puranjanbasak Reviews

Srikanth (2024)

SRIKANTH:-na andha hu na hi ganda hu

[8/10 · 21 May 2024]

Srikanth is a biography drama film directed by tushar hiranandani.

The biggest victory of the film is rajkummar rao. He is outstanding in the film. The way he has carried the mannerisms of a blind man in the film is outstanding. No wonder the man is the recipient of so many awards. Jyotika too, gives a solid performance, despite her character is paper thin. Same is the case with sharad kelkar. The acting in the film is solid.

The message is loud and clear, its a good thing. But sometimes, the film goes overboard with its messaging. Every other scene is used as a ladder for srikanth to climb, and that too very easily. This leads to a lack of conflict in the film. The screenplay is otherwise engaging. The music is good. And the cinematography too. The film also suffers in the first half, due to its highlights reel approach. There is little to no breathing space between the scenes. The screenplay is rushed with no time to film srikanth's inner turmoil.

Yodha (2024)

YODHA:-the film cannot fight for its life enough

[7/10 · 21 May 2024]

Yodha is an action drama thriller film directed by sagar ambre and pushkar ojha. It also falls under the subgenre of one person army.

Sidharth malhotra's action range is commendable. He is fluid in his movements and looks dashing while pulling off the stunts. However, the same praises cannot be bestowed upon his acting range. He was trying very hard. No characters get any screentime to leave a mark. The twists are good, whenever they cime in the film. The film defies the laws of physics multiple times and there are some convenient plot points without any buildup. The climax is good, and we root for arun katyal. The music is done really good. The songs, the background score, though saturated support the film. The screenplay is engaging but the writing has many loopholes. The characters are poorly setup. The action scenes are well done really.

Lootere (2024– )

LOOTERE:-a smooth sail on tricky waters

[9/10 · 16 May 2024]

Lootere is an action crime series directed by jai mehta.

One of the strongest points of the serues is its steady hold on its narrative. The events take its time, the politics come into light and the writing keeps a track of the events.

The actors have done a splendid job. Starting from rajat kapoor and chandan roy sanyal to the african actors. Martial batchamen tchana as barkhad will interest you with his demeanor. He did a fabulous job. The other actors too were superb. Vivek gomber, though looked a fish out of water to me. His bursts of frustration seemed artificial. However, he got better as the series went on. But there was a layer of rust in his portrayal.

The film explores the political landscape of somalia pretty well, the dealings of terrorist organizations and its linkage with politics is also dealt with subtlety. The background music is terrific, of course when done by achint thakkar, the man behind the riveting score of scam 1992. There are some subplots which take time and test your patience, but once invested it keeps you engaged.

All India Rank (2023)

ALL INDIA RANK:-a surface level treatment

[7/10 · 22 April 2024]

All india rank is a comedy drama film directed by varun grover.

This is a sweet film. The era of 90s is beautifully captured, the production design, the art design is really good. The screenplay uses various animations to bring freshness into the narrative. The music is something I really liked, specially the background score. The teenage life is also retty genuine. But the problem is that all the things are surface level, the problems, the tension, the solutions are never really explored deep, the emotions are lacking, as a result you are just like, meh its okayish. The subplot of the vulgar PCO boy was unexplained, making no sense to me. The film is about life, how it is not at all random, but I wanted more from it.

Article 370 (2024)

ARTICLE 370:-an act between fact and fiction

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

Article 370 is an action drama thriller film directed by aditya suhas jambhale.

This film gets many things right. The cinematography is on point, it is premium. There is an action scene in which the team catches burhan wani, the lighting, the staging of the scene is outstanding. Some action scenes will look awkward, its true, it will feel haphazard, but mostly it is good.

The writing is interesting. The character of zooni is well-written, she has a graph, a real cause in the fight for the abrogation of article 370. She overdoes her scenes in one or two places, but overall she's good. The character of rajeshwari is very one-tone. She has no agency or cause. An office bearer without any thought, ut seemed. The film gives a very moving nod to the pulwama attacks, that scene is pretty well designed. The first half is the set up for the abrogation, and it is the moving half as well. In the second half, the technical terms come in, the bureaucracy gets involved and the film suffers due to uts poor pace and engagement. The film tries to justify demonetization in one scene, despite the proofs that exist of its mishaps. It is good that the pros of abrogation are highlighted, but what about the cons, no mention of that. The film in the latter half, acts as a hero vessel for the PM and his right hand, sidelining the actual major characters in the film.

The music is good, the background score is funky and drumming. It gives an upbeat feel to the film. The film highlights the political terrorism that took place in kashmir throughout the 90s as well. The various political acts of terrorism used as a way to withhold kashmir from india.

