Gulabo Sitabo - Movie Review

Ratings: 3.5/5 

Gulabo Sitabo is a drama film laced with dark humor. It is an ironical tale of octogenarian Mirza (played by Amitabh Bachchan), who lives in an old dilapidated Haveli worth millions. Yet, he is living a life in misery with difficulty in making ends meet. His wife Begum Fathima (played by Farrukh Jaffar) is the actual owner of Haveli and lives a reclusive life not bothered about Haveli politics. Their woes are multiplied by the constant struggle with tenants who pay a paltry rent of Rs 30/- yet it doesnt get paid on time. Plot of the story revolves around the tactics employed by Mirza and Bankey (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) to tighten the legal noose on each others neck

Star of this film is the old Haveli and splendid cinematography which details out every nook, corner, crevice, peeling paint and broken walls of Haveli. There is a certain amount of old world grandiose charm associated with Haveli. At the same time,poor living conditions of its inhabitants melts your heart.

Amitabh Bachchan has done a terrific job in the role of Mirza. He is quite akin to this Haveli.. old dilapidated and vulnerable. There are so many shades to this character. At one moment, you'll hate Mirza for being stingy, miserly and rude towards kids. Another moment, Mirza tries to make you laugh with his antics and weird mannerism. For me, it was extreme painful to see the physical struggle and mental agony of an octogenarian. When Mirza walks with bent back and rattling knees, it isnt funny but very empathetic for me. AmitJi's prosthetic adds tons to the character and makes it very relatable.

Farrukh Jaffar is absolutely adorable with her cute smile, solid one liner punches and "I-know-it-all" halo behind her head. She absolutely nailed this role and you are going to love her. She is a great actress and finally getting her due in Bollywood.

I liked the speech variation and accent of Ayushmann Khurrana. He learnt the style of colloquial Lakhnavi HIndi with his tongue protruding out most of the times. But, beyond that he hasn't done anything extraordinary. Frankly, other than AmitJi and Farrukh.. all other characters are weak and actors couldnt do much in their roles. This film had bunch of talented actors like Brijendra Kaala, Vijay Raj and Srishti Shrivastava. But I felt director couldnt leverage their skills.

Juhi Chaturvedi has written a terrific story which is quite relatable and most of us must have seen the dirty side of real estate struggle. Director Shoojit Sircar is super talented and I liked the subtle-ness in the film and how he delivers a message without being overtly prescriptive

Verdict: Definitely worth watching with Kids and family. Though it might be a bit boring for kids.

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Bareilly Ki Barfi - Movie Review

Ratings: 3/5 

बरेली की बर्फी, एक छोटे शहर बरेली में रहने वाली लड़की बिट्टी (कृति सनोन) की कहानी है | बिट्टी बाकि लड़कियों की जैसे चारदीवारी में कैद होकर रहने वालों में से नहीं है, बल्कि वो तो जन्मजात बाग़ी / विद्रोही है | वो हर एक काम करना चाहती है जिसकी लड़कियों को मनाही है | चिराग (आयुष्मान खुराना) जो मोहब्बत में चोट खाये एक दिलफेंक आशिक हैं जो बिट्टी को अपना दिल दे बैठे हैं. चिराग उन लोगों में से हैं जो साम-दाम-दंड-भेद में विश्वास रखते हैं और किसी भी तरह का जुगाड़ लगाकर बिट्टी को अपना बनाना चाहते हैं |  उनके ही ऐसे किसी जुगाड़ का नतीजा हैं प्रीतम विद्रोही ( राजकुमार राव ), जिनका उद्देश्य चिराग द्वारा पूर्व निर्धारित किया जा चूका है - बिट्टी को चिराग के करीब लाना |  किन्तु चिराग का बिछाया मायाजाल सुलझने की जगह उलझता ही जाता है और वो खुद ही इसके चंगुल में फंस जाते हैं |  कहानी के बाकि किरदारों में सम्मिलित हैं बिट्टी के पिताजी (पंकज त्रिपाठी) और उसकी माताजी (सीमा पाहवा) | हृषिकेश मुख़र्जी के बावर्ची अंदाज़ में सूत्रधार बने हैं जावेद अख्तर| 

