CRITICALLY SLAMMED MOVIES I ENJOYED WATCHING

CRITICALLY SLAMMED MOVIES I ENJOYED WATCHING

It has become a fashion and profession to slam everything these days. Be it politics, media, arts or movies. 

To nitpick on the artistic creations of others and brandish it as trash may make one sound knowledgeable and great, but it's unfair to the artists. Take the example of these four movies which I watched recently.

All of them received very mixed reviews. The only one to get some positive reviews was 'De De Pyar De.' Rest of them were literally thrashed and made to sound very mediocre.

But surprisingly, when I watched them I found them to be quite entertaining. It may be so because of the entertainment value.The critics could have been right in finding the technical glitches and flaws. But as long as they entertain, who cares. Audience wants Paisa Vasool entertainment. And these four movies did just that.

Notebook 

Set in the beautiful Kashmir valley, this is a love story. Shot in the beautiful locale of Dal lake, it is mesmerizing and entertaining. A message of love and way to get the misguided youth back on track was very appealing. Thoroughly enjoyable flick.

I have reviewed it separately. Check it out.

Tashkent Files

A movie exploring the alleged murder of Lal Bahadur Shastri is totally engrossing and keeps you hooked till the very end. 

The media slammed it so badly, giving it a rating of even one star. The movie had brought out the hideous role of the media in the conspiracy to murder Shastri. Maybe they were uncomfortable with it.

The role of Intelligence agencies, government, international politics, local politics, media and pseudo intellectuals is brilliantly played out. It is so valid in today's time.

In fact this is a movie which one should not miss, at any cost.

De De Pear De

DDPD is a one hell of hilarious ride. Ajay Devghan and Tabu at their best. Tackling social issues with  balance, grace and poise; it keeps it light hearted and enjoyable.

As I said this one had garnered reasonably good praise from the critics. And it surpassed their analysis. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Bharat

It was badly thrashed by the critics. Giving it a very average rating. But I watched it and was in for a big surprise!

Although totally a BHAI film, it makes you laugh, cry and emote in equal measures. The horrors of partition and the long lasting effects through the story of Bharat (metaphorically too) is endearing and enjoyable.

The loose similarity with Forrest Gump is actually not noticeable at all. If you have seen the original, there is hardly any similarity in the character. So it is just not a valid comparison.

This is gonna be Bhai's major block buster for sure!

So, the next time you read a review and decide to watch a movie, think twice. Many a times they are misguiding and biased. If you connect with the subject, just go for it. Damn the critics.

Notebook

NOTEBOOK

A subtle, romantic and beautiful love story. A master stroke set in the Kashmir Valley; it strives to give peace a chance.

In this age of sensationalism and high pitched voices, the sane and logical voices are usually buried and forgotten. But sometimes a breath of fresh air comes which is gentle, cool and sincere; it brings calmness and smile to your faces. Notebook is one such example.

Set in the Kashmir Valley on the beautiful backdrop of Wullar lake, it starts as a simple tale of love between two strangers who have not met. What binds them and brings them together is a notebook diary of  Firdaus, the teacher (Pranutan Bahl). A diary which Kabir (Zaheer Iqbal), the new teacher happens to find. He falls in love with Firdaus through her notebook entries. He learns how to face solitude, to find one’s  place in universe and also teach the little children; all through the musings of Firdaus.

The story moves at gentle steady pace and gives you time to absorb the beauty of the lake, the landscape and the serenity of the wilderness. It touches upon the growing radicalization of the children and how it needs to be stopped. The most powerful message comes through a very simple thought.

Andhere ko andhera nahi mita sakta

Andhero ko mitane ke liye ujala chahiye

It is a metaphorical reference to violence. It suggests that violence begets violence. It needs efforts to win it over with peace. The story moves in this direction and is very successful in conveying it’s message. It does it in a way which is bereft of any violence. But, the tension and the underlying unrest in the valley is unmistakable.

Such kind of cinema, comes your way once in a while. It is too nuanced, romantic, beautiful and subtle. Don’t let it pass. Soak in it and feel it through your heart. You will love it for sure.

MADE IN HEAVEN

MADE IN HEAVEN

A balanced recipe of drama, action, sleaze, scandal, relations, love, sex and lot of marriages!!

A PERFECTLY BLENDED DRAMA

Bollywood seems to have hit the sweet spot with this one. A perfect and balanced recipe of drama, action, sleaze, scandal, relationships, love, sex and off course a lot of Indian marriages!  But the criticality is in always maintaining the right proportion and balance. Not overdoing any of the elements, and spoiling the taste of the individual components. That’s where Made In Heaven has hit the G spot, I must say!

It may appear to have a formulaic backdrop of crazy Indian marriages a la Karan Johar style. But it  has been spiced up with lot of bold scenes and scandals,  and sprinkled with a judicious dose of social issues. Nevertheless it's  done with so much elegance and nuanced storytelling, that it leaves you breathless and makes you immediately hit the next episode button. The narrative is fast paced, always progressing at a constant speed. Doesn’t loose grip at any point.

Tara Khanna & Karan Mehra

The lives of of six characters, their struggles, their compulsions, aspirations, weaknesses and how they eventually come to terms with it; and make peace with it, is worth a watch, no doubt. 

