Badhaai Ho - Movie Review

How often have you watched a movie about a middle class family living in a cramped flat and wanted to move in with them, if not forever then at least for your summer holidays?

I can’t recall any except, perhaps, the house of Dolly and Biji in Vicky Donor.

But now Badhaai Ho, by director Amit Ravindernath Sharma along with three writers — Shantanu Srivastava, Akshat Ghildial, Jyoti Kapoor — gives us the “Kaushiks”, a family of five that is so real and warm that I hope they keep coming back every year.

The film’s story, born out of every child’s loudly announced disgust and discomfort at even the stray thought of mummy-daddy doing the dirty thing, i.e. SEX, is both believable and very funny.

The film’s giggles are pivoted on an icky situation — a middle-aged couple, with grown sons, one of whom is working, announces that they are expecting their third child — and the incredibly stupid, but entirely understandable reaction of all those around them. Badhaai Ho makes us laugh at the discomfiture of the couple, the bristling but pointless frustration of their kids and others, while making us root for the freedom of couples to make their own choices, and keeping the Kaushiks together.

This connect with the Kaushiks is partly because of the writing, but mostly because the film is blessed, really, by a cast that looks lived in — as if director Sharma just moved his camera crew to the house of Kaushiks and handed over each member their lines.

Luckily, just as the film is invested in these characters and their stories, all the actors, but especially Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana and Surekha Sekri, inhabit their characters with instinctive compassion and understanding, giving each one humanity and a soul.

Badhaai Ho is a warm, twinkling gem set in a colony of low income group flats that are stacked together tightly to face, in unison, a narrow lane and a strip of green.

Jeetendra, or Jeetu (Gajraj Rao), who is a TT with Bharatiya Rail, is married to Priyamvada, or Babli (Neena Gupta). They have two sons — Nakul (Ayushmann Khurrana), who works at an IT firm, along with his girlfriend Renee (Sanya Malhotra), and Gullar (Shardul Rana), who is in senior secondary school.

On the divan in their living room rests Dadi (Surekha Sekri). She’s aged but hasn’t lost her mother-in-law sting despite faulty hearing.

Their house, where there isn’t enough space to give even one door the space to swing open — all are split into two — we see how all of them take care of each other, bond, irritate, assist and also negotiate some moments of solitude.

One night Jeetu, who writes poetry under the penname “Vyakul” (Uneasy) and waits for them to be printed, sits with Babli on their double-bed, and reads out his latest.

But that night it rains and well, boing!

“Badhaai ho!” screams the old Dr Bagga, smiling appreciatively at Jeetu, while his doctor wife casts a sharply disapproving eye on him.

Here on Badhaai Ho is the story of a couple who steal brief moments of intimacy for themselves, and to power their household. Jeetu, in his quietly affectionate manner, protects Babli from his mother’s barbs, while Babli, despite tears rolling down her cheeks every time her maika is dissed, takes care of Dadi as her own.

In between Badhaai Ho takes flight to the very elegant and sprawling house of Renee to meet her mother (Sheeba Chaddha). Here everything screams out “I’m classy” and the film holds its breath here, as if its exhalation would offend the posh.

As the story unfolds, Badhaai Ho’s focus is not on the conflict, but on how families reconcile with differences, adjust around and accept each other’s decisions, personalities, opinions and tantrums. It’s about how strong and nourishing the bonds are in those small homes are where Daddyjis stand by and love Mummyjis.

Badhaai Ho is written and directed with self-assurance and confidence. It doesn’t feel the need to pause to sell us even its funniest moments. Just like in any routine family interaction, these are asides that sparkle and then pass.

All characters are well etched out, except those of Sheeba Chaddha and Sanya Malhotra. These are built with filmy clichés, and though both of them are good, there wasn’t much room for them to play. They deserved better.

But I can’t say enough how excellent Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana and Surekha Sekri are, but I’m going to try.

Khurrana, who has come to embody a slightly-confused-but-mostly-good middle class boy, is able to keep all of his characters distinct and memorable. He barely changes his looks, and yet his Nakul here is not Prem Prakash Tiwari of Dum Laga Ke Haisha. It would not be wrong if I compare him Amol Palekar. Simple looks but amazing talent !

Often, actors become boring when they play the same character over and over. That’s mostly because they use mannerisms to build that character, essay those roles. Khurrana is one of those rare actors who uses subtle changes in his body language and diction to keep it all fresh, distinct.

I have been a fan of Neena Gupta since she was a secretary in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. And my love for her grew with every character she played, from the TV series Khandaan and Saans to Shyam Benegal’s Mandi.

Neena Gupta has a screen presence much like Smita Patil’s — they don’t just create a character on the outside, but invest it with an inner cosmos that communicates with the audience, making them compelling and attractive.

It’s a shame really that Bollywood can’t come up with roles that match her caliber and brilliance. I hope Badhaai Ho changes that.

Whoever cast Gajraj Rao in the role of Jeetu deserves a special treat. It’s an intelligent, inspired choice, and he plays it with such cute kindness and care that I wanted to hug him.

His Jeetu, who sometimes brings home aam ki pettis and talks to his son’s girlfriend in English, is the kind of man whose humanity is deeply touching and unforgettable.

