Short Fim : Ouch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deMCcGkJsjc


The Plot is like this. 2 people, Manoj Bajpayee  & Pooja Chopra, are colleagues & are having an extra marital affair. Both are married with kids & all is not that bad in their marriage, but probably a bit of fun & excitement is what they were looking at. Cut to the present, where we see an excited Manoj  waiting in a Hotel room waiting for her partner. The paln is set, they had to inform their partners about this affair & then divorce them, Game set

While Manoj informs his wife about the same, Pooja chopra on the other hand, does not inform her spouse & all of a sudden, her moral compass (as Manoj Bajpayee calls it ion the film) gets activated & she decides to end this relationship. She feels that this relationship will have no future & respect

Bajpayees facial expression & his handling of the situation will keep you in spits through out, A smart & funny short film'

Watch it on You Tube

Short Film :Adheen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwkjDk2wQ9w


Adheen, is a 21 minute Gem of a shor film about a dysfunctional family of 4
The film captures the pains & poignancy of a family that cant be together due to circumstances, due to friction in relationships

Sanjay Mishra live with his critically ailing wife who is bed ridden for years together & is running out of money to meet her financial condition. The couple have 2 children who don't stay with them & are struggling with issues of their own in life

The Daughter played by the beautiful Anupriya Goenka, is in a same gender relationship & her mother throws her out of the house many years ago. She is still nursing a grudge against her family for the stand they took

The son is living an all messed up life with betting & gambling being his only source of income & profession & is running in debts

Its a story of how the relationship in the family is so complexed & complicated for want of financial success. The father eventually decides that he has had enough of staying alone with a critically sick patient day in & day out. One might feel that the Husband is being selfish in giving up on the wife, but there is a scene in the movie where Sanjay Mishra breaks down to say that he has had enough & goes on to detail how the room where he has to sleep everyday is filled with Stench of urine, stool & how the bed sheets are also littered with the same as they cant afford a medical attendant or nurse to help them with hygiene

Sanjay Mishra stands out yet again in depicting the angst & pathos of a partner who after having religiously served her better half has given up & now wants to live a life in the beautiful memories than living with the pain of a partner dying everyday

It also depicts that how the children are not ready to take care of their mother owing to the mess & struggle that they are going through in their life

The movie makes one wonder & ponder that financial stability is a key factor to maintain harmony in family

Movie review: OMG

From my FB Post 16th November 2014

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153289828972004&id=682637003

Watched the Paresh rawal starrer Movie OMG, last night for the umpteenth time..Cant get enough of the movie...the views and thoughts resonate...."where there is truth you dont need religion "how correct ...If we as responsible ans mature adults, cant decide for ourselves what is morally correct and right for us, families, society at large, then we need empathy not relogious discourse..The issue is Use of religion and God as a fear mechanism...99% when asked about their connection with the supreme authority are found to respond , even matrimonial alliances adverts..for prospective grooms/ brides starts with a "god fearing religious person , 5 figure salary"..Why God fearing ? Is god to be feared ? Why does religion have to work on fear? We are human beings , we will keep making mistakes ..idea is to be aware of thosw shortcomings & vices and try and keep overcoming  them bit by bit ...realisation if vices is the key..we are here to become better than what we were and not clones of sociwty defined righteousness, which the society at large doesn't follow or cant become ...

Be truthful,use reason, use rational , be fair, develop a fine judgement and then use that....a better human being evedyday will lead to God one day .....

"Things that make you believe absurdities can also make you commit attrocities" so let reason and rational be the guiding force

Movie Review : Gali Gali Chor hai

From Facebook post Dated 10th November 2014


https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153277092477004&id=682637003

Just watched "Gali Gali Chor Hai"..generally such movies die a quite death in the movie halls...with Akshay Khanna as the lead this is expwcted . However go beyobd the surface of insanity of superstardom and give such movies a chance..story about common man and his brush with law on the wrong side..perfect example of a situational comedy and the fear which common ppl experience ..the fear of rebuke, fear of authority, fear of insult, fear of livelihood .....with an ensemble and supremely talented cast ...satish kaushik, Annu Kapoor, Murli sharma, Jagdeep...great entertainment

Movie : Madaari : A slap on the system

Facebook post Dates 24th July 2016

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154968619787004&id=682637003

Just watched the movie "Madaari"....wondering how do I even start describing the movie..That Irrfan khan is an actor par excellence, needs no debate, atleast in the minds of fans , critics and his contemporaries alike..But everytime one walks into the theater expecting brilliant stuff from Irrfan, to the point , that the expectation benchmark Is brilliant and anything else is never expected...With Madaari, Irrfan takes his brilliance to the next level...The pain, anguish , frustration and despair of losing a loved one to a fucked up system is the most disgraceful manner to lose a human live ..whether its an act of cowardly terrorism, or unnatural acts , calamities...especially when, We the People , have elected a Democratically functional machinery to help us...Irrfan just shines in the movie and his potrayal of a loving father and the Father son Bond is sure to tug every single string and chord in ones heart...The hurt and dejection is a constant theme in the movie and keeps highlighting the common man's plight against this machinery....

