Five Feet Apart
U/A: Drama romance
Director: Justin Baldoni
Cast: Cole Sprouse, Haley Lu Richardson
Ratings: 

Justin Baldoni's film latches on to cystic fibrosis (CF) for its cause, and makes two teens go through the motions of suffering from the disease to develop its romance and effect. CF is a disease that makes its victim struggle for every breath. Those suffering from it rarely survive beyond the age of 10. So, of course, go ahead and blame advances in modern medicine for allowing the two protagonists to live on as teenagers.

They obviously can't risk any infection, and more so from the disease's fellow-sufferers, who are considered high-risk. At all times, they are meant to be separated by latex gloves; no touching, and six feet between them, at all times. The villain here is the disease; not parents or society.

The first rule to be violated is that of the distance. It conveniently becomes five feet, at the heroine's suggestion. Though the film's main premise is about keeping the protagonists interested and engaged in each other, despite their restrictions, it takes plenty of liberties while trying to establish their connect. They even break away from the hospital's restrictions and risking death when heading on a freakish date in snowy conditions. While they cavort in the snow with no care, viewers hold their breath watching their tragedy unfold amidst compulsive melodrama.

Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) treats the hospital as her second home. She is aware of her disease, stays strictly within her regimen, and looks forward to extending her life (through a lung transplant that offers her five years) while carrying the hope that a new cure may be developed. Her best friend Poe (Moises Arias) is back in the hospital and has his own relationship problems to grapple with. Will (Cole Sprouse), another teenage CF patient, receives an experimental drug to take care of his B-cepacia infection. While Stella is hyper-cooperative with those treating her, Poe and Will cope differently. Will, a cynic and rebel, is persuaded by Stella to keep up with his regimen. Of course, you know where this is going to end, but Baldoni lays on a few surprises along the way.

The director may have gotten his inspiration for this film from his documentary titled My Last Days, about the terminally ill. Reportedly, screenwriters Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis developed it further while Rachel Lippincott churned it into a best-selling novel later. Baldoni kick-starts the narrative with no-nonsense flair, zooming in on Stella and her friends as they party before she must return to her dreaded hospital routine.

Baldoni and cinematographer Frank G DeMarco keep the narrative bright and cosy, straying away from medical restrictions to chart a course that has the young hopefuls straining at every bit. The production design makes the setting look luxurious; unlike regular hospital set-ups. The actors are amiable; able enough to gather empathy without going heavy-duty about their woes. This is a genre flick meant to ply on your sympathies and does the job efficiently.

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The Tashkent Files
U/A; Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Director: Vivek Agnihotri
Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Naseeruddin Shah, Shweta Basu Prasad, Mandira Bedi, Pallavi Joshi, Rajesh Sharma, Vinay Pathak, Pankaj Tripathi, Vishwa Mohan Badola, Prakash Belawadi, Achint Kaur, Prashant Gupta
Ratings: 

Based on true incidents, director Vivek Agnihotri's Tashkent Files, is a fictionalised film with cinematic liberties. In form, it is a blend between a courtroom drama and an online game with different task levels. In purpose, while seeking answers to the mysterious death of India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who died on January 11, 1966, in Tashkent, it implores you, as a citizen of the nation, to question for, "your right to truth".

The film has a kind of stark simplicity: Apart from a brief set-up and a briefer epilogue, a major portion of the film takes place within the four walls of an inquiry commission which is so akin to a jury room, as nine prominent and responsible citizens headed by politician Shyam Sundar Tripathi (Mithun Chakarobarty) debate on the "common conspiracy theory", that surrounds Shastri's demise.

It is an open fact, and no denying it, that there have been various theories surrounding the mysterious death. The Shyam Sundar Tripathi Commission is set up after the investigative journalist Raagini Phule (Shweta Basu Prasad) is coerced by an anonymous well-wisher cum source, into writing an article that digs into the nation's past.

The well-wisher dishes out nuggets of information via a telephonic conversation which appear like stages of an online game.

Soon, Raagini is also roped into the Commission for being a journalist who has done a lot of investigation on the subject. She propels the narrative and drives home her point based on the Mitrokhin Archive II, which is a collection of handwritten notes made secretly by the Russian KGB defector Vasili Mitrokhin.

Dedicated to the journalists of India, the film, on the face of it appears balanced, but the tone and texture of the narrative definitely appear slanted. Sample this; "Gau bhakt, topi pehnewala baba, kaun the?" This question subtly and surely ignites a sense of underlying brotherhood that forces an ignorant viewer to seek the truth.

And so, on the pretext of speaking the truth, the narrative digs out the bitter and indigestible political history of our country. Also, while smirking at our democracy and our education system, the film makes each one of us feel guilty as it opens a Pandora's Box but shows us nothing that we are not aware of. And the last frame, stating that the facts mentioned in the Mitrokhin Archives have not been proved or verified till date, clearly shows that the plot along with the dialogues, is clever and manipulative.

This is a film where tension comes from personality conflict, dialogue and body language, not action. The drama within the confines of the claustrophobic room appear forced and staged.

On the performance front, the film is Shweta Basu Prasad's canvas. She is effective as the ambitious, yet vulnerable Raagini. She holds her steady against the dynamic Mithun Chakraborty, who gives an equally new and varied dimension to his Shyam Sundar Tripathi.

The duo are aptly supported by an ensemble cast which includes; Pankaj Tripathi as Gangaram Jha, Mandira Bedi as the social activist Indira Joseph Roy, Pallavi Joshi on a wheelchair as the historian Aiysha Ali Shah, Rajesh Sharma as a prominent government contractor Omkar Kashyap, Vishwa Mohan Badola as the aging Justice Kurian Abraham, Prakash Belawadi as the senior bureaucrat GK Anantha Suresh and Prashant Gupta as Vivendra Pratap Singh Rana, all members of the commission.

Naseeruddin Shah as the master brain politician PKR Natrajan and Vinay Pathak with a scarred visage as Mukhtar, the person who helps Shweta unearth the mystery in Tashkent, have their moments of onscreen glory.

Mounted with ace production values, the visuals of the film do not boast of any cinematic brilliance. The songs with the lyrics, "saare jahan se achcha" and "sach jalta hain" are lost in the narrative.

Overall, with aggressive pacing, the film is well-researched and potent in nature. But with the timing of its release and the undertones in its messaging, this film appears to be a propaganda film that neither ignites any patriotic fervour nor journalistic appeal.

Also Read: Vivek Agnihotri's The Tashkent Files lands in legal trouble

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Pet Sematary

U/A: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Director: Dennis Widmyer, Kevin Kolsch
Cast: Jete Laurence, Hugo Lavoie, Jason Clarke, Lucas Lavoie, Amy Seimetz
Rating: 

The 1989 version of Pet Sematary based on the 1983 Stephen King novel, was certainly no classic but it was a cheesy horror tale powered by a solid performance from Fred Gwynne and the title song from the Ramones was quite rage. Given the cult popularity of horror films today, it's no surprise that even such an unremarkable representative of the genre gets recast for the GenNext voyeurs of horror thrills. Co-directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer don't have much of a challenge on their hands, given the fact that there's no attempt being made here to tell the story from a different vantage point.

Dr Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz), eight-year-old daughter Ellie (Jete Laurence), two-year-old son Gage (Hugo and Lucas Lavoie) and pet cat Church—relocate to a rustic home in the quaint rural town of Ludlow, Maine. Though there's plenty of land, with a mysterious pet cemetery and a strange bog behind the home there's not much of it in front - with a state highway running through right at the curb just off their driveway. So one would think that responsible parents would take the trouble of checking out their abode and taking the necessary precautions before moving in.

Check out the trailer here:

Such deliberate contrivance is of course a given for a horror film attempting to spook you by suggestions rather than facts. Soon enough the pet cat gets crushed under a speeding mammoth and the grieving Dr Clarke, helped on by friendly neighbour Jud Crandall(John Lithgow) takes the cat to be buried near the mysterious bog which apparently has mystical powers of resurrecting the dead. A rather convenient ploy to give wandering souls a rejuvenated body to do evil. The rest of it is rather brutal.

The film, as the book, is riddled with plenty of plot holes but King's book at least had a descriptive set-up that kept the interest going. The film doesn't have much exposition. The wife's torment from a traumatic experience during childhood is represented through hallucinatory flashbacks and the tragedies that befall the Creed family just keep piling up soon after they move in. The directors and writer Jeff Buhler, make a few deviations but they play out as altogether facile and non-requiting. The actors do their job well but the narrative doesn't create enough empathy for us to be worried about their fate. Closing it out with a Starcrawler cover of the Ramones's original theme may stir up some nostalgia but that's not going to spook you. Even King's original denouement gets replaced and that makes this particular effort altogether superficial.

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Hellboy
U/A: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Neil Marshall
Cast: David Harbour, Ian McShane, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim
Rating: 

This latest adaptation of the Mike Mignola comic book is a reboot and not a sequel. Most of the sequences and plot points take for granted that- the viewer is familiar with the story. This film has a rather peculiar blend of history, myth, supernatural and occult playing peekaboo in a narrative that opens up in the past and flashes forward to the post-modern present with rather too much haste. We see a time when everything is acceptable including the paranormal, the other-worldly, different dimensions and the freak. We see Hellboy with horns, crimson skin, and thorny attitude passed out in a Mexican bar or observing a wrestling match and he doesn't raise any eyebrows. And just as we get familiar with the characters and interested in the theme we are subjected to a flashback and that's the pattern we are exposed to throughout this rather jerky, coarse re-imagining of the Hellboy universe. The real problem here is that there's just too much back story and not much of going forward.

Hellboy of course looks more or less the same. The overall look is replicated from the original – this one though looks more worn and unkempt. Hellboy (David Harbour) works with his adoptive father Professor Broom (Ian McShane) at the B.P.R.D, an organization devoted to investigating and generally exterminating paranormal threats. The gruff Superhero heads to England when called upon by the Osiris club to help nullify the Blood Queen's(Milla Jovovich) demonic plot to resurrect herself and bring ruin upon the world.

Check out the trailer here:

The narrative jumps from one plot point to another without acquiring much coherence. We get it that the Blood Queen is part of the main conflict here but by the time she gets into her stride the narrative gets all rushed up and the ensuing melee doesn't have much engagement. Andrew Cosby's screenplay writes in some inner conflict for Hellboy but it doesn't translate all that well on screen. Even the other main characters don't have smooth enough arcs. Neil Marshall is no Guillermo Del Toro and his vision for the action here is also not consistent enough- even though there are a few flashes of brilliance. David Harbour's performance, lacks the confident stamp of authority that Ron Perlman's did. Some of the CGI effects are good but there are moments when they look conspicuous and patched on. Too many characters, too many plot threads and just as many merges between the unimaginable, plagues this tale of a superhero winding his way through tales of legends and destiny - ending it with cataclysmic bedlam that works out to be a rather chaotic gory mess!

Also Read: Milla Jovovich said yes to Hellboy for this reason

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The Tashkent Files
U/A: Mystery
Director: Vivek Angnihotri
Cast: Shweta Basu Prasad, Mithun Chakroborty
Ratings: 

Guess who's watched Steven Spielberg's The Post (2017), based on the New York Times' Pentagon Papers revelation, given that an envelope filled with a certain case-file (in this film) mysteriously lands up on a newspaper reporter's desk, piquing curiosity, and leading finally to an exposé as front-page news the following day. There is also a gravelly voice of the unknown "source", guiding the journalist in this film, all through the case. The anonymous caller refers to the reporter as his Deep Asset. He seems more like Deep Throat himself.

And so the other mother of political-journalistic dramas, Alan Pakula's All The President's Men (1976), on the Watergate scandal, has also been dutifully checked. If anything, the brief for Naseeruddin Shah, who plays a wily minister, spouting one-liners on the murky art of politics, may well have been Kevin Spacey from House Of Cards.

That said, The Tashkent Files, beyond all else, is essentially modelled on Sidney Lumet's courtroom drama 12 Angry Men (1957), which was brazenly, blatantly lifted by Basu Chatterjee's Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986) - without any context whatsoever, given that jury trials had already been abolished in Indian courts by late '60s, early '70s.

To be fair, this film provides some background to why a grand-jury/committee has been appointed by the government - with that young newspaper reporter herself on board! Never mind. Actor Shweta Basu Prasad plays this lead role, and she does a fine job, by the way. So does everyone else - Mithun Chakroborty, Pankaj Tripathi, Prakash Belawadi, Pallavi Joshi, Mandira Bedi - in what's a rather fine line-up for any film.

The aim is to probe supposedly strange circumstances under which Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's second Prime Minister, died in his hotel/chalet in Uzbekistan (then USSR), after sealing a deal with Pakistan, post 1965 war. Was Shastri poisoned? Or did he die of cardiac arrest, as officially recorded? The group in the room delves into this mystery, presumably 53 years after the event!

Frankly, call it propaganda if you will, we must welcome this genre, regardless of the quality of recent output, that have mainly targeted folk from Congress - right from a tiny portion of Sacred Games (Rajiv Gandhi), to films like Indu Sarkar (Indira Gandhi), The Accidental Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh, Sonia, plus Rahul Gandhi) - putting faces to actual names, without fear, even if on account of (currying) favour.

Sure, this goes down well with the current dispensation, otherwise trigger-happy with censorship of all kinds, films foremost. The fact is that, barring notable exceptions, Indian, or at least Hindi cinema, has been bereft of robust political commentary, and an iron curtain has been lifted from an unexpected quarter.

God knows deaths of Shastri, or for that matter, Subhash Chandra Bose (also widely referred to in this pic) aren't the only local mysteries. There have been many question marks over possibly political motives behind several prominent deaths, some of them more recent: Haren Pandya, Lalit Narayan Mishra, Justice Loya, Gauri Lankesh … This is apart from a staggering number of politicians who keep dying in either car or copter crashes (Munde, Pilot, Scindia, etc).

The meat of the material (book-quotes, interviews) on Shastri's demise, before the writer-director (Vivek Agnihotri) - most of them apparently accessible to public - is however scant enough to be reproduced (as is, with a voice-over) in a 15-min video. Rather than sit through over a two-and-half-hour long feature, that in its effort to spin a thriller, instead of grabbing you by the eye-balls, throws up such garbled, gunny-bag gyanpatti, so much bak-bak, you constantly feel like stepping out of the hall of darkness, for a smoke break (no; don't wanna know what the filmmakers were smoking).

And so practically everyone sitting in this 12 Angry Men style committee is essentially a terrorist: "intellectual terrorist," (historian), "social terrorist" (NGO activist), "judicial terrorist" (retired judge), "TRP terrorist" (print journalist!), "racial terrorist" (someone who judges people for their religion, which incidentally is not a race anyway)…

If you must know more: There is call-back to 26/11 attacks, parliament attacks, CWG, 2G (scams)… So-called secular folk will apparently come with a fauj (army) to go after everyone in this country. "Bloody, heartless, capitalists," savages will kill us with fries and cola. And socialism is the ultimate evil, anyway.

This, coming from a filmmaker, who I'm told popularised the term "urban naxal" on Twitter, referring to the relatively affluent, who care for the completely marginalised - arguing that this is all done with the intent of destroying the 'nation'! Not going to judge him personally. He's allowed his hate/opinion, or general lack of empathy. Certainly not falling into that Twitter trap.

But this is the sort of know-all, grand con-spiracy theory picture - regurgitating catch-phrases like "presstitutes", "Lutyens Delhi," "fake news" - that emanates from a world-view wholly derived from spending far too much time on social media.

The gist of this juvenilia (that 15-min vid) is at best, currently Juhu-Versova's version of JFK then, ideally forwarded on your uncle's Whatsapp group. No, nobody's reopening any files for this, or getting rattled up to relook at laws (as was the case with the Oliver Stone masterpiece). A whole lot might just get bored, though. I'm just waiting for this genre to grow. Baby steps, I guess.

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The Curse Of The Weeping Woman
U/A: Horror, mystery
Director: Michael Chaves
Cast: Linda Cardellini, Patricia Velasquez, Sean Thomas
Ratings: 

This film, derived from a Latin American folk tale, has been force-fitted into the Conjuring-Annabelle universe. Writers Mikki Daughty and Tobias Iaconis, and director Michael Chaves turn a demented criminal act into grist for an insidious tale involving a social worker working with abandoned wives. The film bears the brunt of this conspired opportunism.

The narrative opens with the origin of the folklore in 17th century Mexico, where it is showcases a beautiful woman (abandoned by her husband) in a fit of jealous rage, drowns their two male offsprings, kills herself and then roams around as a restless weeping ghost, seeking to replace her dead children by sacrificing other kids. The Curse Of The Weeping Woman leaps to 1973 Los Angeles, a convenient period that hopes to link-up a priest from the Annabelle world and transports him into the weeping woman miniverse.

A recent cop-widow Anna (Linda Cardellini), who works for Child Protective Services, has just been entrusted with the task of rescuing two young boys - Sam and Chris from their abusive mother, Patricia Alvarez (Patricia Velasquez). Anna puts the boys in a home for the evening, hoping they would feel secure and comforted in the care of professionals. But a late night call from the cops tells a different story. The boys are dead and Alvarez holds Anna accountable.

Watch the trailer of The Curse Of The Weeping Woman:

The malevolent ghost - a typically yellow-eyed blotchy-skinned bride weeping icky black tears starts haunting the boys. The jump-scares don't have the power to scare the audience, but it definitely makes the children sweat. The opening and shutting of doors and windows accompanied by sound effects don't scale up the scares either.

The set-up is intriguing enough but the visions are feeble and the horror quotient is laughable. Anna claims she is a non-believer, but when her children are affected and strange things begin to happen, she seeks help from a curandero - a former priest turned shaman, Rafael Olvera (Raymond Cruz), who uses his skills to keep fear at bay. Cardellini and Cruz do their best to make this trope happy formulaic poser an efficient one, but alas!

Also Read: Kalank Movie Review: A great cinematic experience, but is it worth a watch?

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Avengers: Endgame
U/A:  Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson
Rating: 

Avengers: Endgame, undoubtedly the most anticipated film of recent year's, lives up to most expectations. This film is a befitting finale for the decades-old, 21 films, Marvel Cinematic Universe that heralded the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Together they formed the original Avengers team while the newer allies and villains added more power to subsequent outings. This may not be a non-stop action spectacle. Instead, what we get is a well- proportioned, engagingly structured narrative that spreads out its content and thrills in momentous expansiveness, End game basically posits a finale worthy of the superhero characters it promotes. Marvel's time-travelling sci-fi adventure saga throws up a few surprises too along the way.

The story is rather basic - After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which ended with Thanos getting all of the six Infinity Stones and then using them to wipe out half of existence, including beloved heroes like Black Panther, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man. The surviving heroes go through a period of self-recrimination, hopelessness, heartache and self-doubt before they take the necessary steps to reverse Thanos' actions, they're fatalism keeps us grounded.  

Also Read: Box Office report: Avengers: Endgame sells 1 million advance tickets in India

The script by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely among others, is surprisingly inventive, fraught with emotion and funny. The performances live up to the iconoclastic expectations of the fans while the CGI and effects lend whole new meaning and dimension to quantum physics and chaos theory. The film is a sort of nirvana for the thousands of people who sweated night and day to make such a unique and unprecedented experience come good. Endgame has a much slower, deliberate pace allowing for deeper character development and strong motivations while developing intensity and attachment all the way through. A major portion of the action happens only towards the last half hour of a nearly 3-hour runtime – yet, doesn't feel bloated or unnecessarily expanded.

Also read: Avengers: Endgame Box Office Prediction: Will the film open at Rs 50 crore in India?

This film incorporates beloved elements from earlier outings and recalls character beats, origins, and sub-plots while adding texture and complexity to the inter-galactic drama envisioned as homage to the never-say-die superhero spirit. Alan Silvestri's amazing background score elevates the intensity and involvement. The helming by the Russo brothers is also quite remarkable – creating a well-sprung of entreaty that is truly an event!