Surekha Sekri is and has always been a powerhouse who can own a scene while doing very little. Here too she gives the movie an end that will make you bawl.

Watching all of them together felt like I had walked into an acting master class.

Badhaai Ho is written and directed with self-assurance and confidence. It doesn’t feel the need to pause to sell us even its funniest moments.

I tip my hat to them.

My Rating - 4/5 

Andhadhun - Movie Review

In 2016, Priyadarshan made a Malayalam film about a blind man (played by Mohanlal) who becomes an unwitting 'eyewitness' to a murder. The hero's visual disability in Oppam was accompanied by a heightened sense of hearing and smell that made him a potential threat to the killer.

Now what happens if a killer's self-preservation instinct causes them to not care that the 'witness' is sightless? That question was the starting point of an intriguing French 13-minuter titled L'accordeur (The Piano Tuner) from 2010, directed by Oliver Treiner.

Writer-director Sriram Raghavan draws on an atom of just a single element from the French short (which is acknowledged here in the credits), turning it into a full-length Hindi feature that should rank among the most fascinating, fun, funny suspense thrillers ever to emerge from Bollywood. If you are determined to find out what that one element is, you could watch L'accordeur on the internet. You could, but why would you? Because even discovering that secret in the opening half hour of Raghavan's Andhadhun (The Blind Melody) is a pleasurable experience.

Here is what little can be revealed of the plot. Ayushmann Khurrana plays Andhadhun's Akash, a pianist in Pune who is introduced to us as a blind musician trying desperately to complete a tune. Akash is frustrated with the stereotypical expectation that a disability sharpens the creative mind, since he just cannot find the inspiration to wrap up that damned melody. His new friend Sophie (Radhika Apte) is unmoved by his struggle: incompleteness, she tells him, is what gives certain things their finish.

In the posher quarters of the metropolis live the glamorous Simi (Tabu) and her wealthy, much older husband, the forgotten Hindi film star Pramod Sinha (Anil Dhawan). Pramod a.k.a. Pammi is stuck in a time warp in which he keeps rewatching his hits, causing considerable irritation to Simi. Her ambition is a career in films and she wants Pammi to use his network to help her.

From these unconnected strands is born a black comedy that is breathless in its pace and breathtaking in the scope of its imagination, linking seemingly random occurrences in the cosmos, and with all its entertainment value, arriving at an unexpectedly thoughtful study of both kismet and human nature. People tend to let their guard down with those who cannot see or hear and with children, fear also often causes us to appear guilty of more than what we have done, and the writers play around gleefully with these truths.

The premise is completely wacko, a what-if to beat all what-ifs. It is also familiar terrain for Raghavan whose films Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddaar and Badlapur are a testament to his fixation on evil crackpots and cold-hearted criminality. The story by Hemanth Rao and Raghavan himself has been expanded into a multi-layered screenplay by the latter with Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti (also the film's editor) and Yogesh Chandekar. At one level, the result of their collaboration is a hugely enjoyable, fast-paced thriller, but at another it is a quietly observant tale reminding us that however convinced we may be that we have outsmarted fate, the universe is always the boss of our lives.

It takes a bunch of nutty, unfettered actors to put their faith in this nutty, impertinent script. As it happens, the cast and writing of Andhadhun are made for each other.

Very often, a character's disability becomes a crutch that actors lean on, letting that aspect of the part overshadow their entire performance. Khurrana is not that kind of artiste. While he does not stumble even once in playing blind, he is just as effective in conveying Akash's amorality, affections, aspirations and fears.

In a smaller role, Apte exemplifies guilelessness and innocence that are a refreshing contrast to the machinations all around her. The supporting cast is impeccable, never once faltering when the story line takes them to places that lesser actors could have reduced to a farce. Kabir Sajid — the darling little boy from Secret Superstar — beautifully, albeit briefly, plays a child in Andhadhun who epitomizes the moral ambivalence of most characters in the story.

The queen of all she surveys in this film though is the tremendously gifted Tabu, whose chameleonesque talent is put to great use here as she plays a woman with many faces, a creature with a steely grit, capable of vileness, yet in possession of very human vulnerabilities, still yet capable of discussing the foulest of her actions with such casualness that it is impossible not to laugh. The manner in which Simi/Tabu switches from one emotion to the next to the next, at one point her face and voice conveying completely different feelings, is a sight to behold.

Terrible things happen in this film, yet it manages to tread lightly throughout. This overall effect and the build-up of suspense are a consequence of the smooth interplay between Raghavan's purposefulness, KU Mohanan's clever camerawork (what he hides being as important as what he chooses to show), and the intricate sound design by Madhu Apsara. The weave is tied in by Amit Trivedi's well-conceptualized soundtrack, the thoughtful mix of original songs and re-runs of classics, and Daniel B George's background score.

Few musical instruments can match the piano in its ability to build up an atmosphere of intrigue. Soulful, robust and sharp, it is a constant companion to the twists and turns in this madcap movie.

The music, like the film in its entirety, is a tribute to 1970s Hindi cinema, the point driven home all the more sharply by the decision to cast Anil Dhawan as Pammi. Dhawan shone fleetingly on the big screen in real life in that very decade. Snatches of scenes from his actual films are played in Andhadhun, lending an air of poignance to his character's journey and nostalgia to the film as a whole.

