Drishyam :: Movie Review

                                      

Drishyam helmed by Nishikant Kamat is not only a riveting, gripping tale that leaves you spellbound with its skillful art but also makes you sit in the theater with bated breath, never wanting to miss a moment of the film on screen. Drishyam (2013) was initially made in Malayalam and since than it has been made in three different languages namely Kannada, Tamil & Telugu before its Hindi version hitting the theaters in 2015. All the remake versions of the movie have fared well at the box office, suffice enough to prove about movie's content quality. Needless, to say that the ace of the movie is its script which has a novelty factor attached to it. While most of the thrillers bank upon whodunit factor, Drishyam concentrates on how the crime is committed and than flawlessly concealing it. This gives Drishyam a cutting edge over most of the other thrillers that Bollywood has offered so far. Drishyam is definitely a movie which is in league of its own. The biggest strength of Drishyam is its unpredictability along with milieu around which story has been set giving it a real authentic look. With no superficial over-dramatic flourishes, ear shattering BGM, unwanted item numbers, Nishikant Kamat has delivered a perfectly toned film. And, lot of credit for this perfectly toned film must be given to its story writer i.e. Jeethu Joseph. He has penned down the storyline in such a way that the steam never dries out. Though, the film takes its own sweet time in setting ground for the drama in the first half by drawing the picture of a conventional family but soon it develops into a fascinating thriller with its unpredictability factor looming large. It engulfs you completely unto the movie and makes you put your thinking caps on as it becomes very difficult to predict exactly what will happen next. The very ordinariness of the family makes their reactions and those of the other characters unexpected, while the developments in the screenplay keep you surprising at every turn. There are few moments where the story flounders a little, but overall it's an intelligent piece of writing that showcases the effects of a unforeseen exigency and how imperative it is for a family to stick together while going through catastrophic times. Amalgamation of family ties with a classic thriller format makes Drishyam a fascinating watch.

STORY & SCREENPLAY   (SPOILERS AHEAD)                                            ::                       The storyline of Drishyam has been penned down by Jeethu Joseph who also directed the Original Malayalam version of the movie where as the screenplay of the movie has been written by Upendra Sidhye. The most important factor while penning down an absolutely gripping thriller is detailing, as closing every open end in the most logical way is most imperative. The narrative of the movie has been so intricately woven that by the time second half of the movie begins, you have been entranced by the on-screen proceedings. It compels you to include yourself in the guessing games of the movie but the story doesn't allow you to rise above being a mere spectator by throwing more surprises at you. It is very rare that a story is able to compel audience into playing thinking mind games but Drishyam is successful in doing that making it helluva thriller. The film is based on psychological fact that visuals make more impact on human brain than sounds. The film begins at Pandolem police station in Goa with Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) in frame. Flashback ensues and we are taken back in time to recount the events as to why Vijay is there at the police station. Vijay is fourth class failure academically but hardworking businessman who runs a cable TV business in the area. He is a such hard core movie buff that  he generally puts the receiver of his landline phone down while he is engrossed in watching movies. He lives in Goan countryside with his wife Nandini (Shriya Saran) and daughters Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrinal). His family means the world to him. He is quite honest, upright and helpful and because of these qualities, he is looked down upon by a corrupt cop Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant). Life is going smooth for Salgaonkars till Anju goes for a school camp. At the school camp, Anju is stalked by Sam. Sam is a notorious guy who plants a hidden camera in Anju's washroom at the camp. After returning from camp, Sam approaches Vijay's daughter and shows her the MMS. He asks her to meet him late night at the courtyard of her house. Anju gets worried and tells all this to her mother. When Sam arrives, he is confronted by both mother and daughter to delete the MMS but Sam asks for sexual favor in order to delete the SMS. Vijay's world is turned upside down when Sam goes missing and he is made the prime suspect in the case. To add to his woes, Sam is the only child of IG Police Meera Deshmukh (Tabu). From here on, a cat and mouse game ensues between the cops and Vijay. Gaitonde who is already at loggerheads with Vijay inflicts torture on Vijay and his family. Is Vijay able to protect himself and his family from clutches of law, What is Vijay's foolproof plan to dodge the cops is what forms the rest of the story.        

STARCAST                                                                            ::         A special mention of Vicky Sidana (Casting director) for choosing the appropriate cast as per their characterizations in the movie. For all the Ajay Devgn fans out there, especially those who were complaining about him performing more of gravity defying stunts in his last flicks with Rohit Shetty and not portraying realistic, grounded and intense roles, just go and watch Drishyam. Go and watch Ajay Devgn deliver one of the finest performances in his highly illustrious career. You can watch him in sheer disbelief as he gives subtle acting a new meaning in Drishyam. He has fit into the character of a common man having extraordinary intelligence with remarkable ease. Ajay Devgn has emoted a common man's struggle to prevent his adored family from falling apart mostly through his smoldering eyes. Watch out for him in the scene when he goes to his cable office and his assistant asks him about his well being finding him in a pensive mood. Ajay Devgn immediately changes his tone and expressions in a brilliant manner so that everything seems normal to his assistant. It's one of Ajay Devgn's finest performances till date. Tabu, once again proves her mettle as an actress with her extraordinary performance in this film.She is seen in two different avatars in this movie ; a top notch, intense Police Officer and a worried, emotional mother. And, to her credit Tabu has stood her ground firmly while portraying both these avatars. She has enacted the right amount of intensity, aggression and emotions that her character was supposed to portray in the film. Pertinent to say, Ajay Devgn and Tabu are the two solid pillars of this movie. Shriya Sharan has given an earnest performance as Ajay's wife. She has ably emoted the expressions of fear when the family goes through crisis and covers them up commendably when interrogated by Cops. Rajat Kapoor has given a restrained performance as Tabu's husband who is worried about his son's whereabouts but is also against the torture being inflicted upon Ajay's family. Rajat is such a natural actor and it is a treat watching him perform in Drishyam. Ishita Dutta & Mrinal shine as Ajay's daughters and have given a commendable performance. Not to forget, Kamlesh Jadhav who looks every inch the corrupt cop that he is supposed to portray on-screen.    

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                          ::                          The musical soundtrack of the film that has been composed by Vishal Bhardwaj comprises of some melodious numbers which are in tandem with the on-screen proceedings. The background music of the movie has been composed by Sameer Phaterpekar who has done a splendid job. Drishyam thrives on the tense moments it creates and the source of the tension is partly, its background music. Sameer's background score is a huge strength to the film as it underscores every scene without hammering in the situations and is not that loud and jarring. The cinematographer of the movie is Avinash Arun who has done a splendid job behind the lens. Avinash Arun's rustic and realistic visuals sans the artificial filters and gloss, capture the true colors and natural prosperity of Drishyam. At the same time, his contribution is not just a functional one. The overall slowness in the composition adds a tinge of curiosity, thrills suspense and grip to the film. A special mention of Rita Ghosh (Art director) and Sukant Panigrahy (Production designer) for their effective contributions in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Aarif Sheikh who has kept the run-time of the movie to 163 minutes. Aarif has done a wonderful job at the editing table by keeping Drishyam taut & razor sharp. Though, the pace of the movie is slow to begin with especially in the first half yet Aarif manages to keep your interest alive in the proceedings with his precise editing. As a director, Nishikant Kamat has proven his mettle by making a gripping, taut, riveting remake of a movie that has already been made in four other regional languages. It is not an easy job to make a perfectly balanced and riveting remake because the original film serves as a hard benchmark while filming the remake. It is tough to replicate something while maintaining the interest of audience in the same. Nishikant has done this job to more than satisfying extent. Nishikant attempts a stunning mix of the real with imaginary, and the result is an unpredictable cinematic artichoke that takes you by surprise at every turn the movie takes.

