IKKIS : 21 Gun Salute

 

#Ikkis : There could not have been a better swansong for Dharmendra. And in times of senseless, manufactured jingoism, there could not have been a more necessary film than Ikkis—a film that speaks of soldiering with dignity and courage. In an age where bigotry and hatred are routinely peddled as patriotism—in television studios, by politicians, by those who would crawl under the bed at the mere sound of a fighter jet, and even by some retired armed forces officers fishing for cushy post-retirement favors—Ikkis reminds us of the true cost of war. It tells us, quietly but firmly, that war must be fought only when it is absolutely necessary, never when it is politically convenient.

Ikkis is deeply moving, humane, and courageous—much like its protagonist, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal (PVC, posthumous). It commemorates the Battle of Basantar, honors the supreme sacrifice of the Indian Army, and upholds the primacy of duty. It celebrates the soldiering rooted in courage, restraint and supreme sacrifice for the nation when necessary. Yet, it also dares to show something rarer, the grief of a father, and the dignity with which a soldier acknowledges even his enemy.

For that alone, it deserves a 21-gun salute.

As tensions between India and Pakistan escalated on the intervening nights of 8th and 9th May, and bloodthirsty TV anchors reduced the situation to a slam-bang cricket match, I found myself discussing the real cost of war. I vividly remember a colleague—someone who has never seen conflict up close, never even been part of a street fight—lecturing from the comfort of an air-conditioned room about how we should “go all out,” how victory was pre-decided.

When I asked about the repercussions- human and economic, I was told not to be “negative.” That reflexive dismissal is precisely the problem.

That, perhaps, is why films like Ikkis matter. They puncture the noise. They restore perspective. And they remind us that courage is not about chest-thumping certainty, that wars are not fought by hashtags or in studio, but by young men who bleed, families who grieve and nations who live with consequence long after the war is over.

The film’s power lies in its refusal to sensationalise. The direction is assured and restrained, allowing silences to do the heavy lifting instead of loud banging background scores. Battle sequences are shot with realism rather than bravado; they convey confusion, fear, and chaos. The camera lingers not on victory poses, but on faces—young, determined, and acutely aware of what is at stake.

 Dharmendra had reserved his finest probably for this final act of his. It is a performance marked by dignity, grief, and quiet authority. Agastya makes a remarkably assured big screen debut as the young, brave, vulnerable yet confident Second Lt Khetrapal. Jaideep Ahlawat brings a rare moral gravity to the film. His character is measured, conflicted and credible. There is authenticity to his presence – authenticity of a man shaped by discipline and duty rather than rhetoric. The supporting cast complements this tone, never slipping into caricature or sermon, allowing the film’s moral weight to emerge organically rather than through dialogue-heavy exposition.

Ikkis’s strength lies in its conscience and for that director Sriram Raghavan deserves a standing ovation.

Indigo Farmers- How Capitalism decides India’s Emergencies !

 

As I watched on TV screen the harrowing scenes of flyers stranded in the airports across the country as one airline brought the country on its knees I was reminded of the Farmer’s protest of the 2020.

In September 2020 the Govt passed three farm laws at remarkable speed, with the promise of market efficiency, farmer empowerment, and supply-chain reform. Farmers feared that the new private mandis and contract farming systems would weaken the APMC structure and hollow out the Minimum Support Price regime over time. They wanted legal backing of the MSP. They argued that without statutory protection, MSP will remain a policy promise—not a guaranteed right. But the govt didn’t oblige. Farmers across Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan and Maharashtra rejected the laws and started protest. The Govt initially downplayed the protest as “Politically Motivated”. As farmers marched towards Delhi in the harsh cold winter of November, Delhi borders were turned into fortresses with barricades, barbed wires, and trenches. Internet was shut down and water cannons and tear gas was used. The state treated it as a law-and-order issue and not a policy disagreement. State aligned TV anchors in their warm studios and IT cell trolls behind their masked identities branded the farmers as “anti-nationals.” Initially Govt did not even want to meet the famer’s associations. But when the protest persisted, they finally decided to hold talks. Eleven rounds of negotiations took place without granting any real concession—except a written assurance that MSP would continue, without legal backing. Tens of thousands of farmers lived continuously in open tents and slept on tractor trolleys on Delhi’s borders for 378 days — through extreme winter when the temperature dipped to 4-degree, peak summer with temperature rising to 45 degrees and unrelenting monsoon. Many of those farmers were between 50 and 70 years old. Over 700 farmers lost their lives during the protest. And yet it took 378 days and the impending fear of losing the  UP and Punjab election forced the govt to finally take notice and the Prime Minister announced the repeal of the Farm laws.

Cut to the winter of 2025. To ensure passenger safety and to provide enough rest and recuperation to the flight crew in 2019 DGCA started reviewing India’s outdated flight duty norms after global safety pressures. In 2023 it finalized the new FDTL (flight duty time limitation) rules. These rules sharply reduced: Permissible night flying hours, consecutive night landings, duty limits and increased mandatory rest periods. This was done to increase passenger safety and to adhere to global standards. To avoid industry shock, the rollout was phased through 2024 and 2025. This should have given enough time to airlines like Indigo to hire and train the required pilots and crew and to realign their roaster. Yet Indigo chose to almost nothing. And when the regulation kicked in it started cancelling thousands of flights—flights for which it had already sold tickets—fully aware that it lacked the crew to operate them. Millions of passengers were stranded in airports across the country without any information, accountability, or assistance. They writhed inside the chaotic airports like livestock. Some were flying to meet ailing family members, some to meet friends and family, some for wedding and some for funeral. Some were toddlers, some octogenarians. But Indigo did not owe its paying customer anything except a fake apology that came two days later. Because it dominates Indian Sky with 65 % market share and with those cold unpalatable sandwiches that it sells at exorbitant prices.

The Govt stepped in almost instantly. The Indigo top brass was summoned. The civil aviation minister kept the country updated by posting photo after photo, with his face plastered all over, sitting in cozy room and “reviewing” the operation. Quickly the FDTL orders issued by the DGCA were placed in abeyance. One airline had effectively held an entire country—and an apparently powerful government—to ransom. Other airlines joined the “fun” to make some quick buck. DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation shared toothy smiles as consumers ended up paying through their teeth.

