T. C. G. N. (Take care good night)

"T. C. G. N. (Take care good night)"

Watched Marathi movie "T. C. G. N. (Take care good night)".

This film is directed by Girish Joshi and stars Sachin Khedekar, Iravati Harshe, Parna Pethe, Mahesh Manjrekar, Adinath Kothare, Vidyadhar Joshi, Sulekha Talwalkar, Sanskruti Balgude and Jaywant Wadkar.

Sachin Khedekar, a technologically illiterate guy,  decides to take VRS. After receiving his settlement, he and his wife go on Europe route. When he comes back he realises that some one had withdrawn 50 Lakh from his account. To add to it someone has posted first part of compromising video of his daughter on internet. 

Who has stolen his money? Will the subsequent part of his daughter's video be damaging? Will he come out of the scam? Will police help? How will he react?

This movie has powerful performances by Sachin Khedekar and Mahesh Manjrekar. With such stalwarts others get limited scope but young Parna creates her own niche. Iravati Harshe appears a bit stiff and Vidyadhar Joshi is as good as always. Adinath Kothare is the surprise package, a good one.  

Story is good. Acting is very good. Cinematography is apt. Don't remember music. This movie handles today's pertinent issue of cyber hacking and phishing. I am not aware what the target audience producers had in mind but people in their mid forties to late fifties need to watch as the technological details are limited. 

Director has done a good job of keeping the audience interested and has used recent flashbacks effectively. However, I thought that the story is presented in a simplistic manner. Hacking is not addressed. Focus is on how the problem is solved rather than what the problem is. Nevertheless, producer and director have handled a very current subject and deserve praise for it. 

Recommend watching. 

Tula kalnar nahi (तुला कळणार नाही)

Tula kalnar nahi (तुला कळणार नाही)

Watched MaratTula kalnar nahi (तुला कळणार नाही)hi movie "Tula kalnar nahi (तुला कळणार नाही)". This movie is directed by Swapna Waghmare Joshi and stars Subodh Bhave as Rahul and Sonalee Kulkarni as Anjali, Neetha Shetty as Menaka and Uday Tikekar.

Rahul and Anjali are married for four years and now can't stand each other and want divorce. Rahul finds a diary in a burnt hostel confessing Babdu's love for Nandini. To escape marriage and wife he decides to find Nandini and give her diary of her dead lover. Destiny brings his wife on the same journey. 

Well,  everyone can guess what the outcome would be. Rediscovery of lost love. It's the journey towards it, literally as well as figuratively, that makes the movie. 

Director has given a few small twists like entry of Menaka, Anjali's parents and Menaka's exit. She has also used flash backs effectively. Characters spend a lot of time in vehicle.

Subodh Bhave is fantastic as usual. Despite this being an off beat role for him,  he excels. Sonalee is good. Uday shines in a cameo and makes impact. Neetha can't hide her discomfort with Marathi. Locations and cinematography are good. Not much to write about music, except the title song. 

I liked the movie,  recommend watching. 

The Dictator

The Dictator

Watched English movie 'The Dictator', directed by Larry Charles, starring Sacha Baron Cohen as Admiral-General Aladeen, Anna Faris as Zoey and Ben Kingsley as Tamir.

Fictitious African nation Wadiya, east of Sudan, is ruled by despot leader Admiral General Aladeen. He declares that Wadiya is close to developing enriched uranium. UN demands that he either address the UN general assembly personally or be ready for strikes. Aladeen and his entourage reach America. There is a big plot. 

What is the plot? Who is behind it? Can General Aladeen survive? What will he learn in America?

A person who does not know humanity, humility, empathy and love suddenly finds himself with nothing. He is a pauper and wants to regain his position. Who does he meet and how does he foil the plot? Can he change?

It's a comedy movie. Comedy is created in everything like his subordinates kissing his armpits to show their affection and respect, going on camel back on American streets, passing derogatory comments about sex,  colour and ethnicity etc. This movie has some brilliant jokes, some satirical jokes, some standard jokes, some black comedy, some awful jokes, some derogatory jokes and some below the belt jokes. Some of them seemed unnecessary. 

The movie had a limited story and the pace is good. Direction is ok. Anna's acting is ok too. Ben Kingsley is mostly wasted in role of little consequence. Sacha is the central character of movie and hogs the limelight.

Watch, but not with your family. 

One way ticket

"One way ticket"

Watched Marathi movie "One way ticket". 

This movie is directed by Amol Shetge, produced by Kamal Unawane. It stars Neha Mahajan as Urvashi, Sachit Patil as Samar, Gashmeer Mahajani as Aditya Rane, Amruta Khanvilkar as Shivani and Shashank Ketkar as Aniket. It was released in 2016.

Aniket mortgages his house and land to get the dream job in Italy. Ion reaching he realises that he is duped. Heir of money,  he witnesses a shoot out between gangs and manages to Nick the wallet of a deceased Indian gangster and uses it to return to India on a cruise. Here he meets Urvashi and Samar, the blogger duo, and Shivani who is in love with that dead gangster. 

