xpics Reviews

El sueño de la sultana (2023)

Visual spectacle without a coherent narrative!

[5/10 · 20 January 2024]

Sultana's Dream could well have been a live action film. Having said that, the animation that it displays is imaginative, commendable, and creates a world of its own. But while the animation has its moments of glory, on the whole, as a film, it lacks a cohevise narrative to keep you engaged throughout. Visual brilliance can only keep you up until a point. In the end, it is the story that matters.

The film ends up resorting to the typical format of arthouse cinema with a lady in search of something, more particularly in foreign land. This time, it is India. Hailing from India, I can certainly say that the India that it represents is believable, though certainly not beautiful. The problem is if audiences across the globe take this image of India as its integral identity! India being such a culturally diverse country - it is practically impossible for any foreign film to depict the complete picture of the country - be it Slumdog Millionaire or Life of Pi.

As its central theme, the film explores the issue of women not feeling safe in a male-dominated society. Thankfully, this fact is not just restricted to India in the film but is depicted as a universal problem. But the protagonist suffers from no past wound as such to have such a heavy character conflict. Also, beyond this core theme, the film also meanders into multiple correlated themes like gender inequality, identity crisis and living your own dreams. Amidst all this, the movie gets convoluted and the narrative loses complete semblance and also its audience.

For all the meticulous efforts put into making this visual spectacle, a more palatable plotline would have rewarded it with a wider global audience than being restricted to merely a festival circuit!

Happy Family Conditions Apply (2023– )

Over-written, over-acted, over preachy and under-entertaining!

[5/10 · 27 March 2023]

Aatish Kapadia-JD Majethia is a smart writer-producer combo who have redefined the sit-com space with some pathbreaking shows like 'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai', 'Khichdi' to 'Wagle ki Duniya'. Unfortunately 'Happy Family' lacks the originality that the brand is so known for and is just a regurgitated cocktail of many of their past shows.

The loud-n-lively Gujarati family backdrop is repeated once again here. But while Sarabhai was distinctly different from Khichdi world, this one borrows from both and thereby muddles up. Then taking a cue from 'Wagle ki Duniya' it tries to tackle too many society issues from women equality, male chauvinism, saas-bahu saga, racism, class divide to even sexual preferences. Unlike earlier attempts the treatment is not nuanced and at times to blatant to be believable.

One major issue is that the show is over-written. Kapadia tries to squeeze in a punch in literally every line. The attempt is so overdone that it can put Anees Bazmee and Sajid-Farhad style of dialogue writing to shame. There are no breathers to enjoy a gag. Before one finishes, the next one is shoved in your face. And thereby the show tries too hard to be funny! Also the humor varies from classy ones to pure PJs - and thereby this show doesn't get a distinctive or uniform tonality.

The ever-dependable Ratna Pathak Shah, sadly, goes over-the-top this time and this is the second major issue with the show. While they might have designed her boisterous character to be the highlight of the show, she starts annoying after a point. She plays a pretty-much conflicted character - orthodox enough to hate her bahu's modern ways but, at the same time, modern enough to endorse her pay-parity and professional prospects. She keeps jabbering is every frame of the show and one can actually relate to her family members who are irritated of her unending chattering.

Beyond the use of a single 'expletive' and the customary gay-coming-out-of-closet track (forced in to suit the OTT sensibilities), the show pretty much qualifies to be a TV sitcom. Also, as per OTT mandate, the show ends midway to give way for a season 2.

Ratna Pathak Shah remains in the forefront throughout and while she often goes overboard, she is the factor that keeps all characters in the show connected. Raj Babbar, as her husband, is far more restrained and plays something different from his customary offerings. Atul Kulkarni as the guy cornered by everyone in family makes his gullible character quite watchable.

This show could have been far more effective and entertaining if the makers had just tried to be true to themselves!

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022)

Who is the superhero fighting against - a faceless, actor-deprived super-villain?

[4/10 · 10 September 2022]

Brahmastra takes its Computer Generated Images (CGI) a little too seriously. So much so that a film about a superhero has its super-villain in the form of a CGI character - a faceless character. Since we are not watching an animated movie but a live action film, it becomes imperative to put a face to the villain, an actor to a character. But after stretching its runtime for almost three hours, you feel cinematically deceived when the end credits ask you you to watch Part Two to see the villain's face. It is like having prolonged foreplay but no sex! When Rajamouli left us with a question 'Katappa ne Bahubali ko kyun maara' at the end of part 1, both the characters were so strongly established and deeply rooted that we desperately awaited the sequel to know the answer. Sadly here, one hardly cares! With betrayal in Part 1, what faith will the audience hold for Part 2?

So with an actor-deprived super-villain, you are left at the mercy of a subordinate-villain (Mouni Roy) who lacks the fire to carry the unending film on her shoulders. Add to that she has two bulky sidekicks who only grunt or scream and seem to be immortals (while you want to get rid of their monotony). These soulless worthless meatballs are given more prominence than the only worthwhile element of the film - the star cameos. So without a strong opposing force, the audience cannot emotionally connect or strongly root for who the superhero is really fighting against. And the ones he is literally fighting against are not worth his superpower or the audience's interest.

The several other loose ends of this film seem insipid in front of this big blatant one. But to list them out - the love story is excruciatingly outdated love-at-first-sight cliche. The protagonist is whitewashed with another stereotype of spending his time and money on orphan kids. The anaath ashram angle has no relevance to the plot thereafter. Neither does the ameer-ladki-gareeb-ladka romance angle!

By the time the hero realizes his superpowers, the audience realizes that already half the film is gone. Even Amitabh Bachchan cannot salvage the sinking ship in second half. Suddenly half a dozen new superheroes with their individual superpowers are introduced into the plot. The idea might have been to create a league of superheroes. But the inconsequential cast with zero-developed characters or their back stories is forced into the plot so randomly that they leave no impact. By the time the superhero shows his fire stunts in the laboriously long climax, you realize that the film has lost its fire!

Its a given that most superhero movies have their trademark tropes that unveil in tranches - the protagonist having inklings of his powers, realization of the superpower, connection of personal past with the superpower and superpower's effective use for saving the mankind. Brahmastra does resort to all of that. But the application is more peripheral and doesn't internally connect with the audience. By now, I have not even spoken about the visual effects. But that is still secondary when compared to the laxity in the basic demographics of a film.

At the conceptual level, Brahmastra sounds like a great desi multiverse superhero movie. But in execution, it goofs up way too much in its initiation to get a second shot at other universe explorations!

Thar (2022)

Visual brilliance cannot make up for dull storyline. Thar leaves you high and dry!

[5/10 · 6 May 2022]

No amount of visual brilliance can make up for the dullness and mundanity in a film's storyline. No amount of blood-gore foul play can make up for the lack of emotional depth in a slasher. No amount of verbal gimmicky in Anurag Kashyap's desi dialogue-writing can make up for the flaccidity of some one-dimensional characters. No amount of pristine performance by Anil Kapoor can make up for the messed up and sullied narrative. This should largely summarize Thar!