Also Read: Avengers Endgame release: A look at how Avengers films fared at the Indian box office

Check out the Avengers: Endgame trailer here:

Also Read: Critics review Avengers: Endgame, say it's 'everything you want it to be and more'

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Avengers: Endgame
U/A: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson
Rating: 

How does one put together words about a film that, for all practical purposes, anything and everything you write, is likely to be misconstrued/diagnosed as a spoiler?

Suffice it to know that this expectedly dramatic conclusion of Marvel's three-part Infinity Saga is a relatively internalised, deep and sober film, concerned more with the motivations of super-heroes, the choices before them, and what they should pick, in order to take on super-villain Thanos—of course.

For one, the earth is a much quieter place, since as you're aware, its species have been annihilated, decimated by Devil Thanos, ever since he got his hands on the infinity stones, and went on to execute the bizarre plan of supposedly ethical ethnic cleansing—randomly ridding planets of half its populations, to make them more sustainable, by restoring balance of sorts, as it were.

Of course, there will be survivors. And Iron Man or Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), to start with, is thankfully rescued or reunited with the human family back home. So is Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Both of them, like all the others, seem to be somberly dealing with the aftermath of a universal tragedy.

Surely, you have your own favourites from this cinematic universe (and how can Iron Man not top that list?). But there's something about the inherent cuteness of Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) that saves this franchise's final installment from turning into a complete depresso—left to be downed over rounds of espresso, what with the screen-time running three hours plus.

Also Read: Box Office report: Avengers: Endgame sells 1 million advance tickets in India

Indians might thank their theatres for the usually hated interval. I caught it without one, but didn't miss it either. There's enough material here to keep you engaged, even if to wonder, on occasion, if some of it makes any sense. You may or may not be impressed with the long drawn explanations, but you're only too happy to go with it.

Frankly, I'm no Marvel fanboy/fanatic—if the movie-world is indeed divided into two types, then more the DC demographic. That said, there is an infectious verve and energy that multiple super-heroes bring to this cinematic universe that is hard to not be swayed by, even if an individual or sub-set, Guardians Of Galaxy in particular, may be difficult to appreciate on their own.

Check out the Avengers: Endgame trailer here:

Avengers: Endgame does a fine job of navigating a reasonably cogent script without over-populating the screen. Avengers: Infinity War seemed more overwrought in comparison. I re-watched portions of the 2018 prequel on my phone (for quick revision), which of course means I didn't watch it at all.

For, at the end of the day, battle sequences and pyrotechnics is the point of it all, isn't it? Endgame, despite all the philosophy, is not an exception. It shines gloriously as 3D spectacle on the IMAX screen, ideally viewed from the third-row, from the back—and if you're not on IMAX, then the third row from the front—for a stunningly immersive experience, with such depth of field that the points where the camera focuses on a river, the ripples flowing towards you, you almost feel like you can wade through the frickin' water!

I know, don't need to put in a word (spoilers be damned). Suffice it to know that seldom has the excitement of audiences entering a theatre, matched by those exiting, after a hugely hyped pic. Endgame equals its astounding anticipation. And that's saying a whole lot!

Also read: Avengers: Endgame Box Office Prediction: Will the film open at Rs 50 crore in India?

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AB Aani cd
On: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Milind Lele
Cast: Vikram Gokhale, Subodh Bhave, Amitabh Bachchan
Rating: 

Now this is such a 'meta' movie. Just look at it this way. There's an old man here. His family treats him like dirt. Regulars around are equally indifferent towards him. It's only when a rumour starts flying that this supposedly common-man is friends with the cinema superstar Amitabh Bachchan, that his stocks rise. His daughters-in-law take his existence more seriously.

Which is what happened to me (and might happen to you as an audience) with this film. I wouldn't have taken this Marathi movie (that has dropped directly on Amazon Prime instead of waiting for a theatrical release) seriously had it not been for the presence of Bachchan (or AB). Bachchan takes half the space in the picture's poster. The film's title refers to AB, And (Aani) CD, as in the lead character, Chandrakant Deshpande.

Except, Bachchan is really not there in this film. In the same way that he is actually not the lead character Chandrakant's friend in the film either — for all the attention that the old gent accidentally garners from that possibility! Does that make sense, from a meta point of view? To me it does.

What else to do besides amuse oneself thus, given that there's little to appreciate by way of filmmaking standards in general here — laden with predictive-text screenwriting, plus television-like camerawork. That said, essential that we don't confuse issues that we have with a movie, with the issues that it intends to highlight. One can totally feel for the latter, while holding on to the former.

In that sense, this is a film about neglect of the aged, since this is no society for old men. And it talks about fakeness of a celebrity culture that attributes value to an individual, merely for their proximity/association with a public figure. God knows we see both these things around us all the time. So as a story it's closer to being the Marathi 'Baghban' (2003), if you may; at the same time its point doesn't fall too far from, say, the Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan starrer Billu (2009).

Neither of which were masterpieces, of course. But there was a certain visceral connect that Baghban had that would've flown past me if it wasn't for an old man, who was sobbing all through, sitting next to me at the theatre when I first watched that film. From a mainstream point of view Baghban was possibly the most impactful Bachchan movie in the early 2000s phase of his career. Quite similar to perhaps Rajesh Khanna in the same mould, in Avtar (1983) — no relation to James Cameron's Avatar, that Govinda believes was offered to him by the way!

Watch the trailer of Amitabh Bachchan starrer AB Aani CD Here:

Don't know if a Baghban like subject explains Bachchan agreeing to a minute-long cameo in this pic. Or is it the matured, Marathi actor playing the lead character here. It's been a minimum couple of decades at a stretch, surely. If I were to close my eyes and imagine the visual archetype for a dignified, Indian, educated, old family-man, with lines on his face that tell a common story, and a demeanour that captures the general ethos of the great desi middle class, I think the person who will show up is Vikram Gokhale — the man at the centre of this film.

There is something so real about him, and yet unique that he doesn't continuously merge with all the movies where he's played similar roles in (unlike, perhaps, Rajiv Verma, if you recall the rich daddy from Maine Pyar Kiya!).

Gokhale is a bona fide lead actor in Marathi cinema, which has been of fairly low quality over the past decade or so, compared to its rich cousin, Bollywood, next-door. It'd be triply 'meta' if the 79-year-old Gokhale doesn't get his due because of films like these.

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Extraction
On: Netflix
Director: Sam Hargrave
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Randeep Hooda
Rating: 

Takes a bit of an insider to know exactly how Bombay beat-cops randomly harass young adults milling around, minding their own business, outside clubs/bars past midnight — as if that's the biggest crime in town.

That scene, so representative of the city's dying night life, occurs rather early on in Extraction. By the look of it, it is shot in Bombay — set in a lane that could easily pass off for back-alley of what used to be Elbo (and is now Glass) Room in Bandra.

Only that this is a proper, hardcore Hollywood production, directed by a first-timer (Sam Hargrave) who, until this shoot, had probably never been to India. The hero, Australian-born Chris Hemsworth, tops the world's highest paid actors' lists, and is widely adjudged 'world's sexiest man alive' in the western press. The script — or rather the lack of it (sadly) — is written by Joe of the Russo Brothers — their last film as directors being Avengers: Endgame (naam toh suna hoga!).

Up until that point in the film I speak of (above), the dialogues in Extraction are mainly in Hindi. This carries on for long passages in the picture thereafter; including a whole lot of Bengali, as the action in the film altogether, ostensibly, shifts to Dhaka.

What's there not to be pleasantly gob-smacked by all this shudh 'desiness' going on in a thoroughbred global stunt-actioner? But I speak too soon. For, the moment those fellows in police uniform approach a few kids outside a Bombay bar, one of the boys in the group is abducted, others shot at. And the thriller cuts to such a frantic chase, that all there's left to it are a series of set-pieces, involving grenades, gun-fires and mortal combat.

No issues with that, of course. Just that this is so much of a (critic-proof) genre film, it seems the filmmakers couldn't care two hoots about every moment from thereon — flowing as generically as the audiences would ever imagine them to.

But for the setting, obviously. Which, truth be told, is essentially a white man's gaze at what a rat-hole the size of hell would look like, with the military and ragtag militias being one and the same thing. Guns going off on streets all day, people flocking and flopping like packs of sardines or lemmings off cliffs. This is supposed to be Bangladesh on any given day. Though, am told this was shot in Ahmedabad.

Watch the trailer of Extraction trailer here

Recalling how some Indians outraged over poverty-porn in Slumdog Millionaire, as if Danny Boyle had built a set to defame Bombay (he hadn't; it was what it was) — desis should take mass offence at the portrayal of Dhaka. Relax, that's a joke; suggesting no such thing! This is a frickin' movie. Watch it for that — just as others will.

What you'll appreciate then is the sort of fire-power and raw energy that laces this dusty stunner throughout. For its setting, this is probably a Rohit Shetty actioner to the power 10, in terms of gritty realism. And maybe there's a template in it somewhere for something desi in the Fast and Furious space.

Basically, Sam Hargrave has come into direction after a heavy body of work as stunt coordinator in Hollywood. A story-line may not artistically be his strongest point. But hell yeah, he knows a thing or two about action.

As does Hemsworth — a one-man army, running around here with a loaded arms factory, ensuring bang for the buck. Speaking of which, ideally, this Netflix film would've been best enjoyed in a theatre. This must also be said for the relatively under-rated, but much superior Netflix thriller, Triple Frontier (2019). That was about a huge robbery, involving a Colombian drug-lord, gone bizarre. This one involves Hemsworth's character being hired to 'extract' or rescue the abducted son of 'Bombay's Escobar', who's been kidnapped by 'Dhaka's Escobar' (accha!). Besides the entire city of Dhaka, along with all exit routes closed, Hemsworth has to also take on the Indian don's henchman — for reasons that should only be unlocked by viewers.

Randeep Hooda plays this feisty antagonist — full-on kicking ass, firing on all cylinders, opposite Hemsworth, no less — in Steven Seagal hairdo from the '80s. That's where this film deliberately belongs, too. Pankaj Tripathi is the Indian don, Ovi Mahajan Sr. His missing son is named, Ovi Mahajan Jr (kuch bhi!). Young Priyanshu Painyuli — the super-fine 'find' from the film Bhavesh Joshi Superhero — is the Bangladeshi don.

But for so much delightful desiness in this grand deadliness, would one have even watched this flick with such keen eyes? Let alone responded to it in so many words? Good question.

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How will you define ‘normal’ human behaviour? And what is the criteria to be followed by a person that he/she can be considered as ‘normal’? We have seen in films like MY NAME IS KHAN [2010], TAARE ZAMEEN PAR [2007] etc. wherein the protagonists’ behaviour were such that they stood out and were even ostracized. But still they were special and earned respect in society after a long struggle. Now, writer Kanika Dhillon and director Prakash Kovelamudi bring us JUDGEMENTALL HAI KYA that tackles these issues but unlike the aforementioned films, this flick goes into an unconventional zone with even a murder occurring in the narrative. So does JUDGEMENTALL HAI KYA manage to entertain and thrill the audiences? Or does it fail to make the impact? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1002336 size-full" title="Movie Review: Judgemental Hai Kya" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Movie-Review-Judgemental-Hai-Kya.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Judgemental Hai Kya" width="720" height="450" /> JUDGEMENTALL HAI KYA is the story of a woman with mental issues trying to solve a supposed crime. Bobby Batliwala Grewal (Kangana Ranaut) is an orphan who has lost her parents at a young age. She is partly responsible for their demise. Bobby grows up as a disturbed individual and her grandfather (Lalit Behl) takes care of her. She stays separately from him and works as a dubbing artiste for South films. She is on medication for her mental condition but she doesn’t consume her pills. She is in a relationship of sorts with Varun (Hussain Dalal) who is desperate to get physical with her. But she doesn’t give him the opportunity. At this point, Bobby gets a new tenant – Keshav (Rajkummar Rao) and his wife Meena (Amyra Dastur). Both are deeply in love with each other. Bobby spies on them and she starts to imagine herself with Keshav. However, she also gets intrigued since Keshav seems mysterious. In front of Meena, he pretends to be a non-smoker and a vegetarian. But Bobby catches him smoking heavily and also relishing chicken. She starts to trouble them and then it reaches a point where Keshav and Meena decide to move to another place. Before that can happen, a gas explosion occurs in their kitchen and Meena dies. The cops (Satish Kaushik, Brijendra Kala) begin their investigation. Bobby makes it categorically clear to them that Keshav has murdered Meena but doesn’t have concrete proof. The police officers interrogate Kehsav as well but realize it was a case of accidental death. Hence, they decide to close the case. An enraged Bobby assaults Keshav and she’s sent to mental asylum for a brief period of time. Two years later, Bobby seems to be in control. She’s started regular medication and her grandfather sends her to her cousin Megha’s (Amrita Puri) place in London to help in a stage production on Ramayana. All is going fine when Bobby gets a jolt when she spots Keshav. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Kanika Dhillon’s story is unconventional and quite promising and entertaining. Kanika Dhillon’s screenplay is interesting but in some parts, she falters. This is particularly in the second half where the film goes into another zone and doesn’t seem convincing. She however raises some interesting points on the idea of ‘normal’ and even draws parallel with Ramayana. Only if all these things had come together well, the impact would have been manifold. Kanika Dhillon’s dialogues suit the film, especially the ones mouthed by Kangana. Prakash Kovelamudi’s direction is appropriate and he uses his technical knowledge well. The film is very stylishly narrated which goes with its theme and also the title. In a few scenes, he shows his brilliance but goes over the top in the second half’s pre-climax especially. Also, a few scenes might seem difficult to digest, particularly the scene where Bobby confronts Keshav. He was treading line with this film and sadly, he trips at places and this affects the impact. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Judgemental Hai Kya | PUBLIC REVIEW | First Day First Show | Rajkummar Rao | Kangana Ranaut</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/video/judgemental-hai-kya-public-review-first-day-first-show-rajkummar-rao-kangana-ranaut/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> JUDGEMENTALL HAI KYA’s intro scene shows the disturbed childhood of Bobby in a brief and concise manner. Once Bobby grows up, it takes a while however to get in the film’s flow. This is because the character is unconventional and unlike anything that we have seen in Hindi films. Hence her mannerisms, actions, way of living life etc. are not exactly ‘normal’. Things get interesting once Keshav and Meena arrive to reside at her place as tenants. Keshav also seems mysterious and the scene where he is fixing the fuse at midnight is quite nicely done. The Lonavala sequence also is funny. But it’s when Meena passes away that things begin to heat up. The intermission point is a shocker. Post-interval, the interest level is maintained with some unexpected developments. But this is also the point where bizarre things start happening in the film. One can argue even the first half had its share of bizarre stuff but in the second half, the makers go completely overboard. The film is still unpredictable but the theme and execution will restrict its audience to only multiplexes of urban areas. Performance wise, Kangana Ranaut nails the part. This was probably her most challenging part yet and she delivers as per expectations. Any other actress in her place would have to put a lot of effort and it might have made her performance mechanical. But Kangana slips into the part with ease and takes it to another level. Rajkummar Rao also gets to shine. He’s too good as the mysterious Keshav. But he’s at his best in these two scenes wherein he begs Bobby to spare him and his wife. Amyra Dastur is cute and plays the supporting part well. Same goes for Amrita Puri. Satish Kaushik and Brijendra Kala are apt for their respective roles. Hussain Dalal is a talent to watch out. He’s very funny and adds a lot to the film. Jimmy Sheirgill (Shridhar) is endearing in the special appearance. Lalit Behl is decent. Kanika Dhillon (Sita), also the writer of the film, is stunning and gets to play a fine part in the film. Songs don’t really make an impact. The title song stands out but comes at a time when the film turns very bizarre. <em>‘Kis Raste Hai Jana’</em> is okay. <em>‘Wakhra Swag’</em> appears during the end credits. Daniel B George’s background score however is way better and is zany just like the film’s theme. Pankaj Kumar’s cinematography is conventional and yet works in a film like this. Sheetal Sharma’s costumes are quite quirky especially the ones worn by Kangana Ranaut and she looks great. In fact, costumes add a lot to her character. Ravi Shrivastav’s production design is praiseworthy, especially for the Ramayana play. After’s VFX is average and the cockroach shots could have been more realistic. Shweta Venkat’s editing (with additional editing by Prashanth Ramachandran and Shieeba Sehgal) is fine. The duration of the film is just 116 minutes and that’s a plus point. On the whole, JUDGEMENTALL HAI KYA is a well-made film with powerful performances from both Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao. At the box office, it will cater mainly to the multiplex frequenting audience.

Comedy is an established genre in Bollywood. Since audiences are now ready for <em>hatke</em> stuff, filmmakers are constantly trying to push the boundaries in the existing genres too. This Friday coincidentally sees the release of two such films, although both the movies are as different as chalk and cheese. While JUDGEMENTALL HAI KYA has violent undertones, the other film – ARJUN PATIALA – is like a spoof comedy, on the lines of famous Hollywood films like SCARY MOVIE and DEADPOOL. Bollywood has rarely made such films and one recent film in this space was WELCOME TO NEW YORK [2018]. It was a huge failure in all respects and now its lead actor Diljit Dosanjh appears in another spoof film, ARJUN PATIALA. So does ARJUN PATIALA manage to entertain and emerge as a pioneer of this genre in Bollywood? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1002474 size-full" title="Movie Review Arjun Patiala" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Movie-Review-Arjun-Patiala.jpg" alt="Movie Review Arjun Patiala" width="720" height="450" /> ARJUN PATIALA is the story of a cop trying to achieve a crime-free district. A struggling director (Abhishek Banerjee) meets a rich third-generation producer (Pankaj Tripathi). After ensuring that the director has put all the necessary ‘ingredients’ needed for a <em>masala</em> entertainer, the producer allows the narration of the script. The director then starts to tell his story – that of a police officer named Arjun Patiala (Diljit Dosanjh). He becomes a sub-inspector through sports quota and he is posted at Ferozpur Police Station in Punjab. Within a few days, he falls for Ritu Randhawa (Kriti Sanon), an honest reporter working for Tezz News Channel. He is also visited by his senior, DSP Gill (Ronit Roy). Arjun looks up to him since childhood and he is the reason why he decided to be a cop. DSP Gill shares with him his dream of making Ferozpur a crime-free district. Ritu meanwhile helps Arjun in sharing the list of baddies in the area. There’s Baldev Rana (Amit Mehra) who is so brash that he even beats up police officers if they come in his way, Sukool (Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub) who runs a brick kiln, his brother Anda (Sumit Gulati) and finally Dilbaug Singh (Himanshu Kohli) who runs his business from jail and also has haemoglobin problems. Arjun devises a plan – he generates a gang war between them, hoping that they’ll all kill each other and hence DSP Gill’s dream will be achieved. However, there’s also MLA Prapti Makkad (Seema Pahwa) who seems to be the biggest villain of all and also has ulterior motives of her own. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Ritesh Shah and Sandeep Leyzell's story is outdated. The writers had some good ideas but fail to put it together on paper. Ritesh Shah and Sandeep Leyzell's screenplay is shockingly horrible. It’s like an apology of a script. The attempt to make a spoof comedy and taking a dig at conventional Bollywood films is something that could have paid dividends. They also had some very funny characters and any other worthy writer would have made a complete laugh riot. Alas, the writers of the film let these characters go waste. They add some dry and beaten-to-death moments and twists. In fact, it’s bewildering how this script got approved in the first place. Ritesh Shah and Sandeep Leyzell's dialogues are also dry and fail to evoke laughter. Rohit Jugraj's direction is smooth for most places but with such a poor script, there isn’t much he could have done. At a few places however, he rushes through the film and this was avoidable. For instance, it’s never properly established why Sukool agrees to bump off other villains in the district. A few more minutes should have been spent in establishing the tensions between the various gangs. If Rohit had done the needful, the end result would have been better but still, the film would have emerged as a disappointment as the content itself is not worth it. ARJUN PATIALA begins on a great note. The manner in which the producer and director converse over the <em>‘masala’</em> script is interesting. The opening credits sequence, a spoof on James Bond style of films, is witty. But soon, one realizes there’s nothing much happening in the film. Yes, there are a bunch of villains but they are not utilized properly. In fact, after a point, the film stops being funny. A few scenes are interesting here and there like Sukool assassinating Baldev Rana or the way romance blooms between Arjun and Ritu. But these are few and far between. The twist in the tale in pre-climax is something that one can see from miles away. The finale is hardly funny and reeks of lazy writing. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Laugh Riot: Diljit &amp; Kriti’s Most Hilarious Rapid Fire | SRK | Hrithik | Kartik | Sara | Deepika | Arjun Patiala</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/laugh-riot-diljit-kritis-most-hilarious-rapid-firesrkhrithikkartiksaradeepikaarjun-patiala/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Diljit Dosanjh is apt as the cute and naughty police officer. He genuinely plays his part and tries to rise above the script. Varun Sharma (Onida Singh) is likeable although he’s repeating himself now. Kriti Sanon is also sincere and plays the entertaining part well. The sequence where she narrates her tragic part is where she gives her best. Sadly, the makers spoil the show with an animated flashback running below on the screen and it takes away the impact of her performance too. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub is the best amongst the villains. He shines and it’s sad that such a cool villain won’t get his due to the bad script. Ronit Roy fits the part to the T. Seema Pahwa is decent. Amit Mehra, Himanshu Kohli and Sumit Gulati get no scope. Biswapati Sarkar (Editor of Tezz News Channel) is appropriate. Ritesh Shah (Arjun’s father) and the actor playing her mother are poor. Sunny Leone (Baby) is sizzling. Pankaj Tripathi and Abhishek Banerjee are the funniest in the film. Sachin-Jigar's music is nothing compared to their previous works. <em>‘Main Deewana Tera’</em> has the chartbuster feel but doesn’t have a long shelf life. <em>‘Crazy Habibi vs Decent Munda’</em> is situational. <em>‘Dil Todeya’</em> and<em> ‘Sachiya Mohabbatan’</em> are okay. <em>‘Sip Sip’</em> is played during the end credits. Ketan Sodha's background score is theatrical. Sudip Sengupta's cinematography is fine. Parijat Poddar and Shekhar Ujjainwal's production design is a bit television show-like. Vikram Dahiya's action is sans any gore. Veena Kapur Ee's costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Kriti. Huzefa Lokhandwala's editing is too quick at places. On the whole, ARJUN PATIALA is a shockingly poor fare, riddled with an outdated and tragic script. At the box office, it will be rejected outright by the cinegoers.