कहानी की शुरआत काफी रोचक है और दर्शकों को बांधे रखती है | UP वाले देशी शब्दों (बऊआ , लल्लन टॉप... इत्यादि ) का जम के प्रयोग किया गया है, जो न की महज़ हास्यप्रद है बल्कि एक अपनापन झलकता है और किरदारों को विश्वसनीय बनाता है | निर्देशक अश्विनी अय्यर तिवारी की ये दूसरी फिल्म है, निल बट्टे सन्नाटा के बाद | अश्विनी जी की कहानियों का चुनाव मुझे हृषिकेश दा और बासु चटर्जी की पारिवारिक फिल्मों की याद दिलाता है | फिल्म में कई ऐसे क्षण होंगे जो आपको किसी आपबीती की याद दिलाएंगे | जिस बखूबी से किरदारों की भूमिका बाँधी गयी है उससे आप निर्देशक की मुस्तैदी का अंदाज़ा लगा सकते हैं| 

सभी कलाकारों ने अच्छा प्रदर्शन किया है | कृति सनोन जो अब तक सिर्फ सजावटी किरदार निभाती आईं हैं, उन्हें काफी पुष्ट किरदार मिला है | उनके अब तक के काम में से मुझे ये काफी बेहतर लगा पर इस फिल्म उनके लिए बहुत कुछ करने की गुंजाईश थी जिसे वो पूर्णतः भुना नहीं पायीं | आयुष्मान एक बेहतरीन कलाकार हैं और इस फिल्म में आपको उनका एक मिश्रित रूप देखने को मिलेगा जहाँ एक तरफ आपको उनका किरदार मतलबी और नीच लगेगा वहीँ आप उनके अगाढ़ प्रेम का सम्मान भी करेंगे | राजकुमार इस सदी के युवा अभिनेताओं में से सर्वश्रेष्ठ हैं | भले ही इस फिल्म में उनका काम इतना चुनौतिपूर्ण नहीं है पर फिर भी उनके अभिनय और चरित्र की विविधता अत्युत्तम है | पंकज त्रिपाठी और सीमा पाहवा दोनों मंजे हुए खिलाडी हैं और कई वर्षों से हिंदी थिएटर करते आ रहे हैं |  दोनों का रोल सीमित होते हुए भी वे कई सराहनीय पलों में अपनी छाप छोड़ जाते हैं | पंकज जी ने ऎसे पिता का किरदार निभाया है जो अत्यंत भावुक है और  अपनी बेटी से बहुत प्यार करता है | उसे पता है की उसकी बेटी सिगरेट पीती है और रात भर सड़कों पर घूमती रहती है पर इस बात का उसे ज़रा भी मलाल नहीं है| अब दर्शक इसे पिता की लापरवाही भी समझ सकते हैं या पिता का खुले विशरों का होना और अपनी बेटी पर अटूट विश्वास रखना | 

फिल्म में वो सभी क़ाबलियत हैं की ये एक यादगार फिल्म बन सकती थी पर कहीं मध्यांतर के बाद निर्देशक की पकड़ वास्तविकता से छूट गई |  एक समय के बाद फिल्म में कौतुहल की जगह स्वाभाविकता ने ले ली |  अंत के ४५ मिनट में आपको लगेगा, अरे ये सब तो पहले कई फिल्मों में देख चुके हैं | यूँ कह सकते हैं की फिल्म के मसाले सारे उत्कृष्ट कोटि के हैं और सौ फ़ीसदी खरे हैं पर वहीँ विधि (कहानी) थोड़ी घिसी पिटी हो गयी | मुझे अच्छा लगता यदि निर्देशक सुरक्षित खेलने की जगह कुछ नए की कोशिश करते | हो सकता था की आम जनता उसे नकार देती पर समीक्षकों की नज़र में वो एक काफी बेहतर फिल्म होती |  जरूरी तो नहीं है की हर फिल्म का अंत ... and they happily lived ever after ही हो | फिल्म के गाने और संगीत मामूली सा है, सिवाए एक गाने के "स्वीटी तेरा ड्रामा" जो निःसंदेह सराहनीय है| इस गाने में आपको देसी लोग संगीत की झलक दिखाई देगी |  फिल्म 2.5 करोड़ के छोटे बजट पर बनी है और उसे वसूलने में फिल्म वितरकों (डिस्ट्रीब्यूटर्स) को खासी दिक्कत नहीं होनी चाहिए | 

Verdict: मुझे इस फिल्म से काफी उम्मीदें थी की ये एक विलक्षण फिल्म साबित हो सकती है, पर ज्यादा से ज्यादा इसे औसत से बस थोडा सा ऊपर आँका जा सकता है |  किसी भी हालत में ये फिल्म असाधारण की श्रेणी में तो सम्मिलित नहीं हो सकती | पर एक पारिवारिक फिल्म होने के चलते, आप अवश्य इसे परिवार सहित देख सकते हैं | यदि आप UP की भाषा समझते हैं तो आपको और आनंद आएगा | बस यही सलाह दूंगा की फिल्म देखने बिना किसी अपेक्षा के जाएं, अन्यथा निराशा की होगी | 

