Movie Review: A Thursday

<strong><a href="https://ift.tt/uwvoUCp THURSDAY</a></strong> is the story of a woman who takes 16 kids hostage. Naina Jaiswal (<strong><a href="https://ift.tt/N2k0u7V Gautam Dhar</a></strong>) is engaged to Rohit Mirchandani (Karanvir Sharma) and stays in his sprawling house. A part of his residence has been converted into a playschool, which is run by Naina. She falls sick and resumes the playschool three weeks later, on a rainy Thursday. After the parents drop the kids off and leave, the maid, Savitri (Kalyanee Mulay) asks Naina for a holiday the next day as she has to go to the Aadhaar card centre for updating her details. Naina insists that she get her work done on the same day. After Savitri leaves and Naina is all alone with the kids, she calls the Colaba Police Station and informs them that she has taken 16 kids hostage. Her demand is to talk to a reputed cop, Javed Khan (Atul Kulkarni). After she ends a call, she gets a visitor, a driver (Boloram Das) of one of the children, who has come to deliver a parcel. She lets him inside. The driver notices that she has a gun. He gets scared and tries to raise an alarm. She ties him up. As luck would have it, Savitri returns as she had forgotten her cell phone. She too gets tied up. Meanwhile, a pregnant cop, Catherine Alvarez (Neha Dhupia) arrives at the scene. Naina fires at her and this is when the cops realise that the matter is serious. Javed is asked to come down immediately. Javed calls Naina and she says that she wants Rs. 5 crores. She assures that after her demand is met, she'll release one kid, and would inform about the rest of the demands later. After her demand is fulfilled and after a child is allowed to leave, Naina puts forward her next demand - to talk to the Prime Minister of India, Maya Rajguru (Dimple Kapadia). What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1342248" src="https://ift.tt/KncSzDj" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Ashley Michael Lobo and Behzad Kambata's story is quite engaging and relatable. It is also in the same zone as A WEDNESDAY (2008). Ashley Michael Lobo and Behzad Kambata's screenplay is very gripping and thrilling. The writers are in firm control of their material and have peppered the narrative with a lot of thrilling and unpredictable moments. Vijay Maurya's dialogues are hard hitting. A few of the sarcastic dialogues of Atul Kulkarni raise laughs. Behzad Kambata's direction is superior. The director's last film BLANK [2019] was decent but A THURSDAY shows that he has improved considerably. The nearly two-hour long film has no song and dance or lighter moments. The focus is just on the story and the main characters. And Kaizad manages to grip the viewers from start to finish. What’s commendable is that the finale is hard-hitting and clapworthy and to a great extent does justice to the legacy and impact of the predecessor (of sorts), A WEDNESDAY. On the flipside, it's a little unconvincing to see that a person single-handedly was able to take the kids hostage and the cops and the commandos outside stood as mute spectators. The track of the journalist, Shalini Guha (Maya Sarao), is also weak. However, these are minor faults and the twists and turns in the second half compensate for all the shortcomings. The suspense is unpredictable. A THURSDAY’s beginning makes one feel that it’s a sweet, light-hearted film. But soon, the thrilling background score is played and one realizes that Naina has a sinister plan in her mind. The way she takes the kids hostage without making them feel that they are in such a situation and the way she negotiates with the cops has been done very nicely. The <em>tu-tu-main-main</em> between Catherine and Javed enhances the entertainment quotient. Post-interval, the interrogation of Rohit is gripping. The film stagnates after this sequence. However, the scene where Naina gets attacked while the kids are listening to meditative music in their noise-cancelling headphones once again piques interest. The last 15-20 minutes are terrific. Yami Gautam Dhar delivers the most accomplished performance of her career. She has always been a fine performer but after this film, she’ll be seen in a different light. Her performance is just right and the way she switches from being menacing to being very sweet is seen to be believed. Atul Kulkarni is highly entertaining and is lovely as the sarcastic and kind-hearted cop. Neha Dhupia had played a similar part in SANAK [2021] but here, her role is fleshed out in a better way. And her performance is also first-rate. Dimple Kapadia is very good and suits the part. Karanvir Sharma is quite good in the supporting role. Maya Sarao is nice but doesn’t get much scope. Kalyanee Mulay and Boloram Das lend able support. Others are fine. A THURSDAY is a song-less film. Roshan Dalal and Kaizad Gherda's background score is one of the USPs of the film and contributes to the thrill factor very well. Anuja Rakesh Dhawan and Siddharth Vasani's cinematography is very good. Madhusudan N's production design is rich. Ayesha Khanna's costumes are realistic and non-glamourous, as per the demands of the script. The same goes for Vikram Dahiya's action. Sumeet Kotian's editing could have been tighter towards the beginning of the second half but overall, it’s good. On the whole, A THURSDAY springs a huge surprise. It is laced with a taut script, first-rate execution and the finest performance ever by Yami Gautam Dhar. It’s a film that should have ideally come in cinemas. Had it been released on the big screen, especially in the Women’s Day week, it would have emerged as the sleeper hit of the year, if not the sleeper super-hit. Highly Recommended!

source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/a-thursday/critic-review/a-thursday-movie-review/a-thursday-springs-a-huge-surprise-its-a-film-that-should-have-released-in-cinemas/

