Dream girl (ड्रीम गर्ल)

"Dream girl (ड्रीम गर्ल)".

Watched Hindi movie "Dream girl (ड्रीम गर्ल)". 

This movie is directed by Raaj Shaandilya and stars Ayushman Khurana, Nushrat Bharucha, Annu Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Manjot Singh, Rajesh Sharma, Nidhi Bisht and Raj Bhansali. This movie is produced by Shobha and Ekta Kapoor. Music is by Meet Bros. Writing credits Nirman Dsingh, Niket Pandey and Raaj Shaandilya. This film was released in Sept 2019 and runs for more than 2 hours. I watched it with Ravi on 30 Nov 2019.

Karam, a graduate, is unemployed. Since childhood, he is able to talk in voice of a female and has ended up playing Seeta in Ramleela. By chance he lands a job in a love call center where he is to love talk to the callers as Pooja. He is very successful. However, in a small town like Mathura, unintentional consequences start to manifest. 

Can he disguise his voice well enough to conceal his true identity? What are the unintentional consequences? How far will it go? Will his girl friend find out?

The seed is interesting. What starts as fun slowly takes a serious turn. Karam realizes that there are a lot of lonely people around, not only Male.

Ayushman does the role with ease. Nushrat looks as if she hasn't bathed but delivers a decent performance. Annu Kapoor and Vijay Raaz are versatile. Others do well.

Direction is ok. You don't remember the music after the movie and songs uncalled for in the story. Cinematography is ok. Locations are good. 

There are some good punches in the movie that bring smile to your face. Seeta maia's ashirvad is overdone. People not able to recognize each other's voice over phone is unconvincing. Director tries to give a philosophical touch to the movie at the end but by that time it's too little, too late. 

Movie has a promising start. It flourishes. But the director is unable to maintain the graph. It starts to decline and in his attempt to maintain the graph, director over does everything and movie goes haywire. A promising start fizzles out.

I saw complete movie so that I could write a review for you, but you don't have to.

Give it a miss!

Gully boy (गल्ली बाॅय)

"Gully boy (गल्ली बाॅय)"

Watched Hindi movie Gully boy (गल्ली बाॅय). Directed by Zoya Akhtar, Produced by Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhta & Ritesh Sidhwani. Writing credits Zoya Akhtar and others. Cinematography Jay Oza. Music Karsh Kale. It stars Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhat, Vijay Raaz, Amruta Subhash, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Varma & Siddhant Trivedi. I watched this movie with Aditi and Mihika. The movie is about 2 hour 33 min long and was released in Feb 2019.

Murad, son of a driver, lives in Dharavi and studies in college. He is in love with Safina, who comes from an orthodox family. Murad finds release in the rap of rapper M.C.Sher. It inspires him to write rap but Sher refuses to sing. 

Why does Sher not want to sing what Murad has written? Will Murad's lyrics go waste? What inspires Murad to write and rap? Will he succeed?

It's said that the story is based on a combination of two real life figures merged into a single character of Murad. It's a success story of a poor boy from the slums of Dharavi who dreams big, had hunger for success and becomes famous rapper. However, it's not a typical raags to riches story. It's a story with a difference.

Ranveer delivers a powerful performance. He plays the college kid (tries hard to look like one) well. Alia plays a bold girl in orthodox Muslim family who wants to have fun. She plays the role easily. Siddhant gives a convincing and realistic performance as MC Sher. These three are ably supported by two Vijay's, Amruta and Kalki. Amruta looks really bad. 

A large part of the credit, however, goes to Zoya. She handles direction professionally and with finess. The handling of story is deft. She doesn't let the story drop pace and keeps the audience involved. She is assisted by Karsh Kale who had composed the music. Rap sounds good, but if the movie had nothing but rap, credit goes to music composer of the music beckons hit and not monotonous. Cinematography is good. 

Recommend watching. 

Zoya factor (झोया फॅक्टर)

"Zoya factor (झोया फॅक्टर)"

Watched Hindi movie Zoya factor (झोया फॅक्टर). Directed by Abhishek Sharma, Produced by Fox Star studios. Screen play Neha Sharma & Pradhuman Singh. Cinematography Manoj Lobo. Music Shankar-Ehsan-Loy. It stars Sonam Kapoor, Dulquer Salman, Sanjay Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Abhilash Chaudhary. I watched this movie with Aditi, Jayant, Sucheeta, Sameer, Pooja and Rucha. The movie is about 2 hour 14 min long and was released on 19 Sep 2019.

Zoya is born at the exact time India won 1983 world cup. She meets fledgling current Indian cricket team, under new captain Nikhil Khoda, for an Ad shoot and they realise that she is a lucky charm. They win matches when she takes breakfast with the team and lose when they don't. She becomes lucky mascot of the national team. She also has hots about Nikhil, who doesn't believe in luck. 

Will Zoya and Nikhil clash? Will they come close? Is Zoya lucky? Will Zoya factor work? Will India win?

This movie is based on Anuja Chauhan's debut novel by the same name. The novel was in 'Chick lit' category and became hugely popular. Shahrukh Khan's Red Chillis had the rights of this novel for movie, but it did not happen. Producers of the movie then acquired the rights and made the movie. Shahrukh has lent his voice for the movie. 

Although this movie is made on a successful book, this movie lacks the finesse. If you have read the book, you will not like the movie. If you haven't read the book, chances are that you will still not like the movie. 

Direction and continuity is elementary. Hotel in Sri Lanka and India have same elevator. Indian team is always shown with 11 or less players when they are not on ground. Team generally consists of 15-16 players. Srilanka jersey looks like KKR jersey. Zoya's brother (Major in army) is always home, never on duty. However director also shows brilliance in flashes like when rain comes Nikhil written on body of fan stats washing off. Those are exact feelings of Nikhil at the time. The cricket match scenes are realistic and shots are real. 

Casting is interesting. Salman is a revelation. Although he doesn't have typical Bollywood hero looks, he acts well and is at ease on screen. Sonam looks good and acts well. She is adorable on screen. Without taking anything away from Sonam, I feel that Alia Bhatt would have been ideal for this role. Angad Bedi is a good actor. He gets to play a cricketer again after TV show 'Inside edge'. Sanjay Kapur does not look like an army man at all. Why choose him? Character of Shivy is clearly based on Shikhar Dhawan with his signature moustaches and pat on the lap. 

The book had Zing Cola as the team sponsor. Director chose to do a blatant advertisement by changing it to Pepsi. The advertisement is not only by mention but also by playing the ad shooting scenes. 

When the book was published India had not won second world cup. However, film was shot after second world cup win. So the film liberally borrows from India's second world cup campaign. 

Since the movie is based on a book, comparisons are inevitable. Character of Nikhil is based on Dhoni in the book and movie maintains it. World cup happens in Australia in book, it's in India in movie. 

Monita is her friend in book, she becomes boss and antagonist in movie. Zoya's encounter with team India happens in Balgladesh in book, it happens in Srilanka in movie. The list goes on. 

You enjoy the book, you don't enjoy the movie. You are hooked to the book, you keep looking at watch during movie. In short the movie is a disappointment. Give it a miss.

Don't go, even if you get free tickets.

Tashkent files (ताश्कंद फाईल्स)

"Tashkent files (ताश्कंद फाईल्स)"

Watched Hindi movie Tashkent files (ताश्कंद फाईल्स)". Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, Produced by Vivek Agnihotri and others. Written by Vivek Agnihotri. Cinematography Udaysing Mohite. Music Rohit Sharma. It stars Shweta Basu Prasad, Nasiruddin Shah, Pallavi Joshi, Pankaj Tripathi, Mandira Bedi, Vinayak Pathak, Rajesh Sharma and Mithun Chakraborty. I watched this movie with Ravi and Mihika. The movie is about 2 hour 15 min long and was released in 2019.

Shweta, a journalist looking for a coup, gets a call from a mysterious anonymous caller with a lead.  She raises questions about death of India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. A committee is formed under Mithun, the opposition leader, to determine if Shastriji died of natural causes or he was killed.

This movie analyses all theories, conspiracy theories, hypotheses and facts about the events in Tashkent. It highlights discrepancies, loop holes, missing links and mismatches to raise a lot of questions. Information from Mitrokhin files lends authenticity to the questions. 

