nagsaptarshi

They do not have the ostentations of Bollywood. They do not have the so called 'Pan India' tag attached to them. Yet Malayalam film directors have fascinated movie connoisseurs like us for ages. They seriously do not need CGI laden theatrics like the Telugu or Kannada movies. They do not need superstars with humongous fan base to ensure instant blockbusters even though they have gifted this country some of the most legendary superstars and actors. But what they possess is something the entire Indian film industry is in dire need now. Originality of contents, willingness to experiment and take the path less trodden. 'Rekhachithram' a gripping thriller on a murder mystery unsolved for decades is once again a testament to this fact. Unfortunately, there is no uproar over such creative content on the social media where fans are busy hailing or lambasting cringe contents like Sikander or Chhaava.

'Rekhachithram' , directed by Jofin T. Chacko is a complex, chilling, mind bending and no-nonsense thriller digging deep into human psyche, greed and the fulfillment of redemption. The story is centered around a disgraced cop recently reinstated from suspension for the offence of gambling, trying to find out the truth behind a murder that took place four decades back. As the plot unravels, CI Vivek Gopinath discovers the intricacies of human relationships, the pangs of tender dreams being shattered and the unholy nexus of power and politics to bury the crimes committed by those in power. With a runtime of nearly 147 minutes, the film is loosely based on real-life events, particularly the Sister Abhaya case and the filming of Bharathan's 1985 movie "Kathodu Kathoram," where a junior artist died under suspicious circumstances.

The narrative is sleek and tension is palpable throughout the length of the movie. Cinematography by Appu Prabhakar is top-notch and the long shots of Kerala or Kanyakumarika are treats to the eyes. Screenplay is tight barring the last haf an hour which could have been edited better. Asif Ali as the protagonist shines and you keep on rooting for him throughout. Manoj K Jayan as the crooked Vincent does a commendable job. Anaswara Rajan as enigmatic Rekha is brilliant and she surely has a glorious career ahead. Her eyes, smiles, composure, effervescence - everything is ethereal. It was hard to find any significant flaws in the acting of the rest of the cast. Did I forget to mention that superstar Mammootty plays a very crucial role in the plot even without being directly involved in the cast? Another beauty of Malayalam cinema !

From Manjummel Boys to Drishyam, from Bhramayugam to Aattam, from Aavesham to Guppi, Malayalam industry never fails to create one gem after another. 'Rekhachithram' by Jofin T. Chacko is yet another addition to this treasure trove. Any negatives? Yes, there are some loose ends which do not come to a full circle in the climax and there are some unanswered questions about some characters. The editing could have been crispier as well. But the flaws are so minuscule to the mammothness of achievement, the fun will not be dampened.

My rating- 8.5 out of 10 Streaming on - Sony Liv.

Neeraj Pandey has been an accomplished storyteller ever since his directorial debut A Wednesday hit the screens and enthralled audiences all across. When a show has his name as a creator behind it, expectations start mounting. And if it's the second chapter of his much debated yet loved show Khakee, the anticipation is sky high. Does he deliver? Yes, in parts. Does he steal the show? Sadly, no.

After a respected officer's death in early 2000s Bengal, IPS Arjun Maitra confronts powerful gangsters and corrupt politicians in his mission to bring law and order to a region gripped by crime and chaos. This is a one liner synopsis of the story. However, to lengthen the show to fit to a seven-episode chapter, the plot has been dragged and unnecessarily convoluted at times. Poor characterization, lack of enough back stories kill the fun so often. Many questions remain unanswered even till the end of the show. Music and background scores which could have been the pillars of such a show are pure duds and leave you unfulfilled. All said and done, the pace of the show is fantastic and so are the performances of most of the actors and in the end, those are the takeaways from this chapter of Khakee.

