Axone (अखुनी)

"Axone (अखुनी)"

Watched Hindi movie "Axone (अखुनी)". This movie is directed by Nicholas Kharkongor. Produced by  Siddharth Anand Kumar and others. Written by Nicholas Kharkongor. Music Papon, Tajdar Junaid. Cinematography Parasher Baruah.

It stars Sayani Gupta, Vinayak Pathak, Adil Hussain, Lin Laishram, Dolly Ahluwalia, Tenzing Dalha, Rohan Joshi. I watched the movie on Netflix with Aditi on 19th Jun 2020.

A group of friends from Nort- East want to celebrate wedding of Meenam. Upasana, one of the girls in the group, is Nepali. They want to surprise Meenam with a NE special dish called Axone (pronounced अखुनी).

Axone is a dish made with pork meat and fermented soya. It has a very pungent odour but is considered a delicacy.

This movie is director's take on the problems they face while trying to cook the dish. Director also emphasizes on the issue of prejudice against North Eastern states, especially girls. 

The movie has all unknown actors, except Sayani Gupta. She is the central character. One really feels empathy for her character. There's always one in the group like her. Other actors also do well. 

The movie doesn't have much in story, so it is slow. Some may find it too slow. 

However,  it's good to watch such off beat movies once in a while. 

Watch if this review interests you. 

What's your number

"What's your number?"

Watched English movie "What's your number?". This film is directed by Mark Mylod. Screenplay by Gabrielle Allan, Jennifer Crittenden. Produced by  Beau Flynn, Trip Vinson. Music by Aaron Zigman. Cinematography J. Michael Muro. The film stars Anna Faris, Chris Evans,  Chris Pratt, Ari Graynor, Joel McHale, Dave Annabel and Martin Freeman. The film runs for about 2 hours. I watched it on Amazon Prime on 27th Jun 2020 with Aditi.

Ally already had 20 boyfriends. National research shows that girls who have had more than 20 boyfriends remain single. So Ally starts to have a second look at them with the help of her neighbour Colin. It's a bargain. Colin tracks down Ally's boyfriends and Ally helps him out with escaping from his string of one night stands.

Anna plays a girl in search of the right guy with poor judgement and one who listens to others rather than oneself. Chris plays a handsome Casanova who never knew love. Others play supporting roles. 

The movie charts familiar path with little to imagine. No unexpected twists. No surprises. Predictable ending. 

Why is Ally fixated on 'not to exceed' 20 boyfriends when Colin had had more than 300 girlfriends remains a mystery. 

Watch alone. Not suited for Indian family taste due to the concept.  

Choked: Paisa bolta hai ( चोक्ड़ : पैसा बोलता है)

"Choked: Paisa bolta hai ( चोक्ड़ : पैसा बोलता है)"

Watched Hindi movie 'Choked: Paisa bolta hai (चोकड : पैसा बोलता है)'. Directed by Anurag Kashyap. Produced by Kavan Ahalpara, Ajay Rai. Writer Nihit Bhave. Cinematography Sylvester Fonseca. Music Karsh Kale. It stars Saiyami Kher, Roshan Mathew, Amruta Subhash, Upendra Limaye, Tushar Dalvi, Rajashree Deshpande, Uday Nene. I watched this movie with Aditi, on Netflix, on 25th June 2020. The movie is about 1 hour 55 min long.

Sarita, a hard working bank clerk, is fed up with shortage of money and husband who can't hold a job. She discovers continuous supply of money in the choked drainage pipe of her sink. 

How does she use the money? What does she do? Does it change her? How? Are there consequences?

The movie is developed nicely. Almost until 75% the movie is interesting. Then things become a bit irrational and conveniently coincidental. Thus what could have been a very good end, doesn't remain very good. 

Saiyami is grand daughter of legendary actress Usha Kiran. She portrays the character of a Mumbai bank clerk to perfection. She acts well and although she originally looks good, here her beauty aspects are suppressed. Roshan plays good for nothing husband. His character is not likeable but turns likeable in the end. His character draws brownie points due to audience's sympathy for Saiyami. Other actors are all well known Marathi stage and film personalities and they play their roles to perfection. 

Why does the money come through drainage at a designated time? Why Sarita doesn't keep money in locker? Why investigators forget to trace the money from Kolhapur? How a closed shutter in one scene becomes open in next scene? These and such questions are better not asked. 

Watch for Saiyami.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil girl (गुन्जन सक्सेना)

"Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil girl (गुन्जन सक्सेना)"

Watched Hindi movie "Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil girl (गुन्जन सक्सेना)". This movie is directed by Sharan Sharma. Writing credits Nikhil Malhotra and Sharan Sharma. Produced by Dharma Productions, Essel Vision Productions. Music John Stewart,  Amit Trivedi. It stars Janhavi Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Pankaj Tripathi, Manav Vij, Vineet Kumar Singh. I watched the movie on Netflix with Aditi on 14th Aug 2020.

Gunjan, daughter of a retired army colonel, dreams of flying and yearns to become a pilot. Against many odds she becomes a pilot, not for commercial airlines but for Indian airforce. 

Was the road to becoming airforce pilot easy? Were there hurdles? Were there pre conceived notions? Was there cooperation? Did she give up? Who was her rock of Gibraltar?

The story proceeds on expected lines and there are no twists or surprises. Director narrates the story simplistically. Not much drama, not much melodrama, no love angle. But while trying to keep the story close to reality, it has become plain. 

