PRISONERS: What ‘THE CONJURING’ did to horror, ‘PRISONERS’ does to thriller! [3.5/5]

In order to keep you glued to your seats, regular thrillers often try to bomb every trick mentioned in the rulebook on you, one after other. Exhaustively pacey narration, deliberately designed twists, in your face-jaw dropping action, over the top drama and what not…but it all looks so gimmick-so unreal-so unconvincing when you experience Denis Villeneuve’s PRISONERS.

PRISONERS belongs to the same genre but mainly to a minimal sub-part of it that doesn't believe in all those textbook rules and absorbs your soul in its atmospheric mood and the intensity of the actions. The complex human behavior itself plays so hard as an integral motivator that you don’t feel alienated to what is happening on the screen. It is dark, murky, intricate, violent, layered, riveting and a pure thriller to enjoy-indulge & invade!

When law enforcement agencies [Jake Gyllenhaal as an out-and-out dedicated police detective] find it hard to book a possible suspect in a child-abduction case lacking enough evidential proofs, father of one such girl [Huge Jackman, riding high on emotions rather than showing muscular strength] decides to take charge in his hands, illegally of course. But the density in the maze to track down the offender is so thick that even a far-sighted would need to think twice before guessing who’s behind all.

From the very first frame, film creates a perfect ambiance for a thriller with the suspenseful chilly-frosty-foggy woods of Pennsylvania as the base of events. Camera beautifully captures and extracts the mystical feel from those wooden houses to torch-lit shots used mostly for the dark places to explore and investigate. But as I have made it clear above, the focus is always on how human behavior gets adulterated by the heat of the situation and complexities take over. And to show it better, nothing but the performances emerge as the winner. 

Two towering infernos here are subtle at the most parts but when the break down happens, you should never miss a moment. The way Jake reproaches his supervisor for not being supportive is hilarious. The way Jackman as a helpless father shows his angst and aggravation while torturing the possible suspect in his illegal custody is disturbingly bone-chilling. His hard-to-break instinct to believe that the man in his charge is the culprit they all are looking out for is very contagious.

The name Denis Villeneuve is well-associated with the Oscar-nominated incest-thriller INCENDIES. That was a complete awe-striking movie that takes your breath away with its exceptional ending. This is not that but still a genre-defying effort. 

One or two not-so hard-to crack twists, a slow pace that might work in negative to lose your constant consideration and a little drawn out duration of the film [153 min is quite unseen-unexpected for recent Hollywood movies] could easily be avoided if you have an urge to watch good thriller with performances of first rate. This is definitely season’s best. What ‘THE CONJURING’ did to horror, ‘PRISONERS’ does to thriller! [3.5/5]

PRAGUE: Go with no expectations and you might come out going ga-ga over it! [3.5/5]

Prague is one beautiful city with spectacular world heritage sites and astonishing architectural monuments of all sorts. Being a crucial location for catastrophic World War II events, the city itself has a mysteriously spirited feel to it. Look at those sulking mutilated figurines to be reminiscent of the tragedies happened long ago or that ‘bone chapel’ seeking peace and humanity in middle of countless human bones…& you will know that no other setting can be so appropriate than this enigmatic city of Prague when it comes to paint down the complexities of human mind that deal with harsh reality and even harsher world of imagination and hallucination simultaneously.

Ashish R. Shukla’s PRAGUE is an awe-inspiring mind-bending psychological thriller that stands out from many efforts in the recent past. Weaved in an innovative narration style, film focuses on the life of a promising architect in search of peace of mind, love and redemption!

Chandan [Chandan Roy Sanyal in a tailor-made role with an applause-worthy performance] is in love with Shubhangi [confident Sonia Bindra]; his perfect soul mate seems to be but nothing is as it seems. Seeing is misbelieving. And as Chandan happens to see his dead friend Arfie, guiding in his most of decisions and beliefs in life, another ‘always-on-weed’ ‘high-on-life’ friend Gulshan [Kumar Mayank in an impressing look and characterization] is found under same sheet with Shubhangi. Story takes a leap when Chandan is in Prague for his ambitious monumental project on World War II victims. This time, a gypsy Girl [Ellena Kazan surprises with her ability to act besides just looking ravishing] finds a place in Chandan’s heart but to his wildest fear makes a come back as Gulshan. Rest is how what you see is far from what you believe.