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Toilet (Ek Prem Katha) - Movie Review

Ratings: 3.5/5 

Toilet Ek Prem Katha is made on a very noble topic and clearly exposes the lack of basic sanitation in our rural areas. In today's scenario superstars aren't Khan or Kapoors, but it's the plot. That's why a film like this with a fresh plot interwoven with a social message is a good recipe for mass acceptance. What I really like about the film is that arguments against making a toilet at home are brought out emphatically. To us it might look pointless but from their point of view it might make all the sense. Unless their point of view is taken into consideration and is addressed in their own language, it is difficult to bring a change in society. 

Film starts off at a fast pace without wasting much time in boy wooing the girl and romancing around the trees. Director comes to the point quickly and stays focused on the main issue without any digressions, which keeps the film tight. Director Shree Narayan Singh is a debutante director but a successful editor and ensured that editing of film is perfect. 

Akshay Kumar (as Keshav) brings in a lot of liveliness in his character. Someone, who is not well read and shares same mentality of other people in village. Yet, he is not someone who out-rightly rejects a different opinion. When he sees a merit in bringing a toilet home, he is ready to fight with whole system. I truly appreciate choice of films, Akshay Kumar is making. He is like an old wine, which tastes better as it matures. Bhumi Pednekar plays role of wife (as Jaya) and is someone with great potential. She wowed everyone with her debut film "Dum laga ke haisha".  While this film is all about her mission but as an actress, she doesn't leave much impact. To a large extent, her role is also a bit passive with 2-3 fiery dialogues here and there. But all said and done, she is one of the finest actresses of current lot. 

Divyendu Sharma (as Naru) looks quite confident in all his scenes with Akshay Kumar. Supporting actors with insignificant roles tend to get shadowed by leads in most films. But, I liked the way Divyendu played his part with full conviction and comfort. Bollywood has been missing the terrific Sudhir Pandey for quite some time. He is a household name on small screen who hasn't got his due on silver screen. I don't think anyone could have done his job better. Totally outstanding as the orthodox antagonist father-in-law. Other character actors include Rajesh Sharma, Anupam Kher, Atul Srivastava (TVF Fathers fame) and Ayesha Raza Mishra (Bang Baaja Baarat fame). Overall a superb ensemble with all fantastic manjhe hue kalaakar. 

Music of the film is again outstanding. Each song is a part of the plot and takes the story forward. Subah ki train is a cute number and you'll understand its significance once you watch the film. Hans Mat Pagli is soothing and touches your soul. Gori tu latth mar has beautiful picturisation of Brij holi with folk dance steps done well by Akshay Kumar. But, what makes the music outstanding is voice of Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. In my opinion, they are the most talented and gifted singers of current era.  

What I didn't like in the film is magnitude of change, it tries to bring in towards the end. It is difficult to show convincingly in 150 min that orthodox mentality of people can be changed, Government inefficiency can be improved and a mass revolution can be brought in by 2 individuals. It was unnecessary and made the impact a bit artificial. A small win of changing mentality even in one home and being an inspiration for others to start revolution would have been more realistic.  

Verdict: Overall, this is a film which everyone should watch and Government should screen it in all rural areas. Difficult to say, if it would bring in a revolution but it could be a small step towards changing their mindset definitely. Watch it with your family and you won't regret spending time and money on it. 

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Hindi Medium - Movie Review

Ratings: 3/5 

Hindi Medium is a satire on present generation parents who are obsessed with their kids getting a seat in top rank convent/private school. While the director's attempt was to make entire experience comical for the sake of entertainment, it is a palpable stressful challenge for parents. Unfortunately, current generation of young parents belong to "Competition Era". They competed to get into Engineering/Medical, followed by competition to get into a B School, followed by competition to get a job and in some cases competition to get their better halves. 

Fundamentally, this problem is farcical in nature (discussed in post review section) yet it is real for many parents. Hence, the plot was fresh and different from other cliched films. Film talks about story of a couple Raj  Batra (Irrfan) and Mita (Saba Qamar), who have to get their daughter admitted to Delhi's top school. Raj Batra is a millionaire but isn't well educated and not fluent in English, which is a topic of constant embarrassment to his wife. Couple tries all gimmicks to get the coveted seat for their daughter and learn a few lessons of life in this journey. 

