Yes, The Girl on The Train is based on the book by Paula Hawkins, except that here, the characters are all desi.
Parineeti plays Mira Kapoor, a woman who thinks she saw something out of a window of a moving train. It doesn’t help that she’s a depressed borderline alcoholic, has “episodes”, and can’t be taken seriously (I’m going off of the book here – the film might have indianised this a bit). The marvelous Kirti Kulhari plays the policewoman investigating crime. Adits Rao Hydari and Avinash Tiwary also star.
I loved the book so I’m hoping that director Ribhu Sengupta (who directed the well-done Amitabh-starrer series Yudh) doesn’t mess the movie up. The trailer looks fantastic, so here’s hoping! This is on Netflix 26th of February.
Here’s the 2nd part of my 2020 RoundUp in which I summarize the Best Series or Shows of 2020. You can listen to the 1st part (Best Movies of 2020) here.
As always this Podcast is available on all the Platforms listed here.
Rating : 3/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021
Platform : Voot
Number of Episodes : 8
Director : Oni Sen
Cast : Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti, Sharib Hashmi, Anupriya Goenka, Riddhi Dogra, Vishesh Bansal
Kidwise : PG-13
Asur is the hunt for a serial killer. This 8 part series has Arshad Warsi as forensic expert Dhananjay Rajpoot who leads a CBI team. Barun Sobti plays forensic expert Nikhil Nair who used to work under Dhananjay but quit due to differences and is now teaching at the FBI. When Nikhil starts getting coordinates of places where murders have been committed, he decides to return to India and his old job, much to his wife Naina’s (Goenka) chagrin.
On his return he works on the investigation of the most recent murder, where the killer has mutilated and burnt the body so that it is unrecognizable and untraceable. Nikhil still manages to unearth clues which reveal the perpetrator . . .
Asur mixes the serial killer trope with Hindi mythology, rooting the killer and his destructive instincts in religious mumbo-jumbo. The episodes take us back and forth in time giving us a look-see into the killer’s life, his childhood and the forces that ultimately come together to make him a devious criminal.
While the idea is good, and the Hindu mythology angle very interesting, the execution does not pass muster. I’m a little surprised that this series garners a high rating on IMDB. There are many holes in the plot and character inconsistencies. There is little attention to detail – for example, in one scene, purportedly in the US where Nikhil and Naina are living, the electrical sockets are of the 3 round-pin type, which is not found in the US.
The dialogs seem juvenile and inexplicable in places – not sure what the writers were thinking. At one point, CBI investigator Nusrat (Dogra) says that no-one can solve the case except Dhananjay – which left me flummoxed. Yes, Dhananjay is our hero, but is he the only competent officer in the entire department and are the other incompetent officers just proclaiming their own worthlessness?
Arshad Warsi is one of the better actors out there, but his character seems very uni-dimensional here. Barun Sobti is not the actor Warsi is and can’t get beyond a superficial portrayal of a nerdy investigator (and what’s with the long locks?). Sharib Hashmi was quite good as CBI investigator Lolark Dubey, and Anupriya Goenka and Ridhi Dogra are about average.
The series ends with a convoluted climax and without a clear resolution – so there will probably be a second season. I just hope that that one is more coherent and competent.
Recently I’ve watched some Malayalam films of such excellent quality that I had to make a post about it. You have probably read my reviews of Kumbalangi Nights and Bangalore Days. Here are 5 more gorgeous films on Netflix and Prime:
– Eeda(Netflix)
A modern-day Romeo and Juliet tale, Eeda has Aishwarya (Nimisha Sajayan) and Anand (Shane Nigam) who fall in love after a chance meeting in Mysore. The problem is that they belong to families on the opposite sides of the political spectrum. They both hail from the Kannur district, where their families live, practice their often violent ideologies and bay for each other’s blood.
