Infinite. Parched. Arid. Stunning. Enigmatic. The imposing Rajasthan landscape and sounds of ‘Marusthal’ stay on – long after the movie ends!
Munabao, a sleepy village in the Thar desert on the Indo-Pad border, comes to life when a barbaric murder is discovered. The local officer Anil Kapoor finally finds some action in his uneventful career. The suspects include an antiques businessman and a Pakistani drug dealer. The movie is set at an unhurried pace but it feels a let down due to a deteriorating screenplay. The great start falls apart when the big reveal is served on a platter, rather than the audience discovering it.
The movie is an optical treat with amazing cinematography and great production values. It is a tribute to Western style thriller – saloon like restaurant and direct eulogy to Sholay as well. A giant decaying carcass reminds of the scorched and forgotten land and souls.
Anil Kapoor is getting better and better. He shines in the movie with his sheer brilliance – his silence talks impactfully, his eyes express the pain and his body language commands respect and love. Harshvardhan Kapoor’s brief may be to remain monotone but he has to just watch his father deliver an acting masterclass – right in front of him! Satish Kaushik is amazing while Fatima and Mukti show a promise that is not exploited. Anurag Kashyap’s dialogues are smacking. Smokers do not care about caste – plain spoken gems exist in the movie! Overall Raj Singh Chaudhary’s Thar is a movie that could have been a great thriller but deflated by a weak screenplay.
Thar – Watch it for the majestic Rajasthan vista and Anil Kapoor’s cracking act! The movie would be a marvellous treat on a big screen!
If there is one person who can put cinematic excellence above commercial interests, pursue the creative vision relentlessly and surpass the self-fuelled expectations, it is Aamir Khan! He has a Midas Touch and beautifully ignores the social media trolling machinery. The decision to remake Forrest Gump in Indian context was a courageous bet and an open invitation to eternal comparisons – but Aamir Khan is known to take the bulls by horn. Alas, Laal Singh Chaddha fails and Aamir Khan makes him fail – ironic!
Laal Singh Chaddha is an official adaptation of the award winning iconic Tom Hanks starrer Forrest Gump. Laal is a simpleton who shares his story of life to the fellow passengers on a train journey from Pathankot to Chandigarh. He describes his childhood, his feisty and inspiring mother, his lova saga with Rupa, his friendships and his loneliness. He is a witness to the most extraordinary events of the Indian history – 1983 World Cup Win, Operation Blue Star, Indira Gandhi Assassination, Sikh Riots, L K Advani’s Rath Yatra, Mandal Commission, Babri Masjid Demolition, Bombay Bomb Blasts, Sush’s Miss Universe Crowning, Kargil War, Modi Sarkaar etc. He accidentally inspires a superstar’s signature move and creates India’s biggest hosiery brand.
Aamir Khan is a known perfectionist but he comes across more caricaturish than innocent, likeable and charming Laal. The movie is all about Aamir Khan and Laal oversimplifies. Kareena shines in a meatier role with shades of Geet and Mahi. Mona Singh, Manav Vij and Naga Chaitanya provide excellent support. Manav Vij and Laal Singh track is very interesting and easily the home of movie’s wisdom.
The music and cinematography are awesome. ‘Phir Na Aisi Raat Aayegi’ song is a class act – soulful rendition by Arijit that describes the pain of unrequited love! Tur Kalleyan, Kahani are other nice songs.
The screenplay is totally loyal to the original screenplay. There was an excellent opportunity to be imaginative – but the movie does not explore any difficult terrain or offer anything new.
Box of Chocolate becomes Box of Gol Gappa
Garden Bench becomes Train Seat
Shrimp Business becomes Chaddi Banian Business
Vietnam War becomes Kargil War
The India and world of 2022 is so much different from 1994 – more complex, highly political and less tolerant. The cinema audience and their sensibilities have changed as well – spoilt by OTT platforms, best of World and South Indian cinema and all graduating from Whatsapp University. The choice of remaking Forrest Gump should be seen in this context.
Hindi Cinema’s misfortune continues…Alia Bhatt’ superstar status and great performances may not be enough to save her brave production debut.
The story of an abusive marriage where an alcoholic husband routinely hits his wife. One day, she decides to turn the tables.
