Yes, Emraan Hashmi is back in his ‘serial kisser avatar’ in Kunal Deshmukh’s Raja Natwarlal. This time Emraan is blessed with both: his serial kissing traits and his power packed spontaneous performance. The movie created a lot of buzz pre and post release, as it casts Pakistani ‘drama queen’ and movie star, Humaima Malick, opposite Emraan. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x21ou0p_raja-natwarlal-official-trailer-emraan-hashmi-humaima-malik_people[/embed] Although, Humaima made her début in the Pakistani film industry with ‘Bol’, back in 2011, in Bollywood this is her first release. There were a lot of expectations for the movie to be a success for everyone, including Emraan, Humaima, Kunal and Kay Kay Menon. So, what happened to the movie? Let’s explore that thought. Raja Natwarlal is a typical revenge saga of a con-man, Raja Natwarlal, (Emraan Hashmi) fighting for the cold-blooded murder of his partner cum caretaker, Raghav (Deepak Tijori). Raja stands up against all odds to take vengeance from Vardha Yadav (Kay Kay Menon) with the help of a retired con artist, Yogi (Paresh Rawal). Raja leaves his love toy, Ziya (Humaima Malick) – a bar dancer, back in India and flies to Cape Town (Raghav’s empire) with Yogi to con Raghav. What happens next is a typical Bollywood caricature. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Emraan Hashmi. Photo: Publicity[/caption] Kunal and Emraan, together, gave some great hits in the past, including Jannat and Jannat 2, but this time despite being 100% dedicated to the show; they couldn’t save the movie from getting lost somewhere in translation. There was no grip in the plot; blame it on the writing, editing or whatever – Raja Natwarlal sinked at the box office. Performance wise, it is a decent affair. Emraan gives a 100% to both his images; as a revenge seeker he was believable and livid, and as a serial kisser he is back in form. And Humaima Malick does not restrict herself in any scene. In fact, she looks gorgeous throughout the film and shows no signs of shyness. She cannot be called cheap or vulgar under any circumstances for this character. She managed to look naturally sensuous. However, she deserved a much better character than just ‘acting as a support’ sort of part. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Humaima Malick. Photo: Publicity[/caption] Deepak Tijori is back on the silver screen, after a hiatus, in a brief role. He performs decently and gives exactly what was expected from him. Kay Kay Menon and Paresh Rawal were the usual: detailed, faultless and a treat to watch in some scenes. All the main characters in Raja Natwarlal are experienced and cannot be questioned on their performance potentials. The only new bird in the flock was Humaima Malick, and even she bagged (unofficially) three movie-deals as a result of this performance. One is with Vidhu Vinod Chopra (starring Sharman Joshi opposite her) and the other with Shaan, titled ‘Mission Allahuakbar’, which is about to hit Pakistani cinema theatres in 2014. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Photo: Publicity[/caption] In totality, Raja Natwarlal has nothing novel or interesting to offer; a list of talented actors is wasted. I would rate it two out of five and I am being generous.

When you think of movies under the Sanjay Leela Bhansali banner, you think of epic romances, of the colours blue, grey, and black, of love and passion, and women dancing in the most extravagant of lehngas. But the last thing you would expect from a Bhansali movie is a story about a young girl trying her luck in the patriarchal field of sports. This is why the movie Mary Kom was pleasantly surprising. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/101509532[/embed] But Mary Kom coming from a big production house is not why I liked it. I liked it because of the following reasons: 1) It is a biopic. This kind of cinema is really inspirational and it gives the masses something to watch other than the mainstream Bollywood love stories, family drama and masala. 2) The protagonist is a female and this just goes to show that Indian movies have come a long way and have matured in terms of gender equality and giving a voice to the female population. 3) Despite it being an Indian movie, it’s not completely ‘Indian’. They have not tried to ‘Indianise’ the movie and have done justice to the local language, culture and mannerisms of the people of Manipur. Although Manipur is a part of India, it is very different from mainstream India which we always come across in movies. All the actors seem to be of Manipuri origin, except for Priyanka Chopra of course, and this makes the story seem original and believable. They have also highlighted the discrimination the people of Manipur face at the hands of Central Indians. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Mary Kom official Facebook page[/caption] 4) Priyanka Chopra. I don’t think this movie would’ve created such an impact without Priyanka’s award worthy acting. Though at first I was a bit sceptical because she signifies beauty and glamour, whereas the real Mary Kom is simple and athletic, but the filmmakers did a great job with Priyanka’s costumes and make up. They also made her skin look like that of the people of Manipuri. But apart from her appearance, Priyanka became Mary Kom in a way that nobody probably expected her to be. Her performance was very powerful and any young girl striving to achieve her dreams would be able to relate to her. Perhaps the best thing about Mary Kom is that it narrates not only the story of MC Mary Kom, the boxer, but also gives us an idea of the thousands of girls living in male-dominated societies that are too conservative and too rigid to let them follow their dreams. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mary Kom. Photo: Mary Kom official Facebook page[/caption] While watching the movie, I thought of Maria Toorpakai from Waziristan, Pakistan, who had to disguise herself as a boy just so that she could play the sport she loved. After winning competitions, she received threats and so had to practice in her room but continued to pursue her ambition without giving up in the face of adversity. There are an innumerable amount of girls who do not get to do what they love just because their family, culture, society and religion say it’s not ‘appropriate’. This makes you think, because of backwardness, of how much talent Pakistan has lost? Our youth has a lot of potential but it is being wasted because we don’t have proper channels to nurture it, groom the talent and allow it to grow. Instead we suffocate it and keep it buried in our backyard and, in the case of girls, in our kitchens. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Mary Kom official Facebook page[/caption] Even though Mary Kom didn’t do so well at the box office, I am glad that Bollywood made this movie and hopefully, one day, Pakistan will also make movies about inspiring people like Maria Toorpakai and others who struggled but made it, with no help from their country or society. Maybe such a movie won’t be allowed to screen in Pakistan, the same way Mary Kom has not been allowed to screen in Manipur, but when has banning something ever stopped people from seeing it? People will watch it, nonetheless, and it might help in fixing certain distorted, unfair perspectives. This film will help people open up their minds a little, and make them understand the importance of coming out of their shell of bigotry and valuing talent irrespective of gender.

Jutt and Bond was where most of us first saw Fawad Afzal Khan. He was a skinny, lanky, clean shaven guy with bangs. Soon after, we were surprised to see him as the lead singer of Entity Paradigm (EP), a Pakistani nu metal band, with his husky, soulful voice and that pained musician look. That was when we, the female population of Pakistan, said to one another,

“Hey, this guy’s not bad looking.”

“Woah”

“Hayeee”

“Khoobsurat is sweet, benign, and bland.”

“He didn't do real kissing because he is Pakistani.”