If you plan to watch Andhadhun, make sure you arrive early so that you do not miss the prologue or the old-fashioned credits, along with the bizarre statement accompanying them on screen, plus the tribute to Vividh Bharti's Chhaya Geet and Doordarshan's Chitrahaar. It all counts, as does every minute, second and millisecond of the unpredictable, crazy ride that follows.

My Rating : 4 / 5 

Raazi - Movie Review

Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, Soni Razdan, Amruta Khanvilkar, Arif Zakaria, Ashwath Bhatt, Aman Vashisht

Cameos By: Kanwaljeet Singh and Sanjay Suri

Director: Meghna Gulzar

An elderly Kashmiri gentleman called Hidayat (Rajit Kapur) travels back and forth between India and Pakistan under the pretext of business dealings, when actually he is serving as a double agent between both countries. His friend in Pakistan, Brigadier Syed (Shishir Sharma), is convinced that Hidayat is spying on India for Pakistan. The truth is the exact opposite: Hidayat is a loyal lieutenant of India’s Intelligence services and, as it happens, the son of a freedom fighter.

As his life nears its end, he wants to ensure that his mission is not disrupted at this delicate juncture – the year is 1971, when India-Pakistan tensions are running high in the midst of the liberation war in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. It dawns on Hidayat that continuity can come if his daughter Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) marries the Brigadier’s son. The catch is that she is a mere teenager – a college student in Delhi University – and untrained, and there is no telling whether she will go along with her father’s plan. She does. In short, she is Raazi (willing). And soon enough she is the bride of Major Iqbal Syed and a resident of the Syed family home in Pakistan through which passes crucial national security documents and senior members of the country’s defence forces.

Given the circumstances, you know your heart is at risk, even if Sehmat’s is made of stone, when it turns out that Iqbal is played by Vicky Kaushal. Unless his character is decidedly villainous, this is an actor who has the ability to reach into your rib cage, rip your heart out and tear it to shreds.

Watch Raazi to find out if that is indeed the effect Iqbal has on the viewer, but I can tell you already that that is precisely what the film as a whole achieves. Meghna Gulzar’s latest directorial venture, based on Harinder S Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat, is a heart-stopping, heart-breaking espionage drama the beauty of which lies in the fact that, in the era of chest-thumping nationalism and hate-mongering that we live in, this India-Pakistan saga holds out an unexpected healing touch.

“In a war, nothing else matters but the war. Not you, not I, just the war,” a significant character in Raazi tells Sehmat. Although this is the premise on which the establishment operates on both sides of the border, the film’s overriding theme is the human cost of war. And so it compels us to ask uncomfortable questions. Are undercover agents callous or dutiful? Does a father have a right to sacrifice his daughter’s future at the altar of a nation’s safety and survival? And above all else: If there is pain on both sides of the divide, then who is benefiting from this confrontation and why, in the name of all that is logical, are we fighting?

This is the kind of story that conventional Bollywood would drench in bombast, condescending clichés about the ‘good Muslim’ and “aisa nahin ki unke sab log bure hai” (it is not as if all ‘their’ people are bad) sort of dialogues. If you have seen Meghna Gulzar’s Talvar (2015), you know of course that she is anything but conventional.

Raazi’s screenplay by Bhavani Iyer and Ms Gulzar, with dialogues by the latter, is a political tightrope walk that never lets up. Sure there is a line about the watan/mulq (country) being above all else repeated by more than one actor, but it is woven so smoothly into the larger picture and delivered so naturally by the actors in question, that it serves its purpose without trumpets blowing or bugles calling. Even a line from Hidayat about how Sehmat is a Hindustani first and then his daughter passes muster, although it is the closest the film comes to bowing to Bollywood traditions in these matters.

So yes of course, there is a – necessary – point being made about the patriotism of a Muslim Indian citizen from insurgency-ridden Jammu & Kashmir, but by not spelling it out or emphasizing her Kashmiri Muslim identity, Team Raazi delivers the gentlest of slaps in the face of Islamophobes and advocates of hatred who dominate the current national political discourse.

Raazi says so much else without feeling the need to say it. Its feminism, for one, goes beyond the obvious fact that it is a woman-centric film. In the emotionally wrenching number 'Dilbaro', with music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and lyrics by the legendary Gulzar, a daughter sings, “Fasle jo kati jaaye, ugti nahin hai / betiyaan jo byaahi jaaye, mudti nahin hai (when a daughter is married off she does not look back) / Aisi bidaai ho toh / Lambi judaai ho toh / Dehleez dard ki bhi paar kara de.” Note the irony of those words, coming as they do during the wedding of a girl who, far from conforming to the social norm of turning her back on the house she leaves for marriage, proves to be one of her home country’s most invaluable assets.

As much as it is a poignant story of human relations, Raazi is a suspense thriller so tautly executed that I could feel knots of fear in my chest for several hours after I had stepped out of the hall. The unrelenting parade of risks and twists owes as much to Meghna’s conviction as to Nitin Baid’s brisk editing, Kunal Sharma’s intelligently crafted sound design and the nerve-wracking background score by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Tubby.