The creator has been clever enough to select a period where not much retro designing of the sets was needed. However, no special attention was given to highlight the change of the eras as the show progressed. A show like this with high production value should have given more attention to such details. Apart from that the cinematography is sleek and something Tollywood should learn from. No unnecessary drone shots, no slo-mo shots were used. Srijit da listening? The dialogues mostly lack impact. Unnecessary vulgarity so common these days on OTT has been wisely avoided. Use of profane language has been kept at minimal level. In one scene, a character uses two different pronunciations for 'Sagor'. One character pronounces 'Saptarshi' differently in two different scenes. In one scene, a front facing ac vent in the front seat in a luxury car was shown. Neither such car model, nor such AC model was available at that period. Such details should have been taken care of in a show with such production value. The character of Chitrangada Singh as the fearless opposition leader is flimsy and even Singh is misfit in the role. Even though she is a fine actress, she fails to excel in a deglamourized role. It appears that the writers created her character just to create sensation. The story of Cheena is unconvincing and leaves a big question mark.

Parambrata Chatterjee in his small role appears uninterested and his character lacks conviction. Saswata Chatterjee as always is brilliant and even though he does not have enough space, he as always seizes the role. Prasenjit Chatterjee as the crooked politician is brilliant as ever. Jeet as a dynamic cop oozes style and he carries the show on his shoulder with panache. The make-up artists should have given more attention to his look though. Aadil Khan as Ranjit and Ritwik Bhowmik as Sagor are assets of this show and I am adding one more star to this show for their brilliant performances. In fact, the casting director has done a brilliant job to ensemble such a stellar cast. Mimoh as Himel has done a commendable job, too. Rest of the cast do their jobs sincerely. As I already have mentioned, the show has a wonderful pace and even though there are plenty of loopholes in the plot or in the making of the show, it is bingeworthy and keeps you glued to the screen till the end. The climax is a bit disappointing and leaves your thirst unquenched.

Overall, the positives of the show somehow manage to mask the thinness but in comparison to the gripping and phenomenal Bihar Chapter, sadly it is a distant second.

My Rating- 7.5 out of 10.

There were three reasons why I had so much expectations from this movie. First, I personally admire Alia as an artist with amazing acting potential and diversity. Her performances in films like Gangubai, Highway or Dear Zindagi are the reasons why I reckon her one of the finest actresses of Bollywood. Reason number two- the brilliantly made trailer. And finally, the buzz this movie has generated and the positive reviews some of the trusted reviewers have come up with. But sadly, when I left the theater after those gruesome 150 minutes, I felt as if it was not Ankur who was tortured in the prison. Rather, it was a viewer like me who had been punished brutally for daring to watch a Hindi movie which I tend to avoid mostly.

The movie kicked off brilliantly. The first 30 minutes will truly keep you glued to the seat. The relation between Satya and her brother Ankur will definitely make you smile. But 'Jigra' loses it momentum too soon and what comes thereafter is sheer chaos. Nothing looks convincing. And Dare I say, "Even Alia's expressions were contrived, unoriginal and plastic very often !" The sweet sister-brother bond that was promised in the first quarter of the movie was surprisingly missing later. Many of the characters shown initially disappear mysteriously. Looks like the director forgot about them while working on to make Alia look like our desi wonder woman. The inter-personal relationships lack conviction and what could have been a wonderful tale of friendship, loyalty and commitment was wasted in the hope to make a woman centric slick action movie. The prison break concept in Indian cinemas is novel and it needed a rock solid screenplay and directoral finesse to churn out a decent movie on that. But as I have already mentioned, despite having so much promise, the movie lost its narrative too early and nothing looks convincing. The prison break episode which could have been a pathbreaking action sequence in Indian cinema is ludicrous to such an extent that you may burst out laughing.

I heard that the movie has garnered extremely positive reviews for its cinematography, action sequences and performances. Unfortunately, they may not have seen some of the finest international movies on this concept. True, there are some wonderful setpieces and people may start clapping to see a lady doing those scenes. But those scenes are not backed by authentic performances, good screenplay and a solid background story. Action sequences are unrealistic and at times reach the level of madness. As already mentioned , Alia's performance is over the top, flawed and lacks conviction. Vedang Raina as her brother is wasted and has practically nothing to offer apart from being a timid brother. Rest of the cast offers nothing new. The BGM is the only takeaway from the movie.

Overall, this is a very average movie which had so much of potential that was misrably wasted. Go and watch it only if the AC at your home is not working ! Or you may even watch 'Gumrah' starring Sanjay Dutt and Sri Devi made in the 90s by Alia's father Mahesh Bhatt on YouTube. Even though it was copied, still a better watch than this soulless, brainless 'Jigra'.