AninditaRoyMusings

DRISHYAM-THE CONCLUSION: The final sequel to the “Drishyam” franchise does not disappoint. This movie shows how a wafer-thin plot can achieve box-office magic sheerly by efficient storytelling and a taut screenplay. Editing is crisp and the breathtaking cinematography upholds the natural beauty of Goa. The roaring background music does not make the audience feel the lack of songs or item numbers. Ajay Devgn delivers an intense performance. Tabu has a limited screen time but plays her “blink-and-you-miss-it” role to perfection. Shriya Saran looks too young to play the mother of a teenager. Jaideep Ahlawat plays the role of a police officer to the hilt, albeit with an Akshaye Khanna hangover. Though the climax is predictable, it will fill your hearts. It is heartening to note that the makers decided to mark the end of the franchise while at the peak of success and not drag it for the sake of financial gain. Recommended for family audiences.

DAAYRA (The Limit): The movie is promoted as an action thriller but is too slow-paced and devoid of any tension, intrigue or suspense. Prithviraj Sukumaran is apt as DCP Raman but Kareena Kapoor essentially plays herself, the star. Editing could have been crisper. Sans any song or any romantic interlude, the narrative is boring and unentertaining. The audience would fail to engage with the movie and would end up feeling weary and depressed.

PHOOLPISHI O EDWARD: Does an intriguing title guarantee a surefire hit? Well there’s much more than just an eye-catching title. The first half is slow-paced but the movie gains momentum in the second half. The climax is tinged with feminism and the rise of female power over patriarchy. If you can keep your patience till the very end, you will probably like the movie. But it is certainly not the best from the stable of Nandini and Shiboprasad. The ensemble cast sticks to the script and displays genuine sincerity. Good strictly for an one-time watch.

SAPTADINGAR GUPTODHON: Borderline endurable thanks to the charisma of Abir Chatterjee. This is a cock-and-bull story that tries your patience. At 135 minutes, the movie seems overstretched. The same hackneyed plot with a unidimensional narrative would tire you. The makers do not realize that thrillers need to be unpredictable with twists and turns. The simple storyline might appeal to children. Good for an one-time watch.

MICHAEL: This movie is a shallow hagiography with no depth or substance. Despite being a die-hard Michael Jackson fan, I found the movie tepid and tiring. Although Jaafar Jackson’s performance impersonating his uncle MJ is electrifying, the screenplay does not have a “hook” to engage the audience. The flat narrative depicts Michael’s initial modest upbringing in Gary,Indiana to his meteoric rise in the late 80’s as the numero uno pop icon in the US. Joe Jackson is etched out as unidimensional character. La Toya Jackson is present in two-three reels but there is no mention of Janet Jackson, who MJ was quite fond of. The other brothers of the Jackson 5 band are only present in the background with no well-defined characterization. His girlfriend Brooke Shields and wife Lisa Marie Presley are not shown in the movie. Wacko Jacko’s various eccentricities, including having a pet python, a chimp, a llama and a rat display his kinky side. MJ’s paedophilic trait that cost him several legal battles on child abuse is swept under the rug. The movie ends abruptly after MJ brings out his album “Bad”-maybe makers have a sequel in mind. Watch this movie if you cherish MJ’s music and you are one of his cult followers.

MOMOLICIOUS: Being a Bengali, we are genuinely in love with momos, be it any shape or size. I chanced upon Dumplicious on Southern Avenue quite a few times but until I saw it on Instagram, I did not find it legit. So today, determined and in a major “I always get my momo” mood I trekked to Dumplicious only to be told that their roof has caved in and they are closed at least for two hours. Unhindered, I decided to rest my case at Momolicious. Tucked in a dirt lane opposite South City Mall, I was impressed by the pretty pink decor. Since it was way past lunchtime, I decided to go for three varieties Afghani Momo, Handi Momo and Korean Momo. After a wait time of 20 minutes, I took a peek into the kitchen and I found that the girl who waited on me, was making the momos. I savored the Afghani Momos, which were drenched in cheese, with a pinch of guilt. The juicy and creamy chicken filling was sumptuous. The Handi Momos came in a plastic Handi and tasted like Mutton korma. The Korean momo was garnished with oyster or hoisin sauce (I am not too sure) and was bland and unappetising. I could eat only one piece of the Korean momo because maybe I was full or it didn’t tickle my tastebuds. Consider visiting this place if you care two hoots about calories and would not mind having a dine-in experience at a momo joint.

WOODBRIDGE SHOHORE EKENBABU: This is an audio play available free on Youtube. While I appreciate the enterprise, I see no point in rendering a monotonous drivel with no background score and voice modulation. The pitch and the tone remains the same throughout the running time of 1 hour 20 minutes. It is most unlikely that the narrative follows a proper screenplay. The intent is to cash in on the viewership of Eken babu admirers. Clearly, the makers did not have the budget to shoot in Woodbridge. Give it an ear if you are a diehard fan of Eken babu or if you suffer from major FOMO.

EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert- This movie is a collage of Elvis Presley concerts in the US from the 1950’s to the 70’s. The editing is crisp and so the movie does not bore you. If you have an ear for music specifically, rock ‘n roll or rhythm and blues you will probably like this movie. The movie also hints at Elvis’ womanizer trait. With Michael Jackson’s biopic “Michael” releasing in a few weeks, looks like 2026 is a great year for the musically inclined.

VIJAYNAGARER HIREY (The diamond of Vijaynagar): A well-made movie albeit formulaic with the usual dose of history, mystery, a riddle and a treasure-hunt. Based on the prolific Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay’s works, the editing is crisp and the movie with a running time of 1 hr 50 mins doesn’t bog you down. Set in Hampi, Karnataka the cinematography is major eye-candy. It is surprising how Kakababu with an injured leg could beat an army of hooligans so effectively. Prosenjit is superb as Kakababu and Aryann Bhowmik (playing Sontu) complements him well. One cannot help but wonder what the hullabaloo was over something that looked more like a paperweight than a diamond. As you move out of the theatre, the Kakababu theme song stays with you. This movie is a nice one time watch and is suited for family audiences.

ROYAL BENGAL ROWHOSHYO Web Series: Seven episodes of this web series are playing on Hoichoi. I do not know what is the big deal of recreating the same story after fourteen years with a different set of actors. This web series is a copy-paste job without an iota of originality or creativity. The original music by Satyajit Ray which is used in Feluda movies is usually a character by itself. The music here is too feeble to make an impact. The theme song is taken from Srijit Mukherji’s Darjeeling Jawmjawmat and it retains the energy and liveliness of the original. Dialogues and scenes are duplicated frame by frame. It is plain tiring to watch the cloned audio and images without any freshness. Navigation is a nightmare-on clicking Royal Bengal Rowhoshyo on Hoichoi, it points to Darjeeling Jawmjawmat; On clicking “Next Episode” it points to the first episode. Do yourself a favor and watch the original big-screen version which is also streaming on Hotstar.