The choice of the subject is brave. Full marks for that. The execution is bad. Neither emotional nor dark comedy that is aspires to be. The ineptness of screenplay and editing is clearly visible. Secret Superstar and Thappad are better movies for exploring the complex layers of domestic violence, gender roles, power play, patriarchy, identity etc.
Alia Bhatt is wonderful and fully exploits the canvas that she has been offered – she is good but could have been better. Like Alia, Shefali Shah could have been much much more effective. The highlight of the movie is Vijay Varma – a perfect manipulating machine swaps to a sweet charmer to a frustrated employee. He invokes hatred and has a great screen presence.
Modern Love Hyderabad: Baingan Ka Bataan? Nau..Lekin Mazza Nahin Aaya!
Formulaic Fare That Does Not Impress!
Hyderabad is a city with a special magic! The city of pearls is lovingly progressive and its golden hearted people welcomingly share the love for food, cinema and culture. The Hyderabadi lingo, IT transformation, culinary delights and overall warmth stay on….
An anthology celebrating Nawabi city, cuisine & kiraak Ishq deserves to be much much better! Especially when Hyderabad Blues’ Nagesh Kukonoor paints the multiple shades of Love & muse Hyderabad!
What is love? Billion definitions for a universal emotion. Is love letting go? Should you wait for love to discover you? Is love unconditional? Modern Love Hyderabad gives a few perspectives.
Six stories. Six angles. All celebrate love and successfully keep Hyderabad at the centre of it. All the interpretations have strong women protagonists – unique, emotional, vulnerable yet very impressive and steadfast.
‘My Unlikely Pandemic Dream Partner’ is the best of the lot with Revathy and Nithya killing it. Perfect partners can drift apart. A mother wants space from her child. Cool!
‘How To Find Your Penguin’ is interestingly creative and brave. Komalee Prasad manages to carry the bizarre idea of a microbiologist comparing men to animals and birds. It again lacks depth and falls short….
‘Why Did She Leave Me There?’ is an heart-wrenching emotional drama showing unconditional love means letting go…
‘What Clown Wrote The Script’ is fresh and promises great potential…but does not carry through…
Purple Stilettoes can ruin a purple patch…’Fuzzy, purple and full of thorns’ is a story with relatable couple and Ritu Varma in form but script falls short.
‘About that Rustle in the Bushes’ is predictable…
Modern Love Hyderabad is a soothing, warm and predictable love series with happy endings and nice music. It keeps Hyderabad at the centre of it but it is not as brave as Modern Love Mumbai. M M Keeravani’s theme music and songs are really awesome! Director Nagesh could have done better!
Let’s see what Modern Love Chennai brings….The best would be to green light Modern Love Sangli, Modern Love Rajkot, Modern Love Bokaro, Modern Love Rohtak, Modern Love Baramulla – What say?
Modern Love Season 1 remains the topnotch fare. Crème de la crème! Watch it first before anything else!
The southern surge continues on OTT. After Bahubali, Pushpa, RRR & KGF, Suzhal sets the ball rolling for southern web series!
A sleepy small town of Sambaloor is awakened from it lazy slumber by a factory fire and a young girl gone missing! The two incidents open up many fault lines – old hostilities, complicated relationships, parental kid disconnect, abrasiveness of police, class struggle, sexual tenebrosity etc. Ladies and gentlemen, this is ‘The Mare Of Easttown’ in South Indian forgotten town where everybody knows everyone – or so they think!
The town is celebrating the nine-day carvinalisque Mayana Kollai festival and each day of the festival unveils a layer of mystery. The festival elements – music, colors, beautify adorned Goddesses, religious fervour, passionate devotees, mythology, dance and swaying – strengthen the tense drama. Full marks for the fusion – creates a unique look and feel!
The festival celebrates the Goddesses and the series is an ode to Women power – None are black and white. Have made interesting choices. Escaped. Challenged the glass ceiling. Regina (Shriya) reminds of Vijaya Shanti cop avatar but she is more brutal and vulnerable. Sakkarai, Shanmugam and Nandini give top notch performances.
The characters are very well defined and have a great depth and arc. Emotions as well as mystery. The amazing writing keeps us glued till the end – a challenge in thrillers as all of us know that only the last episode will reveal the true killer and all other possibilities are deceptive diversions!