I liked Eeda quite a bit because of its lead characters. Shane Nigam we saw in Kumbalangi Nights, and while I haven’t seen any of Nimisha’s movies, her performance in The Great Indian Kitchen has been getting rave reviews. They both are excellent in their likable characters – also great chemistry. The film went from a love-story to a high-strung drama very quickly. Well-paced and artfully told.
– Ishq(Amazon Prime)
Sachi (Shane Nigam) and Vasudha (Ann Sheetal), young and very-much-in-love are looking forward to spending time with each other. When Sachi parks in a quiet parking lot hoping to sneak a kiss with a yet hesitant Vasu, they are both in for a surprise.
I won’t give too much away but this film took a sharp turn from a love story to an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller – very unpredictable! Fantastic performances by the entire cast, but Shine Chacko outshone everyone! An absolute must-see!
– Helen(Amazon Prime)
Helen (Anna Ben) is studying to be a nurse and hopes to go to Canada to work so she can help out her father with his debts. She’s also in love with a Muslim man, a match her religious father will definitely not be happy with. One normal, ordinary day, Helen goes to work, but doesn’t come back home. Her distraught father files a report at the police station, but Helen is not found.
This movie was a lovely mix of emotions. The father-daughter relationship is portrayed beautifully and the talented Anna Ben is a pleasure to watch as the dutiful daughter and determined young woman that she is.
– Kappella(Netflix)
Jessy (Anna Ben) gets talking to Vishnu (Roshan Mathew) on the phone quite by accident, but their accidental conversation spawns a friendship. Convinced that he is the one, very-much-in-love Jessy decides to go to the big city to actually meet him face-to-face. But their simple meeting runs into trouble, when Jessy sees a man following them.
This film started off as a simple, sweet love story, but turned rather unpredictably into an intense thriller. This was a fabulous film – really tight and well-paced, and had great acting to boot. We have seen Anna Ben before in Kumbalangi Nights and Roshan Mathew has made forays into Hindi movies like Anurag Kashyap’s Choked.
– Maheshinte Prathikaaram(Amazon Prime)
Mahesh runs a photo studio and lives a placid, pleasant life in his small town. One day, his life is thrown into a tumult when he is publicly humiliated by a goon. Mahesh, ashamed and embarrassed in front of his community swears that he will not rest until he has gotten his revenge.
This was such an interesting, beautifully done film. Wonderfully crafted and paced, with great attention to detail, this film has depth, humor and poignancy. Also a fantastic performance by Fahadh Faasil.
Rating : 3.5/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021
Number of Episodes : 9
Director : Ali Abbas Zafari
Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Kumud Mishra, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Gauhar Khan, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Sunil Grover
Kidwise : PG-13
I’d looked at the abysmal ratings on IMDB before I started Tandav so I was not expecting much. Plus I’ve also seen Ali Abbas Zafar’s earlier work (Bharat, Sultan) and he isn’t one for finesse. I’m then pleasantly surprised by Tandav because while it is not top-notch it is an entertaining watch.
Samar Pratap Singh (Khan) is the wily, politician son of his wily, politician father Devki Nandan Singh (Dhulia). The goal is to get to the top prize – to become the Prime Minister of India. However, when on the cusp of a major victory and on his way to become PM, Devki suddenly and inexplicably dies, Samar is at a loss. When rumors about a possible murder conspiracy arise, Samar finds himself losing his political footing. What he needs now is to drum up popular support among the youth, and youth leader Shiva Shekhar (Ayub) would be just the man to do it, if only he weren’t so righteous.
This 9 episode first season has a superficially tumultuous story – there are ups and downs with secrets, secret assignations and veiled threats strewn about. Tandav also has a star-studded cast. Saif Ali Khan’s character is defined relatively well, but either Saif is losing his touch, or the beard is obfuscating the emotion, but he can’t quite give this role the oomph it deserves.Dimple Kapadia plays Anuradha Kishore, close associate of Devki Nandan and wily strategist of the first order – and she does it well. Anuradha is ably assisted in her political aspirations by her secretary Maithili Sharan (Gauhar Khan).
