Fan :: Movie Review

Fan helmed by Maneesh Sharma which tells the story of a psychotic obsessed fan of a star begins well holding its ground firmly in the first half but than it begins to loose its steam and finally ends as a average thriller drama. First things first, Maneesh must be credited for making a film with Shahrukh Khan that has neither got any leading lady nor any songs. I mean, lot of SRK fans go and watch movies for his trademark sway of arms in songs. SRK is also known as king of romance, so to make a movie in which he is not romantically paired is a bold move. Also, after a long time a SRK movie brings out the actor in SRK to the forefront rather than the star SRK, though he plays the part of a star in the flick too. The film begins in Delhi with the introduction of Gaurav Chanana (Shahrukh Khan) who is a die hard fan of Superstar Aryan Khanna played by Shahrukh again. Maneesh sets the tempo rolling by creating the perfect urban class milieu of Inder Vihar in Delhi where Gaurav lives. Than, comes a masterfully helmed scene where some local competition is being held in Inder Vihar where Gaurav performs as Aryan aided by his parents played by Deepika Amin & Yogendra Tiku. By this time, you are completely sucked into the movie due to the perfect etching of Gaurav's character and its perfect portrayal by Shahrukh.  By than, you start anticipating that a good, different and logical film featuring SRK is on the anvil especially after his last commercial potboilers like Happy New Year & Dilwale. But, once Gaurav reaches Mumbai and after having a bad experience with Aryan, decides to get back at him things begin to go haywire. Pertinent to say, as an audience you feel bad that a movie which was sailing along so smoothly, suddenly changes its course and goes off mark. Logic takes a backseat as a revengeful Gaurav begins to stalk Aryan and tries his level best to destroy his stardom. Unending chase sequences and illogical scenes begin to destroy the basic fabric of the premise around which the film was woven. The movie tries to portray that it is normal to be a fan of any celebrity be it sportsperson, politician or filmstar but getting too much obsessed about a celebrity can lead to a psychotic disorder. It is fine to follow or emulate a celebrity but in the process one should not loose one's own identity. As mentioned earlier, the best part about Fan is that it brings the actor out of Shahrukh Khan at his best. It's a double delight for SRK fans as in Fan he gets to portray the role of both the protagonist as well as antagonist but the performance that stands out is of  a young star struck fan i.e. Gaurav.

The screenplay of the movie has been penned down by Habib Faisal where as the dialogues of the movie have been penned down by Habib Faisal along with Sharat Katariya. The premise of Fan might not be an original piece (as several Hollywood flicks have been made on same subject) but the characterization in Fan is spot on. The manner in which Gaurav's story unspools  especially in the first half, you get attached to the character and begin rooting for him. Had the writers not gone overboard with too many cinematic liberties in the second half, Fan could have emerged a winner all the way. The transformation of the obsessed fan into abhorrence, his stalking and impersonating as the star on numerous occasions seems superficial. On top of that, when the star decides to take the fan right on all by himself without any support ( including several chases and fight sequences) it all looks real filmy. The perfect premise that was masterfully woven in the first half looses its sheen and gets convoluted in the second half. The film begins in Delhi with the journey of a child Gaurav who is a die hard fan of Aryan Khanna (Shahrukh Khan) so much so that he picks up fight with anyone who says anything against Aryan. Cut next, young Gaurav (Shahrukh Khan) is known as Junior Aryan Khanna in his vicinity not only because he is obsessed by him but also because he has a stark resemblance with Aryan. He runs a cyber cafe and has named it after his beloved star i.e. A.K. Cyber cafe. Gaurav imitates Aryan at local competition held in his area and wins a trophy and some prize money by emerging victorious in competition. Now, Gaurav wants to go to Mumbai to meet and wish Aryan on his birthday. His father (Yogendra Tiku) and mother (Deepika Amin) pack his bags and give him a box full of sweets for Aryan. But, things take a different turn when Gaurav takes his ardour beyond acceptable limits in Mumbai by taking on a upcoming star who has had a spat with Aryan. When Aryan comes to know about this, he is furious and angry with Gaurav. When slighted by the person he admires the most, Gaurav engineers a bitter confrontation between fan and idol that is played out at London, Dubrovnik, Mumbai which finally ends in Delhi. 

Pertinent to say, Shahrukh Khan is the soul of Fan. He has carried the entire movie on his shoulders. It is a sheer delight watching Shahrukh Khan portraying two contrasting characters in the movie. It is a bold move by SRK to act in a movie which has no romantic track or songs in it and the move has paid off well because Fan showcases the acting prowess of SRK to the hilt. It's not a mean task to enact two diverse characters in a movie but SRK has done it to pitch perfection. His body language as the young, energetic star struck fan is commendable. And, the ease with which transformation of star struck fan into intimidating stalker has been essayed by SRK, once again reaffirms that he is one of the most versatile actors. As Aryan, SRK is oozing with confidence, attitude and charming persona. But, it is his portrayal of young Gaurav that acts as icing on the cake. After watching Fan, you will be carrying back the memories of Gaurav, the antagonist rather than Aryan, the protagonist. Watch out for SRK in the scene where Aryan imitates Gaurav on the same stage where Gaurav has been imitating Aryan in Delhi.