Movie Review: Badhaai Do

<strong><a href="https://ift.tt/tW3Fzgn DO</a></strong> is the story of a homosexual couple entering into a lavender marriage. Shardul Thakur (<strong><a href="https://ift.tt/SrnybHz Rao</a></strong>) is a cop in Dehradun. He stays with his conservative family. He is a closet homosexual man and he hasn’t revealed this fact to his family. He’s 32 and his family is pressuring him to get married. Suman Singh (<a href="https://ift.tt/jKaNY5g Pednekar</strong></a>), meanwhile, is a physical education teacher, and is a closet lesbian. Even her family is compelling her to settle down. She resorts to dating apps to find a suitable match. She comes across the profile of Raju and he expresses a desire to meet her and take matters forward. She agrees and they decide to meet in a café. At the café, she gets the shock of her life when she realizes that Raju is actually a guy pretending to be a girl. This guy, whose real name is Rajeev (Vyom Yadav), finds out where Suman lives and where her father (Nitesh Pandey) has a shop. He blackmails her and demands sexual favours or else he threatens to expose her. Suman complains to the police. Shardul notes down her complaint and he gets Rajeev arrested. Rajeev blurts out to Shardul that she’s not straight. While noting down her complaint, he has learnt that Suman is of the same caste as him. Hence, he meets Suman and asks her to get married to him. According to his plan, both can reside as roommates after tying the knot and can live their lives on their own terms. Suman agrees and thus, both get married. A year after marriage, Shardul’s family starts pressurizing the couple for a baby. Shardul is dating an MBA student, Kabir (Deepak Arora), and their relationship is on the rocks. Suman, meanwhile, bumps into Rimjhim Jongkey (Chum Darang), who works at a pathology lab. Both begin a secret affair and Rimjhim even moves into Shardul and Suman’s marriage. Shardul gets afraid over this development as he resides in the police quarters where his fellow cop neighbours are quite conservative. What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1339296 size-full" title="Badhaai Do" src="https://ift.tt/MYur7K6" alt="Badhaai Do" width="720" height="450" /> Akshat Ghildial and Suman Adhikary's story is progressive and the concept of the film is quite brave. Akshat Ghildial, Suman Adhikary and Harshavardhan Kulkarni's screenplay is shaky though at few places, it is entertaining as well touching. Both the main characters are very neatly fleshed out and also that of Shardul’s mother (Sheeba Chaddha). However, the script is stretched in the middle portion of the film. Ideally, the screenplay should have been shorter for a better impact. Akshat Ghildial's dialogues are conversational but lack punchlines. His dialogues were far better in BADHAAI HO [2018] and the one-liners here should have been similarly witty and smart. Director Harshavardhan Kulkarni has handled certain scenes with élan. He deserves kudos as a film of such a topic needs to be treated sensitively. In this regard, Harshavardhan comes out with flying colours as there’s nothing offensive or objectionable at all about LGBTQIA+ community. He also breaks stereotypes; the gay character is a strong body-builder with six pack abs and is a cop, something that’s never seen before in a Bollywood film dealing with a homosexual character. Sadly, he lets the film go on and on. BADHAAI DO is 147 minutes long and should have been ideally of 2 hours duration. A few humorous gags fall flat. The director doesn’t explain why Kabir lost interest in Shardul and what went wrong between them. Even Rimjhim’s character disappears in the middle. Thankfully, the last 30-35 minutes are excellent and very moving. BADHAAI DO’s beginning is alright. The track of Raju is intriguing and inspired by true events. After Shardul proposes marriage to Suman, one expects the makers to devote the next 10-15 minutes to the family preparing for the marriage. However, the film straight away moves to their marriage part and one expects the film to move like a rocket. However, the film begins to wander aimlessly for a while. A few scenes, thankfully, stand out like the blood test scene between Suman and Rimjhim, Shardul pretending to be ‘manly’ in front of the DSP (Abhay Joshi) and his wife (Durga Sharma) and Shardul’s mother trying to act tough in front of Suman but failing big time. Thankfully, things get better in the third act. The film ends on a fine note. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1339298" src="https://ift.tt/mjLwo30" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Speaking of performances, Rajkummar Rao, as expected, nails the part. His comic timing is spot-on and overall, he does justice to his part. Bhumi Pednekar also gives her best shot and delivers a heartfelt performance. Sheeba Chaddha gets to play a fun character and raises laughs. In the last act, she communicates through her expressions and eyes beautifully. Chum Darang is a great find and delivers a great performance. Gulshan Devaiah (Devi Narayan) is impressive in a cameo. Nitesh Pandey is lovely and is memorable in the pre-climax scene. Deepak Arora, Vyom Yadav, Loveleen Mishra (Suman’s mother), Abhay Joshi, Durga Sharma, Seema Pahwa, Priyanka Charan (Shardul's sister) and Nidhi Bhati (Naaznin Baig) are fine. Music is not memorable and the songs act as a deterrent. The title track, 'Atak Gaya', 'Hum Thay Seedhe Saadhe', 'Bandi Tot' and 'Maange Manzooriyan' don’t have a long shelf life. 'Hum Rang Hai' is the only track that stands out and comes at a great juncture. Hitesh Sonik's background score gives the film a light-hearted touch. Swapnil S Sonawane's cinematography is appropriate. Laxmi Keluskar's production design is realistic. Rohit Chaturvedi's costumes are straight out of life. Kirti Nakhwa's editing could have been tighter. The film should have been mercilessly edited by at least 30 minutes. On the whole, BADHAAI DO talks about an important topic in a sensitive manner and is embellished with some fine performances. However, the long length, poor writing, lack of buzz and niche appeal will prove detrimental to its box office performance. It would work only in a handful of cities and urban multiplexes.