A further boatload of kudos to the music directors for imbuing a Pakistani patriotic anthem with emotional resonance for Indian viewers. 'Ae Watan' – written by Gulzar and incorporating lines from Allama Iqbal’s 'Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua (not mentioned in the credits, but in the Making of 'Ae Watan' video) – is beautifully sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and the Shankar Mahadevan Academy children’s chorus. It marks a turning point in Sehmat’s effort to win over the people in her new life.

Jay Patel’s camerawork is intrinsic to the nervous edge that is a constant in the narrative. He seems to shadow Sehmat rather than shoot Bhatt, and is particularly responsible for underlining heightened stress levels in a scene involving a chase down a lonely street.

The hub of this enterprise is Bhatt’s stupendous performance as Sehmat, with the young star once again displaying the maturity and confidence of a veteran on camera. She is as convincing wielding a gun as she is crying her heart out at the betrayal that is unavoidable in the task she has taken on. By mining his innocent persona, the astonishingly versatile Kaushal becomes a perfect match for the baby doll looks that Bhatt uses to carefully camouflage her character’s iron will. In his Iqbal Syed there is not a trace of the serial killer he became for Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0 in 2016

The supporting cast is a roll call of strong artists. As Sehmat’s trainer, Jaideep Ahlawat of Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) gets a role worthy of his talent after a gap. Ashwath Bhatt as Sehmat’s brother-in-law is remarkable in a smaller part.

The information Sehmat conveys to her bosses in India is related to Pakistan’s planned attack on the Indian naval vessel INS Vikrant during the 1971 war, which was the subject of the 2017 Tollywood film Ghazi (Telugu), also made in Hindi as The Ghazi Attack. That film was primarily a defence forces procedural. Raazi, on the other hand, is an espionage venture with heart and soul tempering its gritty core. Even as it kept me on the edge of my seat for its entire 140 minutes, it broke my heart. Bravo Alia Bhatt !

My Rating: 4/5

Parmanu - The Story of Pokhran - Trailer Review

On the day when India has completed 20 years of the second Pokhran tests, JA Entertainment released the long-awaited trailer for the upcoming movie Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran.

It is clear from the name what the movie is about. Based around the events and people behind making India a nuclear nation, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran tells the story of how India decided to become a nuclear state.

The trailer starts with statistics of how many nuclear tests have been performed by the United States of America and China. The trailer also mentions Pakistan and the nuclear assistance the neighbouring country got from China.

Boman Irani’s voice announces that whoever takes up ‘this’ job will not get any rewards, medals or even designations. We then meet John Abraham who explains why India needs to conduct these nuclear tests. He then goes undercover with a team of military offices to ensure the tests are conducted without any hurdles.

Directed by Abhishek Sharma, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran is about a team of officers who were given the responsibility of carrying out a covert operation.

Operation Shakti, as it was called, was carried out despite international pressure on India to not go forward with the tests. While the premise of the film is based on true events, the characters are fictitious.

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran will hit theatres along with Bhavesh Joshi Superhero on 25 May.

It stars John Abraham, Diana Penty and Boman Irani in lead roles.

Bioscopewala - Trailer Review

Kabuliwala, the iconic short story by Rabindranath Tagore, has been adapted into a feature film by director Deb Medhekar. Titled Bioscopewala, the film stars stellar actors such as Danny Denzongpa, Geetanjali Thapa, Tisca Chopra and Adil Hussain. The story of the film picks up from where Tagore had left it.

In the war-torn Kabul (Afghanistan), lives the daughter of Kabuliwala, who in the film shows films to children on his bioscope. Hence, the name change. He spends his days longing for her trying to look for a glimpse of her in Thapa's younger version. The trailer shows a grownup Thapa, whose father passes away in a plane crash.

In a dramatic turn of events, her memories of the Bioscopewala are revived and she takes it upon herself to look for him. She tries to unravel the mystery behind his daughter and her whereabouts while the war in Afghanistan rages.

The trailer is poignant and evokes the same emotion of Kabuliwala — of pain, separation and longing. Even in the two-minute-long trailer, Denzongpa is a delight to watch as he brings to life the much-loved character of Kabuliwala. The trailer captures several stages of his life and he stands out in each of them.

Presented by Fox Star Hindi in association with Star India, Bioscopewala releases in cinemas on 25 May.

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.

Tiger Zinda Hai - Trailer Review

With the release of some remarkable movies like 'Baahubali: The Conclusion', 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha', and a couple more lined up for the next two months, 2017 has been quite an eventful year for Bollywood so far. While, most of us are looking forward to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati', let's not forget that Salman Khan is right behind him, all set to blow our minds away with 'Tiger Zinda Hai'.

Yash Raj Films today dropped the much-awaited trailer of the movie and we have now officially lost our chill. In 2012, Tiger, an Indian spy came into our lives along with his leading lady, Zoya (Katrina Kaif) who turned out to be a Pakistani agent. The two love birds disappeared from the radar of RAW and ISI and while we were dreaming about the two living a happy life, chilling on a beach with their kids; turns out that spies can't stay away from beating the lights out of bad guys for long.

Fast forward five years and our lethal duo are back in action, this time for a combined mission to eliminate a common enemy, Abu Usman, whose accent is harder to decode than a doctor's prescription. But, we guess Salman can decipher his language, so he was summoned (don't ask how the agencies got hold of him now when they couldn't in 2012, technology maybe) to take the matter in his hands.

