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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