Vijay 69

Having spotted Anupam Kher, the veteran actor on the movie poster, I chose to go for it. It was a pleasant experience to see him on screen, as well as watching the movie. It is about Vijay Matthews, played by Kher, who is assumed dead by his family members because he had not returned home the earlier night. He had been spotted by on the edge of a river bridge, and everyone was under the impression that he had committed suicide. Much to the surprise of his friends and family, who had gathered in the church for his final prayers, Vijay shows up at his funeral and kickstarts the movie. 

The story revolves around his mediocre life, his past achievements as a swimmer, how he had promised to do something worthwhile to his wife, who was also no more. All of 69 years old, he decides to become the oldest person to complete a triathlon which consists of daunting tasks such as swimming, cycling on long stretches on plain and hilly terrain, and sprint. He faces many hurdles, including discouragement, but he persists. He also befriends Aditya, who is pushed by his father to become the youngest individual to complete the same challenge. Overall, this is a tale of humanity, relationships and perseverance.

Acting wise, all characters have done a good job. The storyline is predictable, but still a happy ending makes you feel good. Also, it inspires you to follow your dreams, and keep trying to achieve it.

Mr. and Mrs. Mahi

The protagonist, Mahendra is forced to join the family business after he misses out on being selected for national cricket team. He gets married to a very bright girl, Mahima, who is a young doctor. Inspite of being quite different from each other, they have a common passion - cricket. He spots Mahima’s cricketing talent and convinces her to take up the sport professionally. She follows her heart and prowesses well under the guidance of her husband turned coach, Mahendra. Soon her success gets in the way of their marital relationship, when Mahendra starts feeling insecure and sidelined. On the other hand, Mahima loses focus on her game.

The story is about coming around of both Mahi-s, Mahendra and Mahima – how they fight social pressure, and their inner devils to recognize their true selves. It is equally difficult to say sorry and repair a relationship, without which your mental peace is disturbed, directly affecting your performance.  

You should look out for versatility of Raj Kumar Rao as Mr. Mahi – how well he emotes the struggles faced by an average guy, with the world around him doing nothing but being judgemental about him, his jealousy when Mrs. Mahi (Jahnvi Kapoor) rises to fame and his coming round at the end. This is a one-time watch movie which encourages you to believe in your abilities and give your best shot to pursue your dreams, even if others may not approve of it.

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Bad Newz

Both Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri have been recognized for their superior acting abilities and characters portrayed by them. This one comes as a total surprise – it is a light hearted commercial film you can watch if you are a fan of the lead actors; or if you want to binge on some casual entertainment. A chef (Triptii as Saloni Bagga) aspiring to win a prestigious competition finds herself on a topsy turvy – roller coaster ride when she gets married to a charismatic chap named Akhil Chaddha (Vicky Kaushal) and also divorced too quickly. She meets Gurbir (Ammy Virk). Life takes her to the hills where she finds herself pregnant, but in a miraculous situation.

The story gently stresses the importance of relationships, and that one should not give up easily, without trying to assess difficult situations from points of view of others. Vicky also comes out of his nomophobia, and lets his love take correct decisions. Acting wise everyone seems to have done a decent job. Neha Dhupia does a small cameo as Tripti’s aunt, while Sheeba Chaddha has played the role of a doting mother who thinks her son is the best among all.

The only thing to look out for is Vicky Kaushal’s dancing – his moves from the song at the very end has become very popular recently.

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Ulajh

Suhana Bhatia, played by Janhvi Kapoor, is a young officer from Indian Foreign Service who gets promoted to a prestigious position in London. Some people who are jealous think it is because of her lineage, but she is determined to prove them wrong. To her dismay, she finds herself entangled in a big time mess – being blackmailed to leak out sensitive information much against her wishes. Her frustration leads her to verge of resigning from her post, and even suicide. Circumstances around her take sharp turns as she discovers that she had been a puppet in a bigger play of power, and there were people out there with enough evidence to prove her to be a traitor. She teams with Sebin Kutty, who had been named as a prime suspect. With help of his IT skills, Suhana and Sebin embark on the task of prevention of assassination of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Pakistan on Indian soil, who was the chief guest at Independence Day celebrations of our country.

This is a good espionage thriller, albeit with room for improvement - a movie which is devoid of the usual Bollywood romance and expensive locations. Janhvi has been dressed very formally, and looks equally beautiful in her sarees and western wear. Gulshan Devaiah did not seem like a good choice as the master blackmailer, though. The rest of the cast have done justice to their roles. The movie ends with a subtle hint of a sequel, and you would definitely be on the lookout for it.       