Set in the near-future where an agricultural crisis has brought the world to its knees, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a widower who lives on a farm with his two kids, daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and son Tom (Timothée Chalamet), and his father-in-law, Donald (John Lithgow). Though a farmer by default due to a “blight” that has affected the food supply on Earth, Cooper was once a pilot, an engineer and an explorer – a past life he often dreams about. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Interstellar Official Facebook Page[/caption] While Tom is more than satisfied being a farmer and is encouraged to become one by an education system that no longer prioritises anything but agriculture on the syllabus, Murph is a dreamer with a scientific mind and wishes she could go into her father’s previous line of work. When a chance discovery leads Murph and Cooper to a makeshift, secret NASA lair, Cooper is enlisted in a mission to find habitable planets outside of this galaxy, reachable through a newly discovered wormhole. The film then jumps between the crew’s journey to new lands and the experiences of those left behind on Earth. Christopher Nolan likes simultaneous worlds, existing at the same time, jumping back and forth between them, keeping the audience hooked on the crescendo of action until he pulls it in to a satisfying climax. These consecutive worlds are painstakingly put together, their fabric infinitely detailed and extremely clear, at times mirroring each other, at times apposite, with Nolan defining the black, the white and the grey between them. This definition can come at a cost and sometimes, like in The Dark Knight Rises, the cost is the passage of time, specifically when we are forced to watch Gotham City live out an unrealistic state of criminality through superfluous images of destitution while Batman rebuilds his strength in prison. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/108990817[/embed] In Interstellar the same applies but here, time is almost an antagonist in its own right – it is what keeps us riveted between the two worlds – and it is in fact the human element, the characterisation of those specifically on Earth, that lets the film down a little. People on Earth die, they make choices, they discover truths but the effect of these scenes is lost because the focus of the film is overstretched – and understandably so – by the exploration of space. Of course, the juxtaposition of the two worlds is crucial to propelling the story forward but there are scenes and themes that take place in space that could certainly have been fine-tuned, allowing for more screen-time to focus on the subsidiary but pivotal characters back on Earth. And this rings true for other elements in the script as well, which do not seem completely thought through and lack nuance. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Interstellar Official Facebook Page[/caption] While in order to portray a dystopian world at the brink of self-destruction, the story needs characters that no longer believe there’s utility in looking beyond Earth’s means, which are content with just surviving. There is a tendency to over-exaggerate the sheer extent of these people’s idiocy and single-mindedness which leads us to dangerous ground where, for example, the education system itself challenges the idea that the Space Age ever took place. And then, at the other extreme, we have adventurers who suggest love might be an evolutionary marker and scientists who lie to their children and let a world die because of their entrenched beliefs. Even the subsidiary divides within societal groupings come across as lacking nuance which might be overlooked if the film weren’t challenging our suspension of disbelief in so many other ways. Because we are faced with such an outlandish storyline, we should at least be given a grounded cast of characters to hold on to. What is interesting in all of this overly simplified characterisation is the trajectory of Cooper – a man who, at the start of the film, would selfishly pursue his own dreams knowing full well he may never see his children alive again, to someone who puts all his faith in the love he has for his daughter. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Interstellar Official Facebook Page[/caption] We are dragged along with this, the heart of the film willingly right to its final exposition and through all the twists and turns of the plot, some worthwhile and others superfluous, we believe in the bond between Cooper and Murph; without this, the film may just be a sprawling, awe-inspiringly beautiful yet pointless juggernaut. In spite of all its flaws, there is ambition and beauty in this film that has never been seen before and that is incredibly inspirational. While there is a sense of frustration with the script and dialogue, there is also a sense of wonderment at the scale of it all. That in turn is additionally frustrating because the film’s potential is so palpable. We begin to wonder, perhaps if Batman had not taken up so much of Nolan’s time, he would have been able to really perfect this film with his brother and co-screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, as he had with Inception, which is similar in scale and concept to the film. But then he had a decade for that one, which is time that Nolan, as one of the most in-demand directors today, just does not have to spare. We wonder these things not because we are comparing Interstellar with other films, or even other event movies, no. We are comparing it with Nolan’s exceptional filmography to date and in that respect Nolan with all his talent, genius and ambition is his own worst enemy. Interstellar is one of those films that may need to be watched twice and not because some parts hold complicated quantum science (the factual physics is surprisingly not horrendously hard to follow; in fact it is a little too over explained in parts) or, like in other Nolan films, you might want to make sure you’ve caught all the beautifully chosen intricate details. It’s because once you know the trajectory of the film and have learned that some elements of its plot and dialogue don’t live up to impossibly high expectations, you can just let the brilliantly acted film wash over you and watch it for the sheer awe-inspiring levels of imagery and physical effort that have gone into it. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo: Interstellar Official Facebook Page[/caption] And so, regardless of mixed critical reviews (relative to his other films), Interstellar is going to be a big hit, because of the Nolan fans who will have geeked out, soaked in and read up on every last bit of the outrageous amount of detail, physical set building and effort that has gone into allowing this film to live and breathe as the creation of one of the most intelligently detail-minded writer/directors of our time. That farm that you see standing in front of a cornfield? Well that farm was built from the ground up, architecturally sound and bar plumbing, works like a proper homestead. That corn? Well, that’s 500 acres of corn that the production planted and let grow over the course of six months, in Canada no less. Why? Because Nolan found the perfect geographical spot with mountains in the background and vast amounts of space and in spite of uncooperative weather, wanted the homestead there. There’s no denying that there is a sense of awe and wonderment in the feats that the production has achieved and this may translate into some Academy Awards for the production in the same way it did for Gravity last year, though there certainly won’t be any for the excruciatingly loud sound design. The detail is endless as are the spoilers, so I’ll stop there. Go watch this film, you have to see it on the big screen, you can’t not, but before you do, if you are a Nolan fan, lower your expectations and make sure you watch all the behind-the-scenes footage after the fact. I certainly intend to. I’ll give it a 4/5.

Fury is a quintessential war movie that yet again reminds us of what horrors men are capable of when they wage war. It portrays and reveals the story of a lonely tank squad from the US army’s 66^th armoured regiment, the second armoured division during the finishing days of the Second World War, and how they struggle to survive and endure in the face of un-seemingly terrible odds, behind enemy lines, in Nazi Germany. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/105395676[/embed] Starring in the lead role, as the central protagonist, is Brad Pitt who dons the character of a US sergeant Don ‘War Daddy’ Collier. He is a battle-hardened veteran who has experienced the ravages of war first hand, from the vast expanse of the North African desert to Europe. Other actors in the tank squad include Shia LaBeouf as a gunner named Boyd Swan, Michael Peña as the tank’s driver Trini Garcia, Jon Bernthal as the tank’s arsenal loader Grady Travis and lastly, Logan Lerman as a rookie novice named Norman Ellison. Apart from that, Fury has David Ayer at the helm as the director who has acclaimed movies like End of the Watch and Street Kings to his credit. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The M4A3E8 Sherman tank pertinently nicknamed ‘Fury’, which is also intentionally the title of the movie, is as much of a character as any other living, breathing actor in the motion picture. It doesn’t feel like a regular run-of-the-mill war machine or an inanimate object, but rather a fortress which protects the crew when need be and is their peripatetic home away from home, where they find solace, relief and comfort among the savage and callous circumstances that they find themselves in. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: Fury Facebook page[/caption] Fury is as much a war movie as it is a period drama that can hold its own; the overall aesthetics coupled with the look and feel exudes attention to detail and authenticity. The epic tank battles, in proportion and scale, are shot without using over the top CGI. The director chose to utilise the traditional film stock for shooting the movie instead of the digital REDs or the Panavision movie cameras for a more realistic, raw and grittier feel that complements the subject matter of the movie. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: Fury Facebook page[/caption] Perhaps the action highlight of the movie is when the crew members of Fury try to ward off the much dreaded Panzer VI (Tiger-I) tank, which is several times larger in size than the Fury tank. This goose-bump causing, adrenaline filled encounter will leave many with a taste of what it was like to be inside these unforgiving metal contraptions called tanks and being aggressively pursued by relentless enemies like the Nazi Germans. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] In terms of the acting prowess, the entire ensemble cast delivers a concrete performance but Brad Pitt goes one step beyond. The depth of his acting skills is fully realised in his portrayal as the devil-may-care, war-torn Sergeant Don ‘War Daddy’. At times, Pitt’s portrayal in this movie is oddly reminiscent of his previously performed role of Lt Aldo Raine in the movie Inglorious Basterds but never does it get to a point where it may seem that it is emulated in its entirety. In summation, Fury is a visceral experience, it delivers upon the grand action sequences it promises but it is not devoid of a heart either. As oppose to just showing typical, macho, alpha males seamlessly laying the wrath and killing their enemies with cut-throat ease. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Moreover, speaking specifically of the World War II genre led movies, Fury has the grandeur of Saving Private Ryan, the emotional gravity and trauma of The Pianist and at times the humour of Inglorious Basterds. All in all, in the war period movie category, Fury can stand tall aside such classics as Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now.  However, Hollywood has done World War II period drama/action movies to death now and no matter which story arch, which setting (Europe, Japan, Asia) they try to recreate, it has been done countless times before. It inhibits a fresh experience, Hollywood needs to move on from the World War II and needs to explore different alternatives in their war story telling. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: Fury Facebook page[/caption] Furthermore, here is some food for thought; Hollywood only churns out movies that always demonstrate the American forces not as invaders but rather as liberators. They show these knights in shining armours, who help people from suffering at the hands of totalitarian and dictatorial regimes. Although, a part of it may be true, it is not always that black and white, there’s a lot of grey area in between but unfortunately, as a whole, Fury too exhibits that over the top ‘Americanised heroism’ propaganda-esque rhetoric. Except for this one instance in the film (Spoiler Alert!), where the last surviving crew of the Fury, Norman, is captured by a German Waffen SS troop. Rather than turning him in to his superiors, the German lets him go. This is perhaps, the only occasion, where it is exhibited that the enemy too has a heart. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] To truly understand World War II in its entirety, holistically and also from the German perspective, one ought to watch movies that are neutral and not biased to either the American side or the German. German made movies like Das-Boot (1981) and the Tom Cruise starring movie Valkyrie (2008) will shed a light on the Second World War from the other side of the coin, an alternative perspective if you will, to truly grasp the nuances and complexity of the events that unfolded in the Second World War. Whatever said and done, Fury is still worth a watch.