source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/badhaai-do/critic-review/badhaai-do-movie-review/badhaai-do-talks-about-an-important-topic-in-a-sensitive-manner-and-is-embellished-with-some-fine-performances/

Movie Review: Gehraiyaan

<a href="https://ift.tt/OkdZNLU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GEHRAIYAAN</a> is a story of two couples. Alisha (<a href="https://ift.tt/PJqCSzA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deepika Padukone</a>) is a yoga instructor based in Mumbai. She is developing a yoga-based app, for which she requires funding. She has a strained relationship with her father Vinod (Naseeruddin Shah). Her mother (Pavleen Gujral) died by suicide, after Vinod forcibly relocated to Nashik with his family. She has still not been able to come out of the trauma of losing her mother. Since 6 years, Alisha is in a relationship with Karan (Dhairya Karwa), an advertising professional who quit his job to write his novel. Their relationship also develops cracks due to lack of communication. Alisha’s cousin Tia (<a href="https://ift.tt/CubzQDR" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ananya Panday</a>) invites the former and Karan to Tia’s farmhouse in Alibaug. Tia knows Karan very well too and she wants Alisha and Karan to meet her boyfriend, Zain (<a href="https://ift.tt/3fBZeWm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Siddhant Chaturvedi</a>). The foursome meet and Alisha and Zain get attracted to each other, without the knowledge of their respective partners. Zain is a self-made man who left his violent father and helpless mother at a young age and worked his way up. He’s into the realty business and is trying to put together an expensive, dream project. Tia’s father is also helping Zain in his venture. After having a gala time in Alibaug, they return to Mumbai. Zain and Alisha keep in touch, secretly. Zain even visits Alisha’s yoga studio as he has a back pain. Here, both get intimate. Soon, Tia leaves for USA to settle some family legal issues while Karan relocates to Alibaug to finish his novel. This gives a golden opportunity to Alisha and Zain and they both start an affair. Zain also raises funds for Alisha’s app. After a few days, Karan returns to Mumbai. Alisha realizes that he hid from her that a publishing house declined to publish his novel. She also found it difficult to communicate with him and to digest that he has not been earning. Hence, they break up. Zain also promises to end his affair with Tia but there’s a catch and he needs to wait for 6 months. At a party thrown to celebrate Zain and Tia’s third anniversary, Zain is informed by his business associate Jitesh (Rajat Kapoor) that they are going to be in a big time and legal and financial mess after a banker, who approved their bad loan, got arrested. Zain is already processing this information when Alisha turns up and tells him that she’s pregnant with his child. What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1339554" src="https://ift.tt/37ATjwr" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Ayesha Devitre Dhillon and Shakun Batra's story is layered and offers an interesting take on modern-day relationships, which is rarely seen in our films. Ayesha Devitre Dhillon, Sumit Roy and Shakun Batra's screenplay (additional screenplay by Yash Sahai) is peppered with intriguing moments. However, the writing is very niche. The first hour is predictable and it takes a while to get a hang of the narrative style of the film. Yash Sahai and Ayesha Devitre Dhillon's dialogues are conversational and even acidic at places. The lines mouthed by the actor are very real and straight out of life. There’s hardly any funny punchline and hence, there’s very limited scope for humour. However, it’s not a problem as there’s a lot of interesting stuff throughout the film. Shakun Batra's direction is more on the lines of the ones seen in world cinema. This time, the director is just not touching upon the relationship-based complexities but also the business angle. The comment he makes on this aspect apart from cheating in relationships adds a lot to the film. On the flipside, the beginning portions are difficult to comprehend. A lot of information is thrown in the start of the film as to how the characters are related to each other and especially their parents. Also, the film has a niche appeal and hence, a major section of the audience would find it difficult to relate to the goings-on. GEHRAIYAAN’s beginning is a bit shaky. The way Zain and Alisha’s bond grows is neatly and organically executed. Even the problems they face doesn’t seem sudden and is totally believable. The film takes a turn when Alisha gets pregnant and Zain faces problems in his business. Several scenes in the second half stand out, particularly Tia asking Zain whether he’s cheating on her, Zain and Jitesh’s confrontation and Zain and Tia’s fight in the parking lot. The last 30 minutes comes as a bolt from the blue is seen to be believed. The final scene will leave viewers stunned. Deepika Padukone has the maximum screen time and delivers one of the finest performances of her illustrious career. This is not an easy act and the role required someone of the calibre of Deepika to pull it off nicely. Watch out for her in the last hour of the film, when she communicates beautifully just through her eyes and very few dialogues. Siddhant Chaturvedi gets to play a great part and he nails it. There’s a lot to his character and his track than what is shown in the trailer and he’s particularly great in the second half. Ananya Panday also tries to give her best and is very memorable in the scene where she confronts Siddhant Chaturvedi and when she tells the truth to Deepika about the Alibaug property in the end. Dhairya Karwa gets limited scope and is decent. Naseeruddin Shah, as always, is dependable. Rajat Kapoor has a crucial part and is terrific. Pavleen Gujral, Anaaya Anand (young Alisha), Vihaan Chaudhary (Bejoy; banker), Deepak Kriplani (Karan's father), Kanika Dang (Karan's mother), Kamal Adib (Kamal; old man stranded in a boat), Mohini Kewalramani (Kamal's wife) and Shereena Master (Anika) also do a fine job. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Deepika’s Rapid Fire: “People will love Hrithik &amp; my chemistry in Fighter because…”| Gehraiyaan</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/PrD0aK3" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Oaff and Savera's music has an international feel and works well with the film. <em>'Doobey'</em> is the most memorable of the lot. The title track and <em>'Gehraiyaan (Reprise)'</em> are soulful. <em>'Beqaaboo'</em> fails to register. Oaff and Savera's background score blends with the narrative and world-cinema-vibe of the movie. Kaushal Shah's cinematography is first-rate, especially the scenes shot in enclosed spaces. T P Abid's production design is rich and authentic. Anaita Shroff Adajania's costumes are stylish and reflect the upmarket and urbane outlook of the characters. Nitesh Bhatia's editing is smooth – the film is neither too dragging nor too quick. Special mention should be made of Dar Gai's intimacy direction – the lovemaking scenes are aesthetically handled; and Ayush Ahuja's sound design – the use of sound is quite creative. On the whole, GEHRAIYAAN is a mature relationship drama but has a niche appeal. However the bravura performances and the exciting climax makes the film a decent watch.