Yogendra Tiku delivers a subtle yet impactful performance as Gaurav's father in Fan and so does Deepika Amin as Gaurav's mother.

The background score of the movie has been composed by Andrea Guerra which further propels the drama and tension. The cinematographer of the movie is Manu Anand who has done a swell job at capturing the visuals. The movie has been edited by Namrata Rao who has kept the run-time of the movie to 142 minutes. I feel that duration of 142 minutes is a tad too long for a song-less movie having no romantic track also. So, a little crisper editing would have helped the movie. As a director, Maneesh Sharma has explored the thriller genre for the first time and hence fumbles a bit in the second half when the movie gets into thriller mode. Maneesh is at his best when he masterfully creates the typical urban class milieu of Delhi. The local competition scene at the annual Dussehra mela organized by Inder Vihar's DDA colony is a treat to watch and so is the routine conversation between Gaurav and his parents while packing his bags when he is going to Mumbai. Unfortunately, Maneesh is let down by some bad writing and typical Bollywood insertions in the second half. But, Maneesh must be credited for his brave attempt and above all giving the audience a chance to see Shahrukh Khan as an actor, not as a star. 

Fan could have turned out to be a brilliant movie if the cinematic cliches in the second half were done away with. Still, it's a descent one time watch especially for SRK lovers as Fan brings out the acting prowess of SRK to the forefront. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Ki & Ka :: Movie Review

Ki & Ka helmed by R.Balki is a simple, sweet film that talks about role reversal between a husband and wife in marital life albeit in amusing and thoughtful manner. Trust R.Balki to come up with something unconventional whenever he helms a movie. He is one filmmaker who has not fallen prey to commercialization of Indian Cinema and comes up with new fresh concepts on Indian Celluloid. Right from Cheeni Kum to Shamitabh, Balki has offered something invigorating to Indian cine audience. And, Ki & Ka is a step forward in the same direction. Who else other than Balki could have thought about casting Arjun Kapoor in a role which requires him to play a character of homemaker. Ki & Ka talks about gender disparity and is able to make its point, to a certain extent. The movie throws a gamut of questions at the audience ; how would society react if the husband decides to be homemaker while staying at home while wife goes out to earn. Would there be personal insecurities between the couple if he were to be a stay-at-home spouse and she the bread earner ? Above all, it compliments all the house wives by giving them a new name i.e. artiste. An artiste who has the art of holding and managing the house in most efficient manner. It raises a pertinent question that is it the money which is a major root cause of gender disparity ? As men go out to do a job and earn they are considered superior and since women don't go out to earn, their efforts of running a household is taken for granted. We forget that women also do a job i.e. of managing a home. Women's line of work (we don't call it job as they work at home) is more tough and challenging as apart from doing the household chores, they also take care and bring up the children. They neither ask or are paid any money for this because it is considered as their duty. So, if men go out and work hard to earn money, women also work hard or even harder at home. All these questions that form the starting point of Ki & Ka are very tantalizing. And, they are very relevant too as in our society men are considered to be the bread earners and women are supposed to play the role of a housewife, leaving their ambitions behind. And, to give credence to this notion Balki has roped in Amitabh & Jaya Bachchan to play a cameo as themselves in the movie. In that masterly executed scene, Jaya asks Amitabh if he could have played the role of a homemaker whilst she continued to act in movies. The movie tries to portray that there is nothing inimical if men decide to stay at home doing housework and women go out with their ambitious career plans. If the couple is happy with this arrangement, no outsider has the rights to judge them. All these thoughts are novel and intriguing but somewhere down the line, the movie looses its steam in the second half. It's the same thing which happened with Balki's last flick Shamitabh. He begins the film with a novel concept but falters with the storyline. 