Kill Dil was amongst the most anticipated movies of 2014, due to numerous reasons like Ali Zafar’s first hardcore masala entertainment, Govinda’s villainous re-entry and Ranveer Singh’s flamboyant character. So, what does Yash Raj’s banner offer this time to its audience? Let’s explore! [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/106483114[/embed] Kill Dil is about two orphans – Dev (Ranveer) and Tutu (Ali), who get noticed by a local hoodlum, Bhaiyya Jee (Govinda) while crossing a ‘kachre ka dabba’. Bhaiyya takes them in and provides the orphans with shelter. As they grow up, he nurtures them to be his special and most trustworthy assassins. Everything is mundane when until one fine day, Disha (Parineeti Chopra) bumps into Dev and they fall in love. Eventually Dev wants to leave his gang life behind but Bhaiyya doesn’t approve and resultantly, doesn’t allow him to do so. What happens next is what Kill Dil is all about. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: Kill Dil Facebook Page[/caption] In terms of performance, the entire movie rests on the shoulders of two actors - Govinda and Ali. The former looks intimidating with his powerful dialogue delivery and adept expressions. Keep a look out for him in “Bol Beliya” and the first scene after the interval; he nails his role with utmost ease and conviction. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27yrja_bol-beliya-song-kill-dil-govinda-parineeti-chopra-ranveer-singh-ali-zafar_music[/embed] This is one of the most prominent roles Ali has played; his screen presence is very strong. The scene where he carries Ranveer to the hospital is the highlight of his role. As usual, there is nothing extraordinary to Ranveer’s role. We have seen him doing the same roles time and time again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="435"] Photo: Kill Dil Facebook Page[/caption] Parineeti for me, unfortunately, was an eyesore throughout; she definitely needs to work on herself. Also, her selection of roles has become monotonous and even... boring. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Kill Dil Facebook Page[/caption] In my opinion, the only saving grace for this was its music. Gulzar penned down some true masterpieces and Shankar-Ehsan-Loy (the trio) proved once again why they are the maestros of lively music. They understood the kind of emotion the music represented and made it shine bright through all their music. Nakhriley, Bol Beliya, Baawra and Sajde are tracks that you would definitely consider listening to more than once. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x290rqd_nakhriley-song-kill-dil-ranveer-singh-ali-zafar-parineeti-chopra-govinda_music[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28fivy_sajde-exclusive-video-song-kill-dil-ft-arijit-singh-ranveer-singh-parineeti-chopra-hd-1080p_music[/embed] On the whole, however, the movie failed to impress its audience and is nothing close to anything that the Yash Raj banner is normally known for. Director Shaad Ali could not live up to the standard and lacked the ability to carry the film through properly. There are quite a few loopholes in the plot and the script was just not gripping enough. In my opinion, the production would have been a lot better had the cast and crew focused on the key elements of a typical Yash Raj movie. Due to its humdrum storyline and the average performance of most of its actors, I couldn’t give this film more than a 2 out of 5.

Nightcrawler follows one man’s quest to claw his way up the career ladder, from a life of petty crime to the world of ‘nightcrawling’, a blood sport where stringers capture footage of graphic crime scenes, their motto – “if it bleeds, it leads” – to sell on to news channels. It is in this insalubrious world, bolstered by the media’s thirst for ratings, Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) excels, scheming his way to success. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x226qwh_jake-gyllenhaal-bill-paxton-rene-russo-in-nightcrawler-teaser-trailer_people[/embed] Positioned from the start in an unorthodox situation with this anti-hero, it is precisely because we are seeing the story unfold from Bloom’s eyes that we can suspend disbelief and root for him. While there are some timing issues with the inevitability of Bloom’s life spiralling out of control paired with non-apparent repercussions, Director and Writer, Dan Gilroy could argue that this reflects the state of today’s media that has few broadcasting restrictions and this is satire after all. This might not forgive the combination of a borderline homicidal sociopath with the unsatisfying lack of payoff for the audience, but it is a minor indiscretion for this otherwise tightly wound script with a topical yet non-preachy moral message at its core. Yet something’s not on point with Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Bloom, which can come across as a grotesque pastiche of previous roles, with limited nuance, odd for an actor lauded for portraying complex characters. Eyes wide throughout the film, he is sadistic, verging on possessed and while this can be dismissed as his personality, it does not give the audience a sense of unpredictability. The ambitious loner, an autodidact revered as ruthless mentor, should be an enigma, but we know everything about Bloom from the start and that is a shame. We take similar issue in supporting characters, Rick (Riz Ahmed) the sidekick hired to navigate the LA streets at high speed and Nina (Rene Russo) the producer with her career on the line. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="538"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] But there are some brilliant looks in Nightcrawler, well thought-out moments that ease the tension and give the film the pacing crucial to a horror thriller like this one. These flashes of genius remind us of the pool of talent here, suggesting that while the performances are good, the best has not been brought out of this talented cast. A lack of cohesion throughout limits the build-up and leads to a feeling of incredulity that might not have been a pitfall perhaps for a more experienced director. But there’s so much more to Nightcrawler than this slight failing and Gilroy shows great promise in this his directorial debut. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Both a sardonic indictment of news media’s thirst for ratings and a chilling satire of the lengths some go to for the American dream, there are no holds barred in this original take down of not only a largely unregulated media but also the public’s obsession with increasingly graphic imagery. As we listen to Bloom mentor his assistant, Rick, and recite the mantras of the business world he has painstakingly studied online, we are shown a mirror of the dog-eat-dog world that does in fact exist in our own and the hyper reality of a capitalism that lauds persistence, ambition and going above and beyond for the ultimate goal – financial and social standing. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Bloom’s relationship with his boss Nina provides a further and delicious lampoon of ‘office politics’ and ‘sleeping your way to the top,’ reminding us once again that this extreme character is not all that far away from perceived normalcy. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Overall, Nightcrawler is that rare revelation of independent cinema that has an original concept, a killer script and a buzz-worthy cast. It topped the US Box Office in its opening weekend and deserves to do well internationally, even though it faces tough competition. I’ll give it a 4/5.