Manav Vij is very good. Angad Bedi and Vineet Kumar are good. Janhavi is not bad, but she could not get the bearing of tough girl, she looks vulnerable even when she is not supposed to. She looks silly rather than smart. 

Indian airforce is shown as masochistic, intolerant of females and resenting females. 

Watch it to understand the story of a real life hero, not for quality of movie or value for money. 

Shakuntaladevi (शकुन्तलादेवी)

"Shakuntaladevi (शकुन्तलादेवी)"

Watched Hindi movie "Shakuntaladevi". Direction Anu Menon. Written by Anu Menon, Nayanika Mahatani, Ishita Moitra. Produced by Sony Pictures, Networks India, Vikram Malhotra. Music by Sachin-Jigar. Cinematography Keiko Nakahara. The film features Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta. The movie runs for about 2 hours 7 minutes. I watched it on 31st July 2020 with Aditi.

Shakuntaladevi was a genius. The one and only person who could do ultra complex sums mentally faster than a computer. She was called human computer. In this movie Shakuntaladevi is shown as vein, self centred genius.

However, this movie does not delve into her genius or try to find how she could do it. The first half is about her move to England and rise to fame. Her legendary skills and her stage shows. Second part is about her complex marriage and her tempestuous relationship with her daughter. Shakuntala hates her mother for not intervening when father was being tyrant but over compensates by interfering with her daughters life. A genius, huge publicity, lot of money is a recipe for disastrous personal relationships. 

It appears as if the director could not decide whether to present her life or relationship of mother-daughter. As a result there is a lack of focus on either. Thus the movie appears shallow rather than profound. 

Vidya does well, but doesn't look her beautiful self. Sanya does good, except the horrible wig she wears while portraying her younger self. Amit is very good. Cinematography of old era is eye pleasing. Don't remember any song. 

End of movie doesn't come naturally with the flow. It appears made up. Things happen too conveniently. Shakuntala's visit to ancestral house is very superficial (the light bulb works after so many years, there is just 1 trunk in empty room and it has exactly those important things that movie needs). Sudden realization of Shakuntala and her daughter about their respective mothers, daughter's laughable realization that she had a happy childhood etc..

The movie doesn't capture audience's imagination. Ok, not wow!

Not a must watch. 

Love shuv te chicken Khurana (लव शव ते चिकन खुरना

"Love shuv te chicken Khurana (लव शव ते चिकन खुरना"

Watched Hindi movie "Love shuv te chicken Khurana". This movie is directed by Sameer Sharma. Produced by produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy-Kapur, Anurag Kashyap. Written by Sameer Sharma and Sumeet Batheja. Music Amit Trivedi, Cinematography Mitesh Mirchandani. It stars Kunal Kapoor, Vicky Koushal, Huma Qureshi, Anangsha Biswas, Rajesh Sharma, Rahul Bagga, Manish Makhija, Nimrat Kaur, Vinod Nagpal. I watched the movie on Netflix with Aditi on 5th Jun 2020.

Omi Khurana, a struggling man in UK owes 50,000 pounds to a gangster. Gangster packs him and sends to India to bring money because his grandpa runs one of the most popular Dhaba in Punjab. The prodigal son returns to his family (grand father, uncle, aunt and cousin) in Punjab.

What will he find in Punjab? Can he get the money from his family? Will he find his sweetheart there? What is Chicken Khurana?

His grandpa was famous for his secret recipe 'Chicken Khurana'. No one knew what he did to make it taste heavenly. On arrival he realizes that Grandpa can't cook anymore. The secret recipe is lost. He wants to sell Dhaba and get away with the cash, but there is a catch. 

Kunal looks handsome and acts well. He looks better in beard. Huma plays Dr. Harman and looks perfect Punjabi kudi. Acts decently. Rahul Bagga impresses. Vicky Koushal has only a guest appearance, as young Kunal. Others play supporting roles. Rajesh Sharma is good as usual. 

Direction is good. Keeps you entertained. Tries to end like a slapstick comedy. Music was ok, couldn't remember any song. Cinematography of rural Punjab is pleasing. 

Good time pass during Corona lock down. 

Life as we know it

"Life as we know it"

Watched English movie "Life as we know it". This movie is directed by Greg Berlanti. Produced by Barry Josephson and Paul Brooks. Written by Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson. Music Blake Neely, Cinematography Andrew Dunn. It stars Catherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel in lead roles, supported by Josh Lucas, Chritina Hendrics, Brooke Calgett. I watched the movie on Netflix with Aditi on 4th Jun 2020.

Friends (a couple) try to set up blind date of Messer and Holly. It's a disaster. They are very different. They hate each other. The couple dies in an accident and appoint Messer and Holly as guardians of Sophie, their toddler daughter. 

Will they accept guardianship? Can they stand each other? What will happen to Sophie?

It's a predictable story. Two persons hate each other. Fight. Compromise. What next? You know what. This movie is how that happens. 

Josh appears stiff while acting. He also wears a bad wig with bad hair style. Would have preferred another actor for the role. Catherine looks bad in the first scene,  beautiful some times and good otherwise. She is good, and acts well. Other characters support well. The Baby is very cute. 

The movie starts well, develops well, continues well but the end comes suddenly. The curve is smooth for most of the time but then suddenly falls. This should have been managed properly. 

Cinematography is good. Especialy the appetizing food items and the beautiful house. 

Watch it if you have time. 

