Official Trailer Blackmale Irrfan Khan Abhinay Deo 6th April 2018

Looking like a fun ride! Plus it has Irrfan in this hat-ke role. What's not to like.

Padmaavat - Not in Her Name

Director : Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Cast : Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Aditi Rao Hyadri, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad.

The legend of Padmavati is widely known, at least in the north of India. The film version is inspired from the work of Malik Mohammad Jayasi called Padmaavat, an entirely fictional account of how Alauddin Khilji saw the reflection of the beautiful Rani Padmavati of Chittor, and decided to make her his own, and how the Rajputs fought the Khilji armies to stop Khilji and his evil plan, a battle to save the honour of their beautiful queen and save the Rajputana pride.

It is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, so here is what HE WANTS US TO SEE.

Splendour and grandeur. Everything is beautiful in every frame. The animate and the inanimate. Larger than life, lit to perfection, detailed enough for you to see the furthest flag in the frame fluttering in harmony with the background score.

The costumes and jewellery, stunning and rich. From the heavily embroidered and embellished clothes of Rani Padmavati, to the elaborate work on Rawal Ratan Singh’s ensembles, to the darkly draped layers that Khilji wears, even the palanquins are dressed to perfection as the white fabric flutters against the red of the ghaghras worn by the ladies.

Sets and effects. The lamp lit forts, the shimmering fairy tale jungles of Sinhala (Padmavati is the princess of this kingdom in SLB’s tale) the battle field with horses and elephants and giant cannon throwers draped in yards and yards of white fabric.

A love triangle. Rajkumari Padmavati glides through the forest much like the Hiran she is hunting when instead of the animal, the arrow from her bow finds its way to Ratan Singh, the Rajput King of Chittor. They fall in love, and he proposes, they marry. She becomes Rani Padmavati of Chittor.  Enter the big bad villain Alauddin Khilji, desirer of all things priceless, Nayaab! He hears of the ethereal beauty of Padmavati and decides he wants her.

The film has Deepika Padukone playing Padmavati. She definitely looks the part. Her eyes do most of the talking, and when given a chance she shines through in her lines too. Shahid Kapoor as the proud Rajput warrior king is a strange concoction of rippled body and rigid expression. The meat (pun intended) goes to Ranveer Singh, and he chews lustily into the role of Alauddin Khilji. His scenes sparkle with energy, and he ends up making even unintentionally funny situations palatable.  He creates a villain we haven’t seen in sometime. Jim Sarbh as the homosexual aide, who would kill at Khilji’s pleasure, puts in a good act. Aditi Rao Hyadri is well cast as the submissive wife to Khilji who eventually stands up for herself.

So this is a spectacle of SLB and we know he does the best spectaculars in Bollywood.

NOW, HERE IS WHAT I SAW.

The story of Rani Padmavati, which even those who didn’t know about it, do so by now, thanks to the Karni Sena. This fictional lore may have worked in its time and age, when women had no rights or voice, their existence defined by males, had no freedom to even form an opinion. But hell, this is 2018 and a filmmaker chooses to tell a tale in all its splendour, trying very hard to distract us with stunning visuals and ghoomar and ghaghras, from the statement the film eventually makes.

A woman as something to be possessed. A man is allowed to have multiple wives. Pride and honour are only found in a certain religion. A certain religion is full of evil monsters who chomp on meat and lust after women. Gays are to be made fun of and ridiculed.

Bhansali has chosen the top heroine only to relegate her the titular role of a woman weighed down by jewels and jauhar. You see sparks of a smart woman, but eventually it is a woman who needs her husband’s permission to end her life. This story may justify the need to save their “Honour” i.e be taken captive by the muslim ruler and his barbaric force, but don’t forget, Sati in certain parts of the country, was for every woman who became a widow, as if life stops to exist for them also the moment their husband breathes their last.

In the current scenario, the choice of the subject is questionable when we all know where it ends. Now what one was waiting for was what will be the stance SLB will take. There are films made every year about the Nazi Regime, the World War, Rape, Human Trafficking, Drugs, Cartels. And here lies the difference. They are made with a clear motive of NOT glorifying the sordid past or the abominable acts, or the illegal, criminal practices. They are a lesson in what we do NOT need to repeat from history, or applaud in the present. I was hoping for a positive, subversive spin on this tale.

If in Ramleela and Bajirao Mastani, his leanings were veiled, here they out in the open, thumping the message home.

He takes a stand and makes the most regressive magnum opus I have ever seen. A film that has consumed crores to present us with misogyny and bigotry in the times we live in. Times when the politics of the country is so skewed, women are being subjected to rampant rapes and mutilation, the caste divide is widening and crimes are being committed in the name of religion, where your dietary preferences can get you your personal lynch mob… where the LGBT community is treated the worst for the film that takes umpteen digs at gays… I question the existence of the film, the way it is.

It is all presented in such an easy to consume style, gorgeously mounted, with superb acting by Ranveer, Deepika looking mesmerising, her face air brushed to bring peaches and creams to her skin, well… She had to be that beautiful I guess for two rulers to throw logic aside. There are twists and turns, betrayals and deceit, dances and dalliances… That one can almost, almost forget what is being served.

As the climax approached… the dread took over. It began as a sermon on what it means to be a Rajput, as if the film had already not drilled it in our heads with “ye Rajput wo Rajput” and then what it means to be the pristine Rajput woman. As Padmavati prepares herself with all the other women to jump into the burning pyre I was squirming in my seat.

