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Showing posts from January, 2023

Action Hero

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There are times when 15-20 mins in to a movie, you wonder whether you should have chosen this movie to watch; perhaps skip (if its on OTT) and walkout if it was a theatre. There are times, 30-40 mins in to a movie, when you wonder whether this movie should have been made at all. Action Hero is one such.   No, really. I never write negative reviews about movies – Over 125 here in this blog and counting. But this one deserves a special mention. What a mockery of the audience this is! Maanav Khurrana is a Superstar and is shooting for a sequence in Haryana one late evening. As with all heroes, he is seen shouting at his PA and is rehearsing for an action sequence. Since he is not emoting enough, his PA says that the delivery of his Lamborghini is delayed. Angered, the Action Hero proceeds to beat up the baddies with the crew clapping hard once the shot is over.  The hero is then shown his Lambo and he takes it for a spin. Vicky Solanki, a fan of the Hero and brother of the local ...

Mission Majnu - Movie Review

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Off late, there have been so many films about former RAW Agents and their lives. Mission Majnu is one such. Released on Netflix on 20 Jan. ahead of India’s Republic Day, the film is gaining a lot of positive response from viewers.   Taariq (Siddarth Malhotra) is a devout Muslim residing in Lahore, Pakistan and works at his uncles’ tailoring shop. He falls for Nasreen Khan (Rashmika Mandanna) at first sight, though she is vision-impaired. The two have their Nikkah solemnised by both families although her father is initially reluctant and is not pleased with Taariq as he doesn’t have a “real job”. The story moves slowly for us to understand that Taariq is indeed an undercover agent, Amandeep Singh, living in Pakistan for a few years now.  Indira Gandhi’s Government test fires Nuclear Bomb which irks Pakistan. Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto decides to build and test a Nuclear site, however without the rest of the world knowing about it. He decides to join hands with noted sci...

Pathaan - Movie Review

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Shah Rukh Khan has always been remembered for his emotive scenes from Baazigar to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Kal Ho Na Ho. Somewhere down the line, the actor chose to do various experimental roles which may not have been fitting to his status. That’s a professional risk many take. Except that after his last big run at the Box Office, Chennai Express, none of his movies stuck a chord with the audience, even with his hardcore fans spread worldwide. In Pathaan, he is back with his old ways, charming the audience with his emotions, romantic innuendos, action scenes and a rare, one of its kind on-screen camaraderie with his close friend, confidante, contemporary and career brother –Salman Khan. As the movie ends with the title credits, the two are seen sitting and chatting casually, wondering who would be their successors in their missions (read: Bollywood, perhaps). The two make guesstimates without naming the newbies, sarcastic comments about youngsters but do not ...

The Good Boss - Movie Review

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Blanco Scales is a respectable manufacturer in town. Julio Blanco (Javier Bardem) has inherited the business of making “Industrial Scales” from his father and is considered the best by his employees. He is a father, an elder brother and a well-wisher to everyone at the workplace. Except, that he is selfish, self-centred and cunning to the core. Well, this is a “fictional story” but the guy is real in blood and flesh all over the place. The Spanish language film, dubbed in English is now playing on Amazon Prime. Considered to be of a Dramedy genre – Comedy + drama (loads of it), the story moves very slowly, building the audience’s patience. But few cannot not- relate to this guy, whom we see around everywhere. The movie begins with Blanco having to let-go of one of his long serving employees, Jose. In shock at his job loss, already undergoing a painful separation with his wife with a partial custody of his kids, Jose is shattered. He even gets his kids to plead with Blanco to retain his...

Disconnect: The Wedding Planner

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What happens when you know nothing about an interesting start-up business and still go ahead and attempt doing it, guessing some angel will help you succeed? The film shows how and why it may not work all the time! Otis is a playboy living in Nairobi and has trouble inheriting his family business. He flirts with many girls and ends up dumping each one of them, time and again. He is also a father to his daughter but his ex-wife has moved on in life. He is pitching his business idea to a potential Investor Dele but the latter is not convinced if Otis is trustworthy. His partner Khalid is also not sure of Otis’ acts and doesn’t trust him much. That’s when Otis proposes to Dele to allow him organise his wedding in a grand manner in Kenya. After much reluctance, Otis and his fiancé agree to this.  However, Otis has no clue whether he can pull this off by his own, so he invites his friends Richard & his girlfriend Celine, TK, Judy and Khalid to the Kenyan resort a few days before the...

Ram Setu - Movie Review

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Ram Setu, dubbed as Adam’s Bridge is an important edifice of the epic Ramayana. Believers and followers of Sanathana Dharma do not question its existence from the time immemorial. It is the naysayers, non-believers and those of other religions who are hell bent on breaking the remnants of the bridge, so cargo vessels can pass through the Gulf of Mannar instead of taking a circuitous route around Sri Lanka. This long debated subject is the research of an ASI archaeologist in this film who goes from disbelieving the story of the bridge built by Lord Rama all the way to finding the erstwhile location of King Ravana’s palace. All within 200 mins!   Aryan Kulshreshta (Akshay Kumar) is shown digging up wealth in a box, believed to be 100s of years old in the Taliban region. Though many of his colleagues get killed by the Taliban in a massive shoot-out, he and his colleagues reach safely to tell the story of the ancient link between Afghanistan and India. His next assignment at ASI is to ...

Varisu - Film Review

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After almost a week of its release, watched Vijay’s Varisu. Went without any expectations as there has been a steady negative feedback about the film. In fact, the reviews mostly said the film was too much drama.   After coping for over 150mins, I am convinced with the popular verdict. The film is heavy on drama. But then, aren’t films meant to be that way? Will come back to this at the end of this article.  Vijay (Vijay) is sent out of his home by his father Rajendran (Sarath Kumar) as he fails to fall in line to his wishes. The family patriarch, father of three sons is yet to decide his successor of his sprawling business empire which is dominated by the mining fields and wants his sons Ajay (Shamsudern aka Sham) and Jay (Srikanth) to pitch themselves against each other. Not wanting to be a part of this rat race, Vijay relinquishes from the race. He travels around the country only to be called back home by his mother Sudha (Jayasudha).  On the occasion of Rajendran’s 60...

Thunivu - Movie Review

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Bank heists are a common subject when it comes to international films. Many are based on true stories, some are really well made. Over two decades back, Amitabh Bachchan’s Aankhen was all praise for it’s content and crew’s excellent acting. Thunivu is perhaps the first of its kind in its genre in Tamil cinema. After a bit of it in Billa and Mankatha, Ajith Kumar is back in his badass avatar. Spanning 145 mins, the film sets the ball rolling within the first 15 mins.  Darkdevil aka Chief (Ajith Kumar) and his smart crew are a gang of robbers with various international heists to their credit. They are much sought after, with their impeccable track record, access to the latest technology, weapons and what not. Kanmani (Manju Warrier), Amir, Pavni and Ciby are part of the gang as well.  It is interesting that the protagonist doesn’t have a defined first name all through the film! Yes, Ajith is addressed with various monikers and not really an actual name. At the end of the movie, ...