Blog | Amodini's Movie Reviews - Part 5Amodini's Movie Reviews | Movie Reviews by Year, Genre and Rating

Series Review : The Romantics (2023)

Posted on March 24, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre : Documentary
Year : 2023
Season: 1, Episodes: 4
Director : Smriti Mundhra
Cast : Yash Chopra, Aditya Chopra, Unday Chopra, Pamela Chopra
Kid rating : G

The Chopras of Bollywood are like the Kapoors of Bollywood, only they’re behind the camera instead of on it. This 4 part docuseries on Netflix takes a closer look at the Chopra clan – specifically Yash Raj Films founder Yash Raj Chopra, his wife Pam, his sons Aditya and Uday, and the tremendous impact they and their Production House YRF Studios have had on the Hindi film industry.

The series is made out of a set of interviews, film-footage and on-set informal videos all put together skillfully to give us a picture of the Chopras, their keen eye and their business. It goes chronologically starting with Yash Raj’s initial films, his increasing sure-footedness in the industry, followed by the founding of the production house and Aditya’s fine-tuning the Yash Raj legacy.

Director Yash Raj is responsible for creating the aesthetic romance genre we have today in Bollywood; beautiful locales, expensive sets, sporty cars, the subtle sheen of money and of course good looking heroes and heroines. The first episode of the series pays homage to him.

The remaining 3 episodes focus on Aditya Chopra and YRF Studios. Aditya, Yash Chopra’s older son, takes on the directorial mantle from his father, while younger son Uday Chopra harbors a secret desire to be a hero on screen. While Aditya succeeds, belting out hits like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, the Shahrukh-Kajol starrer which is still playing in Indian theatres 25 years later, Uday, introduced in movies like Dhoom and Mohabbatein, cannot quite sustain audience attention.

With the advent of foreign production houses in India, forward-looking Aditya gets Yash Chopra to set up their own studio, recognizing the need to tell Indian stories from the Indian viewpoint. And he talks about this when he is interviewed on-screen, the on-screen interview apparently a big deal because Adiya is a notorious recluse, refusing even to publicize his own films. With the studio, YRF turns producer and they do very well here too, veering away from the traditional romantic genre with films like Dhoom, Band Baaja Baraat, and Bunty aur Babli.

Indian-American director Smriti Mundhra helms The Romantics wonderfully. You’ve probably already seen her work if you’ve watched the Netflix documentary A Suitable Girl. She also produced the reality tv show Indian Matchmaking. While The Romantics is very different from A Suitable Girl, Suitable delving into a woman’s standing in Indian society vis-a-vis marriage and the pressure to fit into a traditional family structure, you can see the same thoughtful, nuanced take in both.

The Romantics is glossy and rosy-hewed – it’s all heart and pearls of wisdom, from the perspective of an ardent fan. Quite watchable!

Kidwise: Clean

Posted in 2023, bio-pic, bollywood, directors, documentary, family-friendly, Good Shows to Watch On Netflix, Netflix Recommendations, New Shows on Netflix, rating-G, real-life-based, recommended | Comments Off

Movie Review : Selfiee (2023)

Posted on March 10, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Genre: Drama
Year: 2023
Running time: 2 hours 23 minutes
Director: Raj Mehta
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi, Diana Penty, Nusrat Bharucha, Meghna Malik
Kid rating: G

Selfiee is another remake of a South-Indian original. And it suffers from the same over-done-ness that dogs a lot of such “Southie-inspired” films.

Honestly, the premise wasn’t bad – as in there actually was a story. And it goes thusly : superstar Vijay Kumar (Akshay Kumar) happens to need a driving license. The Regional Transport Office Inspector responsible for the license, Om Prakash Agarwal (Emran Hashmi), is a big fan and takes this opportunity to request a quick meeting with the star, after which the license will be handed over, sans a test or any inconvenience to the big man.

