umranbhuiyan Reviews

A Wednesday (2008)

Subtle and delicious!

[9/10 · 25 January 2022]

Oh woww!! That was one fabulous affair! I am truly blessed to watch this spectacle unfold before my lucky eyes. I can assure all my fellow viewers that all of you will relish this thriller for sure and I've got no doubts about it whatsoever. Quickly onto the strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths: The writing of the characters : Each and every character perfectly suited the character he/she played. The casting director has done an absolutely tremendous job in not casting anyone who would bring a star aura or charisma to this film because that is exactly what this film did not need. Nobody is a protagonist and no one is an antagonist as well. Everyone has a grey character just like every other Joe you come across and it's up to you to decide if whatever the characters are doing is morally correct or not or if it is a case of good intentions, wrong execution. Anupam,Naseeruddin,Jimmy Shergill, the CM and the Gaurav Kapoor all make their presence felt in this enticing thriller.

Awesome background music : I recently watched Kick which had horrendous background noise literally and this movie was definitely the complete opposite. The music which played on the background every time Arif took on his preys was delightful and perfectly suited the situation. It was very well reflective of the mentality of people towards Muslims in general and how they are considered to be terrorist minded without any judgement of background whatsoever. That music is very well symbolic of that thought process.

Taut editing and edge of the seat screenplay: The movie builds towards the main narrative slowly and steadily. Movies produced by UTV have this unique thing about them they are not only very underrated like this one,Udaan, Wake Up Sid, etc but all of them also have crisp screenplay in common. Once the case at hand begins and the police starts investigating the culprit, it's absolute carnage and there's no looking back right from there. All action and no nonsense and director Neeraj Pandey takes the very brave and bold step of not including any songs in the movie to very good effects as this decision surely suited the movie according to most of the viewers I believe. No unnecessary romance either to elongate or drag things and distract from the case at hand.

Some high class, ROFL comedy which was not for all: There were few scenes which sent me into absolute hysteria in this rather serious and engaging movie which added to the fun for me without the slightest of doubt. Two particular scenes flash out in my head which are one of Anupam Kher beating that alleged guy associated to terrorist groups so much so that he ended up wetting his pants and urinating and the other one being Shah easing over the rooftop of that building and having snacks, tea while wreaking havoc across the city.

Weakness : The female reporter and her acting : I will not say that actress was bad, in fact she was way better than many so called A lister actresses who have stoic faces and speak with thick foreign accents namely Jacqueline and Katrina, but as compared to all the other actors/actresses she did leave a lot to be desired.

In a short movie too much time spent on showing credits: Of course the audience deserve and need to know who are the noble souls and masterminds behind this masterpiece but spending almost 3 mins of just 1 h 43 mins taken for the movie was a stretch too far and unnecessary. I believe all these stuff should've been rapped up within half the time and the other half used for something more productive. Maybe to show a concluding scene of how the primary characters ended after the mess and of course the big question did Mumbai as a city change for its residents?

Kick (2014)

No kick to take from it

[2/10 · 23 January 2022]

I watched this with my brother who is a die hard fan of Salman, of course being a 90s and early 2000s movies, I wasn't too keen on the movie. I just wanted to spend some time with my bro and that's why decided to watch together. Safe to say my negative opinion of the movie did not change. Weaknesses are numerous:

Acting : Salman's character was extremely poorly written. I have not seen such senseless people in the real world. I expect reel characters to have some sort of similarities to real life people, but sorry to say adrenaline junkies are hardly like this. He gave one of his worst acting performances as well which did not help things at all. Really his box office success has coincided with his dwindling acting efforts. Jacqueline is stoic and expressionless and just like Katrina delivers dialogues with a foreign accent which is irritating in a Bollywood flick. The kids also did not get any tears out of my eyes whatsoever as I did not relate with their grief at all. Only saving graces were Nawazuddin Siddique and Randeep Hooda in terms of acting.