Film had potential to be a critically acclaimed hit, yet director faltered in execution and end result is.."Hmmm nice, could have been better". To begin with, plot was quite predictable and trailer gave away everything. There wasn't any edge of the seat moment or audience wondering "what would happen next". While the problem of school admission is real, it has been blown up by 10X times out of proportion. It would be a piece of cake for anyone with that kind of money and minister contacts. Portrayal of super rich as pretentious and pseudo-elitists and lower class as inclusive is again a concept beaten to death by Bollywood.  

Director Saket Chaudhary is a king of duds and we don't see him building on the plot anywhere. Film is made under banner of T-series and there are high chances that producer Dinesh Vijan and Krishan Kumar would have poked their super long nose in creative inputs. Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan is the best that Bollywood have today, but this role couldn't leverage his capabilities. His role was too defined and confined to have any creative freedom. Saba Qamar is very average in the film. Amrita Singh as the school principal is impressive in her small yet powerful role. Deepak Dobriyal as the neighbor(Shyam Prasad) is the "wow" element of this film. He is known to play comical roles and second fiddle to the hero. But, the role of Shyam Prasad gave him a range to play from comical to emotional. His character of Shyam Prasad would indeed win many hearts. 

Film is made on a meager budget of Rs 15 Cr hence there isn't much set, location and costumes for visual appeal. Plot also demands scenes to look normal and not opulent. Editing and screenplay could have been better and may be story need not be linear. Music of the film is sub standard and doesn't appeal at all. 

Verdict: Overall, this is a film which you won't regret watching but there is hardly anything worth appreciating except Deepak Dobriyal 

Post Review Discussion : I mentioned in my review that this problem of getting a seat in best school is farcical in nature. First, this definition of best school is highly subjective and is mostly dependent on perception of your social circle. Whichever, school is most revered in your circle becomes best school for you. It is completely driven by herd mentality and most often parents don't even know the parameters which makes their so called school as the best. Unfortunately, there isn't any official evaluation from Ministry of Education / credible 3rd party organization which can do a scientific evaluation. 

Even in absence of such an evaluation, every parent must have list of parameters which matters most to them. It can range anything from board/curriculum, Infrastructure, fees, sports, co-curricular, distance from home, day-care facility, teacher student ratio etc. For every parent importance of each of these factors would vary, then how can we have a cookie cutter evaluation to make one school best over others? For some people, it is important that their kid hangs around with politician/celebrity kids where some parents might want their kid to be more grounded. Some might want a highly competitive environment for kid, while some might want him/her to enjoy the learning process. For some anything less than 99% is disgrace, while others might not believe in this institution of marks at all. I wish parents invest some time in understanding what is best for their child and take an informed decision. This rat race is never ending and no matter what you try, your kid won't win this rat race. Every finish line is a start line for another rat race. 

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Hindi Medium - Trailer Review

Trailer Appeal - 3/5 | Release date: 12th May 2017

Hindi medium indeed brings out a persistent problem of contrived Indian mentality and our fetish with English medium. While the plot and trailer looks gripping, super talented Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan is the only bankable factor. Saba Qamar is a Pakistani actress and I hope saffron brigade doesn't get too motivated by that. Director Saket Chaudhary is a king of duds and yet to give a good film. Presence of Deepak Dobriyal can be another positive factor in the film.

Film is made under banner of T-series and there are high chances that producer Dinesh Vijan and Krishan Kumar would have poked their super long nose in creative inputs. Film albeit has the advantage of not clashing with any big releases post Baahubali 2 on April 28th. Good luck to Hindi medium and hope it does well.

Isn't it an irony that I am writing about Hindi Medium in English. Tch #ThugLife

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Raees - Movie Review

Ratings: 2.5/5 

When I go to watch any film, I invariably end up buying that tasteless, overpriced, bland popcorn bucket. I still buy it, not for its taste or I have any expectations from it. But, it has become one of my numerous bad habits. Raees bhi ek aadat hai. Only reason to watch Raees is because you are habituated and to a large extent infatuated with King Khan. 

Plot of Raees has been beaten to death more than Ishant Sharma's spell in death overs. It is the age old story on Robinhood-the-Messiah, the man of principals standing up against the system. Deeds of Robinhood are illegal but not immoral. You would have seen it recently in Shootout at Wadala, Once upon a time in Mumbai and almost all gangsta films of Amitabh Bachchan. 

Rahul Dholakia has done a terrible job of direction. Film has too many loose ends and doesn't look crisp. Same story could have been said in a much better way. More than the lack of ability, I felt it was a lack of effort. Screenplay could have been better and action sequences could have been made more realistic and believable. 