CONCLUSION                                                                     ::             Drishyam is undoubtedly cladded with exceptional story telling combined with bravura performances. An exceptional film as far as the content is concerned, the movie is a must watch for all the audience who love to watch family and thriller movies.  

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Bajrangi Bhaijaan :: Movie Review

                                          

Bajrangi Bhaijaan helmed by Kabir Khan takes you on a journey to Pakistan, without Visa albeit with plethora of emotions, exhilarating drama, high octane action, transcendent performances, mesmeric visuals, adroit craftsmanship making it a top notch motion picture. The last flick in which Salman Khan was directed by Kabir Khan namely "Ek Tha Tiger" turned out to be a blockbuster. So, when both these names decided to team up together for Bajrangi Bhaijaan, expectations were bound to be high. Generally, when you go to watch a movie with high expectations in mind there are chances of you getting disappointed but on the contrary Bajrangi Bhaijaan supersedes those apprehensions and engulfs you unto the movie right from its first frame. Is Bajrangi Bhaijaan at par/better than previous Salman starrers? The answer is affirmative for the sole reason that this movie has its heart and soul at the right place. So numbed we are by the the onslaught of mindless southern remakes heavy with punchlines and raucous slapstick that an action film where the leading man (Salman Khan) doesn't loose his shirt automatically feels special. In this new film, Salman Khan is seen in a new emotional avatar who on his own travels to Pakistan to reunite a mute girl with her parents. Clearly this is a departure.  As a standalone film, Bajrangi Bhaijaan is enthralling and most significantly an entertaining motion picture. On the exterior, it is a compelling sentimental story/thriller. But beneath the entertainment it offers, it carries a message as well. Loud and Clear. If the audience can see through the coating, great. Even if they don't, they will yet go back in high spirits. There are two conflicting factors in Bajrangi Bhaijaan ; Salman Khan's overriding principle of portraying silly antics on-screen and Kabir Khan's intrinsic liking for seriousness. But so overwhelming is Bhai's past aura that serious keeps threatening to slide into silly, and the moment you give in to that in-between space, the film becomes something that you enjoy to the core.Most of the time. Though, its a formulaic film yet it is not a typical Salman Khan kind of cinema. It ably brings the message of humanity, peace and human bonding to the forefront. How a person rigid about his religion can happily, peacefully co-exist with the unique ways of other religions. In fact, Salman's character is closest to #Being human (his charitable foundation) in this movie when compared to all other characters that he has portrayed in past. I could see a lot of moist eyes at the end of this movie which is proof enough that the movie tugs on the heartstrings of the audience.          

STORY & SCREENPLAY (SPOILERS AHEAD)                 ::           The story of the movie has been penned down by Vijayendra Prasad where as the credit for writing the screenplay goes to Kabir Khan, Parveez Sheikh along with Asad Hussain. Together, they have concocted a cross border tale infused with sentiments, drama, wit and human bonding even in extreme conditions. While most of the films made on Indo-Pak either relied on Pak bashing or jingoism & preachiness, this film takes a different route altogether. The film captures the tension of India-Pakistan without any negativity albeit in a skillful and charming manner. The script ably brushes upon various social issues that include patriotism, religious barriers, corruption, human trafficking in a balanced way. Dialogues written by Kabir Khan & Kausar Manir are quite effective and add up to the entertainment quotient of the movie. Like in Pakistan when Salman says to Nawazuddin, "Bajrangbali hamari madad Kareinge", he jokingly responds, "Yahaan Pakistan mein Bhi". The movie begins in snowy hills of Pakistan where a speech impaired girl by the name of Shahida (Harshaali) is born in a family. Her parents want to take her to a Dargah in Delhi to seek the blessings for her speech problem. While returning back from Delhi, when the train halts because of some repair work going on, Shahida alights from the train. The train suddenly leaves leaving her stranded on Indian soil. Shahida climbs up another train which takes her to Kurukshetra where she finds a Devout Hanuman bhakt Pawan alias Bajrangi (Salman Khan) dancing with other worshipers. She begins to follow him and on understanding the plight of little girl who cannot talk, Pawan takes her along to his home in Delhi. His family members are not very happy with Pawan for bringing the girl along but his fiancee Rasika (Kareena Kapoor) stands by his decision. One fine day, they come to know that the little girl is a Muslim and belongs to Pakistan. Now, a determined Pawan takes a pledge to reunite Shahida with her parents. Braving all odds, Pawan manages to cross Indo-Pak border along with the girl but he is caught by Pakistani cops who label him as an Indian spy. Meanwhile, a freelance news reporter Chaand Nawab (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) gets a whiff that an Indian spy has been arrested and he comes to cover the story. Pawan is able to dodge the cops and escapes from their custody but is followed by Chaand who wants to cover his story. When Pawan tells Chaand that his real purpose behind coming to Pakistan is to reunite the little girl with her parents, Chaand decides to help him. Meanwhile, Pakistanis have issued a look out notice for Pawan branding him as a spy. Will Chaand be able to help out Pawan & Shahida, Will Pawan be able to reunite Shahida with her parents, Will Pawan be able to prove his innocence of not being a spy, Will Pawan be able to return back to India alive is what forms the rest of the story.

STARCAST                                                                         ::          A pat on the back to Mukesh Chhabra (Casting director) for choosing the apt actors as per their characterizations in the movie. When you have Salman Khan in a movie titled Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the director doesn't need to convince the audience that he is Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman looks the part! His intro in the movie is colossal that is accompanied by a deafening applause.  Clutching the movie with his dynamic presence & performance, Salman is, without doubt, the lifeline of this film. He pulls off the part with flamboyance. Also, he brings in so much visceral rousing energy to the film, every time he appears on the screen. Salman and Kareena pair up after a hiatus in Bajrangi Bhaijaan and their chemistry is electrifying. Though an out-and-out Salman starrer, Kareena is not relegated to back seat. Neither, is she Salman's arm candy here. She has a well etched character and to her credit, she handles it with aplomb. Nawazuddin Siddiqui.....What an actor. The sheer effortlessness with which he skips into the shoes of a Pakistani reporter is remarkable. His body language, mannerisms and  especially dialogue delivery is a delight to watch. The way he says "Bariking news" is bound to bring smile to your faces. His camaraderie with Salman has come out really well in this movie especially when he convinces Salman to wear a Burqa and pose as his wife. His lively entry scene at the railway station where he is getting irritated by flow of commuters speaks volumes about his acting finesse. Nawazuddin has shown that he has amazing knack for comic timing and he is a treat to watch in this film. As a child actor, Harshaali Malhotra wins you over with her charming effervescence. The confidence with which she has conducted herself before the camera, makes it difficult to believe that this is her debut film. It's not an easy task to play the part of a mute girl in your debut film and that too as a child actor, but Harshaali has done it with aplomb. Amongst ensemble starcast noticeable performances have been delivered by Sharat Saxena (Rasika's father), Om Puri (Maulana Saheb), Harsh Singh (Channel Head), Krunal Pandit (Passport Agent) & Rajesh Sharma (Pakistan Intelligence Officer).

