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Paatal Lok (2020)
An Orchestra of Beautiful Violence
It's incredible to witness the enormity of reactions the web-series 'Paatal Lok" (Netherworld) has generated in recent times. The responses range from overwhelming praise to outright criticism & it has also got mired in a number of untoward controversies. This really tickled my curiosity & I gave it a complete go to figure out what the hype is all about.
It's the tale of a washed-up cop Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) from the not so happening Outer Jamna Par Police Station in New Delhi. Hathiram is neither the typical suave from the noir genre nor is he capable of using his brawn & brains to a startling effect. He is simply one of the reasonably honest & hardworking pawns in the system who has managed to simply exist. When an assassination attempt on a high profile TV journalist, Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi) gets foiled, the culprits are nabbed & Hathiram gets the opportunity of a lifetime to crack a high profile case. Together with his trusted aide Ansari (Ishwak Singh), they set out to investigate who & what is behind all this. Any good thriller puts the protagonist into a world of troubles. Here also we find in order to make the reality misty & the truth beyond reach, Hathiram gets suspended early on. The battle gets steeper for him as he wanders into the deep dark world of bureaucracy, power, corruption & societal demons. The plot addresses the grim reality of the existing evils of our land - caste discrimination, gender bias, religious intolerance, child abuse & above all a filthy & stinging circle of poverty - the perfect ingredients to make a monster out of a man.
If the setting & the realistic 'tone' are the biggest assets, then undoubtedly what follows next is a stellar performance of the cast. I simply can't remember when I have last seen such an orchestrated performance of the entire crew. Not only Jaideep & Ishwak are at their natural best, but Neeraj as the celebrity journalist, Swastika Mukherjee as the lonely wife of Neeraj & Gul Panag as Hathiram's supportive spouse also perform brilliantly. Abhishek Banerjee as Hathoda Tyagi plays the prime antagonist to perfection. His steel cold eyes & remorseless expressions are unbelievably frightening. All the four captives, Hathoda, Cheeni (Mairembam), Tope Singh (Jagjeet) & Kabir M (Asif) are equipped with impressive backstories which sheds a great deal of light on the issues the country's dealing with in contemporary times.Tyagi's back story is the most riveting & is set in the mythologically significant town of Chitrakoot; something which acts as a backdrop for the series of events to unfold. The motif of the caring of stray dogs was beautifully incorporated in the plot.
But despite all this, the plot got tainted with a bit of a flaw towards the end. I don't want to give away spoilers but after the events just outside the courtroom, the end could have been a bit expedited. There wasn't a great deal of mystery left & the rewinding of events to make the audience understand the complex plot wasn't really necessary. The narrative is rough & laden with countless expletives, the treatment is bloody & gore & we find a host of characters who are imperfect & politically incorrect to the point of not even backing off an inch from hurling racial slurs. Although it may appear brutal for the sensitive soul, it undoubtedly lends a touch of reality to it. It holds all the more true in today's age.
Overall, 'Paatal Lok' is a fast-paced engrossing thriller which combines elements of political hostility, corporate power game, bureaucratic machinery & pitiful state of those who face exploitation helplessly. It's about an India we often ignore conveniently.
P.S. I have really admired Jaideep's work from his early days. I first saw him in Kamal Hasan's Viswaroopam where he played the right-hand man of an Al-Qaeda leader played by Rahul Bose. Then came Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur where he portrayed the role of Sahid. But what caught my eye was his portrayal of the nefarious character in Vidyut Jamal's 'Commando'. His dark portrayal was completely overshadowed by Vidyut's athletic abilities. He was again very impressive as Alia Bhatt's mentor in Meghna Gulzar's "Raazi". Somehow despite achieving a reputation for himself, he wasn't able to hog the limelight but this time he has made the cut.
Boy!!! Hathiram ne Hathi jaisi chaal chali hai.
Anjaam Pathiraa (2020)
A gritty tale
I am marvelled at South's ability to churn out quality thrillers one after another. Anjaam Pathira (The Fifth Midnight) is the latest Malayalam film to be a part of this bandwagon.
The story is about a shadowy serial killer who targets Cops!!! After a string of gruesome killings, Kochi Police DCP Catherine (Unnimaya) upon the advice of ACP Anil (Jinu) ropes in criminal psychologist Anwar Hussain (Kunchako) to help them crack the case. Together they begin the hunt for the perpetrator who employs brutal and unique methods for committing the murders.
I have always believed grit is the most vital component of a thriller. The moment you lose the tempo, the story is bound to lose the edge. This is where the movie scores brilliantly. Writer Director Midhun Manuel Thomas renders a taut tale where we come across ghastly crimes, compelling scenes and sharp twists & turns at every crucial juncture. This engaging treatment which doesn't allow the tone to slack off is the movie's strongest asset. Yes there are flaws. There are certain minute details which call for an explanation (the figurine story, the burning incident hypothesis). English dialogues appeared a bit contrived. There are a few cliches which could have been avoided.
But Anjaam Pathira overall remains a riveting tale of suspense where the right elements are combined in apt proportions. There are horrific crimes, startling revelations and a good backstory. One can't help drawing a parallel to the Tamil movie Ratsasan (The Devil). While Ratsasan had a more interesting plot development, Anjaam Pathira's ending is better fleshed out.
You will love it.