I have read the chapter about India from Mitrokhin's book, which is widely quoted in the film. It's scary. It appears like Indian politicians were in a race to sell India. KGB was  happily controlling intellectuals, politicians, academia and even Indian secret service. If that is true these traitors have caused unimaginable damage to India.

Mithun surprises with good acting. Shweta is also good. The committee members play their part well, trying to reach conclusion while ensuring that their own vested interests are protected at the same time. The committee is comprised of interesting characters. An intellectual, a historian, an ex intelligence officer, an ex judge, a political protege and a leftist socialite. 

Direction is good. Apart from the fact that Shweta travels between Delhi and Tashkent and back, between committee daily meetings, as if they are located 3-4 km apart, director has made the film realistic. 

As expected, the film ends without a conclusion. Identity of mysterious caller is not a surprise. One who benefits most is the culprit. 

The film manages to raise a lot of questions about why Shastriji was systematically erased from public memory and whether he was killed. The first question deserves answer even if second remains unanswered. 

Recommend watching. 

Mission Mangal (मिशन मंगल)

"Mission Mangal (मिशन मंगल)".

Watched Hindi movie "Mission Mangal (मिशन मंगल)". This movie is directed by Jagan Shakti and stars Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Tapasee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Sharman Joshi, Kriti Kulhari, H. G. Dattatreya, Sanjay Kapoor, Dilip Tahil and Vikram Gokhale. Music is by Amit Trivedi & Tanishk Bagchi. Writing credits R Balki and Riturraj Tripathii. This film was released on 15 Aug 2019. I watched it with Ravi, Akshata, Mihika and Aditi.

After failure of GSLV, Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan are given charge of Mission Mangal, a project that is never expected to take off. They are also given a team of junior scientists (mainly women).

Will Akshay and Vidya overcome the odds? Will Mission Mangal happen? Will it succeed?

All the main characters were introduced through an impact scene. But that scene had nothing to do with rest of the movie. If only director had chosen a scene that highlighted a characteristic of the character! Akshay is not shown doing any real work. Akshay is very good but Vidya is simply too good. Other scientists have done good job. Dattatreya remains in memory as loveable oldie. Tapasee looks beautiful in saree. 

Too much time is wasted for the build up that takes us to intermission thereby leaving little time for the main movie. Real story starts after intermission.

There were a number of female scientists in this mission. This movie shows the difficulties they faced in their personal lives, which they overcame and succeeded in launching Mangalyan.

All scientists worked hard for the mission. Movie shows how they were motivated but does not show any details of how exactly they worked. The movie lacks technical details. It appears like 6-7 people working in a garage did the project. There is only one mention of 17000 scientists working on the project, but you don't see any of them. It also shows scientists cleaning and painting the work area, as if ISRO doesn't have cleaning staff!

It appears that the objective of this movie is to convey the success story of Mission Mangal and what scientists did to make it successful, to common audience. Director's achievement is passable.

This movie is a simplistic dramatisation of mission Mangal. Director has taken artistic liberty for the movie but sometimes he has overdone it. For example, there is a storm at the launch site at Sriharikota. Scientists look out of their windows in Bangalore and notice that the rain has stopped and determine that it has also stopped in Sriharikota. Next minute everyone is back in office. I have read a WhatsApp post in circulation,  of an ISRO scientist, that highlights the mistakes in the movie. 

There is one pub song in the movie that is completely out of sync with the story. But it draws audience applause because Sanjay Kapoor dances on Akhiya milaoon..., his old song. 'Om Mangalam' is a good song. Special effects are ok but could have been better. Not as good as I expected.

In short, if you want a dramatized, simplistic account, watch it!

Uri (उरी)

"Uri (उरी)"

Watched Hindi movie "Uri (उरी)". This film is directed by Aditya Dhar. Written by Aditya Dhar. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala. Music by Shashwat Sachdev. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Yami Goutami, Paresh Rawal, Swaroop Sampat, Kriti Kulhari, Rajat Kapoor and Yogesh Soman. The film runs for about 2 hour 15 min and was released in 2019. I watched it with Ravi, Akshata, Mihika and Aditi.

This film is dramatisation of India's surgical  strikes in PoK, in response to the dastardly terrorist attack in Uri, launched by Pakistan sponsored terrorists. 

As far as the story goes, it's hard to tell which part was fact and which was dramatisation. However, director has done a good job of presenting a flowing story. He has added right quantities of emotions, action and drama to the recipe to create a heady concoction.

Vicky Kaushal is good. Looks like a soldier and acts like one. Yami Goutami is beautiful but has limited role. Paresh Rawal is good as usual. It was good to see Swarup Sampat after a long time. Yogesh Soman looks exactly like Parrikar. Can't imagine anyone else playing the role. Rajat Kapoor looks like Modi but doesn't portray the strong leadership vibes, he appears like an old grandpa. Unconvincing!

Action scenes are convincing but final action could have been more exciting. Vicky's speech to the selected batch of commandos is not very effective. Why an officer who is an excellent marksman is chosen as chopper pilot? Why does the strike team celebrate when they reach the caves at the border rather than after reaching at the base in India?

The surgical strikes was an important milestone in new India's muscular foreign policy and was a defining moment. Dramatisation of the surgical strikes into a movie has ensured that surgical strikes remain in public memory for a longer time and enlighten the ones who are not in the know. 

Recommend watching. 

Barsat (बरसात)

"Barsat (बरसात)"

Watched Hindi movie "Barsat (बरसात)".  Produced and Directed by Raj Kapoor, Story and Screenplay Ramanand Sagar. Music Shankar-Jaikishan, Cinematography Jal Mistry. It stars Raj Kapoor, Premnath, Nargis, K.N.Singh and introduces Nimmi. The film runs for about 2 and half hours and was released in 1949. I watched it with Aditi.

Raj Kapoor and Premnath are best friends. Premnath is a casanova and thinks that girls are incapable of loving and don't deserve to be loved. Raj Kapoor is a poet and believes in love. Premnath makes false promises to the hill girl, Nimmi, and she intern worships him and waits for his return. Raj Kapoor meets another hill girl, Nargis, and they fall in love. 

What happens next? Will Raj Kapoor and Nargis come together? Will Premnath return to Nimmi? Will Nimmi see through Premnath?

It's basically a story of belief in love versus non belief. Eternal love versus carnal pleasure. Serious relationship versus flirtation. There are a number of songs in this movie and each one is a melody and a hit. One can watch this movie only for the songs. They are sung even today, 70 years after the release. Unique feature of this movie is that there is a background score playing for the entire duration of the movie.

'Patli kamar hai tirchi najar hai' is a fantastic song. Every alternate line is by Premnath (who is enjoying life in the company of beautiful girls) and by Nimmi (who is hoping against hope that Premnath will return). The style of showing contrast in alternate lines of a song is original.

Raj Kapoor acts like himself,  a wistful lover boy. Nargis probably looks best in this movie and acts well. Premnath stands out. He gets to Express himself. This was before he let himself be typecast. Nimmi does well for her debut. K. N. Singh is shown as a rough man and he handles Nargis and Raj Kapoor really roughly. His character and director's handling of his roughness is realistic. Cinematography was good at that time of black and white but appears elementary  today. 

Watching the film today, 70 years after its release generates mixed feelings. On one hand one is amazed and on the other the technology, direction and acting appear primitive. Nevertheless, one can't help but admire the crew and efforts. 

Watch it for the experience.

Office Christmas Party

"Office Christmas Party"

Watched English movie "Office Christmas Party". This film is directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck. Written by John Lucas and others. It's produced by Guymon Casady and others. It stars Jennifer Aniston, T. J. Miller, Jason Bateman, Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Courtney B. Vance, Vanessa Bayer. The film runs for about 1 hour 40 min and released in 2016.

Clay is branch manager of a company who's CEO is his sister Carol. One day,  just before Christmas, she decides to either lay off majority employees or close Clay's branch. Now they have one Christmas party to land a mega deal and save the branch. It's the Office Christmas Party.

How will they land a deal during Christmas party? Till what extent will they go for the deal? Will it end well or in a disaster?

