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Movie Review: Khaali Peeli

The ‘Mumbaiya’ lingo became famous thanks to films like RANGEELA, MUNNA BHAI SERIES etc. and also the various films based on the Underworld. The lingo has a charm of its own and sadly, very few films have been made of late that are based on the characters mouthing this dialect. KHAALI PEELI attempts to be an exception in this regard. It’s a special film as it marks the debut of SULTAN [2016] and TIGER ZINDA HAI [2017] director Ali Abbas Zafar as producer. The chemistry of the lead actors – Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday – has also got noticed. So does KHAALI PEELI manage to entertain? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1136486 size-full" title="Movie Review: Khaali Peeli" src="https://ift.tt/2GmaOHQ" alt="Movie Review: Khaali Peeli" width="720" height="450" /> KHAALI PEELI is the story of a boy and girl on a crazy night-time adventure. Blackie (Ishaan Khatter) is a cabbie in Mumbai who drives the famous black-and-yellow taxi, also popularly known as kaali-peeli cab. One night, a strike of the taxi drivers is going on. Blackie however comes across a pregnant lady on her way to the hospital. He agrees to take her and her hubby to the hospital in return for Rs. 5,000. While he is on the way, some cabbies catch him red-handed. They inform the union leader (Ashish Varang) who along with some taxi drivers confront him. While trying to save himself from their attacks, he accidentally ends up stabbing one of them. He decides to run away from the city in his cab for a few days till the matter cools down. This is when he bumps into Pooja (Ananya Panday). She stays in a brothel run by Yousuf Chikna (Jaideep Ahlawat) since she was a child. It was at a very young age that one of Yousuf’s customers, Choksi Seth (Swanand Kirkire) had fallen for her and had decided to marry her when she grows up. She, however, is not at all interested in him. She hence steals a lot of money and jewellery from Yousuf and escapes. That’s when she comes across Blackie. Blackie decides to drop her somewhere outside the city and Pooja decides to pay him generously in return. Blackie realizes she has a lot of money in her bag. He has always desired to be rich and hence, he devises a plan to hand her over to Yusuf’s goons. In return, Yousuf’s goon Mangya (Suyash Tilak) promises that he can keep the bag that Pooja stole and he would additionally pay him the same amount as well. The plan is put in motion and Mangya manages to get hold of Pooja. But at that very moment, Blackie realizes that Pooja is the girl who was her first love. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Sima Agarwal and Yash Keswani's story rests on a wafer-thin plot. Sima Agarwal and Yash Keswani's screenplay saves the film to an extent from becoming a dated fare. However, the script loses steam in the second half as nothing exciting happens after a point. Sima Agarwal and Yash Keswani's dialogues (additional dialogues by Suraj Gianani) are funny and laced with some smart, tapori-style one-liners. Maqbool Khan's direction is stylised and neat and he tries his best to turn the ordinary script into a watchable fare. And he succeeds to do so in the first half. But how much can the direction help when the content is just not exciting enough? Moreover, there are too many cinematic liberties in the film. Initially, one won’t mind but later, it becomes difficult to digest. And although the film is essentially a masala entertainer, it has a bit of a dark setting. This might go against the film’s target audience. KHAALI PEELI’s first half is quite entertaining, despite absence of logic. The trademark masala film stamp is visible in few scenes, especially the way Blackie turns from a kid to an adult. The flashback portions keep the interest going and also the fun conversations between Blackie and Pooja. The intermission point is dramatic. The second half is shorter but this is where the film really slips. The back-and-forth narrative gets too much after a point. The track of Inspector Bhim (Satish Kaushik), though funny, is forcefully inserted in the film. The finale is nothing special and is instead long drawn and predictable. Ananya Panday on dealing with TROLLS, her Mom’s message, Khaali Peeli, Ishaan & Karan Johar <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/2HQGLso" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Ishaan Khatter is pretty confident. He looks every inch a streetsmart Mumbaikar and he also adds to the film’s entertainment quotient. Ananya Panday looks stunning and does much better than her previous two films. She shows promise and looks convincing in her action scenes as well. Jaideep Ahlawat is decent and is letdown by the script. Swanand Kirkire is strictly okay and his track doesn’t reach a logical conclusion. Suyash Tilak is fair. Same goes for Zakir Hussain (Inspector Tavde). Satish Kaushik’s comic timing is spot-on but the character is added in the film just for the heck of it. Vedant Desai (young Blackie) and Deshna Duggad (young Pooja) do very well. Ashish Varang, Annup Sonii (Blackie’s father Ravi), Vaisshalee Thakkar (Khala) and Kasturi Banerjee (dancer) are decent. Vishal-Shekhar's music is very disappointing. The film ought to have a chartbuster. 'Duniya Sharma Jayegi' is okay. 'Shana Dil' is played in the background and is forgettable. 'Tehas Nehas' is forced but is well-choreographed. Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara's background score is much better. Adil Afsar's cinematography is stylish in some scenes. But the visuals should have been brighter. Parvez Shaikh's action makes for a nice watch. Natascha Charak and Nikita Mohanty's costumes are glamorous, especially the ones worn by Ananya Panday. Durgaprasad Mahapatra's production design is realistic. Rameshwar S Bhagat's editing could have been slicker, especially in the second half. On the whole, KHAALI PEELI rests on a wafer-thin plot and is riddled with a lot of cinematic liberties, thus diluting the impact. Moreover, the decision to release the film on a pay-per-view model, that too at an exorbitant price, might go against the film.

