Coolie Starring Rajnikanth

 He's cool, whether he's a Coolie, or a jailer, or anyone else. Saw his latest yesterday. Fireworks all the way, with a dose of emotion, and a twist or two.

He has an unmatched screen presence, in my view. He does not need a heroine, who looks like an extra in his presence-such is his magic on screen! He does not have one, therefore.. only a daughter-like figure who accompanies him for most of the film.

The smuggling operation is led by a villain, who has a past. Played by Nagarjuna Akkineni, Telugu film star with aplomb. Kattappa of Bahubali fame has a decent role as a friend of the hero, who gets killed by a surprise villain, and the story is a kind of revenge quest. Shruti Hasan is Ok in her role as the daughter-figure. Amir Khan gets to play a guest role, not a bad one.

The story is not new or great, but enough to hang his acting and screen time on, and for Rajni fans, nothing else matters, as I said. If you are a fan, go for it. if not, well, it's up to you. Only bad thing? The music.

Bonus- Ticket price in Kolkata is very reasonable!

Baahubali-Film Review

In a word, it's magical. You can't take your eyes off the action, it is so well done, so larger than life, and yet, so believable, that you get lost in it for the duration. As the story comes to an end (with the promise to continue), you feel sorry it has ended! The editing, for a change, is just right.

The story is typical of a mythical tale, of betrayal, courage, revenge. Partly Tarzan, partly royal tale, it has all the elements of a good story, and the director tells it in a spell-binding fashion. The action scenes are the best I have seen anywhere, from Ben-Hur's chariot scenes, to James Bond, or Mission Impossible, to any modern tale of valour.

The cast is perfect, starting with Ramya Krishnan as the Queen and strategist who saves the hero-child, to Sathyaraj as the loyal Kattappa, to the hero, Prabhas in a double role, to Rana Daggubati as the counterfoil Bhallala, and Tamannah as the loyalist of the wronged king/queen. Even her action sequence is amazing.

Go watch it for a story well-told, and for a lesson on the technique of how to make a good film. Film as a medium comes alive and talks to you. From the sets of Bahubali at Ramoji studios-- some pics.