It's a simple story, uncomplicated, spiced up with individual side stories (using electricity to carry internet signals, hooker for non-existent girlfriend, divorce, single mother etc. )

Acting by all the actors is overdone, probably as part of comedy. Jennifer Aniston is largely wasted. The role has little substance and scope. TJ Miller is likeable as a kind hearted, bumbling, hulk of a boss. Jason and Olivia are the only serious actors. 

Direction is ok. Sometimes director goes overboard. Cinematographer does a decent job. Casting is good.

In such a movie the end is a foregone conclusion, its how the end is achieved that matters. This particular movie is nonsensical and if you decide to watch it, do it without using brain.

Watch it,  forget it or give it a miss. 

Jack Reacher: Never go back

"Jack Reacher: Never go back"

Watched English movie "Jack Reacher: Never go back". This film is directed by Edward Zwick. Written by Zwick, Richard Wenk and Marshall Herskovitz. It's produced by Tom Cruise and others. It stars Tom Cruise, Coby Smulders, Danika Yarosh, Patrik Heusinger . The film runs for about 2 hours and released in 2016.

Jack Reacher busts a human trafficking racket (although he has no formal authority) with the help of Major Susan Turner. Turner is arrested for espionage. Jack Reacher senses more to it and spirits her off the prison. Then the chase and action begins. A possible daughter of Reacher adds to the complication. 

Typical Tom Cruise movies have little story. Sprinkling of emotions. Chases, high octane action & thrill. This movie is no different. It is what you expect of Tom Cruise movies. 

Lee Child, author of the book by same name, on which this movie is based, makes a guest appearance in the movie. 

Protagonists do justice to their roles.  Cinematography is good. Action sequences are good. Direction is adequate. This is second movie of Jack Reacher series.

Watch it for action, not for substance. 

15 August (१५ ऑगस्ट)

"15 August (१५ ऑगस्ट)"

Watched Marathi movie 15 August (१५ ऑगस्ट). Directed by Swapnaneel Jaykar, Produced by Madhuri Dixit and Shriram Nene. Story & Screenplay Yogesh Vinayak Joshi. Cinematography Milind Jog. It stars Mrunmayi Deshpande, Adinath Kothare, Rahul Pethe, Abhishek Deshmukh, Namrata Kadam, Satish Pulekar, Vijay Patkar, Naina Apte, Vaibhav Mangle, Chandu Parkhi & Uday Tikekar. I watched this movie with Aditi. The movie is about 2 hour long and was released in 2019. It's a Netflix film.

It's the story of an independence day in a chawl. Mrunmayi and Rahul love each other but her family disapproves. On the fateful day, a prospective groom, Adinath, and his parents are coming to meet Mrunmayi and her family to finalize marriage. At the same time a boy in chawl has stuck his hand in a hole made for flag and solutions are coming fast. 

How did the boy stick his hand? What does the chawl do to extract it? Will Adinath like Mrunmayi? Will she say yes? What about painter Rahul?

The story is light. But it's not really about independence day. It's a love story. Director spends too much time on the hand stuck in the hole. Rahul's character appears too passive. Otherwise direction is ok, finishing could have been better. 

Mrunmayi looks beautiful,  but the age has started showing, on occasions. She acts well. Rahul plays the silent lover and unsuccessful painter well. Adinath scores in the short but decisive role.

Supporting cast is well known and they are all good and accomplished actors. The chawl has all kind of characters and they are used to create humor. The child artist is cute. 

Cinematographers idea of transposing from one scene to other using a common thread is very creative. 

It's a good entertainment. Ok for family viewing, except the swear words. 

Recommended watching. 

Wedding cha shinema (वेडिंगचा शिनेमा)

"Wedding cha shinema (वेडिंगचा शिनेमा)"

Watched Marathi movie "Wedding cha shinema (वेडिंगचा शिनेमा)". Direction Saleel Kulkarni, Screenplay Nihar Bhave & Saleel Kulkarni, Production Atul Athavle & others, Music Saleel Kulkarni. The film features Mukta Barve, Sunil Joshi, Bhau Kadam, Shivaji Satam, Alka Kubal, Pravin Tarade, Ashwini Kalsekar, Shivraj Waychal and Rucha Inamdar. There is a guest appearance of Shreyas Talpade. The movie runs for about 2 hours 15 min. This film was released in 2019. I watched it with Aditi, Siddhant and Mihika.

Mukta is a trained film maker but has to do a pre-wedding film to pay her bills. Pari, the bride, is from Mumbai and Prakash, the Groom, from rural Saswad. This apparently simple and boring assignment gradually becomes interesting. 

What kind of marriage is it? What do they expect in - wedding film? Will the filmmaker get artistic pleasure? What enriching experiences will she get? Will it be a smooth affair?

The story is good. It's all about human relations and relationships on the backdrop of a marriage between urban and rural families. When I started watching the movie I fervently hoped that this will not turn out to be Marathi Monsoon Wedding. Rest assured,  it isn't! 

Saleel Kulkarni, a well known music composer displays his directorial skills. He generates light moments by doing the unexpected and milking the urban rural contrasts. He has also co- written the script. Looks like we have an allrounder in the making. Music, though, is disappointing.

Rucha and Shivraj bring the freshness to the movie. Rucha had to watch jet voice. Shiraz is a surprisingly refreshing package. All others are accomplished actors and play their role to perfection. Full marks to the casting. Each character appears to have been written for that particular actor. 

One improvement would have been the length. Had the movie been quarter to half an hour shorter, it would have become crisp. Director chooses not to give a very profound message and sticks to the story. 

A good family entertainment. Recommend watching.

Notebook (नोटबुक)

"Notebook (नोटबुक)"

Watched Hindi movie "Notebook (नोटबुक)".  Directed by Nitin Kakkar, Screenplay Darab Farooqui, Produced by Salman Khan and others,  Music Vishal Mishra, Cinematography Manoj Kumar Khatoi. It stars Pranutan Bahl and Zaheer Iqbal in main roles,  supported by Muazzam Bhat, Farhana Bhat, Soliha Maqbool, Baba Hatim, Ricky Raina, Zahoor Zaidi, Mir Sarwar and Mir Mohammed Mehroos. The film runs for about 1 hour 58 min and was released in 2019. I watched it with Siddhant.

A young man decides to go to his homeland, Kashmir, to teach in a school located in a very remote area. Here he finds diary of teacher Firdaus, who taught previous year. He comes to know Firdaus through the diary and falls in love without even seeing her. 

How was Firdaus? Can one fall in love by reading a diary? Will they ever meet?

This movie is a remake of Thai film 'The teacher's diary'.

The story is good. The idea of diary love is interesting. While Indianizing the story, they have given it a Kashmir backdrop. It kills many birds in one stone. State of general disrepair, apathy towards education, implicit terrorism undercurrent and breathtaking beauty. All of it conducive for the movie.  

Pranutan is very good. She looks good and acts well. She plays her quiet but firm character very well. She is Mohnish Bahl's daughter and granddaughter of legendary Nutan. Zaheer Iqbal is handsome, but needs to learn acting. His eyes lack any expression and look glazed. Supporting actors are good. Special mention of Rocky Raina, who sparkles in his cameo, and Mir Mohammed Mehroos, the sweet boy.

Direction is ok. Some issues of continuity that should not be there in a professional film. Some of the scenes appear shallow. There was opportunity to make them more meaningful, but it was lost. Normally when you do remake, it's expected that you improve or not make mistakes. Interesting thing is that she writes the notebook in hindi but in Roman script. 

Music is ok. Song to remember is remix of Bumro. How much credit should music director get for a remix?

Cinematography is awesome. Cinematographer captures breathtaking and serene beauty of Kashmir very well. It's a pity such a beautiful land is troubled for so many years. 

This movie was not commercially successful. 

Watch for Pranutan and Kashmir.

Game (गेम)

"Game (गेम)"

Watched Hindi movie Game (गेम). Directed by Abhinay Deo, and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Story & Screenplay Althea Delmas and Kaushal. Music Shankar-Ehsan-Loy. Cinematography Kartik Vijay. It stars Anupam Kher, Kangana Ranut, Jimmy Shergil, Boman Irani, Shahana Goswami, Sara Jane Dias & Abhishek Bacchan. The movie is about 2 hour 14 minutes long and was released in 2011.