Thank God this time it did not take 378 days. No one questioned Indigo’s credentials. No one held it criminally accountable. No one called any of these airlines an anti-national carrier. Not a single head rolled – neither in Indigo nor DGCA, nor the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Now it’s back to business. Holiday season for airlines. Time to squeeze consumers even harder. The Indigo farmers of the yore must be having a bitter laugh somewhere in the sky—either reminiscing about colonial exploitation or realising that not much has changed in 150 years except the colour of the rulers. Even Minister Naidu may be enjoying a hearty brunch or those cold sandwiches ushering in the festive season.

Hail India. Happy Festive Season!

 

 

Ek Virus Ki Mann Ki Baat

My Fellow World Population,

Since some of the powerful people in the world are writing letters, eulogizing their own achievements on the completion of one year of coming to power, I thought I should also write a letter. I know, I m a bit early, but then you know I spread faster than their lies and honestly after six months and 217+ countries I think I have achieved enough to celebrate a bit early.

Around this day in Dec 2019 began a golden chapter of my journey. It was after several decades that the people of the world got to face a pandemic of this magnitude.

Once again, I bow to the 750 crore people of the world and their collective stupidity. If the world would have been focusing on important things like technology, infrastructure and research related to healthcare, sharing of information, conserving ecosystem, investing in sanitation, then I would not have been in your midst. However, the present circumstances are different. So here I m, in the midst of all of you.  

Your focus on blaming each other, confused strategy of complete lock downs and sudden opening ups, complete unpreparedness to handle a pandemic, having megalomaniacs as head of states has given me new energy and inspiration. The way some of you have come up with innovative ideas to drive me away by lighting Diyas, Banging Thala, injecting disinfectants into human body, singing “Go Corona Go”  will remain the guiding light for the whole world.

My Fellow World Population,

In the last six months I have been able to bring down environmental pollution. The level of Nitrogen Dioxide has reduced by almost 40% in industrial areas of Asia & Europe. Due to my concerted effort you can see clearer blue sky, watch far away mountains from your terrace, breath fresh air and swim in clean rivers. Wild animals are roaming on the street and someone even shared a picture  of dinosaurs also coming back.  Noise pollution has gone down drastically, and the world is a better place to live in, I mean if you survive my onslaught.

My Fellow World Population,

I have also helped empower the poor. Even after almost seven decades of independence and sincere, well intentioned efforts by political leaders across party lines the poor people in countries like India were struggling for basic amenities. Thanks to me now they are Atmanirbhar.

Thanks to my Corona Corporate Samman Nidhi Yojana, world over organizations can get more work done incurring less cost. Several corporate friendly Concepts like “Furlough”, “Work From Home” hitherto implemented by large corporations for a select few are now common place. I have also ensured that now the line between personal and professional has been blurred completely and organizations have employees at their disposal 24*7.

We have broken record in terms of time taken to implement IT adaptation. What took Mark, Bill, so many CTOs and different political party IT heads years to drive, I could drive it in less than 6 months.

My “Swaccha Haath Yojana” has ensured that every individual across the globe will spend the entire year washing hands. Of course with job losses and lockdowns, they anyways don’t have much work to do.

Dear Friends,

At a time when there is  a widespread debate on how the economies of various countries will survive, I have helped various countries by boosting economy through production and selling of more masks, ventilators, PPE kits, sanitizers and disinfectants.

For sometime now United State has been boasting about its economic supremacy and its preparedness for all kinds of attacks including bio warfare. I have been able to expose their vulnerability, and this will help in bringing world peace. I strongly believe the jury must consider me for a Nobel for World Peace. China has been a hub for manufacturing both equipment and lies. With Corona Outbreak it has been exposed. The less I said about WHO, the better – they let the Corona out.

Thanks to me, there is a visible growth in entertainment industry. Before I assumed power stand up comedians used to entertain people, now state premiers do that, some prefer the morning slot, some the 8PM slot. I have also helped in driving innovation. In fact your respective HR teams across organizations are playing a big role in implementing it. I stand in awe when I look at their ability to innovate. In less than two months they could come up with concepts like Virtual Rangoli, Virtual Talent Show and Virtual connect, reconnect and irritate people till they leave you.

The world for so many years has been grappling to drive gender equality. In less than six months I have been able to implement it. Men, who refused to learn household chores for ages, have now become pro in it. There is significant fall in crime rate, fatalities on the road and suicide.

The list of such historic actions taken in World interest would be too long to detail in this letter.

Dear Friends,

I bow to your stupidity and ego once again. My writer has also written a Sanskrit Sloka. But then I m a Chinese virus. So I have deleted it. My heartfelt wishes to you and your family.

Stay Healthy… ROFL

Yours Covid19

Thappad

#Thappad : A good film asks questions, makes one introspect and challenges one to have conversation around the topic. In that sense Anubhav Sinha, post his comeback, is making one film after another, that are putting uncomfortable questions out in the open. If Mulk was about Islamophobia and Article 15 was about a deep-rooted caste system, his latest offering Thappad is about the privileges men enjoy in this country in the name of patriarchy.  

When was the last time we felt uncomfortable watching the female member in the family managing entire household as well as their career and yet being frowned upon for making the smallest mistakes , while the men  get away with everything by pretending to be busy with their career. When was the last time we felt guilty for raising our voices against the females in our home. That is how privileged we have been and that is how we have been brought up in a patriarchal society. And that is why Sinha’s Thappad makes us introspect. It may be “Just a Slap”. It may be inadvertent; it may be the first time, but none of us have any right to raise our hand. Sinha’s film is more about the entitled mindset that we, the Indian men possess than about domestic violence.