Let’s face it, the climax is not a surprise. Everyone knows where the film is headed, but without actually seeing it, I didn’t know whether Jauhar will be glorified, or shown as something from the regressive past of this country, something that should be regretted today, shunned and shamed.

But no, Padmaavat glorifies it to the skies. It is the best shot sequence, from framing to choreography to sound design and costumes. And as the film maker chooses to show a pregnant woman and a girl child walk towards the fire… my fists clenched in anger. Is this the price we continue to pay for being women?

My Review Jab Harry Met Sejal | Ye Ishq haaye...

Director : Imtiaz Ali
Starring : Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma

I love journeys. I am a diehard romantic. I am a believer in magic. I am a sucker for happy endings. I can swallow implausibility when you make me feel for the characters on screen. That is why Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayeinge remains one of my all time favorites.

One hero who has made looking passionately into a woman’s eyes, till her ovaries explode, his superpower. Shahrukh Khan. A director who has won me over with his understanding of the free spirit, of love that comes to lie down with the strangest bedfellows… who puts a sufi touch to his tales, of characters travelling inside and out, their paths revealing their own internal crossroads and potholes… So on paper, JHMS had a lot going for it.

The story is of a Gujrati girl Sejal Zaveri, losing her engagement ring on a Euro trip, who decides to stay back and find it, but finds love and longing in Harry, the Punjabi Euro guide.

So, instead of a missed train in DDLJ, which I found contrived then, seems way more convincing than how this plays out in the film.

Love hath no logic, sure, but then you need passion, chemistry, a quickening of the heart… nothing happens sadly … barring one moment in a chase sequence, when Harry is hit by his feelings for Sejal. 

Anushka as a lost, confused Gujju gal didn’t convince me, specially with the jarringly off and forced accent. Shahrukh's attempts at being a jaded, foul mouthed Punjabi work only in bits and pieces. JHMS is lackluster and only so much SRK love can sustain you through this poorly scripted film.

The biggest problem is the characterization or the lack of it.

The Casanova meets the ditzy virgin, super premise, but for me to be invested in their fate and frolics, I needed more, and apart from a chuckle here and a smile there, I wasn’t moved by their travels or travails.

The ramblings of Sejal about how Harry doesn’t find her hot, Harry’s phulkari flashbacks, their frantic hops from one beautiful location to another, felt as pointless as a quickly put together budget Euro Darshan where you never enjoy a single destination…

I kept waiting that  Harry and Sejal will have that one big moment, where it will all come together, I would let out a sigh, feel a tear form in the corner of my eye, my heart bursting with emotions, wanting life to work out in the favor of the star crossed lovers... even as the "palat" moment played... it didn't happen. 

I have always enjoyed an Imtiaz Ali film. Geet to me is iconic, the dialogues of JWM were a breath of fresh air, setting a trend which many tried to follow. Highway moved me with its rawness, Tamasha with its madness and dark detours inside Ved's heart and mind left me wanting more... JHMS leaves so much to be desired, specially in the second half.  

On the plus side is the music, Safar, Hawaayen and the Nooran sisters powerful Jee Ve Soneya are my favourites. Ali gets Kamil and Pritam to give a stellar soundtrack. I wish the same could be said of the film.

This one is for the die hard SRKians (isn't that what the fans are calling themselves these days!)

My Verdict 2/5

That 70's Show. My Review. Raees

Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, Mahira Khan, Atul Kulkarni

Director : Rahul Dholakia

From Gaurav (Fan) to Dr. Jehangir Khan (Dear Zindagi) to Raees Alam, let’s say SRK is having a good streak compared to the highly forgettable Happy New Year and banal Dilwale. Playing three absolutely distinct characters with aplomb, one would like to believe as he keeps quoting “some films for mann (heart) and some for Dhan (Money)” he would do more for mann. Raees is of course an attempt to marry mann and dhan.

Rahul Dholakia who directed the national award winning gut-wrencher Parzania among others, and SRK coming together for a film was interesting news to say the least. The subject was Dholakia’s turf, Gujarat in the times of upheaval, add to it the era of bootleggers and underworld, smuggling and scotch, and though he claims it is not, the life and times of Abdul Lateef.

But as the trailers started hitting the screens one could see less of Dholakia and more of masala. The Gujarat prohibition backdrop, a larger than life anti-hero with a heart of gold, an incorruptible cop whose sole mission is to destroy the protagonist, a web of politician-crime nexus… Well, Raees has all the trappings of Salim-Javedesque 70’s blockbusters. There is even a doff to their Amitabh Bachchan starrer Kaala Patthar as it plays in the background of a crucial scene.  But Raees also gets trapped in its own vehicle carrying a superstar.

Where Raees scores :

Shahrukh makes a great good hearted bad guy. He brings in his classic charm and charisma to the film, even as he guns his enemies down. Shahrukh gets his goods together, shining in many moments. His Raees is made believable by his getting comfortable and settled in the character, and he is clearly enjoying going all out with many hard core action sequences. He pulls off the romance alongside the unflinching killer when required with same conviction. He is endearing when cooking for his wife, flying a kite and is menacing when he decides to take revenge. His and Nawaz’s chemistry crackles.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He is brilliant in the film. He gives his Inspector/SP Majmudar teeth and tongue in cheek deliveries. A delight to watch a properly fleshed character in a superstar film, that too of a cop, which are mostly seen mouthing same old lines. I loved him in Raees. Every scene that has Nawaz in it, is made better by his nuances. The writers have made him quirky and even when there are no dialogues, Nawaz gets in a “see what I did there” moment.

