Movie Review: Emergency (2025)

 

I watched the film ‘Emergency’ (2025) recently on TV. This is the famous film made by Kangana Ranaut based on the life of late PM Indira Gandhi, and had faced legal issues before its release due to some scenes including the assassination scene.

I found the movie surprisingly good. As compared to most of the other biopics on political figures, I found this one extremely well made. Although, the film tries to capture historical events which are numerous and hence it becomes a challenge to tell the “story” and keep it about the protagonist and not get lost in the historical events. Due to these challenges, I could feel that the pace of the film was slightly faster than could have been. But I know it was near impossible to depict the enigmatic life of late Indira Gandhi ji in a single film and Kangana Ranaut has done it so well!

I remember all the controversies and press reports at the time this movie was being released. I have anyway almost stopped going to the theatres for watching movies and hence I had totally skipped this one at the time it was released. Now I realise what I had missed. But better be late than never and I am happy that I caught it on TV now.

It is very rare to lead a life which late Indira Gandhi had led. Those days, our country was poor and not strong. It is really incredible how our great Prime Ministers of those decades led our country so well. Despite “Emergency” being the theme of this film, which is considered a blot on the face of our democracy, the film does capture many more important events from the history of our country which I have read about and hence was able to relate well. Though I was not aware that Indira Gandhi was arrested by the Janata Party led Govt at the centre and later released due to public pressure. There are many more aspects shown in the film which I have read in newspapers and magazine articles, and the film has very honestly shown those without malice or political colouring. For example, the depiction of Sanjay Gandhi and his role prior to and during the Emergency of 1975. Vishak Nair, the actor who played the role of Sanjay Gandhi has given a really remarkable performance. So has Milind Soman in the role of Army Chief Sam Manekshaw. I was expecting this movie to be all about Kangana Ranaut, as the Press often depicts her, but found that the film will be memorable due to many such actors and characters, and not only for her.

It is very rare to remain relevant and enigmatic all through our life. It is also very rare for one’s death to match the enigmatic life one has led. Mahatma Gandhi had a glorious death matching his life, and perhaps the other person would be Indira Gandhi. I was a very small kid when she was killed, and I still remember the morning. I was at my hometown, standing in front of our house, when the news had broken about her death. I remember that my grandfather, father and uncles were all talking about it. Like most noble families those days, I guess my grandfather and his family were her supporters too. I have some visuals of that morning still in my mind. It is said that kids smaller than 5 do not remember much from their childhood. I don’t know how rare it is, but I have vivid memories of that day. It is a shame that this great film was marred into controversy for depicting her assassination which is very sensibly covered.

This film has tried to depict the complex personality and psychology of Indira Gandhi. I have read many articles where journalists and authors have written that it was very difficult to characterise her. She was not a simple person. And this film has attempted a near impossible task of capturing some of the complexities of her mind and her life. The movie makers get full credit for it.

I highly recommend this film for one and all. And I wish our nation is slightly grateful for the great political leaders we have had in the past.

- Rahul

 

 

 

 

Movie Review: Wonka (2023)

Wonka (2023) is a musical fantasy comedy film. After having watched legendary film 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' (2005) where Willy Wonka's character has been immortalized by Johnny Depp in one of the best flicks ever made, I had very high expectations of Wonka (2023).  Also, because the movie was much hyped and marketed across the world. But after watching it, I had mixed feelings.

First of all, the casting of Timothée Chalamet in the role of Willy Wonka was the best thing about this movie and a 'masterstroke'. Timothée has done many other period drama films and already shown his immense talent. Willy Wonka's role came as a cake walk for the super talented actor. 

In Wonka (2023), we are exposed to an imaginary world designed on the pattern of "colonial Europe". The movie shows most of the exploiters as White/European. We also see plenty of characters of African origin and hence the place has become totally of mixed-race which is a design in Hollywood these days. The masters are shown keeping slave-like servants. The characters speak in a comic way, and there is a background score to help too, in trying to make an impression that we are watching a comedy or a children's film and perhaps also hide the depressing exploitation going on in the plot where most people are shown as cheats and thugs. All the businessmen are painted as dishonest capitalists in the movie. 

There is a small girl of African origin, who says, "the greedy beat the needy every time Mr. Wonka. Guess it's the way of the world." Seems pretty harsh reality thrust down the throats of children watching a magician making chocolate with "liquid sunlight" and "condensed thundercloud". I did not like it. 

It is okay to tell kids about evil people; after all monsters and demons are a constant in children's stories. But it is completely different to show evilness in "everyday people" because that is something which belongs to the adult world. The movie seems like training children into becoming cynics and plotting a society suffering from isolation and broken families. 

