CHAAR CUTTING: Big talents in small packets! [3/5]

Short films in India have now become the most exciting medium for budding filmmakers to showcase their talent. It is a kind of plausible gateway to Bollywood yet the route is not very painless to travel. Some do get worthy appreciations and recommendations from the biggies in the profession but most succumb to being just a YouTube or Vimeo link waiting forever to get noticed, irrespective of the quality of their content. CHAAR CUTTING is another kind. If the promising works of Anuj Gulati, Hardik Mehta, Vivek Soni and Vijayeta Kumar could see the light of the day and get a theatrical release, the credit goes to the makers themselves. Bravo, for going that extra mile!

Anuj Gulati directs MANILA RUNNING- a short based in Manila, Philippines. An outsider lands in the city to get his nose-job done. Don’t bother to get the back-story! Stick with the place where everyone looks so household to crime you might have to run all day to save you in one piece. Even the only safe-house in the city is not so friendly but then what choice you are left with? Anuj handles the subject flawlessly to give you a fearsome drama mixed well with a pinch of deadpan humor. It has an interesting flair of psychotic thriller but somehow leaves you half-contented with a hurriedly done climax.

Hardik Mehta’s SKIN DEEP sees Naveen Kasturia and Aditi Vasudev as a couple soon to be married. All has been planned, just a minor operation for ‘circumcision’ and the placard is ready to cover the screen with ‘…And they lived happily ever after’. This is a story written by an unlikely Vikramaditya Motwane and based in Mumbai where literally, anything can happen. Over-dramatic, convenient and forcibly audacious SKIN DEEP is watchable only because of its lead actors. Naveen and Aditi both are superbly natural, reliable and convincing.

BAWDI throws you in the deserted, drought affected land where love suffers the consequences of the lack of water in the village. The Cola Company in the native has sucked all the water leaving not so many options for the dwellers. At the stake is the love. Vivek paints the frame with excruciating conditions of a former who doesn’t want to leave his land and a son who’s stuck between his love and the life. This looks a complete film at its own, with a prefect hand at sound-designing, songs, costumes, locations, cinematography and direction as well.

But the cherry on the cake is definitely BLOUSE by Vijayeta Kumar! Sounds like an old folktale; it has a certain kind of honesty, simplicity and Indianness. A newly-wed bride wants a perfect-fit blouse on her first Karwa-chauth made by a famous tailor. Now, this could be the ‘first impression’ chance for the husband to ensure his love for the lady. The problem is that the husband doesn’t have a size-sample for the measurement purpose. Rest is a hilarious peek-a-boo at simple yet loveable situations in order to get the gift of love. Sumeet Vyas as the husband is terrific. Imran Rasheed as the tailor is perfectly cast.

Having said that, CHAAR CUTTING is not a typical cinema-outing! At the end of the day, these 4 are nothing but short-films. Don’t expect to have an orgasmic experience! Also, the ticket-price [I spent 300 bucks] might make you unsure about your choice but I would say if you can afford it, buy it. Watching talents in the making, before they could make it always feels good. [3/5]                               

WELCOME TO KARACHI: Stay foolish to survive! [1.5/5]

If you could spare some of your precious time to get your hands on video films made in Pakistan [mostly they recycle our blockbusters], you would appreciate the fact that some films are actually so bad, they are good. Tacky visual graphics, uninspiring-loud-& downloaded background score, unintentionally achieved comic timings, repeated punches, textbook in (bad) performances and a taut plot that would never give any space to anything logical! Ashish R Mohan’s Indian Dumb & Dumber act WELCOME TO KARACHI falls on that not-so rare category. No wonder, the Pakistan Government has invited its cast & crew to promote their film in Pakistan. It’s a first. And I am not sure how far this generosity will sustain. You laugh ‘with’ most of the comedy flicks; WELCOME TO KARACHI is the one you laugh ‘at’.

