DRIVE has now finally got a release, that too on an OTT platform. As a result, there’s a lot of negativity surrounding the film. So is DRIVE really as disappointing as believed? Or does it turn out to be a fine entertainer? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1036519 size-full" title="Movie Review: Drive" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Drive.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Drive" width="750" height="450" /> DRIVE is the story of a group of thieves planning the biggest heist of the country. Tara (Jacqueline Fernandez) runs a courier company in Delhi and specializes in illegal transfers for criminals. She is aided in this by Bikki (Vikramjeet Virk) and Naina (Sapna Pabbi). The trio, besides indulging in street racing, are also focused on finding a thief named King (Sushant Singh Rajput). He operates alone and robs in style. After stealing, he leaves the name of the place where he would next make the heist. After robbing a jewellery store, he hints that his next target is Rashtrapati Bhavan! Irfan (Boman Irani) from the PMO gets startled on getting this information. He teams up with Vibha Singh (Vibha Chibber), director of the monetary restrictions department and his junior, Hamid (Pankaj Tripathi) in ensuring that King doesn’t come to rob what is the most secured and one of the most important institutions in the country. King however bumps into Tara, Bikki and Sapna and after he finds them trustworthy, King tells them about his real identity. At the same time, Tara also expresses her wish of robbing Rashtrapati Bhavan for a special reason. She has found out that Vibha takes a 40% cut from those on whom she initiates a raid. After getting her share, she gives the accused a clean chit. Vibha has discovered a secret chamber in Rashtrapati Bhavan where she has stashed all the unaccounted wealth. Tara wants King’s help in robbing this hidden treasure. However, the security at Rashtrapati Bhavan is unparalleled. The aim is to enter the palace, dodge the security and CCTV cameras, locate the loot and take it out of the Bhavan. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Tarun Mansukhani's story is poor and is a <em>bhel puri</em> of various films like RACE, DHOOM, FAST &amp; FURIOUS, OCEAN’S ELEVEN, SAAHO and even Karan Johar’s earlier forgettable film, UNGLI. Tarun Mansukhani's screenplay doesn’t make the desired impact as it’s very difficult to comprehend. There are twists and turns every 10-15 minutes but instead of adding to the film’s charm, it ends up getting on viewers’ nerves. Tarun Mansukhani's dialogues are simple and straight forward. Tarun Mansukhani's direction is nothing great. He tries to do an Abbas-Mustan but fails miserably. The film lacks emotional touch. You don’t really root for any character as you don’t feel for them. A bit of Tara’s past is hinted at but that’s about it. A few developments are bewildering. The track of Arjun (Anuj Jain) is difficult to understand, especially how he managed to get into Tara’s gang. Surprisingly, Tara and his team don’t kick him out despite knowing that he’s an undercover officer! The flow of narrative is also fractured by two songs. Shockingly, the <em>'Makhna'</em> song comes up all of a sudden. For no rhyme or reason, Tara and the gang head to Israel. No explanations given! The makers, at the most, could have added a voiceover of Tara telling her gang that they should take a break for a few days but alas! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“Working with Sushant Singh Rajput was GREAT, You…”: Sapna Pabbi | Drive | Jacqueline</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/working-with-sushant-singh-rajput-was-great-you-sapna-pabbi-drive-jacqueline/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> DRIVE starts on a fair note. The beginning scene instantly reminds of FAST &amp; FURIOUS’s street racing scenes. But there’s a nice surprise as one expects the winning driver of the race to be Sushant. Instead, it’s Jacqueline who emerges from the car. The way King hoodwinks Tara’s men at the jewellery store and how he gets the seized car back from the cop also keeps the interest going. The trouble starts soon enough as the film gets too complicated or too unconvincing. The second half is focused on the gang trying to rob the treasure from Rashtrapati Bhavan. The manner in which they easily get access to the place is very hard to believe. Also, the various twists and turns instead of impressing viewers end up confusing them. A lot of questions remain unanswered till the very end. Sushant Singh Rajput fails to give his best. In scenes where he is supposed to give the see-I-am-so-smart cool smile, he ends up looking quite awkward. Jacqueline Fernandez in fact is much better. She looks convincing as the leader of the gang. Moreover, she also exudes considerable oomph. Vikramjeet Virk does well, as per his character requirement. Sapna Pabbi has a great screen presence and acts well. Boman Irani is dependable as always. Pankaj Tripathi is apt for the part and even raises few laughs. Vibha Chibber suits the character. Same goes for Kaustubh Kumar (Raj). Anuj Jain is hardly there. Major Bikramjeet Kanwarpal (Inspector Rathore) is decent. Music suits the mood of the film but doesn’t have a shelf life. <em>'Karma'</em>, played in the opening credits, is the best of the lot. <em>'Makhna'</em> is forced into the film. Same goes for <em>'Prem Pujari'</em>. <em>'Black Car'</em> and <em>'Tu Jaanta Nahi'</em> are relegated to the background and are forgettable. Qaran's background score is stylish. Vishal Sinha's cinematography is sans complaints. But in the Israel scene, the lensman should have captured the beauty rather than just going for BTS-style camerawork. Parichit Paralkar's production design is quite good. He had a challenging task at hand as he had to ensure that the sets resemble the various rooms and chambers of Rashtrapati Bhavan. In that regard, he succeeds in most parts. Fluiidmask Studios' VFX, however, is very tacky and fake. Stefan Richter and Vikram Dahiya's action is nothing great. The film ideally should have had more in the name of action other than just car chase scenes. Samidha Wangnoo's costumes are very rich and appealing, especially the ones worn by Jacqueline and Sapna. Tarun Mansukhani's editing is average. On the whole, DRIVE gives a déjà vu of many other films in this genre and fails to impress on account of confusing and unconvincing plot. Avoidable

Sooraj Pancholi had a dream debut in HERO [2015], a film produced by Salman Khan. The film underperformed at the box office but the hype of the film was such that it opened at Rs. 6.85 crore, which was the highest then for a film featuring debutants. Sooraj then, shockingly, disappeared and four years later, he’s finally back with SATELLITE SHANKAR. So does SATELLITE SHANKAR emerge as a great entertainer and meet the expectations raised by the trailer? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1038693 size-full" title="Movie Review: Satellite Shankar" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Satellite-Shankar1.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Satellite Shankar" width="720" height="450" /> SATELLITE SHANKAR is about the extraordinary journey of a soldier that brings a nation together. Shankar (Sooraj Pancholi) is a rifleman posted near the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir. He is very popular in his regiment because of his jovial nature. He carries with him an idol of Lord Shankar. He pretends that it’s a satellite that can help him connect to anyone in the world. With this little trick, he keeps the officers motivated, despite them not getting leaves. In a firing by the Pakistani forces, Shankar gets hurt. He’s admitted in the hospital and though the injury is not serious, he is asked to rest for eight days. Shankar requests his commanding officer, Cheema (Sanjay Gurbaxani) that he’ll like to go to his hometown, Pollachi, in Tamil Nadu to meet his mother and get her cataract treated. Cheema agrees on the condition that Shankar reaches the base 8 days later at 8 am. Shankar promises to be back on the stipulated day and time by giving a ‘Sainik shapath’. Shankar’s colleagues request him to hand over gifts and other items to his family members while he’s on his way to his hometown. Shankar then begins his three-day-long journey on the train from Jammu. As soon as he commences the trip, an old couple in his bogie are asked to leave as they have boarded the wrong station. While helping them find the right train at the next station, Kathua, Shankar ends up missing his own train. He along with Meera Bakshi (Palomi Ghosh), a vlogger, then take a taxi to Pathankot, where their respective trains was to halt. Again, Shankar is not able to make it on time in his train while helping Meera. However, the family member of an army colleague Subedar Jeetu Singh (Pradeep Singh) picks up Shankar’s luggage from his train when it halts at a station in Punjab. Shankar reaches Jeetu Singh’s residence in Bagha and uses his ‘satellite’ to spread happiness and solve their problem. Shankar then heads to Agra to finally catch his train to Pollachi. Yet again, Shankar gives it a miss as he gets busy in saving people who were in a bus that had met with an accident. Interestingly, even Meera is there in the bus and Shankar gets captured in her video. He overnight becomes a hero of the nation. Meera takes it upon herself to find Shankar and she sets off to find him. Her followers cross the million mark and they too get involved in this journey to ensure that Shankar not only reaches his hometown soon but also that he’s able to adhere to his ‘Sainik Shapath’ and report back to base 8 days later at 8 am. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Vishal Vijay Kumar and Irfan Kamal's story is utopian but has potential and can be best described as ‘Munna Bhai meets Bajrangi Bhaijaan’! Vishal Vijay Kumar and Irfan Kamal's screenplay however don’t do justice to the plot in hand. A few scenes stand out individually but as part of the film, they seem a bit convenient and unconvincing. Vishal Vijay Kumar and Irfan Kamal's dialogues however are appropriate. But a few dialogues are in Punjabi, Tamil and Bengali and are difficult to comprehend. There should have been subtitles for these lines. Irfan Kamal's direction is weak and a bit unpolished. He had a great subject in hand but first he messed it up at the screenplay stage. Then, with his execution, he spoilt it even more. The first 15-20 minutes seem very silly and one might wonder what exactly is happening in the film. The concept of the ‘satellite’ gets clear only after 30-35 minutes in the Punjab village scene. The film boasts of very filmy and convenient plot points and it needed an expert direction so that viewers can digest it. In the absence of it, it’ll be difficult for them to really get engaged with the film. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1038694" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Satellite-Shankar2.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> SATELLITE SHANKAR’s beginning portions might seem bizarre. The concept of the ‘satellite’ might not be easy to comprehend. Even the scene of Shankar getting injured in the cross-border firing is not well helmed, although the idea is interesting. The film gets a bit interesting as Shankar gets in the train and he ends up missing it. However, he misses his train three times and that becomes too much. What stands out in the first half is the scene in the Punjab village and the bus accident sequence. Post-interval, the film has some fine moments but again, the direction and script play spoilsport. Still, the film remains somewhat engaging. However, the climax is when the film really falls down. The stone pelting part looks completely forced and mars the rhythm and even tone of the film. Sooraj Pancholi gives a very fine performance and he’s sure to amaze you with his sheer hard work. There’s this earnestness in the way he has played the part and it’s completely in sync with his character. Also, he is quite entertaining and watch out for the scene where he imitates Prime Minister Narendra Modi! Megha Akash (Pramila) is lovely and lends able support. Her scene at Salem railway station is memorable. But sadly, her track is not well handled and it lacks conviction. Palomi Ghosh has a brilliant screen presence and leaves a tremendous mark. Upendra Limaye (Inspector Chavan) is dependable. Pradeep Singh, Anurag Mishra (Anwar Hussain), Anil K Reji (Sridhar), Asif Basra (Taxi Driver), Subrat Dutta (TC) and Sanjay Gurbaxani are fine. Music is nothing special. <em>'Pyaar Ka Satellite'</em> is like a theme track and is the only song that works. <em>'Aari Aari'</em> is foot tapping but comes at a time when viewers are dazed about the film’s concept. <em>'Tere Sang'</em> is forgettable while <em>'Jai He'</em> has a patriotic feel and hence stands out. Sandeep Shirodkar's background score is appropriate. Jitan Harmeet Singh's cinematography is excellent. The film has been shot in real locations to bring the authenticity and the various locales are well captured. Abbas Ali Moghul's action is dated. Tariq Umar Khan's production design is as per the requirement of the film. Same goes for Dipika Lal and Anirudh Singh's costumes. White Apple's VFX is decent. Chandan Arora's editing is sany complaints. On the whole, SATELLITE SHANKAR is a well-intentioned flick but poor script and direction play spoilsport. At the box office, it’ll have a tough time because of lack of awareness.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is known for his intense roles and crime-infested films. But it’s a known fact that he has a great comic timing and if given an opportunity, can excel in such roles. After trying his hands in few such films in the past like FREAKY ALI [2016] etc, the versatile actor will now be seen in a similar space with MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR. So does MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR manage to entertain and give a good time to the audiences? Or does it fail to deliver? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1041187 size-full" title="Movie Review: Motichoor Chaknachoor" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Motichoor-Chaknachoor.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Motichoor Chaknachoor" width="720" height="450" /> MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR is a love story of two neighbours. Anita aka Annie (Athiya Shetty) resides in Bhopal and her only aim in life is to marry an NRI and settle abroad. However when she meets prospective grooms, she makes her demand clear and moreover she is bigmouthed. As a result, she gets rejected and in some cases, she rejects when she finds out that the guy is not going to move to foreign shores. Meanwhile, Pushpender Tyagi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) has just returned from Dubai after a hiatus. He stays with his family in the house next to that of Annie. Pushpender falls for Annie instantly but Annie doesn’t show interest. Just like Annie, even Pushpender wants to get hitched desperately. When an overweight girl agrees to marry him, he gives his nod though he doesn’t have feelings for her. Pushpender is 36 and he feels that he is way past the age where he can reject any girl. Hence he reluctantly accepts the proposal. Annie meanwhile gives up after rejecting and getting rejected. With no option in hand, her maternal aunt (Karuna Pandey) advises Annie to woo Pushpender. After all, even Pushpender works in Dubai, also a foreign place. Annie hence tries to serenade Pushpender. She tries to first break off his alliance with the overweight girl but her efforts prove futile. Thankfully for Annie, Pushpender’s mother (Vibha Chibber) calls off the alliance when the to-be-bride’s family refuses to pay dowry. Annie then straightaway tells Pushpender that she wishes to marry him. Pushpender is overjoyed but Annie is a bit reluctant as she can’t pay the kind of dowry that his mother is asking for. Pushpender promises Annie that he won’t ask for a single paisa and both get married on the same day! The families obviously are shocked but they relent eventually. Annie is extremely happy as her dream of marrying an NRI is fulfilled. However, Pushpender has a secret that can prove disastrous for Annie. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Debamitra Biswal's story is very simple and nothing great but has potential for a fine and entertaining script. The screenplay however is not consistent. There are scenes that are great but those are few and far between. Also, the first half has more interesting scenes than the second half due to which the post-interval portions aren’t that engaging. Bhupendra Singh's dialogues are very funny and clever, and raise laughs. Debamitra Biswal's direction has promise but falters due to several reasons. On the plus side, the setting looks straight out of life. The director has neatly explained the neighbourhood, the way the houses of Annie and Pushpender are next to each other. Some scenes are very well handled. On the flipside, the interest rises and falls throughout. Also, the second half portions are difficult to digest. Viewers are forced to accept that it’s Annie who was wrong for marrying Pushpender for the Dubai factor. Even Pushpender has hidden a fact about his employment which was also not acceptable at all. But Pushpender is not made a villain as such. Shockingly, in one crucial scene, he even slaps Annie. If that is not enough, then Annie’s father refuses to take her back in his house. One hopes that towards the end, both will profusely apologize to Annie for their behaviour. Shockingly, that never happens and only Pushpender says sorry, that too by writing a letter. Hence, it becomes difficult to root for such a character <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>CRAZY FUN – Nawazuddin Siddiqui &amp; Athiya Shetty’s EPIC Quiz | Motichoor Chaknachoor</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/crazy-fun-nawazuddin-siddiqui-athiya-shettys-epic-quiz-motichoor-chaknachoor/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR begins on a fair note. The setting and characters are well established. The situations seem comical but don’t really make viewers laugh. But after the initial 30-35 minutes, the film turns into a riot. The scene where Pushpender meets the overweight girl is well executed and written. Same goes for the scene where Pushpender is buying vegetables and gets confronted by Annie. The best part of the first half is when Pushpender beats his brother Hakim with his chappal. The intermission point comes as a bolt from the blue. Post interval, the interest and even the humour quotient dip. The situations become very unconvincing and even regressive to an extent. The climax is supposed to be funny but seems unimaginative. Talking of performances, Nawazuddin Siddiqui seems a bit off but then gets in the groove. His comic timing as expected is bang on and even in emotional scenes, he is great. Athiya Shetty is a surprise of the film. From her accent to her performance to body language and to her understanding the character, she is spot on! Karuna Pandey gets to play a fine character and is entertaining. Vibha Chibber is decent. Abhishek Rawat (Hakim) is superb as Pushpender’s brother. Navni Parihar (Annie’s mother), Bhumika Dube (Hema), Devansh Kumar (Ikka) and Usha Nagar Dadi are okay. Music gels well with the film’s narrative. 'Crazy Lagdi' is catchy followed by 'Kaise Banegi Sarkar'. 'Choti Choti Gal' and 'Aaj Jaage Rehna' are soulful but drag the narrative. Abhijeet Vaghani's background score however is terrific and unique. Suhas Gujarathi's cinematography is very nice. The film has been shot in unconventional locales of Bhopal, that one hasn’t seen in films before. Tariq Umar Khan's production design is realistic. Shadab Malik's costumes are straight out of life. Praveen Kathikuloth's editing is nothing special. On the whole, MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR boasts of a very entertaining first half but the second half plays spoilsport heavily. At the box office, it will face a tough time due to the lack of buzz.

The excellent box office performance of SATYAMEVA JAYATE was one of the success stories of 2018. It catapulted director Milan Milap Zaveri into stardom and that too at a time when many thought that his directorial career was in trouble. Now the filmmaker is back with MARJAAVAAN, which also seems like a very commercial masala fare, like his earlier flick. So does MARJAAVAAN manage to entertain and provide paisa vasool entertainment to the viewers? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1041278 size-full" title="Movie Review: Marjaavaan" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Marjaavaan.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Marjaavaan" width="720" height="450" /> MARJAAVAAN is the story of unrequited love, set against the backdrop of the underbelly of Mumbai. In one of the poorer areas of Mumbai, Narayan Anna (Nassar) calls the shots. He has an army of men at his disposal and the most faithful of them is Raghu (Sidharth Malhotra). As an infant, he was found abandoned and it was Narayan Anna who raised him. Raghu is faithful and dedicated and always in the good books of Narayan Anna. As a result, Narayan’s son Vishnu (Riteish Deshmukh), a three-foot-midget, feels very jealous and he detests Raghu. The said locality also consists of a brothel where one of the nautch girls is Arzoo (Rakul Preet Singh). She is in love with Raghu but the latter doesn’t believe in this concept. It all however changes when Raghu comes across Zoya (Tara Sutaria), a mute girl from Kashmir. She teaches him the power and importance of music and love. In no time, both fall for each other. Things go smooth until one day, Zoya witnesses a murder committed by Vishnu. Vishnu informs Narayan Anna about it who in turn tells Raghu to finish off Zoya! Raghu decides to elope with Zoya but he’s caught by Vishnu’s men at the bus stand. Also, Vishnu kidnaps two kids - Timepass (Om Kanojia) and Payal (Alina Qazi) – both of whom train under Zoya. Narayan Anna then gives Raghu two choices – eliminate Zoya and save Timepass and Payal. Or else, everyone will die. Zoya insists that Raghu should kill her and Raghu reluctantly does so. Raghu is shattered like never before and he’s arrested by ACP Ravi Yadav (Ravi Kishan). What happens next forms the rest of the film. Milap Milan Zaveri's story is dated and is reminiscent of the films witnessed in 70s, 80s and 90s. Milap Milan Zaveri's screenplay sets the film in the same zone. A few scenes are well written but one wishes this was consistent throughout the film. Milap Milan Zaveri's dialogues are quite over the top and some of them work very well and are clap worthy. Milap Milan Zaveri's direction is decent, considering the genre and space. Not many can pull off such a film but Milap manages. A few scenes are well executed like Vishnu’s entry, Tara and Raghu falling in love and in the second half, Raghu getting back in the revenge zone is a paisa vasool moment. On the flipside, the character of Vishnu needed to be more menacing. Also, the film dips at a few places and also becomes predictable. A few developments are not very convincing either. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Marjaavaan: Public Review | First Day First Show | Sidharth Malhotra | Tara Sutaria | Riteish Deshmukh</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/marjaavaan-public-review-first-day-first-show-sidharth-malhotra-tara-sutaria-riteish-deshmukh/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MARJAAVAAN has a bit of an awkward beginning. The execution is a bit weak and hence it takes a while to get used to the setting and characters. Also, the opening fight is massy to another level and audiences might not be prepared for such kind of masala. Usually, commercial movies are made in such a way that it can appeal to the multiplex audiences as well. But MARJAAVAAN is an exception as its content doesn’t appeal to the sensibilities of the multiplex viewers. A few scenes seem unconvincing. The manner in which the religious harmony bit is presented looks a bit forced. The intermission point is fine. The second half doesn’t start on a great note and seems a bit dragging. The action quotient dips as Raghu abandons all plans of revenge. But the scene where he decides to fight back is when the film rises again. The climax fight is massy as expected but also convenient. Sidharth Malhotra tries his level best and in some scenes, he does shine. But his performance is a bit weak overall. He should have gone really all out as that would have really helped. Riteish Deshmukh also gives his best and his three-foot height gives him a nice edge. Sadly, he’s letdown by the writing of the character to some extent. Tara Sutaria is lovely and without mouthing a single dialogue, she makes her presence felt. Rakul Preet Singh is credited in a special appearance role but she has a supporting part and looks very glamorous. Her performance is decent. Nassar leaves a mark. Ravi Kishan is okay but his dialogue in the pre-climax about the police force will be met with claps in cinemas! Shaad Randhawa (Mazhar) is decent. Uday Nene (Gopi) and Godaan Kumar (Shafi) are passable. Same goes for Suhasini Mulay. Nora Fatehi is sizzling as always. Music is soulful and peppy. <em>'Tum Hi Aana'</em> is like the theme song and well utilized. <em>'Thodi Jagah'</em> is touching. <em>'Kinna Sona'</em> is nothing great. <em>'Ek Toh Kum Zindagani'</em> is smoking hot and <em>'Haiya Ho'</em> is in the same zone.  Sanjoy Chowdhury's background score adds to the massy element, especially in Sidharth’s fight scenes. Nigam Bomzan's cinematography is appropriate. Priya Suhass' production design is not very appealing. Amin Khatib's action is very over the top. Akshay Tyagi's costumes are stylish. Futureworks's VFX is quite good, especially in making Riteish a three-foot-baddie. Maahir Zaveri's editing could have been a bit crisper. On the whole, MARJAAVAAN is a true blue masala entertainer. At the box office, it has the potential to impress its target audience in the single screens.

