Tumhari Sulu

SPIRIT ! One word to describe this film would be Spirit. And spirit is always adorable. A spirited friend, your spirited dog or a toddler who jumps up and down in high spirits. It lifts you up. Gives you a kick, a sort of sweet high and lives with you for some time. A long time.  This film is all about that spirit. The first half is adorable, funny and simply heart melting. The tiny details and dialogues, the small things that make life juicy and worthy, all captured beautifully. It has a sweet, docile husband who acts like a cute sticky puppy with his wife and the wife always cracking jokes and pulling his legs which he rather enjoys. The naked uninhibited thoughts of wonder or worry expressed to the partner at night once the bedroom lights are turned off. The cute and lively spirit of the wife who dotes on her husband and child. Her spirit to do something in her life and enjoy doing it. The spirit to take up a challenge and have the confidence to deliver. Even if it is that of a radio jockey with a seductive voice entertaining men of all ages and  intentions. 

This film has a special story and great performances by all the characters. The film is almost predictable. But the beauty of the film is in the narrative and detailing which makes it engrossing and entertaining.  Vidya Balan floors you with her tactile and emotional performance. Manav Kaul is as good if not better, in his role as the doting husband. Neha Dhupia is all sass and sexy. A well rounded story with a strong script and extraordinary direction, Suresh Triveni definitely deserves an award. The first half had me roaring with laughter and second half had me in tears.  Vidya Balan is a shining example of the fact that you need not be skinny and toned to act. She is a true actor with great understanding of her characters. She is talented to make the writer’s imagination come true. She gives yet another off beat performance in another great film. A must watch.

Rating – 4.5 / 5 

Secret Superstar

This is a story about a girl from a small town in India who is a very passionate and ambitious singer. A great tale of how she battles against all odds with only one strong motive. She wants to be an award-winning singer. It’s this great gut instinct and passion that the story depicts as she battles every struggle to reach her goal. She has practically everything against her including an abusive, orthodox almost Talibanic father. And it is her strong urge to achieve that finds a solution through every barrier. She finds great strength in her mother who sees to it that her daughter fulfills her destiny. This film has a very strong narrative and great story telling. It is a long film. But never was I bored or felt stretched while watching it. It is interesting to observe the great melting pot of opposing philosophies, emotions, attitudes and motives.  It explores the relationship of the mother and daughter like never before. A very sweet teenage puppy romance adds to the overall touch and feel of the film. The film has a very medium pace with occasional hard-hitting scenes to jolt you. Though the ending was a bit too dramatic, I guess it was essential to make the narrative look big. The film has melodious songs with beautiful composition. 

A weird, quirky Aamir Khan brings in the required humor into a very serious tale. Though Zaira Wasim has a mild, subtle presence about her on screen, she gives a passionate performance and completes the character of Insiya convincingly. Meher Vij can easily win an award for the best supporting role. Overall a film that one can watch more than once in the theatre. The story, the characters and the events of the film are very real and relatable. I am definitely taking my mom to watch it. Soon.

Rating – 4.25 /5 

Tu Hai Mera Sunday

This review has come a little late but then it is also an interesting one. This film is like a sweet melody that lifts you up and puts you in a good mood. No heavy stuff. No intense scenes. Very real, natural story, it’s as if your life has been shot and made into a movie. It’s a story of 5 guys who escape their daily grind when they play football together. They come from different backgrounds, cultures and parts of India but are united in Mumbai. Every Sunday is waited for when they actually live a little before getting back to 6 more days of torture. Torture of the obsessive gujju family, a worried aged mother, the bastard of a boss, loneliness and other tortures we all are so well aware of. They are not complaining ! But the Sunday football is as essential as the daily job that puts bread in the table. And then the tiny escape is taken away and they struggle for space. In a city where getting space is more difficult than finding an oasis in the dessert, these guys are desperate. A trip to Goa presents itself as a solution and turns out to be a real revelation. All’s well that ends well. Tired of getting sucked into a whirlwind of situations our 5 friends decide to take a stand and get back their space on Juhu beach to play their beloved football. A very soothing film that will entertain just enough, even the romance is delicate and light. It will make you smile and feel bad but you wont cry or laugh hard. Simple narrative and easy dialogues like how we speak with our friends, make it easy on the viewer. All actors give a charming performance. It reminds me of Hrishikesh Mukherjee movies that had an easy way about them with light humor that complimented the frivolity of life itself. It makes you realize how inconsequential life and existence actually are. 

