Pippa

Pippa is an action drama historical war directed by raj menon.

The performances are good. Ishaan khattar, priyanshu painyuli, mrunal thakur are the three main leads and all three of them are diligent in their work. The rest of the cast is good.

One of the strongest qualities of the film is its cinematography and action sequences. The action sequences are very well choreographed and shot. They give a sense of high technical understanding of such scenes. The cinematography comprises many different landscapes. The camerawoman priya seth captures the war-torn lands of bangladesh in a very raw sense.

The screenplay is very engaging and tautly written. The events are very charismatic but not the characters. The characters are not well established to make us feel empathy. The film has a serious buildup problem. The buildup to the actuon scenes are not proper and hence you will feel distracted between the long drawn sequences. The music and sound design is pretty average, not something you resonate with AR rahman. 'Kara oi louho kopat' has been experimented very casually, very needless. I also don't like how the film tries to show bangladeshis as victims only and not fierce individuals and revolutionaries.

It was better than I expected. Honestly, the trailer did not do much for me and I was going to skip this one. I still gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised.

Now I'll be first to admit, I do not know a whole lot about the war of 71 except for few key things. Pippa and its role in war was unknown to me. I was glad that they didn't make this movie about a Tank although it's an important character just like the lamp is for Aladdin or the book is in Jumanji.

The good:

• Ishan worked for me as an actor for the most part. He did have few misses here and there but for the most part it was great.

• Imaamulhaq who played Shibli was the favorite part of the movie. That actor I have never seen before but won me over. He understood the assignment and had the time of his life on the set.

• That one take, people who will watch will know. It was beautiful but it was prematurely cut.

• I liked how the story was written. The screenplay was okay at best. The rift between the two brothers was good drama. The brotherhood in army. Mrunal Thakur's semi arc. Etc. It wasn't cringefest.

• The background score and sound design was great too. Not as great as Uri. Uri had the best score and sound design of any Indian war movies but this one was good too.

• The movie is shot very well. Some great Bangladeshi landscapes looked great on screen and a few scenes were extremely memorable.

The average:

• All the battle sequences except one gun fight. The tank battles which are the essence of this movie were very underwhelming. They weren't as bad as Border or LOC Kargil. But come on. We have better technology and equipment to shoot a gripping tank battle don't we?

• The final battle I don't know historically much about. But I doubt it was so small scale. And even if it was, it felt like I was watching some old 80s bollywood climax fight sequence. It was okay at best.

The bad:

• Editing was the worst and the bane of this movie. Whoever edited this had no idea how to stitch two scenes properly. Some cuts and transitions were just jarring.

• Songs were forgettable. None of them are worth visiting again. AR Rahman what are you doing?

• VFX was below average. Given the small budget I get it but please use squibs for close ups at least or have real fire on tanks. That shouldn't be a problem I suppose. Or hire the guys behind Tumbad. That movie had small budget but did such great job.

• The opening shot. I won't spoil it. But its supposed to be such an impactful, last nail in the coffin kind of event. But it was so poorly executed and acted that I almost turned off the movie.

• Some of the supporting cast, such as the lady who played Indira Gandhi, did not work for me. Soni Razdan who I like usually like did not give her best. The deserter and the guy playing Pak army chief were terrible and took me out of the film.

Guys in the end, my low expectations did wonders. I didn't hate it as much as many others and I also did not think it's like a 5 or 1 star movie. It's an above average film that deserves a 7. Worse movies have better scores than this one has.

This movie deserved to be released in theatres. Every actor did their job perfectly. Cinematic experience was very good. Makers succeed in showing us the raw visuals. This movies is 10 times better than so called movies like Pathaan and Jawaan. This movie should have earned well. Ishaan impresses in his acting. Should have a special mention of Priyanshu Penyuli. He acted very well. Music is also very good. When there is AR Rahman, you cannot coplain. Mrunal Thakur felt little shaggy in her acting. She was not flawless. Actor who played Sam Manekshaw impressed in his short run. That's all. Overall its a must watch.

I think budget of the movie is limited to production of movie are very average.in writing movie lack the depth.u will feel that story is in hurry and leader role should be goven to priyanshu Painyuli rather than overacting ki dukaan Ishan khattar.whenever Priyanshu aka Ram Mehta come at screen he will let u feel that serious war movie is going on but when Ishaan khattar use to come on screen he literally destroyed the whole movie by his overacting. Mrinal thakur is okish in yhis movie bcz she don't have much to do, but whenever Ram Mehta and Soni Razdan come to screen then u will feel the movie n top notch acting.i think this movie is written in hurry without deep work,with less production cost at many places u willfeel like some kindy of fauji serial is running of the screen. They can do far far better than this.so i will give it 5 /10 ⭐

"Pippa," stands out as a refreshingly understated entry in a genre typically known for its boisterous patriotism, especially within Bollywood. The film, anchored on the life story of Balram Singh Mehta, delves into the crucial role of the amphibious battle tank-aptly named 'Pippa' (a Punjabi word for a tin can that floats)-in the pivotal battles of 1971. Unlike many of its counterparts, "Pippa" eschews the usual jingoism, opting instead for a more nuanced approach to storytelling.

The narrative, admittedly slow to ignite, eventually finds its footing, drawing the audience into the thick of the action. Ishaan Khatter, portraying the main protagonist Balram Singh Mehta, delivers a remarkably measured performance, striking a balance between intensity and restraint. His portrayal underscores the character's evolution through the tribulations of war, a journey of maturation and transformation that is both compelling and convincing.

Supporting performances add depth to the narrative, with Mrunal Thakur and Soni Razdan offering strong turns as Mehta's sister and mother, respectively. Priyanshu Painyuli, initially rigid in his role as Balram's strict brother Ram, eventually finds his groove, contributing to the film's emotional depth.

Visually, "Pippa" impresses with some stunning tank sequences, showcasing a commendable level of technical prowess. The film's real auditory triumph, however, lies in its music and background score by the legendary A. R. Rahman, whose compositions elevate the film's mood and energy, keeping the "josh" (spirit) high.

A notable surprise is the performance of Kamal Sadanah, who steps into the shoes of the legendary Sam Manekshaw with a finesse that belies his time away from the spotlight. His portrayal adds a layer of authenticity and gravitas to the film.

However, "Pippa" is not without its imperfections. The script shows signs of looseness, particularly in the initial segments, and the VFX, crucial for a war movie, occasionally falls short of expectations, detracting from the film's overall impact.

In conclusion, while "Pippa" may have benefited from a grander release on the big screen, it remains a worthy watch. It tells a story that needed to be told, doing so with a subtlety and sensitivity that sets it apart from typical Bollywood war dramas. Its few flaws aside, "Pippa" is a commendable effort that contributes meaningfully to the Indian war film genre.