Author: aninditaroy444

BATLA HOUSE: This movie deals with the infamous police encounter that took place at L-18 Batla House at the Okhla Industrial area of New Delhi that resulted in the death of a policeman and two IM (Indian Mujahideen) terrorists in 2008. The encounter was headed by ACP Sanjay Kumar Yadav (played by John Abraham) who had to face media outrage and police enquiry for what was believed to be a fake encounter. The movie, despite its umpteen chases and shootouts, fails to engage the audience. The movie starts on a promising premise but ends up like a docudrama. Despite its elaborate disclaimer, the movie is hinged towards the Delhi Police point of view and has a predictable climax. There are three songs that make the pace of the movie sluggish. John Abraham gives a restrained performance without too much of a dose of nationalism. Mrunal Thakur and Ravi Kishan are wasted in small roles. Nora Fatehi makes an impact in a miniscule role. The supporting cast is nondescript and fades into the background. The movie lacks proper execution and direction.I give it two stars.

MISSION MANGAL: This is a patriotic and educative movie celebrating India’s successful mission to Mars (MOM-Mars Orbiter Mission) in 2013.
Jingoism is kept at a low in this movie. It is heartening to see that the movie depicts ISRO scientists as normal people with everyday problems in their personal lives. The space science facts are presented in a simple way so that the laymen can also understand but at times logic goes for a toss. The CGI and graphics are not as eyecatching as that in Hollywood but they are not a disaster either. The last few minutes before the launch could have been made more exciting. Music is average -there are three songs that add to the proceedings. The original MARS mission by ISRO mostly had women as shown in the movie-so this movie is a celebration of “girl power”. Women are shown as juxtaposing home science with computer science and space science successfully to come up with cost-effective and efficient solutions. The MOM was executed with just 454 crores and India was the first Asian nation to land on the Mars and the first nation in the world to land on the Mars at the first attempt. This movie is good for kids and it will ignite young minds towards space exploration. Vidya Balan outshines all the key actors in this movie. Akshay Kumar is at his wittiest best -he does resort to some overacting especially in the imaginary telephone call to APJ Abdul Kalam, dashing down the table etc. Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharman Joshi- all are good in their supporting roles. Dilip Tahil shows up as the sole villian and does a good job. It is delight to watch Sanjay Kapoor groove to his own songs at a pub. That song brought a quick flashback of the naughty ’90s and made us realize how old we have become. At the end the original photo clips from the real ISRO are shown. The movie panders to the PM Narendra’s Modi’s ego by showing his celebratory speech only ignoring the fact that Mangalayan was launched in 2012 in Dr. Manmohan Singh’s regime. More movies like this need to be made, to instill nationalism and respect for our motherland and to feel proud of our nation’s achievements. A big thank you to my fellow moviebuffs Sanchita, Mohua, Sarmistha and Anumita who braved the rains to join me today. “SAB MANGAL HAIN”

SHANTILAL O PROJAPATI ROHOSHYA:Coming from the Pratim D.Gupta stable, this movie is a big disappointment. Promoted as a detective film, the movie lacks the bone-chilling adventure and the nail-biting suspense that accompanies mystery stories. In the movie everything is simple and unrealistic-the meeting of Shantilal with Rocket Ranjan, Shantilal’s travel to Chennai and Singapore and hooking up with insiders without much of a hindrance, meeting with Nandita at her place -all of these happen smoothly without much of chase or intrigue. The director had an excellent story concept but he does nothing to excite the audience and keep it on the edge. Paoli Dam and Ritwick Chakraborty enact their characters well. Ambarish, Shankar Chakraborty and Goutam Ghose support equally well. Aparna Sen does a guest appearance along with her husband. Mirch Somak also features as a journalist. But the inept handling of the plot and a flat script fail to impress the audience. Surely can give it a miss.