However, a misunderstanding at the meeting cause the men to separate as enemies, and Inspector Agarwal now requires Vijay to actually take the test as per the law, like any other common citizen. When news of this debacle gets out, a media feeding frenzy ensues. Social media personalities and news anchors jump into the fray, hoping to make the most of this controversy. Both men are strong-willed and sure of their righteousness. Which one will give?

Akshay Kumar films are generally a little bombastic – apart from Padman I can’t actually recall a subtle Akshay film. He is in full form here as superstar Vijay, and the film also imbues him with “heroisms”. His character is well-defined for the most part, except for the crucial scene which pivots the film. In that scene, Vijay Kumar, a reasonable, level-headed, family man is suddenly so outraged at a fan’s behavior that without waiting to ascertain the fan’s fault, he proceeds to loudly and volubly excoriate the man in front of a crowd. An earlier scene does try to justify his outburst; I didn’t buy it though.

Emraan Hashmi play Inspector Agarwal quite well, although his character is rather emotional as well (his distress is more justifiable). Nusrat Bharucha plays his wife Minty and Diana Penty is Vijay Kumar’s wife. The film is about the two men; the women are mere supporters/onlookers.

Interesting that the entire story is based on rule-flouting. Indeed, it appears to be the norm to have laws only for the common man – no one even bats an eyelid at having the superstar just handed his license, without a test! The whole film is based on an ego-clash, the “gifting” of a license to a rich, influential man seems to not be a problem at all.

When I hear Southie-remake, I also hear loud and overdone. The pathos, the betrayal, the sadness – all the emotion that could have moved a viewer is so underscored, so milked beyond any notions of believability, that it makes the entire scenario unpalatable. This film is no different – Om Prakash is no ordinary fan, he is the most ardent of fans – Vijay Kumar is his god. His disillusionment with his hero is no minor squabble, it is a major event, generating news and public outrage, affecting work, life and family and causing him unending emotional distress (recall the “overdone-ness” I was hinting about).

Selfiee was just meh.

Kidwise: Clean.

Posted in 2023, bollywood, drama, rating-G, remake | Comments Off

Series Review : Rocket Boys (2022)

Posted on March 3, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre : Drama
Year : 2022
Season: 1 Episodes: 9
Director : Nikkhil Advani
Cast : Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Rajit Kapoor, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Saba Azad
Kid rating : G

I remember reading about Dr. Homi Jehangir Baba and the BARC, in school. Vikram Sarabhai was also mentioned although I can’t quite recall details. In print, they seemed so dull and gray, and the description of their work wasn’t very enticing either. So I must applaud Sony LIV for creating this series starring them, and making it so very interesting and engrossing. Little did we know that the lives of drab characters from history books could be this enthralling!

This series starts off with Dr. Homi Bhabha (Jim Sarbh) and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai (Ishwak Singh) having a major disagreement on a momentous decision for India, with Sarabhai walking off. It is obvious to us that these two know each other very well, but are not afraid of opposing viewpoints and holding their own. From there the series goes backwards in time to show us the lives of Bhabha and Sarabhai and their work together, leading up to the point where they part ways because of differences.

Rocket Boys is beautifully written. It balances out the personal relationships and the public persona. It’s depiction of the character’s personal lives is layered and nuanced – highlighting their high-minded philosophies as well as their private struggles. This helps flesh them out, and really shows us the kind of people they were.

Homi Bhabha, who looked so staid on paper, turned out to be an ambitious whipper-snapper. Born to a wealthy family, Bhabha goes abroad for his education and comes back hungry to propel his own nation towards technological greatness. An outspoken extrovert, Bhabha uses his contacts, considerable charm and sheer force of personality to ease the political and bureaucratic roadblocks in his path. He is quite a favorite with PM Nehru and also a great friend, often addressing Nehru as “Bhai”.