Kabir Malhotra (Anupam) calls actor Vikram Kapoor (Jimmy) from Mumbai, Indian Thai Politician Ramsey (Boman) from Thailand,  Indian-British Journalist Tisha Khanna (Shahana) from UK and Casino owner Neil Menon (Abhishek) from Istanbul to a secluded Greek island called Samos. There he accuses the three men of destroying a life. Next day Kabir is killed in a room that's locked from inside. 

What did the three men do? Who killed Kabir? Why? What's the game?

The film starts with a promise. Each of the invitee is in some sort of distress. Kabir entices them to join him and then accuses them. His murder introduces intrigue. But thereafter the film starts to disintegrate. What with Kangana initiating surveillance, one of them dodging it and turning out to be prime suspect to be eventually revealed as someone else. The story loses the grip and goes haywire. 

Abhishek is good. Anupam too. Others are OK. Kangana does not act, looks stiff, does not look beautiful either. There are flaws in the story. The evidence of finger print is flimsy. 

One of the songs is good. Cinematographer has lost some good opportunities. Some of the characters are not developed enough (e.g. Tisha).

This film was not successful on box office and could not recover the investment. Rightly so!

AVOID. 

Ungli (उंगली)

"Ungli (उंगली)"

Watched Hindi movie "Ungli (उंगली)". Story, screenplay and direction Rensil D'silva. Produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar of Dharma productions. Music is by Aslam Keyi, John Stewart, Gulraj Singh. It stars Kangana Ranaut, Randeep Hooda, Angad Bedi, Neil Bhoopalam, Imran Hashmi, Neha Dhupia, Sanjay Dutt and Raza Murad. Guest appearance Shraddha Kapur, Arunoday Singh. The film runs for about 1 hour 58 min and was released in 2014. 

A medical intern, a mechanic, a Computer shop owner and a crime reporter are fed up with the corruption in the system and decide to take matters in hand and punish the bureaucrats and politicians. Public enthusiastically names them Ungli gang. Police wants to unmask them and assign the case to Sanjay and Imran.

Can police apprehend Ungli gang? Why did Ungli gang become vigilante? Will they be content with punishing petty government employees or they have a larger target?

The story is simple. The reason for the friends becoming Ungli gang is not portrayed powerfully. The story has a flow but the story and its handling appears superficial. This movie could have been made profound but director missed the opportunity.

There are some obvious flaws / errors. Why would a corrupt police officer offer a plum position to honest officer and ask him to pay bribe? Why would one make a graffiti on the wall of HQ, that can become a proof against them? Why would one paint Ungli graffiti on open terrace at the gang rendezvous? Does everyone use saliva to count money?

Kangana had a limited role and is mostly wasted. Randeep and Angad make an impact. Neil is OK. Imran has got an unnecessary kissing scene based on his reputation rather than story. Sanjay is decent. The movie had one hit song.

Watch if you have a free afternoon and don't want to go out. Not a must watch.  

Bazaar (बाजार)

"Bazaar (बाजार)"

Watched Hindi movie "Bazaar (बाजार)". It's written and directed by Gauravv K. Chawla. Produced by Nikkhil Advani, Viacom18 and others. Music by multiple music directors. Written by Nikkhil Advani, Aseem Arora and Parveez Sheikh. Cinematography by Swapnil Sonawane. The film features Saif Ali Khan, Chitrangada Singh, Rohan Mehra, and Radhika Apte in main roles. The movie runs for about 2 hours 15 min. This film was released in 2018.

Saif (Shakun Kothari) is a ruthless self made businessman and Chitrangada his wife. Rizwan Ahmed (Rohan) is a stock trader from Allahabad who revers Saif as  God and comes to Mumbai to work with him. Here he meets Radhika. What follows after that is exactly like share market, lots of up and down. 

This movie shows the back room dealings, insider trading, exploitation, blackmail and what not. It's a world where money is God and nothing else matters. It's a roller coaster ride. 

Saif is impressive as ruthless businessman. He underplays the character and exudes tension with his each dialogue and move. He has matured as actor with age. Chitrangada has very limited scope, but appears stiff and not natural. I expected much more from her.  Rohan is smart and his acting is intense. Although this is his debut film, he doesn't let that know by his acting. Radhika plays a meaningful role and does justice to director's trust. There is a sizzling chemistry between Rohan and Radhika.

Some if the things appear simplified. They could have been made more intense and more shocking. Had it been done this movie would have remained in public memory for years.

Writers have used Warren Buffet's two rules as Saif's rules, with a slight alteration. Writers have also used the Monsanto controversy in this movie using fictitious company. They also use 2G scam. Embedding real incidents gives authenticity to fiction and makes it more appealing.

Music is ok. Cinematographer has limited scope as large portion of movie is shot indoors,  but he does well for outdoor scenes.  All in all a good package. 

Recommend watching. 

Farzand (फर्जंद)

"Farzand (फर्जंद)"

Watched Marathi movie "Farzand (फर्जंद)"". It's written and directed by Digpal Lanjekar. Produced by Anirban Sarkar. Music by Amitraj Sawant. The film features Chinmay Madlekar, Ajay Purkar, Mrunal Kulkarni, Meunmayee Deshpande, Neha Joshi, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Ankit Mohan and Prasad Oak. The movie runs for about 2.5 hours. This film was released in June 2018.

Shivaji had to relinquish Panhalgad (Panhala) in his truce with Mirza raje Jaysingh. He also had to run away from Panhala losing many men to enable his escape. Panhala had thus been thorn that  hurts Shivaji. He commissions Kondaji Farzand for the mission. Kondaji takes the challenge of capturing and winning Panhalgad with a force of just 60 men. 

What is Farzand's plan? Will he succeed? Will Bahirji Naik help him? What will Swarajya lose to win this fort?

Director has chosen a very very interesting and inspirational but short story to make a 2.5 hour long movie. Consequently he struggles to fill the spaces. The movie is too long. It focuses on the win rather than how it was achieved. Movie only shows that they scaled an unscalable cliff to get to the enemy. But their war strategy is missing. How they overcome the numerical inferiority using darkness is not shown. Having heard the story from the great Babasaheb Purandare, I can't imagine the story without famous shout of "Ganim ganim, Daga daga". Last part of the final act of war between Kondaji and Beshak Khan actually looks funny rather than intense and Villain doesn't look menacing. 

Ankit Mohan (Farzand) is handsome, well built and has ample opportunity to display his six packs. However, occasionally he lets slip non Marathi accent. Murunal portrays a tired and docile Jijabai. Chinmay's Shivaji is more pensive and contemplative than inspirational. Mrunmayee plays image breaking character of Kesar well. Ajay Purkar as Mama makes an impression. Neha Joshi has finally got a small but meaningful role, as Kondaji's wife, which she plays very well. Sameer Dharmadhikari in a negative role of Beshak Khan is impressive throughout the film except the last scene (fir no fault if his). But the one who steals the show is Prasad Oak as Bahirji Naik. He portrays multiple characters convincingly. His get-ups and beating is impeccable. 

Music is ok. You remember one or two tunes after the movie for some time. Cinematography is good. Night time scenes are taken well. I would have liked to see more outdoor scenes of Mawle scaling the cliff. Make up is very good. 

Sets, though grand, look like sets rather than real deal. Right from Sinhagad to Raigad to Panhala, sets look like sets. Doesn't give the authentic feeling. 

Editing is sloppy at times. Kesar's last fight is not shown properly. When she opens the locks, no one is shown coming out. In one scene camera pans out from Raigad palace out to show the entire palace and then entire top of Raigad showing people doing their chores, but when the shot fades out the people vanish first, letting audience know that this was a special effect.

This movie does not meet the expectations. Had this movie been 30 min to 45 min shorter, it would have become crispy and more appealing.

Not a must watch. 

Chintoo 2: Khajinyachi chittarkatha (चिंटू २: खजिन्याची चित्तरकथा)

"Chintoo 2: Khajinyachi chittarkatha (चिंटू २: खजिन्याची चित्तरकथा)"

Watched Marathi movie "Chintoo 2 (चिंटू २)". Directed by Shrirang Godbole, and produced by Shrirang Godbole and others. Screenplay Shrirang Godbole and Vibhavari Deshpande. Music Saleel Kulkarni. It stars Shubhankar Atre, Rumani Khare, Suhani Dhadphale, Ved Rawade, Animesh Padhye, Harshad Rajpathak, Nishant Bhavsar and Satish Alekar. The movie is about 1 hour 50 minutes long and was released in 2013.

