My Take On TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS - "Also Return Fun, Jolliness And An Extraordinary Kangana Ranaut"

Anand L Rai, who successfully directed endearing hits like Tanu Weds Manu Returns & Raanjhanaa has come up with sequel to the former, a feisty and heartening romantic comedy called Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Four years post their marriage, both the leads have formed incompatibility with each other and decided to live separately. Twists and turns occur in their lives, but love remains intact which wins ultimately. What works is the storyline goes breezily which consists of some crazy characters thus resulting in total fun even though its predictable. Hardly there is any dull moment or something that's unexciting.
I would like to mention the reasons why i find this a delightful experience.

Highpoints :

1) The biggest merit of this entertainer is its leading lady or ladies i should say, Kangana Ranaut. Once again after her heartwarmingly flawless performance in Queen, she is stellar as both Tanu & Datto here. These are two diverse roles yet the actress has sunk her teeth into both the characters marvelously! She makes us believe in Tanu as well as in Datto. She brings great emotions to her parts and makes us feel for them. Get ready for next year Miss Ranaut , you will again triumph best actress trophies.
2) Also impressive performances have been delivered by Madhavan who does well, he's earnest underplaying a chaotic Manu, Jimmy Shergill is alright and so is Mohd Zeeshan Ayub. Swara Bhaskar is very good but the best amusement among the supportive players has been given by Deepak Dobriyal as Pappi who is completely hilarious.
3) Director Anand L Rai competently has made this movie a joyous watch. Credit goes to him as his script despite loopholes offers jest with an emotional touch that will connect to the audiences.
4) A thumbs-up to its funny dialogues & one-liners that are penned by Writer Himanshu Sharma.
5) Music by Krsna Solo & Tanishk Vayu is very likeable.
6) The film is also benefited from nice editing and beautiful cinematography.

And if i say about the film's flaws , predictability and a bit dramatic in picturization are somewhat worrisome.

But these are minor avoidable problems in an otherwise crackling and pleasant rom-com. Tanu Weds Manu Returns will definitely become a box office delight and also at the same time it will make a place in its viewers' hearts. Watch it to have a fabulous two-hours plus time and if not for anything else, watch it for Kangana's superlative act. For her alone, this movie can be watched numerous times.

My Rating - **** (4/5)

My favorite film of the year has changed from Piku to this one now. Its that much fun!

My Take On PIKU - "Sweet, Relatable And Moving ; Its A Must Watch"

A movie that imparts both smile and tears to the audience is seldom marked in today's time. Fortunately, Piku directed by Shoojit Sircar and written by Juhi Chaturvedi(the team that earlier gave us Vicky Donor) is one such rejoicing experience. Its the saga about a father daughter relationship that one can relate to at once. We meet an old bong father suffering from constipation who becomes over burdened on his hot headed yet caring daughter. The latter feels she's living a liberty less life as the former regulates it as per his own convenience. Their bonding has both sweet and bitter moments. Its in these parts, fun lies and so does the emotional touch. We also witness a travel agent owner who abruptly gets involved in the father-daughter journey. The storyline has been treated with utmost genuineness and that's where Piku charms totally. Real characters, real performances, real emotions all add to strength of this moving, delightful entertainer. Its all quality!

HIGHPOINTS -

1) As i just said, the storyline is filled with utter authenticity which is touching and relatable.
2) Natural acting empowers the film. Amitabh Bachchan as the hypochondriac annoying old man stamps his supremacy aptly and gives us a remarkable performance. He's exceptional while being funny and irksome. Deepika Padukone as his daughter Piku stands out. She's immensely satisfying in her portrayal of the titular character. The best way to describe her stellar act is that she didn't play her part rather she became so. And that leaves us to the invariably brilliant Irrfan Khan who yet again is first rate. His conversations with Bachchan provide great laughter. He's joy to watch. Infact all 3 leading performers are wonderful. Also the film is boasted with solid supporting players be it Jishu Sengupta, Raghubir Yadav or Moushami Chatterjee.
3) Credit goes to Soojit Sircar and his writer Juhi Charurvedi for making this film funny and moving at the same time. Dialogues are spot on. Direction is awesome too.
4) Music is very fine and pleasurable. Thumbs up to its background score as well.
5) Nicely edited and beautifully picturized.