 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                       ::                 The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Pritam Chakraborty is diverse with one of the numbers "Selfie Le Le Re" already making it to the top of charts. The background score by Julius Packiam is terrific and works really well for the movie. Bajrangi Bhaijaan travels across the Kashmir to capture some of the exotic locales in the valley and Aseem Mishra (Cinematographer) captures them with flourish. The cinematography by Aseem Mishra is seamless and brilliant, not once invading the space of characters at work in the foreground. Aseem's cinematography is excellent, bringing out the vision of Kabir Khan eloquently.  A special mention of Rajnish Hedao (Production designer) and Sham Kaushal (Action director) for their effective contributions in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Rameshwar S Bhagat who has kept the runtime of the movie to 159 minutes. He has done a wonderful job at the editing table by keeping the flow of narrative brisk enough, never giving you a dull moment or a chance to go out for a loo break. In Salman's movies its his show all the way but with his adroit direction, Kabir Khan makes you acknowledge his directorial skills. He banks on Khan's stardom, no doubt, but ensures he makes a spectacle of it. "I'll show you how to do it in style" - his film seems to be telling other directors aiming for box office gold. Kabir Khan, who has earlier directed Kabul Express (2006), New York (2009) & Ek Tha Tiger (2012) has a firm grip on the story and the screenplay, without compromising on the entertainment quotient of the film.

CONCLUSION                                                                           ::    Bajrangi Bhaijaan gives a passe to the usual commercial formulaic elements that Salman Khan movies bank upon. It has a able structured plot, wit, mesmeric visuals, heart tugging emotions and most importantly its heart and soul at the right place making it a wholesome family entertainer.

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Bahubali :: Movie Review

                                           

Bahubali is a monumental epic saga which has been served with grandeur, peppered with magnificent C.G.I & V.F.X., mind blowing action sequences, stunning visuals that boast of being wallpaper material ably backed up by some power packed performances making it a big screen watch. Touted as the biggest motion picture of India, Bahubali has been made in two parts at a whopping cost of 250 crores. Director S.S.Rajamouli deserves salutations for not only believing in this project but also leaving no stone unturned to portray this tale on-screen in the best possible manner. He has given a perfect silver lining to the epic tale that has been penned down by Vijayendra Prasad. Conceiving a fantasy story itself is a very practical creativity but more challenging is to get in the shoes of the writer, understand his dreamed visuals and to than project it powerfully on the screen with utmost justice to the subject & imagination is something which has been very geekly achieved by S.S.Rajamouli. Besides, to convince Indian audience who normally avoid watching epic sagas of such kind has been more challengingly dealt by the director. After watching 300, Immortals and several other such Hollywood flicks, there was a rising hunger in Indian audience to watch such kind of technically, digitally advanced, visually breathtaking epic sagas featuring Indian legends.  India, surprisingly has this time and for the first time has showcased a screen to the same audience quenching their need with equal brilliance to that of Hollywood. Indian Film Industry,  perhaps the largest producers of films in the world, has been cowardly scared of producing well made epic sagas. Reasons are many and intentions are remotely genuine. After this movie, it will grow up hopefully. But, one thing is sure that with Bahubali, Rajamouli has raised the bar. With able assistance from his technical crew, he has created spectacular visuals like the magnificent Mahishmati Kingdom, captivating waterfalls and spellbinding war sequence. He has ably created a beautifully imagined fantasy landscape with intricate detailing which is visual treat for eyeballs. Rajamouli has ended the movie on a very clever note giving a glimpse into what lies in store for the audience in the movie's sequel that will hit theaters next year.  

STORY & SCREENPLAY (SPOILERS AHEAD)                      ::           The story of the movie has been penned down by Vijayendra Prasad where as the screenplay of the movie has been penned down by S.S.Rajamouli. The writers have ably conjured up a tale of bravery, romance, betrayal and revenge driven vendetta. The best part about the writing is its imaginative plot which comes across as original epic and not borrowed or inspired from our favorite Hindu epics. The writers have created new Heroes or Princes who have no resemblance to our mythological heroes. They have concocted a fantastic tale which is not only novel, interesting but has got several layers attached to it which keep on unfolding as the movie progresses. The film begins with some soldiers chasing Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan) who is carrying a child in her lap. She is badly injured and falls into a river but the child is saved by some tribals who are unaware about his identity. The child grows up as Shiva (Prabhas) who has a penchant for climbing up rough terrains surrounding the waterfall as he is curious about the world on the other side of waterfall. One fine day, face mask of a beautiful girl, Avantika (Tamannah Bhatia) falls down the waterfall and Shiva catches hold of it. The lure of catching up with Avantika makes him pass to the other side of waterfall. He secretly chases her and comes to know that she is a part of a rebel group who are on a mission to free Devasena (Anushka Shetty) from the clutches of Bhallala Deva (Rana Daggubati) who is the present ruler of Mahishmati kingdom. Soon, chemistry develops between Shiva & Avantika and they fall in love. When Avantika is assigned the mission of going to Mahishmati for freeing Devasena, Shiva decides to help her. Shiva, on his own goes to Mahishmati and is able to bring Devasena back from there after fighting a battle with soldiers there. He is followed by Kattappa (Satyaraj) who is an old guard & loyal soldier of the royal family. As soon as Kattappa comes face to face with shiva, he falls on his feet and calls him Bahubali. This bewilders Shiva as he is unknown about his past. Flashback ensues and Kattappa starts narrating the tale about his family background which involves Royal family of Mahishmati. What is the real identity of Shiva, What is his relationship with the Royal family, Why is he being called Bahubali and what were the reasons that led him to land up in hands of tribals who raised him is what forms the rest of the story.   