Back in 2013, Disney began the FROZEN saga that told the story of two sisters Elsa and Anna. While Elsa had the power to control ice, Anna was given an unfaltering spirit. Since then, the two sisters have become superheroes of a different kind for kids across the world. Now a few years on, Disney is releasing the second part in the franchise with FROZEN 2 hitting screens. But will the new film live up to its predecessor, will the story of the new film offer something new or will FROZEN 2 like so many other sequels fall short, is what we analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1043275" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Frozen-2-English-2.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> FROZEN 2 starts off with Elsa and Anna living a full life in Arendelle, the city has over time prospered and flourished. Sadly though, things are not meant to last as a haunting echoing voice calls to Elsa from far beyond. Being the only one able to hear the call, Elsa sets off on a journey to find the source of the calling, assisted by her sister Anna, and her friends Kristoff, Olaf and Sven. The five leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom. Will they manage to find the source of the voice Elsa hears, will Elsa’s powers be enough to save them and the city, or will they be overpowered by what they find in the enchanted forest is what the film is about. In the six years Disney took to develop FROZEN 2, the production house has put in the extra effort in not only developing an engaging story, but enabling the same with captivating visuals. With computer animation at its best, the film is a seamless visual treat that kids are sure to love. Given the immense fan following among kids that FROZEN developed, the sequel to the film plays to this audience. However, unlike the previous film, FROZEN 2 has a slightly darker and more complex story line, which may not be fully understood by the younger lot. However, despite this, there is more than enough to keep the tots happy. Speaking of music, which plays an integral part in the film, like the first film, FROZEN 2 certainly has what it takes when it comes to captivating lyrics and catchy tunes. Though the track <em>‘Into The Unknown’</em> was meant to be what <em>‘Let it Go’</em> was for the first film, it does fall a bit short. On the other hand, Kristoff’s rendition of <em>‘Lost In The Woods’</em> is one track that is sure to strike a chord with a wide section of the audience. Another, tune that is sure to stick is the haunting, yet exhilarating tone that calls from the deep to Elsa. Conveying both mystery and intrigue through sound, the tune will certainly be an ear worm that latches on. Coming to the animation, FROZEN 2 displays why Disney is the best at what they do. Seamless animatronics that follow the laws of physics, well finished textures and realistic movement go a long way in converting CGI into something realistic. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1043276" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Frozen-2-English-1.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> Coming to the voice performances, each of the cast members have risen to the call with pitch perfect notes. Kristen Bell as Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, and Josh Gad as Olfa have each done spectacularly well. Unlike the previous film, FROZEN 2 sees Olaf’s character relegated to comedy and we have to say that this helps the film develop a connect with the audience. Here a special mention needs to be made for directors Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee who have done a stellar job in telling what could have been a rather complex and confusing story. On the whole, FROZEN 2 is certainly worth a watch. Though the film might fall a bit short of the previous one, it is in its own right beautiful, exhilarating and captivating. At the box office, FROZEN 2 that caters mainly to kids might face a slight task with competition from the Bollywood release PAGALPANTI. However, given the fan following the series has developed, expectations are that FROZEN 2 will emerge as a winner.

Masala comedy films are here to stay and still have a loyal fan following. Surprisingly, there are very few directors at present that can do justice to such kind of movies. Anees Bazmee is one of those who have entertained audiences with plenty of mainstream comic capers over the years. And now he’s back with PAGALPANTI and as the name suggests, it promises loads of madness. So does PAGALPANTI stay true to its title and give a rocking time to the viewers? Or does it fail to entertain? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1044049 size-full" title="Movie Review: Pagalpanti" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Pagalpanti.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Pagalpanti" width="720" height="450" /> PAGALPANTI is the story of three unlucky men who wreak havoc in the underworld. Raj Kishore (John Abraham) is astrologically very unlucky. Wherever he goes, destruction follows. He joins Public Mercantile Bank in India and on his first day at job, it comes to light that Niraj Modi (Inaamulhaq) has run away from the country after stealing Rs. 32,000 crores from the bank. Raj loses his job as a result. He then comes to London where he befriends two brothers, Junky (Arshad Warsi) and Chandu (Pulkit Samrat). He convinces the duo to put money and set up a fireworks shop. Again, due to Raj’s bad luck, the shop goes up in flames on the first day itself. Raj then woos Sanjana (Ileana DCruz). He then cons her and her maternal uncle (Brijendra Kala) of a lot of money to start a delivery company with Junky and Chandu. As they are about to make their first delivery, an expensive car, Sanjana, who finds out the truth, arrives with an army of goons to nab Raj. Raj, Junky and Chandu run away in the delivery truck itself and after a nail-biting chase and jumping from a flyover, they escape from the clutches of the goons. They then reach the place of delivery, the palatial residence of Raja Sahab (Saurabh Shukla). It’s his daughter Janvi’s (Kriti Kharbanda) birthday and the expensive car is her gift. Unfortunately, when the car is unloaded from the track, it is found to be extensively damaged due to their reckless driving while escaping from the goons. The car is worth Rs. 7 crores and to recover this amount from the trio, Raja Sahab’s brother-in-law WiFi Bhai (Anil Kapoor) offers them a job where they’ll be paid Rs. 10 lakhs each. Of course, they won’t get the money but their salary will go in recovering the Rs. 7 crore cost of the car. Raj, Junky and Chandu happily take up the job, not realizing that their work can prove fatal. Junky and Chandu are given the job of being the food tasters, to ensure that there’s no poison in Raja Sahab’s meal. Raj is asked to sit in Raja Sahab’s car so that if anyone tries to attack, the former will bear the brunt. The trio learn that these precautions are being taken because of Raja Sahab’s enemies, the brothers named Tulli (Zakir Hussain) and Bulli (Ashok Samarth). Realizing that this enmity has gone too far, Baba Jani (Mukesh Tiwari), a mentor for Raja Sahab and Tulli-Bulli, arranges a meeting with all of them. He advises them to shake hands and also presents to them none other than Niraj Modi. Niraj gives Rs. 700 crores to Raja Sahab and tells him to invest and double this money. Raj’s bad luck plays spoilsport here in two ways. Firstly, Raj, Junky and Chandu, not knowing that Raja Sahab is now friends with Tulli and Bulli, goes ahead and attack Bulli, injuring him grievously. Next, Raj accidentally sets fire to the library which is in Raja Sahab’s house. The fire spreads to the strongroom, where Niraj Modi’s money is stored. All the money worth Rs. 700 crores hence goes up in flames. Realizing that Raj, Junky and Chandu are epitomes of bad luck, Raja Sahab and WiFi kick them out of the house. The same day, Raja Sahab is stopped from going to bet on a derby race due to threat from Tulli and Bulli. WiFi too chickens out and with no other option, they send Raj, Junky and Chandu to put money on their favourite horse, Lucky. However, Raj is advised by a derby expert to bet on the other horse, Johnny instead. Suddenly, Sanjana and her maternal uncle reach the spot to take back their money. Raj advises them to put their money on Johnny as well, suggesting that if they win, their money problems will be solved. As luck would have it, Johnny loses the race while Lucky wins! The trio are too scared to go back to face Raja Sahab and WiFi and hence, they decide to run away to Scotland. What happens next forms the rest of the film! Anees Bazmee, Rajiv Kaul and Praful Parekh's story is full of madness and also quite clichéd. Still, it could have made for a good film if the script was upto the mark. Anees Bazmee, Rajiv Kaul and Praful Parekh's screenplay sadly is disappointing. The writing is plain lazy as in the first half, it’s repetitive. To see Raj spreading bad luck every now and then gets too much. And in the second half, it is a bhel puri of various such films in the past. Anees Bazmee's dialogues are quite funny but in the absence of a tight script, these one-liners also don’t make the desired impact. Anees Bazmee's direction is weak. He has done a much better job in the past and his work in PAGALPANTI is nowhere close. The script is not that funny but still the film could have been slightly more entertaining if he had remained true to the genre. But sadly, he forced a lot of elements in the film. In one crucial scene, the characters suddenly become patriotic and it’s embarrassing to see it unfold. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>PAGALPANTI – When Pagals Get Together | The MADDEST Interview Ever | John | Arshad | Ileana | Pulkit</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/pagalpanti-when-pagals-get-together-the-maddest-interview-ever-john-arshad-ileana-pulkit/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> One doesn’t expect anything else but mindless comedy from a film titled PAGALPANTI. And sure enough, the beginning scenes give a fair indication that the film is riddled with maddening scenes. There’s nothing wrong with that but the jokes are not that funny either. A few scenes do raise laughs like Junky and Chandu being compelled to taste food and Raj finding out the reason why he’s driving in Raja Sahab’s car and not Raja Sahab himself. The entry of Niraj Modi is menacing. The intermission point too gives a promise that hopefully, the second half is where the film’s brilliance would come out. Shockingly, the opposite happens. The scene where the trio escape in a truck filled with glue is still fine. But then, the writers and makers add a horror touch that backfires. It seemed like the team got impressed with the success of horror comedies like GOLMAAL AGAIN [2017] and STREE [2018] and hence decided to cash in on it. The finale meanwhile gives a déjà vu of Anees Bazmee’s earlier film WELCOME [2007] and many other Priyadarshan comedies. Not just that, they even straightaway lift a crucial scene and dialogue from the classic comic caper ANDAZ APNA APNA [1994] and that’s where the film goes completely downhill. John Abraham is decent but it’s nowhere close to the great work he’s doing off late. It’s nice that he’s trying his hand at comedy for a change but then he should have opted for a film that would have given him a chance to excel. Arshad Warsi is as usual quite entertaining. Pulkit Samrat tries his best but doesn’t succeed in giving the performance that his character demanded. Anil Kapoor gets his share of funny scenes but the writing lets him down. Saurabh Shukla is quite superb. Same goes for Brijendra Kala and it’s nice to see that he even got a chance to shake a leg! From the heroines, Kriti Kharbanda gets to play an interesting character and she does justice. Ileana DCruz is strictly okay. Urvashi Rautela enters quite late and is hardly there. Talking about the supporting cast, Inaamulhaq is too good and the role suits him to the T. Jameel Khan (Panditji) has an important role and is dependable. Mukesh Tiwari, Zakir Hussain and Ashok Samarth are over the top. Jiten Mukhi (Mehul Chowksi), Naresh Sharma (Raja Sahab's butlet) and Raja Sahab's driver (Kanchan Pagare) are okay. Music is decent. <em>'Tum Par Hum Hai Atke'</em> comes all of a sudden but is foot-tapping. <em>'Walla Walla'</em> is well picturized but the song is nothing great. <em>'Bimar Dil'</em> is from where the film really gets bad. <em>'Thumka'</em> is forced. Title track is played in the background mainly. Sajid-Wajid's background score is better. The theme of Niraj Modi works well. Sunil Patel's cinematography is appropriate. Durgaprasad Mahapatra's production design is appealing. Pradyuman Kumar Swain's action is not so memorable. Anushka Tugnait, Sanam Ratansi, Kshitij Kankaria Shamanaz Parakh, Rahil Raja and Himanshi Nijhawan's costumes are very glamorous and sexy, especially the ones worn by the girls. N Y VFXWaala and Final Post's VFX is tacky, particularly in the lion scene. Prashant Singh Rathore's editing is not upto the mark. On the whole, PAGALPANTI fails to raise the desired amount of laughs due to lazy writing and recycled jokes. This movie is strictly for the audience who love brainless entertainers.

Vidyut Jammwal has carved a niche for himself thanks to his death-defying stunts and his films which are mostly of the action genre. He’s popularly known as the ‘Commando’ actor as he been a part of both the COMMANDO films. And now he’s back with COMMANDO 3, which like its predecessor promises lot of action, entertainment and patriotism. So does COMMANDO 3 manage to give the audiences a <em>paisa-vasool</em> time? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1045975 size-full" title="Movie Review: Commando 3" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Commando-3.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Commando 3" width="720" height="450" /> COMMANDO 3 is the story of a secret agent in a race against time to save his country. In Mumbai, two young kids – Usman and Omar – are arrested along with their mentor, Subhan after a tip-off. It is revealed that Umar and Omar’s real names were Rakesh and Amit respectively and they converted to Islam after watching provocative propaganda videos of Buraq Ansari (Gulshan Devaiah). Buraq is someone with no record and even his face is covered in his videos. Hence, the Indian intelligence is unaware about his identity and name. Realizing that he’s planning a major terrorist attack in India and that the festival period is coming up, the senior intelligence official Roy (Rajesh Tailang) asks his most trusted and brave officer, Karanveer Singh Dogra (Vidyut Jammwal), to handle the case. Karanveer finds out that the video and currency notes found in the houses of Usman, Omar and Subhan were sourced from London. Roy meanwhile realizes that Subhan talked about 9/11 attack repeatedly and it means that the attack in India will take place on November 9 or 9/11 in other words and incidentally, it’s the day of Diwali. With only 33 days to go for Diwali, Karanveer is urgently sent to London to track down Buraq. He’s helped in this mission by Bhavana Reddy (Adah Sharma) who is now no longer corrupt but still in love with Karanveer. In London, they are provided local help by two British Intelligence agents, Mallika Sood (Angira Dhar) and Armaan Akhtar (Sumeet Thakur). After carefully going through a lot of suspects, the foursome finally manage to find out Buraq’s identity and also that he runs a restaurant. Not just that, they also discover that he is divorced from his wife, Zahira (Feryna Wazheir) and that he loves his son Abeer (Atharva Vishwakarma) immensely. Karanveer hence goes after his son and takes him in his custody, along with Zahira, who is aware of Buraq’s activities and hence agrees to be a witness. Buraq is so enraged by these turn of events that he decides to advance the date of attack to catch the Indians unawares. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Darius Yarmil and Junaid Wasi's story is clichéd and ordinary. But Darius Yarmil and Junaid Wasi's screenplay is where they bring some novelty in terms of character sketch, twists and turns etc. that keeps the interest going. However, it should have been consistently entertaining from start to finish for a better impact. Darius Yarmil and Junaid Wasi's dialogues are poor. A film like this ought to have one-liners that should have ideally packed a punch. Sadly, the dialogues here are strictly okay and even quite poor at places. Aditya Datt's direction is neat and he handles it in such a way that the masses will be able to enjoy and more importantly, comprehend what’s going on. A few of the scenes are deftly handled. The sequence where Karanveer and his colleagues are tracking down Buraq while in a parallel sequence, Buraq is hunting down Karanveer is very nicely done. The romantic track is hardly there and that’s good as no time is wasted with the focus being firmly on the story. On the flipside, the beginning portions are not at all interesting and even in the second half, it takes time for the film to pick up. Many developments are too unconvincing and difficult to digest. Some questions remained unanswered till the very end. No back story of Buraq is given and audiences never come to know how he became such a dreaded terrorist, that too by escaping the radar of the intelligence. It also remained unclear what exactly did Buraq tell in his videos that the youth got brainwashed to the extent that some Hindus turned towards Islam. A few snippets of this is shown but it hardly makes for a convincing watch. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Commando 3 | Public Review | Vidyut Jammwal | Adah Sharma | Angira Dhar | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/commando-3-public-review-vidyut-jammwal-adah-sharma-angira-dhar-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> COMMANDO 3 doesn’t start on a great note. The beginning portions seem a bit slow and not that engaging. Vidyut Jammwal’s entry brings the much-needed action in the film. The interrogation scene, though nice, again slows down the film. It’s only when the drama shifts to London that the film gets really interesting. The manner in which Karanveer and his colleagues manage to track down Buraq is interesting. A scene to watch out for is when Buraq is watching Karanveer’s video on a news channel and gets a sudden jolt! The intermission point, though filmy and beaten to death, arrests attention. Post-interval portions are when the film again slides down. The interest level drops and an important sequence is inspired from the classic Hollywood film THE DARK KNIGHT [2008]. Thankfully, the last 30 minutes is quite entertaining and massy. It is also very convenient but the target audience – the single screen viewers – will surely lap it up since the makers give a great message here on Hindu-Muslim unity. COMMANDO 3 belongs to Vidyut Jammwal – no two doubts on that! His acting is nothing great as such but he manages to handle the film on his shoulders. And he does action in adequate doses and that’s what audiences will be expecting the most from him. His act in the finale will be greeted with whistles and claps! Adah Sharma repeats her act from COMMANDO 2 and is quite likeable. Her humour quotient is less this time as compared to the second part but fans of Bhavana Reddy won’t be disappointed. Angira Dhar is great as the no-nonsense cop and underplays her part. Both the heroines get to do their share of action and it looks authentic. Gulshan Devaiah is menacing and scary as the villain. Watch out for how his eyes convey so much! Special mention should also go to his British accent – it’s quite nicely done! Anil George (Momin) is wasted and it’s amusing to see him doing similar roles repeatedly. His character disappears suddenly which is quite weird. Rajesh Tailang is dependable. Sumeet Thakur has a fine screen presence. Feryna Wazheir gets to play a lovely character and does justice. Atharva Vishwakarma makes his presence felt with his expressions and he makes sure he doesn’t go overboard. Virendra Saxena (Subhan’s father) and the actors playing Subhan, Omar/Amit, Usman/Rakesh, Inspector Tambe and Zaytun are fine. Music has no scope. <em>'Tera Baap Aaya'</em> is relegated in the background and works well in the film. <em>'Main Woh Raat Hoon'</em> too plays in the background but doesn’t register. <em>'Akhiyaan Milavanga'</em> and<em> 'Iraade Kar Buland'</em> are missing from the film. Saurabh Bhalerao's background score is racy and exhilarating. Mark Hamilton's cinematography is captivating, especially in the action scenes. Andy Long Stunt Team Ltd, Allan Amin and K Ravi Verma's action is quite hardcore and violent. But the stunts by the actors make for a fine watch. Juhi Talmaki's production design is neat. Sandeep Kurup's editing could have been tighter in some scenes. On the whole, COMMANDO 3 is a decent action entertainer that works because of the action sequences, social message and some paisa-vasool scenes. It arrives sans any competition and hence, has chances to work in the mass centres.