The movie shows other chocolate makers bribing a policeman in order to stop Wonka from selling chocolates; teaching children about jealousy, bribery and dishonesty of police. 

Later, in order to gain favor, Wonka tells the associate of the hotel owner that "she loves you", and in a rhyme, tells him to "show her some thigh" which is highly objectionable. I wonder why teaching immorality to young audiences was necessary for the film-makers. 

Somehow everyone in this movie speaks while looking at the other person with eyes wide open "without blinking". It gets very weird after a while. 

There are lots of scenes moving at very slow place and it is almost boring. The movie brings an weird scene where Wonka is milking a giraffe and the scene is shot in the most boring way possible while Wonka talks to the girl (without blinking his eyes, of course). 

The movie is revolving around lives of "orphans" which is supposed to be depressing enough for kids. But the movie makers have tried hard to make it 10 times more depressing by shooting most of the scenes in the dark and confined places. Yes, even the giraffe in the zoo is shown standing inside a "room". 

On the plus side, the movie shows humans "flying", perhaps playing on the kids who love imagining it. A little consolation for an otherwise insane plot. 

After the "flying with balloons" scene, Wonka dances with the girl from African origin, and it is almost romantic; which should have been strictly no-no for a children's movie. All children's stories tell about kings and queens who are married, but it is a different thing altogether to show that a teenage boy and a girl made to dance in a romantic manner without any context or need in the plot. 

Due to its absurd plot and the movie makers not able to decide who their target audience were, and hence mixing children's imagination with commercial greed of the adult world, I would rate Wonka (2023) as 4/10. I would rather wish to have given it a miss. 

- Rahul 

Movie Review: Barbie (2023)

The problem with radical feminism is that it projects men as "enemies" of women. And its second-best trait is that it teaches women to be "self-centered", even at the cost of breaking up anything that comes in its way. Could a movie in the name of "Barbie" be made without ideals of radical "feminism" in it? Certainly, for some time in future. Because "Barbie" of 2023 brings the same old rhetoric just colored in lots of pink. 

The first thing that comes to mind after looking at the cast of the movie is their age. Age is a polite way to put it, but it is the "baggy eyes". Or "tyres" around the eyes of Margot Robbie. Just look below: 

Just so that you don't misunderstand me, I have been a fan of Margot Robbie and last time I saw her in "Once upon a time in Hollywood" playing Sharon Tate in the most epic manner possible. In her roles, she always brings grace and positivity, and we always need more of her. 

At the same time, it is really interesting to notice how men and women age at a different pace. Because Margot Robbie is just 33 but looks 53 while Ryan Gosling is 43 and looks 35. At least in this movie. 

The movie starts in a confusing scenario where everyone was calling everyone else "Barbie". It went on like this and its weirdness did not wear off for long. Only later, the need to see Barbies in hoards stopped, as the "Steriotypical Barbie" moved to the real world. Ken, moved there with her too; because what would boys do in life if not chase girls? 

I guess the makers of this film knew that kids would also go to watch this movie (it has 12A rating). Then I felt that all the references to all the evil byproducts of modernity, including mental illnesses, feminism, patriarchy and "fascism" were highly objectionable. In an epic scene in this movie which I loved, a small girl calls Barbie "fascist"! 

The funniest part of this movie was when Ken shouted, "Men still rule the world!" and goes on to search books about how he could use patriarchy to "rule the world". He then goes back to Barbie land and establishes "Ken's land". It was hilarious and ironically, this part by Ken was the most enjoyable part of the movie. Ryan Gosling says, "Mojo Dojo Casa House" and it was so funny. 

One of the most boring part of the movie is when "Mattel" (the company which makes Barbie) starts using the screentime to give us a historical account of the types of Barbies and Kens which were made and later stopped. This was not supposed to be a "biopic" I guess! The other major boring part competing with Mattel is the part played by America Ferrera gives a very long lecture about how it is "difficult to be a woman". Come on, you are making one of the biggest blockbuster movies ever made, and here you are lecturing us on something which everyone always knows!  

In the end, Barbie land is saved, and Ken's land is dismantled in most ridiculous manner possible - the Kens forgot that it was the voting date! (men forget dates). And once Kens return to the venue, a "Black Barbie" uses a cussword (Mo*) against them (though the term is offensive to mothers, perhaps it works differently in the gospels of radical feminism). Well, all the kids who came to watch this movie certainly learnt something new. 

Now, how could men (Kens) deal with an abusive Black woman (Barbie)? The movie shows Ken "running away crying". Well, well, well. What did we expect? 

