Jawani Janeman- Film Review

This is an average film that mostly relies on cliches in a new setting (London), with one major twist in the tale that comes pretty early. There are a few scenes which seem quite unnecessary or repetitive, but Alaya Furniturewala, the charming debutant actress who springs the surprise, carries the film on her shoulders. Without her, it might have been a tough watch.

There is some situational comedy, but most of it looks contrived. It is not helped by Saif 's act, which also looks forced most of the time. The doctor played by Kiku Sharda was funny.

On the whole, it's watchable, but no great shakes. Tabu comes pretty late in the film, so if you are expecting to see her for any length of time, you will be disappointed. A pity!

I liked Saif's film Chef better than this one.

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.

Golmaal - Not Again!

Golmaal hai bhai sab golmaal hai, is an apt way to start this review. Story golmaal hai, script golmaal hai, actors bahut saare hain, magar roles golmaal hain.

This is what they call a potboiler. But Manmohan Desai was the Boss when it came to potboilers. Just watch Amar Akbar Anthony to see how you can knit together an unbelievable story line and still entertain for 3 hours.

This has too many actors, for one. So their screen time is divided into minuscule bits, not giving anybody a chance, really...Neil Nitin Mukesh gets the really raw deal. They try, though, and there are a few sparks. The music is horrible. Johny Lever's Hyderabadi airline safety announcement was a highlight for me.

The slapstick didn't work for me, particularly in the first half, which is way too long. One of the many questions I had in the second half was- if the ghost had the power to wring a confession out of the culprit, why did you need the rigmarole of an elaborate plan to do it any other way? Well, I don't expect an answer, because there isn't any logic..only (Rohit Shetty) magic!

Drishyam-Film Review

Third time lucky too. Good films are raining, it seems, at least in the halls which I frequent. This was screened at the Indore campus, and I am happy I made it there.

A brilliantly paced thriller with ordinary people being enmeshed in a whodunit with a twist. Actually more than a whodunit, it's Hitchcockian- about whether the perpetrator will be caught..and done with rare elan for an Indian movie. The last time I saw anything like it was maybe Johnny Gaddar starring Neil Nitin Mukesh and directed by Sriram Raghavan, a self-confessed James Hadley Chase aficianado.

This one is gripping throughout, and Nishikant Kamat is the director. Apparently a remake of a Malayalam film, I am sure the original must have been very good too. The setting of this one is Goa, and like in the recent Finding Fanny, the feeling it gives you is that you are a part of the local Goan lifestyle. The overhead shots of the landscape are lovely, and from the first frame to the last, you are eager to see what happens next. A rare quality in any film. Though I thought the last 7-8 minutes could have been eliminated, this may be a bow to Hindi film audiences-a part of which like such stuff. But that is a small flaw in an otherwise excellent film, which also makes you ponder about power, bringing up kids and many other things, including family values-and the value you put on your family. Everyone is perfectly cast- especially Gaitonde, and Shriya Saran and the two kids in the family of Ajay Devgan.

Haider and More

Saw Haider and liked it, but there are a few improvements that would have made it a classic for me. Mostly, it's the pace. It is slow in the first half, which as a marketing man, I find difficult to take. The story is quite static in half one. It takes too long to just establish the fact that Haider (Shahid Kapoor) was sent away to study, his father taken away by cops, and that Shraddha loves him. The cinematography keeps it going, with lovely shots of Kashmir.

The screenplay and editing needed to be crisp, for a story like this one. The complexity of the relationships and the dilemmas of all the characters does come through, but at the cost of early disinterest in the happenings. If it was an adventure like Sholay, the action would keep you glued, but here, it should have been edited far better. Sequences with Shraddha's brother, the army interrogation, and a few others were just superfluous, and added unnecessary drag.

Most Hindi films suffer from this malady, though. The locales, the acting and the action in the second half are really good. Usually, the first half is more satisfying in Hindi films- here, it's the opposite. I liked Irrfan the best, though his role is short. I was reminded of the Himalayan shootouts in Rajesh Khanna's potboiler "Roti" at the end.

Moral of the story? Your dilemmas can kill others. Watch out!

Also re-watched a few comedies over the last few days, all different from each other. Mel Brooks' History of the World Part 1, Carry On in The Jungle, and Naked Gun 2 and a 1/2. All great fun, but done very differently.