To be fair , i didn't find any problem while watching or enjoying (i better say) this lovely heartwarming picture so no point of mentioning drawbacks of this one.

Thus, PIKU is a marvelous family film. An engaging, feel good drama that succeeds in entertaining you. It will make you laugh , bring tears in your eyes and in the end you will be deeply moved. Its a must watch! Don't miss it!

My Rating - 4/5

My favorite film of the year so far. And i 'm sure once you watch it, it will be yours too.

My Take On DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHY! : "This One Is Purely Meant For All Intellects"

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, a periodical saga of the Calcutta's famous fictional detective 'Byomkesh Bakshi' created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay during pre Independence era. Its a journey of this agile, courageous and flamboyant private investigator whose first case has been shown in the movie. The case is a murder mystery which our protagonist gets committed to and works ardently in his own way to solve it. He however faces a lot of obstacles thanks to the situational occurrence of various twists and turns throughout his detection. To be honest, i don't know much about this spirited detective's career and life history. As a movie viewer, i experienced whatever director Dibakar Banerjee showed us about the titular character and his intriguing initial case. And as i said, its quite a jig jag journey that Byomkesh Bakshy faces while solving his first case. The storytelling is too complex and you have to be patient enough to enjoy this wittily crafted thriller. Its boasted with several merits. Such as :

HIGHPOINTS -

1) It has a story that's robust and keeps you on your toes. Finely written scenes and dialogues with unpredictable twists and turns are worthy of praise.
2) Acting by all is commendable. Sushant Singh Rajput as the leading man is amazingly believable. He gives his blood and sweat to the character of Byomkesh Bakshi and comes up with a striking, nuanced performance. He does his job very very well. Well done!
Also other actors like Anand Tiwari and especially Neeraj Kabi are spot on. They played their roles with utmost perfection. Swastika Mukherjee and Meiyang Chang do total justice to their parts too.
3) The movie is benefitted greatly from Banerjee's skillful direction although his storytelling could have been made easier for most people to get in.
4) Fascinating cinematography and stellar background score work.
5) Although adapted, its original in nature with realistic treatment.

Despite all these plusses, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy suffers from problems that could and should have been avoidable.

LOWPOINTS -

1) The movie runs at a snail pace for the most part and that makes it niche and even a bit monotonous.
2) There are loopholes in the screenplay in some areas. They seem uninspiring and unclear.
3) The movie lacks perspicuity. It becomes too hard to be understood at some point. Storytelling could have been better, i mean simpler.

So eventually, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is a thriller not all will like as its not everyone's cup of tea. But credit goes to the entire team for backing this old, unconventional project and creating the same into a unique, different experience. It's intelligently made with arresting acts. A film that you all should watch with your eyes & mind wide open just to witness what clever cinemas are all about. Afterall, quality scores over fatuous entertainment.

Rating - 3.5/5

Keep patience and do give it a try and you won't regret!

My Take On DUM LAGA KE HAISHA - "A Wonderful Rom-Com That Takes Us To The Magical 90s Era"

Set in Haridwar during mid 90s, Dum Laga Ke Haisha tells the story of a silly, matric fail guy who runs a cassette store and also happens to be an ardent fan of Noted Singer Kumar Sanu. How his life takes a turn when he forcefully gets hitched with a plump yet responsible girl. He never quite becomes cosy or happy with his spouse because of her weight factor. Thus their marital life doesn't seem to work at first but things variate when they fall for each other ultimately. Its their journey which goes through several rough patches & fun moments and these are shown beautifully in the film. All credit goes to writer-director Sharat Katariya who has made this light hearted love saga of an odd pair with pure heart. It's filled with strong merits.