A Death in the Gunj (2016)
Touches the right chords
A brilliant thematic adaptation of Tagore's "Unwanted" theme coupled with a tragic turn of fate. What enables a caterpillar to morph into a butterfly is profound tendering and patience. But what if the society around us is too harsh and abides by the principle of "Survival of the fittest" ? The infinite possibility of blossoming can often be nipped in the bud. Set in the picturesque small town of McCluskieganj of late 70s, the story depicts the tale of a young man Shyamal aka Shatu (Vikrant Massey) who's a misfit in an otherwise boisterous and well to do group. He suffers from an identity crisis, yearns for love and has no idea of what to do with life. He struggles to deal with his emotions and frequently gets sidelined by others. What happens with him in a week's stay in the small town is what the film all about.
Cinematography is simply breathtaking which gives a 70s feel and yet appears glossy and fresh. The ensemble starcast is the biggest asset combining actors of mettle - Om Puri, Tanuja, Tilottama Shome, Ranvir Shorey, Gulshan Devaiah, Jim Sarbh and Kalki Koechlin. All were literally fantastic with Massey being the icing on the cake.
This is Konkona Sensharma's debut direction and it simply acts as a corollary to the fact that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side (2020)
Dark,. Devilish and Noteworthy
Hrishikesh Mukherjee once said that the serials which he once directed were undoubtedly his best works and not the films for which he gained fame. His rationale was "For a film, I had to make number of compromises. I had to inject a song every now and then to make the work palatable to the viewers. But for the soaps, I had complete independence". In today's era when viewing has largely got transferred to the digital medium, a number of indie makers are able to showcase their creative talent in their own way. In India however, most have chosen the easy route of churning out stuff laden with sex and meaningless violence. However a few of them are using the space for some really interesting content. Oni Sen's "Asur" (Demon) is one such work. It's a psychological thriller encompassing elements of mystery, mythology, revenge and the duality of human psyche. It's a dark tale involving a serial killer who's on a killing spree and a team of Forensic Experts of CBI headed by Dhananjay Rajput (Arshad Warsi) and Nikhil Nair (Barun Sobti) are out to nab the culprit. It's a thrilling plot with genuine performances and credible plot twists which keeps the viewer hooked all throughout 8 episodes.
Arshad's performance is a gem and a nice detour from the "Circuit" mould which Bollywood makes him repeat again and again. He portrays a very serious character who has his share of guilt, anguish, remorse and perseverance. Barun Sobti plays an emotionally vulnerable yet a resilient character to near perfection. However I feel the guy should really work a bit on his voice. The insane rage required in some cases was missing in his voice. Anupriya Goenka as Naina and Riddhi as Nusrat are impressive too. Cinematography is simply breathtaking and the editing deserves a world of praise.
As far as the flaws are concerned, I would say that a good thriller should be more about "Howdunit" rather than "Whodunit". Here a couple of crimes - the industrialist's murder and the kidnapping of the trio seemed a bit too larger than life. But the flaws don't marr the effort considerably. Therefore Asur is definitely an enjoyable experience and that ending on the tenterhooks promises a sequel too.
So stay home and watch it.
#Asur
Ratsasan (2018)
In search of the Devil
What's the difference between script and screenplay? An expert may tell you that a script is the set of primary dialogues which describe the story while screenplay is the added layer with directorial inputs.
I wouldn't recommend such definitions and would rather advise you to watch this Tamil Classic "Ratsasan" (2018). Pardon me for saying this but it's a pretty ordinary story. In fact, years back I had seen a CID episode (Yes of Daya Darwaza Todo fame) with very similar plot elements. But the screenplay, the execution on screen makes the movie exemplary. The story deals with a young man, Arun (Vijay) who aspires to be a film director. He has researched extensively on serial killers and has a script ready for a serial killer movie. Unfortunately, none of the producers give him a green signal. A dejected Arun finally succumbs to all around pressure and on his brother in law's guidance, takes up a job as a Police SI. When a teenage schoolgirl gets abducted, her parents then find a mutilated doll's head in a gift box attached to their dog's collar. Arun finds a similarity with another girl who was murdered few days ago, and both of them being 15-year-old school students who were kidnapped while returning home from school. Just like the victim, the hair on the doll's forehead is uprooted, the eyes are drilled, and her mouth is damaged. Apart from that, in particular, there is a knife mark on the corpse's forehead, ears and nasion. The same marks were found in the doll's face .
Arun becomes convinced that these were the deeds of a deranged mind but his Superiors completely disregard his theories. Nevertheless the hunt begins for the psycho killer and we find a two and half hours of edge of a seat stuff.
The direction is splendid to say the least. Ram Kumar weaves a tale of brutal murders, conceited clues, a 'never say die attitude' possessing protagonist, red-herrings and a wonderful backdrop as a reason for everything that transpired. Editing and camera work deserves a special mention. There's one particular scene where the cops try to rescue a girl from the clutches of the devil. The scene begins with Arun & his team speeding down the highway whereas the girl tries to fend off the antagonist in a secluded mansion. This part is so beautifully shot that without even depicting an iota of violence or gory scenes, suspense is amped up in the minds of the viewers. It's a perfect cinematic experience.
As far as the negatives are concerned, I have to say that the villain was shown all too powerful. Consider Ammu's abduction scene where She was captured right in front of her house during her birthday party. Will any serial killer take such a risk ? Further which daring soul would attempt to stash the body in the Dickie of her Father's car who happens to be a cop?
