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Category: Movies

  • Singham Again Review: Ranveer Rocks Rohit’s Ramayan Reloaded Repetitive Recipe 

    Singham Again Review: Ranveer Rocks Rohit’s Ramayan Reloaded Repetitive Recipe 

    Singham Again Review: Ranveer Rocks Rohit’s Ramayan Reloaded Repetitive Recipe 

    Singham Again Is A Typical Rohit Shetty Movie With Everything More This Time – More Cops, More Cars, More Action, More One-Liners! But Great Guru Said Less Is More!

    Rohit Creates His Cop Universe With Singham, Simba, Lady Singham & Sooryavanshi – And With A Hint Of Upcoming Collaboration With Chulbul Pandey!

    What You Expect Is What You Get – The Trailer Is Actually Enough To Reveal & Summarise The Entire Move! Why Bother To See The Movie? 

    Singham Again Is A Modern Ramayana Where Danger Lanka (Ravan) Kidnaps Singham’s (Ram) Wife Avni (Sita) & Singham Gets His Friends & Family To Help Him (Lakshman, Hanuman, Jatayu Etc.) Nothing Is Left To Subtlety – The Ramayana References Are Repeated & Choked To You!

    Ajay Devgn Makes An Impact But The Biggest Entertainer Is Ranveer In His Simbba Avatar. Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Ravi Kishan & Super Star Cameo Just Complete The Ensemble Cast – Nothing New From Them. And Arjun Kapoor Is A Big Letdown – He Is Not An Intimidating Villain Whose Horrendous Acts Require A Battery Of Saviour Heroes! 

    Singham Again: Not A Diwali Phatakha! Just Watch It For The Fun Entertainment & Forget It! 

  • Do Patti Review: Falls Like A House Of Cards

    Do Patti Review: Falls Like A House Of Cards

    Do Patti Review: Falls Like A House Of Cards – Avoid It!

    Kriti Sanon’s Veronica Style Cocktail Of Crime Thriller, Mental Health & Domestic Abuse Is A Big Letdown

    Soumya and Shailee are twin sisters, who not only are as different as chalk and see, but also do not see eye-to-eye. Both fall for a cool charmer Dhruv- Aaina in Seeta Aur Geeta & Chaalbaaz mode. The troubled trio tale gets a twist as the stud has anger issues and he resorts to violence since he suffers from a patriarchal hangover. Key topics of mental health and domestic violence are diluted in an overzealous attempt to be a cinematic artwork. 

    Kajol is wasted – her Dushman was a better fare. Producer Kriti Sanon gets to show her acting skills in a double act including a complete tribute to Cocktail’s Deepika Padukone Veronica avatar. Rest of the act fail to redeem the poor screenplay and poorer direction – A better sensitivity was expected from Kanika in a women-produced film. 

    Do Patti: Avoid it!

    #dopatti #dopattireview #newreleases #weekendwatch #OTT #OTTShows #thriller #netflix #netflixandchill #hindicinema #hindimovies

  • Raat Jawaan Hai – A Must Watch Friendship Hug!

    Raat Jawaan Hai – A Must Watch Friendship Hug!

    Raat Jawaan Hai – A Must Watch Friendship Hug!

    Dil Chahta Hai & Zindagi Na Milegi Dobra Friendship Meets An Ultimate Adventure Called Parenting!

    Raat Jawaan Hai is a refreshing and heart warming series focussing on adult friendships and raising children. Three friends Avinash, Radhika and Suman are juggling the challenges of parenting while their spouses focus on winning the bread. Their friendship helps them navigate life, marriage, parents, self-identity, career and other challenges that emerge on the way.

    Anjali Anand as Radhika is the energy and outspoken cult leader. Barun Sobti as Avinash gives a perfect portrayal of ‘stay-at-home-dad’ blending his humour and insecurities. Priya Bapat as Suman is the hesitant one but the emotional anchor of the trio.

