Dangal

I went for this “greatest film of the year”, 100 crore earning, Aamir Khan magical wonder with great expectations. Alas, with nothing coming back as I wondered what the fuss was all about. Hadn’t there been other great films with brilliant storytelling and awesome themes, this film would definitely been another perfectionist Aamir Khan’s great creations. But I hate to say this about my favorite Indian actor that he has been beaten fair and square by films that have jolted, molded and recreated Hindi cinema this year. 

It’s another real life story about a sport prodigy who hailed from a tiny village and went through the struggle to make it big and make India proud. The only difference was that here a woman breaks the gender norm and stereotype of culture to emerge victorious fueling feminist sentiment and firing oppressed, suppressed angry Indian goddesses. But wait, hasn’t that already been done ? So what ? We watch it again. The scenes were causing a déjà vu continuously. Aamir Khan, you have fierce competition. It’s no longer just the Khans, but a whole bunch of artists, doing some brilliant work. Great performances by Fatima and Sanya.

The wrestling fights were fantastic shwoing lot of technicalities of the sport. The duels were gripping, adding some salt to the repetitive porridge.  I have great respect for the achievements of the Phogat sisters, and am proud of them. But this film does not live upto the hype it has created. Maybe Aamir could have been more creative in the making of the film instead of using his talent in promoting it.

Rating: 3/5

BEFIKRE

Confusing, mindless, misplaced eroticism and clueless, Befikre will leave a question mark on your face at the end. The story line is wayward and irrelevant. I was lost several times during this film. The present scene doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the previous one. Its like watching many short irrelevant clips continuously. The director makes up for the disconnections by the exotic locales of Paris, copious exposures of beautiful bodies of the leads, continuous yet passionless on screen smooching scenes and a constant undertone of sex. 

Ranvir Singh looks good on the screen and knows his act very well now. He sells himself in the film convincingly, inspite of an irrelevant script. That is definitely appreciable. But his role is the same, the one of the alpha male, cocky, hypersexual and a text book Casanova. Vaani Kapoor doesn’t look natural. She has that quality of the NRI returned to India to try her hand in Bollywood with discomfort with the Hindi language. The usual and clichéd Indian nostalgia in a foreign land shows up again as her parents refer to Indian customs, traditions and food. Ranvir is constantly cracking jokes trying to prove the character’s overdose of testosterone.  Most of those jokes have either been repeated or not funny. 

A borrowed idea from Hollywood and desperate attempt to make it relevant to the Indians by shoving titillating erotic and sexual frames, this film  will leave you lost and imbalanced. The only thing good about this film are two songs which are worth listening to, more than once.

Rating – 1 /5 

Kahaani 2

I wonder why this film got mediocre reviews from many sources. Kahaani 2 lives up to the Kahaani franchisee with a gripping story and strong narrative. I always feel that a film should tell you a story. This film is all about a best laid plot and wonderful execution in the direction. A story which has so many facets and they all come together to make an interesting watch. The characters are complete, the acting is mature and the script lives up to the originality of this story. 

A victim of sexual abuse decides to save another from the same peril. The effects of sexual abuse can be far reaching and sometimes can drive the life of the abused. Foregoing her personal life, Durga decides to honor her conscious and save a girl child from the dark black hole of molestation. This conviction gives us to a story acted out to perfection by Vidya Balan. Though the second half is predictable, the direction and the story keep you hooked. 

The clarity and confidence of Vidya's acting are the jewels in the crown of this story. Arjun Rampal surprised me, for I was contemplating a boring, passionless act by him. He has given a very convincing performance and shows promise. The direction and cinematography match to the theme and intensity of the plot making this film a great watch.

Rating : 4/5  

Dear Zindagi

Dear Zindagi will resonate with the name Alia Bhat. She is the centre of the film and how? All of 23 Alia gives a pleasant yet gripping performance which flows through like the ripples created when you throw a stone in the pond. The ripples spread throughout the water body creating a beautiful visual effect of concentric circles that soothes your senses. We all feel incomplete in our relationships with parents which eventually have an impact on other relationships. The parent child relationship is the core of all our relationships and the rest of our relationships through our life are dependent on how strong, weak, fulfilled or unfulfilled our relationship was with our parents.

