Knives Out

Movie Review (English)

As a huge fan of Hercule Poirot, I was pleasantly surprised to watch Knives Out. Even though the demeanor of the investigator in the movie was very different from Poirot, the brain ticking away trying to put the puzzle pieces together was a joy to watch.

The story was interesting as was the atmosphere. The writer/director Rian Johnson has fitted in several elements that one expects in a murder mystery so there was no slacking at all. With the best actors in the business holding fort, there was scarcely any scope for the story to falter. The funny thing was that the death of the patriarch was not the mystery.

Seeing Daniel Craig in a very different avatar from James Bond as Detective Benoit Blanc was a delight as he takes on the case not knowing who enlisted him to investigate!

Hopefully, this is the beginning of many mysteries being solved by Detective Blanc.

Bala

Movie Review (Hindi)

I do try to catch up on movies that star Ayushmann Khurrana and I have not been disappointed. He takes on movies and roles that make sense even if the movie is mainstream Bollywood. After Andhadhun and Article 15, I watched Bala. I might have missed a couple in between but hope to see those sometime soon.

The movie Bala has a weakness and that is its meandering script. There are times when I zoned out from what was happening on screen. Missed the tightness in editing. Loved the music by Sachin-Jigar. 

Ayushmann was quite convincing as a young man struggling with his receding hairline. Having Saurabh Shukla and Seema Pahwa as parents only adds to the fun in watching. Though Yami Gautam and Bhumi Pednekar are good actresses, they could not shine on screen. Their characters did not get the scope to grow.

Carry on Ayushmann! I am sure you will not disappoint us with your choice of movies.

The Sky is Pink

Movie Review (Hindi)

There are three reasons why the movie stands out -----   

This protagonist is an 18-year-old girl full of life, suffering from a rare disorder of the immune system   

The movie is based on a real story   

         The main protagonist and narrator is already dead when the movie starts
 All the actors, Priyanka Chopra, Fahan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim and Rohit Saraf have done a commendable job. Thanks to director Shonali Bose for telling this story in a moving yet positive way. Though the passing away of Aisha is heart-wrenching, the narration by Aisha herself is perky, funny and witty.
 The years from the parents’ courtship, till they lose Aisha, is portrayed in a manner that bypasses the monotony of linear storytelling.

 I will now go through the pages of My Little Epiphanies but this time with more awareness, as if Aisha was telling me what and why she doodled and penned these thoughts.

Mission Mangal (Mission Mars)

Movie Review (Hindi)

Based on the true story of the launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission on 5^th Nov 2013, Mission Mangal is an engrossing movie told well. I have always rated movies based on how I am affected by it, though there have been some occasions when I have allowed critics voices to cloud my thinking. I am cured of that now. Why I mention this is because Mission Mangal got me hooked to the screen, though several critics had assured that the movie was a dud.

As a child, I have imagined myself with Capt. James Kirk and Mr. Spock on Enterprise going where no man has gone before. So, in a sense, Mission Mangal opened up that fantastic world for me once again. As I was sucked into this wonderful mystery that is Space, I also enjoyed the stories that each character came with. However, there was a problem here - There was no story on Akshay Kumar, the director of the mission.

Thank you, Jagan Shakti, for following your faith in the story and directing this so admirably. The plot was tight and the actors were really good at their job.

I think such movies are one of the ways to ignite that spark among young minds today. They are raring to go and when they find a true story to inspire them, they will hold on to it and fly.

Article 15

Movie Review (Hindi)

I think films are a hit when they hit close to our hearts. 

We have had the Constitution since 1950 and even today Indians are yet to understand and accept its contents. This is rampant in areas where politicians, lawmakers and security forces are in cahoots, loving the power they seem to have over people who are essentially poor. Poverty opens the doors to all sorts of discrimination. It is easy to beat down a person already compromised.

The movie, Article 15, has drawn out this chasm in our society. When the protectors of law decide to side with perpetrators of crime because they feel empowered, all is lost. The protagonist, Ayaan, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, is caught in this power play even though he is an IPS officer. He has no idea about societal discrimination in the heartland of his country he is proud of. He is therefore, quite shocked when his staff at the small station he is posted in, state their position in society based on their castes. He is enraged when the Dalits are referred to as They, as though they were from another planet.

