Serious
Men - Seriously brilliant !!!
What
happens when a father, offended by all the discrimination he has got in terms
of caste and his backward status since his childhood, take upon the world by
projecting his son as genius?
The
core concept of Serious Men is quite superb and something we can relate to.
Though its presented as a satire and dealing with a lot of superfluous stuff,
almost all the content in it seems so damn real and relatable. It also scores
in the way in which it so easily strikes a balance between the right intentions
of the father and the wrong methods he chooses to get it done without ever
tilting in favour of which part is actually right. It also doesn't get preachy
at any point and presents its stuff with the right amount of drama and poise
with the effects on the kid who's the center of the show being portrayed in its
true-self and being one of the striking points of the movie.
With
Nawazuddin Siddiqui holding the forte there isn't usually much scope for anyone
to overpower him and in Serious Men also he comes up with one dazzling
performance. He convinces us of his thought process and actions and makes us
root for his ideas at-least a bit. Aakshath Das as his 10 year old son is quite
brilliant as well and kudos to his acting in the scenes where he breaks down
due to immense pressure. There are good supporting acts from Nasser and Indira
Tiwari to complement the great show put forth by the on-screen father-son duo.
This
one is a classy and significant film that deserves a watch !!!
Forbidden
Love (Zee5) - Harmless to sit through !!!
What's
it about?
4
separate films that pay justice to it's title 'Forbidden' Love !!!
How's
each story?
Rules
of the Game - It can be termed as well-made, bold, out of the box and one which
is quite different from your usual stuff. It's acted quite superbly as well
with both Aahana Kumra and Chandan Roy Sanyal being really good. But the key
problem is at the end of the film, you just don’t quite get what they were
trying to convey or what the craziness in the story was putting forth to us !!!
Diagnosis
of Love - It's a quite interesting and engaging watch and is quite crisp as
well. But the problem is that you cant get over the 'artificiality' that's on
show, be it the sequences or the dialogues !!!
*
Re-summarizing the previous 2 story reviews too:
Arranged
Marriage - Quite good with the gay relationship being executed convincingly,
the social taboo being portrayed efficiently but then let down by a terrible
ending. Ali Fazal and Omkar Kapoor have played their parts quite well.
Anamika
- Pretty well made by Priyadarshan with the forbidden love build-up executed
well and having a climax that takes you by surprise even though you were
anticipating something similar. Pooja Kumar is impressive and so too is the
youngster Aditya Seal
What's
the summary?
It
doesn't attempt anything new or ground-breaking except for the story 'Rules of
the Game'. But at the end of it all, it's 4 separate stories of around 45
minutes each that you can take your own sweet time to watch and something you
can easily sit through !!!
JL50
- Quite interesting !!!
A
plane with some important Indian delegates goes missing and a team of CBI
officials is assigned the investigation of the same. A plan crash is reported
hours later but it turns out to be of a flight that took off from the same
airport 35 years ago. The mystery behind the same is what JL50 is all about.
JL50
is quite an intriguing series and explores a different genre from what you'd
usually see from an Indian web series. It works well for the fact that the plot
is different, duration is pretty short, the presentation is quite crisp and
there is hardly any deviation from the main plot. Though the mystery unraveling
looks a bit bland, the episode that follows is a real fascinating one and
elevates the status of this series to a 'pretty good one'. Abhay Deol and Pankaj
Kapoor are quite efficient and is one of the other reason why you are kept
hooked on.
There
are quite a few negatives including the tacky VFX ,a lot of the logical flaws
and the fact that they rush through and ignore a lot of stuff since they wanted
to keep it real short. But those are ones which you could chose to excuse for
the positives and the uniqueness it offers.
It's
never gonna be one of the best rated or a series that will make you go wow. But
it's one that works and is well worth your time !!!
Aashram
- Falters away after a great start !!!
As
the name suggests, Aashram revolves around the story of a Godman (played by
Bobby Deol) and his bhakts.
