Cinema, Karam, Kapi

What intrigued me to watch this movie was the online on Netflix which mentions about a “shopping mall”. My love for retail… duh. Intrigued to watch a movie about shopping and retail, decided to watch and boy, I wasn’t disappointed. I have been seen eerie Malls right from 2004 onwards when I joined Bangalore Central Mall. On the first night of opening, the CEO summoned all of us and said - “ We have a problem. The main door is not locking and we need 2-3 people to guard it .” A senior Sardar colleague, Mr. Rekhi raised his hand first. I was the second. We both sat outside the Mall all night and saw the sunrise. And mind you, we were not armed and had no weapons either though there were a few professional security guards present outside the mall. But still, to sit and guard an unmanned Mall, well, been there, done that .  Security  is a film set and shot inside a shopping mall where a former veteran who has just joined as a security staff takes full control in a rescue operation. Leaders

It’s Christmas season and here is a film which revolves around the most celebrated festival in the world. And yeah, there is strong connect with the current Gen’s obsession to online dating and believing what they don’t see is also true. Getting “catfished” is often heard from the kids of the new millennium but this film takes it to an all new high. Finally, the movie makes us realise that we really like a person not because how they look or who they are – socially or physically, rather how they are and their true qualities and personal nature.  True love after all is hard. And “Love Hard” is a testimony to it. Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev) writes articles for a dating column for a publication in Los Angeles about her disastrous outings week after week. Her boss Lee (Matty Finochio) loves her escapades as they get great views and the audience is excited to read more and more of these. One day, she finds the profile of Josh Lin (Jimmy O. Yang) and they start chatting up. She’s intrigued b

There are days when we just want to spend the day lazing around doing nothing. We pick up chores which are worthless, useless and a complete time pass. At the end of the day, we regret how we lost a precious day in our lives. At times, we feel happy that we ended up the day doing nothing and smile at ourselves. BaB2 is such a regretful day in one’s life, just that the makers spent a fortune (or perhaps not) making such a film, after all. The first edition feat. Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherji and Abhishek Bachchan was a cult film, in a sense that it was a combination of a mild thriller, a comedy and ending up as a drama. But the sequel neither of these and is a long bore at best.   BaB2 opens up with a bunch of rich Dilli businessmen ganging up with alcohol glasses on their hands in a pool side villa with young girls in scantily dressed clothes. The event organisers Sonia Rawat Kunal Singh lure the men to a private destination that is known by the name “Virgin Islands” where, well as o

If the Mallus world over rever Mohanlal as one of the greatest actors of all time, it is not without a reason. The Malayalam film industry's Superstar has once again proven to his critics, why this adulation is justified. From Kaalapani (Hindi) to Marakkar, Mohanlal + Director Priyadarshan combination has worked out well from the critical acclaim point of view. Apparently, the first discussion about Marakkar happened between the duo on the sets of Kaalapani, which was about two prisoners in the infamous Andaman Jail and how they end up there after being captured by the British, try to break out several times and eventually get killed. The film featured Tamil Actor Prabhu as well alongside Mohan Lal and won several accolades and critical acclaim. But Marakkar was shelved back then due to potentially high budgets. The Malayalam film industry is perhaps, one of the most underserved yet deserving piece of art with no more than 500+ screens for exhibition on date in the state of Kerala.

Superstar Rajinikanth’s much awaited Annaatthe released amidst much fanfare on Thursday, 4 Nov. 2021 across the world to cheering thumps from his fans, followers and devotees alike. The film, produced by Sun Network’s Kalanidhi Maran and directed by Siva who gave a hatrick with Ajith over the past 9 years, is the first big budget film to be released during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic estimated to be produced at a cost of Rs. 230 Crores. While the shooting commenced in early ‘20, it came to a grinding halt in the wake of the first ever lockdown in Mar. 20. Subsequently, shooting progressed intermittently and finally released on Deepavali day, adding to a list of Thalaivar films which have done so in the past 3 decades.  Kalaiyan, (Rajinikanth) fondly addressed as Annaatthe by locals is the Village Panchayat Leader for his town Soorakottai. He brings up his foster sister Thanga Meenakshi (Keerthy Suresh) as his own and is extremely fond of her. Nayanthara is a Lawyer whom Kalaiyan meet

