shekhutomar Reviews

Veere Di Wedding (2018)

A disaster you would want to stay away from

[4/10 · 1 June 2018]

A movie that's neither here nor there 'Veere Di Wedding' is not the kind of wedding you wanna attend this week. With all the excitement around the release of this feature, the movie does not even come close to the hype generated by it. What contributes to this mess is that there is not a single stand out performance that could have carried the movie somewhere.

It starts off with the four friends discussing their plans after finishing their school played by four highly overacting teens. The movie then jumps 10 years later, where Rishab(Sumeet Vyas) proposes marriage to Kalindi Puri(Kareena Kapoor) who has no plans of marriage but yet reluctantly agrees. Then follows the 'Siyapa' around the big fat Punjabi wedding intertwining with the real life problems of the Veeres.

The movie has no real sense of direction with everything coming to an expected happy ending eventually. The characters seem mingled up and a couple of them could have been interchanged. The performances are average while Swara Bhaskar's(the most talented of them all) is a complete waste. 'Veere Di Wedding' is a struggle eventually giving up rather than defying the challenge.

October (II) (2018)

October: A scenic beauty picturing the hardships of life

[8/10 · 13 April 2018]

Bollywood's obsession with romantic movies is well-known. Sometimes this results in some outstanding movies while most of the times the result is disappointing. 'October' however belongs to none of the above categories. It is a beautiful movie depicting the hard truth of life in a very mature way.

'October' is the story of Shuili(Banita Sandhu), a hotel management intern who one day suffers a horrendous accident and fades into a coma. This has an intense effect on Dan(Varun Dhawan), a co-worker of Shiuli. He along with Shiuli's family starts taking care of her selflessly being a big support to her mother Prof. Vidya Iyer(Gitanjali Rao). The movie conveys the contrasting emotions of both Dan and Vidya with absolute innocence and grace.

Shoojit Sircar keeps expanding his repertoire with each of his movie being completely parallel. He makes 'October' seem so close to reality with no manipulation or over-compensation of emotions. The theme of the movie makes the cinematography even more mesmerizing. A special mention to Avik Mukopadhyay, the cinematographer of the film who has captured the winter of Delhi and made it seem delightful. Varun's character is a simple, caring, immature adult trying to stabilize his career and he seems average throughout. Banita, making her debut doesn't have much to work with although Gitanjali as Vidya pleasing bringing vulnerability of her character to the screen painstakingly. 'October' is definitely another of Shoojit's gem that might well go under the radar if it's not given necessary spotlight.

Blackmail (I) (2018)

An impressive situational comedy.

[8/10 · 6 April 2018]

7 years after the release of one of the best situational comedies, Abhinay Deo brings us another comedy thriller, 'Blackmail'. Considering how tough this genre of cinema is this is an excellent film. Just like 'Delhi Belly', 'Blackmail' takes its time to build the pace.

Dev(Irrfan Khan) is living in a burdened marriage leading to a sad monotonous routine. One day he catches his wife Reema(Kirti Kulhari) in bed with her lover Ranjit Arora(Arunoday Singh) who is married to a rich brat Dolly Verma(Divya Dutta). With a bunch of loans and EMIs to pay he hatches a plan to blackmail Ranjit for a sum of Rupees 1 lakh. But what happens next turns his whole plan upside down thus starting a chain to events changing his life forever.

Abhinay had his task cut out with a totally unknown cast to support Irrfan and barring Arunoday everyone has done a firm job. Every character is given their personal screen-time thus reducing the dependency on Irrfan who is as always fantastic. Some of the scenes are memorable and might be remembered for years. But the movie lacks in a department where most situational comedies score: dialogues. The dialogues are very simple and thus the frequent punches are missing.

One of my personal favorites Gajraj Rao makes a refreshing appearance on the big screen as Chawla. Pradhuman Singh as Anand Tripathi is also a charm but Kirti's character is a bit of a fail. What makes 'Blackmail' even more intriguing is that you are not able to judge how to the story would unfold even till the last scene. A formidable follow up to 'Delhi Belly'.