Despite all the rhetoric and pink, the most beautiful scene and dialogue of the movie is when Ken says, "I just don't know what I am without you". For a moment it seemed that even the most ridiculous scriptwriters get flashes of heart in between. But immediately, Barbie lectures Ken in order to prepare him to be "Ken without Barbie" (the ultimate heights of radical feminism) and then Ken repeatedly says, "Ken is me!", "Ken is me!" Why did not the world end before this movie was released?  

If it matters, the movie also generously promotes "fur" which is height of weirdness. 

The movie certainly tries hard to give us a mix of experience of Cartoon channel, Disneyland and fancy-dress competition combined.  

And in one scene, all men are "tickling" each other. Welcome to the world's most weird lost opportunity ever. 

By the end of the movie, Barbie is searching for an identity. And she ends up wishing to be a human. The long chat she has with the inventor of Barbie (btw, the inventor was a woman, not a Patriarchal man), is the most boring part of the movie as well as most boring part of my recent life. 

Due to the lack of priorities, lack of imagination and a plot which gets completely lost by the half-time, the movie of this name should be remade for the sake of Hollywood's worth. 

Making a "Barbie" movie was such a huge opportunity, and it is disappointing that the movie makers used it just to lecture the world on feminism and patriarchy. 

- Rahul  

Movie Review: Oppenheimer (2023)

When this movie came out last year, I assumed it would be boring; after all, how interesting can life of a scientist be? I know lives of artists were interesting enough, but what can a movie of 3 hours on the life of a scientist offer us? J. Robert Oppenheimer was not an Einstein, or a Niels Bohr and I never read about him in school days. Hence, I dropped the idea of watching it and I recently watched it on JioCinema. 

One interesting thing to know is that the movie is made based on the book "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The book had won the year 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. This explains the movie's tilt towards a particular episode in the life of the scientist: "security clearance hearing", to make it more interesting for the viewers. But I did not like the hearings during most part of the movie and it offered some good insights only at the end. The story about nuclear bomb's development was much more interesting and it would have been better if the movie makers covered the nuclear program part apart from giving some insights on other parts of life, like his childhood, parents, of the old age. It is supposed to be a "biopic" after all. 

The star cast of the movie is mind-blowing. It is like a dream to have a collection of so many actors and actresses I liked, and all have been included to make this movie.  

I have been a great fan of Cillian Murphy, and he has done a good job in this movie. After all, he got an Academy Award for Best Actor for this film. But I noticed that he has become almost skeleton like thin, and I am not sure if he became like this for this rule since the real J. Robert Oppenheimer was thin but not 'this thin'.

More than Cillian Murphy, I loved the role played by Robert Downey Jr. He has totally nailed the role of an old astute politician Lewis Strauss and he is hardly recognizable in his role, and it is so amazing to witness his great art of acting. I read that he got Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor too. 

Emily Blunt is great in her role of Katherine Oppenheimer, the wife of Robert Oppenheimer. 

Matt Damon is surprisingly "average" in the beginning and only by the end of the movie he justifies his huge name and fame. 

It is great to see Alden Ehrenreich in the role of a Senate aide to Lewis Strauss. I remember him from his amazing movie "Rules Don't Apply" (2016) and it was nice to see him again on screen. 

Coming back to my overall feeling after having watched it, I think the movie makers should have shortened it to 2.5 hours, and if they could have found any other backdrop instead of "security clearance hearing", it would have been better. I think as a "biopic" this movie definitely falls short of my expectation because it is about only two particular events from his life. 

- Rahul 

Movies: Shehzada

 

‘Shehzada’ (2023) is a brilliant action drama film featuring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon in lead roles. It is Kartik Aaryan’s next movie after super-hit ‘Bhul Bhulaiyaa 2’. So, what to expect in Shehzada?

First of all, comedy is too good. Kartik Aaryan has already established himself as a great fit for lead roles in comedy films and most of his films become popular because of this. Remember Bhul Bhulaiyaa 2? Shehzada tries to bring some of that flavor in this movie too. Rajpal Yadav has a role in this too and he is too funny. The pair of Rajpal Yadav and Kartik Aaryan is a super hit pair for sure!

Secondly, the cast of this movie is too good as well. Manisha Koirala returns to the screen and graces her role with so much dignity. She still has her old charisma and at the same time she fits so well in her role of a mother.

Kriti Sanon is near perfect in her role. Among the Bollywood’s best-looking actresses, Kriti possesses the best acting talent for sure. She had a glamourous role in Shehzada, and she does it with perfection. She has a positive personality and whenever she and Kartik appear on the screen, audience are hooked.

The movie also features great actors like Paresh Rawal who got a very prominent role. Ronit Roy who got a powerful role and you will astonished as to how he brings so much energy, grace and machoism in his roles. Sachin Khedekar plays a touching role too, as a maternal grandfather. Ankur Rathee as a spoilt brat has done really good job in his character. There is a new face in the form of Sunny Hinduja who is playing the lead villain and he is too impressive. 