STARCAST                                                                               ::                The actors, in keeping with the no holds barred ambience that the film exudes, take recourse to grandly expansive gestures for expressing the minutest of emotions. Prabahas with his on-screen antics proves why he was chosen to play the main lead character of Bahubali. He ably imbibes the qualities of the character that he is portraying so much so that it becomes difficult for you to differentiate him from the character that he is portraying on-screen. With his brawny physique, when he lifts the Shivalinga it comes out as a very natural scene. Whether be it his flirtatious scenes with Tamannah, constant nagging with his mother for trying to climb up the waterfall....Prabhas seem to be in his elements in all the scenes. But, Prabhas is at his best when he leads the army of soldiers tearing up his opponents with a wrath of fury. Watch out for him in the scene where he boosts up the morale of his army by delivering them a pep talk when opposite army has outweighed them. Rana Daggubati looks every inch the mean and menacing ruler that he is supposed to portray on-screen. Rana gets ample scope to flex his muscles and showcase his well chiseled body. Rana has delivered a commendable performance with his inherent effortlessness. Tamannah Bhatia has proven her acting prowess by playing the character of Avantika to the hilt. It's not a mean task to play the character of a rebel soldier who's operating from a hideout but to her credit, Tamannah Bhatia fits into the shoes of her character with effortless ease. She has not only looked gorgeous but has also come out good in action sequences. Anushka Shetty as Devasena has got limited screen time but she has made the most out of it by giving an apt performance. Rather than dialogues, her red eyes filled with anger for betrayal and vendetta do most of the talking which speaks volumes about her acting finesse. Another actor who deserves a mention is Satyaraj for his brilliant performance as Kattappa. He has performed the character with a certain degree of subtlety. Not to forget, Nasser who shines with his apt portrayal of Bijjaladeva, a disabled member of Royal family who is always plotting to ensure his son sits on the throne. His face expressions, body language are a treat to watch. Ramya Krishnan who has appeared on-screen after a long hiatus looks dignified, powerful as Sivamani and has done full justice to her character.      

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                  ::         Undoubtedly, Bahubali is a technical marvel with effective contributions from each & every department in their respective fields. The musical soundtrack as well as background music of the movie has been composed by M. M. Keeravani which is in sync with the movie and provides a further impetus to the on-screen visuals. Plenty of credit for the tonal correctness of the movie must go the cinematographer of the movie i.e. Senthil Kumar who has captured stunning visuals with the roving eye of his lens. His camera has not only captured the scenic locales, grandeur of the sets and the battlefield shots with utmost finesse but his usage of color palettes as per the requirement of the shots is praiseworthy. A special mention of Sabu Cyril (Art direction), Rama Rajamouli (Costume designer) & Peter Hein (Fight director) for their effective contribution in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Venkateswara Rao Kotagiri who has kept the run-time of the movie to 159 minutes. The editing is taut and precise as all through the movie your yearning for it never fades away. As a director, S.S.Rajamouli has done an outstanding job and helmed a masterpiece to such an extent that every frame of the movie is enriched.  It's not an easy job to helm an epic saga as you need to be precise in detailing with respect to every department and this is where Rajamouli has hit the bulls eye. With his directorial finesse and able assistance from his technical crew, Rajamouli has crafted a cult epic saga with a mix of myriad emotions that will invoke a range of sentiments in your heart while watching this movie. S.S.Rajamouli has once again proved that he is one of the finest storytellers having a knack for envisioning something novel and than further executing it on-screen with precision.

CONCLUSION                                                                           ::           Bahubali is a 159 minutes epical saga with its inescapable gritty tone. The film delivers on its promise and takes you an fantasy ride with its gargantuous scale, stupendous action, mesmeric visuals and superlative performances.  It's a must watch for movie connoisseurs.

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Guddu Rangeela :: Movie Review

                                           

Guddu Rangeela helmed by Subhash Kapoor is a quirky, fun laden film which not only paybacks your ticket's money worth in form of entertainment unlimited but also ably sheds light on prevalent social issues of social diktat & honor killing. Recently released movie NH10 also revolved around the subject of honor killing but in a thriller format where as Guddu Rangeela brings up the same issue albeit in an entertaining & amusing manner. As a director, Subhash Kapoor's last two flicks were satires based on prevalent social issues. First being, Phas Gaye Re Obama that talked about Global recession and the second was Jolly LLB which took a dig at the anomalies inherent in India's Judicial system. And, this time through Guddu Rangeela he takes pot-shots at the issue of honor killing by cleverly infusing it in the movie. Subhash Kapoor is one of those rare directors who has this amazing knack of crafting entertainers that speak about social issues but without sounding preachy & Guddu Rangeela is a step forward in the same direction. Guddu Rangeela talks about a serious social issue in a comic way via the shenanigans of two bumbling petty criminals. Though, the film projects itself to be a work of fiction but it seems to be inspired from the famous Manoj-Babli case who were victims of honor killing. The film ably touches upon the deep fault lines & savagery that run through the hinterland of Haryana where both life and love hang by a precarious thread. Making a jovial film on such a serious issue is not a mean task with chances of it going horribly wrong always lurking, but Guddu Rangeela ably succeeds on that front. The fun quotient of the film begins from its first frame where a celebration is going on by calling an orchestra party because the son of a village landlord has got Visa approval for Kenya. This scene sets the tempo of the movie enabling you to judge about the rest of the proceedings that are to follow. As the film proceeds, it sheds light on various issues prevalent in society ; how still Khap Panchayats are ruling in the hinterland, how honor killings are still taking place making a mockery of law & order including court judgements, how cops cough up money to grab plum postings & than recover them from gullible citizens and female foeticide. These all issues might be sounding heavy to you making you think whether its a serious piece of cinema but the director has cleverly infused these issues into the movie in an entertaining manner. This is the first typical masala entertainer from Subhash Kapoor having all the ingredients that a commercial potboiler needs be it quirk, drama, action, bromance, emotional turbulence and revenge driven vendetta.         

STORY & SCREENPLAY   (SPOILERS AHEAD)                                                     ::    The story as well as screenplay of the movie that has been penned down by Subhash Kapoor is laden with all the ingredients that are required to make an entertaining film. Moreover, when the script of a movie has been penned down by the director itself, it becomes all the more elementary for him to portray his vision on celluloid in the most apt way. The highlight of this movie apart from the brilliant performances by its starcast is its perceptive writing which leaves no stone unturned to take digs at the current socio-political scenario. On top of it, script has been laden with boisterously funny dialogues and one-liners. The best part is that the script breezes past without any major breakdowns primarily because it sticks to its chosen line and to top it all, it delivers some quirky detours that are made all the more engaging due to consistent quality of acting by most of its artistes. The film begins with cousin brothers Guddu (Amit Sadh) & Rangeela (Arshad Warsi) performing at the house of a village landlord. Though, they own an orchestra party but in actual they are informants for local gangs to whom they supply information about the wealth of parties in whose houses they perform. A corrupt Police Inspector catches up with them and threatens to implicate them in cases of dacoity until they pay him 10 lakhs. As they are grappling with this problem, a self confessed PRO of underworld namely Bengali (Dibyendu Bhattacharya) approaches them with a deal. They have to kidnap a speech & hearing impaired girl, Baby (Aditi Rao Hydari), bring her to Delhi and for this they will be paid 10 lakh. They both agree & kidnap the girl but things turn out otherwise.  Neither is Baby deaf & mute nor she was to be kidnapped, instead it's all a plan of Baby with a hidden agenda. On probing, Baby reveals that she is sister in law of ganglord turned politician Billoo (Ronit Roy). Her sister was killed by Billoo & she wants to seek revenge. Now, Rangeela understands why they were chosen for this job by Bengali as both Guddu & Rangeela have a past equation with Billoo as being a Khap Panchayat leader he had wrecked their past. They are also dying to settle scores with Billoo. Meanwhile, Baby is in possession of a C.D. that contains footage of Billoo in uncompromising position with several women which if revealed to media can destroy the political career of Billoo. They hatch a plan to extract 10 crores from Billoo in lieu of that C.D. Will they be able to extract money from Billoo, What is the past connection between Billoo and Guddu-Rangeela, Will they be able to seek revenge from him is what forms the rest of the story.  