            Gauri narrates this story of any ordinary person in an extraordinary way through Kiara’s life. She relates the relationships of Kiara (Alia) with her parents and the aftermath of the incidents in her childhood. How the need for love and unfulfilled emotions of a small child show up in her connections with other human beings after growing up. How all of us carry heavy baggage of the mistakes our parents made into most of our adult life and how by letting it go we can create new dimensions in all of our relationships. It reminds me of a phenomenal program I participated in, which transformed my life. The program made me feel light though I weigh over 80 kgs. I won’t elaborate more for it is a different topic.

                                        

              Coming back to the film, the simple dialogues, casual acting of the youth in the film and the story line give a sense of comfort and can be related to easily. Shah Rukh overacts again or maybe it’s just his style. He holds back a bit too much as he delivers philosophical gyan which are highly intonated and pronounced in British accent. Am sure at least a few of those wise quotes are his own creations. The film tends to get boring but the strength of the story and scene sequences pull you through the life of Koko. A good watch if you don’t mind a laid back and casual experience. But if you are looking for drama and action then you should think again.

Rating – 3 /5 

Ventilator (Marathi)

An emotionally charged film, Ventilator, at the heart of it, is a film about the father and son relationship. And over that relationship are the rest of the relationships wound as extensions, which happens in most Indian families. The typical nuances and behavior of the near, distant, urban, rural, close and estranged relatives of us Indians has been brought to fore in a light, comical and entertaining fashion. The characters are fully developed and matured giving each actor a complete script to perform to her best. Rajesh Mapuskar has written a great story digging deep into the thought, emotions and behavior of any Indian family. Men in our or any culture, for that matter, do not express their fondness for each other. This complicates the father and son relationship to a point of suffering for which, many times, both of them are responsible. This film is able to expose that underlying tension, misunderstandings and wordlessness of this relationship in a way that will leave you emotional and tearful. And this entire baggage that most of us carry throughout our lives, attains nirvana when either of them is on the verge of being lost or already lost. The feelings and emotions drain you out in those difficult moments and relax you after the tide has passed.  Death in the family often transforms you in a way to maturity and wisdom. And with the blessings of Lord Ganesh this film will surely move you and hopefully encourage you to tell your father that you love him. A must watch film with brilliant performances by each and every actor especially Jitendra Joshi and Satish Aalekar who stood out.

Rock On 2

I wasn’t sure if I will watch this film and still can’t believe I watched it. A senseless film trying very hard to cash on its previous success, which I believe was a failure in the first place. The makers are living in a bubble thinking that it was a cult film and that anything to do with rock music can be a revolution of sorts. Are they trying to capitalize on the hippie movement of the 70’s which signified freedom pf thought and expression through the most creative rock n roll music ? If so then where is the effing music ? There are hardly any songs or music, let alone rock music. A remote lead on the guitar in some corner of a miserable song is supposed to be rock music to which the dumb kids are shown to be grooving?  IS it about a social cause that music is helping to revive? Is it about a dead man who committed suicide because his talent was not recognized? Is it about a group of musicians trying to get back to doing what they love to do the most? Is it about a girl whose father is denying her self-expression? What is this film about? I did not quite get it. Whatever happened to the dialogues? There is no script. Arjun Rampal is repulsive.

Nonsense! Don’t waste your time. 