The writing is extremely smart and nuanced, probably the best in recent times. It brings out the male privilege and gender insensitivity beautifully without sounding shrill. Vikram, the night after slapping Amruta, comes  to her and tells her that he was stressed and then goes on to explain his problems in office , how he had worked hard and yet had been denied the opportunity he deserved. The conversations between Vikram and Amrita has been written beautifully. Vikram , while talking about his job, tells Amrita that he doesn’t want to stay and work in a place where he is not valued and how one must put his foot down in life and how he has invested so much in the job. And all this while he remains oblivious of the fact that Amrita is also going through the exact same emotion as far as their marriage is concerned. He thinks it was just a slap and he even tries to make up for it by taking her out for dinner and buying her gift. It goes to a point where one starts identifying with Vikram and even goes to the extent of believing that probably Amruta is stretching it too far. Because that’s what we have learnt while growing up. Because we have seen our mothers, grandmothers or sisters adjusting at every step and accepting the behaviours they shouldn’t be. And that has become normal for us. Not for once have we questioned it. And that is where Thappad forces you to go back and introspect. Sinha, through the story of Amrita, actually exposes the story of almost every household. Vikram isnt evil. He is just like you and I , an entitled Indian Male.

The other interesting aspect of Thappad is the performances of each of its cast and the brilliant direction. Be it Kumud Mishra , as the supportive father or Pavel Gulati as the husband or Tanvi Azmi as mother in law and Ratna Pathak Shah as the mother , each one of them have played their part to perfection. Taapsee Pannu, as the vulnerable yet strong Amrita has done a phenomenal job.

Thappad’s triumph lies in the fact that it affects one deeply. It beautifully explores how we normalize patriarchy and exposes a myopic mindset. I will go out with 4 out of 5 for this terrific film. If you are one among us ,an entitled Indian Man, then do yourself a favour ,go and watch Thappad. And then go back ,look into the mirror and introspect. If the realisation comes ,which I m sure will, if you have your heart in the right place ,then go ,say sorry and if necessary reboot that life and all that you have learnt by watching the men around while growing up.

ChhiChhore : Live the Moment !

What an endearing sight it was to wake up and see the Prime Minister of the country consoling and giving courage to the ISRO chairman after the chairman broke down following the failure to communicate with Chandrayan -2’s Vikram Lander. But in a country paranoid with success , where winner takes it all and no one remembers the runners up , this unfortunately is an aberration and not the norm.  And hence student suicide is an epidemic that claims one life, every hour , in this country. Personally , I grew up in a set up where failure was simply unacceptable and was treated as the end of the road . Yet ,in life , I have failed more often than any of my contemporaries . While I had the tenacity and resilience to fight back after every single failure with more vigour to prove myself and to not give up , often these struggles end up being long and lonely. And in vulnerable moments like these the  parents or  the partner or the friends or the family play a crucial role in explaining the inevitability of failure in life and the importance of effort . Failure is an integral part of life and every failure should be treated not as the end of the road but as the beginning of yet another exciting journey to explore one’s potential. In our quest to win we must never forget the joy of living.

Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore is a film about friendship, failure, fun and nostalgia all rolled into one. Tiwari beautifully fits the story into the frame of its genre , straightaway transporting you into a nostalgic world full of unbridled optimism .  If you have ever lived in a campus , you will readily identify with Tiwari’s characters . In fact you may end up being reminded of the Anni, Derek, Acid , Sexa or Maya from your batch. Chhichhore depicts the unhinged, carefree campus life when life was a tad more than just chasing daily targets or making those ugly spread sheets .

Tiwari keeps the story simple and packs it with lots of punchlines using the campus lingo. The film opens with a water war in a premier engineering campus in Mumbai and time travels twenty years ahead when Ani and Maya’s adolescent son Raghav attempts suicide and lands up in an ICU. From there on it cuts between past and present , imparting some life lessons ,packed with some fine punchlines and whacky humour . The enduring friendship that one makes during college life is portrayed beautifully . The actors are brilliant while playing their youthful characters.

However what pulls down Chhichhore is some really sloppy make up and Shraddha Kapoor. Even the constant shift between a glorious past and a gloomy present looks a bit contrived . However these misfires seems forgivable thanks to Tiwari’s earnest attempt at story telling.

Chhichhore is not about winning . It is about the attempt to win and in the process  living those moments and making lasting memories . Life is never about winning and losing , its all about living . So once in a while step aside , put that feet away from the accelerator , give expectations a break and take a moment to live and yes don’t burden others with your expectation . Let them live too. They will figure a way out ! And yes there is no shame in losing as long as one has given his best and had enjoyed the process.

I will go out with 3 out of 5 for this bunch of losers , who may have lost a match but ended up winning million hearts !

Article 15 : We the People Of India ...

#Article15 : Article15 starts with Bob Dylan’s music from “ Blowing In the Wind” playing in the background - “ How many times can a man turn his head And pretend that he doesn’t see” and explodes in your face asking questions that are uncomfortable , that exposes a deep rooted caste system in this country that you & I have been mute witness to or shall I say have been party to and brings forth the disturbing consequences of a system that promotes “ US vs Them” and muffles every voice that asks a question . Will there be an end to this divisive, parochial system ? Will there be an end to the killings? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. Things will probably change when You & I will stop waiting for a Hero and act like one.

Bansky had once said “ Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” and in that sense Article 15 is a terrific film ,right  in the league of Govind Nihalin’s classic Aakrosh . Guara’s eye reflect the same anguish , anger and helplessness that Lahanya Bhiku’s eyes expressed . And in almost four decades nothing much has changed . Based on the Badaun Gang Rape and murder case , where two teenage girls had been raped and hanged on a tree  to teach a lesson to lower caste , to show them their “Aukat” . Named after the provision in the Indian Constitution that prohibits "discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth" Article15 is a disturbing film about the realities of India , about the procedural mockery, about how caste divides have been created in the name of maintaining imaginary balance  and the way constitutional rights have been subverted . It brings out the helplessness the angst of the underprivileged . It reflects how those who are supposed to protect have become the perpetrators . It shows how people are killed because they asked a Rs 3 hike in their wages.

Shot in monochromatic frames Article 15 is atmospheric spans out like a thriller. There is a conscious effort to disturb the audience with the close up shots of the corpses and the cleaning of the sewage . The actors are terrific . Ayushman Khurana gets to play the role of a lifetime and he excels in bringing out the vulnerability as well as the steely resolve of a young IPS who had been exposed to a world so far away from the India he knew and took pride in. Kumud Mishra, Sayani Gupta,Manoj Pahwa and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub have been phenomenal.