Supporting cast : The film has a very good cast all around, from small blink and miss roles to meatier ones, Raees gets it right mostly. I have two grudges, but that is for later.  

Dialogues are another high point of the film, especially the repartee between Nawaz and Shahrukh. From the already popular “Baniye ka Dimaag, Miyaan bhai kee daring” to “ Bete ka baap bana hai, Gujarat ka nahi”, there is good old fashioned dialoguebaazi, and unlike some other underworld based franchises actually pack a punch and not make you laugh at their absurdity.

Action : The film has some well choreographed action sequences, and I don’t remember the last time I saw Shahrukh do that.

Rahul Dholakia’s understanding of Gujarat, his research on that era, the character, the detailing add to Raees. The first half is excellent.

Where Raees fails :

The stretched second half. The film loses steam, too many songs slow the proceedings.

Predictability. Like many anti-hero films in Hindi cinema, one can predict how the film is going to unravel and end. Some of the portions in the second half seem forced and further bring down the story telling.

The self-censoring of the controversial layers. I was expecting Dholakia to be braver, but alas, the riots, the blasts, all were treated in a hurried, shoddy manner, without ever scratching the surface. The film obviously wanted to stay as far away from controversy as possible.

Mahira Khan : She doesn’t add anything to the film, neither is her character given it’s due nor has she made it stand out, despite a few scenes where a better actress would have made an impression. Another casting fail for me was if you have a fabulous performer like Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, don’t waste him so mercilessly.

Music. With so many songs, appearing at whim at the most unrequired places, cutting into the film’s pace, it would have helped if they were better compositions. Even Laila fails to impress, and sadly same goes for La Leone.

Raees could have been a hard hitting commentary on the times it is set in, but it chooses to be more of a commercial carrier. Nothing bad in that, only it sometimes pretends to be what it is clearly not.

Having said that, I enjoyed most of it. Shahrukh and Nawaz, both made it worth the ticket price.

I would say watch it.  

My verdict : 2.5/5

What is love? | My Review | Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Director : Karan Johar

Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai, Fawad Khan

This Review contains spoilers.

रंजिश ही सही दिल ही दुखाने के लिए आ

आ फिर से मुझे छोड़ के जाने के लिये आ

This Ahmad Faraz ghazal is one of my favorites… it speaks of unrequited love, love that is forgiving, angry, pleading, crying, aggressive, submissive… all at the same time… hopeless while waiting with hope… unfulfilled love is the most haunting…

Karan Johar weaves a tale of love, but unlike his other love stories, this one feels the most real… So a big fresh surprise from him, and one that I like.

Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) is a poor little rich boy, who can summon a private jet, but has deep abandonment issues with his mom having left him when he was two, Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) is sassy, confident and seems sorted, but as you get to know her, she has a scarred heart too, one that yearns for pain, pain that loving someone who destroys you brings… The two meet in a night-club and instantly hit it off… The first half deals with their growing friendship…. Till the point Ayan has fallen totally and completely in love with her… But she loves Ali (Fawad Khan). Of course she loves the one who hurt her…. And despite Ayan’s pleas, she drops everything and follows her heart… because, Dil toh paagal hai… a heart wants what it wants.

We have seen love triangles aplenty, Kjo himself has made them relevant again for the genX, but here he breaks his own mould. Ek tarafa pyaar gets a punch I had seen before in Raanjhanaa. But unlike Raanjhanaa, Ayan and Alizehh are best friends first. One can even think of Anjali and Rahul in a newer, hipper avatar as far as camaraderie goes, but if KKHH talks of friendship being love… our hero here puts a new spin to it. To him, as he spouts many of the Bollywood quotable dialogues… Ladka Ladki kabhi dost nahi ho sakte.

But infusing freshness in to love aaj kal as we know it, the girl just doesn’t love her best friend. She is not Anjali after all.

One of  biggest achievement of this film is Karan Johar’s. He has taken a risk, no holds barred and retold a love story which though has all his trademarks, yet is nothing like he has done before. His Ayan is under-confident, a hero who is told in the first few minutes after meeting the heroine that he is a bad kisser… he cries rolling on the pavement after finding his girlfriend twining tongues with Alizeh’s boyfriend… And she is hero-like offering shelter and shoulder to him… In a way similar to Rockstar, Alizeh tells Ayan, who is an aspiring singer hating his MBA course… that a voice void of real pain is never going to touch anyone… the day his heart really suffers being crushed in pieces… will his voice come alive…

Predictably enough his heart is shattered by Alizeh’s marriage to DJ Ali… but his dard is not enough to get the girl… For Alizeh, her love is not her best friend… First left by his mother and now by the girl who owns his heart… Ayan lashes out, angry, petulant, entitled, and finally the futility hits him as he leaves Alizeh.

Rejection is an emotion hardest to accept… dare I say, specially by men… The fact that a girl can spurn them, as if the only reason for a girl to love them back is because they have professed their feelings is tough for them to handle. As if heart-break trumps all claims of the girl that she doesn’t love them… Ayan can not fathom Alizeh’s rejection, how can she not love him? HOW?

But he is no acid-thrower, home destroyer… the hero walks away and out of her life. But not before (one of my favorite scenes in the film) cursing Ali and her, wishing a painful death upon them, his pain at being turned down lashing out sharp and hard.