All actors and actresses have given really good performance which has made this movie “never a dull moment”.

Now, the songs. Pritam has given music, which is itself to explain the quality. In the title song, we can notice Sonu Nigam who sounds as good as he did in the best of his days. 

“Mere sawal ka” sung by Shashwat Singh and Shalmali Kholgade is my favourite:

Mere Sawaal Ka (Video) Shehzada | Kartik, Kriti | Shashwat, Shalmali | Pritam, Shloke L | Bhushan K - YouTube

Chedkhaniyan (Video) Shehzada | Kartik, Kriti | Arijit, Nikhita | Pritam, IP Singh, Shloke L - YouTube

Munda Sona Hoon Main (Video) Shehzada | Kartik, Kriti | Diljit, Nikhita | Pritam, Kumaar | Rohit - YouTube

Character Dheela 2.0 (Video) Shehzada | Kartik, Kriti | Neeraj, Pritam | Rohit D | Bhushan Kumar - YouTube

Shehzada Title Track (Video) | Kartik, Kriti | Sonu Nigam, Pritam, Mayur | Rohit D | Bhushan Kumar - YouTube

Now, coming the social messages. First, the movie explains the “No means no” concept so very well. Feminists will love this movie. Then, the lead character or ‘hero’ of the movie is like the golden era movies when such characters did not have any flaw. Bantu (Kartik’s character) is funny, truthful (never speaks lies), positive (does not mind hate coming his way especially from his ‘fake’ father), strong, savior of the weak, stands up for that is right, a good son, a good brother, a good friend, a trustful employee, and as you would realize in the end, has a heart made of gold.

Shehzada is 10/10 on entertainment and if you want to really enjoy the 2.5 hours you spend in a theater, this is your perfect experience. Go watch this movie along with your family and hope you will love it too.

- Rahul

Movie Review: Super 30

I watched “Super 30” where super star Hrithik Roshan plays the role of Bihari teacher Anand Kumar. 

I am a huge fan of Hrithik Roshan; but I would accept that before watching this movie I was skeptical whether this role fitted Hrithik’s image well. But after watching the movie, I can only say, “Wow!”. Hrithik has played the role of a Bihari character Anand Kumar so well! Kudos to Hrithik. 

The story is equally mesmerizing and immensely inspiring. After watching the movie one can only be left revering teacher Anand Kumar for his true contribution to the society. It is a story of rising against all odds, fighting the system, being vulnerable, losing his love of life not due to poverty but due to principles of life and what a gritty story this is. Story is gripping and so very touching.

While watching the movie I was reminded of my own struggles while preparing for IIT JEE (entrance exam). Coming from a small town in Bihar, I arrived in Lucknow to get admission in a coaching institute. I loved mathematics most and at the beginning of the session, the institute took a test to assess how much the students knew maths. I topped the exam. Then we were informed that there will be a second exam. When asked about its reason, the administrator said that even though the topper of the exam has scored good marks, the second topper and subsequent ones have not scored well. So, a second test was conducted and I topped it again! As a prize, I was given a thick book on mathematics of a foreign writer. The book was in yellow cover. A very similar episode happens in this movie too; when Anand Kumar tops a test and wins gold medal. But when he realizes that the runner up has got a foreign journal as prize, he wishes that he had won second prize instead of the first prize! 

The movie also reminded me of my love for mathematics and how I have missed it totally after leaving college. In my best days I would study and solve mathematics puzzles for 6 hours at a stretch. I plan to do something to still be in touch with mathematics. 

There are several touching episodes in the movie which have come up very well. The lovely relationship between Anand Kumar and his father is very touching; the way Anand Kumar loses his love due to choices he had made in life; Anand Kumar's brother and how he sacrificed for his brother's cause; and how Anand Kumar lost the Cambridge University opportunity - these events make it an epic story which viewers will remember for a long time to come. 

Three cheers for Anand Kumar and his Super 30! We need more people like Anand Kumar, especially in ignored places like Bihar, to make our country great again. India is on its path of resurgence and everyone needs to contribute for our nation’s progress for next many years; in order to make India a developed country.

Pankaj Tripathi has played the role of education mafia very well. He reminds of Manoj Vajpayee in his role in the movie Arakshan. Pankaj Tripathi has made his name very well with powerful performances. Another interesting aspect is that while Hrithik Roshan has used Bihari accent in his dialogues, the movie truly represents India as a whole and this story appears to be of any state of India. It is really magical the way movie-makers have made it that the broad horizon has come up very well. 

-      -      Rahul Tiwary

Movie: K. G. F. (Kolar Gold Fields) – Chapter 1 and Yash!