The story of the movie has been penned down by R. Balki who has done a swell job at conceptualizing a novel concept. I loved the way that he has sketched the characters and introduces them to the audience. He also needs to be applauded for conveying a powerful message through this film. But, right in the middle story begins to falter and looses its main focus. The movie is quite entertaining in the first half and it is in the second half that things begin to go haywire. The movie begins with a wedding party where Kia (Kareena Kapoor) stuns everyone by talking about the stature of wife in today's society. Cut next, Kia is in a flight where she finds her co-passenger Kabir (Arjun Kapoor) sobbing. When Kia asks Kabir why is he  sobbing, he replies that it is his deceased's mother's birthday and he is missing her. A few meeting later, Kia comes to know that Kabir is not only a topper of IIM but also the only son of a construction magnate Mr. Bansal (Rajit Kapur). But, Kabir has no interest in business and he wants to be like his mother. On the other hand, Kia is an aggressive corporate woman who aspires to become a big shot. Soon, they fall in love and decide to get married with an arrangement that Kabir will stay at home and look after household work while Kia will pursue her corporate ambitions. Kia's office colleagues express an desire to meet Kabir and party is arranged at their place. During the party, Kia tells her colleagues that Kabir is a house-husband. Kia's office team decides to rope in Kabir as brand ambassador for their product. After that, Kabir becomes a hot property who gets to deliver lectures, feature in news channels, cookery shows and debates on gender disparity. But little do Ki & Ka know that their decision of gender role reversal will take its toll on their relationship in the form of societal views, jealousy, misunderstandings and ego clashes. Will Ki & Ka be able to overcome these challenges and stay happily married ever after is what forms the rest of the story. 

Arjun Kapoor delivers a fairly impressive performance in Ki & Ka. Arjun has ably enacted the character of Kabir in a subtle, balanced manner which is applause worthy. It was quite a challenge to portray this character as Kabir's character is a blend of vulnerability, endearing charm and thoughtfulness which Arjun has portrayed with ease. Arjun's fine performance has lent sheer credibility to the character which the audience will be able to relate to. I am sure that his female fan following is going to increase manifold after they watch him playing the Super Husband in this movie. 

Kareena Kapoor Khan is the epitome of confidence in the movie with her superlative act. She looks stylish, poised and perfect as the ambitious corporate woman. But, it is when the jealousy creeps in between the relationship that you get to see the best of Kareena. After a long time, Kareena Kapoor got an author backed role to portray and she has taken to it like fish takes to water. Kareena is at her best in the climax scene where she blasts Kabir for negligence and later repents for her folly and confides about her love for Kabir to her mother. 

Rajit Kapur shines and makes his presence felt as Kabir's father. His anger over his son not joining his family business and deciding to become a house-man comes across as very genuinely reflected. Swaroop Sampat who has appeared on screen after a long hiatus does a fine job as Kia's mother. 

Amitabh Bachchan & Jaya Bachchan play a special appearance in the film as themselves and are as endearing as always. It's a treat watching make Amitabh indignant face and mouth famous dialogue ' Teri Jaat ka...... ' on Arjun's visit to his place. 

 

The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Ilaiyaraaja, Meet Bros., Mithoon is delightful with two tracks namely 'High Heels' and 'Mohabbat Hai' standing out amongst others. The cinematographer of the movie is P.C.Sreeram who has done brilliant job behind the lens. His camera has not only ably captured the outdoor locales but also captured the gamut of emotions portrayed by its stars especially Kareena Kapoor through effective close up shots. The movie has been edited by Chandan Arora who has kept the run-time of the movie to 126 minutes. As a writer-director, R.Balki has once again reaffirmed that he is one of the finest talents to come up with newfangled concepts. He wants to try something out of the box and is not keen to hem movies on akin subjects. With Ki & Ka, he has once again tried to offer something different and thoughtful to Indian audience. He had germane of an idea in the concept of Ki & Ka but it couldn't get translated into a gripping story. But, still he deserves all the brownie points for coming up and making a film on such subject when commercialization rules the roost in Bollywood. 

Ki & Ka could have been a formidable film because it's woven around an unconventional subject and pertinent issues but its cliched and melodramatic treatment make it loose its steam. Yet, Ki & Ka can be watched once for its noble intentions, breaking stereotypes and earnest performances by its lead pair. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Rocky Handsome :: Movie Review

Rocky Handsome helmed by Nishikant Kamat is a slick, stylish, son-of-a-gun flick with emotional undercurrents and lots of gory violence which might appeal to fans of action genre. Rocky Handsome is a remake of the Korean film "The man from nowhere". There are two kind of people in this world ; one who firmly believe in love,relationships and human emotions and prefer them over materialistic things while others are the ones who love materialistic things and use relationships and humans to fulfill their ulterior motives. This story depicts a fight between both set of the people. While the film's protagonist, Kabir (John Abraham) who has seen it all belongs to the first category and will go to any lengths to save his young neighbor Naomi (Diya Chalwad) from the clutches of baddies, the film's antagonist Kevin (Nishikant Kamat) is a mean machine who deals in all kinds of nefarious activities ranging from drug peddling, illegal organ trading and child trafficking.  While the movie delivers the goods when it comes to well captured action sequences, it fails to tug your heartstrings when it comes to emotional content.  Kabir has a well chiseled ripped body with bullet and stitch marks all over it who takes on the crime mafia and breaks down the functioning of a drug cartel by allowing his fists to do the talking. Rocky Handsome is an attempt to recreate Hollywood's 'John Wick' or 'The Equalizer' on Indian Celluloid by portraying Kabir as a larger than life Hero. These gory action flicks work well in Hollywood but out here in Bollywood, audience needs to have an emotional connect with the flick even if it is an out & out action film. Had the writers invested more in sketching out the characters more elaborately especially the affinity between Kabir and Naomi, Rocky Handsome could have ended as a much better flick. But, the film deserves full brownie points for its well orchestrated action sequences which are a cut above the rest. There are no gravity defying action sequences but well shot hand to hand as well as knife combat action which looks realistic and will be lapped up by action lovers. John seems to have worked really hard towards portraying this character and learnt some martial arts skills which are evident in his fight sequences with Kazu Patrick Tang who is a Paris-born Thai martial arts action star.

