Bhuj: The Pride of India is a war movie that hits your TV screens via Disney Hotstar, August 13th. This film is based on real life incidents during the 1971 Indo-Pak war when the Indian Air Force airstrip at Bhuj was destroyed. Then Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, along with local villagers, rebuilt the airstrip in 3 days.
Ajay Devgun plays Vijay Karnik. Also starring: Sanjay Dutt, Pranitha and Sonakshi Sinha. Bhuj is directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya.
Shershaah will release on Amazon Prime on August 12th. In this new movie Siddharth Malhotra stars as Param Vir Chakra awardee Indian Army Captain Vikram Batra, who was awarded the honor for his bravery during the Kargil War. Batra earned the nickname “Sher Shah” for his valor.
Kiara Advani, whom we recently saw in Guilty, plays the female lead here. Vishnuvardhan directs this war film. This is his first foray into Bollywood cinema after directing a bunch of movies down South.
Rating : ⭐️
Genre : Anthology
Year : 2021
Running Time : 1 hour (per episode)
Director : Srijit Mukherji, Vasan Bala, Abhishek Chaubey
Cast : Ali Fazal, Manoj Bajpayee, Gajraj Rao, Harshvardhan Kapoor, Kaykay Menon
Kid Rating : PG-13
Amazon Prime’s Ray is an anthology or a series of 4 episodes – view it how you like. Each episode is a 1 hour short film directed by one of 3 directors. The 4 films are inspired by Satyajit Ray’s short stories. I have not read them, and I do not know to what degree the films are based on the stories. They seemed dark and grim, philosophical and inward-looking – which is fine. But they are also weak, and I don’t know if that’s because of the stories themselves or the way they were adapted. In short, Ray will not make it to the Best Anthologies of 2021 🙂
My favorite film out of the 4 was the 3rd: Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa. This is based on Satyajit Ray’s short story Barin Bhowmiker Byaram ( Barin Bhowmick’s Ailment). It has 2 main characters – singer Musafir Ali (Manoj Bajpayee) and wrestler turned journalist Aslam Beg (Gajraj Rao). The 2 men meet on a train, sharing a compartment. During the journey, they converse and Musafir Ali remembers that he has met Beig before in not very pleasant circumstances.
Manoj Bajpayee is a wonderful actor and he turns in an immaculate performance, as does Gajraj Rao. The film itself is delicately handled and the nuances come through; we see these fallible men and nod our heads in sympathy. Director Abhishek Chaubey knows what he is doing; you might remember him from his earlier spectacular work – Udta Punjab, Sonchiriya, Ishqiya.
Now, for the rest of the episodes: The first film of the series is Forget Me Not. It is about a technical nerd Ipsit Rama Nair who starts to lose his memory and is unnerved by it. We see him on the brink of success, revered by all, in awe by many, a friend of friends, a dynamic successful go-getter. But then, this uncharacteristic forgetfulness! It starts to gnaw at Ipsit.
Srijit Mukherjee directs Forget Me Not. This films starred Ali Fazal as Ipsit, who is a decent actor, and he does well. The story is about poetic justice, having your chickens come home to roost etc, so it does hold your interest. Also, Mukherji layers the characters nicely; at first we see the outward projection, but gradually Mukherji peels back the layers to reveal the truth. Forget Me Not was passable.
The second film is Bahrupiya and I can only describe this as grotesque. In this story, Indrashish Shah, an office worker with a creative side, is bequeathed an interesting inheritance. His creative, eccentric grandmother, on her death, has left him her treasure trove of tools and books about prosthetics. Indrashish uses these to disguise himself and run a few social experiments of his own.
Kay Kay Menon plays Indrashish and while Kaykay is a fine actor, the disguises obscured his face so you couldn’t really see him emote. His character is obviously a complex and troubled man, but we watch him from afar; the film can’t make him real or relatable.
