SAMTHEBESTEST
Joined Feb 2014
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges4
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Ratings3.7K
SAMTHEBESTEST's rating
Reviews3K
SAMTHEBESTEST's rating
Page 3 (2005) :
Brief Review -
A full-fledged exposé of entertainment journalism, PR machinery, business world & film industry. While widely acknowledged for exposing the darker side of cinema, I feel it is equally a meaningful film that dares to question the moral fabric of industries and people working in it. Bhandarkar crafted a powerful narrative filled with fresh conflicts, though unfortunately, he later turned many of these ideas into clichés in his subsequent films. Unlike Heroine, which felt more personal and limited, Page 3 retains a larger purpose. Told from the perspective of a journalist, the film could perhaps have had a broader impact if seen through a different lens, but its core remains compelling. While the entire story revolves around the entertainment world, the most remarkable character comes from outside it-crime reporter Vinayak Mane, played brilliantly by Atul Kulkarni. Mane dominates every scene, not just with his commanding presence but with his sharp intellect and biting words. While flaws can be found in nearly every other character, Mane's is portrayed with rare perfection. Konkona Sen Sharma delivers a memorable performance as an honest entertainment journalist struggling to survive in a fake and black world. The film opens by delving into one of the industry's darkest realities-PR-and instantly grabs attention. Bhandarkar maintains that grip throughout, weaving an explosive story with a gripping screenplay. Between the endless revelations of manipulation, betrayal, and moral compromise, he places a few deeply emotional and meaningful moments, preventing the film from sinking entirely into cynicism. Credit must go to Bhandarkar for his courage. Being part of the industry himself, it took real guts to expose its people and practices so boldly. Ironically, I can't say the same about today's world of entertainment journalism, which often avoids such confrontation. Even two decades later, Page 3 feels startlingly relevant, perhaps even more so, because PR culture, betrayal, and superficial stardom have only worsened in the digital age. Among Bhandarkar's trilogy of Page 3, Fashion, and Heroine, it is this film that remains his finest. The timing of its release was perfect-and its impact, lasting.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A full-fledged exposé of entertainment journalism, PR machinery, business world & film industry. While widely acknowledged for exposing the darker side of cinema, I feel it is equally a meaningful film that dares to question the moral fabric of industries and people working in it. Bhandarkar crafted a powerful narrative filled with fresh conflicts, though unfortunately, he later turned many of these ideas into clichés in his subsequent films. Unlike Heroine, which felt more personal and limited, Page 3 retains a larger purpose. Told from the perspective of a journalist, the film could perhaps have had a broader impact if seen through a different lens, but its core remains compelling. While the entire story revolves around the entertainment world, the most remarkable character comes from outside it-crime reporter Vinayak Mane, played brilliantly by Atul Kulkarni. Mane dominates every scene, not just with his commanding presence but with his sharp intellect and biting words. While flaws can be found in nearly every other character, Mane's is portrayed with rare perfection. Konkona Sen Sharma delivers a memorable performance as an honest entertainment journalist struggling to survive in a fake and black world. The film opens by delving into one of the industry's darkest realities-PR-and instantly grabs attention. Bhandarkar maintains that grip throughout, weaving an explosive story with a gripping screenplay. Between the endless revelations of manipulation, betrayal, and moral compromise, he places a few deeply emotional and meaningful moments, preventing the film from sinking entirely into cynicism. Credit must go to Bhandarkar for his courage. Being part of the industry himself, it took real guts to expose its people and practices so boldly. Ironically, I can't say the same about today's world of entertainment journalism, which often avoids such confrontation. Even two decades later, Page 3 feels startlingly relevant, perhaps even more so, because PR culture, betrayal, and superficial stardom have only worsened in the digital age. Among Bhandarkar's trilogy of Page 3, Fashion, and Heroine, it is this film that remains his finest. The timing of its release was perfect-and its impact, lasting.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Ek Chatur Naar (2025) :
Movie Review -
Ek Chatur Naar, directed by Umesh Shukla, almost worked for me as a decent con drama and thriller for the first two hours, despite its obvious filmmaking flaws. But then came the messy climax, which spoiled everything the film had managed to build. You have often seen thrillers where what looks like an accidental setup slowly turns into a pre-planned jam. But logically, such twists only work if the climax reveals something truly shocking and convincing. Ek Chatur Naar is built on this old and worn-out formula, one that has been used repeatedly in Hollywood and even in a few Bollywood, Tamil, and Telugu thrillers. The problem here is that the deception factor feels forced instead of organic. That lack of natural flow drags the film from being a passable entertainer to a somewhat disappointing thriller.
The story follows Mamta (Divya Khosla Kumar), a poor woman who happens to find the phone of a wealthy businessman, Abhishek (Neil Nitin Mukesh). On the phone, Mamta discovers a sex clip of Abhishek with his secretary Tina (Heli Daruwala). She decides to blackmail him for a hefty sum of Rs. 2 crore. For Abhishek, this is not just about the scandalous video but also about the many secrets of his financial scams stored on the phone. He must recover it at any cost to save both his career and personal life. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between Mamta and Abhishek, where both try to outsmart each other using every trick in the book.