The finale scene is the highlight of the movie where the perpetrators and guilty people actually own up to the crime and expose the deep nexus of corruption which is so much part of the system.....

The star cast is ably supported by Jimmy shergill in amother sharp performance ...Tushar Dalvi is a seasoned TV actor who does great justice to the role...But Irrfan just steals the show....His act is simply outstanding and just raised the bar for raw emoting....Irrfan khan never acts ..The character comes out of the screen and talks to you....And keeps asking questions....are we as citizens not responsible for the govt. We chose...Why do we chose to vote on basis of caste, religion, gender, gotra.....UP, BIHAR, T.N, West Bengal....why are voting only on basis of caste, perception, favours etc ??

Is our basis of voting so flimsy that it gets affected on change in prices of onions,tomatoes and petrol..or on basis of certain privileges to a cetrain sect....I heard that the Babus in Delhi decided to vote against a party cause it had made working hours longer for them....or trader cimmunity in a city voting for a set of people and party only because it did some favours to the trader lobby......or as a corporate salaried person I vote for a give which promises me a lighter tax ....A mere 2000 rs additional money on account of better tax rules and my vote goes away......

If as voters we dont merit performance and delivery and continue to vote only for favours, caste and persibal benefits ...We will be solely responsible for our plight....We only vote for our castes....

Remember Bullets, train accidents, poor medical facilitiesand corruption  affects everybody irrespective of caste and religion.....

 A broken bridge will take lives Irrespective.....Stop corruption....Vote o performance and not caste and small favours

RIP Om puri sahab

From my FB post Dated 8th Jan 2017

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155585835222004&id=682637003


RIP# Om prakash Puri...Still can't believe that an actor of your calibre is no more..You were the actor who gave hopes to millions and millions of strugglong actors that if you believe in your talent, you will make your way.In a visual medium like cinema, where the prime qualification used to be purely good looks, you thrashed the stereotype..A face full of pockmarks, a childhood spend in penury , the rawness of village, lack of understanding of English language, ridicule for your looks...you overcame all of that to establish your self as one of the most respected  names of Hindi cinema in its more than 100 years of existence.....The current breed of "the unconventional looking actors" owe their existence to names like you and Naseerudin shah...I am talking about actors like manoj bajpayee, Irfan khan, Kay Kay menon, Rajkumar rao, Nawazudin...I am sure all of these actors, at some point in their journey, would have taken huge inspiration from you...not necessarily your work, but the sheer fact that ,all it takes is that belief in your self.....You cracked the template for parallel cinema, which in today's time has so seamlessly blended with commercial cinema...If a Ranbir kapoor  today, can do a Yeh jawaani hai deewani and a Barfi ,seamlessly blending Masala and art movies..somewhere, actors like you would have given him the confidence to do that....Directors like Dibakar Banerjee, Anurag Kashyap, Imitiaz Ali, who are all pushing the envelope , when t comes to experimenting with their cinema...all of them at some point in their journey would have referred to the kind of work that you and naseer have done....

What I have also adored about you, is your humility.....For someone whose supreme talent is not just an opinion or perception, but an almost universally accepted fact, the ability to remain so disenchanted and humble about your talent is what is truly amazing......I pray to the universe, to give me the kind of humility that you had, when I am able to achieve even 10% of your talent....

Thank you for making us laugh ( jaane bhi do Yaaron, Hera Pheri,Mandi, Chachi 420) for making us cry ( Aakrosh, ardh satya, mirch masala,) for inspiring us ( maachis, China gate)....and many many more memorable movies.......

You are an icon....RIP Puri Saab

Movie Review : Dangal (Everything right except Aamirs character Nuances)

From my FB Post Dated 15th Jan 2017

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155611466337004&id=682637003

Aamir khan gets everything right except his own character nuances


Watched Aamir Khans Dangal...The good things 1st....A truly inspirational story about fighting against all odds to back your dream..An able man with an unfulfilled dream and passion..His journey to achieve that dream..Fighting so many stereotypes along the way...Girls from a rural village in Haryana or perhaps any other part of North India(being a hard core patriarchal society)would be subject to several of such gender bias in their daily lives...Where dangal is special in a way is that it very beautifully touches upon the bond between a father and his children...Parent children relation0ships in bollywood have made a ritual out of mother children relationships, and almost ignoring the role that fathers play in our lives...It's a story which inspires you on so many counts...A girl beating the shit out of guys, almost replays the classic David vs goliath story..A father without much resources at his disposal, manages to get the best for his children, struggle of an athlete who dips after a  huge success and rebuilds herself bit by bit, or at a slightly different level, it is also about how children, at times, on achieving much deserved success after years of labor, tend to completely think of it as their own self made success and forget the role that their parents played....

Super impressed by some of the performances ...The young girls who played Geeta and babita, just nailed it with such mature and nuanced performance....They looked and lived the part perfectly on screen...Even the elder Versions of Geeta and Babita, was played to perfection..The complexities, the insecurities, the frustration ..All of it was brilliantly captured...

