SHSandh Reviews

Titli (2014)

Good and convincing story; Beautifully narrated; Great acting by all

[8/10 · 29 November 2019]

The acting by all the actors was very good. It is difficult to say who was better than the others: all were good. Kudos to the newcomers, Shashank Arora (as Titli) and Shivani Raghuvanshi (as Neelu) for their great performances.

The story is very convincing. There are no loose ends in the narration. The events unfold logically. The story deals with the stark truths about the lives of three brothers, who heist moving cars at night on lonely roads in Delhi. Although it does not seem possible, the youngest brother desperately wants out. He plans to be a car parking contractor at an office tower, and wants to lead a normal, crime free life.

There is nothing implausible in the story. Nor is there any of the Bollywood drama here. A lot of care has been taken to make the story-telling absolutely compelling; no rambling here. The lives of the actors get firmly entangled in the events of the story. Besides, there is also an affair and heart-break.

A few scenes depict violence beautifully without much actual violence. Some of these scenes particularly stand out. The beating in the police station is one such scene. The protagonist's unsuccessful struggles with his new wife on their wedding night, while trying to consummate the marriage, is also very silent and mind-blowing. The deliberate fracturing of the wife's arm, after anesthetization, is one more.

In contrast, several scenes of the five uneducated, uncouth family members mouth-washing after brushing your teeth, are raucous.

A lot of scenes cover travelling by the actors on their run-down scooter. Further, there are a lot of aerial shots taken from high above, giving panoramic views of the city. However, none of these are superfluous.

With all its starkness, one will never cringe at any scene. You will not recoil at anything in the story. The film has subtle justice and a happy ending for the protagonist.

Could anything have been better? Was the movie lacking in anything? Will this merciless story repulse you? The answer to all these questions is NO.

This movie should definitely be seen. You will not regret it.

Section 375 (2019)

Interesting story; Worth a watch; Not legally sound; Average acting

[7/10 · 25 November 2019]

Section 375 is a provision in the Indian Penal Code which holds that sexual intercourse by any man with a woman against her will and consent is punishable as a crime.

A costume assistant on a film, Anjali Damle (Meera Chopra), makes a criminal complaint of rape to the police against the Director, Rohan Khurana (Rahul Bhat). The Director gets rigorous imprisonment from the Sessions Court. He then hires a hotshot lawyer, Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna), to appeal in the higher court.

The story is weak on the legal aspects as many assertions and submissions, particularly those made by or on behalf of Rahul are not challenged by the prosecutor. The second court proceedings bring out many details about the police investigation and details of the past relationship of the two (Anjali and Rahul).

In spite of several dissimilarities, one is reminded of the Hindi movie, Pink, which won a National Award.

The acting by everyone (except one) was pretty average. Akshaye Khanna and Richa Chadha were quite under par in their roles. The victim Anjali (Meera Chopra) was very good and very nuanced as a shell-shocked, tense and speechless rape victim who struggles to tell her rape story several times to get justice. Compared to all the others, her acting stands out.

Although with very few dialogues, the casting of Kruttika Desai as a no-nonsense, senior judge was an excellent choice. Kudos to the Casting team for this.

The scene of the aggressive, protesting crowd which overcomes policemen and surges towards the court gates, and which is then dispersed by a water cannon, was very well done. In fact, most of these protest-crowd scenes were done well. Again, the scenes at the hospital when the victim is subjected to a medical examination are truly stark.

The movie is a good human interest story if you disregard the legal aspects which are cursorily depicted. Many scenes in the court-room seem more for the camera and would not strictly be seen in court proceedings.

The movie holds your interest in the way it has been structured and narrated. At every turn, something new turns up, all relevant to the story.

One may find it difficult to not take sides. One may very well start to consider the rapist as the protagonist and the victim as the antagonist, or vice versa. This is one of those stories which effectively blur the distinctions of 'protagonist' and 'antagonist' and is testimony to real life situations which are seldom 'black-and-white'. If you remain neutral about this aspect, you will enjoy the movie more. This movie is interesting for its story, and not for its acting or its legal aspects.

The movie gets a lower rating mainly due to lackluster acting and poorly constructed legal structure. It could have been a memorable movie had the legal aspects and the court-room scenes been researched better and presented clinically, with a little less of the Bollywood urge to be dramatic.

Director Ajay Behl has only one past directorial credit so far. He directed the movie, B. A. Pass, in 2012, 7 years ago.

All told, this movie is much better than so many other story-less entertainers which we all see. So, go for it!

Court (2014)

Awesome; Uniquely amazing; A must watch if you seek quality cinema

[9/10 · 9 November 2019]

The protagonist is an unbending protest singer, singing in the style of Maharashtrian folk music. He also pens his own songs. He has none of the apparatus or trappings of a huge fan base or power. Singing for free at vacant residential spaces, he has a voluntary ensemble in tow. His fiery words create ripples of unease in the narrow minds of the police, who consider his public singing provocatively seditious.

This is quite a satire on the police and judiciary in India. One can also see the widespread absurdity of life when power is wielded without a balancing sense of responsibility. Life is being lived nonchalantly. A perversely illogical cause-effect reasoning by the police leads to the protagonist being put behind bars, without bail. There is trickery to justify your biases, but no counterbalancing commonsense.

The judiciary mechanically follows the police lead, once the accusations are branded as being under the Indian Penal Code. It gives a date for the next hearing, usually after one or more months, routinely and for flimsy reasons. For example, a lawyer is unsure about the importance of the unique of the serial number of a costly, imported stolen watch, and wants time to revert, to continue to defend his client, who has been accused of robbing it. Again, the judge exercises his powers on inconsequential things unthinkingly. This is also subtly highlighted when the judge shows his ingrained bias and refuses to hear a middle-aged lady litigant in his court who was dressed in a modest but sleeveless blouse and skirt.

We notice that a catastrophe in the life of the protagonist does not impact the private lives of the lawyers, or the judge or the court employees.

The story has lot of content. Nothing in the movie is peripheral or unnecessary for the narrative. Despite the slow narration, the movie tells us a detailed story of what happens to the protagonist.