source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/gehraiyaan/critic-review/gehraiyaan-movie-review/with-an-exciting-climax-and-bravura-performances-gehraiyaan-makes-for-a-decent-watch/

Movie Review: Looop Lapeta

LOOOP LAPETA is the story of a girl in a race against time to save her boyfriend. Savina Borkar aka Savi (Taapsee Pannu) is an athlete based in Goa. She is trained by her father Atul Borkar (K C Shankar) and it is his dream to see her become a successful sportsperson. While running a race, she trips and injures her knee so badly that she can no longer participate in races. She gets depressed and is about to end her life when she bumps into Satyajeet aka Satya (Tahir Raj Bhasin). Both fall in love and move in together. Satya wants to become rich using shortcut methods. He tries his hand at gambling but doesn’t get the desired result. He starts working for Victor (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), a gangster cum restaurateur. Savi, meanwhile, takes up the job of taking care of an octogenarian (Abdul Majid Shaikh). On the day of Savi’s birthday, while taking care of the elderly patient, she realizes in his toilet that she is pregnant. She gets high on drugs and this is when Satya calls her. He is in panic and narrates to her that Victor had told him to deliver a parcel to a man and bring cash amounting to Rs. 50 lakhs in return. Victor had given him 80 minutes to complete the job. Satya delivered the package and got the money. While returning to Victor’s restaurant in a bus, Satya starts smoking pot with a fellow passenger. The cops enter the bus at a bus stop. Realizing that Satya is smoking a banned substance, they try to nab him. A scared Satya escapes from the bus. After outsmarting the cops, he realizes that he forgot the bag that contains the money in the bus. Hence, he calls Savi and asks for her help. Savi advises him to go to the bus depot where the bus is headed to. Satya does as instructed and even finds the bus. However, the bag is no longer there. Meanwhile, she runs and meets her father, with whom she has broken all ties after her accident and after she began dating Satya. Savi asks him to pay Rs. 50 lakhs. He refuses straight away. She shows him the middle finger and leaves. She gets into a cab run by a man called Jacob (Sameer Kevin Roy). She asks him to take him to Satya. However, Jacob refuses as he’s depressed since his girlfriend Julia (Shreya Dhanwanthary) is getting married to someone else. An angry Savi breaks his side mirror. A cop, David Colaco (Bhupesh Bandekar), witnesses Savi vandalizing Jacob’s taxi. He runs behind her. Meanwhile, with no other option, Satya tries to steal from a jewellery shop called Shree Mamlesh Charan Chaddhaji &amp; Sons Jewellers. It is run by Mamlesh (Rajendra Chawla) who treats his two sons, Appu (Manik Papneja) and Gappu (Raghav Raj Kakker), in an insulting manner. As luck would have it, Appu and Gappu are fed up with daily humiliation. They are also about to loot the jewellery store at the same time. Satya enters the shop and steals money from the locker. As he’s about to escape, Appu and Gappu enter. Savi reaches the store and helps Satya escape. At the back alley, Satya and Savi are rejoicing when Mamlesh lands up and shoots Satya dead. All of a sudden, Savi finds herself back in the toilet with the pregnancy kit in her hand. It takes a while for her to understand that she had gone back in time. She gets a call from Satya, who informs him about the mess. She realizes that she has got one more chance to save Satya’s life. What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1335912 size-full" title="Looop Lapeta" src="https://ift.tt/N4Ygt86" alt="Looop Lapeta" width="720" height="450" /> LOOOP