The Fast And Furious franchise started way back in 2001. Since then we have seen the franchise evolve from racing to something that includes, heists, spying and of course fast cars. Now two years after the last release in the series THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS hit screens in 2017, we see a spin off feature film in the form of FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW. But will this new action flick woo the Fast and Furious audience or will it like so many other actioners be all glitz and no content is what we analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1004788 size-full" title="Movie Review Fast &amp; Furious Presents Hobbs &amp; Shaw" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Movie-Review-Fast-Furious-Presents-Hobbs-Shaw.jpg" alt="Movie Review Fast &amp; Furious Presents Hobbs &amp; Shaw" width="720" height="450" /> Starting off, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW is centred around the titular Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), characters introduced in the main series. The film begins with a crew of MI6 agents attempting to retrieve a virus, Snowflake, which can be programmed to decimate millions of people, from terrorist organization Eteon. Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), an Eteon operative with advanced cybernetic implants, arrives and kills all agents except for their leader, Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), who injects Snowflake into herself as a dormant carrier and escapes. Brixton frames Hattie as a traitor who killed her team and stole Snowflake, forcing her to go on the run. Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw are both informed of the missing virus and are assigned to work together reluctantly to track it down. From here on begins a cat and mouse game to save Hattie and the world while keeping the deadly ‘Snowflake’ out of the wrong hands. Much like the previous FAST &amp; FURIOUS films, this spin off too is an action entertainer that promises edge of the seat stunts, fast cars, and big explosions. While there were initial questions raised whether a spin off on a series like F&amp;F would work and hold the audience’s interest, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW proves that such films if made well, not only keep the audience in their seats but also provides for a fun filled thrilling watch. Director David Leitch, who has in the past proved his mettle with JOHN WICK (2014), ATOMIC BLONDE (2017) and the more recent release DEADPOOL 2 (2018), has done it again. Thanks to a background as a stuntman with professional martial arts training, Leitch is able to execute and shoot some rather difficult action sequences with precision. Keeping in mind the background of the franchise, Leitch has capitalized on characteristic traits of Hobbs and Shaw to develop seamless fight sequences that are well co-ordinated. As for the story of the film, like most action flicks, this one too features a wafer thin plot. However, it isn’t the plot that is the film’s mainstay; instead it is the eye popping relentless action that is interjected with well-placed humour to break the monotony. Coming to the performances, Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs does what he does best, which is smashing things. Assisting him on this endeavour is Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw who takes the more refined approach as compared to Hobbs’ brute force technique to eliminate targets with finesse. Vanessa Kirby as Hattie Shaw does a commendable job and manages to hold her own despite the fact that the film is centred on the characters of Hobbs and Shaw. However it is Idris Elba as Brixton Lore who steals the limelight. A cybernetic enhanced superhuman hybrid, Brixton is capable of feats that push the boundary. Despite having such power, Elba’s restrain is clearly evident, thus preventing the film from becoming too over the top. The dialogues, though not much are good in places with well time punch lines that deliver. As for the action, well it is a spin off from the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, so expect tons of it. Though unlike the previous films in the series, this one features fewer high end cars, skimpily clad women and debauchery, but rest assured David Leitch has done well with the action. Adrenaline pumping, edge of the cliff (quite literally) gasoline fuelled explosions that are sure to satiate your hunger for destruction. On the whole, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW lives up to the FAST &amp; FURIOUS tag, with insane stunts, high octane action, well timed humour and an entertaining rollercoaster ride that keeps you in your seat. At the box office, the film that releases in four languages, English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu is expected to open well and will see an increase in footfalls over evening and night shows. With little competition at the box office, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW looks set to dominate the weekend.

A lesser known film, ANTARDWAND, released in 2010 and sank without a trace. But it stood out from rest of the niche films as it was based on the system of groom kidnappings prevalent in Bihar. Now, newcomer director Prashant Singh attempts to make the idea even more popular with his film, JABARIYA JODI. Unlike ANTARDWAND, which was quite a serious fare, JABARIYA JODI attempts to look at it in a light-hearted manner. Moreover, it stars two known actors – Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra. So does JABARIYA JODI entertain and comes across as a respite for its lead actors? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1006550 size-full" title="Movie Review Jabariya Jodi" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Movie-Review-Jabariya-Jodi.jpg" alt="Movie Review Jabariya Jodi" width="750" height="450" /> JABARIYA JODI is the story of two equals, who come from different worlds. In 2005, two kids – Abhay Singh (Aryan Arora) and Babli Yadav (Gurket Kaur) – fall in love in the Madhopur village in Bihar. But Babli’s mother catch them red handed. She and Babli’s father Duniya Lal (Sanjay Mishra) decide to leave Madhopur and shift to Patna. Cut to present day. Abhay Singh (Sidharth Malhotra) is now an adult and works with his father Hukum Dev Singh (Jaaved Jaaferi). Abhay’s job is to kidnap grooms and get their <em>‘jabariya shaadi’</em> done. Abhay, Hukum and the rest of the gang members believe that they are doing social work with these forced marriages. After all, the bride’s father doesn’t have to pay dowry in such type of marriages. While getting one such <em>‘jabariya jodi’</em> done, Abhay bumps into Babli (Parineeti Chopra), who is the friend of the bride Shriya (Kirtika Budden). Both recognize each other and sparks fly. For Babli, the timing is just perfect. She has been dumped by a guy for whom she ran away from her house. Abhay too falls for Babli but he also gets apprehensive about the relationship. Moreover, he has political ambitions – he wants to be an MLA and stand for elections next year. Meanwhile, Duniya Lal finds out that she is in love with Abhay. He detests Abhay, since he is a goon and decides to get her married to the supposedly decent and educated fellow, Pappu (Rashul Tandon). But Pappu’s parents ask for ridiculously high dowry. With no option in hand, Duniya Lal and his close aide Pathak ji (Neeraj Sood) approach Hukum Dev Singh and request for Babli and Pappu’s <em>‘jabariya shaadi’</em>. Babli is told of her marriage but she assumes her father is getting her hitched to Abhay! So she is very glad and happily participating in pre-marriage customs. Abhay meanwhile is sulking as he doesn’t want her to get married to anyone else. At this point, the powerful and well-connected Daddan Yadav (Sharad Kapoor) approaches Hukum Dev Singh. He requests him to let go of the deal he made with Duniya Lal since Pappu is his close relative and that he’s planning Pappu’s wedding somewhere else. In return, Daddan would give Hukum Dev the election ticket from the seat of Gaya. Hukum Dev agrees and he tells Abhay to return the fees given by Duniya Lal at his residence. This is when Babli learns the truth and she is shattered. An angry Babli now decides to do <em>‘jabariya shaadi’</em> with Abhay! What happens next forms the rest of the film. Sanjeev K Jha's story is based on an interesting idea. Many in the country are not aware of <em>‘pakadwa vivah’</em> tradition and the writer succeeds in showing this bit in an entertaining manner. At the same time, he also highlights the downside of such kind of marriages. But the inherent love story is weak and has loose ends. Sanjeev K Jha's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Raaj Shaandilyaa and Neeraj Singh) doesn’t really succeed in hiding these minuses. A few scenes are well written and thought of. Also, the writing has the massy vibe. But one wishes the writer and additional screenwriters had done something about the unconvincing plot points. Raaj Shaandilyaa's dialogues (with additional dialogues by Neeraj Singh) are one of the highpoints. The one-liners are sure to be greeted with claps and hooting. In fact, it’s a rare film where dialogues help in hiding the goofs of the film. In the emotional scenes, the dialogues work big time. Prashant Singh's direction is very good for a debutant. He understands that the story has a pan-India appeal and executes it appropriately. Also, he keeps the audiences hooked from start to finish without boring them, despite the 144 minutes duration. But he doesn’t do much when it comes to unconvincing moments in the movie. The biggest dilemma faced by Abhay Singh in the film is the fear he has that he’ll turn like his father and harass his to-be wife and she’ll suffer the same fate like her mother (Sheeba Chaddha). This is an important point and should have been explained further. Only the childhood portion shows Hukum Dev Singh indulging in adultery and that he’s quite strict. But it’s not enough and the director should have tried to explore the dynamics between Hukum Dev and his wife. Also, he allowed the repetition of some sharp dialogues, due to which the impact is not made. Not just that, Hukum Dev’s change of heart is too sudden and catches viewers unawares. Lastly, the product placement in the film is too in-your-face and it’ll raise laughs. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Jabariya Jodi | PUBLIC REVIEW | First Day First Show | Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/jabariya-jodi-public-review-first-day-first-show-sidharth-malhotra-and-parineeti-chopra/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> JABARIYA JODI starts off on a sweet note, showcasing the love story between two teenagers. The fun continues once adult Babli enters the story and bashes up her boyfriend for not turning up at the railway station. Abhay’s introduction too is done in a fun manner. The sidekicks and supporting characters are also quite strong and they also add a lot to the film and its humour quotient. The manner in which Babli is completely oblivious that she is getting married to Pappu and not Abhay is hard to digest. Did no one around her ever even take the groom’s name, even as a passing remark? Post-interval portion begins on a promising note as Babli decides to force marry Abhay. The way it’s done is pretty hilarious. But soon, the film drops. Thankfully, the action-packed climax, though weak, works and the film ends on a happy and appropriate note. Sidharth Malhotra is in fine form, also look wise as he suits the part. There’s a scene where Babli’s pals try to kidnap Abhay but get scared the minute they see him. And this bit looks convincing as Sidharth makes Abhay look like someone not to be messed with. But his performance is a bit dry in some scenes. He should have shown a bit more aggression in a few more sequences. Parineeti Chopra does quite better and is just perfect as Babli. In the second half, she gets surprisingly mellow, which seems a bit out of character. But even in this hour, she leaves an impact. The scene where Abhay comes to take away Babli is where she leaves a huge mark. Aparshakti Khurana (Sanku) slips into his part effortlessly. Sanjay Mishra is fair and adds to the humour quotient especially in the scene where he consumes the ‘banned’ alcohol. Chandan Roy Sanyal (Guddu) is apt for the part. Mohit Baghel (Halla) is quite funny and makes his presence felt. Raashul Tandon goes overboard and yet manages to entertain and raise lot of laughs. Jaaved Jaaferi is decent as the strict father. Sheeba Chadha gets a raw deal. Neeraj Sood has a few funny dialogues but one wishes he had a lengthier role. Sharad Kapoor is strictly okay. Gopal Dutt (Inspector Tiwari) is very good in the cameo role. Aryan Arora and Gurket Kaur are sweet as young Abhay and Babli respectively. Elli AvrRam is sizzling in the item song. Music is not great as it doesn’t suit the feel and theme of the film. <em>'Zilla Hilela'</em> is the only track in the film that matches with the film’s setting. <em>'Khadke Glassy'</em> is also nice but comes in the end credit. <em>'Dhoonde Akhiyaan' </em>works because of the picturization. <em>'Khwabfaroshi', 'Ki Honda Pyaar' </em>and <em>'Macchardani' </em>are disappointing. Joel Crasto's background score is dramatic. Bosco Martis' choreography (<em>'Khadke Glassy'</em>) and Adil Shaikh's choreography (<em>'Zilla Hilela'</em>) is good. Vishal Sinha's cinematography is fair, with few scenes capturing the small-town India very well. Rajat Poddar's production design is realistic. Malavika Kashikar, Niharika Jolly and Akshay Tyagi's costumes are stylish. But Parineeti Chopra’s crop tops seem a bit out of place and doesn’t go well considering the film is set in Patna. Vikram Dahiya's action is realistic. Dev Rao Jadhav's editing could have been crisper by a few scenes. On the whole, JABARIYA JODI is a decent entertainer and works because of the novel idea of forced marriages, performances and hilarious and witty dialogues. At the box office, it will do decent business before the Independence Day biggies take over.

Films based on or inspired from true incidents always have an edge, especially if made well. A recent classic example being ARTICLE 15, loosely inspired from Badaun rape case and Una flogging incident, and which became a commercial success. Now Nikkhil Advani attempts to unravel the mystery behind the more-than-a-decade-old Batla House encounter in his flick, also titled BATLA HOUSE. So does BATLA HOUSE give viewers an entertaining and thrilling time? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1008066" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Batla-House-3.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> BATLA HOUSE is the story of an upright cop caught in a sticky situation. The year is 2008. The Indian Mujahideen has conducted a series of blasts across the country. Their latest attack is in the capital city, Delhi, on September 13. ACP Sanjay Kumar (John Abraham) is having trouble in his marriage with Nandita (Mrunal Thakur). On September 19, he is informed by his team that the terrorists responsible for this blast are holed up in a flat in L-18, Batla House in the Okhla locality of the city. Before Sanjay could reach the site, his junior officer K K (Ravi Kishan) orders the team to engage with the occupants of the said house. The occupants who are Okhla University students fire at the cops, injuring K K grievously. Sanjay meanwhile reaches and he along with the rest of the police team eliminate the shooters. One of them, Tufail (Alok Pandey) is arrested. Even before the cops could leave, the residents begin raising slogans against the police. Soon, the media and political leaders blame the police for staging a fake encounter. K K on the other hand passes away in hospital. Sanjay meanwhile finds it difficult to prove that he’s right and that these residents of Batla House were indeed a part of Indian Mujahideen. He also informs the police department that there were two more guys in the Batla House flat who escaped, one of which is Dilshaad Ahmed (Sahidur Rehman). He escaped to Nizampur, Uttar Pradesh. Sanjay’s senior Jayvir (Manish Chaudhari) sternly tells Sanjay not to head to Nimzapur to arrest Dilshaad. Yet, Sanjay defies the orders and heads to nab Dilshaad with his team. In Nizampur, he encounters hostile residents and a leader of a political party who tell him to back off. Yet, he goes ahead and attempts to take Dilshaad back to Delhi. The locals on one hand are baying for his blood. On other hand, Jayvir and other senior cops are slamming Sanjay for his irresponsible action. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Ritesh Shah's story is well researched and gripping. Moreover, it’s extremely relevant in today’s times. Many might not be aware of this case and how it led to such a huge controversy at that time. Hence, the novelty factor is also there. Ritesh Shah's screenplay is captivating for most parts but is shaky in the first half. The film should have been simpler yet thrilling and devoid of too much of docudrama feel, for a better impact. However, there’s no doubt that some scenes are exceptionally scripted. Ritesh Shah's dialogues are acidic and sharp. The one-liners in the climax work very well. Nikkhil Advani's direction is simply brilliant. He understands the material he has in his hand and its sensitive nature. He has handled some scenes deftly and shows his brilliance in the interrogation scene in the first half and later in the courtroom sequences. Also, the Rashomon effect works well here to make the audiences wonder as to which version is correct. However, a few scenes in the first half are not up to the mark. Some scenes might even confuse viewers. For instance, it is bewildering why Sanjay switches off the camera during a crucial interrogation. Thankfully, the plusses outweigh the minuses by a huge margin here. BATLA HOUSE’s first half is decent but one misses the overall ‘Wow’ factor here. The reason behind the straining of relations between Sanjay and Nandita is not explained properly. The encounter is only partly shown and hence, one remains confused as to what exactly transpired between the police and the students. Also, Sanjay’s constant hallucination sequences become a little too much after a point. But on the positive side, a few scenes are quite promising. The film picks up in a big way when Sanjay quotes from the Holy Quran while interrogating Tufail. This powerful scene will surely be greeted with claps and whistles and it also proves how vested interests smartly misinterpret religious texts for violent gains. The Nizampur episode is a bit over the top but is quite thrilling. The intermission point also comes at a great moment. Post-interval, the interest levels increase as Sanjay gets determined to nab Dilshaad. The entry of Victoria (Nora Fatehi) adds charm to the film. But the best is reserved for the last 35-40 minutes. The courtroom drama is quite exhilarating and clap worthy. Also, once the entire scenario becomes clear, the film becomes simpler.  As a result, audiences would be even more interested once they know the complete picture. Sanjay’s monologue at this hour ensures the film ends on a high. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Batla House Public Review | John Abraham | Mrunal Thakur | Movie Review | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/batla-house-public-review-john-abraham-mrunal-thakur-movie-review-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> BATLA HOUSE belongs to John Abraham, without a shred of doubt. He is not just playing a brave, decorated police officer. He also essays the role of a person who is abused and slammed from all quarters. No one wants to know or believe his version of truth. The trauma he faces is brought out beautifully by John. Also, he’s first-rate as expected in action scenes and also in dramatic and confrontational sequences. Mrunal Thakur is letdown a bit by the script as the back story is never revealed. But she gives a decent performance. In the second half, she impresses even more as the woman who stands up for her husband. Ravi Kishan leaves a huge mark in a small role. Manish Chaudhari is efficient. Rajesh Sharma (Advocate Shailesh Arya) is quite scathing, as per his character’s requirement. Nora Fatehi provides much-needed sizzle in the film. Her character has a small but important role in the film. Alok Pandey and Sahidur Rehman play their respective parts with earnest. Pramod Pathak (Defence counsel P Krishnan) has a late entry but makes an impact. Others also do well. Songs aren’t memorable except for of course <em>'O Saki Saki'</em>. The item song is quite entertaining but it starts off quite suddenly though. <em>'Rula Diya'</em> and <em>'Jaako Rakhe'</em> are okay. John Stewart Eduri's background score is subtle yet adds to the impact.  Adil Shaikh's choreography in <em>'O Saki Saki'</em> is visually great. Soumik Mukherjee's cinematography is topnotch. This is especially in the interior scenes of Batla House flat and in the chase sequence in the small town. Priya Suhas's production design is quite realistic. Amin Khatib's action is thrilling and yet not gory or disturbing at all. Maahir Zaveri's editing is razor sharp in many scenes and also stylish. But this kind of editing also affects the impact in some of the scenes in the first half. On the whole, BATLA HOUSE is a powerful saga which is sure to spark off discussions and debates. The relevant plot, watertight screenplay, clapworthy moments and terrific performance by John Abraham makes BATLA HOUSE one of the finest films of the year. At the box office, it will have a promising run. Recommended!

