Aiyaari

I feel a little lost after watching this film. I still don’t understand what exactly the film was about. I mean yes, it is about the Adarsh Housing Society scam. The building in the posh south Mumbai area on a plot reserved for the families of defense martyrs. But, there are many lose ends to the story. There is an element of surprise at the end which is very difficult to understand.  Is it about a mentor and his protege facing off though they seem to be on the same side ? Was this a plot by a secretive team of highly specialized defense personnel? Or is it all about wearing masks and changing disguise to remain camouflaged? 

The story is way too haphazard and random. There is this whole effort to give the film a Jason Bourne, Mission Impossible look and feel. The weapons and the high-end technology show off to make it impressive is childish. The 3 D projection technology of weapons is like a useless ornament usually worn to cover up something ugly. But without the story and acting it is useless.  

What makes it worse is when you cast an expressionless and stony actor like Siddharth Malhotra. You are definitely driving in the last nail in the coffin. Good looks and toned physique do not a good actor make. The only interesting part that kind of holds you till the end is Manoj Bajpai’s acting and intensity. It’s because of him that you might be able to make some sense out of this confusing crazy knotty mess. The film needed a lot more suspense and intensity. Neeraj Pandey could have built up the story with more action and movement and give the story depth.

All those weapons and hunky guys could’ve engaged in serious combat with the goras. A little more boom and bang would’ve added to the impact making the hidden aspects more interesting when revealed. Anupam Kher is completely wasted I don’t understand who he exactly was and what he is doing in the film. I don’t understand the role of Adil Husain. He barely has any dialogue. It is a great story with a good plot but the elements haven’t been given a thought and are laid out haphazardly.

Rating : 2 / 5 

Pad Man

Padman is a biopic film based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham who is a social entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu. He is known for invention of machines that can make sanitary pads at one third the cost making it available for women at cheap rates. This film is a documentary film that followed all the rules of Bollywood commercial film making. With dollops of emotion and a great narrative Pad Man is less of entertainment and more of celebration of a legend; a legend who understood the extent to which a woman’s life is in danger due to poor sanitation.  The physical pain a woman goes through every month is nothing compared to the excruciating pain she has to face due to the taboo and stigma associated with mensuration; especially in rural and semi-rural India. It’s the story of a man who took upon the challenge of fighting strong prejudice and a narrow mindset to address a very important issue of sanitation. He did not give up in spite of being uneducated and fought his way through bigotry and social stigma. 

The film’s narrative is interlaced with strong emotions indigenous to India and Indian culture. This film makes a strong connect with most of Indian audience making it a memorable watch. Though long and typical of a biopic, this film blends the characters into the story easily. There are no shocks, twists or turns in the story proving great direction and a meaningful script. 

Akshay Kumar gives a sweet performance and wins your heart with his speech at the UN in the film. Radhika Apte proves her mettle once again with superb character acting. She completes the story of a society that harbors shame, guilt and contempt successfully. Sonam Kapoor has an oblivious presence in the film. Director Balki has taken the risk of making a long film in order to showcase all aspects of the life of lead character Laxmi Prasad Chauhan. That risk has paid off. The triumph after the turmoil is poignant and dramatic. It was surprising to see many young people watching and enjoying the film. This is a story that Indians will like.

Rating – 3.5 / 5