JABARIYA JODI: The title means “a couple married by force”. The movie surely needs a “Jabariya” audience. Set in Patna, tacky sets, garish costumes, inane script and a confusing plot will set the viewers off. Chocolate boy Siddharth Malhotra oozes charm and killer good looks but his acting and dialogue delivery leave much to be desired. Great body, great face but look Ma, no brains! or what would possibly explain his disastrous choice of movies, delivering one dud after another. Parineeti Chopra lacks on-screen chemistry with Sid Malhotra. She is always decked up in designr clothes mostly crop tops and for some doggon reason dons a green eyeliner always. The lead pair is too urban to be playing rustic Biharis. The backdrop of the movie is groom kidnapping in Bihar by the bride’s family who cannot pay dowry and pay a smaller fee to the local goons. The story takes a convoluted turn as the main protagonists take turn in kidnapping one another.Siddhartha Malhotra is shown smoking pot, ciggarettes, guzzling beer but still he does not come alive on screen as the menacing goon. There are a few weird product placements like Gas-o-fast, Manyavar etc that are “jabariya”. Music is average and the songs do not gel into the narrative. Aparshakti Khurana gives a nondescript performance and pales in to the background. This is dreamboat Siddharth Malhotra’s big screen movie outing after one and a half years-if you crave to watch him groove, talk with his chacteristic arched eyebrows, romance, fight, smile, cry then go for this movie. Otherwise give it a miss.

ARTICLE 15: This movie is a gripping, realistic crime drama set at Lalgaon in UP. Article 15 is the constitutional law that prohibits discrimination against sex,race, caste, creed or religion. One may find this movie preachy in parts and honestly, the suspense revolving a crime drama is largely missing. Ayushmann Khurrana fits the role of the newly minted IPS officer perfectly. Music and background score are top-notch. The song played along with the opening titles is very catchy. There are a few raw sequences like the two girls’ corpses hanging from the tree, a man from the socially backward class dunking in sewage repeatedly in order to clean the drains etc. It was not clear why the third girl Pooja was let go alive. Barring the flaws, this is a hard-hitting drama delivered with responsibility. If you can digest large doses of realism, then this is the movie for you.

SUPER 30: This movie is based on the true story of Anand Kumar, a Patna based mathematics whiz who coached 30 poor, under privileged kids for the IIT exam totally free of cost successfully. If you are expecting happy feet, handsome and stylish Hrithik you would be disappointed. Here Hrithik is brown-faced, dishevelled with a thick beard and looks more like a jail convict than a mad genius. His performance is earnest and honest, his fake Bihari accent almost perfect. The narrative is engaging and the screenplay is taut in the first half but in the second half melodrama sets in thereby dragging it down. The kids are mostly dark-skinned thereby suggesting that poor people are necessarily dark and ugly. The characters of the kids are not well-etched and remain in your memory as a mass of famished kids.Music is average and the Sholay song drags on forever. It is hard to believe that a few high school kids can overpower some hardcore gun-toting criminals. It is entertaining to see the way Anand uses mathemetics to solve everyday problems. Mrunal Thakur has a miniscule role as Hrithik’s love interest. The movie is an inspiring tale of how hard work, talent and perseverence can bring about success and glory and how a few people contribute to the society’s reform and upliftment of backward classes selflesssly without looking for material gains. This movie is a triumph of humanity. Watch this movie to see the brilliant performance of Hrithik, if nothing else.

DURGESHGORER GUPTODHAN: This movie is running for two months at the theatres and has been appreciated by all. Sonada, Abir and Jhinuk embark on an adventure to Durgeshgor and unearth a hidden treasure. The history behind the movie is depicted by colorful animation at the start and sets up the context nicely. The pace of the movie is very slow in the first half but the second half has a lot of thrill and suspense built into it. Sonada is sada single in keeping with the tradition of the Bengali sleuths. Newcomer Ishaa Saha fits in perfectly. Another newcomer Aryan Bhowmick looks promising although he is vertically challenged. Kharaj puts in a boisterous performance but is unfit as the gun-toting villain. The guy who plays Nakul (Kharaj’s accomplice) is an apt choice. Kaushik Sen as the wayward NRI brother adds to the mystery and intrigue. June Malia is wasted in a miniscule role. There is a cute kid (a Taimur Ali Khan lookalike) too. The plot is too simplistic and Sonada hits bulls eye at first attempt always. Never knew a professor can fight so well. There is some awkward product placement like MAX, Mainland China etc. The Durga Puja backdrop makes the overall movie enjoyable. CGI is quite good especially in the wild bear scene. In true Bengali movie tradition evil Mejda becomes a good fella at the end and decides to return to his roots. An enjoyable one-time watch.