Article 15 isnt just a film .It is a bold statement reflecting the murky realities of India  , that gets frequently pushed to page 7 while you & I relish the glitz and glamour of Page 3. It is about our constitution , about the dignity of life . Will you & I wait for a Hero and let things happen or try to be one and lead the transformation is a choice we have to make . And as Zeeshan Ayyub’s Nishad puts it the price of trying to change the balance is going to be high . But then You & I wont be the last one fighting the battle !

I will go out with 4.5 out of 5 for a film that brings out the grim, inconvenient realities of our society . Not sure “How Many years Can some people Exist, before they are allowed to be free ?”

Kalank : The film stands by its Name !

#Kalank :  Kalank has got everything right , actors coming back from retirement - actors who should retire after this - a set that will make even Sanjay Leela Bhansali strive harder – a mindless song every ten minutes – a marketing maverick as a producer -a hamming Aditya Roy Kapoor continuing from where he left in Fitoor -Sonakshi Sinha back with her Lootera looks -Varun Dhawan oscillating between his characters from Tu Mera Hero and Badlapur – it even has got the three K’s -Kunal “ Who” Khemu, Kiara and  Kriti , except the two important things – a story that is believable and a director who knows how to tell a story and the one who believes in basic human intelligence .  It’s a surprise that none of the balm manufactures used this film to promote their product through surrogate advertising . Because the first thing you will reach out to after the 170 minute onslaught is a tube of pain relieving balm.

Kalank is a film about revenge , love , partition , betrayal , life of courtesans and may be even gondola ride ! The film covers the distance from rivers to snow capped mountains in seconds . It takes reference from many films from Pakeezah to DDLJ to Devdas to  Trishul to Bahubali to Gadar . Somewhere in between the director forgets which story he wanted to tell. The lady who introduced Roop ( Alia) to the courtesan Bahaar Begum ( Madhuri) in act I forgets Bahaar Begum by Act II when she had come to meet Roop . Zafar ( Varun) whose only motif was to take revenge against Balraj Chaudhury ( Sanjay Dutt) for being abandoned as a child , doesn’t even recognize Balraj’s legitimate son Dev ( Aditya Roy Kapoor) , in spite of staying in the same city and wooing Dev’s wife Roop ( Alia) . Take that for consistency or shall I say marijuana induced film making .

It takes some special skills to make Alia Bhat act this bad in a film or to take your eyes off when Madhuri Dixit is dancing . But director Abhishek Varman even manages to do that . That brings us to the moot point that how some one invests 80 crores in a film like this , how some of the talented actors even sign such a  film . May be Kalank is a story of hope , the hope that one day some of us will have a producer to fund our stories . The hope the one fine day Aditya Roy Kapoor too will learn to act . The hope that some day Hindi Cinema will break the shackles and if not world cinema at least will compete with regional cinema in terms of quality . The hope that some day we will have audience who will call out the bluff .

Yes Kalank , no doubt is a visually stunning film . But as one of the character asks in the film “ kya baas accha hona kafi hota hai kisike sath puri zindegi bitane keliye “ I will also ask “ is only a beautiful set and designer costume enough to invest three god damn hours” and if beautiful costume is what matters to the audience then they should rather watch a fashion show . I will go out with a very generous 0.5 out of 5 for this film , that shouldn’t have been made in the first place . In terms of the art of film making , Kalank , the film, stands by its name !

Uri : The Surgical Strike

Uri : The Surgical Strike  : A surgical strike demands  tactical  planning , absolute, no non sense coordination between  the govt , IB ,RAW & armed forces leadership , surgical precision in identifying assets , a contingency plan and most importantly the element of surprise ,the unflinching valour and tactical acumen of the leader , his assault team and their flawless execution. A surgical strike across LOC, if not executed to perfection ,can have huge human casualty and lots of international ramification.  And hence it provides a thrilling premise for a film , especially when it is based on a recent , real incident , a retaliatory counter attack, often hailed as one of India’s finest counter attacking responses across LOC , to avenge the attack on the Uri brigade HQ where we lost nineteen  soldiers . However, for debutant writer, director Aditya Dhar this scintillating premise was not enough. Hence the film has been garnished with generous doses of factual errors, emotional premises and amateur handling of war room preparation.

Taking a leaf from “ Zero Dark Thirty” and Tarantino school of film making , director Dhar splits his film into four chapters . The first chapter sets the context focusing  on Indian Army’s success in conducting surgical strike across Myanmar in 2015 to avenge the ambush in Manipur where 18 soldiers from Dogra regiment were killed by terrorists . However from chapter two onwards Dhar lets his figments of imagination take charge rather than actual facts . The inconsistencies are glaring and its a pity since as a film Uri needed none of these . The preparation and the war room moments themselves for a strike of such magnitude , if depicted well ,can be exhilarating and gritty . Dhar, in his attempt to make a  main stream masala money spinner  loses out on objective film making and ends up making a film that manipulates emotions and facts . There was no focus what so ever on the armed forces groundwork for the strike. The discussions and the war room preparation in PMO and South Block looked down right stupid . Paresh Rawal who portrays the role of NSA Ajit Doval looks lost and inconsistent throughout the film . His drooping body language doesn’t inspire any confidence. May be he just was an accidental choice for the film.  And take this for a fact check – the NSA walks to the DRDO head office and finds an intern who has made a drone prototype that looks like a bird. He immediately summons the intern and asks him to join the core team that’s monitoring the operation.  The extended  hand combats during the strike also defy logic and probably shot to give a sense of macho-ism . In any strike of such type and magnitude, the de induction process (return) becomes most critical as by the that time enemy is alerted and the Ghatak teams have to think on their feet to survive the onslaught and return through treacherous paths .  And while filming this Dhar has completely played to gallery at the cost of showing the real trouble that the strike team would have undertaken.

Inspite  of several glitches, Uri : The surgical Strike  will keep you engaged , especially if you watch it as a fictional account . Vicky Kaushal gives a solid bulked up performance and the cinematography is good. The action sequences have been shot well . And yes you also get to see a character looking exactly like Manohar Pariker playing the role of the defense minister . May be that’s the closest that Aditya Dhar came while depicting a story based on “True Incidents” .

