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Review

Rating : 5 /10
Release Date : 25th March, 2016
Time : 126 minutes
Director : Nishikant Kamat; Co-Writer : Ritesh Shah, based on the Korean film �The Man From Nowhere�; Music : Various
Starring : John Abraham, Nishikant Kamat, Diya Chalwad, Kazu Patrick Tang, Sharad Kelkar, Nathalia Kaur, Shruti Haasan



Some great action � mostly fist and knife fights � and an unflinching performance by John Abraham in the title role, cannot paper over the cracks in the storyline / the predictability of it all. There is nothing you haven�t already seen � drugs, women, child kidnapping and organ trafficking � it�s only just gorier�



John runs a pawn shop in Goa. He�s seen better days, as seen by images of him cavorting around with Shruti Haasan in Seychelles. Now, as a neighbor, he has a druggie nightclub dancer, Anna, who doesn�t like the fact that her seven year old daughter, Diya, is getting friendly with him. Anna, though does something stupid � tries to steal drugs from the mafia. That too at a time when the cops, led by Sharad Kelkar, are putting the squeeze on all the rackets in Goa. This places her life and that of her daughter at risk, especially from the owner of the drugs, Nishikant Kamat and his henchmen, including Patrick Tang � with only Rocky to try and save them.



Most of the gangsters in the film prefer not to carry guns � going for a knife, an axe or even just heavy rods instead � which makes it easy for Rocky, who walloped a room full of cops in 3 minutes, to pick them off one by one. The best sequences involve Tang (who�s worked in films like District B13 and Ong-bak) squaring off one on one with John � those are a visual treat, very slickly done and a great watch.



There is too little of any emotion, though, to make the film rise above mediocrity. Something about the editing (quite disjointed), the way the characters are shown (very uni-dimensional), the way they interact (in terse monosyllabic sentences) that makes for very detached viewing. John is very good � expressions, physique, fluidity of movement � but the others don�t match up. The villains, in particular, come across as caricatures � including, to an extent, Nishikant, who happens to be the sanest of the lot.



It�s an �A� film thanks to the extreme violence, gore shown � and most of it occurs in the dark, in the shadows. You care about the child and her safety, quite naturally � but no character really connects or touches you. Would recommend only for fans of John or the action genre.

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 18th December, 2015
Time : 154 minutes
Director : Rohit Shetty; Writer : Yunus Sajawal; Music : Amar Mohile;
Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, 21 cars that topple, fly and turn upside down, Varun Sharma, Mukesh Tiwari, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani, Vinod Khanna, Kabir Bedi, Johnny Lever, Sanjay Mishra



The story doesn�t make any sense. Any. What is it about ? Gangsters or brothers or lovers ? The twists are so predictable that everyone in the hall feels clairvoyant. Even the dialogues are guessable, ordinary and hammy. And it�s stretched longer than the Great Wall of China � songs at every possible juncture � when lovers meet, separate or even think about meeting (or separating) � and an end that just refuses to come, but is a damp squib when it does.



If you still choose to watch it, you�re doing so purely for the star power of Shahrukh and Kajol � the film makers know it � and they make sure they really milk those scenes (pack them with oohs, aahs, trembling voices and lambi, thandi saansein). Apart from two memorable comic sequences (both in the second half), there is precious little to recommend in the film.



SRK used to be a gangster. Had something with Kajol but all that is now over, is the stuff of nightmares. Is now settled in Goa. Has a car modification business. Has two close friends / associates (Mukesh, Pankaj) from the past living next to him. And loves his younger brother, Varun, has taken care of him for the past 15 years. Varun loves his elder brother too. Falls in love with Kriti (a total PYT). And spends most of the first half trying to woo her with best buddy, Varun Sharma. However, can the past really ever remain hidden (in Hindi films)? With Sanjay Mishra, Johnny Lever trying to provide comedy with lame jokes and Boman Irani trying to provide comic menace as the local don in Goa, the film then goes around in circles in the second half before ending as you predicted it would fifteen minutes into the movie.