Amar Singh Chamkila (2024)

AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA:-a hypocrisy worth studying

[9/10 · 19 April 2024]

Amar singh chamkila is a biographical political drama musical romance film directed by imtiaz ali.

I want to pronounce that imtiaz ali is back and how. You see the film and realise how you missed the OG imtiaz. He has experimented with his narrative style this time, used documentary style attaching real life footage and photos with the enacted scenes, used animations to great effect, and even comic bookish form in some scenes. What this does is stop the rut the screenplay could have suffered(low possibility anyway), by the routine narrative style.

Diljit dosanjh is a gem, he has done wonders with the character of chamkila, he isn't good or bad, that is for the audience to decide, fate and destiny to decide, but he is the way he is. Obviously, the film highly benefits from the fact that a real life performer is playing another performer, the authenticity and energy is tangible. Parineeti chopra, too shines in her own merit. Amarjot is a subdued character, starting off as shy and less expressive, but opens up with the film. She too is a singer and puts it to good use, it shows on screen. The supporting cast of anjum batra, anurag arora, apinderdeep singh too are very efficient in their respective roles.

AR rahman's music provides some wings to the film. The songs are bangers in their own merit. The lyrics by irshad kamil hit too hard. The lyrics are synonymous with the kind of songs chamkila used to sing. They are brash and expressive, but never pretensive. Vida karo will remain in my senses for a long time, that song hits at many places at once. Its a soul stirring one. The background music is never indulgent, maintaining a safe distance from the audience, never spoonfeeding them, except some scenes where it tries to be too dramatic.

I will specially give credit to the writing department which never tries to whitewash chamkila, never tries to hide chamkila's flaws. It embraces like chamkila did in his time. It lets the audience think about whether they will like him or not. The character of amar is very well sketched out, he is given maximum space and rightly so, an interesting man instead. Amarjot too, gets her fair space in the film. The dialogue writing too is highly appreciable.

There is a direct commentary on censorship and morality in the film. Who decides what people will listen to, and what not? Why is it not the audience who decides and only some men in power who decide it for the masses. The men in their suit-oants preach morality while resorting to vulgarity and vouyerism in their sheltered homes. The film highlights the utter hypocrisy of the human society, it studies the relationship between the art, artist and audience through the life of an eccentric persona, and it is enjoyable to say the least.

I could collect only one drawback in the film. The film starts with a bang in the first sequence, it is shocking and horrifying, but what it also does is, it dilutes the scene when it occurs again in the final scene. I wished I could feel more about the incident in the finishing part of the film.

Maidaan (2024)

MAIDAAN:-a robust film spearheaded by authentic football

[9/10 · 17 April 2024]

Maidaan is a biographical period sport drama film directed by amit ravindernath sharma.

Ajay devgn surpasses his last acting performance with this film. His prowess is on full display here, his eyes speak everytime he is on the sidelines of the maidaan. His demeanor fills us with a pride that there was a person who tried and tried to bring indian football on the world map. Priyamani supports him with full charisma. There is one scene in particular, one powerful scene, where saira asserts that the dream is not only his, but his family's too. She literally brings syed abdul rahim in his senses. The football players, too have acted well but mainly, played well. They know how to play and it shows on screen. The characters of gajraj rao and rudranil ghosh are pretty under-written and as a result they come off as caricaturish and one dimensional antagonists. Their performances were affected by the underwriting.

One of the strongest points is the cinematography of this film. The non- football scenes are obviously good, well lit, well staged but the match scenes are outstanding. Cinematographer andrey valentov, who shot the match scenes, has given his full to capturing every angle of the dribbling, running and sprinting. Some shots even follow the ball from the pov of the runner, it was absolutely terrific. The music is good, however 'ghar aaya mera mirza' is a great song. The background score seemed overused in some sequences but its a minor hiccup.

The writing has been pretty good. The beats of the film are predictable at times, but the staging and execution take it over the line. Despite being 3 hours long, the duration is never felt, which is a good sign. The dialogue writing is very good. The penultimate scene where syed rahim gives his motivational speech to his team is praiseworthy. There are some minor abonormalities here and there, but this is one solid solid film. Definitely give your love to this film in theatres.

Madgaon Express (2024)

MADGAON EXPRESS:-The wild, wild west of India

[9/10 · 30 March 2024]

Madgaon express is a comedy drama film directed by kunal kemmu.