So with a broken heart, as his voice finds power, he finds an alluring, older woman, a Shairaa (Poetess) Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan)… Our bad kisser has come a long way as he shares passionate embraces, lingering love-making… and another triangle is born… Love and longing keeps making connections and separations… as we are introduced to her ex husband (Shahrukh) who still loves her…and it all seems unfair…. But then who said love is a safe bet, when actually in love all bets are off. The ek tarafa pyaar seems to be an ailment all are suffering from in ADHM…

Ranbir has unlearned everything as if taking his clothes off and bares himself like you have not seen before. Right in the opening minutes of the film, he sits quietly, letting his eyes, his quivering lips, his vulnerable demeanour do the talking and clutches your heartstrings… and the last few seconds… is where he strums them like an expert player… I can watch this film again just to see his Ayan. Yes we have seen this turn in Rockstar but you would see the difference, a honing and going even deeper in ADMH. The boy seems to have grown up…

Anushka Sharma, assured like never before, lives Alizeh vibrantly. She is a perfect foil to Ayan. Together with Ranbir, she brings every scene to life, making you forget it is a make-believe world, because they actually make you believe everything that goes on. This performance is pitch perfect.

Aishwarya is stunning, and shares a smouldering chemistry with Ranbir. Their scenes together crackle, even though she doesn’t impress me as the Shaira, her urdu, heavy “dialogues” not ringing true. But does she wow, oh yes!! More please, thank you.

Fawad Khan is there for a minuscule portion, wonder if his role was chopped off thanks to all the controversy. But he of course looks delicious! 

Lisa Haydon is adorable as the ditzy, cotton candy for a brain girlfriend of Ayan. She has made the most of the cameo. 

Oh and SRK!! In just a one scene special appearance he has made me go all weak kneed and ogly eyed. Still has it, my Shahrukh. 

SPOILERS Ahead

So problem kidhar hai? You must be wondering… This film is let down by the weird and banal twist in the second half, where a stage four cancer stricken Alizeh barring the shaved head, looks as fresh as a Daisy. This twist takes the film plunging down with it, as if to remove a person from the equation, permanently is the only solution. this spells sudden death for a movie that was extremely engaging thus far. What is even more banal than the twist, is the treatment of it all, the glamorization, the Kjofication left me disappointed.

Go watch it, because despite the problems, this film is definitely worth a watch, and offers a lot to love.

My Verdict : 3/5

No, Non, Nein, Net, नहीं... My Review PINK

Starring : Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang, Amitabh Bachchan, Angad Bedi, Raashul Tandon, Vijay Varma, Tushar Pandey, Piyush Mishra, Dhritimaan Chatterjee, Vinod Nagpal

Director : Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury

Note : MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS 

Years ago I was returning from work at 3 am, it was December, foggy... I got out of my colleague's car and was walking towards my house, I was stopped by the police patrolling my neighborhood who just refused to believe I was returning from work at that hour, that too in a car with a man. They wanted so many details, I almost felt I have committed a crime and they will arrest me. Yup, true story, Delhi in the late 90s. 

Let's cut to the chase just like the film PINK chooses to do. Having breasts and Vaginas is not a choice, just like having a penis isn't. This is how men and women are born. But the society forces diktats on the female sex, taking away the choices, only from women... WHY? Why do women have to suffer and be branded the "Weaker" sex, even in today's world, the women are the ones who have to adhere to a million codes which are apparently there to keep them "Safe". Anyone who chooses to question these codes is quickly branded in various insulting ways "Slut", "Loose", "Bitch", "Inviting", "Solicitous", "Whore"... and these are the nicer ones mind you. 

Women in a patriarchal world are "owned", given gender specific roles, tiny claustrophobic boxes assigned to them, in which they must fit. If not, they are the deviants. They are to be "punished", and abused, if not physically, then mentally, all morals applying only to them, they are "shown" their place in the food chain, in an order established by men. 

Yes, there are exceptions to the rule. While women have proven to be the worst enemies of women in many cases, and men have stood up for women's rights time and again. But let's admit that the condition of women, is largely pathetic when it comes to their freedom to ( oh of that the list is endless). We are far far behind in accepting women as equals, and we live in a world where they are seen through a separate lens altogether. 

And this is not a rant. It is coming from years and years of seeing, being there, seeing us judged, scoffed at, dismissed.. and I find myself still fighting, jumping to the defense of my gender... being grateful still to have escaped the worst... 

And this brings me to one of my favorite dialogue of the film "Hamare desh main Ghadi ki suiyaan ladki ka character decide karti hain". So not only is a girl of questionable character if she comes home late, she is also seen as giving clear indications of being "available" if she wears certain clothes, talks in a friendly fashion, shares a drink with you, touches your arm while talking or simply agrees to hang out with you. These are not fictional statements the film is choosing to make, this is the reality. Pick up the newspaper, and you know what a regressive world we are living in the 21st century. From Chowmein to jeans, everything is blamed for the increased number of rapes and sexual abuse, anything but the fact that men believe the girls "asked" for it, that is is okay to commit this crime, after all the first reaction of most would be to lay a barrage of questions on the girl, making her feel like the perpetrator rather than the victim.

Pink is not mincing words, it is not shying away from speaking the truth, and speaking it loud and clear. It has a strong voice, which doesn't waver, stays on track and delivers a sucker punch. 