A sub-genre of Bollywood is that of cheating partners and the comedy that ensures as a result. MASTI [2004], NO ENTRY [2005], GARAM MASALA [2006] etc are some of the successful films dealing with infidelity. But one of the first films that talked about this aspect with a dash of comedy was the 1978 flick PATI PATNI AUR WOH. It was directed by B R Chopra and now his grandson Juno Chopra is all set to present its remake, also titled PATI PATNI AUR WOH, with an exciting cast and scintillating music. So does PATI PATNI AUR WOH manage to entertain and tickle the funny bone of the audience? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1048320" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Movie-Review-Pati-Patni-Aur-Woh-IMG.jpg" alt="Movie Review Pati Patni Aur Woh" width="750" height="450" /> PATI PATNI AUR WOH is the story of the adventures of a cheating husband. Abhinav aka Chintu Tyagi (Kartik Aaryan) tops in his exams and secures a comfortable job in the PWD department in his hometown Kanpur. His parents (K K Raina and Navni Parihar) compel him to go for arranged marriage. He meets Vedika Tripathi (Bhumi Pednekar) for this reason. Sparks fly and they both get married. They even shift to their own house. Three years pass. A bit of boredom kicks in for Chintu. His parents taunt him for not having a child. Vedika meanwhile wants to shift to Delhi for a better life and she leaves no chance to diss Chintu for being content in his cocoon in Kanpur. In the midst of all this, Chintu one day meets Tapasya Singh (Ananya Panday). She comes through a reference to seek help for setting up a boutique in Kanpur. Chintu is given the opportunity to help her select a good plot. Chintu gets smitten by Tapasya and starts spending time with her. Tapasya finds out about his marital status. Afraid that she might stop meeting him after knowing that he has a wife, Chintu lies to Tapasya that he’s in an unhappy marriage and that his wife is cheating on him. Tapasya feels bad for Chintu and slowly even she starts to like him. All is going well for Chintu until one day Tapasya finds out the truth. What happens next forms the rest of the film. PATI PATNI AUR WOH's basic idea is based on the premise of the original film. Jasmeet K Reen’s adaptation of the script however is not a copy paste job. A lot of modifications are done keeping in mind the changing times and also because audiences have seen many such films. Hence the second half especially provides lot of surprise which is not seen in any other film of this league. Mudassar Aziz's screenplay has a few rough edges here and there but overall it’s very tight, neat and more importantly, entertaining. Mudassar Aziz's dialogues are one of the highpoints. The one liners are so witty and funny that they will surely be greeted with whistles and claps. Mudassar Aziz's direction is excellent and does total justice to the plot in hand. He adds a lot of freshness to the film in so many respects. Firstly, it’s praiseworthy how the names of the towns are mentioned in such a cool way in the beginning. Secondly, the manner in which Kartik and Bhumi's characters address each other with their respective surnames is cute. The fact that Vedika retains her maiden surname gives a hint of the progressive nature of the script in the beginning itself and later on, one gets to see it in all its glory. Also, Chintu is naughty but he’s never vulgar. He never refers to Tapasya in an objectionable manner. The director however slightly slips in handling the climax twist. It’s no doubt unpredictable but seems difficult to digest. PATI PATNI AUR WOH's beginning scene is quite well shot and sets the mood totally. The beginning of the flashback however is when the film drops. The intention is good since the makers are trying to show how Chintu's life has turned monotonous. Individually it works but as a part of the film, it fails to totally entice. The fun begins once Vedika enters the scene and how Chintu goes head over heels over her. What adds to the fun is that the dialogues are hilarious. Also the film has a lot of many other characters and they also contribute to the madness. This is especially in the second half once Vedika finds out the truth and she goes all out to show her anger. These developments ensure that the film doesn’t turn too serious or sad. The makers had promised lot of entertainment and laughter and the film provides that in abundance! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Kartik, Ananya &amp; Bhumi’s MADDEST &amp; CRAZIEST rapid fire ever | Pati Patni Aur Woh | Sara | Kiara | Hrithik</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/kartik-ananya-bhumis-maddest-craziest-rapid-fire-everpatipatni-aur-woh-sarakiara-hrithik/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Kartik Aaryan underplays his part in a terrific manner. He completely looks like a small town simpleton and it’s great to see how he infuses humour to the proceedings. His act as the shattered person in pre climax is also something to watch out for. Bhumi Pednekar gets to play a superb character and she shines! She understands her part and brings the required characteristics appropriately. Ananya Panday has a fantastic screen presence and performance wise, she is first rate. She maintains her strong position of herself despite the presence of so many talented actors. Aparshakti Khurana (Fahim Rizvi) is the big surprise of the film and rocks the show. See it to believe it! Shubham Kumar (Rakesh Yadav) is another actor who has a significant role and entertains audiences thoroughly. K K Raina, Navni Parihar, Rajesh Sharma (Vedika's father) and Geeta Agarwal (Vedika’s mother) are decent. However, Neeraj Sood (Brijesh Pandey) is too good. Manurishi Chadha (Inspector Mukhtar Singh) leaves a mark. Sunny Singh (Doga) looks dashing and is very nice in the special appearance. Kriti Sanon (Neha Khanna) adds to the oomph with her appearance in a scene. Songs are fine and don’t act as obstacles. <em>'Ankhiyon Se Goli Mare'</em> is played during the end credits. <em>'Dheeme Dheeme' </em>is foot tapping while <em>'Dilbara'</em> is shot well. John Stewart Eduri's background score is nothing great. But the use of MAIN HOON NA song as background track is a great idea. Chirantan Das's cinematography captures the locales of Kanpur and Lucknow well. The intro scene is spectacular. Tariq Umar Khan's production design is realistic. Niharika Bhasin's costumes are as per the requirement. The ones worn by Ananya are glamorous while those donned by Bhumi suit her character nicely. Ninad Khanolkar's editing is neat. On the whole, PATI PATNI AUR WOH is a fun filled entertainer which is also quite progressive in many ways. At the box office, the strong buzz coupled with Kartik Aaryan's presence will ensure a healthy business at the box office window. Recommended!

The year 2019 has seen the release of big-budget period action films and all of them have been well received by the audiences, like MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI, KESARI and SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY. Now the final 2019 film in this league, PANIPAT, is all set to release, and it promises to be a grand and entertaining affair. So does PANIPAT manage to give the audiences a great time? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1048659 size-full" title="Movie Review: Panipat" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Panipat-4-5.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Panipat" width="720" height="450" /> PANIPAT is the story of one of the most important chapters of history. The year is 1760. The Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau (Arjun Kapoor) finally annexe the Udgiri Fort in present-day southern Maharashtra and thereby finish the Nizamshahi rule for good. The Marathas have now occupied most of India. Nana Saheb Peshwa (Mohnish Bahl) is very happy with the developments and especially with Sadashiv. Nana Saheb's wife Gopika Bai (Padmini Kolhapure) however feels insecure with her hubby’s fondness for Sadashiv. At her insistence, Sadashiv is given the responsibility of handling the treasury. Sadashiv is shocked at this development as he has always been a warrior. Nevertheless he accepts this change of duty. He also gets to spend time with Parvati Bai (Kriti Sanon), a physician. Both fall in love and get married. Meanwhile, while checking the finances, Sadashiv realises that the kingdoms up North are not paying the dues to the Marathas, as they had promised. A message is then sent to all these kings, including Mughal empeor Alamgir II (S M Zaheer). Najib-Ud-Daula (Mantra) is a part of the Mughal court and he’s asked to leave. He’s so frustrated with the high handedness of the Marathas that he decides to defeat them once and for all. To do so, he knocks on the doors of Ahmed Shah Abdali (Sanjay Dutt), the Afghan ruler of Kandahar. At first, Abdali declines since he realises that Najib-Ud-Daula is seeking his help for his selfish gains. But then he also realises that if he manages to capture a large part of India, it would add to his prowess. Hence he sets off to India. The Marathas find out about Abdali's plans and that he is approaching with 1 lakh soldiers. Sadashiv however feels that despite having lesser number of soldiers, the Marathas can still defeat Abdali. Nana Saheb gives Sadashiv the responsibility of going up North to stop Abdali with 40,000 soldiers. On the way, Sadashiv seeks help from various kingdoms and forges alliances. Most of them agree to be on his side and provide armymen. Shuja-Ud-Daula (Kunal R Kapoor) is the Wazir of Awadh and Sadashiv asks for his help as well. In return, he agrees to make him the Wazir of Delhi once Abdali is defeated. Shuja-Ud-Daula asks for this agreement in writing. The Marathas agree to do so and said that they’ll return in a few days with the written assurance. In the interim, Abdali’s men meet Shuja-Ud-Daula. They too make the same offer that he’ll be made Delhi’s Wazir and what’s more, they get the written agreement with them. Shuja-Ud-Daula hence joins Abdali. This serves a blow for Sadashiv since Shuja-Ud-Daula’s alliance would have helped him immensely. Nevertheless, he agrees to fight, come what may. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Chandrashekhar Dhavalikar, Ranjeet Bahadur, Aditya Rawal and Ashutosh Gowariker's story is close to reality. It is praiseworthy that Gowariker and his team chose this topic as it’s one of the significant battles of Indian history. Also, many viewers would not be aware that the Marathas at one point were so strong in India. Hence, it turns out to be an entertaining as well as enlightening experience for them. Chandrashekhar Dhavalikar, Ranjeet Bahadur, Aditya Rawal and Ashutosh Gowariker's screenplay is fine for most parts but is not consistent. A few scenes don’t pack a punch and hence, bring the impact down. A few scenes however are exceptionally written. Ashok Chakradhar's dialogues are nothing great. Ashutosh Gowariker's direction is neat and uncomplicated for most parts. He’s in form after a long time. He very beautifully presents the Maratha Empire in all its glory. The battle scenes in the second half keep the interest going. Also noteworthy is the scene of the truce between Sadashiv and Abdali. But the politics and the problems faced by Marathas in getting help in battling Abdali ought to have been better explained. Also, the film could have been more commercial and massy as there were several scenes that had that kind of appeal. The length is another issue. At 2.53 hours, the film is quite long, especially in the first half. Another big problem with the film is that the tagline is ‘The Great Betrayal’. This bit comes out in a crucial scene in the climax. But the build up to it is very weak. Hence, audiences don’t really get a shock when the man who does the ‘great betrayal’ shows his true intentions. Hence, the impact gets diluted. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“I disagree that Abdali was a VILLAINOUS character…”: Sanjay Dutt | Arjun | Kriti | Ashutosh | Panipat</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/i-disagree-that-abdali-was-a-villainous-character-sanjay-dutt-arjun-kriti-ashutosh-panipat/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> PANIPAT begins on a fair note with the scene of the Udgiri Fort annexation. The film then falls a bit as the focus shifts to the politics happening within Shaniwar Wada, Pune. Also, the romantic track of Sadashiv-Parvati Bai is decent but nothing extraordinary. The entry of Abdali is quite interesting and it enhances interest. The film dips once again and the interest then only rises during the intermission point. This is an excellent sequence, when Sadashiv and Abdali come face to face and it sets the mood of the second half. The post interval portion starts off well as Sadashiv comes up with a great plan of capturing Delhi’s Red Fort. This sequence is quite significant, also because viewers might not be aware of this chapter of history. Ashutosh Gowariker however reserves the best for the finale. The truce sequence followed by the 30-minute-long climax engrosses viewers. The betrayal bit however could have been better explained. The final scene of Abdali is fine and it is a great way to end the film. Arjun Kapoor gives his hundred per cent. His physique comes in handy for this character and he indeed looks like a ferocious warrior who can induce fear in enemies. In non-action scenes too, he is quite good. But in a few scenes, he’s a bit off. This is especially in the romantic portions. Sanjay Dutt too tries his best to be menacing but succeeds partly. A fine effort, nevertheless! Kriti Sanon is quite confident and gives an impressive performance. She is not there in the film for the heck of it. She has a very important part and her action scene would be loved! Mohnish Bahl is dependable but he’s hardly there in the second half. Sahil Salathia (Shamsher Bahadur; Bajirao and Mastani’s son) leaves a tremendous mark and it’s great to see that he got such an important part. Same goes for Nawab Shah (Ibrahim Khan Gardi). Mantra understands his character and brings the require jealousy and immaturity. Zeenat Aman (Sakina Begum) is excellent in the cameo and her scene with Kriti Sanon is one of the highpoints of the film. The other actors who do a good job are Padmini Kolhapure, Kunal R Kapoor, S M Zaheer, Milind Gunaji (Dattaji Shinde) Abhishek Nigam (Vishwas Rao), Ravindra Mahajani (Malhar Rao Holkar) and Suhasini Mulay (Sadashiv’s grandmother; presumably Radha Bai). Ajay-Atul's music is a big letdown. None of the songs are memorable. <em>'Mard Maratha'</em> is shot well but the song is very dull. Same goes for <em>'Mann Mein Shiva'</em>. <em>'Sapna Hai Sach Hai'</em> lacks soul. Ajay-Atul's background score is way better and exhilarating. Muraleedharan C K's cinematography is spectacular and captures the battle and other scenes effectively. Raju Khan's choreography is worth appreciating in <em>'Mann Mein Shiva'</em>. Nitin Chandrakant Desai's production design, as expected, is grand and visually stunning. However, some sets seem too similar to that of JODHAA AKBAR [2008] and PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO [2015]. Neeta Lulla's costumes are quite authentic and in sync with the bygone era. Vikram Gaikwad's makeup and hair design is very detailed. Abbas Ali Moghul's action makes for a great watch and is sans gore or too much of bloodshed. VFX is done by Ashutosh Gowariker’s company (AGPPL VFX) and is fine in most scenes. The slow-motion shots in climax fight adds to the impact. Steven Bernard's editing could have been tighter. On the whole, PANIPAT throws light on an important chapter of Indian history with the battle scenes as its USP. At the box office, it will need a strong word of mouth since it faces competition in the form of PATI PATNI AUR WOH.

The Nirbhaya gang rape case of 2012 in Delhi shocked one and all across the country. What added to the astonishment was that one of the violent assaulters was a minor. It generated a debate on whether juveniles can be treated like an adult in cases where the crime committed is exceptional and of an extremely violent nature. Yash Raj Films’ latest offing, MARDAANI 2, also deals with this burning topic and coincidentally, comes around two weeks after a similar violent gang rape committed in Hyderabad sparked nationwide outrage. So does MARDAANI 2 manage to shock as well as thrill the audiences? Or does it fail to keep the viewers engaged? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1051871 size-full" title="Movie Review Mardaani 2" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Movie-Review-Mardaani-2.jpg" alt="Movie Review Mardaani 2" width="720" height="450" /> MARDAANI 2 is the story of a psychotic rapist trying to challenge the police. Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) is now the SP of Kota, Rajasthan. In this town, a girl named Latika (Tejaswi Singh Ahlawat) attends a fair where she fights with her boyfriend Monty (Pratyaksh Rajbhatt). A mysterious person, Sunny (Vishal Jethwa), witnesses the way Latika blasts Monty. He has an issue with such outspoken women and on an empty stretch, he abducts her. He takes her to an abandoned place where he brutally tortures Latika, rapes and then kills her. Shivani is shocked with the violence but carries out the investigation immediately. At the press conference, she calls the murderer 'dedh shaana'. This hurts Sunny and he decides to teach Shivani a lesson. He sends her flowers with a taunting note. He sneaks into her house and steals her clothes and accessories. He wears her saree to trap a journalist Kamal Parihar (Anurag Sharma) and eliminates him, as part of the contract given to him by a local politician Panditji (Prasanna Ketkar). Sunny then smartly gets employed in the tea stall outside Shivaji’s police station. Hence he gets access to visiting the police station and even eavesdropping what the cops are talking about the case. When a kid, who had seen Sunny, comes forward to identify him, Sunny kidnaps him from the police station toilet and kills him. Shivani hence faces backlash for what is termed as a lapse on her part. She is transferred. But as everyone is busy with Diwali celebrations, the replacement is expected to take charge only 2 days later. Hence Shivani has 48 hours to crack the case and nab Sunny. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Gopi Puthran's story is excellent and serves as a worthy sequel to the first part. It also makes a nice comment on misogyny. Gopi Puthran's screenplay is highly effective and also entertaining. The way he has thought of novel ways to show the villain's sharp mind is seen to be believed. He could have avoided a few cinematic liberties in the second half though. Gopi Puthran's dialogues are acidic and work very well. Rani Mukerji's monologue during her TV interview is applause worthy. Gopi Puthran's direction is terrific, also considering that this is his debut film. He adds the required thrill and entertainment to keep the viewers gripped. Also there are sub plots in the film, of the fellow cops who don’t like taking orders from a female officer and of a politician using Sunny for his gains. All of it is brought together nicely. On the flipside, the film gets a too convenient in the second half. The antagonist is freely roaming in the city although his picture is out everywhere. Moreover the film has a lot of disturbing content. The scene where the forensic doctor (Deepika Amin) is explaining Latika's injuries will make viewers highly uncomfortable. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mardaani 2 | Public Review | Rani Mukerji | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/mardaani-2-public-review-rani-mukerji-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MARDAANI 2 is just 105 minutes long and doesn’t waste time. The villain gets introduced in the beginning itself and the way he smartly traps Latika and then violates her shocks you. The astonishment continues as Sunny manages to kill Kamal Parihar as well and passes it off as suicide. The sequence where he abducts the child also keeps the thrill going. Post interval, one expects the film to drag but a surprise awaits here as Shivani finds Sunny minutes after second half commences. And it’s after this scene that the film drops a bit. The cat and mouse chase becomes a bit repetitive. Also after a point it becomes unconvincing the way Sunny is always able to outsmart Shivani and has thought ten steps ahead. The climax however is massy and viewers would surely break into applause. MARDAANI 2 belongs to Rani Mukerji and Vishal Jethwa. Rani yet again delivers a terrific performance as Shivani Shivaji Roy. It’s great to see how she understands her part so well. She is tough but she also has a sensitive side, as seen during her conversation with the forensic doctor and also in the very final scene. But both the characteristics look very organic and nothing seems forced. She also gets the action scenes right. Vishal Jethwa rocks the show and how! He impresses from the first scene itself when he breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to viewers. Surprisingly, he gets more screen time than Rani in the first half! Throughout the film, he gets the menacing bit perfectly. Tejaswi Singh Ahlawat is decent while Deepika Amin is fine in a special appearance. Other actors who do a fine job are Pratyaksh Rajbhatt, Prasanna Ketkar, Shruti Bapna (Bharti), Sumit Nijhawan (Brij Shekhawat), Sunny Hinduja (Viplaw Beniwal) and Richa Meena (Sunanda). Rajesh Sharma (Amit Sharma) is quite good as the reporter and his scene with Rani is one of the highpoints of the film. Mardaani 2 is a songless film. John Stewart Eduri's background music is loud but exhilarating. Jishnu Bhattacharjee's cinematography is quite neat and captures the small town feel to an extent. Sukant Panigrahy's production design is passable. Leepakshi Ellawadi's costumes are realistic. Vikram Dahiya's action is realistic. Shanoo Sharma's casting is spot on. Monisha R Baldawa's editing is uncomplicated. On the whole, MARDAANI 2 is a gripping thriller that boasts of an exciting script and bravura performances by Rani Mukerji and Vishal Jethwa. At the box office however, it will need a strong word of mouth to sustain.

One of the biggest surprise hits of 2019 was the suspense thriller BADLA, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu. It was a remake of the 2017 Spanish film THE INVISIBLE GUEST, directed by Oriol Paulo. Now another film of this master director, THE BODY, has been remade and also carries the same title. So does the Hindi remake of THE BODY manage to grip and shock viewers, just like the original version? Or does it fail to engage? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1051941 size-full" title="Movie Review: The Body" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Movie-Review-The-Body.jpg" alt="Movie Review: The Body" width="720" height="450" /> THE BODY is the story of a corpse that vanishes from a morgue under mysterious circumstances. Ajay Puri (Emraan Hashmi) is married to a rich businesswoman Maya Verma (Sobhita Dhulipalia) and both reside in Port Louis, Mauritius. Ajay has married Maya for her wealth. Moreover he is fed up of the way she ill treats him. Ajay runs her pharmaceutical business and is also a guest professor. During one of the lectures, he gets introduced to a student, Ritu (Vedhika Kumar). Soon they start a romantic relationship. Ajay is aware that if he asks for a divorce from Maya, he’ll be stripped of all wealth. Hence he decides to murder her and devises a great plan. Maya gets anxious while taking flights. The day she is going to be back from a long flight from Los Angeles, Ajay pours small amount of poison in her wine. It produces same kind of symptoms that one gets while suffering a heart attack. The doctors would hence conclude that she suffered the attack due to her anxiety over taking the flight. As per the plan, Maya consumes the poisoned wine and in the evening, she dies. Her body is taken to the morgue for autopsy. Trouble arises when the body disappears from the morgue. The caretaker, Tara Singh, claims that he saw dead Maya herself walking out! SP Jairaj Rawal (Rishi Kapoor) is brought to investigate the case. Jairaj himself is not able to recover from a personal tragedy. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Oriol Paulo's original story has loose ends but could have made for a great suspense thriller. The adapted screenplay is faulty and very weak. The film needed some really nail biting scenes. Instead the writer added clichéd and run of the mill scenes which hamper the impact. Dialogues are also nothing exciting. Jeethu Joseph's direction is quite disappointing. It is shocking that the director who made the original version of DRISHYAM has made this flick. The execution seems amateur and fails to really captivate the audiences. Despite the 103 minutes run-time, the film is riddled with 4 songs further adding to the disappointment. Also the shocking climax instead of impressing viewers will leave them bewildered as the whole idea of the body disappearing from the morgue seems too farfetched and unnecessary for what was the intention. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>"Akshay Kumar sir is FABULOUS with…": Vedhika on Laxmmi Bomb &amp; Kanchana | Emraan Hashmi | The Body</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/akshay-kumar-sir-is-fabulous-with-vedhika-on-laxmmi-bomb-kanchana-emraan-hashmi-the-body/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> THE BODY has a non-linear narrative and that keeps the interest going to an extent. However the first 10 minutes prove that the execution is not upto the mark. The film has some interesting moments but are not helmed well. A few sequences that stand out are Ajay being interrogated by Jairaj. The intermission point arrests attention as a horror angle is introduced. Post interval, the film remains dry with only few moments here and there that impress. The finale is unpredictable but not very logical. Emraan Hashmi is fine but could have done better. His best scenes are with Rishi Kapoor and especially when he gets irritated with the investigation. Rishi Kapoor is a bit theatrical which wasn’t the requirement of the character. He gets the sarcasm bit right. Sobhita Dhulipalia emerges as the best performer of the film. Her role is quite badass and he does total justice. Vedhika Kumar looks glamorous and is decent. Rukhsar Ahmed (Dr Tanya) and Anupam Bhattacharya (Pavan) are passable. Songs are a big letdown and are forced. All songs of the film - <em>'Main Janta Hoon', 'Khuda Hafiz', 'Aaina'</em> and <em>'Rom Rom' </em>are forgettable. <em>'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa Reloaded'</em> is missing from the film. Clinton Cerejo's background score fails to make any impact. Satheesh Kurup's cinematography is neat. Prem Navas's production design is rich. Dipika Lal and Anirudh Singh's costumes are glamorous especially the clothes worn by Sobhita Dhulipalia and Vedhika Kumar. Ayoob Khan's editing is nothing special. On the whole, THE BODY is a dry and boring thriller. At the box office, it will turn out to be a flop.