This is a wild film and for some very good reasons. The performances by the three leads is stupendous. Pratik gandhi, as pratik is outstanding. His body language as a coke Od-ed maniac was hilarious to watch. It helps that he has risen from gujarati theatre, which has a knack for comedy dramas. He pulls off situational, line driven as well as pure slapstick comedy. Divyendu gets the most hilarious lines of the lot, and everybody knows that he is a master at pulling one-liners. He is a proper problem attracter and he is so good to watch. Avinash tiwari, gets the short end of the stick in that sense. His role was more of a reactionary shots. He acts as the mediator in this stormy, eccentric world. But the most enjoyable were chhaya kadam and upendra limaye. Both have done such a wacky job in this film, as kanchan kombde and mendoza respectively. Mendoza's equations with his guns extract some high end laughs.

The writing stands out particularly. The writing never takes its characters too dumb. It treats them with respect, and extracts comedy within the dire situations. The dialogue writing has been outstanding. Some lines and punches are so good, it will get you whole reptilia kingdom in your stomach. There are some nods and mocks on various films such as playing the score of lakshya when dodo plays the nationality card, or when the film mocks the very idea of goa being exciting as a reference to dil chahta hai. These are some good homages to films of the past. Also the cinematography of the film is so good. The usage of backlight is so exemplary, the way the camera chases the running characters is so so good. The background score too is very well done, it assists the wacky characters, the most being kanchan and mendoza. Also the editing in some places is unique and funky.

The only negatives I can think about is the lack of logic in some scenes, the inclusion of the character of nora and danny, the song placements and the running time in some bits. But these are minor hiccups in what is a great film cinematically and also for community viewing. Honestly, I had a ball in the theatres.

Shaitaan (2024)

SHAITAAN-a good supernatural thriller with a powerful score

[8/10 · 24 March 2024]

Shaitaan is a supernatural horror thriller directed by vikas bahl, an official remake of the gujarati film vash.

The best performers in this film are r madhavan and janki bodiwala. R madhavan brings the evil, maniac the blackest of black shades in his character. In some scenes, his body acting, expressions and dialogue delivery is top notch. A testament to why he is so revered across industries. His hold on his craft is exemplary. Janki bodiwala had the hardest physical acting in this role. She had to undergo massive physical blows in this film and she does it with great heft. Her expressions are organic and never feel out of the place. Jyotika had more of a reactionary role, so didn't have much to do.

The screenplay starts off with the usual family bonding, going on a family trip and then a stranger is ushered into their lives and all hell breaks loose. The screenplay is engaging, but after some point, the tortures that vanraj keeps on inflicting upon janvi gets repetetive. Also, it is never made clear why he needs the parents' permission to take their child. The character of dhruv is very irritating in the beginning, who happens to call his father by name(i don't know what this creative choice means). The cinematography is good, the eerie atmosphere is set up very well, the lightning is generic but serves the purpose. The sound design, however is very good. A thriller needs a strong score and this film has that. The dialogues are decent.

The climax is convincing but also unconvincing at some point. A father trying to save his daughter from the clutches of evil is always sweet to see, but the climax is acted in a very loud way. Madhavan, for all the good performance in the film, the climax is pretty weak, acting wise. The girls also scream very artificially. The twists are good, but also seem outlandish. Shaitaan serves as an entertaining watch, though not always engaging.

Fighter (2024)

FIGHTER:-Weak peripheral characters, wrong song placements and a weaker antagonist

[7/10 · 23 March 2024]

Fighter is an action adventure war thriller film directed by siddharth anand.

Hrithik roshan is a force to reckon with in this film. He has a real character arc and he manages to do justice with it. Playing a character that has lost a great deal in life, is a broken down machine, is tough, that too in a commercial entertainer. But hrithik, due to his potential and talent manages to make the character real. Deepika padukone has been given an emotional nervepoint but it doesn't work because of the over the top theatrics. Ashutosh rana is cast as her father for one scene, which is effective only due to rana and not the emotion fuelling it. The characters of bash and taj played by akshay oberoi and karan singh grover are underwritten and lack meat. Anil kapoor had a transformation too quick for human understanding and it left a sour taste. A man who believes that he lost his sister due to patty surely cannot forgive him as per convenience and plot point. It has to be organic.

The screenplay starts well, the armed force camarederie is well set up, the first song is even nicely placed, heer asmani. But thereafter, the song placement goes haywire. Multiple scenes are hijacked by wrong song placements, breaking continuity and flow of the story. You see an intense aerial fight cut to the song sher khul gaye, its abrupt to say the least. The screenplay otherwise is good. The cinematography is generic in some places and rash in some others. The camera never allows us to settle in on a scene for a comfortable amount of time. The vfx is strictly average, it becomes more evident when helicopters and fighter jets crash in the mountains. The nod to pulwama attack and its emergence in the story is used well to set up the motives of the characters and the air force as general.