I expected much more depth from Aamirs role....To begin with, he didn't get the accent right..For a man known to be Mr perfectionist, his accent, just didn't sound convincing....Dangal has the kind of story , screenplay and direction, that even with average to good performances, one can create a huge impact ...Aamirs character lacked nuances, emotional layers and the pathos of a highly passionate man...Obviously with his calibre, he was good, but a biopic, needs much more than accent and putting on and losing weight..

For me, Aamir felt short of living the character...He was definitley good...but such a role and screenplay, deserve great and not just good

#moviereview #Dangalreview #FilmiGupp #Kaultimes
#Dangalmoviereview #VKreview

Vinod Khanna Sahab : The Complete Package

From my FB Post Dated 22nd April 2017

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155989849912004&id=682637003

RIP# Vinod Khanna Sahaab...You were the guy in the middle zone...An artiste who was in the middle zone of an Actor, a  performer on one hand and a true Star on the other...One of the most underrated stars..A star whose star power always acted like the lights in the background that let you do your work safely..There were starts of your era who shone like arclights but you with your brightness chose to brighten the backgrounds...You came in bollywood at a time , that saw the passing of the bastion from the era of romance to the era of action, and violence...The transition from romamcing and serenading the women to an era of action and fighting for your rights..You witnessed the transition of this Industry from its 1st ever superstar to its biggest superstar...You were the guy who saw this Industry move away from Rajesh Khanna to Amitabh Bachchan...Yet you were there in it all, right there in the middle of it all..

With your Greek God handsome looks, you could romance and swwon the women off their feet like no other actors could, with your 6feet+ broad shouldered frame, you could kick ass like no other actors could, with your naughty and mischievous eyes you could make the world laugh with your comic timing, With the sincerity in your eyes, you could portray the self righteousness and angst like no body could..Yet sir, when it comes to Romance , Action or super stardom, your name doenst get taken in the same breath as the 1st 2 superstars of this Industry, Rajesh khanna and Amitabh Bachchan  ...and that sir is the misfortune of the Hindi Film Industry......

You never got to sing the most iconic songs, you worked with the 2nd ring actresses of the time, you got to play a respectable and very commanding 2nd fiddle to Mr Bachchan in most movies and inspite of that sir, you created such a huge and massive impact on this Industry

There never has been and never will be, an Actor more dashing and handsome than you in the Hindi Film screen...God has stopped making Handosme actors like you anymore....You were the man who media wante to Pip as the next superstar because they were miffed with Bachcan at that time.....Its unfortunate that for media, producers, directors and even audiences, you were like the necessary and most important ingredient of a meal....but not the meal itself

Here is to Bollywoods most underrated actor, most undersrated star and the closest any one came to Rajesh khanna and AB as the 3rs superstar....To the most Handsome actor in the whole world....#Vinod khanna.......RIP

Ranbir Kapoor : Time to play the Superstar

From my FB post : 22nd July 2017

The problem with Ranbirs Movies

Shared a song below , from "yeh jawaani  deewani"..These are the kind of movies and songs Ranbir Kapoor needs to do... I have not seen Jagga Jasoos, and have to admit don't have the courage and time to sit through the supposed confusion and ordeal, that many of my movie going brethren have expressed about the movie

We have to hand it to Ranbir for being bold and gutsy to keep pushing the envelope and challenging the "safety net" that has been defined over ages for a "Star actor"....Ranbir has been challenging and thrashing this stereotype for the longest known time and his choice of roles, scripts and directors have been really courageous.....Playing Rocket Singh at the start of the career needs lot of balls...

However Ranbir Kapoor needs to realise that legacies take ages to go....Unfortunately for Ranbir the legacy is writ large over his face, his Destiny....He has "Superstar: written all over him....So When ever audiences, moviemakers, producers want to be part of a Ranbir Kapoor movie, the legacy already makes them believe that its a superstar movie....And Superstar movies need to have the element of Masala, song and dance..

Look at the biggest Hit of his career ; Jawani deewani....He danced like a God whether with Madhuri or the song shared here, There as great foot tapping music in the movie and of course he played his part well...which was fun and serious at the Same time without getting too poignant

The problem has been that Kapoor has been playing the poignant, melancholic, sad and constantly frustrated from inner struggle character , too often...No problem in that if you happen to be a smaller star/ actor ....But When you are an A lister bollywood Super star, who charges a hefty remuneration, then the economics involved are big scale stuff...

I am sure had some other actor played those roles, the movies would have had better outcomes economically.....

And let's face it, Ranbir Kapoor looks great when he dances, has great songs, swoons women of their feet using his "raw innocence, maturity, and irresistible charm"...I haven't even seen him doing proper action movies inspite of having a great bod....

Kapoor Sahaab....Wake up and smell the coffee .......You are a big commercial star, who needs to play by the rules at times.....Else the economics won't work out..I am sure you wouldn't want to work in Movies that have a total budget of 3 cr...that wouldn't even cover 10 days of your shooting cost......Get real....Use your strengths, you dance like a God , you can emote like no bodys business, kick some ass in Movies, swoon and charm women, win them with your brooding eyes, and make some money for the poor filmmakers

Keep experimenting as well but playing a melancholic , confused in life, always internal struggling character can't be the solution to experimentation....The world needs Super heroes who can manage their life, the country and the world....Weak characters who are taking too long to figure out their issue in life, don't inspire movie watchers for long........