Saif Ali Khan’s re-entry was a success back in the early 2000s. The hero who had fallen flat in the 90s was seen in a completely new light in movies like Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, Dil Chahta Hai, Hum Tum, Salam Namaste, Kal Ho Na Ho, Race and Love Aaj Kal etcetera. And in movies like Omkara and the likes, he overshadowed anyone else who may have been in the film with him.  Unfortunately, nowadays I feel Saif Ali Khan’s performance is a bleak reminder of the hero he was in the 90s – none of the movies he is doing have any nostalgic value or cinematic value nor have they brought in good business; examples being Humshakals and Bullet Raja. On the contrary, Govinda, who was seen in a negative role in Kill Dil recently, has re-launched himself with a bang, with critics applauding his work. This time, in the movie Happy Ending, Govinda is all set to play for the front-row audience. After all, he’s the king of comedy. Let’s see if they both, Govinda and Saif, got their share of brownies this time! [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27lxrt_happy-ending-2014-hindi-movie-official-trailer-%E1%B4%B4%E1%B4%B0_shortfilms#from=embediframe[/embed] Happy Ending is based on the life of a writer called Yudi (Saif Ali Khan), who published his last book five and a half years ago which turned out to be a major hit. Unfortunately, after that, he couldn’t publish any book and making ends meet became a task. His stardom, as a writer, starts to fade away and then enters a new romantic author in the limelight of the literary world called Aanchal (Ileana D’Cruz). Aanchal gets everything that Yudi once had as an upcoming writer. Soon after, Armaan (Govinda) comes into Yudi’s life. Armaan is the superstar of Bollywood and wants Yudi to write a fresh script (copy of multiple Hollywood blockbusters) for him. Having no other choice, Yudi accepts his offer and starts to alter his lifestyle and terms. The rest of the movie is the journey of how Yudi, as a writer and a person, learns how to end some things and start new things. Performances wise, Saif stands tall and delivers a dependable performance. One can easily recall the comfort he had in the movies Cocktail and Love Aaj Kal. Govinda, as always, is hilarious and owns every scene he is featured in. Nachcho Saaray G Phaar Kay is a song of the film that provided the perfect entertainment to the audience and credit for that goes solely to Govinda. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that if given a good script and the opportunity of outdoing himself, Govinda can still be in the race of the most entertaining actors in the industry. Kalki Koechlin is a revelation, she looks adorable, highly irritating and fits her role perfectly. Ileana is okay too; in fact, she is improving as an actress and is able to handle serious roles quite well. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28elez_g-phaad-ke-official-full-song-video-happy-ending-govinda-saif-ali-khan-ileana_music[/embed] Ranvir Shorey, who plays Saif’s best friend, delivered some good performance. Some of his scenes are truly amazing, especially, (spoiler alert) the scene where his wife tells him that she’s pregnant. There are some surprise packages in the movie like appearances by Kareena Kapoor and Preity Zinta. Preity has an extended role and she looks good but the fact that she is ageing is pretty obvious. The dialogues are fresh, some of which require reading between the lines, but they go along with the mood of the movie. Content wise, Happy Ending will make you feel ‘happy’ at the ‘end’ of the movie. It’s an entertaining romantic comedy with a few hummable songs. I would rate it a 3.5 out of five on the basis of decent performances, a good script, nice music and lightness of the theme. And no, it’s not based on the American TV show, Californication, which most people think it is.

American Sniper is a biopic action-drama picture directed by, the accomplished spaghetti western cowboy hero turned director, Clint Eastwood. It is inspired from the autobiography and real life memoirs of Chris Kyle  titled, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x279nbl_american-sniper-2014-official-trailer-hd-bradley-cooper-sniper-movie_shortfilms[/embed] On the celluloid format of the cinema, Bradley Copper plays the protagonist and puts himself in the shoes of the larger-than-life persona of Kyle and does full justice to his role in the process. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] To the uninitiated and those lacking insight into who Kyle was, he was considered as one of the most lethal and deadly snipers in American military history, with well over 160 confirmed kills to his credit. He was able to amass this huge tally during the duration of his four tours of duty in Iraq from 2003 to 2009 due to his excellent proficiency, dexterity and prowess with the long barrel rifle. He belonged to the elite Navy SEALs division of the United States Military. American Sniper tries to embody and exemplify Kyle’s jingoistic patriotism albeit almost to a fault. Kudos to Cooper for emulating Kyle’s character on the big screen with tactful nuance – from copying his Texan accent and mannerisms with such exactitude, to putting on 40 pounds of additional weight to look the part on screen. Having said that, Eastwood, in his pursuit to give Kyle a befitting hero’s tribute, sometimes goes a tad beyond the realm of belief. He tries to focus more on the myth that enveloped him rather than the real man – a man who was heroic and courageous but not devoid of personal shortcomings. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Digressing from that, holistically, the movie is more about the depiction of a soldier coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how he struggles to adapt to the normal life back home, away from the ravages and horrors of war in the war torn Iraq. It depicts how combat impacts a person and the emotional toll it can take on him; how, apart from the obvious physical harm inflicted, it can suck the vitality out of him. To that degree, the director has somewhat succeeded, but the heart and life of the movie remains in those tense, adrenaline-filled action sequences that have been masterfully crafted. In these instances, Eastwood comes into his own but they are few and far between. Although, in my opinion, there is a dearth of action sequences in the movie, when they do appear, they complement the gritty narrative of the movie brilliantly. It will be a delight for action enthusiasts. Among such action scenes is the pursuit of, self-proclaimed, Butcher of Fallujah and the hunt for the Mustafa (Sammy Sheik), a Syrian-born Iraqi insurgent sniper whose sniping skills challenge and rival those of Kyle’s. Although there is no clear antagonist or villain in the movie, the Iraqi sniper comes close to being Kyle’s nemesis. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The movie is not seething with violence as that aspect has been kept to a minimum, but it is a visceral experience nonetheless, with adequate but restrained blood, gore and death. The only difference is that these graphic scenes aid the overall progress of the movie story-line and are not present for the sake of an action sequence. The highpoint of the movie is set in the backdrop of a rooftop battle and an impending sandstorm in which Kyle manages to eliminate the Iraqi sniper. This particular scene, however, is not a figment of the director’s creative imagination but inspired from a real life event in which Kyle eliminated an Iraqi insurgent in Sadr City. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Sienna Miller (Taya Renae Kyle) portrays Kyle’s initial love interest and eventually becomes his wife. I don’t think her true acting potential was tapped into in this movie and is mediocre at best. She is either shown crying, worrying or being tormented by her husband’s presence in the unrestrained death trap that is Iraq. One might say that it is perfectly understandable, as logic dictates that a wife probably garners these sentiments when one’s husband is serving in such a hostile place, but the audience will notice that after seeing the quality of acting being displayed by Cooper, anything that precedes it, in terms of acting, is equivalent to being white noise. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Another overbearing feeling one will experience when watching the movie is the stark familiarity with the film The Hurt Locker. One can’t help but draw an outright parallel between these two as both are set in Iraq and portray characters from American military armed forces. However, the action drama interspersed with emotional depth of character(s) is explored more efficaciously in the latter. It is rather sad that a director of Eastwood’s calibre wasn’t able to truly elevate this movie like he did with other works like Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino or Unforgiven. With context to movies that are from the larger sniper-action genre, it fails to hold its own among films that have either a more intriguing story or action thrills. Movies like Enemy at the Gates, Shooter and Sniper fare far better in terms of delivering satisfying thrills. But then again, American Sniper tries to be more of an emotional drama coupled with little action. Unfortunately, while trying to portray this hybrid drama cum action film feature, Eastwood manages to construct a muddled affair that is neither a solid entertainer nor indulges those looking for some profound emotional gratification. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] It also does not portray how Kyle actually died in real life. Instead of dying on the battlefield, he was killed in cold blood and rather unceremoniously by a 25-year- old Marine Corps veteran Eddie Ray Routh at a shooting range in his home state of Texas.     To explain this movie in appropriate analogy, American Sniper is like a bullet projectile fired from a suppressed tactical rifle which fails to hits its mark, and we cannot see the mark, whilst also acting as a glorified eulogy for its subject, Kyle. I would rate it a 3.5 out of 5.