I will go out with 2.5 out of 5 for this half baked strike . All they lacked was surgical precision while telling us the story of a surgical strike . May be someone, few years down the line will make a more factual film on one of the most glorious chapters of Armed forces history . A chapter where they haven’t got as much credit as their political masters . May be that wont be an election year. May be by then Bollywood will realise “Naya Hindustan” has “ Zero” tolerance for “Farzi” film making . Till then let’s enjoy the pot boiler and salute the bravery of those Para SF commandos .

Thugs Of Hindostan : Thug Life !

#ThugsofHindostan : Generally as a film maker the first thing that you need is an idea . Then you develop the idea into a screen play , build characters , provide an arc around key characters etc. But for Thugs of Hindostan director Vijay Krishna Acharya and Producer Aditya Chopra / YRF probably first decided the budget , star cast , release date and substandard VFX. Hence the script is non existent, the characters are irritating and at 170 odd minutes the film is intolerable . How often you get to see Bachchan and Aamir Khan share the screen and yet instead of soaking in the moment you are forced to go on a yawn fest.

Yet to its credit, the amateur screenplay of Thugs of Hindostan has almost nine twists , seven of them atrociously predictable and two utterly nonsensical ! There is no effort what so ever to build the characters or motive or to bring some sense of semblance into the screen play . Amitabh Bachchan as Khudabaksha, borrows his expression from his earlier film “Ekalavya” and his costume from “ Shehenshah” . He struts and frets his hours in front the camera before realising the pointlessness of it . Aamir Khan as Firangi borrows his looks from Mangal Pandey and  tries his best to take his character of Munna from Rangeela a step ahead. But without any meat in the character or any witty dialogue to support fails miserably.  Faitma Sana Sheikh , who was brilliant in Dangal gets to speak her first line after seventy minutes into the movie and you immediately realize she was just a touch better as a cardboard without the lines . Katrina has two songs , one joke and three slapping scenes in the film. And she is the only one who doesn’t disappoint in the film. Because after fifteen long years since her debut in Boom you really don’t expect anything from her except pelvic thrust or do you ? Trust me ,they could have replaced any of those characters with the ships or the eagle and it would not have made an iota of difference. Even the much hyped  VFX work is sloppy .

So that brings us to the most important question – Why did Bachchan and Khan ( who waited eternally for a right script to come together on screen ) sign the film . Were they also “thugged” or are willing accomplice to this thugging  spree . I walked into Thugs of Hindostan with least expectation assuming it to be a poor remake of “ Pirates of Caribbean” , when I walked out I wished it were . At least that would have spared me of the boredom . It is a disaster of epic magnitude. Even Mahenjo Daro looks epic in comparison. I will go out with 0.5 out of 5 for this sloppy slog fest . Beware of Thugs , stay cautious with your hard earned money and stay away , far far away .

For a change Salman Khan and Race 3 have a tough competition this year !

Badhaai Ho - Why should only the Young have all the Fun !

#BadhaiHo : I grew up watching and falling in love with  Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee films . Most of their films were simple situational stories built around middle-class Indian families and their predicaments. Both told their stories with lots of heart and humour. They made you laugh and brought a lump to your throat. And I have always been a sucker of such kind of cinema. Amit Sharma  follows the same template in “Badhai Ho” while dealing with a larger social stigma . An elderly couple , with two grown up kids, expecting a third one can be an enticing premise . However handling it deftly with right amount of humour , sensitivity and candour to reach out to the larger audience needs lots of maturity and that is where Amit excels .  He of course had the support of some outstanding actors all of whom provide their deft touch to make Badhai Ho a delightful watch that drives a strong message.

Gajraj Rao  as the husband/father and Surekha Sikri as the cantankerous mother in law / dadi  have given their career best performances.  Their body language, mannerism and expressions are immaculate.  Its difficult to take your eyes off them. Watch out for the scene where Gajraj is being introduced to Sanya Malhotra  for the first time. This has to be the funniest scene in Hindi cinema in last few years. Both Gajraj and Surekha have been ably supported by Neena Gupta. Aayusman Khurana, after that terrific performance in Andhadhun, is once again back in his familiar territory of a young Delhi lad  thrust into an unfamiliar situation. And he continues to maintain his top form.  The relationship between the parents, the warmth and intimacy has been explored beautifully. I also liked the way the film has been shot, especially the scenes inside the house and in the kitchen. It gives a sense of familiarity.

Badhai Ho has lots of moments of genuine laughter even while it keeps exposing the hypocrisy of our society. And that is where the film triumphs. It drives home the point without hammering it on the audiences’ head. It is refreshing to see the relationship of between an elderly couple over shadowing the relationship between young Ayushman and Sanya because that often doesn’t happen in hindi cinema . The writing has been detailed and the dialogues razor sharp. It captures the quirkiness of being in an unfamiliar situation .

Badhai Ho is not only warm and humorous it is also socially conscious and intelligent.  It has some terrific performances that will keep you engaged through out. This festive season spread some goodness and laughter and stay away from judging people and situations. Hypocrisy is such a passé , isn’t it ! I will go out with four out of five for a film that beautifully explores intimacy of elderly people and dares bare the hypocrisy of a so-called progressive society. Go watch it with everyone . Afterall why should only the young have all the fun!

Tumbbad : The Demon Within

#Tumbbad  :  We live in times when the line between greed and aspiration has been conveniently blurred . In fact, greed is being peddled in the guise of aspiration. The ability to grow infinitely in a finite world is what defines the modern man living in a moribund society. Generations have succumbed to it . Yet Man refuses to learn from it and continues to die or turn just into a survivor trying to fulfil his American dream. His quest to quench his materialistic desire continues to dominate most part of his existence.  I remember in Nolan’s “The Prestige” Robert Angier, a magician played by Hugh Jackman visits the home of Nikola Tesla , played by David Bowie in the hope that Tesla would build him a cloning device. Tesla asked Angier if he had considered the cost of such a machine. Angier nonchalantly responded that Price is not an issue to which Tesla retorted back that may be price is not but has he considered the COST. May be mankind need to ask that question. May be mankind is afraid of asking it, may be they are tuned into herds and have lost the ability to think radical  or may be in a world where greed is not only good but celebrated as glorious its not even a pertinent question to ask .  And the premise of Tumbbad is based on greed and the consequences of it.