Hichki (2018)

Same old tired story

[5/10 · 23 March 2018]

'Hichki' contains the same old tired story-line seen so many times on screen before. As it is produced by YRF, you can predict the must have copied elements optimized at some points rather than any original creativity. It is directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra, a distant member of the "The Great Kapoor" family.

Inspired from the Hollywood movie 'Front of the Class' (2008), 'Hichki' is the story of Naina Mathur who suffers from "Tourette Syndrome" where a person suffers shocks due to mental instability. Undermined by her own father due to this abnormality her dream is to become a teacher just because apparently her own teacher promised her that she will be treated like everyone else. So after being rejected in multiple interviews she gets a job in her own academic school.

But Naina's job won't be slightly easy as she has been allotted the most chaotic and hostile class of the school. Then there is the experienced egoistic colleague Walia (Neeraj Kabi) who feels not all student deserve meritorious opportunities. What follows is something we have seen time and time again over the years.

The movie although suffers from lazy writing but provides some good life lessons and an effective methodology to fight your own fears. The students cast are all new faces and do a fine job together. Rani Mukherjee is spot on but lacks resolve in a few empathetic moments. Neeraj Kabi is a genius actor too talented for a textbook character like Walia. 'Hickhi' tries to be a larger-than-before kind of a film but is not even a standout in its own place.

Raid (2018)

A tension filled ride with a scratchy finish

[7/10 · 16 March 2018]

Written by Ritesh Shah, 'Raid' is a situational thriller based on the real IT raids conducted by the Indian Revenue Department during the 80's. Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta the movie transpires in a single principal location.

Set in the early 1980's, 'Raid' follows the story of a raid conducted by the Income Tax department where Ajay Devgan plays the role of Amay Patnaik, an honest and courageous down-to-earth senior Income Tax officer. Due to his honesty, Amay had been transferred 49 times in just 7 years but his habit of following rules and principles never changes. The raid takes place in the 'kothi' of a bahubali minister Rameshwar Singh (Saurabh Shukla) urf Tauji after some unknown source gives Amay a tip against Rameshwar.

The cinematography and the background are impressively configured which builds the tension constantly. This tension is the pillar of the film as it creates the thrill and anticipation throughout. The family dinner sequence in particular is quite spooky and Saurabh Shulka aces it in a barbaric demeanor. There are no over-the-top dialogues which make the conversations genuine. Still the climax lacks originality and follows the typical Bollywood progression.

This movie gives a clear picture to the general audience on what ground basis an IT raid takes place. Another copybook performance from Ajay Devgan who needed it after the debacle of 'Baadshaho'. Saurabh Shulka is agonizing and perfectly compliments Ajay as the antagonist. Illeana unfortunately does not have anything special to do but Amit Sial again impresses with his quirky one-liners. 'Raid' is a smart thriller and will keep you hooked during its running time.

3 Storeys (2018)

An excellent thriller based on a resolute screenplay

[7/10 · 10 March 2018]

This week's most refreshing release '3 Storeys' shows three different stories set in a chawl of Mumbai. A well written fast pace thriller this film keeps you hooked from the start till its end.

Each story has a certain gripping element along with a surprise ending that you never see coming. The stories include Flory(Renuka Shahane), a grieving mother and a businessman Vilas(Pulkit Samrat) looking for a kholi, Varsha(Masumeh Makhija), facing an abusive marriage and her ex-lover Shankar(Sharman Joshi) & Malini(Aisha Ahmed) and Suhail(Ankit Rathi) two youngsters deeply in love but separated by parental pressure with Leela(Richa Chadda) as the narrator.

The characters share almost equal screen time with each of them giving admirable performances specially Renuka, Sharman and Masumeh. However the strength of the movie lays in its writing and the short run-time. The screenplay is written by Althea Dalmas Kaushal who in past has been a part of flops like 'Happy New Year' and 'Noor' and is brilliantly directed by Arjun Muherjee(making his debut).

'3 Storeys' is a good example of how a film rapidly moving movie can be executed within a short time span. You come out of the theater with growing respect towards these low-budget classics.

Dil Juunglee (2018)

Time to move on from these dreadful rom-coms

[3/10 · 9 March 2018]

It is so heartbreaking to see movies like these being made on such big budgets. Bollywood as an industry has been on an encouraging track for past few years(except for a mediocre 2017) but films like these take us back by miles. Watching 'Dil Junglee' made me wonder whether the crew even watches the film before they are released in the multiplexes.