In Bollywood, it’s hard to find movies where the protagonist is speech-impaired; only a few movies come to mind of such sort, including Koshish, Khamoshi and Iqbal. R Balki’s Shamitabh revolves around the story of a speech-impaired boy, named Daanish, and his struggles to realise his dreams. His strong desire to become an actor takes him to Mumbai and once there, he starts his journey to become the “future king” of Bollywood. But his progress is slow and the journey is quite perilous; after all, who would sign a film with a mute actor in a lead role? [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/116146788[/embed] After seeing his struggles, the audience is then introduced to Akshara Pandey (played by Akshara Haasan), who is an assistant director, who notices the passion, zeal and volcanic expressions that Daanish has in his acting. She takes Daanish to her uncle (who is a doctor by profession) to see if there is anything that he can do to help him. The uncle reveals that there is, indeed, a certain treatment which might help him speak. But for it to work, they’ll need a voice-box, one that suits Daanish. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="311"] Photo: Shamitabh Official Facebook Page[/caption] Here begins their search for the “right voice”, until they bump into Amitabh Sinha (Amitabh Bachchan). Amitabh is a drunkard who lives in a graveyard as a tenant. They find his voice appealing and decide to ask for his help. But why would he help Daanish? Will there be a clash of egos? Will Daanish make it to the silver screen? Will the world ever get to know about Daanish’s speech-impairment? This is essentially the storyline of Shamitabh. To get the answers, you need to watch the movie. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo: Shamitabh Official Facebook Page[/caption] Mr Bachchan outdoes himself once again and gives a phenomenal performance. He excels in a role that he never had any difficulty performing; his frustrated, angry and comic scenes while he’s drunk – they truly evidence his excellence. To date, he is the best on-screen drunkard ever seen in Bollywood movies. That’s why he played the lead in the 80’s Sharaabi. In recent years, this movie is Amitabh’s most promising work, hands down. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Shamitabh Official Facebook Page[/caption] Dhanush, the Kollywood actor who plays the role of Daanish, was appreciated by the masses in his last venture Raanjhana (his Bollywood debut). In Shamitabh, he has managed to enthral our hearts once again. It’s almost impossible for new actor to get noticed in scenes where an actor like Mr Bachchan shares screen-time with them but Dhanush not only surpasses that, he also makes the audience eager to see more of him in every other act. His emotional scenes, unspoken anger and outbursts are the highlight. He is undoubtedly the next big thing in Bollywood – he just has to select the right roles. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo: Shamitabh Official Facebook Page[/caption] Akshara’s performance was average – it could have been a lot better. Her acting reminded me of a younger Aishwariya and Sareeka (her mother), but I saw very little of her own self. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Shamitabh Official Facebook Page[/caption] Shamitabh stands at par with R Balki’s last two excellent instalments Paa and Cheeni Kum. He has the talent of beautifully portraying difficult and complicated emotions with gusto. If you are an Amitabh Bachchan fan, or fell in love with Dhanush in Raanjhanaa, then Shamitabh is a must watch. But if you are looking for a dhishoom-dhamaaka, senseless comedy or a total masala flick then skip it. Shamitabh caters to a particular taste; you either love it, or hate it. Nothing in between. I would rate it an easy 3.5 out of five.

Never before have character names from a book become even more accurate in a film adaptation until now. The sky in his world is grey, the ties are grey, his surname is the epitome of Grey and Jamie Dornan’s rendering of the multimillionaire Christian Grey is sadly greyer than dull dish water. Based on the ubiquitous global phenomenon that has caused many a curiosity impaired reader of the first book to say how badly written it is and yet bizarrely proceed to read the other two books in EL James’ erotic romance trilogy, this first film, Fifty Shades of Grey follows very normal Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), a soft spoken final year college student who meets 27-year-old multimillionaire Christian Grey and falls for him almost as hard as he seemingly falls for her. [embed width="620"]https://vimeo.com/102008029[/embed] It all appears rather fairy-tale like until his ‘ism’ is revealed, as befalls all relationships, but it’s not just your regular ‘wanting to be in physical contact with the remote at all times’ weirdness, instead, we are told that his ‘tastes are very singular’ and shown a rather alarmingly well-stocked OCD BDSM red room filled with fetishist paraphernalia. Christian can only be with Anastasia if he is the dominant and she is his submissive or so he says though that never seems to be the case with her because and like every woman’s actual fantasy she is of course so special and also plays hard to get so well – she must have read The Rules – that she might just have the ability to change him. And so begins an almost Bollywood style cat and mouse chase between the unlikely couple and yet as he clings to her dupatta and tells of what has triggered his wayward desires, there is something lacking in the depiction. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Fifty Shades of Grey Facebook page[/caption] While the world of Christian is grey in tone, there is not much subtle, in between or complex about it, no grey area in this contract filled film; it is defiantly, and to its detriment at times, a black and white portrayal of a self-confessed control freak who is either over-emotionalised or ‘fifty shades of f**ed up’ because of his difficult start in life but never a flawed human being through any fault of his own or just awkward hard wiring. Yes, the book is partly to blame for the shoddy backstory and this is certainly a tamer, even more vanilla version of the book, but on top of this, Dornan does not seem to fully embrace the role of Christian, at times making us feel nervous for him – he blinks way too much – so we end up almost pitying his character instead of finding him confusing which certainly caused a few awkward giggles in the screening I went to that should not have happened. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Fifty Shades of Grey Facebook page[/caption] What is definitely confusing, however, is that Dornan is excellent as a serial killer in BBC TV drama The Fall so perhaps the nerves could be put down to the fact that he replaced Charlie Hunnam, the originally cast Grey, late in the day and didn’t have as much time to prepare for the role as Johnson did. We may never know. Well that is, until his next film which certainly will not be a small one now that this guy’s on Hollywood’s radar. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="538"] Photo: Fifty Shades of Grey Facebook page[/caption] But it is instead Johnson who, though in taking on this part has certainly taken the bigger career risk out of the two leads, has ended up triumphantly taking an at best feeble, weak willed character in the book – who has her own strange ‘ism’ in that she says 'oh my' in her head a lot – and has turned her into a witty, Bolshy and yet fragile, likeable character. Perhaps this is because the film had a female director in Sam Taylor-Johnson at its helm who may have naturally focused more on the female perspective, perhaps they had an affinity because they have the same surname or it might just be because she is a very talented actress – I don’t remember seeing her in anything else though she was in The Social Network – but Anastasia in this film is by far the main event. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: Fifty Shades of Grey Facebook page[/caption] As expected, because it's directed by the above mentioned artist, the film looks stunning and there is not much to fault in the aesthetic except that the nature of the more intimate scenes is certainly hyper-stylised to an inch of its life, hinting at an overly cautious and controlling studio overlord (Universal) which has ultimately taken away from the vulnerability of Anastasia and Christian’s connection. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] I had also expected more from the soundtrack, especially after the special adaptation of Beyonce’s Crazy In Love which accompanied the teaser trailer. https://soundcloud.com/onc4/beyonce-crazy-in-love-2014-remix-from-fifty-shades-of-grey-original-soundtrack At the end of the day however, this is not a film that can and should be criticised in the same way that other films must; Fifty Shades of Grey is a phenomenon entire of itself which can only really be compared to itself and so relative to the book, this film adaptation is definitely better. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] What's more, never before have I been to a screening – granted on Valentine’s Day – where so many young women have been giggling, sighing and snorting to such an extent and almost in conversation with each other and not found it the slightest bit annoying. It was almost as if we were all sharing a very loud and humorous secret and although the film dragged in parts and was laughable in others, it still managed to do what all the other rubbish trilogy adaptions have not been able to do before and that is laugh at itself. I give it a 2.5 out of five.