But overall, Ratsasan is an engaging thriller for the most part with a taut storyline and compelling performances which keep us hooked till the end.
Kudos Kollywood.
Dwitiyo Purush (2020)
Dark, Bold and Tricky
Very rarely a great film receives a fitting sequel. Well, Srijit Mukherji ' s "Dwitiyo Purush" is one such rarity. An edgy script, brilliant direction and kick-ass performances of the two leads - Parambrata and Anirban make it a must watch. The film deals with a notorious criminal Khoka (Anirban) who's back from prison after serving a long sentence. During his teenage, Khoka headed a criminal gang and tormented the area of Chinatown. He committed multiple murders and each time the victims received the inscription "Khoka" on their forehead with a sharp object. After he's set free, identical murders resurface. Is Khoka again back in his own self after such a prolong period or is there someone or something else behind this is what the now Veteran Cop Abhijit (Parambrata) and his team must find out.
It's not a conventional whodunit with twists and turns every now and then but rather a linear treatment with a gradual progression almost rendering it like a mixed genre film. Thus the sub plots like the Daal Bhat Biriyani one doesn't interrupt the flow but aids in this wholesomeness. However the film is not flawless. Music could have been a bit better. I felt the Police Department should have shown a bit more alacrity especially after the second murder.
But the one thing that really stands out is the shock value. The twist is unpredictable and fleshed out to perfection. And as the saying goes "All is well that ends well", Dwitiyo Purush passes with flying colours and adds to Mukherji's tally of successful thrillers. He's no longer Bangalir Nolan. This one makes him Bangalir Fincher too.
Super 30 (2019)
A LEAP MUCH NEEDED
Within the society there has always been an invisible line which has clearly segregated the haves from the have nots. The haves relish riches, privileges and respect while the have nots are doomed forever. The society's laws, traditions and ways have always worked to maintain this order. But time and again there have been mortals who have caused a stir, raked up a storm and unsettled the rusty framework.
Vikas Bahl's latest directorial venture "Super 30" deals with one such rebel who fought successfully against the society's norms. The film is a biopic of Anand Kumar, the brilliant mathematician and educator from Patna, Bihar whose "Super 30 Programme" enabled underprivileged students to crack the IIT-JEE examinations. The film exquisitely portrays Anand's journey wherein at the very onset we get a glimpse into the inequalities which exists in the societal structure even in respect of something as noble as imparting education. Young Anand secures an admission to Cambridge but is forced to abort his dreams due to lack of money. He carries out menial jobs just to make ends meet till a chance encounter lands him in the World of "Tuition Business". He earns money and fame under an elite banner by mentoring students from rich backgrounds who pay hefty fees to secure ranks in IIT-JEE.
Then one night realization dawns on him and the genius mathematician resolves to train Ekalavyas instead of Arjunas. There begins the relentless struggle to groom, sustain and realise the dream with his band of 30 children and that's what the movie is all about.
The film retains attention throughout courtesy some smart direction and acting performances. After Queen, Vikas again proves his mettle as a deft storyteller. Editing is also top-notch. Music didn't have much to the contribute to the plot and none of the soundtracks would be remembered for long. Regarding the acting part, Aditya Srivastava (Avijit of CID fame) is really impressive as the antagonist and so is Pankaj Tripathi as a corrupt education minister.
Did I miss someone? Ahhh. There's this man - Bollywood's very own Greek God who has to sport a make up to look ordinary. He was going through a bad patch which seemed interminable but this time he has really made that giant chalang (leap) to regain his stardom. Undoubtedly Roshan Junior's stellar performance is the film's strongest asset. The character demanded a lot of make and break stuff which Hrithik delivered without going overboard. However I didn't quite like the scene where Supriya (Mrunal) walks away and Anand appears abnormally unaffected. It was quite pointless to exercise such stoicism. Moreover in the end, the group didn't have to turn into INA to combat the goons. That's where the film falls a prey to the very evil it was propagating against - Commercialization. This also explains why Hrithik Roshan got to play the titular character and not Pankaj Tripathi despite the latter's physical resemblance with Anand. Who wants to lose the prospect of gaining an entry into 100-200-300 Crore clubs?
Overall a pretty satisfying achievement.
Vinci Da (2019)
An Unusual Makeover
A unique talent requires the proper platform to prosper. But what if the opportunity is laced with sinister intentions?
Srijit Mukherji's latest film " Vinci Da" is the tale of an obsessed make up artist who values his craft more than anything. His principled approach towards work has made it difficult for him to 'adjust' to the cinema circles. Vinci Da in order to make ends meet has to stick to bridal makeups and local theatres. But that craving to showcase his skill was eating him from the inside. In walks Adi Bose with a lucrative offer and the life of the unsuspecting make up artist becomes topsy-turvy.
Mukherji pitches a taut and original psychological thriller involving two borderline characters whose lives get intertwined amidst a series of ghastly crimes. The tight linear screenplay builds pace gradually and keeps one engrossed till the very end. If the script is the film's strongest asset, then the next one is Rudranil's performance as the titular character. This clearly is his magnum opus wherein we see a display of myriad of emotions - ranging from passion to tenderness, violence to helplessness. One subject which Indian films rarely deal with is male vulnerability. This is where Rudra pulls off a realistic effort with elan. Others like Sohini as Rudra's stammering girlfriend Jaya and Anirban as the no-nonsense cop chip in well. Although a bit more of Anirban would have done more justice to the plot.