STARCAST                                                                            ::     Undoubtedly, Starcast of Guddu Rangeela is one of its main strengths as all the actors including ensemble starcast have been perfectly cast as per their characterizations & they have left no tables upturned to showcase their skills. Arshad Warsi as Rangeela is simply first rate. Arshad Warsi is a powerhouse of talent who is one of the underrated and underutilized actors of today's times. He is such a natural actor who fits unto the shoes of the character that he portrays on-screen effortlessly and with remarkable ease. As Rangeela who shares a love hate relationship with his cousin Guddu, Arshad ably portrays various shades of his character which include quirk, nervousness, confidence as well as frustration over his troubled past with aplomb. But, the surprise package of this movie has turned out to be Amit Sadh as Guddu by imbibing and portraying the finer nuances of his character. Amit has evolved as an actor with every subsequent movie of his. It's but natural to expect hearty banter from Arshad Warsi because of his impeccable comic timing but matching him step by step is Amit Sadh. His sincerity & hard work towards portraying this character can be gauged from his performance in the movie. As a flirtatious guy having penchant for easy money, Amit Sadh wins you over with his fine performance in the movie. Ronit Roy is particularly masterful as Billoo, the gang lord turned politician. He looks every inch; the ruthless, dreaded, mean & menacing displaying all the shades of grey that his character of being antagonist of the movie required him to portray. He looks so convincing as Billoo that it hard to imagine any other actor who could have pulled off this character in such masterful manner. Aditi Rao Hydari plays Baby with shrill theatricality which speaks volumes about her acting finesse. Another actor who manages to entertain you is Rajiv Gupta who essays the role of a cop (Gulaab Singh) in the movie. His innocent face expressions coupled with his dialogue delivery invoke aplenty of laughter. Rajiv Gupta with his funny antics has been able to uplift each n every scene that he has appeared in especially the Antakshari scene. Rajiv is one of those fine, natural actor who needs to be seen more frequently on-screen in more meatier roles. Not to forget, Brijendra Kala who with his own finesse of comic timing & distinctive dialogue delivery manages to bring a smile to your faces. His styling in the climax of the movie is awesome. Dibyendu Bhattacharya shines as Bengali and has given an earnest performance. Amongst ensemble starcast noticeable performances have been given by Shriswara, Amit Sial and Achint Kaur.         

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                   ::     The musical soundtrack of the movie has been composed by Amit Trivedi & the quirkiest number of the album i.e. Mata Ka E-mail has been composed by Subhash Kapoor himself.  Cinematography by James Fowlds is at its best and he has been able to capture some stunning visuals that too in country-land. James has astoundingly captured a sense of purity in the frames, luscious with light, undaunted by grain in the dark which is remarkable. The use of color palettes be it in frames, background, outdoors or even inside premises is so audacious that it enhances the visual appeal of the movie. A special mention of Suman Roy Mahapatra (Production designer) & Pradyuman Kumar ( Action coordinator) for their effective contribution in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Arindam Ghatak who has kept the run-time of the movie to 124 minutes. His has done excellent job at the editing table with his editing being pacy, breezy giving you no chance to out for a loo break. As a director, Subhash Kapoor has hit bulls eye again. It can be said that Subhash Kapoor with his immense talent & precision has handled such a major upsurge social issue in a quirky satire form and that too so deftly. He has packaged the movie very cleverly with lot of insights, quirk, laughs, hard hitting words along with outstanding performances from the cast. I'll say that he is a fine example of a master storyteller who not only deftly handles the narrative but also concentrates on each & every character of his movie without bothering whether his movie will be able to enter that 100 crore club. Presently, I can think of only two directors who have been able to make good meaningful entertainers infused with prevalent social issues ; One is RajKumar Hirani and the other being Subhash Kapoor.   

CONCLUSION                                                                                      ::           Guddu Rangeela takes you on a fun ride comprising of grit, quirk, drama, action, intricacy backed up by commendable performances from its cast. It is a descent one time watch not only for its entertainment quotient but also for the messages infused in the film. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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SardaarJi :: Movie Review

                                          

Sardaarji helmed by Rohit Jugraj is a fun filled fantasy film that takes you on a joyride and further cements the fact that Punjabi Cinema is evolving and growing in stature with due course of time. Back in 2014, while most of Punjabi filmmakers were obsessed with comedy genre and were churning out mindless comic flicks one after another, Rohit Jugraj broke fresh ground and helmed a thriller Jatt James Bond (April 2014) which was lapped up by the audience. So, when it was announced that Rohit Jugraj is directing Sardaarji with Diljit Dosanjh & Neeru Bajwa playing main leads, expectations were bound to be high. Is Sardaarji able to live upto those expectations and the answer is affirmative. Trust Rohit Jugraj to offer something invigorating to Punjabi audience. If Jatt James Bond was a thriller whose basic premise revolved around a bank robbery, Sardaarji is a quirky rom-com albeit with a difference. This rom-com's premise gyrates around spirits and a Ghost-buster played by the charming Diljit Dosanjh. We have to give it to the makers for believing in this subject and offering Punjabi Celluloid, its first fantasy driven feature film. The fun quotient of the movie begins right from the beginning with a disclaimer ; No Ghost has been harmed while shooting this film. This disclaimer is evident enough to prove what the rest of the movie has in store to offer the audience ; Guffaws, rib tickling comedy, well timed comic punches. Rohit Jugraj has inter-wined comedy, romantic track, sentiments and fantasy elements in a perfect blend, although emotions & romantic track in the second half goes a bit lengthy & awry but I still give to Jugraj. Its heartening to see Punjabi filmmakers coming out of the shell and taking risk by offering something novel, vivifying on Punjabi celluloid instead of churning out same old routine run of the mill stuff. Through Sardaarji Punjabi silver screens gets to see its first charming, witty Ghost-buster in the form of Diljit Dosanjh on celluloid and he doesn't disappoint with his funny antics.  