I need a mature and powerful Hero.....not a confused nannysitter who keeps crying in the arms of the lover who kicked his bum long back.....

Anrakali from Aarah :Swara bhaskar is sincere but the character is too rural for her

From my FB Post dated 30th July 2017

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156367015202004&id=682637003


Watched the movie "Anaarkali from Aarah"...

Positives
It takes immense guts to make a film like this. Set against the backdrop of modern day Rural Bihar, the film tries to portray the life of the thousands of singers/ dancers who have graced numerous of stage shows, marriages in the hinterlands of the state. These girls, who dressed in the most raunchy, colorful dresses dancing to songs filled to the brim with such a strong sexual innenundo, and gyrating their pelvis muscles to intensity that would have muscled Elvis Presley out of retirement, had he attempted to dance in a raunchy wedding in our Bihar..

And mind you, its not considered to be a cheap entertainment, infact till some years back, these dances were part of even stage shows where some really powerful men of the state would be patrons..all in the name of "Promoting Bihar folklore"..
The film touches upon a very important quetsion, are these women so easily available for people just because they are dancer and singers...They dance and entertain to run families...Much like the dnace bar culture of Mumbai, a lot of these women are married with families to run..Being in the entertainment business they are subject to much more of lecherous glare. But does that make them easy targets ? And when a woman fights back. How her life is made hell,and how she redeems herself forms the backdrop of the movie...

Performances
Pankaj tripathi, to me is the star highlight of the movie.He has a small but very relevant role in the movie. Tripathi just nails the role with his effortless portrayal as Rangeela who runs the dance troop.....He is the icing on this movie...He has managed to capture the folklore like nobodys business..

Sanjay mishra , in probably the 1st big negative role of his life as Vice Chacellor has done full justice to his part and his immense talent

Ishtiyaak khan, was one surprise package of the film..for people scratching their head to figure out this guy, he has played the quentessential bihari boy in many movies...last seen in jolly LLB Part 2...He has got a fine role and displays his range and versatility as an actor...

Swara bhaskar:  she is one of the actresses whose strengths are somewhat coming in the way of her playing the roles that she does...I have great respect for Swara and her craft as an actor, she puts her heart and soul into every character that she portrays, however Swara Bhaskar has "Classy, intelligence" stamped and ingrained all over her....and that comes across even when she plays a role like Anaarkali....I am not sure who in the current bollywood heroines could have played this part flawlessly...but none could have been more honest than swara...Her sincerity shows, but she needs to do something about her onscreen personsa of being "so damn classy"...
 She was great in her emoting and sincerity but to me she didnt crack the character intrinsically

PS; written from mobile so pardon some typos

Govinda : The Entertainer of the 90s

From my Facebook Post dated 9th Aug 2017

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156403305462004&id=682637003



As i was driving back, the FM was on in the Car and like it usually happens if you are a movie buff, whenever a song plays from the times gone by, one suddenly feels a surge of memories, emotions associated with the time when you hear or watch that piece of music or movies...The radio was playing the song from "Hero No 1".Govinda

The name that every avid movie goer in the   90s remembers with fondness...Govinda, the man who had it all but yet didnt quite get it all...If ever there will be a Golden list conpiled of the actors in Hindi cinema who were blessed with comic timing, Govindas name would be deeply ingrained in that...There would be very few actors in Indian cinema who could better Govinda in  pure comic timing...I can think of the late mahmood, Sanjeev kumar and Kadar khan.....
Also if there were ever a list to be made of the best dancers in Hindi cinema, Govinda would again figure right at the top of the list...

An actor with brilliant comic timing, and extra ordinary sense of dance...This is the thing thats different about Govinda....When other dancer actors dance, Like Hrithik roshan or tiger Shroff, the dance looks so much more professional and like a real tough job to do....But when Govinda dances, its all heart and less of technique..one cant take their eyes of Govindas bountiful frame, when he gyrates his ample body with the grace of a slithering snake and mouth wide open ready to laugh out the loudest laugh........

Mid 90s was also a period when me and many of my friends, were transitioning an important phase in life...From school to college, moving from teens to 20s....thats a tricky time to be in life stage....when one is in their 20s, then Higher studies and jobs ensure that your primal worries remain only about survival....But its that delicate phase when one is moving from teens to 20s, is when things can go awry.....
Luckily for us we had Govinda and his movies to transition us through that phase...

Salman Khan wasn't quite the star that he is today...Aamir was as usual selective..shahrukh was overdoing his lover boy Rahul image with Kuch Kuch Hota hai, dil to paagal hai , mohabattein..movies that made one shed litres of glycerine and tears in the halls....Akshay Kumar was struggling to find his act together....

Those were the days when Govinda was ACtually a much bigger commercial success with the very successful template of movie making with David Dhawan....Thank you Govinda for helping me and many of my friends help make that smooth and simple transition to Early 20s...those were the days of Single screens and you were the man of the hour then....
Hero No 1, Coolie No 1, shola aur shabnam, Anari, bade miyan chotey miyan, Haseena maan jaayegi Jodi No 1, some of your  all time rib ticking movies....