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Call me Bae

Having spotted lot of promotion online, I downloaded this webseries with lot of anticipation. It did not seem like a good decision for the first two episodes, which are consumed in story building and character introduction. However, third episode onwards, you would start loving Bae, aka Bella Chowdhury who is forced to live a middle class life after a series of unfortunate events. Bae gets hired as an intern in a news channel and soon discovers her true calling. She receives an anonymous video, and she gets on uncovering the truth. Bae and her friends bring out the true colours of a powerful person, who is not only the CEO of an organization but also a soon-to-be politician. Alongwith, the real character of anchor of a popular show is also revealed.

The series is a one-time watch with its own share of comedy, romance and mystery. Ananya Panday, daughter of veteran actor Chunkey Panday, has carved out her own niche and carries the role of Bae well. Vir Das as Satyajit Sen is also a treat to watch – he has come a long way from a comedian to an actor, I must say. The others have tried to do justice to their characters. The story gently touches on topics such as true friendship, standing up for what is right, fact based journalism and relationships. There is room for improvement, but you should watch it for some binge watching.

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Choona

A very well made webseries based around a money heist, crime, politics and comedy. A corrupt and powerful politician, Avinash Shukla (Jimmy Shergill) wishes to construct a mall on an existing settlement. His ultimate aim is to overthrow the existing government with the help of money from the beneficiary builder. A team of young fellows, one of them a policeman, decide to rob him. Needless to say, the task is easier said than done – the party office is no less than a fortress with lot of security measures in place, be it CCTV cameras, security personnel and even laser beams.

What follows is a tale of meticulous planning, delicate balance between betrayal and loyalty, as sides flip unexpectedly. Shukla proves to be a formidable enemy, shrewd and well versed in astrology. Things go in the favour of the scheming team when Shukla’s brother in law joins them. The techniques used are also in sync with modern times, where characters do video calls, create simulations of their plan and more. Keeping pace with technologies, age old science of astrology asserts its importance.

Most of the faces are new - but they have done a commendable job; while Jimmy Shergill plays the pivotal role, once again proving that his talent has been underutilized in Bollywood movies. Shukla accepts defeat gracefully, leaving the audience yearning for a new season. 

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IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

Imagine a situation when a short duration flight becomes a 8 day nightmare, because of dangerous hijackers. Lives of everyone associated with us, directly or indirectly, would get impacted. This six episode webseries recreates a true incident of a plane hijack from December 1999. A pack of terrorists manage to smuggle arms into Air India flight no. IC 814 from Kathmandu to Delhi, in a bid to free their fellow criminals who had been captured by Indian soldiers. The events are portrayed in a realistic manner.. how the terrorists hold the team of pilots at gun point and force them to follow their instructions. The terrified passengers are also subjected to lot of difficulty with overflowing toilets, limited food and water – two passengers are even injured seriously.

On learning of about limited fuel availability, the terrorists are forced to allow the flight to land at various cities. While senior Government officials of various agencies take critical decisions, newspaper and TV channels cover this incident with passion.

The casting is done very well, along with their makeup. Every scene looks realistic. Vijay Varma looks dapper as Captain Sharan Dev. Dia Mirza is almost unrecognizable as a senior media professional, whereas Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor, Arvind Swamy, Kanwaljit Singh and others have done justice to their roles. 

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Kalki 2898 AD

You would be taken by surprise as the opening sequence unfolds in the battlefield of Kurukshetra from Mahabharata. “Wait, was this not supposed to be set in the future?” – Just when this question pops in your mind, you are taken to the future, more than 800 years from now. You’ll need a while to understand what is happening and get a hang of the terminologies, because everything is different in this new setting. Soon you would find yourself enjoying this high end science fiction movie, along with Prabhas, who looks handsome as the carefree Bhairava. The past emerges in the present (2898), when a young girl accidentally encounters Ashwatthama, son of Guru Drona, who has been living 3000 years to fulfil a task entrusted to him by Lord Krishna during the Kurukshetra war.

Deepika Padukone plays the role of lady in whose womb Lord Krishna is about to reincarnate as Kalki Avatar. Ashwatthama, played by Amitabh Bachchan, is committed to safeguard her and the unborn child, whereas Bhairava wants to gain some credits by surrendering her to the evil forces.