It also doesn't help the film that the pakistanis torture bash and not taj when in confinement. The effect and consequence would have been same had the characters been swapped. The makers' intention was to point out and differentiate between good and bad muslims but I think it was already clear when bash and hundreds of others like him are already in the air force. In the final fight scene, patty while bashing azhar opines "tu kisi bhi mulk ka nhi h" but then goes on to say lines like "pakistan IOP ban jayega" as if he cares for all it matters. The dialogues are pretty unnecessary at some points. The background score is enhilirating but loud in many places, constantly nagging us to feel rather than let us feel. The antagonist played by rishabh sawhney is pretty weak and doesn't extract any hate or disgust for the character.

This is a film drawn with broad strokes, which is fine until it hampers the quality of the film.

Maamla Legal Hai (2024– )

MAAMLA LEGAL HAI:-a good courtroom comedy, bogged down due to its own confusion between comedy and satire.

[8/10 · 11 March 2024]

Maamla legal hai is a drama series directed by rahul pandey.

The series starts very meekishly for me. The jokes were seemingly lame, the intention was always there but something was really missing. It became evident as the series progressed and the series just caught its right pace. The emotions were missing, you cannot go comedy comedy comedy all the way, it will get stale after a point of time.

Ravi kishan is the star of this show. Starting off as a cocky, high ground lawyer, his character transitions to be a very likeable one, mainly due to his antics and the shades brought into his character. His equation with his father, though in brief sequences, was effective. Naila grewal impressed me a lot. She had to play a character who had to learn that there is always a distance between law and justice. I think she carried off that smug attitude really well. Nidhi bisht is funny. Her character started off well, but somewhere in between, her motives were not given importance. The writers had to develop her character more. The other characters are decent.

I think the series was confused whether it wants to be a comedy or a satire, because the writing has to be different for both. The series learnt that thing from the 4th or 5th episode onwards. The slight pokings at the lawyers' and judges' plight in this country helps the series. The series portrays different abrupt cases which were weird and wacky. The homour in those places seemed off, I mean the level of humour being generated with those cases was off point. Another gripe has to be the use of background score. It was almost present in all emotional scenes. The makers had little confidence on their audience and their writing, to be honest.

There are some humorous one-liners which are worth remembering. The short sitcom approach helps the series from being dragged on. A solid 7.5/10.

Laapataa Ladies (2023)

LAAPATAA LADIES:-a simple story elevated by masterful storytelling

[10/10 · 8 March 2024]

Laapataa ladies is a comedy drama film directed by kiran rao.

I think i have seen one of the most beautiful film of this year. This is a soft, moist touch on your film sensations, spearheaded by superlative, thoughtful writing. The writers never let the social commentaries overdrive the screenplay of the film, except for one or few instances in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half. The film leaves small, beautiful metaphors in places around the film. The first scene itself sets up that, when phool's mother ties a knot with some offerings in her saree's drape, that is brought back into the film again when she earns her own money and ties it in her same knot. A reflection of the aspirations of young women and how they are blindsided by inaccurate representations of traditions. There are multiple sharp attacks on veils, ghoonghat and also on hijab, when it poses threat to the investigation. This film also reflects bravely on secure and toxic masculinity between two male characters that is of deepak and pradeep.

The trio of sparsh srivastav, nitanshi goel and pratibha ranta hit the bull's eye with their superb portrayals. Nithanshi goel as phool, develops and learns to have something of her own, while also wanting to be with her husband, a character that celebrates true blood feminism. Sparsh srivastav as deepak is so so good. The love in his eyes for phool is what male characters can learn in various films. He screams of a secure, content masculine character. But my favourite of the lot is pratibha ranta as pushpa/jaya. She is fiery, unapologetic for herself and opinionated. A lively, educated character. She knows what it takes to live one's dreams, while also keeping one's kindness intact. Ravi kishan as manohar and chhaya kadam as manju maai will also make you feel good about the film. The music by ram sampath is astounding. Sajni sung by arijit singh is fabulous. The score never atrracts attention of its viewers, it always assists the scene. The cinematography is simple but the simplicity wins us over. The comedy works hugely, the dialgoues are funny and thought provoking. "Sapne dekhne ke liye maafi nahi mangte." So simple yet so effective.

This is winner film, not screaming for attention but fighting for everyone's cause. These are the kind of films that make you feel good about watching films.

Poacher (2023– )

POACHER:-outstanding craft and solid storytelling

[9/10 · 4 March 2024]

Poacher is a crime drama series directed by richie mehta, the same director who directed the emmy nominated season1 of delhi crime.

