Mardaani :: Movie Review

                                                      

MARDAANI can also aptly be called MARD(R)AANI as it is Rani Mukerji who carries the whole movie on her shoulders by brilliantly portraying the exploits of the amazing Shivani Shivaji Roy, a Mumbai crime branch senior inspector who is tough, honest, intelligent and brave. Stripped off the gloss that director Sarkar has been guilty of since he started his career, Mardaani has a suitably dark opening, retains its grimness throughout, and keeps developments on the right side of credibility for as long as possible. Set in Mumbai and Delhi, Pradeep Sarkar’s film, which is “partly” inspired by a real-life cop as imagined by journalist and writer Hussain Zaidi, is mostly a taut, focused film that sets out to tell two stories — the story of child trafficking in India, and the story of a cop who makes it her mission to free one girl forced into sex trade, and thereby unravels a sex-trafficking ring.  What’s new about Mardaani is that it puts a lady in the shoes of a classic movie hero. She’s quite literally the Dirty Harry of Maharashtra. But she doesn’t talk smack unless she needs to. She quietly goes about dispensing justice in all androgynous glory.  Sans any redundant frills like unrealistic action or dialoguebaazi to add to the luster of the movie, Sarkar keeps everything well within the proportions and focused that too without any unwanted aural intruders. Besides what is praiseworthy and pertinent to mention about Mardaani's plot is that despite being a commercial cine venture it up-till great extent succeeds in sending across a social message conspicuously as well as obliquely.  Mardaani breaks through all clichés and stereotypes and makes Indian Women feel proud about something.

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                      ::                             The story of the movie has been penned down by Gopi Puthran on a concept suggested suggested by Hussain Zaisi & Vibha Singh. The best part about the storyline is that despite the protagonist of the story being kind of a superhero, the makers have taken the gritty realism route, letting her cape remain invisible. That’s the intelligent part of writing in the film. It’s designed to hit you exactly where it hurts. Nonetheless every shot of misogyny is shot with careful censorship. You won't feel offended by the visual & just by the characters. Crusading cops working for the greater common good have now taken residence in the superheroic realm after films like Dabangg and Singham, and it seems unfathomable that Shivani would entertain taunting calls from the trafficking ring’s leader Karan (Tahir Raj Bhasin) and risk life by travelling into his lair in Delhi purely for professional reasons. The reason you empathize with Rani’s character and her skirmish is because she is fighting the good fight. You’re exposed to the misdeeds of the villain pretty early. You hate him when you see him exercise such control over helpless girls and their virgin minds and bodies. Human trafficking is a serious crime. And Mardaani gives you the low down unadulterated. Seeing such emotional torture being inflicted on young girls can have only one effect: condemnation. Shivani Shivaji Rao (Rani Mukerji) is a senior inspector in Mumbai’s Crime Branch who doesn’t get frazzled or hassled easily — not when two-bit political goons threaten her, not when her senior reprimands her for being flexible with rules. She is also, as the film’s  title suggests, gutsy and hardy. Shivani lives in a flat with her husband, Dr Bikram Roy (Jisshu Sengupta), and her niece. Pyari (Priyanka Sharma) is an orphan Shivani rescued and made a part of her extended family.  On duty she’s either catching slippery dons, or restoring order by slapping around a few Bharatiya sanskriti bullies. This daily routine gets upset when Pyari doesn’t turn up to cut her birthday cake. Shivani goes looking for her — the trail from the orphanage first leads to a car dealer in Mumbai, and then to Delhi, to a man known as Vakil (Anil George) and the chief pimp, Karan (Tahir Raj Bhasin). Shivani makes it her mission to find Pyari. But while she is chasing them, she doesn’t know what’s happened to Pyari. We do. Pyari has been kidnapped by Karan’s gang and is now in the “market”. What follows, is a cat & mouse game which keeps you glued to your seats in anticipation of whats gonna happen next.