With all due respects to SRK, he can not do the role of a rowdy gangster. All his previous attempts have fallen flat on face (Ram Jaane, Don). When Raees bhai beats 10-15 guys all alone, it doesn't look convincing. Neither his persona not his actions are justifiable. Kudos to his style though, when he utters those one liners "Din aur raat to kutto ke hote hai, Sheron ka zamaana hota hai". Gangster roles are outside his comfort zone. Either he should be ready to put in efforts like Aamir Khan to transform himself in character or it is best that SRK sticks with his charming romantic roles. 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui (as the honest cop against Raees) makes this film watchable. I won't say that it was one of the better roles of Nawaz but in a film like Raees, he was the only character looking realistic. I can't think of anyone else playing this role so convincingly against SRK. I can think of only 2 reasons why someone would cast Mahira Khan in this film: One - Her dad might have financed the film secretly or she charges even lesser than Sonakshi Sinha. There can't be any other reason to cast mini-giraffe in the film. Supporting actors like Md Zeeshan Ayub (as Sadiq) and Atul Kulkarni (as Seth) do a fairly good job. 

Overall production quality of the film is superb. All the sets and costumes are top notch and it very much looks like era of 70s. Even the scene of Amitabh Bachchan in background and Raees in foreground was nicely conceptualized though poorly executed. Music of the film is terrible. You won't remember even a single number other than Laila main Laila. 

Verdict: As I said earlier, watch it only if SRK is your aadat. If you have any expectations from film then you'll regret it. 

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Bollyreviewsnow Cine Awards 2016

Welcome to Bollyreviewsnow Cine Awards 2016! Year 2016 witnessed ~140 movies getting released in Bollywood (including dubbed), out of which we had only 6 Super Hits or Blockbusters. But, we really don’t care about how many of them crossed Rs 100 Cr mark. Rather, we’ll be recognizing those performances which touched your hearts. We’ll salute to those artists who made you laugh…who made you cry…who made you applaud...who made you glued to your seats or made you give a standing ovation. Without further ado, here we go: 

1. Best Actor (Female) in a Supporting Role

A. Richa Chadda - Sarbjit

B. Surveen Chawla - Parched (Winner)

C. Ratna Shah - Kapoor & Sons

D. Konkona Sensharma - Akira

E. Aishwarya - Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 

Richa Chadda as Sarbjit's wife stays in background in most of the scenes yet impresses with silence and anguish in her eyes. Ratna Pathak Shah realistically played role of a woman troubled by her husband's infidelity and failures of her under achieving son. Konkona Sensharma as the pregnant yet diligent cop in Akira had a very interesting character. It was good to see Aishwarya in her new avatar. Be it her sensual appeal, catchy dialogues, confident demeanor or facial expressions. But,I would give it to Surveen Chawla for a dauntless performance outside her comfort zone. No one could imagine item girl taking up a serious role in a non-commercial film and give a splendid performance. Congratulations! Surveen Chawla hope to see more such quality roles from you in future. 

2. Best Actor (Male) in a Supporting Role

A. Diljit Dosanjh - Udta Punjab

B. Rishi Kapoor - Kapoor & Sons

C. Anurag Kashyap - Akira

D. Jim Sarbh - Neerja (Winner)

E. Rajat Kapoor - Kapoor & Sons

It was good to see Anurag Kashyap acting as a badass cop in Akira, which wasn't a tough role for him. Rajat Kapoor playing a father, who always gets questioned by Kapoor family for his decisions. Helplessness  and vulnerability of character clearly came out in his acting. Rishi Kapoor as the fun loving grandpa in an effort to keep family together was a memorable role. It was tough not to give this award to Diljit Dosanjh, who marveled his role as a diligent cop in Udta Punjab. His role started out as a harmless underdog who went on to become most powerful character in the end. Kudos to Jim Sarbh for making an insignificant role so powerful. Be it his aggression, speech or body language, he was absolutely intimidating as the terrorist on Pan Am. Congratulations! Jim Sarbh for proving yourself and giving Bollywood another fantastic actor to look upon. 

3. Best Actor (Female)

A. Alia Bhatt - Udta Punjab

B. Sonakshi Sinha - Akira
C. Radhika Apte - Parched (Winner)
D. Taapsee Pannu - Pink
E. Vidya Balan - Kahaani 2

It was rather difficult to come up with nominations leave aside giving award in this category. Even though 2016 was a year with a lot of films focusing on women empowerment, hardly any leading actress performance was remarkable. Sonakshi Sinha played the hero and heroine in Akira, which was commendable. I admire Taapsee Pannu's choice of films and characters with content and not just masala. Vidya Balan is a seasoned actress and have impressed us with many more challenging roles. Big pat on the pack to Alia Bhatt for taking the bold step of doing a non glamorous role. She could have done better but amount of efforts she has put up in the role is commendable. I would give this award to Radhika Apte for beautifully playing oppressed Lajjo in Parched. Her entire journey of liberation and her re-discovery is very realistic and enchanting. Congratulations! Radhika Apte for setting up new benchmarks for yourself with every film you sign. 