On paper, Himanshu Tripathi's script seems promising. But the problem lies in the execution. The screenplay, worked on by Jay Master, Umesh Shukla, Deepak Nirman, and Siddhaarth Goel, feels scattered. Having four writers on the same screenplay often dilutes the vision, and here too, it ends up being a detached narrative. The setup involving Mamta and Tina before the climax makes no sense, while the child kidnapping subplot feels highly predictable. Tina's shocking reaction to the news of Abhishek's wife's pregnancy was totally out of context. The film begins with some intelligence and intrigue, but it loses steam in the second half. Adding a melodramatic touch and filmy lines to the heroine's character further weakens the thriller element, making it resemble a daily soap at times. The film manages to hold your attention for a while but eventually sinks with its poorly executed ending.
Performances, however, provide some relief. Divya Khosla Kumar gets a character with several shades-probably the most she has ever had to play-and she does try her best to make it work. Unfortunately, the melodramatic writing dampens her efforts. Neil Nitin Mukesh is well-suited to the role of Abhishek and plays it with restraint, without going overboard. Chhaya Kadam once again proves her talent with another strong performance, while Zakir Hussain does fine in his part. Sushant Singh deserved more screen time, and Yashpal Sharma feels underused, playing a quieter role than expected. The supporting cast overall keeps things steady but never rises above the limitations of the writing. Where was chaos by the way?
Technically, Ek Chatur Naar is a mixed bag. The cinematography is strictly average and fails to add any real tension to the narrative. The music is forgettable and does not elevate the drama. Production design and locations are decent enough, but the editing feels uneven and doesn't maintain the required pace. The first half works fairly well, and even the first 30 minutes of the second half hold some pace. But the last 30-40 minutes drag unnecessarily, making the climax not just clumsy but also exhausting.
Umesh Shukla was once known for delivering thoughtful moves, but with Heer Express and Ek Chatur Naar, he seems to have lost that touch. The film neither entertains fully nor surprises the audience, and instead ends up being just another forgettable attempt. Sadly, it is yet another reminder that Shukla, who once had a respectable name in the industry, has now slipped into making films that fail to leave any impact.
RATING - 4/10*
Ek Chatur Naar, directed by Umesh Shukla, almost worked for me as a decent con drama and thriller for the first two hours, despite its obvious filmmaking flaws. But then came the messy climax, which spoiled everything the film had managed to build. You have often seen thrillers where what looks like an accidental setup slowly turns into a pre-planned jam. But logically, such twists only work if the climax reveals something truly shocking and convincing. Ek Chatur Naar is built on this old and worn-out formula, one that has been used repeatedly in Hollywood and even in a few Bollywood, Tamil, and Telugu thrillers. The problem here is that the deception factor feels forced instead of organic. That lack of natural flow drags the film from being a passable entertainer to a somewhat disappointing thriller.
The story follows Mamta (Divya Khosla Kumar), a poor woman who happens to find the phone of a wealthy businessman, Abhishek (Neil Nitin Mukesh). On the phone, Mamta discovers a sex clip of Abhishek with his secretary Tina (Heli Daruwala). She decides to blackmail him for a hefty sum of Rs. 2 crore. For Abhishek, this is not just about the scandalous video but also about the many secrets of his financial scams stored on the phone. He must recover it at any cost to save both his career and personal life. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between Mamta and Abhishek, where both try to outsmart each other using every trick in the book.
On paper, Himanshu Tripathi's script seems promising. But the problem lies in the execution. The screenplay, worked on by Jay Master, Umesh Shukla, Deepak Nirman, and Siddhaarth Goel, feels scattered. Having four writers on the same screenplay often dilutes the vision, and here too, it ends up being a detached narrative. The setup involving Mamta and Tina before the climax makes no sense, while the child kidnapping subplot feels highly predictable. Tina's shocking reaction to the news of Abhishek's wife's pregnancy was totally out of context. The film begins with some intelligence and intrigue, but it loses steam in the second half. Adding a melodramatic touch and filmy lines to the heroine's character further weakens the thriller element, making it resemble a daily soap at times. The film manages to hold your attention for a while but eventually sinks with its poorly executed ending.
Performances, however, provide some relief. Divya Khosla Kumar gets a character with several shades-probably the most she has ever had to play-and she does try her best to make it work. Unfortunately, the melodramatic writing dampens her efforts. Neil Nitin Mukesh is well-suited to the role of Abhishek and plays it with restraint, without going overboard. Chhaya Kadam once again proves her talent with another strong performance, while Zakir Hussain does fine in his part. Sushant Singh deserved more screen time, and Yashpal Sharma feels underused, playing a quieter role than expected. The supporting cast overall keeps things steady but never rises above the limitations of the writing. Where was chaos by the way?
Technically, Ek Chatur Naar is a mixed bag. The cinematography is strictly average and fails to add any real tension to the narrative. The music is forgettable and does not elevate the drama. Production design and locations are decent enough, but the editing feels uneven and doesn't maintain the required pace. The first half works fairly well, and even the first 30 minutes of the second half hold some pace. But the last 30-40 minutes drag unnecessarily, making the climax not just clumsy but also exhausting.
Umesh Shukla was once known for delivering thoughtful moves, but with Heer Express and Ek Chatur Naar, he seems to have lost that touch. The film neither entertains fully nor surprises the audience, and instead ends up being just another forgettable attempt. Sadly, it is yet another reminder that Shukla, who once had a respectable name in the industry, has now slipped into making films that fail to leave any impact.
RATING - 4/10*