The best comic sequence involves Mukesh, Pankaj and the two Varun�s when they�re trying to ferret SRK�s past. A close second is Varun Sharma�s Pyaar Ka Punchnama-esque rant against women / dating. The rest is lame, very Golmaal-ish. And very loud - the film is like an overall assault on all senses.



SRK, for a change, looks good. Had been looking haggard, drawn off late. Kajol looks and acts like a million bucks. Dhawan Jr does what he�s asked to do (look cute) as does Kriti (look pretty). Mukesh and Pankaj are excellent, as is Boman in a tough cameo. The other cameo, a must in any Rohit Shetty film, are the multitude of cars and villains that fly all over � this one has more than enough of those but nothing you�ve not seen before.



You wonder how long the script took to finalize in films like these. And then you wish they�d cooked it a little more. It�s not terrible but just very ordinary and very stretched.

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 4th December, 2015
Time : 121 minutes
Director & Writer: Pan Nalin; Music : Cyril Morin;
Starring : Rajshri Deshpande, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Sarah-Jane Dias, Pavleen Gujral, Amrit Maghera, Anushka Manchanda, Sandhya Mridul, Nia Dhime, Anuj Choudhry, Adil Hussain, Arjun Mathur



This one is as much about the journey as the end (which I didn�t quite like). A few angry, frustrated (non-sexually) women get together in Goa and vent, heal, laugh, chat, discover some answers to the challenges life throws towards females in our country before a plot twist changes things fundamentally.



The women are from wildly varied walks of life, despite most having been college mates. Pavleen, the married housewife, who has some of the funniest lines, is a mild, peaceful sort � got married in the flow of things (parents) and feels sometimes that instead of the varmala, she actually put her college gold medal around her husband�s neck, as she didn�t do anything with her talent after that. Anushka is a singer, trying for Bollywood but relegated to doing tours in hotels etc, where she doesn�t exactly encounter the cr�me de la cr�me � her music career isn�t really going anywhere and she�s more than a little depressed because of that.




Sandhya Mridul, the fiery one, runs a mining company and has balls of steel � tearing papers up in meetings, firing people left, right and centre. She�s also a single mom and is equally fierce with her young daughter, Nia. We know very little about Tannishtha, apart from the fact that she is an activist and fiercely opposes one of the mining sites that Sandhya�s company is involved with. Sarah-Jane is the one who�s got everyone together at her place in Goa � she�s a photographer who�s chasing her dream and is holding certain cards close to her chest. Amrit, her half-Indian cousin, a British national, is trying to make her career in Bollywood as an actress � sometimes with hilarious effects. And last but not the least, Rajshri is the maid, a bit of a ball crusher (literally) but also has a soft side and a bit of a past which can make her see red very quickly.



You get the usual issues � restrictions on dress, unequal split of chores, marriage, exploitation, Section 377, how the victims of sexual crimes are viewed � and a few new ones. Most of it�s interspersed with giant dollops of humour (the rain dance between the underwear clad Amrit and the sari clad Rajshri, the conservative reactions of Pavleen, including the epic �Yaar, tum karte kaise ho ?�, the reaction to the sexy neighbor (Anuj) washing his car, and the frail bai who washes their clothes), which ensures the film rarely has a dull moment, also thanks in part to a great music score.



However, ugly India does intrude into their idyllic vacation, rearing it�s ugly head in paradise � some molesters in the middle of the film and the reactions of Adil Hussain, a cop, towards the end. I don�t think the final plot twist was necessary � it left me with a sour taste. Also, some solutions (the mining debate, the parenting style, the viral video) were all too pat, too easy, a bit contrived. And the last scene in the church is more than a bit filmy, would�ve ended very differently in real life. The performances were very good overall � Amrit, Rajshri and Pavleen especially catching the eye, while Sarah-Jane is quite enchanting in an under-stated role.



It�s well-paced, neatly strung together � moments of emotion, pathos nicely balanced with fun, laughter. Instances of anger mixed up with moments of just being. Quite nice to get the woman�s point of view too � especially since it came via a man (writer, director Pan Nalin).