STARCAST                                                                              ::                   Each n every actor of Mardaani has been aptly cast as per their character for which the casting director, Shanoo Sharma, deserves accolades. With Mardaani, Rani Mukherji marches past all Khans, Kapoors, Kumars and Devgns. Rani Mukerji proves yet again that she can give most A-listers today a run for their money. She's fierce, fearless and 'mardaani'. She carries the whole film on her shoulders alone. She knows how to hold the camera with just her eyes.  Full marks to Rani Mukerji’s attempt and performance. The expletives never seem jarring, the androgyny doesn’t seem misplaced. She’s the hero of Mardaani and she’s pitch perfect. Although Rani embraced a de-glam avatar for "Mardaani" but in-spite of that she proved that when it comes to proving the mettle of her acting prowess then no one can beat her.  Surprising all by his cut-to-cut performance is the 27 year old Tahir Bhasin in the role of Karan Rastogi a.k.a Walt, who is the Mafia Kingpin of the whole game. His style is natural and so is his acting. The newbie just delivered a scintillating performance. He gave the character the extra edge that made Walt look more ruthless, shrewd and inhumane. Anil George really impresses in a small and memorable part as the sleazy lawyer who operates the trafficking operation. Bengal’s pride Jissu Sengupta, had a brief role and there was not much for him to do. The young girl Priyanka Sharma in the role of Pyaari just makes you connect to the plight and it really takes a lot of mental preparation on part of a young girl to pull off such a role.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                     ::               The soundtrack of Mardaani has been composed by Salim-Suleiman which is nothing to write home about as there is only a single track in the movie. But it Julius Packiam’s background music which is really good and elevates the cinematic proceedings by going in fine sync with it. Cinematography of Arthur Zurawaski who captures the milieu with utmost excellence is top notch. He has done a commendable job by depicting the gritty environ with striking visuals, closing in tight on the protagonist in dramatic moments. Also, Gopi deserves applause for writing some hard hitting dialogues in the screenplay which lift the tempo of the movie like ''Apne papa ko mera naam theek se bol, Shivani Shivaji Roy. Ukhaad, ukhaad jo ukhadneka hai. chal re.'' & ''Inka makeup aisa mat kiya kar jaise bacchiyan ho, un haramzadon ko inme apni maashuka dikhni chaiye, beti nahi''. The movie has been edited by Sanjib Datta who has kept the run-time to a crisp 113 minutes and has done a fabulous job as the movie catches hold of your attention right from the first scene to the climax without giving you a chance to go out for a loo break. Action sequences of Manohar Verma are quite realistic and looks exclusively designed for a women centric cine flick. As a director, Pradeep Sarkar does a fairly good job with the film. With a subject as strong as human trafficking, the film lives up to the expectations of a hard hitting piece of cinema, well, almost. He takes a different approach in the film, unlike his previous works & that's why the film has a fresh feel to it. With sinewy performer like Rani in the anterior of the camera Sarkar has once again astonished everyone with his cine experimentation. Well call it the cinematic dexterity of Sarkar or his vision from the very first frame till the consummation "Mardaani" never looses the appeal which a crime thriller with a message to communicate needs to have.

 

CONCLUSION                                                                            ::               MARDAANI is perfect balance between logic and emotion & is smart enough to engage your intelligence and dramatic enough to tug at your heart strings.  The bare truth and the harsh reality depicted in the film will subconsciously leave a mark and will definitely leave you pondering about things other than just masala and Entertainment.

 

ROHIT SHARMA.

Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com

Kick :: Movie Review

KICK is a typical knockout masala entertainer that has all the quintessential ingredients of a typical Salman Khan movie ; high octane action, sizzling romance, rib tickling comedy and Topsy-turvy storyline. In fact, during the climax Salman says to Randeep, 'Mere baare mein itna mat sochna, dil mein aata hoon, samajh mein nahin' which goes for the movie's screenplay too. I mean, to relish this movie, you just have to relax, sit back and enjoy the on-screen proceedings without putting logical skills into practice. ‘Kick’ is a vintage Salman-Khan movie, one that unapologetically glorifies his every move, muscle and mannerism. Whether it’s being masked and taking on the “devil”, or being smitten by an absolutely gorgeous Jacqueline Fernandez, he’s just “being Salman”. To delight his loyal fan base, Salman Khan in Kick ; mouths witty comic punches in his own inimitable style, bashes up his opponents with swagger, sings song in his own voice & for the first time plays a larger than life character (Devil) while wearing a Krishh style mask. Sajid Nadiadwala (known for his lavish production values ) has donned the hat of a director for the first time with Kick & as expected he has left no stone unturned to make Kick a grandeur affair which is quite evident from each n every frame of the movie. Sajid conjures up a world that combines visual brilliance with several knockout episodes especially the action scenes - be it the chase sequences in Warsaw or the bike chasing in Delhi. 

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                               ::              The story of Kick that has been penned by Vakkantham Vamsi & the screenplay by Rajat Arora, Keith Gomes, Sajid Nadiadwala n Chetan Bhagat has only one agenda : pure entertainment through antics of Salman Khan. And, why not as most of Salman's fans throng theaters just to watch histrionics of their beloved Bhai & whistle on his moves. I bet, you wont buy a bit of the story but Salman's charm will make you enjoy the movie. The film, remake of a Telugu action-comedy by the same name, is about a young man called Devi Lal (played by Salman) who is constantly looking for thrills in life or as he prefers to call it, kick. It is this eternal quest for an adrenaline rush that pushes him to do the things that he does – like help a couple elope, beat up boys at a bar (for eve-teasing of course; bhai always has his reasons) or insist on being taken to jail with hand-cuffs on, because walking in like a regular civilian just doesn’t match up; it doesn't have the same kick.From numerous references to his aviator-shaded cop act in ‘Dabangg’ to his ‘Being Human’ charity initiative, to a glimpse of his ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ days, there’s more about Salman than there’s to Devi Lal Singh/Devil.Coming to the storyline, the story starts with Jacqueline Fernandez (Shaina) reminiscing about her ex-boyfriend Devi to Randeep Hooda, a man she has just met on her dad’s insistence, who happens to be a cop. In keeping with the traditional boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy tries too hard, girl gives in, sequence, the Shaina and Devi fall in love. But Devi’s quest for kick makes it difficult for him to stick to one job and hence he keeps jumping from one thing to another, in the process straining relations with his girlfriend who is tired of his once-charming wayward ways.They part ways but luckily for Devi, he soon finds his true calling or kick . It is while pursuing this calling that he makes some choices and sets off on a mission to carry out high-profile robberies and in the process, meets Randeep Hooda and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The story is essentially a chase sequence between Hooda and Salman.

