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

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