Shammi [Arshad Warsi] & Kedar [Jackky Bhagnani] are two crackpots accidently finding themselves on Pakistan side of the globe after storm hits Kedar’s ship. This Pakistan on screen is ready to welcome them with lame ‘Pathan’ jokes, blasts and shootings at every corner joining army shooters from the United States, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Nepal and where not. In order to save their **ses and return to the homeland, their idiotic efforts land them first in Talibani region and then in detention of US army. In one scene, when showed a picture of the US president in present, Shammi calls him the actor who played Mandela in a Hollywood film [Morgan Freeman in INVICTUS]. The film is their journey back home or probably it never happens [as the climax suggests].

If comparing and counting the number of enjoyable gags, the first half doesn’t do any bad. Jackky in a particular hospital scene and Arshad in almost every frame steals the show. Film gets derailed from the track when shifts its gear from first to second. The uneven, repetitive and ‘turned irritating by now’ screenplay [The credits have an interesting mention of Raj Kundra as one of the contributors in this exact department] starts testing your patience. If there is anything constant in the film is either Arshad’s comic timing which is again too exposed to have any juice left; or Bhagnani’s disinterested acting endeavor with his equally bad Gujarati accent. How can he be so unbothered in his home-production? The film also sees a cameo by the veteran Pawan Malhotra. If you don’t follow his brilliance, I should inform you that he is currently blessing Punjabi cinema in his own way but this kind of wasted appearances do hurt.

Ashish R Mohan’s WELCOME TO KARACHI might have looked hilarious on paper but in translation, it does lose its promise to have an out & out ‘laugh out loud’ experience. No matter how illiterate you are in cinematic technicalities, poorly done visual graphics would undeniably create a put-off situation for you. After all, you have paid to watch cinema and not some low-budget comedy show on TV. Direction goes for a toss especially when all intentions shrink their focuses to only link the gags one has in the name of comedy.  

At the end, comedy is said to be the most difficult exercise for an actor. In this film, it is not; at least it doesn’t look like. Sooner or later, you as a viewer also don’t bother much with anything going nuts on screen. Film’s tagline says, “To survive, they must stay foolish”. How true, for the audiences! I wish I could recommend you to watch it on YouTube but no, even YouTube these days has a lot better content in the name of comedy! [1.5/5] 

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS: Just for Laughs…and the ‘QUEEN’! [3.5/5]

A hushed & muted father in 40 years of marriage [K K Raina] is comforting his son [Madhavan] who’s on the edge of making the hardest decision to get out of his dysfunctional marriage; and you can clearly eavesdrop on the mother complaining hysterically about this late night discussion. Towards the end of the conversation, the agitated father gets up, picks up a floor-wiper and breaks the only lit tube light in the house. The marriages anywhere on earth can bring the same effect on any one who claims to be sane. But then, there is always a way to escape the complications. Paying no attention and enjoying your regular spell of drinking could be one, as suggested by the father in the film but divorce is just not so done. How can we not have Tanu and Manu in same frame if the film has already pictured them as a couple? We dare not.

Despite managing a wonderful plot for a sequel, TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS prefers to join the successful league of highly entertaining bollywood films that might go for a clumsy climax and a fake happy-ending just for the sake of audience’s approval. The best part is you have a pool of talents and the powerhouse herself at your side, Kangana Ranaut if you want to play straight; so definitely no one is gonna raise his eyebrows over this preferred choice of not going bold but staying regular.

Four years is a term looking too much to be in marriage for the temperamental Tanu [Kangana] and maddened Manu [Madhavan]. Their latest verbal spat has landed Manu in mental asylum and Tanu in killing loneliness. She returns to her zone, of ex-boyfriends, fewer limitations and an all flying high life with no strings attached. Manu meets a mirror image of Tanu and falls in love instantly. This new entrance [the overpowering double role of Kangana] is a Haryanvi athlete- a lot rough in her vocals but much more susceptible and sensitive within. Meanwhile, returns Pappi [Deepak Dobriyal]- the uproarious friend who never runs out of droll one-liners. Then, there is Raja Awasthy [Jimmy Shergil] adding the drama led by power, passion and attitude. Zeeshan Ayyub plays your regular mean and tricky one-sided lover who considers himself belonging to a certain ‘kandha’ type men known for offering their shoulders to broken girls to cry at.