The story of the movie has been penned down by Ritesh Shah which has turned out to be a weak link of the movie. Had Ritesh invested more in etching out his characters, Rocky Handsome would have fared much better at the box office. Apart from John's character, none of the other characters are able to make an impact on your mind or suck you into the on-screen proceedings. Right from Naomi, to the villains all suffer due to lack of proper characterizations.  On top of that, the film follows a non-linear pattern of storytelling revealing us about Kabir's past in bits and pieces. Some of the scenes reek of amateur writing like the scene where officers of Anti Narcotics Cell are not able to trace the past record of Kabir from the systems as the files are classified. Here, an officer not only suggests but also sends a threatening email to the President of United States from Kabir's email I.D. as he thinks after receiving the threatening email, C.I.A. will ask for Kabir's details and they will be able to access all his past record. The film kick-starts in Goa shrouded with a heavy downpour where Kabir (John Abraham) buys fishes and flowers. Kabir runs a pawn shop in Goa. His shop is frequented by Naomi (Diya Chalwad) who lives with her single mother, Anna (Nathalia Kaur) who is a drug addict. Naomi tells Kabir that all her friends think that he is handsome and she has been told to stay away from him because others think that he is a gangster who has committed a crime. An unspoken bond develops between the two. Things are going fine till Naomi's mom steals hefty stash belonging to drug lord Kevin (Nishikant Kamat). That is when, Kevin's psycho brother (Teddy Maurya) kidnaps Anna and her daughter Naomi. In lieu of their release, baddies want Kabir to deliver a package to someone in a car. But, little does Kabir know that they have tipped Anti Narcotics Cell and the car that Kabir is driving has Anna's dead body lying in the back. Kabir is arrested by Officer (Sharad Kelkar). When they check about his past, they come to know that Kabir is a highly trained assassin who used to work for Government with the code name Rocky. He paid a heavy price in line of his duty by losing his wife Rukshida (Shruti Hassan). Will Kabir be able to dodge the cops, will he able to rescue Naomi from the clutches of Kevin is what forms the rest of the story. 

John Abraham leads from the front in Rocky Handsome as far as the performances are concerned. This role was tailor made for John and he has done full justice to his character. He carries a serious dead-pan expression on his face throughout the movie which was the requirement of his character. Add to it, his well performed action sequences and you get to see a power packed performance from John. The way he punches his opponents and swings knives, action looks realistic to the core. 

Shruti Hassan lights up the screen whenever she appears on-screen during her extended cameo in the movie. 

Nishikant Kamat has played the role of antagonist, a drug dealer who also dabbles into organ trade to pitch perfection in the movie. Nishikant has enacted the character with utmost conviction and he literally looks like a baddie you want to hate. And, when you are able to invoke hatred from the audience as a villain, it is a real compliment for an actor playing the antagonist. 

Sharad Kelkar portrays the role of a cop with effortless ease and proves that it is acting prowess and not the length of the role which is important to leave a lasting impression. Sharad has been able to make the maximum out of the screen time assigned to him. 

Diya Chalwad not only looks cute and innocent but is also able to hit the right chords with her acting. 

Nora Fatehi looks sultry hot and sets the screen on fire with her item number in Rocky Handsome. Wish to see her more frequently on Big Screen.

Nathalia Kaur has played her part with fair sense of conviction in Rocky Handsome. 

The musical soundtrack of the movie composed by Sunny Bawra, Inder Bawra and Ankit Tiwari is quite average but the film's background score composed by Sunny & Inder Bawra is apt enough as per the genre of the movie and provides a further impetus to on-screen proceedings. The cinematographer of the movie is Shankar Raman who has done an outstanding job at capturing the visuals. Shankar's cinematography is not only plush, passionate but his usage of apt color palettes as per the requirement of the scene is praiseworthy. A special mention of Suniel Rodrigues and Kecha Kammpakdee for their effective contribution in the action department. It is their well orchestrated action sequences that have taken Rocky Handsome several notches higher. The movie has been edited by Aarif Shaikh who has kept the run-time to 126 minutes. As a director, Nishikant Kamat has come up with a sleek, stylish and well packaged action film. Though, Nishikant is let down by a weak script, he ably covers it up with some well shot action sequences. Kamat knows the strengths of his leading man i.e. John Abraham and has utilized them to the optimum in the movie. Special brownie points to Kamat for the penultimate scene of the movie where John indulges in stylish knife fight with his opponents. That scene is highlight of the movie especially for action lovers.  