    Highly relatable to the urban couples, it touches your heart with humour, feelings and profound thought. Special credit to the writer – Loved the rural uncle who refused a life because he has to get 10K steps on Fitbit. Or the lines like: We are exactly like our kids. Just potty trained!

    Brilliantly written, wonderfully acted and beautifully directed, ‘Raat Jawaan Hai’ is a must watch!

  • CTRL: Promising Idea Gone Out Of Control

    CTRL: Promising Idea Gone Out Of Control

    CTRL: Promising Idea Gone Out Of Control

    CTRL has all the right ingredients but its a stale dish on arrival! 

    AI
    GenZ 
    Ananya Panday
    Social Media
    Talented Director

    All the above elements fail to make a compelling and refreshing story. The movie seems a packaged product designed to fill the Netflix shelves of new content. 

    Teenagers Nella and Joe are the GenZ couple living a dream life on social media. The influencers blissful life gets punctured when Joe is caught cheating – live on camera of course! 

    Nella gets Geet’s ‘Jalaa Do Saali’ inspiration from AI App where Joe’s images and videos are erased from her digital footprint and possibly life – The Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind!  But the AI Avatar is not a noble friend philosopher and guide – it takes over her data, privacy and soul for sinister gains. The evils of technology, data security and digital life are showcased – even prompting us to switch off our cameras and microphones. 

    Ananya is effortless in her GenZ avatar – her third outing on GenZ, social media and evils of technology after the very recent ‘Call Me Bae’ and ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan’. While the movie maybe a project to showcase Ananya’s talents, it has nothing new to offer. 

    Full credit for getting the look and feel of the movie right but the impact is missing. 

    Vikramaditya Motwane is a genius but he fails to convert a good idea into a credible movie!

    #CTRL #CTRLReview #CTRLMovie #Ananypanday #Ananya #GenZ #Netflix #Netflixandchill #AI #digital #privacy #digitallife #bollywood #newreleases #hindicinema #hindimovies #weekendwatch

  • Sector 36 Review: Dark, Gruesome & Spine-chilling Watch

    Sector 36 Review: Dark, Gruesome & Spine-chilling Watch

    Sector 36 is not for the faint hearted. It is a disturbing tale of child abuse, murders, organ trade, necrophilia and cannibalism.

    Inspired by the infamous Nithari Killings of 2006, writer Bodhayan Roychaudhury and director Aditya Nimbalkar concoct a gripping story that leaves a strong impact. Paedophile businessman Bassi’s Sector 36 bungalow is a playground for his sexual escapades. His servant Prem not only captures the acts of his boss, but he rapes and butchers the kids as well. He relishes their organs and even sells the body parts. Macabre and disturbing – Right?

    A failed kidnapping and convenient coincidences bring him in the radar of inspector Ram Charan Singh, who eventually gets Prem who relishes his confessional like a KBC hot seat! Watch the movie for this highly impactful interrogation scene where Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal deliver a masterclass in acting – reminds of Robert De Niro / Al Pacino in Heat and Nawaz / Vicky in Raman Raghav. This scene will outlive the movie like Pyar Ka Punchnama monologue!

    Vikrant Massey gives yet another stellar performance after 12th fail. He showcases his versatile art on Bodhayan’s canvas. Clearly in his purple patch! Deepak Dobriyal is equally impressive but his character could have been even stronger – his transformation from lazy corrupt copy to a spirited passionate truth seeker was too convenient. The movie has the apt dark gloomy look including the perfect opening sequence! Excellent cinematography.

    Sector 36 – A great watch!

  • Laila Majnu Review: The Eternal Love’s Journey From Kashmir To Spirituality

    Laila Majnu Review: The Eternal Love’s Journey From Kashmir To Spirituality

    Laila Majnu Review: The Eternal Love’s Journey From Kashmir To Spirituality

    The popular and classical tragic love story of Persian and Arabic times gets a Kashmiri setup in Imtiaz Ali’s writing. The Sajid Ali directed movie impresses with its authentic and rawness – Yashraj polish is missing but the movie touches your heart and soul.

