Badhaai Ho - Film Review

#BadhaaiHo

The life and times of a typical Delhi-based middle-class family forms the back-drop of this enjoyable (mostly-)comedy. A comedy that arises from an event that is such an antithesis of a supposed lifestyle of a middle-class family, that it becomes the base for the entire plot.

The strength of this film comes from this one idea. That a conventional 50-something housewife conceives unexpectedly, amidst a mundane life that revolves around her daily duties of running the home and taking care of all members of the family (a husband, 2 young sons, and a crabby mother-in-law). And the emotional chaos and the multiple dramas that happen as a result.

In fact, that's pretty much the entire story. How everybody reacts to the news (mostly negatively) - the sons, the mother-in-law, the neighbours, the extended family, the son’s girlfriend, the son’s girl friend’s mother, the son’s friends. And then after some time, how everybody comes around to the fact that it’s completely normal and then reacts mostly positively.

Ayushmann Khurrana as Nakul Kaushik, again delivers a really good performance, being the central character, through which the entire story is told. Gajraj Rao (of Tech Conversations with my Dad fame), as the father Jeetu Kaushik gives a brilliant performance as an un-patriarchal head of the family, being both gentle with his family and still-in-love with his wife. Neena Gupta, as the mother Priyamvada Kaushik, also does a great job portraying a strong and silent woman, who’s self-effacing personality becomes a powerful contrast for the impact that her pregnancy has on everyone around her. Who thought she could be the one to shake up the entire system, that is held together by such fragile and meaningless rules and norms. And finally, Surekha Sikri as the dadi, does a brilliant role of a crabby traditional mother-in-law, whose primary job is to criticise the bahu and generally complain about everything and everyone.

Apart from the hilariousness of the different conversations that happen between different characters because of the situation, the movie is also impactful because it challenges stereotypes. It encourages us to be open-minded and tolerant of the different people that live around us, respecting the choices they make, whether we agree with them or not. Who’s to say what’s the right way to live one’s life? And who are we to judge others? The film reminds us to not put people in boxes. In a country with one of the largest youth populations in the world, it challenges perhaps one of the biggest biases we live with, in our country - the young vs. old bias. Old does not mean a road to ‘sanyaas ashram’. As long as we are alive, we are all human beings, with emotions, needs, desires and failings. What defines us is not our age, but the choices we make at our age. And the people that love us are the people that accept these choices and accept the life that comes as a result of these choices.

Where the film is weak, however, is the lack of a more defined storyline. It felt like the writers had this central idea and then they weaved everything around it. The narrative doesn’t move forward in a sense of what happens next. It just stays at this big event and things happening around it. The entire plot becomes about first showing the social conflict that is created by the late pregnancy and then the resolution of this conflict among the different characters. And while that’s perfectly enjoyable, it leaves you a little wanting for more.

The other area where the film had more potential was in building the different characters both inside the middle class society (like the younger teenage brother, Gullar and Nakul’s boisterous friends) as well as outside the middle class society (like Nakul’s girlfriend Renee, played by Sanya Malhotra of Dangal and her mother played by Sheeba Chaddha ). The film does try in building these characters through several scenes actually (like Gullar’s school fight with the bully, or Renee’s talk with Nakul or her talk with her mother), but because every scene becomes about the shocking unexpected pregnancy, there is no further aspect of the character that is built. And it’s not helped by a completely lacklustre presence (a non-performance) of Sanya Malhotra as the girlfriend, who actually has a pretty central role. Opportunity loss here.

But all in all, an enjoyable film with lots of laughter, in a surprising situation, with some great performances. Another feather in the cap for Bollywood in a year that is fast becoming one to remember for the most diverse set of movies, with completely unique plots and storylines. Once again a loud cheer for Bollywood 2018. 

Venom- Movie Review

#Venom. The byline of the poster says “the world has enough super heroes”. And that probably sums up the confusion that this next in the Marvel comics-brought-to-big-screen film is. 