I had high hopes from the series, and I have not been disappointed. The series benefits hugely from the immaculate performances of the lead. Nimisha sajayan is haunted by the guilt of her father's wrongdoings. She is his shadow, only in a different direction, passionate and determined. In many sequences, she internalises the guilt which makes her fiery in her investigation. She only has empathy for the mute and the cute. Roshan mathew is guilty in front of his wife, not being able to give time at home and look at his kid growing up. He never lets it get into his investigation. Possessing a cool head, he is always clear. Dibyendu bhattacharya is as real as it gets. He too, has wife issues and a cancer threat, but refuses to be bogged down by it. The rest of the cast is stupendous, I wished kani kusruti had more of a character. She went missing midway.

But performances can only take you this far if your writing isn't substantial. The series excels in its writing. The attention to detail is something to marvel at. The procedural that they have set up, with its many leads and many dead ends is one of the most beautiful things to see. This is a procedure, where leads lead to dead ends, rivalry between states ensues, non-compliance is as common as cattle. The characters are detailed, the poaching scenes are detailed too to the point where it is painful to watch. It also helps that the series uses various shots of animals looking over the jungle to overlook the investigation. It seems as if the camera relies more on the animals than the forest officials to officiate the forest.

The series is technically on point. The camera follows people into official buildings, always keeping a sight of the investigation. The color palette uses dark colours to amplify the grave danger the territory is in. The music, especially the intro music is spectacular. The background music is mysterious and does enough to make us feel the tension. The dialogues are excellent as well. The tension-building in the last 2 episodes is spellbounding.

But in some episodes, the messaging goes overboard in the dialogues, why elephants are necessary, why they should be saved, these become recurring themes in the dialogues, a misfit to otherwise a highly intelligent series. Also some episodes mainly 2 and 6, if I remember looked a bit stretched to me.

But this is a series to be applauded for its intention as well as the craft. The craft never overtakes the storytelling prowess. Richie mehta presents a solid police procedural with a solid cause at the core. Definitely watch this!

Love Storiyaan (2024)

LOVE ON AIR:-beautiful stories on the absolute beautiful.....LOVE

[8/10 · 26 February 2024]

Love storiyaan is a romantic documentary series directed by six different directors.

If I write in short, then only one story was absolute best according to me. Homecoming, i.e the third segment was the most heartfelt, a romance tested by changing times and revolution. The attachment to one's roots and home is so wonderfully established in this segment. Some other segments were good too, for eg love on air and raah sangharsh ki. Others were strictly average, their storytelling bogged down by fictional characters simulating the real ones. The scenes become loud many a times and really sour the taste. If you plan to watch some storues from this series, make sure it is homecoming, love on air and raah sangharsh ki.

Bhakshak (2024)

BHAKSHAK-a superb film on crimes against women

[9/10 · 23 February 2024]

Bhakshak is a crime drama film directed by pulkit.

I found the old and newfound bhumi pednekar once again through this film. The one I fell in love with in films like dum laga ke haisha and other pre-covid films. Her dialogue delivery and expressions were on point. She plays a character with a strong spine and moral character, and everybody knows it has its own challenges. She aced it really well. Sanjay mishra is, as always, effortless in his performance. This was a piece of cake character for him, a support system to the protagonist. Aditya srivastav, on the other hand, brings out his devilish, dirty intentions out and makes us all bleed disgust. He alongwith his accomplices give a performance which will make us doubt over human character and basic compassion. Tanisha mehta as 'sudha' portrays the trauma of living in a disturbed space really well. She has seen things, things which are ghastly and amoral. She shivers and her eyes cast down due to the fear about speaking of those ghastly sins.

The first scene itself shows such a harrowing detail that it disturbs your sane mind. How can you do this? How is this behaviour even possible? You will ask those questions yourself. The screenplay is taut throughout, slackening a bit in the second half, when the police come into play. The police procedural should have been written better. A film so detailed deserved that part. The film never shows any gruesome details in general but only the aftermath of those, and yet it is so effective. The sound design of this film is impeccable, the music is very good. The background score is used very less which brings out the natural quality of the scenes.

The subject which the film discusses about women and the crimes against them is not new. But the execution has been superb. The film also presents a strong argument in favour of the media, the fourth pillar of democracy which has stooped to lower than lower levels in today's world. A strong media, a supportive media to the commons' cause can create upheavals in this world, this waa just a small instance.

Dunki (2023)

DUNKI:-can't fathom the dislike around the film

[9/10 · 18 February 2024]

Dunki is a comedy drama film directed by rajkumar hirani.

