Q3 (July, August, September) - 2016 Finally comes to Life and NETFLIX 4.

2016 Q3 Top Performers -

Best Actors (Male) -

1. Manoj Bajpayee (Aligarh)
2. Amitabh Bachchan (Pink)
3. Sushant Singh Rajpoot (M.S. Dhoni)
4. Rajkummar Rao (Aligarh)
5. Shah Rukh Khan (Fan)

Best Actors (Female) -

1. Ritika Singh (Saala Khadoos)
2. Geetanjali Thapa (I.D.)
3. Taapsee Pannu (Pink)
4. Anushka (Sultan)

Best Director -

1.  Anirudh Roy Chowdhary (Pink)

Worst of the Quarter -

1. Farhad, Sajid. (Houseful 3)

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• PINK - 4.5 Stars. (R)

Pink Trailer

 

Director - Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.

Actors - Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu.

A movie with a social message is tricky. It may become too didactic, or may become pseudo-progressive. Kudos to the Director, none of that was a problem with this one. This one just shows how far has Indian films come, they can make a movie that hits the right notes without compromising for the so called essentials to make the movie saleable. For all the progressives who go into the movie thinking this movie is for people who are not - you are the problem. The movie makes you sit up and think, and I felt every molecule in my body cringe, because I too am a product of that culture that makes the playing field an uphill task for girls. I can see how it all takes effect. Bachchan's performance is great and I think he manifests what Director feels for the - slow to change culture. Bachchan's character can't breath in the air / culture, that is shifting ever so slowly towards change. Even when he wins he stares in the nothingness because that is not a win in the over bearing culture. Taapsee and all girls act natural and perfect, the dialogues are perfect and not loud. Rules of society are aptly stated and the fact that everyone needs justice irrespective of whether they pass the moral code or not, is the message of the story. It is not just about women but for all those instances when you feel helpless against a over bearing system that always makes victim the problem. Just go and check it out, this is a movie you got to see and don't think you are not part of the problem, because we all are.
 

• M.S. DHONI - 3.5 Stars (G - For Kids who are into Cricket)

M.S. Dhoni Trailer

Director - Neeraj Pandey
Actor - Sushant Singh Rajput, Anupam Kher, Bhumika Chawla, Disha Patani, Kiara Advani.

I had no expectations from this movie, but it turned out pretty good. Even though I am not a huge fan of any celebrity, and I don't find them Demi-gods. The movie's biggest negative is it's length, sitting for 3 hours is a little too much for today's movies. there may be 3-5 instances they wanted to show which people don't know about Dhoni and they took a long time showing that, also very few details are really shown. The movie impresses in execution. Technically Indian movies are being made at a very high level. Sushant Singh Rajput shows his mettle as an actor, and as Dhoni struggles before coming out as a great cricketer Sushant has come out in this movie as an actor to stay. He got into the skin of Dhoni and it was hard to see that he is not Dhoni, only if they had just gotten a better wig for his  scenes for the long haired Dhoni. The movie is low on histrionics and that keeps it real. Somehow new movie directors and actors are very confident in their craft and hence don't care to over do things. Great Job guys.

 

• HOUSEFUL 3 - 0 Stars. (Unhealthy for everyone)

Director - Farhad, Sajid.
Actor - Akshay, Abhishek, Riteish, Nargis, Jacqueline, Lisa.

Don't get carried away, there are loads of crap flowing out of the industry. In case you were wondering. Showing stupidity is funny, but you still need to be creative. This franchise keeps on going, there are people who want to watch the same jokes, and same over the top cartoonish acting. You want to be brave? go ahead and watch it, mind you - there is a small difference between Bravery and Stupidity :)

• SULTAN - 1.5 Stars. (G - Kid Friendly)

Director - Ali Abbas Zafar.
Actor - Salman, Anushka, Randeep Hooda.

I think I read somewhere that this is the best sports movie in India, that probably made my expectations higher than what I have from any Salman Movie. So sorry for giving it a low rating. The movie has nothing in it. Wrestling movie, with Salman looking 50 years old uncle but acting like a child. Sallu uncle start looking at some age appropriate roles, time has come. Movie is very predictable and obviously regressive in it's outlook (which doesn't bother me - you should know what you are getting into). What the movie showed me was - how a good actor can light up a movie, Anushka is an actor par excellence, what a punch she puts in her role! and then if you want style and smug - there is Randeep Hooda, the guy always has an awesome way to present himself.

• ALIGARH - 4.0 Stars (R)

Trailer - Aligarh

Director - Hansal Mehta
Actor - Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao.