The story plays largely in two tracks. One where a senior cop is trying to investigate mysterious murders in a Rajasthan village. Another where a young stranger comes to the same village with his secret motives. Early on the viewer gets to know who the murderer is. So predictability seeps in pretty early in the plot. Also with the gruesomeness in his torture tactics, his motive also becomes quite apparent. So there isn't much to hold your attention in the storytelling. Then there is a dacoit track which is completely alien to the main plot and has no relevance in the end.

To give it due credit, the film is amazingly shot in the barren lands of Rajasthan. Wish the same honesty and effort was shown in telling a novel story.

Anil Kapoor fits perfectly in his cop character and is the hope you latch on to till the end. Harshwardhan plays a typical man-of-few-words and no-nonsense character. He does good with showing little emotions in his deadpan looking character. Satish Kaushik is delightful until his character gets eliminated randomly. The very talented Jeetendra Joshi has little to do here other than scream to the torture. Sana adds raw sex-appeal in her village belle character. Mukti Mohan is wasted. So is Rahul Singh.

Thar ends up being a conventional revenge drama leaving you high and dry.

Bombay Begums (2021– )

Female characters - powerfully written and persuasively performed!

[6/10 · 23 April 2021]

Perhaps while making Bombay Begums, the creators started with making a list of all problems faced by females and tried and incorporated it in their storytelling. Puberty, menopause, hot flashes, infertility, surrogacy, bisexuality, prostitution, adultery, extra-marital affairs, teenage crush, sexual harassment at work, gender bias, me too movement - the series has pretty much every imaginable female aspect in it. Thankfully these facets are not forced into the narrative for the heck of it but is seamlessly woven through individual stories of 5 different female characters of different age, status and backgrounds. And the stories intersect each other interestingly.

The female characters are strongly written and persuasively performed. None of them seem exploitatively weak or emotionally hollow. They have their set of issues but they face it without being abla naaris. At the same time, they aren't all sorted. Thankfully the show doesn't end up like a chick flick either.

The lead cast of Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Plabitha Borthakur and Amruta Subhash come up with splendid performances.

Saina (2021)

Dull on drama, uninspiring, lacks spunk and a painfully long film!

[4/10 · 23 April 2021]

'Saina' seems like a project more than a film. Get the rights of a globally known figure, attach a director and an actor - and you have a project ready! What the makers do not bother to evaluate is whether the journey of the celebrity has enough drama for an enriching cinematic experience. Neither do they try to maneuver or manipulate the story to bring in the requisite drama.

Saina essentially is a sports drama but the film certainly fails on the drama front. The basic plotline is the most cliched story-structure that any sports drama could opt for - rise, fall and the subsequent rise of the celebrity. The film opens with Saina winning the title of world champion and then goes into the conventional flashback to trace her story from her childhood. The problem is that by the time the flashback reaches the climax, you already know that Saina has won the match and thereby there isn't much anticipation or a crescendo moment in the finale match - which could have been the highlight of the film.

As the film traces Saina's journey, you only witness her success for the major part of the film and there aren't any roadblocks in her path that could incite some drama in the proceedings. The conflict in her life arrives much late in the form of a disciplinarian coach (Manav Kaul) who expects more from her and wants her to be the world champion. In between, there is an insipid love story with zilch chemistry that pretty much adds no value to the film. And all of a sudden Saina goes on a losing spree. The rift between Saina and her coach - the only residual scope for drama in the film - is cut short with both parting ways never to reunite till the film ends. You are only enlightened in the end credits that they reconciled in life and this very element that could have been an interesting plot point in the film is sadly never even addressed in the screenplay.

On the sports front, badminton isn't a sport that might provide as much action and entertainment as, perhaps, cricket or football. And unlike Dangal or Panga where unconventional sports like wrestling or kabaddi were very entertainingly choreographed, here we just have repetitive shots of shuttle flying from one end to other without any visual variation or cinenatic spunk. In fact the climactic match is painfully long.

Despite having the entire film on her shoulders, Parineeti does not perform beyond the ordinary. Meghna Malik, as Saina's mother and support system starts off compellingly but soon gets theatrical. Eshan Naqvi as the love interest lacks screen presence and does not impress. Manav Kaul as the coach is the only one who tries to add some drama to the laidback proceedings but his track ends abruptly without any resolution.

Saina is uninspiring, lackadaisical and a painfully long film. Saina Nehwal deserved a better biopic!

Khakee (2004)

Engaging thriller but with overdose of action and melodrama!

[6/10 · 3 April 2021]

I watched Khakee for the second time today after watching it 17 years earlier in theatre in 2004. The one scene from the film that I could never forget was when Ajay Devgn makes two police constables slap Amitabh Bachchan. The scene had a scathing impression on my mind, then, as an audience and I dreaded watching the scene even after so many years. In fact I just hoped if the scene was edited out and my family (who were watching the film for the first time) did not get to see it. More than just a scene from the film, the scene had the dreaded impact because one never wants their favorite hero Amitabh Bachchan to be slapped by a subordinate for no rhyme or reason. But then it makes one wonder that the makers would have conceptualized the scene to impact the audience's mind for the same effect. And thereby the evilness in Ajay Devgn's character is palpable.

Khakee was a well-written film with interesting characters and a taut-thriller storyline (apparently inspired from LA Confidential). But somewhere it went a little overboard with action, melodrama and runtime. Though it was a norm then, in retrospect a 3 hour long film seems unimaginable today. And also seems unnecessary since precisely cutting the formuliac elements of overdose of action and melodrama could have brought the runtime in control. But then director Rajkumar Santoshi played on to the standard formula of getting the hero and villain in literal dishoom dishoom mode in the climax, putting in an item number in preclimax, making Akshay and Ajay get into more action to exploit their action-hero potential, making Akshay and Aishwarya go into the mandatory dream sequence song and dance mode, having Amitabh confront the corrupt Chief Minister just for rhetoric and such similar tropes. Mind you, I don't intend to say Khakee is a bad film but just highlighting how it could have been a much better one.

In fact it had so many characters that it could have made for an interesting web-series today with the scope of exploring backstories of several characters (like Akshay, Aishwarya, Amitabh) or subplots with others. Though it played to gallery, Khakee was never pretentious like many present-day OTT content!

The White Tiger (2021)

Superlative performance but pretentious filmmaking!

[5/10 · 12 February 2021]

'The White Tiger' is a stereotypical English film in an Indian setup where all possible popular cliches and notions relating to India are highlighted to the hilt, most prominently the social inequality and how the rich and the poor despise each other. Not that the divide doesn't exist in India - it certainly does. But when a foreign filmmaker chooses to handpick elements from India to cater particularly to a foreign audience (evident with every local character speaking in chaste English), the film seems to come with an agenda of its own. With the likes of similar setup films winning Oscar in the past - be it 'Slumdog Millionaire' or 'Parasite', 'The White Tiger' comes across as a pretentious formula film in its own right!

Even if you were to completely ignore the cultural overtones and analyse the film purely from its story point of view, 'The White Tiger' still has glaring inconsistencies, which one just cannot overlook. Here is a poor boy from the village who wants to make it big. All he wishes is to be the driver of a rich family in the city. Call it coincidence or convenience in writing but the family opens their door (literally) for him to be their chauffeur. He is typically treated like a servant from the father and son of the family, which he is quite accustomed to in his upbringing. However the foreign-return younger son (Rajkumar Rao) and his NRI wife (Priyanka Chopra) treat him like equal. Even if you turn a blind eye to the blatant and banal manipulation of the characterizations, how can one overlook the insipidity of the storyline.