PRAGUE is an independent film and carries off that tag very confidently. It persistently involves itself in creating freshness in its approach. So, besides that visually stunning picturesque camera work and the edgy-crispy editing hands, there is also the skillfully layered writing that keeps you on your toes either with interesting narration style [story goes back & forth to interlink happenings and divided into chapters to keep focus on the highlighted part] and the aromatic suspenseful twists & turns in the tale.

The plot here doesn’t leave much scope to create perplexity in viewer’s mind because of lesser number of characters than fingers in your hands. And the characters are also real, simple, straight yet complicated in their own way.

Film if belongs to anyone solely, it is Chandan Roy Sanyal who outshines everyone else in the frame. Here is a talent that has never been explored to its maximum and demands much more than skinny supporting roles. Watch him in emotional scenes where he is struggling to manage his connect to relationships in both the world…in real & in hallucinated one.

I am sure you haven’t heard of it much before its release, but for one who believes in experimental cinema that dares to break league and norms…this is a huge huge pleasurable surprise of the year. PRAGUE is trippy, witty, confident, engaging, innovative, astonishing and an exhilarating psychological ride you must take for a mind-bending experience and to trust the fact that this is the best period of indie cinema in India. Go with no expectations and you might come out going ga-ga over it. [3.5/5]

Special Note: Do not go if you don’t know what the term ‘Indie film’ stands for!

'द गुड रोड': अच्छी है, पर बहुत धीमी, उबाऊ और साल की सबसे अच्छी तो बिलकुल नहीं! [3/5]

सारे रस्ते आपको कहीं न कहीं पहुंचा ही देते हैं। कुछ बड़ी आसानी से जहां भी आप जाना चाहते हैं, कुछ काफी घुमा-फिरा कर। ऐसे ही एक रस्ते पर कुछ अलग-अलग किरदार मिलते हैं-बिछड़ते हैं-भटकते हैं, और अंत में थोड़े बहुत भटकाव-घुमाव-फिराव के बाद अपनी मंजिल तक पहुँच भी जाते हैं। इसी रास्ते, इसी सफ़र की कहानी है ...लेखक-निर्देशक ज्ञान कोरिया की राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार प्राप्त गुजराती फिल्म 'द गुड रोड'.

फिल्म बड़े ही खूबसूरत ढंग से आपको गुजरात की एक हाईवे पे छोड़ जाती है ...जहां छुट्टियां बिताने आया एक ७-साल का बच्चा बिछड़ जाता है अपने माँ-बाप से…जहां शहर से भागी हुई एक ९ साल की बच्ची अभी भी रास्ता ढूंढ रही है अपने अपनों तक पहुँचने का ...और इसी हाईवे पर एक ट्रक ड्राईवर गैरकानूनी कामों में उलझी अपनी जिंदगी का आखिरी सफ़र तय रहा है।

फिल्म की कहानी में रोमांच और रहस्य का पुट जिस बखूबी से डाला गया है, काबिले तारीफ़ है। हर पल "आगे क्या होने वाला है' इस उधेड़बुन में आप हमेशा अपने आपको उलझा हुआ पायेंगे। पर फिल्म कहीं-कहीं बहुत ही वास्तविकता के करीब है, जो शायद आपको विचलित भी कर सकता है। मसलन, जब ७-साल का बच्चा ट्रक ड्राईवर के साथ अपने माँ-बाप से मिलने की कोशिश में ट्रक को ही अपना घर बना लेता है, ट्रक का खलासी बच्चे के साथ बड़े गंदे तरीके से गाली-गलौज के साथ पेश आता है। एक दूसरे दृश्य में, कुछ नाबालिग लडकियां देह-व्यापार के लिए गाँव वालों के सामने जिस तरह रात के अँधेरे में परोसी जाती हैं, आप सच में अपने अन्दर कुछ टूटता हुआ पाते हैं।

