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Showing posts from May, 2016

JAWAAN (2023) : review

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And finally the much hyped, much awaited Jawaan saw light of the day ! Big stars, big budget( humongous budget actually), big music composer, everything super large. But does it meet the expectations of the average viewer? No it goes not. Read on.  A decorated jawan locks horns with a criminal called Kaali, this is in 1986 ( the year movies like Aakhri Raasta released, just for reference). Kaali gets him eliminated and send the pregnant wife to jail. The baby born in jail grows up to become the hero (look alike of the father) and decides to avenge the misdeeds done to his innocent patriotic parents. Well, isn’t it a masaaledaar full on Bollywood- Tollywood drama subject ?  And then the director Atlee also borrows ideas and references from various retro movies, some idea from Sholay (1975) as the hero assembled a gang of jailed Qaidis in order to form a team to nab the villain, then there’s an entire episode borrowed from Dhartiputra (1993), and the basic theme is copy pasted from Kaml
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No Phobia here !

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Phobia (2016) Directed by : Pawan Kirpalani Cast: Radhika Apte & Satyadeep Misra It's often said every individual has some or the other phobia , from a harmless insect phobia to something as grave as a fear that could lead to chronic psychological disorders and that's exactly what the leading lady of this scary movie suffers from. Scary movie it is, but not your regular Bollywood horror . If you expect a long haired tantric chanting mantra or a white washed make up Daayan or Chudail then you are in for disappointment. This thriller is more of a psychological horror show with a running time of crisp 112 minutes only. The movie chronicles the fears and suspicions of a young woman Mehak  ( Radhika Apte) who is staying in a dark spooky apartment all by herself and suffering from agoraphobia  ( as informed in the movie it's a psychological condition where the patient fears to step out of the house, several Hollywood celebrities are quoted in the film for having suffered
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Truly Zingaat!

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सैराट [2016] Director: Nagraj Popatrao Manjule Cast: Akash Thosar & Rinku Rajguru Marathi Cinema has surprised us with some excellent creations in the recent past and one such masterpiece was Director Manjule's Fandry, with Sairat he's proven his mettle as a strong and competent Film maker. A beautiful love story that blooms in a village between a young girl from an influential affluent family and a boy from a low caste poor background. As expected the families oppose and the couple run away in pursuit of a better future. The concept may have been handled earlier in countless Bollywood hits and flops , here it is Manjule's unique treatment and sensitive realistic portrayal of the love story that is impressive and admirable, he never goes over the top in any of the scenes. While the first half is layered with romance, comedy and 4 melodious songs (Ajay Atul at their best) the second half introduces the lead pair and the audience to bitter reality. Manjule manages to
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Not exactly a Sixer!

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AZHAR (2016) Directed by: Tony D'souza Cast: Emran Hashmi, Lara Dutta & Kunal Roy Kapur This decade has seen quite a few biographies on screen ( Milkha Singh, Mary Com etc) which have been applauded by viewers and critics alike, this Balaji Pictures presentation chronicles the rise & fall of former Indian Cricket Captain Muhammed Azharuddin. Born & raised in Hyderabad, India a small town boy reaches the zenith of success and popularity in the field of cricket & eventually gets entangled in a Web of controversies ranging from the infamous match fixing incident to a scandalous extra marital affair with a starlet. The movie is nothing more than a desperate attempt to prove the protagonist's innocence. Director D'souza builds up an interesting factual series of events but it is the unbelievably fictional climax that leaves you dissatisfied. Music by Amaal Mallik is soothing & melodious. Emran Hashmi plays a role of a lifetime & looks suitable for t
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Not so Spooky Tale

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1920 London [2016] Director: Tinu Dessai Cast: Sherman Joshi & Meera Chopra It's a big tragedy as to when the Bhatts would stop producing their Murder and 1920 Franchise as it's only getting worse with no sign of improvement. Set in 1920, London ( as suggested by the title) a bewildered young woman faces the nightmare of her life when her husband is possessed by an evil spirit. She has to take help from her ex lover ( a Shepherd turned exorcist) who comes all the way from Rajasthan to London to help his first love. The director fails in creating any chilling or spooky moments, the intended scary scenes end up appearing hilarious. Though certified "Strictly For Adults" this unintentional comedy can be viewed by a kindergarten kid. The Music is the weakest link except for the haunting Gumnaam remix. The special effects are of the cheapest standards, the only noteworthy aspect is the shocking twist at interval point. Sad to see a gifted actor like Sherman Joshi
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A rebel who loves to kick butt

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Baaghi [2016] Director: Sabbir Khan Now one can't expect much from the director of the long forgotten "Heropanti" , but it's quite a welcome change to watch a movie which isn't exactly your regular run of the mill Bollywood saga. A wannabe starlet is kidnapped by a Bangkok based Indian Gangster, her father summons her ex boyfriend to rescue her. With a hackneyed plot like that you can't really hunt for much logic or novelty in an already messed up screenplay and story. But the movie rides high on its highly impressive action sequences showcasing the ancient Indian martial arts forms. Only two things stand out in this hard-core action  thriller A- The super impressive well executed fight scenes and B- the breathtakingly beautiful locations shot in Kerala which look like a painting. On the direction front Mr.Khan is highly disappointing as the story or the lack of it is directionless, there are unlimited loopholes in the weak and unimpressive direction. Hig
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