Chintoo and his gang of friends  (Wanarwede sena) are bored of vacations and are looking for an adventure. Colonel kaka offers to take them for a camp in jungle. Chintoo finds an artefact in the lake and gets a whiff of a hidden treasure. The gang decides to find it. 

Where will they start? Will Colonel kaka allow? Is there a treasure? Are there bad guys? Can the kids find the treasure?

The story is light, bordered with mystery. Since its a kids movie, nothing serious happens. To spice up the things there are three baddies. However, they are used more for creating laughter than making the movie intense. Director does well in extracting acting from kids.

The locations and sets are first rate. The ancient mysticism is authentically created with some artistic liberty. The movie sets and locations remind you of  movies like Indiana Jones, Lara Croft etc.

All the kids act well. Especially Shubhankar and Suhani. Veteran writer Satish Alekar is pleasant, though he looks loving grandpa rather than Colonel kaka. Subodh and Vibhavari have 3 minutes screen space and can't even be called guest artists. 

Songs are good. Some you remember even after movie. But they are too many. For a movie about treasure hunt 5-6 songs is an overkill. 

Character of Chintoo caught imagination of Maharashtra through newspaper cartoon strip. Since then Chintoo is a household name. This is second movie of the series, although, I have not watched the first. 

A movie kids should watch.

Arunoday (अरुणोदय)

"Arunoday (अरुणोदय)"

Watched Marathi movie "Arunoday (अरुणोदय)". This film is directed by Partho Sen-Gupta, a French national of Indian origin. He has also written the screenplay. It's a formal co-production of India and France. Music is by Eryck Abecassis. It stars Adil Hussain (Joshi), Tannishtha Chaterjee (Leela), Ashalata Wabgaonkar (Radhabai), Chinmay Kambli (Babu), Isha Amlani (Naina) and Gulnaz Ansari (Komal). The film runs for about 1 hour 20 min and released in 2014.

Inspector Joshi (Hussain) is a morose lower middle class man. His daughter, Aruna, went missing at the age of six never to be found. His wife became mentally unstable by this shock. Joshi keeps chasing shadows in rain with his gun drawn while getting wet. He keeps coming to Paradise bar during his shadow chases and thinks he may find his daughter there. 

There is a side story of the dancing girls and how small girls are first brought and then groomed to become bar dancers. This house of girls is controlled by madam Radhabai (Ashalata).

This is an art movie. The story happens in Mumbai and entire story (except the last scene) happens at night and during continuous rain. Rain and darkness represent gloom and hopelessness. Arunoday (Sunrise) represents hope, new beginning. 

This movie is a blend of fact and fiction. The blend is so authentic that even when the movie ends, spectators can't decipher what was fact and what was fiction. Whether Paradise bar was real? Did Joshi really visit it? Did he see his daughter? Although there's a happy ending to the movie, one doesn't know if it really happened or it was only in Joshi's imagination. 

Hussain is presented in a different getup with big moustaches. It took me some time to recognize him. He plays the haunted father convincingly. Ashalata is in a counterintuitive role of a madam and does justice to it. Others are ok.

Keeping with the mood of the movie, music director has composed eerie music. The locations are carefully chosen and look authentic. 

This film has won awards in Durban international film festival,  Imagine film festival and Filmfest Munchen.

Watch of you like the art film genre. Otherwise, give it a miss.

Firebrand (फायरब्रॅन्ड)

"Firebrand (फायरब्रॅन्ड)"

Watched Marathi movie "Firebrand (फायरब्रॅन्ड)". It's written and directed by Aruna Raje. Produced by Purple Pebble Pictures. The film features Usha Jadhav, Sachin Khedekar, Rajeshwai and Girish Kulkarni in the lead roles. The film was released on 22 February 2019 on Netflix.

Sunanda (Usha) is a Firebrand lawyer in family court with a zeal to obtain justice for ladies in distress. Madhav Patkar (Girish) is her husband and best friend. Sunanda has a past and it keeps coming between their relationship. One day Divya Patel (Rajeshwari), wife of a self made businessman Anand Pradhan (Sachin), comes to her seeking divorce. 

Will she fight Divya's case? What will be the result? Will she be able to overcome her demons? How?

Usha Jadhav, never heard of her earlier. An average looking lady acts well & does justice to the role. Girish is fantastic. He plays the role of loving husband who is very patient and understanding, and even confused in the end. Rajeshwari plays the spoilt and hypocrite, divorce seeking wife well. Sachin plays the caring husband perfectly, as usual. But his actions towards end are out of sync with the character he builds up. 

The story is interesting. Director has handled an important social issue through this movie.  She handles the movie well and makes an impression. Director has used foetal position to project insecurities effectively. However, I have some objections. Director shows Sunanda's assistant disembark from wrong side of the car. Some continuity issues (She is wearing Bindi while brushing, but it vanishes when she comes our of bathroom). Director brings in Dalit angle. This is not in sync with the story and has no relation to the story. It appears like a parasite. 

Why does Anand come to Sunanda's house? Why does he offer to do massage? Would one do massage to a lady one barely knows and would the lady get it done? Although I understand what the director wanted to convey, the way she conveys it is very unconvincing. It remains the biggest flaw of the movie. She should have used the character of Freddy instead of Anand for this scene. If she had made this scene convincing, it would have been a superb film. 

Two songs are decent. One of them (incha incha..) lingers in your mind after the movie for a while. This movie has bold scenes and one can't watch it with entire family. 

Worth a watch.

Ek hajarachi note (एक हजाराची नोट)

"Ek hajarachi note (एक हजाराची नोट)"

Watched Marathi movie "Ek hajarachi note (एक हजाराची नोट)". Directed and produced by Shrihari Sathe. Screenplay Shrikant Bojewar. Music Shailendra Barve. It stars Usha Naik, Sandeep Pathak, Ganesh Yadav and Shrikant Yadav in main roles. The movie is about 1.5 hours long and was released in 2014. Rekha Kaku recommended this movie to me. 

Usha Naik is a widow whose son committed suicide. She works as house maid and manages to survive in her village. One day a politician comes to their village and distributes 100 rupee notes. Hearing about her son, he gives her 4 notes of one thousand rupees. She decides to put it to good use by purchasing a few things, that she wanted for long but could not afford, in a nearby town. There she faces various hardships, some hilarious, some serious. 

What hardships does she face? Will the money finally make her happy? Can she buy what she desires? How does she spend thousand rupee note?

The story starts on a lighter note showing the village life but it also has a sad border of her son's suicide. When she decides to spend the thousand rupee note, situation becomes hilarious because no one has a change for such a big amount. But then comes a twist and the mood of movie suddenly turns from light to sombre and serious. From this point on the movie becomes intense. 

How the system exploits poor and how police and politicians treat poor people like animals is depicted realistically and it makes your blood boil. The poor have little choice and just want to save their skin. They become a toy in the hands of powerful. Poor can't digest big money. There are vultures all around. It's a tragedy. 

Usha Naik, a yesteryear heroine, plays the role of old lady to perfection. She brings to life a lady who has suffered a lot but has not lost her spirit and who is good natured. Sandeep plays her neighbour who is like a second son to her and does justice to his role. Ganesh Yadav suits as a politician. Shrikant Yadav plays the cop. His negative role is so effective that you start hating him. 

Direction is very good. Director establishes the basis and background, then proceeds to introduce the subject (thousand rupee note), then moves to lighter difficulties caused by the notes and then handles the serious subject. The transition is natural and progressive. He has done a commendable job. He scores final point with the way he ends the movie. This ending is fantastic and I could not think of a better ending. 

A very good movie. Must watch. 

Margarita with a straw

"Margarita with a straw"

Watched Hindi movie "Margarita with a straw". This movie is directed by Shonali Bose Screenplay by Shonali Bose, Nilesh Maniyar, Atika Chohan, Sölveig Anspach. Cinematography by Anne Misawa. Music by Nicky McCleary. It stars Kalki Koechlin, Revathy and Sayani Gupta in main roles. It released in 2014 and is 1 hour 4o minutes long. I watched it with Aditi.

