Mission Mangal

A tribute to a great achievement of the Indian Space Program Mangalyaan, Mission Mangal is inspired by the true event of launching India’s first satellite into the orbit of planet Mars. The Indian scientists led mostly by women were able to achieve this feat in the first attempt which no other country has been able to do in the world. It is a laudable and proud moment to celebrate on Independence Day.

The film depicts all the events, trials, tribulations and struggles leading up to the successful and stellar launch of the satellite into the Mars orbit. Faced by hurdles that seemed to make the mission impossible, this film inspires pride watching a team of scientists making the impossible possible. Women scientists turn the tables using everyday household conservation techniques and wastage prevention methods. Techniques that are not only scientific but also cost-saving allowing the mission to succeed at minimal costs.

A great story made into a film for the Indian audience by adding in all the ingredients required to satisfy the Indian palate Mission Mangal will make its audience emotional. It has all the dishes with every spice that we Indians savor in our grand thali. Western scientific supremacy bullying Indian patriotic fervour adds the required pungent flavor. A wholesome character of Tara Shinde is played by Vidya Balan; that of the quintessential working Indian woman inspiring people at home and work. Tapsee, Nitya, Sonakshi, and Kirti give simple and elegant performances. Akshay Kumar is a complete waste of a cast. He does not have much of a role and feels useless.

The film overplays the emotional aspect of the great achievement making it too long. It could have been shorter and more work could have been done on showing the scientific part of the mission. A greater engagement on how the scientists faced scientific and execution hurdles instead of indulging in their personal lives would have been apt. It is a celebratory and tributary film for the Mars mission.

Rating – 3.5 / 5

Batla House

 Batla House is based on the Batla House Encounter which took place on 19^th Sep 2009, in the Jamia Nagar area of New Delhi. In this particular encounter, members of the terrorist group, Indian Mujahideen (IM) were killed and arrested by the Delhi Police after getting intelligence reports of the presence of terrorists responsible for the bomb blasts that occurred in Delhi a few days back in the area.

Tactically released on the nation’s independence day, the film has gained significant attention attracting a good crowd at the cinemas. The experience was that of a documentary specially made for the independence day, to be shown on a national channel to evoke a sense of patriotism and nationalism. It definitely has not gone down well as a commercial film but the impact can’t be felt because, like I said, it was released on the independence day. Or maybe that’s what the makers had in their mind. That only makes it worse because it falls in neither of the categories. The narrative is very poor and patchy. The entire film actually plays out in the final half hour or so. Most of the film focuses or tries to focus on the public outrage and false accusations that the officers had to face after the encounter.

This story has so many layers of a complex democratic system involving religion, media and popular politics playing out in a very serious matter of terrorism. It goes to show how complicated the judicial procedure is and how difficult it is for justice to prevail. A lot could have been done with a story like that but the inadequate script writing and story-telling make the entire effort passionless and redundant.

An already emotionless and static John Abraham is seen to be more so as he fails to emote the emotions of the police officer fighting hard for his country suffering from terror attacks. The rest of the characters lack seriousness and purpose. But yes, I felt that it was the national Independence day and that made the film somewhat enjoyable.

Rating – 3 / 5

Judgemental hai kya

People with a mental disorder are said to have extraordinary intelligence or talents that are prodigal. I guess nature is trying to strike a balance by making them socially unacceptable so that in their solitude they can exploit their gifts to cause great achievements and breakthroughs. Judgemental hai kya brings forth a character with a mental disorder called psychosis in which the individual has no control over their imagination, and loses control over reality. Kangana Ranaut as Bobby is in her element again as she is the queen of this particular character; that of the psychologically ill, society rejected, tortured soul. No one can challenge her mastery over the craft which she has honed to perfection since she started her career. This time too she gives a good performance. But there was a lack of connection between her character with the whole narrative. The director has done a brilliant job by delving deep into the psyche of the psychosis patient. He has tried to give us a taste of the experience that the sufferer is going through. We get it. But at some point it becomes repetitive and I, for example, felt a bit anxious while going through the depth of the disease sometime during the middle of the second half.

