Baadshaho Teaser - Review

After releasing six badass posters of Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Vidyut Jammwal, Sanjay Mishra, Ileana D’Cruz and Esha Gupta the makers have now released the much-awaited teaser of Baadshaho.

Set in the period of the 1975 emergency, Baadshaho is the story of a gang of robbers trying to loot the gold reserve, which is being transported from one city to another. Within 96 hours, a truck full of gold will have to safely cover 600 kilometers to reach its destination.

The teaser has some original footage of 1975 emergency showing the army taking charge, Indira Gandhi signing the Emergency pact and a few other glimpses of the time. Apart from this, you can see Ajay Devgn nailing the Haryanvi accent but Emraan Hashmi and Sunny Leone’s hot scenes have stolen the show.

The action sequence in the teaser is bang on with some impressive and strong dialogue-baazi. Last, but the most important highlight of the teaser, is Ajay and Ileana’s lovemaking scene. During one portion, we see the duo share a passionate kiss. In the teaser, you can also see Esha Gupta and Sanjay Mishra in an all new avatar.

Baadshaho brings together the trio of Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, and director Milan Luthria seven years after their last collaboration – ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai‘

Will the badasses be able to pull off the perfect robbery? Wait for the film to hit the screens on 1st of September.

Indu Sarkar- Trailer Review

From showing us the dark world of dance bars, high society page 3 parties to the world of fashion, Madhur Bhandarkar is now all set to take us down one of the darkest phases of Indian political history. Bhandarkar now takes you to the time of the Emergency of 1975 that lasted for 21 months from 1975 to 1977.

Very few directors have had the courage to make a movie based on such a controversial subject, especially knowing what is at stake. The most anticipated trailer of ‘Indu Sarkar' is out and believe it or not, this movie will open more than a few wounds and definitely create some controversy.

The trailer starts with an announcement that instantly hooks you, “Ab is desh me Gandhi ke mayne badal chuke hain", and soon you are introduced to the dark era.

‘Indu Sarkar' introduces you to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi, who ruled the country at that time. Supriya Vindo is seen playing the former PM while Neil Nitin Mukesh plays Sanjay in the film. It's no doubt that the actor stands out playing this character and has unarguably an uncanny resemblance to the late politician.

It looks like after 'Johnny Gaddar', finally, Neil has grabbed a role that can establish him as a serious actor. The resemblance is so on point that one can definitely see that the actor has worked a lot on his character.

Kirti Kulhari’s character of a poetess and then of someone who rebels against the government and clearly stands out. After her brilliant performance in “PINK” last year I’m surely looking out for her in this role and the challenges that came along with it, for instance the stammering that she does so effortlessly!

The Film also has Anupam Kher, Zakir Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Pravin Dabas and Tota Roy Chowdhury in pivotal roles.

This film isn't like Bhandarkar’s usual work this has something that has the potential to appeal to the mass audience as well.

If the subject is treated properly as it looks in the trailer, this could be a great movie. Indu Sarkar is slated for release on 28th July.

Toilet - Ek Prem Katha - Trailer Review

The much-anticipated trailer of Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar (of Dum laga ke haisha fame) - starrer Toilet - Ek Prem Katha is out and it gives out a great message without really being preachy.

With a perfect dose of humour, drama, and romance, the film deals with a basic problem of sanitation and how rural India ignores to identify it as a problem.

The story is of Keshav who is a manglik and wants to get married. His upper-class 'Pandit' father (Sudhir Pandey) gets him married to a buffalo while the son eyes a smart and aware girl from his locality named Jaya (Bhumi Pednekar).

In a typical Bollywood style after a bit of chasing and romance, both get married and only then Jaya finds out that there isn't any toilet at her in-law's place.

And that's when the focus shifts on the message of the film, that is, the problems and humiliation faced especially by women due to open defecation.

The film brilliantly deals with the mentality that stops even the rich in rural India to build a toilet.

Inspired by the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Started by our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Toilet - Ek Prem Katha is made to spread sanitary awareness, with emphasis on curbing open defecation in rural India and the trailer sets the message straight.

Apart from dealing with the sanitation problem, other noteworthy things in the trailer are the glimpses of corruption, villagers' superstitions and Bhumi's strong female character, Jaya.

Because of the social context of the film, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani also praised Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and said it should be made tax free

Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, the film also stars Divyendu Sharma, Sudhir Pandey, Rajesh Sharma, Shubha Khote and Anupam Kher in noteworthy roles.

The film will hit the screens on 11 august, 2017.