Vikram Sarabhai was comparatively soft-spoken, a wealthy industrialists’s son with a penchant for social work. He falls in love and marries classical dancer Mrinalini, but the marriage is not a happy one. Sarabhai advocates for the application of science for social good, like his efforts to set up ATIRA in Ahmedabad to better the lives of the mill workers. In fact, it was quite inspirational to see the desire for public good in the lives and works of both these great men!

Both Jim Sarbh (whom we saw in the gorgeous Yeh Ballet) and Ishwak Singh who play the main characters are great choices because of physical similarities with the men they portray, and do fabulously well! The supporting cast is just as good – Regina Cassandra plays the fiesty Mrinalini, Rajit Kapoor is immaculate as PM Nehru, Dibyendu Bhattacharya is physicist Raza Mehdi, singer-actress Saba Azad (whom we saw as main lead in the lovely teeny-bopper flick Mujhse Fraandship Karoge) plays Bhabha’s love interest Parvana “Pipsy” Irani and Arjun Radhakrishnan is a very young, enthusiastic and short-haired Abdul Kalam.

To see all these historical figures literally come to life in this skillfully created series was a pleasure indeed! Were it that more creators would come forward to portray history as interestingly. Rocket Boys, as a celebration of the India’s great minds, is a must see!

Kidwise: Clean.

Posted in 2022, bio-pic, directors, drama, family-friendly, historical, rating-G, recommended, series, SonyLiv | Comments Off

Series Review : Farzi (2023)

Posted on February 24, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre : Drama
Year : 2022
Season: 1 Episodes: 8
Director : Raj & DK
Cast : Shahid Kapoor, Bhuvan Arora, Vijay Sethupati, Rashi Khanna, Amol Palekar, Regina Cassandra
Kid rating : PG-15

Farzi starts off with a scene where we see two men kidnapped and blindfolded. And helpless unless unknown attackers. Then it goes backwards in time to show us how they got there.

Sunny (Shahid Kapoor) and Firoz (Bhuvan Arora), fast friends, are almost orphans. Sunny’s grandfather Nanaji runs an activist newspaper called Kranti complete with printing press and paraphernalia. Unfortunately, like most social activism, it doesn’t make money and when the lenders come calling, the press is shuttered.

Strapped for cash and scrounging around for a loan to help Nana, Sunny and Firoz finally hit up on a plan. They will print money directly on Nana’s printing press. Of course, law-abiding Nana will have no clue. Sunny is a skilled artist and Firoz an expert in printing, and together they manage to create very authentic looking counterfeit money. Thus the printing press is saved. The bad news is that once the immediate need is over the the itch doesn’t stop.

Continuing with their homespun counterfeiting operation, Sunny and Firoz get noticed by a police officer running an anti-counterfeiting operation, and by a gangster looking to make use of Sunny’s “artistic” skills. It is a slippery slope and Sunny has landed smack-dab into dangerous crime. Will he ever be able to regain his footing?

It is a while since we have seen Shahid Kapoor in anything quality. There was Kabir Singh but that was terrible. Then there was Jersey, which wasn’t much better. Fortunately for us, Farzi reminds me of Shahid in Kaminey. It is made by Raj and DK, who have made quite a name for themselves by doing innovative work; series like The Family Man and films like Shor In The City come to mind.

I like Farzi because it starts well, and keeps the momentum going. The characters are well defined, and the hero and his nemesis are fleshed out nicely. We sympathize with Sunny’s life and situation. We really are on his side, forgiving his missteps; Sunny is like a favorite nephew who’s lost his way. We also root for his biggest foe – the cop, Michael. Michael has his own problems. He has to kowtow to corrupt political masters to just perform his duty with integrity. His personal life has fallen apart, and his career marred by unfortunate events.

Farzi has some strong performances. Shahid Kapoor is really good as Sunny, torn between Nana’s strict morality and the lure of filthy lucre. Amol Palekar makes a surprise return to the small screen as Sunny’s Nana, but he isn’t as impactful as one would have thought he’d be, given his solid acting chops. Bhuvan Arora is the real surprise here, really owning Firoz’s role. He has appeared in smaller roles before (Chaman Bahaar, Dedh Ishqiya) but Farzi will put him on the map, so to speak.