So, he is not a hero? Then is he a villain? Uh! Ya. It is evil from another planet that wants to destroy planet earth. But wait.. not quite, because he changes his mind, and instead decides to save the earth. So may be he is a hero, after all. 

So maybe he is not a “super” hero? and he doesn’t have powers? Ya. He is an everyday loser who doesn’t care about saving the world or anything. But, wait.. not quite, because he likes the alien inside him (as weird as that sounds) that gives him all the powers to save the world. 

So maybe he is not “just another” super hero? He is bad ass, different, unique, R-rated like Deadpool? Ya, he is arrogant, cocky, bold, has sex too, but wait.. his girlfriend dumps him, he loses his job and he completely loses his confidence, will to live, and his general overall personality till the alien gets hold of him.

That’s when you realise you’re watching a weak movie. The plot is predictable and lame. And brings nothing new. 

Alien species lands on earth due to the misplaced ambition of a scientist (Carlton Drake, played by Riz Ahmed) to save the world through unscrupulous experiments. This species needs to inhabit human beings to survive and exhibit their power. One evil alien that inhabits noted journalist Eddie Brock (Thomas Hardy) turns good and the other that doesn’t inhabits the evil scientist. And the fight  between good and evil, till happily ever after. 

The plot had potential, no doubt. The one thing that IS remotely interesting (or should I say symbiotely interesting) is the the aspect of the symbiotic alien. They are two beings living in the same biological entity. One body, two souls. This opens up an interesting dimension of (no, not schizophrenia) a genuine double existence of 2 very different people in one form. Now, this is something that’s not explored before in a super hero, most of whom are very unidimensional. How the two-in-one co-exist, building on each other and completing each other in a way that makes them better together, both in a funny and a profound way and very often in a dark way. This aspect has a lot of possibilities. But in the way it’s done in the film, it feels like too much of a throwback to Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 3, (remember, when the black gooey alien takes over Spidey to make him dark!) and loses the opportunity of creating something new. 

The only other thing that had potential was ofcourse, Thomas Hardy. And it seems like he was the entire bet for the film to work. But even he is not able to save the film. How can one can look at Hardy as a loser. It’s just not convincing. And the overall story lets him down. 

Again Riz Ahmed (a good actor) becomes another cliche of an evil scientist. Michelle Williams  (again, great actor), as the woman lead also had the potential to play a different, more equal partner to Venom, but again becomes another damsel not-even-a-sidekick. 

All and all, a disappointing, full-marks-for-trying-something-different-but-ending-up-in-a-seen-there-done-that not-quite-Marvel film. 

As you walk out of the theatre, you can’t help but agree vehemently with the byline. The world, indeed, has enough super heroes. We can live without this one.

Andhadhun - Movie Review

#Andhadhun
From director Sriram Raghavan, of Ek Hasina Thi (2004) Johnny Gaddar (2007) and Badlapur (2014), comes another engrossing page turner, centred around a single character’s story and how it intertwines with multiple characters along the way, in a crazy, dark, funny, twisted plot that reveals, as much as it unravels, with every passing scene.

This time the central character is a budding gifted pianist, living a blind life, working on his talent towards building a life of music. A chance incident makes him a witness to a murder, that triggers off a series of mis-happenings that push him deeper and deeper into related and totally unrelated mess. What follows is non-stop Newton’s third law of motion, where every action of his has an equal and opposite reaction, every doing leads to an undoing, till you’re left wondering will this poor guy ever get a break. And does he?

This movie is not about the moments and emotions and dialogues and relationships and such artistic endeavours. The art of this movie is squarely and single mindedly about the plot. And how it unfolds before your eyes. Sriram Raghavan knows he has you wrapped around his story telling because there is no space to think, or wonder, or feel. You are part of a journey that is being driven by him, right from the very first scene. And you have no choice but to fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride. It is a refreshing and unique storyline that is told in an engaging and a relentless way. In this we see shades of inspiration from Guy Ritchie films, where even seemingly random events connect to each other and to the main plot in a ridiculously meaningful way, like the animated rabbit being shot by the farmer!