The hundred foot journey

"The hundred foot journey"

Watched English movie "The hundred foot journey". Direction Lasse Halström. Written by Steven Knight. Producers: Juliet Blake, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey. Music by A. R. Rehman. Cinematography Linus Sandgren. The film features Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon, Helen Mirren, Om Puri. Guest appearance Juhi Chawla. The movie runs for about 2 hours. I watched it on 28th May 2020 with Aditi and Mihika.

Om Puri (Papa Kadam, a Muslim) and his family migrate to France after losing his wife (Juhi) in religious riots and settle in a beautiful French village. Here they acquire a property and open an Indian restaurant, right opposite a French restaurant with 1 Michelin star. A rivalry is inevitable. 

How does the rivalry pan out? Will the Indian restaurant survive? Why is Michelin star so important? What is 100 foot journey?

The story is unique. It's about cuisine. French Vs Indian cuisine and French plus Indian cuisine. Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal), a cook, becomes friend of Marguerit (Charlotte Le Bon), a wannabe Chef. There is attraction and competition between them at the same time. Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren) hates the Indians but recognizes Hassan's potential. Hassan wants to make a big name but also wants to go where he started in France. Director walks the fine line and avoids to over dramatize, doesn't let it become bland, doesn't make it too spicy. Everything is just right. Like a perfect recipe. 

Helen plays the character of Madame Mallory to the perfection. The jealousy, the sense of fair competition, the recognition of talent, willingness to give a hand, readiness to set free; she shows it all and very convincingly. She is omnipresent in this movie. Manish Dayal looks sweet in the beginning and dashing handsome later. He also plays character of gifted chef very well. Charlotte looks beautiful, she is very delicate and acts well. Om Puri is Om Puri.

Special mention should go to the Cinematography. The village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val is picturesque, beautiful and serene. Out door Cinematography is very pleasant. The two restaurants opposite each other on a lonely road, vibrant fruits and vegetable market, the village, woods around the village; all look breathtaking. Indoor Cinematography is also very very good. Be it various appetizing dishes or colourful spices or ultra slow motion shots (like breaking off eggs, sprinkling of spices etc.); everything is perfect. 

This movie is based on a Novel by Richard C. Morris by same name. I haven't read the novel, but movie is very good. You get a sense of satisfaction after watching the movie. 

Recommend watching. Don't miss it. 

Do dooni chaar (दो दूनी चार)

"Do dooni chaar (दो दूनी चार)"

Watched Hindi movie Do dooni chaar (दो दूनी चार). This film is directed by Habib Faisal. Story Habib Faisal. Produced by Arindam Choudhuri. Music by Meet Bros Anjjan and Ankit Tiwary. Cinematography Anshuman Mahaley. The film stars Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Aditi Vasudev, Archit Krishna and Akhilendra Mishra. The film runs for about 1 hours 45 minutes and was released in 2010. I watched it on Netflix with Mihika and Aditi on 25th May 2020.

 

Santosh Duggal (Rishi) is a maths teacher who makes ther ends meet by teaching in school and coaching classes. He is famous for his ancient scooter. Neetu is his wife and they have teenager daughter and son. This movie is about their journey from owning a two wheeler to a four wheeler. 

What do they have to do to cross the bridge? How can Duggal afford a car with his salary? Where does he get the money from?

The story is simple. A teacher squeezed from one side financially and on the other by the expectations of his family and generally by the poky remarks of relatives and neighbours. What are his ideas, plans and temptations. Will they lead to a car? It's a feel good movie. 

Rishi Kapoor is a pleasure to watch. But he simply doesn't look financially distressed or squeezed by the situation. Neetu is also a pleasure to watch. She too doesn't look lower middle class. Aditi and Archit are good. Akhilendra has a small role of neighbour.

Direction is decent. Director manages to capture minor details well (like a neighbour commenting on car colour, a relative making remark on his scooter etc.). The graph of movie steadily keeps rising until climax in McDonald's. Here the director hurry's things. Director delivers a message for everyone. But what could have been delivered very effectively is delivered plainly. The fight scene with burgers, coke and French fries is totally uncalled for. It doesn't only not fit the script but goes against it. Director slips here. 

Cinematography is ok, mostly Delhi. Music is ok. I didn't remember any song after the movie. 

A good movie to watch with family. 

Murder mystery

Watched English movie "Murder mystery". 

This movie is directed by Kayle Newachek. Screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Produced by Adam Sandler, James Vanderbilt and others. It stars Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton and Luis Gerardo Mendez. Music is by Rupert Gregson- Williams. Cinematography by Amir Mokri. Film runs for about 1 hour 40 minutes and was released in Aug 2019. I watched it with Aditi on 10th Apr 2020 on Netflix.

This movie is part of series of movies by Adam-Jennifer where Adam plays a cop who isn't able to pass the detective exam. 15 years after marriage they decide to go for honeymoon to Europe. Here they land on a yatch of a rich wrinkled industrialist when he is about to marry a young lady. Guess what? There is a murder and the American couple is suspect. 

Can Adam and Jennifer avoid arrest? Can they find the real killer? Are there any more murders? How will it end?

Adam plays the underachieving cop who also shows sparks occasionally and keeps cracking bad jokes otherwise. Jennifer plays the pretty hairdresser wife who likes her husband but also likes to have fun. Other characters play their part. 