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Interesting ! Karan Johar’s obsession with love and friendship offers a new twist. His philosophy of love being another form of friendship has assumed a different personality, allowing friendship its unique identity, separating it from love. The story shows imagination to steer away from the KJo’s usual narrative offering a different experience. Is it good ? Anything new is entertaining for sure, I leave the judgment to you. In all of the new films this year which present realistic stories and unique ideas, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil celebrates love.  It reminds us of the passionate and intense emotion of love and where ever there is passion,  Ranbir Kapoor has to be around. Though repetitive in his craft, Ranbir does pull off a decent performance. For a change the European locales and the oomphness of phoren cities does not dominate the experience. The story overtakes even the beauty of Aishwarya Rai. Aishwarya has finally got a role that suits her element of the untouchable beauty and international stylishness. Beautiful was never so beautiful as she shocks your visual senses to leave a permanent impression and be reminisced with the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.

I don’t know how Karan did it but you will be clean bowled by the raw beauty, one of those freaks of nature. The first half has KJo stamped all over it with the branding of his previous films and songs in case you have forgotten them, nevertheless, it is fun and frolic. The entire film plays in the second half treading a new path of a unique characteristic and personality.  Definitely unexpected of KJo, this is film should be watched at least once to enjoy catchy songs like Break up. How can I forget Anoushka ?  She has spoken the most in the film and kind of has the strongest presence. The typical character she usually gets to play, she is bold, confident and superbly natural.

Rating – 3.5 / 5

M.S.Dhoni - The Untold Story

More of a documentary film, M S DHoni – The Untold Story, does not inspire strong emotions or reactions from the audience.  The life of a cricketer cannot be as difficult as of say a tennis player, in India. The game is a religion in India and the slightest talent will attract enough attention for the player to get enough opportunities. This fact probably translates into the film’s making as it lacks passion and fire. Slight changes or deviations from the player’s actual life to infuse some life and jolt the audience wouldn’t have hurt. A book about the cricketer’s life merely depicting the events would have been sufficient. Or a collection of reports from the media would have sufficed if the reporting of sportsman’s life was the intention. Two beautiful actresses and the effect of one scene, holds your attention from drifting off into deep sleep in this 3 hour film. Sushant Singh has done a great job but his capabilities have been wasted. The emotions of the Indian family, friendships and close connections with who you share a professional relationship, are soothing and give you the flavor of the social life in small town India. However Pandeyji could have spiced it up, added some twists punches movers and shakers to make it interesting. I am sure the cricketer’s life must have had bigger and harder falls from where he would have bounced back to be the great captain he is. Only that they haven’t been played out. But we know that anything will work in India if its remotely connected to cricket to generate a full house and make the money. We have greater icons who have fought bigger battles in the sport. Maybe the wrong sportsman was selected.

No offense to cricket lovers. This film can be passed.

Rating 3/5

Parched

The mother of all realistic films, it doesn’t get more “real” than this.  The film literally takes you inside the houses of rural Rajasthan, into the lives of oppressed women and their tragic existence. Brutal blows and punches into the delicate faces and fragile bodies make you cringe with pain. The pain was unbearable as I watched three women bear physical, emotional, mental trauma day after day. An existence so depressing and archaic, that you will wonder if you are living in the real world or living a dream. The behavior of the men and the patriarchal systems seem unreal and unfathomable.  Leena Yadav gives it to you in your face, the life of women, women made of steel for no man has the endurance to bear what she bears. Radhika Apte glorifies her role and goes beyond what the script would expect of her marking the strong character of this artwork.

Equally fulfilling are the performances of Tannishtha and Surveen who do not let go of the soul of Rani and Bijli. Rural uneducated women with no access to information in the digital world decide to fight back and recognize their identity to fulfill their existence. A rapid transition and transformation seen in Hindi cinema in the past couple of years “Parched” goes to the next step in taking the issue of feminist movement to the heart of hinterland in rural Rajasthan. The war cry has been called. The stage is set, for mythololgy to repeat itself as Kali and Durga. The scripts have the right ending. Will it come into our lives, our everyday lives cutting across geographies, castes, economics and household walls  and end this blasphemy of suppression, oppression and regression?