Aashram
gets it right for around half of its duration. It's quite hard-hitting and the
murky dealings of the Godman, the caste system, the political-spiritual nexus,
the blind faith devotees etc are all portrayed quite proficently during the
initial half. The making is also of the top most quality and you have a set of
actors ( including Bobby Deol :) ) who are quite impressive. But things get
repetitive after the first 4-5 episodes and you get a feel that the story is
just not moving ahead. It seems they wanted to drag the Season 1 and keep a
whole lot for the upcoming seasons/parts. The makers somehow fail to keep us
hooked from the half way point and ruins what would have worked had it's second
half been crisp and solid.
It
has set itself well for Part 2 but you wouldn't be too excited waiting for it
!!!
Maniyarayile
Ashokan - A topsy-turvy affair !!!
The
life of the senior bachelor Ashokan (played by Gregory) and his attempts to tie
the nuptial knot is what the movie is all about.
The
movie had a pretty low buzz attached to it - The thought of whether Gerogory
could handle the lead role was keeping everyone at bay and neither did the
trailer promise anything exceptional. But the first hour of the movie does go
contrary to expectations and was quite impressive. Some pretty well-shot
frames, the light-hearted subject, some decent humour, pretty good acting by
the entire cast and the good songs kept you hooked on to the proceedings. But
once the plot moves into it's depection of the 'weird' concept it was putting
forth, things go pretty haywire. One does feel that it is ok to try out
something different, but when the execution is so confusing and un-interesting
as it happens with this movie there is nothing much you can do except give a
lot of work to the fast-forward button. It seems that they were quite confused
on whether to take a sarcastic route or make it serious/sentimental and ended
up making a complete mess out of it.The makers completely ruin the good work
they'd done in the intial half and comes up with a totally chaotic and
unbelievably stupid second half that you wish to end soon.
It's
a pity that inspite of a good performance from the star cast and some good
moments the movie boasts of, it isn't a recommended watch even on OTT !!!
The
Old Guard (Netflix) - Impressive stuff !!!
Some
swashbuckling action, the decent pace it keeps throughout, the unique
storyline, the enticing background score and some real good acting ensures that
this movie is a great watch. The way they've gone about building the key
characters and their background story is quite commendable as well and ensures
that the fictional element in the story is quite convincing.
Go
for it !!!
Avrodh
-
The
URI attack of 2016 and the Indian retaliation forms the basic premise of
Avrodh.
There
are quite a few number of things which makes the series 'watchable' :
-
With 9 episodes of around half an hour each, the content is crisp and neatly
packed without any lag
-
The visual appeal is quite top-notch with the locales and camera work being the
key standouts.
-
The cast is quite good and effective with Amit Sadh leading the way and good
supporting acts by Neeraj Kabi and Darshan Kumar.
But
where it misses the mark in being a good series is in its attempt to play to
the gallery. At numerous points in the narrative, the makers miss the fact that
they're doing a web-series which could have worked much better sans the
clap-worthy dialogues that would have worked in a single screen and by also doing
away with the terrorist propadanga cliche's. It seems they wanted the series to
be 'Bollywood-isque' with a lot of focus on the hero, his heroism and his
chilsed-figure :) In addition, though the final action sequences are quite
good, they somewhere miss to bring out the real stress and feel of the ground
exercise the Special forces had conducted considering all the planning that
went in was captured quite methodically.
It's
not a bad experience to sit through but it's definitely not one you are going to
be ecstatic about !!!
DilBechara
- Stretched and lifeless !!!
The
love story between two terminally ill individuals is what Dil Bechara is all
about.
Dil
Bechara is a pretty disappointing movie to sit through. Barring some very few
sequences and dialogues in the first half, the movie doesn't offer you anything
novel. The fact that it would be a 'cliche-fest' was expected but there is
simply no life in the flow of events or in the way the characters are developed
which helps it overcome it's drawback.
Sushanth
Singh and Sanjana Sanghi share a great chemistry and are quite brilliant in the
lead roles. Along with the same what makes the movie 'bearable' to a certain
extent is the good supporting act by Kizie's parent characters(Saswata
Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee) and ARR's music.