Wafer thin plot : There is no real story whatsoever. The story keeps jumping from flashbacks to present abruptly and incoherently which adds an element of illogicality to the movie. The movie has been advertised as a thriller in some places but there is no thrill whatsoever in the story. I even don't criticise predictable thriller but the movie isn't remotely close to a thriller. The journey of Salman seems very stretched and bores you seriously right from beginning to end.

Extremely poor action sequences : I am not at all a fan of action. I only like action when it is kept logical and without all those irritating sounds and one man beating up thousands. This film had many of the aspects of action which annoy me. I slept through the action scenes because after a stage, they were unwatchable.

Too preachy: The film is clearly a way to demonstrate the greatness of Salman as a human and reflects on his charity work quite clearly. I have read about all these stuff on Internet. While I appreciate his efforts but I feel it is an incredibly boring topic to make a movie on, the movie should've been listed as a documentary rather.

Forced comedy : The movie has been enlisted as one belonging to the comedy genre. It had nothing but crass, forceful and utterly unimpressive comedy. Every single situation which tried to extract a laughter led to irritation and not once throughout the movie was I remotely close to laughing.

Animated childhood: There was no precautions about inserting animations. Right from my childhood, I believe in watching realistic movies and have never been fascinated by all these superheroes,cartoons,animation and caricatures. The director should've made the effort to enlighten audiences of what to expect which might not be what the audience is prepared from the buildup and trailer. Animated movies are a completely different genre and they should, in no way be included in movies about real people and situations.

Kick A, Kick A background noise : After Salman's weird and stupid actions, there is a continuous disturbance in the form of that Kick A Kick A thing, really gets on your nerves, I can assure you Strengths: Music : None of the songs are too pleasing to the ear with the exception of Hai Yehi Zindagi. That song hits the jackpot and convinced me to declare this aspect of this movie as a strength. Real touchy one which was the only significant takeaway from the movie.

Location: The Polish locations were eye catching and enhanced the viewing experience.

Bhoothnath (2008)

Has something it in for everyone

[7/10 · 16 January 2022]

The title of this movie is such that one would definitely scare the ones who dread horror movies and do not have the capability to tolerate sleepless nights. But, upon viewing nobody would classify it as one with mostly horror elements in it. It is mostly a comedy with a flavour of drama in it in the latter half Strengths: Awesome performance from the supporting cast: One problem many movies from our beloved Bollywood suffers from is that supporting cast entirely lets the main cast down. In this case, it is the complete opposite actually. I can see many viewers who are complaining about SRK's performance in this flick. I found him at his best even here as well. Yes, of course he did not deliver a performance like that of Devdas,Swades,Dil Se or Chak De! India but he puts his all in an extended cameo, makes his presence felt. Juhi Chawla is a breath of fresh air, an effortlessly hilarious mother who was so refreshingly good. She shows all the shades of a loving mother, starting from her funny behaviour, reluctance to cook and reprimanding when the situation arises. And last but not the least, Priyanshu of course was not at all a let down as well.

Conclusion : To be honest, as far as I am concerned the first half did have it's fair share of ups and downs which I will talk about later. But the conclusion is, in my opinion such a thoughtful one specially for the time, is extremely well executed as well. The song Samay Ke Pahiya stole my heart away. Till this song hit the big screen, I was absolutely dreading the music of the movie. It was a huge letdown and a massive hindrance to the enjoyment of the movie. But, Vishal-Shekhar thankfully saved the very best for the last. The song correctly played on the background of course, was so thought provoking and meaningful. It definitely hit my heart like a precisely aimed arrow and sent me into tears. The conclusion played a massive part in me elevating my rating to a more than respectable 7.

Message : People may say that such films depicting family values and being a support system for your dear ones had become cliche and has been tried one times too many in Bollywood flicks maybe starting from Big B starrer Sooryavansham in 1999 and carrying on maybe till date but this, personally for me is one of the best themes to base a movie on if well executed and Bhoothnath certainly executed the emotional part well and I feel the director as well as script writer's effort to please the adults with this came off fabulously well!