PINK

I have never acknowledged Amitabh Bachan’s greatness as an actor. The consensus of people of India about his greatness as a performer never appealed to me. After watching many of his films I always thought of him as an average to good actor with a powerful personality and charisma. After watching “Pink” I have developed great admiration for him as an artist. He has single handedly molded the film to give it the shape, character and infused life and power  into the story. The brilliance of this film lies in the dissection of an average Indians thought process and prejudice.  Mr Bacchan plays the role of lawyer Deepak Sanyal who peels the layers of hypocritical standards of morality and ethos we Indians pride ourselves with as “Indian culture”. The lawyer answers the elephant in the room by boldly bringing out the real issues to the fore exposing the intolerable sexist face of our society. Similar to what Denzel Washington did in Philadelphia, Amitabh gives a candid performance in the courtroom with some serious arguments and follows a serious code of conduct eliminating the dramatics we usually see in Hindi cinema. A brilliant script and screenplay inspiring direction that pounds into you the gravity of the issue of rape and molestation and the even more dreadful aftermath that takes place almost every day. The callousness and jingoism of the system fuelling the hyper masculinity and feudal pomp of the cold blooded indian male shakes your tolerating life in this country.  Moments of brilliance pushing the victim to be fearless by uncovering her head while walking on the street as people give accusing glances to her for standing up for herself, complete this film. “We need to save our boys and not our girls” says Amitabh. From the evil that resides in his head fortified by strong walls of patriarchy and permission to suppress. The film ends with astounding and poignant verses in hindi giving out a strong message to the society. It stops becoming a film and graduates to become much more than just a piece of art. It is a message to be played in the crowded Connaught place in Delhi on a large screen and every other crowded place in India.  Sensational performances by the girls, calling all girls to watch this film immediately, urgently.

Rating – 4.5/5

Rustom

The best part of this film is presentation of the strong presence of the Parsi community in 1950’s South Bombay. The sets present the deserted Fort area, the vintage cars, old money and the British hangover convincingly. European attires of the playboy Vikram Makheja and seductive deep neck dresses of his sister Preeti, stand out. Art direction and cinematography are worth watching. Apart from that the film is mediocre at best.  The real life story of Captain Rustom Pavri must have been a tad more serious. The courtroom scenes were childish and immature with audiences clapping and responding loudly to the court proceedings. The scenes drag with pathetic jokes and weird dialogues of the judge. It was more like reading the reports in a newspaper than watching the film. The characters seem exclusive and separate and do not blend into the story to make a médley. Akshay Kumar does his best as Rustom and weaves an interesting story around the death of Vikram. He looks good in the navy uniform but could have changed it while in jail. Arjan Bajwa looks suave but could have been more flamboyant in playing the wealthy lustful character of Vikram Makheja. Esha looks gorgeous as she bathes in the aura of wealth and the power that’ comes with it. Elleana looks beautiful as the innocent doll seduced by the cunning wolf.  

Rating  2/5

Mohenjo Daro

A film without a theme or an agenda , Mohenjo Daro will bore you with its frivolity and meaninglessness. A spineless script with complete failure of imagination and invention , there is not much to be implemented.  School children can boast of a more fertile and plausible imagination of the lessons learnt in history about the ancient civilisations of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.  A strange animal supposedly a unicorn looking like a goat with the wrong placement of the horns, appears in the dreams of the protagonist and leads him to something of a prophecy.  Characters wearing strange attires and horns on head not only look idiotic but are an insult to the viewer robbing him of his intelligence. There was not much for Hrithink to do, not that he does much apart from some really great flexible dance moves matching the music, there was no scope even for that. It was a weird attempt to showcase the cultural nuances of the ancient civilization. If that was really the intent then a documentary for the Discovery channel would have been apt. As I said the film does not have a backbone without which my back didn’t allow me to relax on the seat forcing me out after the interval. Puja Hegde looks like a model on the ramp, which I guess is the new meaning of acting as most appear to be doing that, with plastic poses and a plain expressionless face.  A waste of time and money,  DON’T WATCH THIS ONE.