Kalki is spastic, but intelligent. She can't lead a normal life and can't have a boyfriend because of her condition but she longs for it. She applies and gets scholarship in NYU. In America she meets a blind girl and they connect. 

What are Kalki's inhibitions? Can she do something out of sync with her upbringing? Will her mother support her?

Shonali had handled a very unique subject deftly. The movie slows down on a couple of occasions but retains the audience interest and attention throughout. She has handled the subject well and chosen a good cast. 

Kalki is superb. She has brought a powerful character to life and almost always keeps the spastic bearing. Can't imagine any other actress doing this role. Sayani is a good actress and fully justifies her character. Revathi is good as usual. These three ladies are the mainstay of the movie. 

Music is good. There are some likable tunes. Cinematography is also good. 

This movie has some bold scenes. Kalki and Sayani have given bold shots for this Hindi movie. Although they are necessary for the subject, one can't watch this movie with full family. 

End of the movie is very good. It has a significance. Kalki becomes independent. She decides to live for herself. She decides to enjoy life. 

Margarita with a straw is a fantastic movie title. Margarita signifies freedom. Freedom from tradition, freedom from norms, freedom from inhibitions and freedom from culture. Straw signifies adapting to special needs, customizing to the requirements. 

Kalki, deservedly, won two national awards for this film and Shonali has won Stardust award for this film too. ThereTo film has won many other awards. 

A very good movie. Must watch. 

Mohalla Assi (मोहल्ला अस्सी)

"Mohalla Assi (मोहल्ला अस्सी)"

Watched Hindi movie "Mohalla Assi (मोहल्ला अस्सी)", directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi and Produced by Vijay Tiwari. It stars Sunny Deol, Ravi Kishan, Sourabh Shukla, Sakshi Tanwar, Nilesh To earn, Narendra Gupta, Mithilesh Chaturvedi. The movie is about 2 hours long. 

Sunny (Pandit Pandey) is a staunch supporter of of Hindu traditions and self proclaimed protector of values and traditions and an influential figure in Mohalla Assi which overlooks the famous Assi Ghat. With a lout of foreign tourists and ample weed in circulation, things are changing. 

Director has used Pappu's shop as a melting pot of personalities and point of views. There's a doctor, a lawyer, a right winger, a communist, a socialist and a Muslim. They chat every evening and it is through these chats that we understand the changes happening in India. From VP Singh becoming PM to Mandal commission and protests to Ram Mandir and demolition of disputed structure etc. Director uses these chats to carry the story forward. It's interesting. To some, it may even be boring but I liked the idea. 

Basically this movie tells the story of Sunny who finds himself becoming redundant in changing times. He has no means to fight money and globalization and decides to make deal with the devil to remain relevant. Will he succumb?

It was a bold step to cast Sunny in very unglamorous and non macho role. However, Sunny does well. He portrays the character responsibly. Sakshi is the best performer in thus movie. She looks good and conveys her anger initially, angst later and love throughout powerfully. The characters at the shop are played by able and well known actors and one can't find a fault with any of them. 

Bhosadike, a curse word, is used in Benaras regular in daily parlance, even by the learned. This movie uses the word more than 100 times.

Mohalla Assi looks authentic. I don't know how the real one looks. Otherwise audience is treated to the sites and sounds of Benaras and rustic lifestyle. Cinematography is good, though most of the shooting is indoors and there are no breathtakingly beautiful locations. 

This movie is very much off the beaten track. Without Sunny and Sakshi it would have appeared to be an art film. Were they casted precisely for that? The message is subtle but impactful.

Watch of you like the genre. 

Anandi Gopal (आनंदी गोपाळ)

"Anandi Gopal (आनंदी गोपाळ)"

Watched Marathi movie "Anandi Gopal (आनंदी गोपाळ)". This film is directed by Sameer Vidwans and produced by Kishore Arora, Akash Chawla & others. Writing credits Karan Shrikant Sharma. It stars Lalit Prabhakar, Bhagyashree Milind, Geetanjali Kulkarni & Yogesh Soman.

The film runs for about 2 hour 14 min. This movie is based on a unforgettable book by same name. I watched the film with Jayant, Sucheeta, Mihika and Aditi on 15th Feb 2019.

This is the story of Yamuna who was married to a widower, Gopalrao Joshee, many years older. Her name was changed to Anandi after marriage. Gopalrao was a whimsical and eccentric who was obsessed with educating his little wife. Anandibai Joshi goes on to become the first lady doctor of India.

Lalit Prabhakar portrays the role of Gopalrao authentically. We have seen his acting in TV serial earlier, but the performance he delivers in this movie is superlative. Geetanjali Kulkarni, as Gopalrao's mother in law also excels in her limited role. Bhagyashree does justice to the role of Anandi. Yogesh Soman is a good actor but he is wasted in an insignificant role. Jayant Sawarkar and Geetanjali Kulkarni play cameo. 

Direction is good. Director leaves his mark in some of the scenes, especially in the final scene when Lalit just shakes his head imperceptibly. Director chooses to present this story as a love story, which it wasn't. What was his objective in romanticizing it? He  presents only the good side of the story. He conveniently omits Anandi's treatment on boat, her suffering in America and the acidic letters of her husband. In general he covers her America stay very fast. However, whatever he chose to show, he had shown very well. 

Locations chosen are very good. The house where they stay in Alibaug, the beaches, the ferry etc. all fits the period. Cinematography is also good. The movie had a couple of good songs.

Watch at its face value, don't compare with book to avoid disappointment. 

Chittagong (चिट्टागोंग)

"Chittagong (चिट्टागोंग)"

Watched Hindi movie "Chittagong (चिट्टागोंग)". This movie is directed by Bedabrata Pain. Written by Bedabrata Pain and Shonali Bose. Cinematography by Eric Zimmerman. Music by Shankar-Ehsan-Loy. It stars Manoj Bajpai, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rajkumar Rao, Jaideep Ahalawat, Barry John, Delzad Hiwale, Vega Tamotia, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Alexx O'Nell & Barry John. It released in 2016 and is 1 hour 44 minutes long.

Pre-Independence undivided India. Chittagong. Local populace is suffering from British atrocities. Jhunku, a teenager, is son of an Indian barrister. Their family has cordial relations with the British Magistrate. A band of youth led by Durga Sen (Manoj Bajpai) wants to do something for Azadi. A plot is hatched. 

What triggers the plot? What is the plot? Will Jhunku side with British or freedom fighters? Will the uprising succeed?

This is the story of 1930 Chittagong uprising where more than 30 teenagers led by older Surya Sen captured the armoury of Chittagong. This story is narrated through the eyes of Jhunku (Subodh Roy), a real life hero, who was 14 at that time. 

Writers have remained true to the real story and have avoided spicing it up under the guise of artistic liberty. 

This movie is directed by a NASA scientist who resigned from NASA to make this movie. Although he is a First timer he has done a good job and his newness is not apparent. 

All the actors are known good actors. So there is hardly anything to write about individual acting. However, Vega who plays Pritilata, leaves a lasting impression. She is also one of the producers of this movie. Manoj Bajpai underclass the role too much. He appears subdued. They have found good places and scenic locations for the movie. Camera work is good. 

At the end of movie there is a video clip of real Jhunku (Subodh Roy), recorded weeks before his demise. He was the youngest to be sent to the dreaded Andaman jail for Kala Pani.

This film has won National film award for best singer (Shankar Mahadevan) and lyrics (Prasoon Joshi) in 2013.

Watch of this review interests you. 

Trivia: Another movie 'Khelein hum jee janse' was also based on the Chittagong uprising.

Pail te Sumbaran (पैल ते सुंबरान)

"Pail te Sumbaran (पैल ते सुंबरान)"

Watched Marathi movie "Pail te Sumbaran (पैल ते सुंबरान)". This film is directed by Gajendra Ahire and produced by Anil Phadtare. Story is by Gajendra Ahire. Music is by Rahul Ranade. The film runs for about 2 hour 4 min and was released in 2009.