While you realize this is only part of a series that is yet to be released, you would enjoy action sequences between Ashwatthama and Bhairava. Kudos to the creativity, and visualization of the film, because it is not easy to imagine the future and build a strong story, interspersed with glimpses from the past. I loved the scene when Ashwatthama’s stick responds in Bhairava’s hands, revealing his true identity to the audience. Saswata Chatterjee as Commander Manas succeeds to get the audience to hate him whereas you cannot recognize Kamal Haasan as Supreme. You are left yearning for more ... looking forward to the sequel!!

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Chandu Champion

The film opens with an old man coming to a police station, with a grievance against President of India (!!!) and stating his claim for Arjuna award, the prestigious recognition for sports persons. He identifies himself as Murli Kant Rajaram Petkar, and the story goes into flashback.

A young child from a humble background dreams of winning an Olympic medal, but is often ridiculed by his peers. His elder brother brings him to local wrestlers, to learn the sport. Destiny brings him into the army – where he gets trained as a boxer. However, life comes to a standstill when lower part of his body is paralyzed after being riddled by bullets in war. His own family also leaves him to fight his own battle. He takes a second chance at life when his earlier coach, Tiger Ali (Vijay Raaz), trains him for swimming and inspires him to participate in Para-Olympics. He goes on to become the champion he had always dreamt of being.

This movie is definitely a masterpiece that has missed out on the publicity it deserves, I must say. Kartik Aaryan has done  a great job by stepping out of his comfort zone of playing heroes with chocolate boy looks – he looks stunning as a army man turned sportsperson, and even as an old man. Please watch this one for a true story that conveys the inspirational message of resilience, not giving up inspite of all adversity and following your dreams.

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Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba

Tapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey come back on screen as Rani and Rishu, to tell you about their life post their escape from police. A surprise addition is Sunny Kaushal, who plays the role of Abhimanyu, a compounder. He is totally smitten by Rani and much to his own surprise, he gets married to her. However, he discovers that she is not only married, but her husband is also alive, living in the same town, under the pseudonym of Ravi. Jimmy Shergill also comes back to screen as the persistent cop, who has personal interest in uncovering the truth behind the crime the lead pair had committed in the prequel.

The twist in the story is introduced midway – the apparently simpleton guy is a psychopath in reality, who would go any lengths to punish betrayals. This movie revolves around Sunny Kaushal, his passion for Rani and how he helps her and Rishu to escape from claws of police, just to see her happy, and hoping against hope that she would choose him over her previous husband.

For me, this was a great movie and a befitting sequel, albeit a few badly written dialogues and loose ends. Great acting by Sunny Kaushal and Jimmy Shergill, very beautiful Tapsee, except her overly done floral hair do-s, are key things to look out for.

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Haseen Dillruba

A good plot to keep you hooked to the movie till the very end. This is an apparently simple tale of love, which is moulded on the lines of a crime thriller. Vikrant Massey plays the role of Rishu, a simple guy who gets married to an incredibly beautiful girl, Rani (Tapsee Pannu). While they are in the process of getting to know each other, enters a very handsome cousin (Neel, played by Harshvardhan Rane). A short fling and he is gone. Rani confesses about her extramarital affair to Rishu, who cannot accept the pain of being betrayed. You should watch out for this segment, when Vikrant has done most of the emoting with his eyes. Gradually things start getting better between the two – when Neel resurfaces, and the past comes back haunting Rani and Rishu.

Big shoutouts go out to the performances of all actors, who bring the characters to life. Vikrant Massey showcases his acting abilities as he transforms from a reserved guy from a small town to an insane lover. The support cast have also done their job well. Initial awkward moments after marriage have been portrayed realistically, adding a subtle comedy element. You’ll love the movie right from the start – and the ending would leave you looking forward to its sequel.

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Maharaja

A much hyped movie, I thought, maybe because the central character, Maharaja is played by Vijay Sethupathi, a popular actor from South India. The story revolves around a dustbin, which has lot of emotional value for Maharaja, who claims to be a simple hairdresser. However, the dustbin gets stolen. Police are baffled when Maharaja comes to them to file a report for a missing dustbin, inexpensive and old. Actual events that had happened are shown in series of flashbacks with intermittent swings to the present. There are events when Vijay steps out of the simple man version to become someone who is willing to kill, for a purpose that is revealed at the end.