STARCAST                                                                                             ::                  Undoubtedly, Salman Khan is the soul of Kick - it's like a one man show. He towers above everything else with his persona, style and attitude. In a quintessentially Salman-esque film, Salman has portrayed the character that the Bhai-worshipping audience was craving for after Jai Ho. At one point he’s a Johnny Bravo-styled cartoon, and in the next a hunk with glorified superpowers and he plays both the characters with equal finesse. Jacqueline, who makes her first appearance as a lead actress, is incredibly dazzling, and moves like a magic. She not only looks gorgeous but even her chemistry with Salman is very appealing, although she needs to work a bit more on her dialect. Randeep Hooda is restrained and sober, aptly depicting the frustration of a cop on a failed mission. Another surprise package is Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who impresses the most whenever he appears on-screen. He has crossed over to commercial mainstream cinema with a powerhouse performance as his character lets out a combination of a wheeze and laugh which he portrays to immense perfection. Mithun Chakravarty plays Salman’s father who shares his son’s idiosyncrasies, zest for life and appetite for alcohol. Archana Puran Singh who plays his mother, captures the essence of a stereo typically obnoxious Punjabi woman. Saurabh Shukla as Jacqueline's father & Vipan Sharma as Home Minister have played their respective roles to perfection and manage to entertain. Not to forget, Sanjay Mishra who invokes some genuine laughter while playing the character of a bewildered Police Inspector.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                                ::         Another, high point of the movie apart from Salman Khan is its technical brilliance for which credit goes to Sajid Nadiadwala who is the producer as well as director of this flick. The soundtrack of Kick has been composed by Himesh Reshammiya in collaboration with Yo Yo Honey Singh & Meet Brothers who have composed the tracks keeping the genre of the movie in mind. Some of the tracks including " Jumme Ki Raat", " Hangover" have already become rage. Julius Packiam’s background music is outstanding & provides impetus to on-screen proceedings. Rajnish Hedao (Production designer) &  Lukasz Trzcinski ( Art Director ) have done commendable job as they have succeeded in giving lavish n rich look to the movie. Anl Arasu and Stefan Richter deserve a big applause for their contribution in action arena as the movie has some real high octane action, stunts and chase sequences. The cinematographer of Kick is Ayanaka Bose who has done a fabulous job behind the camera. She has captured the plush locales of Warsaw with utmost finesse and made the frames look visually appealing. The movie has been edited by Rameshwar.S.Bhagat who has kept the runtime of the flick to a crisp 146 minutes but still some scenes in the first half need a bit trimming.  Sajid Nadiadwala has scored all the brownie points as a debutant director and has helm ed the movie with utmost brilliance. Due to his apt direction, the drama in Kick never becomes tiresome. He has ably extracted the best out of his cast n crew & made a thorough entertainer with all the blockbuster ingredients in it.

CONCLUSION                                                                                                       ::     Logic be damned, you won't be disappointed while watching this movie & this movie gives you enough reasons to get kicked whether you are a Salman fan or not. Despite most cliches of Hindi Cinema being trotted out the ride is worth its while & is a fultoo Paisa Wasool fare.

ROHIT SHARMA.

Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com

Hate Story 2 :: Movie Review

Hate Story 2 is a vendetta driven revenge drama which though begins on a promising note but soon takes the predictable, sassy & routine path failing to pump up your adrenaline levels which is a basic requisite for every good thriller. As expected, Hate Story 2 takes the basic elements of sex and violence from the first film and amplifies it manifold to carry the franchisee forward. But, the biggest problem with this sequel is that there is very little to curdle up your blood and it has nothing new or novel to offer. Sure, the vile politician Mandar (Sushant Singh), is despicable but not so virulent that you can't wait to see him dead. That he will eventually fall to a bullet and make you bite one in the process is not surprising, and you can't fault me for spilling the beans. Actually, this is the movie's real Achilles Heel......its predictability that almost borders on ennui. Now, here is some real news for the prudes and bad news for those who have been hitting the You Tube with gusto for a sneak peek at its erotic trailer. The much-promised and anticipated sleaze quotient, except for a few dare-bare bedroom scenes, is nothing to really write home about which includes Sunny Leone's item number "Pink Lips" too. Another low point is that revenge scenes where Surveen kills her tormentors conclude very quickly making you not only gasp for more but also making you wonder that was that huge build-up worth it.