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Movie Review: Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl

In many parts of the world, women have faced discrimination in every field and India, sadly, is no exception. But at the same time, India is also full of inspiring stories of those women who fought the challenges posed due to gender discrimination and yet emerged victorious. Bollywood, off late, has taken keen interest in such films. Last year saw two such inspiring films release in the form of MANIKARNIKA – THE QUEEN OF JHANSI and SAAND KI AANKH. As for 2020, just a couple of weeks back, we got a chance to witness the adventures of a ‘Human Computer’ in SHAKUNTALA DEVI. And now, get ready for GUNJAN SAXENA – THE KARGIL GIRL, a tale of a Kargil war hero. So does GUNJAN SAXENA – THE KARGIL GIRL manage to entertain and thrill the audiences? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1125478 size-full" title="Movie Review: Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Movie-Review-Gunjan-Saxena-–-The-Kargil-Girl-2.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl" width="720" height="450" /> GUNJAN SAXENA – THE KARGIL GIRL is about the tough journey of India’s first female combat aviator. The year is 1984. Gunjan Saxena (Riva Arora), who is around 9 years old, is travelling with her family in an aeroplane. She gets a chance to enter the cockpit and experience the magic of flying an aircraft. She decides immediately that she wants to be a pilot. In 1989, Gunjan (Janhvi Kapoor) passes her Class 10 exams with flying colours. She tells her family – father Anup Saxena (Pankaj Tripathi), mother Kirti Saxena (Ayesha Raza Mishra) and solider brother Anshuman (Angad Bedi) – about her plans of quitting further studies so that she can fulfil her dream. Kirti and Anushman disapprove but Anup tells her to go ahead. However, when she applies at a flying school, she realizes that the rules have changed and she’ll have to study till graduation. She applies again after five years but by then, the fees for the course have increased to Rs. 10 lakhs, a figure which is unaffordable for the Saxena family. Gunjan is dejected. Anup then asks her to apply in the Indian Air Force, which has recently started a course to get female officers. Gunjan applies and emerges as the only one who gets selected. She then successfully completes her training and then heads to Udhampur Air Force Station in Jammu and Kashmir. Here, she faces massive discrimination over her gender. The fellow officers refuse to fly with her, fearing that she might jeopardize the sortie and crash. Her flight commanding officer Dileep Singh (Vineet Kumar Singh) makes it clear that she’s not equal in the camp. And the commanding officer Gautam Sinha (Manav Vij) also appears to be strict and not-so-understanding. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma's story has a lot of potential and the need of the hour. Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma's screenplay is watertight. The focus is not just on narrating Gunjan’s life story but also on ensuring that the entertainment quotient is maintained. They also keep the narrative very simple and hence it’ll be easy to comprehend for anyone who watches it. On the flipside, it’s important for character names to be uttered in some way and that’s something that doesn’t happen in this film. The names of Janhvi’s parents or commanding officer Gautam Sinha are never mentioned. In case of Jahnvi’s brother, his nickname Anshu is mentioned but never his real name! Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma's dialogues (additional dialogues by Hussain Dalal) elevate the impact and also the humour to another level. Again, the balance is maintained – the dialogues never turn too filmy. Sharan Sharma's direction is superlative and it’s impossible to say that this is his debut flick. He keeps the focus on story, without adding a romantic angle or anything of that sort. He also keeps the duration firmly in check – the film is just 1.52 hours long. And thanks to his narrative, boredom doesn’t creep in even for a moment and there’s a lot happening in the film every now and then. On the flipside, the war scenes in the last 20 minutes could have been more thrilling and terrifying for a better impact. Also, Sharan fails to extract the desired performance from Janhvi Kapoor. More on that later! Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl: The Story Behind | Janhvi Kapoor <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/2DKXEme" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> GUNJAN SAXENA – THE KARGIL GIRL starts on a tensed and thrilling note. Gunjan’s entry is heroic and it would have been fun to witness it in cinemas amidst claps and whistles! The film then goes on a flashback mode but before it does, it makes it clear that the country is at war and that Gunjan, despite being able, has been left out in aerial operations. The growing-up years of Gunjan is dealt in a very entertaining and hilarious manner. Several scenes stand out here – young Gunjan in the cockpit, the party sequence and late-night conversations of Gunjan’s parents. However, two scenes take the cake in the first half. The first is when Gunjan doles out Bollywood gossip when asked to comment on current affairs – it’s sure to bring the house down! And the second is when Anup explains to Gunjan the real meaning of patriotism. The second half is where the film gets very grim as Gunjan faces obstacles at the Udhampur base. The film ends on a very emotional note. Janhvi Kapoor