The real story actually kicks off only when the rich wife and husband run over a poor child under their car and the underprivileged driver has to take the blame on himself - despite nobody being a witness to the accident! Further the story keeps beating round and round the bush until the poor is pushed against the wall to the extent that he decides to take on the rich. Firstly the film takes too long to come to its point. Moreover when it finally does, it just doesn't move forward and gets into a repetitive loop of ill-treatment of the poor driver.

In the final reels (or what you may call as the third act of the screenplay), the tonality and genre suddenly changes from a social statement film to a rags-to-riches story. The driver suddenly makes it big, spearheading a driver recruitment company of his own. But the journey is never ever shown and his change in social status is far from believable. At a sub-textual level, the film tries to show how a poor man who hated the rich, turned into a rich man who is, more or less, an image of what he hated the most. But then at another level, the film also whitewashes his rich character showing how he is taking care of the poor ala Robinhood! And somewhere between the subtext and the satire, the film turns convoluted and pretentious.

Not that the film has nothing worth lauding about. The performance by Adarsh Gourav as the central character is impeccable. Rajkumar Rao and Priyanka Chopra 'literally' take a backseat while Gourav drives the film!

Unfortunately just a superlative performance cannot make up for the absence of a cohesive storyline!

AK vs AK (2020)

Both Anurag and Anil accept and improve on their inconsistencies. Anil film with natural performance. Anurag film with gratifying end!

[7/10 · 2 February 2021]

Anurag Kashyap is a master at experimenting with genres that are not just new to him but to Bollywood as well. In AK vs AK, he tests hands with meta cinema - a genre where the line between reality and fiction is blurred. Here both Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap play themselves throughout the film (not just for special appearances) and their characters are a replica of their public perception (if not their true selves). The audience gets immediately connected to the characters because we have known both Kapoor and Kashyap quite well, over the years. And it does take gall for both actors to play themselves on screen especially not shying away from their inconsistencies, insecurities, industry tags, social image, grey side and even age-old cliches associated with them.

The genre also comes with its share of downside. Like both Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap are so much into playing themselves that after a point they keep repeating themselves. Not just that, with the constant game of cat and mouse between them, the narrative keeps beating around the bush. The 22-charade that Anil Kapoor sets on in search of his daughter reminds of another Anurag Kashyap production, Aamir (2008) though the motives and modus operandi of the protagonists are quite different. While the film is designed as a thriller as well, there are not many twists and turns in his quest, beyond getting hold of a taxi driver who leads him to his daughter. The focus is more on getting theatrics from Anil Kapoor - like Anurag Kashyap challenges him in the film saying this will be his most real and best performance till date. Anil does play his part convincingly well despite acting like typical Anil Kapoor in several scenes (perhaps thats not what they intended with the meta genre). However rather than rooting for him, you often pity him for the circumstances he has been put into. The makers derive sadistic pleasure in breaking the cinematic charm of Anil Kapoor by trying to make him look more humane than a superstar in his journey.

Most Anurag Kashyap films have an interesting start and setup but somehow tend to fizzle out by the end for their offbeat, eccentric or abstract endings. This, on the contrary, beats around the bush till the second act. But the film wins brownie points and Anil Kapoor's ordeal is worth it with the smart and subtle twist in the climax. AK vs AK will be remembered as one Anurag Kashyap film (even if he is producer and actor), where the film has a gratifying ending. And for that this experiment is worth a watch!

Bahut Hua Sammaan (2020)

Restricted but respectable crime-comedy!

[6/10 · 14 October 2020]

'Bahut Hua Samman' brings back the crime-comedy genre, which had taken a backseat for quite some time. It has all the prerequisites of the genre and makes for a fun watch, if you are not expecting too much.

The film starts with introducing the two male leads and how they get involved in a bank robbery plan. It takes too long for the narrative to reach till this point. An engineering college backdrop is setup, a quirky mentor (Sanjay Mishra) then comes into picture and an elaborate hiest takes place. And if you get restless while reaching till this point, be warned that this is not even the main plot.

As the robbery goes wrong, more characters are introduced and a deeper conspiracy theory unveils behind the bank robbery. Ironically, the film gets interesting only now as the story comes to its actual core and you wonder why was so much surplus added in the start just in the name of wacky characters and funny dialogues.

Some scenes are very interestingly conceptualized and the humour works in most places. The director tries to bring in some originality to the crime-comedy genre (holds true until the inspiration behind it is caught) which has its own limitations. Thanks to Saregama being the producers, the makers get access to a huge music library, which they put to liberal and effective use. Retro songs, and primarily disco numbers, are very smartly superimposed on scenes, uplifting the flavour a notch above. The climax action in particular is very well edited! The comic-strip type scene switching is functional though and doesn't add too much value.

As the focus shifts to the bigger conspiracy, the two male leads take a backseat in between and you do not mind it much. They anyways seem overused in the initial reels. One does feel that the buildup behind the robbery could have been more original and interesting beyond the formulaic diary with some secret information. Also the climax could have been more imaginative rather than the archetypal shootout in a warehouse.

Suddenly in the epilogue, the comedy tone of the film abruptly changes to a social tone with references galore to capitalism, Marxism, patriotism, democracy and a lot other jargons, perhaps with the intent to justify it's title. This attempt however seems forced as it never comes as the underlying subtext from the start but is only touched upon in the very end.

Raghav Juyal and Abhishek Chauhan are decent in their parts though they tend to go a little overboard at times. Nidhi Singh is good. Ram Kapoor plays his part well. Sanjay Mishra certainly steals the show.

Watch it as a timepass caper and you will enjoy the film.

Serious Men (2020)

Dignified subtext but flawed and far-fetched setup!

[4/10 · 13 October 2020]

An aspirational father gets his school-going son to fake knowledge beyond his age and calibre. This basic setup of the film 'Serious Men' is too far-fetched to be acceptable and thereby the film does not hold. The makers never focus on how the father gets his son to fake as a genius boy and you are supposed to digest it with a couple of convenient scenes where the primary school student shows off his mugged-up smartness. This is one aspect where 'Serious Men' does not take itself seriously!

Director Sudhir Mishra might have wanted the audience to focus on the outcome more than the setup. The idea is how a father robs the innocence of his son by making him a child prodigy. The subtext is dignified. But the setup is flawed!

The film meanders too long in character setup to come to its point. Literally opening from conceiving the child, to the delivery happening in the opening credits to the child getting admission in school, the film takes too long to arrive to its agenda. For quite some time, the viewer isn't able to figure out where the narrative is going or what the film is trying to say.

However once the story comes to its point, it sticks to the father-son conflict. Thereafter the message is quite clear - let your child be himself rather than making him a prototype of your unfulfilled ambitions. Not that the theme is avante garde but still its pretty much relatable, despite being brought up several times in films of recent past.

The pacing is slow. The acts are predictable. Nawazuddin is good in his part but seems typecast rather than tailor-made in this role. His monologues as a narrator, his dry wit, his intense face closeups, the victimized act - all of it has a stereotype rather than deja vu effect. Aakshath Das as his son is good. Nasser plays his part well. Others do not get much scope.