Watch Suzhal for:
– Southern spice to OTT Thrillers
– Beautiful canvas of rich colors and layered drama
The Big Screen Extravaganza from ‘Bahubali’ Rajamouli.
Fast and Furious with ‘Naacho Naacho’
Gladiator with Bromance!
Adjectives aside, Rise Roar Revolt (RRR) is a paisa vasool entertainer with overflowing action, creative thrills and visual marvels.
A story of two revolutionaries – Fire Raju and Water Bheem – who take on the might of British empire. Bheem is on a mission to rescue a little girl that is forcefully taken away by a British Lord Scott and his cruel wife. Raju is a a loyal officer whose assignment is to stop and arrest Bheem. Rajamouli weaves the magic and melodrama as ‘friends turn foe turn friends’.
The Fire & Water elements are presented in a compelling fashion. The camaraderie is authentic. Watch-out for spell-bounding drama – the unleashing of animals, the bridge scene, Raju’s capture of a freedom fighter etc. ‘Naacho Naacho’ song deserves a special credit.
The film is not without its flaws. The film drags in the second half and story does not hold firmly. The emotional depth is missing. Ajay Devgan & Alia Bhatt ensure Bollywood diversity in their cameos.
Despite its length and loopholes, RRR’s magic works like a charm. The film is technically perfect with awesome production values and world-class Hollywood matching VFX.
Bahubali with its romance, emotional core, revenge, Katappa and overall glamour remains a much better Rajamouli movie.
RRR – Load, Aim & Shoot! Watch it on the big screen only!
Prayas – an amazing expression of creativity and beauty by students of Vranda Arts. Loved the energy and excitement of young kids as they explained their work and thought process.
Thanks to Vranda Rathi for inspiring the kids and giving the same platform as senior artists at Hutheesing Visual Art Centre. Thanks to Vranda’s mentoring and the awesome talent of young minds, I am confident we will see independent art exhibition of her proteges very soon! The future is bright, beautiful and spectacularly bewitching!
What happens when an apostle of truth tries to hide something?
What happens when momentary lapse threatens to derail an entire career and image?
What happens to ethics and values when life stress tests it?
Jalsa is a story of two unequal yet equal women whose life changes due to a twist of fate. Maya Menon is the face of truth of a digital channel. An accident threatens to derail her career and life. She is a mother of specially abled son who shares a great rapport with house-maid Rukshana and grandmother. Rukshana is a maid from the margins who makes an attempt to hold on to a life of dignity. She takes pride in her work and honesty like her boss Maya.
Maya is imperfect, sassy, bossy, vulnerable, confused, rebellious, smart.
Rukshana is real, raw, righteous, proud, hopeful, humane.
The outburst of Maya on her defenceless son is one of the highlights.
A great potential lay in other characters. Young journalist who is obstinate and wanting to break a story. An honest cop who is fearing a blemish on verge of his retirement. A youngster crazy about social media likes. Divorced husband. But the director ensures that the focus is on the core story and two strong fiery women.
The movie is not judgemental. The conflict is hidden. No over attention-seeking melodrama. Beyond gender and religion. It has one of the best beginnings that keeps you hooked. Great production values.
The ending will determine the way you relate to the movie. Weird like Maya and life? Improbable? Or a hurried climax – which not everyone appreciates!
Watch Jalsa for this…but watch Jalsa for the phenomenal brilliance of Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah. The way they have unleashed the storm of their talent – just amazing! The eyes, the expressions, the emotions, the body language, the voice modulation – sheer acting masterclass! And Rohini Hattangadi and Vidhatri Bandi make it a perfect women team. Shefali has an edge over Vidya for sure!
One more strong reason to watch Jalsa is the highly commendable and appreciative decision to cast Surya Kasibhatla as a specially abled Ayush. Surya has cerebral palsy and his character makes a great impact.
One of the blessings of Ignite forum is the opportunity to meet and interact with amazing people. One such wonderful experience was visit to Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital – India’s largest paediatric cardiac hospital.
The heart hospital is designed for free treatment for the low-income families – the ones who cannot afford cardiac treatment.
Free? There must be catch – there is our monkey mind speaking! The hospital does not have a cash counter / payments counter! Indeed, it is totally free of cost!
Charitable hospital? Is it any good? The hospital is world-class and can beat any institute hands-down. It again beats the myth of charitable being equated to ordinary or sub-standard.