Tamil superstar, Vijay Sethupati, is the indefatigable cop who won’t give up. He’ll sweet-talk or strong-arm, which ever is necessary to get the job done. He is supported ably by his right hand man Shekhar (Jaswant Dalal) and an energetic counterfeit expert, Megha Vyas (Rashi Khanna). KK Menon is marvelous as the chameleon-esque counterfeit king Mansoor Dalal.

Farzi ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger so Season 2 is coming. I only hope it comes fast.

Highly recommended.

Kidwise: Scenes of bloody violence, profanity.

Posted in 2023, action, Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Video Recommendations, crime, directors, drama, Good Shows To Watch On Amazon Prime, New Shows on Amazon Prime, rating-PG15, recommended, series, suspense, thriller | Comments Off

Movie Review : Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey (2022)

Posted on February 17, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Drama
Year: 2022
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Director: Vipin Das
Cast: Darshana Rajendran, Basil Joseph, Aju Verghese
Kid rating: PG-15

Jaya (Darshana Rajendran) is a young girl living in a small conservative town. She wants to study further after high school, at a college outside her little town, but her parents are averse to the idea so she gets a degree at the local college. At the college, she forms a strong friendship with one of the professors. When her parents get wind of this, they quickly get her married to someone else, despite her objections.

When Jaya comes to her married home, she notices something odd. The living room glass table is cracked, and some of the furniture legs are dented as though someone has hit, or kicked it in a fit of temper. As she settles in, she realizes that her new husband, Rajesh (Basil Joseph) has certain likes and dislikes, and does not tolerate changes. One day, when things don’t go as per his demands, he slaps Jaya.

This then happens again and again. Every time it does, Rajesh takes Jaya out for dinner and a movie and moves on. Until it happens again. Jaya is miserable and talks to her parents, but they advise patience and forbearance. She then realizes that she herself will have to do something to get out of this situation.

This Malayalam film deals with a serious issue using humor to drive home a point. It also shows “everyday misogyny” (like “The Great Indian Kitchen” did), where ill-treatment is so commonplace that no one even blinks. It is just the way things are. If she is being hit, she must have done something to deserve it. She must “adjust”. She must control her actions. She should stop asking questions. She should do everything per the likes of others. It also shows how “normalized” domestic violence is, how women are just supposed to take it. Society’s hypocrisy is out on display. While the woman must quietly submit to beatings, when the shoe is on the other foot, everyone is outraged.

You would not think that a film with this subject would be entertaining, but entertaining it is. Director Das has done an excellent job of fleshing out the characters and their reactions to different situations. The fights between Jaya and her husband, where she gives as good as she gets, are hilariously portrayed, complete with a running commentary and peppy music.

Darshana is an excellent actress, and she is quite fabulous as Jaya. Basil as her husband also does very well morphing from a bossy man quite set in his ways, to someone who is afraid to set foot in his own home.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with this film. I went into it following a recommendation on Instagram, and did not expect the twist at all. Jaya, Jaya, Jaya, Jaya Hey works because it has a good balance between depicting an important social issue and light humor. Highly recommended.

Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey is available to stream of Hulu/Hotstar. For other Malayalam recommendations check out this list of Malayalam films available on streaming platforms.

Kidwise: Scenes depicting domestic violence and physical abuse.

Posted in 2022, drama, feminism, Good movies on Hotstar, Hotstar, humor, malayalam, rating-PG15, recommended, social issues, women | Comments Off

Movie Review : Maja Ma (2022)

Posted on February 10, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Year: 2022
Running time: 2 hours 14 minutes
Director: Anand Tiwari
Cast: Madhuri Dixit, Gajraj Rao, Rajit Kapoor, Sheeba Chaddha, Simone Singh, Ritwik Bhowmik
Kid rating: PG-15

Maja Ma is the most recent film to focus on a LGBTQ protagonist. There’s been a spate of these films and most seem to style themselves as “comedies”. Maja Ma is not among the worst of them, but it is pretty half-baked, logic-less and seems to exist in a reality unlike ours.