  Much has been spoken, tweeted and written about #MeToo in real life. There have been some convictions, some remorse and mostly inaction in real life cases. Here’s a film that showcases the life of an office assistant who is not just subject to harassment but even embarrassed when she tries to protect her female colleague.  The film begins with Jane (Julia Garner) starting her work day in the wee hours and heads to her office set in Lower Manhattan, New York city. She’s the first one to get in to the office and manages all the administrative tasks almost alone at the office. The company, a film production house has a number of employees walking up the alley, to the pantry, in the elevator and so on but no one hardly acknowledges her presence or her contribution to the workplace. The first scene show how Jane carefully assembles the coffee mugs, washing the plates, cups and so on, takes photo copies of work files, sends emails, fixes schedules for her bosses and even interacts with the

It’s quite often in life that we blame someone around us for something. Mostly, these are opinions and are usually not fuelled with facts and analysis. Much later, we realise that whom we felt was “guilty” of something perhaps was not. We do not remorse at the moment, nor do we proclaim loudly in public or on social media that we were wrong - I am being generic and generous here about human behaviour.  The Netflix movie “Guilty” is all about this human behaviour. As the movie ends, there could be a sense of introspection to some of us. Again, it’s mostly personal, I would say.  Joe Baylor (Jake Gylenhall) works at the call centre of #911, America’s police helpline, more as a punishment transfer for a homicide case that he has been involved in. He received a few calls, during the shift, one where a guy has been robbed by a prostitute and refuses to come out of the car to check the number plate of the car - he is terrified by the fact that such a thing happened in America (sic). He gets

Even as the world is watching news on TV channels and on social media with shock horror and despair, how thousands of Afghans are trying to flee the country ever since the country has been taken over by the Taliban last week(Aug. ‘21), there has been so many past videos, case studies and Docus which are being widely circulated and discussed. While I am no one to judge whether it was right on the part of the US to have waged the war or not – I am neither a global political spokesperson nor an American, I fully empathise with the life and times of the locals, women and girl children especially, who are scared for their lives with times ahead. And with the Taliban gaining control day after day, establishing a new “Emirate of Taliban” and formally announcing to follow the Muslim Sharia Law, things don’t look good at all.   On the morning of 11 Sep. 2001, families are having a normal day suddenly when Tv news channels show how two aeroplanes attacked the Worth Trade Centre in New York at 8.

“Yeh Dil Maange more” was a popular tagline of a Cola-drink brand in the 90s. And the same was also used by Capt. Vikram Batra of our Indian Army who fought from the front during the Kargil War which Pakistan waged against India and lost miserably. Vikram and many other Indian soldiers martyred their lives to ensure India captured P 4875, one of the top peaks in the Himalayas which could give access to the enemies to enter and capture an important route and region of Jammu & Kashmir. The move, which was instigated by none other than the former Pakistan President and Army Chief Pervez Musharaff was dealt with a severe blow by the then Indian Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Defence Minister Mr. George Fernandes. India lost over 500 soldiers but made a statement to our loving neighbour that we shall not be shied away by such war threats and mongering. It is to our record that Bharath – our country, has never waged a war against any kingdom or country in the past 2,000