Empathy
with the late hero seems to be the sole factor that's driving the movie's
popularity !!!
#alive (Netflix) - Quite an 'significant' watch that stresses the need to survive a tough phase !!!
A video game live streamer wakes up a morning in his apartment to realize that his town has been infected and there are zombies all around. To make matters worse, his family is out and he's short of groceries and food at home.
Alive is a pretty good watch for anyone who wouldn't mind a zombie genre movie ( even if they are trying it for the first time). The loneliness and helplessness of the main character, the slimmer hope that gives him the will to survive, his survival journey, the frustrations he goes through etc are all captured real convincingly. It's tightly written, is shot well and during its duration of less than 100 minutes has its share of surprises and thrilling moments to keep you hooked.
Where it fails a bit is in the fact that like the much appreciated 'Train to Busan' in the same genre, it fails to get you fully connected with and root for the main characters. Still that's not something which would act as a damper in enjoying this fare.
It's worth a watch and a movie that fits into the 'lock-down time' watch perfectly !!!
#Cargo (Netflix) - Can't quite figure out the motive behind this movie !!!
What's the movie about?
A futuristic film where you go into a spaceship(helmed by trained astronauts) post your death,for the final round of transition to your next life.
What's good about it?
- A never before heard story-line (sci-fi + Mythology) which touches upon the elements of loneliness, self-discovery etc as well
- Good performances by Vikrant Massey and Swetha Tripathi.
- A decent amount of well-shot scenes that is fun at times whereas thought-provoking at other times.
What goes against it?
- The slow pace...
- The big disappointment is that after the movie is over you are left resigned to the fact that you cannot find a purpose with this movie 🙂 You begin to wonder what exactly the makers were upto !!!
What's the summary?
It's a path-breaking film with respect to the story-line it chooses. But the execution ends up making it an easily avoidable affair !!!
#CUSoon- A landmark film !!!
Though at many points in the movie we are left to wonder if technology is so advanced, it never even crosses our mind as a negative against the film. Such is the finesse with which the crew has gone about narrating this gripping saga that you are awed by the brilliance of the team behind this venture. The fact that they use a rarely followed medium of presentation is good enough to catch your attention, but what's equally magnificent is the emotional connect they're able to build with the virtual characters in the story. The editor/cameraman also deserve a lot of credit for the top-notch presentation of the virtual characters for this wouldn't have been something they've been used to all this while.
It requires superb performers to enact this story and Fahad,Roshan and Darshana are quite exceptional in that regard. Each get their space and moments in the tale and make it really memorable. Watch out specially for the scenes in which Fahad vents out his professional frustrations and also the one where he breaks down as he uncovers the truth.
It's a movie for the ages and one that surely deserves to be talked about all across the globe !!!
#ClassOf83 - A lost opportunity !!!
Class of 83 had a promising story-line - A Dean in the Police training academy selects a group of 5 whom he wants to use to eliminate gangsters in fake encounters. Over the course of 7-8 years, how the selected cadets get on with the task at hand and how they also forge their own methods makes up for some interesting watching.
The main problem with the movie is that it's grossly inconsistent. After the really promising start it loses focus at multiple points in the narrative and turns out to be an ordinary cop-gangster drama in the background of a corrupt system where some of the stuff look totally baseless. Also there is a lack of detailing around the whole process which gives us the feeling of it being too rushed to reach the plot's end objective. But where it works is in it's quite engrossing first half an hour and at those points where they've kept it realistic with respect to the dialogues,characterisation and the true flaws in the system. The fact that it's set in the 1980's also aids the movie as we are spared of a lot of advanced technical wizadry. Bobby Deol is quite efficient ( except in the sequences where he has to cry 🙂 ) and is supported by the group of 5 who are really brilliant. There are good supporting acts as well by Joy Sengupta and Vishwajeet Pradhan.