Set in the backdrop of Iraq, an evil dictator and his terrorist organisation kidnaps a group of Indian nurses, Salman's mission is to save them from their evil clutches. In the first few seconds of the trailer, you realize what you are signing up for –killer fighting sequences, shots being fired and bombs exploding everywhere, cars and buildings blowing up and lots and lots of classic kick-ass action. Don't get confused, Rohit Shetty is not a part of this film, other directors too can blow up cars like a pro. The trailer looks amazing and there's not even a single frame that will make you snooze.

While Salman was possibly chugging down some magical potion that was originally kept hidden with Rambo, James Bond or Terminator; Katrina Kaif seems to have taken a sip as well before dealing with the bad guys. From killing terrorists with a gun that's bigger than her face without blinking an eyelid and taking down enemies like it's nobody's business; Katrina is the new superhero in the block, sans the power of Wonder Woman.

Salman Khan and epic dialogues go hand in hand and he continues this legacy in this one too. “Shikaar to sab karte hai, lekin Tiger se behtar shikaar koi nahi karta.” We won't be surprised if this statement goes down in the golden pages of Bollywood as one of the most intense dialogues ever (for reasons most of us are already aware of), after Gabbar's “Kitne Aadmi The” and Shahenshah's “Rishte me to hum tumhare baap lagte hai.”

The trailer looks promising and Ali Abbar Zafar has done a commendable job in turning 'Tiger Zinda Hai' into a spy movie that every Hollywood or Bollywood actor would like to be a part of. The movie is slated to release on December 22.

Ittefaq - Movie Review

CAST: Sidharth Malhotra, Akshaye Khanna, Sonakshi Sinha and others.

DIRECTION: Abhay Chopra.

DURATION:1 hour 40 minutes.

The last Bollywood murder mystery I remember vividly is Manorama Six Feet Under. However, most people would categorise this Abhay Deol film as "indie" or in more polite terms, "offbeat". Aamir Khan's Talaash is probably the last mainstream whodunit to come out of Bollywood.

This is probably why interest in this Friday's release, Dharma Productions' Ittefaq, has reached new heights — we're starved of a good murder mystery.

Starring Sidharth Malhotra, Akshaye Khanna and Sonakshi Sinha — Ittefaq is a remake (I'm using this word loosely) of the 1969 film starring Rajesh Khanna and Nanda. Adopting a no-promotions and no-spoilers approach to the film ahead of its release (smart, if you ask me), the makers have been careful to not reveal anything related to Ittefaq's plot.

It's hard to have a spoiler-free opinion (and give spoiler-free updates) for a whodunit like Ittefaq. Right off the bat, Ittefaq kicks off with a car chase involving Sidharth Malhotra. During the first five minutes of the film, you get a sense of how the next two hours are going to play out. Ittefaq ticks all the boxes of a noir film — the dark undertones, mostly shot at night, sharp cuts of a wild goose chase between the police and Malhotra, deep-blue and crimson hues making up the frame, and an eerie, mysterious background score.

The opening credits of the film roll as the murder is finally introduced to us: we see Sonakshi Sinha signaling the police to her house where we find a bloodied Vikram Seth (Sidharth) a novelist, standing above a corpse. We then also meet Akshaye Khanna (Dev), the detective investigating the case (and his wife, played by Mandira Bedi).

This is a high profile case, we hear. Vikram is a UK-based novelist and is wanted by the police for two murders: his wife Catherine's, and that of lawyer Shekhar Sinha (the husband of Maya, the character played by Sonakshi). As most whodunits go, Dev's main role in the film is to debunk all the thoughts people have about the murders. The plot takes its time to unravel the small mysteries, letting you stew in your questions.

Why is Vikram not saying much? He's been kept inside a room with chai and idlis and it seems like he's traumatised. Why is Dev so suspicious about everyone? What is Maya's deal?

Akshaye as Dev has the tough cop act nailed: he sports a thick mustache, is funny at the wrong time — just to unnerve the person in front of him. Sidharth as Vikram, on the other hand, really demands your sympathy. He makes you feel right from the beginning, that he's been dragged into a mess. He claims innocence. And the first 15 minutes of the film are told to us from his point of view.

There's definitely something iffy about this case and you have your guard up. From Vikram's point of view, Maya's hiding something, and is equal parts reluctant and scared. With the advantage of having very expressive eyes, Sonakshi conveys this mystery well. Her performance is subdued and raises the right questions.

As expected, when she speaks to Dev about the eventful night of the double murders, she has a whole other point of view — one that incriminates Vikram. The confusion that Ittefaq is trying to build works on multiple levels. It thrills you, but leaves you with more questions than answers. And that's a good sign in a murder mystery. Ittefaq is deliciously aware that it is toying with your ability to pay attention.

The plot throws you hints when you least expect them and doesn't depend on tricks. All we have as an audience is the ability to put two and two together, and Ittefaq uses that to its advantage by giving us multiple points of view. As the story unravels, we are told there is a third murder charge against Vikram — by a girl who committed suicide a couple of years ago. All these loose ends dance around in front of your eyes as more details are revealed. In Dev's words: 'There are three side to this story. Vikram's, Maya's and the truth.'Each point of view is played out so convincingly by all the actors, that it's hard to come to conclusions. At this point I have my theories but I'm not going to reveal them just yet. This wait seems to be worth it.