It's a whodunit murder mystery. So everyone is a suspect and no one appears innocent. However there is hardly any investigation and detective work. Most of the things happen by chance assisted by some deduction. Needless to say this movie has a very unimaginative title. 

Cinematography and music is good. Sets are good. Things appear real. Locations are good. One should not ask questions like: How French police enter Italy and make an arrest without knowledge of Carabinieri? Why an Indian Maharaja speaks with American accent? How can a right handed person plunge dagger deep from left of the victim? and so on..

This movie won people's award for Favourite Comedic movie. 

Watch it for fun, if you don't have a better movie to watch!

Dum laga ke haisha (दम लगके हैशा)

"Dum laga ke haisha (दम लगके हैशा)"

Watched Hindi movie 'Dum laga ke haisha (दम लगके हैशा)'. Directed by Sharat Katariya. Produced by Aditya Chopra and others. Writer Sharat Katariya. Cinematography Manu Anand. Music Andrea Guerra (Italian musician, background score) and Anu Malik. It stars Ayushman Khurana, Sanjay Mishra, Shiba Chaddha, Alka Amin, Chandrachoor Rai, Shrikant Verma and introducing Bhoomi Pednekar. I watched this movie with Aditi, on Netflix, on 24th April 2020. The movie is about 1 hour 50 min long and was released in 2020.

Ayushman, a 10th fail, owns a video and audio cassette shop in Haridwar. His father marries him to Bhumi, who is a graduate and is fat (overweight), against his wish. In the wedding of his friend, who lands a slim and good looking wife, he gets drunk and bad mouths Bhumi, who hears it. She goes away to her parents. 

Will they divorce? Will they come together? Will the marriage disintegrate? What is Dum laga ke haisha pratoyogita?

The story starts like a regular story but quickly catches your imagination. A smart lad and a fat girl makes an interesting story. However, the condition of winning Dum Laga ke haisha patiyogita is childish. Ayushman-Bhumi don't practice for it even once. They simply wake up and decide to participate and win the pratiyogita. Just like that. It appears like an appendage. 

Ayushman and Bhumi play their role very well. It's Bhumi's debut film as heroine. She deserves credit for selecting to play a fat lady for debut. She had to become fat for the role. Other actors are proven supporting actors and do their job.

Locations in Haridwar are carefully chosen. You feel the sights and sounds. No sets.

Shakha babu is shown criticizing Ayushman for marrying while underlining the importance of bachelorhood. But in Pratiyogita he is competing with his wife. How?

So, good start, decent build up, sloppy end.

Watch if you have nothing better to do during lock down. 

Badla (बदला)

"Badla (बदला)"

Watched Hindi movie "Badla (बदला)". This film is directed by Sujoy Ghosh. Screenplay by Sujoy Ghosh. Produced by  Gouri Khan, Sunil Khetrapal and Akshay Puri. Music by Amaal Mallik, Anupam Roy and Clinton Cerejo. Score Clinton Cerejo. Cinematography Avik Mukhopadhyay. The film stars Tapasee Pannu, Amitabh Bacchan, Tony Luke, Amrita Singh, Tanveer Ghani and Manav Kaul. The film runs for about 2 hours and it released in Mar 2019. I watched it on Netflix on 10th Apr 2020 with Aditi and Mihika.

Tapasee, a successful business woman, is having an affair with Tony. One day a blackmailer invites them to a remote hotel. Tapasee is found unconscious and Tony murdered in a room locked from inside. Tapasee's only hope of avoiding arrest is Amithabh, a lawyer who hasn't lost a single case in his entire career. 

Who is the murderer?  What is the story behind the murder? Can Amitabh defend Tapasee and avoid arrest?

Most of the movie happens in one room with a few scenes outdoor shots. Director has done a commendable job by ensuring that the audience remain rooted to the chair despite it not being a fast story. There is a web of lies in this movie but director doesn't get entangled in his own web. The movie has all ingredients in measured quantity to ensure that the balance is maintained, audience remains interested, 'what next' always remains on the mind and the overall effect is more than sum of it's parts. 

Amitabh and Tapasee are accomplished actors and they do complete justice to their roles. Probably the roles are made for them. Tapasee plays an innocent accused who had made a mistake of having extra marital affair. Amitabh plays a supremely confident lawyer who sifts through lies to find truth and has attention to detail. Amrita Singh plays role of a bereaved but determined mother. Tony is the only character who appears inadequate when pitched against likes of Tapasee and Amitabh.

Cinematography is good. Story happens in UK, there are many scenic locations. I especially liked the hotel. Although there are music directors, there is no song in the movie. 

The story of this movie is based on 'The invisible guest' by Oriol Paulo. In this movie the genders of all protagonists is changed as compared to the original Spanish movie. 

A very good movie. Recommend to watch.

Smile please (स्माइल प्लिज

"Smile please (स्माइल प्लिज)"

Watched Marathi movie "Smile please (स्माइल प्लिज)". Direction Vikram Phadnis. Screenplay  Phadnis & Iravati Karnik. Production Saanika Gandhi, Nisha Sujan. Music by Rohan-Rohan. The film features Mukta Barve, Prasad Oak, Satish Alekar, Aditi Govitrikar, Vedashree Mahajan, and Lalit Prabhakar. The movie runs for about 2 hours 14 min. I watched it on 13th Mar 2020 with Aditi and Mihika.

Mukta, a successful fashion photographer and divorcee, lives with her father in a plush bungalow in Mumbai. Despite Prasad's (ex- husband) efforts, her daughter hates her. One day she is diagnosed with early onset of dementia. 