Ayushman Khurana does a great job playing the central is-blind-is-not-is-blind-is-not character. He is effortless and natural in his role, that admittedly isn’t as demanding anyway.

Tabu, as always, puts up a great show of a
complex character of a middle aged housewife caught in a situation that she is clever enough to do what it takes to get out. But, again Tabu is completely under leveraged in what she is capable of. Her character could have been more twisted, more layered.

And Radhika Apte, who is everywhere these days, does a decent job too, though honestly, I’m still waiting to be impressed by her supposed ‘talent’, that seems to be well hidden behind her looks.

But what you love most about the characters, in true Raghavan style, is the 50 shades of grey that each character is. Simi (Tabu), Inspector Manohar, Doctor Swami, Maushi, the auto rickshaw driver.. even Akash (Ayushman). None of them are golden hearted or pure evil, none of them have a larger than life agenda or have questions of conscience or morality or a life lesson to teach. What each of them is, is simply, biologically human, and like every species ever to have lived on this planet, are driven by just one simple, fundamental drive- survival.

But, Andhadun is not Sriram Raghavan’s finest film. At many points we can actually predict a supposed twist and some of the apparent surprises aren’t really that surprising. We wish he had pushed it even more - a little more stinging of the senses like when Varun Dhawan kills and wraps a dead body in plastic in Badlapur, a little more ruthless emotion like when Urmila Matondkar’s extreme hate for Saif makes her leave him to be eaten alive by rats in Ek Hasina Thi, a little more extreme scenes like the blood and kills in Johnny Gaddar. Just a little bit more..

But if we don’t compare him with what he is himself capable of, Sriram Raghavan does once again show he is a master story teller of slightly ‘hatke ’ plots that don’t necessarily follow a linear feel-good narrative, but are there to entertain like no other movie.

In short, go watch yet another totally worth-it film. What a fab year for Hindi cinema!

Sui Dhaaga - Movie Review

A heartwarming story of Mauji (Varun Dhawan) and Mamta (Anushka Sharma) and how they together change their collective fate from that of near-poverty to a successful business venture.

#SuiDhaaga. The story is pretty formulaic. Mauji is the classic underdog, constantly taunted by his father for being a good-for-nothing, continuously humiliated by his employers, and largely disrespected by his friends, family and the world around him.  Yet, he has the talent of sewing that is under-leveraged. Mamta is a regular housewife, who is caught up in the daily chores of the home, duty-bound to her father-in-law and mother-in-law and husband. Yet, she has the talent of street-smartness and a knack for business that is also under-leveraged. When certain unhappy events trigger Maui to set up and taste the success of his own sewing venture, the journey begins of Maui and Mamta transforming from being a joint family ‘beta-bahu’ to unknowing entrepreneurs. Braving failures, battling their own circumstances, stumbling through the system, they keep going till they can finally mean when they say ‘sab badhiya hai’. 

But, like some of the other recent Bollywood movies, the strength of this movie also does not come from its storyline. This movie rests on the characters and their emotions, that are really well played by the lead actors Varun and Anushka and the inimitable Raghubir Yadav (who plays Mauji’s father).  These three actors win your hearts through their endearing performances playing characters that are really well sketched. 

The characters are unique in that they are traditional-yet-progressive. Make no mistake. Mauji, Mamta and the father do not belong to modern India, in the way we know it. They are just above poverty, they live in almost rural fringes of the city, in a patriarchal household, the men wear kurtas, the women wear saris, the men earn a living and the women stay at home, and all of this in a no-questions-asked this-is-how-it-is way. Yet, within the household, the traditional roles that they all play sometimes only seem like a pragmatic division of labour, rather than a regressive social structure. In Mauji, we see a man who respects his wife’s intellect and instead of being threatened by her, relies on her to increase his own self-awareness and what he is capable of. In Mamta, we see a woman, who knows her mind and has the wisdom to know when and how to use it for the benefit of her family, finding a win-win solution. Even in the father, we see an apparent patriarch, who values his wife and daughter-in-law for what they bring to their home, and is willing to step into washing clothes, making rotis, and do whatever is needed without any false male ego.

