AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR - MOVIE REVIEW

Cast: Josh Brolin (voice of Thanos), Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel (voice of Groot)

Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

From 2008 till now, we've watched and devoured 18 Marvel films. Some we loved, enjoyed and revered, some left us particularly breathless, and of course, several were forgettable.

Our superheroes like Iron Man, Captain America and our cherished Guardians of the Galaxy gang have spearheaded their independent enterprises with authority and aplomb and we've carefully kept track of their story lines.

But then along comes Avengers Infinity War, which unites most of our heroes. And at the outset, it's every die hard Marvel fan's dream, to see their idols talking to each other under one roof.

What could be better than to see Star lord and Iron Man verbally sparring?

However, this isn't just an ambitious crossover film to delight fans. It's so much more than just a reunion of all superheroes. You cannot watch Avengers Infinity War in isolation, or just watch the previous Avengers films, you need to retrace your steps all the way back to 2008, back to Iron Man.

Avengers Infinity War, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, might sound like a typical Marvel superhero film in the beginning. But as you go along, you realise that this film has a distinct place of its own in Marvel history.

Let's cut to the chase.

As we already know, the Avengers have separated, and are scattered all over the world. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and Captain America (Chris Evans) aren't on the best of terms, and the once-blooming romance between Bruce Banner or Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) has been struck down.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), as we saw in Thor Ragnarok, is trying to get his hammer back, which was destroyed by his sister Hela.

Yet, this isn't the time for ego clashes and sulking, as the epitome of villainy, the towering monster Thanos (Josh Brolin), is on a macabre mission to annihilate half the universe. He is in desperate need of all six infinity stones. Thanos has been referenced in several films before, and he finally gets to take centre stage in this film. And we get the first taste of the pure evil that Thanos is capable of, in the opening scene itself.

If Thanos gains possession of all six infinity stones, he can destroy half the universe with just a snap of his fingers.

He is a wrathful creature, and doesn't hesitate to punish but he's also one of far more depth, than any other villain that we have seen before.

Far from being a uni-dimensional villain, a common feature of many Marvel films, he's probably the most compelling one after Killmonger from the Black Panther movie.

While for the most part he demonstrates his sheer power brutality, he has to fight his own demons too while making his choices. But sadly, these choices are not just hard on him, they're a punch in the gut for the audience as well.

The locations to some of these infinity stones are no secret, Dr Strange has one, and Vision has another, which is embedded in his head. The others are scattered on different planets.

Clearly, the Russo brothers wanted each character to shine. And how did they go about this gruelling task of juggling 30 characters with their numerous, distinct storylines? They segregated the superheroes into various teams. Be it intergalactic battles, or back to Wakanda, the African Utopia where Black Panther reigns, we're taken across different parts of the universe, and you are not even left with the time to breathe.

And so, each superhero team will do whatever it takes to bring down Thanos, irrespective of the sacrifice it might cost them.

Paced over 156 minutes with restless storytelling, the film is strong on its humour game as well, a Marvel trademark. The one-liners are brilliant and crisp, and add the perfect touch of humour to dark situations. These little humorous exchanges are deliciously embedded like gems in a cake.

It is a true joy to watch Thor dealing with the Guardians or Spider-Man saving the day owing to his knowledge of pop culture.

But don't get carried away. If the Russo brothers let you laugh at one point, they break your heart in the next. And that's the brilliance of Avengers Infinity War, it blends fast-paced action, despair, humour, triumph and awe into one super package for their audience.

It ends on a shocking cliff-hanger, and the post-credits don't seem to provide answers either.

Avengers: Infinity War leaves you breathless, and wanting more. It is the God of all Marvel films !

My Rating: 4/5

Veere Di Wedding- Trailer Review

The upcoming Bollywood chick-flick Veere Di Wedding is undoubtedly a much-anticipated film of this year, and for numerous reasons. It boasts of star cast of the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania. In addition to that, the film promises to be possibly India's first 'commercial entertainer' with all female leads.

It starts with the four leading ladies chatting with each other at a bar. The trailer then progresses to how their friendship has blossomed over the years, leading up to one of them getting hitched. Sumeet Vyas proposes to Kareena and then prepping for 'Veere Di Wedding' begins.

The trailer boasts of a rather 'colourful' language which lends this film an air of realness. However, the chic, polished vibe soon sets in, making it visually, and also thematically, similar to a chick film; though the film's cast has maintained that theirs is 'not a chick flick'.

In India, while genres like multi-starrers, films with male leads (colloquially also termed 'buddy' films) are often made in surplus (so much that it is done to death), women-led narratives are still considered niche. Probably that's why the term 'women-oriented' is so often callously used to describe films with female leads.

Director Shashanka Ghosh, whose previous film Khoobsurat (2014), starring Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan in the lead, struck a chord with the audience and critics alike.

While Khoobsurat was a joyride, Veere Di Wedding takes the fun quotient many notches higher. With Kareena's charm, Sonam's style, Swara's screen presence and Shikha's quirk, the film is a complete package. After all, why should boys have all the fun?

Veere Di Wedding has been written by Nidhi Mehra and Mehal Suri, and co-produced by Nikhil Dwivedi, Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures.