LAPETA is based on the 1998 German film RUN LOLA RUN (written and directed by Tom Tykwer; produced by Stefan Arndt). The story is interesting and experimental. Not many films in India have been made in this genre, though GAME OVER [2019] was based on the time loop concept and it also starred Taapsee. However, one is not reminded of it at all as LOOOP LAPETA has an altogether different setting and execution. Vinay Chhawal, Ketan Pedgaonkar, Aakash Bhatia and Arnav Vepa Nanduri's screenplay is entertaining at places but the side tracks are weak. There was also a lot of scope for humour but the makers miss the chance. Vinay Chhawal, Ketan Pedgaonkar, Aakash Bhatia and Arnav Vepa Nanduri's dialogues (additional dialogues by Puneet Chadha) are witty and hilarious. Aakash Bhatia's direction is technically quite strong. He has made great use of the music and camerawork and given the film a very stylish execution. The film is 135 minutes long but doesn’t seem boring or dragging even for a second. One is completely engrossed in the narrative and looks forward to seeing what happens next. On the flipside, the track of Julia is forced in the narrative. In the third try, Savi could have just avoided bumping into Jacob and getting embroiled into Julia’s problem. Yet, she attempts to help her escape. In the process, she keeps aside the mission of saving her boyfriend and arranging for Rs. 50 lakhs in 50 minutes! Shockingly, in the third attempt, she even goes to the casino on the cruise and one wonders how did she get the time to do so many activities in less than an hour! The track of the jewelers’ sons has a part to play in the main plot but it’s too childish. As for the track of father, it's written well but fails to evoke emotions. Speaking of performances, Taapsee Pannu, as always, is excellent. The script might be faulty but she tries her best to rise above it and it makes the film a watchable fare. Tahir Raj Bhasin is decent but looks out of place in some scenes. Dibyendu Bhattacharya is apt for the part. Shreya Dhanwanthary does a fine job and her monologue is superb. However, as mentioned above, her track is needlessly thrown in the script. Sameer Kevin Roy is okay. Raghav Raj Kakker, fondly remembered for playing ‘Karamchand’ in the web series SCAM 1992 [2020], and Manik Papneja try too hard to be funny. The same goes for Bhupesh Bandekar. Rajendra Chawla is a little better. K C Shankar is passable. Abdul Majid Shaikh is cute. Alistar Bennis (Robert) and Varun Pande (Yash; Atul Borkar's boyfriend) are okay. Music relegated to the background and won’t have a shelf life. The title song has an exhilarating vibe. <em>'Beqaraar'</em> is a bit memorable. <em>'Nirvana'</em> and <em>'Tera Mera'</em> fail to impress. Rahul Pais and Nariman Khambata's background score is exciting and appropriate for the film’s overall mood. Yash Khanna's cinematography is stylish and unique. Rarely have you seen camerawork of this sort. Aejaz Gulab's action is realistic. Pradeep Paul Francis and Diya Mukerjea's production design is a bit theatrical. Indrakshi Pattanaik's costumes have the Goan stamp. The crop tops worn by Taapsee are quite chic. Priyank Prem Kumar's editing is quite stylized. Lastly, Debjyoti Saha's title sequence and animation is memorable. On the whole, LOOOP LAPETA works due to the experimental plot, stylized narrative and Taapsee Pannu’s performance. However, thanks to the loopholes in the script and the weak side tracks, the film at best turns out to be an average fare.

source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/looop-lapeta/critic-review/looop-lapeta-movie-review/looop-lapeta-works-due-to-the-experimental-plot-stylized-narrative-and-taapsee-pannus-performance/