Happened to watch ‘KGF-Chapter 1’ movie and became infatuated with its actor Yash. KGF is a gangster movie which reminds us of Company and Rakt Charitram in parts. It is also a rags-to-riches story and a period drama. You can read about its plot here. But what differentiates KGF is its larger than life portrayal of actor Yash.

In front of Yash, biggest of the biggest Bollywood stars like Salman or Hrithik and even South stars like Rajnikant look pale. 

Yash: India's Brad Pitt 

Yash’s full name is Yash Kumar Gowda and he is a star of Kannada cinema industry. He is working in movies from year 2007 and it is a pity that I came to see him only now. You can read more about him on Wikipedia here. 

Yash as Rocky in KGF; India's answer to Michael Corleone

Still, I wonder about prevalence of violence and cult movies in South India and why it prevails while Bollywood takes dip into romanticism and comedy more often. Most movies from South India which we non-South audiences take note of, are set as action thrillers (e.g. Bahubali). Maybe it is because there is never a sunset for a good action film. And everyone understands the language of a ‘dhishoom’ – action films of Jackie Chan or Rocky Balbola broke all international boundaries and became cult movies everywhere. This may explain why such action films break new grounds every time.

Memories of KGF and Yash’s character Rocky will remain with me for a long time…

-      -   Rahul Tiwary

[#Movies] Sarkar 3

There have been hundreds of gangster movies in the past and what new could the latest addition to the Sarkar Trilogy bring? And that is where Ram Gopal Varma and Amitabh Bachchan prove our doubts unfounded and have brought together another fine movie having all the brilliance of a thriller.

Sarkar series is our own Godfather series. Our Subhash Nagre has perhaps got more shades in his character than the legendary Vito Corleone had got. In Sarkar 3, Amitabh has become even more intense. Being the master patriarch and hero of the masses is not an easy job and it asks for sacrifices and subjects one to innumerable pain. Can a Don be as sensitive as Subhash Nagre is? Could a Don feel the pain of the poor mother who lost her child in a bomb blast, or goes through mourning because of some event in the city? Even Don Vito Corleone cared - but I doubt if he actually felt pain in the same manner as our "human" Don Subhash Nagar does. And that is perhaps the beauty of having come from the city of Mumbai.

Amitabh Bachchan has also sung one "Ganpati Aarti" in this movie and how brilliant it has become! It can be compared to Agnipath song "Deva Shree Ganesha" but is notch higher since Amitabh Bachchan is its singer.

One very interesting aspect of the movie is how brilliant other characters have also been in it. Ronit Roy as Gokul is as intense as Ajay Devgn used to be in some of his most brilliant movies and has proven him as one gem of a an actor. Manoj Bajpayee as Govind Deshpande, a sly politician reminds us of Rajneeti. And how about Jackie Shroff - a legend in himself? He has grown old but his charisma is still intact. There will never be another Jackie Shroff in Bollywood. Amit Sadh as Subhash Nagre's grand son is also brilliant - and this may be his one of the best acts. Yami Gautam as Amit's girlfriend is in a very different role from what she does, but she has done it very well. Another interesting character is Parag Tyagi as Raman - Ronit's mute brother. He should have joined WWE fighting with this Physique!

The best thing about Sarkar 3 is that it surprises you and keeps you guessing all through it and till the very end. Such brilliance is not often seen. The plot is balanced on its emotional quotient as well as has spirits of a crime thriller. The movie avoids showing graphic details of crime scenes and that is a welcome change. There are a lot of brilliant dialogues in it and there are several scenes which are acted just by eyes and expressions without any word spoken. Nothing about it is mundane. The coordination between camera, actors' expressions and the environment is just brilliant.

Sarkar 3 is another gem from the Sarkar series - perhaps even a notch better than the earlier ones.

- Rahul

[#Movies] A Lot Like Love

This is a very interesting movie based on a theme on which a lot of movies have been made. You meet someone you know you want to spend whole life with but due to circumstances and either of you not being on the same page at the same time, you end up not meeting. You spend years separated, in between try to get together but somehow it does not work every time. In this movie, although the love (which looked like one sided) and at-first sight, devil appeared in the details and it never worked out. Such stories keep the viewers at the tenterhooks, who while secretly praying that the two meet again, also wonder if the movie were ‘happy ending’ or not. To the viewers, the two characters look foolish – that they were letting go something which was so amazing and pure. But how we look at ourselves is different from how we actually are. It is indeed foolishness to meet someone you get along so very well with, the person is so very interested in you, but you somehow you become too ‘wise’ and skeptic and let him/her go. It is indeed foolishness because that sacred liking is very hard to find and in most of probability you won’t find it again!