delivers a fine performance and one can sense that she has given her best, physically and emotionally, to the film. But she doesn’t have a range of expressions which would have elevated her performance and also the film. On the positive, she is great in the scenes where she fails to reach the tarmac on time or the scene where she confronts Dileep Singh. Pankaj Tripathi is outstanding and this is surely one of his most accomplished performances. He would be loved for his role of a supporting father – every girl would wish for a father like him. Although he’s done great throughout the film, the scene where he drags Gunjan into the kitchen is something to watch out for. Angad Bedi is strictly okay. Ayesha Raza Mishra plays her part well. Vineet Kumar Singh as usual gives a very fine performance. It’s surprising, however, why his role is credited as a special appearance part. Manav Vij leaves a huge mark and he suits the part. Manish Verma (SSB Officer Sameer Mehra, who trains Gunjan) is memorable. Same goes for Yogendra Singh (Pilot Montu) and Akash Dhar (Pilot Shekhar). The other actors who do well are Riva Arora, Maria Shrishti (Air hostess), Barbie Rajput (Gunjan's friend Mannu), Rajesh Balwani (clerk at Delhi Flying School) and Gulshan Pandey (Chief operating officer at Srinagar Air Force Station). Amit Trivedi's music is fine but mostly situational. There are 6 songs in the film but are well woven into the narrative. 'Bharat Ki Beti' stands out and is very moving. 'Rekha O Rekha' is hilarious and very witty and also serves as a beautiful ode to actress Rekha. 'Dhoom Dhadaka' is catchy but gets wasted as it’s played during the end credits. 'Asmaan Di Pari', 'Mann Ki Dori' and 'Dori Tutt Gaiyaan' are okay. John Stewart Eduri's background score elevates impact. Manush Nandan's cinematography is stunning and captures the various moods nicely. The location of Georgia works well for the film as it has a resemblance with the Kashmir valley. Aditya Kanwar's production design is rich. Samidha Wangnoo's costumes are very realistic. Vikram Dahiya's action is subtle and not gory at all. Special mention here should also go to Marc Wolff's stunts and aerial coordination. Red Chillies.VFX's VFX is very good. Nitin Baid's editing is topnotch as so much has been packed in 112 minutes and yet, it doesn’t seem like a rushed job. On the whole, GUNJAN SAXENA – THE KARGIL GIRL is a well-narrated tale of a female war hero of India. Despite some minuses, this flick would touch a chord, especially with the family audiences.

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Movie Review: Virgin Bhanupriya

The 2005 Hollywood comedy THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN has been quite loved especially for its premise - a man desperate to lose his virginity but is not able to do it due to certain circumstances. Bollywood has made its unofficial remake in the form of NAUGHTY @ 40 [2011], starring Govinda. There have been many more Bollywood films where this plot point is used as side track and for comic relief. VIRGIN BHANUPRIYA, starring Urvashi Rautela is based on this idea but it stands out as here, the protagonist is female. So does VIRGIN BHANUPRIYA manage to impress and entertain? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1120532" src="https://ift.tt/3h3Jwml" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> VIRGIN BHANUPRIYA is the story of a girl trying to lose her virginity. Bhanupriya (Urvashi Rautela) is a young, conservative girl from Mumbai. Her parents (Rajiv Gupta, Archana Puran Singh) are separated and are always fighting with each other. She wants to fall in love but all her attempts fail. She starts dating a man named Irrfan (Vikas Verma). He pretends to be an animal activist but one day, he gets arrested for selling stray dogs as animals of international breed. Bhanupriya’s friend Rukul (Rumona Molla), meanwhile, is quite promiscuous and she is trying her best to ensure that Bhanupriya gets laid. In one such attempt, she attempts to hook Bhanupriya with the college nerd Rajiv (Sumit Gulati). Bhanupriya detests him but with no other option, she decides to have sex with him in the college library. Sadly, she gets caught red-handed and the matter reaches her parents. Bhanupriya’s father realizes that Rajiv is rich and will hopefully get a government job in future. He realizes it’s a good match. However, Bhanupriya stops them for taking matters further. Rukul then introduces Bhanupriya to the stud Abhimanyu (Gautam Gulati). He’s called Shartiya as he loves to bet and never loses. Bhanupriya falls in love with him and he too gets attracted to her. One day, when her father has gone out, Bhanupriya calls him home. She tries to get physical but Abhimanyu asks her to consume vodka, which he has brought with him. As Bhanupriya is about to drink, Rajiv lands up at her house and warns her not to drink from the bottle as it’s countrymade liquor filled in the vodka bottle. An angry Bhanupriya kicks him out of the house. Shattered, she goes into the washroom and starts to cry. Her father meanwhile arrives home and drinks from the same bottle. He finishes the whole drink and collapses. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Ajay Lohan's story has a lot of potential and could have made for a laugh riot. But Ajay Lohan's screenplay is very weak. Ideally, the writer should have gone all out and added some maddening moments as the story deserved that. Ajay Lohan's dialogues are poor. A couple of one-liners raise laughs but that’s about it. Also, there have been a lot of digs on the right-wing ideology and while it works in the Goa hospital scene, in the rest of the film, it seems forced. And a dig on popular actress Rakul Preet Singh is bizarre and added just for the heck of it. Ajay Lohan's direction is poor. To give credit where it’s due, one can sit through from start to finish. It never gets unbearable. Sadly, that’s not enough and one needs a lot more in the film to impress the audiences. A few moments are entertaining and funny. The emotional moments fail to move. The biggest issue, however, is with the climax. The director raises tension levels as Shartiya is presumed to have run away. However, Bhanupriya’s reaction after the truth comes out is unconvincing. Also, Rukul’s decision on her pregnancy doesn’t cut ice. VIRGIN BHANUPRIYA is 1 hour 50 minutes long and starts off with the central plot without wasting any time. Some of the situations in the film are funny, on paper, but doesn’t translate the same way on screen. The track of Rajiv is mediocre. Shartiya’s entry is heroic and one expects the film to get better. Sadly, that doesn’t really happen. The film should have been high on humour and also emotional moments and barring a joke or two, nothing really works. The climax is haphazard and even though the twist is kind of unexpected, the impact is not made. Talking of performances, Urvashi Rautela has a fine screen presence. She manages to do well as the film’s lead and no complaints in this regard. Rumona Molla gives a good performance but sadly her track in the end does haywire. Gautam Gulati is a bit over the top but that works for the character. Rajiv Gupta hams and it’s sad to see such a talented performer being reduced to a caricature here. Archana Puran Singh too overreacts but comparatively, she is better. Niki Walia (Moon Aunty) is decent. Brijendra Kala (cop) is dependable. Sumit Gulati performs as per his character. Others like Natasha Suri (Shonali), Pranav Verma (Jhanda), Amrit Arora (Pungi), Ashutosh Semiwal (Chukiya), Vikas Verma (Irrfan), Delnaaz Irani (Tarot Card Reader), Rajiv Nigam (Astrologer) and Babita Thakur (right-winger doctor in Goa) are okay. Amjad-Nadeem's music is forgettable. 'Beat Pe Thumka' is the best of the lot as it's catchy. 'Dil Apni Haddon Se' is shot well. 'Kangna Vilayati' is played during the end credits while the title track is missing. The recreated version of 'Pucho Na Yaar Kya Hua' is poor. Sanjoy Chowdhury's background score is unimpressive and has a daily soap-feel. Same goes for Bhimrao Sapkale's art direction – the sets look straight out of a TV show. Johny Lal's cinematography is passable. Moushmi Rana's costumes are appealing especially the ones worn by Urvashi, Rumona and Gautam Gulati. Akshay R Mohan's editing is fine. On the whole, VIRGIN BHANUPRIYA rests on a good idea but is spoilt by its writing and treatment.

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Movie Review: Thappad

We are in the year 2020 but still, a lot of objectionable trends are sadly quite common. Violence against women, especially, continues despite progress of our country and growth in education and standard of living. Anubhav Sinha, whose 2.0 avatar has given us films on Hindu-Muslim unity [MULK; 2018] and caste discrimination [ARTICLE 15; 2019] now takes up this topic for his latest hard-hitting flick, THAPPAD. The trailer has already intrigued viewers because of its storyline and the association of Taapsee Pannu and Anubhav with this project. So does THAPPAD manage to be as impactful as Anubhav’s last two films? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1078610" src="https://ift.tt/2HY8pAt" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> THAPPAD is the story of a woman fighting a tough battle. Amrita (Taapsee Pannu) is a housewife and is happily married to Vikram (Pavail Gulati) in Delhi. Vikram works in a reputed company and is desperately looking forward to an opportunity which will take him to London for work purposes. Amrita knows how much this means to Vikram. She loves him with all her heart and her entire life revolves around him and in attending to his mother, Sulochana (Tanvi Azmi). Thankfully for Vikram, he’s selected for the London stint. The same night, he throws a party in his house. All is going well until he gets a call from his superior, Thapar. He informs Vikram that he won’t be getting the desired profile that he’s looking for in London and that he’ll have to report to an authority there. This is not something that Vikram was initially assured. He confronts Rajhans, another superior of Vikram and who is present in the party. Things heat up between them and Amrita tries to pacify him. In the process, Vikram slaps Amrita. Her whole world comes crashing down. She tries to move on but is just not able to. Vikram shows regret when he realizes that Amrita has been hurt by his actions. He tries to console her but it doesn’t work for her. Amrita hence shifts to the house of her parents (Kumud Mishra and Ratna Pathak Shah). Vikram stops her and later even comes to take her back. But she doesn’t budge. Vikram then sends a legal notice to her. Swati (Naila Grewal), the girlfriend of Amrita’s brother Karan (Ankur Rathee), suggests that Amrita should show this letter to Nethra (Maya Sarao), a reputed lawyer and Swati’s boss. Nethra suggests that Amrita should solve this issue amicably. Amrita however doesn’t want to and she insists on a divorce. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's story is superb and applause-worthy. In a society where repeated acts of violence committed by husbands on their wives is fairly common, it requires guts to pull off a film where the woman has been hit just once by the husband and yet make it seem convincing. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's screenplay (script consultant: Anjum Rajabali) helps a lot in ensuring that the audiences get persuaded to agree with the vision of the team. They very well put out the situation and how patriarchy is deeply ingrained in our psyche, not just in case of men but also women. Anubhav Sushila Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul's dialogues are acidic and sharp and add to the impact. Some of them simplify the proceedings but that goes in favour of the film. There are lot of one-liners that will surely hit viewers and make them reflect on their own wrongdoings. Anubhav Sushila Sinha's direction is superlative. He has not just penned a great script but he has even executed it very well. The world and mood is drastically different when compared to MULK and ARTICLE 15 but he understands it and does justice. Amrita’s predicament is well established and one is bound to get moved by her struggle, especially when even her family members fail to support her. There are also several subplots and most of them are well helmed and add to the principle plot nicely. There are a few scenes where he does a fine job like Shivani (Dia Mirza) hugging Amrita, Sulochana ignoring the slap and insisting that Amrita should attend to the guests, Amrita’s father scolding his son for misbehaving with Swati, Amrita’s mother Sandhya chiding for not getting support to continue her singing career, the confrontation between the lawyers etc. On the flipside, the second half seems dragging. The makers could have done away with the track of Sulochana living separately as it just added to the subplots needlessly. Additionally, they could have fine-tuned the track of the lawyer cheating on her husband. A section of audience might find the entire bit of Vikram not apologizing to Amrita difficult to digest. It’s strange that no one from his circle suggested that he should say sorry. It’s only in the pre-climax that this issue is raised in front of him. Anubhav on Delhi Violence: “We used to be ANIMALS and may be we CONTINUE to be” | Taapsee | Thappad <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/2PwpOEG" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> THAPPAD has an impressive beginning where all the supporting characters are introduced and the commonality is them having an ice-cream. Amrita’s introduction is superbly down. It does give one a déjà vu of Nishikant Kamat’s classic Marathi film DOMBIVALI FAST [2004] but it works very well here to depict what her day looks like. The highpoint is definitely the party sequence and the slap. After this scene, it might feel that the film is stagnating but those scenes are important to explain how Amrita’s life has changed drastically post the slap. The intermission point is great. Post-interval, the interest is maintained but this is where the film drags. One expects dhamaka when the parties come face-to-face but nothing of that sort happens. The confrontation is there and though it is sync with the film’s plot and mood, it might seem mild, especially those expecting some entertainment here. The film ends on a justified note. THAPPAD has several excellent actors but it belongs to Taapsee Pannu without a shred of doubt. She has delivered several memorable performances and this one will surely be one of her most accomplished acts! She gets completely into the skin of character, making viewers forget of her earlier performances. You forget its Taapsee when you see her dutifully performing her housewife duties. Pavail Gulati makes a fantastic debut. He looks dashing and completely suits the part. Kumud Mishra is terrific. Anubhav Sinha always extracts a fine performance from him and THAPPAD is no exception. Ratna Pathak Shah is quite subtle and makes an impact. Same with Tanvi Azmi – her dialogue in the finale sums up the film in a way. Maya Sarao is a powerhouse of talent and is an actor to watch out for. She gets her act totally right, especially her body language. Geetika Vidya (Sunita) gets to play a memorable part and she kills it. Dia Mirza has limited screen time but it works. Gracy Goswami (Sania; Shivani’s daughter) has a fine screen presence and she dances nicely. Naila Grewal, Manav Kaul (Rohit Jaisingh), Ram Kapoor (Advocate Gujral) and Ankur Rathee are fair. Harssh A Singh (Thapar), Santanu Ghatak (Vikram’s colleague Subodh), Rohan Khurana (Nethra's love interest), Sushil Dahiya (Vikram's father), Siddhant Karnick (Vikram's brother), Nidhi Uttam (Vikram's sister-in-law) and the actor playing Rajhans also do a good job. Anurag Dipali Saikia's music doesn’t have much scope. 'Ek Tukda Dhoop' however has a nice, lingering effect. Mangesh Urmila Dhakde's background score is magnificent. The initial sequences have a jazz style music that gives a nice touch. Soumik Sarmila Mukherjee's cinematography is top-class. Vishakha Vidya Kullarwar's costumes are appealing, especially the saree worn by Taapsee in the party. Jyotika Mirpuri Aroura's make-up and hair is appropriate. Nikhil Kshipra Kovale's production design is rich. Yashpa Pushpa Ramchandani's editing could have been a tighter, but overall he has done a commendable job. On the whole, THAPPAD makes a strong statement on patriarchy and violence against women and is laced with a powerful performance by Taapsee Pannu. At the box office, it will be loved and adored by its target audience – the womenfolk.