Practically every scene is real, and has been chosen with care. Each of them silently tells its own story, which never wanders away from the main narration. The camera stays at the scene for long seconds, and we gradually observe everything in the frame as if we are looking at some huge painting. The time available in each scene seems well spent, and it somehow does not make us impatient or our minds to wander. All the scenes are real, taken from existing places in Mumbai. It appears that the camera was never hand-held and never moved with the story or its characters. And, that experience was uniquely amazing.

An ending scene is very illuminating. A prankster group of kids suddenly scream in chorus at the judge who was slumbering on the lawn seat during a family picnic, while on holiday. Startled and agitated with the rudeness, the judge involuntarily slaps the lingering little mute boy, as the other kids scoot immediately after the mischief. All too often, the innocent get punished in the process and the smart ones make themselves scarce. And, that is what this whole story is about.

Many of the actors in the movie are not professionals. They have been plucked from real life. The protagonist Vira Sathidar (as Narayan Kamble) is a real, fiery protest singer in the folk tradition of Maharashtra. The wife of the deceased Usha Bane (as Sharmila Pawar) is an actual sewer cleaner's widow.

This movie deserved to be India's official entry to the Oscars in 2015. It is a must-watch, even a more-than-once watch, if you seek quality cinema.

Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy (2009)

Popular entertainment; Good acting

[6/10 · 8 November 2019]

This is popular entertainment. The Director has taken the liberty to enlist Shivaji Maharaj to drive home the point that unlike him, the 'Marathi Maanus' (the common Maharashtrian) no longer seems to hold his head high. The message is that the legendary Shivaji Maharaj had battled all odds to create history and renown for the Marathas (Maharashtrians), but today's Marathi Maanus has allowed himself to become abjectly subservient to others.

The protagonist is heckled at every turn and seems to get subjugated more and more. One fine morning, he decides to hold his head high. No longer will he be on the receiving end, if he is not in the wrong.

The story narrates how he is suddenly energized and goes on to battle corruption in high places, standing firm against gangster threats, kidnapping, et al. Notwithstanding several interesting twists in the tale, he begins to see instant success with his new attitude. Here, it may be pointed out, despite the exciting encounters, the movie appears to give him easy successes.

Siddarth Jadav (as the gangster Usman Parkar) was superb, although his role was smallish.

Sachin Khedekar (as Dinkar), the lead, acted very well. Mahesh Manjrekar (as the bedecked Shivaji Maharaj) was very effective in his role.

Kamlesh Sawant (as ACP Rege) and Ganesh Yadav (as Nandkumar) were also good in their brief roles.

The pace of the narration is good. There are no boring moments.

This is worth a watch, in the category of popular entertainment.

Chittagong (2012)

Worth a watch; Based on true events; Well crafted; Bit hurried in the end; Background crooning was jarring

[7/10 · 6 November 2019]

The movie narrates true events. It deals with the armed revolt in the 1930s, against the British rulers in Chittagong, executed by a master with the participation of school boys. Subsequently, there was also a peasant uprising in the same town, led by one of the school boys, against these British rulers.

The movie is not jerky, awkward, hurried or too slow.

However, it has taken up disproportionately more time in narrating the armed revolt and its aftermath; less time has been given to the later peasant uprising which happened in order to regain the food-grains forcibly commandeered by the Britishers.

This 'peaceful' peasant uprising was equally interesting and should have been detailed better. There are no scenes of how much has been commandeered by the British, what was the layout map of their location vis-a-vis the food-grains godown, how they planned the tunnel routes, how they planned the digging teams, how the teams actually dug the tunnels, the travails of digging the tunnels secretly, time frames involved, the general heroism of it all. The narrative was cursory here.

There was an immediate reason for the peasants to rise against the Britishers as their lands, crops and food-grains had been forcibly commandeered by them. However, it is not clear what particular events triggered the master in Chittagong to plan a revolt. The movie could have shed some light on that. If there were no particular events which triggered, then the movie could have explored how a widespread wave of resistance to the Britishers was building up in the entire country, and how the Chittagong folks were not unaffected.

Delzad Hiwale (as the young Jhunku) has acted very well. Nawazuddin Siddique, Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao are well known actors and did well in this movie. However, a common observation for all these four actors (and particularly Manoj Bajpayee) is that their facial expressions were not so nuanced.

Vega Tamotia (as Pritilata Waddedar) acted well and also used facial expressions more.

All the actors in the movie have acted well. There was no amateurishness anywhere.

The good costumes did a lot in creating the period story effect in the movie. Apparently, a lot of care has been taken here. This whole thing was quite pleasing. Kudos to the Costume Designer Nilanjana Ghose.

The film location was apt, with the villages, the rural folk, the thick jungle, the rocky terrain, the single railway line and the deserted road lined with thick foliage.

This is a film production of high calibre, with good homework all around. The movie has mostly Indian actors and Indians in key non-acting roles. Only the Cinematographer and the Editor appear to be non-Indians.

It was a bit incredulous to see two bicycling policemen approaching the secret training ground inside the forest, where training to fire a rifle was being given to the school boys, and not hear the noise of the firing.

The music (songs) composing team of Shankar-Ehsan-Loy is quite popular in Bollywood. But, their extensive crooning in the background was inconsequential and jarring. This was a put-down and gave a Bollywood-like effect to an otherwise well crafted movie.

Reva (2018)

Beautiful outdoor locales; Poor translation of a beautiful story into a movie; Poor acting

[7/10 · 5 November 2019]

Reva is another name for the Narmada river in India. It is one of the important rivers, stretching more than 1300 kilometers and emptying into the Arabian Sea on the west coast. In India, important rivers, like the Ganges, Godavari, Yamuna etc are revered and worshiped as goddesses since ancient times.

The protagonist, Chetan Dhanani (as Karan), lives in the United States, accustomed to the high life and with no exposure, understanding and tolerance for the time-honored and deep beliefs, blind faith and the ritualistic lives in India. He is compelled to visit an ashram in India, located deep inside the forest on the banks of the Narmada (Reva) river. He is exposed to strong doses of belief, faith and rituals while there. His reason to visit is money and property. Once he is there, he also acquires an unstated love interest for one of the girls running the ashram. He goes through various experiences (mystical and ethereal even) and those turn his derision into skepticism, and finally, into belief, on par with what Indians living on the Narmada hold. His spiritual awakening leads to a serious rethink about his initial money and property agenda.