Not everything in life comes with replaceable or complimentary copies which can be retrieved afterwards. Most of the relationships are unique and what you feel about one person, you can’t feel about another. Hence it becomes very important to take decisions before it is too late.

I liked this movie as much for its ending as much for its story which was a roller coaster ride. I wish Emille should not have let Oliver go so many times. Perhaps one of the reasons why she was denying him was because it was Oliver who was making first moves and she did not find it interesting/challenging (as the theory goes) and hence became disappointed. But I loved Oliver’s character – he was so honest and pure.

Anyways, let me conclude this by saying that I loved this movie.

- Rahul

The Magical Journey Called #Baahubali

I watched ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ during the second weekend after its release. I would confess that my expectations were very high; given that the movie had garnered some very positive reviews and also because it was Indian film industry’s biggest production. It was supposed to destroy Bollywood’s over reliance on a mediocre genre of same old aged superstars dancing around with new actresses 20 years their juniors. I would also add that before this I have watched only a few movies produced in the Southern states of India and I was not impressed. This time though, Baahubali was to bring not a gush of wind but a ready storm.

As it turned out for me, I had not watched anything like Baahubali before (from Indian cinema). I love this genre of epic war movies and hence I judged Baahubali critically after comparing it with some of the greatest ones from Hollywood. And I can say with confidence that I loved Baahubali at least at par or even better than those Hollywood flicks.

As the screen opened in the theater after mandatory singing of National Anthem (customary in Maharashtra), the opening scene of an injured queen running away with an infant in her arms with a pack of enemies chasing her was mind-blowing. You put that intense scene in the beginning and you risk being judged with your own standards all through the length of the movie. But Baahubali turned out to be a magic – whole length of it was as intense and as enjoyable. Of course there were scenes where ‘hero’ chased ‘heroine’ on the mountains; and where both sang some romantic songs even if in imagination – but such songs mostly did not appear imposed or ‘out-of-place’. The war near the end of the movie was as epic as it could get.

If you have not watched Baahubali: The Beginning; yet, the best time is now. But there is a warning: the movie has plenty of violence. Though you must have learnt to manage it, for example by closing your eyes, so as not to get affected by it. If you don’t mind such scenes, go there with a feast waiting for you.

My Rating: 5 Starts out of 5.

- Rahul

[Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal] 

Daawat-E-Ishq: Nice experience

Daawat-E-Ishq is a lovely light-hearted movie; watching it was good time spent. 

Anupam Kher is brilliant; Aditya Roy Kapoor is super-cool and Parineeti is in her usual self! The movie also has a good social message. 

I liked the story which is full of twists and turns. If you have watched this movie then you can consider my analysis as below :)

At first, the father-daughter duo had become too negative in their attitude, due to the negative experiences they have had in their life. Though at one point Anupam Kher comforts Parineeti by saying, "not all boys are the same type", later on he agrees with her evil plan to become fraudster. At that point, he says, "like no one can buy a house in our country without paying in black, no one can marry without paying dowry". The first statement about buying houses is so untrue and judgmental - so many of us have bought houses without paying anything in black. While it is true that some people indulge in that, it is not correct to make a sweeping statement in general. Dowry is more prevalent, there are exceptional cases when no dowry is paid, but at the same time not in all cases dowry is meant to loot or make girl's family lose whole of their life's savings. In fact when Anupam Kher was not able to find a suitable boy even after willing to pay Rs 17 lakhs in dowry - it may not be because of dowry alone but because of other factors like his social status, the fact that the girl did not have mother, etc, because of which some families won't have agreed to marry her. 17 lakhs is not a little sum, and it was an exaggeration that he was not able to find a son-in-law only because of money. Anyways, coming back to Parineeti's decision to turn into a fraudster, it was surprising and idiotic that her father, Anupam Kher's character, agreed to allow her to do that and also join her. Kids at that age even though they feel like they are confident and wise, are half-baked and many of their decisions are not correct. In such a case it is essential for parents to interfere or at least register their opinion seriously. Since Anupam Kher was too soft on her and allowed her to do whatever she wished, illegal and unethical activity in this case, he did not play his role or duty correctly. And near the end, they were all in soup. Father was more to be blamed than the daughter for that situation.

