Tere Bin Laden Dead or Alive :: Movie Review

Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive helmed by Abhishek Sharma which is the sequel to 2010's sleeper hit "Tere Bin Laden" tries too hard to be funny and in the process looses its steam failing to tickle your funny bones. It's become a sort of trend to make sequels of hit movies but very few have been able to match up with the expectations and prove to be worthy sequels. Unfortunately, TBL 2 also falls in the same category. Undoubtedly, the movie has its share of LOL moments but they are too few and too far. When TBL released in 2010, it was widely appreciated for its refreshing story, well etched out characters and quirky satirical screenplay. TBL 2 seems like an extended version of its prequel minus the fun quotient and satirical screenplay. Where as TBL had a layered screenplay in form of satire with ample moments of situational comedy making you laugh your heart out, the prequel relies more on gags which also seem repetitive. 

The sequel also revolves around the lookalike of Osama played by Pradhuman Singh and has been titled TBL Dead Or Alive because this time he is caught in the middle of two opposite factions. While the U.S. President wants him dead to show the proof to the world that Osama has been eliminated, a terrorist Khalili (Piyush Mishra) wants him alive to get mileage and raise funds by airing his videos. The story had lot of potential but a weak and non cohesive screenplay spoils the fun. The story of the movie has been penned down by Abhishek Sharma where as the credit for writing the screenplay goes to Neha Sharma & Pradhuman Singh. Had the writers invested more in etching out characters and sticking to their guns rather than jumping guns, TBL 2 could have turned out to be a much better and entertaining motion picture. The movie begins with Sharma (Manish Paul) who wants to become a film director instead of helping his father in his business who is Halwai and makes Jalebis. While trying his luck in tinsel-town, he sights Paddi (Pradhuman Singh) who is a lookalike of Osama. He persuades Paddi to act in his movie and makes Tere Bin Laden with Paddi and Ali Zafar in lead which proves to be a success at box office. A sequel to the movie is planned but Osama is killed by U.S. forces and the sequel is shelved. In U.S.A. media wants to see the proof of dead Osama in form of video footage which is giving sleepless nights to American President. A CIA Agent David (Sikandar Kher) gets into the guise of a Hollywood producer and approaches Paddi to shoot a Hollywood film with him. He plans to kill Paddi in reality while shooting for the film so that he can show the recording to the media. Meanwhile, a terrorist by the name of Khalili (Piyush Mishra) also comes to know about the presence of Osama's lookalike Paddi and decides to kidnap him. A complete chaos ensues hereafter and what happens to Paddi forms the rest of the story. 

Manish Paul delivers a first rate performance as the director, Sharma. Manish is one of those few actors who have been able to make a smooth transition from Television to Films. Manish has a natural flair for comedy and he truly excels in comic scenes as his comic timing is seamless. 

Pradhuman Singh as Paddi Singh is as natural and effortless as any good actor could be. As the wannabe folk singer turned actor, Pradhuman Singh is spot on in his character. He makes you smile with his funny face expressions and dialect. 

Sikandar Kher has turned out to be the surprise package of the movie with his impeccable act. We get to see Sikandar play two different avatars in the movie ; as a CIA agent with broad accent and as a pot bellied NRI Hollywood loud mouthed producer. And, to his credit Sikandar has fared exceptionally well in both these avatars. 

Ali Zafar, Piyush Mishra, Sugandha Garg and Rahul Singh have played their respective characters convincingly. 

The musical soundtrack composed by Dhruv Dhalla is nothing to write home about. The cinematographer of the movie is Chaudhary Amalendu who has done a descent job. The movie has been edited by Chandan Arora who has kept the run-time of movie to 110 minutes. As a writer-director, Abishek Sharma has failed to live upto the expectations with this sequel of Tere Bin Laden. While the prequel was a well made satire with continuous flow of laughter, the sequel works in patches and fails to live up as a whole film. 

Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive is nowhere close to its prequel which was original, refreshing well made satire and is more like a half baked product which satiates your hunger but fails to pamper your taste buds. You can skip watching it in theaters and wait for for it to be aired on satellite channels.     

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Neerja :: Movie Review

                                       

Neerja helmed by Ram Madhvani is a MUST-WATCH biopic as it pays a befitting tribute to the indomitable spirit of young Indian brave girl who made the supreme sacrifice in line of her duty. Neerja's story is a story that every Indian should be aware as well as proud of. It really baffles me that it took 30 years for Bollywood to come up with a film on Neerja Bhanot. But, the timing couldn't have been better as the movie has released at a time when the nation is going through a turbulent phase as some destructive forces are trying to divide the country over caste and political issues. 