The original story by Sahitya Akademi award winner, Dhruv Bhatt, is undoubtedly powerful, especially if you are a believer or even a skeptic of matters spiritual. The movie makes no attempt to have a healthy debate between unquestioned faith and the rationalistic view of things in life.

In rendering this excellent story into a movie, there are several put-downs due to its amateurish narration, poorly done and unconvincing scenes and poor acting. The unit took great pains in choosing beautiful, genuine locations for the shoot, but not in narrating this very beautiful story.

Most of the film is outdoors. Here the movie deserves praise. Most of the scenes of the outdoors, the jungle environment, the rural environment, forgotten temples deep inside forests, places of worship in caves and the local populace are beautiful and genuine. Apparently, even the ashram is an existing one, and not a cinema set. The sojourn (parikrama) of the protagonist takes him to various beautiful places along the river bank. These are absolutely beautiful to behold. The huge legwork involved would usually be justified only for a detailed documentary. The movie gets a high rating only for these locales and the original story.

Unfortunately, the film's titles/ credits do not tell us names of the locations where the film was shot. That information, usually given, would have been interesting.

All the actors were average or less than that. They were often abrupt and jerky.

Chetan Dhanani tried his hand at being the protagonist, the film story writer and the lyricist for several of the songs, with nothing exceptional to show for at least two of those three activities.

There are six screens in the beginning of the movie, giving 'Special Thanks' to various people and organizations. And, there is another screen at the end saying 'Thank you' to someone. This was boringly overdone. We do not see so many acknowledgments usually, even though each movie will have plenty of people to thank for. A LONG list of acknowledgments are usually to be seen at the END of interesting documentaries.

Saavat (2019)

A good story translated into a bad movie; Totally avoidable

[4/10 · 3 November 2019]

The story starts with a death/ murder in a village. The visiting police investigator is told that there have been totally eight deaths, on the same date each year, in the last eight years. But, the villagers think that there is a witch afoot, and this is her work. This is followed by an elaborate narration for the witch theory.

This is a good story told very badly. The makers could not decide whether it was to be a scary movie, or a suspense movie or both. It is not any of these due to poor direction, poor acting and confusing screenplay. Given the good story, they have managed to tear it down in practically all aspects.

Frequently, the scenes were put-downs, amateurish and illogical. Consider the following:

-- There was emotional upheaval in the personal life of the protagonist, the senior lady police officer. Was there some connection between this and her successful cracking of the crime, or was it some kind of some kind of emotional release for her? From the movie, there seems no logical connection between the two things. In fact, the emotional upheaval seemed peripheral. There was no perceptible link of that upheaval driving her to take extraordinary pains to solve this complicated crime. Nor did the story suggest a situation that the police officer plodded on with great effort in spite of being slammed by her personal crisis.

-- One of the actors confesses to having committed certain crimes. Why would he confess that, when the police had no evidence to actually implicate him. There are no scenes of clever questioning by the police, or using of 'brute force', to trap that him.

-- The story is based on certain pre-Harappan archaeological finds in some village in Nanded district of Maharashtra. Why give a definite name or period for the archaeological finds when such a find has not been made thereabouts at all? It would have been better to have mentioned only that the archaeological finds were extremely ancient and ground breaking.

-- All the eight witnesses to the eight deaths over eight years scream in the same fashion, arch their bodies backwards (in fright) in the same fashion and fall down unconscious (face down) in the same fashion.

-- Each of the single witnesses to the eight murders is branded on his skin at the back of his torso by the so-called witch. How could those branded words survive so starkly on the human skin for so many years? There is growth, repair and rejuvenation of the skin all the time.

-- A digital image of a scary woman appearing at the narration of each death by the respective witness is just insipid. It does not succeed in creating a scare and weakens the mystery element in the story. So, it does no good to the narration.

-- They show the protagonist talking to her boss, the Police Commissioner. The PC is out of uniform and standing at the side of a busy road. He does not look anything like an imposing senior police official. Perhaps they could have shown him with proper shoulder medals or epaulets, sitting in his imposing office, with photos of a few past national leaders hung on the back wall?

-- The protagonist, a senior police officer, arrives in the village in a swanky (by Indian standards) Volkswagen car. She moves around on site in this car. This is incongruous, as an Indian policeman would have a vehicle of a certain kind usually. They could instead have got a 'POLICE' painted (or not painted) Scorpion or other Mahindra SUV usually used by senior Indian police officers.

Due to the muddled narration, in fact, one may struggle to understand the or parts of the story. So, here is a good story, clearly blotched by the movie.

The acting of all, throughout the movie, was poor, jerky, sometimes strange and awkward.

This is a totally avoidable movie. One need not see a bad movie to get a good story.

Bey Yaar (2014)

An interesting and exciting story narrated very well; Great acting by most

[8/10 · 2 November 2019]

Youngster Divyang Thakkar (as Chako) acted exceptionally well. Manoj Joshi (as Y B Gandhi) and Darshan Jariwala (as Jeetu Bhatt) are well known actors, and as expected, they did very well. Amit Mistry (as the zany Prabodh Gupta) was in full flow. The roly-poly Kavin Dave (as Uday) was lovable. Pratik Gandhi (as Tino) was okay.

The story is interesting and has no flaws. There is edge-of-the-seat excitement throughout. The narration is neither muddled nor confusing and holds your interest firmly. There is light comedy, amusement and banter. As in most stories in today's times, any attempt at payback for a wrong involves technology and a geek. This happens here too. There are also noticeable emotions at appropriate places in the story.

The story involves two friends (with ordinary lives) who want to get-rich-quick, but are duped by a God-man. Undeterred, they want to try their hand at something else but do not have funds to invest. So, they plan and pull off a temporary caper to get those funds. However, here they are duped, again. Then follows an elaborate double-cross to get even with the person who advanced them money and defrauded them. Art is involved in the story : paintings. There is a deception, a theft, a fitting payback and a happy ending.