Is it a religious hospital? No – It serves all people irrespective of race, religion or nationality!
Now that we have broken some myths, let us look at some of its impressive features:
1. The hospital treats patients at zero cost. Whether it is a simple procedure or complex surgery, all patients are treated free.
2. The patients can stay as long as they want.
3. The hospital is in lush-green campus with world-class facilities. Almost 70K Square Yards. 310 beds.
4. The doctors and para-medical staff stay on the campus. In case of emergency, this is critical in saving a life!
5. The hospital is self-contained with all other medical departments and units.
6. The relatives of the patients can stay in the dormitory.
7. The kitchen is spic and span – the food is amazingly hygienic and good
8. The hospital runs on complete charity and donations. Not a single paise from the patients.
9. All donations are through cheque and legal.
10. The magnificent campus is designed by renowned architect Bimal Patel. A great reference project by itself!
See it to believe it!
And the most important are the human stories! The biggest impact area is saving lives of people! 20 lakh patients have benefited and more than 20K surgeries have been operated. Often, poor people do not have money to support costly cardiac treatments. In some cases, parents do not take any special effort for saving the life of a child. Neither they can afford spending a fortune on the medical treatment nor they have the means! Often they give up or resign themselves to the fate – consoling themselves or resorting to the fact that they can always have another child – thus not valuing the sick child’s life! So disturbing! In some cases, family does not provide financial or non-financial support. In all such cases, this hospital is indeed a God-sent answer!
During our visit, we met several young children – hearing their life stories was a moving experience. One of the girls we met, P, wants to be Cardiologist and help the fellow kids in future. She wants to give back to the world – what she got – many times over!
The hospital is winning hearts and blessings by saving their lives and giving them a future! What they cannot pay in money, they pay in their blessings!
The hospital is a perfect example of vision and action in sync! The great idea and vision is implemented with corporate efficiency on one hand and compassionate service on another hand. Hats off to Shri Manoj Bhimani and Prashanti Trust for serving thousands of people with dignity, grace and world-class care.
1. Spread the word – So that everyone who needs the help for cardiac treatment – can get it!
2. Donate – You can help with donations – every penny counts!
3. Volunteer – Whether you are a doctor or IT professional or business, volunteer your time and skills!
Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital – It is not a hospital, it an indeed a temple of healing! The true religion is serving humanity and this temple is the best example of selfless service!
Contact:
SRI SATHYA SAI HEART HOSPITAL
Plot No:23/B Village Kasindra, Opp to Vishvakarma Temple, Sarkhej – Dholka Highway, Ahmedabad.
Risk Hai To Ishq Hai….Harshad Mehta’s Equivalent of Gorden Gekko’s ‘Greed Is Good’
The versatile and classy director of Aligarh and Citylights, Hansal Mehta, presents the riveting tale of Harshad Mehta – once celebrated aas the ‘Big Bull’ of Indian stock markets. The 10 episode series is presented from former Times Of India journalist Sucheta Dala’s perspective and is based on her book Scam.
Harshad Mehta’s rise from an outsider to ‘BSE Ka Bachchan’& ‘Big Bull’ is shown amazingly well. It showcases how Harshad Mehta found loopholes in the Indian stock market and exploited them for his benefit. It also depicts the unholy nexus between banks, financial institutions, government officials and Godmen. Many names are clearly targeted – Chandraswami, Prime Minister Rao, Citibank etc. One can also see the early days of Ketan Parekh and Rakesh Jhunjhunwala in the series.
Sucheta Dalal and Debashis Basu get a tip on the wrong-doings of Mehta and gang and they pursue it to relentlessly.
Pratik Gandhi shines as Harshad Mehta and does full justice to the character – smart, shrewd, arrogant, showman. Shrey Dhanwanthary shines as the passionate and fiery journalist. The support cast is excellent and they add great texture to the layered drama – Satish Kaushik, Anant Mahadevan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Rajat Kapoor, K K Raina etc.
Loved the old warm charm of Bombay – 80s and 90s! Writer and Director do a good balancing act – Scam 1992 does not end as adulatory Hagiography nor it is a witch-hunt. The series could have done with better editing. The songs in the credits are wonderful. Mat Kar Maya Ka Ahankar is the beautiful end song to wrap the series…….Awesome!