There is nothing to talk about in this embarrassing film. Absolute poor direction with a loud overacting crew where not even a single performer seems to be in character. The story is so cliche that even if you sleep halfway through the movie you won't even feel as if you have missed anything.

What's more disappointing is to see such a promising actor like Taapsee choose this while on an upward slope in her career. As for Saqib Saleem I would say time is running out fast for him to make any sort of impact worth recognizing. A total disaster!!

Pari (I) (2018)

Another horror mystery suffers the same fate

[3/10 · 3 March 2018]

A horror mystery by genreA poorly directed film with a miserable climax 'Pari' is not the movie you would want to watch after the festive occasion of Holi. It is the third installment rolled out by Clean Slate films (Anushka's production house) after 'NH10' and 'Phillauri' and the directorial debut of Prosit Roy. Pari also sees the return of Parambrata Chatterjee after a long hiatus (his last Bollywood movie was his debut 'Kahani').

Set in present day Kolkata the movie is inspired by the likes of 'True Detective', 'Se7en' etc. Ruksahana (Anushka Sharma) takes shelter in Arnab's (Parambrata Chatterjee) house after her mother dies in an accident by Arnab's car. She is afraid of Professor (Rajat Kapoor) who is on a hunt to find Ruksahana. Professor has a dark motive which can only be fulfilled Ruksahana.

The movie has its moments specially in the first half. Some scenes do send chills down your spine. But the story becomes more and more weak as the second half continues with such a cringy climax you just want to leave the theatre as soon as the lights come on.

'Pari', the directorial debut of Prosit Roy promises a lot at the start but it never recovers from the fall it suffers in the second half. Anushka Sharma and Rajat Kapoor give a consolating performance while Parambrata is totally out of character. The brightness is dim throughout the film it makes you think how did the makers not notice such a big mistake. 'A big mistake' is what watching this film can be for you.

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018)

Another sexist attempt by Bollywood

[4/10 · 23 February 2018]

After Pyaar ka Punchnama 1 & 2, Luv Ranjan has come out with another sexist film. With all the talk of female-empowered roles when you see a director making such films over and over again it just goes onto show how the Hindi cinema refuses to evolve. What's more disappointing though is to see a bunch of audience clapping and supporting such a degrading piece of art. So if we don't want to mature then there's no point in blaming the creator of the film.

SKTKS follows the story of two best friends Sonu (Kartik Aaryan) & Titu (Sunny Singh) and the strength of their friendship over a bunch of not-so-good-in-character girls showing a complete lack of imaginative ability by the writers Rahul Mody & Luv ranjan. This includes a number of confused characters not knowing what their role is in the film. So after a gut-wrenching break-up set up by his best friend Sonu, Titu decides to get married. Enters Sweety Sharma (Nursat Bharucha), who bowls everyone over with her simplicity and innocence. But Sonu smells something fishy and starts to find out her real intentions. Here the movie catches a predictable path seen in a number of movies. What follows is an expected melodramatic climax.

There are consistent funny scenes which does make the movie light although most of those scenes include the beeped C-word. The performances are average with the same faces seen again and again in the previous films. Alok Nath and Virendra Saxena's chemistry is attractive nailing their screen-time.

A request to Mister Ranjan and Bollywood, it is time to give women the respect they deserve. Enough with this sexism!!

Aiyaary (2018)

A long, wretched story line confused in its own elements.

[5/10 · 16 February 2018]

Neeraj Pandey's 'Aiyaary' is a confused film filled with a number of inter wining with each other. It is an espionage thriller set against the backdrop of Indian Armed Forces although it totally lacks his natural flair.

The film-maker starts the movie in his typical style full of twisted elements. However lack of time-frame and inconsistent narratives hampers the progress very early. The length of the movie also doesn't help the cause. The first half builds promisingly and by the end of it most of the movie unravels.