Serious Men struggles to be different and in doing so, often seems pretentious. This could have been far more entertaining, while still having the moral and subtext in place.

Enola Holmes (2020)

After a point you just don't care!

[4/10 · 28 September 2020]

The pulling factor for me, like most other audience I presume, was Millie Bobby Brown - the girl who got famous as El in Stranger Things. Of course there was the Sherlock connection as well to look forward to. But after a while, Millie's charm could not pull off the lousy writing of the film and the Sherlock connection wasn't of the 'wow' variety either.

The film starts with Enola in pursuit of her missing mother, who disappears one night without rhyme or reason. While that seems like an interesting hook point for a film, the pay off at the end is plain lackadaisical. Enola's brothers Sherlock and Mycroft come to her. Her relationship with both is strained and you just don't know why. Perhaps you are expected to do some homework and come prepared reading Sherlock history. Further the plot digresses to a young Prince running away from his royal family. And when this Prince is shot in the chest in the pre-climax and he pulls out his bullet-proof vest to show that he smartly saved himself, you know that the narrative has turned as formulaic and old as it's ancient setting.

Despite the fact that search for her mother seems like a solemn conflict, the narrative is far from the serious tone and Enola remains lively and effervescent throughout. The mood is pretty upbeat. However the 'talking-to-camera' style of storytelling loses its effect when the makers overdo it. To its credit, the film oozes an old-world charm with its picturesque town, vintage train compartments, steam-engine running motor cars and ancient London setting. However the screenplay gets muddled with archiac subplots of a political conspiracy and a power-tussle in royal family formula.

After a point you don't care for the characters or the story. Disappointing!

Kaala Patthar (1979)

Different but not daring! Scattered storytelling!

[5/10 · 29 August 2020]

I had seen 'Kaala Patthar' as a teenager and had fond memories of the film. Years later I saw the film again today (while introducing my kids to the many Amitabh Bachchan classics) and they weren't as hooked to the film as other Amitabh films. Usually I do no write reviews about old films already seen earlier but while revisiting Kaala Pathhar my views on the film kinda changed. So felt like writing.

The basic premise of 'disaster' film was something new to Bollywood that director Yash Chopra introduced. Kaala Patthar was a different film. But it wasn't essentially a daring film. Beyond its setting, Kaala Patthar resorted to the regular tropes of Hindi cinema.

From the upside was Amitabh's character setup of a sailor who abandoned his ship and was court martialed for being a coward. This angle which was directly lifted from the English film 'Lord Jim' was interesting and it was quite daring of the makers to show the lead hero with a cowardice streak. This made way for a great character conflict and potent character transformation eventually. The Amitabh-Shatrughan tashan in the film had its moments. The last 20 minutes of climactic action inside the mine was quite different from the regular action seen in Bollywood film climaxes. It might look tacky today but back then it was ahead of its time, induced good thrills and made way for some interesting character explorations.

Now for the flipside. Had the film been designed today, the climactic action would have taken a major chunk of the runtime. How one wishes to see more of that! Back then too much time was wasted over redundant song and dance (this one had at least 4 songs which went straight in fast-forward mode). Too much time is expended in initial hour in character setups. The problem with the film is that it had too many characters but could not explore most of them properly. Instead too much time was spent in repetitive scenes. Just to cite an example, Shashi Kapoor has confrontation with Prem Chopra 4 times and on the same issue. If that wasn't enough, the makers also pit Amitabh against Prem Chopra twice on the same issue just to have a typical hero-villain faceoff. Also the multiple mishaps inside the mine get repetitive after a point. Despite Amitabh having an interesting back story, you don't feel much for his character because his flashback opens much late in the film.

One of the major issues of the film is that there is no defined hook point from the start that binds the story together. One gets a sense that the film will lead to some disaster in the climax but with its multiple characters and their subplots, the narrative gets scattered. This coming from Salim Javed seemed a little surprising, knowing their hold on watertight screenwriting. Even the dialogues for that matter do not have the usual wit, crispness or originality of the writer duo and at most places gets verbose and mechanical. Seems like the writing was compromised to suit the need of formula in filmmaking.

Amitabh Bachchan extended his angry young man character from Zanjeer, Deewar and Trishul over here. He didn't get scope for any comedy here. But he was compelling in his act. I am not a Shatrughan Sinha fan but this is one of the few films where his style works. His tashan with Amitabh is one of the high points of the film. Shashi Kapoor as the sophisticated engineer gets decent role and isn't sidetracked as much as in most Bachchan films. He is charming. It was surprising to see Sanjeev Kumar in a forgettable cameo. Most other roles are underdeveloped or customary.

Had the film been as daring as it's premise, it would have been a much rewarding experience!

Bandish Bandits (2020– )

Impressive music-war, inconsistent love story!

[7/10 · 21 August 2020]

Much against its anglicized title, the show is deeply rooted in traditional India (with the backdrop of classical music) and yet has a universal theme that can connect with global audience. In terms of its structure, 'Bandish Bandits' pretty much comes across as a film (with a definite start-middle-end format and tracing the dream of its single protagonist) that has been detailed out into a 10-episode web series. Thankfully though, the episodes are not just stuffed with surplus and have its own life.

The hero is introduced on the backdrop of chaste Hindustani 'gharana' classical music. The heroine enters with a tehcno-pop music vibe. Evidently it gives way for an archetypal opposites-attract love story over the first few episodes. The actual narrative unfolds when the antagonist (Atul Kulkarni) is introduced in episode 5 and the basic conflict of show is established of a clash of titans for the title of 'Sangeet Samrat' (Emperor of Music).

The characters are very interestingly etched out, particularly that of Naseeruddin Shah and Atul Kulkarni. Multiple layers on each in unveiled over episodes as the positive guy shows shades of grey while the human side of the antagonist is explored with equal competence to the extent that you feel for him as well. Somewhere the love track seems conventional and also gets repetitive with constant love-fight banter between the lead couple. One enjoys and looks more for the music war! There are some inconsistencies like a forced third angle in the love story which doesn't contribute much to the overall narrative. Also it seems kind of far-fetched that the music gharana that is finding it difficult to make ends meet, gets a marriage proposal from the royal family of Jodhpur.

Liberal chunks of chaste Indian classical music is interspersed in each episode. While it is pure in its presentation, it might not connect well for an audience who is not accustomed to this form of music. The show keeps a smart balance between classical and contemporary music, never showing one above the other. However in the final moments, it somehow emphasizes the superiority of former over the latter.

After deftly exploring the grey shades to its lead character (Naseeruddin Shah), the show goes the more traditional way of white-washing his image by sending him on an overnight guilt trip and then seeking the redemption route in the finale episode. The result of the music war in the final episode is pretty predictable yet the competition is smartly choreographed and never gets melodramatic.

What is a little distracting is the fact that the show shifts gears from the music war to the love story again, in its last scene. Unlike most other Hindi web-series that end abruptly, this show definitely had a defined end. And so the shift seems like an attempt to attune itself to the prerequisite of OTT platforms for a hook point for next season. However the exercise was unnecessary.