Minal, Falak and Andrea. Three young, single, working girls sharing a flat in a South Delhi colony, meet a bunch of guys, one of them known to Minal when they attend a rock concert in Surajkund (Haryana). They decide to have dinner with the boys and have a drink. What follows is a nightmare, with Rajveer (Angad Bedi) trying to force himself on Minal (Taapsee) and when her pleas to stop, her insistent Nos fall on deaf ears, she bangs a bottle on his head in the heat of the moment and they all flee the scene. They are scared, trying to convince each other that somehow they will escape unscathed and the men will not seek revenge... But no such luck. This incident leads to them being harassed and threatened, to the point where they have no option left but to file a police case. Predictably, their lives are turned upside down as the politically connected Rajveer and his cronies leave no stone un-turned with the help of their lawyer and police to prove that the three girls are prostitutes and it is just a case of them falsely implicating the "Izzatdar" Rajveer in a sexual abuse case, and trying to extort money. Their only hope turns out to be an elderly lawyer Deepak Sehgal (Amitabh Bachchan) who stands tall and fights their battle, to not only bring out the truth of what happened that night but also lay bare the ugly face of our hypocritical society, the double standards of men and the sheer shamefulness of way society looks at women and treats them.

I liked that the director did not cast a woman as the defense lawyer for the girls, instead we have a man, who fights for them, showing that if men change their attitude, their mindsets, they can be the real partners to women. Also a smart move to cast Amitabh Bachchan, considering this film needed a big name to make it saleable considering its subject and treatment. The character of the female police officer, who bend backwards to help the case of the politically connected perpetrator exposes the reality further. 

Taapsee, Kirti and Andrea fit well into their roles, all adding an extremely real feel to the proceedings, shorn of make-up and glamour, they are very much the girls next door. If you are familiar with South Delhi's various colonies and the girls sharing rented accommodations there, you would immediately see how bang on the director is with the casting and characterization.  When you see a brave and confident girl like Minal become a bundle of nerves as she is put away in lock-up, you know what the system can do to the bravest of us if we get in the way of its ulterior motives. Rajveer represents the majority of patriarchal bull headed men who believe good girls don't drink, socialize, have a life, a mind of their own... as he says "Aisi ladkiyon ke saath aisa hee hona chahiye" 

PINK can not be placed alongside a regular Hindi film because  to me it's not a vehicle for entertainment. It is a film where the message is right, and even when the craft falters, the film succeeds in staying focused on what it wants to say. Sometimes craft is just holding the mirror up, without the hand wavering, staying strong and brave. 

Coming to the acting, Bachchan brings the gravitas, the resolve, the feeling of "he knows what he is doing" to the proceedings. I can not think of another mainstream actor of his caliber and mass appeal doing this role. His tired eyes, his wavering voice in the first half, his enigmatic presence around the girls as their neighbor works for me.  Barring the weird face mask he uses when he goes for his walks, his some kind of mental illness and the mysteriously ill wife, I loved him in PINK. 

In the girls, Taapasee is over all believable as a gutsy, independent working girl. Kirti Kulhari is powerful and layered, Andrea adds so much vulnerability as a young girl from Meghalaya and her words ring true as she says in the court room : "Girls from the North-East are treated even more badly" (by society in the north). Angad Bedi is very good as Rajveer Singh, hoping to see more of him. Dhritimaan Chatterjee is terrific as the judge, so much grace he brings to the proceedings. I found Piyush Mishra going OTT in many places, but he totally convinces as the lawyer who will say anything to save his client. 

PINK is a cathartic experience for women, those who can speak up and those who can not... against the myriad injustices they live with everyday... In the darkness of the theater they would feel empowered by the victory of truth and the fact that it speaks of issues which Hindi films rarely address and lay bare with such gale force.  

PINK takes all arguments and then boils them down to a single word - NO. As we hear Bachchan say, No is a complete sentence. Nahin main "magar" nahi hota... When a woman says no, it means no. Period. Whether she is your girlfriend, your wife, or a prostitute....  A woman has the right to say no, and that NO is what must be respected, accepted and not taken as anything else. NO MEANS NO. 

PINK is a voice that must be heard.  I say Yes! Go watch.

My Verdict : 3.5/5

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Teaser

Directed by Karan Johar, with a cast boasting of Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan, ADHM trailer looks very interesting. Enjoy!

PINK Official Trailer

Shoojit Sircar presents PINK, directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, who has directed Bengali films thus far, including the stellar Antaheen and Anuranan. Pink is a crime thriller and I like what I see so far! Here is the trailer, enjoy.

Shivaay Official Trailer

Directed by Ajay Devgn, Shivaay is his second film as a director, earlier being Raju Chacha. Impressively shot, going by the trailer, the film promises to be a thrilling ride. Enjoy.

Fandom vs Stardom. My Review. Fan

Director : Maneesh Sharma

Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Waluscha de Sousa, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Deepika Amin, Yogendra Tikoo, Sayani Gupta

For a Shahrukh fan like me, seeing him doing one mindless, garish film after another pained me. I knew he is better… I knew because I love Mohan Bhargava, Surinder Sahni, Kabir Khan, Raj Mathur, Ajay Sharma, Sunil… even the many Raj and Rahuls…

The question that kept coming up in my head was does HE still know it? believes it, is pained by the lack of such characters in his filmography today?