Conceptually it is ok that our past experiences shape our present and future. Life comes boomerang to the villain after he and his friends commit a heinous crime against Maharaja’s daughter. However, continuous harping around a missing dustbin, and finally turning out to be a crime has been poorly designed, I’d say. Also, the director seems unsure about police being an honest force or not. Since it is a dubbed from a Tamil version, there is not much lip sync between dialogues in Hindi, but that is acceptable. Nothing much to look forward to when it comes to locations, because it is mostly shot in police station, in and around Maharaja’s workplace and home. 

Much criticism apart, you may still watch it to form an opinion yourself.          

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Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life

This is a painful tale of a simple villager and his brother who find themselves stranded at an airport, where they arrive after being promised jobs in the Middle East. A stranger takes them away after snatching their passports into the sandy desert. The brothers are separated and put to do jobs they had not imagined. Najeeb (Prithviraj Sukumaran), the protagonist, faces much difficulty in adjusting to the situation – people around him speaking a language he does not understand, without basic amenities, amidst a desert that appears endless, no telephone to contact family or any means to find out about his brother. He loses track of time as he learns his new job as the herd of fleets of camel and goat. There seems to be no hope ahead for him.

Miraculously, he meets his brother and his friend, who help them escape. The second part is about endurance, when the trio embark on an impossible mission – of walking across the desert, without food and water. This part could have been more practical.. like if their savior had managed to smuggle a vehicle for transportation - I mean, who can even dream of walking across a huge desert?

The movie ends abruptly wherein it says that it is not Najeeb alone, but many such youths, who are hoodwinked in the name of work and good pay abroad. Many of them are lost and never return.

As for the acting, Sukumaran does a commendable job as Najeeb. The makeup artist deserves applause too, as he creates the unkempt look of the protagonist and his brother, the white-clad Arabs, and others.      

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Srikanth

Imagine your life if you happen to be completely blind by birth. While those of us blessed with vision cannot imagine how difficult it would be to survive, this movie narrates the real- life tale of Srikanth Bolla, a blind boy, who went on to become a successful industrialist. His life is transformed by his teacher, Devika (played excellently by Jyothika) and his sheer perseverance. In a fortunate interaction with late President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, he stated that he wanted to become the first visually challenged president of our country. 

This is such an inspirational story wherein one can do well in life, by accepting your limitations and giving an honest shot to achieve the best out of life. He says, that although he cannot see, he can very much dream. 

I did not know that earlier, visually challenged persons were not allowed to pursue Science after Class 10 – a rule Srikanth fought against and opened up opportunities for blind students in the future. He went on to study in MIT, Boston which is a prestigious institute and came back to India to establish Bollant Industries, working in the area of packaging material. He gets the support of his teacher and also Ravi, his investor cum friend.

Superb acting by Rajkumar Rao has made this film a must – watch for everyone. He had to keep his eyes closed throughout. Jyothika fits in the role of Devika Teacher well, whereas Sharad Kelkar looks convincing as Ravi.

 

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DeAr

Sometimes you choose to watch a movie because the premise sounds interesting. What happens when a light sleeper gets to married to someone who snores loudly during sleeping? Interestingly, my spouse also has snoring problem but luckily I am a deep sleeper and have never been bothered by it. :P

The newly wed couple, Deepika and Arjun, try all sorts of options to deal with Deepika’s sleeping disorder – consulting doctors, sleeping on alternate nights. Nothing seems to work for them and Arjun asks for divorce, much to the dismay of his wife and family. Circumstances make him realize that running away from the problem may solve it temporarily but would result in further sorrow. Thus there is a happy ending.

I am not familiar with the cast – Aishwariya Rajesh looks good as Deepika. The name of the movie is drawn from the first two letters of names of the lead couple: Deepika and Arjun. The story is as flimsy as the logic behind title of the movie. Having said that, I’d say it is not very bad and is a one-time light-mood watch.

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Maidaan

Set in 1950s, when Indian football was below par at international level, this movie talks about the contribution of S. A. Rahim, coach of Indian football team in taking the team literally from rags to riches – from the bottom-most to win Asian Games in 1962. He handpicked the team, coached them, inspired them – but was replaced after a couple of unfortunate defeats, although it was not his fault. He was victimized by a combination of an influential official of Football Federation of India and a senior sports journalist. At the same time, fate also went against him, when he was detected with lung cancer. Rahim Sir, as he was fondly called, came back after two years, because of his track record. Luckily the team chosen by him was intact, and they went on to win the title.