What happens when a ‘conventional chocolate boy’ opts for an unconventionally intense and complicated role, contradicting his previous comical high school performances? What makes a filmmaker choose such an actor for a main lead in his movie? How good can revenge sagas be? Well, Badlapur will answer all these questions for you. Varun Dhawan, for the very first time, is seen in a role different from his usual ‘cutesy’ avatar. His performance has been surprising, to say the least. Along with him, we come across Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who, after Kick, has managed to score another meaty role with more screen presence this time. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="499"] Photo: Badlapur film Facebook page[/caption] At the beginning of the story, Raghav (Varun) is shown as a happily married, young, successful and urban workaholic working for a marketing agency. His life flips 180 degrees when he is informed that his wife Misha (Yami Gautam) and child were killed by a bank robber Layak (Nawaz). Layak eventually gets caught but his accomplice, Harman (Vinay Pathak), manages to flee. Layak is sentenced to 20 years in prison and it is only 15 years after the incident that Raghav finds out about Harman’s escape. Overcome by rage, Raghav vows to avenge the death of his family; how he manages to do that is what Badlapur is all about. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bjm47_badlapur-hd-hindi-movie-teaser-trailer-2015-varun-dhawan-nawazuddin-siddiqui-huma-qureshi-yami-gauta_shortfilms[/embed] Performance wise, Nawaz portrays his character with panache and proves yet again that if asked to portray a powerful character, he can take on the challenge effortlessly, and that is precisely why he is one of the finest actors in the industry today. In every scene, Nawaz makes sure he stands out with dominion. Let’s just say, Badlapur would not have been the twisted rollercoaster ride it is without Nawazuddin. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="499"] Photo: Badlapur film Facebook page[/caption] Varun’s role, as a madman out for revenge, is one he has never before been seen in. His role was complicated and demanded intensity, anger, a sense of hate for almost everyone in the world, coupled with shades of being erratic behaviour and a lot more. And he managed it all beautifully! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo: Badlapur film Facebook page[/caption] After Dedh Ishqiya, Huma Qureshi manages to impress the audience once again. In her short-lived screen presence, she displays the most apt emotions and expressions – an emblem of a seasoned performer. The role of Jhimli, a young, sultry prostitute was portrayed brilliantly by Huma. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo: Badlapur film Facebook page[/caption] Vinay is, as usual, perfect, and the same goes for Divya Dutta as well. The scene in which Raghav goes for a “lunch date” with Harman and Shoba (Divya), an activist working for rehabilitation of prisoners, is a masterstroke of performances by all three performers. A special mention of Radhika Apte – who plays the role of Koko, Harman’s wife – is essential; not only did she delicately, and realistically, portray her role, despite her screen presence amounting to hardly three or four scenes, her performance stuck to the audience like glue. She is as natural as one could be. To me, she could easily be called the Tabu of the coming days, provided she is given the ‘right’ opportunities. Yami, as expected, gave an average performance. But the surprise came from Pratima Kazmi, playing the role of Layak’s mother, and Kumud Mishra, as a police officer, both of whom gave some great performances. To add on to the list of strong points, the music and songs are good in general but Jeena Jeena and Jee Karda have the potential to raise crowds. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2f1k4k[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2c3wzi_jee-karda-badlapur-exclusive-full-video-song-ft-varun-dhawan-huma-qureshi-hd-1080p_music[/embed] I would definitely recommend watching Badlapur and guarantee that the twisted revenge saga will keep you hooked throughout. Based on the performances and the overall experience, I would give it an easy 3.5 out of five.

Now You See Me: The Second Act is a 2016 American heist movie directed by Jon M Chu of the Step Up series. In this movie, the quartet known fittingly by their stage name, Four Horsemen, are on the run after pulling off a robbery in a casino in Paris.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InqU8CLwbPg These gifted Las Vegas illusionists played by actors Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Lizzy Caplan (substituting Isla Fisher from the prequel) must now expose the immoral and corrupt practices of a tech tycoon Walter Mabry played by Daniel Radcliffe. Walter is pressurising them to steal a device so powerful that it is capable of manipulating and controlling all the computers in the world and can decrypt any computer program on earth. A bit too farfetched, right? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Dave Franco.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] When talking about The Second Act, it would be best not to look for logic in the plot but rather concentrate on the magic tricks (misdirection, mostly) and the cast performances. This movie is more ambitious than its prequel in every way; every single stunt and act is grander and more spectacular, thanks to CGI effects. However, the mystery and wow element in it does not match the expectations that its prequel had generated, thus it may serve as disappointing. Don’t get me wrong! It’s there, but less in comparison. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] The movie’s pace is also much slower. It takes time to unfold, introduce new characters and set the stage for the movie’s action and magical sequences. Kudos to the acting prowess of the antagonist of the movie – Radcliffe delivers a commendable performance that is part comedic and part megalomaniacal, but fully entertaining. He does not waste his allocated screen time and makes each scene count. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Daniel Radcliffe.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] One of the movie’s subplots is that of revenge. Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) swears a vendetta against Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). But this revenge spree becomes so convoluted and overly complicated that at one point you can’t help but think that the movie would’ve been better off without this added story line. However, Freeman and Ruffalo reprised their roles splendidly as their performances are only second to none. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Morgan Freeman
Photo: IMDb[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mark Ruffalo.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] If one wishes to enjoy this particular movie, they must put logic aside. After all, when we witness a magic trick, we subconsciously know that there is some kind of deception that we haven’t yet figured out and the same principle applies here.  This movie is far from perfect and coherent in its narrative, but it is a fun diversion that you will enjoy with your friends and family. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Dave Franco.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] I would have preferred the movie without that CGI overkill. It’s too in your face. But just when you think that this is getting out of hand and entering the realms of fantasy, the director manages to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat in order to keep the audience hooked. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, and Dave Franco.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Now You See Me 2 tries to fit itself into the same category of acclaimed theft movies such as Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) and The Italian Job (2003), but ends up falling short in comparison to these cinematic masterpieces. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Watch this movie for its fun yet logic defying magical acts, the glittery casino life of Macau and well-choreographed action sequences.  [poll id="607"]