Now coming to Ritwik Chakraborty as Adi Bose, the self proclaimed Ubermensch. In a non-whodunit thriller, it is imperative for the plot to demonize the anti-hero. Although Riddhi's introduction scene provided the perfect background for the evil to blossom, unfortunately Ritwik's character fails to intimidate. At most he troubles the protagonist and the audience is aware of his crimes, but there isn't that element of fear in him. I wouldn't atleast remember Adi Bose for long.
Editing and Direction is top notch. The twist though predictable to a certain extent was impressive. Anupam Roy's "Tomar Moner Bhetor" and "Gas Balloon" gels well with the sequences.
Overall after phenomenal success of Baishey Shrabon and Chotuskone, Mukherji does full justice to his reputation as a master of thrillers with this one.
Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
How's the Film? Okay Sir.
Cinematically flawed yet a praiseworthy attempt to depict an event previously unheard in India's military history. Vicky Kaushal portrays the lead perfectly. Our films do project over emotional or chest thumping Army Officers but Vicky's character is a perfect blend of suppressed emotion coated with a sense of duty. His performance undoubtedly is the greatest asset of the film. Paresh Rawal's character which is based on the lines of NIA chief Ajit Doval keeps the story moving forward. Although I feel certain dialogues like "Surgical Strike karte hain" in a closed door meeting with the PM and other top notches or "Halke halke badhate rahiyega" could have been better conceived. The Drone selection scene where an intern makes the DRDO chief look like a fool and earn Paresh's compliment "Son you may have just won us the War" seemed to be an attempt of comic relief. But only an actor of the calibre of Paresh Rawal could have pulled it off and he did it with a natural candour.
There were other plot loopholes. The main mission was made too easy. The strikes were picturesque but the climax lacked nail biting sequences. You are in the enemy's territory furtively and wiping out a selected bunch of dreaded terrorists!!! This is where a Black Hawk Down or a Hurt Locker scores. In the end the resolute of one who decided to overstay to kill the last man standing proved that after all it's Bollywood.
Apart from Vicky and Rawal's performance, casting and cinematography deserves a thundering applause. Army thrillers tend to be multistarrers and hence there's always a pressure on the script to accommodate everyone's heroics. Uri is free from this defect and therefore the actors successfully become characters in the plot. Coming to the photogenic part, Uri is visually brilliant. The long range shots of valley, the stretches of Baramulla, the night scenes were wonderfully shot.
Overall, definitely a one time watch.
Aschhe Abar Shabor (2018)
Too many loose ends
Two young girls are raped and strangled to death in a similar fashion in Kolkata and Chandernagore which gives everyone an impression that a serial killer may be on loose. That's when the detective department's ace cop Shabor Dasgupta (Saswata) and his team (Gaurav and Subhrajit) take on the task of unraveling the truth behind the grotesque killings.
"Asche Abar Shabor" is the third installment of the Shabor franchise and this time Director Arindam Sil weaves the tale with multiple elements of lust, frustrated lovers, nymphomaniacs and a saga of betrayals. Hence we find a 20 year old spoilt Rinku Roy (Diti), daughter to rich and divorced parents and in love with a 38 year old man (Indraneil) who enjoys quite a bit of a nefarious reputation in the locality of Chandernagore. Rinku's own mother had long besieged her and her rich dad had no time to spare for her. Her step-mom hoped for her death and no one likes her closeness with a man almost double her age. It's worth mentioning though that why her lover Indraneil enjoys the tag of Lothario is never explained in the story. He owns a huge mansion, runs a ramshackle garage, lives like a recluse and is extremely hated by everyone around except Rinku. Apart from the fact that he is estranged from his newly wed-wife, there's nothing so abhorring about the suave. When Rinku was found brutally murdered, everyone from the agitated localites to the police branded him as the criminal. Sil should have formed some sort of a backdrop to support this mass-antipathy against the prime suspect.
The next murder is that of a female escort named Sophia who actually hails from Burdwan, gets raped and murdered in some desolate corner of Kolkata and then her body is being moved all the way to Chandernagore. Confusing, isn't it? To add to it, the party was thrown by a man who hailed from Chandernagore but presently lived in Lucknow (Mir Afsar Ali). During the unfolding of the mystery, it was revealed that the murder took place in a fit of rage and it was not a pre-meditated one. Then why was the body dragged all the way to Chandernagore and why were not there any bruises or injury marks in the victim's body? The dress was reasonably in tact too. During the murder of the second escort, the inconsistencies prevailed too. One of the characters who was enraged of his own own poor status was shown to ride a swanky bike and sport a fancy watch. Clearly, Mr.Sil missed out on quite a few details.
Unlike the other two Shabor movies, this one clearly lacked the X-factor that makes a thriller gripping. There were not many surprise elements and the story did not have any character who was completely unconventional unlike Anirban Bhattacharya's character in Eagoler Chokh (Eagle's Eye). The movie somehow feels to be infested with too many unnecessary add-ons. However, despite all this "Asche Abar Shabor" is not a bad attempt and definitely a one-time watch. The greatest pillar the movie holds on to is the stellar performance of the cast. Saswata as the titular character again does a complete justice to the role. The rest Indraneil, Arunima, Anindya, Mir, Gaurav chip in well. But the one actor who really stole the show was Subhrajit who played Shabor's funny sidekick Nandalal. His comic timing, expressions and idiosyncrasies will be etched forever in the audience's memory. The bungling God-fearing deputy was stunning in the scene when a girl attempted to seduce him. The bathing scene which followed in the spirit of atonement was equally funny.
