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Showing posts with the label classics

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 ...
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Swami(1977): revisited

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SWAMI(1977) revisited  Director: Basu Chatterji  Cast: Girish Karnad, Shabana Azmi, Vikram, Utpal Dutt,  When my favourite library is closed for nearly two months, and I’m too old fashioned to read e-books/ kindle and the likes, what’s the option available? Discovered movies adapted from classic literature and satisfies my hunger for virtual books by watching these retro gems.  Swami is a Bollywood adaptation of a classic tale penned by the great Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. A beautiful tale about a headstrong vivacious young girl Soudamini(Azmi) who is infatuated with her next door handsome neighbour, but due to societal and family pressure gets married into a upper class joint family where her husband(Karnad) is the glorified head. Her inability to accept the new relationships and unspoken attraction to the righteous, principled and far sighted husband dwell deeper into her dilemma.  Basu Chatterji’s fine and inspiring direction makes sure it stays loyal to t...
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KASHISH (1991) - revisited

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KASHISH(1990) - revisited YouTube is generously retelecasting retro Doordarshan serials and one such classic is the fresh as a morning daisy Kashish (1991), almost thirty years and still so watchable and heart warming.  Directed by Kaamna Chandra it’s a simple love story actually a love hate story between an eccentric film maker (Sudesh Berry) and his heroine(Malvika Tiwari). With just eight episodes it deals with their bittersweet relationship, egos, unspoken romance and must say the director has handled it with so much tenderness and simplicity. There’s also a lovely ghazal sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy.  Nothing over the top, no sex no violence, yes there is a prospective Saas and her to be Bahu but they are so normal almost unbelievable in today’s context of tv serials! Berry no doubt had an visible Amitabh hangover but he looked dashing and fit that Mills and Boon hero slot in this romance. Malavika looked like a dainty, petite blooming flower, that husky sexy voice and s...
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