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                                      ::         The screenplay that has been penned down by Madhurima Banerjee is very average and has nothing novel to offer. Forget novelty, it seems that Banerjee got so driven in penning this revenge drama that she failed to put her thinking cap on. Again logic must fly out of the window in every B grade Hindi films, that wears its tacky lines as a badge of honor on its sleeve. But this one topples the worst of the lot. You have to leave your logic and intelligence skills at home if you wish to enjoy this one. Sample 1 ::Chawla's transformation from a strange, stuttering victim to a gun totting avenging angel dodging cops, goons and press is preposterous. Sample 2 :: A scene where Bhanushali woos Surveen by saying :"My girlfriend broke up with me. Because I typed LOL when she messaged about her pet dog's demise. LOL means Lots of Love na?" Surveen says "Silly, LOL means laugh out loud. You're just kidding, na?"  And he replies "But, hey, I made you LOL." And you caught in the turmoil dont know whether to LOL or cry. Sure, the movie begins on a dramatic note when an alive and kicking woman is discovered in a coffin. She is transported to a hospital where another attempt is made to end her life.Exciting ? For a while, you do want to know who wants her dead. But for the initial rush of events that introduce us to Sonika (Surveen), her tormentor, Mandar (Sushant) & her love, Akshay (Jay), the film moves on to " been there seen it all " path all too soon. Coming to the storyline, Sonika (Surveen) is the mistress of politician Mandar Mhatre (Sushant Singh) who dominates her causing  major physical trauma. Despite the restrictions imposed by Mhatre, Sonika manages to fall in love with Akshay (Jay) during her photography class. What follows are a series of incidents that give the film its final conclusion. Sonika is buried alive by Mandar, but she manages to cheat death and come back to seek revenge on those who wronged her!  

STARCAST                                                                                            ::         It is Surveen's movie all the way as she has a larger-than-life part and a challenging one at that n the actress did a decent job at her work. Surveen Chawla catches you completely unaware with a no-holds-barred performance, interpreting her character with utmost confidence. Moreover, there are crucial chunks in the narrative when she has to look dejected and disheartened, which should make the viewer feel for her character, and she handles those moments with conviction. Jay Bhanushali despite being the leading-man of the movie shares very limited screen space with Surveen. He is further undone by the script, which has him not even batting an eyelid when he comes to know that love of his life is another man's mistress. His expressions and body language during that scene make you go LOL instead of making you feel senti for him. Sushant Singh has definitely once again delivered a splendid performance. He delves deep into the skin of the character and looks every inch the tormentor of Surveen that he portrays on-screen. He is one brilliant actor who needs to be seen more on the big-screen. In the ensemble starcast, Siddharth Kher (Goan Cop), Neha Kaul (Sushant's wife) & Rajesh Khera (Sushant's cousin) are the ones who manage to shine in their respective brief roles. 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                            ::          The soundtrack of Hate Story 2 has been composed by a battery of music directors namely Mithoon, Laxmi-Pyare, Arko, Rashid Khan & Meet Brothers Anjaan. The soundtrack has turned out to be good with couple of renditions making it to the top chart-busters. The background music that has been composed by Sunny Bawra & Inder Bawra is of good quality n in sync with the on-screen proceedings. The cinematography of this movie has been handled by Kedar Gaikward who has done his job with aplomb. His camera has captured the locales of Goa beautifully. The movie has been edited by Kuldeep Mehan who has kept the run-time of the movie to 130 minutes which seems a tad long. He definitely should have used his scissors a bit more & lot of scenes needed to be trimmed down. Vishal Pandya as a director disappoints ! He has not been to able to balance the elements in a perfect tandem. Even, the revenge scenes which form the core of a vendetta driven movie end up too soon and fail to stir you up. He has tried to concentrate more on style rather than the substance which is a big big drawback for this movie. Indian audience has matured over the years and they need something novel even in revenge dramas to pamper their entertainment buds. 

CONCLUSION                                                                                                 ::        Couched as a revenge drama propelled by woman's hatred for the man who has wronged her in more ways than one, it does not throw up anything fresh or invigorating. Good for DVD watch or you can wait for it to air on Satellite channels.        

ROHIT SHARMA.

Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com

  

Some of the scenes in the second half are unnecessarily dragged to the point where you scream, “Ok, we get it!” - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/movie-review-hate-story-2/15459168#sthash.wQAijBlN.dpuf

Some of the scenes in the second half are unnecessarily dragged to the point where you scream, “Ok, we get it!” - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/movie-review-hate-story-2/15459168#sthash.wQAijBlN.dpuf

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya :: Movie Review

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is going to be worth your time and money! It's an entertainer in the true sense. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is deconstructed Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayange, the iconic 1995 blockbuster starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. The ingredients from the original cult romance are all intact but director Shashank Khaitan has given a modern spin to the classic. Traditionalists may mock at his attempt, while the adventurous ones may embrace his tweaked (read trivialised) version. It’s the cinematic equivalent of de-constructing a faultless Indian curry such as murgh makhani (butter chicken). The entire film is pacy and crisp, the duration is perfect.  The credit goes to Bhatt and Dhawan for injecting life into a love story that has been beautifully told in DDLJ. Varun Dhawan who is just a couple of movies old exudes loads of confidence, charm & is definitely an actor to watch out for.