Pallavi Patel (Madhuri) is your ubiquitous Gujarati housewife – you know – stunning beauty, grace, exquisite dance moves and a handsome cook to boot. She’s doting on her family and fitting right in to the social structure as the perfect homemaker until beta dearest decides to fall in love with a Punjabi American girl. And his obnoxious in-laws to-be, the Hansrajs, fly to the motherland to check out the Patel family for themselves. The traditional-minded Patels appear to tick all the boxes for the Hansraj family until an ugly rumor rears its head.

The film has good intentions, but it has many flaws and a lot of stupidity. For starters, it is populated by some of the most annoying and poorly defined characters in recent film history. Bob and Pam Hansraj (Rajit Kapoor, Sheeba Chaddha) are ill-bred and snotty and give all Indian Americans a bad name. They also drip English in atrocious accents, and fawn cringily over anything they deem authentically Indian.

The Patels, except for Pallavi, are no less annoying. Pallavi’s social worker daughter Tara is a crusader for LGBTQ rights but surprisingly ignorant and uncaring of empathy or consent. Her banshee like haranguing of her mother drove me up the wall. The son Tejas is educated but apparently the education didn’t sink in, because he is all ready to “cure” his mother with some witch-doctor wala jhaad-phook.

Maja Ma is also very unrealistic. The events in the film, especially the ones that lead up to the turning point, are so contrived, I felt like I was watching some silly Indian soap-opera.

When Pallavi is outed, the entire world turns on her. She’s asked for proof of purity like some modern-day Sita, but when she takes a stand, things fall into place pretty magically. Everything is hunky-dory again, and she’s dancing the dandiya with her lady-love as the suddenly supportive family members look on affectionately. There is a story to be had somewhere here, but director Anand Tiwari has dumbed it down beyond recognition.

The premise of Maja Ma is earth-shaking. Maja Ma asks the question but does not have the wherewithal or the gumption to provide any answers. The treatment is so superficial, I’m tempted to categorize this travesty of a film under Genre: Fantasy.

Highly de-recommended.

Kidwise: Unsuitable for the young ones.

Posted in 2022, 2023, Amazon Prime, bollywood, cringe-worthy, ecstatically stupid, rating-PG15, social issues, women | Comments Off

Movie Review : Mission Majnu (2023)

Posted on February 3, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️ 1/2
Genre: Spy thriller
Year: 2023
Running time: 2 hours 9 minutes
Director: Shantanu Bagchi
Cast: Siddharth Malhotra, Rashmika Mandana, Kumud Mishra, Sharib Hashmi, Parmeet Sethi, Rajit Kapoor
Kid rating: PG-15

Goodness, Mission Majnu was a dull film. Same old, same old and so very yawn-inducing!

Tariq (Siddhart Malhotra) is a poor tailor in Pakistan, subsisting on a meager salary and dear wifey’s love. But unknown to his nearest and dearest he’s a covert operative for Indian RAW. Amandeep (his real name) is tasked with finding out about the Pakistani attempt to create the nuclear bomb, following the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971.

Most of the film focusses on Tariq’s life in Pakistan as he traipses about meeting other spies and speaking to his handler in India. There are some fleeting flashbacks which hint at a tragic past, and Amandeep’s desire to rid himself of it.

Mission Majnu suffers from poor character delineation, and uneven pacing. For a spy thriller it takes a mighty long time for things to get interesting (the film does pick up post-interval). There are many logical plot-holes, which I might forgive if there were other redeeming features about the film.

