethupathy is effortless, natural and seamless as usual. His casual tone in tackling unpredictable situations is simply impeccable. Katrina Kaif comes up with a mature, subtle yet strong performance. The actress has grown tremendously as an artist esp. post Zero (2018) and fits the role perfectly. Pari Sharma looks cute and vulnerable. Sanjay Kapoor is quite impressive. Radhika Apte plays her part well. Luke Kenny is good. Tinu Anand is likeable. The Sriram Raghavan-verse regulars viz. Vinay Pathak, Ashwini Kalsekar, Pratima Kazmi Kannan make their presence felt in brief roles.

To summarize, Merry Christmas is not a typical edge of the seat thriller but has its share of brilliantly written, intelligently executed and innovatively presented moments (to be observed meticulously) to cherish and applaud.

All in all, a decently entertaining and engaging fare worth a watch for its unusual treatment and likeable performances.

Rating : ***1/2

‘Dank’ Pursuit Of Greener Pastures

As the world’s largest origin for international migrants, India leads the pack with a 32 million-strong diaspora out of which 18.68 million are of Indian-origin. Among all states, data has shown more than 4.78 lac people from Punjab flew to foreign countries in search of better opportunities in the last five years. Every year, more than 20,000 youth from Punjab attempt irregular migration,” according to a 2009 report by the United Nations. (Sources: www.unodc.in , www.migrationpolicy.org, www.mea.gov.in)

Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’ is a riveting tale about similar aspirations, the associated challenges, with a hope to find an amicable humane solution to it.

The story begins in the 90s at Laltu, a tier 2 city in Punjab where 4 youngsters Buggu (Vikram Kochchar), Balli (Anil Grover), Mannu (Taapsee Pannu), Sukhi (Vicky Kaushal) with stressful personal lives are struggling to meet ends. Each of them strongly believes that migrating to UK is the only way to get rid of all troubles. In a sequence of events, Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan) an ex- army officer bumps into the quartet, decides to help them channelize their efforts and move to London. Deep down, he also has a soft corner for Mannu, which gradually blossoms into love. Geetu Gulati (Boman Irani) runs English-speaking classes to train all aspiring immigrants for IELTS preparations. Just before the fabulous five are all set to move ahead, something untoward happens which forces them to opt for the unpredictable, & dangerous donkey (dunki) route instead. How things progress hereon forms part of the remaining story.

The first half of the narrative is typical Rajkumar Hirani (RKH) light-hearted stuff with a combination of slapstick, situational and cultural humor. Post interval we see what Hirani has never attempted before, some hardcore action & thrill (inspired by real incidents), followed by few intense touching moments.

Writers, Hirani, Abhijat Joshi and Kanika Dhillion have done a decent job no doubt . However, since a lot of research was done by the team to understand the nuances of donkey routes, a deeper dive into traumatic experiences of travelers would have added value to the screenplay. Aaja Mexico Chaliye, a Punjabi film on the same topic that released last year was able to capture the ordeal of migrants brilliantly.

Cinematography by C K Muraleedharan and team is top notch especially the international locales. Ditto for the set designs by Subrata Chakraborty. Action by Sham Kaushal is good. Use of VFX of SRK’s ageing and de-ageing seems a bit inconsistent at times. Same goes with his voice modulation in a few portions. The music by Pritam is heart-warming & soul stirring. All lyric writers Javed Akhtar, Swanand Kirkire, Amitabh Bhattarcharya, Irshad Kamil have done a fabulous job.

RKH holds a benchmark in hindi cinema when it comes to wholesome entertainers with his previous body of work. In Dunki, the focal point of screenplay aligns more with ‘emotional’ and the comedy is restricted to subtle & basic. Secondly, the portions that are meant to pleasantly surprise or shock you are also presented differently. While this may be welcomed by a certain section of audience as an experiment, for multiplex viewers expecting hilarious one-liners & frame to frame entertainment, this may appear as  off-track or flat. The social commentary & implied messaging towards the end comes in as a simplistic bird eye view in the current geo-political scenario.

Performance wise, Taapsee Pannu emotes really well and does complete justice to her role. Vikram Kochar and Anil Grover also perform their parts brilliantly. Boman Irani is good, but his character deserved more shades. Shah Rukh Khan plays his part effortlessly and is impactful in every scene. Though being the protagonist, he allows his co-stars to take charge and underplays as and when required. But the showstopper undoubtedly is Vicky Kaushal !!  Even in a short role, his mere presence in every scene overshadows all the others including SRK.