फिल्म की गति काफी धीमी है और यकीन मानिए यह एक बहुत बड़ी कमी है। सिर्फ १ घंटे ३० मिनट की फिल्म अगर आपको उबाऊ और लम्बी लगे तो अच्छी बात नहीं। हालांकि अमिताभ सिंह ने कच्छ के रण और गुजरात हाईवे के आस-पास के असली लोकेशन्स को एक खूबसूरत पेंटिंग की तरह परदे पर उतारा और यही वजह है कि आप फिल्म से मुंह मोड़ नहीं पाते जबकि फिल्म की गति आपको ऐसा करने के लिए बार बार उकसाती है। फिल्म का एक और पक्ष है जो आपको बार-बार परेशान करता है, फिल्म का स्क्रीनप्ले कहानी को आगे बढाता तो है पर अपनी सुविधा के हिसाब से बड़ी आसानी से, जैसे बच्चा कार की पीछे वाली सीट से उतर जाता है और माँ-बाप को भनक तक नहीं लगती, कुछ पात्र तो सिर्फ इसलिए भटकते हैं क्यूंकि उन्हें भटकना है, किरदार अचानक ही भले लगने लगते हैं और अचानक ही सब कुछ ठीक भी हो जाता है।

अभिनय की दृष्टि से अजय गेही, सोनाली कुलकर्णी पहचाने कलाकार हैं, समर्थ लगते हैं। बाल कलाकार प्रभावित करते हैं। पर बहुत सारे कलाकार भले ही मंजे हुए न हों, किरदार में पूरी तरह समाये हुए नज़र आते हैं...आप उन्हें देखते हैं, कैमरे के साथ उनकी असहजता महसूस भी कर लेते हैं पर फिर भी वो आपको सच्चे लगते हैं।

अंत में, 'द गुड रोड' एक अच्छी फिल्म है, गुजराती सिनेमा के लिए मील का पत्थर...पर इसे साल की सबसे अच्छी फिल्म कहना मुझे थोडा ज्यादा लगता है। कलात्मक सिनेमा देखने वालों को शायद ज्यादा अच्छी लगे, पर ऐसे वक़्त में जब 'शिप ऑफ़ थिसिअस' जैसी भारी फिल्म भी दर्शकों के दिल में सहजता से उतरने की कला सिखा रही हो, जब 'द लंचबॉक्स' जैसी सीधी-सादी लव-स्टोरी भी आपको भावनात्मक रूप से झकझोर जाती हो…इस तरह की फिल्म-मेकिंग पुराने समानांतर सिनेमा की याद दिलाती है मगर दुर्भाग्यवश वहाँ तक पहुँच नहीं पाती! नतीजा? न इधर-न उधर! देखिये और खुद फैसला कीजिये [३/५] 

PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO: A nice break from double-meaning jokes but still not enough to relish as we expect! [2/5]

Expectations don’t always ripe in a healthy product. Sometimes, they just fall flat on your face. Sometimes, they go hysterically wrong to create humour. Sadly, Rajkumar Santoshi’s PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO belongs to the previous category. Santoshi earlier tried and expected to re-create his classic comic caper ANDAZ APNA APNA and ended up with a lesser product called AJAB PREM KI GAJAB KAHANI, this time he genuinely and visibly tries to replicate the success-story of APKGK but again…expectations don’t always ripe in a healthy product.

A single mother who wants his son to be an ‘imaandar’ police inspector but the son is more interested in rising as the new poster-boy of Bollywood and also doesn’t want to hurt his loving mother’s feelings. This may look old-school formulaic Bollywood story-line but trust me, it has the potential to make you smile & giggle at the comedy of errors it CAN create but it doesn’t. A comic book styled film that is filled with cartoon-ish caricatures [Saurabh Shukla as local don so resembles with Motu of Motu-patlu comics, skinny twinkling-eyed glam doll heroine, hero is so swift that when he fights all you can see is the blasting dust & dirt on the screen and a villain with a mission to destroy the world], why would need melodrama of emotional exploitation only to slower the pace and lower the amount of fun? I still don’t get it.