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                               ::       The screenplay of this flick that has been penned by Shashank Khaitan is definitely one of the high points of this movie. Although, there is no novelty in the narrative but it has enough heartwarming and rib-tickling moments as well as pun-laden dialogues and witty one-liners to make it an above average fare. Shashank has done really well in sketching the characters which add up to the entertainment quotient. Coming to the storyline, Kavya Pratap Singh [Alia Bhatt], a chirpy, yet feisty girl from Ambala, decides to make a trip to Delhi for her marriage shopping, she meets a young, carefree Delhi lad, Humpty Sharma [Varun Dhawan]. Humpty's father [Kenny Desai] is the owner of a campus bookstore, where Humpty and his two best friends, Shonty [Gaurav Pandey] and Poplu [Sahil Vaid], have grown up together. Kavya is unattainable for Humpty initially, which makes her even more endearing to him. But he is not the one to give up so easily. With some help from his two best friends, he finds out all about her and through an interesting turn of events [including a ploy to save Kavya's friend Gurpreet's marriage], they start growing closer to each other. The more time they spend with each other, their love-hate banter grows, but their chemistry is apparent. They are both different, yet very similar as people. Once Kavya's trip ends, she heads back to Ambala, knowing very well that her father, the very strict, yet loving Mr. Singh [Ashutosh Rana], would never accept her love for Humpty. But even though they both weren't looking for love, love happened. So Humpty, accompanied by his two friends, decides to go get Kavya. That's the beginning of a journey for him that he wouldn't have imagined undertaking even in the wildest of his dreams as there he faces stiff challenge from Angad ( Siddharth Shukla ) who is not only Mr Perfectionist but Kavya's fiancee too.

STARCAST                                                                                        ::          I'll give full marks to the casting director, Jogi for choosing the right starcast. Varun Dhawan does a lovely job and plays Humpty Sharma with all the earnestness at his command. His dialogue delivery in the typical middle-class, Delhi-based Punjabi ‘Romeo’ style, is very endearing. Varun slips into the skin of the character right from the word go and he can definitely prove to be a dark horse. Alia Bhatt shines, delivering a first-rate performance as Kavya. Her dialogue delivery and expressions are simply excellent. Alia Bhatt is charming in the fiesty role of Kavya. Somehow with each film, Alia is getting a better command over her acting skills. If there is anyone in the film who had DDLJ’s intensity, it was Ashutosh Rana. In a caricaturish role, he brings vigor. He plays the character with remarkable ease and understanding. Siddharth Shukla is impressive in his maiden film role. He has screen presence and charisma but his role was needlessly left undefined. Sahil Vaid is wonderful as Poplu and evokes laughter with his antics, acting and facial expressions. Gaurav Pandey also lends admirable support as Shonty. Jaswant Daman (as Kavya’s grandmother), Kenneth Desai (as Humpty’s father), Deepika Amin (as Kavya’s mother), Mahnaz Damania (as Kavya’s sister) and Aditya Sharma (as Kavya’s brother) stand their own, in well-defined roles.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                         ::          The soundtrack for this movie has been composed by Sachin-Jigar & Sharib-Toshi and couple of tracks have already made it to the chartbusters list.  John Stewart Eduri’s background music is of a good standard. Neha Parti Matiyani as the D.O.P. has done a splendid job and captured frames in a vibrant way. The editing by Manan Sagar is real crisp and he has kept the run-time of the movie to 135 minutes which seems just appropriate. Shashank Khaitan has made a real impressive debut as a writer as well as director. As a storyteller, Shashank knows his fundas right and he gives his lead actors a well-knit, cohesive screenplay to peg their acting skills.He has used a simplistic style of direction to match his simple story of matters of the heart, and he deserves distinction marks for that.

CONCLUSION                                                                                          ::     Humpty Sharma along with his Dulhaniya & two bosom pals takes you on a full Paisa Wasool cinematic ride that is laden with crisp humor, new-age romance, Dhansoo Naach-gaana, witty one liners and some senti Rona-Dhona too. So, you'll enjoy this journey with Varun Dhawan in quest of his dulhaniya.

ROHIT SHARMA.

Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/movie-review-humpty-sharma-ki-dulhania-alia-bhatt-varum-dhawan-siddharth-shukla/1/370774.html

Bobby Jasoos :: Movie Review

Bobby Jasoos is a delightful caper with a lot of heart, and you root for both the film and it's protagonist all the way till the interval & its after first half that the movie starts to loose its steam and ends up in a very ordinary way......Still, there are many fine things about Bobby Jasoos ::: A terrific lead performance, a great supporting cast, surprising attention to detail and Hyderabad in full glory. The old world charm of Hyderabad is ideal foil for the narrative. It is one of the lovely touches that give the film real texture. The authenticity of the setting, locations, and the flawlessly consistent diction of every major and minor character contribute in making the proceedings all the more engaging. Full credit to the makers for being able to integrate both these themes seamlessly into the story, and not making either suffer. But the charm of Bobby Jasoos lies in the fact that the director balances this primary track with the personal travails of Vidya's character. An aspiring female detective in Hyderabad has her work cut out to be taken seriously, and the often bumbling but ever optimistic Bobby wins clients and hearts with equal ease. 