It starts off with Major Jai Bakshi(Siddharth Malhotra), an covert intelligence team-member gone rogue. He learns about the corruption among the higher authorities of the organisation while performing a surveillance role. At the same time he also holds a number of dark secrets that could set a chain of unwanted events.When Colonel Abhay Singh(Manoj Bajpayee), a highly trained military officer learns of his disappearance, he decides to take the matter in his own hands. Helping Jai is all this hara-kiri is his freelancing hacking expert girlfriend Sonia(Rakul Preet Singh).

The second half is all about the cat-and-mouse chase among the two protagonists trying to outsmart each other at every move. The climax has nothing extraordinary but the movie falls flat way before its end. The pace of the movie is up-and-down throughout. There are too many extra characters with unexplained motives. The director tries to trust the audience during many aspects of the movie which is a valiant attempt but the loopholes in the script doesn't allow him to do that.

Pandey again employs his chosen actors with some new faces. Manoj Bajpayee is in his usual brilliant form. Siddharth Mehrotra again fails to impress keeping more or less the same impression throughout the film. There are a few cameos from Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Adil Hussain, Kumud Mishra but they doesn't inspire much confidence.

'Aiyaary' is an ambitious effort but consists of many rookie mistakes and hence is not able to punch above its weight. Although lesser run time and fewer characters could have improved the story.

Pad Man (2018)

Story of a man we needed to hear.

[7/10 · 9 February 2018]

"Only twelve percent women in India are able to afford sanitary pads", the reason why these women retort towards using dirty clothes, newspapers, leaves and in some cases even ashes during their menstrual cycle. 'Padman' is the story of Padma Shri Mr. Arunachalam Muruganantham who was able to provide the solution to this adverse problem.

Lakshmikant Chauhan(Akshay Kumar), a newly-wed machine tool operator resides in a small village of Madhya Pradesh with his wife, mother and his sisters. Lakshmi has a knack of understanding the mechanism of machines. This helps him in creating daily-use tools using any object. One day when he learns about the menstrual problem of his wife Gayatri(Radhika Apte), he suggests her to use sanitary pads instead of a dirty cloth. Women in early days were not allowed to live inside the house during their five-day cycle. But like most women she is not able to afford them and hence asks him to return those.

After learning about the dangerous health problems of such negligence, he takes it upon himself to make sanitary pads. In his attempt to understanding the quality of these pads he takes the help of his wife, sisters and medical college students. But when they refuse to cooperate he himself tries this process after which his mother disowns him and his wife leaves him.

But this doesn't deter Lakshmikant who leaves his village thus starting his journey to find the correct formula. When he finally discovers how the pad-creating machine operates, Lakshmi decides to make his own low-cost machine using his sharp skills. Aiding him in this effort is Pari(Sonam Kapoor), daughter of an IIT Professor who not only tries the pad herself but also helps in distributing the affordable pads village-to-village.

Kudos to R Balki and Twinkle Khanna(who has previously written a book, 'The Legend on Lakshmikant Prasad' on the same man) on bringing this hard-hitting story to the silver-screen. 'Padman' is an inspiration, a story of a man who broke the social taboos in our country just by staying true to his vision. Some moments in the movie could have been exploited better and there is also a forced love story in between but nothing takes the spotlight from this praiseworthy effort. The first half of the movie takes a bit more time in building the story which makes the second half feel rushed.

The movie has been carried on his shoulders by Akshay Kumar who portrays the struggles and failures of the character in such demeanour that you relish every small success he achieves. He has been well supported by a graceful Sonam Kapoor and and abject Radhika Apte. Radhika gives another performance to cherish after 'Parched' about a woman brought-up in an environment where women are ashamed of talking about a natural activity even with her own husband.

There are movies which are able to do justice with the true visionaries of our world and 'Padman' is one such tale. We wish Mr. Muruganantham achieves his dream going forward and wish luck for his future adventures.

The Brawler (2017)

A gripping dark tale of romance and passion

[8/10 · 14 January 2018]

As the experts say "Form is temporary, class is permanent". And Anurag Kashyap has come roaring back to form with 'Mukkabaaz'. Although one can argue that he never was out of form except for 'Bombay Velvet'.