Seems like he did, after all he is one of the most intelligent actors in Bollywood. Sharp brained and tongued… with the announcement of Fan and Raees, I felt a flutter of hope.. that I would see the other side of SRK, where he would again show us why we love him, why despite him being mostly typecast, he keeps reminding us time and again that given a good script and a nuanced role, in the hands of a skilled director, he can, and does deliver.

Fan gives us a very interesting though not totally unique premise; what happens when a Superstar’s fan turns into his ultimate foe, with the doppelgänger angle making it even more compelling.

Shahrukh as Gaurav Chandna, runs a cyber café in Delhi, belongs to a middle class family, an only son. But his world is Aryan Khanna (Shahrukh in a double role) the superstar of Bollywood. Gaurav is a diehard fan, who hangs on to every word spoken by his idol… his love gaining strength and confidence when his star openly declares “mere fans ke bina main kuch nahi”. Add to it the twist of fate that he is a spitting image of his screen god Aryan, barring rather large jutting out teeth. He has mastered every dialogue, every move of Aryan, and is a multiple time winner of a local acting competition. Now his only dream is to go and meet Aryan on his birthday and give him the trophy he has won… and hug him. But to his shock and disillusionment, the Aryan Khanna of his dreams, his love and adulation turns out to be cold, standoffish and downright snubbing. This is despite the fact that Gaurav took revenge from a star threatening to sue Aryan for assault. What Gaurav in his blind love for Aryan doesn’t realise and refuses to comprehend is that he crossed a line, committed a crime and Aryan Khanna tells him “Tum hote kaun ho mere liye kuch karne wale” After being told that “Main apni life ke paanch second bhi tumhe kyon doon” something breaks forever inside Gaurav, love turns into obsession and he swears to destroy Aryan Khanna. Thus the chase begins. Will Aryan Khanna be able to stop Gaurav and get his life back is what the hook is.

Shahrukh delivers a dil se performance as Gaurav Chandna. After a LONG time, I found him surrendering to the character, investing in it and becoming it. A brilliant cyber café scene is my favorite in the film. The body language, the dialogue delivery, the Dillipan, Shahrukh is in full form, both as a loving fan and an obsessed man bent on revenge. But as Aryan Khanna, I found him at times disinterested, lacking in energy. Even so, he doesn’t fail to impress in certain sequences. 

This film for me works only because of one thing, Shahrukh Khan. Him standing and greeting his fans at Mannat… reminds you yet again of his badshah status. 

What lets down the film in various places is the lazy writing, illogical contrived plot points and one of the most terrible supporting cast in recent times. Waluscha playing Aryan Khanna’s wife is so inept, Deepika Amin hams her way through, even Tikoo who was brilliant in Neerja, finds himself struggling.  The actor playing Sid Kapoor, cringe inducing bad. Shriya Pilgaonkar, though a natural performer, didn’t convince me as Dilliwali kudi. The person who fit well was Sayani Gupta playing AK’s secretary.

There are some stand out moments in the film, specially between Gaurav and AK, but I wish there were more.

The premise could have easily lend itself to a thoroughly gripping, tight thriller, but what it ends up being is a half-hearted attempt. The idea of two equally stubborn men, refusing to give in, the who- blinks-first game, the emotional layering of a Superstar accepting they are perceived as public property because what got them to that celebrity status is the public, aah.. so many possibilities, few explored in the film. Aryan Khanna, who is a rags to riches story, common dilli ka launda turned megastar, when turns around and behaves almost like a jerk with Gaurav, I couldn’t find any answers in the narrative for this cold persona, wish they had created a more fleshed out character.

This is one film where I feel even the director is let down by the writing. 

There are no songs in the film, and I was disappointed with the complete omission of the much promoted Fan Anthem. The background score is extremely average, at times a total fail. The cinematography is a plus. 

So go watch the film for Shahrukh, who returns and wins.

My Verdict 2.5/5

Scar tissue. My Review. Kapoor And Sons (Since 1921)

Director: Shakun Batra

Starring: Rishi Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah, Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan

There are no perfectly happy families. Happiness is not the usual state of any human for that matter. And yet we seek that most fervently, and hide behind the façade that keeps getting stronger, with each layer, each compromise, each forced smile, each lie.

Secrets, don't we all have them. No relationship is hundred percent transparent, and sometimes, secrets are kept from the ones we love the most to protect them… and at times for selfish reasons… Secrets which can destroy a family. That is when relationships are tested… will they survive?

Shakun Batra brings to us a family that in one word is Dysfunctional, where everyone is trying very hard to “Function”.  

The notion of a family, a normal Indian family… with a doting mother, a father who is the provider, elders who are now leading a sedate life, kids who are devoted and follow the path shown by their parents.. We are conditioned to believe our parents can do no wrong. We put them on pedestals. They also try and fit in the defined role models... expecting their progeny to fit in too… with expectations and plans for their perfect future.

 But human.. ah… that’s what they all are, individuals buried under the expectations, trying to fit in the mould, flawed, jagged, broken. And here lies the tale of Kapoor and Sons.

Dadu (Rishi Kapoor) who play acts his death so much that no one now really pays attention when he pretends to die at the breakfast table, the son (Rajat Kapoor) continues doing his accounts and his wife (Ratna Pathak Shah) continues nagging him about his inability to earn.