Kumud Mishra and Sharif Hashmi play other Indian spies. While Mishra does well, Hashmi who was quite good in the series Family Man feels over the top here. Or maybe that’s the writing. Tariq’s handler Sharma (played by Zakir Hussain) also feels caricaturish and ridiculously unprofessional.

Siddharth Malhotra who does fine here, is still miscast in this role. With those looks and that diction, he definitely does not look like an uneducated, poor tailor. Rashmika Mandana plays his blind wife, and for all the impact her role had in this film, she might as well as well have not been in it.

All in all, Mission Manu is a desultory attempt at yet another jaded cross-border spy film/romance. Quite skippable!

Kidwise: Some violence, but no sex/sleaze.

Posted in 2023, bollywood, Hindi movies on Netflix, historical, rating-PG15, Spy Thriller, suspense, thriller | Comments Off

Movie Review : Pathaan (2023)

Posted on January 27, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Action/Thriller
Year: 2023
Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abrahan, Dimple Kapadia, Ashutosh Rana
Kid rating: PG-15

Pathaan was so hyped-up I was sure it was going to be a stinker. I am very, very glad to say that it isn’t. The hype is real. 2023 gets its first real entertainer!

There are some disclaimers of course. Pathaan is a masala film through-and-through so leave your logical thinking caps at home, and be prepared to pooh-pooh at the laws of physics and gravity. For a film in the YRF Spy Universe (yes, that is a thing), Pathaan makes a fabulous job of it.

Here’s the gist: Pathaan (Shahrukh), a RAW agent, thought to be dead, surfaces 3 years later in pursuit of for-hire-terrorists Outfit-X. Their leader Jim (John Abraham) is also ex-RAW who feels betrayed by India, and is now on a mission to avenge himself. Jim has a a nefarious plan in place , and he and Dr. Rubina Mohsin (Deepika), his partner-in-crime, are all set to destroy India, unless someone can stop them.

Well, that someone can only be Pathaan! The film, through flashbacks reveals Pathaan’s previous encounters with Jim and his attempts to thwart him. This all happens in beautiful locales in Spain, France and Moscow, with Pathaan zipping across the globe, fighting the bad guys and falling for Rubina.

The film gets off to a quick start with some dramatic action scenes and the pace is unrelenting. The fight sequences are beautifully choreographed, and the “missions” that Pathaan goes on are well-depicted. The Moscow vault heist specifically was pretty impressive – reminded me of a mission in Mission Impossible , with the snazzy graphics and attention to detail. The chases feature helicopters, planes, motor-bikes and even a strap-on set of wings, which the villain and the hero hero wear for a climactic fight sequence mid-air.

Pathaan is a sleek, fast-moving action-filled movie. The screenplay is crisp, camera angles sophisticated and director Siddharth Anand is at pains to wow us with the techno-wizardry while also keeping us in the loop and engaged. The film balances out the drama and emotion with the action. There is love, betrayal, deceit, humor and patriotism. The characters have enough backstory and depth to make us root for them.

Shahrukh, displaying a ripped body, long locks and a rather scruffy getup, delivers a corker of a performance as Pathaan. Deepika is stunningly beautiful as Rubina “Rubai” Mohsin, and gets to do some real action – heavy-duty hand-to-hand combat, gun-battles, vault heists and clambering up and down buildings via helicopters and steel cable. John Abraham, who isn’t a great actor is impressive as good-looking villain Jim. His non-expressive face lends itself well to the cool, unfazed, steely demeanor of a super-villain.

Pathaan is really tight in the first half, with deft, crisp action and events that almost make sense, even if the physics doesn’t. Post-interval things got a bit loosey-goosey, but the film still manages to deliver a satisfying ending. I enjoyed Pathaan very much and look forward to what director Anand (who seems to be improving in leaps and bounds) can do next! A full-throated recommendation! Go watch!

Kidwise: Lots of violence. Scenes of torture (waterboarding etc). Suggestive dance moves.