Rating  - 1/5 

Madari

A luke warm film on a rainy evening, Madari does not live upto the expectation of the buzz it created and the cheers it generated for Irrfan khan. A story where the kidnapper begins to like the victim and eventually the victim shows greater fondness for the kidnapper than his own father, Madari does not hit you in the face that the theme demands. The resentment and pain of a common man getting back to the system making them suffer just as much as he has suffered for his grave loss, the idea though borrowed does not produce the hypertension and ecstasy through the story. The emotions suffering and agony of a father whose life revolved around his son have been shown beautifully but the resentment and vengeance, being the centre force of the film, does not match the emotions. Irrfan Khan has a subdued melancholic nature through the film as his character reveals the century old rot of our country. Another courageous attempt at exposing the stench and filth of the decomposed garbage of our administrative system done up close and personal by holding the stakeholders at gun point. The desperation so conveyed goes to mirror the wrath of the public and is confirmed at the resounding cheers from the audience. Jimmy Shergil blends into the lukewarm tone of the film and fails to stand out in his performance; so do the rest of the pawns in the corrupt politic. A film that can be missed and waited to be watched on the tele. 

Udta Punjab - Review

NUMB ! One word that comes to my mind after watching Udta Punjab is NUMB ! When one gets stoned on drugs it leads to numbness of sensations. One loses track of reality, transporting oneself to another world of fantasy and dreams. But the person forgets that he lives in reality and his life in the real world is totally devastated as severely as the sensation of bliss in the fantasy world. Abhishek Chobey weaves a very real story of the young flying Punjabis in his powerfully written realistic web. If you have ever been high, at least on booze or bhang, if not on drugs; you will recall the state of being in trance. At the same time you feel a sense of chaos somewhere deep within. Mirroring this state of high in the events occurring in the characters of the film; the flying Punjabis experience a state of catastrophe when sober, destroying the juice of their being. The desperation for that joint, injection or sniff drives them into a psychotic and suicidal state. Junkies with spaced out eyes staring into oblivion are ready to kill the mother who refused to give money for drugs. 

                         A great deal of loss of life, blood, name and fame comes the realisation to get high on life. Like the hangover which leads us back to normalcy and the chance to distinguish the real from the hallucinations. 

                                                                                    After a lot of hard work and perseverance, 

Shahid gives a proud performance. Famous musician high on drugs coming up with senseless lyrics and a clueless existence, it seems as if he got literally high to do justice to the role. Alia shows her brilliance as always and I feel she possesses the prowess of the likes of Meryl Streep and Jodie Foster. Diljit Dosanjh gives a simple and easy performance adding the proverbial feather to the cap. Its not surprising now, that this film attracted so much attention and drama that was acted out before its release. 

A real story narrating the abomination of the rich and powerful in the wealthiest state of India would obviously be snubbed and choked. But truth always surfaces, even though it is in the form of purported leak of pirated DVDs before the official release. A great example of a well executed script with strong screenplay and story telling. 

Rating - 4/5

WAITING - Review

There is great power in simplicity. Most of the marvels in our world are indeed simple, just as this film is. An emotional, difficult and moving subject has been brought to the fore in a simple and compelling story. The thought of losing a loved one is heart wrenching, but to actually go through it can be devastating. Its only a person with the same pain who can empathise and “get” another person going through the same. And many times they have the capacity to heal and help move on. A real story of two people in pain and sorrow who support each other, in a way, in dealing with it and help move on.  We see the prejudices against large MNC hospitals, with the state of the art facilities; translate into bitter spats with doctors as we come to terms with the inevitable. The actions, reactions, thoughts emotions and feelings acted out are those that you and I would feel in similar situations. Anu Menon has captured the experiences of pain and loss and presented in a simple and moving way. Great films with a singular agenda do not need big spends and glamorous actors. The best character actors from our industry give an experience of touch and feel of the characters. A must watch !