Rating – 4.25 / 5

NEWTON

Newton is a story about NutanKumar who is a simple man interested in doing his duty. He gives the highest regard to his work and in his work this plot explores many issues and facets of our great country. The lead is a person of great character and integrity and does not allow the “chalta hai” attitude to get to him. He is not interested in jugaad and gives high regard to time and duty. Rajkumar Rao digests this character to perfection showing his unique creative talent and artistry. One of the best character actors in Hindi cinema right now, or should I say the best actor in Hindi cinema, he is a living example of why good looks and a great body are irrelevant to acting. If only our actors spent more time in the theatre improving their craft instead of pumping mass in the gym. If only our actors fed on good acting instead of protein milk shakes and keto diets, the industry would scale new heights. 

The film has a subtlety about it which is very palpable. Below the stoic surface of plain frames and simple cinematography there is a storm of hidden emotion and unsaid tales. The history of the naxal issue and the stagnant decay of the country’s attitudes shake you as the movie progresses calmly. The dichotomy pivoting between change and old guard, reveal itself in entertaining dialogues and defining statements. Anjali Patil reminded me of Smita Patil whose presence was strong and unflinching yet natural. Pankaj Tripathi is amongst the few who can match Rajkumar on the stage. A typical award winning film with great story telling and unconventional narrative this film should be watched.

Rating 4/5

SIMRAN

So after the AIB video where Kangana is singing “Because I have a vagina re”, after all the crazy atrocities she has endured because “she has a vagina re”, Kangana decided to take the feminist propaganda to a new level.  She became independent in Queen and now she is gone all whacky and ballistic because “she has a vagina” ?? So I am an independent woman so I don’t need men in my life. I “should” be divorced and be proud about it and advertise it. I can be reckless with money and be foolish enough to get caught in a goons trap. I won’t stop at that. I will go around robbing banks in the broad daylight and threatening everyone at gun point. Let us allow this female high on estrogen do her thing just for kicks. Let us try this new avatar for experiments sake. But then comes the script. She is allowed to rob banks in the city of Atlanta at will. That too in the U S of A ! Not once or twice but EVERYDAY ?!? She is mentally unstable and needs help. Or maybe she is just spoilt rotten. I didn’t get the part where her manager is arrested for having something to do with the money. I didn’t understand a lot of things. I didn’t understand this film.

I almost forgot to applaud for she refused to have sex without protection. Well done.

It’s shocking to see Hansal Mehta commit such blasphemy. The director of Aligarh and Citylights seems to have some kind of an intellectual breakdown.  The songs seem as ridiculous as everything else. Somehow all the attention Kanagan has drawn in the past few days seem to make sense. She had to for she knew Simran is going to make her audience run out before the interval. I won’t stop you from watching this film but be warned.

We will probably have Kangana jump out the window and emerge unscathed because, yes you guessed it right, – “she has a vagine re”!

Rating - 1/5

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

                             

                             

From India’s very own wild wild west comes a story of boom boom gun shots and crazy chuthiyapa. A story where women are overdosed with testosterone, you can imagine the condition of the men. This is a film about a contract killer Babu who kills people without blinking an eye. Ruthless, sensationless and egoistic, Babu also takes great pride in his bravado. You know what they say about small people – Tiny men, HUGE EGO. Nawazuddin Siddiqui shows his usual but good cocky craft with dollops of one liners and machismo. 

                      This film is for the young male audience high on adrenaline, who get a hard on thinking about shooting people and fucking everything that has a hole. The theatre was full of them, mind you, and they were trying real hard to engage in a one on one with Babu, the protagonist. All their fantasies have come true with sultry women seducing the gun in their pants and killing contracts seducing the gun in their hands. If only they had guns, I would probably be rotting in some dark corner of the movie hall right now. For they were totally charged and laughed at every chuthiya and bhenchod dialogue that spilt out of men, women, et al in the film. 