Overall, Dunki is definitely a one-time watch for its heart-warming performances and emotional moments

Rating : ***

Like Father, (Un)like Son !

Movie Review: Animal

A major chunk of our society has been patriarchal as part of its lineage, irrespective of class (elite, middle or others).  In such kind of setups, the male is expected to be the bread winner, the dominating partner, and the protector of the family. The trend is subsequently continued with the son being typically raised to follow his father, take over the mantle at the right time and make the family proud. Now, irrespective of the interpersonal equations, both father and son end up expecting idealistic morals from each other as part of societal norms. This brings a complexity in relationship, posing unusual challenges at different stages of life. Secondly, this also affects inter-gender connections and a person’s overall approach towards life.

Animal (directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga) begins with a similar storyline. Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor) a  business tycoon runs Swastik Steels, in Delhi. His family comprises of his wife Jyoti (Charu Shankar), son Ranvijay (Ranbir Kapoor) and daughters Reet (Saloni Batra) and Roop( Anshul Chauhan). Balbir Singh is busy man immersed into work 365x24x7 and hardly has time for family. Ranvijay is academically brilliant and adores his father to the hilt, tries hard to impress him with every possible action of his. But Balbir is never seen reciprocating the same. As time passes, Ranvijay now considered as problematic by his family, decides to move to another country till things sort out. He gets married to his school crush Geethanjali (Rashmika Mandana), becomes a father to two kids, and settles down in the U.S. One fine day,  news comes in that Balbir is shot at by unknown assailants. Ranvijay without thinking much, rushes to his Delhi home (with his wife & kids) and re-unites with his family. Though Balbir escapes death, Ranvijay is convinced that the threat to their lives has not subsided and he as the next in line needed to take charge of the situation. Deep down inside him there also lies hope of his father acknowledging his love someday. Hereon, Ranvijay’s transition from a restless rebellious teenager to an intelligent yet ruthless gang leader is how the film progresses here on.

The first half sprints like a marathon full of high-octane drama and ends on a very high note. Post interval, things move at slow pace, and there is quite a bit of cinematic liberty here. But, towards the last 30 minutes we have interesting twists and surprises. The film draws heavy inspiration from The Godfather as well. From an entertainment perspective, the viewer is engaged throughout but editing wise, perhaps a 10-15 min reduction may have helped in reducing the overall length.

The cinematography by Santhana Krishnan and Amit Roy is top notch no doubt. The special effects, Prosthetics  & Set Design are all up to the mark. The soundtrack & background music align well with different moods covered in the film. All composers JAM8, Vishal Mishra, Jaani, Manan Bhardwaj, Shreyas Puranik, Ashim Kemson and Harshwardhan Rameshwar including the lyric writers Manoj Muntashir, Raj Shekhar, Siddharth-Garima, Jaani, Manan Bhardwaj, Ashim Kemson and Bhupinder Babbal have done a fabulous job. The action sequences are Hollywood level, both from an execution standpoint & the extent of gore.

The dialogue writing (Saurabh Gupta) is bound to draw diverse reactions. While casually sexist conversations were  conveniently ignored in the 90s, contemporary youth is a little more sensitive and tactful on this aspect.  Having said that, the film does have its share of adrenalin rush & goose bump moments which keep the entertainment quotient high.

The film highlights a few essential positives on nurturing healthy relationships & transparency within family members, and among extended families. But the repeated hammering of ‘alpha-male’ qualities, a man’s world and ‘protective masculinity’ supposedly meant to induce humor, appear like subtle glorification.

Performance wise, Anil Kapoor does complete justice to his role. The assertiveness as a businessman and vulnerability as a father is depicted perfectly. Shakti Kapoor (as Mishra), Balbir’s right hand man provides adequate support. Veterans Suresh Oberoi & Prem Chopra are wasted. Upendra Limaye & Babloo Prithviraj excel in cameo appearance. Saurabh Sachdeva is superb. Bobby Deol makes a terrific comeback and is ‘bloody’ brilliant but deserved more screen space. Anshul, Saloni, Charu Shankar play their respective parts well. Tripti Dhimri leaves a strong mark in  a shorter role. Rashmika Mandana does well in parts but her character deserved better writing. The crusader of the film is none other than Ranbir Kapoor as it was obvious from the trailers. RK is just phenomenal , right from his experimental looks, body language, intensity and voice modulations. Time and again he has proved his mettle & edge over peers and continues to do so with Animal.