This film is a definite watch.

Aajacha Divas Majha (2013)

A story about a bruised ego, guilt and mistaken heroism; Enjoyable and not profound

[6/10 · 31 October 2019]

This is a story of Maharashtra's Chief Minister (CM). It starts with him surviving an attempt by his political rivals to topple him. After returning from Delhi to Mumbai, he attends a marriage function in the evening where he feels insulted by an elderly (and much awarded) singer who does not get up to greet him when a round of introductions are going on. The host clarifies matters and the CM realizes that in this the singer had not slighted him. However, the CM had already made unwarranted, disparaging remarks about this singer. The guilt of this error now gnaws at him, and he wonders how to make up for his faux pas. Actually, the singer had made a request to the then Chief Minister eight years ago for a flat to be allotment in Mumbai in the government quota (which can be done by the CM at his discretion). Now, this CM, wanting to assuage his guilt, decides to give him a flat immediately (by sunrise). The major part of the story narrates how various officials are made to work through the night trying to overcome procedural hurdles, against their protestations and contrary to their usually bureaucratic habits, to make this possible.

The CM and Rehmatpurkar (the Secretary in charge of flat allotment) exchange some words for this extremely unreasonable demand to fulfil all the formalities by morning. Here, the CM has been shown as the hero. Of course, the viewers will root for this no-nonsense CM. However, as the Secretary points out, all papers could have been processed and approved in a month's time, in the routine course. The story unknowingly shows an immature CM who resorts to political expediency because of a bruised ego. His official powers causes havoc to half a dozen officials. It is to be noted that the flat request had been in cold storage for eight years not because of some bungling by some official, but because the earlier three CMs in their discretion (?) did not deem it important to act on it.

This is a simple movie narrating a simple story which essentially is about misguided heroism arising out of guilt due to a faux pas. Refreshingly, it does not take sides. The taut narration fills us with anticipation and that makes it worth watching. Those not accustomed to the workings of government offices and bureaucracy will find much to hold their interest as the story is rich in detail and reflects a lot of prior home work. There are no jerky moments in the narration; it moves at a brisk and even pace. The story is neither convoluted, nor philosophical, nor profound. There are some funny moments, not germane to the central story.

One usually sees a lot of hangers-on and 'yes' men around any political leader in India, looking to curry favors in the political durbar. The film does not forget this and packs many of its scenes with authentic looking people from the rural and mofussil areas who seek an audience, want favors and try to latch on to their political masters. This little but well executed detail adds to the tapestry. Kudos to the casting.

The dialogues were lively, with no rambling.

Sachin Khedekar (as the chief Minister), Mahesh Manjrekar (as Mr. Rehmatpurkar), Hrishikesh Joshi (as P D Shinde) acted quite well.

Take Care Good Night (2018)

Excellent movie; Every moment interesting; No weak points anywhere; I watched it twice

[8/10 · 29 October 2019]

The story is very detailed, plausible, convincing yet simple. It is a primer on information security (info-sec) and mainly describes the exploits possible by social engineering. There is nothing of the sophisticated, hi-tech software and device hacking which we are accustomed to associating with online frauds.

A young man succeeds in stealing a voluntarily retired person's money (INR 5 million/50 lacs) from his savings bank account. This retired person has a young daughter. That young man, in furtherance of his fraudulent scheme, also hooks up with the young daughter and secretly video tapes his amorous first date (involving physical intimacy et al.) with her. He then offers the intimate video online for payment in bitcoins. The father does some important, amateur detective work while taking the help of the law to nab the culprit, recover his money and bar his daughter's video from getting on the internet.

Interpersonal relationships between the parents and their kids have been portrayed sensitively and effectively. Several psychological aspects have been explored quite well. These include the parents having to deal with two young, grown up kids one of whom is (unthinkably) in a live-in relationship on campus in the USA, and the other, a daughter on her first affair through online chatting. The story also delves into the mind of the fraudster. Then, very relevantly, the story touches on the travails of a friendly family and the fatal rebelliousness of their young daughter. This is interspersed with the worrisome situation in the life of the Inspector, whose long unemployed engineer son takes money from his dad for his expenses.

The movie rightfully points out that many, especially older folk, are computer, internet and smart phone challenged and averse to embracing and fully understanding modern technology, gadgets and internet banking including their risks, challenges and safeguards, and how that very aspect is exploited by fraudsters, with dire consequences.

Two episodes are particularly memorable: The daughter telling her online boy-friend that she subconsciously scored mediocre in her exams to not outshine her low achieving parents (this was deep, by the way), considering that her USA studying brother had excelled; the pent-up and devastated father's outburst at the traffic signal because the youth behind him was honking even when the red light was on.

Mahesh Manjrekar (as Inspector Pawar) was the highlight in the acting lineup. He was very good and his role as an unpretentious cyber crime policeman provides several lightly amusing laughs and that makes the movie more rounded. His role was a happy contrast to the eccentric baddie which he has been in most Bollywood movies.

The diminutive Parna Pethe (as the daughter Sanika) performed exceedingly well, with great sensitivity and nuance. She was another highlight.

Sachin Khedekar (as Sudhir Deshpande, the father) was a treat to watch, as usual. In fact, all the actors in this movie were good.

The movie has a happy ending and that, though not immediately obvious, makes it enjoyable. And, the success of the police has been achieved without any undue heroism or histrionics; its just sincere, painstaking detective work.

The background music score was noticeable but not ostensible and helped to keep up the suspense in the story.

A special thumps-up to Mahesh Manjrekar for his endearing portrayal and producing this excellent can-be-watched-more-than-once movie (in fact I watched it twice).

Rajwade and Sons (2015)

Story seems one-sided; Not intense, considering the issues involved

[5/10 · 27 October 2019]

The story is about a very rich jeweler family (with members spanning three generations) which was jointly living for long and even now continues to jointly own the business. They will again be living jointly with a common kitchen in the near future after their sprawling apartment is ready. The patriarch (played by Sachin Alekar), an unbending, ultra conservative in matters of social and family life, is the all-pervading dictator in their lives. The younger generation is straining on the leash, and the elders also feel stifled. And, the movie deals with the 'coming out' of these rebellious undercurrents in this family.

