Judwaa2- No Cheap Thrill Please

                                                                                                                            Pic Source:IMDB.com

I was expecting nothing but slapstick comedy and pure nonsensical fun, nevertheless fun. However, those realistic expectations crashed as well. 20 years later David Dhawan decides to make Judwaa 2 casting his own Son Varun Dhawan, who really didn’t need a launch pad anymore, but what a disappointment it is. This movie feels like it is from the 90’s - the ‘masala movies” as I call it, purely made with the intent of fleeting entertainment – take us to a location abroad, add a few songs, the heroine has to wear skimpy clothes, a few stunts, a dose of Johnny Lever or some comedian and maybe a few crass jokes, you see we are in an escapism mode. Fastforward 20 years, the audiences have far more spending power, we have low cost fringe airlines too!, we have the Internet you see! we are in a better place with far more options and call us the mature audiences- we are smart!!...By the way the multiplex audiences pays an average INR 500 + GST to watch the movie on a weekend and I hope moviemakers start understanding what “value for money” is.  Maybe this movie is for Tier III and Village Audiences, as it may only appeal to less educated in remote places. The movie is like Version 2 of Judwaa, so I get it, but how about adapting it to the times we are in, what makes something funny for this audience and this era?

The story is about conjoint twins Prem and Raja who are separated at birth but are connected through reflexes (apparently one in 5 million cases according to the doctor in the movie -of course!).  Their rich father befriends a nice man on a plane who actually turns out to be a smuggler who uses him to escape the Police but then he doesn't quite.  The smuggler Charles is on a run and holds one baby hostage,(Raja) who is later assumed killed by him but actually survives and is rescued by a slum dweller. Raja  grows to be a strong and fierce “Basti Ka Chokra” ( a young slum dweller) who will take “panga” (foolhardy behaviour) with anyone. While Prem moves with his family to London and grows up to be a weak wuss who plays music. The plot is around how the twins are united and the miscreants are punished and all is well. However, I feel nothing is well in this one. I feel really bad for Varun Dhawan, I have truly liked his work. He has a Star-like quality and so much mass appeal that the audiences welcome his entry , just as they do for Shahrukh Khan. Both Jaqueline and Tapasee are mere “female objects” who have exactly signed up for that purpose. I have begun to think that Jaqueline is happy where she is and doesn’t really care for a anything meaningful, she is exactly the same as I have the reviewed her in her last movie (A Gentleman)  she is NO DIFFERENT in any of her films and she really seems content with dancing around each time and coming across unintelligent. I didn’t expect this from Tapasee, and I hope she had a good reason to sign this, is this the same girl from PINK and Naam Shabana?.  When did a man forcing himself on a woman/ spanking her become cool and lovable and this is what crass cinema shows you . No sane woman wants to be spanked, stalked and spoken pompously to, this is not cool, neither comic. It’s high time we take a close look at what we call entertainment, think a little deeper what are we ready to be ok with. This movie is what I call cheap= low intelligence on a high budget. You can make slapstick comedy and make it fun and sensible. Please watch Jaane Bhi Do Yaroon - My Number One Movie! there cannot be a more entertaining and fun movie, perhaps without having such budgets. I really hope director Kundan Shah never retires and makes one more like that some time

Everything about this movie is trite, the plot, script and even re-used songs from Judwaa (90’s). Also the relentless show of the London Eye and the London Bridge, as if to prove multiple times that this movie was shot in London. I was bored and irritated and DISTURBED. I hope Varun and Tapasee work on more meaningful cinema and this was perhaps just one mistake. 

Simran- Ran Away from Logic!

                                                     

This movie clearly proves that an actor/ actress cannot alone carry a film and this one lacks in bringing any value to the audience . The movie has no clue about which audience it is trying to appeal- clearly not ONLY Hindi Speaking (No Subtitles for the English dialogues), not for Indians (there is no introduction/ background on terms like social security and mortgage unique to US nationals)  not for NRI's either- they would never want to be more judged for the protagonist is actually a negative character- a thief. Was this movie about feminism? was it about mental illness? was this based on a smart heist ? I really cant tell!. . The Producer perhaps paid all his money only on one Actor's fee or on shooting offshore, every other actor in this Movie is a Blur, they come and go.