On-the-whole, keeping aside our moral compass, Animal is a decent film worth a one-time watch, purely for its entertainment value and ‘paisa vasool’ moments.

Rating : ***

Stigmatic Views, Pragmatic Approach

OMG2 : Movie Review

India is the most populous country in the world (142.86 crore in 2023, United Nations Population Fund data) housing one-sixth of the world’s population. Kama Sutra which originates from our very own ancient culture is still used as a master guide by psychologists across the globe for deeper understanding of intricacies & enigma.

Ironically, sex & related discussions are considered taboo in even the most elite sections of our society. While biology as a subject in school curriculum does cover reproductive process as a science, a detailed psychological guidance is not that commonly available. It’s the NGOs, civil societies and counsellors who have been doing lot of work in spreading awareness on the topic lately.

OMG 2 tries to address the same through a middle-class family ’s perspective. Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi), hailing from a religious tier 2 city in India is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, leading a simple life. All he lives for is his strong faith in the Almighty and his family (wife Indumati and 2 children Vivek & Damayanti). One day, trouble enters paradise after Vivek is taken to task by school authorities for an allegedly immoral conduct. While the Mudgal family is in process of clearing up the mess, things worsen and start falling apart at rapid pace. That’s when Kanti decides to take on his opponents one on one legally with his inner faith rock solid as ever. 

Within the first 10-15 minutes itself, the plot jumps to the principal topic and continues to progress steadily. The use of cinematic liberty and satire is purely to keep up the entertainment value while addressing a serious social issue. Unlike the first part, OMG 2 doesn’t divulge into religious dogma, but does use interesting references from sacred texts to give ancient examples of broader mindsets, with no offence.

All the writers Dr. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, Amit Rai, Kabir Sadanand and Sameer Gautam Singh have taken utmost care to ensure the narrative doesn’t become insensitive or even remotely crass. Dialogues by  Rajveer Ahuja with sweet blend of Malvi & Devnagri, avoiding expletives is very pleasing to the ears. Cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhary and Art direction by Apurva Bhagat brilliantly encapsulating the spirit of a religious tourist city and the festivities of Mahakaleshwar are indeed a visual treat. Music by Mangesh Dhakde is completely in sync with the mood of the film. The opening song by folk singer Hanraj Raghuvanshi is a master stroke.

Every actor does complete justice to their respective roles. Pankaj Tripathi as the protagonist showcases all the navrasaas of his ‘adbhut – abhinay’  through the film, and yet manages to be restrained, pleasant and emphatic. You laugh when he smiles, you are bound to get moist eyed when he is down, that’s the powerful connect he establishes with you. Yami Gautam’s growth as an actor is incredible and she is bloody brilliant in all the court scenes. Senior actors Arun Govil, Govind Namdeo, Pavan Malhotra are all impressive. Aarush Sharma as Vivek, the vulnerable teenager shows potential. Akshay Kumar with his strong screen presence is immensely endearing  and doesn’t force himself onto the screen.

To summarize, OMG 2 is a subtle yet bolder attempt than its prequel. The advancement in technology and its percolation across the country, esp. in the last decade has been phenomenal. But on the other hand, access to easy information without enough maturity, guidance may prove responsible to set wrong notions about sex & related topics among youngsters. With a single arrow OMG2 tries to target a plethora of  connected issues with a call for open discussions. Kudos to director Amit Rai and his team for their sincere efforts in this direction.

In a nutshell, the film a must watch for adolescent teens, their parents and teachers for its edutaining content. The film being restricted to 18+ needs a re-think as it will hamper the out-reach to the right audience, especially  when co-releasing with a massy U rated & nostalgic film, Gadar 2.

Rating : ****

BREAKING BARS’

Movie Review: Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahani

India, a land of varied cultures, traditions and lifestyles has been a great example of unity in diversity across the world. While one may say that progressive globalization over the years is largely instrumental in bringing us closer from practical perspective, the basic physics definition of ‘opposites attract’ has equally been a driving factor. Film makers and novel writers have time and again woven human emotions onto the above aspects to bring out interesting, entertaining, and realistic stories.