Staring down the barrel of a gun, with my life solely dependent on producing a visually breath-taking piece of cinematic art and the only option given is of one sub-continental city as a filming location, I would be in Kolkata with my frikking filming gear, before anyone could even count to teen. Home to parallel cinema, a film movement that originated in the 1950s, with the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sena and Ritwik Ghatak at its helm, Kolkata has an extremely proud celluloid history. It’s also not hard to see how these pioneers, along with the city, still hold sway with serious contemporary Indian filmmakers. You have got Sujoy Ghosh of Kahaani (2012), Shoojit Sircar of Piku (2015), Dibakar Banerjee of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) and now Ribhu Dasgupta with Te3n (2016), all having the cultural capital of India embedded as a vital character in their movies. And you know what? I wouldn’t blame any of these directors for taking liberties with the enigmatic Kolkata. Because, if settings add emotions to a visual piece then they don’t come more atmospheric than the capital of West Bengal with its elusive lanes juxtaposed with the bustling markets, and Te3n, owing in no small parts to the city, is a marvel of moody photography. [poll id="609"] A remake of 2013’s award winning Korean thriller Montage, Te3n is a gritty police procedural that splices together a disparate trio in search for clues about a kidnapping and a child murder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeBCB5ERnps With themes of loss, revenge and redemption, the visual Kolkatan treat is latest in line of grimtertainments, following Wazir (2016), Traffic (2016) and Veerappan (2016), gracing Indian cinemas this year alone. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The intense whodunnit drama kicks off with John Biswas (Amitabh Bachchan) who for the past eight years is in relentless but hopeless pursuit of justice and personal closure by persuading the authorities to find the kidnapper of his grand-daughter, Angela, who dies during a ransom handover gone awry. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vidya Balan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Biswas’s religious daily visits to the police station to meet sympathetic Inspector Sarita Sarkar (Vidya Balan) only ends in him being consoled, since with no leads in the case the police have almost given up on finding the abductor. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan.
Photo: Indian Express[/caption] But after years of resolutely pursuing in vain the trail that had apparently long gone cold, Biswas stumbles upon a clue and tries enlisting the help of a reluctant Martin Das (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), the cop originally assigned to the case. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Guilt-ridden over the botched-up investigation and the girl’s death, Das in seeking his own redemption leaves the police force and finds solace as a priest. He even makes a half-hearted attempt to help Biswas just for the heck of it, but it is only when another kid is uncannily abducted in exactly the same fashion that Father Das along with Inspector Sarita Sarkar and John Biswas set out to exorcise old ghosts and hunt down the perpetrator. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The two kidnappings are virtually identical. But is it a copycat crime or is Angela’s kidnapper back? What follows is a two-track chase to nab the criminal mastermind, with the cops chasing one set of clues, while John Biswas – despite his weary old age – is tracking down the culprit all on his own. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vidya Balan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] It was the mid-90s, the time when Mr Bachchan was living out his mid-life crisis and even though I wasn’t all that old, I distinctly remember writing him off completely, after watching the fella bumble it out in a stinker of a film called Insaniyat (1994).  Now almost 20 years down the lane, Amitabh Bachchan is a man resurrected! With some truly delightful performance in Piku and Wazir in recent times, Big B has reinvented himself and is now going from strength to strength. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] In Te3n, Bachchan is impeccable as the bereaved grandfather. He oozes the persona of a politely dogged septuagenarian who won’t let anything stop him from finding the kidnapper of his grandchild; not old age, no way an old rickety scooter, not even his constantly pestering wheelchair-bound wife. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan.
Photo: Indian Express[/caption] Nawazuddin on the other hand, was a tad underwhelming with his act as a guilt-wracked priest. But I guess it’s only since we are now so used to him sinking his teeth into complex roles like this with such élan that even a slightly below par performance has made me label it as somewhat unfulfilling. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Photo: Indian Express[/caption] Vidya with her portrayal as a no-nonsense policewoman required a bit more conviction from the accomplished actor. While a little more characterisation finesse on the script’s part would also have helped her cause. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Vidya Balan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Vidya Balan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The strength of Te3n lies in gripping and edgy plotting which deftly criss-crosses amid the past and the present and skilfully oscillates between an unsolved child abduction and a copycat crime 15 years later. All this while throwing in some very thorny dilemmas revolving around the morality of revenge is what makes the movie such an intriguing watch. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Photo: b4umedia[/caption] Desperately wanting to succeed as a human drama, Te3n transcends the gimmickry deployment of cheap thrills by a lot of its contemporaries in employing a slow and a simmering narrative rather than being pulsating and quick-paced. So don’t go expecting too many edge-of-the-seat moments. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Others might view this as a slight on their thrill sensibilities, but to me it was just another reason to let the milieu of mystifying Kolkata with its Durga immersion processions, the slowly decaying Anglo-Indian community and all the tram plus river boat rides, sink in my already delirious senses. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Te3n is not without its fair share of weaknesses though. Along with minor character development glitches and nothing-to-write-home-about dialogues, the slow-burning drama about crime, tragedy, guilt and retribution is a slight drag and could have done with some snipping right at the end. But then again let’s not nit-pick and chalk these trivial flaws off as the work of an industry trying hard to mature in line with its audience’s tastes, but yet commendably committed to a new brand of realism.  [poll id="610"]

Remember how Tony Montana cursed and swore his way into our collective hearts back in the day. I distinctly recall how being an impressionable young teen, watching Scarface (1983) was a life altering experience. Al Pacino playing a cool-ass Cuban gangster had such a profane… ooops!.. profound effect on my susceptible neurons, that I even contemplated becoming a full-time goon (just don’t tell my dad). Anyways, since the aforementioned idea was just a little far-fetched, I settled for the next cool thing by becoming a lean mean cuss machine! (Being a proud Punjabi certainly had a sway). And ever since that fateful day, yours truly is notoriously known for being the pottiest mouth in the East. Now being such a cussword aficionado, I have always found lack of profanities in mainstream Indian cinema a tad upsetting, not to mention highly unnatural too. And then just like that, along came Gangs of Wasseypur with its expletive ridden script and I was over the proverbial moon. To me personally, there is just something orgasmic about celluloid swearing, if done in one’s native tongue. So, naturally, when the uncut version of Udta Punjab, with all its swearputation preceding it, was leaked online, there was no way I was treating my ears to anything else this weekend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy9CIpYETs8 And surely, much to my delight it was a gaali-galore and then some! But what it wasn’t, was an entirely effective cinematic piece on the menace of drugs. Once you get past the shock value of hearing Punjabi swear words  on screen repeatedly, you will realise Udta Punjab does not fly as high as its western predecessors. [poll id="618"] There is an effectual way of telling tales about the horrors of substance abuse, an approach that movies like Trainspotting (1996), Traffic (2000) and Requiem for a Dream (2000) have so successfully made use of. But having said that, Udta Punjab is still a creditable fare from an industry that is constantly maturing artistically. Four parallel tracks, that of a nameless Bihari migrant farmhand (Alia Bhatt), a Punjabi rockstar Tommy Singh (Shahid Kapoor), a Sikh cop Sartaj (Diljit Dosanjh) and a doctor moonlighting as journalist, Dr Preet (Kareena Kapoor Khan) play to the backdrop of a dystopic vision of a state that was once India’s bread basket. The quartet follow a three line narco-terror narrative where we are plunged into a frenetically vicious world of rock ‘n’ roll, coke (chitta powder) snorting and  chemical cocktail injecting. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Alia Bhatt
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Udta Punjab takes flight without wasting a second… literally! Somewhere on the Indo-Pak border, we see a heroin pouch being hurled by a discus thrower across a barbed fence. The package worth a huge sum accidentally lands in Jane Doe’s feet who proceeds to steal it when greed gets the better of her. After failing at an attempt to make a fast buck by selling the cache, the peasant girl is captured by the local mafia who go on to make a druggie and sex slave out of her. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Alia Batt
Photo: Udta Punjab Facebook Official[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Alia Bhatt
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Meanwhile, Tommy Singh, an accidental rockstar known for his abuse-filled songs, and his drug-fuelled lifestyle is forced to re-evaluate his life when police in their zest to show ‘cop power’ put him behind bars for substance abuse. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Instagram[/caption] Sartaj Singh on the other hand is a corrupt cop, who is quite happy to turn a blind eye to the drug traffic, till one day it comes too close home. When his younger brother gets hospitalised due to drug overdose, it serves as an eye-opener and he decides to take action. Enter Preet, a doctor who becomes Sartaj’s ally in his battle against narco trade. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Diljit Dosanjh
Photo: Udta Punjab Facebook Official[/caption] What happens when the quadruple converge at critical points in their lives is what forms the rest of the story. Udta Punjab is not just a movie about war against drugs, against political and systemic complicity but also against one’s own self. Expletives fly thick and fast as the action shifts from one protagonist to another. After the unnerving Haider (2014), Shahid Kapoor with his toned and heavily tattooed torso, looks just about perfect for his part as the mercurial Tommy Singh aka Gabru. With all the on-stage swag and the off-stage hysterics, Shahid has nailed the role physically. However it’s what goes on inside of him that we don’t really see enough of, and where he should have done better. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Instagram[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Complementing Shahid’s character quirkiness notably is Alia with her own peculiar act as a Bihari field labourer turned junkie in a totally deglamourised and feral avatar. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Alia Bhatt
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Alia is completely out of her comfort zone in a role like this one and yet, she manages to leave a mark. There are instances when her Bihari accent falters, but the way she channels the pain and the incredible strength of a young woman stuck in a hell-hole is undeniably commendable. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Alia Bhatt
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Alia Bhatt
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Punjabi cinema’s heartthrob Diljit Dosanjh, in his first role in a Bollywood film is nuanced and carries his ambiguous morality with ease. His effortless boy-next-door charms infuse a certain earthiness to a narrative that’s trying to stick close to its Punjabi roots. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Diljit Dosanjh
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The drop in acting, sadly, was Kareena Kapoor as she gives a vanilla performance as a doctor running a rehab centre. Dr Preet, is an embodiment of righteousness and hence too perfect to be true. Even though her character was written shoddily, she should still be expected to act slightly mature in certain scenes, considering she is an industry veteran now. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kareena Kapoor
Photo: Udta Punjab Facebook Official[/caption] One of the things that Udta Punjab can truly boast off is the dialogues, replete with all the expletive-loaded lingo. The lines mostly in Punjabi are earthy and rooted in the soil, which add to the authenticity of the story and the characters that inhabit it. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The movie is filled with its fair share of flaws too. The curse of the second half strikes and with utter devastation! Whatever hooks you pre-interval (and a lot does), it completely fails to grip you in the second half as the plot turns intermittently farcical and ultimately makes a mockery of the concerns it set out to raise. It is as if a completely different director has taken over post-intermission and the film completely unravels, with its Achilles’ heel proving to be the inexplicable inclusion of forced romantic sub-plots. The cop-doc lovey dovey track as well as the tenuous bond between Tommy and the nameless Bihari chick do seem entirely out of place. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Diljit Dosanjh and Kareena Kapoor
Photo: Twitter[/caption] Also, in order to put Kareena’s star power to some use, she is turned into a sleuth, where she and her cop companion bizarrely spy around a shady factory, tracking down the bad guys. Cheesy Bollywood at its finest! Tommy Singh’s reasons for redemption and later his intent to save Alia’s character are not very convincing either. Furthermore, the director is not able to execute and balance the trippy black humour of the writing to the dark themes in the film. This is especially apparent in the climax, which is the lousiest sequence in the film and comes as a huge let down. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Kapoor
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Alia Bhatt
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Plus, the film is just too damn long. It loses steam towards the end and a little snipping during the indulgent and sluggish latter half could’ve surely saved the story. Post-interval faults aside, Udta Punjab is uncompromised cinema, something you rarely get to see from B-Town. The film does manage to take the desi audience on a flight like never before. So like drugs, let’s all join in cursing conventional archaic Bollywood: Potboilers Di Maa Di! [poll id="619"]