Although the movie deals with deeply emotional issues of life, it is not intense. This superficiality is the reason why the movie does not make a strong impact.

When the patriarch (and dictator) finds that his son-in-law has done a deal with some South Koreans without showing him the documents first, he could have shown his displeasure more vigorously.

The patriarch does not really show much reaction when he finds that his granddaughter, against all family conventions, has modeled for a rival city jeweler. His reactions could have been livid.

When the kids discover the 'double life' of their uncle (Shubhankar), the reactions all around could have been stronger with 'hot and cold' emotions.

Shubhankar counsels his niece, Mrinmayee, the would-be model, to not get into a 4/5 year long profession and instead why not he gives her an advertising agency to own and run. The story does not pursue this suggestion. Here was a good opportunity to highlight to the kid that there are many shades to most things in life and cool consideration is always needed, although blind obstinacy may be the heat-of-the-moment emotion.

The 'outcast' son, Vikram (played by Amitriyan Patil) suddenly visits home and the kids naturally bond with him for his unfettered and carefree life style. None of the family rules seem to apply to him. The travails of his life journey, after he left home with a small sum of money, has not been explored in the movie. This could have given a needed perspective to the kids who only wanted to break free and who were naturally unaware of the challenges and difficulties of a different kind which await those who strike out on their own, especially when flying such an economically secure nest.

The story seems one-sided with none of the elders even putting forth the advantages or cause-and-effect perspectives of having a strong central command in the family. There are always two sides to anything, and the rebellious kids could really benefit from knowing the what and why of the other side.

However, there was one intense scene. Mrinmayee secretly does a modelling assignment. This incurs the displeasure of the elders. Here, the scene where Mrinmayee's angry father gets physical with her and how she reacts, is the one place where things get aptly intense. Rahul Mahendale and Mrinmayee Godbole act very well in that episode.

The movie however, packs a lot of acting talent. Atul Kulkarni (as Shubhankar), Sachin Khedekar (as Vidyadhar) and Mrinal Kulkarni (as Laxmi) acted very well, as should be expected. Rahul Mahendale (as Vaibhav and Laxmi's husband), Mrinmayee Godbole (as Ananya) and Sidharth Menon (as Virajas) were good too. Sachin Alekar (the grandfather), however, was generally emotionless.

Krutika Deo (as Shweta) and Mrinmayee Godbole (as Ananya) looked out of place in their respective roles: Krutika is just too small and delicate-like and does not look like a Spanish teacher and Mrinmayee, although with good acting, is not model material (she aspires to be a model).

The girl who briefly appears as widower Shubhankar's personal secretary and love interest is neither glamorous, nor pretty, nor appealing, nor gorgeous and with no apparent magnetism, attractiveness, elegance or grace. Although her role was totally peripheral, there was some incongruity in this situation.

The movie shows a beautifully designed residential building which has independent penthouses with common swimming pool and club house for the families of the grandfather, his two sons and his married daughter. This was a fabulous, impressive and befitting location for the homes of this ultra rich family.

Chal Man Jeetva Jaiye (2017)

Excellent family movie; Great story; No superfluous moment; Great acting by some

[8/10 · 25 October 2019]

The story is about a very reputed and wealthy family which is suddenly hit by a financial crisis which will sink them to rock bottom. The family deals with the shock and disbelief, debates the two ways of dealing with the crisis and eventually comes to a unanimous decision. A detailed treatment is given to why not be absolutely selfish in difficult times as against why sell out all your long earned goodwill and credibility. Strong economic and logical sense is pitted against short term selfishness.

The story has been narrated well, with probably no unnecessary or superfluous scene anywhere. The picture boxes containing live reactions of surreptitious watchers of the enfolding family drama was done superbly. That counter balances the hint of closed spaces of a largely indoor, one room drama. These picture boxes deserve tons of additional applause.

There are no implausible or jerky moments in the entire narration. There was tight control over emotional meandering in the story when the shock sinks in and the other family members are in disbelief. None of the actors got very long monologues, and no one actor overshadowed in the story.

Krishna Bharadwaj (as Dev), Dharmendra Gohil (as Vasant) and Rajiv Mehta (as Suryakant) acted very well. Between Krishna Bharadwaj and Dharmendra Gohil, it is difficult to say who was better. Hemen Chauhan (as Viren), with many dialogues and good camera time, was good, but did not impress, as compared to the three other actors mentioned above. Strangely, the two girls Sheetal Pandya (as Pallavi) and Ketkie Jayshree Parekh (as Ananya) inexplicably seemed quite immature.

Apart from the two girls mentioned above, every other actor, including the ones which had the smallest of roles, was good.

The title song was rousing and excellent. It created pleasant anticipation for the movie to begin. Wisely, there was no song during the entire movie.

The house where they live and where all the action happens befits an ultra rich family. The film location therefore, was appropriate.

The on camera exhortations of the five Ideology Ambassadors (not well known people, at least to me) at the end of the movie was in bad taste. It spoils the overall impression of this well-made movie, with a powerful story, told well. The good message to be gleaned from the story is for the audience to understand, and not for these Ambassadors to lay it out in black and white after having taken so much care to narrate the story. The story and its message hits the audience without any distractions, and there is no need to buttress that underlying message by having relatively unknown Gujarat based (?) businessmen sermonize at the end. (Perhaps these five persons have financed the movie?).

The police officer who comes to arrest the family members did not look a policeman, what with his stylish wavy hair, which they tried to hide under his police hat. Perhaps he could have had a proper haircut like other Indian policemen in general?

At the end, they announce that Part 2 of the movie will come in 2018. Where is it? We are now in 2019.

Premachi Goshta (2013)

A simple love story with a unique backdrop; Good acting by Atul Kulkarni

[5/10 · 22 October 2019]

A man and a woman, both married and strangers, become chance acquaintances during their visits to the Marriage Counselor office. Later, the lady gets a job with him, and they become emotionally involved, while struggling with their own estranged marriages.