VICTORIA & ABDUL - Trailer Review

The trailer of Victoria & Abdul -- which was to be launched at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, but had to be cancelled due to the Manchester terror attack -- was finally unveiled on Tuesday evening.

The film is based on the book of the same name by the author Shrabani Basu. It is an account of the extraordinary friendship between the monarch and her servant. In a piece by The Telegraph, it stated that Queen Victoria's relationship with her 24-year-old Indian servant (in the year 1888), named Abdul Karim, was one of the most scandalous chapters in her 64-year Imperial rule.

Word of their relationship spread like a wildfire across the royal court and the British Empire. It is said after the death of the Queen, her son King Edward got all the evidence — letters, photographs, etc. — to be destroyed.

But a few years back, the diary of Karim resurfaced, which his family had managed to keep as a hidden secret for many years. That diary had letters and pictures from his time in England where he served the Queen, as her loyal servant.

Victoria & Abdul looks promising (at least through the trailer) and is successful in creating the era within which the film is based. Judi Dench fits her part; this is her second time she plays Queen Victoria, as she had earlier played the role in 1997 film Mrs Brown. She has carried herself with dignity in 17th century attire and looks very real.

The Queen, who had half the world under her feet, is shown to be exhausted and exasperated with all the political affairs she's handled. Through Karim, she sort of rediscovers herself, the world around her and finds new goals to look forward to - learning Urdu, knowledge about the 'exotic fruit or the Queen of Fruits' mangoes - in her aim to be the true ruler of the Indian subcontinent.

Ali Fazal, as Karim, is a delight to watch. The costumes, his look - all of it creates an old-Victorian nostalgia that still lingers around the present India.

The scenes with both of them are pleasant and humorous at the same time. Ali Fazal and Judi Dench manage to create that charm on screen.

It is going to be really exciting how the entire film comes out to be.

The film, directed by Stephen Frears is slated to release on 22 September 2017.

The Mountain Between Us - Trailer Review

Despite a vague title that sounds somewhat like a romantic-comedy, Kate Winslet and Idris Elba aren’t here to romance each other in The Mountain Between Us (though I would watch that rom-com).

The two of them play strangers whose plane crashes on a desolate Colorado mountaintop and must fight to survive against the freezing elements, wild animals, and their own attraction to each other — it was inevitable, they are the most beautiful people in the world — in the recently released official trailer.

The trailer is a pretty thorough set-up for the plot of the film: Elba’s surgeon and Winslet’s photojournalist are in a hurry to fly home when their flight gets delayed due to weather conditions.

Alex (Winslet) asks Ben (Elba) if he would want to join her on a small charter plane that would get them back to Baltimore in time for Ben’s operation and Alex’s wedding.

However, their plane unexpectedly crashes atop the Colorado Mountains, killing their pilot and leaving them stranded and injured.

Discovering that their pilot didn’t make a flight plan and no one knows where they are, they decide to make the trek down the mountain, binding up Alex’s injured leg and taking the dog along with them too — it’s unclear for now if that was the pilot’s dog or just a random dog who found them. If it’s the latter, that’s adorable.

The Mountain Between Us is directed by Oscar-nominated Dutch-Israeli filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad, known for his films Rana’s Wedding, Paradise Now, Do Not Forget Me Istanbul, The Courier, Omar, and The Idol.

The screenplay is written by Chris Weitz and J. Mills Goodloe, and is based on the novel of the same name by Charles Martin.

I’m excited to see the film just by virtue of it starring Elba and Winslet — though it’s funny that only Elba gets to keep his British accent, for maximum attractiveness.

The trailer is quite compelling, looking like a cross between The Grey and a great romance that happens to star Kate Winslet and Idris Elba. It’s a sin that they haven’t been in a movie together before, honestly.

The Mountain Between Us is set to hit the cinema screens on October 20, 2017.

The Fakir of Venice - Trailer Review

Farhan Akhtar rose to instant stardom when he made a scintillating debut as a director with Dil Chahta Hai, way back in 2001. The tale of friendship and love, starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Dimple Kapadia and Akshaye Khanna, is one of the rare few timeless movies that can be rewatched any number of times. He later directed two other movies, Hrithik Roshan’s coming-of-age war drama, Lakshya, and Shah Rukh Khan’s Don (and later its sequel, Don 2).

He later transitioned into acting and singing with a memorable debut in Rock On, following which he mostly stuck with acting assignments and production duties. But not many knew that Farhan was supposed to make his acting debut with this Hinglish movie, The Fakir of Venice, directed by Anand Surapur. But apart from a couple of festival rounds, The Fakir of Venice never got a proper mainstream release…until now, it seems.