It's good to see Naseeruddin Shah in an author-backed role after a long time. Atul Kulkarni as his rival is equally competent. The lead couple does a decent job. From the supporting cast, Sheeba Chaddha, Amit Mistry and Rahul Kumar (who played the young 'Millimeter' in 3 Idiots) are impressive.

Class of '83 (2020)

You fail to connect with its sketchy characters or its cliched premise!

[4/10 · 21 August 2020]

Whether you watch 'Class of 83' as Bobby Deol's comeback film, S Hussain Zaidi's crime-novel adaptation, Atul Sabharwal's next film (after Aurangzeb), Red Chillies new Netflix project or an individual web-film, it largely fails you in every aspect.

A major problem with the characters and the basic storyline is that you do not connect with either of them.

The film has an interesting start with a batch of young students being trained for being police officers. Since the entire young cast (the batch of 83) is new, it takes time for you to identify the protagonists. Also the focus is never clear - at times you feel there are 3 lead characters - at times it becomes 5. The Dean's (Bobby Deol) reason for shortlisting these particular back-benchers for his special team is neither precise nor persuasive. So the bond in the teacher-student relationship (which is kinda the basis of the film) is clearly missing. While the initial setup reminds one of Nana Patekar's classic 'Prahaar', sadly this one never comes close to it.

Soon the focus shifts to the cops joining the police department and cleansing the system by unofficial encounters of underworld gangsters. Here one remembers the horde of gangster films made by RGV and Sanjay Gupta in their prime. Sadly there's nothing new that the narrative has to offer here either. Furthermore it gets confusing as the same Dean who wanted his batch to knock off the criminals, now starts having problem when the cops go on a killing spree. At the end, the film comes across as a personal vendetta mission of the Dean to reach to an underworld biggie, who we never see in the film until the last faceoff. So you never connect with his revenge either.

Bobby Deol suffers with a cliched characterization of an honest cop who prioritises duty over his dying wife and is put on punishment posting eventually. One could have ignored the conventionalism if his redemption drama through his batch of students was gripping enough. Sadly, since we do not connect with the characters, so we do not relate to his plight as well.

With none of the gangster character (Kalsekar, Naik, Narayan Shetty) being established or even given any screentime or screen presence, the scenes of cops killing gangsters and vice versa just don't work in the narrative. The climax shootout is so bland without any thrill or drama that you repent sitting through till the end. Much of the proceedings in the screenplay seem so hurried (no good character setups or scene buildups) that it feels like the film is underwritten or over-edited.

Bobby Deol remains brooding like his character demands but is sadly no Ajay Devgan. Also his character takes a backseat in the middle when the focus shifts on his students. How one wishes he got a better role and more scope. From the younger lot, most of them go over-the-top and don't stay with you after the film.

Lootcase (2020)

Ek Chalis ki Last Lootcase...

[6/10 · 8 August 2020]

When 'Ek Chalis ki Last Local' released more than a decade back, the basic premise of a bag of big money exchanging hands till it comes back to the owner was a unique theme. The cult formula initiated by Guy Ritchie in 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' was very ably adapted to Indian milieu in films like '99', 'Sankat City' and a few more around the same time. Alas Lootcase brings the same formula much later and moreover in a much diluted version.

The story primarily works in two tracks - one where Nandan struggles to safeguard and spend his new found possession and other where rival gangs are behind the money. While the first track has its moments, the second track seems forced and convoluted. In fact this was the area where the film could have gone to the next level with much more tension, thrill and humour. But the writing gets tame and not as innovative as the genre demands.

To its credit, the film has some fun moments. Kunal Khemu has a flair for comedy and is often good. But this film had the potential to be much more entertaining. Especially with bar that it's ancestors had set.

Aarya (2020– )

Sequel or Reboot? Season 2 is slow, tedious, bland with a weak and vulnerable protagonist!

[4/10 · 21 June 2020]

Aarya Season 2: Review Rating: 4/10

'Panje phir se bahar niklenge' claims the tagline of Season 2. But when? After 7 long drawn-out and tedious episodes? The delayed striking back of the protagonist might possibly have worked in a film, that too a decade back. But in an 8-episode series in present times, it is criminal wastage of screen time.

More than a sequel, Aarya Season 2 largely comes across as a reboot of Season 1 taking forward the same weaknesses of the prequel. While the viewer expects Aarya to be a more proactive protagonist after her character transgression towards the end of Season 1, sadly Aarya continues to be the same docile, dormant, vulnerable and pitiable character that she was in Season 1 - in fact at some instances even more weaker! Aarya took too long to strike back on her opponents in Season 1 and takes even longer in Season 2. Rather than relating to her agony, the viewer is more repulsed by her unending pitiful condition. The slow pacing of the show adds to your agony. Add to it, the overuse of slow motion shots simply tests your patience further.

While Season 1 had elements of suspense, here there is not much to anticipate. The few feeble attempts at adding mystery are too bland and blatant, thereby having no good effect.

Beyond the storytelling, Season 2 doesn't bring in much novelty in performances or direction either. Most actors repeat their acts.

By the end of Season 2 when Aarya officially claims to have inducted herself into the world of crime, you are not sure whether to trust the makers again. Who knows if Aarya will start from being more affirmative and confident in Season 3 or once again continue to be a victimized and vulnerable protagonist.

Aarya Season 1: Review Rating: 6/10

Aarya is an Indian adaptation of the Dutch show 'Penoza' but in terms of its spirit, it will immediately remind you of the more consumed cult show 'Breaking Bad'. Not comparing it with the quality of the classic show but the basic premise is similar - an average person sucked into the world of crime due to circumstances. The one major difference in the premise, though, is that while Walter White proactively ventured into criminal business for monetary gains, Aarya is however forced into the illegal enterprise by fate. Thereby she seems more of a victim of circumstances. She strikes back at her perpetrators and rises above fate but that happens pretty late in the show. Till then you feel for the vulnerability in her character but, as an audience, you wish she was more dynamic than a damsel in distress!

There are shades of suspense and thrill in the show but it largely is designed as a drama. It won't take discerning audiences more than 3-4 episodes to figure out who the killer is. But when the identity of the killer is eventually disclosed in the show, it is never like a big reveal. So the audience who was being ahead of the show never feels gratified. Drama is what the show thrives on and the makers (Ram Madhvani, Sandeep Modi, Vinod Rawat) create an interesting world with its limited characters. One might not find something that they haven't seen before in Hindi films. But at the same time the show doesn't get pretentious or too grim and gritty like recent Hindi crime shows. The characters and settings are more believable and ones that you might be able to relate to.

At almost hour-long episodes in times where runtime is reducing to 30-40 minute format, the show seems long-drawn-out with its 9 episodes. Moreover the pacing is slow and often the narrative drags. Hotstar doesn't even has the option to increase viewing speed like Netflix does which proves to be another dampener. The story takes too long to kickstart and somewhere in the middle it beats around the bush. The idea would have been to make you stay with the characters and experience their emotions. But with attention spans turning shorter, it makes your restless, exasperated and, at times, bored. You certainly feel that a shorter and crisper season would have been a better experience. Also the several shots in dark interiors of the house seem nothing less than attention-seeking formula.