How bad is it? Is there a cure? How will her daughter respond? How will Mugdha cope with it? How will her family respond? Will there be an angel?

Director has dared to take a very interesting and out of the way topic for a commercial film. The story neither tries to provide solution to the malady nor does it give sermon on how society should react. It simply states the facts and presents a story. 

Mukta's character is central to the story. She is shown as practical person, not overly emotional. One who has not become bitter by divorce and is still friends with her ex. When dementia sets in, she has good days and bad. Mukta excels in the role. I could not imagine anyone else doing this role. When she looses herself, Lalit enters as a temporary guest. His entry turns things around, not dementia - it's irreversible! Lalit plays an interesting character. He is there to give joy to others. Young, handsom, full of life and good natured. He elevates the mood of the household. He justifies his selection for the role. Prasad's character in the movie is opposite of what he was before divorce. But director doesn't bother to illuminate spectators about the reason behind this change. Although he acts well, his character sends mixed signals. This is a discordant note. Satish Alekar is a well known author and playwright. He demonstrates that he is a good actor too. Vedashree does well as the daughter. Aditi Govitrikar is a casting blunder. She can neither act nor can she speak good Marathi? Why was she chosen? Star value? In company of accomplished actors, she is exposed. 

What I liked most is the end of this movie (No, it wasn't the relief!). The movie ends on a high note. Can't think of a better ending. Impactful, realistic and profound. 

Recomend watching. Don't miss it. 

Maska (मस्का)

"Maska (मस्का)"

Watched Hindi movie 'Maska (मस्का)'. Directed by Neeraj Udhwani. Produced by Doris George, Seher Latif, Shivani Saran. Writing credits Ishita Moitra and Neeraj Udhwani. Cinematography Eeshit Narain. Music Raheja Akshay, Mickey McLeary, Ketan Sodha. It stars Manisha Koirala, Jawed Jaffri, Shirley Setia, Nikita Dutta and Prit Kamani in lead roles. Boman Irani makes a guest appearance. I watched this movie with Aditi, on Netflix, on 28th March 2020. The movie is about 1 hour 50 min long and was released in 2020.

Romi is son of Diana and Late Rustom, Parsi bakers and owners of Irani cafè. Diana wants Rumi to take over the cafè but Romi wants to become an actor. It's a fight between Bun Maska and acting.

Will he succeed in acting? Will he run the cafè? What will he succeed in? What will he choose?

The story is not new. Old Vs New theme is not new. Here the story has the back drop if Irani cafè. It's steeped in Parsi culture. The typical Mumbai Parsi community and Parsi gujarati language along with old South Mumbai give it a nostalgic feeling. Two lady protagonists are representation of the dilemma that Romi is facing. 

The movie starts on a promising note, but about half way it starts to wobble. The pace becomes uneven and story slides down considerably. The end appears hasty. The change of heart appears sudden. Director doesn't reap rewards of the good work done in the beginning. 

Manisha Koirala, as Diana, does a good job as typical old Parsi lady. Jawed Jafri, as dead Rustom, does well in his limited role too. Nikita plays the role of wannabe heroin fervently. Shirley, as Persis, looks cute, but needs to concentrate more on acting. Her hairstyle for the film is awful. Prit, as Romi, looks confused, acts confused. Not sure if it's the actor or the act. But nevertheless he needs to improve. 

Except the last song, you don't remember the music. Cinematography is good. It takes you to night time South Mumbai and Irani cafè. 

Watch if you have nothing better to do during lock down. 

The body (द बॉडी)

"The body (द बॉडी)"

Watched Hindi movie "The body (द बॉडी)". This film is directed by Jithu Joseph. Story by Oriol Paulo.  Produced by  iacom18 and Sunil Kheterpal. Music by Shamir Tandon, Arko, Tanishk Bagchi. Score Clinton Cerejo. Cinematography Satish Kurup. The film stars Rishi Kapoor, Emraan Hashmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Anupam Bhattacharya, and Vedhika. The film runs for about 2 and half hours and released in Dec 2019. I watched it on Netflix on 12th Mar 2020 with Aditi.

A powerful businesswoman (Sobhita) dies of heart attack. Her body disappears from the morgue. SP Jairaj Rawal (Rishi Kapoor) is called in to investigate. Obvious suspect is her broadband Emraan.

How can a body disappear? Is she really dead? Is Emraan guilty? Is there another angle? Who is guilty?

It's a good story. Spectators keep guessing if Sobhita is dead or not. Rishi Kapoor plays a police officer who hasn't come out of the shock of his wife's death and sees Emraan as culprit before start of investigation. Sobhita plays a ruthless businesswoman who enjoys discomfort of others, especially of her husband. Emraan plays the suffocated husband of a rich woman. Vedhika plays an interesting role. She resembles yester year actress Nagma.

It's a suspense movie. The eerieness is accentuated by night and rain. Clinton's music enhances the suspense. Satish's Cinematography supplements it. The story is set in Mauritius. So he gets to show us scenic outdoor locations and stunning vistas. 

Success of a suspense movie is in keeping the spectators guessing about the culprit till the very end. Director succeeds in this endeavor.

This film is the official remake of 2012 Spanish film by same name. I have not seen the original, so can't say how much the director has stayed true to the original and how much he has adapted to suit Indian taste. 

Recommended to watch.