Can Aniket bluff his way? Can he escape the intrusive bloggers? Will Shivani hate him for taking place of her dead lover? What is at stake?

The story is interesting. Most of it happens on the cruise. Cinematography is decent. Make up of Decosta was very good. Direction was good, except some issues with continuity. 

Established actors carry their roles effortlessly. Sachit Patil is the best actor of this film. He handles transformation very well. Amruta looks older than Shashank. Shashank is ok. Gashmeer has a stunning physique but needs to improve acting. He acted better with getup than his natural self. 

Watch of you have spare time. 

Ani... Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar

"Ani... Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar"

Watched Marathi movie "Ani... Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar".

This film is directed by Abhijeet Deshpande and stars Subodh Bhave as Kashinath Ghanekar, Nandita Dhuri as his first wife,  Anand Ingle as Vasant Kanetkar, Mohan Joshi as Bhalji Pendharkar, Sonali Kulkarni as Sulochana, Prasad Oak as Prabhakar Panshikar, Sumeet Raghavan as Dr. Lagu and Vaidehi Parshurami as Kanchan.

The movie starts from Kashinath being foremost dentist and a struggling actor and takes us through his first superhit play,  his first dalliance with films,  his second superhit play, superstardom, affair with Kanchan, legendary rivalry with Dr. Shriram Lagu, hubris, excesses and downfall, second dalliance with films, marriage to Kanchan and final comeback. 

Casting is excellent. Subodh, Anand Ingle, Prasad Oak, Sonali Kulkarni, Sumit Raghavan, Mohan Joshi etc. are all established actors and do justice to their roles. 

Direction is excellent too. To retain the audience interest for the duration of film, that is a biopic, is not easy. Director manages to walk the thin line and come out victorious. First half is very interesting. Second half is interesting but a bit slow. This film is based on the biography titled 'Nath ha maza' by Kanchan Ghanekar.

Subodh Bhave has proved his versatility and excellence many times over. Here he proves himself again. New face Vaidehi also plays smitten Kanchan to perfection. With her beauty and acting we should see her adorn lead roles in near future. 

Editing could have been better. The last scene should have been a bit earlier and the length of movie should have been about 20 minutes shorter. 

Marathi movie industry has come off age and has come out of the shackles of comedy. It bodes well for the art and business. INterval cinema now had substance and the subjects are varied and carefully chosen. This shift has brought audience back to Marathi cinema. The fact that I could watch this Marathi movie in a theatre in Abu Dhabi speaks volumes. 

Those who have not seen Kashinath Ghanekar in person should see the movie and those who have should see it too. 

Recommend watching. 

Barely Lethal

"Barely Lethal"

Watched English movie "Barely Lethal".

The film is directed by Kyle Newman and stars Hailee Steinfield as Megan, Jessica Alba as Knox, Samuel Jackson as Hardman, Sophie Turner as Heather and Dove Cameron as Liz. This movie was regressed in 2015.

America has a school of orphan girls who are trained as assassins. Megan, though a topper, wants to live life of a normal girl with friends,  school,  boys etc. She manages to fake her death and joins a school living with a family as exchange student from Canada.

How does she find school? Can she survive it? Does Her training help her? Will she live happily ever after?

The idea is interesting. A trained assassin who wants to live a normal life, who values the school,  the tiffs,  jealousy and drinks wonders why other kids can't appreciate what they Areadne and enjoy it. When her foster family is in danger,  she has to leave the mask of student behind and protect her foster family. 

The movie is good. Story is good. Acting is good. The end, although anti climactic is good too. 

Recommend watching. 

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

"Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!"

Watched Hindi movie "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!". This movie is directed by Dibakar Banerjee and stars Sushant Singh Rathod as Byomkesh Bakshy, Anand Tiwary as Ajit Banerjee, Swastika Mukherjee as Anguri Devi and Neeraj Kabi as Dr. Anukul Guha. Its a Yash Raj film. 

British Calcutta. Chinese gangs control drug trade. Ajit seeks help of Byomkesh to find his missing father. Byomakesh starts from hostel run by Dr. Guha and goes from one place to another in search of the missing man. There is another murder. His search leads him to something much bigger.

Is the missing man dead? Who is the beautiful Anguri Devi? What is the bigger plot? Will the British administration help?

The movie takes its to pre independence Calcutta. City with trams,  cars, pedestrians and rickshaws. Director has created authentic period atmosphere. The sights and sounds of old Calcutta make us think that this is how it must have been. 

But the story is slow,  very slow. There is a danger of audience falling asleep. Although it is understandable that the story in old times would be slow as compared to the break neck speed of thrillers, this one is also uninteresting in patches. Director should have taken more efforts to make it interesting. 

Shushant is good. Swastika is stiff. Neeraj shines. Cinematography is good. Don't remember music. Fight scenes are symbolic. 

Movie ends with the villain escaping and determining to continue fuelling with Byomkesh. It's preamble for a sequel. Thankfully it hasn't come. 

Give it a miss.