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS takes off from the base of its prequel and lands up in the territory of ‘RAANJHNAA’. Aanand L Rai being the powering team-lead and Himanshu Sharma the delectable writing force, it doesn’t fail as an experiment. Film guarantees uncontainable laughs especially in the first half before the ineptness in the screenplay starts bothering you soon. Be it the wedding-scene where Pappi kidnaps his ‘whats app’ female friend to marry just because she would reply on his even lamest jokes with ‘LOL’ text messages or where Swara Bhaskar sounds like she had done anything unethical in going medical way to conceive a child without telling her husband; the second half eventually becomes the rush-rush, hush-hush mission to meet the forged happy ending. When would we stop pretending that marriages are not done until the very last ‘phera’? When would we stop taking our climaxes to the ‘mundup’ at the very final moments?

Anyways, keeping my issues aside; it’s a film that establishes Kangana’s success in QUEEN wasn’t a fluke. She surfaces as a towering performer in both her roles. No matter what get up, what accent she’s into; Kangana is there to spellbind you. Her flawless performance gives you goose bump moments we rarely experience or expect from Bollywood films. Madhavan is equally competent. His charms never fade. His kind, compassionate and fragile Manu makes his own place in your hearts. The casting is superbly accomplished.

Overall, TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS is a film made for laughs! Frequent laughs! Fabulous laughs!! If only Aanand L Rai had not been so conservative about divorces, film would have been blessed with a much appreciative climax. Watch out for the ‘Queen’ whose vivacious presence alone makes every penny of yours a ‘worth it’ investment to gain super-sized entertainment! [3.5/5]

BOMBAY VELVET: All flash-no flesh! [2.5/5]

Anurag Kashyap has this unique ability and talent to surprise you with quirky ideas and innovatively conceived elements to see and present things differently on screen. Who else would think of using a popular actor in a portrayal of a male singer mimicking female counterpart in local orchestra (Yashpal Sharma in GANGS OF WASSEYPUR)? Or that breathless all ‘huffy-puffy’ police chase in BLACK FRIDAY revealing chawls and bylanes of Mumbai slums the best way anyone could; or for that matter, the 10-minute long ‘FIR’ sequence in UGLY where cops show great insensitivity towards a possible case of kidnapping of a minor. Sadly, his latest magnum-opus BOMBAY VELVET falls short of that distinctive touch of the filmmaker and then, what it does to its audience can hardly be described as surprising, or amazing, or even impressive at par his past low-budget yet highly-visionary films.

Finding a solid base in historian Gyan Prakash’s writing work MUMBAI FABLES, Anurag brings back an era that looks terrifically vintage of greater visual appeal and also, terribly cliché in holding its fort of being a classic love saga. A street fighter Johnny Balraj [Ranbir Kapoor] with hopes and dreams to die someday being ‘a big shot’ is on the rise as the Bombay of 60’s becomes the literal ‘land’ of opportunities. Land-shark Khambata [Karan Johar] needs someone handy and powerful to set up his empire and the ambitiously vulnerable Balraj is his best bet. Initial success gifts him the love of his life Rosy [Anushka Sharma] - a singer who’s forced to dance on the tunes of a manipulative Press owner Jimmy Mistry [Manish Chaudhary]. Soon, the flashy world of opportunity starts fading out to the shady game of greed, power and ambition.

With an eagle-eye in detailing, Anurag recreates the Bombay of 60’s with one of the best production-designs in Bollywood. The disappearing trams, vintage cars, graphically achieved landscapes, costumes, brilliantly envisioned set-designs; everything in the frame justifies its mark and meaning for being placed there. The club-singer is a recognized Geeta Dutt fan. His chauffer [Vivan Shah] also doesn’t miss to flaunt his so-called ‘pehchan’ with Chic Chocolate- a noted trumpeter with the famous music-director duo Shankar-Jaikishan. These minimal references work but what don’t work are the puzzling plots and subplots. They keep coming to you to earn your precious attention and interest in the film but in a perplexed way and disinterested narration that you are left in disbelief as what is happening and why? The screenplay also is a bumpy ride. Songs and the fascinatingly refined jazz music do some serious kind of damage-repair.