The plot is based on a real life story of a Gujarati NRI divorcee who is a thief robbing banks to pay off the goons who she borrowed money to gamble and eventually lost it all, including her savings for an apartment. The character of Praful Patel (Kangana Ranaut) comes across as so pathetic as she is just such a loser through it all . The movie begins with showing how Praful Patel has worked her 7 years off at a Hotels Housekeeping Department to buy an apartment in Atlanta, so that she can move out of her Parent's home and especially away from a Fathers' sarcastic Banter. Suddenly this hardworking character is shown to turn into gambling and then stealing from Banks, with zero connection to her previously shown avatar. It is as if she just happens to accidentally steal for the first time,  but in the most ingenious way. The story and screenplay both are so loose that if I were Apurava Asrani, I would happily let Kangana take all the credit for it (recent controversy- click here ) , as there is no excuse for this type screenplay and writing

The supporting cast was weak and not given any opportunity to showcase their talent. Their accents, including Kangana's were less researched and not that perfect. If they could actually have met a few Gujus around Jersey city (NJ) or some other such Guju Populated and mid-income level areas in the US, than fighting over the script writing credits, they all could have done better. Is Hansal Mehta  (Director) a Gujarati? I hope not. The biggest blunder he could have ever made was to have directed a scene where Praful's father is cooking Tamata- mercha nu shaak (a tomato and chili side/ Subzi) with carrots?? and with a  new technique perhaps, where he is throwing carrots into the cooking pot as he cuts and peels them!. Didn't Hansal Mehta start off his career with directing a cookery show- Khana Khazana? could'nt he have made the scene more interesting to watch?, surely no marks for not working on details!

This movie is a No Comparison to Queen, there is nothing uplifting or refreshing  about it. If this is what you had expected, like I did , Please stay home. Was there a message in the movie, yes it had some weird message I think , and the message goes like if girls do not get married as per parents' wishes they will end up in the jail . I am going to make sure my Parent's do not watch this movie for sure ;) and I wonder what their takeaway from this weird kitchadi will be. I was waiting for the movie to take a logical course or something Wow to happen after every scene, my hopes kept me on the seat and much less anything else

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan!!- Attention Please!

Source: IMDb.com

After watching Bareilly ki Barfi, I was wondering if Ayushmann Khurrana should have a release in the same genre just weeks apart, but this has really surprised me that he has done extremely well in both without seeming trite and boring. It is perhaps a mighty coincidence that Bhumi Pednekar and Seema Pahwa too have 2 movies (Toilet Ek Prem Katha, Bareilly ki Barfi respectively)running parallely  in almost the same genres and doing reasonably well. The one thing that really prompted me to go watch the movie was the fact that it was the remake of a Tamil movie Kalyana Samil Sadham, and that too remade by the same director R S Prasanna. Hats off to the bold and experiential subject of the film and the overall sweet "moral of the story" that it leaves you with. Not to mention the incredible performances by the lead actors and the well chosen support cast and the well- thought-out hindi adaptation

The story is a romantic comedy,  about  Mudit and Suganda both engineers who are engaged and to be married. It is just before the wedding that Mudit discovers he suffers from erectile dysfunction (called gents problem in the entire movie, so hereon) and  the story is a comic take on how he, his friends, fiancé and in-laws are all trying to help him out of his gents" problem

An amazing supporting cast and I am in Love with our new onscreen hit Mom Seema Pahwa, way to go! she has as much of an impression on you as much as the leading actors of the film or may be more. Bhumi has already discovered herself and understands her strengths as an actress. She can really play the girl next door and also keep it really REAL. She is got both the Delhi accent and the Body language perfect for this role. The screenplay has been well adapted for the Hindi / Bollywood Audiences and this is really important when you are working on a subject which may have variant impacts/ meaning to different cultures.

The actor, I am trying to find is Mr.X (I couldn't find his name online anywhere!! Please help here on the comments) who plays Suganda's father has also done an outstanding job alongside Brijendra Kala who plays her Uncle. They are beyond adorable besides just comic

I am very happy and extremely proud of the directors that are bred in the south, and have written about my admiration of for Mr. Maniratnam & Balki before . Now R.S. Prasanna joins my list of favorites . There was another movie recently called OK Jaanu, that was a remake of OK Kanmani , which was again an amazing Tamil movie, but it just didn't hit it with the audience, perhaps because of a different director and weak screenplay adaptation. 

I am little unhappy and I will tell you why, I may sound rhetoric and preachy in the next few lines but I really have to say this-  I saw Children below 13, some even 3 or 4 years old in the movie theatre and it did disturb me that as Parents who are multiplex audiences (educated!!) would bring their kids to a movie with this subject, irrespective of the censor boards decision. I do agree that it was all about the "gents' problem (No one uses the actual words)" and very subtly put too but do you really want to take away  innocence from the Children this soon. So please do watch this movie but leave your Children at home. At a burning fever,  but for the love of movies, this one is the soothing, healing and a "feel good movie" that I needed to watch for sure. Go and Enjoy!

A Gentleman- Get Some Laughs!