As Keshav played by Rajkumar Rao keeps bumping into Bobby and a mystery remains to be solved, the film occurs in a trance induced by a psychotropic drug. With the psychotic behavior, fluorescent colors and strange obsessions; the film jumps in and out of reality, spending most of the time in the mind of the psychotic patient. The mystery getting solved in that mind creates chaos, which is different, interesting and appreciated, but not satisfying. It's as if there is something lacking and incomplete. Raj Kumar Rao's performance further accentuates the incompleteness if the whole experience making it rather dry and superficial. A great idea and story that seriously lacks execution.

Rating - 2.75 / 5  

Super 30

Some Indian brands are famous in the world for their impeccability. The TAJ MAHAL, YOGA, Spirituality, Alphonso, Basmati and many more. Amongst them, one name stands really tall for innovation and intelligence. IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) commands great respect and value all over the world. And every young Indian wants the name as a part of their introduction. Being an engineering student, I was always awestruck by the name and its products. Arguably it attracts the most intelligent people in India and the world and many achievers are from the institutes.  Super 30 is based on the life of Anand Kumar, founder of the IIT Coaching institute of the same name, based out of Patna. Bihar. The institute has been lauded all over the world for its teaching methods and achievements. And yet again India’s wild wild west does not stop to amaze with its shocking and awesome stories.

Anand Kumar an IIT coach is inspired to train underprivileged and poor students capable of cracking the IIT JEE for free. The coaching industry known for its lucrative business has the powerful deeply invested and involved. Thus, we have the same old UP- Bihar’s gunda gardi stopping Anand from achieving a great feat as it will rob them off their money-making schemes. Also, the great Indian divide between the rich English speaking and the poor non-English speaking play out in a passionate and emotional film. The two and half hours take us through the pathos of the underprivileged in India and their struggle to get inspired and compete for the unachievable. The protagonist, a mathematics genius, transforms from a celebrity coach in the money-minting IIT coaching industry to an inspired coach giving his poverty struck pupils the most needed ingredient for success. Belief! The scene where Hindi speaking students play a drama in English to overcome their fear of the language and the people who speak the language was interesting. Also using science to beat thugs and goons was something never done before goes to show the filmmakers kept up with the theme of innovation and invention.

Hrithik Roshan gives an outstanding performance as Anand Kumar and has shed his demigod beauty and star aura to evolve as a common Bihari. His hindi and his accent stand out as distinctly as his avatar as a mathematical prodigy. The writing is as good as the production though it tends to derail sometimes. The bunch of kids give great performances and many have acting potential.

It is sad that in our country the public servants and law makers are the biggest criminals. Another perplexing reality of our great country. This film has to be a part  of your weekend plan.

Rating : -   4 / 5

Article 15

There is no dearth of Hindi films about the oppressive dictators of UP-Bihar who wield powers greater than the Gods. Treating villagers and other common folks worse than livestock and shooting at will, these tyrants have their own laws forcing the local administration to become their dogs. Anubhav Sinha has a subtle melancholic style as he portrays India’s wild wild west in his perspective giving it a different flavor. In Article 15, he brings forth the most astonishing fact about our great country that the western world is still perplexed about. And the protagonist who seems to be a high breed of the desi-western union takes on the system in the avatar of a police inspector in remote UP.

This time the tyrants are not playing in your face making your blood boil. But a more social and political scenario plays out making the story subtle yet impactful. The interesting fact about this film is that there are no polarities, the quintessential good, and bad guy, but the effects of these polarities in our social milieu are dealt with by an outsider who is completely unaware of its existence. Also, the oppressed aren’t completely helpless and defeated, but rather are causing an uproar and a revolution making the experience real and candid. The many characters in supporting roles control and drive the film mimicking reality which always has many shades of grey given the complexity of our society. Sayani Gupta, Kumud Mishra, and Manoj Pahwa fuel the story in a subtle way. Ayushman Khurana’s performance is consistent with the personality of the film.