BASU PARIBAR: It is interesting to see how Bengalis still throng to watch the veterans Aparna Sen and Soumitra Chatterjee who put in feisty performances in this movie. The leading pair look age- appropriate in this drama where their 50^th wedding anniversary is being celebrated. Th first half is engaging but the second half drags to death. At even 1 hour 51 minutes, the movie is a sore bore. The climax is disappointing-the story could have taken a different turn but it does not. The movie had the promise of a modern day “ Sakha Proshaka” but lacks Ray’s master touch. Director Suman Ghosh had a terrific ensemble cast but fails to utilize the star power. Paran Bandopadhyay shines as always. Rituparna and Jisshu are wasted in sundry roles. There are cursory references to crossdressing, impotency, unemployment, suicide, illicit love, marital discord and what not. After a while, it seems as if everyone has skeletons in the closet getting ready to squeal. The newcomer Sreenanda Shankar is a letdown. With terrible acting skills, ghoulish looks and unkempt hair, she is an eyesore. The movie depicts the charm of suburban Bengal pretty well and the lifestyles of the rich and upwardly mobile from a bygone era.

MANIKARNIKA: THE QUEEN OF JHANSI-Too jingoistic to the core, Kangana Ranaut’s directorial debut fails to impress. A damp squib of a first half, a clumsy warry second half -this movie despite having the explosive content of a blockbuster falls flat on the ground. The casting of Jisshu Sengupta as the Maharaja of Jhansi is not appropriate- he looks old and jaded. Kangana Ranaut exudes spunk and charisma but this movie becomes a vanity vehicle for her. Frame after frame Kangana fumes and spews venom against her detractors and the way she remains unscathed is unbelievable. The acquisition of Gwalior Fort where the Maharaja simply leaves on being asked is downright silly. The sword-yielding men of Jhansi fight back against the gun-toting British amidst shouts of “Har Har Mahadev” and ultimately succumb to defeat after Rani Laxmibai’s death. Danny Denzongpa plays an important role as Ghouse Khan and is fit as a fiddle. Atul Kulkarni is one of the recognizable faces. The screenplay is such that maximum footage is given to Rani Laxmibai and her war scenes which come as an overdose and further weigh down the movie. Kangana Ranaut rides the horse like a dream and is nimble with the sword and the shield. Her slight frame and fast as lightning movements do justice to the portrayal of the warrior queen. With some brilliant editing and a better background score and music, this movie could have been a more promising fare. The war scenes are gory and this movie is not suitable for children.

ROSOGOLLA: The sweetest of the sweets, the king of the sweetmeats, the decadent syrupy cottage cheese balls, the rosogolla and the making of it -beautifully captured for the first time on celluloid in ROSOGOLLA. Set in the 19^th century, when Lord Canning was the Viceroy of India, Ladykeni was the popular sweet amongst the upper class. Nabin Chandra Das was just another starry eyed 20 year-old “Moira” or sweetmeat maker who dreamt of making the perfect “Roser Golla” for his paramour Khirod who later became his wife. Erstwhile Bagbazar,, where Nabin’s sweet shop was, bore the look of a busy village where unpaid dues were settled by “Lethels” or armed musclemen and the upwardly mobile jostled to get the attention of the British rulers. The lazy “babus” were shown as busy with concubines and reading the newspaper daily was considered too intellectual. Aparajita Addhya made a brief appearance as a Zamindar Ginni and stole the show effortlessly. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 was not shown and the story remained confined to sweet shop owners, milkmen and the like. Rajatava Datta rendered a powerful performance as the rival sweet shop dealer. Subhashree made a cameo as the nautchgirl with a heart of gold (what’s new). True to tradition, girls were shown as playing with kids before marriage and were too old to be married if crossed the age of 16. The romance of Nabin and Khirod was playful and real and was evenly paced out. When happy, Nabin did a weird dance movement by clapping his hands and jumping up and down at the same time proving that Bengalis are not used to dancing naturally. Kharaj Mukherjee rendered a near perfect act as Nabin’s sweet shop helper and with his corpulent frame suited the role well. The perfect Rosogolla could be made with the help of an Englishman who had mastered the craft of manoeuvring the cottage cheese. Overwhelmed by the success of Rosogolla, Nabin went on to introduce another new sweet called Baikunthabhog and expanded his business further. It was amazing the way periodicity of the movie was maintained through and through. Shot in light sepia, the audience is able to live the movie and become part of Nabin’s pain and pleasure. Highly recommended.