Neerja stood for and was face of genuine humanism as she made no distinction between nationalities of her passengers when their life was in danger. The film is based on the true story of 1986 when some Palestinian terrorists hijacked a Pan Am flight in Karachi. That was Neerja Bhanot's first flight as a chief purser and the film chronicles how Neerja with her presence of mind and bravery not only saved the lives of her passengers but also laid down her life in the process. 

There are ample moments in the film that celebrate the fine qualities that Neerja possessed which include grit, resolve, presence of mind and above all extreme humanism. These moments make you rise and salute Neerja, the extraordinary story of this brave girl. The screenplay of the movie has been penned down by Saiwyn Quadras who has smartly packaged the narrative in nonlinear pattern. The movie begins with Neerja Bhanot (Sonam Kapoor) returning back to her home in a taxi and mouthing a line of her favorite superstar Rajesh Khanna to the taxi driver, '" Zindagi lambi nahin badi honi chahiye, babu moshay".  She is lovingly called Laddo by her doting mother Rama Bhanot (Shabana Azmi) and ever encouraging father Harish Bhanot (Yogendra Tiku). On September 5, 1986, while Neerja is getting ready to fly as chief purser for the first time, four terrorists owing allegiance to Palestine's Abu Nidal outfit are offering their last prayer in Lyari, Karachi. When the terrorists are able to board the fight along with ammunition, a timely alert by Neerja to the pilots helps the pilots to run away from cockpit through an overhead cockpit hatch.. Without pilots in the cockpit, the plan of terrorists suffers a huge setback. Hereafter, the exemplary traits and qualities of Neerja Bhanot come into display. With her presence of mind, she ably hides the passports of U.S. Nationals who were the immediate target. During the hold up that lasted 16 hours, Neerja Bhanot never let the terrorists overpower her indomitable spirit.

Sonam Kapoor has delivered performance of a lifetime as Neerja Bhanot in the film. Succint to say, Sonam is the soul of this movie. She every inch looks the woman of substance who follows her heart and achieves what she wants. Sonam has come out completely convincing as the bubbly girl with nerves of steel. Sonam seems to have imbibed the traits of Neerja of being courageous, bold, level headed and vulnerable (at times) and portrayed them effectively on-screen. 

Shabana Azmi delivers a stellar performance as Neerja's mother, Rama Bhanot. You could relate to her worries and aspersions regarding safety of her daughter. Her speech at the end of the film was so heartfelt that i was left with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Need, I say more. 

Yogendra Tiku's performance as Neerja's father is applause worthy. He keeps on instilling fearlessness and self strength in his daughter during their conversations. His performance is so genuine that you could walk in his shoes when you see him sitting in his office in a hapless state knowing that the plane carrying his daughter has been hijacked. 

Shekhar Ravjiani (special appearance) has given an earnest performance as Neerja's friend, Jaideep who loves her and wants her to take a second chance after her bitter experiences from first marriage. 

The musical soundtrack as well as background music for the film has been composed by Vishal Khurana which is apt as per the narrative and the genre of the movie. The cinematographer of the movie is Mitesh Mirchandani who has done a swell job at capturing visuals. Mitesh has ably captured the exigency and neurosis in the narrow cabin by using jerky handheld camerawork. The movie has been edited by Monisha Baldawa who has kept the run-time of the movie to 122 minutes. Monisha's editing is spot-on,crisp and flawless. As a director,  Ram Madhvani has hits bulls eye and done full justice to Neerja's tale of valor. Ram scores all the brownie points for sticking to the chosen line and not crafting the events that unfurled in over dramatized way. He has portrayed the historical story of model-turned-air hostess in the most apt and justifiable manner. He wastes no time as the film arrives straight to the point and builds a tension that remains till the very end. It is because of Madhvani's spotless direction that you remain glued in your seats till the end credits roll out. The way that Madhvani has shown Neerja's troubled past during the moments of her vulnerability when the plane has been hijacked is applause-worthy. 

Neerja is a MUST WATCH as it shows that its natural to live & die for oneself but most Super-Heroism & Humanism to do for others. Neerja is a portrayal of the most powerful person whose pro-action and perfect decisions made her an immensely celebrated and gallantry decorated Legend of Martyr. A story of a REAL LIFE HERO whose fears to her courage, life-threats to her determination and duty to true humanity, felt too short comparatively. 