Salman Khan’s career got a new lease of life with WANTED [2009]. But it was DABANGG [2010], that released a year later, which confirmed that he was there to stay on top for a long, long time. Audiences too loved the superstar like anything in his Chulbul Pandey act. DABANGG 2 [2012] also repeated the blockbuster commercial success of the first part, though collections didn’t grow much as response was not unanimously positive. Now seven years later, Salman and producer-brother Arbaaz Khan present DABANGG 3 and release it in the beneficial Christmas week. What’s more, massy director Prabhudheva is helming the flick this time. So does DABANGG 3 emerge as a complete entertainer that will give fans their money’s worth? Or does it fail to entertain? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1054364" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Movie-Review-Dabangg-3.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> DABANGG 3 is the story of a badass cop. Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) is now the SP of a town named Tundla. As soon as he arrives, he nabs a bandman-turned-goon Guddu (Nawab Shah) and reforms him. He then busts a human trafficking racket under Chinti Valia (Dolly Bindra). The kingpin of this business is Bali Singh (Kichcha Sudeepa). As soon as Chulbul finds out about this aspect, he goes into a shock. Some repressed traumatic memories come alive in front of his eyes. The story then goes in a flashback mode. This is a time when Chulbul's name was Dhaakar. He comes across the picture of Khushi (Saiee M Manjrekar). She was selected as the bride for Dhaakar's brother Makkhi (Arbaaz Khan). But Dhaakar falls for her. He meets her and wins her heart with his progressive thoughts and of course, style. At the insistence of Khushi, he changes his name to Chulbul. The alliance was fixed and all was going well. One day Bali Singh bumps into Khushi and he falls for her. But when he learns that Khushi is madly in love with Dhaakar, he gets enraged and kills her in front of Dhaakar. On top of that, Dhaakar is jailed for the murder of Khushi and her parents. In the prison, he comes across a large hearted police officer Satyendra Singh (Sharat Saxena). He helps him get acquitted and also motivates him to join the police force. As soon as he turns cop under the name of Chulbul Pandey, the first thing he does is to throw Bali Singh down a cliff. He is presumed to be dead. Hence, Chulbul is shocked that Bali survived and is now back to challenge him. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Salman Khan's story is weak and beaten to death. He has such great characters at his disposal but he makes good use of them only partially. Salman Khan, Prabhu Deva, Dilip Shukla and Aloke Upadhyaya's screenplay is effective but only in parts. The film keeps one engaged but again, the script suffers because of outdated storyline. What’s praiseworthy is how they have joined the dots. Audiences get to learn a lot about why Chulbul and other characters behave the way they do. Dilip Shukla and Aloke Upadhyaya's dialogues pack a punch in most places. A few jokes however fall flat, especially the toilet humour. Prabhudheva's direction is average and again, the story is to blame. He tries to add something new but doesn’t succeed in all scenes. Also, there are far too many songs that hamper the film’s pace. And shockingly, an important mystery, with regards to Bali Singh, remains unsolved till the very end. It’s bewildering why the makers chose to do that DABANGG 3 starts off on a fine note. The entry scene of Salman Khan as expected is whistle and clap worthy and in many ways, it’s the best part of the film. The manner in which Chulbul frees the trafficked girls and even teaches Chinti Valia a lesson will also be loved. The flashback portion too commences well and is also funny. But the Bali Singh track here looks very clichéd and outdated. Post interval, the film gets a bit better as Chulbul outsmarts Bali Singh. Again, most of the parts are predictable and of convenience. The climax fight will be liked by masses, particular the shirtless sequence bit of Salman Khan. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“Salman Khan has always worked VERY HARD, You don’t…”: Arbaaz Khan | Dabangg 3</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/salman-khan-has-always-worked-very-hard-you-dont-arbaaz-khan-dabangg-3/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dabangg 3 belongs to Salman Khan and he’s the one who makes the film watchable. The superstar is enjoying playing this part and it shows. His sense of humour is spot on. Also he looks dashing in the flashback portions. Sonakshi Sinha as expected lends support. She looks energetic in the songs. Newcomer Saiee M Manjrekar seems beautiful and tries her best. But her dialogue delivery is not upto the mark. Kichcha Sudeepa looks evil and menacing. But his track ought to be more terrifying for a better impact. Arbaaz Khan is fine and has a crucial part in the second half. Dolly Bindra is loud but suits her part. Nawab Shah is over the top. Pramod Khanna plays the part essayed by his deceased brother Vinod Khanna in the first two parts and slips into the role effortlessly. Bharat Dabholkar is wasted. Sharat Saxena is decent. Rajesh Sharma (S S Sharma) and Paresh Ganatra (Dabboo) try to be funny but don’t really succeed. Sajid-Wajid's music won’t have a huge shelf life. <em>'Hud Hud'</em> is the best of the lot followed by <em>'Munna Badnaam Hua'. 'Naina Lade' i</em>s sweet. <em>'Yu Karke'</em> and <em>'Habibi Ke Nain' </em>are forced. <em>'Awara'</em> is not memorable. Sandeep Shirodkar's background score is heroic and exhilarating. Mahesh Limaye's cinematography is spectacular and some scenes are well shot. Anl Arasu's action is a bit gory but works. Wasiq Khan's production design is appealing. Same goes for Ashley Rebello and Alvira Khan Agnihotri's costumes. Ritesh Soni's editing is not smooth, especially in the action scenes. On the whole DABANGG 3 is a predictable revenge saga which capitalises on the star power of Salman Khan. At the box office, it has enough masala for Salman Khan fans which will result in terrific opening weekend [extending into Christmas holidays] post which it might face a slowdown at the multiplexes.

The franchise of STAR WARS has always enjoyed a massive cult like following worldwide. STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999), followed by STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002), STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005), STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977), STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017), with every new film, the expectation from the franchise has increased. The ninth and supposedly the last chapter has arrived and it brings a lot of nostalgia. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is destined to have mixed reactions considering the flick is the conclusion to the story that began in the year 1977.  While the franchise enjoys a huge following, we analyze whether this conclusion to the 42-year saga is the most satisfying on or a controversial one. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1054446 size-full" title="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Star-Wars-The-Rise-of-Skywalker-Review-12.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" width="750" height="450" /> STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER begins with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who is now the Supreme Leader of the First Order is in search of the ancient threat called Sith Lord Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). On the other side, Resistance leader Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and their droid friends C3-P0 (Anthony Daniels), and BB-8 are on a quest which quickly turns into a stunning action showdown between the heroes and the villains while they jump from one planet to another with light speed skipping technique. Meanwhile, Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) is still in dilemma about her story, her parentage as she has a dark vision which showcases her mysterious connection to Kylo Ren. The two Jedi continue to connect with each other in different ways as they Resistance prepare to fight the Emperor Palpatine. Following the orders of Princess Leia (Carrier Fisher) and lessons of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the space heroes begin their final journey to win the biggest battle. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER upped their game as the film boasts of mind-blowing and truly astounding cinematography that leaves the audience wanting for more. The visual effects are seamless which create magic on screen. From the beginning itself, the story leaves you hooked as the galactic world of STAR WARS begins with action packed scenes. The battles, the duals, the light speed jumps, everything seems seamless. Though the story is bit slow in some parts with lesser words and more emotions, it picks up in the second half with some interesting and crazy cameos. The stakes are high in this film and major focus is on Rey and Kylo Ren. However, though JJ Abrams does a marvelous job in directing this last film in the franchise, STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER does not come across as something to write home about. In fact, for the most part the film looks like a series of montages that have been developed to fill certain check boxes that appeal to the audience and fan base strung together. Though the chemistry between Kylo Ren and Rey is worth watching, the predictability of the film’s story is a massive dampener. More often than not, the viewer is able to foretell the coming sequences, and if discerning will also more or less be able to gauge what the climax of the film will be. Despite this, STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER does have its high points, but sadly they are few and far between. For a quintessential Star Wars fan who has followed the series, this film would be more of a walk down memory lane. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1054447 size-full" title="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Star-Wars-The-Rise-of-Skywalker-Review-2.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" width="750" height="450" /> Coming to the performances, every actor shines bright in the film but it is hands down Daisy Ridley’s show. This time around, she has matured while portraying Rey. Two instances stand out and both scenes are shared with Adam Driver. Adam Driver Kylo Ren gets his due in this film with powerful performance as Kylo Ren as he gets the audience emotionally involved in his storyline. Rey and Kylo Ren’s scenes are some of the most engaging scenes in the film with some complex lightsaber battles involved. Late Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) returns as the makers use the limited footage that was left of her as they pay tribute to the original girl of Star Wars. Her scenes are sensitively projected. Oscar Isaac as Resistance leader Poe Dameron along with John Boyega’s Finn along and BB-8, C-3PO and Chewbecca bring banter, humor and emotions to their scenes. Oscar and John’s bromance has hits hilarious moments as they continue to be the heroes who wear their hearts of their sleeves. Dominic Monaghan, new member of Resistance, hardly has any time to establish his character. Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine is astounding. Meanwhile, Kelly Marie Tran's character Rose Tico hardly gets any screen time besides a few moments during the final battle. We get introduced to Keri Russell as Zorri Bliss who is decent in her scenes. The certain cameos are nostalgia – filled which makes this end of the sage a memorable one. JJ Abrams direction is crisp and tight as he delivers some of the biggest questions that were left answered during STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017). JJ Abrams captures the essence of this galactic world as he brings out the best in every character especially Ren and Rey. John Williams background score is incredible. The story by JJ Abramas, Chris Terio, Colin Tervorrow, Derek Connolly is moving. JJ Abrams and Chris Terrior is impressive. On the whole, STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER may not be for everyone but it gives a bittersweet yet endearing ending to saga which is a tribute to the legacy. The die-hard fans might enjoy some of the stunning intergalactic moments.

<p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The word ‘sperm’ was considered taboo in Hindi movies until 2012. Then came VICKY DONOR - the story of a sperm donor - and it made the term very common and acceptable. Seven years later - after this path-breaking film - yet another Hindi movie takes to tell a genuinely hatke story - GOOD NEWWZ.</span></p> <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1056213 size-full" title="Movie Review: Good Newwz" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Good-Newwz-2-6.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Good Newwz" width="720" height="450" /> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">GOOD NEWWZ has generated tremendous excitement thanks to its subject mainly, besides its eye catching star cast. The trailers have also done the trick. The question is, does the film deliver in totality?</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The plot line *without* revealing the spoilers... GOOD NEWWZ is the story of a goof-up of epic proportions. Varun Batra [Akshay Kumar] works in an automobile showroom in Mumbai. He is married to Deepti aka Deepu [Kareena Kapoor Khan], a journalist, since seven years. They are keen to start a family, but aren’t able to do so.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">At the insistence of Varun's sister [Anjana Sukhani], both decide to visit a fertility clinic run by a reputed doctor, Dr Joshi [Adil Hussain]. Dr Joshi suggests that they opt for IVF. Varun and Deepu give their go ahead.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">Honey Batra [Diljit Dosanjh] and Monika [Kiara Advani], a Chandigarh-based couple, also visit Dr Joshi. Their last names leads to a confusion and subsequently, a big goof-up.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">GOOD NEWWZ has an interesting plot, but most importantly, it boasts of a smart and engaging screenplay. The writers juxtapose drama, emotions, romance and humour seamlessly in the narrative, which makes this one an enjoyable ride from commencement to conclusion.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The writers come to the point at the very start of the film, while the goof-up is well integrated in the screenplay. There’s hardly any dull moment, frankly. Sure, the film could’ve done without a song or two, but these are minor glitches in an otherwise watertight script. While the drama keeps you hooked, the dialogue only heighten the impact of several sequences.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Good Newwz | Public Review | Akshay Kumar | Kareena Kapoor Khan | Diljit Dosanjh | Kiara Advani | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/good-newwz-public-review-akshay-kumar-kareena-kapoor-khan-diljit-dosanjh-kiara-advani-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">Raj Mehta [GOOD NEWWZ marks his directorial debut] is in total command of the situation. This is a damn difficult subject to handle when you are a first-timer, but he deserves brownie points for doing complete justice to the written material.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The director handles the second hour most admirably. A number of sequences are maturely handled, especially when Kareena and Kiara bond over paani puri or the sequence in the hospital when Akshay breaks down.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">GOOD NEWWZ is embellished with sincere and noteworthy performances. Akshay Kumar is in terrific form. His emotional portions in particular are remarkable. It’s a delight to watch Kareena Kapoor Khan after a hiatus. She’s excellent. Also, she looks stunning. Diljit Dosanjh arrives late in the film, but once he does, he takes the film to another level. He’s top notch. Kiara Advani doesn’t have much to do in the first half, but post interval, she makes sure she scores in several sequences.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">Adil Hussain has his moments. Tisca Chopra is wonderful. Anjana Sukhani and the actor playing her husband are dependable.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The soundtrack is in sync with the film. At least two songs stand out - ‘Sauda Khara Khara' and 'Chandigarh’. The DoP captures the mood as well as the emotions well.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">On the whole, GOOD NEWWZ is a sure-fire hit. Smart writing, fantastic humour and heartfelt emotions are the three pillars of this well-made film. The fourth pillar being the performances of its principal cast. At the boxoffice, 2019 is sure to conclude with a big winner, bringing cheer and joy in this festive season. GOOD NEWWZ will live up to its title and bring good news for its investors.</span></p>

Bollywood is already drooling over the elder Kaushal brother. Vicky Kaushal, from a humble debut with MASAAN, is now the dark horse that filmmakers look up to. In that light, here’s Sunny Kaushal, who hasn’t exactly made it big yet, but looks consistent with his efforts. After his debut stint SUNSHINE MUSIC TOURS AND TRAVELS which didn’t quite hit the gold spot and a brief appearance in GOLD, here’s he, with his third outing, a dance drama. Does BHANGRA PAA LE turn out to be the game-changer, or does it not? <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1058602" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Bhangra-Paa-Le-1.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> BHANGRA PAA LE revolves around Jaggi (Sunny Kaushal), a Punjabi lad and a vehement Bhangra enthusiast. He gets through to an international competitive platform and needs to win it over other contestants to exhibit the dance form to a larger audience. However, Jaggi isn’t your regular Bhangra guy. He is also trying to transcend beyond a set dance form and bring flavours of fusion by merging Bhangra with several Western dance forms. Parallel to this runs a story of Jaggi's grandfather Kaptaan Singh (Sunny Kaushal), a warrior fighting the World War II. As it sounds, it is also about how different generations are bound together in the essence of evergreen music and dance. Then comes Simi (Rukshar Dhillon), not as Sunny’s dreamy romantic companion but as his rival. A feisty Punjabi girl with a strong grip of Punjabi folk steps, she is the daughter of a single mother. Will Jaggi manage to win the competition, will his passion for bhangra rub off on the audience is what the rest of the film is? The story (Dheeraj Rattan) shuttles between two different time periods, trying to strike a chord with similar kinds of love, loss and agony. However, the depiction is rather forced. As a soldier who wants to come back home to his ladylove, Sunny is relatably nice. As a college guy who is unable to accept his defeat, he doesn’t impact us much. While the idea of an enthusiastic dancer upholding his art sounds good, the script, in reality, is entangled. It slips off its pace at times, and seems to focus too much on the dance part, therefore not maintaining its compactness. Also, if you are someone who has watched LOVE AAJ KAL, you will probably end up finding a gallon of similarities! BHANGRA PAA LE marks the directorial debut for Sneha Taurani, who has earlier assisted filmmakers such as Ayan Mukerji and Mohit Suri. Her approach towards the story is fresh, but the product turns out to be mundane in many parts. It’s one thing that BHANGRA PAA LE has no extraordinary plots to offer you, but Sneha’s attempt of spinning a predictable story could result in better things. Coming to performances, while the box office wasn’t kind to him in his first film SUNSHINE MUSIC TOURS AND TRAVEL, Sunny Kaushal's got the mettle. You can say that, looking at how he assimilates the energy, passion and determination that his character demands him to show. Adding to that, he has certainly put in noticeable efforts to master his steps. Rukshar is great to look at when she grooves, but she yet has a long way to go in terms of acting. Rukshar and Sunny’s chemistry doesn’t cook up either. Shriya Pilgaonkar has a brief part to play, and with her sober self. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1058601" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Bhangra-Paa-Le-2.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> The music has been worked upon, by young, off beat and talented composers such as A Bazz, Rishi Rich and Yash Narvekar. But, 10 songs in 2 hours felt like an overdose, and none of the songs really stay with you. Rather, the background score is neat and situational, and complements the moods. The cinematography (Jitan Harmeet Singh) is clean but adds no special value to the film. However, editing (Antara Lahiri) has saved the film to a large extent. If the time lapses went wrong, we’d probably be left confused as to who was doing what. On the whole, BHANGRA PAA LE is strictly average one-time watch with no remarkable performances. At the box office, it will go largely unrecognised.

Cinegoers and trade experts were surprised when the trailer of the film SHIMLA MIRCHI dropped on the internet on December 26, 2019 without any intimation. The film, directed by SHOLAY director Ramesh Sippy is a long delayed romcom that is releasing five years after its making. Ramesh Sippy made the film in 2014 and it was meant to be a small and sweet romantic story set in Shimla. It is yet unclear as to why the film was delayed. However, the film which was made on a small budget is now set to release in theatres on January 3. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1058604" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Shimla-Mirchi.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> Without giving any spoilers, the film is about Avi (Rajkummar Rao) who visits Shimla during his holiday and falls in love with Naina (Rakul Preet Singh). Avi takes up a job in the hills to act on his love for Naina. However, his only weakness is that he is never able to confess his feelings for the woman he loves. Avi, on the advice of his friend writes a love letter, which lands in the hand of Naina’s mother Rukmani (Hema Malini). Rukmani is a woman who is struggling from low self-esteem after her husband left her for another woman and comes to the conclusion that Avi is her secret admirer. Naina who is aware of the situation plays up to this to keep her mother sane. Talking about the film, there are no surprises when it comes to the script of SHIMLA MIRCHI. However, the script (Ramesh Sippy, Kausar Munir, Rishi Virmani and Vipul Binjola) is tight and comes straight to the point. What stands out the most, and lights up the film are the characters and dialogues in the otherwise tried and tested genre. The dialogues are good and play a huge part in keeping the audience engaged. The stark commentary on the love life of the lead actors is sure to generate some laughs. The film marks Ramesh Sippy's return to direction after a long time — while he returned to direction after 20 years, he will see his directorial venture release only after 25 years. Ramesh Sippy focuses completely on the central characters and does not care to indulge much into the external environment of these characters. Sippy has a great hold over the plot and at no point does he deviate from the central topic. Coming to the performances, at the time of filming, Rajkummar Rao was fairly new to the industry and has still managed to win our hearts with his performance. Those unaware of Rakul Preet Singh’s work down south will be in for a treat to watch Rakul as the beautiful small town girl who has a thousand responsibilities to attend to. However, her constant need to take charge over her mother's life under the garb of care might get to your nerves. She does come across over the top at times because of her energy but when she shares screen with the calm natured Rajkummar Rao, it balances out well. Hema Malini is at the top of her game and puts life into the film with her infectious and vibrant screen presence. Shakti Kapoor as Captain Uncle does a great job. Though not much is revealed about his character, he will be remembered for his situational poetry. The music by Meet Bros Anjjan sets the tone for a small town romance. The lyrics penned by Kumaar beautifully capture the mood of the film. This is also the last collaboration by Meet Bros Anjjan who are behind successful songs like ‘<em>Chittiyan Kalaiyyan’</em> and ‘<em>Baby Doll’</em>. The film is largely set in the backdrop of a house and a cafe. Cinematographer Jitan Harmeet Singh gives this romantic journey a dreamy affect by capturing the moods of the characters with close-ups. The editing (Vijay Venkataramanan) is very crisp except for the climax, where the audience could easily do with one less song. On the whole, SHIMLA MIRCHI makes for a decent small town romance with impressive performances. At the box office, the low buzz and lack of promotions will ensure that the movie will fizzle out eventually.