At less than 100 minutes, it's a decent watch. Yet you would feel disappointed with the fact that the makers couldn't fully tap the potential of the plot they had on hand !!!
#GunjanSaxena - Soars High !!!
Gunjan Saxena doesn't stay away from all those elements that you would normally expect to see in a biopic on India's first war IAF officer - There is the dramatised and fictionalised version of the opposition and mockery from the family/society,the supporting hand that helps chase her dreams and the indifference from her male colleagues etc. But where the movie towers above all this is in the fact that the sequence of events look very believable and you are able to relate and feel Gunjan's struggles in her journey to success. Even the 'winning' moment and her small achievements are presented with the right amount of drama and the director deserves due credit for not going overboard at these junctures. It also scores in the fact that there isn't much over-patriotism on show and thankfully we are spared of any romantic elements or side tracks that would have mostly been part of a Bollywood movie (even if it was a biopic). .The songs and background music is another positive element of the movie with some really good numbers by Amit Trivedi.
Jhanvi Kapoor does indeed struggle to look and play the part of the Air Force officer. But it isn't by any means a total disastrous or poor performance and she does have her moments. But the 'star' of the movie without doubt would be Pankaj Tripathi. With his subtle mannerisms and amazing dialogue delivery, he dons the role of Gunjan's understanding dad remarkably well and gives us a performance to cherish forever. Vineet Kumar Singh and Angad Bedi both play their supporting act parts to perfection in-spite of the small part they play in the movie.
The movie is well worth a watch and for a change it's an OTT release that would have fared well in the theatres as well !!!
#RaatAkeliHai (Netflix) - Worth it !!!
A murder in a haveli and the investigation on the same is what Raat Akeli Hai is all about.
RAH is a film that doesn't really seem to concerned about it's running time. It goes on a slow pace introducing it's characters, setting the scene and then going about solving it's 'whodunit' mystery. But thankfully the slowness never acts as a dampener in enjoying the movie and the credit for the same should go to the it's hoard of well developed characters and the few yet believable twists that it has up its sleeve. The director deserves a pat on the back for the way he's narrated the mystery without too much of a flashback and for blending the subplots without really deviating from the main story. And then there is this wonderful mother-son segment (Nawazuddin Sidiqui-Ila Arun) which though short was your break from the otherwise serious tone the movie had maintained.
With such a stellar cast at it's disposal there was hardly a chance of the movie getting it wrong with respect to the acting and it pans out exactly that way. Still how can one not specially mention Nawazuddin Sidiqqui and Radhhika Apte both of whom are brilliant as always !!!
This is recommended for anyone who wouldn't mind a slow 'whodunit' thriller !!!
#Undekhi (SONY LIV)- A gripping thriller !!!
A murder happening at a wedding and the attempts of the culprit's family to cover it up using their political and criminal clout is what Undekhi is all about.
The makers deserve a huge round of applause for coming up with a gripping narrative that never slows down or lags at any instance. Things move at a pretty fast clip, the events look real, the helplessness of a lot of characters on the run is captured magnificently well and you have the influential villains looking and playing their part with absolute conviction. The twists they bring about also never looked forced or out of place and this is one of those series which ticks all the right boxes with respect to being a captivating thriller. The way the show goes about showing the corrupt system and the struggles of ordinary souls at the wrong end of the might of an influential clan is a key highlight of the narrative and is one factor which lets you connect to the plot.
Though there are a handful of actors with a limited set of expressions and it has no superstar cast to boast of, Undekhi is still blessed with some terrific performances. Dibyendu Bhattacharya as the DSP, Harsh Chayya as the murderer along with Apeksha Agarwal as the tribal girl are the stars of the show while Surya Sharma as Rinku looks commanding and towering as the bad guy.
It is one series which might have gone places had it been released in one of the bigger platforms like Prime or Netflix !!!
#BreatheIntotheShadows - 'Flawed' much like it's predecessor !!!
The story of a father being forced to go on a killing spree by the kidnapper of his 7 year old daughter is what Breathe 2 is set-up as.