Shahrukh khan gives a good performance but it could have been a great one. He brings a baritone, husky nature to his dialogue delivery which was very unnatural in many many sequences and it hampered his overall acting too. It seemed he was putting an effort, he is actually an amazing actor, doesn't need to put that much of an effort. Taapsee pannu, actually acted better than I hoped. Her performance was so better than her previous few films. Vikram kochhar and anil grover give highly commendable performances. Vikram handles the comedy aspect really well whereas anil shows his emotional side as well. But this segment cannot end without talking about vicky kaushal. His performance in the first half elevated the sequences, his arc was very touching and it speaks to the audience.

Actually, the writing actually gives some real arcs to the characters. We get why hardy, despite not direct motives, want to go to london with manu. The film really relies on love and romance as a core emotion to fuel the screenplay. And it works, the way hardy looks at manu, manu doesn't reciprocate in the easiest way possible but that was very good. The motives are there. But the film fails in its simplistic message about borders. I am on a middle ground regarding that. Hardy repeatedly lectures people about colonialism and how indians should be allowed in england. But, just becuase what english did was illegal does make the wrong done by us any legal. But it is also true that the borders have now become a method to only stop the poor and deprived. The writing shows the dark side of becoming a dunker. Not every story is a success. There are sacrifices that happen, many lives are lost on the way, families are broken forever.

The cinematography is simple yet effective. It does not complicate this, which in a way is nice. The music is outstanding. Simply outstanding! O maahi and lutt putt gaya are my personal favourites. Chal ve watna and nikle the kabhi really tug at your heartstrings about the love for your land and your loved ones. The other songs are also great. The dialogues are also great. Some flaws here and there, but a solid solid film.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

An outstanding dissection of a fall, from the terrace as well as from grace in one's eyes

[10/10 · 16 February 2024]

Anatomy of a fall is a legal drama legal thriller psychological drama psychological thriller crime drama thriller film directed by justine triet.

Where to start about this film!! One of the best I have seen this year. The writing is so so strong, coupled with the performances it reaches a whole new level. The characters are so well fleshed, so nuanced, they are not perfect characters by any standard, still you root for them. The screenplay starts with a whodunit thriller but halfway into it delves into much more grey and genre defining stuff. It examines gender roles in a broken relationship and the effect it has on two sane minds. It clashes a fragile male ego with a distant motherhood, result of which is a very disturbing and powerful scene in the courtroom. That scene is the highlight of this film, where a recording of an argument between the couple is dissected thouroughly. That was, for me, peak writing and staging.

The performances by the cast is superlative. Sandra huller is a force to reckon in this film. She shows very less cimpared to what she hides inside her. The performances by sandra and samuel theis in that argument scene was outstanding. Milo machado graner as daniel was claustrophobically good. A child, entrapped within his own parental discomforts. A traumatic childhood, a father's death, a mother on trial, he has seen it all, milo portrays it with aching deft. The acting by rest of the cast was commanding.

The screenplay manipulates it viewers about what might have ensued on that fatal day. We never know, was it a suicide?? Or a cold blooded murder, heightening this ambiguity was the scene where daniel gives his insight about what may have happened, that's who we are. We are daniel, confused about the day, contemplating and searching about what may have that fatal day. And the film wins us over with this single final scene.

Joram (2023)

JORAM:-outstanding piece of work

[10/10 · 5 February 2024]

Joram is a psychological drama action adventure crime thriller directed by devashish makhija.

I won't say much but only this that everybody needs to watch this film. Be it for a thought provoking narrative, superlative performances by the leads and supporting or the heartwrenching portrayal of a rotten system at the top, nothing falters in this film. Manoj bajpayee is guttingly real and personified, smita tambe is achingly menacing. You cannot blame any certain individual for whatever is happening, the narrative is tight, unfolds slowly, makes you feel many things while also making you numb by the portrayal of a rotten system. The music is outstanding. I cannot recommend it more.

Sam Bahadur (2023)

SAM BAHADUR:-could have been so much better

[8/10 · 30 January 2024]

Sam bahadur is a biographical drama war film directed by meghna gulzar.

The film focuses on a personality who is the owner of unending charm and a highly happening life. The film tries to cover it all, but the events don't have a lot of breathing space, so it feels the screenplay is weak. The film benefits highly from a scintillating performance by vicky kaushal and other actors including sanya malhotra, neeraj kabi etc. Vicky especially is a force to reckon with, he makes same manekshaw believable without making it gimmicky. The music is good. The cinematography is also good, but the writing flaws surface a bit too often.

Killer Soup (2024– )

KILLER SOUP-THE SERIES NAME IS ITS OWN PRAISE

[10/10 · 22 January 2024]

Killer soup is a comedy drama thriller series directed by abhishek chaubey.