The movie also makes you feel the struggle that people, who don’t belong to the middle class, face on a day-to-day basis, and yet go through it smiling, with hope for a better future. The movie reminds you of the herculean efforts they have to make for just an equal opportunity to participate in the growth that is happening in the country. The movie comments on the intensely capitalist society, where the pursuit of money, that is often mistaken as development, is leaving millions of people behind, even those with skills, crafts and talents. The movie also (not so subtly) plugs in the national agenda of skilling, manufacturing and Made in India, as the title suggests, but not in a very Akshay-Kumar-I-am-a-patriot way.

But, with all that, the biggest fault in the movie that is it’s undoing, is the Yash-Raj-Adi-Chopra effect that keeps popping through the movie, but especially takes over in the build-up to the climax. For a movie that builds so naturally, in the beginning, it starts getting too fairy-tale’ish towards the end. For instance, complex relations and characters that were built (like the strained relationship with the brother and his family or the mercenary fashion designer) are quickly resolved or stereotyped to find a convenient ending. Things like this disappoint and end up leaving you a little cold after all the warmth that is built through the entire film. It’s like a sudden sip of water after you’ve sipped a nice cup of warm tea for several minutes. At that point, you feel like telling the director (and Adi Chopra) that it’s okay... let the pain linger a bit more, let the burn of the tongue stay for a while, we can take the absence of a ‘pixie dust’ sometimes. It’s not the 90s anymore!

All in all, after Dum Lagake Haisha, Sharat Kataria (director) gives another emotional, easy, heart-warming, character-based film about a society, seen through the lens of a man and a woman and what they build together. For that, it’s worth a watch, either on big screen or small. Just be prepared for the cold water towards the end. 

Manmarziyan - Film Review

The rich canvas of conflicts and emotions that is the very fibre of Tier 2 towns in India, becomes once again the backdrop of this next refreshing flick. 

The conflict of global aspirations but very very local realities.

The conflict of a younger generation living double lives - their public life their family like to believe and their private lives, more in line with their own identity

The conflict that comes from the person that we think we’ve grown up to be and fiercely protect and the person we need to become to love someone else 

This then becomes the theatre against which master craftsman Anurag Kashyap tells an engaging love story between Rumi (Taapsee Pannu), Vicky (Kaushal) and Robbie (Abhishek Bachchan). In many ways, this is probably Kashyap’s first proper love story, and we can see his raw, mofussil touch throughout the movie. This is how Anurag Kashyap would tell a love story. It’s in your face, it’s simple, it’s authentic, and it’s just the way it happened, once upon a time in Amritsar. 

The story revolves around Rumi and Vicky and their insatiable, hormonal love for each other (I’m coming to Fyaar in just a minute) till they are caught by Rumi’s family and the wedding ultimatum is given. So, either Vicky gets his act together and asks Rumi’s hand in marriage or she would be wed to an eligible bachelor (read NRI banker, Robbie). Then starts the love triangle of will-she-won’t-she-marry-Robbie-or-Vicky and even after the marriage, the story continues to who-will-she-end-up-with finally, till one of the love wins and its happily ever after.

As is obvious, the plot is nothing new. But, that’s what makes it even more powerful as a movie. 

#Manarziyan happens not in the story, but in the story-telling. You don’t realise it’s an almost 3-hour movie, because somehow you are flowing with a very natural chronology of things happening in the lives of these main characters.