The movie is gripping in the way the story is told and is edited. There is a sense of menace and danger lurking in the corners and I at times felt engulfed by its shadows. How a gang rape is easily turned into an honour killing, how witnesses are forced to change their statements, post-mortem reports are messed with, criminals are sheltered and go missing and how the CBI botches up, are all intelligently played. That the leader of the underground Dalit force could be an educated young man who could hold an intelligent conversation was a brilliant move as was the piling up of carcasses and overflowing septic tanks.

The cast was brilliant in their roles as was the music, not the forget the opening with Bob Dylan's "How many miles must a man walk down ..."

I have been an Anubhav Sinha fan since Mulk. I now really look forward to more such movies that need to be screened all over the country.

Photograph

Movie Review (Hindi)

Two very different worlds collide and there is no eruption of any form, just a slow melt. That is the story of Photograph. The technique the director, Ritesh Batra, uses is tricky. His story unfolds slowly without any hurry but most importantly, without any ups or downs. Throughout the movie I waited for the moment of crisis and it never came, making me feel cheated. The movie ended as strangely and left me feeling a little lost.

Miloni, played by Sanya Malhotra, is a young, intelligent and pretty woman. But she hardly talks or smiles. Rafi, played by Nawazuddin, is also not much of a talker. But then Nawazuddin makes every character his own and is at ease.

Thank god we had Rafi’s grandmother, played by Farrukh Jaffer, coming in who brings some life on screen, managing to ignite some reaction from the other two.

The cinematography was wonderful because it was easy to be a part of Mumbai going through its streets, chawls, cinema halls, teashops and the Gateway of India. This last one is where it all began with the photograph taken by Rafi, one of several professional photographers at the Gateway who coerce you to get clicked. Miloni gets clicked but then vanishes without paying and the copy remains with Rafi. He uses this photo to introduces her as his fiancée to his grandmother. 

Batra’s earlier movie, Lunch box was also slow moving but the story was gripping. Looking forward to more movies from Ritesh, only I need something to hold on to.

Gully Boy

Movie Review (Hindi)

"He is just a Gully Boy" said one of the characters in the movie. But “just the Gully boy” went on to rule hearts. Ranveer Singh, playing the reticent character Murad, expresses his dissatisfaction at the way things are in his world in the Dharavi slums through poetry. The energy levels in the movie rise with the entrance of MC Sher played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, the rapper who shows Murad a way out of the mundane. Our Gully Boy then raps his way into a confident individual able to stand up to his father’s dominance.

With actresses like Alia Bhatt and Kalki Koechlin providing support, the movie is bound to do well. The characters are well etched and the edit is fast. Dharavi stands out as a world holding many, many stories waiting to be told.

Director Zoya Akhtar certainly knows how to hold the attention of ciné goers, ending with the competition. It is an age-old trick which somehow always get the right reaction to a sense of vindication. I only wish the director had risen above this and taken the movie to a different level.

 Nevertheless, I loved the statement, so pregnant with hope and aspiration – Apna time aayega!

Uri

Movie Review (Hindi)

For a long time now, I have been hearing rumours about the Surgical strike by the Army on Pakistani soil being a fake incident, created by the Government to gain brownie points. Funnily enough, Uri takes off from these rumours and creates a damn good movie. The docudrama format helps in creating the authenticity required.

The choice of the protagonist, played by Vicky Kaushal, was bang on target. He got into the skin of the character and seemed to be comfortable being a Para Commando.

I think what stood out for the movie was the lack of long speeches exulting patriotism. It was the action that got the patriotic flame burning. The director, Aditya Dhar, has kept the story taut and does not loosen his grip which adds to the rawness.

A mother’s Alzhiemer’s, a dear friend’s death, a sister’s widowhood, a child losing a loving father, lawmakers taking risks for the greater good – all of these come together and burst forth spewing molten lava leaving behind an impactful movie that asks – “How’s the Josh?” You are bound to reply – “Very High!”