On the performances, Ranbir is precise, measured and totally in-character. His role on paper might sound in correlation with the character his grandfather Raj Kapoor played in SHRI 420 but Ranbir’s is a lot stylish and modern. Anushka, most of the times, is there on stage to lip-sync the club-numbers but whenever she’s off-stage, she manages to pull it off well. Karan Johar handles only one scene well that deserves a mention. His uncontrollable laugh at Balraj’s poor English language skills! For the rest, it is forgettable. Manish Chaudhary is first-rate. Satyadeep Mishra is the only actor who never ever disappoints you. Kay Kay Menon is regular.

At the last, BOMBAY VELVET has striking likeness of Martin Scorsese’s and other films of that style. This could well be Anurag Kashyap’s tribute to the filmmaker but is certainly not the best in his kitty. Watch out if you don’t know who Anurag Kashyap is, and you might come out praising him. For fans, it is a disappointment despite being not-so-bad! [2.5/5]   

PIKU: A ‘Motion’ picture about ‘Emotions’! [4/5]

On a rainy Sunday, go on a long drive with lawns of lushing greenery on either side of the road and try to stick your face out of the window of the speeding car. Shoojit Sircar’s PIKU feels exactly like that moist breeze of fresh air on your face. But that would be one of the most positively, imaginatively and pleasingly fabricated statements to describe the film. Let’s keep it simple and honest! PIKU is an awesome feeling you earn after ‘satisfactorily’ disposing the waste from your digestive tract in the morning, to make sure the day ahead sees no ‘constipated’ look, mood or temper. PIKU works like an efficient and the best in business ‘Kayam Churna’ to make Bollywood flushing out all the frustration with freely-flowing entertainment all the way.

Mr. Banerjee [Big B himeslf] is nothing but a chaos in himself. More than being an ageing single father, he’s irritating father to Piku [Deepika Padukone]- an unmarried in her 30’s trying her hardest to take care the challenges Mr. Banerjee creates every now and then. Here’s a father who doesn’t want his daughter to get married as marriages in India don’t do any good to women. He also can reveal her daughter’s sexual independency to the man he’s just met surely to ensure no possibilities of wedding bells ahead. Progressively selfish you can say! These all look petty issues over the ever not- happening potty issue of Mr. Banerjee! And now, it’s not Piku alone in all this ‘shit’ discussions happening everywhere from dining table to car-ride and where not. Rana Chaudhary [Irrfan] accidently joins them on a road-trip as the responsible owner of the taxi-service, now acting as the committed driver.

Film marks the brilliance in writing [Credit goes to Juhi Chaturvedi] where humor comes generously from a place everyone feels comfortable being silent. The hot seat in the lavatory! The toilet-humor has never smelled so fresh. Picture this when all three main leads start discussing the texture, color and graphical representation of the waste-disposal act, that too on the breakfast table! But PIKU is not only about ‘motion’ but ‘emotion’. The daughter is frustrated with her unsympathetic father but couldn’t hold herself any longer from dancing when finds the old man enjoying his day after much chaos. Dialogues wisely shift its tone from argumentative Bengali to expressive Hindi and conversational English.      

Amitabh Bachchan’s outspoken, loud and blunt Bengali father Bhaskar Banerjee in PIKU is completely opposite to the sophisticated, refined and shy Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee in Hrishikesh Da’s ANAND. The resembling identify can be coincidental or a deliberate choice to make some connect between both the filmmakers’ shared style. The actor blesses the character so much in details you never doubt on the believability factor. Especially in her de-glam look, Deepika Padukone shines and surprises you to the last. The anger, annoyance and concern keep on flashing on her face with supreme ease and sheer confidence. Irrfan charms, and better than any romantic screen-Gods in Bollywood! He makes you believe in the audacity of an actor who slips into any given character’s skin smoothly and leaves you speechless. Yesteryear actress Mausumi Chatterjee does a pleasant comeback.