By mid-point, the stakes have gotten higher, and the claims have gotten even more confusing. We see long, unwinding shots of both Maya and Vikram looking tense and confused. We see Dev watching them like a hawk.

The best thing about Ittefaq is that it doesn't take itself seriously. The tone of the film is light when the murder isn't being discussed. The cops joke amongst one another and the set design reveals a realistic side of the city — juxtaposing the plush homes where the murders happen with the seedy jails and underbelly of Mumbai.

One thing is certain, director Abhay Chopra knows this genre well. He makes us believe in every story, even though we know there's only one truth.

As the audience, you tend to follows Dev's trajectory because he's the suspecting eye, trying to get to the bottom of these murders — and so are you. The entire story unfolds over three days, but the film gives off a timeless vibe. It's in no hurry to unravel. I was expecting a more explosive build-up and one final mind-blowing reveal, so I guess the only flaw so to speak is an underwhelming second half.

It's not devoid of shockers but it's not unpredictable either. If you watch TV crime dramas, you'll guess this one within 45 minutes. But this is not to take away from the merit of Ittefaq. It's a tight, crisp debut by Abhay Chopra, and while Sonakshi and Siddharth both play their parts well, the real star of Ittefaq is Akshaye Khanna. Someone give this talented man more films.

My Rating: 3/5

Thor Ragnarok - Movie Review

CAST: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins

DIRECTION: Taika Waititi

DURATION:2 hours 15 minutes

The moment Thor Ragnarok opens with a close up of Thor suspended somewhere in a cage, staring directly at the camera and delivering a darkly funny monologue, you know you’re in for a very different Thor movie. And the moment the camera pans to the left to reveal a fiery demon chilling on a makeshift throne arguing with Thor, you’re sure that this is going to be an incredibly entertaining movie.

Marvel and Disney have outdone themselves – Thor Ragnarok is the best film of their superhero cannon to date, thanks to the weird genius of the director Taika Waititi.

The Kiwi filmmaker brings a whole new layer of hilariously awkward comedy, self aware set pieces, eye poppingly splashy colours, 8-bit inspired music along with the MCU’s ridiculously high bar for special effects. More importantly, Waititi also finds the right balance of heroism and humor in the Thor character, something the previous films had missed, turning him into a serious bore.

If you’ve been following the sprawling timeline of the MCU, you’ll fit right into the story. The events in this film occur parallel to the stuff that happens in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Spider Man Homecoming and Civil War, and a few months after Doctor Strange.

The fact that we’re able to follow such a complicated timeline so easily is a testament to how finely Marvel has built their storytelling machine.

Anyway, we follow Thor who is stuck on a strange planet called Sakaar, which has odd colours and is ruled by an even weirder dude named Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) who organizes gladiator matches of sorts. This is a problem because the villain of the week – Hela (Cate Blanchett) shows up in Thor’s home Asgaard with plans to rule the world. You can guess what happens next – Thor must escape the bizarro planet and save his people (again).

Every time there is a potentially familiar setup, the filmmaker injects his trademark visual comedy to make it all seem fresh. The film also plays like it is made by an MCU fanboy suddenly given the power to control the ship.

So the plot zooms from one awesome set piece to the other, feeding an imagination that has gone completely wild. Rocket ship blasters controlled by invisible gloves, scary looking but soft spoken aliens made of rocks, laugh out loud cameos by other superheroes, hyper kinetic action which culminates into an awesome slow motion final punch, and even the ultimate badass female sidekick called Valkyrie played by Tessa Thomspson.

Since you’ve probably already seen the trailer you would know that The Hulk has a major presence in the film. But it’s not just a presence, it’s the best rendition of the character to date.

Even if you are wowed by the spectacular action, it’s the Thor-Hulk banter that makes the most impact. Placing these two inherently serious characters in a plot device reminiscent of buddy cop and road trip comedies is a brave decision that pays off handsomely.

On the downside, despite Blanchett’s fun performance, the film suffers from the same problem that every other MCU has to date – a villain that shows great promise but disappears without making too much of an impact. With a scale this huge in these films, peppered with so many hero characters and even grey characters like Loki, it’s impossible to create a well-developed ultimate villain whose arc starts and ends in just one movie.

You should watch Thor Ragnarok on the biggest screen in your town, and to be able to enjoy the pop fizzy colour palette you should head to a theater playing it in 3D. This is a new standard set for superhero movies, and I wonder how Marvel will top this with the Infinity War movies.

My Rating : 4/5

Urmi's Cat - Short Film Review

Urmi, a 22 year old girl, is a victim of abuse. As she struggles to feel the full range of emotions in her body - pain, outrage, hate, vengeance, confusion, arousal – she finds a confidante in an old cat. Will Urmi be able to move on?