In a hospital where the mother is fighting for her life, when the son is informed as some Dr. Vinod khanna is asking for him, all this movie-fanatic son can come with is, “vinod khanna doctor kab bann gaye?” He sure is very comfortable in his dream world of movies even in such emotional times. This is the most hilarious joke it has and I loved it. In other, when someone passes remark on Mukesh Tiwari playing the villain that “who’s this Jackie Shroff look-alike?” you really find it hard to stop giggling as you already had thought the exactly same of his get-up.

And how can I forget that one of the most enjoyable cameos in recent! Santoshi’s favorite Salman khan appears as himself like he did in APKGK but this time, he’s in full form. He also hints at the ANDAZ APNA APNA sequel in process. Who knows…someday we will be lucky enough to see that!! For the rest, writing only lows down the standard. Though it is a good relief to see a clean comedy that doesn’t rely on adult double-meaning one-liners, but jokes here are either forced or too flat to laugh out loud. Screenplay also doesn’t give a constant pleasurable experience.

On the merits, it is a pleasant surprise to see yesteryear actress PADMINI KOLHAPURE making a comeback in Hindi films [she was there in Marathi cinema always]. As the overtly done typical loud Indian filmy mother, she does full justice to her given part. We sure want to see more of her in more meaty roles]. Ileana D’Cruze, after BURFI, made a lot of promises as a competent actress but this is not something she would expect to create a buzz for. She is there and mostly in some beautifully picturised songs. But the film belongs to Shahid Kapoor. His dedication, his effort shows in every single scene. He does all he could to make you laugh & cry. I wish writing had been really a little kind to him to support his commitment. Poor fellow!

With Anjum Rajbali & K K Raina, Rajkumar Santoshi once was known for his crispy-tight-punchy writing and screenplay that holds you for the most of the times in theaters  It seems I am talking about some gone lost filmmaker of past. I hope he comes back with his old charm soon but as of now, PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO is not the Rajkumar Santoshi Film we want. It’s uninspiring, exasperatingly lengthy, formulaic and less funny than we expected. Watch it if you are Shahid Kapoor Fan, you won’t get disappointed! [2/5]

THE LUNCHBOX: A 7-course meal for cinema-lovers with good appetite for quality cinema! [4/5]

If local trains are one inseparable lifeline for Mumbai, dabbawallah are unquestionably the other. Delivering food for love/love for food in dabbas to more than 2 lakh people working in their respective fields of interest everyday…that too by a comparatively smaller number of a few thousands dedicated Dabbawallah on their toes, impermeable of bad weather, terrible traffic issues, unfortunate terrorist attacks and uncalled natural disasters! No wonder, surveys indicate that the chances of failure in this 130-year old mechanism fall to once in a 6 million deliveries.

 

Ritesh Batra’s ‘already riding high on appreciations allover’ slice-of-life, middle-age romantic drama THE LUNCHBOX finds its foundation on that very one mistake, an endearing one that turns into an overwhelming, appetite-full, high-on-emotions love-story between two lone souls lost in the overcrowded city of dreams, Mumbai.

Ila, a housewife and a mother of a 7-year old girl, seeks help in making new delicious recipes for her husband’s lunchbox either from master chef Sanjeev Kapoor on radio/TV or from the neighboring aunty who lives on the second floor with her husband in coma. Interestingly, we hear only voice of her crashing to our ears. Besides that, Ila’s other pastimes limit in washing dirty linens, waiting for her husband to come home and watching him finishing his dinner in some way attending panel discussion on TV news. Loneliness is subtle but the pain is quite visible.

Saajan Fernandez is a face that you see everywhere around yourself. He could be an account manager in your local bank. He could a wrinkled postmaster with all names & addresses on his fingertips. He might not be updated with technology and gadgets our new generation uses but he is there behind his desk for like more than 35 years. This particular face we see on screen is on the edge & age of retirement. He is a widower too. Here again, the loneliness is subtle but the pain & emptiness in his eyes is clearly visible to make you uncomfortable within.

So, when one day the dabba for Ila’s husband reaches mistakenly on the desk of Mr. Fernandez, the old-fashioned yet very amusing-very charming practice of letter-writing takes place to share their individual emotions. They write about the lip-smacking dishes Ila cooks, they write about their personal life experiences and they also share their fears about how life could take a turn on them.