                                                                                                                Pic Source: IMDb.com
I just keep feeling that this movie could have really been much better. The Go Goa Gone writer Krishna D K has definitely tried his best to keep the script exciting and funny, but unfortunately for the poor casting the movie does not deliver the best it could have. The parallel flashback in the first half is very unique, and the audience is kept in suspense until the interval. Also, there is some slapstick comedy (cum Action) and a few comic scenes that keep you entertained and pass your time but nothing really concrete to say - oh wow! this was a remarkable film

Sidharth Malhotra & Jacqueline Fernandez do not really make a good couple onscreen, the chemistry is missing and perhaps Siddharth Malhotra does look like a Millennial and Jacqueline from Gex X. Also the fact that Jacqueline still feels like an Expat onscreen does not work for her , she didn't match the character of Kavya who is actually supposed to be the opposite an "Indian born and raised girl" working in the US. The other mismatch is Sunil Shetty, who actually plays the Villain but his dialogue delivery is poor and weak for a comic villain,  he is really inexpressive and boring to watch

The plot is about a Goon- Rishi (Sidharth Malhotra), who  turns his back from the bad life and escapes from the crutches of his God father, Colonel (Sunil Shetty) to Miami to have a life of a common man . What is logically inconsistent is the fact a Goon can become a Business Head of a company in just 5 years and build himself so much wealth. With a new life comes a new name and a love interest who is  not even remotely Indian or lovable, the characterization of Kavya (Jacqueline Fernandez) comes across as being shallow. I wish they could have given more screen time and dialogues to Rajit Kapoor and Supriya Pilgaonkar who play the parents of Kavya. These two actors really have an impact in just 2 scenes.

Sidharth Malhotra has shown a lot of potential in his past movies, in that he can play different roles in and not limit himself to one genre, but he seems to be a bit unlucky for not getting that one awesome opportunity. I have also written previously about how he does have an impression on the younger audiences (Hasee Toh Phasee Review), especially the females,  but this just has to go beyond this now and I wish this lad luck with that.

Got a Sunday afternoon to kill some time and gather a few laughs, go ahead!

Bareilly Ki Barfi- So Sweet & Good

                                                                                                                       Pic Source: IMDB

This movie is beyond refreshing and took me back to the era of movies directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee -  so light, so entertaining and yet so simple. Having said that it is “simple”- This does not take away from the authenticity and the honesty in the script writing, detailed art direction, and brilliant casting, acting or the remarkable dialogue writing. The screenplay and the art direction, including the costumes are kept so real to the plot, in that you will not see fancy décor, designer clothes, unnecessary grandeur, yet everything is done in great taste.


The plot is based in the small town of Bareilly, where the female protagonist Bitti Mishra  resides. Bitti is the only child of her parents who is “too modern” and Independent for the likes of the town that she lives in . Bitti works in the electricity department, is  tomboyish,  in that she has male friends, smokes casually, drinks, watches English Movies and likes to break dance. Due to her openness, she is unable to to find a groom which causes tension in the household. It is then that she decides to leave her town and goes to the railway station where she aimlessly wanders and buys a novel from the book stall. The character of the protagonist of the novel turns out just like her, the delighted Bitti, changes her mind and goes back home on a mission to find the Novelist whom she believes will be her true love and a match. Ayushman Khuranna (Chirag Dubey) plays the beaten up lover who wrote the novel but published it under a friend’s name (Pritam Vidrohi )so people do not judge him knowing it was his true story. The story takes hilarious turns and keeps the audiences laughing scene after scene. I would recommend you keep your EARS REALLY OPEN- the dialogues are just too unique, in their wittiness is a lot of local flavor and slang, this could be a little fast hence, just pay attention as this is really hilarious


Nitesh Tiwari (also the writer/director of Dangal) has scripted the movie so well, and director  Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has done a fabulous job of direction- The best quality of this successful duo is definitely  detailing, meticulous planning and execution which is evident.  Ayushmann Khurrana is the present  Day “Amol Palekar” the” boy next door” fits him so well in this one and also in his past movies like Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Kirti Sanon too comes across as well trained actress, very well done for just a few films so far. The icing on this cake is the supporting cast -Rajkummar Rao (Pritam Vidrohi ) an actor par excellence and the dear adorable and loving parents of Bitti Mishra played by Pankaj Tripathy and Seema Pahwa are a perfect fit and splendid actors. Seema Pahwa’s strength has been in the real treatment she gives to each of her characters she has ever played, right from her debut TV series Hum log back in the Doordarshan days.