PS : Rant Coming Up : Here, right from the opening credits you know you�re in for censorship butchery. If it�s an A film, why do any swear words have to be beeped out ? Are all adults in India not exposed to colourful cuss words of all languages ? And what was this whole drama about blanking out the images of Indian gods, goddesses � even in the opening credits � beggars belief ? The frequent cuts really do intrude into the atmosphere created by the film. About time the Board realizes it�s there for certification and not censorship.

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 30th October, 2015
Time : 123 minutes
Director : Prawaal Raman; Music : Various;
Starring : Randeep Hooda, Richa Chadha, Adil Hussain, Alexx O�Nell, Vipin Sharma, Tisca Chopra, Mandana Karimi, Lucky Morani, Dijana Dejanovic, Kanika Kapoor, Nandu Madhav, Anastasia Fomina, Sandeep Punia, Heeral Mei, Saurabh Sarkar



An interesting story but the narrative style gives the film a highly disjointed feel and we never really get to know the enigmatic title character � no attempts to fathom what / how Charles is thinking / doing � just moving from one episode to another, from one woman / sexual escapade to another.




Supposedly on the life of Charles Sobhraj, the movie focuses on his jailbreak from Delhi, his escape to Goa (and the partying there), his relationship with Richa Chaddha and the attempts of Adil Hussain and Madhav to catch him � the rest of his life is largely ignored and not referred to. The relentless back and forth (too many flashbacks) also don�t help us get a clear picture.



Randeep�s look is quite cool and his expressions are bang on but his accent doesn�t work / jars. Richa, Adil, Vipin, Alexx and Madhav are very good in their roles as are the bevy of beauties we encounter on Charles trail. The soundtrack is excellent as is the styling, mood, look of the film. The scenes between Tisca (Adil�s wife) and Adil, especially when she is unabashedly showing her interest in the life of Charles, were the pick of the movie.


Unfortunately, by focusing more on the sexual conquests, the bikinis and the backless scenes, than anything else, the makers reveal their intent. They don�t really engage us with the complete story or the brain behind the man but revel in the more salacious aspects of the story.


In India we�re normally not very good at biopics � either trying to present the entire life or falling prey to hero-worship. This one, at least, selects a part of his life � chooses which aspects of his personality to communicate. It does glorify a criminal, someone seen as a psychopath and a cold-blooded killer. But thankfully, thanks to the episodic nature of story-telling adopted by the director, we don�t really feel too much or too strongly about anything happening on the screen

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 31st July, 2015
Time : 163 minutes
Director, Writer : Nishikant Kamat; Co-Writer: Upendra Sidhaye based on an original story by Jeetu Joseph; Music : Vishal Bhardwaj (songs), Sameer Phatarpekar (background score)
Starring : Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Kamlesh Sawant, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav, Rishabh Chaddha, Prathamesh Parab



There are two surefire signs that I�ve seen a great movie. One is that I run through the entire plot in my head, asking �What would I do if I were in the protagonists place� and the other is that I write the review almost immediately.

So, at 230am, having just returned from a late night show of Drishyam, with three movies lined up tomorrow morning, here goes�



Ajay Devgn lives in Pendolim, Goa and has been there for many years, running a successful cable TV business. He is a film fanatic and is loved and respected in the community. His lovely family, comprises his wife, Shriya Saran and two daughters, the teenaged Ishita Dutta and the little cutie, Mrunal Jadhav. However, their idyllic life is soon shattered due to no fault of theirs�and they are soon hunted by the police, in particular, the top cop of Goa, Tabu �and even the cops from his local station, who�ve known him since childhood including Kamlesh Sawant, who hates his guts�



It isn�t easy viewing because of the content but incredibly gripping�and you await with bated breath to find out the next twist and turn. There are some fascinating sub-contexts too � much is made of the fact that Ajay is only educated till the fourth standard �while everyone around him, including his wife and the cops chasing him, are more educated. The running battle between Kamlesh and Ajay is fascinating too, a bit more than banter at first, but gets nasty soon enough. And there is a sly sense of humour too � even in the tensest moments (like Tabu�s outburtst when yet another witness says the same thing).