    Laila – the girl is a prick tease who flirts with a battery of Srinagar boys

    Majnu (Qais) – the guy has bad reputation looks but stalks in a disarming manner

    As Qais tells Laila “humaari kahaani likhi gayi hai”, they fall in love while their parents are sworn enemies. The virgin love has a roller coaster ride with Laila getting married to a local politician and Majnu escaping to London. He returns and seems to be in an eternal waiting game for Laila. Both lose their lives with Majnu becoming a crazy mad lover. He discovers spirituality emphasising the path to God is nothing but love.

    Avinash Tiwary is intense and gets better as the movie progresses. He makes us believe in the madness of love with his powerful portrayal of Majnu. Tripti Dimri shows her talent in this pre-Animal avatar. Kashmir is a character by itself – what would Vishal Bharadwaj or Gulzar have done?.

    The songs are beautiful – O Meri Laila, Hafiz Hafiz and Aahista shine. The direction and editing could have been better as movie fails in certain portions.

    The movie was a big flop but the audience love brings it back after years of conversations. Within 3-4 days of release, it has made more money than its initial run six years ago! Love stories are eternal!

    Watch Laila Majnu for Avinash Tiwary’s Majnu act, Kashmir backdrop, nice music and a timeless love story!

    #Bollywood #ImtiazAli #HindiCinema #HindiMovies #IndianMovies #LailaMajnu #LoveStory #Romance #Love #Zee5 #Musical

  • Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba: Tapsee Hasseen, Movie Not A Dillruba

    Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba: Tapsee Hasseen, Movie Not A Dillruba

    Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba: Tapsee Hasseen, Movie Not A Dillruba

    “Jo pagalpan ki hadd se naa guzre woh pyaar hi kya kyunki hosh mein toh rishte nibhaye jaate hain”

    After successfully outwitting the cops, Rani (Tapsee) and Rishu (Vikrant) emerge in Agra, from where they are planning to escape to Thailand and start a new life. The arrival of a cop (Jimmy Shergill) with personal agenda nudges Rani to seek help of a smitten admirer Abhimanyu (Sunny Kaushal). The game of snakes and ladders comes alive!

    Tapsee sums up the proceedings as LSD – Another iconic movie!

    The movie fails to build on the magic of the original Haseen Dillruba – which was an engaging, intriguing small-town thriller. The sequel is a laboured effort with a weak screenplay, predictable storyline and too many twists! The reopening of the case or marriage are clearly too convenient while the use of literary allusions seems forced. The audience is intelligent and is unforgiving of lazy loopholes!

    Loved the cinematography for beautifully capturing Taj Mahal and revealing the balance of fate in a fair swing!

    Hasseen Dillruba Tapsee Pannu continues to shine and is the anchor of the movie – It’s her show! Vikrant Massey is impressive but does seem like a baggage with too little to do. Even the ever-reliable Jimmy Shergill’s as cop Montu and sincere Sunny Kaushal are average.

    Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba: Tapsee ki wapsee fails to make an impact!

  • Maharaja Review: Vijay Sethupathi’s Mind-Blowing Emotional Revenge Thriller

    Maharaja Review: Vijay Sethupathi’s Mind-Blowing Emotional Revenge Thriller

    Maharaja Review: Vijay Sethupathi’s Mind-Blowing Emotional Revenge Thriller

    Vijay Sethupathi’s Delivers A Knockout Performance In His 50th Appearance

    A bruised middle-aged father visits a police station and wants action against three criminals who stole his “Lakshmi” – a dustbin which has a special value in his life. As the movie progress, parallel tracks and juxtaposed scenes come together to reveal a shocking and heartbreaking climax.

    Vijay Sethupathi’s masterclass acting is the highlight of the movie. He is truly the Maharaja of acting and it shows! Anurag Kashyap fails to leave a mark.

    I loved the smart and intelligent use of metaphors – especially snake. While the climax is what has set everyone talking it was not unpredictable. Lots of scenes are rushed and engineered.