It has a star studded cast including Jitendra Joshi, Sai Tamhankar, Mukta Barve, Siddharth Jadhav, Ravi Kale, Ravindra Mankani, Jayant Sawarkar, Seema Deshmukh, Aditi Bhagwat, Ashwini Kalsekar, Vrinda Ahire and Makarand Anaspure.

Two brothers; elder Vasant, a bank clerk and younger Veeru, a musician decide to visit their ancestral home. As they start their journey they go down the memory lane to their childhood. 

What are the memories? How was their childhood? Are there skeletons in the closet of the past?

Movie starts with a beautiful song. It's a song based on folk music (lok sangeet). As the movie progresses, audience start to gain glimpses and insights in the past of the family. A wealthy and revered family. How one event exposes the facade and what transpires after that. 

The movie depicts the social gap between two classes and how the semblance of this gap being bridged crumbles with the first touch of reality. It also shows how education and the lack of it can reverse the roles within a span of one generation. 

All the actors are proven actors. Makarand Anaspure and Mukta Barve deserve a special mention. They shine in the crowd of talent. Direction is good. The ancestral home is impressive. 

Watch if you have spare time on hand. 

Mumbai Pune Mumbai 3 (मुंबई पुणे मुंबई ३)

"Mumbai Pune Mumbai 3 (मुंबई पुणे मुंबई ३)"

Watched Marathi movie "Mumbai Pune Mumbai 3 (मुंबई पुणे मुंबई ३)". This film is directed by Satish Rajwade and produced by Sanjay Chhabria. Story is by Pallavi Rajwade. Music is by Avinash Vishwajit and Nilesh Mohrir. The film runs for about 2 hour 19 min and was released in 2018. I watched this movie with Aditi and Mihika. 

This is third movie of the series. Cast includes Swapnil Joshi, Mukta Barve, Vijay Kenkre, Mangala Kenkre, Prashant Damle, Savita Prabhune, Suhas Joshi & Rohini Hattangdi. All of them also starred in previous two films.

Gautam and Gauri are now a working couple for three years, pursuing their careers. Despite all the precautions, Gauri discovers that she is pregnant. They don't want the child but family members are ecstatic. Gauri is now confused, as usual. 

Will they keep the baby? Or will they abort? What does the ultrasound report say? What is the issue this movie handles?

Swapnil and Mukta excel in acting as a couple to perfection. Prashant, Rohini and Savita also do well. Suhas and Vijay have a limited role. Mangala's wig is very apparent and looks odd.

Satish Rajwade's direction is good but not excellent. His direction is hampered by the weakest link of this film, the story. Although its a very good idea to make movies that track the progress of the couple and the problems that they face in various phases of their life, here the writer appears to be undecided about the problem that she wants to address. Is it about the couple not ready for baby against parents expecting a baby? Is it Gautam not being ready for parenthood? Is it lack of communication between the couple during pregnancy? Is it availability of too much time for Gauri during pregnancy? As the writer is confused, so is the director. Audience gets double confused and is unable to determine what the director is trying to convey?

Individually, a lot of good things happen in the movie, there are brilliant scenes, heart warming scenes, hilarious scenes and emotional scenes. So although individual ingredients are in place, the binding element, which is story, does not do it's work. As a result the movie appears like an unsuccessful recipe despite good ingredients.  

The main issue appears to be that Goutam does not call Gauri every day. Until the end, movie does not tell us why Gautam does not call Gauri. What holds him?

I watched this movie with great expectations as the previous two movies were very good. This movie, however, disappoints. 

Give it a miss. 

The Meddler

"The Meddler"

Watched English movie "The Meddler". This movie is directed by Lorene Scafaria. It stars Susan Sarandon as Marnie, Rose Byrne as Lori & J.K.Simmons as Zipper. It released in 2016 and is 1 hour 43 minutes long. I watched the movie with Aditi. 

After death of her husband, Marnie decides to move to the city where her daughter stays. Left with no one else and coming to the new city, the only person she can turn to is her daughter who is trying to cope up with a breakup. 

What happens next? Who is the meddler? What does she meddle in?

Outwardly, character of Marnie is outgoing and helpful. She makes friends easily. Goes out of the way to help strangers. Doesn't mind spending her money on them. Constantly pesters her daughter. She shuns any advances by men. But in reality she is lonely. She searches company to cope with the loss of her husband and her loneliness. 

Character of Lori is a bit melodramatic. She suffocates by constant attention of her mother. She wants fate to make decision for her but doesn't like when her mom tries to make one. 

Zipper is impressive. Being a biker, he looks very decent and robust at the same time. He expresses his feelings effectively with limited dialogues. Simmons has a very good personality. 

The reason that gives release to Marnie, however, is not as strong as it should have been. As a result it appears unconvincing and audience gets a feeling that something is amiss. 

Acting is good. Direction is good. Story could have been better. Cinematography is ok.

Not a must watch.

Manikarnika (मणिकर्णिका)

"Manikarnika (मणिकर्णिका)"

Watched Hindi movie 'Manikarnika (मणिकर्णिका)', directed by Kangana Ranaut & Krish and Produced by Kamal Jain. It stars Kangana Ranaut (Rani of Jhansi), Ankita Lokhande (Jhalkari), Atul Kulkarni (Tatya Tope), Kulbhushan Kharbanda (Dixit) and Gaus Khan (Danny Denzompa). Screenplay is by KVV Prasad & Prasoon Joshi. The movie is about 2.5 hours long. I watched it on 25th, day of release in India, with Jayant & Sameer. 

The story starts from the youth of Manikarnika (Manu) Tambe, het marriage to Maharaj Gangadhar rao of Jhansi. Birth and death of her son,  adopting of a son,  death of her husband. War with British. Abandonment of Jhansi. Take over of Gwalior and final battle. 

Kangana makes entry in an impressive scene and looks very beautiful. And that she does throughout the movie. Her acting is also very good. Was Kangana the best choice for the role considering the personality and warrior physique? Probably not. But Kangana compensated in acting what she lacks in physique. Without taking anything away from Kangana, in my humble opinion, Priyanka was ideal for the role. 

The movie has impressive, rich and grand sets. Producers have spent generously to show the richness of princely state and forts. War scenes, especially those of Kangana, are very good and appear realistic.

Direction is good but not excellent. Some of the scenes could have been better. Since the movie has two directors, it's impossible to know who directed what.

Although the film displays a disclaimer that this film does not claim historical authenticity, writer, directors have ensured that they have stayed true to the overall story. 

In such a movie, it is expected that director takes artistic liberty. So,  here Manu (Being a queen) dances with Jhalkari and other commoners. But what can't be excused is that Jhalkari gives milk to Manu with left hand (whereas she is not a left hander). Directors show Manu iwith her hair down and open, before as well as after marriage. At the sane time, all other ladies tie their hair. Loose hair was against the tradition of the time. Directors need not have let Kangana's hair down to make her look beautiful, that can be achieved even when hair are in a bun. 

In short, although, it could have been better,  I liked it. 

Recommend watching this movie.

Little evil

"Little evil"

Watched English movie "Little evil". This movie is directed by Eli Craig. It is produced by Scott Stuber and Jason Michael Berman. It stars Adam Scott as Gary, Evangeline Lilly as Samantha, Oven Atlas as Lucas and Bridget Everett. It was released in 2017 and is one hour 21 minutes long.

Gary marries Samantha. She has a son, Lucas, almost six years old. Gary tries to bond with Lucas. But he is a wired child and tries to bury Gary alive. Gary is convinced that Lucas is an anti Christ. 

Why did Lucas try to kill Gary? Is Lucas Anti Christ? Should he kill Lucas? Can Gary bond with him? 

This film is basically about the love between a father and his step son. But it also has cult,  Satan worship, rituals and what not. 

Rather than making a horror film, director has tried to create a blend of comedy and horror with sprinkling of emotions. In doing so he ends up neither here nor there. The movie comes out like a Jack of all trades....

Acting by all actors is acceptable. I did not understand director's objective of casting Bridget as a Dad. It appears odd and does not serve any purpose. 

The movie also indirectly promotes Satan worship and recognizes existence of Satan. But what happens to Satan is left hanging without answer. In all this melee, the real deal of love between father and son takes a back seat. 

AVOID.

