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Showing posts from August, 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 ...

The doe eyed Nepalese Beauty

A striking talent called Manisha Koirala Today the beautiful Manisha Koirala turns 46. She needs no introduction in an industry where nothing matters more than success, and success she achieved in plenty not only with box office hits but also with her bravura performances that enthralled the viewers throughout the 90s. Her first brush with the camera was at the age of 18 when she acted in a Nepali movie Pheri Bhetaula which translates to Phir Milenge in Hindi. She was discovered in Bollywood by Show Man Subhash Ghai who cast her in his ambitious project Saudagar(1991) which also starred Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar. After a spate of insignificant masala films between 1991-1994 Koirala struck gold when she replaced Queen Bee Madhuri Dixit in Vinod Chopra's patriotic drama 1942 A Love Story(1994). She impressed the viewers and critics with her performance of the innocent and beautiful revolutionary Rajeshwari. Her career took a major U turn with Mani Rathnam's Bombay(1995) where ...

Back in time: Mohenjodaro

Mohenjo Daro  [2016] Travel back in time with Ashutosh Gowarikar's latest period drama Mohenjo Daro that boasts of a huge budget & stellar star cast. Directed by: Ashutosh Gowarikar Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde, Kabir Bedi, Nitish Bharadwaj, Arunoday Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Sharad Kelkar, Narendra Jha, Suhasini Mulay, Kishori Shahane, Jividha Sharma, Digant Hazarika. Mohenjo Daro is set in 2016 B.C. [ no pun intended] in the Indus Valley Civilization where a small time farmer from a farming village visits the endearing and populated big city Mohenjo Daro & falls hopelessly in love with a Priest's beautiful daughter, this liaison sparks enmity with the influential Doyen of the city & his son who is engaged with the girl. Rest of the film is about some past secrets revealed & how the ambitious protagonist challenges & eventually dethrons the evil villain from his dominating position. Gowarikar is obsessed with period dramas and has a special liking ...

The jury's verdict: Rustom

Rustam [2016] Rustom is inspired by the sensational Nanawati Murder Case that shocked the nation in 1959 & put an abrupt & much needed end to the age old Jury System in India. Directed by: Tinu Desai Cast: Akshay Kumar, Illeana D'cruz ,Sachin Khedekar, Pawan Malhotra, Kumud Mishra, Arjan Bajwa, Esha Gupta, Usha Nadkarni, Kanwaljeet Singh, Parmeet Sethi, Brijendra Kala, Anang Desai Circa 1959, a Senior Naval Officer [Akshay Kumar] brutally murders his wife's alleged lover a high society Playboy. The entire movie chronicles the Officer's legal tussle to prove his innocence & the widespread media coverage that the controversial murder case gains which fuels a more aggressive court room drama. Director Tinu Desai has managed to create a gripping and interesting storyline in Rustom wherein the court room drama manages to keep the audience interested and involved in the proceedings, but beyond a point it does appear one dimensional and solo tracked with majority ...