HIGHPOINTS -

1) Storyline has real feeling, genuinely interesting characters which make this movie amazingly entertaining and totally engaging.
2) The 90's backdrop is beautifully shot. It pleasantly brings smile and takes us to the era which we all still love.
3) Talking of the melodious 90's era, the film's music is its another winning aspect. Kumar Sanu's touching voice captivates hearts yet again with lovely tracks like 'Dard Karara' and 'Tu' superbly composed by Anu Malik. Sanu-Malik's combo proves that they can still do wonders. 'Moh Moh Se Dhaage' is an incredible rendition too.
4) Ayushman Khurrana is in great form and delivers a performance that stands big and high. He is surely a fine actor and that's very much evident from this movie. Similarly, his leading lady, Bhumi Pednekar is delight to watch. She's extremely believable and thoroughly likeable in her debut outing. She's effortless. And together this leading pair looks fantastic. They make us laugh, they make us cry and compel us to root for them throughout. Its hard not to love their heartening chemistry.
5) Also actors like Sanjay Mishra and Seema Pahwa do first rate acting in supporting parts.
6) Direction is inspiring and deserves appreciation. Sharat Katariya makes an ideal debut with this simple yet charming rom com.
7) Kumar Sanu has a fascinating cameo.

There are hardly any shortcomings in this movie to talk about.

Dum Laga Ke Haisha, thus overall is a joyful, heartwarming 90's style love story that should be watched to be unanimously loved. It rarely fizzles and mostly sizzles. Small in budget but big in content, this rom com will make you feel happy. Surely the best thing to come out in 2015 so far.

Rating - 4 / 5

Its a treat that should be rejoiced. An adorable 90's reminiscent!

My Take On BADLAPUR - "This Skillfully Made, Well Acted Thriller Can Be Very Much Watchable"

Badlapur, a neo noir revenge saga, directed by Sriram Raghavan is sharp, edgy, unusual and unpredictable thriller which is far from our regular Bollywood masala thrillers that have over the top actions, tacky dialogues, too many cliches and loud performances. This one is more of a real, twisted drama and director Raghavan succeeds in making us engaged and captivated for the most part. The mixture of violence, sex and maniac like characteristics due to a sudden grief of our hero plus the weird yet humorous nature of the antagonist works here.

Highpoints -

1) Unpredictability, crisp twists and turns in the screenplay are appreciable.
2) Solid script consisting of clever humour and deep sorrows backed by neat direction deserves applause.
3) Exceptionally well acted by the film's two leads - Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Varun, just in his fourth film, has shown tremendous growth in acting. He successfully portrays the very complexed role with both sincerity and maturity. Its a crazy, wicked character which Varun does complete justice to. Meanwhile, the vastly skilled Nawazuddin yet again impresses with a striking performance. He's funny, cunning and even likeable as the baddie 'Liak'. Its a sheer pleasure to watch him on screen.
4) Among the supporting performers, Huma Quereshi is wonderful. Divya Dutta does well. Vinay Pathak is alright.
5) Music of the film is nice. Jee Karda is a terrific number. Others are passable too.
6) Editing and background score are good.

With all this going in its favour, Badlapur is still flawed and problematic.

Lowpoints -

1) Sluggish pace and chaotic moments at several places will make you bore.
2) This crisp thriller is letdown by an unconvincing climax that has no spark, surprise.
3) There is no great suspense in the film. If you are expecting a nail biting suspense from this flick, you will be disappointed.

Thus Badlapur on the whole, is a smart attempt to the thriller genres. Its off beat nature may not be liked by all but no doubt this is a skillfully directed revenge tale boasted with two spectacular performances. Its mainly for all the intellectual movie viewers.

Rating - 3.5/5

Watch it friends. Its mostly watchable!