This is not a Big Budget Naach Ganney wala movie but simple, light and fun,  yet the music and songs are quite nice. This was so refreshing and right after watching Jab Harry Met Sejal, it has restored my faith in good cinema and honest film making. Go watch it! your popcorn will taste better :)

Hindi Medium- I liked it only “Medium”

This is movie is sure running full-houses in India and abroad and rather surprising that I couldn’t get a ticket until the second week. A more than 8/10 on IMDB and one would think it is a must watch and I would say not as much as Dangal or Badri ki Dulhaniya. Ok so why are these two movies my parameters of the measure- both these movies focused on societal issues and delivered them in fabulous entertainment- while the subject matter did touch your heart, the screenplay kept you engaged and there was a natural flow. My expectations of Hindi Medium were way high with the talented Irfan Khan, the very beautiful Saba Qamar and the most entertaining trailer, I was just counting days for its release and perhaps, it is only with that level of expectation you become more critical

The subject / story of this movie is most relevant to the current scenario in the Indian Society, where parents struggle to get their Children in to a good school and are hit with tiresome and stringent processes, fierce competition, bureaucracy, red tapism, and above all the societal pressure being shamed if the children are not sent to “well-known” educational institutions and Ivy Leagues. Raj (Irfan Khan) and Mita (Saba Qamar) are a couple from Chandni Chowk who aspire to send their daughter Piya to a plush, among the Top 5 School, so that she can have better education and prospects in life in comparison to their upbringing. So strong is their aspiration that they don’t leave a leaf unturned, including faking poverty and living in the slums to get their child through the RET(Right to Education) Quota

The plot chosen was awesome, the cast chosen was super awesome, the story was awesome, so what so not so awesome and perhaps mediocre was the confused treatment of the subject matter, screenplay and maybe editing. Both Mohit Suri and Neha Dhupia (Neighbours of Raj and Mita) have been cast for no reason, or perhaps their scenes have been edited.  It may seem at the start if the movie that Mita has some history with Suri and then nothing ever unfolds. You wonder why these two actors of this caliber were even cast

The climax of the movie is the weakest and perhaps kills the entire experience. In the last scene when Irfan Khan goes to the school principal to confess and accept the fraudulence admission of his child, the scene jumps to an annual day function, and then miraculously, talented children from a government school (an entire van!) come on stage to give a surprise performance. All this is happening in the same frame and with no sense of time lapse. Irfan Khan then gives a heart touching speech in Hinglish, which goes a bit too much for my logic- the entire movie was about getting the child in to the Top 5 and not really about English/ Hindi Medium Schools. Infact there are so many instances in the movie where they show the importance of learning English. They even show how excited government school parents are when their child is talking in English and hence the clear focus on the subject matter was missing.

My expectations were way high, like I said and this didn’t turn out be my No.1 movie of the year, so I am disappointed. So what are the strengths of the movie- clearly 2 elements which I think one must watch for. No.1- Deepak Dobriyal, much has been said about this truly talented actor from Tanu Weds Manu. There is so much sincerity in his acting that every role he has played, the character marks so different from the other. He plays the naive, loving impoverished neighbor of Raj and brings the Awww and the haha! moments with his excellent comic timing . No.2, I would give it to the dialogue writer, for some very funny and witty dialogues in the movie. 

Rangoon, I rather jump with Baboons

                                                            Source: IMDB

I wish this movie could have stayed on just one plot that is shuffling in so much confusion.  With such amazing art direction and powerful performances going a waste.  I just regret that Vishal Bharadwaj has boxed himself in to what he can do best and seems stuck on to tragic endings, and the use of same actors. There was a certain amount of freshness with Omkara that felt like a poetry on screen in some way but somehow this has now become trite and boring. Rangoon is not a showcase of abstract art on screen, rather a portrayal of distracting haze. Every movie needs a chore or central theme, unlike a TV series that has the physical time to build a connection.

The story is based during the second world war and the Indian National Movement.  Julia(kangana) is an Indian film actress who is the muse and the lover of Rusi Billimoria (A filmmaker and also an ardent British supporter ). She wants marriage out of the relationship, which the already married Rusi finds it hard to commit and being a Parsi. She is forced on to an assignment to Rangoon by Rusi to please his British army friend Major General Harding, where she to perform for the British Indian army at war. Jamadar Nawab Malik (Shahid Kapoor)is assigned as her body guard from her journey from Bombay to Rangoon. Julia and her entourage find themselves in the middle of the war, due to sudden attacks by the Japanese. Malik saves Julia from the attacks and they escape in to the forests, there is chemistry and so new found love for Julia in Jamadar Malik.  Jamadar Malik is actually an undercover INA(Indian National Army) agent and under an assignment to get the ancestral sword of the King Surendra Pal smuggled so that INA can sell it for funds to help them fight the British.  The movie has not done justice to the love story or the patriotism; it is just pacing itself rhetorically with no direction and absolute predictability including a tragic end which you are waiting to just get done with. For God’s sake can someone tell me how did INA plan to sell a smuggled sword that easily and to whom? are we missing logic here!

The cinematography is great and so is the art direction, but if you care only so much , you could go watch this one. Great performances are no good without a strong plot. I could be a fan of actors but well, it is time wasted else. Kangana can jump really well, she has done some good stunts but this doesn't really work for me