                Divya Dutta looks formidable and powerful. A great performance by Bidita Bag, uninhibited and wild. Tahir Bhasin is a strapping stud with a great physique and raw appeal. He shows promise and was a good casting decision. I was expecting a great film of the Omkara and Gangs Of Wasseypur genre. But this film is stupid and moronic. Too many gun shots and too much killing. If only there was some  politics and plotting mixed up, it could have been scrumptious and tasty. The story is nice, but the bloodshed and an over the top ending killed it. I have suddenly lost the value of human life. Boom.

Rating - 2.5 / 5 

Bareilly ki Barfi

Light, fluffy and bubbly, Bareily ki Barfi is unassuming and entertaining. After a lot of films with intensity, seriousness and glum this buoyant film is like cool breeze and fresh air. This is a film that Hindi Cinema should be recognized with. Truly Indian in every aspect, the whole package has a great connect with the Indian filmi audience. Exceptional dialogues and complete characters, each of the actors has done great justice to the script. Funny one liners at perfect timing will crack you up and tickle you.Though this is a romantic film, the story is something everyone can identify with. It is a love story which is plausible and believable presented with natural ease. You cruise through cute romance in the first half and some serious edges in the second, but never feel extreme emotions. 

Rajkumar Rao has outdone himself with a performance worth many awards. A creative actor with great imagination and characterization, he fulfills the role of Pritam Vidrohi perfectly. It would be wrong to typecast Ayushman, but the role of a North Indian regular munda is what he is best at. In the second half he fails to match the craft of Rajkumar Rao and loses his presence on the screen. He has the same expression in the most emotive of the scenes of the film. Kriti Sanon is a looker. With unconventional beauty and a lot of personality she shows great potential. She is capable of unconventional roles and I would love to see her on the paths less trodden.

A very interesting narrative with great characters adds to the originality of the story. A must watch for all who love dialogue baazi.

Rating – 4/5

Toilet - Ek Prem Katha

Toilet is a strong film with a sound story and a great script. Though there are mistakes made in the execution, the film still is a good watch. The narrative is engaging and entertaining. The script writer is talented and experienced. The use of regional Hindi and colloquial lingo gives the film a unique and likeable personality. A love story wound around a social issue, Toilet transitions between both the aspects beautifully. Bhoomi gives a great performance and has a strong presence fulfilling the character of the modern Indian woman. Akshay is his usual self with not much change from his last performance.  Divyendu Sharma fulfills the character of a verbose UP’ite, and at some level outshines Akshay. He is  a talented actor and looks natural on the screen. Though the dialogues are entertaining, at some point one may get irritated of too much chatter. We could do with a few silences and intensity. With too many songs during the film, one loses the relevance of the song in the story. Was the director trying to keep up with the norm of a regular Bollywood film ? 

The regressive mentality and inertia of sticking to culture was interesting. The fight against culture to let go of old values and welcome the new using something as natural and essential as the use of a toilet is palpable.  Dealing with the lethargy of the administrative system using a subtle, funny and effective move was nice. This film could have been edited better by doing away with unnecessary parts. With a compact 2 hours it could’ve had a greater impact and a happier audience.

Rating – 3.5 / 5

Harry met Sejal

Imtiaz Ali Khan should take a break. Do something else for a while. Hairy(Harry in Gujrati) mate (met in Gujrati) Sejal is another pile of pig shit.  There were instances in the film where the leads didn’t have dialogue to say. They probably muttered something that came to their lips in those instances. SRK screams at the sea imagining his voice is heard in India. Anoushka is cuddling SRK throughtout, but they don’t have sex. Indian Culture, YAY! I am trying very hard to recall something good about the film. And the only thing I can think of is the character of Sejal who is a Gujrati girl with a heavy Gujrati accent. The whole Gujju thing of money mindedness and legal suaveness was a little entertaining. It was difficult to believe that a girl from Mumbai whose family runs a diamond business, can have a Gujrati accent. I am from Mumbai and have many Gujrati friends. I imitate their accents a lot. But most of them have humbler backgrounds. Anoushka pulls off a very good Sejal. She looks stunning too. Shah Rukh Khan is at his worst. His already artificial acting gets more so, because of lack of a script and content. He tries hard to look broad by walking with his chest out and broadening his shoulders, which, believe me, looked as if they were detached from his main body. Tryinh hard to match Anoushka’s frame ? 

