Bollywood World

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 8th May, 2015
Time : 125 minutes
Director : Shoojit Sircar; Writer : Juhi Chaturvedi; Music : Anupam Roy
Starring : Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan, Moushumi Chatterjee, Jishu Sen, Balendra Singh, Raghuvir Yadav



Piku is a funny, incident filled look at life, relationships, family, ancestral homes, roots, parenting, how to cope with parents, the cycle of life, marriage, hypochondriacs, Bengali�s, Kolkata, road journeys and above all, constipation !



To say Deepika Padukone, playing the title character, is aggressive would be a gross understatement. She is used to getting her own way � whether at work, (with boss / lover / friend with benefits, Jishu), or even with drivers of her taxi service (whom she relentlessly bullies into speeding and accidents). Except with her Dad. Amitabh Bachchan. An eccentric Bengali. Who more than holds his own.



He doesn�t want her to get married (�It's what women of low IQ aspire for�). Is an A Grade hypochondriac, disappointed to receive a medical report that reveals no issues. Bosses around the help at home (hilarious scene where maid accused by him of stealing (hold your breath) phenyl, yells if she wanted to steal, why wouldn�t she steal laptops instead). Needs help from long time servant, Balendra Singh, to do most routine things (an incredible scene at a roadside toilet). He suffers from constipations so his bowel movements govern his and his households life. He shares an easy camaraderie with his doctor, Raghubir Yadav, with whom he spends many a happy hour discussing frequency, colour and viscosity of his motions. And thinks nothing of leaving updates with Deepika�s office receptionist about the same.



Also, unlike Deepika, he doesn�t want to sell his ancestral home in Kolkata. And this necessitates a road trip there from their current abode in Delhi, since he refuses to fly or take the train. Which brings our UP ke bhaiya, Irrfan into the equation. He is the helpless owner of the taxi stand which suffers from Deepika�s haranguing regularly. And after a fleeting meeting with her, he is also haplessly smitten. And when none of his drivers turn up, he decides to escape his own household circumstances and do the drive himself. Though he regrets it on many occasions, especially after a knife throwing incident !


What is excellent about the film is that it firmly stays grounded in the here and now. An episodic, almost incident by incident manner of narration, helps avoid most of the ailments that normally afflict Hindi film-makers � there are no cumbersome flashbacks, no moments of morbid sentimentality, no reveling in some silly sentimentality. Like life, shit happens (or in this case, doesn�t), and you move on.



The performances are excellent � Deepika is outstanding - not a single expression out of place, whether being close to breakdown, scolding the driver, battling with her father or gazing in amusement at Irrfan who�s desperately trying to impress her. Amitabh Bachchan over-acts, in line with his character � he is loud, over-bearing, and if you�d met him at a dinner party, you would never want to meet him again. Irrfan�s dead-pan expressions suit his on-screen persona perfectly and special praise for Balendra, who delivers simply the most brilliant portrayal of a typical Bengali long time help � willing to do anything or everything for his masters, without flinching or a change of expression. Moushumi, a host of other assorted characters and the music are all like jokers in a deck of cards � you never know what you�re going to get next � and it keeps the fun and the surprise element going through the film.



I thought the end missed a trick � wanted something or someone to be able to tie everything we had witnessed together. For me, it isn�t about the desire for a traditional happy ending here but more a moment of epiphany, which would put everything in perspective. This is a very touchy topic in traditional India � where the children are expected to take care of their parents but struggle to do so amongst the pressures of urban India and the waves of generational change assailing us. However, its so rare to get a film like this, where its almost as if Shoojit and Juhi (the director and writer) chose not to take sides, just narrate the incidents and let you make up your own mind� Very nicely done !

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 20th February, 2015
Time : 134 minutes
Director, Writer : Sriram Raghavan; Co-Writer: Arijit Biswas, Pooja Surti; Music : Sachin-Jigar
Starring : Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Quereshi, Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, Radhika Apte



A chance encounter during a bank robbery leads to unwanted, unnecessary death and a vicious cycle of revenge that lasts over fifteen years. Its not pretty, its not pacy and it most definitely doesn�t follow a path treaded by most Hindi films. However, not everything makes sense and it doesn�t really hold our attention all the way through, though the climax is interesting.



Nawazuddin and Vinay�s getaway after a bank job goes horribly wrong and results in the death of Yami Gautam and her young child. Nawaz is caught, jailed but not before he is able to let his partner escape with the loot. Varun Dhawan is the sadly bereaved husband, father, who�s world comes crashing around him. And the twenty year sentence given to Nawaz for his part in the robbery (he claims his partner did the killing, he was merely the driver), is not enough for Varun�



Kumud Mishra is the police inspector who hates an unsolved case on his record � especially as the cops are never able to track down the partner or the loot. Pratima Kannan is Nawaz�s mother, who can�t believe her son is a killer. Huma is Nawaz�s favourite call-girl, who also doesn�t believe he is a killer. And later in the movie, Vinay Pathak and his wife, Radhika Apte play a critical part, as does Divya Dutta as an NGO worker who works with prisoners.




I really liked Varun in this vengeful avatar � he hit the right buttons in a role outside his comfort zone. Nawazuddin does full justice to a role right up his street, especially in the closing stages. The ensemble cast is excellent. The music really good. But the fatal flaw is you don�t quite understand why some of the characters chose the paths they do � even if the end objective does make sense. And that can really make you wonder, even disconnect with what is shown happening on the screen�

Life can be cruel. Revenge can be salvation. And where better to find it than in Badlapur�

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