This is a simple story narrated with a unique backdrop of writing rehashed film stories, mostly for remakes of other movies. An original story sprouts in the mind of the protagonist and that helps to crystallize the growing emotions between him and the lady, who are now working together. Credit should be given to The Director, Satish Rajwade, who wrote the story and acted in the movie.

Atul Kulkarni, twice winner of National Film Awards, was a treat to watch (as Ram). His performance was quite nuanced and effective. The surprise was the 'Chak De India' actress, Sagarika Ghatge, who did quite well in a big role as Sonal. Her appearance was eye catching. She has a great screen presence and is naturally glamorous, more so as she has not been seen in many movies. Rohini Hattangadi (Ram's mother) adds weight to any movie she is a part of. Surekha Talvalkar (as Ragini) did not impress.

The episode where Sonal writes her first scene and is so excited that even though late, she wants Ram to hear it in person right then, seems stretched and superficial.

Three melodious songs croon in the later part of the movie and that adds weight to the emotional situations. It was a pleasant surprise to hear Kailash Kher singing in Marathi.

This movie can be given a miss unless you do not want to pass up on any Atul Kulkarni movie or miss a chance to see Sagarika Ghatge on her rare screen appearance.

Baapjanma (2017)

Strange and implausible story; Poor movie although with good acting by many

[4/10 · 19 October 2019]

The Director, Nipun Dharmadhikari, wrote the story. A retired and widowed intelligence officer is clearly estranged from his married son and married daughter, becomes terminally ill, realizes his past errors, and wants to make amends.

The story narrated is quite implausible at several places and that brings down the movie severely. Strange (and silly) things happen at the cremation ground. Also, it seems that the Director was bent on avoiding what would naturally have been a traditional, happy ending story....it's just implausible that the protagonist walks away, in the end. And, how could one have a Will which is read by one's lawyer while one is still alive? Such a document is, at best, a Gift Deed, and not a Will. Again, would a father deliberately antagonize (sometimes violently hurting) his small son to cultivate detachment so that there would be limited grief in case of his death? Would a married man (seemingly not rich) quit his job to pursue the full time study course of chartered accountancy, as was done by one of the persons in the story? Further, the protagonist finally goes off permanently to stay in the Himalayas. There he is shown living in a Dak Bungalow/ Forest Rest House (those which have green, sloping tin roofs). It could easily have been more realistic to show him living in an actual house. Again, it seems unreal that the protagonist surreptitiously and noiselessly picks up his sleeping baby grandson (who is cuddled against his sleeping mother) to spend some quality time with him, and then noiselessly return him back to his bed. Finally, it is a bit difficult to digest that the son thaws upon hearing his Mom's voice in a recorded cassette.

Pushkaraj Chirputkar was a live-in servant of the protagonist and has a meaningful role in the story, but does not figure in the movie's poster, even though Tiger, their dog and silent companion, is shown in the poster.

Big names like Everest Entertainment and Eros International are associated with this movie, but the movie does not do justice to these names.

There was evidence that even small-small details were incorporated with good care in the movie. But, these are weighed down by the weak story.

Every scene of Pushkaraj Chirputkar (as Mauli) was a treat to watch.

Madhav Vaze (as Apte Ajoba) acted very well as a demented old man. His portrayal was effective.

Sharvari Lohokare (as Veena) had a small role but acted very well in the scenes when she talks to her brother about their father's secret interaction with her husband and its adverse effect on their lives.

Sachin Khedekar was good, as usual. However, he does not look the retired, old man that he portrays...he looks quite young. He could have looked more suitable for his role with some proper aging-effect make-up.

Akarsh Khurana was good in his small role as friend and junior colleague of the protagonist.

This movie can be easily avoided unless you are a die-hard fan of Marathi 'chitrapat' in general.

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018)

Poorly directed; Nothing interesting about it

[4/10 · 16 October 2019]

The story has been poorly narrated. It could have been a very interesting movie as there were many aspects and developments in the actual chain of events. But, in this movie, there is just activity, with little detail to engross the viewer. It not even plays to the nationalistic sentiments of the viewers.

Apart from Boman Irani, none of the actors impress.

A few shots of the actual site of the nuclear experiment in Pokhran, Rajasthan have been taken, but that does not by itself lift the story.

There was actually interesting historical information in the footnote screen shots at the end of the movie. They tell us quite a bit about the actual persons involved in the nuclear testing. These seem interesting, after a very boring movie.

Zed Plus (2014)

Very silly!

[4/10 · 16 October 2019]

The story is quite silly.

A very silly Indian Prime Minister's government is tottering, and so he makes a pilgrimage to an obscure shrine in a village in Rajasthan.

By a silly turn of events, the protagonist finds himself covered by (the highest) Zed Plus security provided by the Central Government of India.

The acting by most was below par, with only Sanjay Mishra and Mukesh Tiwari providing some sparks in their small roles.

It's not a political satire....there is no underlying message....no undercurrent of corruption....no critique of an inept local government.... No social message....it's just supposed to make you laugh....which it fails to do.

A few scenes in the Mandawa Palace provide an interesting glimpse of some lovely paintings and wall art.

Nothing worth watching in the movie.

Drishyam (2015)

Gripping, suspenseful and without a dull moment; Movies teach you everything - motto; Excellent film poster

[8/10 · 3 October 2019]

Two quotes from the past -- First quote - 'Everything I learned I learned from the movies' -- Audrey Hepburn;

Second quote - 'You know what your problem is, its that you haven't seen enough movies - all of life's riddles are answered in the movies' -- Steve Martin.

This movie is a testament to the above two quotes.

A father, a private cable movie operator, who is only 4th class (grade) pass is suddenly engulfed in a crisis starting with the sexual harassment of his school going daughter. The movie is about how he deals with the family crisis.

The movie is gripping, suspenseful and without a dull moment. There is no hitch or element of implausibility in the entire narration.

Director Nishikant Kamat has done three movies, Dombivli Fast (2005), Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008) and Drishyam (2015), and it is difficult to say which is better than which....all of them have been very well appreciated.