 

Visually stunning and mysterious ,Tumbbad starts with Gandhi’s famous quote about the world having enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed and sets the ball rolling. The story spans for around thirty years between 1918 to 1947 covering three generations of a family and their increasing greed. Director Anil Barve has beautifully merged his narrative with the mythological story of Hastar to drive home his point. The screenplay is divided into three chapters that tells the story of Vinayak and his family. Tumbbad is poignant and philosophical.  The imagery is breath-taking.  The contrasting visuals throughout the film make the narrative rich and the tension palpable. The back ground score add on to the atmosphere . The performances are uniform. It is a film that will force you to contemplate .  

Tumbbad is mysteriously magical and shows a mirror to each one of us . May be that is why it is promoted as an horror film as truth is always scary . It is one of the finest films that I have seen this year . Watch it on the big screen . Discover the inner demon . Kill the Haster inside you . Afterall there is no end to greed and the consequences are for all to see . May be a small, slow simple life isn’t  a passé , at least not yet .

Sanju : Wily Handiwork !

First things first . I m a Rajkumar Hirani Fan . And yet Sanju will be his first film that I will not yearn to watch for the second time. Does it make Sanju a bad film? No, not at all. In fact any other director , with that propaganda , might just have messed it up the way Tony D’Souza butchered Azhar . And yet at so many levels its not a Raj Kumar Hirani film. It’s just an uni-dimensional tribute from a fan boy friend to the fallen entitled hero. It is an apologetic film about the relationship between a larger than life father and his drug addict prodigal son, a son who presents an excuse for each one of his criminal acts, his side of the story.  It is a film which could have delved deep to explore the psyche of both of them, explored the nuances of the relationships, paused at moments to understand the rise and fall of a life as eventful as Dutt’s , yet all it does is add melodrama , provide excuses , ton and tons of it , all superficial to sell tickets at astronomical prices , to resurrect its hero , an otherwise Big hearted  man who had succumbed to drugs and guns . Hirani ,the man who resurrected Dutt’s career , marred with criminal activities and most famous for his film “Khalnayak”  , made him a messiah with his  Munna Bhai Series  , does it once again, at the cost of objectivity .  Probably it is too much to expect Indian biographical movies to be objective, to tell both sides of the story, to expect them to scratch beneath the surface.

Sanju , neither talks about Dutt’s personal life , nor shows the highs and lows of his career and not even talks about acting skills or challenges . All it talks about is why Dutt is not a terrorist. It tells Dutt’s fall is  less to do with the weaknesses in his character but more to do with the situations around that led to his down fall. It hammers the media for painting a jaundiced picture of man who has no control over his actions  .  And yet thanks to the craftsmanship of Hirani and his writer Abhijat Joshi, the breathtaking acting of Ranbir Kapoor and that mesmerizing appearances of Vicky Kaushal as an audience it becomes too late by the time you realize Sanju is not a biopic , it is a film to resurrect his post Yearawada life .  You remain awestruck with Kapoor’s transformation into Dutt , as Dutt slowly manipulates your thoughts .  Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal are phenomenal If 2017 belonged to Raj Kumar Rao ,2018 certainly belongs to this powerhouse performer Vicky Kaushal . From Masaan to Razi to Sanju this man is displaying an amazing range portraying various characters . The film has few genuinely hilarious moments. Yet it falls miles short of being a genuine biopic .

Wish everyone had a friend like Hirani. Wish Anuska doesn’t have to do wear those weird wigs and blue contact lenses , wish Sanjay Dutt would have paid me to watch his side of the story instead of me paying for it . But if wishes were horses ... walk into the auditorium, let Ranbir mesmerize you with his acting , let Hirani manipulate you with his wily handiwork  , let the prodigal son have an equally eventful  third innings .  

Raazi - Behind Enemy Lines !

#Raazi : Sehmat Khan (not real name ) , whose character Alia Bhat is portraying in Raazi died last month. The lady whose intelligence input helped Indian Navy save INS Vikrant  in 1971 wanted to be buried in peace and unknown to the world.  That’s the destiny of a spy. They are torn between multiple identities, live a faceless life and embrace an unsung Hero’s death. They sacrifice their own lives for the nation, without expecting anything in return. May be their tribe has found the “purpose” that so many of us are struggling to find.   When the author of the book “Calling Sehmat” on which Raazi is based ,met her at  MalerKotla ( Punjab) he asked her why she is staying there . She replied “because Abdul (the servant at her in laws place in Pakistan) was originally from that place.” When asked how Abdul died she replied she crushed him under the truck. A sensitive Kashmiri Muslim (apologies for bringing the identity into this , but this is important considering the times we live in) crushed her favourite servant under a truck because she loved her county , India , more .   A spy’s life – where you even do things, that tears you apart, to safeguard your country, every single  time. 

Meghna Gulzar , who showed lots of promise with her first film “Filhal” and did a fabulous job with her last “ Talvar” this time around decides to direct a real life espionage drama that has a human touch to it . The film goes beyond the normal cat and mouse chase to explore the emotional struggle that Shemat undergoes, the choices she makes at moments of conflict. It is a film that promotes patriotism and yet stays far away from any kind of jingoism.  It is a film that allows nationals of two countries to be patriotic towards their respective country without being venomous towards each other.

In spite of being too convenient at places the screen play is taut and manages to keep audience on the edge. Most of the characters are etched out beautifully. Alia gets to play a complex character of a semi trained spy who is also a vulnerable wife and dutiful daughter in law. A character who gets nauseatic at the sight of blood, is scared of injection needle and yet crushes a man twice when situation demands. Torn between her duty towards her country and duty towards her family Sehmat’s character needed restrained yet nuanced performance. And Alia does a sincere job, well almost. At times she becomes over dramatic and that’s a dampener. While she has put up an honest effort, Alia has reached a stage where she will be measured against the gold standards of performance , her own Veera Tripathy in highway or Pinky in Udta Punjab .The film also boasts of an ensemble cast of Rajit Kapur , Vicky Kausal and Jaideep Ahlawat among others. Kaushal, a terrific actor gets to play the role of an upright man and officer who loses out to his wife’s first love, her country. And he can’t do much about it, as even for him the first love is, his country.