The theme song of Shabor is barely noticeable but Bickram Ghosh does compensate it with "Kaise Manayun Shyam" which have been picturized well too. Saswata's preachy monologue in the concluding juncture is enough to piss one off.
Overall, Arindam SIl's latest attempt in the series is not an utterly foiled venture, it's merely the third best Shabor movie till date.
Ittefaq (2017)
A good plot, a matured handling and a brilliant Akshaye Khanna
Vikram Sethi (Siddharth), a London based writer, comes to Mumbai to launch his 3rd novel. When his wife's dead body is found in the hotel room, Vikram finds himself charged with murder. In order to evade the dread of being indicted wrongfully, he escapes. During the cat and mouse chase, his car overturns and an injured Vikram seeks refuge in a flat. The inhabitant of the apartment is a young lady named Maya (Sonakshi) and what's more her husband's dead body is discovered soon and Vikram finds himself charged with double-murder. The police nab him again but he pleads innocence in respect of both the crimes. Inspector Dev Verma (Akshaye Khanna) is put in charge of the case and he has only 3 days to crack the mysteries. Set in the backdrop of the incessant Mumbai downpour, the whodunit which seems like an apparently open and shut case gets twisted by the conflicting admissions of Vikram and Maya. The narrative is a linear one and the alternative versions of the two central characters are chipped in time and again. The Police is left to decide as to who is speaking the truth. Is there a connection between the two killings or is it merely a coincidence? The hazy surroundings, dimly lit buildings cleverly accentuate the subtlety of tensions. Debutant director Abhay Chopra handles the 1969 hit remake of the same name pretty well. There are no forced red-herrings or unwanted secondary plots but the interjections are cleverly devised. The pace is well maintained and keeps the audience on the tenterhooks till the very end. All the details do indeed converge to make the unpredictable climax believable. What's a bit of a let- down is the performance of the lead characters ; Siddharth and Sonakshi. There's this strange disease of underacting affecting Bollywood nowadays. We do find an overdose of melodrama in masala flicks and it's counter-balanced by an undercurrent of deadpan expressions in the comparatively realistic ones. Although Siddharth improvises deftly at the end, Sonakshi seems dud. The only person who stood out was the old horse Akshaye Khanna. He displayed a brilliant poise, charm and lends a lease of life midst a wary set of investigating procedures. His light- hearted comic banter with his subordinate evokes an intellectual feat of humour and not merely a comic relief. I wonder why we don't see this man facing the camera more. Overall it's quite a decent and different sort of a crime thriller sans Bollywood antiques and illogical song and dance sequences. It's more satisfying to see the venture being carried out by Red Chillies and Dharma Productions who don't actually harness the reputation of trying something different in tinsel town.
Jagga Jasoos (2017)
Neither a galti, nor a mistake
A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
Stanley Kubrick
Judging by this logic of the master filmmaker, Anurag Basu's latest venture "Jagga Jasoos" is a pristine effort in the history of Indian filmmaking. It's not easy to weave a musical piece in a Broadway like fashion for more than two and a half hours. But the team pulls it off and that too in the adventure genre. The story deals with the adventures of Jagga Bagchi, a child prodigy with a natural talent for solving mysteries. The child had an inborn stammering problem which he masquerades by singing upon the advice of his father Tuti-Footi (Saswata Chatterjee). So Jagga states what he has to say by singing. So he sings, so does Tuti-Footi and everyone else and thus begins the musical tale. Tuti-Footi admits him in a boarding school in Darjeeling and leaves on a queer mission. Jagga grows up honing his detective abilities and solidifies his reputation as an ace detective in the town while being in school. This Harry Potteresque transformation was brought out largely by VHS tapes which Tuti-Footi presented Jagga during his each birthday from different parts of the globe. The tapes contained vivid knowledge on worldly matters thus enabling Jagga in his quest of becoming a pro in the field of deduction. This molding of the Jasoos was beautifully portrayed. We saw Jagga solve two intriguing mysteries and one of them involved his chance encounter with his crush turned sidekick Shruti Sengupta (Katrina Kaif). Even the deductions were entirely depicted in rhyme. On one particular birthday the video tape present didn't came. Realizing that something was seriously amiss, Jagga sets out for a search of his father. Aided by Shruti, Jagga embarks on a journey spanning from Kolkata to Morocco. Here Anurag's able lieutenant Ravi Varman excels to the hilt. The cinematography is amazing yet simple retaining the childlike spirit of the story. Jagga turns almost like Tintin solving puzzles which have an international appeal involving issues like arms drop, terrorism, espionage and high profile blackmailing. The turn of events rendered in a comical framework was ably supported by some excellent comic timing of Saswata and Sourabh Shukla in contrasting roles. The movie emphasize the childlike aspirations of cake and chocolate drops in place of ammunition as well as the apprehension that our greed will make us extinct like the dinosaurs. Katrina doesn't have much to do apart from looking cute. Although her character's tendency of being accident prone like Tuti-Footi generates some giggles. Now coming to the strongest points of the movie, one has to admit that carrying out a form of Bengali humour in a Hindi mixed form is extremely difficult. Gang of Ghosts have failed to do justice to Bhooter Bhobisyot and that is where JJ scores big time. A story which has elements of Satyajit Ray's creations like Shundi, Tiktiki and Agapastala gets wonderfully blend with the plot. That's why Pritam deserves accolades. Apart form the main scores like "Ullu", "Galti" or "Jhumritalaia", even the routine doggerel's like "Daru Peeke" appears extremely humorous. Amitabh Bhattacharya never disappoints especially in penning funny lyrics. Lastly it's Ranbir Kapoor. He makes you laugh as well as laud being goofy and gloomy along with the twists and turns of the story. Undoubtedly the Kapoor is ruling the roost. So take a sneak peak into Jagga's surreal world. If you have a child alive inside, you will love it.
Bãhubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)
Enjoy the roller-coaster
Have you read Hamlet where the crown prince tries to avenge his father's death? Have you watched Simba extracting revenge against the wicked uncle in The Lion King? Or do you remember how Maximus unleashed his heroics in Ridley Scott's Gladiator? If you do, then just with Indian ethos of religion and emotions coupled with the well known storyline, Bahubali 2 has nothing new to offer as far as the plot is concerned. The movie is a prequel to the earlier one and it deals mostly with Mahendra Bahubali's father Amarendra, who was destined to be the emperor. Shivagami (Ramya Krishnan), the reigning queen of Mahishmati, feels that Bahubali (Prabhas) whom she raised as her own child is fit to become the ruler of the Kingdom. This causes anguish to her own son Bhalla Deva (Rana Daggubati) who conspires with his father to become the King and guile Shivagami to banish Bahubali and his wife from the royal premises. Even in exile, Bahubali selflessly continues to serve the commoners and his ever increasing fame causes discomfort to Bhalla. In a filthy conspiracy plot, he and his father entangles Shivagami and tricks her to issue a death order for Bahubali. The act was carried out at the queen's orders by the unwilling and faithful Katappa (Sathyaraj) thus answering the question which has been bothering us for quite a long time. What ensues is a pretty linear tale as to how the conspiracy gets exposed and Amarendra's son Mahendra Bahubali (also Prabhas) gets his revenge from the wicked Bhalla Deva. The plot also deals with Amarendra's love story with Devasena (Anushka Shetty) and the movie ends with scores of action sequences which could have been cut 15 minutes short. But who remembers Ben Hur or The Ten Commandments for its plot? Who thinks of Jurassic Park merely as a story? Bahubali 2 is a visual extravaganza and one must give due credit to S.S.Rajamouli and team for such an ambitious venture. If Bahubali 1 had soared high, this one had taken the ride higher. What James Cameron said about "Integration of science with motion pictures" – Bahubali 2 is India's notch in that sphere. It's the very best of CGI and VFX keeping in mind an emotional content in an Aesop based folklore style. So forget details or the finer nuances, relish the treat for the eyes.
Naam Shabana (2017)
Lost the grip somewhere
A woman enters into the dark realm of espionage after rumbling with a tragedy and a ruffled past. The movie is all about Shabana (Tapsee), a young Muslim girl endowed with a strong spirit and special knack for kickboxing. The movie is a prequel to the 2015 Neeraj Pandey directed movie "Baby". This time Neeraj has scripted the tale where the happenings occur a few years prior the mission "Baby". The movie does include a lot of the stars of the erstwhile one, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa and includes Manoj Bajpayee in a pivotal role. Tapsee who played a cameo in Baby beating up a terrorist in a Kathmandu hotel room is the central character here. Neeraj and Director Shivam Nair do a smart job in telling the story from the girl's point of view. What made a simple girl transform into a kick ass secret-agent forms the first half of the story. The problem in stating the tale from the scratch is that there are high chances that the ending may result in being improperly fleshed out. That's what has exactly happened with the film.
When the movie turns into the final mission of eliminating the prime arms dealer, the plot seemed to rush from thereon. There seemed to be too many loose ends which the story struggled to connect. Why did the agents failed to comprehend the facial similarity between Tony and Mikhail at the very beginning? Even though they missed it, why was Tony allowed to go to the loo with such casual cover? When the latter put a knife in one of the agent's belly, weren't the rest able to hear the scream? Why didn't they react immediately all together? We see a poker faced Akshay Kumar coming to Shabana's aid every now and then. Was it an international mission or a protégé training program? Why didn't Akshay himself do it? It clearly seemed at least none of the things which Tapsee did would have been impossible for him. Why was She inducted in the middle of her training program? Was there a dearth in agent pool?
Thus one finds a promising first half immersing into a boring one in the second. As far as performances are concerned, Tapsee shoulders the lead role with great elan. She emoted diverse emotions and looked extremely believable in the action scenes. With performances in Pink and now in this one, she is definitely the next big thing in B Town. Manoj Bajpayee does remind you of Special Chabbis with a little more English dialogues in his delivery. Danny, Akshay and Anupam simply reenact their "Baby" molds in pieces. The antagonist played by the Malayali star Prithviraj is extremely impressive and one wished to see more of him.
Overall it's definitely a one time watch.