The fourth film, Spotlight, is about film star Vik (Harshvardhan Kapoor). Vik is losing his USP, his “look”, amid an existential crisis. This is further heightened when he comes across Didi (Radhika Madaan), a religious leader who trumps him in celebrity status. The only good thing about this film was Chandan Roy Sanyal who plays Vik’s manager, Roy Ghosh.
In summary, apart from Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, none of the other stories bring depth to their characters. There is no pleasure in shallow retellings; hence the poor rating.
Kidwise: A few adult situations, talk of prostitution.
Mimi is the story of a surrogate who’s having a baby for an American couple. Kriti Sanon stars along with Pankaj Mishra, although there doesn’t appear to be a “traditional” hero. Mimi is directed by Laxman Utekar – he also directed Luka Chhupi.
Mimi is based on the 2011 Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychy! . It releases on Netflix, July 30th.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021
Running time : 2 hours 45 minutes
Director : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Cast : Farhan Akhtar, Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, Vijay Raaz, Supriya Pathak
Kid rating : PG
I had high expectations from Toofaan because it is directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Mehra has the knack of bringing emotions to the screen and presenting them with finesse – Delhi-6 and Rang De Basanti are great examples of the quality of his work. Toofaan though is a relative disappointment. Although not a bad film, it feels jaded and cliched.
Aziz Ali (Farhan Akhtar) is a small-time thug who works for Jaffar Bhai (Vijay Raaz). He is quick to get into bloody fights, and one day visits the local charity hospital to treat a deep gash on his face. There he meets Dr. Ananya (Mrunal Thakur), who treats the cut, but orders him out when she realizes that the wound is caused by his hooliganism.
Ali starts to develop an interest in boxing, and on another visit to the hospital (this time with a respectable boxing ring injury) Ananya encourages him to take the honorable path and leave his lawless activities. But the straight road is a hard slog. Will Aziz be able to remain true to his word?
First the good: fabulous acting all around! In fact the great emoting is what makes this film as watchable as it is. Props to Mrunal Thakur – she feels like a breath of fresh air. Farhan Akhtar has really worked out and built up his body for the role. He actually looks like a boxer and the boxing scenes feel realistic. I wouldn’t have thought Paresh Rawal could pull off the role of a boxing coach but he does – and how!
Then, there is director Mehra’s attention to detail, his ability to round off his characters so they feel believable and real. The film kept up the tempo, and the interest with some well-filmed boxing matches. Panga was another film which also did this well, although the sport in that film was kabaddi.
However, the plot feels like it is from the 80s, with all the attendant predictability and melodrama. Toofaan is a classic underdog story – and I like those – but it’s also full of cliches. There’s one temple scene which is so cheesy I almost missed Nirupa Roy! Then there’s the stereotypical golden-hearted hero who, in one scene, raises his hand against his wife, although he doesn’t actually hit her. Still, he shows no contrition.
Also, while the first half of the film was interesting and set up Aziz and Ananya’s romance nicely, the second half of the film was packed with predictable plot twists, and felt rushed. Shankar-Ehsaan and Loy dish out some uninspired music for the film. Vijay Raaz and Supriya Pathak, both talented veterans, seem wasted in their bit roles.
Toofan is watchable despite the long running time, but is a big come-down from Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag which was also a sports movie and starred Farhan Akhtar. Still a decent one-time watch.
Kidwise: Some bloody fight scenes.
Feels Like Ishq is a Series with 6 episodes (1st Season). It’s about young people in love, navigating emotional tumult, and stars Radhika Madan (of Pataakha fame), Tanya Maniktala from A Suitable Boy, Saba Azad – you might remember her as the teeny-bopper-in-love in the cute rom-com Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, and Neeraj Madhav, who played the villain in the first season of The Family Man.
This series will grace your television screens July 23rd via Netflix.