The number of acid attacks that have occurred over the years is alarming. What’s even more shocking is the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities in preventing such attacks and prevention of sale of dangerous substances. After all, such an act can destroy lives as it damages the face permanently. Bollywood has been attempting some brave films on various topics but this was one issue that was largely ignored. Director Meghna Gulzar, who has found respect and admiration after the back-to-back success of TALVAR [2015] and RAAZI [2018] now comes up with CHHAPAAK, that attempts to address these aspects. The film has been in the news since the time the makers revealed the look of its lead actress Deepika Padukone, while it was being filmed. So does CHHAPAAK manage to entertain and shock viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1060759" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Chhapaak-IMG.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Chhapaak" width="750" height="450" /> CHHAPAAK is the story of an acid attack survivor. The year is 2005. Malti (Deepika Padukone) is a 19 year old girl who gets attacked by acid on a street in Delhi. A good Samaritan takes her to the hospital. Her face is irreparably burnt, with no chance of it getting back to its original form. Malti however is determined to get the perpetrator behind the bars. Despite difficulty in speaking at the time of the tragedy, she manages to tell the cops that the attacker is Basheer Shaikh aka Babbu (Vishal Dahiya) and her sister Parveen. The cops arrest both and Babbu confesses that he indeed got the acid thrown on Malti. Shockingly, Babbu was a family friend of Malti's and even made the rounds of the hospital to visit her, post the attack. In the court, Malti’s lawyer Archana Bajaj (Madhurjeet Sarghi) gives a tough fight but Babbu manages to seek bail on some grounds or the other. Archana stresses on maximum punishment though the law is not clear on acid attacks specifically. This prompts Malti to also file a PIL, asking for ban on the easy availability of acids. What happens next forms the rest of the film. CHAAPAAK’s story is mostly based on real-life incidents and is quite hard-hitting. It also turns out to be an eye-opener as many wouldn’t be aware of the seriousness of the situation and that acid is so easily available in India. Atika Chohan and Meghna Gulzar's screenplay however is inconsistent. There are scenes where the film really captivates you and moves you. But in places, the writing is not polished well while the emotional connect is missing and this affects the overall impact. Atika Chohan and Meghna Gulzar's dialogues are sharp. Meghna Gulzar's direction is strictly okay. Both TALVAR and RAAZI worked so well as they didn’t just have a good story, but also great execution. But in case of CHHAPAAK, Meghna doesn’t seem to be in top form. The idea to start the film from the middle of the narrative didn’t quite work. Malti’s struggle is moving but only till an extent. A lot could have been done here but Meghna simply rushes through some key scenes. This is especially evident in the courtroom sequence. Also, an important track is that of Malti’s brother (Delzad Hivale) but hardly any time is spent on this episode. Nothing is explained later as to what happened to the brother and also Malti’s father (Manohar Teli). If Meghna had indeed given her best here, then considering the potential of the story, CHHAPAAK could have gone beyond what's on screen. CHHAPAAK begins on a very dry note and in a non-linear fashion. For the first 10-15 minutes, the audiences might not get engrossed. It’s only when the flashback portions commence that the film picks up. Some of the most impactful scenes of the first half are Malti seeing her face in the mirror, after the attack, for the first time, and Archana urging Malti to wake up and fight the battle. The courtroom scene keeps one hooked but one wishes it had more drama. In the second half, the romantic track doesn’t work much. Also, there comes a point when one doesn’t really know where the film is going. Meghna reserves another round of flashback in the climax and here, the film picks up again. Also, one understands the dynamic between the characters and what led to the acid attack in the first place. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Chhapaak | Public Review | Deepika Padukone | Vikrant Massey | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/chhapaak-public-review-deepika-padukone-vikrant-massey-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Deepika Padukone carries the difficult part with rare subtlety. She underplays her part well and in scenes where acid is splashed on her face and she comes to terms with it, the actress does a good job. But in most scenes, she doesn’t emote much and is merely the observer. One wishes she had done something in these sequences, which could have added to her performance. Vikrant Massey looks great and gives a genuinely fine performance. Sadly, he is let down by the writing. Madhurjeet Sarghi has a crucial part and plays it with élan. She looks quite confident in the courtroom scenes. Vishal Dahiya delivers a splendid performance. Delzad Hivale is wasted. Payal Nair (Shiraz) and Vaibhavi Upadhyay (Minakshi) are okay. Manohar Teli is fine and is endearing in the scene where he’s secretly having alcohol. The actor playing Parveen is damn good in the courtroom scene. Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music isn’t memorable. The title track is well inserted in an important scene. <em>'Nok Jhok'</em> and <em>'Khul Ne Do'</em> are average. Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Tubby's background score is slightly better. Malay Prakash's cinematography is appropriate. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray's production design is neat. Abhilasha Sharma's costumes are realistic, especially the ones worn by Deepika. Shrikant Desai's hair and make-up is splendid and the prosthetic also is very well done. Nitin Baid's editing is incoherent. On the whole, CHHAPAAK is a brave attempt at highlighting an issue and the crime that exists in our society. At the box office, it will have a difficult journey since it is not a commercial entertainer. Its business will be restricted to a tiny section of the multiplex frequenting audience.

Off late, Bollywood has been making period dramas, focusing on the brave warriors of the medieval and early modern history of India. While films like MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI and PANIPAT focused on the somewhat known chapters of history, the Akshay Kumar starrer KESARI was based on an incident that wasn’t known to many. Now another film joins this latter category – TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR. It depicts the bravery of Tanhaji Malusare, a legend in Maharashtra, but largely unknown elsewhere. The film is mounted on a huge scale and moreover, has a terrific star cast, both of which have contributed to its hype. So does TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR manage to give a great time to the viewers? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1060929" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tanhaji-–-The-Unsung-Warrior-Review-IMG.jpg" alt="Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior Review IMG" width="720" height="450" /> TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR is the story of one of the greatest warriors of India. The year is 1664. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Sharad Kelkar) has given a tough fight to the Mughals, headed by Emperor Aurangzeb (Luke Kenny), in the Deccan region. However, when things get tough for the Marathas, Shivaji Maharaj decides to sign a treaty. As part of this agreement, he hands over some 23 forts to the Mughals, including the strategic Kondhana Fort. A few years later, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj expresses his desire to recapture Kondhana. This is especially when he finds out that Aurangzeb has sent Udaybhan Rathod (Saif Ali Khan), an evil military officer, to control the fort. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj realizes that his brave Subedar Tanhaji Malusare (Ajay Devgn) is the best man to get the fort back. But Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj refuses to even let Tanhaji know about this operation. This is because Tanhaji is busy with the marriage of his son. However, Tanhaji finds out about the plan. He persuades Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to let him go for it. The Maharaj agrees and hence, Tanhaji keeps his son’s marriage on hold. He then begins to plan how to recapture the fort and thereby create history. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Prakash Kapadia and Om Raut's story is excellent and well-researched. It talks about a landmark moment in India’s history and at the same time, it has enough entertainment and drama. Prakash Kapadia and Om Raut's screenplay does justice to the plot in hand. The script is peppered with dramatic and massy moments that keep the interest going. However, the film drops a bit in the middle of the second half. Also, the first half could have had more hard-hitting moments. Prakash Kapadia's dialogues are simple but also sharp-worded as per the requirement. Om Raut's direction is quite praiseworthy and he handles the film like a pro. He does full justice to the scale and grandeur of the film. He also keeps the narrative uncomplicated and very simple to understand. And his biggest achievement is that he doesn’t make TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR look like the recent period films, especially the ones of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Bhansali's films have become a genre in itself, hence when it comes to period flicks many recent ones looked like clones of his movies. TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR, however, stands out. And moreover, he adds enough <em>masala</em>, especially in the climax, which takes the film to a high. See it to believe it! TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR begins with the childhood sequence of Tanhaji and the background of the Maratha Empire. The film moves too quickly here but no complaints as the impact is made. The entry of adult Tanhaji is too good and viewers would welcome it with claps and whistles. Even Udaybhan’s introduction makes for a great watch. From here on till the intermission, the film keeps one engaged but the film here lacks action and a punch, which one might expect after the action scene in the start. But the intermission point is fine and it indicates that the second half will be better. And thankfully, the post-interval portion has a lot more entertainment. The sequence where Tanhaji and Udaybhan come face to face is electrifying. Also Tanhaji urging the Maratha soldiers to fight for him is a scene to watch out for. The film then drops again but the makers reserve the best for the finale. The climax battle is incredible and single screen audiences especially will go in frenzy! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior | Public Review | Ajay Devgn | Kajol | Saif Ali Khan | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/tanhaji-the-unsung-warrior-public-review-ajay-devgn-kajol-saif-ali-khan-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR belongs to Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan. Ajay is perfect for the part and adds a lot through his body language and expressions. Also his dialogue delivery in confrontational scenes is spot-on. But he goes into another mode in the climax fight and viewers would surely lap it up. Also, he deserves kudos for putting together this mammoth project and ensuring that it looks like a great cinematic product, at par with international standards. Saif Ali Khan is superb in the villainous role. He is menacing but also has a goofy side and the balance is very nicely done. In one scene dipped with black humour in the second half, he gets his act totally right! Kajol (Savitri) doesn’t have much to do but her presence adds a lot to the film. Her scenes with Ajay are endearing. Sharad Kelkar stands out as Shivaji Maharaj. His personality, build and baritone voice was just right for such an important historical character. Padmavathi Rao (Rajmata Jija aau) has a fine screen presence. Luke Kenny fits the role and one wishes he had more screen time. Neha Sharma (Kamla) is decent in a supporting role. Kailash Waghmare (Chultiya) and Hardik Bharat Sangani (Gidya) are over the top but that works for their respective characters. The other actors who do well are Shashank Mahadeo Shende (Shelar Mama), Ajinkya Ramesh Deo (Pisal), Vipul Kumar Gupta (Jagat Singh), Deodatta Gajanan Nage (Suryaji), Yuri Suri (Mirza Raje Jai Singh), Nissar Khan (Beshak Khan), Arush Nand (Raiba; Tanaji's son), Prasanna Vidyadhar Ketkar (Ghesarnaik) and Niranjan Jadhao (Trimbak Rao; spy). The music is situational and not of chartbuster variety. <em>'Ghamand Kar'</em> is the theme song of the film and is quite exhilarating. <em>'Shankara Re Shankara'</em> comes at a great juncture. <em>'Maay Bhavani'</em> is average while <em>'Tinak Tinak'</em> is moving. Sandeep Shirodkar's background score adds to the drama heavily. Keiko Nakahara's cinematography is of superior quality. Despite so much of action and fights happening, the camerawork ensures that all is captured well.. Sujeet Subhash Sawant and Sriram Kannan Iyengar's production design is straight out of the bygone era. The sets are authentic and not needlessly grand, considering that the film focuses on the life of the Maratha soldiers and their houses can’t resemble palaces. But while depicting Aurangzeb’s residence, the designers have gone all out, rightfully so. Ramzan Bulut and R P Yadav's action is a bit gory but is controlled and visually looks great. Vikram Gaikwad's make-up is neat. Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla's costumes are realistic. NY VFXWaala's VFX is splendid and there’s not a single moment where the effects look tacky. Also, the 3D is not done for the heck of it and it actually complements the narrative. Dharmendra Sharma's editing is slick. On the whole, TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR is an entertaining and a paisa-vasool film that would be loved by the masses as well as classes. At the box office, it can run riot in Maharashtra and other mass centres and could turn out to be the first Rs. 100 crore grosser of 2020. Highly Recommended!

Filmmaker Luv Ranjan has launched quite a few actors, most notable among them being Kartik Aaryan. He casts them repeatedly and few of them have hit the bullseye at the box office as well. He turned producer with the 2018 super-hit flick, SONU KE TITU KI SWEETY, also directed by him. He had another hit film in 2019 in the form of DE DE PYAAR DE. In 2020, his banner Luv Films will be releasing as many as 3 films, and the first one to come out is JAI MUMMY DI. It is a long-delayed film but looks fresh and has the Delhi flavour in abundance, which gives it a chance to excel in North India. So does JAI MUMMY DI manage to be as entertaining as other Luv Ranjan films? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1063970 size-full" title="Movie Review: Jai Mummy Di" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Jai-Mummy-Di.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Jai Mummy Di" width="720" height="450" /> JAI MUMMY DI is the story of two lovers whose mothers are sworn enemies of each other. Delhi-based engineering students, Puneet Khanna (Sunny Singh) and Saanjh Bhalla (Sonnalli Seygall), are in love with each other. Saanjh proposes to Puneet but the latter declines. He too wants to settle down with Saanjh but is afraid of his mother. That’s because Puneet’s mother Laali (Supriya Pathak) and Saanjh’s mother Pinky (Poonam Dhillon) hate each other a lot. Interestingly, they were the best of friends at one point and moreover, they reside next to each other. But they can’t stand each other’s sight. And Puneet is too scared to break the news that he’s in love with the daughter of her ‘enemy’. In anger, Saanjh breaks up with Puneet. She starts looking for suitable groom for marriage and even approves of Dev (Bhuvan Arora). Their marriage is fixed for October 16 at Diamond Hall in Noida. When Puneet’s mother Laali finds out that Pinky has managed to lock her daughter’s wedding, she feels jealous. Not wanting to be left behind, she quickly selects a girl for Puneet, Sakshi. What’s more, Puneet and Sakshi’s marriage is also set on October 16 and that too in Diamond. Meanwhile, Puneet and Saanjh realize that they won’t be able to stay happy with anyone else but each other. Hence, they patch up and think of ways to bring their respective mothers together. When nothing works, they decide to elope and get married. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Navjot Gulati's story rests on waferthin plot. But it’s a great idea and could have made for a fine entertainer. But Navjot Gulati's screenplay plays spoilsport in a major way. The film is laced with poorly written sequences and not-so-funny moments. Also, the flow of scenes is not smooth. Navjot Gulati's dialogues also add to the negative impact. Barring a few one-liners, the rest of it doesn't have the desired impact. Navjot Gulati's direction is terrible. With the script, he already made a mess, but he could have covered it up with his direction. Sadly, even his execution is very bad. The film never goes on a high or goes into the funny zone, which it ideally should have. And it’s really fortunate since the concept had the promise to go all out. And the climax sadly is very <em>thanda</em> as one expects some major confrontation and eventual patch up. The worst is reserved for the very final scene and it totally takes the film down. JAI MUMMY DI begins on a very awkward note, to explain the enmity between the two women. The scene may have looked interesting on paper but translates poorly on screen. The song <em>'Mummy Nu Pasand'</em> ups the interest but it goes downhill in no time. A few scenes are bewildering. For instance, why Pinky also follows suit and shifts to Ghaziabad, that too next to Laali’s residence. The humour quotient in the film is very less and half of whatever is there doesn’t work. Ideally, any other worthy director or writer would have shown the lovers going to insane lengths to bring their mothers together and how it causes madness in the process. Here, the lovebirds hardly do anything of that sort. The intermission point tries to be dramatic but doesn’t work. Post-interval, the film keeps getting repetitive and it tests the patience of the viewers. This is despite the 105 minutes of runtime. One can’t just wait for the mothers to find out the truth and patch up. Finally, it happens in the end but ideally, it should have taken the film to a high. But nothing of that sort happens. The most disappointing bit of the film however is the reason why Laali and Pinky started fighting in the first place. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>PAISA VASOOL: Sunny Singh Nijjar v/s Sonnalli Seygall – Bollywood ‘ROM-COM’ Quiz | Jai Mummy Di</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/paisa-vasool-sunny-singh-v-s-sonnalli-seygall-bollywood-rom-com-quiz-jai-mummy-di/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Sunny Singh suits the part. His acting is nothing great but he manages to pull through the role nicely. Sonnalli Seygall gets to show her acting chops. In PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA 2 [2015], she got overshadowed by other actors. But here, the focus is majorly on her, especially in the first half, and she does fine. Supriya Pathak and Poonam Dhillon are strictly okay. Shockingly, the film ideally should have revolved around them but they don’t get the screen space that they deserve. Rajendra Sethi (Trilochan Khanna) and Danish Husain (Gurpal Bhalla) are nothing great. Veer Rajwant Singh (Vineet) is however good as Puneet’s brother. Alok Nath (Sanjog Luthra) is wasted. It’s bewildering why he was even there in the film. Bhuvan Arora is the funniest part of the film. The actor playing Sakhi is passable. Neeraj Sood (Jasbir Bhullar) is good as always. Nushrat Bharucha, Ishita Raj and Varun Sharma do well but their cameos come at a time when the viewers are tired of the film already. Songs are forgettable, except <em>'Mummy Nu Pasand'</em>, which is catchy. <em>'Manney Ignore Kar Rahi'</em> comes immediately after this track and doesn’t work<em>. 'Dariyaganj'</em>, <em>'Ishq Da Band'</em> and the title track also don’t manage to register. <em>'Lamborghini'</em> is played in the end credits. Hitesh Sonik’s background score is entertaining but it doesn’t complement the scenes. Sanket Shah's cinematography and Tarpan Shrivastava's production design are appropriate. Jia Bhagia, Arun J Chauhan and Mallika Chauhan's costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by the lead actors in the various marriage scenes of the film. Dev Rao Jadhav and Chetan M Solanki’s editing is haphazard at places and is not organic. On the whole, JAI MUMMY DI is a poor fare owing to the weak script, lazy direction and lack of humour. At the box office, it won’t have a long run and just has this one week window to score.