Dangal (2016)
Inches away from greatness
This is the journey of a resolute father pitching his girls in the unfamiliar sporting arena dominated by men wrestling with stern opponents as well as the prevalent norms of our society. Director Nitesh Tiwari's "Dangal" is the back story of two sisters, Geeta and Babita's claim to fame in the international wrestling arena. The story starts with their Father Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former National Champion in Wrestling, who nurtures the aspiration that one day his to be born son will fulfill his unfulfilled dream. The dream of bringing gold medal for the country in an international event. But destiny had other plans and the couple were blessed with girl children for four consecutive times. Having given up on his aspirations, a twist of fate enables Mahavir to get rid of the social shackles and urges him to pursue his ambition with his two elder girls - Geeta and Babita. Thus begins the arduous journey of the Haryanvi Wrestler and his two daughters battling with society's gender stereotyping, social taboos and the administration's pathetic disposition towards sports.
Thus begins the compelling tale of the trio which keeps you engaged throughout. The script indeed was the real hero and the team of Tiwari, Piyush Gupta, Shreyans Jain and Nikhil Mehrotra did a commendable job. The crux of filming a biopic is all about selecting the interesting events and leaving out the dull bits. Here the selections are spot on. The point at which the placid man turns tyrant and wakes up the girls at the crack of the dawn along with imposing draconian measures like abstaining them from TV shows or spicy foods and even cropping their hair sets the mood of the story. Songs do play a very vital part in narrating the plot. What could have been a stressing training regime was depicted in wry rustic humour in the Haryanvi hip hop and rap "Hanikarak Bapu". Daler Mehendi's rendition of the title track as well as Dhakkad chip in perfectly. Kudos to good use of music by Pritam and soulful lyrics by Amitabha Bhattacharya. The Tughlaq like arrogance was brought out well in Aamir but the same got redeemed as well. The scene where Geeta and Babita's schoolmate explains that "atleast your Father is thinking about you" is beautifully brought out. The chemistry after a change of perspective of the girls was even more riveting.
The crisis in the script was well injected. The tussle and the mental separation between Mahavir and the young Geeta (Fatima) heightened the tension. The peak was reached during the rumble between the two and it is one of the finest scenes ever. But the plot got a bit derailed during the closing quarter of the movie. The antagonist angle appeared a bit clumsy with unnecessary exchange of words often making a mockery out of the head coach. The concluding doses of inspiration seemed way over the top. Mahavir shouting out amongst the crowd for Geeta may have got along fine in an Akhada but not definitely in a Commonwealth stadium. The National Anthem angle was unnecessarily introduced and the scene failed to create any sort of cinematic impact. The little girl shouting out "Bharat Mata ki Jai " finally reiterated the fact that it's a Bollywood movie. Was Aamir Khan trying to make it up for his "intolerance" remark? The overdose of jingoism and machismo deprived the movie from it's pristine effort of being a rare sports film in the history of world cinema. Yes you read that right, World Cinema.
Regarding the execution, a 51 year old Aamir Khan with his beefy physique and grey hair plays the stubborn Mahavir to perfection. He literally lived the role displaying great authority and austere training skills. Sakshi as Mahavir's wife gives a controlled yet strong performance. Fatima and Saniya are discoveries with tons of acting talent. Zahira Wasim as the child Geeta and Suhani Bhatnagar as the child Babita are the ones who will be etched in our memory for long.Ritwik Sahore as the girl's cousin Omkar with his deadpan looks and comic timing impresses all. The film is probably the most authentic sports film ever made in India and full credit goes to Tiwari and cinematographer Sethu Sriram for detailing finer aspects of wrestling without pissing off. To conclude Dangal loses it's hold of greatness but nevertheless is a fine movie. Do watch it.
Double Feluda (2016)
Get out of the mould
The biggest problem in making a film from a popular detective series is that the audience is already aware of the crime and the denouement of the same. Bengalis in particular hold Satyajit Ray's iconic creation Prodosh C Mitter aka Feluda in very high esteem. So every time Sandip Ray buckles up to deliver the Sleuth's tales on screen, he faces this mammoth challenge. Normally directors morph or at least twist the plot here and there to introduce a surprise element. Often there is a change in essence. In Kailashe Kelengkari Sandip himself gave us an action hero of sorts in Felu.
But in this film, he rolls out a bland treatment staying as close as possible to the text. The film is about two Feluda short stories - Samaddar er Chabi (Samaddar's key) and Golokdham Rahasya (Golokdham Mystery) respectively. Samaddar er Chabi is about a frugal old man who dies apparently without leaving a will or fortune. However the miser old man's parting words to his nephew were gibberish but indicative of a hidden meaning. Convinced of the fact that his uncle has hidden his earnings somewhere and with an aim to decipher the clue, the nephew (Bratya) seeks Felu's help. The plain and simple mystery which ensues amidst an array of musical instruments, deceit and revelation draws to a close just before the interval. There is nothing much to talk about this one apart from an impressive performance of Bratya Basu.