Toofan stars Farhan Akhtar, Paresh Rawal and Mrunal Thakur (whom you might remember from Super 30). Rakesh Omprakash Mehra directs Toofan, which is a sports-based drama. He’d also directed Farhan Akhtar in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, also a sports-based drama, although that was a bio-pic.
Mehra always brings a distinctive point of view and a sophisticated flair to his films (I adored Delhi 6), so I’m looking forward to Toofan. This will be on Prime Video July 16th.
Rating : ⭐️
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021
Running time : 2 hours 15 minutes
Director : Vineel Mathew
Cast : Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Harshvardhan Rane, Aditya Shrivastav
Kid rating : PG-13
In Netflix’s Haseen Dilruba, vivacious Rani (Taapsee Pannu) is wed in arranged marriage fashion to mild-mannered engineer Rishabh (Vikrant Massey). Rani and Rishu can’t remain happy together though, and Rishu asks her to leave the home. However he is killed in surprising circumstances, and Rani is the prime suspect.
Netflix’s Haseen Dilruba begins with the death and works its way backwards – so in the first half of the film we get a recounting of the events by Rani herself, as she relates events to Police Inspector Kishore Rawat (Aditya Shrivastav). The initial part of the movie is definitively the better half – since it channels the small-town atmosphere of a Tanu Weds Manu, with the events leading unto the wedding. There is even some humor to be had.
However in the second half, the film completely derails. There are too many logical loopholes to keep track of. Also where in the first half the events were at least believable, in the second, all reason goes out the window. Haseen Dilruba has an interesting premise, but director Mathew can’t keep it straight. Many events don’t have a proper lead-in or set-up giving them a surreal feel; the film’s editing is slapdash.
If Mathew had stuck to the bare bones of the film, it might have made more sense. As it is though, he stretches out important events, padding them with not-credible details and hammy dialogs, often staging them unrealistically. The Inspector-in-charge remains in dogged pursuit, and the entire police staff of inspectors and constables forsake their work and remain entranced by the “hot Bhabhi’s” case. Rani’s character is shown as almost insouciant as she is being grilled by the police. Her parents-in-law, witness to the rifts in the couple’s relationship, apparently don’t blame her.
The film is partially inspired by Roald Dahl’s short story “Lamb To the Slaughter” but even that interesting twist gets lost in the mess that is this film. The whole ridiculous plot is also entwined with silly ideas of romance, and sudden inexplicable personality shifts. Rani’s characters is uneven but at least entertaining to begin with – she is pretty and sharp-witted, sparring with her mother-in-law when she exhorts her to be the susheel, sanskaari bahu they were promised. Rishu’s character is also unrealistic and veers wildly, as he goes from being mild-mannered and tolerant, to psychotic and abusive.
Haseen Dilruba unfolds like a pulpy C-grade film, with over-the-top characters. The film’s actors do well, but are hampered by the illogically conceived characters. Director Vineel Matthew directed Hasee Toh Phasee, and while that film will win no awards, it is much better than Haseen Dilruba. The plot of Haseen Dilruba is enticing but the poor execution and the complete lack of logic and reasoning make this movie a royal mess, one that not even its dependable actors can salvage.
Haseen Dilruba in a flawed film and cannot deliver on its promise.
Kidwise: Some domestic violence, blood, knife-wielding characters, adult situations and themes.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Genre : Drama
Year : 2019, 2021
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
Director : Krishna D.K., Raj Nidimoru
Cast : Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Samantha Akkineni, Sharib Hashmi, Dalip Tahil
Kid Rating : PG-13
I had greatly anticipated The Family Man Season 1 when it first released in 2019, because, well, Manoj Bajpayee. He is one of the finest actors in Bollywood, having starred in fabulous movies like Gangs of Wasseypur I, Shool, and Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and many, many more. Also this is a Raj & DK production, and they are innovators. They try new stuff – sometimes the innovation goes south, like that forgettable Zombie movie Go Goa Gone, but sometimes they produce magic like The Family Man.