The film is slated to release on 1 June.

Sanju - Teaser Review

The much-awaited teaser of the Rajkumar Hirani-directed Sanjay Dutt biopic Sanju is here.

In it, Ranbir Kapoor can be seen in six different looks of Dutt that depict six phases of his life. And then in typical Hirani fashion, and in a Munna Bhai accent, Ranbir introduces Dutt's life.

The teaser then jumps into a montage of Sanjay Dutt's life, from his onscreen journey to the multiple affairs to his AK-56 rifle case. The teaser underlines the many lives Dutt has lived within one lifetime: from luxury to captivity, from being loved to being punished.

From the first shot of the trailer itself, you will find yourself adjusting your eyes to make sure you're watching Ranbir Kapoor, and not Sanjay Dutt, in the teaser. The similarities are uncanny, and full marks to Ranbir Kapoor for carrying off the character so well.

Ever since the film was announced, it has been in the news for several reasons — leaked pictures wherein Ranbir Kapoor looks like a carbon copy of Dutt, and the ensemble cast including Sonam Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Vicky Kaushal and Manisha Koirala (among others).

The most important reason behind this surging enthusiasm is undoubtedly Sanjay Dutt.

From his younger days to superstardom, from his infamous drug scandal to the 1993 Mumbai blasts case — the upcoming film promises to bare it all.

For his part, Ranbir also had to undergo major physical transformation. While Ranbir will be seen as Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala is playing the part of his mother Nargis Dutt and Paresh Rawal will be stepping into the shoes of Sanjay's father, Sunil Dutt.

This biopic was earlier scheduled to release in March, but later got shifted to 29 June.

Nanu Ki Jaanu - Movie Review

Cast: Abhay Deol, Patralekhaa, Rajesh Sharma, Manu Rishi Chadha, Himani Shivpuri & Brijendra Kala

Director: Faraz Haider

Although Abhay Deol is the leading man of Nanu ki Jaanu (Nanu’s Beloved), the film belongs, in my humble opinion, to Rajesh Sharma. In what appears to be subliminal messaging snuck in by this brilliant character artiste, in a scene towards the end where he is supposed to be weeping, he turns his head gently sideways and gives the impression that he is masking a laugh. Whether or not this was his intention, it feels like an encrypted note aimed at the viewer, with Sharma’s expression seeming to say: I cannot believe I am actually working on this bizarre nonsense AND you dunces are watching it!

The other two actors in this scene, Deol and Patralekhaa, on the other hand, try to look invested in the film till it takes its last gasping, rasping breath. It is tempting to ask why they bothered at all, but the truth is, I can see what they might have spotted in the project’s concept.

Nanu Ki Jaanu is a remake of the 2014 Tamil hit Pisaasu (Devil). Although the original is not named in this one’s credits, its producer Bala and director Mysskin are listed in the acknowledgements, and the story is credited to Mysskin. I have not seen Pisaasu, but from the trailer and reviews it comes across as a somber horror flick that Faraz Haider decided to turn into a horror comedy for Hindi audiences.

The idea is not bad at all – since rationalists brush aside the possibility that ghosts exist, it makes sense to make a film that pokes fun at those who believe in spooks. And frankly, sizeable parts of Nanu ki Jaanu’s middle portion are quite uproarious. When viewed from start to finish though, the kindest thing that can be said about it is that it is uneven.

Haider’s introduction hints at a film that is vastly different from what it turns out to be. The director also fails to make a credible transition from the humorous passages to the grave latter part. And the end is maudlin to the point of being embarrassingly silly.

In the opening moments, Nanu (Deol) and his gang barge into the house of an elderly gentleman, and threaten him into signing a flat’s ownership over to them for a pittance. The scene is trying too hard to be amusing, but is not.

Cue: change in tone: shabby ‘item’ song.

Cue: change in tone: Nanu is driving down a main road when he stops to take a call on his cellphone and sees a crowd running towards a woman (Patralekhaa) lying bleeding on the ground, her scooter beside her. Since no one else does anything but stare, Nanu rushes her to a hospital where she dies on arrival, her hand in his as life ebbs out of her body.

The episode leaves the ruffian shaken and, much to his gang’s dismay, too soft to lead them through the house-grabbing assignments that follow. What comes next is a bunch of laughs interspersed smoothly with scares as we try to figure out with Nanu & Co whether he is genuinely suffering from a psychological problem or the ghost of the dead girl is actually haunting his Noida flat.

Just as it seems like Nanu Ki Jaanu might add up to something after all… Cue: change in tone: love angle.

Cue: change in tone: messages.

Cue: change in tone: lively song with end credits.

The middle bits are fun. The scene involving the redoubtable Manu Rishi Chadha’s character Dabbu trying to scare off the spook is a scream. Chadha brings to that very long segment all the comical depth that made Hindi film-goers sit up and take notice of him in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) and Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010). (Note: he is also this film’s screenplay and dialogue writer.)

Haider’s direction is too ham-fisted to make optimum use of his talented cast though, making Nanu Ki Jaanu a bumpy ride, until it gets to its it's-so-bad-that-it-is-good finale.