I still cant get your character of Chacha ji in haseena maan jaayegi, out of my mind.....Thanks for giving us those songs and those movies  and more than anything else thanks for making 90s so cool with your work..........

Movie :DoDooni Chaar : Simplicity at its best

From my FB Post : 22nd Aug 2017

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156446854907004&id=682637003

Was watching Do Dooni Char on TV...This is one of this movies that one doesn't get bored of watching over and over again..A movie which has lot of heart and soul in it. A Movie that touches a cord with almost everyone and connects with people at a level. Story about a Happy go lucky middle class family who are struggling with great hope...Rishi kapoor, probably in one of the top performances of his very long career..
Duggal sir of Do Dooni Chaar, has to be one of the top most endearing, lovable and cuddlable characters ever in Hindi cinema..Duggal sir, has typical Delhi Punjabi middle class stamped all over it and in what a way !!! The white sports shoes below the trousers, the half sweater below the Coat, the scooter, the characterisation, Rishi Kapoor just nails it with his effortless charm, sincerity, nuanced maturity and depth ,to pull off a character like this

The thing thats endearing about the movie is that it in no way, makes the existential struggle look like a draconian and morbid task, how typically.movies portray subjects related to middle class and living in right budgets....This movie celebrates "living within your means" and yet to try and strike that delicate balance between "means and desires, between "wants and neccessities", between "living for the moment and planning for the future".....Truly typical of how life is and should be........always treading the middle path.....

#dodoonichaar #Rishikapoor

Irrfan Khan : The Only time i didnt like him

This blog post is reproduced from my FB post written on 7th Oct 2017. This is perhaps the only time i didnt find Irrfan to be the amazing actor i  have known him to be

 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156594922267004&id=682637003



#IrrfanKhan

Its almost like a blasphemy in bollywood circles to write what I am about to, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do..

I have been a big Irrfan khan admirer and fan for as long as I can remember...Infact i very vividly remember having spotted this man, way back in the TV serial "Banegi Apni Baat"..The man with big, round , super expressive eyes, a sublime, subtle and gentle intensity...Very assertive but not at all aggressive set of eyes....Eyes that can probe ones soul with their non challanted glare, raw emotions and naked sincerity...And this has been the strength, that Irrfan khan has been playing to....Keeping the characters as real and authentic as possible...His dialogue deliveries follow a different journey....straight from heart and mind to  the audience ears, somewhat skipping the editing board of melodramatisation of scripting and dialogue writing.... He has been the Harbinger of the parallel cinema wave for too long and now with an international acclaim as well..

However as all good things must come to an end, so did my crazy belief in Irrfans abilities....

The movie Hindi medium just exposed too many chinks in Irrfan khans otherwise superpowrful armour...that movie completely left me heartbroken and dejected.....irrfan khans serious limitations as a versatile actor come to the fore with glaring clarity...There was no way in hell he got the characterisation correct.....There was nothing Chandni Chowk about him..

And when i did a retrospective check , I realised that yes, Irrfan khan actually has been different versions of Irrfan khan in all the movies that he has played.....But not the characteer.......

Thr characterisation that have an element of Irrfans personality are the ones that are most memorable.....like Lunchbox.....that movie , no Indian actor could have come even 10% close to what Irrfan did.....becuse that role required a certain sensitivity, a certain emotional nuance, an intensity thats mild and sincere and eyes that can pierce your soul......This is the genre that Irrfan Khan is at his best and no Indian actor can come close to him..But when you move away from that and into uncharted territory of different and unexplored characters, Irrfan khans limitations as an actor are accentuated........

#Kaultimes

Baaghi 2 : FInding the Genre

#Baghi2
Was finally able to watch a full on Action Masala movie after a long time. Tiger shroff comes of age in this action packed, thriller. I think he needs to master this template for atleast a couple of movies and he will be the next big thing in bollywood. The boy surely has the right attitude and discipline to do that for sure

Baghi2 is an out and out Tiger shroff flick, where,  he single handedly takes the action of Hindi films to an altogether new level, and the best thing,he looks bloody damn convincing in doinf that. He dances like a dream, His stunts are superlative, he has a physique like steel, has a decent voice, and most importantly has eyes that don't lie

The story is gripping from the word go....The screenplay is taut except in a few places and keeps one hooked on. Disha Patani just about manages her role, in playing a damsel in distress who reaches out to her ex boyfriend to help in the biggest trial of her life. The suspense running through out the film,keeps the audience hooked with some moments of weak screenplay giving in a major part of the suspense, for an involved audience. If you are a movie buff, wudnt take much time for you yo figure out the suspense

All said and done, the action sequences,even though a bit drag,end up looking so damn good, all thanks to  Tiger shroff,who iss much improved. The tough guy act seems to go down well with him, his stunts are jaw dropping,his chiselled physique speaks volume of his grit and sincerity, That sincerity reflects in his eyes and comes about in the performance, even with limited emoting capability...Clearly the lad has evolved big time.. the film has an ensemble star cast and is ably supported by The Great Manoj Bajpai, who plays a small but impactful role, The inimitable Randeep Hooda, whp clearly brings cheers to the audience with his whacky one liners..
Deepak dobriyal and Prateek babbar , have done a reasonable job... Prateek Babbar seen in a negative avtar, is a mean and menacing man..