#Manmarziyan happens not in the big actors, but in the nuanced characters of Rumi, a fiercely independent yet un-exposed and emotionally vulnerable young girl; Vicky, an aimless dreamer with big aspirations without a clue of how to get there, yet with a heart of a teenager; Robbie, the mature NRI banker who is patient and traditional, yet progressive-minded about life choices. (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam flashback, anyone?).

And #Manmarziyan happens not in the big sets, but in the humble homes and streets of Amritsar. The many small rooms in different homes, that take on the form of living spaces, sex dens, family conversations, socialising, public drama. The small lanes around the houses that become the most evocative spots for emotions and drama - both loud and subtle. We see an amazing contrast of how inside the homes become spaces for very public emotions (like wedding preparations) and the very public places like the streets become the spaces for some of the most intense private emotions (like when Rumi is waiting for Vicky to run-away).

And then there is the language. Another masterstroke from Kashyap. The language is not only in the dialogues through the movie that are blunt, real, direct and liberating to hear. But also in the creation of “Fyaar”. We finally have a Hindi word for lust, and in a way that even the good people of the world can feel. Because ‘havas’ is only for rapists! Just for that Anurag Kashyap, you deserve a medal!

All in all, great performances by Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal (what an actor, Raazi, Sanju, and now Manmarziyan, all in one year and 3 completely different characters, played with conviction to the tee). Abhishek Bachchan is not bad too, thankfully playing a strong and silent role that is well, strong and silent. 

Again, it’s so great to see Bollywood coming of age with movies like this. Go and watch it, and cheer for how mainstream cinema is changing forever, right in front of our eyes!

Stree 2018- Movie Review

Bollywood’s new-found love of small-town India as a back-drop to tell progressive stories (read women power) continues in this latest edition, set this time in the village of Chanderi in MP. While both Badrinath ki Dulhaniya (see review http://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2017/11/badrinath-ki-dulhaniya-short-film-review.html) and Bareilly ki Barfi used the predictable-though-enjoyable genre of a love story; #Stree, uses a totally unexpected genre of horror-comedy. And for that it is a truly unique and bold attempt. 

#Stree is bold because horror movies can go horribly wrong in Indian cinema, either being completely un-scary and pointless (like Ek Thi Dayan 2013, see review http://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2013/04/ek-thi-daayan.html or 1920 Evil returns 2012) or being scary but cliche, fuelling the usual superstitions (like Raaz 2002 or Vaastu Shasta, 2004). Very few real good horror movies have really struck the right chord (may be Bhoot 2003, or Raat 1992), and that’s why even attempting a horror movie and that too with a message, is worthy of applause. 

#Stree is unique because comedy movies can go horribly wrong too, mostly being completely slapstick and jarring (Golmaal series, Housefull, Welcome, Judwaa 2, we can go on!). Very few comedy movies really hit the mark (to name a few in recent times, maybe Delhi Belly 2011, see review http://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2011/08/delhi-belly-2011.html, Hera Pheri 2000, No Entry 2005, Andaz Apna Apna 1994, Khosla ka Ghosla 2006, etc).

Stree is the story of men in a village, who are in danger of disappearing for 4 nights every year during a local festival, when the ghost of a dead woman (called ’Stree’) comes looking. Any men who are out at night or inside the home without a prescribed inscription on the wall are in danger of being abducted and never to be seen again. The only thing left behind is their clothes! The story then revolves around Vicky (Rajkumar Rao) and his friends (Bittu, Aparshakti Khurana and Jaana, Abhishek Bannerjee) and their tryst with Stree and how they go about discovering, getting scared of and eventually rescuing the town from this wicked witch, with some help from out of towner Shraddha Kapoor and town gyaani Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi).

Rajkumar Rao, as always, gives a predictably great performance, who has by now perfected the character of a small-town boy who straddles the duality of a conservative upbringing with a fast-modernising India. Khurana and Tripathi complete the predictable small town star-cast playing their roles really well too. Shraddha Kapoor chugs along too.