Know her, Acknowledge her and Salute her, right away !!!!!  

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Fitoor :: Movie Review

Fitoor helmed by Abhishek Kapoor is a well packaged film which moves at a languid pace with mesmeric visuals, melodious music but its meandering story with too many loose ends spoil the fun. First things first, Abhishek Kapoor along with his cinematographer Anay Goswami has captured the spell binding beauty of Kashmir like never before. I mean, the movie is literally a visual treat. The stunning visuals of the movie capture your imagination right from the beginning. Fitoor is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic 'Great Expectations' and hence it primarily revolves around its three principle characters 'Noor' played by Aditya Roy Kapoor, 'Firdaus" played by Katrina and 'Begum Hazrat' essayed by Tabu. Though, the makers have tried their level best to paint the canvas at its magnificent best but what the film lacks is an intense love story. Several sequences in the movie seem artificial and illogical ; like Noor becoming a big artiste in such a short span of time and buying a second hand Mercedes-Benz or Firdaus rubbing away the lovelorn Noor and than eventually coming back to him. The movie has too many loose ends which the director tries to tie up towards the climax but they come up as hurried. As a result, the movie which was moving at a languid pace suddenly becomes pacy towards the climax which acts as a deterrent. The choice of using Kashmir as a backdrop for the story is a masterstroke by Abhishek as on one hand it gives the partly sad story a pristine icy, heartless look and on the other hand the lush red chinar leaves lend an aura of love. If the writers had invested more in the script, Fitoor could have turned out to be a winner, all the way. Despite of enchanting visuals, earnest performances, Fitoor fails to tug your heartstrings emotionally. 

The adaptation of Dickens classic has been penned down by Abhishek Kapoor along with Supratik Sen. Together, they have ably crafted the milieu of present day Kashmir. Some of the dialogues of the movie have been penned down meticulously and make the desired impact like ' Khud se azaadi to sirf maut hi dila sakti hai ya ishq'. In this Dickens adaptation, Noor (Aditya Roy Kapoor) is orphan Pip, Estelle is Firdaus (Katrina Kaif) and mercurial Miss Havisham is Begum Hazrat (Tabu). The film begins with Noor (Aditya Roy Kapoor) mouthing "Qayamat Bhi Kya Cheez hai" and we are taken back in time when young Noor met young Firdaus (Katrina Kaif). Young Noor is a Shikara boy from Kashmir who lives with her elder sister and her husband. One day, he along with his brother-in-law are called to Begum Hazrat's haweli to run some errands. It is there that Noor sees Firdaus for the first time and is be-smitten by her. Noor falls madly in love with her unaware of the consequences. But, Begum Hazrat is well versed with the pain associated with love as she herself has been a victim of the same. So, after developing a bond between Noor & Firdaus, she sends Firdaus to London for studies. Later on, it seems as if Begum was playing with the emotions of both as though seeking a revenge for her lost love. Coming back to the story, Noor is a born artiste who sketches very well. Years pass on and Noor makes it big thanks to a mysterious benefactor who gets him enrolled in a big art gallery in Delhi. The art works created by Noor are auctioned at hefty amounts and he becomes a big name in art world. It is in Delhi that Noor has his first rendezvous with Firdaus as Adult. Noor confesses his love for Firdaus but she says she is about to get engaged to a Pakistani politician Bilal (Rahul Bhatt). Will Noor let go Firdaus who is the love of his life or Will Firdaus leave Bilal and come back to Noor is what forms the rest of the story. 

Aditya Roy Kapoor gives a Rock-Solid performance as Noor Kazmi in Fitoor. His character in the movie is layered and he has performed it with full conviction. Whether be it love smitten Noor or lovelorn Noor, Aditya has simply nailed it with his performance. Watch out for Aditya in the scenes where he shares the screen space with Tabu as those scenes bring out his nervous knack around Tabu's character. Aditya seems to have invested a lot in this character which is visible from his eyes in the movie. 

Katrina Kaif not only looks bewitching but has also portrayed her character to the TEE in Fitoor. She has portrayed her character of being indifferent, steely heart breaker to pitch perfection. She seems to have imbibed the finer nuances of her character and essayed them on-screen efficaciously. Her graph as an actress is on an upsurge with every subsequent film of hers. 

Tabu is truly the scene-stealer of Fitoor as Begum Hazrat. Her portrayal of the mercurial Begum, translating the turbulent character's moderate declivity into lunacy is worth applauding. She has literally made Dickens character of Miss Havisham come alive on-screen. 