The show does has some interesting and layered characters. The tracks of the kids going astray from the mother is more subtly and sensibly handled as compared to the other recent crime shows like 'Paatal Lok' and 'Family Man' where the children are plain hooligans who you just want to slap after a while for their misbehaviour. The main perpetrator character (not naming to avoid spoiler) seems rather underdeveloped and so his motive seems forced. The track of Sushmita trying to entice a man (Joy Sengupta) for some professional gain seems too artificial to be accepted in the otherwise believable world of the show. The real drama blooms out in the last 2 episodes where the narrative actually moves ahead and makes up for the lackadaisical storytelling in the earlier episodes.

Sushmita Sen is impressive in an author-backed role. At times, she speaks in a slow pace for a desired impact which seems somewhat unreal. But if you ignore that, she puts it a strong performance and is largely the reason for you to hook on to the show. Vikas Kumar as the cop has a layered character of being vicious as well as vulnerable. Manish Chaudhary impresses as always as the flamboyant druglord. Namit Das gets repetitive in his act throughout the show. Sikander Kher has good screen presence despite a role that doesn't keep him much in forefront. Vishwajeet Pradhan, despite playing the archetypal villain sidekick, for once gets to show some heart especially in a scene where he goes to buy sanitary napkins for the girl that he has kidnapped.

Thankfully the season does have a conclusion and doesn't end midway (like most recent popular Hindi web-shows). It also leaves seed for a sequel which most probably might happen. And this time we hope to see Sushmita really being in charge of things more proactively! Till then manage with Aarya.

Stranger Things (2016–2025)

Amazing characters, intriguing world, multi-genre entertainer!

[8/10 · 2 June 2020]

Every season of 'Stranger Things' seems like an elaborate suspense-thriller franchise film. It has its start-middle-end and a definite season closure, though leaving a subtle seed for the next season. The show very interestingly creates a sci fi world (particularly in Season 1) and then explores different elements of suspense, thriller, fantasy, action, drama, comedy, romance, bromance and also horror (in some portions) very smartly and keeps you riveted all through. Thankfully it never muddles or messes up with its multiple genres.

Each season follows a format where multiple tracks run in parallel from the very start until they merge together in the pre-climax and thereafter the group divides into smaller units to get set on one common mission in the finale. The format works perfectly for the show as it keeps its ensemble characters employed in different subplots and keeps you engaged with the variety. However, the editing pattern is so brisk that just when you expect to delve more into one particular track, the narrative erratically cuts into another plot and then another and then another. This happens largely in Season 2 and 3 and, at times, the pattern irritates. Another pattern is a match-cut transition from one scene to another which happens so often that it seems overdone. The pacing of the show is fast, not giving you any breathers to sit back and relax or analyse. Thankfully the makers have kept the flavour in true-blue suspense-thriller zone without making it a slow burn or dark drama.

Beyond the premise and promise of an imaginative world, Stranger Things largely works because of its varied colourful characters. Whether it is El, Hopper, Joyce, Nancy or the four friends - each one is unique and has an interesting part to play. Also each character is written so robustly that you cannot pick any one of them as the central protagonist or rate anyone as the supporting cast. This is one of the few shows (or perhaps the only show) where almost every character has equal weightage, not just in screentime but also in their contribution to the story and also how you keep rooting for each of them. Even characters who seem to be just the supporting cast in the start come to fore more prominently over seasons. The best example is of Steve Carrington who comes across as the typical evil campus guy in season 1 but turns more likeable eventually. So is Erica, Max or Billy!

The intrigue that was created in Season 1 dilutes down in Season 2 and 3 as you get more and more accustomed to the world. Season 3, in particular, stretches at times with an action track of a Russian mercenary chasing Hopper, resulting in some long-drawn-out action sequences in a fun-fair setup - something that seems forced and not in sync with the primary genre of the show. Then there is one break episode (Season 2, episode 7) that is just unconnected with the overall plot of the series and you aren't surprised when you see it is the lowest rated episode on IMDb. You could give this one a complete miss and still nothing would change in your viewing experience or story flow of the show.

The show is subtly set in the early 80s era and the period reference is never in your face. The narrative is so gripping that you never consciously notice the absence of cellphones or other modern gadgets. Every episode ends on a definitive hook point which wants you to keep going ahead. Despite having adult overtones of creature horror and verbal abuse, the show still palpably captures the innocence of childhood friendship in a very organic way.

M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)

Painfully long with uninspiring and scattered story-telling!

[4/10 · 9 May 2020]

This is one of those films where you feel if you watched a different film from what the world had seen, since it unanimously got positive reviews and for me it couldn't even come close to an average watch. Writing a review almost 4 years after the film's release doesn't make much sense but since my views are quite in contrast to what the world thinks, I felt like at least penning my views for once.

This biopic has the regular trappings of a rise-of-underdog, rags-to-riches story. The conventionalism could still have been overlooked if the narrative was compelling. Alas what we get here is a repetitive series of montage sequences that makes for uninspiring storytelling of a cricket legend.

The film at one point very rightly says that life is full of struggles and you need to keep batting the bouncers being constantly thrown at you. This applies true to the film as well which keeps throwing repeated bouncers at you all through and you are supposed to struggle through it. Not quite a pleasant experience especially when you expect entertainment from a film. Just to point down some major boring aspects of the film.

• the Dhoni-Yuvraj Singh face off that the film brings pretty early in the plot was a very interesting premise but is never addressed in the film eventually. This thereby ends up being a cheap gimmick of using an actor (Herry Tangari) who resembles a young Yuvraj Singh, just for the kicks without any contribution to the narrative.
• the love story between Dhoni and his first girlfriend (Disha Patani) is extremely boring without any emotional gravitas
• if that wasn't enough, another love story soon follows with Dhoni and another lady (Kiara Advani) and the track is, more or less, similar to the earlier love story. Even if the first love story really happened in his life, it could have been easily edited out of the biopic, like many other tracks were.
• Dhoni's bonding with his friends could have been more riveting. They end up being some uninteresting characters in his life, whom we don't connect with much.
• All his family members from mom, Dad (Anupam Kher), sister (Bhumika Chawla in a forgettable comeback), brother-in-law and his coach (Rajesh Sharma), selector (Kumud Mishra), railway head (Kali Prasad Mukherjee) don't have defining moments in his life other than being used as mere spectators in the montage sequences of his matches.
• his life as a railway ticket examiner is a track that is overplayed beyond requirement making it protracted and monotonous.
• on the contrary, his rise to fame with his entry in the Indian National team is one aspect which you wish to have experienced better and stayed with more. Alas that is just hastily treated in quick montages. Even his gradual progression to being the captain of the Indian cricket team is simply fast-forwarded. One doesn't quite expect the film to show his interactions with fellow cricketers (which would have been a logistically difficult task to achieve). But there are no tracks explored in his personal life as well, other than the insipid love stories.
• the climax predictably set amidst the 2011 World Cup which India won, doesn't have the edge-of-the-seat moments either.
• at a runtime of almost 3 hours, this film is painfully long with boring romance tracks, repetitive montage shots of his cricket matches and uninspiring storytelling.
• at the end you wonder if the film was actually tracing Dhoni's dream? And what exactly was Dhoni's dream? If it was to make it to the National team, it is achieved by interval point. If it was to win the World Cup, that never comes across in the film! With the lack of a definitive pain-point, the film meanders aimlessly.

