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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha (2024)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha belongs to the old school cinema. Not to be missed
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha belongs to the old school cinema. It concentrates more on storytelling and ditches all the other elements like VFX, item songs, steamy scenes to show the chemistry between the lead pair and a syntax that will create controversy or catch eyeballs. To put it simply AMKDT is devoid of the masala thought to be crucial for a Bollywood box office success. In a world where everything is instant from coffee to noodles to gratification what is served is a well brewed, flavoured and fragrant Kahwa. It demands attention. AMKDT like the Kahwa has a blend of flavours, mildly spiced, sweet and savoury and the fragrance of saffron and rose petals. Unlike coffee you don't grab it but relish sip by sip.
The story moves in flash backs and present times. It has its heart at the right place. The beauty lies in its simplicity and soulfulness. Krishna (Ajay Devgan) is undergoing a sentence for a murder. His sentence has been remitted to 22 years on grounds of good behaviour. Krishna doesn't want to leave the prison as he has nowhere and no one to go to. He knows no one will be waiting for him, not even his lady love Vasudha (Tabu). He is also skeptical about the changed world. The tension and anxiety that Krishna and Vasudha feel as his day of release draws closer is palpable. The scene where Krishna crosses the gate of jail and waits a while at the no man's land staring at the final exit gate is painful. His concern that he is not ready for a life outside is again so relatable. Vasudha is not only weighed down with the guilt of moving ahead but also the guilt of continuing to look back.
The roles of younger Krishna and Vasudha are essayed by Shantanu Maheshwari and Saiee Manjrekar.
The strength of AMKDT lies in its story telling, music and performances. Ajay Devgan and Tabu render superlative performances. Shantanu Maheshwari and Saiee Manjrekar are earnest. Jimmy Shergill's cameo adds to the twist in the tale.
After a long time there is a film with remarkable music. The song 'Tu' is picturized beautifully, especially the Janmashtami celebrations. 'Kahin kisi roz' is a treat to the ears and deserved better picturisation, that's my only complain. 'Ae Dil Zara' and 'Jahan se Chale' two songs with the same meter and the same tune, past and present, hit a raw nerve and brings a tear or two to the eye.
Neeraj Pandey excels as a storyteller and a director. The end left me misty eyed and the tears just won't stop. Please carry a tissue or two as you will need to dab your eyes a few times.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha is not to be missed.
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024)
Heeramandi
Heeramandi
Heeramandi boasts of the quintessential Bhansali trademarks, opulence and grandeur, but what it lacks is substance. Though Heeramandi is the story of the tawaifs, the most disappointing aspect of this is the music and choreography. Apart from Sakal Ban and Tilsami Baahein all the other songs and dances are passable and can be skipped. This is where one misses the genius of Saroj Khan and maybe Ismail Darbar. The last song "Aazadi" is deeply inspired by Faiz Ahmad Faiz's "Hum Dekhenge" but fails to impress.
Some of the characters don't even speak proper Urdu. One character reads a Urdu book like any English or Hindi book, from left to right whereas Urdu books are read from right to left.
Of all the pompous claims of monologues and comebacks, the only comeback one notices is that of Manisha Koirala. As Mallika Jaan, she portrays almost all shades of Grey like a boss lady. Sonaksi Sinha delivers a strong performance as Fareedan.
But for all the flaws in Heeramandi, Bhansali achieved something that no one else ever did. The industry which has for long objectified women through item songs, Bhansali goes ahead and presents his male protagonists as eye candies dressed in beautiful silks and zaris sashaying in and out of Kothas and making them look caricaturish. The only male actor that impresses is Indresh Mallick as Ustaadji.
Heeramandi as a whole fails to impress.
Sam Bahadur (2023)
Sam Bahadur. Rab ka Banda.
Meghna Gulzar, Bhavani Iyer, Shantanu Shrivastava and Vicky Kaushal take a bow; what a fitting tribute to one of the finest soldiers of Indian Army and a true gentleman Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
The screenplay is fast paced and crisp. The writers remain true to the historical events and have woven all of Sam Bahadur's anecdotes into the script beautifully. The transitions between timelines are smooth. The screenplay spotlights bravery and the brave rather than bravado. The dialogues are spot on, there's humour and there's pain. The anguish of partition in a speech by a young Yahya Khan tugs at your heart and you find yourself swallowing upon a lump in your throat. Meghna Gulzar's dialogues do remind one of her father's writing prowess.
There are just three songs in the movie. The lyrics of Badhte Chalo give you goosebumps, as an Indian you feel proud to hear the war cries of every regiment. Only Gulzar Sahab could have written this.
Vicky Kaushal is ably supported by Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Sheikh and Mohmd. Zeeshan Ayub.
Sanya Malhotra is sweet and likeable as Mrs. Silloo Manekshaw. Though Fatima Sana Sheikh looks a softer version of Mrs. Gandhi but her aloofness does convey a stern persona.
Mohmd. Zeeshan Ayub in a cameo as Yahya Khan is convincing.
Vicky Kaushal is in fact Sam Bahadur in flesh. He aced the expressions, body language, voice and mannerisms to perfection and by doing so he pays the greatest respects to a great personality that is Sam Bahadur. Anything less would have been a great insult to Sam Bahadur's memory. Rab ka Banda.
As the end credits rolled and I looked around all I saw were smiling faces. Amidst the howling and rattling of animals, Sam Bahadur is like a mother's lullaby; soothing and comforting to the soul,
A must watch.
The Freelancer (2023)
Adrenaline Rush
The Freelancer/ ex Cop Avinash Kamath (Mohit Raina) is a mercenary who specialises in covert operations. He is bound by a promise made to his colleague and dear friend Inayat Khan (Sushant Singh) to watch out for his wife and daughter in case he dies in the call of duty.
Years later controversial suicide of Inayat Khan brings Avinash back home only to find that Inayat's suicide was a call for help to rescue his daughter Alia who's been forcefully taken to Syria by her husband and in-laws to join the ISIS.
It is now Avinash's mission to bring Alia home safely.
What I loved:
The Freelancer is gripping and you just cannot stop watching episode after episode. It keeps you on the edge. It's extremely well researched and the minutest details are paid attention to.
It's beautifully shot. There's a scene where Avinash is aboard a helicopter for a mission in Afghanistan, you can see Avinash and his team in the helicopter and also the shadow of the helicopter, falling on the ground, moving along with them; just signifies that these men also live in the shadows.
Superlative performance by Mohit Raina, he exudes the softness of a doting uncle and the brutal force of a rough tough cop so effortlessly. He balances indifference and concern in his performance so brilliantly.
Kashmira Pardesi as Alia portrays vulnerability beautifully and immediately makes you feel protective about her. Your heart breaks looking at her innocence. The scene I loved the most is when she's crying after being raped by her husband and as she wipes her tears away and you see determination and grit in those dove like eyes albeit fleetingly. She's sinf-e-aahan, woman of steel.
Balaji Gauri as Farhat Khala is absolutely brilliant. She totally creeps you out and makes you feel absolutely uncomfortable. Her eyes are so powerful you actually feel she can see through your mind.
Anupam Kher as Dr Khan, Freelancers handler is the calm that controls the storm.
Ayesha Raza and Manjiri Phadnis are endearing, especially as mothers. A few scenes are difficult to watch as a parent. They leave you numb.
What I absolutely hated was that after building the momentum and almost reaching the crescendo Disney Hotstar keeps you hanging for a season 2. A series like this deserves a season in its entirety as the time interval for the next season dilutes the impact. When the audience invest so much in a series, they deserve a closure too. It's unfair to both the audience and the makers.