Direction : Considering this was his debut effort, Vivek Sharma is competent to say the least. He shows a concerted effort to toggle around amongst genres and the first half and hour breezes past. The first few minutes definitely give the vibes of a horror movie. Then, the introduction of Rajpal Yadav and her chemistry with Juhi Chawla is infectious, he really gets a chuckle out of people of all ages. He also is successful in extracting a superb performance from Banku, the vibrant little kid who I felt came up with the second best performance I saw from a kid after Bajrangi Bhaijaan's Munni.

Special effects,VFX,opening and closing credits: The concluding dialogues between the protagonists after the climax, and the way that the opening credits are introduced were surely ahead of their times. There were surely some computer expertise necessary to ensure the opening credits came out the way it did and hats off for that. Also, the special effects involved as Big B executes his repertoire of tricks were impressive for the time as well. As avid Bollywood fans know, Love Story 2050 tried something similar and failed miserably.

Weaknesses : Initial interactions between Banku and Big B : It was really very unusual to see such a small child, no matter how intelligent he was, first of all being absolutely unfazed by the ghost that late at night and easing his way past it. And also, he outwits a ghost with such tricks up his sleeve, showed a classic example of beauty without brains and that was not what the character was supposed to portray. Also, there remained an element of ambiguity that how all of a sudden the ghost warmed to Banku so much that he started playing with him.

Big B's inability to save Banku and also at the same time elongate his hand to help save someone else : Big B having the capability to achieve the impossible did not use his powers when it was needed the most and he at the same time, elongated Banku's hands to help him save his rival in spite of knowing that the guy was conspiring against him to throw him into that pit and also Banku was so forgiving and that too within an instant and without too much appeasing was surprising to say the least. This is not a trait relatable to a kid as far as I have seen.

Chehre (2021)

Impeccable chemistry between Emraan and Big B

[9/10 · 11 January 2022]

Hands down the best Bollywood flick of 2021 I had the pleasure of watching! Emmi continues to silence his critics who are unable to see more than what is skin deep and still chirp about his lusty scenes which have now become far and few between.

Strengths: Plot : The film is a courtroom drama of course as the trailer, tagline and the way of promotions suggest. But for a thriller to stand out post 2000s, it needs to have some spark to draw the viewer's attention. Gone are the 80s and 90s when Damini was the only noteworthy courtroom drama and the concept of courtroom drama in itself left audience startled. The way the case is decided upon, the settings around which the case take place. And most importantly, the fact that the case progresses without the involvement of any eye witness and there is no uneventful office day in the court makes for a compelling watch. Many a times, the judge affords the lawyers chances to improve their ineptness by adjourning the court multiple times. That is something the movie refrains from.

Minimal focus on romantic angle: Given the reputation of Emraan and the name he has made for himself as a romantic actor tempts almost every director to utilise that ability of his to a degree which may become unnecessary in a thriller. But, in Chehre that is certainly not the case and only incidents which are relevant to the case are shown as flashbacks with no songs all through the movie.

Breathtaking locations: India is a naturally gifted country. The decision to shot almost the whole movie within a wooden cottage of that cold mountainous area was a brilliant area, both wowing the audience and saving budget for the movie to be used in much more important areas to ensure that the audience are delivered the best possible final product.

Acting : All the primary actors in the movies are acting stalwarts and have the capability to make their presence felt in a variety of different roles. That is what Big B has done yet again, killing the role of a calm, collected, righteous and sly lawyer whose morality remains up for debate throughout the movie. Emraan! He keeps on proving his incredible acting prowess again and again. Amongst all the big names of the Khans era and post, he has been the biggest underachiever in terms of box office results. The man has always kept the audience first and modified his choice of roles from the casanova type roles he essayed earlier to layered and ambiguous characters but sadly the box office results have not followed. He has kept on proving his doubters wrong and shown incredible versatility with OUATIM,Shanghai,Tigers, Why Cheat India and Chehre and carries on in his merry way, a true artist true to his art.

Weaknesses: A long drawn out speech from Big B about the treatment of criminals: In the closing stages when the case is finally solved, the film slightly drops off before picking up yet again when Big B probably bit more time than necessary conveying the message of the film which could be quite easily comprehended by an intelligent viewer.