Rahul Bhatt shines while portraying the character of Bilal who has no qualms about the past of his fiancee but wants a firm hold on her future. To his credit, Rahul Bhatt has played the character with effortless ease. 

Amongst the ensemble starcast noticeable performances have been delivered by Aditi Rao Hydari, Akshay Oberoi, Lara Dutta and Talat Aziz. 

The soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Amit Trivedi is quite melodious and the best part is that the songs arrive at the opportune moments maximizing their impact. The cinematographer of the movie is Anay Goswami who has done astounding job behind the lens and definitely deserves all the praise for the same. Anay definitely knows, recognizes, acknowledges and records beauty in every form, right from the devastating charm of Kashmir to stunning Katrina Kaif. The film has been edited by Deepa Bhatia who has kept the run-time of the movie to 131 minutes. Some people might have a problem with the pace of the movie as it moves at a languid pace. As a director, Abhishek Kapoor has painted the canvas so beautifully that it truly mesmerizes you. Abhishek has ably captured the rawness of this love story on celluloid but he is let down by a weak storyline. Had the writers invested more on the screenplay, it could have taken Fitoor several notches higher. 

 Despite having visual deftness (overwhelming beauty of Kashmir) in its frames, earnest performances and soulful music, Fitoor on the whole struggles to make a mark because of its incoherent narration. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Ghayal Once Again :: Movie Review

Ghayal Once Again written & directed by Sunny Deol which is the sequel to 1990 blockbuster Ghayal lags far behind to its prequel in terms of storytelling and execution making it a drab affair which fails to leave the desired impact. There is a scene in Ghayal Once again in which the Firang bodyguards of the antagonist tell Sunny Deol to drop his weapon and be ready to die in a fist fight. We, sitting in the audience could sense what is going to come their way and take pity on those firangs. Probably, it's not their fault as those firangs might not have seen Damini or else they would have known about Sunny's dhai kilo ka haath or for that matter Gadar in which Sunny Bhaji uprooted a hand pump with his bare hands. So, no prizes for guessing what happens to those firang bodyguards afterwards. Obviously, they are beaten black & blue to the pulp. This scene very much sums up the essence of Ghayal Once Again where our Superhero is out on streets to fight against the corrupt. What the film lacks is originality as we have seen umpteen movies revolving around the same premise. It's been 26 years since Ghayal hit theaters and times have changed since than. So, it comes as a shocker right at the beginning of the film when you come to know that a rape victim has committed suicide because the victim feels that she will be ostracized and the incident will affect her family especially the future of her sisters. Undoubtedly, being a rape victim puts you in a hapless state but when a media intern working in a leading publishing house commits suicide after being raped by her boss, it reeks of shoddy writing. I mean, aren't we living in 2016 where girls are fighting for their equal rights even when it comes to visiting those sacred shrines where their entry is prohibited. So, watching a young educated girl ending her life just for the fear of being ostracised puts you off right at the beginning of the movie. And, these glitches while stitching the screenplay continue to stare at your face right throughout the movie. You see a business magnate controlling the official machinery sitting well within confines of his home. He is aided by his tech savvy staff who not only hack into other computer systems including a Government portal but also track down their targets with the help of their sim cards. It is the shoddy screenplay that fails to elevate the stature of Ghayal Once Again beyond the realms of an average action drama. 

The story of the movie has been penned down by three writers namely Sunny Deol, Shaktimaan and Sagar Pandya. I personally feel it takes special kind of talent to come up with such a kind of story-line especially when three people are involved in writing it down. Literally, they have turned the movie's protagonist unto a Superhero with special powers. Else, how would you explain a man lying down beneath running vehicles and coming out scratch-less or him hopping on to one running train from another. He also ably gatecrashes a helicopter right into the high-rise abode of his adversary. In the movie, Sunny Deol is not less than any Superhero, the only difference being that he doesn't wear a cape or Superhero costume. The film begins by telling us that Ajay Mehra (Sunny Deol) who was behind bars for killing Balwant Rai and his men in 1990 is a free man now. He has come out of the trauma of his troubled past with the help of doctor (Soha Ali Khan) and has started a news-channel by the name of Satyakam. He is an upright journalist who along with his team is out to weed out corruption and injustice. ACP Joe (Om Puri) who once caught Ajay has also retired from Police force, is an RTI activist and is in touch with Ajay.  Raj Bansal (Narendra Jha) is a business magnate of Mumbai whose son Kabir is a arrogant druggie. Joe has filed RTI application against some malpractices adopted by Bansal's company while procuring some land. During a meeting, Joe is shot dead by Kabir in a fit of rage. This incident is captured on camera by four college going youngsters namely Zoya (Daina Khan), Varun (Rishabh Arora), Anushka (Aanchal Munjal) and Rohan (Shivam Patil). The youngsters decide to hand over this evidence to Ajay Mehra unaware of the danger lurking at them. Will Ajay be able to save these four youngsters and avenge the death of Joe is what forms the rest of the story. 