Accidental Prime Minister

"Accidental Prime Minister"

Watched Hindi movie 'Accidental Prime Minister', directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte and starring Anupam Kher (Manmohan Singh), Akshay Khanna (Sanjaya Baru), Suzanne Bernert (Sonia), Aahana Kumra (Priyanka), Arjun Mathur (Rahul) and Vipin Sharma (Ahmed Patel). Story is by Sanjaya Baru. This movie released in Jan 2019. The movie is about 2 hours long. I watched this film on 16th Jan 2019 with Jayant & Sameer.

This movie is based on Sanjaya Baru's book by the same name. Dr. Manmohan Singh was not supposed to be the Prime Minister, but became Accidental Prime Minister. The movie is about reign of Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister of India for 2 terms (10 years). The events that happened and the way he responded to the events. 

When you make a film that involves real life characters, it's very important that the selected actors have a physical resemblance to the real life figures. Full marks to the casting director and director of the movie for selecting correct actors. In most of the cases, just the appearance is enough to identify the character. It also saves movie time. The only character that did not resemble the real life figure was Rahul.

All the actors in this film are accomplished actors. The movie has lot of characters, so each character gets very little screen time. The actors and director deserve credit for ensuring that each actor and character gets it's due. Anupam Kher and Akshay Khanna excel. You don't think you are watching actor Anupam Kher. You feel you are watching Dr. Manmohan Singh. What better compliment can an actor get?

I have read the book earlier. It's neither very dramatic nor is it controversial. So I was curious how the director has maintained the drama in movie. What I realised, while watching the movie, is that politics is inherently so dramatic that the director needs no additional efforts on that front. Additionally, since audience was witness to these events few years ago, there is a touch of nostalgia to it too. 

Since director had to cover a long period and numerous events, he has adopted a unique style of narration. Rather than narrating a story, he narrates flashes of events using the character of Sanjaya Baru as anchor. If not done correctly, this style can create discontinuity. But director handles it very well. 

The only thing that I found not up to the mark was the sets. The set of hall where PM takes oath and the set of PM office appeared utilitarian rather than elegant and impressive. 

Recommend watching this movie. 

Da Vinci Code

"Da Vinci Code"

Watched English movie 'Da Vinci Code', directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Audry Tautou and Ian McKellen in lead roles and Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno in supporting roles. Story is by Dan Brown. This movie released in Dec 2006. I watched this film with Mihika. 

This movie is based on Dan Brown's book by the same name. It's a very famous and brilliant book, hence, I will not go into the story.

Tom Hanks does justice to the character of Robert Langdon. He plays the role so well that you can't imagine any other actor for the role. Audry is good as Sophie. Ian plays cripple Sir Leigh convincingly. Other actors also do justice to their roles. 

Generally when a book is made into a movie, a number of details are lost due to time constraints and the story is changed for "convenience" or "artistic liberty". As a result the movie is generally not as enjoyable as the book. 

This movie, however, is an exception. Here director stays true to the story and captures the essence of story in the movie. Director deserves the praise for it. However, many details had to be done away with. In short, the movie does justice to the book. 

Trivia: Although this book was published after 'Angles and demons', this movie came before that.

Recommend watching this movie. Also recommend reading the book.

Andhadhun

"Andhadhun".

Watched Hindi movie "Andhadhun". This movie is directed by Shriram Raghavan and stars Ayushman Khurrana, Radhika Apte, Tabbu, Anil Dhawan, Manav Raj, Ashwini Kalsekar and Chhaya Kadam. Music is by Amit Trivedi. This film released in 2018.

Ayushman is a blind piano player. One day he lands a job. Later, a retired actor invites him at his home for a private concert and then starts a series of mysterious and dramatic events, twists and turns. 

What happens at private concert? What mysterious events happen? What happens to his lady love? Can he ever see again?

The story starts with a bang. Director captures the imagination of audience within minutes. The movie becomes intense and the intensity keeps rising. Audience thinks: Wow! What a movie. But director takes this response of audience a little too much to the heart and devises one shock after another,  and then another, then one more. The characters betray each other, cross,  double cross and re-cross. In this zeal of shocking the audience, story gets neglected and becomes secondary. Some of the strands remain loose and story of these stands remain incomplete. 

Nevertheless, audience is rooted to the chair to see how it all ends. Eventually it ends with one final twist that may be a preamble for a sequel. Will there be one? This final twist leaves a lingering question in the mind of audience similar to 'Katappa ne bahubaliko kyun mara?'

For a change, the story happens in Pune. For the audience used to all the stories happening in metros (Mumbai,  Delhi etc.) or rural areas (Bareili, Komban etc.) It's a good change. 

Ayushman portrays the blind musician very well. He acts with deftness and confidence. Radhika and Tabu act very well too. Manav Raj looks like a hybrid of Salman and Amir.

Songs of this film are nothing to write about,  however, piano pieces played by the character of Ayushman are fantastic, sublime, worth listening. 

Credit should be given to the one who selected the title of this movie. Is includes the essence of movie andha=blind and dhun=tune. Tune played by the blind and to the tune of blind. 

So apart from the movie going slightly off the track due to directors obsession for shock treatment, the movie is entertaining and interesting. 

Recommend watching!

Gandha (गंध)

"Gandha (गंध)"

Watched Marathi movie "Gandha (गंध)". This film is directed by Sachin Kundalkar and produced by Ranjit Gugle under the banner Flashbulb ventures. Stories are by Archana Kundalkar and Sachin Kundalkar. Music by Shailendra Barve. The film runs for about 1 hour 36 min and was released in 2009. I watched it on Priya's recommendation. 

This film is a collection of three independent short stories and it has won national awards for best screenplay and best audiography. 

'Lagnachya wayachi mulgi (लग्नाच्या वयाची मुलगी)' is first short film. 

This story stars Amruta Subhash and Girish Kulkarni in lead roles. Vina Sane, a 24 year old typist working in a college, is fed-up of the rejections from probable husbands while her parents try to attempt her arranged marriage. One day she meets a mysterious student who is much older than other students. She smells something good when he is around. 

Who is he? Is he a drunkard as the rumour goes? What is the fragrance?

Although Amruta Subhash is not made for this role, she brings the character of marriage hopeful Vina to life with her acting. Girish Kulkarni speaks volumes without speaking much. Character of her father and his acting is very artificial and sticks out like a sore thumb. 

'Aushadhe ghenara manus (औषधं घेणारा माणुस)' is the second story. 

This story stars Milind Soman and Sonali Kulkarni in lead roles. Sarang and Raavi are an estranged couple. Sarang lives on medicines and is HIV positive. One day his wife comes to meet him. She smells some foul odour in the house, but he can't. Finally she finds the source. Sarang can't smell and he can't tolerate his wife leaving. 

Why does he take medicine? Why can't he smell? What does he do?

The difference in ability to smell is representative of the wedge between them. It's a strange story. At one point the film is poised beautifully but appears to go downhill after that. The house of Sarang is beautiful. Milind Soman is OK, Sonali is good as always. 

'Bajula basleli bai (बाजुला बसलेली बाई)' is the final short film. 

It stars Nina Kulkarni in lead role. Lakshmi, daughter in law of house and a childless, middle aged, loving lady, is menstruating and has to sit aside for 4 days as per the custom while her sister in law is in labour. Lakshmi can't help and is restless. 

Is she really menstruating? Does she miss a child? Is she respected in her house?

This movie has continuous rain from start to the penultimate scene. Rain is a character in this short film. Here rain symbolizes gloom and menstruation. Finally when there is sunshine,  it symbolizes hope and end of menstruation.

This movie lives to the title. Every story has something to do with smell for the protagonist. In first film the smell is fragrance. In second it is odour. In third it's nostalgia. The writers deserves praise of stringing the three stories with the common thread of smell (गंध). Third film is the best of the three and leaves lasting impression. First story has urban lower middle class background, second has urban upper class background and third has rural background. 

Director has done a commendable job. He uses symbology and background effectively. It's not easy to develop characters, ensure that story blossoms and then deliver the message; all in about half an hour. When you watch these short films, they don't hit you, but as time goes and you think about them, they grow on you. 

What's different in this movie? Being a Marathi movie,  the title song is in English. But, it's good. 

Collection of short films as a movie has become the new 'in thing'. There are few such movies released in Hindi. This one was made 9 years ago. 

Recommend watching.