4. Best Actor (Male)

A. Amitabh Bachchan - Pink (Winner)

B. Sushant Singh Rajput - M.S. Dhoni
C. Randeep Hooda - Sarbjeet
D. Aamir Khan - Dangal
E. Manoj Bajpayee - Aligarh

It was very difficult to choose a winner in this category as we had some splendid performances. Sushant Singh Rajput completely immersed in character of M.S. Dhoni. Be it his gait, mannerism, facial expressions, nose twitch, helicopter shot or entry into the ground. Randeep Hooda gave a melancholic heart wrenching performance as Sarbjit. He famished himself and lived in solidarity for a realistic characterization. Aamir Khan gave yet another memorable performance imbibing every aspect of Mahavir Singh Phogat and virtually becoming a wrestler himself. Manoj Bajpayee known for his dynamic roles and dialogue delivery, performed the role of Prof Sirus which required implosion instead of explosion. Hats off to Amitabh Bachchan for immortalizing the role of lawyer Deepak Sehgal. His eyes spoke a million words and mesmerized audience using his voice. Especially the scenes where he talks about rule book and cross examines SHO are outstanding. Congratulations for receiving the award for Best Actor!

5. Best Director

A. Shakun Batra - Kapoor & Sons

B. Nitesh Tiwari - Dangal (Winner)
C. Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury - Pink
D. Neeraj Pandey - MS Dhoni
E. Raja Krishna Menon - Airlift

Shakun Batra beautifully presented a story filled with complex relations between family. Pink had a very simple and straightforward plot, which is a perfect recipe for monotonous cliched boring films. It takes the touch of a genius like Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury to go deeper into the subject and present the social stigma in a hard hitting way. It is toughest to do justice to biographies and make them entertaining. Neeraj Pandey did that brilliantly with M.S. Dhoni, which could have easily turned into a documentary drama filled with series of predictable events. Raja Krishna Menon could make audience feel the pain of Indians stuck in Kuwait with Airlift. Wonderful job done by Nitesh Tiwari by keeping the narration simple, fast paced, engaging and very much focused. He gave audience get a realistic feel of Akhara and pehelwaans. I liked the fact that film isn't a mechanical documantary listing of all important matches and events of Geeta and Babita. But, there is a deeper story associated before and after each crucial event and viewers can relate with the joy, sadness, pain and desperation of protagonist at different junctures. Congratulations Nitesh Tiwari for winning the award for Best Director!

6. Best Film

A.Pink - Rashmi Sharma Telefilms (Winner)

B. M.S. Dhoni - Fox Star Studios

C. Dangal - Aamir Khan Productions

D. Kapoor & Sons - Dharma Productions

E.Airlift - T Series & Hari Om Entertainment

Again a tough choice with so many wonderful films this year. M.S. Dhoni showing the untold side of Dhoni to audience. How could one possibly imagine that captain cool with nerves of steel had a phase in life when he was dull, depressed and unsure of his cricketing future? Dangal was very inspiring showing the relentless journey of Phogat sisters to fulfill the dream their father saw once for India. Kapoor & Sons showing a mirror to society about complex relations and that no one is perfect and we need to accept people with their imperfections. That's what a happy family is all about. Airlift showed us all that India pulled off world's largest rescue for those people who didn't even consider themselves Indian anymore. But, I would give this award to Pink for giving a hard hitting message in the most impactful manner. Pink was a slap on face to a large section of society, who is judgmental about character of a woman based on some archaic pre-conceived notions. Pink showed the bitter, ugly and dark side of our society of which unfortunately we are a part of. Pink reinforced the idea that for a great film you don't need money and a big star cast but a great story with flawless execution. 

Hope you liked our choices and appreciate unbiased and unpaid Bollyreviewsnow Cine awards. It is always our endeavor to recognize meaningful and quality cinema, which would be remembered in history of Bollywood. Thanks for staying with us!

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Dangal - Movie Review

Ratings: 4/5 

Dangal isn't a film just about women wrestling but it is about daring to dream, challenging the status quo, not just determined but being obsessed about your dream. On prima facie it is an inspiration film for women, who have championed in the areas which were said to be male bastions. But if you deeper, film also shows arduous mamooth efforts and huge sacrifices to be given (by self and family) to become a champion. It also exposes the infrastructural flaws for sports in our country, unless that sport is cricket. 