Annu Kapoor's involvement: Whenever Annu Kapoor is on screen, he is surely one of those who makes things happen in an instant and engages the viewers with his engrossing role. Unfortunately, I just felt that he could have been afforded much more screen time to what he was given a chance to showcase.

Overall, a must watch for lovers of the thriller genre and fans of Emraan including myself definitely!!

Notebook (I) (2019)

Unconventionality at its best

[8/10 · 11 January 2022]

The response this film got from the audience at its time of release got from the audience managed to demotivate the actors to such an extent that they did not sign on the dotted line for any further projects since this beautiful film. Such a pity.

Strengths : Exotic locations : The film has been shot entirely in Kashmir and covers its hills, rivers, cottages and just everything that the viewer would look forward to visit when they plan a trip to this "Heaven on Earth", simply a vacation to Kashmir without all the paperworks. If you're disillusioned with the current political nature and desperately look forward to visiting this beautiful place, this film is for you.

Concept: "Love" is such a broad concept. It can blossom between individuals in the most unimaginable of ways. The way the characters fall for each other is something that is extremely rare on the big screen these days and deserves a special mention. It is something which youngsters these days cannot relate to, including me. That is why, it was refreshing to see the stories our grandparents narrate on screen.

Acting : Both the protagonists were debutants! If anybody isn't an ardent fan of Bollywood, they surely wouldn't believe that given how debuts these days are usually ordinary to say the least.

Music : The songs were few and far between for a romantic movie. But, what I loved was the fact that there was a deliberate and concerted effort to maintain the quality and not introduce songs abruptly to break the flow and take the characters to unknown territories all of a sudden.

Weaknesses: Too small for my liking: The movie wraps up within just the two hours. I felt there was a genuine scope to stretch the story beyond the meeting of the protagonists and show their story blossom in person and how Kabir continues to evolve with the physical presence of Firdous.

Lack of logic in the action : The film shows Kabir being able to get rid of plasters to protect his broken hands too often and with unexplained ease which is not very much relatable to real life. Him beating up a completely healthy and sound guy with a plastered hand and emerging victorious is quite illogical to me.

Overall, a fantastic watch!

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

Yorkers,Fullies,Outswingers,Inswingers it had it all!!

[9/10 · 10 January 2022]

This is my first review in IMDB, and I am extremely thankful that I got an opportunity to get started with the best biopic in Indian cinema! So, I will start by discussing strengths and then a tiny section on weaknesses.

Strengths: Acting : This is SSR's best acting performance hands down throughout his career! He successfully emulated everything from MSD's walking style to his gestures,mannerisms,speaking style and just about everything else. He looked like real MSD in the midst of all those real cricket legends on show in the movie.

Music : Every single song is soothing to the ear, meaningful and melodic. A movie from 2016 having a perfect musical album really deserves a standing ovation and the highest honour.

Direction and Screenplay : Some people are moaning the stretched nature of the film lasting 3 h, but for me it was perfectly fine. Not a single moment in the movie bores the viewer. Rather leaves you seeking for more at the end. So, I would say brilliant screenplay to keep the viewer glued to the screen for 3 whole hours in this day and age when Hindi films barely last 1 and a half hour.

Supporting cast : Every single actor/actress puts forth a commendable performance and takes you through a whirlwind of emotions. They resonate with you and you feel a part of Mahi's world. My favourite was Anupam Kher,Bhumika Chawla and Disha Patani. Was fantastic to see Bhumi in a classy film after Tere Naam Perfect blend of all emotions: The film successfully balances every genre it could possibly seek to include while keeping quality of the film intact. The film mixes all of comedy,romance,drama,sport in the best possible fashion.

Weakness: Does not focus on the relationship between Dhoni and his teammates: MSD commanded massive respect in his dressing room. He even earned a nomination from his seniors to lead the side. Focusing more on his international career rather than his domestic career would help the cause. And also, the film could cut some part out from Duleep Trophy and stuff and show how MSD led CSK to back to back title triumphs in 2010 and 2011 just after the WC.