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Movie Review: Jawaani Jaaneman

Saif Ali Khan excels in all kinds of roles but his role of a cool dude in light-themed films has been a favourite for many moviegoers. He played such characters in several memorable films like HUM TUM [2004], SALAAM NAMASTE [2005], LOVE AAJ KAL [2009] and got immense praise. Now the actor is back in this space after a hiatus with JAWAANI JAANEMAN. It’s a special flick as it’s the first production under his new banner, Black Knight Films. So does JAWAANI JAANEMAN emerge as a fine piece of entertainer? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1069154 size-full" title="Movie Review: Jawaani Jaaneman" src="https://ift.tt/3aUG1fP" alt="Movie Review: Jawaani Jaaneman" width="720" height="450" /> JAWAANI JAANEMAN is the story of a 40-year-old playboy whose life suddenly turns upside down. Jassi aka Jazz (Saif Ali Khan) is in his 40s and is based in London. He's single and in no mood to commit. By profession, he's a real estate broker and works with his brother Dimpu (Kumud Mishra). But he spends most of his time partying and getting involved with girls. He is also about to seal a redevelopment deal that will make him the biggest broker in London. Life is going great for him until one day he meets Tiya (Alaya F). At first he flirts with her, with the ultimate aim to take her to bed. However, she drops the bomb that she might be his daughter! To make matters worse, the DNA test confirms that they are related. And that's not all. It also comes to light that Tiya is pregnant! So Jazz finds out that he's not just someone's father but also to-be grandfather! What happens next forms the rest of the film. JAWAANI JAANEMAN is a remake of an Italian film. The plot is promising and could have made for a hilarious and touching entertainer. The screenplay however is inconsistent and weak at many places. Only some scenes work and provide laughs. Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal's dialogues are witty and try their best to enhance the impact. Nitin Kakkar's direction is average. He doesn’t keep the flow of the film organic. Some developments happen suddenly, be it Jazz developing feelings for Rhea (Kubbra Sait) or Jazz asking Tiya to shift in his house. These scenes are still digestible. But a scene in the second half where a local randomly accuses Jazz of cheating him in a property deal comes out of nowhere. Till now, viewers knew Jazz as a lazy worker but not someone who is deceitful. Hence, this revelation seems bizarre. On the positive side, he gets the emotion and humour right in some scenes. Also, he keeps the duration in check (119 minutes). JAWAANI JAANEMAN starts off on an okay note as the viewers get introduced to Jazz and his playboy lifestyle. The film gets interesting once he gets Tiya home and she reveals the truth. It makes for a hilarious watch. Another memorable scene in the first half is when Jazz and Tiya meet Dr. Kriplani (Kiku Sharda). One expects lot more to happen but story just doesn’t move then. The intermission point is a bit awkward. Post interval thankfully there’s some movement in the story. But now the film drags. Also, the impact is weakened by property deal track. What brings some respite is the track of Ananya (Tabu) but even that loses fizz soon. The final scene of the film is heartwarming. LOL- Alaya REACTS to ‘Sara-Taimur’ MEME on Jawaani Jaaneman Trailer | Saif Ali Khan | Tabu <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/38SiSZz" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Saif Ali Khan is completely in his element and entertains thoroughly. Such kind of a role suits him to the T and he constantly tries to rise above the script. Alaya F makes an excellent debut and puts up a confident act. She looks gorgeous and is the only actor who moves viewers to an extent. She has a promising career ahead. Tabu has a late entry but raises loads of laughs. But her character has no emotional arc. Chunky Panday (Rocky) doesn’t have much to do initially. He has a crucial scene in the second half in the hospital but it doesn’t work. Kubbra Sait is adorable and one wishes to see more of her. Kumud Mishra is dependable. Kiku Sharda is funny. Dante Alexander (Rohan) is over the top, as per the character’s requirement. Rameet Sandhu (Tanvi) leaves a mark. Farida Jalal (Jazz’s mother), Shivendra Singh Mahal (Jazz’s father) and Diljohn Singh (Grover) are okay. Songs are all forgettable. 'Ole Ole 2.0' gets registered a bit as it’s a popular tune. 'Gallan Kardi', 'Bandhu Tu Mera' and 'Mere Baabula' don’t work. ‘Jinhe Mera Dil Luteya’ is played in the end credits. Ketan Sodha's background score is sans complaints. Manoj Kumar Khatoi's cinematography is pleasing. The locales of London are well captured. Urvi Ashar Kakkar and Shipra Rawal's production design is superior. Sanam Ratansi's costumes are quite glamorous and all the actors in the film look great. Sachinder Vats's editing (additional editing by Chandan Arora) jumps at places. On the whole, JAWAANI JAANEMAN boasts of fine performances by Saif Ali Khan and newcomer Alaya F. But the direction is weak and emotionally, the film doesn’t work. At the box office, it will be a tough ride for the flick considering the lack of buzz.