Film is based on true story of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan), who trained his daughters Geeta Phogat( Zaira Waseem and Fatima Sana Shaikh) and Babita Kumari (Sanya Malhotra) to become international wrestling champion. Plot is quite linear and fast paced and starts with unfulfilled dream of Mahavir Phogat, who couldn't represent India and win a medal for country. How the idea germinates in his mind to train his daughters? What all emotional, societal, family, financial and infrastructual challenges are faced by him? How he beats all odds despite his limited resources and yet gives India international wrestling icons. 

Dangal is directed by Nitesh Tiwari (who has given duds like Bhoothnath Returns and Kill Dill). It was quite audacious of producers Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and Siddharth Roy Kapur to trust a newbie like him without any past great success. Nitesh does a terific job as a master storyteller keeping the narration simple, fast paced, engaging and very much focused. He gives audience get a realistic feel of Akhara and pehelwaans with title track Dangal in background with voice of Daler Mehandi. Other than the game of wrestling, Nitesh beautifully captured the "internal wrestling" being played in the minds of characters. There is a beautiful line in movie where Aamir says, "Dar se to ye jeet hi gayi hai, ab khel bhi jeet legi" 

I liked the fact that film isn't a mechanical documantary listing of all important matches and events of Geeta and Babita. But, there is a deeper story associated before and after each crucial event and viewers can relate with the joy, sadness, pain and desperation of protagonist at different junctures. Even towards the climax scene there isn't any unnecessary Bollywood cliched masala where Babuji appears from nowhere and a losing battle is won with chamatkari baabuji ka aashirvaad. Thanks a lot Nitesh for keeping the film realistic!

Film also questions whether it is OK for a father/mentor to be obsessed with a dream and prepare/train his candidate towards that dream? Is it being unfair and unrealistic to force someone else relive your dream? Or one should give credit to vision of mentor and his ability to identify talent and give him/her right training and guidance. Isn't that how Olympic gold medalists are prepared in China? In this film and many other sports films, it is shown that champions are also a great extent lucky where they get access to a good coach, their family makes sacrifices to ensure no compromises done in training, they manage to overcome politics and get a chance to show their talent. One has to be really privileged to get all this. Really? Isn't this is something that should be given by default to every talented sportsperson in India?

One always fall short of words while praising acting prowess of Mr perfectionist. Like in every film, he didn't play the character but he became that character in every aspect. He looks like a wrestler, talks like a wrestler, rides scooter likes a wrestler and breaks down like a wrestler too. Enough has been already said about his body transformation from a lean to fat and back to lean body. He refused the use of any prosthetics and wanted to gain and lose weight in real. 

Sakshi Tanwar has a small role in the film as Mahavir's wife which she does fairly well. I was amazed by acting skills of confident debutant Zaira Wasim (young Geeta Phogat). Fatima Sana Shaikh (as Geeta Phogat) impresses as well with her authentic wrestling skills. Aparshakti Khurrana (cousin of Geeta in film and brother of Ayushman Khurrana in real) has a nice role but he fails to create any impact with a forgetful performance. 

Film's music is superb and gels very well with each situation. Viewers should love the usage of local haryanvi words in songs like Dhaakad, Bagad Billi etc. "Haanikarak Baapu" is quite creative and catchy. Dhaakad and Dangal would make you feel like rolling up your sleeves and get into Akhara. Gilehriyaan is a cute number where the caterpillar Geeta metamorphise into a butterfly. Film is made with a reasonable budget of Rs 70 Cr despite starring Aamir Khan and all that moolah spent on marketing. 

Verdict: Overall a fantastic clean inspirational film suitable to all genres. One of the best films of 2016 with very good chances of winning filmfare awards. Screenplay and debut actress (for Zaira Wasim) are indeed 2 strong categories. Good luck film makers and hope you get 2 thumbs up from viewers!

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Shivaay - Movie Review

Ratings: DNQ/5 

Shivaay is a rare breed of Bollywood flick, which earns the DNQ (Does Not Qualify) rating. Other eminent flicks in this category were Drona, Humshakals, Love Story 2050, Rudraksh, Himmatwala to name a few. After watching the film on Saturday, I got a terrible headache and nausea. Just recovered from Shivaay Hangover and posting the review. Apologies for the delay.

Inspirations

1. This film is inspired from famous Chinese water torture, where victim can't move an inch and water constantly drops from a bucket on your forehead. Tip..Tip...Tip... and this continues for 158 minutes. In case of Chinese water torture, you might still get some variations (smaller/bigger drops, falling a bit left/right). But, the Tip..Tip..Tip of Shivaay is freaking constant and monotonous.