Just like how Eid is synonymous with a Salman Khan release, the Independence Day holiday isn’t complete without an Akshay Kumar starrer. From 2013 to 2018, he has had a release during this beneficial weekend, barring 2014. 2019 is no exception and this time, he is out with MISSION MANGAL, based on an important chapter of India’s history. The mood of the film is also apt, considering that just last month, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan-2 towards the moon. MISSION MANGAL has all the trappings of a blockbuster. So does it turn out to be as exciting and entertaining as expected? Or does the content fails to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1008325" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Mission-Mangal-Review-IMG.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> MISSION MANGAL is the incredible true story behind India’s mission to Mars. The film begins in 2010. At the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a space mission under Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar) fails after Tara Shinde (Vidya Balan) in his team makes an error in judgement. As a punishment posting, he’s asked to handle India’s Mars program, which is not expected to take off anytime soon. A few days later, Tara while cooking puris in her home has a Eureka moment. She realises that through innovative methods, they can try to get our satellite reach Mars in just two years. She tells Rakesh about the plan and he realises it’s a golden opportunity. Rakesh approaches his senior (Vikram Gokhale) for approval who finds the idea unfeasible. Also Rupert Desai (Dalip Tahil) who has come from NASA to join ISRO feels that Rakesh's idea is ridiculous. Rakesh however manages to persuade and begins work. He asks for the best of the men from ISRO for this project. However he’s given inexperienced colleagues like Kritika Aggarwal (Taapsee Pannu), Eka Gandhi (Sonakshi Sinha), Varsha Gowda (Nithya Menen), Neha Siddiqui (Kirti Kulhari) and Parmeshwar Naidu (Sharman Joshi) and a very senior employee Ananth Iyer (H G Dattatreya). What happens next forms the rest of the film. Jagan Shakti's story is superb and also very challenging. It’s not easy to pen down a mainstream film with such a plot. Also many are not aware of what transpired behind the making of India’s Mars mission. Hence it’ll be exciting for them to witness the whole journey. Also there are so many twists and turns in the plot that one might not believe that some of the plot points are actually true incidents. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma and Saketh Kondipathi's screenplay not only simplifies the proceedings but also make it massy. The screenplay blends science and entertainment seamlessly. The film’s goings on are extremely easy to comprehend. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma and Saketh Kondipathi's dialogues are effective and funny. Jagan Shakti's direction is terrific for a first timer. He had a winning screenplay in his hand and he takes it to another level with his execution. The film has also has subplots of each of the main characters and even these are very well woven in the narrative. And through these tracks too, the makers have made some important comments about religion, parenting, marriage, religious bias etc. and all these contribute to the film hugely. MISSION MANGAL starts off beautifully showing Tara running a house efficiently on the day ISRO has an important launch. Rakesh's entry and the confrontation scene when he’s offered Mars program is intriguing as well as entertaining. It also makes it clear that the film won’t get serious and that the entertainment quotient will be maintained. The rest of the team is introduced in a quick but interesting montage like sequences and it adds a lot to the film. The first half moves swiftly with no complaints. The second half is longer and the commencing portions are where the film drops. Also to see the team renovating their work station at a time when they are running against time is a bit too much. Thankfully the film soon picks up. The best is obviously reserved for the finale. There are a lot of obstacles faced by the team here and it makes the film even more gripping. The finale is applause worthy. <p class="entry-title name"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mission Mangal | Public Review | FDFS | Akshay Kumar | Vidya Balan | Taapsee Pannu | Sharman Joshi</span></strong></p> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/mission-mangal-public-review-akshay-kumar-vidya-balan-taapsee-nithya-movie-review-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MISSION MANGAL is embellished with some fine performances. Akshay Kumar is in top form. He gets to play such a splendid role and gets into the skin of his character. And he’s very much there throughout the film! The way his character rarely gets serious and makes even serious discussions light and funny is seen to be believed. One of the greatest sequences of the film is when he makes an imaginary call to none other than APJ Abdul Kalam. Vidya Balan dominates most of the first half and suits her character to the T. It’s also admirable that she has no qualms playing mother to teenagers. Sonakshi Sinha is lovely and gets to shine. It’s great to see how she makes an impact in a supporting role. Taapsee Pannu is also quite efficient and gives her best in the climax. Nithya Menen has a smaller role but it serves as a great debut. Kirti Kulhari manages to score and many would be able to relate to her character's struggles. Sharman Joshi is funny and would surely make viewers smile. H G Dattatreya is adorable and the scene where he teaches Kirti's ex hubby a lesson is too good! Dalip Tahil is appropriate as the pessimist. Sanjay Kapoor (Sunil Shinde) is the surprise of the film. He delivers a fine performance and post interval he goes in another mode that would be greeted with whistles in cinemas! Purab Kohli (Vivek) and Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub (Rishi) lend able support. Rohan Joshi (Dilip Shinde) is hilarious and even heartening as Vidya Balan's son. Kashmira Pardeshi (Anya Shinde) gets no scope. Vikram Gokhale is decent. Others are also good in their respective parts. Amit Trivedi's music is well interspersed with the proceedings. <em>'Dil Mein Mars Hai' </em>is entertaining and catchy. <em>'Shaabaashiyaan'</em> is played at a crucial juncture. Amit Trivedi's background score is engaging. S Ravi Varman's cinematography is quite simple and has the big screen effect. Sandeep Ravade's production design is praiseworthy as it’s straight out of life. Debashish Mishra's sound design is also as real as it gets. Sham Kaushal's action is good in the lone action scene inside the metro. Famulus Media and Entertainment's VFX is top class without which the long climax would not have worked so well. Theia Tekchandaney's costumes are appealing yet not too glamorous. Kirti Kolwankar and Maria Tharakan's costumes for Vidya Balan are authentic. Chandan Arora's editing is just perfect as the film neither moves too fast nor drags. On the whole, MISSION MANGAL is engaging and entertaining while being patriotic in its feel. At the box office, it will be accepted whole heartedly by the audiences and has the potential to emerge as Akshay Kumar's highest grosser ever!

Sometimes, one film is enough to turn an actor into a nationwide star. BAAHUBALI - THE BEGINNING was one such film. It made Prabhas from a regional star to a pan-India sensation and it’s sequel BAAHUBALI 2 - THE CONCLUSION cemented his position as a superstar. Almost 2 ½ years later, this macho actor is now back with SAAHO. While BAAHUBALI was a period drama, SAAHO is a modern-day actioner with a bit of a futuristic setup. The hype is tremendous from East to West, North to South. So does SAAHO live up to all the excitement? Or does it disappoint viewers? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1013048" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Saaho-Aug.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> SAAHO is the story of a mysterious man on a mission. The foreign city of Waaji is ruled by gangsters and criminals and the biggest of them is Roy (Jackie Shroff). He cleverly manages to get the approval of an Indian minister, Ramaswamy (Tanikella Bharani) for a hydro project in India. He then reaches Mumbai and this is where he’s killed in a road accident. His son Vishwank (Arun Vijay) then takes over, which angers Devraj (Chunky Panday) as he wants to sit on Roy’s throne. Meanwhile the Mumbai crime branch is investigating the death of Roy and other related crimes. The case is handed over to Ashok Chakravarthy (Prabhas), a macho and extremely intelligent officer. He insists that Amritha Nair (Shraddha Kapoor) is also made a part of his team after he gets smitten by her photograph. While scanning the CCTV footage, they come across a mysterious person (Neil Nitin Mukesh) who they believe is a suspect. In the absence of evidence though, he can’t be arrested. Ashok however manages to speak to him and finds out that he’s hunting for a black box which can be used to access the wealth left by Roy in Waaji. Not just this chap but even Vishwank is trying to find the black box, which is hidden in Mumbai. He sends his associate Kalki (Mandira Bedi) who for some reason secures the box but instead of taking it to Waaji, she deposits it in a bank. When the mysterious person comes to get it, the cops who are already on his trial arrest him. However, the cops get a shock of their lives at this point when they realize they have a mole in their team. The mole runs away with the black box and this baffles not just the police force but also the gangsters of Waaji. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Sujeeth's story is strictly okay but it could have been made for an exciting actioner if the screenplay and direction were upto the mark. Sujeeth's screenplay however spoils the show. Till the first half, it is captivating but then the screenplay is all over the place in the post-interval portions. There are so many villains and moreover, there are so many people double-crossing that it gets confusing for viewers to remember the twists. Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal's dialogues are simple but a few one-liners are powerful. Sujeeth's direction is quite weak and it is one of the big reasons why this film fails. A film like SAAHO, mounted on such a huge scale, required the execution by an expert and experienced filmmaker. Sujeeth sadly fails to do justice. The plot is weak but still, the film could have been saved with the execution. Sujeeth fails to do so overall. On the positive side, a few scenes are handled very well. These are mainly in the first half like the entry scenes of Vishwank and Ashok, Devraj threatening his father Prithviraj and of course, the interval point. In the second half, he does very well in a brief part of the climax where three scenes are running parallel - one of Ashok, one of Amrutha and one of Kalki. If he had wisely directed the rest of the film, SAAHO would have been on another level. SAAHO has an average beginning. Too much information is laid out and it takes a while to process it all. The film gets a bit better with Ashok’s entry. The investigation carried out by Ashok and his team is quite engaging. Also, the politics played out in Waaji amongst the warring factions makes for a nice watch. The best is however reserved for the pre-interval. The sequence where Kalki’s car gets attacked is good. The intermission point comes as a jolt. A part of it is predictable but there are too many twists here and hence, it works since viewers won’t be able to guess all the unexpected developments. Post-interval, one expects the film to go on another level but sadly the opposite happens. There is too much chaos, visually and otherwise, and the film ceases to make sense. Yes, the action scenes are spectacular but after a point, the audiences get tired of the overdose. There are more twists in the climax but this time, the viewers don’t get very impressed. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saaho | Public Review | FDFS | Shraddha Kapoor | Prabhas</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/saaho-public-review-fdfs-shraddha-kapoor-prabhas/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Prabhas puts up a great show. As per his character, he performs well and would be loved by the masses. His dialogue delivery in Hindi however is a bit weak. Moreover, his character sketch is also a bit flawed – throughout the film, his character is always winning and ahead of his enemies. Initially, it works but then it becomes unconvincing. Shraddha Kapoor is quite lovely and suits the part of the no-nonsense officer very well. She is great in action scenes. Jackie Shroff makes a huge impact in his cameo. Neil Nitin Mukesh is dependable and looks quite dashing. Chunky Panday steps into the villain zone once again after BEGUM JAAN and is appropriate. Arun Vijay oozes fear very well and is apt for the part. Murali Sharma (David) has a crucial part and is decent. Mandira Bedi gives a memorable performance. Tinnu Anand doesn’t mouth a single dialogue and yet delivers a fine performance. Mahesh Manjrekar (Prince), Prakash Belawadi (Shinde) and Goswamy (Venella Kishore) are okay. Evelyn Sharma (Aisha) suits her part but her character doesn’t have much to do. Jacqueline Fernandez is sizzling in the special song. Music is average. <em>'Psycho Saiyaan'</em> (changed to <em>'Kaiko Saiyaan'</em>) is the best song of the lot and well shot and choreographed. <em>'Enni Soni'</em> and <em>'Baby Won't You Tell Me'</em> are forced in the narrative. <em>'Bad Boy'</em> is visually quite stunning. Ghibran's background score is a bit loud. In a few places, it overpowers the dialogues. Raju Sundaram and Vaibhavi Merchant's choreography is first-rate. Madhie's cinematography is captivating. A few scenes are captured upside down and make for a great watch. The lensman has also captured Mumbai’s birds-eye view beautifully. Kenny Bates, Peng Zhang, Bob Brown, Stefan Richter, Dhilip Shubbarayan, Ram Lakshman, Stunt Silva, Parvez Shaikh and Stunt Jashwa's action is excellent when seen individually. But in the film, a few of them seem needless. A few scenes that work well are Mumbai traffic scuffle (by Stunt Silva), Prabhas’s entry (by Peng Zhang) and chase sequence in pre-climax (by Kenny Bates). Sabu Cyril's production design is ambitious and larger-than-life, especially the Waaji city portions. But it doesn’t seem authentic. R C Kamalakannan's VFX could have helped in making it look real but it fails at places. Thota Vijay Shankar and Leepakshi Ellawadi's costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Prabhas, Shraddha Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez in the songs. A Sreekar Prasad's editing adds to the chaos and could have been simpler. On the whole, SAAHO suffers from a lackadaisical script and a vacuous screenplay. At the box-office, it is bound to have a huge start and a good extended weekend due to tremendous hype and the fan following of the lead cast but will face obstacles post the weekend.

For most adults, the years spent in college are often considered to be the best part of their lives. It’s a time when the fear of the uncertain future always looms over the head but the joy of being with friends makes this period worth it. Nitesh Tiwari, after delivering the monstrous blockbuster DANGAL [2016], is back with CHHICHHORE, which focuses not on just the student part of the character’s lives but also on what happens when they have a reunion a couple of decades later. So does CHHICHHORE manage to give viewers an entertaining time and make them go down memory lane? Or does it fail to stir up any emotions whatsoever? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1014857" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-Chhichhore.jpg" alt="Movie Review Chhichhore" width="720" height="450" /> CHHICHHORE is the story of ‘loser’ friends trying to become winners and learning some important lessons on the way. Annirudh Pathak aka Anni (Sushant Singh Rajput) is a middle-aged man residing in Mumbai with his son Raghav (Mohammad Samad) after divorcing his wife Maya (Shraddha Kapoor). Raghav is under immense pressure as he has just given the entrance exams for engineering. Both his parents were rankers when they gave the entrance examination. As a result, Raghav is feeling the pressure tremendously. Anni however is confident that he’ll make it. Finally, the result is out and sadly, Raghav fails to make the cut. Scared that he’ll be labelled a loser all his life, he attempts to commit suicide by jumping from a high rise. He survives but the doctor treating him, Dr Kasbekar (Shishir Sharma) makes it clear that the chances of him recovering are slim. Anni is obviously heartbroken and with no option in hand, he decides to adopt a novel method to ensure that Raghav gets the will to live. He starts narrating him his story as an engineering student in Mumbai’s National College of Technology. He’s allotted a room in Hostel no 4 aka H4, considered to be the residence of the ‘Losers’. At first, Anni is flabbergasted with the kind of characters in H4. But slowly, he becomes good friends with some of them like Gurmeet Singh Dhillon aka Sexa (Varun Sharma), Acid (Navin Polishetty), Sundar aka Mummy (Tushar Pandey), Bevda (Saharsh Kumar Shukla) and Derek (Tahir Raj Bhasin). The number of girls in engineering is negligible and the most popular among them is Maya (Shraddha Kapoor). Anni manages to woo her and they soon start dating. However, Anni and others are still called ‘Losers’ and there’s a reason for it. The General Championship aka GC is a sports tournament that takes place annually in the college. The students of H4 always lose miserably and are the last among the ten hostels. Hence, the ‘Loser’ tag. Raggie (Prateik Babbar) from H3 is a champion who wants all the winning students from other hostels to be in his hostel so that H3 can win the GC. He invites Anni, since the latter is a basketball champion. But Anni refuses, thereby earning the wrath of Raggie. Anni and others from H4 decide to shed the tag of ‘Loser’ once and for all by winning the H4. However, the road to the trophy is full of hurdles. Cut to present-day. Raghav’s condition stops deteriorating after listening to the story of the ‘Losers’ but there’s no improvement either. What happens next, in the flashback as well as in the present day, forms the rest of the film. Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Mehrotra's story is entertaining, moving and has potential. The film is more than what the promos indicate. Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Mehrotra's screenplay doesn’t exploit the story to its full potential however. Sure they try their best and keep the narrative simplistic without complicating it. They also add humour in adequate doses to appeal to the masses. But it also is a bit superficial especially when it comes to the emotions part. A little more depth in terms of characters, their background etc. was required. Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Mehrotra's dialogues are simple but funny and well-worded. One however wishes the writers had written some extremely funny liners for the slogan sequence. This is a scene that could have caused a riot but the end result is decent not extraordinary. Nitesh Tiwari's direction is appropriate for most parts. He deserves praise for the way he goes back and forth with the present day and flashback scenes. Also, in the climax, three scenes are running parallel – one of the chess tournament, one of the relay and one of the basketball match. He merges them very well. On the flipside, he skips some of the details with regards to the characters’ lives and that hampers the impact. For instance, viewers never come to know properly what exactly went wrong between Anni and Maya that they had to divorce and why didn’t Maya take the custody of Raghav. Except Sexa and Mummy, none of the students’ parents are ever shown. As a result, we don’t know what kind of families they hail from. Not just that, even in present-day portions, except for Mummy and Sexa to an extent, the other characters’ lives are not explored at all. Mummy apparently flies from USA to be with Anni. How did he manage to do so that too immediately remains a question mark. Then there are scenes that are unconvincing like Raghav attentively listening to the story of the ‘Losers’ but at the same time, we are told that he is critical. Even when his health deteriorates in the pre-climax, he doesn’t look medically serious. The ‘Losers’ or Raggie are never really shown studying and we never come to know how they are faring in the exams. It seems like the reason they have taken admission in the college is simply to win the GC. CHHICHHORE begins on a high note, which nicely depicts the kind of mischief happening in hostels as well as the enmity between H3 and H4. The movie then focuses on Raghav getting tensed over his result. The film drops a bit here but the shocking suicide sequence ups the interest. Soon the flashback portions commence and the interest in the film gets maintained. From here, the film is sans complaints as director Nitesh Tiwari uses the first hour to introduce the characters, the college setting and how much GC means to the students. In the second half, the college portions manage to entertain and even raise laughs. Anni’s idea of demotivating the rival teams psychologically is interesting and makes for fun watch. However, it also raises questions since the method is deemed to be too effective in even improving their game, which was very poor in the first place. How that happens is bewildering. The climax is based on an interesting idea of three tracks running simultaneously but goes on for too long. The basketball scenes especially go on and on. The end result of the GC might divide audiences with some not finding it acceptable. However, it is in sync with the film’s message. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Chhichhore | Public Review | FDFS | Sushant Singh Rajput | Shraddha Kapoor</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/chhichhore-public-review-fdfs-sushant-singh-rajput-shraddha-kapoor/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Performances are exemplary by all. It’s great to see that not just the lead actor and actress but the others also get a big chance to shine. Sushant Singh Rajput plays the part with ease and is apt as Anni. He’s not playing the typical ‘hero’ as such and slips into the character and performs accordingly. In the older portions, he’s quite good and has modulated his voice a bit which is praiseworthy. Shraddha Kapoor lends able support. Her character sadly doesn’t have much to do after a point. The romantic track is very weak and doesn’t even get sufficient screen time. And she doesn’t look that old as compared to others. Varun Sharma is quite entertaining and will be loved by audiences. He was dull in films like ARJUN PATIALA and KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA. But in CHHICHHORE, he seems to be in form. He also surprises in the entry scene of the older Sexa. Tahir Raj Bhasin looks dashing and performs very well. The pain and anger in his eyes comes out very well. Naveen Polishetty has a good screen presence and is lovely as the guy with the acidic tongue. Tushar Pandey is fine for the character he plays and adds humor to the proceedings. Saharsh Kumar Shukla has a very late entry but has a brilliant screen presence. In the finale especially, he has a major part to play. Mohammad Samad has his moments. Prateik Babbar leaves a mark as the baddie. Shishir Sharma, Sanjay Goradia (Mummy’s father), Rohit Chauhan (Chris Cross), Ranjan Raj (the underweight Abhimanyu Rathod aka Danda) and the actor playing the cook are fine. Pritam's music is in sync with the film’s mood but won’t have a long shelf life. <em>'Fikar Not'</em> is the best of the lot as it also reflects the film’s message. <em>'Control'</em> comes next as the situation during which it’s played is funny. <em>'Woh Din'</em> and <em>'Khairyat'</em> fail to make a mark while <em>'Kal Ki Hi Baat Hai'</em> is played just for a few seconds. Sameer Uddin's background score is subtle but makes an impact. Amalendu Chaudhary's cinematography is appropriate. The hospital, hostel and sports scenes are well captured. Laxmi Keluskar's production design is good. Mukesh Chhabra's casting deserves praise as all actors fit the bill. The casting of Abhimanyu Rathod is quite nice. Sunil Rodrigues's action is not too gory obviously and works. Rohit Chaturvedi's costumes are authentic. The characters are even shown repeating their clothes in hostel scenes to keep the realism. Preetisheel Singh's prosthetics and character design is overall quite good. But in case of Shraddha Kapoor and Tushar Pandey, it’s not very convincing. Charu Shree Roy's editing is slick and the present-day and flashback portions are well woven in the narrative. On the whole, CHHICHHORE is a decent entertainer that has its share of entertaining and touching scenes. At the box office, it will be liked by its target audience – the youth and the families. However it will require a positive word of mouth to sustain and excel.