Rocky Handsome has been packaged with some of the best executed action sequences and if you are a die hard action fan, this could be the right movie for you to watch out.  

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Kapoor & Sons :: Movie Review

Kapoor & Sons helmed by Shakun Batra is an engaging family drama that tells us about intricacies of human relationships and family ties by portraying a tale of dysfunctional family through its well etched characters in an apt manner. Mind you, Kapoor & Sons is not cut out for those who find entertainment in typical Bollywood commercial potboilers as it is a movie with a difference. The movie moves at its own sweet pace and doesn't play to the galleries, at all. It took me a while to digest the fact that this a Dharma Productions film. Dharma Productions is known to make films that are filled with grandeur, opulent sets, over-the-top melodrama and razzmatazz of the elite class. Thankfully, Kapoor & Sons steers away from all these and comes across as a realistic piece of cinema with some earnest performances. The film brushes upon several topics during the course of its run-time that include sibling rivalry, adultery, parenting and above all human inadequacies. Shakun Batra has invested heavily in his characters and situations while crafting this tale which makes this family drama refreshing. The characters, their respective journeys and especially their shortcomings have been so cogently penned down that they seem very relate-able. A movie about a dysfunctional family could have easily gone overboard but to his credit, Shakun manages to keep the proceedings in tight reign. And, in this he is ably supported by the entire starcast who have essayed their characters with firm conviction. From the promos, it was looking as if it is a movie about two brothers fighting over the same girl which is not the case, at all. The best part about the movie is that it chooses to talk about the human inadequacies or the grey areas which is a rare phenomenon in mainstream Bollywood films. Each one out of us has his or her grey areas which this film tries to bring out from its characters and this aspect of the movie makes it very relate able. The movie in a subtle way hints that everyone makes mistakes in a family but its never too late to admit them. The movie talks about flaws of parenting as at times, parents love and support one kid more than the other(s), hence developing a feeling of animosity between siblings. They generally call one of their kids as the golden child while the other child develops a feeling of being irresponsible child and how he grows up with that feeling. The film also talks about the sexual preferences (same sex) but in such a matured and subtle way that has never been witnessed on Indian celluloid before. It also talks about how because of constant nagging & quarreling in a marriage, a person can go wrong and develop extra marital relations which is ethically wrong. The movie also features a delightful character in the form of a grandfather who at times like to smoke weed and watch porn. In short, it is these imperfect characters who together put up a great show to make this movie sound perfect.  

The story as well as screenplay of the movie has been penned down by Shakun Batra along with Ayesha Dhillon. A story about a dysfunctional family where husband-wife are always at loggerheads, two brothers who don't share a cordial equation is nothing new but the way, writers have etched out the characters and situations in this movie is commendable. What makes this tale rise above the rest is the freshness in its approach to narrate the shortcomings of human(s) and how some wrong decisions or actions of individuals leave permanent imprints or scars on human minds and hearts. The writers deserve the due credit for penning down this intrinsic mature tale which delves deep unto human psyche. It's not that the movie doesn't have its share of flaws but the earnest performances from its prolific cast (in identifiable characters), override those glitches. The movie begins in Coonoor where Harsh (Rajat Kapoor) is living with his wife Sunita (Ratna Pathak Shah) and his father Dadoo (Rishi Kapoor). Harsh and Sunita don't get along well and have their share of marital problems. They have two kids, the older being Rahul (Fawad Khan) who is a successful writer based in London and is mostly referred to as the ideal son. The younger son is Arjun (Sidharth Malhotra) who is also an aspiring writer but presently working as a part-time bartender in New Jersey. Dadoo suffers a heart attack and both the grandsons rush back to India to be with their ailing grandfather. Both the brothers don't have a cordial relationship as the younger one feels that parents have always considered the elder one to be their ideal child.Meanwhile in Coonoor, a chirpy young girl Tia (Alia Bhatt) walks in and befriends both the brothers adding fuel to the fire. While all the family members are far from being picture perfect with each of them concealing their own share of lies, it is only Dadoo who is full of life. He has seen Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili umpteen times just to watch Mandakini taking a shower under the waterfall. He has a wish to get a photograph clicked featuring all the members of his family in it. What transpires hereafter, is for you to go and watch at a theater near you. 

Fawad Khan stands out amongst others with his meticulous act in the movie. Fawad is literally spot-on every time, he appears on-screen. Fawad has essayed the finer nuances of his character perfectly. Fawad looks totally convincing as the confident achiever who is hiding a trait of his personality from his family. When his mother comes to know about truth, you see the emotional side of Fawad coming in forefront. And, those emotional scenes are a testament to the acting prowess of Fawad Khan. SIMPLY BRILLIANT. 