Anyway, so I watched the first episode of Season 1 and was massively disappointed. I dropped The Family Man and didn’t return to it until friends suggested I power though the first, maybe the first 2 episodes, because the series was so worth it. And am I glad I did!
Now that Season 2 of Family Man is out too, I had the special treat of binge-watching Two seasons of The Family Man without interruptions. This was a very good weekend.
The Family Man is about Srikant Tiwari, an intelligence office in the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC), a part of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA). Tiwari’s job is National Security – protecting the nation from attacks both internal and external. He keeps the dangerous nature of his job hidden from his family – his wife Suchitra (Priyamani), daughter Dhriti and son Atharv.
In the first season of The Family Man, Srikant and his colleagues must thwart attacks from Pakistani terrorists, while in the second, they must prevent the LTTE from assassinating the Prime Minster’s of India and Sri Lanka as they meet for talks and important trade negotiations. I’d say the 1st season is good and the second is fantastic!
The Family Man is a great series because it is multi-faceted. Yes, it is primarily the chase of the bad guys, but there is also focus on Srikant’s family life – his problems with wife Suchi, hints of a past with a former colleague (played by Gul Panag), and his relationship with his kids. The kids were cute, and the son’s character was a hoot. Srikant Tiwari himself is a very interesting character. He loves his family and is dedicated to his job. He is forever dashing about in pursuit of leads, much to the chagrin of his wife. He is quick on his feet, a glib talker and an even better story-teller; not all his stories are true.
The Family Man tells us the tale from two points of view – the first is from Srikant’s , and the second from the villain’s. We, the viewers can see that the bad guys are doing and how Srikant and his team are hot on their trail, uncovering clues, sourcing information from there tech experts/online chatter as well as informants on the ground. There are expertly executed fight sequences and suspense-filled chases – with the climax of the second season being a superbly filmed edge-of-your-seat will-they-won’t-they scene. Each episode is tight and leaves you wanting more.
The characterization and the acting in The Family Man is immaculate. The actors portraying their roles seem real – the Tamilian characters actually speak Tamil, the Kashmiri characters really do seem to be from the region. Srikant’s Tamilian wife drops little Tamil phrases into her Hindi sentences, and Maharatrian Talpade often lapses into Marathi. A lot of the dialog is in English/Tamil where apt, making the whole thing look more realistic (unlike A Suitable Boy, where the English dialogues felt oh-so-phoren).
As far as the acting goes – Manoj Bajpayee is superb but we expect no less from him. Srikant’s wife is gorgeously portrayed by South-Indian actress Priyamani (whom you might remember from the below dance sequence from Chennai Express). Watch carefully for the female dancer:
Sharib Hashmi plays Srikant’s collegue JK with such ease that he is one of the more memorable characters from the series. The addition of several superb stalwarts – Gul Panag as Saloni Bhatt in Season 1, and Samantha Akkineni as Raji in Season 2 – takes this series up several notches. Then there are the 2 child artistes – Ashlesha Thakur and Vedant Sinha who are charming performers, and bring the whole impish sister-brother relationship to life.
I also have it to hand it to the directors for the attention to detail. While I was a little skeptical during Season 1 (some loopholes), Season 2 really brought it’s act together, culminating in a suspenseful, nail-biter of a climax. The Family Man is truly a world-class series of the secret agent genre, and in Srikant Tiwari we have found our Indian Bond; not quite as svelte or debonair, but just as effective in dealing with the baddies. I can’t wait for Season 3!
Kidwise: Gun-fighting, somewhat gory violence with knives.
Haseen Dilruba is a murder mystery by director Vinil Mathew (he also directed Hasee Toh Phasee). This new Bollywood film stars Tapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey. Massey’s been having quite a good run lately, with the likes of Mirzapur and “Dolly Kitty aur woh Chamakte Sitare“, and hopefully with Haseen Dilruba the streak will continue!
The trailer looks promising and who doesn’t like a juicy murder mystery?
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