My Take On SHAMITABH - "Far From Perfect, Yet A Pleasant Experience That Deserves To Be Seen"

Shamitabh, a smart movie directed by R.Balki of Cheeni Kum & Paa fame takes on the inner and outer world of our cinema, tells the story of a mute boy dreaming big of establishing himself as a Hero cum Superstar in film's line one day. His initial struggles never seem to be stopped as he's dumb, a handicapped. But when he gets his voice courtesy an ageing drunkard, his fate alters and starts blossoming. So the dumb Hero DaniSH's acting combines with the old drunkard AMITABH Sinha's voice(dubbing dialogues) and together they become SHAMITABH. Everything goes nicely until their ego clash brings disturbance in their personal and professional lives. Now this is quite an interesting storyline where Balki's presentation is both unique and inspiring. But there are several problems in the script that are hard to accept.
However, looking into the film's plusses we have.

HIGHPOINTS -

1) The initial plot may be indifferent but the idea here is new and commendable.
2) Terrific bonding between the 2 central performers that gives you joy and warms your hearts.
3) Remarkable performances by both Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush boost the film greatly. Big B hits all the right notes and shines through out as expected. Dhanush meanwhile is the heart of the film with an absolutely striking act as the mute hero. Its tough to take your eyes off both the actors when they are on screen. They empower the film.
4) Young Akshara Hassan impresses too in her debut Hindi outing.
5) Balki's direction & storytelling hardly looses sharpness or control.
6) Some really good dialogues and touching scenes work well.
7) First rate cinematography and alright music. Piddly song is amusing.

But even with the above stated merits, the film couldn't become a great one due to the following drawbacks.

LOWPOINTS -

1) After a top notch first half, the film dips and drags post interval.
2) Melodrama to make it excess emotional doesn't work as it looks unconvincing. For e.g, the poignant climax no doubt will make u melancholic but it comes out sudden and abrupt that it fails to justify the movie properly.
3) Lack of logic that's unacceptable in the screenplay dents the film. Like how can a mute actor and his voice artist hide their secret to the whole world for so long. Its not possible in today's technological universe.
4) Editing could have done tightier as repetitive scenes seem monotonous.

So in the end, Shamitabh is a cleverly conceptualized and superbly enacted film that despite flaws is rare in Bollywood. Its a pleasant experience to watch 2 robust actors delivering their best to make this movie pretty much likeable. Yes its likeable if not perfect.

My Rating - 3/5

Give it a view friends!

My Take On DOLLY KI DOLI - "Joy In Parts Only, Watch It For Just Timepass"

Dolly Ki Doli a con comedy directed by newcomer Abhishek Dogra has its moments that provide genuine laughs and keep you engaged but halfway down the film, it starts jarring thanks to an amateurish script that seems lame and often becomes predictable.

Anyway, the movie has certain merits.

Highpoints :-

1) Con scenes are quite enjoyable.
2) The film is filled with some perky comic portions that work in its favour.
3) Rajkummar Rao is fantastic once again, shines in both funny and emotional moments.
4) Varun Sharma is a revelation whose comic timing is nothing short of perfect.
5) Sonam Kapoor too does a fair job even though her character is puzzled and muddled.

However, it suffers from several drawbacks.

Lowpoints :-

1) Sordid and inconsistent screenplay harms the film badly.
2) Emotional bits hardly connect or hit the right notes.
3) Mediocre music doesn't help in the film's cause either.
4) The direction sadly also isn't greatly inspiring that could have lifted the film from its flaws.
5) Sonam's central character is half baked written. Its chaotic and thus the actress couldn't come up with a winning act.
6) Pulkit Samrat is ineffective and so are the rest of supporting characters.

Thus, Dolly Ki Doli as a whole can be called as a moderate entertainer. Had there been a tighter script occupying real fun and well oiled crisply written characters, this film could have emerged as a full on joyous experience. Ultimately in reality its mere average at best.

My Rating - 2.5/5

Watch it when you have free time with least expectation, you won't be disappointed then.