Sunny Deol as Ajay Mehra is at his best when it comes to action sequences. Sunny packs quite a punch in his angry avatar with his eyes growing wide but he is a let down in emotional sequences. It is a treat watching him tear apart his opponents in some of the well captured action scenes. 

Soha Ali Khan shines and makes her presence felt with her subtle yet powerful act in the movie. 

Narendra Jha has played the role of antagonist to the TEE in the film. He has ably portrayed a character who is in a dilemma as despite of knowing that his son is wrong, he goes all out to defend and save him. 

Tisca Chopra once again manages to leave a lasting impression with her impeccable act in the movie. 

As newbies, Daina Khan, Rishabh Arora, Aanchal Munjal and Shivam Patil have given descent performances and have portrayed their respective characters with conviction. 

Amongst ensemble starcast, noticeable performances have been delivered by Om Puri, Manoj Joshi, Zakir Hussain, Sachin Khedekar and Neena Kulkarni. 

Ghayal Once Again comes nowhere close if compared to its prequel Ghayal. A disjointed story-line and a scratchy screenplay which is a blend of contemporary with the modern, never lets the movie rise above a  tame affair.       

 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Saala Khadoos :: Movie Review

Saala Khadoos helmed by Sudha Kongara is a well concocted inspiring flick not only about boxing but also about determination, selfless love of a guru (coach) towards his shishya (protege) and red-tapism, politics prevalent in sports bodies of our country. To begin with, if we start to count the number of competent sports movies made in our country, we can count them on fingers. This is a genre which has lot of potential but unfortunately very few filmmakers have tried to helm movies on this genre. Barring, Bhag Milkha Bhag or Mary Kom which were biopics, the only recent film that comes to my mind is Shimit Amin's Chak De. But, Chak De was about Hockey and Saala Khadoos is about boxing. The basic premise of the movie seems to be inspired from the Hollywood flick Million Dollar Baby where Client Eastwood trains his protege played by Hillary Swank. What works heavily in favor of Saala Khadoos are the earnest performances delivered by its star-cast especially the lead pair R.Madhavan and newcomer Ritika Singh. Saala Khadoos is a rugged sports flick which keeps you engrossed in the on-screen proceedings. Generally, movies revolving around sports resort to the formulaic 'emergence of an underdog theme' but Saala Khadoos doesn't travel the beaten path. India has lot of such champs but we need more mavericks who can find out the hidden talents present in our country and than further train and nurture them to become champions.  Sudha Kongara shows how true champs get going under the able guidance of their mentors even when the going gets extremely tough. Sudha shows her female protagonist as a born fighter, but than she escalates the drama to showcase how the fierce fighter gets converted into a perpetual winner when she finds her true Dronacharya in the form of a selfless boxing coach. It is her coach who instills the confidence in her to emerge victorious by facing the odds that are stacked up against her. Saala Khadoos portrays enduring mentor-pupil affinity through some really well captured scenes and dialogues. 

The story of Saala Khadoos has been penned down by Sudha Kongara who has interlaced the basic premise of pupil-mentor affinity with trajectories like scheming officials in sports bodies, sibling rivalry along with a dash of romance but the narrative has a soaring quality and texture. It simply takes off with any room for breathing space. The breathless quality of storytelling goes well with the protagonist's stormy and mercurial nature. The movie begins by introducing Adi (R. Madhavan) who was a boxer and is presently the coach of girls boxing team. He has a bad equation with a corrupt boxing official (Zakir Hussain) who fabricates a sexual harassment charge against Adi and gets him transferred to Chennai. Adi is quite frustrated as he knows there is no potential in girl boxers of Chennai. Upon reaching Chennai, he comes across Madhi (Ritika Singh) who is a foul-mouthed fisher woman by profession but has a natural penchant for boxing. Adi senses the potential in her and decides to take her under his wings. Since Madhi is reluctant to enter boxing arena, Adi decides to pay her Rs.500 every day to come for boxing training as he sees a champion in her. How Adi manages to train her and convert the fisher woman into a boxing champion is what forms the rest of the story. 