The #MeToo movement took off in a big way in 2017 in Hollywood after well-known producer Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment episodes became public. It reached India a year later and became a huge social movement. Although the movement made people aware of some genuine cases, it also came to light that some of the allegations were false or were made with ulterior motives. The latest film SECTION 375 is inspired from cases of this nature and expects to make a hard-hitting point. So does SECTION 375 manage to succeed in its endeavour? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016957" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-Section-375-IMG.jpg" alt="Movie Review Section 375 IMG" width="720" height="405" /> SECTION 375 is the story of a filmmaker accused of rape. Anjali Dangle (Meera Chopra) is a junior costume designer on a film set. She’s told to go to director Rohan Khurana’s (Rahul Bhat) residence to show him the costumes. When she reaches the house, Rohan and the house maid are present. Rohan sends the maid out of the house on some pretext and then forces himself on Anjali. Anjali reaches her house and tells her family that Rohan raped her. The same evening, Rohan is arrested from his film set. The Sessions Court finds Rohan guilty and sentences him to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. Rohan’s wife Kainaaz (Shriswara) approaches famous criminal lawyer Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna) to file the case in the Bombay High Court. Tarun goes through Rohan’s file and realizes that the Sessions Court verdict was unfair. The case gets accepted in the High Court and the trial begins. Tarun’s ex-protégé Hiral Gandhi (Richa Chadha) is the public prosecutor and Anjali’s lawyer. As the case begins, a lot of unknown and intentionally hidden details tumble out. What seemed like an open and shut case of rape turns out to be murkier than expected. What happens next forms the rest of the story. Manish Gupta's story has tremendous potential and is the need of the hour. It is also quite relevant in today’s times. Manish Gupta's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Ajay Bahl) is quite effective for most parts. The film gets a bit technical but will be easy to comprehend for its target multiplex audience. Manish Gupta's dialogues (with additional dialogues by Ajay Bahl) are quite acidic and sharp. However, at places, there are far too many English dialogues. Ajay Bahl's direction is quite apt. He captivates the viewers with his storytelling and doesn’t lose their attention even once in the 120 minute duration. Also, he presents both sides quite nicely and convincingly. This is a courtroom drama but like conventional Bollywood films in this genre, the film is not made in a dramatic fashion. Yes, a lot is happening in the film but it is all done a bit more realistically. On the flipside, the second half is where the film drops a bit. One expects a film with so many unpredictable moments to end with a bang. Sadly, that doesn’t happen. Also, it’s bewildering why Hiral, who used to shout ‘Objection’ each time Tarun would present anything or make an attention grabbing statement, doesn’t react at all when Tarun explains to the court how Anjali got the injury marks on her inner thighs. Except for Tarun, the private lives of Hiral and Anjali are never shown and it takes away the impact to an extent. SECTION 375 begins on a fine note. Tarun Saluja explaining the concept of justice and law by giving the instance of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case makes for a strong point and it also indicates what is to follow. The scene where Anjali meets Rohan in his house and the alleged rape happens is quite smartly executed and only a part of it is shown to keep the unpredictably going. This is followed by probably the most gut wrenching scene of the film – the medical officer asking the gory details of rape to Anjali quite nonchalantly, in front of her mother. And also, the said medical officer is a male! The film obviously goes on a high once the trial begins. The manner in which it comes to light that the investigating police officer Milind Kasle (Shrikant Yadav) did an extremely shoddy job is bound to shock viewers. Post-interval, the interest is maintained as many more details pour out in the courtroom. The finale however lacks punch. Also, the verdict announced in the end might leave viewers divided. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“Aamir Khan Will Make a Good Politician”: Akshaye Khanna | Rapid Fire | Section 375</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/aamir-khan-will-make-a-good-politician-akshaye-khanna-rapid-fire-section-375/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Akshaye Khanna takes the cake when it comes to performances. Other actors also do well but Akshaye leaves a very strong impact. Whether it’s his dialogue delivery or his interrogating style in the court or his shrewd smile when confronted by the judges or Hiral, Akshaye’s performance is spot-on. Richa Chadha is very good as the no-nonsense lawyer whose idea of justice differs from that of Akshaye’s character. One of her heartening scenes is when Hiral is discussing about her partner and sharing her meal with her ‘rival’ Tarun. Rahul Bhat gets into the skin of his character. He’s too good in the beginning scene when he comes on the set and blasts everyone. Meera Chopra has very few dialogues initially but in the second half, she has a crucial part and does well. Krutika Desai (Justice Bhaskar) is good while Kishore Kadam (Justice Madgaonkar) is very impressive in his part. The latter also contributes to the laughter quotient. Shriswara speaks a lot through her silences and makes her presence felt. Shrikant Yadav is too good. His less-than-a-minute-conversation with Richa after he messes up in the court is memorable. Same goes Dibyendu Bhattacharya – his performance takes one of the most important scenes to another level. Sandhya Mridul (Shilpa) is lovely in the special appearance. SECTION 375 is a songless film. Clinton Cerejo's background score however is subtle and dramatic. Sudhir K Chaudhary's cinematography is quite appropriate. The alleged rape sequence is shot well in different angles and the perspective changes with each angle. And he also makes use of some hand-held, zoomed-in shots that also helps with the impact. Nilesh Wagh's production design is decent. Ameira Punvani's costumes are realistic. Praveen Angre's editing is crisp. On the whole, SECTION 375 is a hard-hitting courtroom drama that raises some important points. At the box office, it has the potential to grow significantly in multiplexes once the word of mouth spreads among its target audience.

Over the years, Ayushmann Khurrana has become nothing short of a brand. He attained success with quirky and urban comedies. Last year, he surprised as he switched gears with ANDHADHUN, a thriller black comedy and earlier this year with ARTICLE 15, a no-nonsense crime drama. Now this talented actor will be seen in DREAM GIRL, a thorough commercial fare, his first ever. The trailers and songs have done the trick and the film is carrying a lot of expectations. So does DREAM GIRL turn out to be a well-made entertainer? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1017184" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Dream-Girl-2.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> DREAM GIRL is the story of a man masquerading as a woman to earn his living. Karamvir aka Karm (Ayushmann Khurrana) is an unemployed youth in Mathura who is desperately looking for a job. His father Jagjeet (Annu Kapoor) runs a shop that sells funeral items and has taken a huge loan. The recovery agents have been harassing him over unpaid dues. Karm is known locally for playing female roles in plays and Jagjeet detests this side of Karm. One day while returning home from an unsatisfactory job interview, Karm comes across an advertisement for a call centre job. Karm reaches the venue and is surprised to know that it’s a Friendship club involving women calling men and talking seductively with them. The owner of this place, W Ji (Rajesh Sharma) however hires Karm when he realises that Karm can talk like a women very convincingly. Karm gets the job and he turns into Pooja. Karm does so well in his work that W Ji pays him handsomely and even gifts him a car. Meanwhile Karm falls in love with Mahi (Nushrat Bharucha) and both get engaged. Once Karm repays the loan of his father and gets settled in life, he realises he no longer wants to be Pooja. But W threatens Karm that he’ll tell his father, Mahi and everybody in the neighborhood about how he seduces men daily by assuming Pooja’s identity. Karm hence continues his work. He also realises that he is in for a bigger problem as four of his customers – Mahendar (Abhishek Banerjee), coincidentally his to be brother in law, a hot headed teenager Toto (Raj Bhansali), a cop-cum-<em>shayar</em> Rajpal (Vijay Raaz) and a man-hating journalist Roma (Nidhi Bisht) are crazily in love with him or should we say with Pooja. If this is not enough, Karm's father Jagjeet too starts talking to Pooja and wants to marry her. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Nirmaan D Singh and Raaj Shaandilyaa's story is excellent and it has a very wide appeal. It is reminiscent of the 90s David Dhawan, Govinda comedies. Hence there’s also a nostalgia value attached to the plot. Incidentally the manner in which Karm hides his real profession from his near and dear ones gives one a déjà vu of Ayushmann Khurrana's debut flick VICKY DONOR (2012). Nirmaan D Singh and Raaj Shaandilyaa's screenplay is terrific as the writing packs in so much in 132 minutes. Often, great idea goes kaput at the screenplay level. In case of DREAM GIRL, the screenplay enhances the winning plot. Raaj Shaandilyaa's dialogues further add to the fun and madness. The one liners are so smart and naughty that viewers will be amazed with the writer’s wittiness. Raaj Shaandilyaa's direction is superb, especially considering that it is his first film. He handles the man-talking-in-woman's-voice bit very nicely. He also has a bit of an experience since he has scripted Kapil Sharma's show which involves drag acts for laughter. But in this case, Raaj is not only writing but also executing the content and in all departments, he shines. It’s a bit slow in the beginning of the second half and some of the references to religion might not be liked by a few. But these are minor cons. What’s also praiseworthy is that he makes an important comment about loneliness in the society that drives so many men (and women) to resort to a Pooja. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Nushrat Bharucha: “Ayushmann is Very SMART Person But He Is…”| Kartik Aaryan | Dream Girl</span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/nushrat-bharucha-ayushmann-is-very-smart-person-but-he-is-kartik-aaryan-dream-girl/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> DREAM GIRL begins with a bang and makes it clear that it is laced with some smart writing and smooth direction. Not much time is wasted and in no time, Karm turns into Pooja and begins the seductive game on call. The romantic track is not that exciting but has its moments and keeps the interest going. The intermission point is a big surprise. Post interval the film drops initially. But it goes on a high when Jagjeet goes crazy over Pooja and goes to insane lengths. This bit is going to bring the house down! The climax is a bit serious but works well. DREAM GIRL is embellished with some fine performances and Ayushmann Khurrana shines the most. This is his most massy role yet and he hasn’t done such a part before. But he slips into his character effortlessly. He also sheds his inhibition beautifully. To see him emoting and dancing like a woman while talking like Pooja is a joy to witness on screen. DREAM GIRL will go a long way in getting mass acceptance for Ayushmann. Nushrat Bharucha has lesser screen time but makes her presence felt. Annu Kapoor raises maximum laughs among all the lovers of Pooja. Initially he doesn’t make an impact but in the second half, he’s a riot. Vijay Raaz comes next. His part is adorable and is sure to chuckle audiences with his <em>shayaris</em> and comic timing. Nidhi Bisht is apt for the part and she also has a unique background score reserved for her. Raj Bhansali is effective. Manjot Singh (Smiley) is too good as the sidekick. Abhishek Banerjee gets a bit overpowered by so many actors around but is good nevertheless. Neha Saraf (Chandrakanta) makes an impact as Vijay Raaz's wife. Neela Mulherkar (Mahi's grandmother) is very funny. Rajesh Sharma is as good. Meet Bros' music is foot tapping and suits the narrative. <em>'Radhe Radhe'</em> is grand and makes for a great watch. <em>'Dil Ka Telephone' </em>is the best of the lot and very well placed. <em>'Ik Mulaqaat' </em>looks a bit forced but is soulful. <em>'Gat Gat' </em>is played in the end credits. <em>'Dhagala Lagali'</em> is missing in the film. Abhishek Arora's background score has the massy feel. Aseem Mishra's cinematography is decent. Rajat Poddar's production design is a bit daily soap like but doesn’t affect the impact. Niharika Bhasin's costumes are appealing and realistic. Hemal Kothari's editing is just right. On the whole, DREAM GIRL is a laugh-a-minute-riot that fulfills all the expectations. At the box office, it has the chances of scoring big time with its target audience and is likely to enter the 100 crore club.

Last month, during the promotions of his flick MISSION MANGAL, Akshay Kumar made a startling revelation. He said that he believes that success depends on 70% luck and 30% hard work. His statement surprised many but the fact is that many around the world of different nationalists, communities and even class believe a lot in luck and the concept of lucky charm. No wonder, the business of numerologists and astrologists is thriving. Anuja Chauhan’s novel ‘The Zoya Factor’ tackles this idea and it was written so well that it became a bestseller. The rights were soon picked by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment but the production house failed to make the film within the stipulated period. Aarrti Shetty and Pooja Shetty Deora then bagged the rights and turned the novel into celluloid, while keeping the title of the film the same as the book. So does THE ZOYA FACTOR turn out to be as entertaining as the novel? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1020460 size-full" title="Movie Review The Zoya Factor" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-The-Zoya-Factor.jpg" alt="Movie Review The Zoya Factor" width="750" height="450" /> THE ZOYA FACTOR is the story of a girl who considers herself unlucky but is the lucky charm for the country. Zoya Solanki (Sonam K Ahuja) is born on June 25, 1983, the day India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup final. Her father Vijayandra Singh Solanki (Sanjay Kapoor) declares that she’ll prove beneficial for the cricket team, having born on such an auspicious occasion. While growing up, Zoya indeed turns out to be a lucky charm for Vijayandra and her brother Zorawar (Sikandar Kher) when they used to play Gully Cricket. As an adult, Zoya however considers herself unlucky. The madness that her family members have for cricket makes her dislike the sport. She works as junior copywriter at an ad agency called AWB and is constantly making mistakes, much to the annoyance of her boss Monita (Koel Purie). Monita sends Zoya on ad campaign comprising of the Indian cricket team in Sri Lanka and warns not to make an error in what she calls a small, simple shoot. Zoya reaches Sri Lanka and becomes friends with Nikhil Khoda (Dulquer Salmaan), the captain of the Indian team. This is a time when the players have lost back to back matches. The World Cup is just a month away and the pressure is killing them. On the day of their match in Sri Lanka, Nikhil invites Zoya to have breakfast with the players. Here, Zoya casually mentions about her date of birth and lucky charm bit. On that day, India miraculously wins the match. The players realise that she is indeed a lucky charm. They make flimsy pretext to stop her from going back to India and try to get her to have breakfast with them for the next match. As expected, they win again. Nikhil however doesn’t believe in luck and The Zoya Factor and feels that it’s hard work that works. Yet he can’t help but fall for Zoya who too is in love with him. Meanwhile, the Indian Cricket Board's Jogpal Lohia (Manu Rishi Chadha) comes to know about Zoya. He approaches her with an offer – dine with the boys in blue before every World Cup match and get paid Rs 1 crore! Zoya however refuses the offer. Jogpal realises that they need Zoya anyhow and hence, they hand over the World Cup campaign to AWB with instructions that Zoya should be leading it. Jogpal is also aided in this plan by his nephew Robin (Angad Bedi) who is also in the team and is Nikhil's rival. He wants to see Nikhil being removed from captaincy and he uses Zoya for his ulterior motive. What happens next forms the rest of the film. THE ZOYA FACTOR is based on the novel by the same name by Anuja Chauhan. The story has a lot of promise and is also relatable. A lot of people believe in luck as well as are cricket fans and hence in a country like ours, such a story can connect with the viewers. Pradhuman Singh Mall and Neha Sharma's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Anuja Chauhan) is effective for most parts. They don’t make the film too emotional even at a single point. The idea is to keep the film light and entertaining from start to finish. In a way, it’s great but at the same time, the film misses the emotional touch. Pradhuman Singh Mall and Anuja Chauhan's dialogues are very witty and contribute a lot to the laughter. The dialogues mouthed by the commentator are sure to be loved by audiences. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The Zoya Factor Public Review | Sonam Kapoor Ahuja | Dulquer Salmaan | Abhishek Sharma | FDFS</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/the-zoya-factor-public-review-sonam-k-ahuja-dulquer-salmaan-abhishek-sharma-fdfs/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Abhishek Sharma's direction is decent. He has handled some scenes with élan but there were also scenes where he really rushed through the proceedings. But the creativity of his execution comes through in several sequences. The scene where it rains is one such sequence – the focus is on Nikhil returning to the pavilion while Zoya could be seen on the giant screen in the foreground. Also, he has used subtle hints to show that the film is set 9 or 10 years back. This is evident through the use of old mobile phones. The idea to not base THE ZOYA FACTOR in 2018 or 2019 makes sense as Zoya’s age is supposed to be not more than 26 or 27. Moreover, the product placements can be an eyesore in most films but here, it’s like an integral part of the film. The Cadbury Silk TVC, for example, is well woven into the narrative. THE ZOYA FACTOR has a very impressive commencement that gives an idea about the cricket and luck elements of the film. Shah Rukh Khan’s witty narration and the animated sequence adds to the fun. The initial scenes of Zoya are okay but the film gets better once she reaches Sri Lanka and interacts with the Indian team. The romantic track also has its moments. Two scenes stand out here – Zoya’s interaction with Nikhil in the elevator and Nikhil meeting Zoya’s family and family friends. Post-interval, the film slips a bit. Also, the film seems too quick at places. The World Cup sequence in the pre-climax and climax however revives the interest. The performances are great by all actors. Sonam K Ahuja suits the part to the T. One can’t imagine anyone else for this role and she does total justice, whether in the scenes of her being love struck or acting pricey or even acting mature and giving out some important lessons to Nikhil in times of need. Dulquer Salmaan is super-dashing but he also gets his act right. He’s totally into his character and convincingly seems the captain of the team. Angad Bedi gets a great part and also screen space and is fine as the baddie. Sikander Kher is the surprise of the film. His role might remind one of Prateik’s character in JAANE TU YA JAANE NA [2008] but his part stands out and Sikandar ensures that happens. One of his best scenes is when he offers tea to the very protestors who have come to vandalize his house! Sanjay Kapoor is a natural. Manu Rishi Chadha is fine and it’s good that he doesn’t overdo the lisping bit. Koel Purie is strictly okay. Pooja Bhamrrah (Sonali) looks quite glamorous and plays the supporting part well. From the other crickets, the ones who leave the mark are Abhilash Chaudhary (Shivi), Gandharv Dewan (Harry) and Sachin Deshpande (Lakhi). Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is in sync with the film’s mood. <em>'Lucky Charm'</em> is the best of the lot followed by <em>'Kaash'</em> and <em>'Maheroo'</em>. <em>'Pepsi Ki Kasam'</em> is played in the end credits. Indrajit Sharma and Parikshit Sharma's background score (with additional background score by Kingshuk Charavarty) is dramatic and adds to the fun. Manoj Lobo's cinematography is suitable and the lensman does a good job in the cricket scenes especially. Theia Tekchandaney, Abhilasha Devnani and Gayatri Thadani's costumes are very appealing. The ones worn by Sonam especially are too good which was expected. Rajat Poddar's production design is rich. After Studios' VFX is quite good, although it’s a bit poor in some scenes. But overall, it’s a good job considering that quite a many scenes are shot against the green screen. Utsav Bhagat's editing gives the film a pacy feel but some scenes could have had a bit of slow, slow-motion effect especially in the finale. On the whole, THE ZOYA FACTOR is a feel-good popcorn entertainer that works chiefly due to concept, treatment, humour and performances. At the box office, it has the potential to grow dramatically due to a good word of mouth.