Sushant Singh Rajput makes a modest attempt at playing Dhoni but seems one-dimensional after a point. The film very smartly edits and merges real life cricketers and match footage with the footage of Sushant Singh Rajput playing Dhoni. In the starting reels, it also shows a young Dhoni with Sushant Singh Rajput looking much younger and also shorter in height. But beyond these technical achievements, one expected better storytelling from accomplished director Neeraj Pandey.

Special OPS (2020– )

Lazily-written, loosely-edited and fancifully-directed spy-series! Overrated!

[5/10 · 3 May 2020]

Spy thrillers have clearly become escapist cinema in Bollywood. Not much is known about life of spies because that is how they are supposed to be - secret. So filmmakers make their own fanciful versions of spy stories. There are full-blown masala varieties like 'Tiger Zinda Hai' where the protagonist is an advanced version of James Bond and can do anything. Very few spy films have the sensitivity to explore the human and vulnerable side of a spy like Raazi (perhaps it is the only one). And then there is 'Special Ops' that tries to be somewhere in between trying to have a realistic and gritty approach yet making its spies larger-than-life heroes who can do anything. And this is where it falters because it falls in no man's land!

The story is of an Indian intelligence officer trying to search for an Islamic terrorist mastermind who, the show claims, was behind almost every terror strike in India from the - Parliament attack to 26/11. And of couse the R&W also has to uncover and stop the latest terrorist attack planned by the same guy in Delhi. A very standard trope for a spy thriller.

The storytelling is filled with plot-holes at every juncture and resorts to convenience. Creator Neeraj Pandey has been credited with the overrated spy-thriller 'Baby' and terribly boring spy films 'Naam Shabana' and 'Aiyaary'. His earlier films 'A Wednesday' and 'Special Chabbis' were much more interesting and entertaining. But he choses to continue his spy legacy and this time in a web-series format. And even if you were to suspend your disbelief and watch it as a pure thriller, 'Special Ops' isn't gratifying. There was immense potential to make it a taut thriller but this one is lax in storytelling, suspense buildup, editing and other essentials of the genre.

One major irritating factor of the show is the prolonged shots of characters walking in corridors, climbing up stairs, cars speeding on highways, et al with these shots adding no value to the storytelling or depth to the characters. Just because you have got to explore it in web-series format doesn't mean you will keep extending shots for no rhyme or rhythm. More so with the forward button readily available on OTT, this gimmick makes absolutely no sense. The pace not only falls because of this but the energy of the thriller also falls flat every now and then.

The Special Ops team has some 5 spies on mission in different countries. But other than Karan Tacker's character, none of the others have any backstory for us to root for them and they hardly get scope other than in the climax. There is no emotional connect with these characters and you don't care for them much.

Comparisons are inevitable with 'The Family Man' which was a series in similar genre. While TFM had its own set of loopholes and conveniences, it still was more riveting as a thriller with twists and turns at every juncture and had much more layers to its storytelling. Over here the story is one-dimensional with not many subplots or side tracks to explore.

Unlike most other web-series, this one, more or less, has a conclusive end but the climax never reaches the crescendo that the genre demands and the finale is plain average.

With all its inconsistencies, it is left up to Kay Kay Menon to save the ship. He does a good job though not something that we haven't seen him do before. Despite not being part of most of the ground activities of a spy, he still grabs your attention with his solid screen presence. Others are purely functional.

Hasmukh (2020)

Vir Das terribly mis-cast, gimmicky premise, will make you cringe rather than laugh!

[4/10 · 2 May 2020]

Hasmukh by Vir Das fails on several levels. Firstly the basic logline of a stand-up comedian who gets his confidence and overpowers stage fear only after strangling a person to death seems an interesting premise. But there is no logic, backstory or buildup to this idiosyncrasy for Hasmukh's cold-blooded killing. Thereby the logline becomes a gimmick and the show very early goes into an undigestible zone. What follows episode after episode is repetitive killings which gets monotonous and boring after a while.

Secondly, despite the potential to make it a kick-ass thriller, the show alternates between the world of stand-up comedy. A conscious decision by the show lead and popular stand-up comedian Vir Das, who is also one of the writers and the producers for the show, the show starts with a stand-up comedy setting in Bihar which doesn't seem believable and looks a mere attempt to cash in on the stand-up image of Vir Das. The idea would have worked had they properly capitalized on Vir Das' standup persona. However just to make him more uncouth and dark, they make him a Bihari character.

Now this is the third and major flaw with the series. Vir Das, despite how much ever he attempts, is terribly mis-cast as a comedian from the cow-belt. Neither does it suit his existing elitist English speaking Stand-up image nor is be able to pull of the desi-ness in his character. He puts on a fake accent and struggles in a character, poles apart from his persona or performance prowess.

What could have turned into a taut thriller unfortunately ends up being a sloppy drama, as Hasmukh is selected to participate in a stand-up comedy reality show and the story shifts to Mumbai. What follows is cliched culture shock escapades of Hasmukh in the materialistic Mumbai life. Then there is a lackadaisical love track for characters that you don't care for.

The show has more writers (6 to be precise) than layers or subplots. Also the writer steer clear from taking any sort of risk despite a risque premise. So Hasmukh swears to kill only bad people so that he doesn't carry any guilt. And his pledge never goes wrong in the entire season. His character is rather made tame, perhaps, to make it more likeable but it ends up being unexciting and one-dimensional.

Hasmukh is a good opportunity lost. The makers had good ingredients at hand (ex: a popular stand-up comedian in a stand-up show setup, a interesting black comedy logline) but get the recipe completely wrong. Hasmukh will make you cringe rather than laugh

Money Heist (2017–2021)

Absolutely gripping and entertaining despite its flaws and conveniences!

[7/10 · 1 May 2020]

Unlike most fans of 'Money Heist' who have watched the show over seasons, I watched all four seasons in a go over the past month. So my anticipation or wait for the upcoming seasons were not as high as others, since I was sure that I shall be watching the next season soon after. So I did not get the time to build up my expectations so high as many other viewers might have over the season breaks. That gives me a, more or less, objective view on the show.

Season 1 and 2 are path-breaking for it set a world we had not seen before in Heist films. Absolutely amazing! So I would directly go to speak about season 3 and 4. Undoubtedly after the brilliance shown in the first 2 seasons, expectations were rife with the new season and what the new Heist had in store. What was, possibly, somewhat underwhelming for many was that the modus operandi of the Heist was more or less similar to the earlier Heist with taking control of an important government building, holding hostages and negotiating with the system. In fact even the production design of Bank of Spain looked pretty much similar to the Royal Mint. The escape from the building is still to happen at the end of season 4, so it would be interesting to know how the team gets out this time and hopefully it should be something more imaginative than the digging underground tunnel route taken earlier.

Another aspect that viewers might have found a little not at par with earlier seasons is the professor's charisma. In the first two seasons, The Professor, for me, has been almost equivalent to God who calculated in advance how could things go wrong at various junctures in a Heist and had a backup plan for almost everything. In season 3 and 4, while The Professor plans to evaluate the Heist to the same level of finesse, his plans malfunction or backfire at several instances, thereby diluting the Demigod status given to him in earlier seasons. Certainly his character has a natural progression from the earlier season and, unlike how he was emotionally disconnected with his team members earlier, this time he carries a strong emotional baggage with his girlfriend also being in the team and his increasing proximity with almost all gang members, which makes him vulnerable.