In this do-or-die movie, as stated by Anurag Kashyap himself he shows his true class. The dark narrative, brutish characters are all present in this film. The protagonist Shravan Kumar(Vineet Kumar Singh) is an aspiring boxer from Bareilly who trains under a retired boxer and present state minister Bhagwan Das Mishra(Jimmy Shergill) and falls in love with his mute niece Sunanina(Zoya Hussain). But Bhagwan, a Brahmin treats his boxers more like his laundry boys. This irritates Shravan and the two have an early faceoff.

But Bhagwan is the real Godfather of Bareilly who can clutch anyone he wants under his feet and all he wants is to never let Shravan take part in any Boxing competition ever. This is where Kashyap is a treat to watch. He gives you these Scorsese-Tarantinesque characters who can you flinch with their terror and Bhagwan is exactly the same no-nonsense kind. He has no emotional vulnerability, no principles and will use his whole power to do anything he wants "Kyunki wo Brahman hain,wo aadesh dete hain" and its your duty to oblige.

On the other hand there is Shravan, determined to achieve both his passion and his love. He is ready to fight every situation but is desperately running out of time. Finally he meets Sanjay Kumar(Ravi Kishan) is a Boxing tournament who immediately takes him under his wing. He starts to train Shravan for the State-level Championship, the only way for him to marry Sunanina.

It is only Kashyap's excellence which even makes a love story this dark. You can sense the tension building in the second half but even then its impossible to predict the brutality in the second phase. Its noticeable that the whole focus of the movie is on Boxing and not the romance. Boxing is central to the film thus touching the plight of the sport in the state and country as you hear "Boxing pe picture banti hai to 40 crore kamati hai, par boxing tournament hota hai to chaalis log bhi dekhne nahi aate". The federation is being run by goons turning and twisting the sport according to their own benefits.

Zoya Hussain is a fresh surprise in her debut role. She manages to express the anger of Sunanina beautifully with her eyes without speaking a single work. Ravi Kishan does not have much screen time but is a delight to watch throughout. Its baffling to see how such a talented actor has been underutilized in the hindi film industry. Jimmy Shergill another stereotypes underestimated actor has nothing new which he hasn't done in the past. He plays the same corrupt minister who turns the system as per his own wishes. But he presents himself with such brutality you can literally feel the anger brewing inside you against this man. Though it is Vineet Singh Sharma who captures the screen in his first central role. One of Anurag Kashyap's trusted Banner-men, Vineet is ferocious, flamboyant and flawless at the same time. He makes you feel for Shravan without showing weakness in a single frame.

And what to say about Anurag Kashyap himself. He has made the actors act with their eyes rather than their words. This is where he is at his best. Where he tells the story of an underdog fighting against the system. The dark reality of the small towns where the God-men run the system without any intrusion. He has hit the right straps with 'Mukkabaaz' and we owe it to him for giving such peerless start to the new year. 'Mukkabaaz' sets the benchmark for this year's cinema. Go watch it now you can see the 'Tigers' in Corbett.

Trapped (XVII) (2016)

An intelligent survival-thriller delivered craftily by Motwane-Rajkummar

[8/10 · 4 April 2017]

Imagine yourself locked in a room with no food, water and electricity. Quite scary, isn't it? But with the ever-advancing technology and our ever increasing comforts, even imagining this situation is difficult. Vikramaditya Motwane's Trapped is one such perfectly cooked recipe.

Set in the city of Mumbai, Trapped is the story of Shaurya(Rajkummar Rao) who gets stuck in an apartment deprived of all basic necessities and his fight in this adverse situation. Shaurya works in a call centre in Mumbai. A shy and inexpressive person, he falls for a co-worker Noorie(Geetanjali Thapa) and manages to impress her. They start a relationship but Noorie is about to be married. So when Shaurya proposes marriage to her, she asks him to find a suitable and affordable place where they could start their life. He manages to find one such flat from where the movie arrives on its plot.

Trapped is Bolloywood's answer to the survival genre. There is no deserted island, no enemy forces, just a 2-BHK apartment in which Shaurya is cornered which might seem strange as there has not been this type of a popular movie. But this movie delivers nonchalantly. It is not exactly edge of the seat stuff or a roller-coaster ride but a product of sheer endurance of both Rao and Motwane. What enhances the reputation of this movie is that the little details have been carefully examined so one can't accuse the movie of casual mistakes or shortcomings. Although the concept may seem tacky to some, but believe me it's not.