As I was talking about how good these new kids are. This kid - Rajkummar Rao is awesome, earlier he stunned me with his performance in "Shahid" and now he comes up with this. A journalist decides to take up the story of a Marathi Proff in Aligarh university who is gay. This probably is the best performance of Mr Manoj Bajpayee and that's saying a lot! The guy has a great resume, from Satya, Gangs of Wasseypur, and Aks. Both these actors just do a jugalbandi and take this art movie to a new height. I need to warn you-  yes this is the so called "Art Movie", one scene continues for 5 minutes showing a door and nothing happens! So be careful - sit back relax and think.

 

• GHAYAL ONCE AGAIN - 3.0 Stars (PG-13)

Trailer - Ghayal Once Again

Director - Sunny Deol.

Actor - Sunny Deol, Rishabh Arora.

The man himself is directing! Yes Sunny papaji directs this selfie. I was all set for an unintended comedy from the deols. I was surprised! it is not a bad movie! It is a good action flick with all the cheesiness possible. The movie ties to the original Ghayal and has a lot of old Ghayal scenes. If you remember Sunny goes to jail in Ghayal and now he has come out of jail and living a troubled 'post trauma filled' life. Not for long! as a bunch of kids get stuck trying to unveil truth about a powerful business man and there you go, Sunny papaji has to get them out of trouble. But the action is not bad and it is a movie that is pretty engaging.

• BAAGHI - 2.5 Stars (PG13 - Kid Friendly)

Trailer - Baaghi

Director - Sabir Khan
Actor - Tiger Shroff, Shradhha Kapoor.

What kind of a person names his Son Tiger? Anyway... just a random thought. Baaghi is the old school movie with loads of good marshal arts. Tiger Shroff is pretty good at that stuff, but he should do less of his 360 degree kicks, they get boring after the 1000th time. He is getting better, last movie I think he was bad now he is ok. He needs to get out of these old school action movies and do something else. The movie is not bad, lot of action, no story, everything can be predicted so all you need to do is pay attention on the 'action'. Shradha Kapoor is the prize in the match - Hero Vs Villain.

• AZHAR - 2.5 Stars (PG)

Trailer - Azhar

Director - Tony D Souza
Actor - Emraan Hashmi, Nargis Fakhri, Prachi Desai.

The movie is made on shoe string budget and none of the 'perfection' showed in Dhoni is in this movie. All the cricketers look like comedians playing the actual players ( and there are lot of them). Emraan is ok and did not get into the character. Obviously Azhar is yesterday's news and not today's like Dhoni. I thought movie was just made to make sure people know that Azhar got acquitted by court of any wrong doing. But public opinion is I guess set. I would have liked, if they would have showed more of Azhar and less of the court room drama and how he got acquitted. Anyway only hardcore movie buffs will go for this one.

• NIL BATTEY SANNATA - 4.0 Stars (G)

Trailer - Nil Battey Sannata

Director - Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Actor - Swara Bhaskar, Ratna Pathak, Riya Shukla.

Women power for you. All female cast. Quest of a mother to make sure her daughter has a better life than hers, sounds a little boring, but it is not. The story has pretty good depth to it, the characters are full and not one dimensional. It is a little slow, but later half it does catch steam. It is not a theme that you won't relate to, most parent-kid relationship falls in this category and the movie does a good job explaining it.

• TRAFFIC - 3.0 Stars. (PG13)

Trailer - Traffic

Director - Rajesh Pillai.
Actor - Manoj Bajpayee, Sachin Khedekar, Jimmy Shergill.

It is not what it sounds like. When you see Manoj Bajpayee standing as a constable you somehow think it is some hard hitting movie about social issues, it is not. It is just a thriller where a traffic police somehow ends up driving a car from Mumbai to Pune to save a life. The entire movie is very tacky, it just doesn't look real, all scenes seem to have been made up, the soul was missing, probably it just didn't jell properly. But all said and done it is good timepass movie, it's ok to forward a little bit.

 

• Ki & Ka - 4.0 Stars (PG)

Trailer - Ki and Ka

Director - R. Balki.
Actor - Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor.