At the end, Shoojit Sircar’s PIKU is a beautiful film that celebrates dysfunctional Indian families in the most entertaining manner without losing the undercurrent emotions. We keep shouting on our ageing parents for being illogical and over-sensitive; PIKU gives us a priceless chance to sit and have plentiful of good laughs with them! Book your tickets…and for your whole family! It demands, it deserves! [4/5] 

GABBAR IS BACK: Gabbar returns ‘khali haath’ with no ‘shabashi’ at all! [1/5]

Gabbar returns. With all the charisma, likeability and power to hold your attention leaving way behind in transition, Gabbar returns but only in some futile dialogues, a badly done rap-mix and in the title of the film. 'Why' is the only reaction you would relate to such arrogant effort to encash the echoing sound of once terror, and now horror! The most iconic villain in the history of Bollywood gets the worst tribute ever done. Sadly, Sanjay Leela Bhansali produced GABBAR IS BACK is your typical star-driven south Indian remake that tries to tick every box falling under the formula of a box-office hit but returns ‘khali haath’ with no ‘shabashi’ at all.

   
To start with, this Gabbar is more of a ‘Shahenshah’. When not hanging corrupts till death at the nearest ‘chauraha’, he can be seen teaching physics in a college where supposedly students are taught and trained to be honest that too at a degree where a son could sign on the death penalty of his own father drenched deep in corruption without giving it a second thought. Professor Aditya [Akshay Kumar] is the man in charge here and on mission. It takes no special powers to know that the guy has a tragic past before deciding to clean the system at his own with his own special task force and a harsh sense of judgment. The film is also about personal rivalry and angst against the injustice. It is also a fight between two brands as the hero and the anti-hero in the film like to describe themselves. In one sequence, Gabbar- the good man as forcibly put by the lady [Shruti Haasan] meant only for some kind of breathing space in all those butt-kicking action and ear-kicking verbal exchange shuts the villain's mouth up using his ever-growing popularity. I wish if they could call themselves ‘SnapDeal’ & ‘Flipkart’. The audience would sure find it a lot interesting.   

GABBAR IS BACK- an official remake of a Tamil superhit strives to aim at people’s angst against corruption. The mood gets set when Gabbar kidnaps corrupt government officials and punishes them in the most violent yet less-innovative manner but soon decides to dive into the dreary pool of dead romance. Dealing with the same issue, Rensil D’silva’s UNGLI had definitely more inventive ways of punishing corrupts. Film also fails to hold you emotionally and doesn’t excite you at all with its cheap thrills in the plot. The tragic backstory is too convenient and badly twisted on screen. Even the sensible Chitrangada Singh in her sex siren avatar doesn’t show any spark in her titillating item song. Shruti Haasan is such a waste. Kareena Kapoor Khan looks ravishing in her cameo-cum-song and that’s it. Akshay too is repetitive. Though his remarkable energy on screen and ease at such roles keep him in the race at any given point of time, the over-simplistic and predictable plot hardly gives him much space to show off the charm he has. Sunil Grover reinvents himself as an actor in serious role but with a dubious dubbed voice, he couldn’t maximize the chance well. Jaydeep Ahlawat is average.

Overall, GABBAR IS BACK is a dull and boring action-entertainer where you can sense and predict almost every curve on the road ahead. Watching and re-watching the real and original Gabbar mouthing those timeless dialogues will always be a treat for any cinema-lover or an entertainment-seeker. This latest Gabbar is just a falsifier with fake identity. If the real one could curse this one, he would have sure gone ahead with, “Gabbar ka naam poora mitthi mein milaye diyo” [You have spoiled the name of Gabbar, all of it]! Stay back! [1/5]