Even if the father-daughter duo started to forge their identities; there was a time when Parineeti knew for sure that Aditya was a good guy, not the typical greedy men she had met in the past. But she feared that if she tells him the truth - he might not understand her and might give her away to the Police. At this time we see another flaw in her character - she assumed negative thing in Aditya behavior without any concrete reason supporting her assumption. What if she told him the the truth and he pardoned her (which ultimately happened in the end)? She could have taken a chance. Though I know it is easy to say than actually do. Still, when she realized that he was a good guy, and she already had Rs 40 lakhs he had given her, she could at least vanish from his life and go back to her home in Hyderabad. But no, she goes ahead with her decision to cheat the boy and throws Aditya at the mercy of police and also go down in the eyes of society. What wrong did Aditya do to deserve this? This decision to go ahead with old plan even when situation had changed and she had information which was prompting her to change her plan; shows her incompetence and indecisiveness. I may be exaggerating, but I worry about what she would do in future if she faces similarly complex situations? Life is long, and many things would change in the later years - if in future situation became tough - would she once again choose wrong path and make wrong decision to punish good people? I doubt that this is likely. Therefore it was a bold decision by Aditya to pardon her and keep his faith in her. It shows that his love towards her was true and in general it shows his good nature. If you are honest and truthful, it is more likely that you would assume the other person to be honest and truthful too. So his decision to keep her company tells more about his own good nature rather than pointing towards some good aspects of Parineeti's character. 

I liked Aditya Roy Kapoor's character - he was so cool, funny and considerate/sensitive at the same time. So far I have loved each charater Aditya has played in his movies, and that is one reason I am a big fan of his.

The movie was mostly shot in Lucknow and Hyderabad - which is a welcome change. The overall exposure that the movie gave to these cities and their culture was nice. (I also liked to see these two cities again, recollecting my own personal memories there). The culinary connection was delightful. Though in promotions they have highlighted too much about its foodie connection, after watching the movie it appears that the movie is not too much about good food, but it is as much about many other things as about good food. 

This is a good light-hearted movie; watching which I am sure you would spend your 2 hours well and you will come out with a smile on your face. It is also a clean movie which you can watch with whole family. 

Recommended to one and all. 

Inspiring Movie: Million Dollar Arm

Yesterday we watched Million Dollar Arm and enjoyed a lot. Based on a true story and set largely in India, it is a story of success amid adversities. It is the story of two poor boys in India whose lives change when an American comes searching for talent. I also confess that I was expecting the foreign producers to have some negative portrayal of India but it did not happen. Some episodes were too touching. We wondered how foreign film makers were able to capture the essence of Indian mind and culture so well; while our own Bollywood is bringing out most typical movies without a soul. Its punchline: "Sometimes to win you have to change the game."

Movies and Moments

‘Queen’

The movie ‘Queen’ is a great entertainer, though we went to watch it thinking it to be a ‘family movie’ while it had so many ‘dirty’ segments that we felt let down many times. We had observed that so many people in the theatre had taken their kids and entire families to watch the movies, perhaps under the same impression seeing promos and many of them would have felt embarrassed. Nevertheless it had many touching moments; if I recall some of those:

- Rani (Kangana’s character) was depressed but when she found company of three other guys who had more unfortunate life events behind them, due to relativity she thought her life was not that miserable. It gave her strength to cope up.

- At the very beginning of the movie, its touchiest part came when Vijay told Rani that he could not marry her. Rani’s reaction to this news was a big test for Kangana Ranaut and she came out very impressive in her acting. In fact this movie should be remembered as a great show of acting skills and charisma of Kangana Ranaut. She was very good at it and this may be one of the very few Bollywood mass movies where lead actor is a female.

- Rani left for Paris and Amsterdam all alone and managed it well. But she was fortunate to have come across good people otherwise her adventure could have gone horrid. In that sense, the movie was not leaving a very good message. Though the transformation of Rani from one who obeys always to everyone (her honest statement sums it well: “tell me one person whoever in this world to whom I have not agreed and obeyed always”) to the one who is able to take her own decisions was truly liberating. In this sense, the movie was putting up a very valid case and example.

- Rani’s ultimate rejection of her fiancé and boyfriend Vijay after he tried to come back in her life was on the surface disappointing but I think Vijay deserved it. It was interesting how he was thinking Rani of not being his equal status, while in two weeks Rani had outgrown him. Near the end of the story, Rani was more forward thinking and liberated person than Vijay who was appearing as a boring damp shrub. Another interesting phenomenon was when Vijay got a high paying job how he changed colours yet at his core he had kept his previous philosophies. Rani on the other hand had truly grown up with experiences…

Return to Paradise

I watched this 1998 movie only recently on TV and was immensely touched by it. I read that this is a remake of a French film ‘Force majeure’ released in 1989. Nevertheless I think this movie; its story and all the performances remain one on the best I have ever seen.