Starring : SATAKSHI NANDY, PRATAYA SAHA & LORD ALFRED Assistant Directors : PAYAL SEN & MOHIT KATARIA Baby Urmi's Voice : PAYAL SEN Camera & Lights : PRAKHAR DEEP JAIN Cat Owner and Handlers : JESSICA THOMAS & JENA Executive Producer : MANDIRA SHAH Director & Dialogues AKANKSHA SOOD SINGH A special thanks to Anu Verma Kataria Producer, Creative Director, Script, Story, Music & Editor: SOUMADEEP SEN (c) Bizsensors Infotech Private Limited & The Gaia People

My Rating : 3/5

Mrityubhoj - The Death Feast Trailer Review

Mrityubhoj - The Death Feast Trailer

Mirtyubhoj - The Death Feast - covers a moving or rather a non moving subject / ritual that has been followed by Hindus - the BHOG ceremony after the Death of a member in the family...This Film questions this very ritual ... which has left a whole Village (Chambal) in DEBTS just so that the age old custom can be followed / adhered to.

Rightly titled ...the BHOG (ceremonial FEAST) has been converted into a BHOJ (or weight / debt ) by the family members who do the ceremony. 

Being directed by National Award Winning Documentary Film Maker Ms. Akansha Sood Singh - she says or quotes this about her new project " Is it in our existence or in our karma or is it in our death that a meaning may be found?"

It's produced by - Praveen Singh , the Executive Producers for the film are - Yin-Ming Lei & Umesh Vohra, the Camera work is by  - Sanjiv Monga & Rakesh Rana , the Music score is by - Soumadeep Sen, and last but not the least the Editors of the film are - Sanjiv Monga & Tenzin Kunchok.

Do Checkout the Trailer of this Work of BRILLIANCE ...  More Films like these are needed ...It is time we realized that " The eyes are USELESS , when the MIND is BLIND".

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan - Movie Review

CAST: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Brijendra Kala, Seema Pahwa, Anshul Chauhan.

DIRECTION: R. S. Prasanna

DURATION: 1 hour 59 minutes

Adapted from the super hit Tamil film Kalyana Samayal Saadham helmed by RS Prasanna that released in 2013, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan isn't a sex comedy but a complete family entertainer. The film not only has a beautiful message but also an ability to tickle one's funny bone for a good 105 minutes.

Mudit Sharma (Ayushmann Khurrana), falls in love at first sight with Sugandha (Bhumi Pednekar), and sends an online marriage proposal to her. Both the families meet and the two get engaged, but Mudit finds himself in a soup when he discovers he's suffering from erectile dysfunction. Will Sugandha marry Mudit despite knowing Mudit's 'gents problem', is what Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is all about.

One of the shortest commercial films in recent times, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan comes as a breath of fresh air. Though 2017 had seen many films based in small towns dealing with human interest stories such as Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, to name a few, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan stands out in several aspects. The highlight of the film are its dialogues written by Hitesh Kewalya. You will find each and every dialogue to be clap or whistle worthy. First half of the film is so entertaining that one won't see the interval point arriving. Although, the film is slightly dragged towards the climax, it can be easily overlooked. A typical hero, who is madly in love with his ladylove, will do anything to achieve and impress her. Imbibing that, Mudit's confession of his love is too melodramatic in the end but still made sense.

When the trailer was launched, the film held so many expectations and all of them fall in place. In fact, the trailer is not even close to what the film is. Director RS Prasanna does a commendable job in keeping a North Indian essence intact with a clean family entertainer. Surprisingly, the film has a mass appeal considering it is set in Delhi and Haridwar. It is relatable to a person viewing in the metros as well. The most quirky portions of the film are its interpretations, be it a biscuit turns soggy after dipping it in a hot tea, droplets dripping from the tap or the conversations, all are in the sync with the context. The film is offered by the makers of Tanu Weds Manu franchise, Raanjhana and Happy Bhaag Jayegi and with this film too, they have proved that they are a brand in making family entertainers.

The tagline of the film, "Stand up for love," depicts a wonderful thought that love is even beyond physical compatibility. With the fresh thought, the film is a laugh riot too. Ayushmann Khurrana, who was recently seen in Bareilly Ki Barfi, portraying a somewhat similar role of a small town boy, has done a far better job in this one. Maybe because he has more scope as an actor. His shyness, aggression and the way of romance is to watch out for. Though his act will remind you of him in Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Vicky Donor, an interesting premise does wonders for him.

Known for making her cult status with films based in UP, Bhumi Pednekar is a cherry on top in the film. Recently seen in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Bhumi surely has a bright future and she will be soon be in the rat race for the top position. She is so natural that her emotions and act of being loved by someone are magical. However, with such kind of roles, she might get typecast and repetitive, but again if there is a good plot, there is always a scope for her to do something different.

Seema Pahwa is the strongest pillar of the film who has some catchy dialogues. Her screen presence and comic timing are utterly impeccable. She is definitely the new face of a perfect mother in our Bollywood films. Rest are as good too.

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is a sure shot watch this weekend and not to be missed at any cost. It is a perfect stress buster for the common man!

My Rating: 4/5

Chef - Trailer Review

After a dramatic Rangoon, Saif Ali Khan is back on the screen with Chef. The actor who has already played a chef in Salaam Namaste will now again step into the shoes to recreate the 2014-film of the same name.

While the original Hollywood film was directed by Jon Favreau, the Bollywood remake has been helmed by the Airlift director Raja Krishna Menon

Saif plays Roshan Kalra, a professional chef who's so busy with his career that all his personal relationships have gone for a toss.

His wife Radha, played by Padmapriya, constantly urges him to spend time with their only son. In an attempt to reconnect with his family, Roshan goes around the city, it is here where the fun times begin, eating at joints in different places, a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar and more.