Posted in 2023, action, bollywood, directors, drama, Good Hindi Movies To Watch, masala, rating-PG15, recommended, romance, spy movie, Spy Thriller, suspense, thriller | Comments Off

Movie Review : Kuttey (2023)

Posted on January 19, 2023 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Drama
Year: 2023
Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes
Director: Aasman Bharadwaj
Cast: Tabu, Arjun Kapoor Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Madaan, Kumud Mishra, Naseeruddin Shah, Shardul Bharadwaj
Kid rating: PG-15

You might have thought when Kaminey burst upon the scene like a cult classic, that Kuttey was around the corner. Well, we have waited 13 years for it, and post-watch, while it does pass muster, it’s not quite the blockbuster I was hoping for.

The movie is another hairy, madcap, feisty tale populated by low-lifes, or as the film lovingly puts it “kuttey”. The cast of characters includes a crooked cop Gopal Tiwari (Arjun Kapoor) and his right hand man “Paaji” (Kumud Mishra), wily policewoman Pammi Sandra (Tabu), wheelchair-bound gangster Narayan Khobre (Naseeruddin Shah) and his grand-daughter Lovely (Radhika Madaan), Naxalite Laxmi (Konkona Sen Sharma) and her gang. All of these people cross paths when they attempt to steal a large amount of money from the same source. The result is not pretty.

Kuttey is directed by Vishal Bharadwaj’s son Aasman, and while Kuttey is no Kaminey, the lad does show promise. The film’s strength lies in the way it presents its characters to us one by one, and then gradually brings them into the scene of the heist. First one turns up, and then, surprise, there’s another, and another, until they are all in it, battling it out. The motivations – the need for the money are varied – and well portrayed. Also nice, and adding to the drama and the building tension, are the interactions between the characters before the big climax.

The flaw in the film is that it is too hurried – I wish director Bharadwaj had taken the time to build his characters and their backstories, imbue them with some redeeming qualities, and let us pick our favorites, before flinging them all into a death match. As it was, I felt like I’d been pushed into episode 3 of a series, with nary an introduction to the characters.

Honestly I didn’t care too much for any of them save Paaji, Lovely and Laxmi. These three seemed like they might have some goodness deep down in them if you looked very, very carefully, but the rest were all pretty negative. And what fun is it if you don’t actually care about any of them? Yes, they are all kuttey, but were there absolutely no redeeming characteristics to show?

The cast is large and spectacular. Arjun Kapoor is unsurprisingly the weakest link, which is quite a pity because he has so much screen time. Kapoor is passable in romantic roles like “2 States”, even in mildly tension-filled romances like the enjoyable “Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar”, but when a deeper dive is required Arjun isn’t quite your man. Tabu delivers an excellent performance as the shrewd, street-smart Pammi. Kumud Mishra is a marvel even in is his relatively small role, and I felt real sympathy for poor Paaji, pulled willy-nilly into this awful predicament, all wobbly-chinned and wary-eyed. Konkona Sen Sharma and Radhika Madaan in their tiny roles still manage to shine.

The film moves briskly, and builds steadily up to the climax. The ending scene was a bit of a damp squib – you saw it coming a mile away. Kuttey does feel a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully, with time, director Aasman Bharadwaj moves to sophisticated camera angles, and crisper scene executions, but this was a good effort – Kuttey is an interesting film and well worth a watch.

Kidwise: Violent and bloody scenes. Profane language, a general miasma of seedy corruption and some adult situations.

Posted in 2023, bollywood, crime, dark, directors, drama, Good Hindi Movies To Watch, rating-PG13, suspense, thriller | Comments Off

Best Series of 2022

Posted on January 13, 2023 by amodini

#10. Nirmal Pathak ki Ghar Wapsi (Season 1, SonyLIV)

This 5 episode series on SonyLiv is about a city-bred young writer Nirmal Pathak (Vaibhav Tatwawadi) returning home to his village after having lived in the city all his life. The storyline has nice twists and turns and there’s a lot of backstory to catch up on. In the end it is a classic, layered good versus evil tale and the first season just manages to get the fire started.