Meanwhile, there is frustratingly funny Shaikh who is about to take place of Saajan after his withdrawal. Lively as anything! He is an orphan but still likes to start his saying with ‘my mother used to say…’ as he thinks it would give it more ‘vajan’.  

THE LUNCHBOX creates an aromatic ambiance for two separate worlds of Ila & Saajan. With pile of files on desks, old ceiling fans & bleak faces, Saajan vanishes in a typical government office. Ila’s world is restricted to the kitchen platform and window attached with to make regular conversations with aunty. In others, there are crowded local trains crawling on tracks and an artist on the pavement who paints same painting everyday.

Film’s biggest strength is the writing. Every sequence conveys and leaves some or the other emotion with you. Be it Ila’s imagination to a suicide story or Saajan’s reluctant behavior towards his new colleague! With low-light, grainy visuals to show the realism within the on-location shoots, cinematography is apt & a top class. Sound designing is also something to look out for. You can actually smell the ambiance through those sound bits. Ritesh Batra scores high in creating a simple love-story with a perfect mix of emotions and cinematic brilliance. A story has been told the way it should be. No extra ‘masala’, no unnecessary ‘tadka’!

On the performance side, Irrfan as Saajan Fernandez delivers as much as you could expect from him. He speaks in silence. He throws silence while speaking. Nimrat Kaur in her acting debut surprises you the most. She can be very emotive at one and equally amusing at the other. She makes you feel for the character and in the most simple and impressive way. Her unsophisticated & refined but raw portrayal of Ila will leave you speechless. & then comes, Nawazuddin as Aslam shaikh! Smiles come easy & entertainment is handy when he’s there in the frame.

Overall, THE LUNCHBOX is bittersweet but a rich-in-taste culinary experience like no other. Perfectly cooked-nicely served! Make reservations for weekend in advance! Book a table now! It’s a 7-course meal for cinema-lovers with good appetite for quality cinema! [4/5]

Special Note: Dear Bollywood! Bless me with one LOOTERA, one SHIP OF THESEUS, one LUNCHBOX every year and I’ll forgive you for all your sins of producing ‘HOUSEFULLs’ ‘GRAND MASTIs’ & ‘ZANJEERs’!

JOHN DAY: not every day is A Wednesday! Leave it for better things! [2/5]

The unsaid key rule of a good thriller demands hell of a convincing, compelling, shocking and intelligently electrifying disclosure in the culmination when all the puzzle-pieces get set together to form a concrete ground and clearer & clever picture to what exactly had happened and why? Viewers should feel delightedly cheated at the end not because they have expected more from it but because they hadn't have the tiniest clue in their weirdest dreams about it. Lacking the same, Debutante writer- director Ahoshor Solomon's promising dark-edgy noir JOHN DAY sadly doesn't meet its promised end and remains a 'Could have been much better' effort.

JOHN DAY, played by Naseeruddin Shah, a sincere bank manager with his lovely wife [Shernaz Patel] is trying to recover from the distress of losing his loving daughter in a mysterious accident. After 2 years, John finds himself in no choice left situation where his wife is at gun point and he has to co-operate with unknown lawbreakers for a planned bank robbery. To worsen his life, the wife has been hit badly by robbers to land in coma. In between, John finds a file that may have connection with his daughter's unfortunate death. In other significant parallel plot, Randeep Hooda plays an angry lawless corrupt cop who is torn between 2 land-grabbing sharks of the real estate business. Their paths never quite cross till the very end...but will it be sure, confident and powerful enough to leave a lasting impact? Find out yourself!

 
In his maiden effort, Solomon promises with his efficient direction and an engaging screenplay at some level. He creates a perfect mood for dark thrillers with tainted & toned visuals (...special mention to a chase sequence where we see shadows on the run falling over buildings, churches and roads. Innovatively conceptualised and executed. Full marks!), haunting background score and characters that aren't always defined as black/white. Cinematography by Prakash Kutty belongs to the genre. On the performances, Hooda impresses but never actually tries to reinvent and wears that same angry look throughout. Naseer Saab is good and that's bad when we have actor of such caliber in hand and can't utilize to the fullest, still he remains my sole reason to stay put in the theater.