Sunil Grover has a plum role as Samar’s right hand man and cold-blooded hatchet man Gurpal Chauhan. With his ever-so-ordinary safari suits, and his reticent, Haryanvi accent, Grover exudes menace. Zeeshan Ayub is very good as Shiva – and his character is one of the better defined ones in Tandav. Kumud Mishra as Devki Nandan’s friend and associate was wasted in an ineffective, shallowly-defined role – it was never quite clear what he wanted or what his game-plan was (if there was one). Dino Morea is back on the small-screen after a while.
While some episodes were pretty tight, there are a few loose ends and inconsistent characters – like political leader Sana Mir (played by Krutika Kamra), who seems kind of wishy-washy with her ideals. Tandav’s story is predictable and a bit basic – kinda like an 80s film. In Tandav what you see is what you get – I wish it had more complexity (there was scope). The characters needed more depth and finessing, because they thought one way and behaved another.
So yes, it’s not all that, but Tandav, on the whole, is a fairly entertaining watch, if you have reasonable expectations.
Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021
Running time : 2 hours 5 minutes
Director : Ramin Bahrani
Cast : Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Manish Asharya, Kamlesh Gill, Mahesh Manjrekar, Swaroop Sampat
Kidwise : PG-13
The White Tiger is based on the Arvind Adiga’s book of the same name (here’s the book review), and while I was initially skeptical of a non-Indian director getting the so-very-Indian ethos of the book correctly translated into film, I have to admit Iranian-American director Ramin Bahrani does a fabulous job.
The White Tiger in the film is Balram Halwai, who in his own words has been bred to be a servant, brought up to please his masters. His master is the youngest son of the village landlord, and Balram, living in the city serving America-returned Ashok and his Indian-American wife Pinky, is very pleased with his good fortune. Through a series of events, Balram will come to re-think this “good fortune” and find himself helpless and hopeless.
The White Tiger is a story of India’s classist society, where the rich are very, very rich and the poor are very, very poor, and there is a wide, almost insurmountable chasm in-between. Balram belongs to the latter class, a servant, used to being routinely trod upon, berated, insulted and dismissed by his employers. Ashok and Pinky belong to the former class, and are full of egalitarian values, thus gentler, kinder souls; Balram privately muses that Ashok could be “The Lamb” where Ashok’s evil father is “The Stork” and his wily brother “The Mongoose”.
Bahrain’s portrayal of each of these characters has depth, and he manages to show us how goodness erodes when push comes to shove. We see Ashok and Pinky treat Balram with kindness, but then also toy with him for his lack of knowledge (Balram does not have much schooling). To them, he is and is not quite a full human being. Balram sees Ashok as his ticket to a prosperous future, and is by turns innocent and cunning, desperation and desperate poverty being the main driver for his actions.
Adarsh Gourav steals the show as Balram. His metamorphosis from naive and faithful servant to a cunning, streetsmart player is beautifully done. Rajkummar Rao as Ashok is very believable; he even gets the returned-from-America accent right. Priyanka plays Pinky Madam with panache (she also produces the film). The entire cast of the film does very well. The only jarring note came from Kamlesh Gill, who while she did well, sounds like an elderly, Punjabi Aunty from Delhi with her accent, instead of a wily, grandmother from a small village.
The White Tiger is an engrossing, well-made film. A must watch.
Tandav stars Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Dino Morea, Gauhar Khan, Sandhya Mridul, Kumud Mishra and others and is about Indian politics. It is directed by Abbas Ali Zafar, who has directed films like Sultan, Bharat and Gunday, so while I’m expecting Tndav to be decent it’s not going to win awards for subtlety or nuance.
Tandav is on Amazon Prime the 15th of January, 2021.
Happy New Year folks! Here’s my 1st Podcast Episode of 2021! This is Part 1 of the Bollywood Roundup – the Top 10 Bollywood Films of 2020. Part 2 (coming shortly) will talk about the Top 10 TV Shows/Series of 2020.
Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi is directed by Seema Bhargava-Pahwa, who’s an accomplished actress (we saw her in the quirky Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and the lovely Ankhon Dekhi), and I’m hoping her directorial venture is as good. The film has an impressive starcast – Supriya Pathak, Vinay Pathak, Naseeruddin Shah, Vikrant Massey, Konkona Sen Sharma and others – so it looks promising.
Featuring Masaba, mom Neena Gupta and a healthy dose of pop-psychology, Masaba Masaba was quite enjoyable. And a little frivolous. Watch it for the lovely, confident Masaba who lives and does as she sees fit, even though the real-world and nosy society do get in the way!
9. Special Ops (Hotstar)
This espionage thriller is directed by Neeraj Pandey (he directed “A Wednesday” and Special 26), and stars KayKay Menon as Himmat Singh of the Indian Research and Analysis Wing. Singh and his team analyze patterns of various terrorist attacks in an attempt to catch the perpetrators.
Pandey does this genre particularly well, and Special Ops is no different. And KayKay Menon’s fantastic performance sure helps!
8. Scam 1992 (Sony LIV)
Harshad’s Mehta’s cautionary tale of tampering with the stock market, this has Pratik Gandhi playing the aggressively upwardly-mobile Mehta. The details out Mehta’s sudden rise and fall, and attempts to explain the intricacies of his crime in simple terms.
This reality show features an intrepid, jet-setting matchmaker Sima Taparia and her many clients across the world. The show is so interesting because it features different personalities jiving and clashing with one another as they meet and weigh one another up from the marriage angle.
6. A Suitable Boy (AcornTV in the US, Netflix in India)
Vikram Seth’s doorstopper about the search for a suitable boy for the 20 year old Lata Mehra, who’d rather not marry but is hounded to do so, has been turned into a 6 episode series by the BBC. It is directed by Mira Nair (who also directed The Namesake) and has a humongous cast, with Tanya Maniktala debuting as Lata. Other worthies include Tabu, Ishaan Khattar, Ram Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shourey, Randeep Hooda, Shahana Goswami, Rasika Duggal, Vijay Raaz and Vijay Verma.
The series is primarily in English which is a little jarring, and methinks 6 episodes is too short to take in the richness and detail of the book, but it is what it is – which is enjoyable!
A group of young men, including brothers Rocky and Sunny, run phishing scams from a small town in Jharkhand, India. Tensions rise when a local politician wants his cut and the local, seemingly fearless policewoman is out to get them.
Gritty, intense, beautifully acted and directed, Jamtara is a must watch!
Season 2 picks after Season 1 which left brothers Guddu and Bablu in a precarious situation. Guddu and Golu must run for their lives after the slaughter, and now plan their revenge against evil, powerful Kaleen Bhaiya (played by Pankaj Tripathi) and his son Munna. The second season is much, much better that the 1st and loses the “wannabe” status. It is just as violent, grisly and riddled with profanity, but is a superbly engrossing watch!
Pushpendra Nath Mishra’s quirky look at love is a treat! He weaves in different storylines which almost intersect, and through them presents different situations and viewpoints. Throw in some lovely music, poetry, philosophy, and some fabulous acting and tight scripting and you have Taj Mahal 1989!
The feel-good show of 2020, Panchayat follows Abhishek Tripathi (played by the very talented Jitendra Kumar who was also in Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan), newly minted grad who’s saddled with an undesirable job in a village. This gorgeous show is clean, wholesome and humorous and suitable for family-viewing.
You’d think that we’d get tired of the honest cop trope, but it never does get old. In Paatal Lok we have Hathi Ram Chaudhry, an old-school stickler for the books, mired in a thankless job, career having stagnated in an Outer Jamuna Par police station or as he calls it – “Paatal Lok” (the netherworld).
A plum case falls in his lap, quite by chance, and Hathi Ram (played superbly by Jaideep Ahlawat) is determined to prove his mettle and get that promotion, even when the powers that be want him to let go. Acting, direction and impressive story-telling make Paatal Lok the Best Show of 2020!
– 