R.Madhavan has undeniably delivered the best performance of his career till date in Saala Khadoos and carried the movie on his broad shoulders. Madhavan has imbibed the traits of his character both physically as well as emotionally and ably enacted them on-screen meticulously. R.Madhavan has delivered an exemplary realistic performance which is a testament to his hard work and dedication towards portraying this character. Right from his body language to expressions....everything is pitch perfect in this movie. Madhavan looks totally convincing as the boxing coach who despite his eccentricities is ready to go to any length to groom his protege unto a champion. Truly, a match winning performance.     

Ritika Singh as Madhi is a revelation. It is Ritika's spirited portrayal of a pugilist that makes it possible to ignore the flaws in craft as it's hard to point a finger at her performance. Right from the body language of a boxer, to her mercurial temprament and the fight within her, Ritika simply nails it. We see Ritika in two different avatars in this movie; while in the first half she comes across as a carefree, foulmouthed fisher woman ready to pick up fights; in the second half we see a mellowed down avatar of hers who is more focused, determined raring to go. And, to her credit, Ritika is equally convincing and at ease while portraying both these avatars. Ritika literally makes you feel for her character with her brilliant and realistic portrayal. 

The musical soundtrack of the movie has been composed by Santosh Narayanan which is average but he scores brownie points for his background music. The cinematographer of the movie is Sivkumar Vijayan who has done a splendid job behind the lens. Right from capturing the aggression in boxing ring, Vijayan's camera glides across capturing the anger and frustration of the movie's protagonists turn into retrieval with effortless ease making it a delight to watch. The movie has been edited by Satish Suriya who has done a crisp job at the editing table and kept the run-time of the movie to 109 minutes. As a writer-director, Sudha Kongara deserves accolades for making this unusual but competent sports film. The way she has conceived and crafted the guru-shishya dynamics in the film is applause-worthy. As a director, Sudha Dongara has made sincere efforts and managed to impress. 

One aspect which makes Saala Khadoos worth a watch is that it has its heart and soul at the right place. It might not be as exciting or thrilling as the average Bollywood masala fares but it still manages to entertain you due to earnest performances and inspiring storyline. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Airlift :: Movie Review

                                             

Airlift helmed by Raja Krishna Menon portrays the incongruity of over 1.70 lac Indians stranded in Kuwait during 1990 and their evacuation in the most realistic, entertaining and thrilling manner making it a great watch. Airlift narrates a story which needed to be told. After all, its the story about the world's largest civilian evacuation till date which was done by India. It was in August 1990 that Saddam's army took control of Kuwait and unleashed a reign of terror. There were around 1.70 lac Indians living in Kuwait at that time who found themselves stranded in most averse situation. During those turbulent times, one person who selflessly made a difference with his efforts to get all the Indians safely was Ranjit Katiyal. Ranjeet who was a proud Kuwaiti and successful businessman saw his world tumbling in one day when Saddam's forced invaded Kuwait. He could have easily left Kuwait with his family but he chose to wait and stay there to help all fellow Indians stranded there. And, one person, who takes Airlift several notches higher with his impeccable act is Akshay Kumar as Ranjit Katiyal. Akshay exemplary portrays the character of a real life hero, a hero whose conscience gets awakened during the most troubled times. Most importantly, Airlift tells us that with unswerving ascendancy and attenuate virility, how a hero is concoction of the troubles that humanity be bequeathed from its shortcomings. I would like to applaud the makers for choosing this story so that cinegoers come to know about this incident which never got a mention in our history books as average Indian including me was completely unaware about this world's largest civilian evacuation done by Indian Government. More than 500 planes were flown over war zone area by Air India to safely evacuate 1.70 lac Indians. And, most importantly, it tells us the story of a unsung real life heroes like Ranjit Katiyal who risked their everything just for the sake of their fellow-Indians. Since this is a realistic movie, so, in the end Airlift tells us that there were two commendable emigrants namely Mr Matthews and Mr. Vedi who were the masterminds behind this rescue operation and that both of them were amalgamated into Akshay's character.   