All in all, Baghi 2, is a great masala entertainer with great action and lots of sincerity thrown in

Movie Review :Fanney Khan :A story of hope in times of despair

Movie Review : Fanney Khan 

Attempting to write a movie review after a Long time. A draining work week leaves one with barely enough time and energy to enjoy the few indulgence on weekend, a hard drink and Amazon primes extensive movie collection, which seems to be becoming my stress buster for the last few weeks 

I watched Fanney Khan during one such weekends. The story of a struggling factory worker, Prashant Sharma, who is also a small time musician, who ends up singing in the local mumbai chawl orchestras.Such is his passion for singing, that he names his only daughter after the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. He worships Rafi Sahab and wants to make it big as a singer. Eventually as it happens with most of us, passion is replaced with responsibility, dreams are replaced with just sleep, creativity is replaced with job, praises and accolades are replaced with Salaries, this is what precisely happens to Prashant Sharma. In the quest to survive, he forgets to live and forgets about every thing else except his dream 

There is a dialogue in the movie ,That dreams either get shattered or achieved. However for the protagonist, the dreams changed. Instead of dreaming for himself, he dreams for his daughter to become a famous singer. This forms the basic plot of the movie and how the father sets about to do anything possible to make sure that his daughter gets that one elusive opportunity that can let her shine. Opportunity, the big difference between the "Great" and the " Strugglers" and it's try across so many spheres of life, at work , school,jobs

Anil Kapoor as Fanney Khan will tug at your heart strings with an easy going earnesty that will melt it away sooner or later. The beauty about the movie is that inspite of all challenges and Strugglers, Fanney Khan is all about Hope. Th film is all about keeping your dream and chasing it with happiness and Hope and not angst. Anil Kapoors character is real, relatable, endearing and yet heroic. He is a loser who wants to win only for his daughter. Kapoor charms us with a sincerity and honesty that only he can evoke in a character...His eyes are gleaming and they convey the struggle and joys of the character Prashant Sharma 

Aishwarya rai as the iconic singer Baby singh is quite good. Finally Aishwarya rai seems to be pretty relaxed in front of the camera..I don't think she still makes the cut as a good actor but she foe sure looks much relaxed and that's the 1st step to Being seen as a good actor

Rajkumar Rao shines as the innconect friend of Anil Kapoor and provides the comic relief with his impeccable sense of light and subtle humour 

Divya Dutta is good as usual. She does a Fair job of the role

The new girl who plays Kapoor daughter deserves a special mention

Overall a quite movie with a great message,Live life and keep dreaming.....

"Dreams can come true even in dreams,you don't need to be awake " 

Anil Kapoors best work and we wonder why he wasted his talent trying to just work for his kitchen

Pavan Malhotra

Image Credits: Wikepedia IPTC PhotMetadata, Creator Picasa 3.0

I am sure most people can relate to this very familiar face. We have seen this actor many times in different roles, but very few manage to remember the name of this very dependable character actor, the very talented & a veteran actor, Pavan Malhotra

My earliest memories of Pavan Malhotra are from the Serial Nukkad, where he plays a memorable character. Not Many would know that Pavans very early film as Lead was Bagh Bahadur, where he potrays difficulty of rural life in Bengal. He also acted in the cult movie, Saleem Langde pey mat ro

Malhotra shot to fame when he did the role of Tiger Menon in Anurag Kashyaps Black Friday, He is known for his role in Milkha Singh, Akshay Kumars Rustom, Don, Bang Bang, Shahid-Kareena starrer Jab we Met, Anil Kapoors Mubarakan many more

He had also featured in an ICICI Bank commercial

Trained in Theater, Malhotra holds the screen with this dynamic presence. Rugged Punjabi good looks backed with a ferocious intensity make him apt for roles as diverse as an angry villain to his brilliant comic timing in films like Judwa2 & Mubarakan
Actors like Pavan Malhotra, don't believe in hogging limelight. They prefer to work on their craft, deliver the job & move on

Movie Review: Setters

https://www.bollywoodlatestforu.com/2019/05/setters-movie-box-offic

Hidden in obscurity on Zee5 Cinemas is this beautiful Gem of a movie called Setters. It took me about 15 - 20 minutes of Casual surfing on Zee5 Cinemas to finally get to this movie. The trailer was impressive & I decided to treat myself to a weekend watch of this movie

The Plot
This movie is based on the Big Nexus of Paper Leaking racket that spreads across the country for examinations like Banking, Railways, Engineering. The Kingpin of this Nexus is Varanasi based Henchman, Bhaiya Jee (Pawan Malhotra) & his trusted aide, Shreyas Talpade. Its a very well oiled network including a perfect last mile delivery mechanism for ensuring the papers are leaked to the students just 2 hours before the exams. Shreyas uses his trusted team of people to do this job for him including Photographers to create fake IDs, Coaching institute owners to get the vulnerable candidates who will pay the big money to buy papers, a trained craftsmen to fool the biometric & create fake admit cards