But all of this doesn't really save your day if the narrative sails in a snail’s pace and has confusing plots & subplots more than wrinkles on Naseer saab’s forehead. Almost for 2 hours, you scratch your head to stumble on if not something big, at least smart but they don’t really care and in next 18 minutes, they let your expectations washed away with a lethargically written ending that gives you more satisfying moment than any in the film.

To sum up, not every day is A Wednesday! And let’s hope, no day ends up being a John Day. Catch it on TV if released or on home videos…or just leave it!  You have better things to do! [2/5]

GRAND MASTI: Cheap, disgusting, offensive, insensitive & a must if you think from your lower abdominal parts [0/5]

Why on earth do Bollywood adult-comedies have to have double-meaning dialogues that fall only for one intended meaning? And why on earth do writers for such sleazy entertainers have to use their boneless part of lower-abdomen area to think and not the obvious upper part primarily called as mind?

Well, if sex-comedies are like classic ALIEN series, Indra Kumar’s adult-comedy GRAND MASTI is Shirish Kunder’s JOKER. Both have common ingredients to offer viewers a good platter of entertainment but are still very divergent in recipe and in taste. The former is cheap, shameful, lousy, crappy, distasteful, disgusting, mean, offensive and everything else but funny.

Sequel to MASTI- the 2004’s surprise hit, GRAND MASTI revisits the dull, boring & ‘suck sex’ful married lives of Meet (Vivek Oberoi), Prem (Aftab Shivdasani) and Amar (Ritesh Deshmukh). Their wives are busy in everything around; from serving extended families non-stop like an adarsh- bahu to working late at boss’s place for better future & also in baby-sitting but all they ignore unpretentiously is the sexual desires [I can use the term ‘lost love in marital lives’ to be sober but trust me the film itself didn’t talk of it even in suggestion] of their husbands, as if that is the last thing on earth to stay alive. So, the trio seeks the alternate means of pleasure in their college reunion with barely clad sex-sirens sickeningly named as Rose, Mary & Marlow to be pronounced later in exact order for at least 60-70 times till you start hating such beautiful names.

I widely understand the need of below-the-belt jokes in any adult-comedy but the situation goes horribly wrong, monotonous & unbearable after a while when makers decide to stay there and there only to tickle I don’t know what bones of yours but certainly not the tickling one. So, you have weird sex-driven word-plays in every second sentences characters speak, old tasteless adult jokes getting re-enacted, forceful body-show and sequences literally hitting on every private part of human body. It goes on and on like the flat, flavorless rubber in your mouth [Chewing gum, I mean].

Also, there are times when it turns so absurd-so ridiculous you don’t want to look at the screen. Well, even these things you can take for granted in the name of entertainment but how can you not be sensitive or apologetic about offensive sequences where women & kids are being treated as a substance of pleasure without showing any love, respect or care for that matter. In one of scenes, Amar (Ritesh Deshmukh) blatantly curses his cutely adorable kid with a gesture like ‘kaash maine uss din nirodh ka virodh na kiya hota!’ and later offers him to a burglar to get rid of him. Painful!

There are no reasons that can justify its viewing except you are a sex-starved, low-IQed, male chauvinist who sees women as sex-object & doesn’t love/care/respect even their ladies at home. I regret watching it and very sorry as I didn’t think I would be also reviewing a soft-porn someday. Watch it at your own risk! [0/5]  

LUCIA: India’s answer to Nolan’s INCEPTION, that too in Kannada. Be proud! [3.5/5]

Psychological thrillers that bend your mind with a thin blurred dividing line between dream and reality have always been fascinating stories to shake & shock cinema-lovers across globe. Christopher Nolan’s much acclaimed INCEPTION was the last most-talked venture in the said genre…and the latest has just arrived. Not from the other side of the world but from our very own Kannada film industry.