The backdrop of the superrich Delhi circle and their ways of splurging the wealth on marriages  with the pomp and show is very amusing and at times vulgar. But Made in Heaven is just not about it. It goes to a much deeper level. It scratches all the layers and makes them bare in front of you. Be it the royal family  and its  dirty deeds or be it the political family masquerading their political alliance as marriage. The opposition to late marriage of a widowed mother by her own children is as heart wrenching as  the bride walking away from her marriage due to dowry demand by an IAS groom. It was really amazing to find so many social evils tackled in such a tiny space of nine episodes without ever loosing focus and pace of the main narrative. Really impressive…directors and script writers take a bow..

Adil & Tara Khanna

The performance by Sobhita (Tara Khanna) and Arjun Mathur (Karan Mehra)  are astounding. They are sincere, touching and very adorable. They really shine. The supporting roles by JIm Sarbh (Adil Khanna) and Shivani (Jazz) are genuine and convincing. Shashank Arora (Kabir) is very cute and lovable as the official videographer. Kalki is as usual glamorous, perfect and classy. 

The title song too grows on you after three or four episodes and I loved it very much. It kind of reminded me of the effect of GOT title song. It has a very nice feel and captures the wedding atmosphere beautifully. Very impressive.

Overall it’s a 4.5/5 rating. A perfect blend of all ingredients in the most balanced proportions and served in the most stylized way..Go for it..

Four more shots please

Four more SHOTS please!

Binge watch it : Leaves you asking for more

Four more shots please, the streaming new show on Amazon Prime is a peep into the SOBO (South Bombay) culture. It hooks you up and before realizing, the characters grow on you, you empathize with the ups and downs in their life, a roller coster journey spanned over ten episodes….at the end of which you crave for more. You have to wait for the second season though, it should be under production…hopefully!! 

A tale of four women, who accidentally meet each other at a ‘Truck Bar’ and bond with each other. They unwind at the bar regularly and we get to know their lives through their interactions. One is a lawyer who has just divorced, one a fearless journalist and founder of a newsportal and gets ousted from her own company. Third girl has landed in Mumbai to be a fitness trainer and deals with her sexuality by coming out of the closet. And finally the super rich girl whose only purpose in life presently is to to find a  suitable groom.

The new boldness is striking with plenty of use of cuss words and explicit girly gossip. This kind of depiction is unheard of in conventional television. So if you are a purist and a sanskari, please stay away from this riot of bold, brazen and raw display of emotions.

 The twists and turns in the story keep you hooked and involved. At the end of the binge, I was literally searching for the next episode, only to realize that I would have to wait for the next season !!

Gully Boy

Gully Boy

Make your reality catch up with your dreams

Murad (Ranveer Singh) in one of the scenes, tells his father, that he believes in making his reality match up with his dreams and not the other way around. He wants to create his life, his existence with his own efforts and not take what destiny throws at him. That is the crux of his life and the movie captures his journey from raps to riches in every possible sense.

The backdrop of Dharavi, it’s hard life, dirty bylanes, the constant lure of crime and easy money which beackons him at every corner, is a powerful setting for a tale that is a journey of his struggle to become a famous rapper. 

The constant humiliation which he endures in a big family stuffed into a small shanty, makes your heart cry especially when a bunch of foreigners are offered a peep into their small world for five hundred rupees. (Poverty Tourism?)

The problem of polygamy and the effect of it on his mother and the family is depicted so deftly, it makes you sad and cringe for her. 

The characterizations are true to life, etched perfectly, never ever missing the mark. Alia and Kalki are fantastic. But Siddhant Chaturvedi aka M.C. Sher stands out. Fantastic performance coming again after his critically appreciated ‘Inside Edge’ role. At times you want him to win more than Murad ! 

And the music track is amazing. It’s already a big hit. Having the opportunity to watch DIVINE perform live at #Sulafest 2019, and the popularity they enjoy, there was never a doubt that it would be great. It lives up to the expectations it had generated. At the same time it doesn’t become over bearing and blends with the story line perfectly.

An amazing movie….Must watch……three cheers to the Gully Boy.

Keep hoping and rapping “ APNA TIME AAYEGA”

URI: India's Zero Dark Thirty Hour

 Every time I watch a movie, there is one thing that gives me goose bumps, every single time. That is the national anthem playing before the movie. I find that this song evokes that sense of pride and belonging to our country every single time it is played.

Rarely we come across movies and themes that echo these kind of sentiments and have the power to evoke such responses. Such movies come to theaters rarely. They are are created once in a while. Movies like Border or may be Chak de India.

Uri, the surgical strike hits all those notes and evokes that kind of response while watching or rather experiencing it. Yes, It is an experience. It echoes what our nation has undergone in the last couple of years and the kind of sentiments we feel and share with each other.

Watching the movie amidst all service personnel and even discussing it, it nowhere seems far fetched or unreal. In fact rarely does a movie capture the ethos and sprit of the armed forces so accurately. Not only that, the minutest details, the locales, the uniforms, the war cries, the weaponry, the wreath laying ceremony…it’s flawless. You can’t find faults even if you are a cynic or critic.

The movie and it’s structure is so much similar to the cult movie Zero Dark Thirty based on the Laden mission. The plot and its handling and the treatment it has got is in no way less than the Hollywood movie..in fact a shade better. 

The operation , it’s planning and it’s execution is an extra ordinary feat, no matter what the nay sayers will say. If this cannot evoke your nationalism or patriotism, maybe nothing can.

So, when the government responds the way it has done and seeing the film industry’s response to it….when somebody asks us …..

How’s the Josh…..High Sir…...............can be the only response.