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                              ::          The screenplay as well as dialogues of the movie have been written by Sanyukta Chawla Shaikh who has done a good job by keeping the premise simple & entertaining. Bobby Jasoos makes a half decent attempt to attain the wholesome pace and the gritty thrill  And going by this film’s first half alone, it is semi successful. Throughout the first half, I was engrossed in the narrative. It was a jaunty tapestry of fun and mystery in equal measures. The pace was just about right and till interval the film seeps you in with terrific vigor. But with the second half wrapping up into a convoluted climax, the spry look begins to fade away with the agility of the story wearing out. As far as the story goes, Vidya plays Bilkis Ahmad, a Muslim girl in a patriarchal household in the Hyderabad town of Mogulpura, who dreams of becoming the top sleuth in her neighbourhood. She may remind you of a desi Nancy Drew — dressed in a salwar kameez, canvas shoes and a knapsack. She isn’t armed with a degree in investigation but banks on her quick wit, intelligence and her burning desire to succeed when it comes to solving cases. Enter the sinister-looking Anees Khan (Kiran Kumar) who throws money in her face to hunt down a couple of young women. In her rush to be taken seriously as a sleuth, she forgets to question her client’s motives. The money keeps getting better and her final case involves searching for a young man with a missing toe. She’s instructed sternly by Khan not to ask questions and just find the answers. As a viewer, I wish the movie had ended there since it was entertaining to watch an endearing Bobby in action. Unfortunately, no such luck. After the interval, the film sinks south as Bobby forgets to keep her end of the bargain and begins snooping around her rich client’s business. 

STARCAST                                                                                             ::                   Post Kahaani, it is clear that roles are now written with Vidya Balan in mind. Her spirited performance in the title role justifies this decision. Her effervescence rubs off on the proceedings and gives it an energy that drives the film. She is at her undeniably charming best but the story doesn’t live up to her caliber. The surprise package is Ali Fazal who plays Tasawur, an ambitious broadcast journalist who hires Bobby occasionally to thwart marriage proposals brought forward by his orthodox parents. I guess he has hardly ever grabbed for himself an eye grabbing part but in this film despite a very overshadowing presence of Balan, the guy shines. Rajendra Gupta [as Vidya's father] has given an impeccable performance & so has Supriya Pathak as her mother. Tanvi Azmi is absolutely wasted in the film and so is Zarina Wahab. Kiran Kumar has done a good job.  Arjan Bajwa is noticeable and looks good in his character.. Aakash Dahiya and Prasad Barve as Vidya's constant companions, leave a mark. 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                        ::                   The soundtrack as well as background music has been composed by Shantanu Moitra. I will have no qualms in saying that the music compositions are very average with none of the songs making a soulful impact. The cinematographer of the movie is Vishal Sinha who has done his job to perfection. He has been able to capture the beautiful locales of Hyderabad with finesse. The movie has been edited by Hemal Kothari who has kept the runtime to 121 minutes. Samar Shaikh makes a stable debut as a director and as a first timer he must be complimented that his skills are quite etched contrary to the story he had picked up.   

CONCLUSION                                                                                     ::                Bobby Jasoos can be watched once for its interesting premise, some real funny & spirited moments and another flawless performance by Vidya Balan which drives energy unto this movie. 

ROHIT SHARMA.

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Ek Villain :: Movie Review

Before, I went to see the movie, I had read all over that Ek Villain is a rip-off of South Korean revenge Drama namely  "I saw the Devil" & it might be one of those fluke remakes. But, Mohit Suri has done a pretty good job as Suri has taken the core of I Saw The Devil and turned it into a melodramatic, manipulative, pyaar-mohabbat-dardi-humdardi drama. Ek Villain begins with a massive plot twist right at the beginning. And just minutes into the film you’re left wondering, what will Mohit Suri do now, since he’s started with such a high point… That’s when his gripping reverse narrative comes into play. When you walk into the theatre to watch a thriller, you naturally expect the twists and turns in the tale to keep you at the edge of your seat. But that doesn’t happen in Ek Villain (you figure most of it out pretty soon). And by interval point, the suspense is out for all to see. However, the parallel past and present tracks blend intricately together to keep you glued to the screen. Told with an even pitch, the film isn’t anything like the run-in-the-mill stories we are subjected to watch every week. This is sheer compelling commercial cinema that has a lucid story and its heart in the right place, without indulging in anything stoop. 