Rocky and Rani ki Prem Kahani begins with a similar premise. Rocky Randhawa (played by Ranveer Singh) hailing from a hardcore West Delhi ‘Sweets Baron’ family, bumps into Rani Chatterjee (Alia Bhatt), a TV anchor from an Elite Bengali household in South Delhi. Though their initial meeting is related to a past family connection, the stark contrast between both personalities draws them towards each other. They reach up to a point where it becomes essential to involve their respective families before taking their relationship to the next level.

Hereon the film progresses seamlessly through ‘broader issues’ from an overall societal perspective, not restricting only to people from different backgrounds. The narrative does move steadily, takes its time in establishing the connect effectively and transitions well towards the end.

Visually, the art design (Sharmishta Roy & team), costumes (Eka Lakhani) and cinematography (Manush Nandan), VFX (FutureWorks, Media) are all top notch. There is a slight reminiscence of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grandeur at a few places.

Pritam’s songs topped up by Amitabh Bhattarcharya’s lyrics are quite soulful. Of all, Jhumka and Dhindora Baaje stand out both as melodies and from a picturization point of view.

Screenplay and dialogues by Shashank Khaitan and Ishita Moitra are the crux of the film. While the story takes progressive yet small steps in addressing casual othering / shaming as part of surroundings, it doesn’t endorse cancel culture either. This is taken care of even in the situational comic scenes. Having said that the film isn’t completely devoid of pretentiousness & cliche at few instances. The use of pop culture references from Hindi cinema of 60s to 90s are quite endearing.

Performance wise, Ranveer Singh is his usual self – loud, entertaining & radiating exuberance thereby merging his reel & real self. Alia Bhatt brings in the required depth & mindfulness to the screen and excels in her part.  Tota Roy Chowdhary, Churni Ganguli and Aamir Bashir perform well in their respective roles. Kshiti Jog, Anjali Anand and Namit Das provide adequate support.

Veteran actors Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan have a strong screen presence but probably deserved better characterization. Even the legendary Dharam ji’s role probably doesn’t do enough justice to his persona & iconic stature. Ideally, director Karan Johar should have personally worked on this aspect.

On the whole, Rocky & Rani Ki Prem Kahaani is a brave attempt to convey the necessity of breaking barriers & being non-judgmental for an equanimous society to evolve amidst the chaos we live in.

Can easily be called one of the better & socially relevant films to be churned out from Karan Johar’s kitty.

Rating : ***1/2

Spy-Fi Entertainer

Pathaan : Movie Review

Spy thrillers have been a popular genre in world cinema, right from late 60s (Sean Connery in Hollywood, Dev Anand in India). YRF which previously proved successful in introducing a COP vs THIEF DHOOM franchise, also entered the spy genre with Ek Tha Tiger in 2013, followed by Tiger Zinda Hai in 2017 and War (2019).  

Pathan (2023) YRF’s latest offering is an attempt to establish a full-fledged Spy Verse with references of characters from their earlier films too.

The film begins in the Joint Operation and Covert Research (JOCR) office in New Delhi, head by Col Sunil Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) and Nandini (Dimple Kapadia).  The organization tracks an unusual movement happening in another part of the world, which they suspect is linked to an anti-Indian operation anchored by Jim (John Abraham) a popular terrorist and his gang .

To counter the same, JOCR engages Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan), known to be one of their best undercover agents along with his team. No sooner does Pathan takes charge, than he finds himself having to deal with loads of surprises and that too within no time. Whether these unpredictable encounters prove to be a cake walk or get better of him is how the story unfolds.

Right from the word go, the narrative is pretty-fast paced as desired. Absolutely, no time is wasted in establishing the premise and patching the back stories. The plot though with its interesting share of twists and turns, plays safe, avoids going too much out of the box and isn’t devoid of cliché as well.  However, the soul of a spy thriller lies with the action sequences, which in Pathaan are indeed breath taking and death defying. Full marks to the entire action team for the same.

Cinematography (Satchith Paulose) is top notch and the locales are a visual delight. VFX by Husseini Barodawalla and team are decent. Editing by Aarif Shiekh is razor sharp. Background score by Ankit-Sanchit very much in sync with the narrative. Music by Vishal Sheykhar is funky and is sure to set the tone for grooving in parties & get togethers throughout the year . Dialogues by Abbas Tyrewala are aptly impactful. The humor is  subtle, pleasant and not at all cheesy.