Political films, based in the hinterland, have a strong chance at the box office, especially when made in a massy way. Sanjay Dutt who has had a rough time at the box office ever since his new innings in Bollywood post his release from jail is now back with PRASSTHANAM, the Telugu remake of the 2010 film of the same name. The original was loved for its plot, concept and performances. So does the remake turn out to be the much-needed hit for Sanjay Dutt? Or does PRASSTHANAM fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1020673 size-full" title="Movie Review Prassthanam" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-Prassthanam.jpg" alt="Movie Review Prassthanam" width="750" height="450" /> PRASSTHANAM is the story of family, trust and betrayal in a lawless land. 25 years ago, in Ballipar, Shiv (Anuup Sonii) has stood for elections against a violent rival. The rival stabs Shiv during a rally, resulting in his death. Shiv's father is an ex politico who is distraught by the demise of his son. He tells his most trusted aide, Baldev Pratap Singh (Sanjay Dutt) to take over the reins and also to take care of Shiv’s wife Saroj (Manisha Koirala) and his two children. Baldev agrees but not before eliminating the rival candidate who killed Shiv. Baldev is helped here by his closest confidante, Baadshah (Jackie Shroff). Baldev marries Saroj and this angers Shiv’s daughter Palak. But Shiv’s son Ayush looks up to Baldev. Baldev and Saroj give birth to a son, Vivan due to which Palak further feels alienated. The story then moves 25 years forward in the present day. Baldev has been a four time MLA and is busy with the upcoming elections. He recently got a stay order on a land which is being illegally usurped by a cunning businessman, Bajwa Khatri (Chunky Panday). Palak (Chahatt Khanna) is now a doctor and is happily married and also has two kids. She has completely broken contact with Saroj and Baldev and she only is in touch with Ayush (Ali Fazal). Ayush still has the respect for his step father and dutifully works under him. Baldev is so happy with Ayush that he’s made it clear that he will be his heir. Vivan (Satyajeet Dubey) is infuriated with this bond as he feels he’s the biological son of Baldev and hence he is the rightful heir. Baldev however realises that Vivan is not cut for politics and advises him to study abroad and then handle his hospitality business. Vivan revolts and due to his hot headed nature, ends up insulting Asma (Divinaa Thackur), Baadshah's daughter who’s also the manager in Baldev's hotel. Baldev is aghast with Vivan's behaviour and tells Ayush to apologise to Asma which he does. He also tells Ayush to train under Asma and he agrees. While working together, both get close. One day, Baldev is shot by assailants belonging to Bajwa who wants to avenge the loss of his land. Baldev survives and gets second thoughts about fighting elections. But Ayush takes care of everything and ensures that Baldev signs the nomination papers. Baldev gets whole hearted support from locals and hence, the party assures that he’ll become the state home minister after winning the elections and that Ayush will be youth president. Vivan revolts but Baldev shuts him up. Vivan ends up drinking and creating a scene in the hotel. Asma tries to control the situation but he ends up drugging and raping her. When he and his friends escape from the hotel with Asma, their car meets with an accident. They decide to finish Asma and try to pass it off as a road accident. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Deva Katta's story is promising on paper as the film touches upon issues of how all is fair when it comes to politics. The Machiavellianism bit comes across well. Deva Katta's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Farhad Samji) is also effective especially in the first half. But the film is devoid of entertainment in the second half and gets too violent. A few sequences are also unconvincing at this point. The pre-climax puts some things straight but the anti-climax finale spoils things. Farhad Samji's dialogues are acidic and even clapworthy. Deva Katta's direction is quite simple and that works to an extent as the storyline is quite vast and complicated due to the presence of so many characters and the dynamics they share with each other. But one wishes he had done something about the finale as it’s the most disappointing part of the film. Also, audiences have seen films like RAAJNEETI, SARKAR, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR etc which are also based on corruption and bloodshed in politics and these films had far better impact. PRASSTHANAM pales in comparison of these memorable flicks. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“Salman Khan- TIGER, Shah Rukh Khan- BADSHAH, Ranbir – DILWALA”: Sanjay Dutt | Rapid Fire</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/salman-khan-tiger-shah-rukh-khan-badshah-ranbir-dilwala-sanjay-dutt-rapid-fire/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> PRASSTHANAM begins on a fine note showing the flashback and how the dynamics haven’t changed between certain characters over the years. The title track played during an action scene of the flashback is quite massy and would be enjoyed in single screens. The first half has some well written and executed scenes and has enough drama. The rape sequence and the aftermath is a shocker and makes for a great interval point. The second half is when things get really messy. The characters become sworn enemies of each other resulting in bloodbath. Sure there’s unpredictability but it’s get too much. There’s a solid twist in the pre climax that revives interest. However, shockingly the climax is absolutely <em>thanda</em>. One expects fireworks but it just ends on a tepid note. Single screen audiences, the target audience, will be expecting such an action packed film to end on a rocking note. But they surely would come out feeling dejected. Sanjay Dutt gives a genuinely good performance and doesn’t go over the top. He keeps it restrained and it suits the character. Ali Fazal however steals the show. He gets the maximum screen time and he rocks the show. Jackie Shroff hardly has any dialogues but his screen presence is electrifying. The <em>'Haji Ali'</em> track comes suddenly and seems weird to see a character run all the way from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai. But Jackie’s performance saves the day. Manisha Koirala is decent but doesn’t have much to do. She’s like the silent observer and one surely expected more from such a dynamic performer. Satyajeet Dubey is great in the villainous role and oozes fear. Chunky Panday is passable. Amyra Dastur (Shivi) doesn’t get much scope. Chahatt Khanna and Divinaa Thackur do well. Other actors who leave a mark are Deepraj Rana (S P Narang), Zakir Hussain (Majid Maqbool) and Annup Sonii. Ishita Raj is smoking hot in the item number. Talking of music, the title track is the most memorable. This is followed by <em>'Haji Ali'</em> chiefly due to Jackie’s presence. <em>'Dil Bevda'</em>, the item song, is nothing great. <em>'Charo Khane Chit'</em> is forgettable while <em>'Dil Dariyan'</em> is wasted. Mahesh Shankar's background score is dramatic. Ravi Yadav's cinematography is appropriate and the birds-eye shots of Lucknow are well captured. Abbas Ali Moghul's action is a bit gory as per the requirement. Pallavi Bagga and Suman Roy Mahapatra's production design is average. Priyanka Mundada's costumes are straight out of life. Ballu Saluja's editing is quite good in the first half especially. On the whole, PRASSTHANAM rests on some great performances and a fine first half. But the second half and especially the lacklustre ending spoil the show. The buzz for the film is low due to which it will face a tough time at the box office.

In 1983, Dharmendra launched his older son Sunny in the love story BETAAB, which proved to be a huge success in all respects. 36 years later, life comes full circle as Sunny Deol now takes up on himself to launch his older son Karan Deol with PAL PAL DIL KE PAAS. Sunny is not just the producer - he also dons the director’s hat. The film has been in the making for a long time and has been shot in virgin locales of the Himalayas. So does history repeat with PAL PAL DIL KE PAAS and does it turn out to be a success? Or does it fail to touch the hearts of the viewers? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1020825" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-Pal-Pal-Dil-Ke-Paas-IMG.jpg" alt="Movie Review Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas IMG" width="750" height="450" /> PAL PAL DIL KE PAAS is a love story set amidst the beauty of Himalayas and the ugly politics of Delhi. Karan Sehgal (Karan Deol) resides in Manali and is the owner of the very popular Camp Ujhi Dhaar. He lost his parents in an avalanche when he was 10 while they were on the hunt for the elusive snow leopard. The costliest trekking package offered by Camp Ujhi Dhaar is worth Rs. 5 lakhs and involves solo trekking with an expert. Vlogger Sahher Sethi (Sahher Bambba) from Delhi, who has just taken a break from her boyfriend Vinny (Aakash Ahuja), signs up for it as an excuse to escape from her nagging relatives who are to visit her house. The expenses are borne by her company for which she vlogs. Sahher is known for tarnishing the image of hotels and tour companies with her acidic vlogs and she’s all set to do the same with Camp Ujhi Dhaar too. She believes charging Rs. 5 lakhs is akin to a daylight robbery by the camp. Karan himself takes up the responsibility of taking Sahher for the 5-day trek. Initially, she detests Karan and says negative stuff about him in her daily vlogs. Karan, on the other hand, too doesn’t think too high of Sahher. But slowly, they fall for each other. Sahher changes her mind and realizes that the trek is the best thing that has happened to her.  She returns to Delhi and continues to be in touch with Karan. She breaks up with Vinny, infuriating her. But he doesn’t show and pretends to be cool with her decision. Karan, unable to survive without her, reaches Delhi when she hints him that she misses him too. They profess their love for each other. Vinny decides to put a devious plan into motion to bring back Sahher in his life. He’s aided in this plan by his elder brother Sushant Narang (Aakash Dhar), who’s running for the elections and the son of Ratna Narang (Meghna Malik), who’s into politics since two decades. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Jasvinder Singh Bath and Ravi Shankaran's story is beaten to death and very ordinary. It’s shocking that a story like this was approved in today’s day and age. Jasvinder Singh Bath and Ravi Shankaran's screenplay is also poor, especially in the second half. The first half is also nothing great but the mountaineering bit makes it watchable. Jasvinder Singh Bath and Ravi Shankaran's dialogues are also nothing memorable at all. Sunny Deol's direction is simple and decent. He executes the mountaineering scenes very well in the first half. Also, he does justice to the visuals and locales at his disposal. Unfortunately, since the script itself is so weak and outdated, his execution fails to save the film. He tries to enhance the film’s appeal with action and even a sequence on the racing circuit. Then there’s a bizarre snow leopard sequence but it works as he directs it well. But these factors can’t be of much help when the script itself is not upto the mark. PAL PAL DIL KE PAAS has a very poor commencement, showing Karan’s childhood and his present-day life. Sahher’s entry scene is also unconvincing and the attempt to be funny falls flat. The interest is set once the trek begins. The finest scene of the film is when Sahher faints due to altitude sickness and Karan puts her on his back and treks on a steep slope. The rest of the scenes are okay and the interest is maintained due to the locales and the trekking factor. The second half begins well with the <em>'Dil Uda Patanga'</em> track. Things then go downhill as there’s no story as such in the second half. And whatever story is there is very clichéd and routine. Moreover, it’s very predictable. The action scene raises interest and individually, it works. But as part of the film, it won’t be lapped up by the audiences. The finale is very simplistic and unconvincing. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas Public Review | Sunny Deol | Karan Deol | Sahher Bambba | FDFS</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/pal-pal-dil-ke-paas-public-review-sunny-deol-karan-deol-sahher-bambba-fdfs/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Karan Deol puts a genuine effort but still, it falls short. He’s too raw and still needs guidance to become a fine actor. In the scene where he’s racing, he has a weird smile on his face and it takes away the impact. The attempt to roar like his father in the action scenes will work with the front benchers though. Sahher Bambba meanwhile does very well and has a wonderful screen presence. Aakash Ahuja is fine as the villain. Kamini Khanna (Sahher’s grandmother) is adorable and raises laughs in a funny scene. Meghna Malik leaves a huge mark. Aakash Dhar, Simone Singh (Sahher’s mother), Sachin Khedekar (Sahher’s father), Nupur Nagpal (Natasha), Vijayant Kohli (Kapil Gupta) and Kallirroi Tziafeta (Karan’s mother) are decent. Music is okay but some of the songs are shot well. <em>'Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas'</em> comes at a significant juncture. <em>'Ho Jaa Awara'</em> is the best of the lot thanks to its picturisation. <em>'Dil Uda Patanga'</em> comes next. <em>'Aadha Bhi Zyaada'</em> fails to work due to Karan’s acting. <em>'Ishaq Chaliya'</em> is forgettable. <em>'Maa Ka Mann'</em> is very soulful but comes at a very unconvincing point in the movie. Raju Singh and Rishi Rich's background score is quite exhilarating. Himman Dhameja and Ragul Dharuman's cinematography is spectacular. The locales of Himachal Pradesh are shot beautifully. The whole team deserves credit for shooting the film at locations that have been never before explored on celluloid. Not just the mountain scenes, even the second half is shot nicely. Resul Pookutty's sound design adds to the effect. Amardeep Behl and Tina Dharamsey's production design are appealing. Niharika Khan and Vishakha Kullarwar's costumes are very glamorous, especially the ones worn by Sahher Bambba. Vikram Dahiya's action is spot on. Prime Focus's VFX is quite okay and could have been better in the snow leopard sequence. Devendra Murdeshwar's editing could have been slicker, considering that the film is too long at 153 minutes. On the whole, PAL PAL DIL KE PAAS has an outdated storyline, with just the mountain scenes and Sunny Deol’s direction saving the day to an extent. As a result, the film will have a very tough time at the box office.

Our long-drawn independence struggle saga is filled with innumerable stories of bravery and valour. Sadly, a few of them have been lost in the pages of history or only have local awareness. Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy is one such great man who is credited to have fought a decisive battle a decade before the great 1857 rebellion. Ram Charan takes up the challenge of making a film on this figure, titled SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY, and it features his father, megastar Chiranjeevi. The presence of actors from other industries and that it releases in Hindi and other versions make SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY a pan-India film in the truest sense. So does SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY manage to entertain and stir up the viewers? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1025279" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Syeraa-Narasimha-Reddy-10.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY is the story of India's first chapter of freedom struggle. The year is 1857. The soldiers of Rani Lakshmibai (Anushka Shetty) are wondering whether a handful of them will be able to fight the huge British army. In order to motivate them, the Queen narrates the story of the brave Narasimha Reddy (Chiranjeevi) who revolted against the British a decade before the 1857 revolt. The story then goes in flashback mode. Narasimha Reddy is a ruler of a part of the territory in South India called Rayalaseema. He is a part of a polygar which consists of several other rulers like Avuku Raju (Sudeep), Basi Reddy (Ravi Kishan) etc. All these kings get pension from the British and are expected to be submissive to the Crown. Narasimha Reddy however is in disagreement with this arrangement and is finding a way out to free his kingdom from the clutches of the British. The region faces drought and to appease the rain gods, Narasimha Reddy's learned mentor Guru Gosayi Venkanna (Amitabh Bachchan) asks for a <em>yagna</em> to be conducted. Narasimha is shocked as he learns that the last time a similar yagna took place was in his childhood and that time, he was married off to Siddhamma (Nayanthara). But the married couple was kept apart as there was a <em>'dosh'</em> in their union and they could reunite only after another <em>yagna</em>. Narasimha Reddy is devastated at first as he loves Lakshmi (Tamannaah Bhatia). With a heavy heart, Narasimha Reddy leaves Lakshmi and advises her to use her dancing talent for the greater good. He then accepts Siddhamma and begins his married life. Despite the drought, the British officer Jackson (Oscar Skagerberg) asks for tax from farmers. He even mocks them and once while he’s doing so, Narasimha Reddy arrives and teaches him a lesson. An angry Jackson enters a village ceremony and eliminates 5 farmers and a child. Narasimha Reddy is so angry that he enters the British settlement, attacks the soldiers and then beheads Jackson. The other rulers of the polygar refuse to help him at first but then join Narasimha Reddy in challenging the mighty British Empire. What happens next forms the rest of the story. Paruchuri Brothers's story is excellent and makes for a grand, patriotic film. They have obviously fictionalized a lot of developments in the plot but it has been done very well. Surender Reddy's screenplay is confusing in the beginning as too many characters get introduced and it might seem difficult to understand who is exactly related to whom. But in the later sequences, the script is quite effective and packs a punch. Manoj Muntashir and Jitender Pawar's dialogues are sharp although some of them are over the top. Surender Reddy's direction is quite massy and simple. Most of the important scenes are well executed and leave a lasting impression. He stirs up the viewer’s emotions beautifully. One can’t help but hate the British for their atrocities and one can’t help but root for Narasimha Reddy for his acts. On the flipside, the initial portions are strictly average. The film moves too fast, since it’s already too long at 171 minutes and hence, a few scenes don’t make the desired impact. There’s also a déjà vu of BAAHUBALI, the Hollywood flick 300 and even surprisingly THE AVENGERS and this was avoidable in many places. SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY’s initial portions are not very impressive. The proceedings are neither great nor terrible – it’s somewhere in between. The first 30-40 minutes are spent in introducing the characters, the setting, location etc. The entry of Siddhama makes for a great twist in the tale. But a few developments are difficult to digest at this point. Sidhamma remembers her marriage, which took place in the childhood, without fail but Narasimha Reddy doesn’t even know he’s married! However, the film really picks up in the scene where Jackson arrives at a farmland and mocks a farmer. The manner in which Narasimha Reddy gives a monologue and challenges Jackson is clapworthy. The intermission sequence however is even better and the audiences in single screen cinemas will go crazy at this point. The second half too has some great moments though they could never reach the level of the aforementioned sequences of first half. It also gets a bit too long. But it keeps one engaged. The finale is powerful and the film ends on a rocking note. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ram Charan REVEALS Why He Has Not Acted In Sye Raa Narsimha Reddy | Chiranjeevi | Big B</span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/ram-charan-reveals-why-he-has-not-acted-in-sye-raa-narsimha-reddy-chiranjeevi-big-b-2/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY has a great ensemble cast but the film belongs to Chiranjeevi. No two doubts on that! He owns the film with his performance and style. It’s also commendable to see him doing action at this age so well. His stardom is intact and that adds a lot to his character and to the film at large. Sudeep is quite good as the mysterious and badass ruler and would be liked by audiences. Tamannaah Bhatia has a supporting role but she springs a surprise in the second half. Watch out! Nayanthara gets a very raw deal and the only scene where she leaves a mark is when she confesses her love for Narasimha Reddy. Vijay Sethupathi (Raja Paandi) has a late entry but is entertaining. Jagapathi Babu (Veera Reddy) creates an impact in the pre climax. Oscar Skagerberg is excellent as the villain and would be remembered, though he’s there only in the first half. Ravi Kishan and Mukesh Rishi act well but their voices are dubbed by someone else, which makes their performance a little awkward. Lakshmi Gopalaswamy (Narasimha Reddy’s mother) is passable. Lastly, Amitabh Bachchan is smashing in the special appearance while Anushka Shetty as always is impressive. Amit Trivedi's music is nothing great but works in the film. <em>'Jaago Narsimha Jaago Re'</em>, played in the beginning, fails to make a mark. <em>'Sandal Meraa Mann'</em> isn’t memorable either. <em>'Sye Raa'</em> comes at an excellent juncture and very well shot. <em>'Saansein Teri Desh Hai'</em> is played in the end credits but doesn’t have the period feel. Julius Packiam's background score is way better and adds to the drama and exhilaration. Ratnavelu's cinematography is top-notch and goes on another level in the battle and action scenes. Rajeevan's production design is quite grand as well as authentic. Greg Powell, Lee Whittaker, Ram-Laxman and A Vijay's action is one of the highpoints of the film. It’s gory at times but done well overall. Anju Modi, Sushmita Konidela and Utthara Menon's costumes are regal. Sreekar Prasad’s editing is quite fast-paced and even reckless at places, which could have been avoided. On the whole, SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY is a great patriotic saga and a visual spectacle that leaves a tremendous mark thanks to its plot, Chiranjeevi’s performance and massy execution. At the box office, it has the potential to succeed.