STORY & SCREENPLAY (SPOILERS AHEAD)                         ::                   The story as well as screenplay of the movie has been penned down by Dheeraj Rattan and the credit for writing the dialogues for the movie goes to Jatinder Lall. The story of the movie is not only gripping but it also has something new and fresh to offer to Punjabi audience. The script is laden with witty one liners and comic punches remain a constant feature throughout the movie. The first half of the movie is an absolute delight and it is in the second half that the movie nosedives a bit with the usual emotional content and romantic track thrown in but overall it's a novel attempt. The film begins in England where an affluent person by the name of Bilaal is planning to get married at Craigdarroch Castle. Queen of England has promised to attend his reception but his troubles begin when the Castle is declared haunted. Since Queen has principally agreed to attend his reception, he can't change the venue. He seeks services of several ghost-busters who are shooed away by the spirit in the castle. Cut next, scene shifts to Punjab and we are introduced to a Sardaarji by the name of Jaggi (Diljit Dosanjh) with a special power that helps him in connecting with beings from another realm. He is not only apt at catching Ghosts but has also preserved them in bottles lying at his home. Bilaal comes to know about him and calls him to England so that he can free the castle from the evil spirit for getting his marriage solemnized there. Upon entering the castle, Jaggi comes to know that a spirit is residing in the castle whose name is Pinky (Neeru Bajwa). She fell down from the top floor of the castle and died there. Jaggi tries all the tricks in the book to befriend Pinky so that she can leave the castle but she is adamant not to move from there. Jaggi inquires about her past and comes to know that she was a well known dancing star before her death. Jaggi falls in for lady ghost & is finally able to woo her but Pinky puts forward a condition for her to leave the castle. She wants Jaggi to bring Jasmine (Mandy Takhar) inside the castle. Now, Jaggi starts pursuing Jasmine posing as a dance student because Jasmine is a Salsa dance teacher. He cocoons several stories to hide his real identity & motive of coming to England from her and charms her with his effervescent persona.  Soon, sparks ignite between both of them and they fall in love with each other. Will Jaggi reveal his identity & reason for coming to England to Jasmine, What is the motive of Pinky behind calling Jasmine to the castle, What is the connection between Pinky & Jasmine and Will Jaggi be able to persuade the spirit of Pinky to leave the castle is what forms the rest of the story.  
   

STARCAST                                                                                       ::                Diljit Dosanjh as Jaggi is so apt that it is hard to imagine anyone else who could have essayed this character of being cute, witty, funny & strong willed too in a more appropriate manner. He is simply outstanding and deserves an ovation for his performance. Throughout the movie, he takes us into him completely and we not only laugh and cry with him - we take back his emotions and innocence as we exit the cinema hall. He is such a natural actor with almost perfect sense of comic timing that helps him deliver punches which hit at the intended spot. Suffice to say, Diljit Dosanjh is the undisputed king of Punjabi Cinema. And matching him step to step is Neeru Bajwa with her portrayal of spirit in the castle. This pretty damsel is the only leading lady who could have and as a matter of fact, has managed to sustain herself in the movie despite the powerful character and performance of Diljit. Her effervescent personality infuses her character with charm and her act as a spirit is a treat to watch. She is a wonderfully charming actress and I have no qualms in saying that if Diljit is the undisputed king, Neeru Bajwa is undisputed queen of Punjabi Cinema. Mandy Takhar is effective as Jasmine. She has not only looked gorgeous but has also portrayed her character convincingly. Mandy has portrayed her character with the right amount of restraint and attitude which was required as per her characterization in the movie. Jaswinder Bhalla as usual is in top form and manages to entertain you with his witty one liners. His comic timing is impeccable and so is his on-screen chemistry with Diljit.   

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                          ::   Another positive factor that works in favor of the movie is its technical finesse which is outstanding with effective contribution from every department. The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Nick Dhammu along with Jatinder Shah is a mixed bag of catchy & soulful numbers. One of the tracks "Taare Mutiyare" is a standout and has been sung well by Diljit. Most of the movie has been shot in U.K. and the man behind the lens as cinematographer of the movie is Parixit Warrior who has done a brilliant job of capturing the visuals. He has captured excellent visuals with the roving lens of his camera especially the aerial shots. Also, he has ably utilized picturesque locales while shooting the songs giving the frames rich and vibrant looks. The movie has been edited by Sandeep Francis who has kept the runtime of the movie to 148 minutes. The editing is sharp and edgy and the movie does not seem to linger on at any point of time. Now coming to the captain of the ship i.e. director Rohit Jugraj, he has done excellent job. He gets straight to the business right from the first frame and never looses the grip on the narrative all through the movie. He not only keeps you engrossed in the movie with his fine crafting skills but is also able to maintain the entertainment quotient of the movie alive all through. Rohit furnishes a fabulous style to the proceedings with well lit frames. As a director, Rohit knows how to juice the characters' emotions without spilling the sentiments all across the frames.     

CONCLUSION                                                                                     ::         Sardaarji has a novel plot ably backed up by well baked characters, crisp n witty dialogues, charming romance captured on picturesque locales, superlative performances and foot tapping music making it a wholesome entertainer that you can go and watch out with your family. It's a must watch for connoisseurs of Punjabi Cinema. I am giving it three and a half stars out of five.   

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Hamari Adhuri Kahani :: Movie Review

                            

Hamari Adhuri Kahani is a perfect example of how a descent storyline can go haywire when crafted with over pitched emotions laden with hackneyed dialogues resulting in yawn fest for audience. When an experienced director like Mohit Suri helms a movie starring good actors like Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi & RajKummar Rao, one expects an engaging emotional flick. But, on the contrary Hamari Adhuri Kahani has turned out to be diddly-squat.The movie turns out to be a disappointment right from the beginning and fails to hit the right chords with the audience. The movie is reportedly based on the lives of Mahesh Bhatt's parents and has been penned down by him. Undoubtedly, the story had potential but the way in which Mohit Suri has conceived and crafted this tale, it robs the story and the film of its could be plausible moments. The movie has fair amount of cliched scenes and especially dialogues which seem too outdated as per 2015. Hamari Adhuri Kahani looks into various aspects of married lady, Vasudha (Vidya Balan) whose husband has been missing for years. A rich guy, Aarav (Emraan Hashmi) enters her life and falls in love with her, brightening up her otherwise dull life. This could have been a perfect ending for a love story but Alias ! our female protagonist not only keeps on clinging to her Mangalsutra but also gets to mouth some outdated dialogues that belong to 70's era like "Main kisi aur ki malqiyat hoon". Hamari Adhuri Kahani somewhere gets confused whether to portray love as a emotion of conviviality or love as an emotion that seeks a nod of approval from society. Perhaps, over enthusiastic Mohit Suri has filled the movie with so much of over the top emotions that at times one begins to laugh even when a serious scene is playing. This is ample proof that the audience fail to connect with the movie and this is the movie's biggest drawback. To sum it up all,Hamari Adhuri Kahani is one of those films that had lurking potential with a tale of a woman who is going through troubled & abusive marriage which got dissolved while crafting and portraying the tale. The only saving grace for the movie is earnest performances from its three principle characters and a well, tightly executed climax. 