While spy films in 70s were purely based on fictional yet believable plots and characters, the last few decades saw a trend in film makers aligning storylines with geo-political current affairs. Pathaan craftily throws light on couple of pertinent and sensitive issues among and within nations, but there are portions which do seem too convenient. This is where perhaps a thin line between cinematic liberty and real time incidents could be drawn meticulously. It becomes more relevant today with OTT effectively churning out content like Special OPS and Family Man which are both action-packed & well researched.

Having said that, the overall packaging, visual grandeur and sleek presentation of the film succeeds in engaging viewers throughout, with some full-on whistle/hoot inducing moments esp. in single screen cinema halls. Kudos to writer Sridhar Raghavan and director Siddharth Anand for their stupendous efforts in the process.

Coming to performances, Shah Rukh Khan does complete justice to the titular role with a perfect balance of energy, emotions and body language. The superstar returns to form, showing he is very much alive-n-kicking and is here to stay  !!  Deepika Padukone brings in the much-needed depth, oomph and sensitivity to the table and puts up a fine act. John Abraham plays his part with ease and finesse, and even manages to overpower SRK in some of the scenes with his sheer intensity. His character is one of the best written ones in the film and deserves a spin off. Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana excel in their respective roles and get adequate screen space too. Prakash Belawadi does get much scope.

All in all, Pathan is a high octane, masala action entertainer with energetic performances from the actors, worth a one time watch in cinema halls.

Rating : ***1/2

Vikram Vedha : Movie Review

‘Gray’ Matters

Image courtesy : Zee Business

Indian filmmakers have always been fascinated by mythology & folklore, esp. the  diverse interpretations left to the understanding of viewers. However, very few of them managed adapting them to modern context and somewhat succeeded. To name a few popular Hindi films, we had Kalyug (1981), Paheli (2005), Raavan (2010), Rajneeti (2010).

Vikram Vedha is the hindi remake of the tamil original (made in 2017), loosely based on Vikram Betaal (a story adaptation of ‘Betaal Pachisi’, written in the 11th century by Kashmiri poet Mahakavi Somdev Bhatt).

The story sets off in Lucknow with SSP Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) and his team acting on a tip off, enter a building supposedly manifested with criminals and end up encountering them. Vikram is tough cop who doesn’t regret his actions when it comes to extreme punishment, much to the dismay of his lawyer wife Priya. She strongly believes in trials, ethics and procedures.

The subsequent task given to Vikram and team is to nab Vedha (Hrithik Roshan), a dreaded gangster. While the police in process of planning their next move, Vedha surrenders himself. During an interrogation by Vikram, he starts narrating a back story connected with the cops’ investigations. He ends the story with a cryptic clue and gets bailed out by his lawyers. Vikram is frustrated as well as curious what’s next in store. Here begins a cat and mouse chase, followed by surprises and unusual situations.

The narrative initially starts a bit slowly focusing on the personal lives of the characters but gathers momentum once the confrontation between Vikram and Vedha is established. The second half also has a few dips, but then towards the climax things start moving at steady pace. The story though similar to the tamil original, is presented differently suited to a PAN India audience.

Cinematography by P.S. Vinod is remarkable, esp. the shots through narrow lanes, farm fields, etc. Action direction by Parvez Shiekh is good, deserved to be spine chilling for a hardcore entertainer. Same goes with the editing (Richard Kevin), lengthwise and the transition between shots. Dialogues by Manoj Muntashir and Benazir Ali Fida are apt, but the dialect of Vedha’s character needed little more fine tuning.

The humorous portions could have been crisper. Background score by Sam CS perfectly aligns with narrative, the songs by Vishal Shekhar are okay.

Performance wise, Saif Ali Khan does complete justice to the role of Vikram. He balances both emotions and action, pretty well. Radhika Apte performs her part with elan and makes her presence felt in every scene. Other actors who leave a mark include Satyadeep Mishra, Sharib Hashmi, Rishi Saraf, Yogita Bihani, and Govind Pandey. Hrithik Roshan very intelligently and pleasantly plays on his strengths and portrays the role of Vedha in a very different yet impactful style (much distinct from Vijay Sethupathi’s masterclass in the tamil version). Hrithik’s towering persona adds a unique flavor to the character, though his facial expressions in a few scenes seemed a bit out of place.