SARBJIT

The emotion of hate is at its ugliest when its roots are in love. In life too we notice that many times acute hatred is nothing but pure emotion which got misplaced and misunderstood. Siblings fighting court battles, couples getting a divorce or even two warring nations which were one, once upon a time. Based on the true life of Sarbjit Singh, Sarbjit rekindles and fans the Indo-Pak animosity fire. This film tells the story of this love and hate between two very emotional nations. And in the events of hatred it is always the innocent that gets destroyed. This great tragedy has always been a reality since the time mankind existed.  An innocent man is captured, tortured, mutilated and wrongfully convicted. His relentless sister fights till his last breath, taking the fight to the mighty and powerful of the two nations. Mankind has always celebrated triumph, victory, happiness and success with pomp and vigor. This film celebrates tragedy, sorrow, melancholy and misery of a man and his family. What makes the story more tragic is the suffering for no fault of the victim.

 Randeep Hooda has reached a new level of performance which was awesome and grand. Every artist is supposed to be competing with himself and not anyone else. Randeep is surely taking huge strides in winning this contest. Aishwarya gives a heartening and sincere performance and happens to be the star of the film. The sheer hard work and dedication is obvious however, it just doesn’t hit home and delight. If only Riccha Chadda could have replaced her, this film would be legendary. Riccha has the intensity and talent to match Randeep’s passion and would have given the audience an experience to remember. The very few scenes she has actually acted in have added impact to the flow. The film does seem to drag because of the tragic story, however kudos to Omung Kumar who tries to show the reality of the story. Pakistan has been shunned in many scenes adding to the emotiveness of the whole issue which only can make things difficult. The fight and struggle is overbearing and heavy leaving a melancholic effect. Not a must watch, but if u like a biopic and history, go for it.

DEAR DAD - Review

Dissappointing !! Its like when the chef has all the ingredients to make a Michelin star dish and he fails to put it together for some reason. The dish is unappetizing and tastes average.  This was a great opportunity for Tanuj Bhramar to make an award winning film. A brilliant actor who fits the character perfectly with his natural poise, intensity and charm. A teenage debutant who is able to emote and has a grip on his act.  A very unique and interesting story with the potential to stand out.  Scenic locations to compliment the silent emotive and poignant issue. Silent frames and tones that begged for intensity and motion from the director. The script lacked dialogue, involvement of characters making the story torpid.  Dear Dad lacks the juice and spice that make films great. There are huge gaps in the narrative. The father confesses – the son reacts – interval – the son accepts – THE END.

The father son relationship has been done justice by the father and the son. The friendly relationship that a loving father is strong enough to have with the son, has been depicted beautifully. Himanshu Sharma shows maturity as Shivam while dealing with a difficult issue his family faces.The film successfully rubbishes common, prejudiced and condescending misconceptions about a particular social minority,

Rating – 2 / 5

SAIRAT - Review

Power and honor are the two most seductive achievements most human beings can kill for. They are capable of destroying love, innocence, relations, friends, neighbors and even societies. One will always remember this film for the moments that will shock and startle them. The crazy love an innocent teenager feels for a girl, the cockiness and brashness of a village girl who happens to be the daughter of a powerful politician, a teacher being slapped by the politicians son when asked to behave, the innocent romance between two young people as it blossoms, songs like "Zingaat" that literally made many from the audience leave their seats and dance in front of the screen (mind you, this was in a multiplex!), the lustful vengeance of the powerful for defying the social norms, daring lovers to make it on their own and a heart wrenching and stomach churning end that will take a few minutes to sink. I have always known Marathi cinema to showcase extraordinary talent in its narratives, lead performances and simple yet poignant composition. 

The rural settings and dialects cause a strong connection for the Marathi audience which was present in strength on a week night. It also made for the entertainment quotient in the rural nuances and ways of life. The lead actors, Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar showcase raw talent and great acting prowess in their performances. Rinku exudes confidence and craft while Akash will win your heart with his handsome looks and boyish charm. It can boast of three sensational numbers that will be hummed by most Marathis for a long time. The complete characters, identifiable cast, simple narrative, songs with panoramic picturization and divine music reminded me of Mani Ratnam films several times. The film does drag towards the ending, however the execution of an interesting theme is remarkable making this film a must watch.