The four writers have gathered together to make a story that is as madcap as it is sincere in its dreams. There is a clear inspiration of david lynch's 'twin peaks' on the use of dream imagery in an investigation. It is not as complex as the former but is very effective. The screenplay is written in a very intricate way. Multiple characters are set up in a grey shade, with multiple links between their treachery, backstabbing and mysterious aura. The best characters are that of swathi and umesh/prabhakar. What propels the characters and the show forward are the scintillating performances by konkon sensharma and manoj bajpayee. Konkona brings a very cunning and a very cruel, opportunist way to her character. She can do anything for the fulfilment of her restaurant dream. Manoj manages to distinguish between his characters until needed. Sayaji shinde and anula navlekar too put up credible performances. Sayaji shinde is a force to reckon with in certain sequences, his camaraderie with manoj is outstanding. Nassar and lal too give strong perfirmances.

The show has many laugh out loud moments and numerous wtf moments in a good sense, but what touches you is the many fleeting moments of emotional turmoil that the characters go through. For instance, arvind, in a dire state, caresses his daughter fir the first time in the show, and the performances in that particular scene was fabulous. Similarly, watch out for the few human scenes that let you know about the already mysterious personalities. The music of the series is very good including the bgm. It recognises the mood and elevates the scenes further. The cinematography also is excellent. The top shots of the city, the rainy hills, the morose weather, all is captured beautifully. The humour of this film is on point, it is very subtle and works on point. The dialogues help the scenes in a very well manner.

The investigation part of the series is written with proper detailing. You don't feel left out of the proceedings often. All in all, a very good start to the year.

Merry Christmas (2024)

MERRY CHRISTMAS:-not sriram's best, but definitely a great film

[9/10 · 14 January 2024]

Merry christmas is a drama thriller film directed by sriram raghavan.

This sriram raghavan film grows upon you, indulging you further, with tinges of mystery, confusion, moral ambiguities. I was quite surprised by the treatment of the film. The director almost treated it like a french classic, obviously the inspiration is one, building it slowly and slowly, as if the film is a slow poison. The film does get poisoned by it somewhere in the runtime, making you feel, that the conversation have been going on too long, with no sense of end. But, believe me, it was necessary to establish albert and maria's character arcs. Both are not heroes, both are flawed and the first half is dedicated to their flaws. Both their characters were written superbly, vijay sethupathi doing full justice to it, while katrina kaif missed some marks. Katrina was facing difficulty in emoting many expressions at several places, her tears felt curated. No doubt, this is one of her strongest performances, but it doesn't match up to her counterpart. Vijay is a fine, fine gem. He is broken, has regrets and feels the world around him, not showing much. Vinay pathak and ashwini kalsekar, in their small roles, leave an impact.

One of the film's strongest qualities is its use of music. The music uses western classical as a homegrown artform. Never does it feel out of place or overcooked. The christmas eve mood is set up from the first few scenes itself. The cinematography by madhu neelakandan is lovely and lively. The use of lights in the nightscape is exemplary. Technically, the film is class apart. I wish the emotions touched me more, so the second half felt closer to me than it was. But that told, sriram raghavan has cooked up a heartful romance this time, with mystery layered all around it.

Three of Us (2022)

THREE OF US:-a poignant tale of loss, grief and nostalgia

[10/10 · 7 January 2024]

Three of us is a drama film directed by avinash arun dhaware.

You know the film is brilliant, when you can see through the characters, when they are crystal clear about their happiness and grief, their sorrow and joy. This film leaves a lasting impression on a human's present as well as the past. When shailaja's expression changes from a nostalgic twitch to a face saddened with the impending loss, you feel the pain within you. When two friends make up with their lost time on a ferris wheel, away from the chaos, beside the vast sea, you see the genuineness of their conversation. The piano notes in the bgm tap on the characters' memories. It feels like it is making time itself from the chaotic rhythmic progression just like the characters. The cinematography feels like a throbbing timeless nod to the beauty of a pendulum that swings between nostalgia and inherent joy to loss and grief.

The dialogues written are so well woven between the characters, it seems that they are meant to be spoken by them. So much is said through the unsaid. The screenplay peels like an onion one at a time, we get to know shailaja and dipankar. Then we come across pradeep. And at last, we behold their souls, some living in the present, some looking for their past in the present. The screenplay never feels slow, because it never becomes overbearing. It does not decimate its narrative deft in the name of pacing. We know, in the first half, that shailaja suffers a loss in her childhood, that pradeep has a lonesome side to him, but it is only in the second half, that they are conveyed to us, in a way that is subtle and tender. There are some neatly staged scenes. One instance being when dipankar is insecure towards shailaja feeling happiness around pradeep. He questions her whether she felt the same thing with him ever. We never feel it out of place, this insecurity out of place because the staging is such, the writing has been clean. There are scenes like this throughout the film where the film feels like a sweet beginning to something which is happening and also sonething which has been lost beyond ages. This film will be in my personal soace for a long, long time.