Everyone should watch this epic tale of grit, determination, inspiration and achievement. Ajay Devgn, as Rahim Sir, makes an indelible impression as you join him on this battle with many odds right from the beginning. The football players have been played by young actors who have done justice to their roles. Priyamani looks good in her supporting role as Rahim Sir’s wife. You would feel sheer hatred towards the conspiring characters of Rudranil Banerjee and Gajanand Rao, such is the level of their acting.

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Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue

Working in mines has never been safe, being full of risks of both health and also disasters such as fire. In the instant case, which is a real-life story, ground water breaks in from the ceiling of a mine in Raniganj, due to irresponsible flouting of safety norms. Some miners manage to scramble out, whereas 71 are trapped inside. Here comes in Jaswant Singh Gill (Akshay Kumar), a trained rescue officer, but new to the area. The story is about his rising to the occasion, commitment to the task, sheer grit and bravery to overcome all challenges to save the miners. Full of hope, but short on time, Gill identifies people suited to the job but faces lack of cooperation from Sen, who is a local guy, who is burdened with personal agenda. 

This movie is a good time pass watch, but there is no visual treat waiting for you. The story demands most of the movie to be shot inside the partially inundated mine, and rest around it. Some scenes appear dismally done, where the back and fore grounds appear pasted later. Modern techniques have raised the bar of graphic quality and those shots feel like misfits.

Another point to be noted is the character played by Ravi Kishan – that of a pessimistic miners stuck in the mine. With so many successful ventures behind him, I thought it was very nice of him to say yes to a role which is not in the front line. Parineeti Chopra too has a small role, and looks good as Gill’s wife.

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Maharaj

This is the debut film of Junaid Khan, son of the very popular actor, Amir Khan. He plays role of Karsandas Mulji, who has been questioning blind faith and unfair social practices since his childhood. He professed education for women, widow remarriage – and his reformist nature always ended him up in trouble – the very people he fought for turned against him. This movie draws inspiration from the real-life Maharaj Libel case of 1852. 

Karsan is exposed to another tradition when Kishori, his fiancée, is exploited physically by a religious leader, JJ Maharaj.  When Kishori realizes her misjudgement of exploitation as a religious act, she kills herself out of shame but urges Karsan to bring forth the truth behind Havelis, or lavish temples. What follows is a story of determination and grit. The climax is reached when JJ Maharaj sues Karsan for defamation, where tradition and logic battle it out in court.

 

The takeaways include Junaid Khan himself, the grandeur and Jaideep Ahlawat. Junaid looks convincing in his role with his freshness, and not like a first timer. I loved the way he carried attire of pre-independence times – dhoti and kurta, puffed sleeve shirts, etc. I saw some of his photographs, and he looks very different in this movie. The girls, Shalini Pandey as Kishori and Sharvari as Viraaj do justice to their roles. You would not be able to take your eyes off Jaideep Ahlawat – he uses his big frame and acting skills to portray the arrogant JJ Maharaj, who has never laid a foot on road, but on hands of his devotees.

The film strongly urges everyone to say no to blind traditions. This is a movie you would definitely like, and probably watch over and over again.

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Dil Dosti Dilemma

This is a story about a young girl, Asmara who has all the privileges one can wish for. She lives in her own world – shopping with her friends, chilling out without much worry. However, she fails to give respect to her own maternal grandmother, who comes from a humble background, in front of her friends. As a punishment, her mother cancels her upcoming trip to Canada and sends her to stay with her grandparents during summer holidays. Asmara lies to her friends about her predicament, trying to create a false world of her own. On the other hand, she finds it difficult to adjust to her new environment, without air conditioners, attached washrooms, chauffeur driven cars and what is worse, full of nosy neighbours. However, she settles down and makes friends with the chirpy Ruksana, who is about her age only. She encourages Ruksana to pursue her talent and also to start a small scale business. Asmara befriends Farzaan, Ruksana’s elder brother and gradually develops feelings for him.

Parallel story lines are interwoven in the script wherein their humble surroundings lack basic amenities of water and electricity and also face impending threat of builders mowing down the old buildings in name of “redevelopment”. Asmara’s friends face challenges in their personal lives too and they come together to promise to face the challenges and never to lie to each other. The series is wrapped up in a hurried manner, but leaves some strings dangling, creating ground for an upcoming season.

Great acting by Tanvi Azmi and Shishir Sharma, who play Asmara’s grandparents, add weight to the series. The young actors also have done well.