The story of Airlift has been penned down by Raja Krishna Menon and the credit for writing the screenplay of the movie goes to Suresh Nair, Rahul Nangia and Ritesh Shah. The writers have audaciously woven a tale with layers of human emotions with select personal stories without going over the top. There is no exaggeration, excessive melodrama or playing to the galleries and this the biggest USP of Airlift. It is the story of a man whose conscious and heroism gets awakened in the gravest situation. The film's opening scene begins a day before the invasion where Ranjit Katiyal (Akshay Kumar) is clinching a business deal in Kuwait. He likes to be known as a Kuwaiti instead of Indian and prefers Arabic music over Indian music. He is a shrewd businessman who is living a luxurious life with his wife Amrita (Nimrat Kaur) and his young daughter. His world comes tumbling down when Iraq invades Kuwait on August 2,1990. As Ranjeet moves out of his home, his car is stopped by forces and his driver is gunned down in front of his eyes. Fortunately for Katiyal, a convoy of Iraqi Major Zayd (Inaamul Haq) is passing by at that moment who recognizes Katiyal and his life is saved. Major Zayd offers free passage to Ranjit Katiyal and his family in lieu of huge money. Just when Ranjit is planning to leave the country with his family, he finds several of his employees stranded in his office with a sense of security around him. It is at that moment, the selfish businessman Ranjit gets transformed and decides that he won't leave the country until all the fellow Indians are evacuated safely. He with the help of his rich friends organizes a camp for 1.7 Lac Indians. The rest of the film portrays how Ranjit tries to use all his contacts and negotiating skills for the safe evacuation of all Indians from the dire situation. 

Akshay Kumar has come a long way as an actor since his Khiladi days and his impeccable act in Airlift is a testament to that. Undeniably, Akshay is the soul of Airlift as with his powerful act he literally owns the screen in the movie. There is a virile vividness about Akshay's character in the movie (who is both strong and vulnerable) which Akshay has captured brilliantly. The ease with which Akshay has portrayed his subtle transformation from a selfish business tycoon to a humbled refugee with a mission to save lacs of people around him is commendable. There are several scenes in the movie where Akshay simply talks with his expressions rather than words like the scene where his driver is killed in front of him or the scene where he goes to fetch the wife and daughter of his slain driver. You can watch the transition in his body language with passing time when no Government help arrives. Akshay is simply OUSTANDING in the movie. 

Nimrat Kaur who was last scene in critically acclaimed Lunchbox is a scene stealer in the movie. Nimrat also gets to portray a complex character in the movie as she is a disgruntled wife albeit for different reasons as the movie progresses. As the movie opens, she is angry with her husband because she she feels he is a self-centered business tycoon but later she is miffed over him because now the same self-centered man decides to be a messiah for other stranded Indians ignoring the choice of leaving the country with his family. Nimrat ably portrays myriad emotions in the movie. Her act is a treat to watch in the scene where confronts cantankerous whining man portrayed by Prakash Belawadi. 

Inaamul Haq who gets to portray a major character in a movie after Filmistan is spot-on in the movie. As the greedy and sinister Iraqi Major, Inaamul has nailed his character to perfection. His expressions, dialect and penchant for Amitabh Bachchan is a treat to watch in Airlift. Inaamul provides quite a comic relief in the movie with his delightful act. 

Feryna Wazheir shines and makes her presence felt with her subtle yet powerful act as Tasneem in Airlift.

Purab Kohli has enacted the character of Ibrahim Durrani with utmost conviction in Airlift. Purab has ably essayed the character of a man who helps Akshay in his mission whilst he is also trying to locate his missing fiancee. Prakash Belawadi stands out as the cantankerous old man who is always whining about one issue or other. Kumud Mishra shines with his typical Babu act in Ministry Of External Affairs who puts in sincere efforts for the evacuation of stranded Indians. 

The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Amaal Mallik & Ankit Tiwari is ear pleasing. The cinematographer of the movie is Priya Seth who has not only ably captured the devastated city swaddled with fear but also the fractured souls of characters in the movie. Priya's framing of desert sequences lends a unique texture to Airlift. The movie has been edited by Hemanti Sarkar who has kept the run-time of the movie to 124 minutes. As writer-director, Raja Krishna Menon has kept things as close to reality as possible which is applause worthy. Raja has made honest efforts to give the film a docu drama feel which is evident throughout the movie. He has devoid the movie of any over dramatized situations or exaggerated flourishes which heavily works in favor of the movie. Raja Krishna Menon has packaged the movie in such precise and unapologetic way that we get the feeling of being there during the time of the action.