 

Ki & Ka - Film Review

The mediums of art and creativity are more often than not a reflection of the present times and events of a society. Performing and fine arts draw inspiration from the changing moods and evolving social ethos. I don’t know if this film is reflective of the changing attitudes and acceptance of the Indian society. Is India ready to break the moulds and shed prejudiced uniforms that have been ritualistically worn by the members of the society to form the age old social fabric? Though it isn’t as difficult to assume gender fluidity, the challenge lies in the aftermath that comes with the complexity of established norms, rules, rituals and prejudices. This light romantic yet radical film presents the capability of our youth to be broad minded and accept changes of the present and future times. The acceptance of the changing roles of a man and woman in the social structures of individual, family, society and civilization is not only possible but agreeable. A man can be as caring, nurturing and loving as a woman just as a woman can be as dominating, chauvinistic and egoistic, has been conveyed subtly through the two hours. 

                                     

There is an uncanny resemblance to the film Abhimaan with the gender and roles being switched, the Bachan couple's special appearance adding to it. A lot of the story is focused on the gender role switch making it a tad boring. We needed to move on somewhere towards the end of the first half to the next part of the story. A little more friction, a greater emphasis on the prejudice of established gender roles, fiercer ego clashes could have made the film spicier giving the experience a sharper kick. However, the film has done complete justice to the theme and the story.  Balki presents an interesting message through the light humor and cute romance. Kareena Kapoor has always mesmerized me on the silver screen. I have never seen anyone with better screen presence. Though I feel Priyanka would have been a better fit as she carries the corporate successful modern woman avatar much better with great talent for the aggressive character. Arjun Kapoor does well in his poised big bear home maker gig. These are interesting times as we see creative arts breaking norms and introducing the society to gender fluidity and alternate sexuality, which has been strictly heteronormative and patriarchal. 

Rating - 3.5/5

Kapoor and Sons - REVIEW

A life saving story, film and experience for anyone, especially me, who was brave enough to watch a Dharma Productions / Karan Johar film. They have risen to the challenge of the new era in our film industry, and how ! No romancing of foreign locations, no much romance actually, no sucking up to western lingo or lifestyles, no baby pink characters and no prince charming on white horses. A family drama yes, but a very modern and resonating one, Kapoor and Sons is everything about the new age and the present times. There are so many unusual things in this film but very real and provoking at the same time.  Shakun Batra weaves a wonderful story about a family with each member’s life intertwining with the other’s through relationships, bonding, and anger in the past, present and future. Parents who favor one child over the other, for living upto their imagined expectations, expectations that are impressionist, if not real. A bickering couple who have lost the love for each other, suffering every day. Human beings who do everything to showcase their perfection by deliberately pouncing on the vulnerable and the unusual. Though in reality their bigotry lurks in the shadows stinking through their actions and words. An old, almost dying man who knows the invaluable value of time, emotions, love and relationships. Indian born young people escaping to the modernized west and an individualistic life, to be who they really are, free from Indian prejudices and contradicting “morals” and “values”. Yet they cannot let go the strong bonding with their family and relationships. I am impressed by Fawad Khans performance. Having watched him in Who Humsafar series on ZIndagi, I had thought of him as an expressionless and passionless actor. However, he has proved me wrong with a brilliant and poignant performance through a very silent and impactful presence. It’s like how you are shaken up when people who never cry, suddenly start crying. Ratna Pathak’s performance matches Fawad Khan’s in the close mother-son relationship. Rishi Kapoor exhilarates with his larger than life exuberance and joi de vivre. Siddharth Malhotra can do better, however the confrontation scene with his mother gives us something to look forward to in his future performances. Alia, you need a bigger canvas. The first half of the film was a bit of a drag but the second half bounced back making it the best story of 2016 so far. 