Sidharth Malhotra is pitch perfect as Arjun in this movie. Quite like his last outing Brothers, here too Sidharth gets to play a character who is kind of considered underdog in front of his elder brother and Sidharth simply nails it, once again. Arjun was not an easy character to portray as he has grudges with his brother for copying his content that he penned down for a book and also feels that his parents have always given preferential treatment to his elder brother but to his credit, Sidharth has enacted the character with fair sense of conviction. 

Rishi Kapoor is outstanding in the movie and he brings the house down with his delightful act. The movie is lent most of its hilarious moments by Dadoo which has been efficaciously enacted by Rishi Kapoor. He is proving to be one of the most versatile actors that we have in Indian Film fraternity. 

Alia Bhatt is growing as an actor with every subsequent film of hers. She not only lights up the screen every time she appears but also wins you over with her charming act in the movie. Not only does Alia hold her ground as the chirpy Tia but she bowls you over with her emotional act when she reveals her traumatic past to Arjun. 

    

Rajat Kapoor proves what natural and effortless acting is all about with his impeccable act in Kapoor & Sons. His act looks so real and convincing as the hapless husband who is fed up of his wife's constant nagging that you could walk-into his shoes. 

Ratna Pathak Shah excels as Sunita Kapoor in the movie. 

The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Amaal Mallik, Badshah, Arko is chartbusting material. The cinematographer of the movie is Jeffery F.  Bierman who has done an excellent job at capturing the vistas. Jeffery has not only captured the scenic locales of Coonoor with aplomb but more importantly, his camera often glides through the psyche of his characters bringing out their turmoil, guilt and confrontation to the forefront. The movie has been edited by Shivkumar V Panicker who has kept the run-time of the movie to 140 minutes. As a writer-director, Shakun Batra has crafted the story with great sensitivity. The best part about the movie is that the movie comes across as a authentic one which is a big achievement for any director. The audience can relate themselves or any of their acquaintances with any of the characters in the movie which speaks volumes about the way, Shakun has helmed the movie. Though, its a family drama but Shakun never lets the proceedings go over the top or melodramatic and keeps a tight leash on them. As a writer Shakun has etched out perfectly layered characters and than as a director, given them a free space to go and perform as if it's happening for real. Looking forward to see more such films from Shakun Batra. 

Kapoor & Sons is modern-day family drama that not only makes you laugh, cry but also doesn't shy away from reminding us about the imperfections in the family, acceptance of which can make life more beautiful. If you have penchant for refreshing, different take on modern-day family relationships, Kapoor & Sons should be on your watch-list. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Love Punjab :: Movie Review

                                                  
                                            

Love Punjab helmed by Rajiv Dhingra and written by Amberdeep Singh is a delightful, meaningful flick which takes you on a fun filled roller coaster ride from Canada to Punjab replete with wit, emotional turbulence, good music, bravura performances making it a must Big Screen watch. A good film is result of a great teamwork and Love Punjab is a prima facie example of the same. Right from the actors,director, writer, music director, cinematographer, editor and production designer ; everyone has chipped in with brilliant contributions to satiate the cravings of Punjabi cine lovers. But two persons who stand out with their contributions are ; Amberdeep Singh (story,screenplay & dialogues) who has cleverly interlaced the script with several prevalent issues and director, Rajiv Dhingra for crafting his vision eloquently on-screen.  They say laughter is the best medicine and Love Punjab offers you aplenty of that. There are so many comic punches in the movie that the theater was reverberating with noise of laughter for a long time. In fact, the person sitting next to me was heard saying that he will have to watch the movie again as he missed out on lot of punches because of the echo of laughter. But, mind you, it's not a mindless comedy with comic gags inserted just for the heck of it. It has a layered script with apt comic punches and situational comedy infused within. The movie also talks about several pertinent issues ; like youngsters going abroad for the sake of money and than start looking for N.R.I girl so that they can marry her and settle down there. It also talks about how racial discrimination in the Western countries is inflicting young minds and sending them into bouts of depression. Most importantly, it talks about the institution of marriage. It says that no marriage is perfect as every couple has their share of differences (Somebody has rightly said that Men are from Mars Women are from Venus). But, every couple should look, introspect on the brighter sides of their relationship rather than opting for divorce. All this might be sounding heavy and preachy but to their credit ; both Amberdeep and Rajiv ensure that all these issues are raised in a lighter vein. The movie also talks about conservative approach of people living in Indian hinterland through N.R.I girl Jessica (brilliantly portrayed by Sargun Mehta) but the same girl is bowled over and is in all tears when she visits Punjab and is bestowed with all the love and affection. In short, Love Punjab has all the en-trappings that make a ambrosial film. 