Romero Akbar Walker (रोमिओ अकबर वाॅल्टर)

"Romero Akbar Walker (रोमिओ अकबर वाॅल्टर)"

Watched Hindi movie "Romeo Akbar Walker (रोमिओ अकबर वाॅल्टर)". Direction Robby Grewal. Screenplay Robby Grewal, Shreyansh Pandey, Ishraq Shah. Production Gary Grewal and others. The film features John Abraham, Jackie Shroff, Mouni Roy, Sikandar Kher, Anil George and Raghubir Yadav. The movie runs for about 2 hours 20 min. I watched it on 20th Jan 2020.

RAW recruits a Muslim actor, John Abraham, to go deep undercover in Pakistan during the Bangladesh mukti Sangram. He enters Pakistan and starts providing Intel, until his cover is blown. 

How does he succeed in Pakistan? Does his Intel change outcome of war? What is Romeo, Akbar, Walter?

The concept of the story is good. A spy story is always enticing. Things go well, more or less, for a while. Then the story goes into tailspin. 

A number of factors are not convincing. Starting from the name. Romeo and Walter are not common names in a Muslim family. They are brought into movie just to achieve the acronym RAW, India's external intelligence agency. Why would RAW recruit an amateur actor rather than sending in a trained agent? How does Akbar's rise in Pakistan happen so fast? How does Pakistanis believe Walter? Why use a lighter with Joker?

So many unanswered questions. It appears as if the director had brought together things forcibly to forge a story with a definite end in mind. So although the story converges, it does not converge naturally. As a result things appear artificial. 

John is good. His make up is very good. Jackie appears unwashed. Others play sporting roles.

All in all the movie disappoints. 

Give it a miss. 

Bharat (भारत)

"Bharat (भारत)"

Watched Hindi movie Bharat (भारत). This film is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. He had also written story and screenplay.  Produced by Atul Agnihotri & others. Music by Vishal-Shekhar. The film stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani , Sunil Grover, Jackie Shroff, Sonali Kulkarni. Jackie Shroff and Tabbu have a first appearance. The film runs for about 2 and half hours. I watched it on Amazon Prime on 18th Jan 2020.

Bharat loses his father and sister in 1947 partition but has his other siblings and mother. The movie is about what he does in his life. 

The director basically considers the audience to be idiots. He thinks he can show anything and people will lap at it like hungry dogs. There is no story to this movie. Movie happens in patches. Each patch has nothing to do with other. Is it a movie about finding lost ones or is it about a shop or is it about Bharat or is it about a promise or is it about a watch or is it about live-in relationship or is it about something about everything.

Oil field looks more like mine. Although all workers use helmet in oilfield only Katrina (the supervisor) doesn't. Pirates don't rob the ship because they love Hindi movies. Salman becomes stuntman in circus. One day he decides to go to gulf as oil field labour. Then he decides to join merchant navy. Katrina is a recruitment officer. Suddenly she becomes oilfield supervisor. Then she becomes a news reader at Doordarshan. Then she becomes creative director of Zee TV.

70 years old Bharat doesn't look that old and similar aged Katrina looks fortyish. 70 year old Salman fights like a 24 year old while he has never fought earlier in the movie. 

There is no logic, no message and hardly any entertainment. I watched the movie because I wanted to write this review. 

Katrina looks beautiful with curly hair and spectacles but now it is time she starts acting and starts speaking proper Hindi, not influenced by English. Salman looks more like her dad than lover. Sunil Grover does well as Salman's sidekick. Other play sporting roles diligently. 

Music can be categorized as good because songs 'Slow motion' and 'Chashni' are good. 

Not a must watch. 

Vicky Welingkar (विक्की वेलिंगकर)

"Vicky Welingkar (विक्की वेलिंगकर)".

Watched Hindi movie "Vicky Welingkar (विक्की वेलिंगकर)". 

This movie is directed by Saurabh Varma, he is also credited with story and screenplay. Dialogues Swapnil Warke. Produced by GSEAMS. It stars Sonalee Kulkarni, Spruha Joshi, Sangram Samel, Kettan Singh, Gaurav More,  Jui Pawar. Music is by Omkar Patil, Mannan Munjal.  Film runs for 2 hours 5 minutes. I watched it with Aditi on 12 Jan 2020 on Netflix.

Vicky is a struggling cartoon artist and had numerous clicks in her house. One day she gets an unmarked packet with a watch in it. She wears it and dozes off in a chair. When she wakes up a series of events happen that lead to her murder. As soon as she is murdered, she wakes up in the chair. The same loop repeats again and again with some difference but same result. 

What is it? A nightmare? A reality? Is she hallucinating? How many times will this continue? Will she ever come out of it?

Movie starts with a thrill sequence that is childish at worst and amateurish at best. Saurabh Varma thinks that audience is either stupid or retarded. He presents the movie assuming that audience is not intelligent enough to make their own deductions and whatever he tells or shows will be accepted verbatim as sacrosanct. He takes audience for granted. There lies failure if the movie. 

He assumes that audience will accept that wearing a watch will create a time loop for the wearer, that audience will accept that watch us a time machine, that a time machine can be created by a person without anyone's help, that a girl will wear a watch without knowing who sent it, that villain is stupid, that having the watch one can win the world. How?

Sonalee is selling cartoonist but lives in a huge house. Sangram, who looks at least 5-10 years younger, is her classmate. Her age is evident and she does not suit the role of a youngster. Sangram does well and his screen presence is pleasing. Spruha also does well in the limited opportunity she gets. Other actors have limited scope. 