Movie Review: Looop Lapeta

LOOOP LAPETA is the story of a girl in a race against time to save her boyfriend. Savina Borkar aka Savi (Taapsee Pannu) is an athlete based in Goa. She is trained by her father Atul Borkar (K C Shankar) and it is his dream to see her become a successful sportsperson. While running a race, she trips and injures her knee so badly that she can no longer participate in races. She gets depressed and is about to end her life when she bumps into Satyajeet aka Satya (Tahir Raj Bhasin). Both fall in love and move in together. Satya wants to become rich using shortcut methods. He tries his hand at gambling but doesn’t get the desired result. He starts working for Victor (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), a gangster cum restaurateur. Savi, meanwhile, takes up the job of taking care of an octogenarian (Abdul Majid Shaikh). On the day of Savi’s birthday, while taking care of the elderly patient, she realizes in his toilet that she is pregnant. She gets high on drugs and this is when Satya calls her. He is in panic and narrates to her that Victor had told him to deliver a parcel to a man and bring cash amounting to Rs. 50 lakhs in return. Victor had given him 80 minutes to complete the job. Satya delivered the package and got the money. While returning to Victor’s restaurant in a bus, Satya starts smoking pot with a fellow passenger. The cops enter the bus at a bus stop. Realizing that Satya is smoking a banned substance, they try to nab him. A scared Satya escapes from the bus. After outsmarting the cops, he realizes that he forgot the bag that contains the money in the bus. Hence, he calls Savi and asks for her help. Savi advises him to go to the bus depot where the bus is headed to. Satya does as instructed and even finds the bus. However, the bag is no longer there. Meanwhile, she runs and meets her father, with whom she has broken all ties after her accident and after she began dating Satya. Savi asks him to pay Rs. 50 lakhs. He refuses straight away. She shows him the middle finger and leaves. She gets into a cab run by a man called Jacob (Sameer Kevin Roy). She asks him to take him to Satya. However, Jacob refuses as he’s depressed since his girlfriend Julia (Shreya Dhanwanthary) is getting married to someone else. An angry Savi breaks his side mirror. A cop, David Colaco (Bhupesh Bandekar), witnesses Savi vandalizing Jacob’s taxi. He runs behind her. Meanwhile, with no other option, Satya tries to steal from a jewellery shop called Shree Mamlesh Charan Chaddhaji &amp; Sons Jewellers. It is run by Mamlesh (Rajendra Chawla) who treats his two sons, Appu (Manik Papneja) and Gappu (Raghav Raj Kakker), in an insulting manner. As luck would have it, Appu and Gappu are fed up with daily humiliation. They are also about to loot the jewellery store at the same time. Satya enters the shop and steals money from the locker. As he’s about to escape, Appu and Gappu enter. Savi reaches the store and helps Satya escape. At the back alley, Satya and Savi are rejoicing when Mamlesh lands up and shoots Satya dead. All of a sudden, Savi finds herself back in the toilet with the pregnancy kit in her hand. It takes a while for her to understand that she had gone back in time. She gets a call from Satya, who informs him about the mess. She realizes that she has got one more chance to save Satya’s life. What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1335912 size-full" title="Looop Lapeta" src="https://ift.tt/N4Ygt86" alt="Looop Lapeta" width="720" height="450" /> LOOOP LAPETA is based on the 1998 German film RUN LOLA RUN (written and directed by Tom Tykwer; produced by Stefan Arndt). The story is interesting and experimental. Not many films in India have been made in this genre, though GAME OVER [2019] was based on the time loop concept and it also starred Taapsee. However, one is not reminded of it at all as LOOOP LAPETA has an altogether different setting and execution. Vinay Chhawal, Ketan Pedgaonkar, Aakash Bhatia and Arnav Vepa Nanduri's screenplay is entertaining at places but the side tracks are weak. There was also a lot of scope for humour but the makers miss the chance. Vinay Chhawal, Ketan Pedgaonkar, Aakash Bhatia and Arnav Vepa Nanduri's dialogues (additional dialogues by Puneet Chadha) are witty and hilarious. Aakash Bhatia's direction is technically quite strong. He has made great use of the music and camerawork and given the film a very stylish execution. The film is 135 minutes long but doesn’t seem boring or dragging even for a second. One is completely engrossed in the narrative and looks forward to seeing what happens next. On the flipside, the track of Julia is forced in the narrative. In the third try, Savi could have just avoided bumping into Jacob and getting embroiled into Julia’s problem. Yet, she attempts to help her escape. In the process, she keeps aside the mission of saving her boyfriend and arranging for Rs. 50 lakhs in 50 minutes! Shockingly, in the third attempt, she even goes to the casino on the cruise and one wonders how did she get the time to do so many activities in less than an hour! The track of the jewelers’ sons has a part to play in the main plot but it’s too childish. As for the track of father, it's written well but fails to evoke emotions. Speaking of performances, Taapsee Pannu, as always, is excellent. The script might be faulty but she tries her best to rise above it and it makes the film a watchable fare. Tahir Raj Bhasin is decent but looks out of place in some scenes. Dibyendu Bhattacharya is apt for the part. Shreya Dhanwanthary does a fine job and her monologue is superb. However, as mentioned above, her track is needlessly thrown in the script. Sameer Kevin Roy is okay. Raghav Raj Kakker, fondly remembered for playing ‘Karamchand’ in the web series SCAM 1992 [2020], and Manik Papneja try too hard to be funny. The same goes for Bhupesh Bandekar. Rajendra Chawla is a little better. K C Shankar is passable. Abdul Majid Shaikh is cute. Alistar Bennis (Robert) and Varun Pande (Yash; Atul Borkar's boyfriend) are okay. Music relegated to the background and won’t have a shelf life. The title song has an exhilarating vibe. <em>'Beqaraar'</em> is a bit memorable. <em>'Nirvana'</em> and <em>'Tera Mera'</em> fail to impress. Rahul Pais and Nariman Khambata's background score is exciting and appropriate for the film’s overall mood. Yash Khanna's cinematography is stylish and unique. Rarely have you seen camerawork of this sort. Aejaz Gulab's action is realistic. Pradeep Paul Francis and Diya Mukerjea's production design is a bit theatrical. Indrakshi Pattanaik's costumes have the Goan stamp. The crop tops worn by Taapsee are quite chic. Priyank Prem Kumar's editing is quite stylized. Lastly, Debjyoti Saha's title sequence and animation is memorable. On the whole, LOOOP LAPETA works due to the experimental plot, stylized narrative and Taapsee Pannu’s performance. However, thanks to the loopholes in the script and the weak side tracks, the film at best turns out to be an average fare.

source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/looop-lapeta/critic-review/looop-lapeta-movie-review/

Movie Review: The King's Man (English)