The story, screenplay and dialogues of the film have been penned down by Amberdeep Singh who deserves a standing ovation for his clever writing. The best part about the screenplay is that it progresses smoothly and quite logically so that the drama does not bore or dip anywhere. Also, the characters have been so well etched out with perfection that they genuinely invoke interest in you. And the ambiance - so real that the audience gets a feeling of watching a authentic and real drama unfold on-screen. Probably, the biggest victory of a writer is that his script comes across as a very honest and straight-from-the-heart attempt which will not be lost on the audience. And to his credit, Amberdeep Singh has laden the screenplay with some real quirky one liners and dialogues which invoke aplenty of laughter. As far as the storyline goes, the film begins in Canada where Pargat (Amrinder Gill) is living with his wife Jessica (Sargun Mehta) and son Manvir. Their marriage is going through turbulent times and they are headed for a divorce. The negative affect of his parents getting divorced coupled with bullying by some of his classmates takes its toll on the mind of young Manvir who goes into depression. The psychiatrist advises the couple to take their child to Punjab. But, Pargat is reluctant as he knows the actual ground conditions in his village and is aware that his Canadian born son will not feel good about the conditions in Punjab. But, Jessica calls up Pargat's father (Yograj Singh) and tells him that they want to visit Punjab. She asks him to spruce up the village so that Manvir finds Punjab to be a developed state and feels proud about his roots there. Yograj urges the villagers to mend their ways for fifteen days and gives a makeover to the village. Will Manvir feel proud about his village and Punjab, Will the differences between Pargat and Jessica sustain or get sorted out is what forms the rest of the story. 

Amrinder Gill has grown leaps and bounds as an actor and his performance in Love Punjab is a testament to this fact. He has simply nailed the character of Pargat with his impeccable act in the movie. He is not only outstanding whilst delivering comic one liners but shows remarkable ease while enacting emotional scenes. Amrinder Gill is truly proving to be a dark horse of Punjabi Cinema. 

Sargun Mehta might be one film old in Pollywood but she is oozing with confidence in Love Punjab. Jessica was a layered and complex character to portray but Sargun has portrayed it with effortless ease. While on one side you see a poised, confident side of hers who wants a divorce from her husband; on the other hand you see a emotional side of hers who breaks down when so much of love and blessings are showered on her by Pargat's folks in Punjab. Sargun proves her mettle as an actress with her performance in Love Punjab & is carving a niche for herself in Punjabi Cinema. 

Yograj Singh delivers a masterly act as the patriarch of the family and sarpanch of the village. His frequent banters with his on-screen wife are a real treat to watch. 

Binnu Dhillon once again manages to tickle your funny bones with his hilarious antics. Nirmal Rishi delivers an excellent performance as she not brings smile to your faces with her frequent quarrels with Yograj but also leaves you in tears during her emotional scenes with Sargun. Rana Ranbir is hilarious as the school teacher. Nice to see writer Amberdeep Singh performing a comic cameo in the movie. 

The musical soundtrack of the film that has been composed by Jatinder Shah comprises of varied chart-busting numbers. The cinematographer of the movie is Navneet Misser who has done a swell job at capturing the visuals. Navneet's cinematography is plush,passionate and heightens the kitsch of the settings with warm-hued interiors as well as captures the outdoor locales with aplomb. He has ably captured the rural milieu with the roving eye of his lens. A special mention of Raashid Rangrez (Production Designer) & Rose Puri (Costume Stylist) for their effective contributions in their respective fields.  The movie has been edited by Omkarnath Bhakri who has kept the run-time of the movie to 130 minutes. As a director, Rajiv Dhingra has hit bulls eye with Love Punjab. Rajiv begins the movie well by introducing us to the characters and maintains the momentum throughout the movie without letting it dip, at any point of time. Rajiv Dhingra has done a swell job of crafting the screenplay unto screen and in the process has also extracted the best out of his cast and crew. There is a scene in the movie where Amrinder and Sargun are sitting on a bench and discussing pleasant memories. As Sargun stands to move away, Amrinder holds Dupatta of Sargun and when Sargun looks back, he leaves it. She thinks that Amrinder has held it but finds it entangled in the bench. This scene forms the crux of the movie. Amrinder has strong feelings, love for Sargun but he is unable to express them. This is a masterly scene helmed by Rajiv Dhingra and he deserves all the brownie points for the same.         

Team Love Punjab has worked hard to come up with a clean, family entertainer that works primarily because it has got its heart and soul at the right place. Also, the movie is an exemplary amalgamation of rich content, brilliant craftsmanship and towering performances which result in full paisa wasool experience for the audience. So what are you waiting for.....Go & watch Love Punjab at a theater near you at the earliest. It's a must watch.  

