Sometimes it works like magic to step into a film screening knowing nothing else but its name and those of the principal cast members. I mean, at most, what can you expect from a film titled Chintu Ka Birthday and headlined by Vinay Pathak, Tillotama Shome and Seema Pahwa. At […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
“Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish”… Bombay in blue and red hues!
In the days of wading through daily hazards of Mumbai, the residents of the city would feel a sudden respite upon seeing a flicker of ‘Bombayness’ – albeit in a film. I’m referring to bittersweet flavour that Bombay used to emanate – even to stark outsiders who merely knew the […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Dream Girl”… A terrific cast saves this familiar small-town comedy!
Okay, so the leading man in Dream Girl has an unusual vocation. Essayed by Ayushmann Khurrana, his real name is Karam – something that is barely registered until the film’s third act. The young man is better identified as Pooja – by us and by his numerous dial-in lovers. In […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
“Chhichhore” projects campus bonhomie on a fluffy, nostalgic canvas!
Back in 2006, I remember watching the Malayalam film Classmates, only to emerge over-awed by its magic. One that narrated a layered campus story set in the ‘90s, the film felt fresh as its release period did not witness too many films milking nostalgia to obscene levels. Lal Jose’s film […]
Read Time : 6 Minutes
“Saaho” converts its jaded plot into an impossibly confusing mayhem!
They say sensibilities are different for Hindi film viewers and for each of India’s filmmaking industries. As much as I would want to buy this argument, the lines have drastically blurred over the years, especially when it comes to the mass genre. The Baahubali franchise, which originated in Telugu filmdom, […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
“Batla House” entertains despite presenting only one side of the story!
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani’s Batla House confirms a strong belief of mine. Films are best viewed if we approach them with a clean slate – consume no promotional content, view or read no material bombarded by television and online portals. Or else, I never believed that a film like Batla House, […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
“Mission Mangal” is a simplistic science film that is also obsessively religious!
“101 se shuru karna chahiye tha…”, rues a Hindu priest present during the launch of ISRO’s ambitious rocket GSLV Mk-III: Fat Boy. Not to anyone’s surprise, the launch fails and the team receives massive wrath from the authorities for all the budget that went waste. No, this is not the […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Auto Shankar”… A moody crime series filled with strikingly photographed moments!
Series of serial killer biographies are those which fascinate us forever. That is also the reason why they become the subject/inspiration for umpteen feature films. Ted Bundy has had many. So did Fritz Haarmann. Closer home, Charles Sobhraj’s life stands documented in various formats whereas our filmmakers’ lure for the […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
“Judgementall Hai Kya”… A trippy, original experiment that sees Kangana Ranaut in her elements!
Halfway through director Prakash Kovelamudi’s Judgementall Hai Kya, we get to see a contemporary version of Ramayana becoming a key element in the narrative. Titled ‘Futuristic Ramayana’, the stage play poses a pertinent question, “What if Ravana were to be chased by Sita?” Mind you, neither the play nor the […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
“Super 30” buries its possibilities underneath its ‘superstar safety net’…
Director Vikas Bahl’s Super 30 begins on a pleasant note. We observe the endearing Vijay Varma (of Gully Boy fame) making a speech in Hindi on an international stage. A packed crowd – glued to their headphones are enthralled with the way he narrates what could possibly be his life […]