STORY & SCREENPLAY (SPOILERS AHEAD)                              ::         The storyline of the movie has been penned down by Mahesh Bhatt and the credit for writing the dialogues goes to Shagufta Rafiq. Together, they have drafted a script which is full of cliches, cheesy lines and some outrageous dialogues that are reminiscent of bygone era. The script has been laden such excessive melodramatic moments that are hard to digest in today's modern times. To quote a few dialogues ; "Woh apni Vaasna ki keemat apne pati ke khoon se chukaegi" & "Hari ki laash par main mahal nahin banaungi". These are the kind of dialogues that make you cringe in your seats. It is a pity as what could have been a good film on woman's liberation who is going through a troubled marriage has been messed up by a convoluted plot. As far as storyline goes, the film begins with old, crumbling Vasudha (Vidya Balan) almost collapsing on the streets of Bastar District. Her old, worn out husband Hari (RajKummar Rao) is talking to a doctor telling him that Vasudha visited him wearing a red dress and doctor rubbishes his claim saying it might be his illusion. Soon, Vasudha departs from this world and Hari turns up at his son's home to perform her last rites but is turned away by his son. Before leaving his son's home, Hari leaves a dairy for him to apprise him about the past of Vasudha. Flashback begins and we are taken 20 years back where Hari leaves Vasudha after a year of their marriage being solemnized. Vasudha is shown leading a reclusive life as a florist until a chance encounter makes Aarav (Emraan Hashmi) enter her life. Aarav is a big hotel magnate who owns 108 hotels. Vasudha saves him from getting caught in middle of a fire and in the process wins over the heart of Aarav who falls in love with her at first sight. He immediately offers her a job at one of his plush hotels. Affinity develops between both of them and when things begin to fall in place in Vasudha's life, Hari re-enters her life. He explains to her the reasons behind his disappearance & how he was mistakenly picked up by police thinking him to be a terrorist. Now, Vasudha seeks Aarav's help to get Hari free from clutches of law by proving his innocence. Aarav decides to help Hari for the sake of his selfless love for Vasudha. What happens thereafter forms the rest of the story.         

STARCAST                                                                            ::                           This can be touted as one of the most matured performances that Emraan Hashmi has delivered till date. As suave Aarav, he has given a restrained and subtle performance which is quite contrary to the characters that he has played in his earlier movies. He has mostly emoted through his eyes which speaks volumes about how he has grown in stature as an actor when it comes to acting finesse. Watch out for him in the scene where he can't confess his love for Vasudha as she doesn't give him a chance. He doesn't utter a single word from his mouth in that scene yet his face expresses all the emotions. Suffice to say, talented actress like Vidya Balan has been wasted in this film as her character has not been etched properly. She has done her level best to put life into the character of Vasudha. Vidya Balan's eyes were moist with tears in almost every second scene in which she appears. Though, she shows sparks of her acting finesse in scenes where she stands up against the male dominated social hierarchy. But the show stealer in Hamari Adhuri Kahani with his acting prowess is none other than RajKummar Rao. After Shahid & Citylights, RajKummar once again proves his versatility as an actor by playing a character having negative traits. His body language, eccentricity, persona, face expressions are apt enough as per the demand of his character and he hits the right notes with them. He had to display myriad number of emotions with respect to being ; a forsaken husband, jilted father, rancorous lover and to his credit RajKummar Rao has come out equally impressive while portraying all these. Despite of having negative traits, his character is able to win empathy from the audience because of Rao's earnest performance which can be hailed as a big big win for RajKummar Rao as an actor. Amongst ensemble starcast noticeable performances have been delivered by Madhurima Tuli, Namit Das, Suhasini Mooley & Saara Khan.   

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                        ::                    The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Jeet Ganguly, Mithoon and Ami Mishra is soulful. Two tracks namely; the title track "Hamari Adhuri Kahani" sung by Arijit Singh and "Humnava" sung by Papon are the real gems of this soundtrack. The background music for the film has been composed by Raju Singh which is apt enough and provides a further impetus to the visuals. The cinematographer of the movie is Vishnu Rao who has done a swell job of capturing the visuals. The movie is a visual treat as Vishnu has not only captured the outdoor locales of Abu Dhabi, Cape Town and Dubai with aplomb but he has captured the indoor shots with a certain degree of deftness. The editor of the movie is Devendra Murdeshwar who has kept the run-time of the movie to 131 minutes. The editing is not at all crisp, taut resulting in lot of lengthy emotional scenes which in turn keep on testing your patience. As a director, Mohit Suri has failed to deliver the goods this time. He had a good subject at hand but while crafting it, he has laden the screenplay with so much of emotional turbulence coupled with lengthy dialogues in chaste Hindi that the core issue of the subject has got dissolved in it. The movie fails to invoke any passion and hence is not able to absorb you into on-screen proceedings. 

 CONCLUSION                                                                                             ::   Hamari Adhuri Kahani comes across as a confused movie that fails to tug at your heartstrings with its cliched storytelling, heavy melodrama and hackneyed dialogues.  It's one of those rare love stories that fail to invoke any passion and can be skipped without any regrets. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Dil Dhadakne Do :: Movie Review

                                              

Dil Dhadakne Do is a slick, well shot movie whose basic premise exploring different dynamics of relationships has been deftly helmed by Zoya Akhtar and the movie has been taken a few notches higher by earnest performances from its starcast along with its stunning visuals that boast of being wallpaper material. Zoya Akhtar is one of those new age directors who envisages the modern urban class relationships exquisitely and hence is able to conceive and portray them on-screen with adroitness. Her last flick "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" was a prima facie example of this and DDD is a step forward in the same direction. There's a concern that this film might appeal to a certain section section of the audience primarily the multiplex crowd in metros. People from the small centers might not be able to relate to it. Yes, DDD is unlike the other masala laden films that average cinegoer likes to savor, its a refined film but with a charm of its own. If one's perception of masala is beguilement, hilarity, drama & emotions, than DDD has it all. It's just that it has been conceived and portrayed in a different manner. DDD is real and can be primarily graded as a slice of the life film. Zoya's ability to infuse offbeat elements in mainstream cinema needs to be lauded and appreciated. Zoya's affinity about the intricacies of human behavior is unprecedented which was evident in her last flick and DDD strives to impeccably integrate authentic characters and bona fide situations on celluloid. There's nothing profound about DDD ; neither does it bring any insight that you and I don't already have from our own relationships. But, it connects from the word go. Maybe one gets connected with it instantly because some of the things are too close to home. The movie takes a dig and chronicles the events that take place during a cruise trip organized by a rich elite dysfunctional family to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary. What makes this tale about the dysfunctional so delightful is its endearing characters that have been etched to perfection. The conflicts in the movie are bona fide and portrayed on-screen with genuine emotions. Though, the characters in the film belong to elite business class families but their concerns and problems are very relate-able. The film ably exposes the perturbing truths about a dysfunctional family and in the process volleys germane of questions at the audience ; how excessive parental control can affect the lives of their kids, why kids should have say in their lives else they might go aggressive, why a woman should remain stuck in a marriage just for the sake of social wrath even if she doesn't love her husband, why sons are given preferential treatment over daughters ? All these points might be sounding heavy but Kudos to Zoya as she has crafted a tale which raise as well as answers these questions in a jovial manner with a touch of sarcasm. Her take on lives of rich & famous who live a pompous but pretentious life has come out as very authentic and quite hilarious at times. The only thing that goes against the movie is its run-time which is 170 minutes and tighter editing could have given more edge to the movie.             