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023)

KHO GAYE HUM KAHAN:-an important film on social media culture.

[9/10 · 2 January 2024]

Kho gaye hum kahan is a comedy drama romantic film directed by arjun varain singh.

The film's first half is very happy go lucky. The friendship is fleshed out, the acting is all in place. We are given a peek into the three primary characters' lives, their happiness, their insecurities, their sadness. The writing never overwhelms us with the sadness and morbidity. The characters have aspirations, it gets its fuel from their friendship itself. Nearing the interval, a spat between the two male friends happens which leads to the primary crux of the film, i.e them confronting their fears. Its written very well, but definitely have some convenient plotholes. Ahana yells at neil for exposing an opportunistic, gold digger, when she herself had made a scene at her ex's birthday, who is also a very ugly person. But I like the fact that the film does not try to make its characters politically correct. They are hypocrites in their rights, knowingly or unknowingly. The standup bits of imaad are well written, extracting many chuckles.

The film has many dialogues which try to explain to the viewers about the characters' state of mind. That's needless and very demeaning to the adult viewers. Monologues at the end seem to swirl around the film, serving little purpose. The chemistry between imaad and simran is very half baked.

The last standup skit where imaad comes out of his trauma is one of the strongest scnes of the film. Siddhant chaturvedi and adarsh gaurav are two highly promising actors. Adarsh gaurav, especially, is the star of this film. Got a very meaty role and clutched onto it. Siddhant has a problem with crying, or maybe his character was a bit emotionally distant. Ananya panday us good, has gotten better over the years but needs to keep hardworking. Her dialogue delivery is still very outlandish. Kalki koechlin is very good, so is rohan gurbaxani. The music is great, the songs are very peppy and fresh. The cinematography is good. The camera mainly traverses closed spaces which conveys the mindspaces of the characters. They are open in the out but their souls are somewhere locked inside them, inside social media.

The Freelancer (2023– )

THE FREELANCER:-the mohit raina show

[7/10 · 24 December 2023]

The freelancer is an action thriller show directed by bhav dhulia and created by neeraj pandey.

The finest quality of the show is mohit raina. He plays his part like a stoic, towering figure who has limited emotion range. It was hard for mohit to limit his range as an actor, which was required for this role. He is such a fab actor, his dialogue delivery is so smooth. Only fault was his running in this series, it was as if he was very stiff in his body movements. Kashmira pardeshi plays a normal, healthy minded muslim with a sense of sensitivity and air. It was not a character driven show, so no other such characters are etched out well. Anupam kher plays the cartrider type of role which is poorly written. The antagonists are one dimensional. The american and british accents are off for some actors.

The writing of this show does few things good. It builds up the tension very well. At multiple moments, it will make you feel very anxious about what's going to happen next. The screenplay though loses its steam at many points, you will feel like the subplots are not worth it. A subplot involving the doppleganger and his caretaker was just unnecessary.

The character of avinash kamath and his motives are well defined, we understand why he wants to save his friend's daughter, why he considers it a therapy to fill his void. The IB angle was stretched beyond a point, which made it boring and useless. The cinematography is generic with a pale yellow palatte to stereotype the arabic lands. It uses the picturesque locations well but does not get into the depth of it. The background score is also mediocre to decent. A very high paced music assists the scenes throughout.

The show makes a distinct comment on the muslim extremism and how it is a threat to the world and especially muslims around the world. Their backward, disgraceful laws are holding the community back. It also makes a commentary on the american messiah syndrome. They think that they are solution to every problem in the middle east. I was disgusted by the ways of regressive muslim confinement in syria and the places near to it. The commentary is on point.

Mast Mein Rehne Ka (2023)

MAST MEIN REHNE KA:-a breezy ode to mumbai

[8/10 · 22 December 2023]

Mast mein rehne ka is a drama film directed by vijay maurya. The best thing about this film is the chemistry between the two pairs. The older pair of jackie shroff and neena gupta is more infectious and charming, boosted by scintillating performances by the latter and mainly by jackie dada. The young pair too is very good. Abhishek chauhan gets the north indian accent on point. Some problems arise in the screenplay. At some points, the scenes stretch too long. This was constantly taking away my attention from the film. Also, people in this film are too oblivious to the fact that someone might be following them. Your sixth sense works in those times, in this film it does not. The film does not romanticize the struggle and hardships of the city, it celebrates the city itself, making it a character of its own.