The equations are set from the opening scene itself. What they didn’t see coming was an actual heart attack. Dadu is admitted to the hospital and the sons Rahul (Fawad Khan) and Arjun (Sidharth Malhotra) are called back to Coonoor. And slowly we realise nothing is functioning in this family relationship-wise. The brothers have a history, their relationship strained. Rahul seems to be the apple of the eye of both the parents, a son that can do no wrong. Arjun on the other hand seems to be a constant disappointment, especially to the father. The bickering parents only add to the tension, and then there is Dadu, who despite being bed ridden at the ripe old age of 90, in contrast to everyone is full of zest, a joie de vivre. He has two wishes he wants his grandsons to fulfill, an Army burial after his death and a Family photograph with all present, before he dies.  His other son is traveling and they all await his and his family’s arrival. Meanwhile Dadu’s 90^th birthday is coming up, a big party is planned. Enter Tia (Alia Bhatt) who owns an estate and is briefly visiting to sell it off. She bumps into Arjun, and they instantly strike it off. She also meets a prospective buyer of her estate, who turns out to be Rahul. She hits it off with him too!! A love triangle seems to emerge… while all the romance and bonhomie is happening.. layers are unfolded.. We get to know why Rahul and Arjun cannot be in the same room without a fight erupting, what is troubling their parents’ marriage, what is the guilt of the mother and the reality of a son... and many more secrets that threaten to come tumbling out. As we go deeper and deeper into the truth of each character… we realise nothing is what it seems to be.

Without going into spoilers, let me just say, some of the plot twists are predictable, yet by that time you are so invested that they affect you nonetheless. As each character’s struggle, emotional curve is revealed, you wonder whether this family will remain one… will that family portrait will ever be clicked, because they just don’t seem to fit in any frame, the distance between them too much…

On the acting front, the force that is Ratna Pathak Shah is unleashed in all its glory. You love her, you hate her, you cry with her… A performance that left me in awe. Fawad Khan is a discovery for me. He also made a very brave choice playing the character he did. Bollywood heroes with their images to maintain would have shied away from it, well most of them. He brings the character of a troubled writer, who is stuck after a first hugely successful novel… not a word coming out of him to page. Sidharth Malhotra plays the vulnerable younger brother well, who feels no one cares for him, that he is always going to be a lesser son, a loser in the eyes of his father, a writer who is yet to publish, but is weighed down by blocks of his own. They both share great chemistry, and their scenes together are believable and feel real. Alia is good, but frankly for me her track was just padding, not really important to the main story of the film. But she does bring oodles of fresh energy and charm to the going ons. Rajat Kapoor is controlled and in fine shape, his and Ratna’s scenes crackle, his craft shines through subtly. Their marriage so real, a couple so believable… a rare thing to see. Coming to Rishi Kapoor, he is playing himself I thought, cheeky, naughty and unabashed. He is having a ball and it is obvious. What touches you is his turn towards the end... And I must admit, I cried many a times... thinking of each one of them, their fate at the hand of human folly.

The story is fresh in the Indian context, though I could clearly see influences of many films.  It loses pace at times, but delivers well. The dialogues are delightful. 

Well done Shakun Batra. You have put life in each scene... a director in superb control.

GO meet this family!

My verdict : 3/5

All Engines A Go. My Review Airlift

Director : Raja Menon

Starring : Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, Kumud Mishra, Inaamulhaq, Prakash Belawadi, Purab Kohli

488 flights, 59 days, 1,70,000 Indians, airlifted from Kuwait as Saddam’s forces took over the desert nation, in the world’s largest evacuation till dat. Airlift is based on the true story of this historical event.

The story that was on its own is an inspiring one, with a strong emotional connect, is re-told with conviction and superbly by Raja Menon. The challenge in making a good thriller, with a race against time telling, based on a story that is already well documented, the outcome known, is immense, and this is where the victory of Airlift lies.

A strong script, some well penned dialogues, humour in the least expected situations, make Airlift a compelling watch. The film never loses focus, the linear telling only adding to the thrill, building up to an almost nail biting finale. All comparisons with Argo dissolve in the background as this emotional and full of twists and turns film unfolds.

The ace being Akshay Kumar. The khiladi shows his acting chops in Airlift. Genuine, vulnerable, strong, letting his eyes perform in many a moments, Akshay is the hero of Airlift in all senses. This is to me his finest performance to date, an actor who has quietly matured, despite doing the “It’s Entertainment” and “Housefull” brand of films, honing his skills in Special 26 and in Baby to an extent, we see a new Akshay, who in his salt and pepper beard and a lithe body becomes Ranjit Katyal. 

A billionaire settled in Kuwait, proud of being a Kuwaiti rather than an Indian. His marriage with Amrita (Nimrat Kaur) is not all hunky dory, but he dotes on his little daughter.  His secure and snob life comes crashing down as Iraqi tanks bombard Kuwait. A man driven by money, decides to leave with his family, but is then faced by the moral dilemma…can he just up and leave his workers and their families behind? How a self-centred businessman changes himself and the fate of the thousands of Indians stuck in a foreign county under siege is the story of Airlift.

The film touches upon the government apathy and the political snafus when faced with a situation like this, the reality of living in a foreign country which you make your home, but where you never belong, as you are always the outsider, in this case being Indians actually helped them survive the Iraqi attack. Airlift has its “Bollywood” moments, patriotism hitting the notes as the Tiranga unfolds in the climax, a song and dance routine in middle of mayhem, but the good bits overshadow the small detours.