The story or the plot, otherwise, is nothing to write home about, but the reason why Stree really wins is because of its dialogues during the different moments in the film. That is what weaves in the comedy in an otherwise horror story. It is the dialogues that keep us hooked from one scene to the next, waiting to hear what the characters are going to say next in this situation. It is the dialogues that make us laugh, while also not letting us forget the metaphor of a world where the power equation between ‘purush’ and ‘stree’ could easily have been the other way round. It is the dialogues that make us wonder, does it really take a supernatural intervention to restore the balance between men and women? 

Stree is yet another movie that reminds us that Bollywood is really coming of age. And it’s great to see the diversity of cinema that we are creating as mainstream. Kudos to Maddock films for continuing to bring unique movies to the audience, just because we must. Thank you for Go Goa Gone (review http://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2013/05/go-goa-gone.html ) Being Cyrus, Cocktail, Love Aaj Kal, Finding Fanny, Badlapur, Hindi Medium and now Stree. Experiencing different story telling makes us all richer. Waiting for your next..  

Searching 2018 - Movie Review

What would you do if your teenage daughter suddenly disappeared and none of the people you would normally reach out to, have a clue where she is? What would you do when you realise that the little girl you have loved and nurtured all your life is someone you don’t know any more? What would you do when you are so overcome with the guilt of not having seen this coming, that it paralyses you into inaction and desperation? What would you do when you feel that you’re all alone in this world and no one can really help you?

Well, simple. Do what every teenager would do. Go online!

#Searching is the story of a father (David Kim, played by John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame) in desperate search of his missing teenage daughter over the course of 5 tense days. Not exactly a new plot, actually. Liam Neeson is probably yawning at this point.

But the impact of the movie is in the way the story is told - almost entirely through the multiple digital screens that are an indispensable part of our everyday lives. Right from the very first scene, we are following the lives of a Korean-American family through Facebook posts, video blogs, and home videos. Just like a social media timeline, in a quick few minutes we know the entire history of this family - from wedding to child growing to mom’s long battle with cancer and upto the present day. The present day story then continues, of the single dad and his search for his daughter, told through iChats, Face times, Facebook posts, Insta stories, private chat and broadcast sites, Twitter, Youtube, and not-to-forget the good old TV. 

What is amazing is how deep human emotions are portrayed simply through the use of screens by the characters. When the dad types a message but then erases it to write something that he thinks will be better accepted by his daughter, you can feel every parent in the audience sighing. When the missing girl story goes viral along with an explosion of superficial and fake sympathy by strangers, you can feel the frustration that the dad is feeling. Even the 3 ominous missed calls displaying on the screen from the night before, put a chill down your spine.

And then of course, is the edge-of-the-seat central plot, of how David slowly but surely puts the different digital pieces of the puzzle together to solve the mystery, along with special detective Rosemary Vick (played by Debra Messing). As David uncovers one clue that leads to another, he gets deeper and deeper into the private life of his teenage daughter that he didn’t know existed. Finally leading to the climax of solving the mystery. Only thing is don't hold your breath for the climax, the only thing that disappoints.  

The completely new-age take to storytelling is not because it is a ‘digital thriller’. In fact that would be the least of the things. Many movies and programmes have dabbled in that. The reason this movie is modern because it doesn’t make a big deal of words like digital, online, internet. Better still, it doesn’t condemn the “online” world as the evil of our times! The film treats the various gadgets as a natural extension of our physical selves. They are our ‘extended senses’ that are an integral part of our modern day lives, without which we wouldn’t be able to see, hear, feel, smell, touch, think. In a world, where the online and offline lives seamlessly merge into each other, forming part of a complete and perfectly natural whole. 

This is what makes for an effortless-yet-engaging movie. Where technology becomes the tool to tell the story of people and their lives, story of parents and their relationship with teenage children, story of the bitter-sweet journey of raising children, story of the constant guilt and heartache that comes with being a parent, story of the mortal fear of losing your child, and the story of forever searching…

In short, a must watch!