Cinematography is ok, except where childish means are utilized to create semblance of thrill. Music is nothing to write about. No idea why the movie has this title? Probably director could not come up with any good one and decide to name it after the lead character.

It's produced as a thriller but becomes irritant. You really require a lot of patience to watch complete movie. 

AVOID!

The Net

"The Net"

Watched English movie 'The Net'. Directed by Irwin Winkler. Produced by Columbia Pictures. Writing credits John Brancato, Michael Ferris. Cinematography Jack N. Green. Music Mark Isham. It stars Sandra Bullock, Dennis Miller and Jeremy Northam in lead roles. I watched this movie with Aditi on Amazon Prime. The movie is about 1 hour 54 min long and was released in 1995.

Sandra, a reclusive computer system analyst, works freelance for a company called Cathedral. Her point of contact at Cathedral sends her a computer disk. There is something in the disk that bothers him. He is killed. Sandra goes on vacation and an attempt on hee life is made. When she returns, she discovers that her house is up for sale and her identity, her existence is wiped out.

What will she do? How can she prove her identity? Why is she targeted? What's in the disk?

It's a movie in the time period where small floppy disks were used and computers had CRT's. So the way computers work would seem funny to today's younger generation. 

The story is fluid. Although movie slows down in a couple of places, it generally keeps pace. Apart from a couple of convenient coincidences, director doesn't have to conjure tricks. 

Sandra and Jeremy act well. Their cat and mouse game is entertaining. The end is a little convenient. Cinematography is good. 

It's a good entertainment. Doesn't bother you. Doesn't make you think. Doesn't trouble you. Doesn't bring wow either. Watch it,  enjoy it,  forget it. 

Recommend watching. 

Good newwz (गुड न्यूज)

"Good newwz (गुड न्यूज)"

Watched Hindi movie Good newwz (गुड न्यूज). This film is directed by Raj Mehta. Story Jyoti Kapoor. Produced by Dharma Productions and Cape of Good Films. Music by John Stewart Eduri. Cinematography Vishnu Rao. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Daljit Dosanjh, Kiara Advani, Adil Hussein and Tisca Chopra. The film runs for about 2 hours 10 minutes and was released in 2019. I watched it on Amazon Prime with Siddhant and Aditi on 25th December 2019.

 

Akshay and Kareena (Mrs and Mr Batra) can't conceive. They decide to go for In-vitro fertilization (IVF). Dr. Joshi (by mistake) exchanges Akshay's sperm with another Mr Batra (Daljit) and vice-versa. Kareena and Kiara both get pregnant with sperm of another man.

What next? Will they abort? Will they be able to accept? How would it end?

First half of the movie is hilarious. It's full of situational comedy and 'Double entendre' jokes. At interval the ladies get pregnant. I think story does not progress enough by the interval. Interval should have happened when Daljit and Kiara move to Mumbai. 

Second half is supposed to be serious and emotional. Director needed more time here. The timing of interval puts pressure on second half and hurries the director. This results in second half being shallow when the director had an opportunity to make it really profound. He misses it. Add a result the film does not make intended impact. I think the director did not manage the speed correctly. 

Kareena looks beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. On the other hand, age shows on Akshay in some scenes. Kiara does well in unglamorous role and makes a space for herself. Daljit with his loud cloths and joker character shows potential of an actor. 

Music is nothing write about except "Sauda khara khara". Cinematography is good. 

Some more attention and some more focus by director and writer could have made this movie more watchable. 

Not a must watch. 

Tanhaji (तान्हाजी)

"Tanhaji (तान्हाजी)"

Watched Hindi movie "Tanhaji (तान्हाजी)". Direction Om Raut, Screenplay Prakash Kapadia & Om Raut. Production Ajay Devgan, Bhushan Kumar & Krishna Kumar. Music Ajay-Atul, Sachet-Parampara, Mehul Vyas. The film features Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Saif Ali Khan, Ajinkya Deo, Luke Kenny, Neha Sharma, Shashank Shende, Sharad Kelkar, Nissar Khan, Padmavati Rao and Devdatta Nage. The movie runs for about 2 hours 15 min. I watched it with Aditi and Mihika on 17th Jan 2020.

Is the story of Tanhaji, brave subhedar of Shivaji maharaj, who goes on a mission to win back fort Kondhana by postponing marriage of his son. Movie is about house this mission succeeds and how Tanaji lays down his life for the larger good of Swarajya.

Director has done a good job, in general. He maintains grip on the story. Ensures that the viewers remain interested. There is measured blend of emotions, action, love for country, romance and history. I liked the scene where Tanhaji, disguised as Sadhu, obtains permission for the mission from Shivaji and Jijabai. However, all's not well. Director forgets to close all open ends and let's some remain loose e.g. What happens to Kamal? What happens to Chandraji Pisal? The climax is the fight between Udaybhan and Tanhaji. I expected the fight to be fierce, intense and long. But the fight is neither fierce nor does it last long. Actually, it disappoints. In his effort to make a villain out of Udaybhan director goes overboard and Udaybhan appears disgusting (abducting a girl, watching her bathe, barbecuing and eating a crocodile etc.)