STORY & SCREENPLAY ( SPOILERS AHEAD)                                            ::             The story as well as screenplay of this film has been co-penned by Zoya Akhtar along with Reema Kagti and the dialogues of the movie have been penned down by Farhan Akhtar. Zoya and Reema have penned down the script with lot of care and concern as if borrowing incidents from real life situations. Their writing is simple, straightforward, well etched and character driven. The best part is that the script introduces the starcast as actors and not as typical heroes or heroines which makes it more believable. There are no heroic entries or over the top action. It's the characters and their constant conversations, that elevate DDD to new heights. Looking inward, Zoya and Farhan as the dialogue writer, borrow liberally from their own life and those around them. When a film or any story for that matter is rooted in true experience, it ably succeeds in transmitting the feeling easily to other person because in the end, our experiences are the same, we are raised like everyone else with families to count on, our tiffs are the same and we love no differently. The witticism, of course flows for which due credit must be given to Farhan Akhtar (dialogue writer). The spoken lines ( a brilliant fusion of of the colloquial and existential ) are so doggedly wedded to the visuals that we come out with a complete and satisfying cinematic experience, so replete with life's most luscious home truths that we want to carry the plot's bumper-sticker wisdom in our hearts forever. The film begins with Pluto Mehra, the pet dog  (voice-over by Aamir Khan) introducing audience to Mehra family. Kamal Mehra (Anil Kapoor) is a self made businessman who never looses a chance to boast about it & married to Neelam Mehra ( Shefali Shah) who despite of having major differences in their marital life pretend to be a happily wedded couple. They have two kids, a son Kabeer Mehra (Ranveer Singh) who has a penchant for flying but is being prepared to lead AYKA Industries, business empire set up by his father and a daughter Ayesha (Priyanka Chopra) who is married to Manav (Rahul Bose). Unlike Kabeer, Ayesha has a strong business acumen and has independently opened a successful online travel portal but she is not leading a healthy married life with Manav. On the eve of their 30th marriage anniversary, Mehras plan a cruise trip for celebrations and call their close friends & relatives for the same. Ironically, at the same time they come to know that their company AYKA is running into losses and is loosing its credence in the market. To end their financial woes, Mehras think of a plan and invite Lalit Sood (Parmeet Sethi), a rich industrialist to the cruise along with his family. Their plan is to somehow get Lalit's only daughter, Noori (Ridhima Sud) engaged to their son, Kabeer so that Lalit would bail them out of their financial vows. But, destiny has other plans as on the cruise Kabeer meets Farah Ali (Anushka Sharma) who is a part of dance troupe of the cruise liner and falls in love with her at first sight. Meanwhile, Ayesha is also fed up of leading a pretentious happily married life with Manav & wants a divorce but is suggested against it by her parents. On top of it, her ex-flame Sunny (Farhan Akhtar) also comes abroad the cruise fueling up her emotions. Does Kabeer get to marry Farah or sacrifices his love for the sake of dwindling fortunes of his company & pressure from his parents, Is Ayesha able to muster up courage to divorce Manav and re-unite with Sunny is what forms the rest of the story.         

STARCAST                                                                                                       ::        A word of praise of Nandini Shrikent (Casting Director) for assembling a fine coterie of actors who have enlivened the on-screen proceedings with their apt portrayal of their respective characters. One of the major factors of the film pulling you in is the frank, unvarnished performances by its starcast. Anil Kapoor takes up challenges for himself with every project he chooses to do and tries to outdo himself by pushing his limits. Anil is in terrific form in this movie, interpreting an extremely intricate and exceptional character fluently, channelizing every emotion in the book through his eyes. His typical dance moves are a treat to watch & he fits into the character of Kamal Mehra so well that you can't imagine any other actor who could have portrayed this character better than him. Ranveer Singh looks like a million bucks and acts just too wonderfully. He is completely in character and shines. It is a sheer delight to watch this young actor slip unto the shoes of every character that he portrays on-screen with an effortless ease and perform with utmost conviction. You see him in a different avatar as Kabir who is gentle, vulnerable and unsure. Priyanka Chopra excels in the character of Ayesha who is going through a troubled marriage. She has truly delivered a power packed performance by picking up every note and shade of her character rightly and enacting the same on-screen with perfection. Her on-screen sibling chemistry with Ranveer has come out exceedingly well and together both of them add up lot of plausible moments to the film. Farhan Akhtar is remarkable and excels in his layered performance. He is endearing, supremely confident and competent. Portraying the character of Neelam Mehra is not an easy job as it's a complex character with several layers attached to it but to her credit, Shefali Shah has done it with aplomb. She had to display a myriad number of emotions with respect to different relationships ; wife, mother, and mother-in-law & she has portrayed them with remarkable ease. Anushka Sharma not only looks tantalizing but has also underplayed her character in the most beautiful manner. After her high decibel performance in NH10, she has showcased immense improvement as an actress. What a perfect role for Rahul Bose! And as usual, he makes the most of it with subtlety and the right kind of emotion. Ridhima Sud has fared well and given a descent performance. It's not easy to make your presence felt with so many acting stalwarts around but Ridhima has stood her ground firmly. Another actor who deserves a mention is Vikrant Massey who was last seen in film "Lootera" alongside Ranveer Singh. Vikrant has given a subtle, restrained and apt performance. Manoj Pahwa packs a punch with his witty one-liners and adds to the humor quotient of the movie. Other noticeable performances have been delivered by Parmeet Sethi and Zarina Wahab.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                                       ::            Technically, Dil Dhadakne Do is a marvel as whole of the technical crew have delivered the goods in their respective departments with aplomb. The musical soundtrack of DDD has been composed by the dependable trio of Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa & Ehsaan Noorani which has come out as a classy album. Couple of tracks namely ; the peppy & lively title track "Dil Dhadakne Do" sung by Farhan Akhtar along with Priyanka Chopra and the romantic number "Pehli Baar" sung by Siddharth Mahadevan along with Sukriti Kakkar stand out amongst others. The cinematographer of the movie is Carlos Catalan who has done an outstanding job behind the lens. Technically, the movie boasts of some of the best camera work in recent times. Carlos Catalan, captures every single, minute detail whether in land, sea, indoors or outdoors with perfection through the roving eye of his lens. He has brilliantly used different color palates according to the characters and scenes. A special mention of Neil Patel (Production Designing) and Arjun Bhasin (Costume designing) for their apt contribution in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Manan Mehta along with Anand Subaya who have kept the run-time of the movie to 170 minutes. Its understandable that it becomes difficult to chop off scenes from movie which has so many characters and shot so beautifully but a little apt usage of scissors on editing table would have been better as the movie seems a tad too long. Director Zoya Akhtar follows up "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" with another sensitive and entertaining study of people minus the usual frills associated with typical Bollywood melodrama. Kudos to her for crafting an unconventional tale minus the cliches with elements of philosophy about life imbibed in it. Zoya has this amazing knack of making her actors mouth music in every line. You don't just remember the dialogues, you remember their cadence. Also, she's fearless in the way she shoots and doesn't hide behind overcoated background scores. And that's why most of the times she is able to latch on to precious and raw cinematic moments. Overall, I have no qualms in saying that as a writer-director, Zoya Akhtar has once again reaffirmed that she is not only one of the most talented story-writers when it comes to penning down stories revolving around modern day relationships but also has the vision to translate them on-screen with her directorial skills & crafting abilities.        

CONCLUSION                                                                                                          ::    Dil Dhadakne Do is intelligent, well conceived flick that takes deep insight into the complex family relationships of today's times through well captured cinematic moments. This movie is a treat for cinema connoisseurs but if you have a penchant for formulaic laden conventional potboilers, than this movie is not your cup of tea.  

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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