The movie is finally about to see the light of the day, and the makers have release the first trailer of the movie. It shows Farhan Akhtar as a photographer who is given the assignment of finding a fakir, the kind who performs astonishing feats.

After searching far and wide, he comes across this painter, played by Annu Kapoor, who can stay buried under the sand for a long time. Farhan’s character brings him to Venice, and the chaos begins there.

The trailer has some amusing moments, like when Farhan meets a baba who can lift stuff with his errr… thing. It is also noticeable that Farhan hasn’t exactly changed much in a decade.

The Fakir of Venice has its music composed by AR Rahman. The movie will come out later this year.

Sachin - A Billion Dreams - Movie Review

CAST: Sachin Tendulkar, Anjali Tendulkar, Mayuresh Pem

DIRECTION: James Erskine

DURATION: 2 hours 19 minutes

A 16-year-old boy walks into the cricket stadium with a dream to play for his country and make his people proud; little did he know that he would one day become a legend.

In India, cricket is not just a sport, it's a religion and the master blaster, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is the most powerful GOD of them all!

The film starts with a glimpse of Sachin's happiest moment. No, it isn't the World Cup, nor is it his record breaking 100 international centuries. The happiest moment of the master blaster's life is the birth of his two diamonds, as he terms them- his children, Sara and Arjun. This in itself gives you an idea that the film is about finding the real Sachin Tendulkar.

Soon the audience is introduced to little Sachin who is mischievous and has a twinkle in his eye. And that's just the beginning of the story of the legendary cricketer. This is his journey!

It doesn't really matter whether you are a Sachin fan or not, by the end of this film you will understand what makes Sachin the greatest batsman of all time. What makes it even more entertaining is the fact that this isn't just about Sachin – an iconic cricketer, it's about his childhood, his family, and the billions of Indians who adore him.

Unlike recent sports biopics, this film is a documentary with real-time footage, giving it an original and authentic feel. This film doesn't require any Bollywood stars to narrate this story because you have Sachin Tendulkar on that 70mm screen talking to you, sharing his personal story. The whole concept gives it a very personal feel. It's just Sachin...you and a million other Indians who love him just the way you do.

Sachin Is Not A Hero Or An Icon........For Indians, Sachin Is A Feeling!

There is not a single Indian who won't agree with this statement. Like many cricketers, Sachin isn't just some icon you admire or a hero you like. Sachin is a feeling that binds millions of Indians together. When the Master Blaster walks on to the cricket pitch, one can hear everyone cheering, “Sachin.....Sachin”. Yes, that's what Sachin is for an Indian, a man who unites the entire country.

The first time Sachin hits a shot in the film, it is such a beautiful moment. You can't help but admire him for his sincerity and passion. That scene is paired with AR Rahman's anthem song, giving it some much required ‘feel'. When Sachin is happy....you are happy, when Sachin cries.....you cry. It's a documentary that will take you on a roller coaster ride. You will find tears running down your cheeks, you will smile and find yourself chanting, “Sachin, Sachin.”

This docu-drama gives us an insight into the life of a man's who has always remained very private. From his parents and bonding with his siblings to falling in love with Anjali Tendulkar....you find out a lot about him. For Sachin, cricket was everything, nothing even came close, not even his family. He shows you his cricket kit and tells you about what goes into his mind when he is preparing for a match. Hearing him narrating his story, you feel so much closer to him.

Sachin is someone who is very simple, humble and there is no one like him. Sachin gave India hope. Sachin and the Indian team gave our country something to be proud of. It was one thing that every Indian looked forward too without any self-gain. Now I understand what made billions of Indian go crazy for him every time his bat hit a ‘six' and every time he scored a century.

England cricketer Nasser Hussain says in the film, “When Tendulkar is quiet, the nation is quiet,” and you truly get a glimpse of it. He is the person every Indian looks up too. When Sachin leaves the pitch, crowds will inevitably cheer. When you talk about cricket, Sachin is the origin of most conversations. The director shows what Sachin felt every time he failed and it truly is heart-breaking. For Sachin cricket wasn't just about him, it was about his people and the country. But, no matter what happens, Sachin rises up again and again, proving that nothing is impossible.

Sachin might not be an actor but totally knows how to engage viewers and move them with his story-telling. You'll feel emotional when he remembers his dad. His retirement speech and when he talks about his wife Anjali is the moment that will really overwhelm you.

His journey of 24 years isn't just about his success but also about his failures and that's what makes it such a great watch. When Sachin fails and rises like a phoenix, it is an inspirational moment.

Do yourself a favour this week, go and watch this film. I promise you won't regret watching this docu-drama.

My Rating: 4/5