      

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Wazir :: Movie Review

Wazir helmed by Bejoy Nambiar is an intelligent movie that portrays the story two battered souls in a thriller format with strong undercurrents of emotional turbulence making it a descent one time watch. Nambiar's previous two flicks namely Shaitaan and David had one thing in common ; strong characterizations and slick,stylish execution which is very much evident in Wazir too. The highlights of Wazir are its plot especially the well etched out characters, bravura performances and its editing with a crisp run-time of 103 minutes. 

The story of Wazir has been penned down by Vidu Vinod Chopra where as the screenplay has been jointly written by Vidhu & Abhijat Joshi. The basic plot of Wazir is quite interesting with the narrative displaying the kind of unpredictable writing that we seldom get to watch in Hindi movies. The best part is how the game of chess especially the chessman (chess pieces) have been interwoven into the screenplay ; be it the mysterious character of Wazir or the other characters who have been shown as simply pawns in this broader game of life. A lot of the dialogues on life's whimsies expectantly use chess tropes for which due credit must be given to the dialogue writers i.e. Abhijeet Deshpande and Gazal Dhaliwal. Wazir is a story about friendship of two individuals with fractured souls albeit for different reasons. The common grief that both of them share is loosing of their loved ones. When it comes to their characterizations ; while one of them Farhan Akhtar is brave yet defeated by a personal tragedy, vulnerable and honest , the other Amitabh Bachchan is a wheel chair bound genius with bouts of wit and a mastermind. I liked the way the movie opens building up the swift romance between ATS officer Danish (Farhan Akhtar) and Ruhana (Aditi Rao Hydari) without wasting any time. Their idyllic life suffers a major jolt when a tragedy strikes and they both are unable to come out of the grief. Hereafter, Danish meets Omkarnath/Panditji (Amitabh Bachchan) who is a wheel chair bound chess champion. Panditji lost his wife and his legs in a road accident. But fate plays a cruel joke in Panditji's life when his young daughter dies a mysterious death at Minister Qureshi's (Manav Kaul) residence. He is told that his daughter died after falling from the staircase at Qureshi's residence where as Panditji believes that she was murdered. Danish begins to investigate this case and soon Panditji is attacked and threatened by a mysterious man Wazir (Neil Nitin Mukesh). Who is Wazir, Will Danish be able to uncover the truth behind the murder of Panditji's daughter is what forms the rest of the story.  

Amitabh Bachchan as Pandit Omkarnath Dhar is as masterly as any fine actor be in Wazir. Right from his first shot, he takes possession of his character in the way, only he can. Bachchan exemplary portrays a character who often resorts to humor in order to overcome his personal grief and stay alive. He mostly emotes through his eyes and in his eyes you can see not only the desperation but also the strength and determination of a helpless father who is out to seek revenge.  

Farhan Akhtar has come up with another impressive performance in Wazir. He ably enacts the journey of a character from being emotionally drenched and anguished to a determined and loving friend out to seek revenge. His camaraderie with Amitabh Bachchan is the highlight of the movie. Farhan has a reputation of delving deep unto the skin of the character & In Wazir he literally looks like an ATS officer that he is supposed to play in the movie.

Aditi Rao Hydari proves her mettle as an actress by portraying the character of a grieving mother with utmost conviction. She looks truly captivating in the movie and has enacted her part gracefully in the movie.

Manav Kaul has turned out to be the surprise element of the film with his impeccable performance. As the power hungry Kasmiri politician, Manav looks malevolent and sinister all the way. His expressions are a treat to watch in the scene when Farhan visits his office to investigate about Panditji's daughter death.

Neil Nitin Mukesh plays his part to pitch perfection in Wazir. His devilish grin and evil antics stay with you for a long time after you exit the theater. Neil has made the most of the screen time assigned to him in the movie.

John Abraham has come up with a impressive cameo in Wazir. During his short stint on-screen, he literally looks his part of being an ATS officer.

Technically Wazir is a marvel. Right from its music (Advaita, Rochak kohli, Prashant Pillai, Ankit Tiwari), cinematography (Sanu Varghese), background music (Rohit Kulkarni) to its editing (Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Abhijat Joshi) is in tandem with Bejoy Nambiar's eloquent vision. As a director, Bejoy Nambiar once again proves that he is master of his craft when it comes to helming stylish, slick flicks. Though, he is let down by a convoluted second half yet he manages to engage you in the movie till the very end because Wazir remains true to its purpose, of conveying the emotions that underline the action.

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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