Money Heist has a lot of technical flaws, loopholes or plot conveniences. But the pacing is so fast and the writing is too tight and full of unexpected twists and turns that despite its flaws, the viewer is still hooked on to the show. Not only does it have strong hook points at end of each episode, the narrative is gripping through the entire course of every episode. The several subplots add interesting layers to the show and the characters are robustly built over the seasons. It is amazing how they brought back one of my favourite characters - Berlin in Season 3 and 4 as well. His integration into the plot and contribution to the heist is very smartly done.

I do miss the Professor's double chemistry with Raquel as being the mastermind of the heist as well as her love-interest, which for me was one of the major highlights of the first 2 seasons. Of the new characters, Alicia as the new negotiating cop is pure evil. And the mad assasin one-man-army Gandia as a bullet gone lose inside the Bank is a character you hate and that is perhaps his victory. Also, the makers very efficiently make us root for a group of all grey characters who are all on the wrong side of the law but you still want them to win. Of the older lot, I personally am bored of Tokyo who has become kind of boring with her character as well as performance.

There are theories that Professor might die in the next season but Money Heist as a show will survive only as long as Professor survives. Till then keep us entertained with the same energy!

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020)

Too little story, too stretched and boring comedy!

[4/10 · 1 May 2020]

SMZS is more like a project put together than a film. Firstly there is the potential to cash on the success of the prequel. Then you put together actors that made a name for themselves from Ayushmann's earlier films. And finally get a theme which is more risque than the first part.

This, perhaps, is the first Bollywood film within commercial parameters to have homosexual romance as it's central theme. The theme has been touched upon as subplots in several films in the past but here the entire film revolves around it and that too without making things too heavy. Thereby there was immense potential to tap the theme in an entertaining way.

Sadly this is one of those films which has too little story and too much screenplay. Meaning the entire film revolves around the social stigma related to gay love and other than this thin thread there is absolutely no other conflict in the story. Thereby the film gets repetitive and monotonous after a point and just keeps beating around the bush. The script desperately tries to cover the shallowness in the story with humour in dialogues and some intentionally concocted comic scenes. But due to lack of a solid narrative even these gimmicks do not hold your attention.

The theme of homosexuality has often been treated with seriousness in films. It's a pleasant change that the makers of this film tried to keep the tone comic without making a mockery of the subject. But because there are no subplots to the story or layers to the storytelling, the film becomes one-dimensional and boring.

It is commendable of an actor like Ayushmann Khurana to take up the role of a gay and even lock lips with his male costar, something than possibly not many A grade stars would dare to do. But in terms of performance, he pretty much hams. Thankfully the portrayal of gay character is not gimmicky by either of the male actors. Jitendra Kumar (of TVF fame) gets long screen time but the script doesn't do justice to his talent. Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta are pretty much rehearsed this time and not as natural as they were in Badhaai Ho.

A good opportunity got lost. Both the makers and the audience need to be zyada savdhaan in their own context.

Panga (2020)

Strongly captures the conflicted dreams of a married woman but goes weak on the energy in the sport!

[6/10 · 12 April 2020]

Panga is a sports drama film. While it decently captures the drama portion of the film, the sports element lacks energy to an extent. Perhaps your expectations are high since it comes from the Dangal team (co-written by Nikhil Mehrotra, Nitesh Tiwari and directed by Tiwari's wife Ashwani Iyer) but it doesn't match up.

The basic theme of the film of a married woman giving up her dreams post marriage for her family connects pretty well, especially in Indian context. When she chases her dreams thereafter we evidently root for her since each one of us has encountered similar situation in our close proximity. The film very persuasively highlights how the family is as much at fault as much as the guilt in the female species of unable to do her expected homely duties. But after a point, this sole track in the film becomes repetitive and stretched. Also since the film largely tries to maintain a feel-good charm, it often dilutes the scope for good drama by keeping characters of the husband, son, mother and coach pretty tame.

Despite having a predominant backdrop of a less-seen sport like kabaddi, the film doesn't exploit it to its potential. One cannot help but frequently recollect how a less-popular sport like kushti was brilliantly captured in Dangal but Panga leaves a lot to be desired at that level. The energy in the sport sequences is certainly missing. Also with Kangana staying out of action for a major portion of the action in the climax, the audience isn't left with a gratifying experience. The editing seems loose and the pacing of the film also drops tremendously adding as a major deterrent.

Kangana saves the film to a large extent with her natural charm and seamless performance. The ever-smiling Jassie Gill as her husband is decent. One however wishes that several of the secondary characters like Kangana's friend (Richa Chadda with a bad acccent), coach, envious team captain, a friendly teammate and mother (Neena Gupta) were better developed.

Panchayat (2020– )

Unfortunately the minimalistic approach comes across as naivity and often leads to nothingness!

[6/10 · 10 April 2020]

I have always been a huge fan of the impeccable content created by the TVF team over the years from Pitches, Tripling, Yeh Meri Family to Humourously Yours. Expectations are certainly high when they come up with a new show. Initially I thought it is just me expecting too much from 'Panchayat' that was keeping me dissatisfied. But eventually with every new episode, it felt that something was surely amiss here.

The good part of the show is that it never takes itself too seriously. So despite the basic premise of a young man joining the village panchayat, the protagonist never ever falls in love with the village or consciously works towards its upliftment like Mohan Bhargav from Swades. For him, it is just the lack of better employment option that has got him to the village. Instead of getting idealistic, the focus here is more towards the urban protagonist's unusual and amusing escapades and interactions in the village.

The show uses situational comedy format, unlike most other TVF originals, which have a defined season arc. While the character graphs progess very gradually over episodes, most episodes can still qualify as standalone watch.

TVF shows often click with audiences because of their very relatable character conflicts and in very identifiable contemporary setups. This time around they take the challenge to set their show in a village. Under such an offbeat scenario, it becomes important for the audience to, at least, connect with the protagonist and his journey. Somehow we don't completely connect with him.

The show uses simplicity as it's USP and takes a minimalistic approach. However, this very aspect works as a double edged sword because the minimalism often comes across as nativity and, at instances, also leads to nothingness in plot. The basic premise of some episodes are too frail and fail to stand by itself, without an overarching season storyline. At script level, the humour might have sounded funny but when translated on screen, the outcome isn't as expected. One can easily decipher how gags are worked out beat by beat in the screenplay but often fall flat in execution. In its attempt to maintain a feel-good charm, the show doesn't explore the inherent potential of drama that the setting offers.

Another issue is the lethargic pacing. The idea would have been to give a laid-back feel of the village to the audience. But the shot-takings are often stretched and you hit the forward button every now and then when the pace falls. Repeated birdseye aerial view shots of the village get monotonous after a while. You really have to be patient for the first two episodes until you are slowly accustomed to pacing of the show.

Performances from Jitendra Kumar, his sidekick (Chandan Roy) and Raghubir Yadav are quite dependable. Neena Gupta is good but doesn't get much scope.