There is pressure on administration to cut this menace to size & enters SP Aditya Singh, Aftab shivdasani to put an end to this mafia. To make matters worse, there is also a personal history between Aftab & Shreyas, both of whom belong to Varanasi & were good friends at one point who were preparing for the State Civil exams & also had a common love interest. In a Twiste of fate, Aftab shivadasani walks away with the girl & the coveted State Police Top job, whereas Shreyas moves fast on the other side of the law. Hence begins a Cat & Mouse chase between Aftab & Shreyas. There are some very slick & smart sequences in the film where Shreays seems to get the better of Aftab on most occasions
The plot of the film is pacy, with some interesting twists & turns

Cast

The film boasts of an eclectic star cast who have some interesting roles

Pawn Malhotra plays the Tough Don Bhaijee, who controls the Paper Leaking Mafia. Malhotra plays the role of his lifetime & does ample justice to his abundant talent with a meaty power backed role'

Aftab Shivadasani, is back after a big hiatus. He delivers a fine performance  with great screen presence & a very restrained & controlled performance

Shreya Talpade, has the Author backed role in the movie & the key protagonist. One wonders why Talpade doesn't get enough roles to showcase his variety

Clearly, Pawan Malhitra & Shreyas Talpade not getting & doing meaningful roles in Hindi Cinema is a loss to Bollywood more than anything else

Jameel Khan, Vijay Raaz & Rishi Manu, do an exemplary job in their limited role & hold the audience attention well to their respective parts

A very well made movie but lack of marketing & promotions, made this little gem lying in obscurity lose its due. Do watch on Zee5 Cinemas

#moviereview @zee5cinemas #Shreyas #Aftab #Setters

The Lost Stars # Mac Mohan

Mac Mohan,born on 24th April 1938,  as Mohan Makijani, is one of the most popular faces of Hindi Cinema. Playing a strong support to the Villian in many movies, Mac Mohan came to be recognised as the "Stars" among Henchmen of the Big Bad villians. Audiences would swear by his allegiance to the "Bad Guy" & wonder, if the Hero only had as able a support as Mac Mohan, how better things could have been for him

Born as Mohan Makijani, in the Pre Indepence Karachi,in the year , in a family of a an Indian serving in the British Army. Macmohans family soon moved to Lucknow- It is here that he completed his formal education. Not many people know, that the Veteran actor Sunil Dutt & Macmohan went to the same college. Mac Mohan also happens to be Actress Raveena Tandons Maternal uncle

Macmohan had come to Mumbai to become a cricketer, however Fate had other plans. He learned acting at the Filmaya School of Acting in Mumbai. He started his Filmi Career with Director Chetan Anand & debuted in his film Haqeeqat in 1964. The Dharmendra starrer went on win the National award. Mac mohan continued to play small roles in movies. One of the turning points in his Career came with Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, released in 1975. This movie not only further established Amitabh Bachchan as the Next Big Thing, but also gave Bollywood, its most remembered Dacoit Character of Gabbar Singh, played to ruthless perfection by the Late Amjad khan

Macmohan was supposed to have a significant role in the movie & was counting on this movie to establish his mettle as a star. However post editing, a lot of Macmohans role was chopped. This did not go do down too well with the actor, & its said, that he did nott even go to see the movie trials. In one of the Incidents mentioned in an Interview, Mac Mohan says that, One day while taking his father for shopping, a lot of people recognised him & surrounded him & his father, pestering them with snides & jibes. MacMohan could realise that these were in connection to the potrayal of his role as Sambha the Dacoit, who plays Gabbar singhs, key henchman. Macmohan decided to watch the movie & realised that although the screen length of his role was too small, but he made a big impact with this role

Helped by the fact that Sholay went on to become the most iconic cinema of Hindi Films, Sambha, as a character, soared in popularity, with many people enacting the famous scene in their daily lives. MacMohan continued to play the henchman in many movies thereafter. He also worked in Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Haryanvi & many other Laguage movies. MacMohan is the only actor, whose real name has been used as his screen name in many movies, as many of his characters have been called Mac

His last appearence was in Zoya Akhtars, 2007 Release, Luck By Chance, where he plays himself as MacMohan. He died of Lung Cancer on 10th May 2010. A gentleman to the core, very well read & a fine human being, is how all his colleagues remember him

Rest In Peace, Sambha !!!

Moviereview #Tamasha

Just watched "Tamasha" on TV.... had been planning to watch this movie for some time now...The movie did not turn out to be a big commercial hit, but had heard great reviews about it

This movie deals with a subject, which I feel very strongly about, but not been able to do much about it anyways. And that subject is about finding ones self, about finding one's true calling in life, about being able to identify that one thing, at which we can excel at, that one thing for which we have a natural propensity towards, our natural skill set. The movie very deftly deals with that issue in a sensitivity and maturity, that has never been seen before in Hindi cinema..In my limited understanding of Indian cinema, I can't Recall even one single movie that deals with this very sensitive and most important life issue.