‘Some men just want to watch the world burn.’

“Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just …‘do’ things!” – The Joker

“Sabko kisi na kisi ko maarna hota hai. Koi dange ki aad mein apni bhadas nikalta hai to koi wardi ki aad mein to koi Syria jaa ke. Mai logo ko maarta hun kyunki mujhe maarna hai. Mujhe isi mein mazaa aata hai.” – Ramanna (We all have this innate tendency to kill, but unlike others who need an excuse and slay in the name of riots, uniform or religion, I have the courage to murder intentionally. I do it because I want to, and unashamedly without any apologetic pretext!)

“Didn’t I promise you fireworks?” Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) asked his son after crashing the alien ship in Independence Day (1996) where he fought against the aliens with Jeff Goldblum.

 “I know this isn’t a conventional love story. I know there are all sorts of reasons I shouldn’t even be saying what I am. But I love you. I do. I knew it. And I think you might even love me a little bit.” - Jojo Moyes, Me Before You

“True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.”

“Two people who shouldn’t have met, and who didn’t like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other.”

All right let’s get this straight right from the onset, Finding Dory is, by Pixar’s sky-scraping standards, an ordinary sequel. But that’s the thing with this famed animation film studio, even their average is better than most of the supposedly superior stuff done by – save for Studio Ghibli – other similar genre production counterparts. (Let’s just pretend that their Cars franchise does not exist). The latest transoceanic quest from the house of Pixar is a family comedy about, well, family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JNLwlcPBPI Finding Dory starts off with a glimpse into the childhood of everyone’s favourite forgetful Blue Tang. Now Baby Dory (Sloane Murray) because of her congenital inability to retain memories has a set of caringly protective parents (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy) who constantly try to ensure that their daughter is not held back in life because of her disability. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Disney[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: HDPictures[/caption] But then Dory ends up getting lost and due to her ‘short-term memory loss’ condition, she is unable to find her way back home. The story then flash forwards to the timeline a year after Finding Nemo (2003) when Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) starts to recover recollections of her kin and along with Marlin (Albert Brooks), and Nemo (Hayden Rolence) sets off on an adventure to reunite with them. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: moviewallpapers.com[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Rappler[/caption] Thirteen years after the prequel where we saw a comic-relief sidekick accompanying a neurotic father clownfish on a search mission to find his missing son, we now see Dory elevate into the role of the protagonist herself, trying to track down her own Blue Tang clan. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: acqua.pt[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: moviesroom.com[/caption] Assisted by a lot of favourites from the 2003 animated hit, Dory’s nautical odyssey is powerful, relatable and poignant. While there’s always a slight danger of a popular secondary character overstaying their welcome whenever they are handed the proverbial reins in a spin-off, but, to Dory’s credit the second instalment, despite not being a total heart-warmer as the original classic, still manages to tug at your heart strings. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: hitfix.com[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Yahoo[/caption] Visually, Finding Dory is an underwater eye-candy. It’s colourful, bright, and clear but there is a powerful sense of ‘been there-done that’, owing a lot to its predecessor’s novel visual palette being simulated here, that stops it from being the best that Pixar has to offer. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Pixar WIkia[/caption] Like last year’s Inside Out (2015), Wall E (2008) and The Toy Story Trilogy, the finest Pixar films effectively work on two levels simultaneously; one for kids, one for adults. Finding Dory is slanted predominantly towards children. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: SCreenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: mediabrewpub.com[/caption] The narrative is not as multi-layered as your typical Pixar offering. It resorts to videogame-inspired action sequences to drive the plot forward which in turn fails to offer a rich profound experience to your above-than-average grown-up viewer. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: moviepilot.de[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: icloudpicture.com[/caption] Another key strength of the studio is its originality which automatically and unfortunately misses out when you are working in a follow-up territory. There is always this annoying sense of mild déjà vu which holds a sequel back unless you are The Godfather: Part II (1974), The Dark Knight (2008) or Pixar’s very own Toy Story 2 (1999) and Toy Story 3 (2010). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: hdwallpapers.com[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: zonarosa.co[/caption] Ellen DeGeneres who is voicing the titular character is a major reason why the film works. Her nervous energy and infectious scepticism is one of the reasons why Dory is one of the most beloved characters in the Pixaverse. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: inverse.com[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: iamag.co[/caption] The movie failed to catch me hook, line and sinker, but whether you are reeled in this marine mission, is a question only you can answer by diving in. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: examiner.com[/caption] [poll id="638"]

You could very well yap out those stimulatingly fervent lines like Sly Stallone from any of the Rocky’s instalments. Good on ya for mastering all there is to learn about martial arts by simply watching Mr Miyagi mentor The Karate Kid (1984).  Or perhaps, you are now effectively able to roll with the heaviest of punches – thanks to Russell Crowe’s James Braddock from Cinderella Man (2005). It doesn’t frikkin matter how many classic underdog movies you have watched in your lifetime, because Sultan is unlike any other sports drama that you would ever have witnessed.

“Why?” you ask naively. I blurt out ‘Bhai!’, condescendingly!