Two-hero films were in vogue at one point but in today’s times, it’s a rarity. Yash Raj Films brings respite in this regard in the form of WAR, one of the most anticipated flicks of the year. The film features two of the most popular actors today and the way they have been portrayed has upped the excitement to insane levels. So does WAR manage to meet all the expectations and emerge as a true blue action entertainer? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1025368" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/War-3.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> WAR is the story of two patriotic soldiers fighting against each other. Khalid (Tiger Shroff) is the son of an army officer, who had joined hands with the enemies. As soon as Khalid's mother (Soni Razdan) found out, she informed the army and the father got killed by fellow officer, Kabir (Hrithik Roshan). For an important mission, Khalid is assigned a part in Kabir's team. Kabir obviously is apprehensive but Khalid wins him over with his loyalty and bravery. The story then moves two years ahead. Kabir is assigned the duty of eliminating a dreaded terrorist. Instead of killing him, Kabir bumps off his commanding officer, V K Naidu (Mohit Chauhan). Khalid and others are shocked that someone like Kabir has gone rogue. Khalid is instructed to kill Kabir immediately before he causes any more harm. While Khalid is trying to find out Kabir’s whereabouts, the latter steals army equipment in a daredevil mid-air stunt. In another act of bravado, Kabir comes in front of Khalid and informs him that his next target is a certain Dr. Utpal Biswas (Arif Zakaria). What happens next forms the rest of the film. Aditya Chopra and Siddharth Anand's story is decent and loaded with twists and turns. Shridhar Raghavan and Siddharth Anand's screenplay is effective and engaging for most parts. However in the second half, a lot of dumbing down happens which could have been avoidable. A few developments are quite unconvincing and are hence, difficult to digest. Abbas Tyrewala's dialogues aren’t memorable as such but work. Siddharth Anand's direction is simple and he shows that he has the ability to handle a film of this scale. He also joins the dots in the narrative neatly. On the flipside, he could have shortened some of the action scenes for a better impact. A few moments also give one déjà vu of past YRF films like DHOOM, TIGER ZINDA HAI etc. Lastly, the way Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan are pitted against each other might not seem entirely acceptable to the fans. WAR begins on a rocking note. The entry sequence of Kabir has a twist and startles viewers. If Kabir’s entry impresses, Khalid’s entry blows one away as it’s a smashing action scene shot in one take. One expects the cat and mouse chase sequence to begin immediately from hereon. But instead, the film goes on a flashback mode to explain the dynamics of Kabir and Khalid’s bond. The mid-air action scene is quite fun while the intermission comes at a decisive point. Post interval, the Hrithik vs Tiger saga begins in full force and makes for a fun watch. The film also gets a bit stretched but the twist in the tale saves the day to an extent. Ideally a film like this should have ended on a high but the finale fight is tedious and too long. <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">War: Public Review | First Day First Show | Hrithik Roshan | Tiger Shroff | Vaani Kapoor</span></strong> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/war-public-review-first-day-first-show-hrithik-roshan-tiger-shroff-vaani-kapoor/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, both Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff deliver exceptional performances. Hrithik Roshan looks very dashing and his performance is outstanding. He is brilliant in every frame. In some of the emotional moments, he’s quite endearing. Tiger Shroff’s action as expected is out of this world and it’s commendable the way he fights baddies in the long action sequence in the beginning. In the emotional sequences, he shines and his act gets better in the pre-climax and finale. Vaani Kapoor (Naina) has a very late entry but manages to impress with her performance and oomph. Also, she dances like a dream. Ravi Awana (Basheer) is very convincing as the terrorist. Sanjeev Vatsa (Rizwan Ilyasi) and the actor playing Feroze Contractor are quite good as the baddies. Ashutosh Rana is dependable as always. Anupriya Goenka (Aditi) has a decent screen presence and suits the part. Dipannita Sharma (Dr Mallika Singhal) is okay in the cameo. Soni Razdan, Arif Zakaria, Mohit Chauhan and Swaroopa Ghosh (Sherna Patel) are fine. Vishal-Shekhar's music doesn’t have a long shelf life. <em>'Jai Jai Shivshankar'</em> is the better of the two songs thanks to Hrithik and Tiger’s chemistry. <em>'Ghungroo'</em> comes next. Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara's background score is energetic and adds to the thrill. Benjamin Jasper’s cinematography matches global standards. The film is shot in some of the beautiful locales of the world and the lensman does justice to each place. Rajat Poddar's production design is rich and appealing. Paul Jennings, Oh SeaYoung, Parvez Shaikh and Franz Sphilhaus's action is a highpoint. Each and every action scene is well thought of and choreographed. The finale fight however could have been shorter and more imaginative. Anaita Shroff Adajania and Niharika Jolly's costumes make the actors look sexier. YFX’s VFX is superior. Aarif Sheikh's editing is slick. The various action shots are well stitched together. But in the second half, there was a need to trim down a few scenes. On the whole, WAR is a paisa-vasool action entertainer which has style as well as enough twists and turns to keep the viewers engrossed. At the box office, the extended weekend, dazzling action, stunning international locales and stylish execution will ensure mammoth footfalls for the film.

The death of a young child can be one of the most painful experiences for any parent. Director Shonali Bose, who suffered a similar loss in her life, is now back with THE SKY IS PINK, based on the life of a motivational speaker, Aisha Chaudhary, who passed away at the age of 19. The team of the film has promised that it stands out as it focuses on celebrating the life of the deceased person instead of living through the sorrow of him or her not being there anymore. So does THE SKY IS PINK emerge as a touching and uplifting film? Or does it fail to strike a chord with the viewers? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1028860" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Sky-Is-Pink-4.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> THE SKY IS PINK is the story of a family facing a crisis over a period of nearly two decades. Niren Chaudhary (Farhan Akhtar) from Chandni Chowk marries Aditi Chaudhary (Priyanka Chopra), a South Delhi girl and also his childhood love, in 1986. They have a son, Ishaan (Rohit Saraf) after a few years. Aditi also gives birth to a daughter, Tanya, but she passes away in 6 months. That’s because both Aditi and Niren have a rare faulty gene. They again try for a baby and on March 27, 1996, Aisha (Zaira Wasim) is born. Sadly, just like Tanya, Aisha too gets affected due to rare faulty genes of her parents and develops a condition called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), an immune deficiency order. They move to London for her treatment and even manage to raise double the funds needed for her treatment. At the age of 6 months, Aisha gets a bone narrow transplant but as a side effect of this treatment, she develops a serious illness of the lungs called pulmonary fibrosis. This condition comes to the fore when Aisha is 13, at a time when the Chaudharys were hoping all her problems are history and she’ll lead a normal life. Moreover, the doctors make it clear that she won’t survive for more than 5 years. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar's story is very promising and could have made for the most touching film of the year. Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar's screenplay works only in parts. A few scenes are exceptional but in some sequences, the writing doesn’t have the desired impact. The film constantly goes into various flashback modes and it might be difficult to keep a track of the same. Juhi Chaturvedi and Nilesh Maniyar's dialogues are okay. A few one-liners work well and are witty. But some of the dialogues misfire, especially the narration of Aisha penned by Nilesh. The humour in the dialogues looks forced, especially the constant hammering of Aditi and Niren’s sex life. Shonali Bose's direction is strictly okay. She had a great subject in hand but she fails to do full justice. The film gets too long at 149 minutes and should have been way shorter. At the same time, a few details are skipped and ideally should have been focused, at least briefly. Aisha was inspirational speaker but this bit is touched only for a few seconds. Ishaan in a scene also exclaims that Aditi’s video has worked wonders on the internet. The audiences would have loved to see what Aisha spoke as motivational speaker, considering that she had a great sense of humour. Similarly, Niren is revealed to have a band and that surprises viewers as this part too never gets mentioned even once until the pre-climax. Shonali tries to make the situation light so that the film doesn’t get too heavy. Hence, she adds humour and in one crucial tragic scene, a funny background score is played and this decision completely fails to impress. On the positive side, she handles a few scenes with élan. One of the most beautiful aspects in the film is the bond Aisha has with her brother Ishaan. It’ll be unanimously loved. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Priyanka Chopra: “The Sky Is Pink is About Celebrating People’s Lives Instead Of…” | Farhan Akhtar</span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/priyanka-chopra-the-sky-is-pink-is-about-celebrating-peoples-lives-instead-of-farhan-akhtar/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> THE SKY IS PINK commences in the year 2015. The sad faces of Aditi and Niren indicate that things are not right between them. The story then goes on a flashback mode and keeps viewers engaged as Aisha gets conceived and her treatment takes them to London. A few scenes stand out here like Niren having the suspicion that Ishaan is not his son, Aditi blasting Niren for helping a lady called Sonia and Niren giving a surprise visit to Aditi in London. However, there’s too much back and forth happening as the film jumps across timelines. The emotional touch is also missing in the first half. In the second half, a few scenes are very moving and make the impact. But on the flipside, the long length plays spoilsport, among other factors. The subject, treatment, content and even the title is such that it’ll appeal only to select urban audiences. Priyanka Chopra delivers a great performance and carries most of the film on her strong, able shoulders. She has a very difficult part to essay but she effortlessly succeeds. Zaira Wasim puts up a confident act. The story is about her but her childhood portions dominate most of the first half. As a result, she makes an entry very late, though her voiceover plays from the first scene. She looks convincing as a happy-go-lucky person suffering from a terminal illness. Farhan Akhtar has a restrained performance and gives his best shot. Sadly, he gets a raw deal as the narrative focuses more on Priyanka and Zaira. Rohit Saraf looks dashing and shines in some important scenes in the second half. Gurpal Singh (RJ Arjun Gill) gives a heartfelt performance. Rajshri Deshpande (Anita Tandon), who made an impact with SACRED GAMES, has blink-and-miss appearances throughout the film. Ishan Jotshi (Karan; Aisha’s crush) is decent. Sudhavna Deshpande (Dr. Nirvick), Puja Sarup (Mohini), Sunil Chitkara (Niren’s father) and Nirupama Verma (Niren’s mother) are passable. Pritam's music is average. <em>'Dil Hi Toh Hai'</em> is the best of the lot and is very well shot. <em>'Nadaaniyaan'</em> and <em>'Zindagi'</em> are not very memorable. <em>'Pink Gulabi Sky'</em> is played in the end credits. Mikey Mccleary's background score is a bit theatrical and works only in some scenes. Kartik Vijay and Nick Cooke's cinematography is appropriate. The locales of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are well captured. Aradhana Seth's production design are realistic and yet appealing. Eka Lakhani's costumes are straight out of life and not over the top. Manas Mittal's editing could have been tighter. On the whole, THE SKY IS PINK has a great plot but falters on the account of a flawed execution and a lengthy runtime. At the box office, it will only appeal to a thin section of the niche audience in select metros.

Since last year, Bollywood has seen a rise in period films based in the pre-Independence era. Not just films based on real-life characters like MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI, KESARI or SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY, but even fictional sagas like THUGS OF HINDOSTAN, TUMMBAD or the upcoming SHAMSHERA are also being made. Saif Ali Khan’s latest outing, LAAL KAPTAAN, belongs to the latter category and attempts to tell a revenge drama. So does LAAL KAPTAAN succeed in entertaining despite the niche appeal? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1031588 size-full" title="Movie Review: Laal Kaptaan" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Movie-Review-Laal-Kaptaan.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Laal Kaptaan" width="750" height="450" /> LAAL KAPTAAN is the story of revenge spanning a couple of decades. The year is 1789, 25 years after Battle of Buxar. Hunter (Saif Ali Khan) is a Naga Sadhu who’s looking for a man called Rehmat Khan (Manav Vij). Through Noor Bibi (Sonakshi Sinha), Hunter finds out that Rehmat is a governor of a kingdom somewhere in North India. At this time, the evil Rehmat takes away all the treasure of his kingdom and kills his servants. Along with his army, his confidant Aadham Khan (Aamir Bashir), his wife (Simone Singh), wet nurse (Eshika De) and his newborn son, he abandons the fort and is on a way to the banks of the river Yamuna. By the time Hunter reaches the fort, there’s no one except a widow (Zoya Hussain). Hunter gets injured while fighting some Pathans on the way and the widow takes care of him and treats his wounds. In return, she requests him to take her with him. Hunter refuses and yet, she follows him. After Hunter and the widow leave, a tracker (Deepak Dobriyal) who’s an expert in finding out whereabouts with the help of his smelling power and pet dogs, reaches the fort. In some time, the Marathas attack the fort and the tracker agrees to help them find Rehmat. Rehmat was to give a portion of the treasure to the Marathas but since he didn’t, they are trying to find him. Meanwhile, a few days later, the Hunter reaches the place where Rehmat and his army have camped for the night. Hunter quietly enters Rehmat’s tent but he doesn’t kill him, which has always been his sole aim since 25 years. Rehmat’s army nabs Hunter but Rehmat doesn’t want him eliminated. He wants to know who exactly is Hunter and why he wants to kill him. Rehmat is also reminded that six years ago, he had crossed paths with Hunter and the latter had told him that he’ll finish him. Even then, Hunter had spared him. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Deepak Venkatesha and Navdeep Singh's story is very poor and gives a déjà vu of certain period films of Bollywood and also Hollywood. Deepak Venkatesha and Navdeep Singh's screenplay is confusing and ineffective. The film has too many tracks and except Hunter’s track, none of them are interesting. Also, the transition between tracks is not smooth. There’s a twist in the tale revealed in the pre climax but it arrives at a time when viewers are tired with the goings on and just want the film to end. Sudip Sharma's dialogues are nothing special and quite pretentious. The philosophical one-liners fail to entice. Also, various dialects and even Marathi is used and it’ll be difficult to decipher some of the lines in the absence of subtitles. Navdeep Singh's direction is highly disappointing. He had very weak material in his hand and moreover, he further spoils the show with his execution. The film is extremely dry and slow and very few scenes arrest your attention. There’s also an attempt to add humour with the character of the tracker and by showing Pindaris, allied with the Maratha army, as buffoons. But it just doesn’t impress. Even the revenge bit looks silly as Hunter crosses paths with Rehmat Khan twice and yet doesn’t kill him. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Laal Kaptaan: Public Review | First Day First Show | Saif Ali Khan</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/laal-kaptaan-public-review-first-day-first-show-saif-ali-khan/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> LAAL KAPTAAN has an intriguing beginning showing the flashback portion. Hunter’s entry is heroic but soon the film falls flat and it remains that way till the end, save for a few minutes in between. The film is too long at 155 minutes and moves at a snail’s pace. The story moreover is very random and also quite confusing. Hence, it becomes difficult for audiences to keep their interest. Also, it is bewildering that Hunter is desperate to find Rehmat Khan since 25 years. And when he finally meets him, he never kills him. Audiences would never be able to understand this factor. In the end, the reason is revealed but it’s very unconvincing and silly. Talking of performances, Saif Ali Khan genuinely puts up a good show. His look is quite dashing and he excels in action scenes. Manav Vij too does very well, as the baddie. His intense eyes work very well for such roles. Deepak Dobriyal is mildly amusing but in most scenes, his act doesn’t raise laughs. Zoya Hussain puts up a confident show. Simone Singh is decent. Aamir Bashir and Eshika De are passable. Neeraj Kabi (Sadullah Khan) gives a nice performance in a cameo and same goes for Chetan Hansraj (Sangram Singh) and Ajay Paul (Thakur). Vibha Rani (Laal Pari) is quite scary as clairvoyant but the director misses the bus here as he could have done a lot with this character. Madan Deodhar (Maratha captain) is appropriate and he’s the only one who manages some laughs. Henry Douthwaite (British officer Theodore Munro) has nothing much to do. Sonakshi Sinha is wasted and is there for just one scene. Samira Koppikar's music is nothing great and songs are badly used. <em>'Taandav'</em> sounds exhilarating but comes at a very confusing point in the movie. <em>'Red Red Najariya'</em> could have made for a great item song but is played just for a few seconds and hence, wasted. <em>'Kaal Kaal'</em> and <em>'Lahu ka Rang Kara'</em> don’t make the desired impact. Benedict Taylor and Naren Chandavarkar's background score is in sync with the film’s mood. Shanker Raman's cinematography is spectacular and the film is shot in some virgin locales. Rakesh Yadav's production design is authentic. Darshan Yewalekar's hair design and Dhananjay Prajapati's makeup is spot on, especially in case of Saif.  Maxima Basu Golani's costumes too are straight out of the 18^th century India. Illusion Ethereal's VFX is fine but could have been better in some scenes. Jabeen Merchant's editing is haphazard in several scenes. On the whole, LAAL KAPTAAN is bizarre and a poor film that has nothing substantial to offer the audiences in general. At the box office, the negligible buzz along with its release in the dull pre-Diwali period will spell doom for the film.

Aamir Khan’s landmark TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ introduced viewers to several real-life heroes that were then unknown. Two of the most memorable guests on this series were the ‘Revolver Daadis’, that is, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. Tushar Hiranandani, for his directorial debut SAAND KI AANKH, decides to adapt their story onto celluloid. So does SAAND KI AANKH manage to enlighten and also entertain viewers? Or do the makers fail to do justice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1032669 size-full" title="Movie Review: Saand Ki Aankh" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Saand-Ki-Aankh-5-1.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Saand Ki Aankh" width="720" height="450" /> SAAND KI AANKH is the story of two women who find their calling in their 60s. The year is 1999. Chandro Tomar (Bhumi Pednekar) and Prakashi Tomar (Taapsee Pannu) are sister-in-laws living under one roof with their respective spouses, strict and orthodox brother-in-law Rattan Singh (Prakash Jha) and their children in Johri village in Uttar Pradesh. Both have crossed 60 years of age and though they had the desire to do something worthwhile in their lives, they were not allowed to because of the pressures of the patriarchal society. One day, Dr Yashpal (Viineet Kumar) returns back to Johri. He leaves his medical profession and starts his shooting range. Chandro’s daughter Shefali (Sara Arjun) expresses interest to practise shooting but Rattan obviously refuses to give permission. Yet, Chandro takes Shefali to the range. Without giving much thought, Chandro also tries her hand and surprisingly, she hits a bullseye! Yashpal tells her to try few more times and he realizes that Chandro is a pro. Later, even Prakashi joins and even she turns out to be an expert shooter! Yashpal encourages them to hone their skills at his shooting range and later, tells them to take part in a shooting competition held in Chandigarh. The <em>daadis</em> have never stepped outside their village in their lives. Hence, they get apprehensive at first but nevertheless, they agree. They fool their husbands and Rattan smartly and head to the competition where Prakashi emerges first and Chandro second. In no time, they win many tournaments with ease, while also cooking up various stories to tell their spouses. However soon there comes a time when the Tomar sisters are compelled to tell the truth to Rattan. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Balwinder Januja's story is very promising and inspiring. It not just enlightens viewers about the lives of Chandro and Prakashi Tomar but also gives an important comment subtly about the ills of patriarchal society and lack of awareness of population control. Balwinder Januja's screenplay is captivating for most parts but could have been better in the beginning of the flashback portion and in the pre-climax. Jagdeep Sinhu's dialogues are acidic and sharp. Tushar Hiranandani's direction is quite good for a first-timer and he’s in control of the writing material in hand. He also tries his best to make it as entertaining and mainstream as possible. Also he scores on the emotional front as the struggles of <em>daadis </em>and the way they get slammed by the male members of the family can leave viewers moist-eyed. On the flipside, he should have kept the duration in check. The last 15-20 minutes could have been better emotionally as the scene preceding the finale is too good. SAAND KI AANKH begins on an interesting note and Chandro and Prakashi’s entry puts a smile on one’s face. The flashback portion works in parts. In fact, the entire first half though engaging doesn’t really go on a high. There’s not enough drama or tension in this hour as the <em>daadis</em> are able to easily practise and even go to Chandigarh without the men getting suspicious. The best part of the first half is the Chandigarh competition and how both the women silence their detractors. Post-interval too, the tension doesn’t arise till a certain point. Yet, the second half is better as there are some very sweet moments. One of the most touching scenes here is when Chandro and Prakashi mistake the finger bowl for hot lime water and gulp it down the throats. The Maharani (Nikhat Khan) doesn’t want the <em>daadis</em> to be humiliated for their gesture and hence, even she does the same! Even the <em>jugaadu</em> disco light installed by the <em>daadis</em> in their house in <em>‘Baby Gold’</em> song is sweet. The confrontation sequence between the <em>daadis</em> and Rattan Singh is exhilarating. One expects the film to end here but it goes on for another 20 minutes as the film also focuses on the track of Shefali and Seema trying to be shooters. This track also has its moments but after the high-voltage confrontation scene, the film falls flatly in this said scene. The film ends on an emotional note. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>BLOCKBUSTER : Taapsee &amp; Bhumi’s HILARIOUS Rapid Fire on Akshay, clash with Housefull 4, women crush</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/blockbuster-taapsee-bhumis-hilarious-rapid-fire-on-akshay-clash-with-housefull-4-women-crush/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> SAAND KI AANKH belongs to Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar undoubtedly. It’s important to note that they don’t really look that old but both compensate for it through their performances. Taapsee is at ease and the way she breaks into a sheepish smile when her plan of fooling the men succeeds is damn good. She gives her best however in the last portion of the film. Bhumi too gives in her best and her body language is spot-on. Also her attempts to pick up English will elicit laughs in theatres. In a few scenes though, she gets overpowered by Taapsee. Viineet Kumar is endearing and would be loved in the role of the person who serves as catalyst in the journey of the ‘Revolver Daadis’. From his dialogue delivery to his expressions, he gets his act just right. Prakash Jha is very convincing in what can be called a negative role and one can’t help but hate him from start to finish! Shaad Randhawa makes his presence felt in the second half of the film. Nikhat Khan is lovely as the Maharani and she is a part of some of the most important scenes of the film. Sara Arjun has a great screen presence and does well. Yogendra Singh (young Rattan Singh) is apt. S K Batra (I G Jaidev), Pawan Chopra (Jai Singh Tomar), Kuldeep Sareen (Bhanwar Singh Tomar), Pritha Bakshi (Seema) and Himanshu Sharma (Sachin) also put their best foot forward. Vishal Mishra's music is situational and works well, but only as a part of this film. <em>'Udta Teetar'</em> is exhilarating. <em>'Womaniya'</em> appears in the end and is memorable as the real Chandro and Prakashi Tomar also feature in the track. <em>'Aasmaa'</em> is touching and sung well by Asha Bhosle. <em>'Baby Gold'</em> and <em>'Jhunna Jhunna'</em> have catchy tunes and shot appropriately. Advait Nemlekar's background score has the commercial feel. Suddhakar Reddy Yakanti's cinematography is spectacular, especially in the shooting scenes. The camera moves in such a way that it adds to the drama. Also watch out for a scene where all the important movements of characters are captured in that rear-view mirror of a motorbike. Ravi Srivastava's production design is authentic. The fact that it was shot in the village of the Tomar sisters also adds to the authenticity. Rohit Chaturvedi's costumes are straight out of life. Sunil Rodrigues's action gels well with the film. Rajeev K Rastogi's VFX is rich. Devendra Murdeshwar's editing is neat but could have been tighter in the second half. On the whole, SAAND KI AANKH rests on an inspiring story and bravura performances by Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar. At the box office, however, it will need a strong word of mouth to survive competition in the form of HOUSEFULL 4 and MADE IN CHINA.