2. I would also like to compare Shivaay with my engineering subject - Metallurgy's question paper. For a 30 marks question, one had to fill 3 pages to justify the marks associated with question. There was a direct correlation with R-square of 0.9. SAD Ji (Sri Ajay Devgn Ji) took that joke way too seriously. He actually took 3 extra sheets to write ploy (not the plot) of Shivaay.

3. Not to forget global outsourcing wave, SAD Ji casted cheapest body shoppers (not actors) from Poland, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. None of the actors in Bollywood would have understood the plot and there was a risk of being mocked at. SAD Ji wanted his acting skills to shine out as well.

4. SAD Ji also took inspiration from Tata Nano and wanted to create a film with 1 lakh budget considering his cost cutting maneuvers. Even that extra 'a' in "Shivaay" came from "Devgan" and SAD Ji is now just "Devgn". So much for saving cost! But, most of body shoppers suffered from identity crisis and required regular dose of Saradon and psychiatric assistance. Unfortunately, bills jacked up the budget to 105 Crores.

Ploy of the film

Shivaay is the snow monkey and Raju guide of Himalayas, who performs menial tasks for people coming from grasslands. One Bulgarian tourist was visiting Himalayas on "Offspring tourism" (latest form of tourism after medical tourism). She came - She bred - She offloaded and she returned and what happens in Himalayas, stays in Himalayas. Some Bulgarian thief snatched the baby from snow monkey. Monkey beat the crap out of entire Bulgarian Army-Air force-Police force and comes back victorious. And they lived happily ever after! 

If you are wondering how this translates to 158 minutes. Here is the break down:

a) Snow monkey swinging - 30 min
b) Chase sequences - 45 min
c) Someone hitting someone - 30 min
d) Snow monkey shouting Goura..Gouraa. - 10 min
e) Snow monkey shouting Ola..Olga.. - 10 min
f) Close up shots of Shivaay's spooky eyes (Wahi Shoonya hai wahi ekai) - 20 min
g) Rest of the plot - 13 min

Performance

Direction of SAD Ji would put even Sajid Khan to shame. He plays the role of egomaniac nihilist who can defy gravity, dodge bullets, possess skills of Neo from Matrix and is stronger than Sunny Deol of Gadar. All this without being a super human like "Flying Jatt" or MSG. He killed more policeman in a day than we kill mosquitoes in entire lifetime. He didn't even have to hit people. He just touches them and they fly like 20 feet. Maybe, they forgot to tell in story that 440 V current runs in Shivaay. Unfortunately, there wasn't any hand pump in Himalayas or Bulgaria else SAD Ji would have done a Gadar and uprooted hand pump too.

Sayesha Saigal had a blink and miss role in the film. She was supposed to sing "Tujhmein Rab Dikhta Hai" but she ended up singing "Oh I love you daddy" to SAD ji in the end. Actually, that's quite logical given the age gap. Erika Kaar (tourist from Bulgaria) spoke Hindi with an accent that'll put angrez from lagaan to shame. She learnt her Hindi from Tom Alter. Unfortunately, they didn't have sub-titles for her dialogues in theater. She is a great poker player hence her expressions weren't of much help in deciphering what the hell she is talking about. Abhigail Eames (The Offspring) couldn't take Rapidex Hindi speaking classes so SAD ji made her dumb. All the scenes where she is with her father (whom she loves a lot), you'll see her shouting, slapping and kicking him. May be that's how they express love in Bulgaria.

Vir Das plays role of Wahab Riyaz and you'll see him shooting in-swingers and out-swingers. Most of which will miss the stumps and human logic with wide margins. There is one more character listed in cast of the film, Bijou Thaangjam. I have no clue which role he played in the film and I have no intentions to watch film again to figure that out. 

Statuatory Warning

On IMDB, Shivaay has 7.4 ratings because SAD Ji has spread this rumor on Whatsapp and FB that anyone criticizing his film will get nightmares. In the nightmare, you'll see SAD Ji doing aerobics and Badshash singing "Yahi shoonya hai, Yahi Ekai", which translates to "He is the Zero, He is the One. He is the Digital Transformation". So much for binary bits that Badshah tears them into bits and pieces.

Verdict: SAD Ji was certain that he won't get filmfare award for this film. But, his actual competition was ADHM and he didn't want to lose "Golden Kela award" to ADHM. With his substantial efforts, I am sure he has sealed that award with an M-seal. Indian Army can use this weapon to torture Pakistani spies and extract crucial information from them. Bolo har har har... Wahi Shoonya hai Wahi Ekai... Jiske man mein basa Shivaaaaay!

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