The second story is a lot gore. Unlike the first one which dealt with searching for a will or treasure, this one deals with theft and murder. Golokdham is a bungalow just outside the peripheral limits of Kolkata near the banks of the Ganges. Its inhabitant Nihar Dutta who was once a reputed scientist researching something grand in the Michigan University was blinded due to an explosion in the laboratory some twenty years back. He now lived in this house along with his brother, his rogue nephew, a few servants and two tenants. His unfinished research papers which were still of immense value were tried to be stolen. The evening when the detective arrived, the research papers appeared missing. The very next day, one of the tenants Mr. Dastoor is found killed. The story traverses curves and ridges before the real truth unfolds. I am not going to deal with that not because it's going to be a total spoiler but since most you must have read these stories in childhood.
Regarding the cast, Dhritiman Chatterjee as Nihar Dutta clearly steals the show. It's quite strange that this man has never performed badly in his entire career. He exudes a charisma which is distinguishable on screen quite prominently without resorting to cheap antics or mouthing lousy dialogues. That's what a real superstar is, something we have failed to understood. The rest like Bhaskar Banerjee (Nihar's brother), Gourab Chakraboty (His secretary), Biswanath (Dastoor) all chip in well. Sad to see talents like Rajesh Sharma (Sukhwani ) and Paran Bandopadhyay (Sidhu Jyatha) in such minor cameos. However the latter in a scene rebuking Felu for infrequent coming to his house clearly creates a stronghold on the audience.
Coming to the main characters, Satyajit created the titular character as a youth and his aide Topshe as a young adult. Here we see Felu as an aged man and Topshe as a youth. What's the point in bringing back the 60 year old Sabyasachi? Does that indicate a dearth of lead actors in Bengal who could have pulled this one off? Both the tales are sans Jatayu. So here we see an aged Feluda who wears a punjabi or let's his shirt loose lest his pot belly becomes further prominent. Saheb as Topshe was always a misfit and continues to be. This man should learn to pronounce Bengali properly first. Despite this, one needs to give some marks to the man who has played Felu for the maximum number of times. He tries to be natural with a candour of a sleuth who was relying even more this time on Magajastra - the grey cells of the brain.
Sandip Ray tries to be utterly simple in treatment. The camera angle, moving shots were all neat and single frame keeping up with the linear storytelling. However one gets repeatedly the feeling that what basically were two usual serial episodes were just juxtaposed on celluloid. When Ray filmed Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress ), he cut certain scenes, introduced new ones just to make the script for cinema without disrupting the fabric. This is the cinematic angle which needs to be explored while telling a well known story. Sandip seemed to be too comfortable in the safe shelter in the ambiance of creations of Manik. Even though it was an imitation of Ray's way of filming, it was nevertheless a bad imitation. Why was the marble engraving in the Golokdham entrance brand new? Mr. Dastoor's room was locked from the outside. How did he order the servant at once while entering? Sadly enough Junior Ray, your Father would have taken grater care of these details. Riding on the wheels of memory, the title card was a big bonus. Ray's sketches with exquisite colouring really makes one nostalgic. But the mini confessions during the end credits were not so gratifying. We are not watching a biopic of Ray but merely a script of his transformed on screen. Why this elevation every time? We have permanently placed him on a very high pedestal. Don't toss him up further, master his creations Babuda.
Byomkesh Pawrbo (2016)
A visual entertainer. The swashbuckling Satyanweshi.
A good thriller is not necessarily the flawless depiction of crime. Rather the events which add up to it and the events which follow make up the tale. Arindam Sil's latest directorial venture "Byomkesh Pawrbo" scores heavily on these fronts. The puritan may sneer at the attempt for making the quintessential Bengali bhodrolok try his hand (and feet) at martial arts and beating up the bad guys all over the place but overall the film engages right from the beginning till the end. The film based on Saradindu's short story "Amrit er Mrityu" (Amrit's death) deals with the event of the murder of a mentally imbalanced lad and the illegal arms circulation which takes place in the backdrop in the picturesque Doars town of Santalgola in North Bengal. The factor which scores above everything else is that it's a visual treat. The opening scene where the drone camera focuses on the solitary track treading its way through the dense forests sets the very mood of movie. Soumik Halder does it yet again.
The interest is retained throughout with controlled performances of the cast. Abir shoulders the responsibility of playing the Satyanweshi (Truth Seeker) in a suave manner. Sohini plays Satyabati and her anxiety as well as trust for her sleuth husband is well brought out without overdoing either of the two. Ritwik as Ajit provides the comic relief along with playing the trusted aide to Byomkesh.
The whodunit hovers around four characters who are elites of the town. Sil here carefully weaves elements from the plot as well makes changes to it only to heighten the tension further. The four probable culprits Biswanath Mullick (Kaushik), Badri Das (Rajatava), Nafor Kundu (Subhasish) and Jamunadas (Ashok ) all play their part to pace up the story aptly. Climax is pretty action packed and instead of being cerebral, it's actually pure adrenaline pumping. Overall the action elements and racy theme was well enacted along with scintillating cinematography and costume design.
For this reason, the film set in the late 40s appears trendy and barring the attire it can easily pass off as a 21st century one. Use of music was commendable with couple of songs adding to the mood of the plot along with aggravating the photogenic factor. Bickram Ghosh cultivates a fitting theme too. However the Mujra song choreographed by Saroj Khan and enacted by Sayantika was a huge let down. The bosom focused and pelvic thrusting dance steps can be an item number of today but not a palate of infantile Free-India.
To sum up the long review, Arindam Sil's Byomkesh definitely is the finest movie about the detective till date. Despite the unconventional maneuvering and a few slacks here and there, it's definitely worth a watch.