Ajay does justice to the role of Tanhaji. He plays the character well. Even at this age, Kajol looks very beautiful, simply beautiful. She has a limited role, but makes her mark. Sharad plays role of Shivaji Maharaj with restraint and poise. Saif, as Udaybhan, rather than looking menacing and villianish bad man, acts comic. Although he is intense in patches, he lacks sustained intensity. His character does not bring the chilling sensation. Comparison with Ranveer (Khilji of Padmavat), who played a character of similar shades, is inevitable and Ranveer wins hands down. Padmavati Rao does not suit as Jijabai. She looks like an old granny rather than determined mother and inspiration of Shivaji.

Fight scenes are very good. The scaling of vertical wall, ziplining & scaling the mountain is flawlessly executed. It appears very real. However, some things defy all laws of physics. Tanhaji pushes a running horse from side and horse falls down. The fierce gun Nagin requires 2 elephants to pull it, but in climax injured and dying Tanhaji pushes it off the cliff. 

Some special effects are not good. I say this because one can make out mechanical animals and model structures. They don't look real. Had it been managed properly, it would have made the day. 

There are the songs that you like while in theater but you forget them once you are out of the theater. 

Recommend watching. 

War (वाॅर)

Watched Hindi movie War (वाॅर). This film is directed by Siddharth Anand. Story Aditya Chopra & Siddharth Anand. Produced by Yash Raj Films. Music by Vishal - Shekhar. The film stars Hritik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Vaani Kapoor, Anupriya Goenka, Ashutosh Rana & Soni Razdan. The film runs for about 2 and half hours and was released in 2019. I watched it on Amazon Prime with Siddhant and Aditi on 25th December 2019.

Tiger Shroff, agent of RAW, is tasked to assassinate his mentor and trainer, Hritik Roshan, who has gone rogue. Tiger can't understand how a patriotic person like Hritik, who puts his country above everything else, can turn? But he vows to catch him. The game of cat and mouse begins.

Why did Hritik go rogue? Can Tiger anticipate his moves? Can the Protege win? How will this war end?

Hritik is fantastic. His acting, his intensity, dance and fighting is flawless. He is made to look rugged. Probably, he looks better than he has looked so far. Tiger has impressive physic. He matches Hritik in dancing step-to-step. He also acts decently. But needs to improve his dialogue delivery. All other actors play their part well, though, they have marginal roles. 

The story is ok. It mostly runs on the expected lines, except for one surprise at the end,  audience knows what would happen next. It's not what but how that keeps the audience bonded. There was a film of Neeraj Pandey called 'Aiyaary' that had a similar story line. 

Direction is good. Director keeps the story pacy. He does not let the story slack except soon after interval but picks up quickly. Director keeps tight leash on the movie and ensures that the audience remains interested. 

The strong points of this movie, apart from acting, are the action sequences and special effects. They are as good as Hollywood. Can't find fault in them. They look very real. The acting, dancing and fighting duel between Hritik and Tiger is a treat to watch. 

Two songs are good. 'Mood hai bhayankar' and 'Ghongroo tut gaye' have become very famous. Watching Hritik and Tiger dance together is a feast for eyes. Don't miss it. 

Locations are very carefully chosen. They are scenic. Cinematographer has done a very good job. Audience love the lovely locations and cinematography. 

War has all the ingredients for a hit movie. Even Moon has blots, so why not the movie? They are:

-Predictable storyline.

-Naive over-dependence on plastic surgery

-How does Villain know truth about Vaani?

It's a good entertainment. 

Recommend watching. 

Pati, Patni aur Woh (पती, पत्नी और वो)

"Pati, Patni aur Woh (पती, पत्नी और वो)"

Watched Hindi movie Pati, Patni aur Woh (पती, पत्नी और वो). Directed by Mudassar Aziz, Produced by Renu Ravi Chopra, Bhushan Kumar, Kiran Kumar, Juno Chopra. Writing credits Mudassar Aziz. Cinematography Chirantan Das. Music Tanishq Bagchi, Rochak Kohli, Sachet Parampara, Tony Kakkar and others. It stars Kartik Aryan, Bhumi Pednekar, Ananya Panday, Aparshakti Khurana, Sunny Singh, Rajesh Sharma, Navni Parihar, KK Raina, Manu Rishi, Neeraj Sood . I watched this movie with Aditi, Sucheeta, Jayant, Sameer and Pooja. The movie is about 2 hour 3 min long and was released in Dec 2019.

Kartik works in PWD department. Kartik and Bhumi have an arranged marriage and stay in a small city. They love each other, however over a period of 3 years, monotony sets in. Bhumi's gnawing to move to Delhi is also a factor. Enter Ananya. Kartik is attracted. Then come the usual lies and faithful friend Aparshakti to rescue everytime.

How long can the lies be sustained? Will Bhumi come to know? Will Ananya come to know? How will it end?

The story is decent in first half. You don't regret decision of watching the movie but second half spoils everything. Director seems clueless about where movie is going. He loses control. Climax is laughable. Ananya's change of heart is simply unconvincing. First of all the affair between Kartik and Ananya itself is unconvincing. Audience keep looking at the watch in second half to determine how long they have to endure. 

Kartik acts well. But his acting is no different than 'Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety'. He needs to bring in variety. Although Bhumi acts well, looks Kartik's mother, rather than wife. Ananya looks good but she has to now start acting. Aparshakti is the best actor of the movie. He handles the role gracefully and with ease. Other actors play supporting roles.

Cinematography is good. The drone shot is very good. Music does not linger in your memory. Some of the dialogues are very good but just dialogues are not enough to uplift the movie. 

Give it a miss.