                        First half is somewhat bearable but second half is stinking crap. Imtiaz Ali probably thought that the locales and scenic beauty of Europe will make up for the garbage he has served. But it is worst because he is mocking at his audience by taking them for fools, lured easily by European glitz, colonial architecture, shiny discos and posh cafes. The whole elitist thing of mocking someone’s accent and making that as a basis of a whole film is rather pathetic. And impressing with phoren phrames and phoren chamdi ? You can do better. Ararara Imtiaaaz , thoda cock (coke in Gujrati) pee aur Hairy mate Sejal jaisa gaanda tatti dalna band kar de.

Rating - 1 / 5

Lipstick under my burkha

Simple, bold and easy. A strong film with one clear agenda and easy narration. These are the kinds of films I like. The whole rigor of the suppressed Indian woman waking up and realizing the possibility of freedom and individuality can be witnessed again. These couple of years have been all about feminism, and uncovering sexual and gender identities. Lipstick is another such film, but with a refreshing avatar and uninhibited storytelling. The uniqueness of this film is the location of the story, Bhopal, which is definitely a city but not a metro. So the woman is still suppressed but is waking up to liberation and spreading her wings. 

Alankrita Srivastava presents an unabashed side of the Indian woman, who desires sex as much as a man does. She has had enough and wants to break the chains of culture, conformism and expectations.  Veteran actress Ratna Pathak delivers the goods with great aplomb. Konkana Sen Sharma’s craft and acting does not need dialogue. Her expressions and nuances practically narrate the story. Aahana and Plabita are a delight to watch. Though the film loses the grip in the first half, the second half ties up loose ends and gives an unassuming ending. 

Rating - 4/5

Jagga Jasoos

This film is as idiotic as it’s name. It is directionless, headless, clueless, meaningless, senseless and moronic. One may categorize it as a fantasy film, but even fantasies have a story and structure. Musical ? Maybe but what's the story ? This film lacks basic order. One cannot understand what the film is actually about. Is it about a boy with a disability ? Is it about a man uncovering a heinous international crime ? Is it just a comedy which doesn’t have to make any sense ? One ends up being constipated with all that’s happening in the film. A girl is narrating stories about her boyfriend to children. Suddenly the boyfriend is solving crimes as he stutters. Then his father is solving an international mafia crime. I could not get a grip till the end.Jumping through running trains, dodging bombs and riding ostriches are the ideas to make you laugh.  Anurag Basu became too ambitious and cocky trying to satisfy his whims. It turned out to be 3 hours of nonsense. At this rate Ranbir is going to lose his repute as an actor. One can never expect much from Katrina. DO NOT WATCH.

Rating – 0/5

MOM

Mom is one of those films which get nominated in many categories and maybe win an award for one. It’s a great story with interesting narrative and fresh cinematography. The detailing of emotions of the main characters is meticulous and praiseworthy.  Sridevi stands tall and magnificent as a protagonist. Such is her brilliance that her presence can almost be taken for granted. Her performance is subtle and natural yet poised and important. A lot of work has been done on the cinematography and it is evident. The frames and movements on the celluloid make this film very unique. The director has tried to give an international appeal to the quality of the film. The story is interesting and the narrative is unique with slight gaps here and there. The brutality of rape can never be expressed completely through performing art, yet the film conveys and communicates it powerfully. If only the same tone had been conducted into the rest of the story, the film could have been a masterpiece. I don’t get what Akshay Khanna is doing in the film exactly.

The first half of the film is not for the faint hearted. I would advise you to be strong. There is respite in the second half, but also a bit of disappointment. Hats off to the young actress, Sajal Ali, who delivers a great performance with confidence and ease. Nawazuddin makes his presence felt as always, with a role that fuels the story. A good film after a couple of months is always welcome.