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Crew

Three airhostesses from different backgrounds and aspirations, played by Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon, come together in Kohinoor Airlines. Unfortunately, the airline had not only gone bankrupt but was unable to pay their salaries for long too. Along with their colleagues, they face constant cash crunch, until they choose to do something bold to take charge of their lives. What follows next is indeed a roller coaster ride.

The story draws inspiration from the tale of Kingfisher Airlines which was closed down, leaving the staff stranded. The protagonists realize that they had been tricked only to benefit criminals and decide to mete out a befitting reply to those who had been utilizing them.

The lead actresses look good even though they are in different age groups. A small supporting role by Diljit Dosanjh is also apt. Saswata Chatterjee also looks convincing in his cunning character. Kapil Sharma, in his bid to diversify his visibility, fails to leave a mark in his short appearance.

However much the plot and impressive cast may impress you, and inspite of much media hype and large box office collections, you may find yourself disappointed with the overall execution. The movie probably needed to redo the elaborations and cuts – some sequences look long drawn whereas some parts, including the ending, feel abruptly done. Don’t look for logic or be too critical, enjoy the movie is a one-time watch, no brains required.   

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Heeramandi : The Diamond Bazaar

When the perfectionist Sanjay Leela Bhansali (SLB) tries his hand at making a webseries, you are sort of compelled to watch it. Set in pre-independence era in Lahore, Heeramandi has everything SLB is known for: Careful narration of the story, huge extravagant sets, great shots, intricate details, powerful acting and more. I have read lot of discussion about this series and every member of the cast seems to have one thing in common to say: multiple takes of a shot to bring out the best.

The show introduces you to the characters one by one, beginning with Mallikajaan, played by Manisha Koirala. The cast is full of stars – other than Manisha Koirala, you have Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, Richa Chaddha to name a few. The first part of the story revolves around courtesans, or twaifs, who are not exactly prostitutes, but mistresses of nawabs of Lahore and also Englishmen. While you are immersed in appreciating their internal struggles for power, you are surprised to see one of them team up with freedom fighters. A parallel storyline develops around Alamzeb, daughter of Mallikajaan, who dreams of becoming a poetess instead of taking up the profession she is apparently destined to; and falls in love with Tajdar, son of a Nawab. Small steps of breach of trust for personal gain have heinous consequences. Later, the women leave aside their internal enmities and come together to fight for Indian independence.

You may come across some negativity regarding Sharmin Segal's acting, but I think she has done a good job. She is a young fresh face, which was required for the role. Critics have much to say about historical inaccuracies, acting skills of young actors, etc. But those are not points you have to focus on. Immerse yourself in the visual extravaganza, the intricate details, music and master storytelling. You will be missing something if you do not watch this well-made series.

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Laapataa Ladies

What a story and how well has it been narrated! Disguised as a comedy film, this movie subtly touches upon how women find themselves in rural India - married off young, sometimes against their wishes, made to pull their veil over their faces, and what not. In a comic situation, a young groom, Deepak Kumar deboards a train with a wrong bride, who was also travelling in the same cubicle as the original couple. The goof up is realized once they reach home. A parallel story develops when Deepak’s wife, Phool finds herself alone at an unknown railway station. She is a simple girl who does not remember name of the village she was destined to, so unaware of the big bad world outside that she chooses to live in the platform. Her innocence goes miles when she chooses to wear her bridal saree everyday so that her newly wed husband can recognize her when he comes to look for her. The story underlines her interpersonal skills and cooking abilities, as she slowly carves out her niche.

Back in the village, Jaya takes the chance offered to her by destiny. She assumes a false identity, and stays back with Deepak’s family. She helps them to solve problems of insects in crop without using pesticides and also encourages the women in the family to assert their preferences and believe in themselves. Veteran actor Ravi Kishan plays the paan chewing, corrupt police officer who finds Jaya, but supports her to follow her dreams.

A key takeaway from the film is that in reality, women are capable of looking after themselves, and dont need men much.

The cast is new, some of them include debutants (Pratibha Ratna and Nitanshi Goel). Sparsh Srivastava bring alive the village boy character. 

A must-watch film for everyone. 

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Murder Mubarak

You are reminded of Hercule Poirot when Bhavani Singh (Pankaj Tripathi), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) comes to investigate death of a fitness trainer in a fictitious club in Delhi (Royal Delhi Club or RDC). Autopsy reveals traces of a drug and an apparent accident transforms into a murder. What follows is development of the plot by revealing dark secrets of everyone’s lives and finally telling the audience who the actual murderer was. The rest of the star studded cast consist of veteran actors such as Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Kapoor, Karishma Kapoor, Tisca Chopra and present generation guys such as Vijay Varma and Sara Ali Khan. 