THE KING'S MAN is the story of the beginnings of a discreet intelligence organization. The year is 1902. Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) was a fighter once but has now given up violence. He is in South Africa with his wife Emily (Alexandra Maria Lara), son Conrad and man Friday Shola (Djimon Hounsou) to meet a British regiment. A rebel suddenly attacks the regiment and it leads to the death of Emily. Before she dies, she tells Orland to promise her that he’ll keep Conrad away from war and violence. Oxford agrees. 12 years have passed. The year is now 1914. A grown-up Conrad (Harris Dickinson) is interested in joining the Army. Orlando, obviously, is dead against the idea. One day, British General Herbert Kitchener (Charles Dance) visits Orlando and tells him that the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (Ron Cook) is in danger. An attack on his convoy is foiled with the help of Conrad. However, in the second attempt, the killer succeeds and the Archduke dies. Meanwhile, somewhere, deep in the mountains, a cabal headed by a psychotic chief, is gearing up to cause destruction and mayhem around the world. One of the cabal members is Grigori Rasputin (Rhys Ifans), a priest who has a considerable influence on Tsar Nicholas of Russia (Tom Hollander). England fears that if Russia withdraws support to them in World War I, they’ll have a tough time. England’s intelligence team is confident that Rasputin must be stopped as he could alter the mind of the Tsar. Hence, Orlando, Conrad, Shola and Polly (Gemma Arterton) head to Russia to carry out Rasputin’s assassination. What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1326694" src="https://ift.tt/3rdIVoU" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Matthew Vaughn's story is quite nice, for a standalone film; the way real-life characters and events have been seamlessly woven into the plot is impressive. However, since it’s a part of the KINGSMAN film series, the storyline is just decent and not as great as the previous two films in the series. The same goes for Matthew Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek's screenplay. The narrative is engaging but the impact is limited as it’s set in an altogether different era. To add to it, the goings-on are fine but not as gripping as in the first two films. A few scenes, however, are exceptionally well thought of. The research is also spot-on. Dialogues are thankfully quite witty and fun and add to the film’s entertainment quotient. Matthew Vaughn's direction leaves a lot to be desired for most parts of the film. One can see the intention of the maker was to inform viewers how the Kingsman began and under what circumstances. However, moviegoers would obviously expect THE KING'S MAN to be in the same zone as KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE [2014] or KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE [2017]. For example, a film like BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III [1990] was also set in a different time zone and yet, it seemed like a film from the same franchise. That doesn’t happen here. The other problem with the film is that it is awarded an ‘A’ certificate. The earlier films of this franchise were too violent but this one is not. Hence, the adults-only rating can curtail its box office prospects. THE KING'S MAN’s opening scene is fine but the first 30-40 minutes are quite weak. One feels as if one’s watching a period drama and not the third part of an established film series. The drama at the trenches is too good, but again, when seen individually. As the part of the KINGSMAN film, it kind of looks out of place and gives a déjà vu of 1917 [2020]. However, one can’t deny that it’s sure to grab attention. Thankfully, the film has its entertaining moments. The fight with Rasputin is totally in the KINGSMAN zone and sets the mood. In the second half, the last 30 minutes are excellent and save the day to a great extent. The parachute and the lift sequences, in particular, stand out. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1326696" src="https://ift.tt/3rdZj94" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Ralph Fiennes is in fine form and is apt for the part. He’s especially exceptional in the latter part of the film when he’s down and out. Harris Dickinson lends able support. Djimon Hounsou gets his moments to shine. Gemma Arterton is too good in a small role. Rhys Ifans is a surprise and the impact raises many notches in his scenes. Tom Hollander plays as many as three characters - Tsar Nicholas of Russia, King George of England and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and is decent. Charles Dance, Ron Cook and Alexandra Maria Lara are fine in their small roles. Matthew Goode (Morton) leaves a mark. Daniel Brühl (Erik Jan Hanussen) and Aaron Vodovoz (Felix Yuzupov) are wasted. The same goes for Valerie Pachner (Mata Hari); her character is iconic and deserved more screen space. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Archie Reid) is lovely. Matthew Margeson and Dominic Lewis's music has cinematic appeal. Ben Davis's cinematography is spectacular and the hilltop location especially is very well captured. Darren Gilford's production design is rich and very detailed. The action this time is less gory, unlike the previous two KINGSMAN films which were too violent. VFX is top-class. Jason Ballantine and Rob Hall's editing could have been slicker. On the whole, THE KING’S MAN rests on some fine performances and a very exciting climax. However, its treatment and setting are different from the previous two editions in this franchise due to which fans of the series might feel shortchanged. Also, it has been unfairly awarded an ‘A’ certificate despite not being as violent as the prequels. On the positive side, it has got a wide release and doesn’t have any film for competition at the ticket window for the next couple of weeks.

source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/kings-man-english/critic-review/kings-man-english-movie-review/the-kings-man-rests-on-some-fine-performances-and-a-very-exciting-climax/

Movie Review: Don't Look Up (English)