Dance films have been a rage in the West and in Bollywood, this genre got an establishment thanks to ABCD – ANY BODY CAN DANCE [2013]. Directed by Remo Dsouza, it starred unknown faces and yet fetched a decent opening and did good business at the box office. The series got a boost as the second part, ABCD – ANY BODY CAN DANCE – 2 [2015] starred Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor and was a Rs. 100 crore grosser and the first such film for both the actors. Now Varun, Shraddha and Remo join hands once again for STREET DANCER 3D, which is also in the same zone as the ABCD films. This time, they promise to take the dance and madness many notches higher. So does STREET DANCER 3D manage to fulfil the expectations? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1066172" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Street-Dancer-3D.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Street Dancer 3D" width="720" height="450" /> STREET DANCER 3D is the story of two warring groups uniting for a larger cause with the backdrop of dance. Sahej (Varun Dhawan) is an Indian origin British resident based in London with his family. He and his brother Inder (Punit J Pathak) are a part of a dance group called Street Dancers. Inder had participated in a globally reputed dance performance called Ground Zero. Sadly, in the final act of his dance performance, he gets injured and breaks his knee. Two years later, Sahej travels to Punjab, India for a wedding. He returns with lot of money which he uses to buy a dance studio. He tells Inder that he got this money by performing back home. Sahej reunites the Street Dancers gang and they begin their street dance performances. In the same locality, another dance group resides called Rule Breakers. They are of Pakistani origin and comprise of Inayat (Shraddha Kapoor), Zayn (Salman Yusuff Khan) among others. Their dance is quite superior and both groups often get into tussles. Sahej realizes that Street Dancer group has to get their dance moves right. He takes the help of Nora (Nora Fatehi), a dancer in a British dance group called The Royals and also his girlfriend. She improves the dance of the group. Street Dancers and Rule Breakers often assemble at a restaurant run by Prabhu Anna (Prabhudheva) to watch the India vs Pakistan cricket match. One such time, they get into a fight and attack each other with food. They stop only when a cop (Murli Sharma) intervenes. While leaving from there, Inayat notices suspicious looking men entering from the back door of the restaurant. During her next visit, she again witnesses it and this time, she enters the same entrance and confronts Prabhu. At this, Prabhu reveals that these men are illegal immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and that he gives them leftover food. Not just that, he packs all the leftover dishes and distributes them to a colony housing illegal immigrants. Inayat is moved with this gesture. Meanwhile, the Ground Zero competition is announced again and the prize money is staggering. Inayat informs the Rule Breakers about the plight of the immigrants. They all decide that if they win Ground Zero, they’ll use the prize money to help these people return back to their country. Street Dancers too decide to participate in Ground Zero. Prabhu Anna advises both the groups to unite as that’ll help them win. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Remo Dsouza's story is not novel. A few developments are fine but predictable. However, Tushar Hiranandani's screenplay (additional screenplay by Jagdeep Sidhu) is quite entertaining and very simple. It’s easy to comprehend what’s going on despite so many characters and so much of dance happening. A few dramatic sequences especially are well scripted. Farhad Samji's dialogues (addtional dialogues by Jagdeep Sidhu) work well but one expects a lot from this talented writer especially some witty one-liners. Remo Dsouza's direction works for most parts. The dance sequences, obviously, are handled well. He excels especially in the confrontational sequences be it Mac (Francis Roughly) assaulting Poddy, Poddy-Sahej’s fallout, Sahej’s emotional moment with his brother Inder in the second half and Sahej’s speech in front of Inayat’s family. On the flipside, the film is a bit too long at 143 minutes. The first half, particularly, could have been shorter. Also, one wishes if some of the developments were backed by logic. It is bewildering why Amrinder (Aparshakti Khurana) and his friends blame Sahej for their bad experience in London. It was Amrinder and his pals who were behind Sahej in Punjab and they literally forced him to take them to London. So Sahej should not have felt responsible and guilty for their miserable condition. A similar illogical development can be seen in the climax. Thankfully, the film has many other plusses that compensate for these minuses. STREET DANCER 3D begins on a visually stunning note. The introduction piece is well shot and thought of and instantly sets the mood. The introduction of Inayat is quite fun while Nora’s entry will surely soar the temperatures in this cold weather. Nothing much then happens till a point. It’s only when Sahej narrates his Punjab experience to Poddy (Raghav Juyal) that the interest lifts again. The intermission comes at a fine juncture. Post-interval, the film drops again but a nice plot point is added here when Sahej breaks off from Street Dancers. This track works well. The immigration bit is touching but logically flawed and that affects some impact. But the film has lot more to impress. The semi-final sequence is sure to be greeted with claps and whistles. The climax has enough drama and entertainment to keep viewers hooked. The film ends on a touching note with a montage of the SWAT (Sikh Welfare &amp; Awareness Team) and their noble work in London. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Street Dancer 3D | Public Review | Varun Dhawan | Shraddha Kapoor | Nora Fatehi | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/street-dancer-3d-public-review-varun-dhawan-shraddha-kapoor-nora-fatehi-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Varun Dhawan as always is quite entertaining and has a terrific screen presence. And he looks dashing. Shockingly, in comparison to Shraddha Kapoor and Nora Fatehi, he pales when it comes to dance. Shraddha Kapoor looks like a million bucks and is a treat to watch. Her screen time is a bit limited however in the second half. Also, one wished to see some sort of romance between the two as that would have made their fans happy. Nora Fatehi has a very small role but it’s very crucial and it’s bigger than her part in BATLA HOUSE. She is smoking hot and her entry scene is the best out of all actors! Aparshakti Khurana is great and makes sure that he doesn’t go overboard. Prabhudheva is effortless. His dance part appears late but once it does, it takes the film to a high! Punit J Pathak is memorable. The rest of the actors playing the dancers like Salman Yusuff Khan, Raghav Juyal, Dharmesh Yelonde (D), Sushant Pujari (Shushi), Caroline Wilde (Alisha) etc do well. The rest of them are also quite good and dance well but don’t get registered much. Francis Roughly is fine in a sort of villainous role. Zarina Wahab (Amarinder’s mother), Murli Sharma and Manoj Pahwa (Chabda) are passable. Others are good. There are almost 10-11 songs in the film and most of them thankfully are well choreographed and make an impact. <em>'Muqabla'</em> is the best of the lot and single-screen cinemas especially will go in a frenzy! <em>'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara'</em> comes next best followed <em>by 'Bezubaan Kab Se', 'Pind'</em> and <em>'Garmi'. 'Gann Deva'</em> seemed forced while <em>'Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walo'</em> is missing in the film. <em>'Dua Karo' </em>is moving and is well shot. <em>'Illegal Weapon 2.0', 'Lagdi Lahore Di'</em> and <em>'Nachi Nachi'</em> are okay.  Sachin-Jigar's background score is a bit loud but is in sync with the film’s mood. Kruti Mahesh, Rahul Shetty and Tashan Muir's choreography is one of the highpoints. Each and every dance piece is novel and visual treat. Vijay Kumar Arora's cinematography (Punjab schedule shot by Tushar Kanti Ray) is sans complaints and the dance scenes especially are beautifully captured. Tanvi Leena Patil's production design is appealing. Costumes are quite sexy especially the ones worn by Varun (Aki Narula), Shraddha (Tanya Ghavri) and Nora Fatehi (Jerry Dsouza). Post House Studios' VFX has played a major role here. The slow motion and light effects especially enhance the impact. Even the 3D is a treat to the eyes. Manan Ajay Sagar's editing is good for most parts but could have been more tighter. On the whole, STREET DANCER 3D is a terrific combination of rich visuals, amazing choreography and strong emotions. At the box office, it will appeal to its target audience - the youth and is most likely to enter the 100 crore club.

A small track in Priyanka Chopra-starrer MARY KOM [2014] dealt with the protagonist returning back to boxing after motherhood. It gave a nice insight of what women go through when they make a comeback in sports after giving birth and how it’s tough for them not just physically but more so, mentally. Now Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, of NIL BATTEY SANNATA [2016] and BAREILLY KI BARFI [2017] fame, takes this aspect as a central idea for her next film, PANGA, starring Kangana Ranaut in the leading role. So does PANGA manage to touch as well as entertain? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1066622 size-full" title="Movie Review: Panga" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Panga-2.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Panga" width="720" height="450" /> PANGA is the story of a mother trying to fulfil her dreams. Jaya Nigam (Kangana Ranaut) is a pro at Kabaddi. She slowly rises and also becomes the captain of the Indian Kabaddi team. She is meanwhile married to Prashant (Jassie Gill) and gets pregnant just before she is to go for a major tournament. She still assures her seniors that she’ll be back soon. However, her son is born prematurely and with a very weak immune system. The doctor informs that they’ll have to take care of the baby tremendously and only then will he have a normal growth. Jaya hence gives up her dream. She takes up a job in the railways and divides her time between her work and raising her son Adi (Yagya Bhasin). 7 years pass. Jaya is finding it difficult to fulfil the responsibilities expected from her. Moreover, she meets Meenu (Richa Chadha), who was in Jaya's team and still plays Kabaddi. One day, Adi suggests that his mother should make a comeback in Kabaddi. He persuades Prashant and both begin nag Jaya. Jaya is unsure as she feels she has grown old and is not that fit. Prashant suggests that Jaya should pretend to make comeback and a month later, she can claim that she didn’t get selected. Jaya hence begins her practice. At first, it’s difficult for her but soon, she gets enthusiastic about the whole process. After a long time, she realises she is finally living her life. Two months pass and one day, she tells Prashant that she wants to continue practicing and try to get into the Indian team. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Divya Rao's research and concept is fairly nice and simple. The story has a lot of potential and also it’s a bit unique. We have had sports films in the past but a film on a mother making a comeback hasn’t been tackled as a main plot. Nikhil Mehrotra and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's screenplay (additional screenplay by Nitesh Tiwari) also retains the simplicity and relatability. The writing is peppered with some entertaining moments that keep the interest going. On the flipside, it could have been tighter, especially towards the second half. Also, the film gives a heavy déjà vu of DANGAL [2016]. Nikhil Mehrotra and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's dialogues (additional dialogues by Nitesh Tiwari) are one of the highpoints. Some of the one-liners, especially the ones uttered by the child actor, will bring the house down. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's direction is good. It’s evident that her own personal experiences have also seeped in the film. A few sequences are very deftly handled. The finale especially is too good and would be greeted with claps and whistles. The beauty of it is that you know what’s going to happen and yet, you can’t help but feel exhilarated when it unfolds. Also, to see the way Jaya gets the support of her husband, her son, her mother, her bestie and even her neighbour is quite heartwarming and would be loved by female audiences especially. On the flipside, except for the ending, the predictability of the script does affect the impact along with the long length. Jaya’s flashback doesn’t really make it clear that she had achieved such heights of stardom. Also, Prashant seemed sad when Jaya announces her plan to do a comeback but it wasn’t the case, as revealed later on. This bit was bewildering and could have been done away with or handled better. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1066623" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Panga-1.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> PANGA has a fine commencement showing the small town life with the focus on Jaya's family and their day to day activities. A lot happens in the first half – Meenu coming back into her life, Jaya missing the sports day, Jaya getting reprimanded by Adi, Jaya's flashback and Jaya’s practise session. The first half surprisingly is just 51 minutes long. The post interval portion, however, is almost 1 hour 18 minutes in duration and could have been shorter. It’s touching to see how Jaya balances between her passion and her family and also the politics that happens over the selection of the team. But the pace of the film is slow here and also, the training session is stretched. Jaya not getting to play for most of the matches also gets a bit repetitive. Thankfully, the climax is powerful which helps the film end on a high note. PANGA rests on Kangana Ranaut majorly, though others also do well. The actress, as always, delivers a smashing performance and not even for a single second, does she go off character. As Jaya the mother, she’s quite adorable and convincing. And even as Jaya the player, she is effortless. Jassie Gill lends able support and his character will be loved. But he grins a bit too much, especially in the flashback portions, and it makes him look a bit of a caricature. Yagya Bhasin is a rockstar. He gets to play a great part and he uplifts the mood of the film in many places. Richa Chadha is credited as a special appearance part but she has a major role to play. She too contributes a lot to the film, not just in terms of comedy, but also in terms of much-needed moral support to Jaya. Megha Burman (Nisha Das) has a late entry but leaves a huge mark. Neena Gupta (Jaya’s mother) is passable. Rajesh Tailang (Indian national coach) is good and is an actor to watch out for. Smita Dwivedi (Smita Tambe, team captain), Kusum Shastri (Jaya’s neighbour), Sudhanva Deshpande (Indian Railway coach) and Shantanu Das (Eastern Railway coach) are decent. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is soulful but is not memorable at all. <em>'Bibby Song'</em>, the title track and <em>'Jugnu'</em> are okay while <em>'Dil Ne Kaha'</em> and <em>'Wahi Hain Raste'</em> are forgettable. Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara's background score is subtle but rightfully loud in the scene where Adi tells Prashant that Jaya should make a comeback. Jai I Patel's cinematography is fine in the crucial Kabaddi scenes but in a few scenes, its quite in-the-face. Sandeep Meher's production design is straight out of life. Rushi Sharma, Manoshi Nath and Bhagyashree Rajurkar's costumes also add to the authenticity. Special mention should also go to Sunita Vishwas Rao (Kabaddi co-ordinator), Gauri Wadekar (Kabaddi Coach and choreographer) and Abdul Salam Ansari (Kabaddi action director) for making the Kabaddi scenes look so rich and real. Ballu Saluja's editing should have been slick. On the whole, PANGA is a progressive and touching sports drama that works thanks to its plot, execution, some fine moments and of course the superlative performance of Kangana Ranaut. At the box office, it faces tough competition from STREET DANCER 3D and also the holdover release TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR and hence it’ll need a strong word of mouth to succeed.

Saif Ali Khan excels in all kinds of roles but his role of a cool dude in light-themed films has been a favourite for many moviegoers. He played such characters in several memorable films like HUM TUM [2004], SALAAM NAMASTE [2005], LOVE AAJ KAL [2009] and got immense praise. Now the actor is back in this space after a hiatus with JAWAANI JAANEMAN. It’s a special flick as it’s the first production under his new banner, Black Knight Films. So does JAWAANI JAANEMAN emerge as a fine piece of entertainer? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1069154 size-full" title="Movie Review: Jawaani Jaaneman" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Movie-Review-Jawaani-Jaaneman.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Jawaani Jaaneman" width="720" height="450" /> JAWAANI JAANEMAN is the story of a 40-year-old playboy whose life suddenly turns upside down. Jassi aka Jazz (Saif Ali Khan) is in his 40s and is based in London. He's single and in no mood to commit. By profession, he's a real estate broker and works with his brother Dimpu (Kumud Mishra). But he spends most of his time partying and getting involved with girls. He is also about to seal a redevelopment deal that will make him the biggest broker in London. Life is going great for him until one day he meets Tiya (Alaya F). At first he flirts with her, with the ultimate aim to take her to bed. However, she drops the bomb that she might be his daughter! To make matters worse, the DNA test confirms that they are related. And that's not all. It also comes to light that Tiya is pregnant! So Jazz finds out that he's not just someone's father but also to-be grandfather! What happens next forms the rest of the film. JAWAANI JAANEMAN is a remake of an Italian film. The plot is promising and could have made for a hilarious and touching entertainer. The screenplay however is inconsistent and weak at many places. Only some scenes work and provide laughs. Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal's dialogues are witty and try their best to enhance the impact. Nitin Kakkar's direction is average. He doesn’t keep the flow of the film organic. Some developments happen suddenly, be it Jazz developing feelings for Rhea (Kubbra Sait) or Jazz asking Tiya to shift in his house. These scenes are still digestible. But a scene in the second half where a local randomly accuses Jazz of cheating him in a property deal comes out of nowhere. Till now, viewers knew Jazz as a lazy worker but not someone who is deceitful. Hence, this revelation seems bizarre. On the positive side, he gets the emotion and humour right in some scenes. Also, he keeps the duration in check (119 minutes). JAWAANI JAANEMAN starts off on an okay note as the viewers get introduced to Jazz and his playboy lifestyle. The film gets interesting once he gets Tiya home and she reveals the truth. It makes for a hilarious watch. Another memorable scene in the first half is when Jazz and Tiya meet Dr. Kriplani (Kiku Sharda). One expects lot more to happen but story just doesn’t move then. The intermission point is a bit awkward. Post interval thankfully there’s some movement in the story. But now the film drags. Also, the impact is weakened by property deal track. What brings some respite is the track of Ananya (Tabu) but even that loses fizz soon. The final scene of the film is heartwarming. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Jawaani Jaaneman | Public Review | Saif Ali Khan | Alaya Furniturewalla | Tabu | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/jawaani-jaaneman-public-review-saif-ali-khan-alaya-furniturewalla-tabu-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Saif Ali Khan is completely in his element and entertains thoroughly. Such kind of a role suits him to the T and he constantly tries to rise above the script. Alaya F makes an excellent debut and puts up a confident act. She looks gorgeous and is the only actor who moves viewers to an extent. She has a promising career ahead. Tabu has a late entry but raises loads of laughs. But her character has no emotional arc. Chunky Panday (Rocky) doesn’t have much to do initially. He has a crucial scene in the second half in the hospital but it doesn’t work. Kubbra Sait is adorable and one wishes to see more of her. Kumud Mishra is dependable. Kiku Sharda is funny. Dante Alexander (Rohan) is over the top, as per the character’s requirement. Rameet Sandhu (Tanvi) leaves a mark. Farida Jalal (Jazz’s mother), Shivendra Singh Mahal (Jazz’s father) and Diljohn Singh (Grover) are okay. Songs are all forgettable. <em>'Ole Ole 2.0'</em> gets registered a bit as it’s a popular tune. <em>'Gallan Kardi'</em>, <em>'Bandhu Tu Mera'</em> and <em>'Mere Baabula'</em> don’t work. <em>‘Jinhe Mera Dil Luteya’</em> is played in the end credits.  Ketan Sodha's background score is sans complaints. Manoj Kumar Khatoi's cinematography is pleasing. The locales of London are well captured. Urvi Ashar Kakkar and Shipra Rawal's production design is superior. Sanam Ratansi's costumes are quite glamorous and all the actors in the film look great. Sachinder Vats's editing (additional editing by Chandan Arora) jumps at places. On the whole, JAWAANI JAANEMAN boasts of fine performances by Saif Ali Khan and newcomer Alaya F. But the direction is weak and emotionally, the film doesn’t work. At the box office, it will be a tough ride for the flick considering the lack of buzz.

The tiny state of Goa has been a great destination for our filmmakers over the years. Rohit Shetty has shot and based most of his films there. Besides, there have been films where Goa played an indispensable part like HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD [2007], DIL CHAHTA HAI [2001], KABHI HAAN KABHI NAA [1994], GO GOA GONE [2013], FINDING FANNY [2014] etc. Then there was DUM MAARO DUM [2011] which talked about the dark side and the drug mafia of this beach state. Now Mohit Suri futher explores this idea with loads of madness and romance in his style in his latest flick, MALANG. So does MALANG manage to entertain and appeal to its target youth audience? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1071329" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Movie-Review-Malang.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> MALANG is the story of love and revenge. Two tracks run simultaneously in the film. The flashback track shows Advait (Aditya Roy Kapur), with a disturbing family history, going to Goa for some fun. Here he bumps into Sara (Disha Patani) who has come to Goa from abroad to conquer her fears. Over drugs and running away from the police, they fall for each other. At first they decide to keep their relationship casual but things get serious. In the present day track, five years later, Advait has just got released from the jail. He's now a killing machine with rage in his eyes. As soon as he's out, he calls Inspector Anjaane Agashe (Anil Kapoor) and informs him that he's about to commit a murder. Agashe takes it lightly at first but in no time, Advait kills a person, that too a police inspector named Victor (Vatsal Seth). Few hours later, he kills two more cops – Nitin Salgaonkar (Keith Sequeira) and Deven Jadhav (Prasad Jawade). All three work under Inspector Michael (Kunal Kemmu). He's married to Teresa (Amruta Khanvilkar) and his marriage is on the rocks. He believes in following the law and faces trouble in solving the case with Agashe, who relies on committing encounters on the spot. Both get to work before Advait can kill anyone else. In the course of his investigation, Michael begins to follow Jessie (Elli AvrRam) who he believes is connected with the case. Meanwhile, Agashe comes face to face with Advait. The latter had the opportunity to escape but he doesn't. He wilfully surrenders. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Aseem Arrora's story is decent. But it is a <em>bhel puri</em> of various films like EK VILLAIN [2014], MURDER 2 [2011], MARJAAVAAN [2019], RACE [2008] etc. Aniruddha Guha's screenplay ensures most scenes don’t give a strong déjà vu of any film. There’s a lot happening in the film and the script is written in such a way that it does not bore the audience. Aseem Arrora's dialogues are subtle but sharp and don’t go over the top in most places. Mohit Suri's direction is good. There’s a marked improvement from his previous films. There’s a lot of style in his execution that gives the film a fresh and a nice touch. There are lot of characters and subplots but he joins them seamlessly. Also, often, filmmakers go the psychedelic way while showing the effects of drugs on protagonists. This has become quite clichéd now and surprisingly, Mohit doesn’t go that route at all. A few scenes are very well handled, especially the present-day scenes. But on the flipside, some developments don’t work as intended whether it’s the love story or Michael’s dilemma. Even the backstory of Advait and Sara seems half-baked. MALANG begins on a massy note. The one-take action scene is quite entertaining. The film then goes on a flashback mode showcasing Advait and Sara’s romance. It is interspersed with the present-day thrilling portions. A few portions here stand out like Agashe interrogating the African drug dealer (this is sure to raise tons of laughs), Agashe finding Nitin Salgaonkar and of course the intermission point. Post-interval, the flashback slows down the film a bit as one is more curious to see what happens once Advait is in the clutches of the cops. There’s a solid twist in the tale and though it comes as a shocker, it is also a bit convenient. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Malang | Public Review | Aditya Roy Kapur | Disha Patani | Anil Kapoor | Kunal Khemu | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/malang-public-review-aditya-roy-kapur-disha-patani-anil-kapoor-kunal-khemu-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Speaking of performances, each and every actor does fine. Aditya Roy Kapur is in great form. He looks very convincing as a fearless man with a vengeance who can take on dozens of goons. His acting in some crucial scenes could have been better but he manages. Disha Patani probably gets the most screen time ever. She looks gorgeous and delivers a heartwarming performance. Anil Kapoor provides the humour quotient. But his character is a lot more than just a funny man and the talented actor gets it just right. And he looks dashing! Kunal Kemmu’s character too has a lot of shades and he rocks the show. Elli AvrRam is decent at best. Her dialogue delivery could have been a bit better. Vatsal Seth, Keith Sequeira and Prasad Jawade are okay. Devika Vatsa (Vani Agashe) leaves a huge mark in a cameo. The music of the film weak and a film like this ought to have super-hit music. The title track and <em>'Hui Malang'</em> are the best of the lot and are well shot. <em>'Chal Ghar Chalen', 'Bande Elahi', 'Humraah'</em> and <em>'Phir Na Milen Kabhi'</em> lack repeat value. Raju Singh's background score is dramatic. Vikas Sivaraman's cinematography is stunning and one of the best in recent times. Notice how the first scene (the long one-take shot) is captured and how sufficient care is taken not to show Aditya Roy Kapur’s face until the right time. Even the scenes of Goa and Mauritius are captured with perfection. Vintee Bansal and Sidhant Malhotra's production design is a bit theatrical but works. Ayesha Dasgupta's costumes are super stylish, especially the ones worn by Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani and Anil Kapoor. The manner in which Anil wears his police shirt on a T-shirt and keeps it unbuttoned makes a unique style statement. Aejaz Gulab's action is not too gory and seems realistic. NY VFXwaala's VFX is fine. Devendra Murdeshwar's editing is simplistic. On the whole, MALANG is high on style with good performances and thrilling moments but has an average storyline. At the box office, it only has the advantage of a clear one-week window and will therefore do average business.