Shankar – Eshaan – Loy’s music complements in building the tension and spreading a sense of patriotism. The lyrics are powerful. In fact “ Ae Watan” could be one of the best patriotic songs composed in recent times . In spite of a disappointing climax, Raazi is a well made film that will keep you invested for most part of the 140 minutes. It will also compel you to delve deep into the psyche of a SPY who sacrificed everything in the line of her duty and yet wanted to give up everything before she becomes cold, bereft of emotion like many others from her tribe. May be her soul wanted to fly free, unknow, unsung, away from the whims and fancies of others.

Go watch an ordinary life, turn extra ordinary! The nation comes first, always and every time. “ Aae watan watan mere awad rahe tu , main jahan rahun , jahaan main yaad rahe tu” !

Another Summer : To all those who are battling it out !

Roughly a year back I received a call from one of my juniors who was studying at one of the recently established IIMs. When I had first met him around six years back, he was one of the smartest engineers in the organization bubbling with energy and displaying entrepreneurial skills.  After spending around four years in corporate working with few top organizations he decided to pursue his MBA.  And here he was devastated, full of self doubt. All this, because he couldn’t convert his summer internship into a Pre Placement offer.  Bit taken aback at his reaction, I consoled him, telling him it doesn’t matter as long as he has got some additional learning and has put in enough effort. Besides, summer internship acts as a platform that prepares one for the real battleground. But my friend was inconsolable. He was worried that he won’t be able to crack the final placement with an organization which will pay him his expected remuneration. As someone who knew his abilities, i was always confident his capabilities. But here he was, a young twenty something lad , with a solid educational background and proven track record , worried that he won’t be able to earn as much money with his first campus offer  as some of his batch mates may end up earning .

Yesterday I spoke to someone studying in one of the so called, glossed over top MBA colleges for HR in the country (Our obsession with ranking for finishing schools is a debate for another day). Before her MBA she had completed her engineering and worked for a year with a multinational giant. She had reached out to me to discuss her internship project and sounded a bit worried. On prodding, she disclosed that her midterm assignment review has been good and chances of her getting a Pre placement offer is high. However the dilemma was  she thought the culture of the organization and the value system didn’t match with hers.  When she asked me about my opinion, i had a simple, straightforward answer. I said, be smart , ensure they don’t give you  a PPO ! She sounded worried, almost broke down. Taken aback, i asked her what happened. She said she was worried about how she will be treated once she is back in campus; she was worried how she will get a job. I asked what the batch size is and how many companies visit her campus for final placements. Her answer was roughly 65 companies visit for the placement of a batch of 120. I was aghast at the lack of confidence from someone with solid educational background, with a B school brand to back up with, with the competition ration of 1:2. She was appalled, that with a fifteen odd lakh of educational loan how she will manage if she doesn’t get a CTC much higher than that.

Couple of weeks back i was meeting few interns from some really good B- schools who just had their midyear reviews. One of them was the campus topper. And he was worried, his campus wants him to come back with a PPO , else the organization may not visit them next year.

And in all these conversations, so much was at stake except probably the learning and the education. I have always believed education helps in skill and outlook enhancement, provides knowledge and builds character and these in turn helps in improving a person’s confidence. And here I was meeting youngsters, full of self doubt, because of education. Youngsters from branded B schools, worried about placements and compensations. Youngsters on the verge of breaking down under the weight of unrealistic aspiration.  Youngsters who have never probably failed in life and hence panicking even at the thought of a minor hiccup. And eventually these are the people who will  be expected to lead organizations , who will be expected to drive value . Sometimes in weaker moments , I wonder have we gone terribly wrong in the way our education system works . Have we stopped building character at campuses? In our own selfish pursuit of growth and cartelization do we give too much importance to finishing schools vis-a-vis holistic development? Are we getting obsessed with success, forgetting the importance and certainty of failure in life? Are we they reason of some of the campus suicides?

And to those hundreds of students, placement is just an outcome, enjoy the process. Compete with your own self and not with the world. Strive for a purpose. Money is extremely important but unfortunately that chase for money will never cease and a beautiful life may end up getting buried under the unrealistic materialistic expectation!  Live the moment & have Fun !

Omerta : Selective Silence

#Omerta : Since childhood till 2014 I have always wondered how educated , well to do  normal beings  get so easily brain washed and turn radical. I have always wanted get to the crux and explore the psyche of those who become fundamentalist and turn into beasts just for a misplaced or misunderstood belief. And then 2014 happened . I got a firsthand experience of so many near and dear ones, both educated and semi educated, bright and dim-witted, rich and poor suddenly turning radical ( at least on social media)  for a misplaced idea fuelled by an ambitious  marketing maverick in the guise of a Political messiah . Suddenly the cool looking , cigarette smoking  friend with a goatee  was arguing about  “my and their” country , the shy and intelligent girl , a dear friend of mine , trying to figure out religion in rape . And somewhere deep within I was discovering a new scary side of so many whom I thought are liberal , progressive and secular ( in post 2014 parlance libtard and sickular !) And hence the anticipation was high for Hansal Mehta’ s “ Omerta” where he depicts the life of dreaded terrorist  Omar Sheikh ,a  London School of Economics drop out who abducted foreign nationals ,  beheaded Daniel Pearl , the man whom India govt  had  to release to secure  the release of hijacked IC 814 passengers .

Mehta uses docu-drama format to tell the story of Omar Sheikh. The narrative is non linear and jump cut technique has been used multiple times to keep the audience interested.  The film is taut and at 93 minutes it moves at an exhilarating pace . Rajkumar Rao sinks his teeth into the character. The ease with he has played characters of different shades in last eighteen months films like Barailly Ki Barfi , Trapped , Newton and now Omerta  tells volumes about the man’s range and capability as an actor . And this portrayal must have been an emotionally drenching one.