    The director uses “shock and awe” technique. The truck crash, the snake, the non-linear narrative, multiple characters – all are designed to amplify the mystery and engage the audience.

    Maharaja is essentially a father daughter story showcasing the law of karma at work. Packaged emotionally and symbolically designed to leave a strong impact! Worth a watch!

  • Kalki 2898 AD: Actor Amitabh Aces In Hollywood Challenging Visual Extravaganza

    Kalki 2898 AD: Actor Amitabh Aces In Hollywood Challenging Visual Extravaganza

    Kalki 2898 AD: Actor Amitabh Aces In Hollywood Challenging Visual Extravaganza

    An Epic Story Meets Futuristic SciFi To Create Dystopian World

    A Mesmerizing Grand Spectacle Meets Hollywood Vision & Scale

    A Pack Of Legendary Actors Showcasing Their Best Craft

    Kalki Is An Indian Triumph – Creating A Deeply Cultural Mythological Art With World-Beating Best In Class Production Values!

    A Feast For Eyes That Could Have Been A Feast For Soul – But That’s A Debate Worth Having Over Ginger Enhanced Strong Tea!

    The Modern Avatar Of Lord Vishnu Is To Be Born In The Post Apocalyptic World In Year 2898 AD – 6000 Years After Kurukshetra War. Th Evil Forces Are At Is Peak Through Totalitarian Supreme Yaskin & His Team’s Devil Designs & Actions. Kashi Is The Last Surviving City & Yaskin Is Driving A Secret Project K. Rebels Attempt To Save The World From Their Multi-Race Multi-Cultural Multi-Religious Place Shambala.

    Amitabh Bachchan Is The Powerhouse Who Carries The Movie With An Acting Masterclass – Living The Character In Totally Engaging Manner! Prabhas Continues To Underwhelm & Is Victim Of Poor Scripting. Kamal Hassan Is Introduced Strongly & Impactfully But He Has Limited Presence.

    Much Like History, Women In Kalki Have Very Marginal Role. Deepika Is A Guinea Pig Whose Sole Purpose To Give Birth. Disha Patani Does What She Does Best In Her Instagram Post – Exhibiting Her Curvy Toned Sculpture. Mrunal Thakur & Shobhana Have Small Roles While Dulquer Salman, Vijay Deverakonda Ram Gopal Varma & S S Rajamouli Star With Their Cameo Presence!

    Long After The Credits Roll, The Lasting Feelings Of Mind-blowing VFX, Mahabharata Meets Hollywood Scale & Grandeur Will Remain. The Screenplay & Editing Are Very Weak With So Musical Notes That Strike A Chord. Hats To Off Production Team, Cinematographer & Of Course Director Nag Ashwin.

    When A Midnight Show On Day 30 Is Housefull – The Movie Is Universally Accepted. By The Time You Read This, It Would Have Overtaken Jawan To Become The Biggest Movie!

    Kalki 2898 AD – A Cinematic Experience To Watch On Big Screens Only!

  • Kakuda Review: Fresh Fun Folklore Gives Frail Fear

    Kakuda Review: Fresh Fun Folklore Gives Frail Fear

    Kakuda Review: Fresh Fun Folklore Gives Frail Fear

    The horror comedy’s premise is refreshing and interesting: Every Tuesday evening at the designated time, the small door next to the main door needs to be opened by a family male, else the devilish mythical ‘Kakuda’ would strike. The victim would develop a hump and the person dies within 13 days.

    A newly wed couple Sonakshi and Saqib get entangled in the Kakuda folklore when the groom is late to open the door and he is marked for death. Riteish is the ghost hunter, who comes to their rescue and helps to set the house in order.

    The film has a great cast, strong performances and nice comic timing but it fails to make an impact due to weak ghost, half baked plot and hurried ending! Riteish is impressive with excellent acts by Saqib Salem and Sonakshi.

    A nice fun one time watch – Not in the class Stree!

    Disclaimer: The movie was shot at the family establishment of the reviewer.