Excellent casting of supporting characters, Nimrat is extremely believable and gives a steller performance as Katyal's wife, changing from an entitled and largely bored wife to a woman who stands besides her man and discovers his mettle, Kumud Mishra as the “Babu” is pitch perfect and in such a fine form. Prakash Belawadi has got the irritating, greying, whining Mallu Uncle just right. There was a moment when the entire theatre went “Abbe chup kar” as he complains to Ranjit Katyal about the lack of Discipline in the refugee camp.

Recreating the 90's and an under siege Kuwait was no mean feat which Menon achieved well. Eye for detailing, from the Madhuri superhit in the opening to Katyal fixing a cassette with a pencil, full marks there too. 

Though dogged by forced songs and the miscasting of Inaamulhaq as the Iraqi general in control of Kuwait, Airlift is a film I thoroughly enjoyed. With the audiences becoming more open to real life stories being dramatized, Talvar being the one before this and Neerja coming up next, I "Welcome" this Akshay starrer. 

Special mention, kickass camerawork by Priya Seth and sharp editing by Hemanti Sarkar. The music, well nothing to talk about really.

Go and watch, totally paisa wasool.

My verdict 3/5

Laal Ishq. My review Bajirao Mastani

Director : Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring : Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Tanvi Azmi, Mahesh 
Manjrekar



कांटों भरे हैं लेकिन, चाहत के रास्ते
तुम क्या करोगे देखें, उल्फत के वास्ते
उल्फत में ताज़ छूटे, ये भी तुम्हें याद होग
उल्फत में ताज़ बने, ये भी तुम्हें याद होग

One of my favorite love songs, the words resonate even now, and came to mind as I watched Bajirao Mastani...

Love. We know it… or want to know it… it is an all-consuming emotion whose wonder has been written about since words were noted…  No wonder love stories are told over and over again in cinema too… Love that is fulfilled is joyous and that left unfulfilled, tragedy, makes us feel even more, because like love, we all know what pain feels like.

Welcome to the world of Bajirao Mastani. Two warriors, two lovers, who went against all norms of the society they were living in, and made history.

SLB’s film is not an exact account of history, in fact far from it. But as the opening Title reads, it is the love story of a warrior.

As expected, the scale, the grandeur, each frame painstakingly perfected, giving you a visual experience that is rare to come by. Opulence and detailing at every level, from the sets to the costumes, to the flawless make-up, Bajirao Mastani is a visual treat.

But what takes it beyond and makes it worth watching ( I saw it for the second time today) are the actors. Even when the story falters, sequences rush or linger longer than required (the climax) the cast carries the film, living each character, making you invested in them, feel what they feel. So this time I want to talk about the trio first.

Ranveer Singh. You got me jaaneman. A convert, that’s what I am after watching his Bajirao. Credit to Mr. Bhansali too. Ranveer has given his best performance to date, the way he has become the warrior Peshwa, Puneri accent in place most of the time, the taut body, the glint in his eyes, the walk, the fighting, the stance… uff…

Priyanka Chopra. Quantico ( Or Qwanakko as her Parrish says) ko bhool jaao, PC ke liye taali bajao. Not a fan, apart from her Barfi! I always found her lacking, but here in most parts, in a role that is bound to evoke sympathy from the audience, PC delivers. And her strongest moments are when she is silent, using her eyes to show the pain, the humiliation of being a wife whose husband has found love in another woman. Her scenes are few, but she stands out in most of them. Look out for her expressions in the curtain burning scene in the film.

Deepika. I love her, and Tamasha made me salute her prowess, but here, either because of the writing, or may be of the way the director visualised his Mastani, she does little more than look absolutely gorgeous. Her eyes forever brimming, her skin lit up from within, a thing of beauty with very limited moments where her acting could shine, even where she had meaty dialogues, her diction defeats. But a pleasure to watch nonetheless. Her beauty, grace and screen presence making her a perfect Mastani. 

Now coming to the storytelling. The forbidden love, the anguished wife, the “other woman”, religion coming in the way of lovers, a warrior princess becoming a putty in the hands of her passion and a wronged wife finding it in her to banish her husband out of her house… even though he can decimate armies single-handedly. The evolving of characters is extremely interesting, even when the unfolding of their lives is predictable. 

My big grouse is that in a love story where you want me to root for a married man, who is a Peshwa, a great warrior,  falling in love with a princess, and a princess’s instant love/obsession/lust with a married Maratha warrior, where she is ready to leave everything behind and follow her heart, very well knowing she will never be accepted by his family or society, I wish there was some more time spent with the two. Yes there are a few moments where we have to buy in to “instant chemistry” but an epic love story, for me could do with some epic moments… Remember Mughal e Azam, and that film is the inspiration for the director in his own words.

Some sequences really stand out, especially the husband wife scenes between Bajirao and Kashibai.

Tanvi Azmi as the mother works, with tonsured head et al, but her track is so predictable, the only breath of fresh air was her scene with Kashi where she points out their limitations as women… The other supporting cast does justice to their roles, you even get Mr. Raza Murad, his baritone still intact.

Mr. Bhansali knows what he wants, and you can see his vision unfold in every frame, yes he likes to indulge, but again to quote the man himself “it is not indulgence, this is how I see things”.  When a few directors exist who can be called auteurs, Bhansali yet again shows why he is prominent in that list.

Go watch the film, if for nothing else then for the sheer visual spectacle, and the women, you would definitely not want to miss how a bathing Bajirao can make you… Wink wink .

My Verdict 3.5/5