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Movie Review: Jai Mummy Di

Filmmaker Luv Ranjan has launched quite a few actors, most notable among them being Kartik Aaryan. He casts them repeatedly and few of them have hit the bullseye at the box office as well. He turned producer with the 2018 super-hit flick, SONU KE TITU KI SWEETY, also directed by him. He had another hit film in 2019 in the form of DE DE PYAAR DE. In 2020, his banner Luv Films will be releasing as many as 3 films, and the first one to come out is JAI MUMMY DI. It is a long-delayed film but looks fresh and has the Delhi flavour in abundance, which gives it a chance to excel in North India. So does JAI MUMMY DI manage to be as entertaining as other Luv Ranjan films? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1063970 size-full" title="Movie Review: Jai Mummy Di" src="https://ift.tt/38ftiCa" alt="Movie Review: Jai Mummy Di" width="720" height="450" /> JAI MUMMY DI is the story of two lovers whose mothers are sworn enemies of each other. Delhi-based engineering students, Puneet Khanna (Sunny Singh) and Saanjh Bhalla (Sonnalli Seygall), are in love with each other. Saanjh proposes to Puneet but the latter declines. He too wants to settle down with Saanjh but is afraid of his mother. That’s because Puneet’s mother Laali (Supriya Pathak) and Saanjh’s mother Pinky (Poonam Dhillon) hate each other a lot. Interestingly, they were the best of friends at one point and moreover, they reside next to each other. But they can’t stand each other’s sight. And Puneet is too scared to break the news that he’s in love with the daughter of her ‘enemy’. In anger, Saanjh breaks up with Puneet. She starts looking for suitable groom for marriage and even approves of Dev (Bhuvan Arora). Their marriage is fixed for October 16 at Diamond Hall in Noida. When Puneet’s mother Laali finds out that Pinky has managed to lock her daughter’s wedding, she feels jealous. Not wanting to be left behind, she quickly selects a girl for Puneet, Sakshi. What’s more, Puneet and Sakshi’s marriage is also set on October 16 and that too in Diamond. Meanwhile, Puneet and Saanjh realize that they won’t be able to stay happy with anyone else but each other. Hence, they patch up and think of ways to bring their respective mothers together. When nothing works, they decide to elope and get married. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Navjot Gulati's story rests on waferthin plot. But it’s a great idea and could have made for a fine entertainer. But Navjot Gulati's screenplay plays spoilsport in a major way. The film is laced with poorly written sequences and not-so-funny moments. Also, the flow of scenes is not smooth. Navjot Gulati's dialogues also add to the negative impact. Barring a few one-liners, the rest of it doesn't have the desired impact. Navjot Gulati's direction is terrible. With the script, he already made a mess, but he could have covered it up with his direction. Sadly, even his execution is very bad. The film never goes on a high or goes into the funny zone, which it ideally should have. And it’s really fortunate since the concept had the promise to go all out. And the climax sadly is very thanda as one expects some major confrontation and eventual patch up. The worst is reserved for the very final scene and it totally takes the film down. JAI MUMMY DI begins on a very awkward note, to explain the enmity between the two women. The scene may have looked interesting on paper but translates poorly on screen. The song 'Mummy Nu Pasand' ups the interest but it goes downhill in no time. A few scenes are bewildering. For instance, why Pinky also follows suit and shifts to Ghaziabad, that too next to Laali’s residence. The humour quotient in the film is very less and half of whatever is there doesn’t work. Ideally, any other worthy director or writer would have shown the lovers going to insane lengths to bring their mothers together and how it causes madness in the process. Here, the lovebirds hardly do anything of that sort. The intermission point tries to be dramatic but doesn’t work. Post-interval, the film keeps getting repetitive and it tests the patience of the viewers. This is despite the 105 minutes of runtime. One can’t just wait for the mothers to find out the truth and patch up. Finally, it happens in the end but ideally, it should have taken the film to a high. But nothing of that sort happens. The most disappointing bit of the film however is the reason why Laali and Pinky started fighting in the first place. PAISA VASOOL: Sunny Singh Nijjar v/s Sonnalli Seygall – Bollywood ‘ROM-COM’ Quiz | Jai Mummy Di <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/2u8odwG" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Talking of performances, Sunny Singh suits the part. His acting is nothing great but he manages to pull through the role nicely. Sonnalli Seygall gets to show her acting chops. In PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA 2 [2015], she got overshadowed by other actors. But here, the focus is majorly on her, especially in the first half, and she does fine. Supriya Pathak and Poonam Dhillon are strictly okay. Shockingly, the film ideally should have revolved around them but they don’t get the screen space that they deserve. Rajendra Sethi (Trilochan Khanna) and Danish Husain (Gurpal Bhalla) are nothing great. Veer Rajwant Singh (Vineet) is however good as Puneet’s brother. Alok Nath (Sanjog Luthra) is wasted. It’s bewildering why he was even there in the film. Bhuvan Arora is the funniest part of the film. The actor playing Sakhi is passable. Neeraj Sood (Jasbir Bhullar) is good as always. Nushrat Bharucha, Ishita Raj and Varun Sharma do well but their cameos come at a time when the viewers are tired of the film already. Songs are forgettable, except 'Mummy Nu Pasand', which is catchy. 'Manney Ignore Kar Rahi' comes immediately after this track and doesn’t work. 'Dariyaganj', 'Ishq Da Band' and the title track also don’t manage to register. 'Lamborghini' is played in the end credits. Hitesh Sonik’s background score is entertaining but it doesn’t complement the scenes. Sanket Shah's cinematography and Tarpan Shrivastava's production design are appropriate. Jia Bhagia, Arun J Chauhan and Mallika Chauhan's costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by the lead actors in the various marriage scenes of the film. Dev Rao Jadhav and Chetan M Solanki’s editing is haphazard at places and is not organic. On the whole, JAI MUMMY DI is a poor fare owing to the weak script, lazy direction and lack of humour. At the box office, it won’t have a long run and just has this one week window to score.