Deol, who started off with such promise in films like Socha Na Tha (2005) and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! Has featured in very few good projects since then. The beguiling innocence he brought to those early works and the finesse of his performance in the more recent Shanghai (2012), is proof enough that he cannot be written off. His performance in Nanu Ki Jaanu is uninspired though.

Patralekhaa, who shone in Hansal Mehta’s Citylights (2014), has almost nothing to do in this film. Sharma seems to give up part way through it. Only Chadha crackles till the end.

Parts of Nanu Ki Jaanu feel as if the production team stopped bothering with it. If you have spent money on making a film, how much would it cost you to throw some extras into a hospital scene? Or to consult grammar experts before flashing “After Few Days” and “After Few Week” on screen to indicate the passing of time?

And oh ya, Messrs Haider and Chadha, if you want to pack in messaging about beef terrorism, speaking on cell phones while driving and helmets for two-wheeler drivers, please do not make it all sound so contrived. Granted though that the point about domestic violence is well – and subtly – made.

The crux of this entire affair is that Nanu Ki Jaanu is unsure of what it wants to be, the team lacks the ability to make it everything they want it to be, and the film therefore ends up flailing its arms all over the place. It is scary in a few parts and funny in more, which is why it is so sad that in the overall assessment and especially in its finale, it turns out to be such a loosely handled, low-IQ mess.

My Rating: 1/5

Beyond the Clouds - Movie Review

CAST: Ishaan Khatter, Malavika Mohanan, Gautam Ghose, GV Sharada

DIRECTION: Majid Majidi

Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven, Baran) brings a sibling relationship story to the streets of Mumbai. Childhood tragedy and adulthood mistakes leave a brother and sister to survive as best as they can. In the quest to keep their head above water, certain decisions, wrong turns and misjudgements lead them into dark spaces. But just when you think all hope is lost, the universe drops a most unexpected lifeline.

Amir (Ishaan Khatter) is a street-smart drug peddler. His sister Tara (Malavika Mohanan), who works multiple streams to earn a living, is imprisoned for attempted murder. The victim, Akshi (Goutam Ghose) lies in a hospital bed. His death will certainly mean life imprisonment for Tara and his testimony could get her acquitted. Amir is devastated that his only person he can call family is in this predicament. Here is a character full of bravado and bluster, but who achieves very little. His decisions are largely questionable – antagonising the patient, making a deal with the devil etc.

There is an easy offer of redemption delivered to both Amir and Tara and this is the soulful part of a rhythmically uneven narrative. The opening scene itself is incongruous with the rest of the film – Amir and his friend ride around the city on a bike, weaving in and out of crowded streets while making drops. They end up in a garage and dance on cars, like John Travolta and his gang did in the 1978 hit movie Grease. That’s the only time we see this tonal inflection.

AR Rahman’s music is equally imbalanced. The character’s diction and speech also do not match their environment – instead of street slang, they speak in complete, pure and grammatically well-formed Hindi sentences (dialogue by Vishal Bhardwaj).

Anil Mehta’s cinematography brings a layer of intensity and captures the by-lanes and grittiness of the city. Majidi’s effort to spotlight how children, especially those born in poverty, are often the blameless and luckless victims of the legal system is tripped up by its blatancy. One child is growing up within a prison while others are coping with the outcome of a dead parent.

Ghose manages to overact even as he lies still and voiceless in a hospital bed. As the grandmother protecting her two granddaughters, Sharada’s performance is full of pathos. Khatter chips in with all his might. An energetic and physically immersed performance compensates partially for an absence of tenor. Mohanan too cannot overcome her rawness and one wonders if this is a fallout of the director’s inability to breach the language barrier.

Together their effort might be sincere but the effect of a lack of cohesion eschews the very emotional seriousness Beyond the Clouds works so hard to achieve.

My Rating: 2/5

Raazi - Trailer Review

Right from the onset of the two-minute-long trailer of Raazi, you get a sense of what the film is going to, in a good way. It is definitely going to be one of Alia Bhatt's finest performances of her promising career so far.

For director Meghna Gulzar, it will be one more feather in her cap after Talvar and for Vicky Kaushal, it will be her big bollywood breakout role. Therefore, if what you see in the trailer is further enhanced in the film, then Raazi is going to be a game changer for a lot of people.

Raazi is the tale of a young Indian woman Sehmat, who is married off to a Pakistani boy who hails from a family of army-men. Sehmat's father is a true-blue patriot (or so he thinks) and asks his daughter to be the "eyes and ears of India" in the neighbouring country.

Rigorous martial arts, shooting and fitness regimes take over and Sehma is fully equipped to be a spy. What follows is an intense tale of betrayal, lies, agenda and secrecy.

Torn between her duties as the wife of a Pakistani and her Indian-ness, Bhatt's Sehmat remains the focal point of the trailer. Her character is mysteriously splendid and so self-aware.

Kaushal, who clearly has no idea who he's married to, is faithfully by her side, unaware.

Considering the lasting impact of its trailer, Raazi looks like it has the potential to be one of the most successful films of the year.

Backed by Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions, Raazi releases on 11 May, 2018.