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Jai Gangaajal :: Movie Review

Jai Gangaajal helmed by Prakash Jha is a gritty drama whose central premise revolves around the plight of farmers who are being forced to commit suicide due to their exploitation by the system which is in connivance with land mafia, politicians and cops. Prakash Jha is known for making films that are soaked in realism revolving around prevalent social issues. After making Gangaajal which revolved around cops in 2003, Jha made several movies which focused on varied sociopolitical issues  like Apaharan (2005), Raajneeti (2010)  , Aarakshan (2011) , Chakravyuh (2012) and Satyagraha (2013). Now, in 2016 he is back with Jai Gangaajal whose basic premise revolves around land grabbing by the mighty politicians and also the binary of good cop and bad cop. 

Mind you, Jai Gangaajal is not a sequel to Gangaajal as its characters are entirely different although it treads down the same path  as far as the subject of the film is concerned. One thing is for sure that Jha knows the political badlands inside out by heart and hence is able to helm the subjects revolving around the same efficaciously. In Jai Gangaajal, he has taken up the issues of farmers suicides, molestation, land mafia working under patronage of politicians and rampant corruption prevalent in our police department. The basic premise of the film is based on universal theme of good versus bad with lot of potential in it but unfortunately, the film works in parts. Jai Gangaajal is the story of a honest,upright police officer who refuses to bow down in front of corrupt system which not only include land mafia, politicians but also some of her colleagues. Though, the protagonist of the movie is Priyanka Chopra but the actor who walks away with the cake is Prakash Jha who has portrayed the character of a corrupt police officer who has a change of heart in the latter part of the film. What makes the film alive and kicking is its dialogues, some well captured scenes and earnest performances from its cast. 

The screenplay of the movie has been penned down by Prakash Jha who has interlaced the narrative with several social issues. Despite a very predictable plot, it is the screenplay and dialogues that make this film rise above the ordinary. The film is based in Bankipur where a politician Babloo Pandey (Manav Kaul) rules the roost. He has a younger brother Dabloo Pandey (Ninad Kamat) who is into real estate and land grabbing. All their unscrupulous activities are covered by a corrupt cop B.N.Singh (Prakash Jha) who has made millions by shielding their activities. When a senior cop questions the integrity of Singh, he is transferred at the behest of a minister. As elections are around the corner, the same minister sends Abha Mathur (Priyanka Chopra) to replace the cop thinking that she won't interfere in the unscrupulous activities of Pandey brothers. But, Abha turns out to be a honest,upright officer who not only wants law and order to be reinforced in the lawless town but also leads from the front. Her moral policing has a positive effect on some of her colleagues who have been corrupt earlier. Meanwhile, a power company decides to open a power project in Bankipur for which they require huge chunk of land. Babloo Pandey forces the local farmers to sell off their land for the sake of project. One farmer family refuse to sell their land and the farmer is picked up by cops for non-payment of loan and he commits suicide. Now, his daughter refutes to part with the piece of land and an angry Dabloo kidnaps, rapes and kills her. This infuriates B.N.Singh who has a change of heart and decides to confront Dabloo. Will Abha be able to restore law and order in Bankipur, Will Singh help Abha in nailing down Babloo Pandey is what forms the rest of the story. 

Priyanka Chopra simply nails it as Abha Mathur with her intimidating screen presence. She has delivered an outstanding performance as the tough cop. It is because of Priyanka's acting prowess that the character of Abha Mathur looks so believable. Watch out for her in the scene where she she beats up a molester right in the pubic view. Power Packed Performance. 

Manav Kaul has portrayed the character of notorious and sinister politician to the hilt in the movie. Manav has this amazing knack of playing the antagonist without going over the top which is his biggest asset. After Wazir, Manav has come up with another superlative performance and wish to see him more frequently on big screen. 

It won't be wrong to say that Prakash Jha has turned out to be the surprise element of the film as an actor. Prakash gets to play a layered character to which he has done full justice. Jha seems to have imbibed the finer nuances of a cop right from body language to dialect and portrayed them efficiently on-screen. 

In the ensemble cast, Rahul Bhatt, Ninad Kamat, Murali Sharma and Ayush Khedekar have delivered noticeable performances.   

The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Salim-Suleiman is strictly average but the numbers have been used effectively as background score for scenes. The cinematographer of the movie is Sachin Krishn who has done a fine job. The movie has been edited by Santosh Mandal who has kept the run-time of the movie to 158 minutes. I feel more crisp editing by chopping the duration of some scenes could have worked in favor of the movie as the second half seems a tad long. As a director, Prakash Jha is a name to reckon with especially when it comes to crafting movies based on sociopolitical issues. In Jai Gangaajal, Jha is let down by the predictable plot but he somehow makes upto it by crafting some well captured scenes  and extracting the best from his cast. 

Though, Jai Gangaajal is not in the league of original Gangaajal yet it can be watched once for the earnest performances delivered by its starcast, some well captured scenes, hard hitting dialogues and social issues imbibed in the movie.    

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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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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