Breathe franchise seems to be build on this 'wonderful' logic (pun intended) that innocent people can go on a killing spree when the life of their kid is in danger. They turn out to be meticulous planners like contract killers would be, seems well versed with technology and health related matters and above all slip through the hands of law like anything. Breathe 2 too follows the same pattern till around its half when all of a sudden you're given a much needed twist and then have an interesting backdrop story to take the plot forward. But the term 'illogical' is so tightly coupled with the franchise that you are left wondering many a time over the rest of the plot as to how exactly some of this is even possible !!! The level of absurdity on display at times is quite tough to comprehend.
There are quite a few things that work though. It is shot quite lavishly, does offer it's share of thrills and excitement, got a quite enticing background score and is engaging to a good extent. And it ends up quite interestingly as well !!!
Abhishek Bachan gets one of his meatiest roles yet and he does make it count. Though he is limited a bit by his skills which leads him to faltering at a few places, he'll definitely not be a reason for you to dislike the series. Amit Sadh adds on to his fan-base with yet another sober performance and is one of the very few positives about the show.
On the whole, this might be one of those shows that you might still end up sitting through with some interest till the end without finding any good reason to do so !!!
#YourHonor (SONY LIV) - Picks up really well towards the latter half !!!
A honest and upright judge going out of the way to save his son from the police and goons post a hit and run accident case is what Your Honor is all about.
The plot of Your Honour develops around a plethora of lies blurted out one after the other by the lead character . For such a plot to grab your attention, the deception should feel a lot sensible and you should also feel that urge to see the culprit escaping the law. For around the first 7 episodes of Your Honour you don't feel any of these two and at multiple points, you wish that they get caught and this would end for good. But things take a turn from the 8th episode when more characters start to learn the truth and the way the plot moves on from there is quite gripping. It does have a brilliant ending too which helps you get over to a certain extent the 'uneasy and irritated' feel you would have had in the initial half of the story . It also sets itself well for a second season.
One thing though that you shouldn't have a complaint about would be the way the main characters have been portrayed on screen. The 'subtle yet cunning' demeanour of Jimmy Sheirgill, the single-mother police officer played by Mita Vasisht,Varun Badodla's character who gets trapped in the web of his loyalty to the judge and the manipulated and helpless lawyer character played by Parul Gulati are just some of the characters in this plot that have been developed and enacted really well and a key reason that makes you sit through this drama.
It requires a lot of patience and needs convincing yourself to sit through the initial half of this series. If you manage to do so, there is a good chance that you would find it worthwhile by the end of the show !!!
#SufiyumSujathayum - A 'pedestrian' affair !!!
After guessing the story right from the trailers, one would be curious to know if the movie gets it's bases covered to make it a 'worthwhile' love story
Does the background score and music work?
Yes it does. It's in-fact one of the major positives of the movie, for M Jayachandran has done full justice to the mood of the story with a soulful background score to go along with a couple of good songs.
Does the lead pair chemistry and performances work?
Yes it does. The pair look good together and their romantic glances/moments together are captured really well. Jayasuriya in the supporting role of the helpless husband scores as well.
Has the love story and 'break-up' been captured effectively?
It starts of well but the lack of depth in developing the love blossoming between the lead characters and then the break-up is a major let-down and spoils to a good extent the good vibe it generated in the initial reels.
Does the slow pace hinder the enjoyment factor?
Love stories are always expected to be slow but the pace doesn't really matter when you are able to indulge into the world of the characters and feel their joy and pain like you'd felt for some of the romantic classics. Unfortunately here, you just don't feel a lot for the characters and with the story never really offering you anything interesting the slow clip in which it moves is a major problem.
Though the camera work and beautiful frames/locales add on to the very few positives mentioned above, it's in short a movie that should consider itself lucky to have been forced to release on the digital platform since a theater watch would have been surely 'tedious' and the number of people watching it eventually would have been very less assuming the un-inspiring reviews it was gonna generate post it's release.