However Mehta, who had beautifully explored the inner world of Prof Siras in “Aligarh”   lets go of an exciting opportunity of delving deep into the psyche of one of the most dreaded terrorists of our times.  He follows the character from a distance and never allowing himself to go close to explore further. There was not even a single attempt to understand Omar’s ideology or his intention. And that’s where the film loses steam.

Omerta could have been a brave attempt from a director who is known to take up unconventional subjects. But it ends up being a film that barely scratches beneath the surface. I will go out with 3 out of 5 for “Omerta” and its selective silence! Watch it for that man – Raj Kumar Rao !

October : To Autumn !

#October : “ Kuch Jyada hi affected  nei ho raha he tu ?” asks Dan’s  colleague , “tum log itne unaffected  kaise ho” replies Dan . “Practical hona padta he” she responds and Dan walks away. But Dan’s question haunts you during the entire length of the movie , post you walk out of the theatre , when you wake up in the morning , till you allow “ practicality” to take control over your sensitivity , till sales number or that god damn power point takes precedence over basic  human feelings . The line between machines and human beings are getting blurred by the day. They say machines will replace humans, I m more worried about the dying human emotions, the machines in the guise of humans around us, the pretentiousness of all of it.

Back to Dan. A man with an “understudy” tag whom no one ever seems to care about.  A man who goes the distance for a girl he never dated or had any relationship with, just because the girl had asked about him before the fatal fall. A man who just couldn’t move on like many of us.  He was overwhelmed by the tragedy and yet buoyed by optimism. The transformation is remarkable.   He may come across as a fool to you and me, but remember “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”

October is a paean on a human being’s infinite capability to love , his ability to be sensitive towards his surrounding, to share the feelings beneath those unspoken words, a rare quality in an age where we are trained to “mourn and move on” within minutes. The narrative is unhurried. It lets you go through the excruciating pain of waiting for the recovery of a loved one whose life is hanging by a thread. It oscillates between hope and despair. It lets you experience love and loss.  It uses the metaphor of Sheuli flower that blooms under moonlight, spreads its fragrance during the night and then falls on the ground by early morning, to depict the transitory nature of life. 

Juhi Chaturvedi had always been a master screen play writer but with October she takes a giant leap. The subtlety in the writing that explores the sadness in the theme is remarkable. The screen play injects right amount of light humour to break away from the heavy atmospheric. Soojit Sircar masterfully handles every theme, every character, and every emotion in the film. But it is Avik Mukhopadhyay’s exquisite camera work that breathes life into October. His camera captures the contrast of hospital and hotel, of winter and rain, of sunshine and mist, of hope and despair , of holding on and moving away. Varun Dhawan  strips away every mannerism of a typical hindi film hero to portray the layered vulnerability of Dan. This is a performance he will be proud of for a long time.

October is cathartic in every sense of the word. It is not just a story of Dan; it’s a story of yours and mine, it’s a story of life and awakening, it’s a story of love.   “The Soul is always conscious” says the neurologist in the film .The question is do we still listen to the soul or have we bargained it for the banal pleasures or as we so often pretend to say for ‘practicality”.

October is poetic. It’s a lingering feeling that will stay with you long after you have left the auditorium. But watch it only if you have your heart in the right place, a heart that responds to pain and joy  or a heart ready to transform. Else you may get tickled like those five Gurugram girls who sat a row behind mine and continued to giggle even through death scenes, assuming they own the theater!

To Autumn, to love and Loss , to the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness , to cinema .

Thank God, they still make such films.

Mukkabaaz : Knock Out Punch

#Mukkabaaz : Andrei Tarkovsky, the great Russian filmmaker , in his celebrated book “Sculpting In Time” states  “No other art can compare with cinema in the force, precision, and starkness with which it conveys awareness of facts and aesthetic structures existing and changing within time.” And Anurag Kashyap is a master in depicting contemporary society, its political underbelly and its fault lines.  Often criticized for not catering to the mainstream masala ogling audience, Kashyap delivers a solid punch with Mukkabaaz , making strong statement about the times we live in , in the guise of a sports film , while ensuring his film gets enough whistles from the front benchers as well.

Kashyap’s film opens with Cow traders being lynched and filmed and ends with “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and in between he exposes the umpteen deep rooted malice that we conveniently shove under the rug, sometimes in the name of development, sometime in the name of culture and often in the name of our new found nationalism. Kashyap, thankfully, doesn’t hold back his punches this time around. It seems he is out to express himself and he does that with élan’, exposing   caste system to cow mob, patriarchy to the dirty politics in sports federations. Mukkabaaz is not your regular chest thumping, jingoistic sports film. It’s a film where a passionate boxer , pays a price , for being born in a lower caste , for being in love with someone from upper caste , for daring to tread the path less travelled or may be for being born in times like these . But in the end he emerges as a winner, not by being triumphant in the ring, but by letting go. And in that sense Mukkabaaz is deeply philosophical too.  Kashyap has even wittily named his characters. The main protagonist , who tells his parents “ jab aap shunyo ho to apke ghar se kya Aryabhaat Niklega” is named Shravan Kumar . The film’s villain is names as Bhagwan Misra .

Besides Kashyap’s terrific direction, Mukkabaaz benefits from the phenomenal acting of its ensemble cast. Vineet Singh may just have had his Zanjeer moment. The man seems possessed in the entire film expressing myriad emotions with aplomb. It’s not just his physicality but the way he even portrays his emotional vulnerability is astounding.  Zoya Hussain , playing a dumb girl is a power house of talent . She couldn’t speak but her eyes spoke enough to keep the audience and Shravan hooked. Ravi Kishan playing an uncharacteristic role comes across as a revelation.

Mukkabazz’s background score and lyrics are incredible. It beautifully captures everything the film wants to tell. The dialogues are razor sharp and the film uses generous amount of sarcasm and humor to take the story forward. It is only the length of the film that makes it look like a drag towards the climax.

With Mukkabazz , Kashyap makes a statement , a  no holds barred one . In the context of the times we live in, it is an extremely important film. It may not be Kashyap’s best, but it is one of the finest that you will watch this year.  And mind it, it’s not just about boxing or sports! And to me that is a knockout punch.