Lady Superstar Nayanthara has played a few unique characters in her career spanning 18+ years. In one of her earliest movies with Superstar Rajinikanth, her character was named “Durga” and she takes the same name in her most recent outing “Netrikann” in which she plays the role of a visually challenged person. In her earlier movie “Naanum Rowdydaan” pairing with Vijay Sethupathy, she appeared in a role who cannot hear anything. With this role, she has touched the emotions of millions of her fans with a fantastic portrayal, something very close to how a real person who cannot see the world would. Very few actors / actresses have played such a role so well, notable among them being Kamal Hassan in “Rajaparvai” and Rani Mukherjee alongside Amitabh Bachchan in the movie “Black”. Quite frankly, it is extremely difficult to “act” as though one cannot see.  Nayan has done justice to this role and has stepped up expectations on her, making the audience feel worthy of her title “Lady Superstar”

Betrayal is the worst outcome a human can take. It pains. It makes you feel weak. It makes you feel numb. And most importantly, makes you feel so dumb and helpless that one actually gave themself in to the plot, most often unknowingly. Jolt is all about a woman’s betrayal. Lindy Lewis (Kate Beckinsale) grows up as a normal kid. But over time, takes over her parent’s characteristics and grows up aggressive. At one stage, she is termed “harmful” for the society and is sent to a special school to tame her mind. Sadly, it doesn’t help. She goes through medical treatment, where the medics get harmed by her tantrums. She’s sent to join and train at the Forces, where she ends up hurting even the most skilled personnel. She’s put in lock and key but her aggressive nature makes her the most vulnerable at her tipping point and she gets unexpected energies which cannot be controlled by iron and chains. Finally, Dr. Ivan Munchin (Stanley Tucci) finds a solution for her sake. She’s wrapped up with

Revenge is not worthwhile, they say. Well, it depends on the cause after all. Sometime, getting back at someone is not to get even but to gain peace. For some please, ignoring or shrugging off is the best solution while a few go to any length to get even, take revenge, at times risking what they have, wondering whether it was all worthwhile. Like the film’s protagonist Stephanie Patrick. To each, their own. Stephanie (Blake Lively) is a happy kind in a family of four with her sister and parents. Even as she reminisces the good old times she’s had, we hear a voice asking her to go to the front bedroom for a Client is waiting. With a “ drugged for several years-look ” and ready to strip to get laid as a prostitute in downtown London, Stephanie asks the client to first pay and borrows a Cigarette. Only that the “Client” is there to – well, talk to her. Rather, talk her out. Keith Proctor (Raza Jaffrey) is a freelance Investigative Journalist and tells her that her parents didn’t die in a

Almost two decades back, 2 terrorists from Pakistan descended inside the world famous “Akshardham Temple” at Ahmedabad in Gujarat on 25 Sep. 2002 and massacred 30 people apart from injuring over 80 of them. They held the devotees hostage within the temple precincts overnight while also killing many of them one after the other until a terrost in India’s captivity was released in to Pakistan border. That these events unfolded in full public view and occurred right after the 2002 Gujarat riots left a deep scar in the development model the State claimed. Much has been spoken, written, debated on the media as well as the subject getting international attention. But a film on this topic is one of the first titled “State of Siege – Temple Attack”, a Zee5 Original that released on the OTT platform on 9 July ‘21.   Written by Willian Borthwick and Simon Fantauzzo, the film has been Directed by Ken Ghosh and Produced by Rohini Singh and Abhimanyu Singh and features a long list of actors led by A

  This movie, apparently released in 2013, two years after the demise of the legend Steve Jobs, the maverick CEO and Founder of Apple Inc. Jobs had a troubled childhood. He was orphaned as a baby by his biological parents Joanne Schieble, a speech therapist and Abdulfattah Jandali, a Syrian Political Science Professor. His parents Clara and Paul Jobs who adopted him not just gave him their name & identity but also the most part of their lives. He would “hang around” with his Dad in the garage and the duo would make a number of experiments using physics and common sense. As he grew up (mostly alone), Jobs grew restless and had little or no interest with pretty much anything in life including studies or building a family. Living a life of a hippie, he dropped off Reed College and wandered across the world and had his moment of truth when he was in India inspired by Zen Buddhism. He went back to the US and along with his friend Steve Wozniak started Apple Inc. as a small time project,