Three boys had great fun holidaying in Malaysia and unknowingly did a small mistake of losing a rented bicycle and are caught for keeping drugs (though this part they did not do unknowingly). Two of them return to the US while one remains in the beautiful iland country which appeared like paradise to them and is to be executed for the crime in Islam dominated country. The other two went on with their lives but in a dramatic manner are told about their friend’s situation and given option to share the blame and tolerate tough prison for at least two years in order to save the life of their third colleague. Their reactions, psychology, thought processes and working of the mind is very well captured. It is irony that one of the two who agreed first to take the blame and go to prison backs out first and one who never wanted to, keeps his promise due to his own reasons.

It was also very interesting how the guy they were going to save tells them that he won’t have returned to save his friends, if he was in their place! His faith in God and his disbelief in God’s presence due to painful prison life were also very touching. It was also an irony that the guy hanged for the crime was the ‘best’ person and a good human being and responsible citizen amongst the three.

This is such an excellent movie which touches our soul and no viewer would remain unmoved watching it… 

Some Movies and Moments

We watched the movie Himmatwala (2013) starring Ajay Devgan. It is of genre comedy. We enjoyed the portions of the movie which can be called comedy a lot. The whole theatre also enjoyed it. But there were portions in the movie which were painful to watch because of emotional content. I felt sad to see that the audiences in the theatre were laughing also during the scenes which were painful to watch and brought tears to our eyes. Like the emotional scenes where mother begs goddess Durga to save Ajay Devgan from the hands of villains. I did not understand how people could laugh at such scenes. It seems this happened because the movie was comedy and hence people would also laugh during the portions which were not really comedy. But it seemed very insensitive to us and we wondered if movies and our film industry is training us to be insensitive and to laugh at others plight and tragedies? 

'Wanted' has a very touching aspect in story line. A young corporate professional is wrongly informed by a secret fraternity that a man had murdered his father and hence he goes on a drive to kill this man. The man had an extraordinary reflex powers; which even this boy had. In the end he kills the man and then gets to know that this man was actually his father! His father tells him before dying in his hands, "Everything they told you was a lie. You are my son." When the boy asks his guide Angelina Julie why she told him a lie, she replied, "Because we know that you are the only one he won't kill!" Such brutal mind game and treachery that it sends shivers down the spine...

Watched ‘Zila Ghaziabad’ and enjoyed it a lot. It has flavors of half ‘Dabang’ and half ‘Raktcharitram’. In fact if it was released earlier as planned, Dabang-2 won’t have been such a hit! Sanjay Dutt plays the role of a good-bad super Cop while one of my favorite actors Vivek Oberoi is back through ZG into powerful role of an avenging angry young man. It is amazing to see that Vivek has not aged even a bit and looks 110% fit – he has come back after a brief break. Perhaps his newly born kid from his marriage would prove lucky for him. This movie also features Chandrachood Singh; we were wondering over the years where did he go after a few flicks and hits? He has a very brief role. Zila Ghaziabad also has very soulful role for Arshad Warsi. It is a delight to see him on screen, even if he plays a negative character. This movie is a strange combination of action thriller and comedy. One more thing to mention is that its dialogues are so powerful. Whoever wrote them did a great job!

Happened to watch Hindi movie Fatso! It is a story of love which transcends horizons of body and this material world. A boy dies leaving his girlfriend alone who gets into depression. But as it happens, this boy had died without destined and hence gods send him back to the earth. But the condition is that he has to get back life in the body of one of their common friends who was in fact Fatso. He (his soul) comes to Fatso’s house and waits for the “event”. Fatso comes back home while being wet, talks to his mother and then sits on a chair. He feels problems in respiration and feels uneasy. He calls his mother but she is busy in household chores. All this happens in front of his friend’s eyes (his friend’s soul’s eyes) who loves Fatso and wants to help but there is no way he can help him. In a very touching scene he looks while Fatso breathes his last… (After some time he enters his body and wakes up live).

A climactic scene from the movie Inglorious Bustards became very touching. The movie is about an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler by a Jewish girl. The Jewish has planned the assassination plot well- she was to burn down the closed theatre in which Hitler and his Nazi colleagues were watching a propaganda movie. A German Nazi soldier loves her but she has been rejecting his feelings. In the climax, just before she was to blow the hall, he comes to her and starts talking about his love. She tries to send him away but he doesn’t go back. When his back is towards her, she shoots him with her Pistol! He falls down on the ground… In a moment, the rather cold girl sees him and is filled with a pain. At that moment, he cries slowly in pain and she comes to him to check him. Then he turns back and shoots her dead! The soldier loved her immensely but he remembered that she was to harm his nation and its leaders and hence shoots her down. She, the first mover, hated Nazi Germany so much that she didn’t think twice before shot down the only man alive who loved her… The potent struggle between emotional love and hardbound duty is depicted wonderfully and leaves us in ponder…

Note: Views are personal and do not represent views of any organization associated with the author. [Detailed disclaimer]