The son seems to be less aware of north Indian culture and food habits which is clear from the scene in which the father-son duo are eating a rice meal on a banana leaf and then the father mentions chole bhature, after which the son asks ‘What is chole bhature’?

Soon, the chef realises that he needs to contribute more than just money to his son. So apart from loving his profession, he decides to be in love with life and son. Then he fixes an old bus to make it more like a restaurant on wheels.

Saif is at his charming best in the 3-minute-long trailer, Padmapriya, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Svar Kamble look promising.

Does the move of a restaurant on wheels help to strengthen the bond between the father and son? The audience can find out when it will be served hot on October 6.

Jab Harry Met Sejal - Movie Review

CAST: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma

DIRECTION: Imtiaz Ali

DURATION: 2 hours 24 minutes

If only Jab Harry Met Sejal had met the audience halfway. Or, perhaps an honest viewer before the Imtiaz Ali movie reached the screens. Because, this is a debacle there’s no recovering from.

The movie, which stars Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan, begins promisingly enough – filled with the promise of lush European countryside, great styling and panoramic shots – but plunges downhill far too quickly.

The premise? Sejal – who makes a cute show of telling Harry her name through rapid gesticulations of the hand – gets engaged to her boyfriend Rupen in Amsterdam while on a family holiday. Right before boarding the flight back to India, however, she discovers that she’s lost her engagement ring. A row with the fiance ensues and she stubbornly decides to stay back to look for the ring. Herself.

All well and good. Except – why doesn’t the fiancé care about the ring too? And why doesn’t he bother getting in touch for the next several days?

Sejal then enlists the help of Harry, a brash and rather brazen Punjabi tour guide, who has been at the Sejal family’s beck and call for the duration of the tour. Harry agrees to help her find the ring – only so she wouldn’t complain to his superiors – and thus begins a journey that you know can only end in a love story.

So far so good. The movie is dotted with loud but lacklustre songs which you forget the minute they’ve stopped playing – a far cry from the smashing soundtracks of movies like Tamasha and Rockstar. You’ll be happy to know, however, that the other backbone of an Imtiaz Ali movie – the travel – holds supreme in this one.

Harry and Sejal give you an ample view of Amsterdam, then Prague, Budapest, Lisbon, and Frankfurt – as they retrace the steps Sejal may have travelled with her fiancé after the ring was placed on her finger. Somewhere in the midst of all that travelling and scurrying around, the very Punjabi Harry and the very Gujarati Sejal fall in love.

Now, here’s where the beauty of an Imtiaz Ali movie shines through, because the love stories he scripts (ala Rockstar, Jab We Met, Highway…) are almost entirely seamless, floating effervescently above the mundanities of our daily lives.

But sadly, this is where the light at the end of the tunnel goes out. The movie goes through certain inanities as Sejal assures Harry he needn’t feel ‘looonely’ whilst she’s around and he can consider her his girlfriend. Er, what-why-who?

To cut a long story short, the ring is finally ‘found’ (let’s just say it was never really lost) and Harry and Sejal, in the process, discover vulnerable facets of their lives. Sejal prepares to go back while still in love with Harry and Harry makes no attempt to stop her, whilst still in love with her.

It is somewhere around this juncture that you are still desperately waiting for a miracle – hoping for an ace up the sleeve, a rabbit in the hat just waiting to be pulled out. Surely Imtiaz Ali has one? Unfortunately, such is not the case – and Jab Harry Met Sejal ends with a whimper and not a bang.

The performances look good, and Anushka Sharma is particularly believable as the self-assured engaged woman who speaks with a strong Gujju accent, knowing what she wants and going for it. Shah Rukh has finally been given an out-and-out romantic character to play, and he plays up the romance with elan. The performances are not enough to salvage a vapid movie, though.

Go for this one if you’re an ardent fan of either the director or the two main leads – I’m still recuperating and hoping to revive with a better film from their stables.

My Rating: 1/5

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan - Trailer Review

The Jodi which mesmerized the audience with Dum Laga Ke Haisha in 2015, is back in action! Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar are coming back together for Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. The film is said to be a quirky rom-com.

The makers have finally released the much-awaited trailer of the film and I must say it’s just beyond amazing!

The crackling chemistry between the lead pair in the trailer is too adorable too handle. The best part of the trailer is the comic sequences. Handling such a sensitive topic of Impotency with so much sensibility and ease is just commendable.

From the punch lines to the dialogues everything keeps you hooked till the end of the trailer. We hope the movie gains some brilliant reviews. This will be the second time Bhumi and Ayushmann after working together in the National Award winning film Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Shubh Magal Saavdhan is the Hindi remake of the 2013 Tamil film Kalyana Samayal Saadham. The original film starring Prasanna and Lekha Washington, Kalyana Samayal Saadham was about a big fat south Indian wedding with a quirky twist.

This movie is being produced by the maker of blockbuster Tanu Weds Manu Aanand L Rai along with Eros. It has been shot in picturesque locations of Delhi and Haridwar. Even their last release together Dum Laga Ke Haisha was also filmed at these location

In less than a month, fans will get to see not one but two films of Pednekar. First will be the Akshay Kumar-starrer Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, which will be released on 11 August, followed by Shubh Mangal Saavdhan that hits the theatres on 1st September.