Neerja

Neerja 

I couldn’t stop crying almost the entire second half. A film that will take you so close to Neerja, the braveheart flight purser  who died saving lives of 350 passengers in a hijacked plane, that you feel you know her well enough to mourn her death. It is one of the most incredible films of this year about Neerja Bhanot who was a very compassionate and loving person deep down. It’s what gave her the strength and bravado to be unfazed in front of terrorists with machine guns and animal menace. The most incredible part of this film is the real life feel about it. You will feel as if it is happening to your relative or your neighbor, someone you are close to and someone you know very well. The relationships have been woven beautifully into the story of this film. Though the bravery and strength of Neerja is the highlight of this film, her relationship with her family and her boyfriend is where she draws her strength from. The words of wisdom that her father tells her over a phone call save her from an abusive marriage and also save 350 passengers in the hijacked plane, but cannot save her. We often feel emotional in films because we draw similar situations in our lives. The relationships, bonding and connections of Neerja are the ones of any Indian family and that’s why this film is so gripping. The brilliance of the great veteran Shabana Azmi ,as Neerja’s mother, are the center piece of this film. The emotions and love she expresses for her daughter could be acted out only by her. Shekhar should take up acting seriously, for he is far better than so many “leads”. Excellent performances by the cabin crew and passengers.  Its as if I was in the plane. Of course this is Sonam Kapoor’s best performance in her career and am happy to see what she is capable of. Her silent, emotive yet strong and concentrated performance are completely different from the roles she has done so far. 

ALIGARH - review

Aligarh – Review

Whenever the term homosexuality or gay comes up in our interactions and discussions there is a prejudiced attitude, thought stuck in our minds. I guess the immediate picture that many human beings see is the one of two men engaging in fellatio or sodomy. And because of this skewed picture and notion, the term gay and/or homosexuality has become a bad word, a taboo, a shameful abhorrent act. How come the term heterosexuality does not inspire the same thought? Why is it that the terms heterosexuality or straight does not immediately realize a graphic illustration of a man and a woman engaging in intimate sexual act ? I will not get into the descriptions because maybe I too am biased, not to spell out in words what exactly a man and a woman really do during the sexual intercourse, thanx to the preconditioning of our mindset by the society. When a child confesses to the parent about her/his same sex preferences, why does it draw disgust, angst and at the heart of it fear and worry from the parent? The answers to these questions have beautifully, yet poignantly been answered in Hansal Mehta’s ALIGARH, a film about a Marathi language professor being criminalized and demonized for having same sex preferences. The protagonist Professor Siras has, throughout the film, beautifully expressed his pain and anguish for describing his emotions of love in a three letter word. He asks in the film “ Why is the emotion of love that I feel been ridiculed and reduced to just the act of sex between two men?”  At the heart of it is indeed love between two human beings and since when did loving another person become criminal ?

The whole issue of same sex preferences has been abused, butchered and turned into garbage due to the obsession of the sexual act. Why are we so obsessed with the sexual act that two individuals engage in, in utmost privacy? Sex is the ultimate form of expression of love between two human beings who love each other. It is obvious that it is a very private affair and restricted between those two individuals only. Just as in the film, why is this privacy stamped over and splashed over the streets for everyone to examine and comment? IT IS NOBODY’S BUSINESS, what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their homes. The adults may or may not be of same sex, religion, caste, creed or any other form of diversity. Manoj Bajpai has done complete justice to the late professor Siras by expressing the emotions that professor must have experienced. The pain agony and gross exploitation of his privacy have been perfectly acted in the subtle expressions, quiet demeanor and shy personality. Reporter Deepu Sebastian’s jumpy and brave character has been done justice by Raj Kumar Yadav. The intimate scenes between a man and a woman and that between two men drawing parallels are the highlight of the film. The entire film has a slow, passive and subtle character to it, reflecting upon the protagonist. There is no drama, violence or loudness to the film. A brilliant effort to bring not just the issue into mainstream media but present it in a pure form of love between two individuals. I hope we don’t see gay mocking and jokes on alternate sexuality in cinema, just to please the audience and add a few more crores into the kitty.