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Movie Review: Motichoor Chaknachoor

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is known for his intense roles and crime-infested films. But it’s a known fact that he has a great comic timing and if given an opportunity, can excel in such roles. After trying his hands in few such films in the past like FREAKY ALI [2016] etc, the versatile actor will now be seen in a similar space with MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR. So does MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR manage to entertain and give a good time to the audiences? Or does it fail to deliver? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1041187 size-full" title="Movie Review: Motichoor Chaknachoor" src="https://ift.tt/32N34E9" alt="Movie Review: Motichoor Chaknachoor" width="720" height="450" /> MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR is a love story of two neighbours. Anita aka Annie (Athiya Shetty) resides in Bhopal and her only aim in life is to marry an NRI and settle abroad. However when she meets prospective grooms, she makes her demand clear and moreover she is bigmouthed. As a result, she gets rejected and in some cases, she rejects when she finds out that the guy is not going to move to foreign shores. Meanwhile, Pushpender Tyagi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) has just returned from Dubai after a hiatus. He stays with his family in the house next to that of Annie. Pushpender falls for Annie instantly but Annie doesn’t show interest. Just like Annie, even Pushpender wants to get hitched desperately. When an overweight girl agrees to marry him, he gives his nod though he doesn’t have feelings for her. Pushpender is 36 and he feels that he is way past the age where he can reject any girl. Hence he reluctantly accepts the proposal. Annie meanwhile gives up after rejecting and getting rejected. With no option in hand, her maternal aunt (Karuna Pandey) advises Annie to woo Pushpender. After all, even Pushpender works in Dubai, also a foreign place. Annie hence tries to serenade Pushpender. She tries to first break off his alliance with the overweight girl but her efforts prove futile. Thankfully for Annie, Pushpender’s mother (Vibha Chibber) calls off the alliance when the to-be-bride’s family refuses to pay dowry. Annie then straightaway tells Pushpender that she wishes to marry him. Pushpender is overjoyed but Annie is a bit reluctant as she can’t pay the kind of dowry that his mother is asking for. Pushpender promises Annie that he won’t ask for a single paisa and both get married on the same day! The families obviously are shocked but they relent eventually. Annie is extremely happy as her dream of marrying an NRI is fulfilled. However, Pushpender has a secret that can prove disastrous for Annie. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Debamitra Biswal's story is very simple and nothing great but has potential for a fine and entertaining script. The screenplay however is not consistent. There are scenes that are great but those are few and far between. Also, the first half has more interesting scenes than the second half due to which the post-interval portions aren’t that engaging. Bhupendra Singh's dialogues are very funny and clever, and raise laughs. Debamitra Biswal's direction has promise but falters due to several reasons. On the plus side, the setting looks straight out of life. The director has neatly explained the neighbourhood, the way the houses of Annie and Pushpender are next to each other. Some scenes are very well handled. On the flipside, the interest rises and falls throughout. Also, the second half portions are difficult to digest. Viewers are forced to accept that it’s Annie who was wrong for marrying Pushpender for the Dubai factor. Even Pushpender has hidden a fact about his employment which was also not acceptable at all. But Pushpender is not made a villain as such. Shockingly, in one crucial scene, he even slaps Annie. If that is not enough, then Annie’s father refuses to take her back in his house. One hopes that towards the end, both will profusely apologize to Annie for their behaviour. Shockingly, that never happens and only Pushpender says sorry, that too by writing a letter. Hence, it becomes difficult to root for such a character CRAZY FUN – Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Athiya Shetty’s EPIC Quiz | Motichoor Chaknachoor <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/2XeM7RO" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR begins on a fair note. The setting and characters are well established. The situations seem comical but don’t really make viewers laugh. But after the initial 30-35 minutes, the film turns into a riot. The scene where Pushpender meets the overweight girl is well executed and written. Same goes for the scene where Pushpender is buying vegetables and gets confronted by Annie. The best part of the first half is when Pushpender beats his brother Hakim with his chappal. The intermission point comes as a bolt from the blue. Post interval, the interest and even the humour quotient dip. The situations become very unconvincing and even regressive to an extent. The climax is supposed to be funny but seems unimaginative. Talking of performances, Nawazuddin Siddiqui seems a bit off but then gets in the groove. His comic timing as expected is bang on and even in emotional scenes, he is great. Athiya Shetty is a surprise of the film. From her accent to her performance to body language and to her understanding the character, she is spot on! Karuna Pandey gets to play a fine character and is entertaining. Vibha Chibber is decent. Abhishek Rawat (Hakim) is superb as Pushpender’s brother. Navni Parihar (Annie’s mother), Bhumika Dube (Hema), Devansh Kumar (Ikka) and Usha Nagar Dadi are okay. Music gels well with the film’s narrative. 'Crazy Lagdi' is catchy followed by 'Kaise Banegi Sarkar'. 'Choti Choti Gal' and 'Aaj Jaage Rehna' are soulful but drag the narrative. Abhijeet Vaghani's background score however is terrific and unique. Suhas Gujarathi's cinematography is very nice. The film has been shot in unconventional locales of Bhopal, that one hasn’t seen in films before. Tariq Umar Khan's production design is realistic. Shadab Malik's costumes are straight out of life. Praveen Kathikuloth's editing is nothing special. On the whole, MOTICHOOR CHAKNACHOOR boasts of a very entertaining first half but the second half plays spoilsport heavily. At the box office, it will face a tough time due to the lack of buzz.

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