The experience is not one that will have a major impact on you as most of the films of this genre tend to. But it definitely holds you as it deals with the pressing issue of casteism and it’s ripple effects.

Rating - 3 / 5 

Kalank

Just one word. DRAMA ! And a lot more DRAMAAA.

The makers of this film probably lacked loads of drama in their lives that we Indians cannot live without. From the first moment to the last this film is an exaggerated overdose of drama. Each frame is a dramatized painting showing off Indian artistry. Large palaces and picturesque locales of just independant India celebrating the architecture and ornamented pillars and interiors. The costumes are as dramatic as the acting of the characters. Madhurii Dixit’s drapes cover three to four flights of stairs and are longer than the longest dialogue in the entire film. Her dance act was disappointing. She looks old and fragile lacking grace and energy. The protagonist is a cocky armsmith whose big pecs and large nipples heave as he plays out his pathetic life winging about his illegitimacy. The characters are not completely defined; only Alia has a somewhat sensible presence, that too due to the part she plays. The writing is deficient and half-hearted.

The story is somewhat okay but not relatable. The story of post independence partition is made irrelevant and disconnected. Every scene and dialogue has no background and build-up making the story haphazard. The over the top frames at some level become ridiculous and comical. The director has tried too hard to make the cinematography and art direction perfect, but does not have anything else happening inside that. Basically the film is a collection of paintings and would have had a better effect if it was just that, displayed in an art exhibition. The only thing I liked about the film is the title song ‘Kalank’. Also the costumes look beautiful. If you are a dramatic person or love drama, which Indians do, then you may, and a big MAY, survive the film.

Rating – 2.5 / 5

Made in Heaven

It closes on a note about New Delhi and hopes and wishes for the old, young, poor & rich in the metropolis. I sigh on the closing acknowledgement after binge watching 9 episodes; laughing, sobbing and wanting more, over a period of two days. This is the first and hopefully not the last series I have binge watched.

Our dark side is seductive. It attracts, consumes and finishes us. Most of us would happily get finished enjoying the pleasures that the dark side bestows upon us. And this time she is wearing diamonds, is styled in haute couture, sips exotic champagne, speaks in classy accents and is blessed with majesty and blue blood. Underneath the pomp and grandeur are hidden claws that are slowly taking position. If you notice the smile you will see the glint of deadly incisor. And we dare not enter its mind for it has committed, is committing or is about to commit sins satan would be surprised of.

This is the evil everyone wants to see and be in awe of. Under the glitter and bling secrets of deceit lie, the all absorbing ambitions and hidden desires are fulfilled at any and all costs. The gossip, the hushed secrets, the eaves dropped juicy bits is all everyone is interested in. And why not ? It lures and hypnotizes their darkness into pleasures of lust and desire.

Made In Heaven is pleasure personified. Zoya and Reema tell tales of the Indian elite weddings by uncovering their masks. The high society redefine classiness through their hypocrisy and ugly truths driven by selfish schemes and dark secrets. In this narrative they have beautifully woven the issues of feminism and for the first time, homosexuality, in a real yet sensitive way. The series is especially laudable for normalizing and at the same time sensitizing the world of gay men. For the first time,  a gay man is one of the protagonist and his life and sexuality take centre stage as that of any straight man, as he suffers the bigotry of a chauvinistic society. Every gay man can completely or partially relate to this character for never has it been so holistically and importantly been portrayed on an Indian screen.

As the leads unite two souls they bring down stereotype and injustice and make way for whats right and just. But the possessions and lusts from their own lives have to go too.Money and power gives way to women’s rights and equality. Prejudice and homophobia are fought with a war cry for liberation and freedom. Arjun gives a realistic and heart-rending performance with no airs of acting or stardom. Subhita lives up to her character’s gorgeousness and silent intensity; her big beautiful eyes and pouting lips can seduce the devil himself.  Brilliant art direction and simple yet extraordinary script give this series a unique persona of itself. The South Delhi pomp and snobbishness compliment the soul of the series making it highly entertaining and ravishing. Love the title score !

Rating – 4.5 / 5