Rating – 3.75

Bahubali 2 - The Conclusion

Humongous, gargantuan, gigantic and enormous, everything about this film is massive.  Every frame shines from the golden ornaments, the golden throne and golden palaces. The opulence and magnanimity of flourishing Indian empires will overwhelm your vision just as the spectacular visuals of grand elephants, flying soldiers and the limitless strength all the living beings possess in this film. The royal characters are stronger than all the Greek gods put together wielding all weapons one can imagine. Beautiful strong women are as deadly and beautiful and can put the likes of Andromeda and Aphrodite to shame. A story of succession and heirdom spanning three generations this film is as heavy in its narrative and script as in the sets and visual effects. The 7 feet tall, muscular heroes stopping and fighting huge elephants, dislocating large monuments and clashing in duals vibrated the seats we were sitting on and shook the walls of the cinema hall. The characters are well played out by each of the actors doing complete justice to the aura of the film. Ramya Krishnan’s majestic presence and big eyes kept up with the royal court in her palace, while Anushka Shetty’s beauty is magnetic and mesmerizing. 

The whole experience has the classic south indian nature to it giving a very unique and different experience from Bollywood. On the flip side it’s a heavy dose of all the above. Its like this wedding you go to which is grand and opulent and has a spread of rich, greasy and heavy cuisine. Do we like the food ? OH yes ! But it leaves you feeling lethargic and immovable .I had a heavy feeling in my head for a few hours and a good night’s sleep helped me get over the hangover of the dinosaur that is Bahubali 2. A bit too much and unnecessary exaggeration of everything, I would recommend this film if you can handle overdoses.

BEGUM JAAN

I am not sure if it would be right to say that Begum Jaan is Bollywood’s answer to Game of Thrones, because the brutality against women and savagery of suffering is  so overdone that it surpasses normal film watching. A Facebook friend claimed that the film is not for the faint hearted, well I would say it’s a bit difficult even on the strong hearted. Set in the era of partition of India and Pakistan, Begum Jaan is a story of a woman who defies the government against relocating her residence which falls on the line of partition. Begum Jaan happens to run a brothel in the outskirts of a certain town in the Punjab region. The director has tried to showcase the deep psychological and emotional suffering of prostitutes, which becomes far more savage with the incidence of partition and eviction of Begum Jaan and her brothel. So the deep suffering of the women working as prostitutes and their stature in society is further brutalized by their conviction to fight against authorities in not moving out of their property. The use of language and words typical to an Indian brothel is done in abundance and pomp with Vidya Balan delivering sharp lines in whore lingo, copiously. If that was not enough, there is free use of blood, death, fire and physical violence which will probably kill the faint hearted and leave others deeply disturbed. 

Most educated, dignified men brought up in environments which respect women, will think twice before touching a woman again. We understand brutality and violence against women is severe but this film creates an ugly and unbearable face of the whole issue that is deeply depressing. Vidya Balan’s talent lost its charm due to the narrative and storyline and the vicious one liners. Yes, maybe somewhere there is a certain sense of retribution to the issue of rape and molestation but if the expression and presentation too loose their dignity then it is almost abusive of the cause. Overdone, excessive and mentally penalizing, this film left me giddy and sombre.

Rating:  3/5

Badri Ki Dulhaniya

CUTE IN CAPITALS…. ENTERTAINMENT full on…. A joke in almost every line, this film will make your heart MELT. The actors, the direction, the story, the songs and everything else is just too cute. Its got the right amount of Bollywood masala to make a savory dish that will lift your heart and make you sing. In following the trail of success led by the epic Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, this is another love story involving the families and the inherent drama that comes with it. I was feeling unwell before I went for this film but am feeling happy and warm as I write this review after just having watched it. I had high expectations of this film after watching the trailer and the film lived upto it. The story and the actors are almost the same as in the other dulhaniya film, but the dialogues and the narrative are different and special. There is the usual drama in the second half but the first half is so much fun that it's hangover will pull you through the second half. Alia and Varun share an exceptional and special chemistry and I hope they make the most of it giving us many more humptys badris and their dulhaniyas.  Varun has established himself as the quintessential Bollywood hero and Alia compliments his cuteness with her natural presence on the silver screen. Shashank Khaitan had a clear and sharp vision for this film to be all entertainment and it clearly beats Humpty Sharma ki Dulhaniya  in that aspect. After many serious films with world class direction, this film is like a dance in a barath with fun and frolic. You are a fool if you miss this one.