11 years ago, Imtiaz Ali, fresh out of the super-success of JAB WE MET [2007], presented his next, LOVE AAJ KAL [2009]. It was a unique film for that time as it focused on not one, but two love stories, set in different eras. Also, lead actor Saif Ali Khan played the lover boy in both the tracks and that also ensured the film stood out. Director Imtiaz Ali now uses this idea once again in a film, which is also titled LOVE AAJ KAL. It features Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan and their chemistry has already become a talking point. So does LOVE AAJ KAL manage to be as excellent as its predecessor? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1074192" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Love-Aaj-Kal-Review.jpeg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> LOVE AAJ KAL is the story that tackles the ever-changing dynamic of being in and finding love. Veer (Kartik Aaryan) and Zoe (Sara Ali Khan) are based in Delhi and they meet one night at a nightclub. Both attempt to get intimate but Veer backs off at the last minute. Veer however realises Zoe is special to him. He finds out that she works from a co-working space. He also lands up there. Zoe is at first irritated with him but she’s interested in him. Meanwhile, Raj (Randeep Hooda), the owner of the co-working space, witnesses their love blossoming in front of his eyes. Zoe shares her views with Raj that she wants to have a casual relationship and doesn’t want to get into a serious relationship so soon. At this, Raj begins to narrate his own story. This is a time when he was Raghu (Kartik Aaryan) and was a school kid in Udaipur. He is crazily in love with Leena (Arushi Sharma). She too falls for him and one day, both get caught. Her family asks her to move to Delhi. Raghu, madly in love, follows her to the capital city. He starts to work as a waiter. Zoe is enchanted to hear about Raj's story. She decides to give love a chance. She gets a job offer from Dubai and she deletes the mail as she doesn’t want to be away from Veer. However, this is when Raj drops the bomb. He reveals to Zoe that Raghu breaks up with Leena as he turns into a playboy. This and her mother’s (Simone Singh) constant reminder that she shouldn’t sacrifice career for love gives her a jolt. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Imtiaz Ali's story is decent. The basic plot makes an interesting comment and if handled well, it could have made for a great romantic film. Imtiaz Ali's screenplay however doesn’t do complete justice. A few scenes are very relatable as it talks about the complexities of today’s times. But on the flipside, it’s also quite unconvincing. Dialogues are a bit philosophical and could have been simpler yet meaningful. Imtiaz Ali's direction is not upto the mark. He gets a few things right. The use of graffiti on the walls and parallels being drawn between the two stories does impress. A few scenes are very well handled and bear his stamp. But there are times when one does wonder where the film is going. Some scenes don’t have the desired impact and even end up being unintentionally funny. He also leaves loose ends and a few subplots don’t get the logical conclusion. Imtiaz also doesn’t focus on backstories of his characters. This was something seen even with Shah Rukh Khan’s character in JAB HARRY MET SEJAL [2017]. In the case of LOVE AAJ KAL, Veer seems socially awkward and one doesn’t understand why that’s so. LOVE AAJ KAL begins on a fine note as the characters of both eras get established. Yes, things do seem a bit off especially some dialogues and Veer's behaviour and his body language. However the 90s track has a charm and keeps the interest going. One of the best scenes here is when Raghu and Leena have a romantic moment in the train. The twist in Raghu's tale comes as a bolt from the blue. This bit particularly works because till now, it looks like a clone of Rishi Kapoor's track from the old LOVE AAJ KAL. As a result, audience won’t see it coming. Trouble however starts from the interval point. Zoe's outburst is weird. Post interval, the film does pick up when Veer comes to pick up Zoe. Also, the culmination of Raghu's story is poignant. However, Zoe’s actions take the film down. The final scene is just okay. <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Love Aaj Kal | Public Review | Kartik Aaryan | Sara Ali Khan | First Day First Show</span></strong> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/love-aaj-kal-public-review-kartik-aaryan-sara-ali-khan-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, both Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan give their best shot. Kartik gets to do something different and excels. In a few scenes, he ups the humour quotient as well. His intense look is watchable. Sara too follows her director’s instructions to the T and in a few scenes, you do see her brilliance. However, her character is so weird that despite her best efforts, it comes across as a caricature. Randeep Hooda is dependable. But few of his scenes get repetitive after a point. Arushi Sharma is sweet and has a fine screen presence. Simone Singh is fair. Others do well. Pritam Chakraborty's music won’t stand the test of time like the previous LOVE AAJ KAL. <em>'Haan Main Galat'</em> is catchy but played in the end credits. <em>'Parmeswara</em>' is wacky but audiences won’t be able to connect. <em>'Dhak Dhak', 'Aur Tanha'</em> and <em>'Shayad'</em> are fine. Ishaan Chhabra's background score gels well with the film. Amit Roy's cinematography is quite great in some sequences. But in some close up shots, it is not upto the mark. Suman Roy Mahapatra's production design is quite stylish, especially in present day portions. Aki Narula's costumes are quite appealing, especially the ones worn by Sara and by Kartik in present day track. Aarti Bajaj's editing is sans complaints. On the whole, LOVE AAJ KAL is strictly for the youth and romantic at heart. At the box office, it will start on a positive note on the account of its novel cast and the festive (Valentine’s Day) period. The business will be decent across urban multiplexes while business at single screens may remain average.

The horror genre has taken giant strides in the West and newer concepts have been experimented with to keep the interest going in the genre. Bollywood, however, has lagged behind. Most horror films still follow the template set by the game-changer RAAZ [2002]. But now, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions is all set to present BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP, and it promises to be a one-of-its-kind horror flick. Moreover, it stars Vicky Kaushal who has become extremely popular following the blockbuster success of his last film, URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE [2019]. So does BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP manage to scare the daylights of the viewers? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1076932" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BHOOT-Review.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP is the story of a man facing a scary situation while fighting the horrors of his past. The year is 2012. Prithvi (Vicky Kaushal) is a widower who has lost his wife Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar) and daughter Megha in a freak accident. He is depressed and is avoiding medication. In the midst of all this, an abandoned ship named Sea Bird gets stranded at Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. Prithvi works for a shipping company that is asked to take this ship back to the sea at the earliest. On his first visit to the ship, strange things occur and it makes him feel that the ship is inhabited. However he passes it off as his hallucinations and side effect of his state of mind. The subsequent visits however makes him sure that all this is not a figment of his imagination. During the third visit, he spots a girl at the hull of the ship. He also comes across log books and some video tapes dating back to the year 2001. As he sees the tapes, he realises that the captain’s wife (Meher Vij) and daughter Meera were also present on the ship. Gradually, Prithvi realises that the girl he encountered on the ship is Meera. He goes again to the ship and this time he comes face to face with Meera. But this time, she’s in a ghostly avatar. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Bhanu Pratap Singh's story is decent and could have made for a gripping scarefest. Bhanu Pratap Singh's screenplay however is unimpressive overall. He gets the scare quotient right only in few scenes. Even in the main story, things are barely convincing. Bhanu Pratap Singh's dialogues are passable. Bhanu Pratap Singh's direction is nothing great. He makes good use of his knowledge in creating a scary atmosphere. A few scenes are well executed. But most of the scenes fail to impress. Trouble begins in the first 15 minutes itself when a random couple is shown venturing into the massive ship undetected and playing hide and seek. The ship is ten storeys tall and this information is given by the makers themselves just few minutes before this scene. But no explanation is given how the lovers manage to climb atop the deck which is at such a height. This scene actually gave a clear indication that logic and common sense are not going to be the strong points of this film. And sure enough, the absurdities continue in the second half, especially the climax. Many questions are left unanswered and it is sure to baffle viewers when they come out of theatres. BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP begins on a fair note as Prithvi's past and glimpses of the happenings on the ship in 2001 is depicted. The first half doesn’t have much of a story as such but it keeps you intrigued as the scary atmosphere is well created. A few jump scares also serve the purpose. The interval comes at a great point. Post interval, there’s some movement in the story and you actually get to know where the film is headed. Still, a few unwanted scenes are there, like Prithvi imagining that he’s talking to his dead daughter at the bank of a river. On the positive side, the scene in the church is excellent and one expects the film to go on a high from here. Sadly the climax is riddled with clichés and flawed developments that kill the joy completely. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>BHOOT – Part One The Haunted Ship | Public Review | Vicky Kaushal | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/bhoot-part-one-the-haunted-ship-public-review-vicky-kaushal-bhumi-pednekar-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Vicky Kaushal is in good form. He looks very dashing and gets his act right, without going overboard in any scene. Bhumi Pednekar is decent in a cameo. Ashutosh Rana (Professor Joshi) is fine and gives one a déjà vu of his earlier performance in RAAZ. His character sadly gets a raw deal in the end. Akash Dhar (Riyaz) plays Prithvi's best friend and has an important role. He is decent but again, he doesn’t have much to do later. Meher Vij has a superb screen presence but her performance suffers on account of bad writing. Sanjay Gurbaxani (Agnihotri) is average. The actor playing Amar looks a bit creepy which works well. The actors playing Meera and Megha do very well. Akhil Sachdeva's music has no scope. <em>'Channa Ve'</em> is played in the opening credits. Ketan Sodha's background score is horrifying and works. Pushkar Singh's cinematography captures the mood very well. Aditya Kanwar's production design is top-notch. The abandoned ship especially is well designed. Natashcha Charak and Nikita Raheja Mohanty's costumes are realistic. Vikram Dahiya's action is filmy and takes away the authenticity. Redefine's VFX is first rate and adds to the horror factor. Bodhaditya Banerjee's editing is dragging and could have been crisper. Ideally, this film shouldn’t have been more than 90 minutes long. On the whole, BHOOT: PART ONE – THE HAUNTED SHIP suffers from a half-baked plot and a flawed narrative which leaves viewers confused. The end result is completely unconvincing, barring a few scenes that provide some chills. At the box office, it will be rejected by the audience. Disappointing!

Over the last three decades, Bollywood has come up with quite a few films on homosexuality like FIRE [1996], MY BROTHER NIKHIL [2005], EK LADKI KO DEKHA TOH AISA LAGA [2019], ALIGARH [2016], MARGARITA WITH A STRAW [2015] etc. Aanand L Rai and T-Series are now all set to bring SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN and unlike other gay-themed films, this one is light-hearted and looks quite commercial. Moreover, it stars Ayushmann Khurrana, who has become a brand in himself. So does SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN manage to entertain? Will it succeed in becoming the first legitimate LGBT-themed hit film of Bollywood? Or does it fail to succeed? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1077035" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Shubh-Mangal-Zyada-Saavdhan-1-26.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN is the story of two men in love in Section 377 era. Aman Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) is the son of Shankar Tripathi (Gajraj Rao) and Sunaina (Neena Gupta), who are based in Allahabad. Aman works in Delhi and unknown to his family, he's a gay and is living in with Kartik (Ayushmann Khurrana). Jitendra's cousin sister Goggle (Maanvi Gagroo) is getting married and Neena calls Aman to come back to attend her marriage. Aman at first refuses but then gives in. Kartik also joins him and they meet the entire Tripathi family in a marriage special train called Vivah Express. In the train, Aman and Kartik kiss when they assume that no one is looking. Sadly for them, Shankar sees them and he gets the shock of his life. He doesn't tell anyone about it out of shame. At Goggle's marriage, Aman, in front of everyone, kisses Kartik, thus astonishing the Tripathi family. Thanks to this development, Goggle's to be husband refuses to get married. In anger, Goggle runs away. Kartik is asked to leave and Shankar's brother and Goggle's father Chaman (Manurishi Chadha) drops him off to Allahabad station. At the railway station, Kartik bumps into Goggle and stops her from ending her life. She tells Kartik that he shouldn't run away and that he should fight for his love. This motivates Kartik and he decides to return to win over not just Jitendra but the entire Tripathi family. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Hitesh Kewalya's story is decent and had the potential to be a game-changer. Hitesh Kewalya's screenplay however is a big culprit. Under the pretext of making situations funny, he resorts to too many difficult-to-digest situations. This was prevalent in SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAN as well but there, they kept a nice balance. Here, the balance is just not there. The first half is still decent. But in the second half, it all goes downhill. Hitesh Kewalya's dialogues are witty but some of them are just over the top. It won’t be wrong to say that even the one-liners, which are supposed to be funny, take away the realism from the film. Hitesh Kewalya's direction is weak. The film has lot of subplots but he doesn’t put it together well. A major chunk of the film is about rift within the family and during such times, the principle homosexuality angle takes a backseat. Also, he should have succeeded completely in two aspects – comedy and messaging. Sadly in both these areas, he doesn’t do justice. Even the black cauliflower angle that provided laughs initially proved to be the biggest downer of the film in the climax. It gave a bad déjà vu of the ‘kala bandar’ angle of DELHI-6 [2009]. On the positive side, he handles few scenes with élan and some scenes genuinely raise laughs. SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN’s starts off on a funny note and the subplot of black cauliflower appears hilarious. Devika's (Bhumi Pednekar) scene too adds to the fun. The scene where Shankar Tripathi catches the lovers kissing brings the house down. Scenes like Aman kissing Kartik in full public view and Aman talking to his parents about dopamine and other such stuff keep the interest going. Post interval however, the film drops. The scenes are supposed to be funny but don't make you laugh. Also it becomes too preachy and unconvincing. The makers try their best to make things interesting but it doesn't work. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan | Public Review | Ayushmann Khurrana | Jitendra Kumar | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/shubh-mangal-zyada-saavdhan-public-review-ayushmann-khurrana-jitendra-kumar-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Ayushmann Khurrana shockingly is not in his usual form. He has always played the victim but here, he plays the instigator and an actor of his calibre should have hit the ball out of park. Shockingly, he goes overboard. The other bigger shocker is that his screen time is very limited. Believe it or not, Gajraj Rao has the maximum screen time followed by Jitendra and then comes Ayushmann! Gajraj Rao however is too good as always and performs as per the script. Jitendra Kumar fits the role to the T and few of his scenes in the first half are great. Neena Gupta is average. Manurishi Chadha and Sunita Rajwar (Champa) do justice to their respective parts. Pankhuri Awasthy (Kusum) is quite funny. Maanvi Gagroo raises few laughs. Neeraj Singh (Keshav) is decent. Bhumi Pednekar is passable while Gopal Dutt (Doctor in the train) is okay. Music is peppy and gels with the film. <em>'Pyaar Tenu Karda Gabru'</em> is the best followed by <em>'Arey Pyaar Kar Le'</em>, which is played in the end credits. <em>'Ooh La La'</em> comes at a great point while <em>'Mere Liye Tum Kaafi Ho'</em> is forgettable. The recreated version of <em>'Kya Karte The Saajna'</em> sounds great but is not utilised well. Karan Kulkarni's background score adds to the quirkiness of the film. Chirantan Das's cinematography is appropriate. Ravi Srivastava's production design is in sync with the film’s setting. Ankita Jha's costumes are realistic and special mention should go to Ayushmann’s look. Ninad Khanolkar's editing is sans complaints. On the whole, SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN is a decent attempt and makes an interesting comment on homophobia which exists in our country. At the box office, it has the chance to work with the urban audiences, especially the youth. However, it will be a challenge to bring in family audiences and the audiences from small towns and cities. The presence of Ayushmann Khurrana may give a boost to its collections.

We are in the year 2020 but still, a lot of objectionable trends are sadly quite common. Violence against women, especially, continues despite progress of our country and growth in education and standard of living. Anubhav Sinha, whose 2.0 avatar has given us films on Hindu-Muslim unity [MULK; 2018] and caste discrimination [ARTICLE 15; 2019] now takes up this topic for his latest hard-hitting flick, THAPPAD. The trailer has already intrigued viewers because of its storyline and the association of Taapsee Pannu and Anubhav with this project. So does THAPPAD manage to be as impactful as Anubhav’s last two films? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1078610" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Thapped-5.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> THAPPAD is the story of a woman fighting a tough battle. Amrita (Taapsee Pannu) is a housewife and is happily married to Vikram (Pavail Gulati) in Delhi. Vikram works in a reputed company and is desperately looking forward to an opportunity which will take him to London for work purposes. Amrita knows how much this means to Vikram. She loves him with all her heart and her entire life revolves around him and in attending to his mother, Sulochana (Tanvi Azmi). Thankfully for Vikram, he’s selected for the London stint. The same night, he throws a party in his house. All is going well until he gets a call from his superior, Thapar. He informs Vikram that he won’t be getting the desired profile that he’s looking for in London and that he’ll have to report to an authority there. This is not something that Vikram was initially assured. He confronts Rajhans, another superior of Vikram and who is present in the party. Things heat up between them and Amrita tries to pacify him. In the process, Vikram slaps Amrita. Her whole world comes crashing down. She tries to move on but is just not able to. Vikram shows regret when he realizes that Amrita has been hurt by his actions. He tries to console her but it doesn’t work for her. Amrita hence shifts to the house of her parents (Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah). Vikram stops her and later even comes to take her back. But she doesn’t budge. Vikram then sends a legal notice to her. Swati (Naila Grewal), the girlfriend of Amrita’s brother Karan (Ankur Rathee), suggests that Amrita should show this letter to Nethra (Maya Sarao), a reputed lawyer and Swati’s boss. Nethra suggests that Amrita should solve this issue amicably. Amrita however doesn’t want to and she insists on a divorce. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's story is superb and applause-worthy. In a society where repeated acts of violence committed by husbands on their wives is fairly common, it requires guts to pull off a film where the woman has been hit just once by the husband and yet make it seem convincing. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's screenplay (script consultant: Anjum Rajabali) helps a lot in ensuring that the audiences get persuaded to agree with the vision of the team. They very well put out the situation and how patriarchy is deeply ingrained in our psyche, not just in case of men but also women. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's dialogues are acidic and sharp and add to the impact. Some of them simplify the proceedings but that goes in favour of the film. There are lot of one-liners that will surely hit viewers and make them reflect on their own wrongdoings. Anubhav Sushila Sinha's direction is superlative. He has not just penned a great script but he has even executed it very well. The world and mood is drastically different when compared to MULK and ARTICLE 15 but he understands it and does justice. Amrita’s predicament is well established and one is bound to get moved by her struggle, especially when even her family members fail to support her. There are also several subplots and most of them are well helmed and add to the principle plot nicely. There are a few scenes where he does a fine job like Shivani (Dia Mirza) hugging Amrita, Sulochana ignoring the slap and insisting that Amrita should attend to the guests, Amrita’s father scolding his son for misbehaving with Swati, Amrita’s mother Sandhya chiding for not getting support to continue her singing career, the confrontation between the lawyers etc. On the flipside, the second half seems dragging. The makers could have done away with the track of Sulochana living separately as it just added to the subplots needlessly. Additionally, they could have fine-tuned the track of the lawyer cheating on her husband. A section of audience might find the entire bit of Vikram not apologizing to Amrita difficult to digest. It’s strange that no one from his circle suggested that he should say sorry. It’s only in the pre-climax that this issue is raised in front of him. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thappad | Public Review | Taapsee Pannu | Anubhav Sinha | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/thappad-public-review-taapsee-pannu-anubhav-sinha-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span></iframe> THAPPAD has an impressive beginning where all the supporting characters are introduced and the commonality is them having an ice-cream. Amrita’s introduction is superbly down. It does give one a déjà vu of Nishikant Kamat’s classic Marathi film DOMBIVALI FAST [2004] but it works very well here to depict what her day looks like. The highpoint is definitely the party sequence and the slap. After this scene, it might feel that the film is stagnating but those scenes are important to explain how Amrita’s life has changed drastically post the slap. The intermission point is great. Post-interval, the interest is maintained but this is where the film drags. One expects <em>dhamaka</em> when the parties come face-to-face but nothing of that sort happens. The confrontation is there and though it is sync with the film’s plot and mood, it might seem mild, especially those expecting some entertainment here. The film ends on a justified note. THAPPAD has several excellent actors but it belongs to Taapsee Pannu without a shred of doubt. She has delivered several memorable performances and this one will surely be one of her most accomplished acts! She gets completely into the skin of character, making viewers forget of her earlier performances. You forget its Taapsee when you see her dutifully performing her housewife duties. Pavail Gulati makes a fantastic debut. He looks dashing and completely suits the part. Kumud Mishra is terrific. Anubhav Sinha always extracts a fine performance from him and THAPPAD is no exception. Ratna Pathak Shah is quite subtle and makes an impact. Same with Tanvi Azmi – her dialogue in the finale sums up the film in a way. Maya Sarao is a powerhouse of talent and is an actor to watch out for. She gets her act totally right, especially her body language. Geetika Vidya (Sunita) gets to play a memorable part and she kills it. Dia Mirza has limited screen time but it works. Gracy Goswami (Sania; Shivani’s daughter) has a fine screen presence and she dances nicely. Naila Grewal, Manav Kaul (Rohit Jaisingh), Ram Kapoor (Advocate Gujral) and Ankur Rathee are fair. Harssh A Singh (Thapar), Santanu Ghatak (Vikram’s colleague Subodh), Rohan Khurana (Nethra's love interest), Sushil Dahiya (Vikram's father), Siddhant Karnick (Vikram's brother), Nidhi Uttam (Vikram's sister-in-law) and the actor playing Rajhans also do a good job. Anurag Dipali Saikia's music doesn’t have much scope. <em>'Ek Tukda Dhoop'</em> however has a nice, lingering effect. Mangesh Urmila Dhakde's background score is magnificent. The initial sequences have a jazz style music that gives a nice touch. Soumik Sarmila Mukherjee's cinematography is top-class. Vishakha Vidya Kullarwar's costumes are appealing, especially the saree worn by Taapsee in the party. Jyotika Mirpuri Aroura's make-up and hair is appropriate. Nikhil Kshipra Kovale's production design is rich. Yashpa Pushpa Ramchandani's editing could have been a tighter, but overall he has done a commendable job. On the whole, THAPPAD makes a strong statement on patriarchy and violence against women and is laced with a powerful performance by Taapsee Pannu. At the box office, it will be loved and adored by its target audience – the womenfolk.