While the architecture and interiors of Royal Delhi Club transport you to a regal era, you will find yourself wondering who would have committed a heinous crime such as murder in such a pristine place, whose members are all rich and belong to higher sections of the society. Slight comic element has been brought in when Pankaj Tripathi refers to weird tales about his deputy during investigation.

Sara Ali Khan looks good but she really needs to work on her acting and dialogue delivery, although she shines in some scenes. The kleptomaniac nature of her character is not utilized in the film whereas the script for other characters could have been better. The film relies on Vijay Varma and Pankaj Tripathi.

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Mamla Legal Hai

A webseries built around real life challenges faced by lawyers, variety of cases they have to handle, internal politics, and more. Can you imagine witness boxes being moved from one courtroom to another? Or someone being framed for a foul-mouthed pet parrot?

Veteran actor Ravi Kishan, originally from Bhojpuri film industry, plays the central character of V.D. Tyagi, who is also President of Bar Association in Patparganj Court. Donning few streaks of grey, Tyagi is also a smart lawyer who does not hesitate to pull a few strings to his own benefit. The series culminates in V. D. Tyagi losing an election but being offered the role of a judge.

The support cast have also come together to deliver a stellar series on court-room drama, which interwines comedy with many subtle layers. Young actors playing the role of Ananya Shroff (Naila Grewal), Vishwas Pandey (Anant Joshi), Sujata Negi (Nidhi Bisht) have done justice to their characters.   Vijay Rajoria, who plays the role of a senior lawyer Munshiji, adds balance to the series.

Not a drop of vulgarity is there, no cheap jokes, yet this is such a well made comedy series. There are no breathtaking locations, but drab court rooms. Yes, some chambers and homes look swank, but essentially the camera stays in court premises.

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Dream Girl 2

I am someone who strongly believes that men cannot look good if they attempt to disguise as a female, and even if one manages to look good, it wont be possible to walk, dance, sing and talk like women. But all my biases are proved wrong by Ayushmann Khurrana in this movie, which I downloaded just out of curiosity.  The story begins with a lovely dance number with Ayushmann and Ananya Pandey, both of whom look gorgeous. Circumstances take unexpected turns that force the hero to dress up as a bar girl. One lie leads to another, and Ayushmann finds himself entangled in a messy situation.

There’s nothing much of the type of a story here. But great acting by Ayushmann, Annu Kapoor, Paresh Rawal and the support cast pull of comic sequences and provide you some light entertainment, wherein you don’t ask questions but just go along the flow.

Highlight of the movie is how flawlessly the hero plays his female character, Pooja. He not only looks good, but he also moves very gracefully and attractively. His male version will make you fall in love with him too. So much so, that I found myself looking for the first movie made in this series, although the stories are unconnected.

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Amar Singh Chamkila

Once in a while, most of us would not mind a song with double meanings. But our society forbids us from discussing such things openly. In the very first few minutes of the film, the lead pair (Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra) are shot dead.

Set in backdrop of a far flung town in rural Punjab, in late 1970s and early 80’s, the protagonist, Amar Singh Chamkila reaches heights of popularity with his raunchy songs. He was in a completely different profession initially, but he followed his heart to join the troupe of a popular singer named Jatinder Jinda. But fate has other plans for him when Chamkila rises to fame on his own talent, even in the crisis of 1984 after Indira Gandhi’s assassination. He was hiring female singers until he met Amarjot Kaur, who was a major factor behind his success. They get married to preserve their success streak.

Needless to say, some sections of the society oppose the theme of Chamkila’s songs. He chose to switch to devotional songs, which resonated with people very well. However, he had to go back to his original songs on public demand, which later led to his death.

Brilliant acting by all characters have recreated the real life story of Amar Singh Chamkila, who was touted as the Elvis Presley of Punjab. A lot of research has gone in making the film - some photographs and video clips are included wherein you would be able to relate to both real and reel Chamkila and Amarjot.

