Andhadhun- Film Review

This is a superbly written, edited and directed crime thriller - rare for a Hindi movie in this genre to be so good- trust me, I have been watching them for around forty years now.

The plot is full of twists, which keep you guessing. The acting chops are probably divided equally between Tabu and Ayushmaan Khurana, with Radhika Apte doing a good job of a smaller role. I would rate Tabu a notch higher, for old times' sake. The old Hindi film songs are nicely woven in, and added to the charm for me- I have probably seen Anil Dhawan's debut film. There is good comedy through the dialogues too, with a dig at Arnab Goswami included for good measure.

The plot of course, is king. And Sriram Raghavan proves that he can do it as well as any other anywhere in the world. If you dig this genre, it's a must-watch.

Pad Man- Film Review

The TED Talk by the original man Arunachalam is awesome. The movie is not bad from a social awareness standpoint, but leaves a lot to be desired from a cinematic point of view.

Akshay's lack of acting skills and the direction makes the first half drag for about twice the amount of time it should have run. The second half is a lot better, and his speech at the U.N. is a highlight. Sonam injects some freshness into the second half, but her entry is a little late in my view. Had it occurred earlier, and the film been about an hour and a half, it could have been a terrific watch. It is shot in Maheshwar near Indore for the most part, and the cinematography is nice.

I think the points made in the film about our society being regressive about female hygiene are made well, but the other points that come across strongly are -

1. Women also treat women badly, not just the men.
2. You are somebody in India only after someone in the West recognises you.

If you are the patient kind, watch the film. If not, stick to the TED talk.

Double Review- Madaari and Kabali

The two films couldn't be more different. But both are very watchable.

Madaari is actually a plot that could have gone awry, without careful handling. That it doesn't owes itself to Nishikant Kamat (the director), and the two major actors-Irrfan and the kid he kidnaps (unintended!). The unravelling of the reason for the kidnap (cinematically speaking) takes a little too long in my view, but the climax is worth it. A sort of "A Wednesday" feeling, another film that had superb performances from Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher. Here, the Jimmy Shergill (cop) part is done competently, if not excellently. If you are an Irrfan Khan fan, it is a must-watch.

Kabali. What can one say? The Rajni legend lives, and how! Even the most ordinary scene is lit up by his presence- you remain riveted in a series of action sequences, from Malaysia to Pondicherry. His style in some scenes is still awesome, and he is playing his age most of the time. Explaining the phenomenon that he is will continue forever, but he defines charisma, or screen presence, before which nothing seems to matter-the story (gangster war in this case), the dialogue, the direction, even the heroine. Though I must say Radhika Apte (and the supporting cast) does a pretty good job in this. Go watch it just for the fun of it. Because you kant (intended) miss a Ranjikant film.