The residents of Gujarat are known for their entrepreneurial spirit and in recent times, films like KAI PO CHE [2013], MITRON [2018] etc were partly based on this aspect. Now debutant director Mikhil Musale takes this one step ahead with his Diwali release, MADE IN CHINA, which incidentally also stars KAI PO CHE actor Rajkummar Rao as the protagonist along with many other talented names. So does MADE IN CHINA manage to give the audiences a great time? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1034261 size-full" title="Movie Review: Made In China" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Made-In-China123.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Made In China" width="720" height="405" /> MADE IN CHINA is the story of a man who beats all odds to become an expert businessman. Raghu Mehta (Rajkummar Rao) is based in Ahmedabad and is a failed businessman. He has tried his hands in various kinds of businesses but the effort has been futile each time. He then accepted his deceased father’s advice and began to run his family-owned clothes shop. Even here, he tries to experiment and stocks Nepali mattresses but nobody is interested to buy it. Raghu is married to Rukmini (Mouni Roy) who is understanding and supports him through thick and thin. But Raghu’s father-in-law Vitthal (Manoj Joshi) and Devraj (Sumeet Vyas) don’t appreciate Raghu’s attempts. They advise him to sell his shop at a good price and also to go to China and help Devraj set up his venture of providing a herbal soft drink. Raghu reluctantly takes up the China offer where sadly, the deal with Tanmay Shah (Paresh Rawal) fails to materialize. However, Raghu befriends a local colleague there, Xui Lee (Danni Wang). She introduces him to Hou Lee (Jeffrey Ho) who claims to have made an effective aphrodisiac called Magic Soup that too from the reproductive organs of tiger. Hou Lee insists Raghu to sell it in India and make millions for both. Raghu returns to India, impressed with the idea, and he decides to do ground research. He meets several sex doctors, tantric babas etc and realizes that most of them are only interested to financially exploit the desperate people struggling with sexual problems. Raghu then comes across Dr Tribhuvan Vardhi (Boman Irani) who is honest and not money-minded. Immediately, Raghu insists that Dr Vardhi should sell Magic Soup to his patients and in return, he’ll get 50% share in profit. Dr Vardhi refuses at first but after much cajoling, he accepts the offer. On the advise of Tanmay Shah, Raghu turns Dr Vardhi into an online sensation which in turn helps in the sales of Magic Soup. All is going well until one day, a high-profile Chinese national, General Zeng (Dawei Yu), consumes Magic Soup and passes away in a few minutes. Consequently, Raghu and Dr Vardhi are caught by the police. Considering the gravity of the situation, the government dispatches two CBI agents, Gupta (Chitranjan Tripathi) and Sharma (Abhishek Banerjee) to investigate. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Mikhil Musale, Karan Vyas and Parinda Joshi's story is juvenile and unconvincing. There are far too many characters and justice is not done to many of them. Mikhil Musale, Karan Vyas and Parinda Joshi's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Niren Bhatt) is a bigger culprit. The poor storyline could have been still made for a slighter better film. But that doesn’t happen as the film lacks drama, tension and even sufficient humour. Niren Bhatt and Karan Vyas's dialogues could have been much better worded and unique. For instance, the way Dr Vardhi’s speech goes viral seems difficult to digest as he didn’t say anything that’s not been said before. Mikhil Musale's direction is weak. He knows the shot taking techniques but storytelling wise, his approach is flawed. There are too many jumps in the timeline. The entire China trip episode is bewildering as viewers never get to know where Devraj disappeared and when and how did Raghu return to India. The film, moreover, begins as a murder mystery, but this bit is kept unexplained till the very end. On the positive side, a few scenes are entertaining like Raghu roaming around with Xui Lee, the scenes of Tanmay Shah and the scene in the library involving Raghu and Dr Vardhi. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>‘Double Meaning’ quiz: Rajkummar &amp; Mouni’s most hilarious &amp; closely fought battle | Made In China</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/double-meaning-quiz-rajkummar-mounis-most-hilarious-closely-fought-battle-made-in-china-2/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MADE IN CHINA begins on a high note and the murder is shown at the very onset. One expects the narrative to get better as the film goes on a flashback mode. But nothing of that sort happens. The first half is dry and story-wise, nothing much happens. The interval arrives all of a sudden. In the second half, there’s some movement in the story as Raghu finally rises to the top. But even here, the scattered and disjointed plot spoils things. The track of Akash Chopra (Gajraj Rao) seems forced and doesn’t add much, especially his last scene. The finale is convenient and the film ends, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. Talking of performances, Rajkummar Rao tries to put up a genuinely good show but the end result is not that impressive. The scene where he really stands out is when he shows Rukmini’s picture to Xui Lee in China. Mouni Roy looks sizzling but is decent at best. Boman Irani is far better and he’s actually the best performer in the film. He especially does very well in the twin monologues in the second half. Gajraj Rao is wasted. Paresh Rawal entertains. Manoj Joshi and Sumeet Vyas put up a good show. Danni Wang is sweet. Jeffrey Ho is over the top but it works for his character. Chitranjan Tripathi and Abhishek Banerjee fail to entice. Sanjay Goradia (Natukaka) raises laughs in the beginning. Dawei Yu is hardly there. Amyra Dastur (Roopa) gets no scope. Sachin-Jigar's music doesn’t have recall value. <em>'Odhani'</em> is used for a less than a minute in the film and plays in the end credits. <em>'Sanedo'</em> is foot-tapping. <em>'Valam'</em> is well shot. <em>'Naari Naari'</em> is not there in the film. Sachin-Jigar's background score is far better and the Chinese feel is brought alive well. Anuj Rakesh Dhawan's cinematography is neat. Sheetal Sharma's costumes are straight out life while those of Mouni Roy are appealing yet in sync with her character’s financial condition. Mayur Sharma's production design is fine. Manan Ashwin Mehta's editing should have been smoother and the film should have been shorter. On the whole, MADE IN CHINA lacks a good story and execution to make a mark. At the box office, it’ll have a tough time as it clashes with a biggie in the form of HOUSEFULL 4.

Reincarnation sagas have been immensely popular in Bollywood. There’s a certain charm to see protagonists facing an untimely death and then avenging for the wrongdoings in their next life. Interestingly, there has never been a reincarnation comedy. This void has now been filled thanks to HOUSEFULL 4. The film looks grand in every way and is also the big Diwali release. So does HOUSEFULL 4 emerge as the ideal entertainer for families in this festive season? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1034345" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/housefull4567.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> HOUSEFULL is the story of three couples and how destiny helps them reunite after 600 years. The story begins in 2019. Harry (Akshay Kumar) is a barber in London who has a habit of momentarily losing his memory when he hears a loud noise. During one such time, he ends up destroying a large amount of money belonging to Michael (Sharad Kelkar) that was given to him for safekeeping by Big Bhai. Big Bhai hence gets angry at Harry, his brother Max (Bobby Deol) and their friend Roy (Riteish Deshmukh). He demands them to return the money of Bhai. Harry, Max and Roy then tell Bhai that they are in a relationship with Pooja (Pooja Hegde), Kriti (Kriti Sanon) and Neha (Kriti Kharbanda) respectively. All three are daughters of a very wealthy man, Papa Ranjeet (Ranjeet). Hence they’ll pay Big Bhai the money once they get married to them. The trio then meet Papa Ranjeet and the marriage is fixed. The venue chosen is a place called Sitamgarh, a town in India. The trio along with their girlfriends and Papa Ranjeet arrive at Sitamgarh palace, which has now been converted into a hotel. The moment they reach there, the bell boy, Aakhri Pasta (Chunky Panday) claims that all of them were a part of the kingdom of Sitamgarh. He goes overboard while making the claim, which makes the guests uncomfortable. Hence the manager Winston Churchgate (Johny Lever) fires Aakhri Pasta. However, Harry has often got flashes of his past life. He goes to Madhavgarh, where Aakhri Pasta resides, to find out more information. As soon as he reaches Madhavgarh, Harry is able to remember his past life. The story then goes on a flashback mode in the year 1419. Bala (Akshay Kumar) is a notorious Prince of Madhavgarh who is banished from the kingdom by his father (Parikshit Sahni). With the help of Pasta (Chunky Panday), he finds out that the king of Sitamgarh, Maharaja Surya Singh Rana (Ranjeet) will be celebrating his birthday and that he had three daughters, Madhu (Kriti Sanon), Meena (Kriti Kharbanda) and Mala (Pooja Hegde). Bala arrives in Sitamgarh and succeeds in wooing Madhu. Meanwhile, Bangdu Maharaj, a dancer in the royal palace, gets into a relationship with Mala while the warrior Dharam (Bobby Deol) starts an affair with Meena. The king even approves the union and their marriages are fixed. All is going well but Suryabhan (Sharad Kelkar) who wants to be king comes up with a plan. He kills brother of Gama (Rana Daggubati), a ferocious chieftain of a neighbouring kingdom. Gama is made to believe that it’s the king who ordered the killing. As a result, Gama arrives in Sitamgarh during the marriage ceremony for revenge. In the ensuing battle, they all die. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Sara Bodinar and Sajid Nadiadwala's story is very weak. Aakash Kaushik and Madhur Sharma's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Farhad Samji, Tushar Hiranandani, Sparsh Khetarpal and Tasha Bhambra) spoils the show further. It seems like the makers took audiences for granted and in the attempt to show grandeur, they missed out on the factors that made HOUSEFULL such a successful franchise. Farhad Samji's dialogues add to the fun but only at places. Farhad Samji's direction is unimpressive. Though for most parts, he is able to handle the grandeur and confusion well. The opening credits are very similar to the opening of BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION. In fact there’s an in-your-face reference to the film later. However, several sequences are weak and the jokes fall flat. The writing is also to blame but the director should have hidden these shortcomings with his execution. Sadly that doesn’t happen. HOUSEFULL 4 begins on a very fun note. The madness that happens at Harry’s salon sets the mood. The film gets better as they all reach Sitamgarh. Once the flashback begins, one expects the film to go on a high. But the opposite happens as the humour is missing from the film. Yes there are fun moments but they aren’t funny enough to give audiences a <em>paisa</em> <em>vasool</em> time. Much of the second half is about how Harry tries to persuade Max and Roy that they are doing a mistake by getting married to their <em>bhabhis</em>. The humour here is strictly okay and in the Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s track, it goes out of the window. Thankfully the entry of Pappu Rangeela (Rana Daggubati) acts as a respite. The climax works only in parts. The continuity issues spoil the fun. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>FUN UNLIMITED: Team Housefull 4 Interview | Crazy Rapid Fire, Hilarious Quiz &amp; 5 Second Challenge</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/fun-unlimited-team-housefull-4-interview-crazy-rapid-fire-hilarious-quiz-5-second-challenge/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Akshay Kumar emerges as the most entertaining actor in the film. His Bala act is superb but even in the 2019 portions, he is too good. Riteish Deshmukh comes next. As the effeminate Bangdu Maharaj, he does a fine job which was expected as he has done similar roles in the past. Bobby Deol is disappointing as he doesn’t have much to contribute in terms of humour. Rana Daggubati is excellent in both avatars. He adds to the fun in the pre-climax and climax especially. Talking of the girls, all three look stunning. Kriti Sanon gets her share of interesting scenes. Kriti Kharbanda makes a mark in the scenes where she hums Hindi songs. Pooja Hegde is decent. Chunky Panday doesn't get enough scope as in part 1 and 2 but he gets to be a part of some crazy scenes. Johny Lever manages some laughs in the second half. Sharad Kelkar is efficient in a small role. Manoj Pahwa raises laughs in his cameo appearance. Ranjeet is fine. Jamie Lever is okay and the Johny Lever connection comes at a surprise. Parikshit Sahni is nothing great. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is awkward. Songs are average and they won’t have a recall value. <em>'Shaitan Ka Saala</em>' is the best of the lot. <em>'Ek Chumma'</em> comes next followed by <em>'Badla'</em>. <em>'The Bhoot Song' </em>is the weakest part of the film while <em>'Chammo'</em> is forgettable. Julius Packiam's background score is theatrical and the recurring theme is catchy. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography adds to the grandeur. Sham Kaushal's action is good. Amit Ray and Subrata Chakraborty's production design is splendid. Costumes compliment the characters. The ladies especially look gorgeous in both avatars. Do It Creative, AI Solve Ltd and Prime Focus's VFX is of superior quality. The Sitamgarh Kingdom especially is depicted in a fascinating manner. Rameshwar S Bhagat's editing is inconsistent and there are several jumps in the narrative. On the whole, HOUSEFULL 4 is a major disappointment and suffers on the account of poor writing and vacuous screenplay. The negative word of mouth will ensure that it will crash at the box office though it might still end up crawling to Rs. 100 crore mark on account of festive period and the extended weekend.

Over the years, there have been several films that have tackled various conditions that lower a person’s self-esteem like skin colour, obesity, stunted growth etc. Premature balding, however, has rarely been the central plot point of a film. Two very lesser known films like I M 24 [2012], HAIR IS FALLING [2011] etc have dealt with the issue but they sank without a trace. Producer Abhishek Pathak for his directorial debut, UJDA CHAMAN, tackles this idea in the romcom space. So does UJDA CHAMAN manage to entertain and move audiences? Or does it fail to entertain? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1036216 size-full" title="Movie Review: Ujda Chaman" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Ujda-Chaman.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Ujda Chaman" width="750" height="450" /> UJDA CHAMAN is the story of a man in search of a life partner. Chaman Kohli (Sunny Singh) is a 30-year-old lecturer in Delhi’s Hansraj College. He has faced acute hair loss in the last five years, affecting his self-esteem and also his marriage prospects. His parents, Shashi Kohli (Atul Kumar) and Sushma Kohli (Grusha Kapoor) put his five-year-old picture in his marriage bio-data and when he goes to see a prospective bride, he wears a cap. Sadly, the cap comes off and the prospective bride and her family kick the Kohli’s from their house. Their family astrologer (Saurabh Shukla) adds to their tension as he claims that if Chaman doesn’t get married before his 31^st birthday, he’ll remain celibate for life. Chaman tries to find love, first at the marriage ceremony of a friend but it proves futile. Later, he tries to woo a fellow lecturer, Ekta (Aishwarya Sakhuja) but she rejects him as she is already dating someone. All of a sudden, a first-year student, Aaina Ali Khan (Karishma Sharma) shows interest in Chaman. Chaman falls for her but in no time, he realizes that she hung out with him for vested interests. With no other option, Chaman accepts his father’s suggestion and downloads Tinder. He uploads his picture, but by cropping his bald patch. In no time, he matches with Apsara (Maanvi Gagroo), who is overweight and just like Chaman, she too puts a close up picture to hide her so-called imperfection. Both decide to meet and obviously get shocked looking at each other. What happens next forms the rest of the film. UJDA CHAMAN is an official remake of the 2017 Kannada film, ONDU MOTTEYA KATHE (Writer: Raj B Shetty). Danish J Singh's adapted story has immense potential as a lot of people can relate to the goings on shown in the film. But Danish J Singh's screenplay plays spoilsport. The narrative is engaging but only in parts. Danish J Singh's dialogues are funny and matter-of-fact. Abhishek Pathak's direction is not worthy enough. The execution seems a bit amateurish and over-the-top. The manner in which Chaman is ridiculed almost on a daily basis by the students because of his receding hairline is too much. Moreover, the direction style is not consistent. The second half looks very different from the first half. Also, with nothing unique happening in the film, the narrative becomes extremely predictable. On the positive side, a few scenes work like the track of Aaina and the hospital scene. UJDA CHAMAN begins on a fun but very loud note with the initial portions being mildly engaging. The humour looks forced in the scene where Chaman attempts to assault his brother Goldy (Gagan Arora). The track of Aaina is thankfully better but still, the film doesn’t reach a high. The intermission point is interesting and the film seems promising from here on. And the initial portions of the second half are very entertaining as Chaman and Apsara get close. But after a point, nothing novel or interesting happens. The film gets dragging and predictable. The final scene is cute but comes too late in the film. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Ujda Chaman: Public Review | First Day First Show | Sunny Singh Nijjar | Maanvi Gagroo</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/ujda-chaman-public-review-first-day-first-show-sunny-singh-nijjar-maanvi-gagroo/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Sunny Singh gives his best but the desired impact is not made. The manner in which he seems so serious and lifeless throughout the film is difficult to digest. Even his narration in the beginning is needlessly done in a sombre tone. Maanvi Gagroo does quite better and is a natural. Her issues and predicaments seem very relatable and she plays the part nicely. Atul Kumar also does a genuinely good job. Grusha Kapoor is very loud. Gagan Arora is passable. Karishma Sharma plays her part as per the requirement. Aishwarya Sakhuja has a great screen presence. Sharib Hashmi (Raj) is good but sadly his track is predictable. Saurabh Shukla is strictly okay. Music is disappointing. Only <em>'Chand Nikla'</em> gets registered. The rest of the songs like <em>'Twinkle Twinkle', 'Outfit'</em> and <em>'Oh Bandeya'</em> are forgettable. Hitesh Sonik's background score is too loud and dramatic. Sudhir K Chaudhary's cinematography is neat. Tarpan Srivastav's production design is in sync with the film’s setting. Preetisheel Singh's make up and prosthetics are flawless. Rahil Raja and Himanshi Nijhawan's costumes are realistic. Mitesh Soni's editing is sans complaint and the film’s length is appropriate at 120 minutes. On the whole, UJDA CHAMAN has a promising and relatable story but the inconsistent execution and predictable narrative spoils the show. At the box office, thanks to limited buzz and lack of popular names, the film will have a difficult time.

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.