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Fighter

Calling out all Hrithik Roshan fans! Set in the context of political hostility between India and Pakistan, this movie revolves around air force officers posted in Sri Nagar and Jammu. The lead characters played by Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, are both pilots. The support cast, led by Anil Kapoor, look good as well. The antagonist camp, lead by a long haired terrorist, succeeds in bringing your blood to boil when his intentions are revealed. The attack on unsuspecting Indian soldiers at Pulwama sets the stage for a fightback by Indian soldiers. Hrithik and his colleagues start an aerial retaliation; including some incredible stunts mid air. Two officers get captured, and are focus of the movie shifts towards their rescue.

 

The story has been narrated in multiple layers, which gently touches upon cameradarie between officers, Hrithik Roshan’s past and his martyred fiancé, reunion of Deepika with her parents who had disowned her.

If you are a Hrithik fan, you can watch the movie just by looking at him. He flaunts his physique in a couple of occasions. On the other hand, Deepika’s flawless figure complements his good looks. There are few songs where dancing skills of both Hrithik and Deepika can be seen. It is a well directed movie shot in beautiful locations, and you’ll love every second of it.

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The Family Man (Season 1 and 2)

This is a web series I had downloaded just because I love Manoj Bajpayee’s acting. But the other actors also left me impressed. A big high five goes to the cast selection - Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) looks like a next door man whom you cannot guess to be part of police force, whereas Priyamani, an actress from South Indian film industry, looks perfect in the role of his wife. Sharad Kelkar, Dilip Tahil, the children, in fact everyone, look tailormade for their respective characters.

Season 1 revolves around Moosa, who looks innocent at first but turns out to be a terrorist. He is guided by Major Sameer (Darshan Kumar), who look sinister and handsome at the same time. And there is Sajid, who is a key member in carrying out missions. Season 1 ends in a clumsy manner, leaving many ends open. They are tied up quickly in Season 2 which wants to develop around a new storyline. Tamilian rebels under cover planning an attack on the Prime Minister of the country when she intends on signing treaties with Sri Lankan Government, revolving around Bhaskaran and Raji. Major Sameer and Sajid join in their camp as well. Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who plays the character of Raji, has let go off her usual glamorous roles and has carried out lot of action. A total surprise, although unnecessary, is when Srikant Tiwari is shown to have moved into corporate world. However, his heart lies in the NIA and he joins back. You will get chills when it is revealed that Srikant’s daughter is befriended by a young terrorist.

 

I heard a new season is expected shortly – looking forward to that!

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Pippa

After having watched a handful of commercial movies, I chanced upon this film on Amazon Prime. I am usually someone who would avoid films centering around army, because I think there is too much bloodshed. That reason did not stand in the way as I got drawn by the innocent smile of Ishaan Khatter. With his chocolate boy looks, I was sceptical about how he would fit into a serious role – and has he pulled out a surprise for me!

He plays the role of the youngest son of a family of military men – his late father and elder brother were in the army, and he got drawn into the forces by them. He was the commander of an amphibious tanker, one which could operate both on land and swim in water, but gets posted to clerical duty as he defies orders of his senior officers. In the meantime, his elder brother is sent on a secret mission to Bangladesh, but gets captured by Pakistani forces. Ishaan is called to duty – to modify design of tanks to accommodate four persons and make it worthy for deployment in war. In recognition of the hard work put in by him, he gets to join the war. His sister, played by Mrunal Thakur, gets to know about capturing of their elder brother and informs Ishaan. He takes it as a personal responsibility and fights bravely not only to rescue his brother, but defeat Pakistani army and contribute in the independence of Bangladesh.

This is a real life story and has been narrated very well with realistic feel – blood, torture, bullets…and more. The movie is worth much more recognition than it has got so far.

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Bhakshak

Sometimes good movies are not lauded enough, maybe because they touch upon sensitive topics. This one centres around young girls, all orphans, being abused in a shelter homes in a small town in Bihar. On the other hand, Bhumi Pednekar plays the role of a journalist, who runs her own news channel, almost singlehandedly, gathering information herself with her cameraman in tow. Upon being tipped about the notorious activities against girls, Bhumi fights a sole battle against powerful people, her family members who are concerned about her safety, a police system that chooses to remain silent and more.

The narration is tight and you would not want to miss a single moment, be it heinous crimes against helpless girls, their purporment by powerful men and strong determination showcased by the protagonist to help the exploited. The characters speak in a strong Bihari accent, which gives a realistic feel. Although the end was a little hurried up, I felt this is a strong movie and should be watched by everybody. We need to raise our consciences beyond our ownselves. At the end, the movie urges you to raise your voice if you notice anything wrong being done to others, and not wait till something happens to you or your kin.

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