Performance-wise, its a one-man show. The movie rested largely on Rajkummar Rao's shoulders and how well has he delivered. While there is no question mark over his ability, such a movie can always creep doubts in one's mind. But sweeping aside all these doubts Rao has stamped his authority here. A product of FTII, Rao keeps enhancing his skill with every movie surpassing every challenge with ease. Its a shame that an actor like Rao still hasn't been accepted in the industry, but looking at his choice of movies we can say that the legend just keeps rising. National Award winner Geetanjali Thapa only has a few scenes and she seems convincing.

Trapped by no means is a perfect movie. It has its flaws but is fresh, enjoyable and deserves acclaim. Motwane has come up with something totally contrasting than his last movies 'Udaan' and 'Lootera' and has done a tremendous job.

The movie is funny, tense, thrilling and has given 'Jolly LLB 2' a run for being the movie of the year so far(which may soon be overtaken by the internationally acclaimed 'Newton', another Rajkummar Rao starrer). So.please go for Trapped, if you crave for intelligent cinema.

The Bride of Badrinath (2017)

A typical mediocre Bollywood Rom-com with a very strong message in the hindsight

[7/10 · 1 April 2017]

After the success of 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya(2014)', writer- director Shashank Khaitan in collaboration with Dharma Productions brings another Dulhaniya franchise with the same lead actors. Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya: a typical Rom-com delivering a hard- hitting message in the backdrop.

Badrinath Bansal urf Badri(Varun Dhawan) is a younger son of a famous Sahukaar(Ritu Raj Singh) in Jhansi. He likes to hang out with his best friend Somdev(Sahil Vaid) and assists his father in business. The Bansal family is a classic example of patriarchy where the elder son Alok(Yash Sinha) had to marry against his choice due to his father's wish. Badri is metric qualified bloke who stumbles upon Vaidehi(Alia Bhatt) at a marriage function in Kota and is instantly bowled over(as happens in Bollywood). Vaidehi is a daughter of a middle class servicemen struggling to find a suitable groom for her and her elder sister Kritika(Sukmani Lamba). But Vaidehi wants to study and follow her own dreams.

Vaidehi is an independent girl, against the regular norms of the society who wants to prove that even girls can achieve everything they dream for and are not a burden on their fathers. She wants to live her life on her own terms. It is Vaidehi who is the real 'hero' of the movie.

Badri head over heels for her just wants to marry her & so helps her in finding a perfect groom for her sister Kritika. Assisting him everywhere is Somdev who wants to expand his marriage business 'Chutkimeinshaadi'.

The first half of the movie is fully entertaining tickling your bones all the way due to a sparkling chemistry between Badri and Vaidehi & Badri and Somdev but ends on a sour note from where the movie loses track. The second half is plain,bore and going nowhere having occasional funny moments and the movie's appealing nature vanishes. The only savior is the evolution of Vaidehi's character through the point-of-view of Badri. What follows is an expected climax seen so many times before.

It is a shame that a movie with such a strong purpose is diluted with a romantic tale which seems a forced one.

For Varun Dhawan this might turn out to be a coming-of-age performance who finally makes a mark with Badri. You would say that the turning point for him was Badlapur, but his performance was not able to justify the character as the script demanded and was overshadowed by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. But here he is spot on although the accent required furnishing. Alia Bhatt has presented Vaidehi so gracefully that the character itself garnered the respect it deserved. This movie adds another feather to her career after exemplary performances is 'Udta Punjab' and 'Dear Zindagi'. The show-stealer here is Sahil Vaid as Somdev who looks the most natural as a UP grown-up. His comic timing is admirable and is able to seal the deal with this narrow opportunity.

Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya is an experience where you feel robbed by the mediocrity of a movie which could have been an elegant, charming and a splendid finish.

Kapoor & Sons (2016)

Not every family is happy,but that doesn't mean it isn't a family

[9/10 · 1 April 2017]

A Grumpy Ole Bollywood story showing happy families starting on a positive note, followed by a tragedy being finally resolved in the climax is so prevalent since generations that we believe this is the story of every Indian family, the irony being: this is the story of every other family, not ours.