 

Pawan Kumar’s LUCIA is a small film […made merely in a shoestring budget of 70 lakh, funded by hundreds of cinema-enthusiasts on social networking sites] that never restricts or limits itself from being big in aspiration, execution or projection.

An usher/ torch-shiner in a dying talkies [not multiplex or theater  mind you!] in the town finds it difficult to have a good sleep in nights, thanks to his ‘a little too much to be comfortable with’ roomies of every kind, and soon develops symptoms of insomnia. Next in the line comes an illegal drug-distributor who, as an ultimate solution, provides him a set of sleeping pills named ‘Lucia’ that could miraculously not only helps him in getting good sleep but also allows him to live his personalized dreams like a one big movie of his own. Eventually, you see our protagonist leading two separate lives respectively one in reality and the other in alternate reality aka dream […clearly shown divided with sequences in color and in b/w].

So, whatever in one life he can’t do is now doing in the other to entertain his soul. The girl of his dreams, the career he always has looked up to and everything else…but who really can tell if what you see is reality or a dream or it is just both within you? Best unanswered for you to explore at your own!

LUCIA is a brilliant example of what a far-reaching vision can create- achieve & celebrate despite having cumbersome obstacles largely called here as age-old ‘business norms’. Leave Kannada alone, I am still looking for examples to equal this effort in all of Bollywood. Cinematography by Siddharth Nuni is exceptionally good and of qualities that could take it to bigger platforms proudly and profoundly. Siddharth plays with lights and well-designed shots that are bound to leave you awestruck…and to complement it evenly, there is crispier than ever scissoring hands of […sadly, did not find the name of film-Editor anywhere].

Watch out for the opening-montage where the addictive Lucia capsules are shown being experimented, manufactured and later consumed but in an innovative reverse order. Though performances are not so overwhelming, you also don’t complain as it is very very satisfactory.

Ironically, the biggest strength and the biggest limitation in this case are the same. The screenplay does provide to promises of huge expectations but the story quite doesn't fulfill your appetite as it decides to remain massy for most parts, keeping the entertainment need of commercial Kannada audiences, I guess. And to some extent, I personally consider it the need of hour to reach and to bring more people to this kind of cinema than just being a complicated experience for few hardcore art-cinema fans; they sure will find it a little distracted 2 hour 15 min long effort which could easily get trimmed by 20 odd min, at present, deeply dedicated to masses only.

Having said that, I must recommend it to all of you who are not constrained and classified in terms of language when it comes to good quality cinema! It has shines and glares of ‘Cinema Paradiso’, ‘Memento’ and ‘Inception’ but stands out at its own because of technical excellence and a sheer example of gripping story-telling. [3.5/5]

ZANJEER : Get yourself chained if you can’t hold your urge to watch but stay away! [0.5/5]

I know it is a bit exaggerated reaction but can we propose a cinema ACT or a regulation kind of thing in bollywood so that filmmakers like Ram Gopal Verma gets a ban […for shorter span at least] on making films further, after committing horrendous  crime of remaking old bollywood classics? But wait! He’s not alone there on the top […of the worsts] to enjoy all the beatings, Apoorva Lakhia joins him with his rare gem ZANJEER- a so-called official remake of 70’s Amitabh Bachchan starrer game-changer of same name! It is so disgusting that even calling it a film would mean immense disrespect to cinema.

Where the old classic, directed by Prakash Mehra was packed with good music, powerful performances, solid punches in the writing, a totally engaging story-line and possibly the need of the hour to represent anger of the youth, reciprocating in a blasting yet controlled aggressive manner to better the society,  Lakhia’s tribute goes wrong on all aspects. Neither it tries to entertain nor does it create the need to tell something or the other to its audiences. It merely looks like someone had an itch to satisfy his ‘though not found any traces of’ creative cells. It is a first in long time where everyone competes with each other not to offer their best but the worst.