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                            ::           The story of this flick has been penned down by Tushar Hiranandani & the dialogues have been written by Milap Jhaveri who have done commendable job.  Bollywood’s always been about the heroes. They hog the spotlight by thumping the baddies, pumping their muscles, flashing their six-pack abs and dancing with the beauties (heroines, and even the item girls). Basically, they make the movie. The rest of the cast get a raw deal, with the villains often left to growl, frown, roll their eyes, and get beaten before calling it quits. But, Filmmaker Mohit Suri with his writing team, however, decides to turn the tables, and elevate the state of the villains by telling a story that puts them in the spotlight. Only, his take on the bad guy is not really about the bad guy but a guy who poses like a bad guy. Diverting from the usual revenge dramas, the film’s narrative keeps the past and the present running parallel. The script is structured in such a way that at no point do these converge unnecessarily.  Coming to the storyline, Guru (Sidharth) is a gangster who works for the mafia man Caesar (Remo Fernandez). His dark past haunts him incessantly. But as fate would have it, his life crosses path with Aisha (Shraddha) the bubbly, vivacious girl who changes his life, adding sunshine to his morose being . The cold blooded murderer undergoes a stark transformation as love changes him completely. Just when the two were beginning to settle down into a happy, blissful married life, Aisha falls prey to a catastrophic event & is killed by a serial killer. Guru is lost without the love of his life and is determined to hunt down the culprit. Guru does find the miscreant Rakesh (Riteish) but cannot understand the reason behind his psychopathic nature. Does Guru understand Rakesh’s motives behind killing Aisha? Does Guru manage to get even with Rakesh? And mostly does Guru return to his dark, sinister world or carry forward in Aisha’s path of pristine living?

STARCAST                                                                           ::             Casting director of the movie is Aadore Mukherjee Mehra who has done a good job in choosing the right actors as per the characters. As far as performances go, Sidharth Malhotra’s brooding, painful act is a winner. He gets the angst and he gets the nuances of his chequered character so well that you wonder why people consider him as just a pretty boy. Sidharth Malhotra catapults himself ahead of all the young actors around, upping himself above the league of actors he is associated with. Riteish’s menacing act sends a shiver down your spine. Besides the fact that Ritesh’s Rakesh is probably one of the most complex and well-written negative characters Hindi cinema has seen in a while, the actor’s straight-faced wickedness is haunting. Deshmukh invests himself completely to the skin of his character and he is every bit damn good! Shraddha Kapoor is another revelation. She’s confident and she’s charming. The actress in Shraddha seems to have finally arrived. She fits into her character very neatly and does a stellar job. Shaad Randhawa who plays an intelligence cop manages to leave impression in his brief role & so does Aamna Sharief in the role of Riteish's wife's. Two actors who have not been able to do justice are Kamaal Rashid Khan & Remo Fernandez, although much is not expected out of them also. 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                ::         The soundtrack of the movie which has been composed by Ankit Tiwari, Mithoon, Rabbi Ahmed, Adnan Dhool is already creating ripples in the music industry & is a chart buster. Two songs namely 'Teri Galiyan' and 'Banjare' are real soothing and stay with you. The cinematographer of this flick, Vishnu Rao has done a fabulous job. He has handled camera to perfection & has captured frames with utmost finesse. Some of the frames are a treat to watch. The movie has been edited by Devendra Murdeshwar who with his precise editing keeps you on the edge of your seat all through the run-time of 131 minutes. He has been able to keep the pace of the movie racy, taut and edgy. As a director, Mohit Suri has excelled manifold if compared to his previous works as, in Ek Villain, he tackles the complexities of all his lead characters beautifully. He breaks them down and delves deep into their minds to gratify the audience. Ek Villain may be a thriller but it tugs at your heart strings at various points with the way the main characters hold on to hope despite their obvious anguish and pain.

CONCLUSION                                                                                   ::             Though indulgent in parts, Ek Villain packs in a punch as it blends romance with an edgy thriller perfectly. Copy of a Korean film or not, it’s ‘good’ paisa vasool entertainment.

ROHIT SHARMA.

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Humshakals : Movie Review

After the debacle of Himmatwala, I thought Sajid Khan will not repeat the same mistake of testing Himmat of audience but Alias, he has proven me wrong. Humshakals is nothing but farcical potboiler marked by exaggerated performances, cheesy jokes and over-stretched song sequences. If you start questioning the logic and factual accuracy of Humshakals, you'll need valium instead of popcorn to survive the 159 minutes of the film. In the movie, Saif asks Riteish, " Will you take me for a ride " who responds in negative but i would like to request Sajid that please stop taking audience for a ride. In fact, the same can be said about his family as his sister Farha Khan made 'Tees Maar Khan' , Bro-in-law Shirish Kunder made 'Joker' & Sajid has made two in a row namely 'Himmatwala' n 'Humshakals' which all have been assault on our senses. Look at Sajid Khan's style of film-making :::: He packs in a bunch of old school PJs (poor jokes), hires three good-looking women and three men, who triple up into various shapes, sizes and hair-dos, to tickle us over two-hour-and-a-half-hours of screen time. Does it all add up to loads of fun and laughter? Well, not really. However, if I could’ve hopped on to a time machine and gone back to being a five-year-old or mastered the power to detach my brain from my body and leave it at home, then probably the outcome would’ve been a little different. The movie has enough moments to prove that Sajid is aware of his drawbacks as in this movie he has put a scene where mentally challenged patients are made to watch Himmatwala as a torture mechanism, I would like to believe that Khan understands filmmaking isn’t making the best use of skills. Filled with claptraps and puerile humor, the film does give you some engrossing & funny moments but they are too less & come too late as by that time, you are completely drenched with boredom. 

SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY                                          ::                      The credit for the story writing goes to Sajid Khan & the credit for screenplay writing has been given to Robin Bhatt, Sajid Khan & Akarsh Khurana which amuses me to no end. In fact, I find it more amusing than the movie itself. Three people have jointly penned down a flimsy storyline, wafer-thin plot  which is nothing but a complete muddle. It’s plain mucky, if I put it politely. But Sajid Khan’s story has offended me beyond wits and I have no intention of being kind here. I understand the guy has no respect for cinema, and his idea of loving films is delivering crud! I am disappointed at the lack of subtlety.  The low brow variety of fun is not something I can pass off as entertainment. In fact, cloning Saif & Riteish by tracking facial expression points and adding a voice modulator chip to get theirs voices correct was the most horrifyingly ridiculous thing I have heard. Coming to the storyline, Ashok (Saif) is a rich business tycoon based in London, who might be the owner of a rich empire, but harbors the desire to become a stand up comedian. Ashok’s friend Kumar (Riteish) is his only confidant, but their hunky dory life is disrupted when Ashok’s Mama KANS (Ram) uses a medicine and pushes Ashok & Kumar into a mentally challenged state of mind. While they can’t recuperate, the same mental asylum shelters another set of Ashok and Kumar who are the humshakals of the original pair. That’s not all, when KANS frames them to inherit the business empire, Ashok and Kumar find KANS’ humshakal too. The story moves forward and another set of humshakals is revealed. So will the original Ashok and Kumar win over the original Mamaji is the story.

STARCAST                                                                    ::                 One of the few good things about the movie is its starcast who have performed their characters with aplomb but even they could not save this sinking ship. This is Saif Ali Khan's first foray into the genre of slapstick comedy and he has managed to do well. Of the three Saif Ali Khans, the effeminate one impresses the most because that’s where he appears the most natural. For the other two, we can’t help but get distracted by his Botox-frozen face, and an unflattering hairdo as Saif is not able to fit into the mould of stupidity that Sajid Khan creates for him. Of the three Ritesh Deshmukhs, the sane Kumar, who occasionally dresses as a girl is a treat to watch. His expressions and body language are spot-on, and was probably our only comic relief. His other two performances are equally faultless, displaying his superior comic talent. Although, the script he's given doesn't allow him to be genuinely funny, but he still manages to eke out a few microseconds of humour. Of the three Ram Kapoors, the best is Punjabi club owner, only because he’s fairly inoffensive and doesn’t spit out his lines. His take on the conniving uncle is decent, and so is his take on stage-3 OCD. The women are the perfect eye-candy. Bipasha Basu works hard to flaunt her toned long legs, while Tamanah flashes her body-tight dresses when not hosting telly show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’. And Esha flutters her eyelashes when not holding a bone. They don't get much screen time actually. Satish Shah is hilarious and manages to raise some guffaws. Nawwab Shah as scientist friend of Ram Kapoor has come out impressive. Chunkey Pandey manages to entertain but unfortunately he has been given only a few scenes to appear in.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                      ::          Another, plus point of the movie is its music composed by Himesh Reshamiya. Although, the compositions are mediocre but still work wonders as they provide you the much needed respite during the dull proceedings. Two tracks namely "Callertune" & "By God" are peppy n pleasing to ears. The background music has been composed by Sandeep Shirodkar which is again average. The cinematography of the movie has been handled by Ravi Yadav who has done a fine job. He has ably captured some of the beautiful plush locales of London with finesse through the lens of his camera. The movie has been edited by Bunty Nagi who has kept the run-time to 159 minutes which is awfully long. There are lot of scenes which have been stretched and definitely needed to be chopped down. Sajid Khan has really disappointed & fared below average both as a writer as well as director with Humshakals. Lacking genuine-ity and filled with stupidity, my problem isn’t with the slapstick humor but with in-consistency of this movie. The film was absolutely flat in its first half and though post interval Sajid manages to emerge out of the self created chaos for a bit but the tapestry of litter is so elaborate, that Khan doesn’t quite navigate an easy way out.

CONCLUSION                                                                    ::              Humshakals is definitely the worst out of all the movies that Sajid Khan has made so far. Only go n watch If you have nothing else to kill time, also you can relax & enjoy some sleep during the first half of the movie as its only in the second half that movie entertains in bits & parts.

ROHIT SHARMA.

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