Ajay Devgn has given a memorable performance. Tabu gives a very excellent act in the last scene with Ajay Devgn and Rajat Kapoor, where her son's fate is tacitly revealed and she is left to quietly bear the devastation of his loss. Kamlesh Sawant (as Inspector Gaitonde) has acted very well.

Most of the key actors in the movie are women - Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav. They have all done well.

Rajat Kapoor was just like an emotionless prop, although he is a grieving father.

The remaining actors also have acted well.

The film poster has been designed very well. It shows all the important actors in the story and conveys the dark suspense of the movie.

Raid (2018)

Gripping, suspenseful, wonderful from start to finish; Saurabh Shukla is a wonder; Good dialogues by Ritesh Shah; Good casting

[8/10 · 2 October 2019]

The story is suspenseful and gripping. It is detailed, focused and believable. Top echelons of the Indian bureaucracy have been well portrayed in a believable and realistic way. There is a very human interest angle in the story and that has been effectively conveyed in just a few scenes. The mysteries in the 'White House' are a wonder. The crowd scenes have been filmed very well.

Saurabh Shukla can always be relied upon to deliver a stellar performance. He is the 'star' of the movie. He was a treat to watch, as always. Ajay Vevgn holds center-stage in the narration, in his quiet way. He is economical with his physical movements and facial expressions but gives depth to his role as an unassuming, grounded government tax officer. Amit Sial (as Lallan Sudheer), who has acted in several TV series like Inside Edge in 2017, has acted well. Pushpa Joshi (as Amma) effectively plays the role of the irrepressible, unconcerned and ancient mother. All the other actors were good.

Ritesh Shah has done very well with the dialogues (his past work is impressive, including dialogues for the movies Pink (2016), Airlift (2016), D - Day (2013), B. A. Pass (2012), Citylights (2014), Force (2011), and so on, all successful movies. The dialogues keep the whole story rooted to reality.

The casting was excellent and Pushpa Joshi was the icing on the cake.

The poster of the film shows only Ajay Devgn, the protagonist. Saurabh Shukla, the chief antagonist, could also have been shown.

The title could be misleading as it could refer to an intelligence, military, dacoit related or some other raid, not just a tax raid.

Andhadhun (2018)

Suspense; Fast paced; Lots of Bollywood songs on the piano; Apt title; Poor casting for the pianist; Illogical basis to the story

[7/10 · 1 October 2019]

The movie has suspense and is fast paced, with not a dull moment.

However, the story seems a bit illogical. It shows a pianist (piano player) who is not blind but pretends to be blind as (he says) it helps him in his music. This player is shown going outdoors for all his work and performances with dark glasses but no eye band to bar his eyes from seeing. He could therefore be seeing all the time with his dark glasses. This makes us wonder whether he was doing a smart thing to just garner a sympathetic following for his music.

Plenty of lovely piano music is played by the protagonist in the movie. Ayushmann Khurrana (AK) was not an exquisite choice as a pianist - he does not have long fingers or a prominent little (pinky) finger. Check the 2002 movie 'The Pianist' (3 Oscars) by Roman Polanski where Adrien Brody played the pianist. Also, AK could have been a lot more subtle with his blind man's act -- while playing the piano and especially when having to witness a murder.

Tabu and Radhika Apte were a treat to watch. Personally, it was also a treat to watch Zakir Hussian. Manav Vij as the policeman did not impress. The rest of the acting was okay.

Considering the meaning of the Hindi word 'andhadhun', the title of the movie seems apt as it deals with the avoidable travails of a musician who pretends to be blind all the time and gets into a lot of trouble for that.

Also, suddenly, the story seems a bit implausible after Ayushmann Khurrana somewhere in between avers that he now has really become blind.

Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012)

Fun movie; Punjabi gusto on display; Great acting by Huma Qureshi; Interesting story about putting love in your cooking

[7/10 · 24 September 2019]

This is a light, happy, seemingly genuine and amusing story plucked out of everyday Punjabi family nuttiness. The story is based in UK and Punjab. The hero is forced to return to India after 10 years and is trying to wriggle out of an impossible debt to some UK Punjabi baddies.

The language is specified as Hindi but there are plenty of Punjabi words everywhere, giving it an authentic Punjabi dehat (rural) flavour without overdoing it. And, there is a lot of Punjabi food. The actors seem truly Punjabi too, except Rajesh Sharma (as Titu mama) who seemed out of place with his looks.

Rahul Bagga (as Jeet) (also seen in the 2010 TV serial, Powder), Vicky Kaushal the film actor, in a small flash - back role, and Vinod Nagpal (as Darji, with the long noisy farts, who is a veteran of the 1985 TV serial Hum Log, movies like Khosla Ka Ghosla!, Pink, Jolly LLB 2, and many other appearances), were a delight to watch. Kunal Kapoor (as Omi Khurana) and the hero, was not impressive.

Huma Qureshi (as Harman) has acted outstandingly well...she is the star of the movie. Her every scene and frame has been done with consummate skill. She was a treat to watch. She was the wow element and made the movie worthwhile to quite an extend.

The mourning scene (and the get together) was very well done.

The film poster is lovely....colourful and expressive.

Also good were the background Punjabi rap songs.

The name given to the movie was very apt....the very words tickle and pique your curiosity.

A nice story and a fun movie over all...don't miss it!

Badla (2019)

Complicated and confusing; Implausible and unreal; Many convenient coincidences; Poor narration; Great acting by Tapsee Pannu

[5/10 · 20 September 2019]

The movie is pretty complicated, confusing, implausible, unreal and with many convenient coincidences.

A major part of the story has been narrated in quick flash backs. A lot of time has been spent in the present on the dialogue between Tapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachchan....but most of the story happens in the flash backs where the plot is buried but the narration very hurried.

The only thing apparent is that there are two dead bodies. Have they been murdered, who murdered them - its all fuzzy and convoluted. The viewer is likely to be none the wiser at the end.

The movie indirectly shows the police in an uncharacteristically poor light....especially since it the the police of England/ Scotland (the story is based there). The police is staring at clear evidence that something is very wrong, but says all that is irrelevant.