The beautiful surroundings of our favorite holiday state also make for the perfect backdrop to the tension and the drama. And the music, for a change, doesn�t intrude but adds to the atmosphere. Ajay Devgn works better when he is understated, as here. Tabu is fantastic too � balancing tough cop with vulnerable mom extremely well. Shriya was god but overacted just a little, while Ishita and Mrunal were quite good as their daughters. However, it was Rajat Kapoor, as Tabu�s husband, and Kamlesh, who really stole the show with their performances.


It�s rare to find a Hindi film that is close to flawless � there are niggles, little issues here and there, but overall, it just works � its nice and compact, for a change not going off-topic, and getting the mix of emotions, story and facts right. A real cat and mouse game, where for a change, you cant really figure out who exactly is the cat and who is the mouse�

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 12th September, 2014
Time : 102 minutes
Director: Homi Adajania; Writer : Homi Adajania, Kersi Khambatta; Music : Mathias Duplessy
Starring : Deepika Padukone, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur, Arjun Kapoor, Anand Tiwari, Ankur Tewari



Naseeruddin Shah : is a shy, solemn loner, the post master in a village where no one posts or receives any mail, still is a choirboy singer even though his days of being a boy are well behind him. And he brays, nay, sobs inconsolably as he receives a marriage proposal he�d made to his beloved Fanny via mail, forty-six years ago. It was never posted ! And the only one who understands him, is willing to help him is the girl he considers to be like a daughter, who he thinks will make one lucky bugger a great wife�Deepika�


Deepika Padukone : ethereal, leggy, flashing that dimpled smile of hers, a vision in floral dresses, floating through their tiny Goan village, remains upbeat despite all that�s happened to her, with her husband choking to death on her wedding day, she till today isn�t sure whether she should�ve accepted her hubby�s proposal or gone with his friend instead, her quiet admirer, the quiet, quite infatuated� Arjun�.


Arjun Kapoor : left town the day Deepika was going to get married. Rumour has it he went to Mumbai and was successful in some business. Is now back in their village. Not happy about how things have turned out. Prone to angry outbursts. Alone in his dilapidated house, which is falling apart. And working on his old car, which is also falling apart. Which he�s just sold to�Pankaj�.


Pankaj Kapur : is the new man in town, an award winning artist, a painter who earns huge sums for his every brush stroke. Is enjoying his solitude, the idyllic sylvan surroundings, his alcohol. And is also indulging in his fetish for �big� women�by ogling at Dimple�


Dimple Kapadia : who does have a really large ass ! Also happens to be Deepika�s mother in law and house mate, the woman who makes the tiny village tick, the one who organizes everything and loves being the centre of attention�the type who will try to commit suicide but will cough first to make sure someone is watching�the stingy type who will hide the cookies if she thinks her guest is eating too many�the type who feels too many drinks don�t agree with her legs. Gout? Inquires Pankaj, solicitously ? No, she laughs, it makes them spread open�


These five quirky characters set off on a drive to locate Naseer�s precious Fanny. In the dilapidated car. From the village that we�re assured is so tiny, you cant locate it on a map. And interesting things happen on the way.



This is one of those delicious movies where its not so much about the story but more about the characters and the conversations. Where the script and the dialogue is, quite refreshingly, actually king. Where the music sets the mood but doesn�t overpower. Where the performances by the stalwarts, Pankaj, Naseer are every bit what you would expect � they get into the skin of their assigned roles, changing body language, their walk, their way of talking to ensure we believe in them. Pankaj, in particular, has more scope to display his intensity, especially in a little bit towards the end.




Dimple is very good too, dominating yet hesitantly finding her way through the challenges life has thrown at her. Arjun has probably the most unidimensional role and he does it credit. In acting chops, probably the one who has to go the furthest, but he can still hold his head high after this one. And Deepika�ah, sweet, lovely, Deepika! Anyone who doubts whether she can act�I mean, really act�better be advised to watch this one. None of the histrionics, over the top gestures and mannerisms of say, Chennai Express�just subtle changes of expressions, a slightly quizzical mien of inner happiness with just a smidgen of indecision.



This is one of those films which is about journeys, self-discovery, life and more. The lessons made easy with the humour and the idiosyncratic dramatis personae. Set in a place where we all wish we could be�simpler, where time seems to stand still. And its not so much about Finding Fanny, but finding love�at any age