DON’T LOOK UP is the story of two astronomers trying to warn the world about an impending disaster. Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), an astronomy student at Michigan State University, discovers a Comet that is directly approaching Earth. Her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), makes the calculations which prove that the Comet is 5 to 10 kms wide and that it'll approach Earth in 6 months and 14 days. It is so huge that it will turn out to be a 'planet killer'. They run their findings with scholar Teddy Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan), who confirms that their calculation is bang-on. The trio immediately reaches White House to meet the USA president, President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep). She is however in the midst of a controversy - her Supreme Court nominee has turned out to be an ex porn star. Since she's busy with this scandal, she is able to give them an audience only the next day. Janie and her son, Chief of Staff Jason (Jonah Hill), moreover, don't take the threat seriously. They argue that even in the past, many had made such the-world-is-ending predictions and all of it turned out to be a hoax. Nevertheless, they promise that they'll assess the situation. With no other option, Kate, Dr Mindy and Oglethorpe leak the information to the press, through Kate's boyfriend Philip (Himesh Patel). The article on their findings appears in The Washington Herald. Philip also arranges Dr Mindy and Kate's appearance in the famous TV chat show, The Daily Rip, hosted by Brie Evantee (Cate Blanchett) and Jack Bremmer (Tyler Perry). Sadly, their appearance on the show happens before that of the famous pop star, Riley Bina (Ariana Grande). On live TV, she admits that she misses her ex-boyfriend, a fellow celeb, DJ Chello (Scott Mescudi). DJ Chello, through a video call, speaks to DJ Chello and they patch up. The moment goes viral on social media. As a result, Kate and Dr Mindy's warning kind of goes unnoticed. Kate also gets enraged by the keep-it-light-and-funny mantra of the show hosts and she loses it. She ends up becoming meme material. Kate, Dr Mindy and Oglethorpe are deciding their next course of action when suddenly they are nabbed by the FBI and taken to the White House. What happens next, forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1318931" src="https://ift.tt/3mxMDbz" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Adam McKay and David Sirota's story is incredible and at the same time, it’ll be difficult to digest for some audiences. Adam McKay's screenplay is unique and full of entertaining moments. The dark humour bit is kept intact from start to finish and it also makes an important comment on social media, politics and many other issues. At certain places, the film gets quite serious and a bit disturbing and the change of tone happens organically. Dialogues bring the house down. The one-liners overall are also quite relatable and uses the lingo of today’s times. Adam McKay's direction is as novel as his execution. He has proved his worth with films like THE BIG SHORT [2015], VICE [2018] etc, and his films are executed in a certain way. With DON’T LOOK UP, he goes one step ahead as he takes the madness quotient many notches higher. The film has too many characters and a lot is happening besides the impending Comet. It’s praiseworthy how he seamlessly incorporates all these bits in the film and that too in just 138 minutes of run time. The central idea of the film is that the world is getting over but no one is taking it seriously. It’s difficult to pull off a film with such a plot. But Adam succeeds very well. However, at a few places, the film gets into a zone where it seems like the makers are trivializing the issue. The climax will leave audiences divided. In fact, much of the second half will have its critics. To see how the world takes the issue lightly, even when the Comet gets visible to the naked eye, gets a bit unconvincing. DON’T LOOK UP’s opening scene is not as engaging. But the film goes on another level once Kate, Dr Mindy and Oglethorpe are made to wait in the White House for hours and even made to pay for free snacks! Their conversation with the President is hilarious and same goes for Kate and Dr Mindy’s appearance on The Daily Rip. The twist in the tale at the mid-point is unpredictable. The track of billionaire Peter Isherwell (Mark Rylance) takes centre-stage and it gives a nice touch. The film continues to hold interest but as mentioned above, the goings-on become a bit too convenient, considering the threat faced by mankind in the film. DON’T LOOK UP has several prominent actors and all of them are utilized well. Leonardo DiCaprio might seem to be playing a very boring and a niche character. But he’s very entertaining and with his performance, he proves yet again that he’s one of the greatest actors of our times. Jennifer Lawrence probably has the maximum screen time and is too good in her complex role. Meryl Streep is flawless as always and her character seems to be taking a dig on a certain ex-President. Jonah Hill is dependable and only he could have pulled off a character like this. Cate Blanchett leaves a huge mark. Mark Rylance had a difficult role to essay but passes with flying colours. This is yet another Oscar-nomination worthy performance from him. Timothée Chalamet (Yule) is efficient in a cameo and adds to the star appeal. Rob Morgan is missing in between but dominates the beginning and climax to an extent. Himesh Patel, Tyler Perry, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Ron Perlman (Benedict Drask), Melanie Lynskey (June Mindy) and Paul Guilfoyle (General Themes) do well in their small roles. Chris Evans (Devin Peters) is hilarious in a cameo. Ishaan Khatter also appears in the film for around 10 seconds. Nicholas Britell's music is in sync with the filmmaker’s approach and the film’s narrative. Linus Sandgren's cinematography is neat. Clayton Hartley's production design is appropriate. Susan Matheson's costumes are realistic and the ones worn by Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Timothée Chalamet are memorable. VFX is a bit tacky in the post-credit scene but is great in the scenes of the Comet. Hank Corwin's editing is creative and the quick cuts add a lot to the film. On the whole, DON’T LOOK UP is a crazy black comedy that works despite the unbelievable plot. Thanks to the entertainment quotient and the ensemble cast, it has the potential to emerge as one of the most viewed films on Netflix.

source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dont-look-english/critic-review/dont-look-english-movie-review/dont-look-up-is-a-crazy-black-comedy-that-works-despite-the-unbelievable-plot/