As a serious film watcher I request my readers not to talk on phone during the film or converse loudly in the theatre. It’s very disturbing for the audience and very indecent.

Rating - 4/5

Rangoon

If you can imagine a pile of garbage perfumed with wonderful smelling scents, wrapped up in decorated paper and satin ribbons, that’s what Rangoon is. Jumbled with too many useless things and messy, the pile of garbage is full of waste. Waste of time, waste of money, waste of creativity, imagination and efforts of talented actors. But there is a small ray of hope through all the stinking crap. The ray if followed leads to Shahid Kapoor sporting a suave army look and swagger and intense performance. The rest is self-consuming destructive sinking sand. The story, background, narrative, cinematography, costume, music and even the characters are an utter failure. First half was an extension of the preview and second half opened up a can of worms, insects, maggots and the like. The white man speaking Hindi with a foreign accent (cannot categorize it as British or German or French or some god forsaken language) was like the maggots that are produced if the pile of garbage is left undisposed. Kangana Ranaut has fallen from the moon into the deepest pit of garbage for her performance is frivolous, disconnected and fractured. It is not her fault for the script was miserable but her fault was that she chose to do this film. Same goes with Saif Ali Khan whose role as a Parsi film biggie is convincing but there was no depth in his character. All in all this pile of garbage should be disposed of fast and swift. Three hours and 250 bucks later , the stench is unbearable. 

Rating - 1 / 5

MOONLIGHT

An intense and emotional treat, Moonlight is a rare film which speaks volumes without many dialogues. It is an institution of strong yet unexpressed emotions conveyed non verbally. The intensity of the main character’s emotions has been outdone by three extraordinary actors Trevante, Ashton and Alex. The brilliance of the direction lies in the consistency of this intensity in three different performers to give the film a soul and completeness that can only be felt and not heard. The film showcases brilliant editing and cinematography. Each frame is unique and shot at angles that make it artistic and beautiful. The script writer is a master of emotions to be able to communicate it this well. The feelings of pain, suffering longing detachment and the craving for love and attachment, all have been conveyed through the lead’s eyes. The minimalistic but poignant statements of the lead will ring through your mind long after watching this film. If you enjoy silences between words and the intensity that comes with it, do not miss this one. It’s an experience.

Raees

IN mirroring the contradictions in our country, Ritesh Sidhwani compromises his senses and intelligence as he obsesses over them in his film called Raees. I guess even I was not in my senses when I chose to watch this film. Shah Rukh Khan should stick to romantic hero roles, as he is somewhat bearable there. The role of a business urchin turning into a big time politician god father and savior of the oppressed is not at all convincing. Though he expands his chest and shoulders to look broad and big in the film and though the camera tries hard to make him look so, his short height and small frame make him look tiny in front of his fellow goons. Especially, as this film tries hard to capitalize on Shah Rukh’s equity, he could’ve taken advise from friend Aamir and bulked up in few weeks. Or maybe he tried and that’s the best he could do.

The film confuses and bores you for it has no agenda. A failed attempt to make another bhai film who rises up from the poor gallis of remote India to make it big as a savior of the needy. He creates an illegal business,  thulps goons in a city of his choice, kills at will and helps the same people whom he is slowly killing. He acts God during difficult times, but has no problems creating a small country of sorts of his own people harming the others who he doesn’t know. Of course there is the idealist cop with superman instincts and drive to save the day, Nawazuddin did his job but it didn’t help because the story and direction were of no consequence. The camera loves Mahira Khan but she is an extended version of Khairat from popular tv series Who Humsafar Tha with similar language and dialogue delivery. Following the formula of a Hindi film, songs play abruptly, there is lot of dhishum dhishum and people are shot randomly. This entire film rests on Shah Rukh Khan and one line which the writer is very proud of.

Rating – 0.5 / 5