Overall, Vikram Vedha brings out the significance of internal conflicts involving one’s own conscience, societal pressures, right versus wrong and official duties, and leaves you thinking.  

On-the-whole, a decent entertainer which does justice to its original with his strong performances

Rating : ***1/2

Gangubai Kathiawadi – Movie Review

Dissent Of A Woman

Courtesy : https://www.indulgexpress.com/

Prostitution is technically illegal but widely practiced in India. By one count prostitution is an $8 billion a year industry with more two million prostitutes and 275,000 brothels. According to investigative reporter Robert I. Friedman (1996), there are more than 100,000 female commercial sex workers in Mumbai, which he describes as “Asia’s largest sex bazaar.”

Bollywood since late 50s has touched upon the topic of sex workers and has fairly been successful with great actresses (Vyjanthimala, Mumtaz, Sharmila Tagore, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Tabu, Manisha Koirala, Kareena Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Vidya Balan to name a few) doing justice to characters effectively. In fact, playing a sex worker on screen has typically been considered as one of the most difficult experiments in a hindi film actress’s career. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ based on the real-life story of Ganga Harjivandas Kathiwadi, (documented in Hussain Zaidi’s novel Mafia Queens of Mumbai) is the latest addition to the list, with young Alia Bhatt playing the titular role.

The film begins in 1950s where young Ganga (originally hailing from Kathiawad, Gujarat) finds herself landing up in a brothel, run by Sheela Mausi (played by Seema Pahwa) at Kamathipura, Mumbai (then Bombay). Initially perturbed and  upset by the ongoings , Ganga (re-christened as Gangu) finally decides to give in but live the new life as per her own terms and conditions. Her strong persona seems to rub off on other colleagues, which kind of changes the outlook of how people look at the business. The story hereon moves along how Gangu encounters different individuals, experiences, challenges and deals with them accordingly.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali typically known for his broad canvas, grandeur and large than life story telling smartly chooses to underplay here. The set designs, costumes and the overall color grading are akin to Bombay retro (including Parsi bakeries and old South Bombay). Unlike his usual style Bhansali ensures not lighting up the screen with bright color palettes, but rather chooses an achromatic scheme (diametrically opposite to the Chandramukhi’s exotic kotha in his Devdas, 2002). In short, the premise  doesn’t romanticize or even demean the profession at any point yet conveys the real picture strongly. Kudos to art director Pallab Chanda for doing a great job with the set designs.

Similarly, the sequences with cinematic liberty do not seem forced or shoved into the narrative, but flow seamlessly. Editor Rajesh Pandey deserves credit here. The dialogues are raw, intense and yet impactful. The best part is the much-needed avoidance of un-necessary expletives, sleaze and sexual innuendos which could have otherwise weakened the soul of the film. Kudos to dialogue writers Prakash Kapadia, Utkarshni Vashishta for this feat! The songs by  Ankit -Sanchit and Sanjay Leela Bhansali are soulful and run well through the scenes without disturbing the flow.

Performances wise, Vijay Raaz is exceptional as Razia bai. His body language and screen presence, shows his prowess in terms of merging with characters at the snap of a finger. Ajay Devgn (as Rahim Lala) plays his part with elan and ease. Young Shantanu Maheshwari succeeds in bringing in the much-needed softness and relief to the dramatic ongoings . Seema Pahwa surprises in a complex role. Jim Sarbh impresses in his short role as well. Other actors who leave a mark are Indira Tiwari and Chhaya Kadam.

The film undoubtedly belongs to Alia Bhatt, phenomenal as Gangubai. While the caricature-ish portrayal of sex workers has always been a package of loud dressing, unintentionally random laughter and ‘O saahab’, Alia does it differently (rather, intelligently). Sticking to her core strength ‘emoting’ where she is bloody brilliant,   all other accessorial requirements get camouflaged. In fact, the real Gangubai was the same age and stature as Alia when she gained popularity in Kamatipura which reinstates why the actress fits the bill.   

It may not be right to say this is her best till date, but her growth as actor is steady with every film. However, some more light on Gangubai’s co-workers’ lives could have helped in covering equal ground.

On the whole, Gangubai Kathiawadi aptly showcases the human side of the so called ‘badnaam galis’ and raises pertinent questions, requesting the society to re-look at things in fresh perspective for betterment of all.

Overall, a decent film with a noble intent and sincere performances.

Rating : 4/5