#9. Masaba Masaba (Season 2, Netflix)

Our favorite, mouthy fashion designer and her mummy are back and Masaba has more to say! Quite fun, although a little less spontaneous than the previous season, Season 2 gets in a little deeper on emotional and controversial topics. The romance with Dhairya is still not quite happening, but there’s hope for Season 3! Masaba Masaba Season 2 is warm, light, lovely, and feel-good!

#8. Ghar Waapsi (Season 1, Hotstar)

Shekhar Dwivedi (Vishal Vashishtha) is returning to his parental home in Indore after a long while. He’s been laid off at work, and is at pains to conceal the fact from the family. While at home, Shekhar reconnects with old friends, makes new ones and reminisces on the time gone by. Ghar Waapsi, like Gullak, focuses on family and relationships, but is not quite as overtly ooey-gooey. The 6 episodes go fast!

#7. Guilty Minds (Season 1, Amazon Prime)

Guilty Minds is about 2 lawyer friends practicing their version of the law. Kashaf Quaze (Shriya Pilgaonkar) and Deepak Rana (Varun Mitra) are law school friends. Both fight cases in court, sometimes as opposing counsel, but their friendship remains strong. Guilty Minds is the “law” version of ER, and is quite comparable in quality. Also just as binge-able!

#6. Eternally Confused and Eager for Love (Season 1, Netflix)

This is a series about a whole lot of nothing but quite fun and quirky. Ray (Vihaan Samaat) is a 20-something young man looking to find the perfect girl. Aiding him in this are overbearing mummy and daddy (Suchitra Pillai , Rahul Bose). There’s also Ray’s inner voice – an actual character here (remember the quirk?). Think of this series as a fluffier Panchayat for the city crowd, minus the real-world problems, social work and self-realization.

#5. Rocket Boys (Season 1, SonyLIV)

Rocket Boys, an extraordinary look at India’s nuclear program, is well-made and interesting, despite all the science-y bits. Jim Sarbh stars as Indian physicist Homi Bhabha and Ishwak Singh (whom we saw in last year’s fabulous Paatal Lok) is Vikram Sarabhai. The 8 episode series is directed by Abhay Pannu and helmed by Nikhil Advani.

#4. Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein (Season 1, Netflix)

This dark, violent series is quite unpredictable. We go from what we think is a tepid small-town tale to an intense drama where conversations are sprinkled with casual references of severed limbs and murder. Tahir Raj Bhasin (whom we also saw in the very interesting time-bending Looop Lapeta), Shweta Tripathi, Aanchal Singh and Saurabh Shukla star.

#3. Panchayat (Season 2, Amazon Prime)

Much like it’s clean, wholesome predecessor, Season 2 of Panchayat is a winner. Our naive do-gooder protagonist Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) is continuing his work in Phulera village, while thinking of next steps for his future. The needle has moved on the romance angle, and the friendship with the Pradhan’s daughter Rinki progresses. Quite lovely – I binged it in a day!

#2. Gullak (Season 3, SonyLIV)

Gullak is a series about a family of four – the father Santosh Mishra (Jameel Khan), the mother Shanti (Geetanjali Kulkarni), the elder son Annu (Vaibhav Raj Gupta) and younger son Aman (Harsh Mayar), living in a small town and dealing with the ups and downs of everyday, middle-class life. Every episode deals with some new problem, ends with a resolution, and lots of heart-warming feel-goodness about love and family. Gullak Season 3 is a must-watch.

#1. Delhi Crime (Season 2, Netflix)

DCP Varthika Chaturvedi (Shefali Chhaya) and her crew return with an investigation into gruesome home killings, especially among the senior citizens of New Delhi. Season 2 is just as intense and fast-paced as Season 1. All 5 episodes are directed beautifully by Tanuj Chopra, and the superb cast brings it home!