The only great thing about the movie is Tapsee Pannu's superb acting. She is the 'star' of the movie. Amitabh Bachchan has a smaller role, but is always a treat to watch. Tapsee Pannu perhaps should have got first position in the name credits, before Amitabh Bachchan (although I am a diehard Amitabh Bachchan fan). Amrita Singh did well.

The other actors, all little known, were unimpressive, including Tony Luke (Tapsee's boyfriend), and Tanveer Ghani (Amrita Singh's husband). In that respect, the casting seemed poor......perhaps they just thought that the three roles of Amitabh Bachchan, Tapsee Pannu and Amrita Singh were all that mattered.

The background music did not seem to enhance the emotions or situations. Nothing to write home about.

Apart from a great performance by Tapsee Pannu and the presence of Amitabh Bachchan, this movie should be avoided.

My rating of 5 is mainly for the great acting by Tapsee Pannu and the presence of Amitabh Bachchan.

Newton (2017)

Great direction and Casting; Great dialogues; Single face on poster unfair

[8/10 · 18 September 2019]

The story is about the callous attitude of the police on guard at the polling booth, pitted against a very conscientious polling booth officer. Pankaj Tripathi, their Commandant and the chief antagonist, displays this derision effectively. In fact, he is the 'star' of the film. He trivializes and tries to sabotage the election process in this Maoist - infested jungle which has only seventy odd tribal voters. The story is about the negative machinations of the police against the polling process. There is nothing about any opposition of the Maoists. We, normal citizens, rather than the armed Maoists appear to be more harmful to the democratic process. And, the polling starts only with the arrival of the media and a foreign observer with the DIG in tow.

The story is completely plausible and an excellent narration makes it so real. Hats off to the Director for some awesome direction! Close attention to the smallest detail in every scene and frame has really made a lot of difference in this movie.

The film has very apt and telling dialogues...even memorable ones, and all praise for this to Amit Masurkar (also the Director) and Mayank Tewari!

A special applause for the fantastic casting for the various roles...of Raghubir Yadav, Anjali Patil, Sanjay Mishra, Omkar Das Manikpuri, and the unbelievable (and genuine?) Gond tribals....! Kudos to Romil Modi and Tejas Girish Thakker, and their two casting associates - Trushant Ingle and Mukesh Prajapati. A really excellent job!

The film's poster has only the face of Rajkummar Rao (he is Newton, the polling booth in-charge). Why show only the protagonist, and nothing of the antagonist? This seems unfair.

Another name for this movie could have been 'Chunavi Dhandhali' (election irregularity) or just 'Dhandhali' (irregularity).

There is nothing to detract from in this movie. In fact, you will also see a lot of good acting by so many in the cast! This movie is definitely a 'must watch'!

Article 15 (2019)

Good narration; Beautiful shots among the morning mist; Movie title - a misnomer; Lead actor - unimpressive

[7/10 · 15 September 2019]

Manoj Pahwa (as Brahmadatt Singh) was the most outstanding actor in the entire film.

Sayani Gupta (as Gaura) was outstanding too.

All the other actors (except for the three listed below), including those who had very small roles, were very good -

Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role (as Ayan Ranjan) and Nassar (as the CBI officer Panikar) were very poor in their roles.

Isha Talwar (as Aditi), although having a very little role, was unimpressive.The narration highlights the strong caste prejudice which prevails in rural India.

The title of the movie is a misnomer. The name suggests a huge legal, bureaucratic and social battle about Article 15 of the Indian Constitution. That is not so. A better title would have been 'Santulan' (meaning Balance), a word used by the deputy cop Brahmadutt Singh in the movie, or 'Asantulan' (meaning Imbalance).

There are some weak scenes in the narration. The impact of the narration was somewhat weakened due to that --

First, the policemen wade in the swamp to search for the third girl. The camera shows that they actually do wade in the swamp. But, when they emerge from it, their trousers are not mucked up or wet.

Second, Ayushmann Khurrana, as their leader and head policeman, asserts that he too will wade in the swamp and help in the search. This surprises and awes his team of juniors. But, the camera does not really show him in the swamp or his pants getting dirty. Only a verbal immersion, obviously.

Third, there is a scene when a sanitation worker dives underwater in an overflowing manhole (for a sewer drain). He is totally devoid of protective face mask or clothing - incidentally this a much talked about, lethal and caste-based occupational hazard in India. This worker emerges from the man-hole with very little of the muck that is supposed to be clogging and overflowing the drain. A chance to make the whole sequence subtly more telling was missed.

Fourth, in the last scene, the police party is tired and rests in the dirt at the side of a deserted road, in the middle of nowhere. And, there is this old lady selling basic cooked food (dry potato vegetable rolled in rotis), and she apparently has enough for all the policemen. This seems implausible is rural India, on a deserted road, in the middle of nowhere.

The opening lead-and-chorus folk song was quite good.

There were several scenes in the morning mist, which were beautifully captured.

Overall, the story has been narrated well.

Velvet (2013– )

2 outstanding acting performances

[8/10 · 14 December 2017]

Most of the actors did a good job in this TV series. However, there are 2 actors who really stood out.

Manuela Velasco played the role of Cristina Otegui and was outstanding!

Asier Etxeandia played the role of Raul de la Riva, the fashion designer, and was outstanding!

SHS([e-mail])

Kasba (1991)

An adaptation of a Chekhov story

[6/10 · 30 January 2017]

Maniram, a businessman, lives in a small town, selling controlled items in the black market, extending political and police patronage and evading taxes. His elder son Dhaniram works in Delhi. Dhaniram marries a local girl and a son is born. Maniram's younger son is mentally deficient but is married to a sprightly, willful and ambitious girl. Maniram's wife came from very needy circumstances, before marriage. Also, the bride he had picked for his younger son similarly came from very needy circumstances, before marriage. The lives of Maniram, Dhaniram and the younger daughter-in-law are sprinkled with illegal wrong-doing. However, life has its ups and downs, and here the story becomes interesting.

Maniram's home is noticeably ethnic. Mita Vasisht, as the younger son's wife, has acted well. This is an adaptation of an interesting Chekhov story. The movie is slow and unlike an Hindi commercial movie. It is a must-see from a respected Indian Director for lovers of Indian off-beat cinema.