Southern superstar Ram Charan plays ACP Vijay Khanna who in particular, can be seen wearing formals in day/on duty and a police uniform while being at home with his girl. That can also be cleared in explanatory debate but what about those couple of stiffed expressions on his face for most parts? Then, there is this ‘raghupati raaghav rajaram’ tune in the background whenever he decides to take a walk from the scene in slow-motion. Priyanka Chopra looks disinterested and takes her part so much for granted as if she has come for a picnic. Prakash Raj as the stylishly all docked up villain Teja bores with his one-dimensional comical portrayals of bad guys in recent. He doesn't offer anything new and that is a serious concern. Mahi Gill as Mona Darling irritates. Sanjay Dutt finds himself in shoes of Pran saab as Sher Khan but consoles with his looks only. In an added subplot, Atul Kulkarni plays an honest journalist with investigative instinct, loosely based on the real life crime journo J. Dey, murdered in suspicious circumstances.    

Overall, it is a sloppy-shoddy-shaky attempt that can only be dumped down as a trash. Watching it could make you feel like torturing yourself for all the sins you have been doing all these years. Some films accidentally entertain you with a certain level of absurdity and overtly self-indulgence; this doesn't even reach there to bring some relief. The worst of the year! Get yourself chained if you can’t hold your urge to watch but stay away at any cost! [0.5/5]

SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE: Unconventionally romantic at heart & freshly matured in nature! [3.5/5]

At the very start, when Tara [Debutant Vaani Kapoor] in her wedding-mandup finds out that her would-be life partner Raghu [Sushant Singh Rajput], arranged by so-called concerned relatives, has been fled away out of his fears of being committed to just one in life, all you expect is a melodramatic break-down but hold your horses because Maneesh Sharma’s unapologetically graduated romantic comedy SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE rejects and revolts to be conventional in any manner. So, Tara doesn’t collapse but seeks comfort in a chair nearby, sheds the fake traditional attitude and asks casually, “koi thanda pila do yaar? (Can I have a cold-drink, please?)”.

SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE is a refreshing take on how the concept of marriages in our today’s society has been tainted and tarnished with phony-bogus customs that don’t allow it to be modified and adoptive towards the changing practicalities & priorities of individuals and social relevance. Film also unhesitatingly and constantly talks about the idea of the up-and-coming culture of live-in relationships in the incredible India.

In the most colorful city of Jaipur, Sushant plays a tourist guide-cum-fake rented baraati in marriages, romantic at heart but confused youth who probably takes up everything half-heatedly and leaves it in the middle for something else coming in way. To continue this further, he leaves Tara on his wedding-day, to be settled later with Gayatri [The vivaciously emotive, confident and natural Parineeti Chopra] as her live-in partner. The gigantic commitment issue strikes again and this time, it’s Gayatri who makes the move first. In times of dejection & despair, Raghu bumps into Tara who now doesn't want any commitment for life. The biggest question is with Raghu if he does really know as where to go.

SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE pleasantly surprises at many levels including the opening montage having Ati-random shots of couples romancing in the by-lanes,  parks, crowded markets, monumental areas and where not! The lingo characters speak hardly sounds written. Jaideep Sahni is the man who sure deserves applause for being realistic to the core. There are at least 4 sequences where characters indulge themselves in a conversation happened earlier in an exact manner with same set of dialogues but you would not consider them a repetition, I bet. On the direction front, Maneesh Sharma shows an upper hand in amalgamating the lively colors & culture of Jaipur and plausible characters with their mental predicament. He upholds the narrative in such way that if not a laugh-out-loud gag, a constant smile sure finds its place on your face throughout.

Sushant, after his confident début in KAI PO CHE! keeps your expectations alive. He is an actor restricted by looks but vast in potential. Parineeti Chopra is excellent and a talent to watch out for. Can anyone be so sure and effortless? Really? Well, she is. Vaani impresses. And then, there is impeccably adorable Rishi Kapoor. If anyone who really knows how to rediscover himself with changing times, it’s him. Treat to watch!

SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE sure puts you off with a few lazy moments and could have easily have been shorter by 10-12 minutes but at the end, it is a decisive effort that doesn't believe in taking routes that have been traveled to death. Be attentive and you could enjoy nuances and dialogues where the age-old traditional concept of marriage and our double-faced society is smacked-slapped & spanked by characters who consider live-in a more relevant option to discover love. Unconventionally romantic at heart & freshly matured in nature! Don’t miss it. [3.5/5]