We spend our entire lives doing things in a programmed and robotic manner without ever even getting to realise, what we are good at, and to think, that not even one movie that deals with this subject..

Imitiaz Ali and Ranbir Kapoor team up to create magic on screen with this amazing script and storyline....To my mind, Tamasha, is Ranbir Kapoors best work till date. The way he portrays the complexities and pent up feelings and frustration of somebody whose soul seems to be trapped in drudgery and routine and mundane rigamorales of life. A story teller and a filmi keeda, who is forced to follow the pattern, Engineering,Management and then a corporate job, how his pent up feelings erupt like mini volcanoes during various un comfortable but routine interactions, makes one cringe

Some of the scenes of the movie are simply outstanding for cinematic brilliance and sheer skills of the director and the actor..
Ranbirs  scene with his parents, in which he narrtates them the story of his life, is one of the most heart melting scenes of the movie. You can't help but not feel helpless for Ranbir...

Another scene between Ranbir Kapoor and Piyush Mishra, is so damn intense, it will make you, sigh for sure. Piyush Mishra, as the old story teller, does a great job in his very short but impactful role.

The scene between Ranbir and his boss, Vivek mushran, where Ranbir loses his mind, is a great narrative for exploring the fragileness of our minds, and how years of pent up desires and ambitions, can create havoc on our minds

Ranbir, had delivered the performance of a lifetime..A very unusual subject,These are the kind of subjects, that generally dont find much resonance with audiences, as "finding one's true calling" is never really a top agenda for most people....With this context, being able to handle such complex subject and bringing out the pathos, complexes, pangs of sadness of unfulfilled desires, the void of not being able to do justice to ones calibre, all of that has been captured and portrayed to perfection, without philosophiisng the subject

Great effort by Ranbir and Imitiaz...Hats off...Deepika  did great justice to her part and very much prove why she commands her current position, but Tamasha, is all the way, Ranbir Kapoors, magnum opus.....Super Impressed

#MoviereviewTamasha #VKMoviereviews #Tamashamoviereview #VKReviews

Movie Review#Jolly LLB Part 2

Watched #JollyLLB2 yesterday. Well it has been the most anticipated release Of the year, being sequel to one of the better movies made on courtroom dramas and stories of chasing justice..JollyLLB 1 also happened to be a big surprise hit of the year and it won Saurabh shukla, the national award for the film.

And being sequel to a very well made movie, creates a default comparison with the previous version. For me Jolly LLB 2 is a very fine movie as a standalone cinema, but unfortunately being a sequel, leads to unavoidable comparisons..I can count only one Sequel, which to me, bettered its prequel in content, screenplay and performance.and that sequel was, "Lage  Raho MunnaBhai"...Most of the sequels, have unfortunately stuck to the same template...There is a big difference here...One can use similar star cast, same names, same actors, similar concept  but the screenplay concept and it's template needs to be online with the new story that one is portraying...Dabang, ABCD, VAASTAV, all the sequels followed a similar template and hence dished out movies weaker in content value

JOLLYLLB2, for me, lacks in performances and characterisation...The biggest dissatisfaction for me, was a pure disconnect in the Lucknow settings..There was very limited or poor context of Lucknawi language or dialect in the movie..Akshay Kumar, plays a Kanpur born Lawyer and he seemed to do a very poor job of getting under the skin of a character..I guess that's what happens, when directors want to cash in on star values of a big star, at times it ends up being a slight compromise on the real essence of the character or the story......

Annu Kapoor......has an author backed role...a strong prominent role, which does some justice to his immense talent..He fires up the screen for sure, however, once again, one doesnst see the Lucknow touch...I was wondering, why did they have to base the story in Lucknow, when there was no context of the Eastern UP Region , that could be built....

Saurabh Shukla, is the obvious scene stealer in the movie, thanks to some cracker dialogues and his lazy charm on the screen..It was obvious that one would expect shukla to be big in the film, considering, that he had packed the biggest punch in part 1..However, Shukla does get repetitive,and there seems to be extra attention on shukla, for comic relief...Especially the scene  showing him preparing for a dance for his daughters wedding....That to my mind, showed the director , straying away from the plot and ensuring To cash in on Shuklas comic talent and dialogues delivery...This and other scenes, while do provide a great comic relief, but do take away from the gravity of the subject and look as forced humour, akin to movie of 1950s and 1960s, when popular comedians like Mahmood , asrani, would have parallel scenes and tracks, completely unrelated to the story....

Huma Qureshi, is wasted and doesn't even do good justice to her role.....

Overall, the movie is quite entertaining, but weak on message, unlike part 1, which had a strong message...Even the closing arguments of both the lawyers in part 2, pale in comparison to the ones in part 1..I still remember, having goose bumps, after Arshad warsis closure speech......."Footpath soney ke liye nahi hotey, par footpath Gaadi chalaane ke liye bhi nahi hotey "..

My final verdict  .Great entertainment, value for money, average story, great screenplay, cracker dialogues, strong effort by Annu and Shukla.......but extremely poor characteristaion.....and hence performances look average despite great efforts..Weak on message

#moviereviewjollyLLB2 #Saurabhshukla #Annukapoor #AkshayKumar #KumudMishra