Shakun Batra's Kapoor & Sons Since 1921 kills this myth and tells the story that is more ours than anyone else's. Kapoor & Sons is a story of a dysfunctional family living in the hills of Coonoor. A financially struggling Harsh Kapoor(Rajat Kapoor) living in a house with an unhappy wife Sunita(Ratna Pathak Shah) and heart patient but larger-than- life father(Rishi Kapoor) whose last wish is to have a full family photo being framed before his death.

Harsh and Sunita have two sons: Rahul(Fawad Khan), the elder and perfect son who is a successful writer settled in UK and Arjun(Siddharth Malhotra), the younger son struggling on his own novel and surviving by doing different jobs in the States.Both Rahul and Arjun arrive home after learning that their Dadu has suffered from a cardiac arrest. This is where they both meet and become involved with the same girl Tia(Alia Bhatt), a freelancer taking care of an ancient property in the town and looking to sell it.

The movie moves at a subtle pace giving us some beautiful and light moments until a moment when a web of secrets slowly start to unravel including a lie that threatens to tear the family apart. It gives you a feel-good vibe while keeping you attached with every character all through and giving a healthy dose of laughter induced frequently by the modern-age porn-loving Dadu and his antics.

The performances of the whole cast are admirable. Rajat Kapoor as a man under the pressure of obligation to his family but unappreciated for his efforts is excellent. Ratna Pathak Shah as a faithful wife living in a burdened marriage and a proud mother is exemplary. Rishi Kapoor with his sarcastic one-liners is lovable. His interactions with his grandsons regarding porn is a treat to watch. Alia Bhatt is bubbly and beautiful at the same time. Siddarth Malhotra is the weakest link in the movie unable to transform himself from a cheated yet moved-on teenager to a distraught adult is unconvincing. But it is Fawad Khan who delivers a masterclass and holds the movie together as Rahul, the not-so-perfect son showing why he is a celebrated actor in Pakistan. Sukant Goel as Wasim also deserves a mention.

The only flaw in the movie is the unraveling of the mysteries that you are confused, who is to blame and who is to be sympathized.

All in all a decent byproduct by Shakun Batra who after his 'Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu' has made a mark with his mature narratives. The movie delivers a beautiful message that even if there are problems, one should never abandon his family.

Psycho Raman (2016)

A movie that touches the monster inside you

[9/10 · 31 March 2017]

Imagine yourself committing a crime regardless of its nature or degree, the first thing that your conscious tells you that the action you are performing is wrong lawfully or in value. Reason : Wisdom. So what drives a serial killer insane? Raman Raghav 2.0 tells us such a tale.

The movie follows the story of two such identities: a serial killer inspired by the famous RAMAN RAGHAV who claims that he can talk to YAMA and his killings are a result of their conversation & a cop drenched so deep into intoxication that he's unable to sleep. But this movie is not about the usual killings and the manhunt of the unidentified. Raman Raghav 2.0 focuses on how two men are different from each other and yet so similar & how the monster inside somehow connects both of them.

Ramanna(Nawazuddin Siddqui) is a slum dweller who kills for any reason let that be the person drunk driving and confronting him or someone who is just sleeping on the road but above all he kills because 'he has to' just like he eats food or drinks water. On the other side of the story is Raghavan(Vicky Kaushal), a senior police inspector addicted to drugs who can go to any degree just to hide this fact from the whole police department. In between is Simmy(Sobhita Dhulipala), the girlfriend of Raghavan madly in love with him but unafraid of his psychic anger. What follows is a thrilling game of cat and mouse between both the men where the hunter is being hunted & people being killed and all for a paranoid reason.

Nawaz with this character proves that there are few better than him in the industry at the moment. He performs the role so convincingly so can't question him in even a single frame. Sobhita Dhulipala is subtle and holds her character impressively but her character is largely one-dimensional. The star of the movie though is Vicky Kaushal. The anti-hero abused by his father in childhood, Vicky with his rugged face, bristling eyes & addiction to drugs has owned the character which is completely in contrast to the roles in his earlier movies.

A genius in Anurag Kashyap has taken this movie to another level with his direction.

Bollywood's best psychological thriller.