Tiger Shroff has been in the industry since just six years but he has already become a force to reckon with thanks to his stylised and risky action stunts and a cool style. His fans have particularly loved him in the BAAGHI franchise. The first part, released in 2016, was a runaway success from day 1. BAAGHI 2 [2018] was an even bigger success, embarking upon a terrific opening [Rs. 25.10 crore] and lifetime total [Rs. 164.38 crore]. Hence, the expectations are tremendous from BAAGHI 3 where the action and scale has gone many notches higher. Interestingly, this time, Tiger’s character Ronnie is all set to battle an entire country! So does BAAGHI 3 manage to entertain and give the audiences a gala time? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1081397" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Movie-Review-Baaghi-3.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> BAAGHI 3 is the story of a man against a terrorist organization. Ronnie (Tiger Shroff) is the younger brother of Vikram (Riteish Deshmukh). Their father was a cop, Charan Chaturvedi (Jackie Shroff), who had died when both were young. Charan knew that Ronnie is braver out of the two and hence he made Ronnie promise that he'll take care of Vikram. When they grow up, Vikram joins the police force at Lohamandi Police Station, Agra. On his first day of joining, a goon named Bajwa sets a person on fire inside Lohamandi Police Station premises. Bajwa's senior IPL (Jaideep Ahlawat) comes to the rescue and the cops don't press any charges. This is because IPL is a feared criminal by locals as well as the police. IPL's main business is into kidnapping the entire families but he never asks for ransom. This has always baffled the cops. What the police doesn't know is that IPL works for Abu Jalal Gaza, the leader of Jaish-E-Lashkar, the biggest terrorist organisation of the world. They operate out of Syria and have almost taken over the country. Back in Agra, the Lohamandi Police Station gets a kidnapping complaint. Knowing that it's committed by IPL, they fear taking action. Hence, they decide to send Vikram as scapegoat. Vikram is terrified and he asks Ronnie for help. Ronnie accompanies Vikram at IPL's factory, where the kidnapped people are held. Ronnie bashes up IPL's goons by shutting off the lights. Everyone assumes that Vikram is the one responsible for beating them and for rescuing the hostages. He becomes an overnight hero. Vikram meanwhile gets married to Ruchi (Ankita Lokhande). Her sister is Siya (Shraddha Kapoor) and she starts dating Ronnie. Life is going good until the Ministry Of External Affairs sends Vikram to Syria. He's given the responsibility of getting IPL arrested and facilitate his extradition process. It seems like a fairly easy task. Vikram reaches there and this is when he gets abducted by Abu's men. With no other option, Ronnie now decides to go to Syria to rescue Ronnie. What happens next forms the rest of the film. BAAGHI 3 is partly inspired from the 2012 Tamil hit film, VETTAI. Sajid Nadiadwala's story adaptation is entertaining but stands on a weak plot. Farhad Samji's screenplay (additional screenplay by Sparsh Khetarpal, Tasha Bhambra, Madhur Sharma) is only effective in the first half. There's also a bit of novelty in terms of action and situations and that keeps the interest going. Farhad Samji's dialogues are very entertaining and witty. Ahmed Khan's direction is average. He handles the scale and grandeur with panache. BAAGHI 2 focused more on nationalism but that isn't the case here. There’s also a nice comment made on India-Pakistan brotherhood instead. Khan keeps the pace in control to ensure the film never drags. His direction is passable in the first half but in the second half, he slips. The biggest problem is that it doesn't seem like Ronnie is against a country. Also, it wasn't really a country that he is against. It is a township at best which the makers want audiences to believe is a 'country'. BAAGHI 3 begins on a bit awkward note. To show a kid Ronnie bashing up older kids violently, in a heroic style, doesn't seem convincing. However, Chaturvedi's death scene makes for a nice emotional moment. The entry of Siya is hilarious while that of adult Ronnie is too good and would be lapped up by fans. The scenes of Abu Jalal Gaza seem superficial but thankfully, the focus in the first half is on madness happening in Agra. And this makes for an entertaining watch especially how Ronnie is doing the bashing while Vikram taking the credit. The humour quotient is also nicely maintained. The scene where IPL's men abduct Ronnie and the way the latter pretends to be scared is hilarious. And then there's also an emotionally fulfilling scene involving Vikram and Tripathi (Virendra Saxena). The intermission point is when Vikram is taken away. One expects the film to go many notches higher especially with Ronnie reaches Syria. The introduction of Akhtar Lahori (Vijay Varma) also adds to the film. But from here, things get quite unconvincing especially the way Ronnie easily defeats the whole army of Abu Jalal. Zaidi seems tough but gets eliminated so easily and also foolishly. The climax has a twist that might be enjoyed by viewers. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Baaghi 3 | Public Review | Tiger Shroff | Shraddha Kapoor | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/baaghi-3-public-review-tiger-shroff-shraddha-kapoor-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, BAAGHI 3 rests on the tough shoulders of Tiger Shroff and he pulls it off like a pro, as expected. The same also goes for his comic timing. And of course, his action is simply out of the world and in that regards, his fans will surely get their money’s worth. Shraddha Kapoor looks gorgeous and gives a decent performance. She goes a bit overboard in a scene or two but overall, she seems convincing as a foul-mouthed person. However, her screen time is very limited. Also, she plays an aggressive character and ideally, she should have been given a chance to indulge in action. Riteish Deshmukh plays his part well and also adds to the fun and madness. He would be loved in the climax. Interestingly, he did a similar role in his Marathi production MAULI [2018] as well which was also a partial remake of VETTAI. Ankita Lokhande gets limited scope but has a fine screen presence. Vijay Varma is highly entertaining. Jaideep Ahlawat suits the part and has a crucial role in the pre-climax. Jameel Khoury is okay as the villain but could have been more menacing. Shifuji Shaurya Bharadwaj (Mishra) is wasted. Virendra Saxena is dependable as always. Satish Kaushik (Commissioner Chatora) and Farhad Samji (Man in toilet) raise laughs. Manav Gohil (Asif), Shriswara (Hafeeza), Danish Bhat (Bilal), Ivan Kostadinov (Abu’s henchman), Sunit Morarjee (Sharad Kute), Amit Sharma (Bajwa) and Karan Singh (Zaidi) are fair. Jackie Shroff’s cameo contributes well to the film. Disha Patani is sizzling. The music of BAAGHI 3 is decent. <em>'Dus Bahane 2.0'</em> is a great remix and is played in the end credits. <em>'Bhankas'</em> is well picturised. <em>'Do You Love Me'</em> is passable; the situation demanded a fast-paced dance song. <em>'Get Ready To Fight - Reloaded'</em> is played during action scenes. <em>'Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahaan'</em> doesn’t work. Julius Packiam's background score however elevates impact. Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran's cinematography is stunning not just in capturing Syria but also the action scenes.  Ahmed Khan's action design and Ram Chella, Laxman Chella, Kecha Khamphakdee's action choreography is splendid and keeps viewers engaged. The action gets a bit gory but a limit is maintained and visually looks great. Manini Mishra's production design is topnotch. One can see that a lot of money has been spent in ensuring that the film looks like a top-class product. Aki Narula, Karishma Gulati and Ashish Sharma's costumes (with styling by Tanya Ghavri) is appealing. Redefine, NY VFXWaala, Resonance Digital and Red Chillies.VFX's VFX is more or less fine. Rameshwar S Bhagat's editing is slick but in some places, it is needlessly jerky. On the whole, BAAGHI 3 has a terrific combination of Tiger Shroff’s powerful performance, superlative action and stunning visuals. At the box office, it will surely appeal to its target audience - the Tiger Shroff fans and the audience in smaller town and cities who relish action entertainers.

Education-based films might not seem like profitable ventures but over the past few years, several such films have tasted enormous success like SUPER 30 [2019], CHHICHHORE [2019] and HICHKI [2018]. And the film that started this trend in recent times was HINDI MEDIUM [2017]. The film was a runaway success thanks to its message, realism, humour and performances. And now producer Dinesh Vijan is back with a second part of this franchise, titled ANGREZI MEDIUM. The film has been awaited keenly mainly because it’s a comeback of sorts for Irrfan Khan, after he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour. So does ANGREZI MEDIUM manage to entertain and impress as much as HINDI MEDIUM? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1082858" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Angrezi-Medium-Review-1.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> ANGREZI MEDIUM is the story of unconditional love between a father and daughter. Champak (Irrfan Khan) is a single parent of Tarika (Radhika Madan) and is based in Udaipur. His brother is Gopi (Deepak Dobriyal) and though both have lot of love for each other, they are also involved in a legal tussle. Both run a shop named Ghasiteram Sweets and both claim to be the original shop running since generations. The matter reaches court where Justice Chheda (Zakir Hussain) gives a verdict in favour of Gopi. In a drunken state, Gopi later reveals that he bribed the judge which is why he won the case. Gajju (Kiku Sharda), a friend of the brothers, records this statement. Tarika, meanwhile, is an average student and wishes to win the scholarship offered by her school that will take her to London. She works quite hard and manages to get 85% and it makes her eligible for UK scholarship. A felicitation ceremony is held for this occasion. The chief guest here is none other than Justice Chheda. Champak, in anger, informs the crowd of the nefarious activities of Chheda, not realising that Chheda is the husband of the Principal of the school (Meghna Malik). The Principal, in anger, cancels Tarika's scholarship. Champak promises Tarika that come what may, he’ll get her admission done, that too in the college of her choice in London. Sadly, Tarika fails to get the admission from other quotas. Gopi suggests Champak that they contact Bablu (Ranvir Shorey), their childhood friend who is settled in London. Bablu comes to Udaipur on a plane ticket sponsored by Champak. He tells Champak that he can help him get British citizenship after which Tarika can get admission easily. Champak, Gopi and Tarika reach London airport. Here, Champak and Gopi are mistaken for drug dealers. They are deported back to India while Tarika is stranded in London. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Bhavesh Mandalia, Gaurav Shukla, Vinay Chhawall and Sara Bodinar's story sounds interesting on paper. Their screenplay, however, doesn’t live up to the expectations. While the writers get the father-daughter bond right, the other tracks aren’t convincing and arguably, not even necessary. Bhavesh Mandalia, Gaurav Shukla, Vinay Chhawall and Sara Bodinar's dialogues are decent and a few one-liners are witty. Homi Adajania's direction is decent. He gets brownie points for the scenes involving Champak and Gopi as these scenes and their performances elevate the impact. Also the scenes of Champak and Tarika at some places will be loved. The Indian audiences, especially the middle aged and senior citizens, would connect with the message of children often leaving them after turning adults. On the flipside, the film has too many subplots that are difficult to digest. Audiences will find it strange that Champak and Gopi are business rivals and even fighting it out in the court. But at the same time, they even drink and hang out together like best of buddies. Not just that, Gopi doesn’t even mind when Champak leaks his video where the latter brags that he bribed the judge! The manner in which Champak and Gopi get deported over a misunderstanding seems stupid. Tarika, meanwhile, gets settled in London and finds a job and house, even before her admission is done. She doesn’t ask Champak even once how they’ll manage to procure funds. Also the track of Naina and her mother Mrs. Kohli (Dimple Kapadia) seem totally unwanted. Audiences never come to know why they are at loggerheads. ANGREZI MEDIUM starts on an average note, depicting the life of Champak and Tarika, and also the feud between Champak and Gopi. The latter part seems bewildering though as their love-hate relationship. A few scenes here stand out like a drunken Tarika accusing Champak of being intoxicated, the madness at the court and at the school ceremony. The father-daughter bond touches viewers. The intermission point is unconvincing. Post-interval, the film drops at places thanks to too many confusing developments and too many subplots. Thankfully, a few genuinely novel moments stand out here like Tarika turning her T-shirt into a crop top to fit in among her new London friends, Gopi tying Champak to his bed and Champak and Gopi rescuing Mrs. Kohli and later singing Happy Birthday song for her. Also the finale might leave viewers teary eyed. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Angrezi Medium | Public Review | Irrfan Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Madan | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/angrezi-medium-public-review-irrfan-khan-kareena-kapoor-khan-radhika-madan-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Irrfan Khan delivers a top-notch performance. He seems completely in form and ensures that he makes audiences laugh and moist eyed. Deepak Dobriyal too is superb and his chemistry with Irrfan saves the film to a huge extent. Radhika Madan has a fine screen presence and gives a fine performance. Her dialogue delivery, however, is difficult to comprehend at few places. Kareena Kapoor Khan looks great but is underutilised and same goes for Dimple Kapadia. Ranvir Shorey gets some scope in the second half and excels. Pankaj Tripathi (Tony) tries too hard but manages to raise laughs. Kiku Sharda is dependable. Zakir Hussain, Meghna Malik, Manu Rishi (Bheluram), Ankit Bisht (Anmol) and Manish Gandhi (Advait) are fine. Tillotama Shome (Counsellor) leaves a mark and deserved more screen time. Sachin-Jigar's music is disappointing. <em>'Ek</em> <em>Zindagi'</em> works well as per the situation. The rest of the songs are forgettable. Sachin-Jigar's background score is however quite better. Anil Mehta's cinematography is appropriate. Smriti Chauhan's costumes are real and the transformation of Radhika once she moves to London is effective. Bindiya Chhabria's production design is quite good. A Sreekar Prasad's editing is nothing great and suffers because of loopholes in the script. On the whole, ANGREZI MEDIUM works only because of Irrfan Khan and Deepak Dobriyal's chemistry and also due to some touching moments. At the box office, HINDI MEDIUM’s goodwill and Irrfan's comeback will ensure decent footfalls for the movie over the weekend.

Canadian tennis ace Eugenie Bouchard's tendency to pick dates online is set to become the theme of an upcoming Hollywood romantic comedy.

According to report in The Canadian Press, a script based on Eugenie's date with one of her Twitter followers, John Goehrke, who won a bet on the 2017 Super Bowl, is already being worked upon.

The couple continued to meet thereafter for more dates. However, this story has an update with Eugenie, 26, recently deciding to go on another random date with an online fan.

During an Instagram chat last week, Eugenie, agreed to go on a date with a fan named Bob, who donated GBP 3,210 (Rs 2.7 lakh) to help feed hospital staff battling the Coronavirus pandemic.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

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Working out, washing utensils, watching movies and playing Ludo online -� these are some of the few activities which ace Indian batter Smriti Mandhana is indulging during the lockdown period in place as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak.

In a one-minute 38 second video shared by the BCCI, Mandhana has revealed her day to day activities in order to make sure how she makes the most of the lockdown period currently in place in the entire country.

WATCH📽ï¸Â: Lockdown Diaries with Smriti Mandhana 👊

Workouts, troubling her brother, Ludo & a lot more. @mandhana_smriti reveals how she is keeping herself engaged indoors🏠🏋ï¸Â‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ‘Œ

Full Video 👉 https://t.co/e7EyhdNh3h

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 13, 2020

She is working out as per the training schedule given by Team India trainer. "Staying fit is very important, so I am working out. I keep in touch with the trainer and receive the feedback. He keeps sending us (all Indian players) all the workouts that we need to follow."

"The other thing I like is spending time with my family. We love playing cards. I help my mother with cooking. I guess washing utensils has become a part of my daily routine. However, my favourite pass time is to trouble my brother," said the left-handed Indian batswoman.

"The third thing which is love is watching movies. I am a big movie buff. So, I make sure I watch two-three movies a week, not many because I don't want to get addicted. I want to spend time with my family.

"The best thing which I love doing the most at home is sleeping. I make sure I sleep for at least 10 hours to keep myself happy the entire day," she added.

The star Indian batswoman also urged people to stay indoors during the lockdown. "Stay home, stay safe and keep yourself physically and mentally fit."

India has been in lockdown since March 25, a step taken in order to stop the spread of coronavirus which has so far claimed more than 300 lives in the country. However, with an upstage in number of infected people, the lockdown is likely to be extended further after Tuesday.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Jeremy Latcham has an important role to play. Entertainment One has inked a first-look deal with Marvel Studios alum Jeremy Latcham, with Dungeons & Dragons set as the first project.

Jungle Cruise's Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt to star in Ball and Chain, Marc Guggenheim to script Prophet.

Here are the movie still of Karthi's upcoming Tamil movie Kaithi.

Here are the movie stills from the upcoming Tamil movie, Harish Kalyan and Digangana Suryavanshi.

XAVC is an open recording format that was introduced by Sony Inc that want to make XAVC products like Sony PMW-F55, Sony PMW-F5. XAVC/ XAVC S video format can keep footages in 4K resolution (4096*2160 and 3840*2160) at up to 60...

While Amrutharamam got a direct OTT release, five other Telugu movies like DK Bose, RED, Orey Bujjiga, V and Nishabdham are said to be gearing up to hit the internet without a theatrical release.

News about Tarak teaming up with Prashanth Neel has been doing rounds for some time and finally, it looks like the platform is set for the project to go on floors.

Fun though it may be, this collection of out-takes is never quite the sum of its parts

War films 1917 and the upcoming Painted Bird are the latest entries in a sub-genre driven by relentless adversity and survival

Academy makes exemption to rule over screening films in cinemas

Film screenings are becoming ever more inventive, with fine dining, unusual venues and even hot tubs thrown in to lure audiences. But for Antonia Quirke, nothing can match the downbeat charm of a black-box cinema on a weekday afternoon  

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Taika Waititi already reinvigorated the Thor franchise. Now he’s looking to do the same for Star Wars. Waititi is probably best-known for directing “Thor: Ragnarok” — easily the best of the Thor movies and one of the most delightful films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More recently, he wrote and directed the Nazi comedy “Jojo […]

Tom Cruise is talking to SpaceX about taking the ultimate step to top his crazy movie stunts, Apple and Google’s exposure notification API will not provide access to detailed location data and we survey seven VCs about the new media landscape. Here’s your Daily Crunch for May 5, 2020. 1. Tom Cruise reportedly talking to […]

From original films to Prime movies, here's what you need to watch.

Imelda Staunton has gushed about her time filming Downton Abbey: The Movie.

The princess, daughter of George V and Queen Mary,  will be played by Kate Phillips in the feature-length adaptation of Downton Abbey which will use her home in West Yorkshire in its set.

The actor, 55, teased the possibility of a second Downton Abbey movie being made in the future, as he discussed the feature film with The Mirror on Wednesday.

Dame Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess Crawley and  Downton Abbey newcomer Imelda Staunton are set to  face off in a battle of wills in a new dramatic new teaser clip from the upcoming film

In an exclusive first look at the film Thomas struggles to hide his fury as he asked to step aside, and snaps that he 'won't be a sort of anything.'