It is Balki, and he comes with a few rules. The movie won't be your regular movie, it will have a very different concept and the negative of all Balki movies is - after the introduction of that novel concept the movie does not go anywhere else. This movie does follow similar pattern, but before you are going to lose interest it does give you enough twists that you are engaged. The let down are the 2 actors, Arjun Kapoor has some problem with his looks, he has problem carrying his body. Kareena looks really bad, and both can't act. Inspite of all that the movie is very good, the concept that 'ki' (Ladki) has some preset functions and 'ka' (Ladka) has set of norms is interesting. Also later on when they humanize both the characters it becomes interesting some more

• FAN - 3.5 Stars (R - Not for kids)

Trailer - Fan

Director - Manish Sharma
Actor - Shah Rukh Khan

I like it that SRK understands that he has to do different stuff and does not look good in same old 'big budget' movies he has been doing. He cannot be a Salman or a Rajneekant, I think he has way more potential than that. Doing the same thing for decades should be left for Salman and Rajni, because they won't look good doing anything else anyway. This movie has SRK and SRK as a SRK Fan. Once you get over the looks of the 'Fan SRK' you wonder if the movie will progress further, but then after some delay it does. The movie suddenly turns into a thriller with 'Darr kind of SRK' re-surfacing. It is SRK (the superstar) Vs SRK the fan. The fan challenges the superstar and vice versa. The 'chase sequences' are unnecessary and too long. especially when you are showing an ordinary kid on the streets and an aging superstar, they cannot be having chase sequences straight out of a Bond Movie. o well... over all... movie is pretty engrossing and something different from SRK. But chances are you want to see the same SRK who opens arms and makes faces, then wait for a few months.

 

• SAALA KHADOOS - 4.5 Stars (PG)

Trailer - Saala Khadoos

Director - Sudha Kongara
Actor - R Madhavan, Ritika Singh.

You want a sports movie? Skip Sultan and watch Saala Khadoos (On NETFLIX). This is probably the best sports film I saw coming out of India. Madhavan is buffed and looks good, the girl is absolute powerhouse of talent (Ritika Singh). She is just awesome, she really looks and feels exactly like the character of an eccentric boxer she is playing. The trial and tribulations of coach and student through the corrupt system, you start rooting for her with all her flaws and passion. Go watch it.
 

• NETFLIX 4 -

1. I.D. - 4.5 Stars. A 2012 film about a girl trying to ID a painter who collapses at her home. Beautiful depiction of life in general, in slums in Mumbai. A perfectly cut slice of life, the camera work is superb, and I am sure all the shots are real and not acted. the settings are authentic and the story is a beautifully carved reality. Loved it.
2. Saala Khadoos - 4.5 Stars. As I said above, a great find!
3. Delhi in a Day - 3.0 Stars. A movie about a Indian American who comes back to India for "Arranged Marriage". Discovers India, US and himself.
4. Stories by Rabindranath Tagore - 4.0 Stars. This is not a movie, but episodes. Choker Bali is awesome and so are others. You can tell why Tagore was a class apart. After 100s of years the stories are still 'alive'.

Q2 2016 - Low Turn out and NETFLIX Review

2016Top Performers -

Best Actors (Male) -

1. Amitabh Bachchan (Te3n)
2. Rajat Kapoor (Kapoor and Sons)

Best Actors (Female) -

1. Deena Pathak (Kapoor and Sons)

Best Director -

1.  (Te3n)

Worst of the Quarter -

1. Rishi Kapoor (Kapoor and Sons)
2. Tushar Kapoor

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Kya Kool Hein Hum 3 - 0 Stars.

Director - Umesh Ghadge

Starring - Tushar Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani, Mandana Karimi.

Another sex comedy from this stupid franchise. they keep churning them out so I guess they have found a formula of making it cheap and getting enough money out of it. I never laughed in the movie, sat through it probably forwarded most of it. Tushar has gone down a notch on whatever actor he ever was, Aftab is one dude who is just living it up, he never had any talent never cared about developing it. I think I like that model. My complaint about this movie is - why can't you get any originality in even one scene! the songs are like rehashed music videos seen hundreds of times. I know it doesn't matter to your audience - whoever has decided to come in for the sex jokes will come in. BUT common... you are ina  creative field ... at least try one thing creative, just for the heck of it.

Fitoor - 3.5 Stars

Director - Abhishek Kapoor

Actors - Katrina Kaif, Sidharth Roy Kapoor, Tabu.

A decent attempt gone wrong, it has a feel of Vishal Bhardwaj movie. Movie is set in Kashmir, and for some reason all Kashmir movies have a haunting feel to them. If you can survive the drag of the first half the movie becomes pretty interesting in the second half. Actors are a let down, I don't think they were ready for such a movie in their career. well.... Katrina is female aftab, she never tried and doesn't care, but someday Aditya Roy Kapoor may get another chance. He looks weird, with all his skinny muscular looks, he worked too much on her physique to look artistic and did nothing to feel the part.

The movie is about lot of fitoors, everyone has their own fitoor (obsessions) and it kind of get clear in the second half that beyond the obvious fitoor of Noor for Firdaus. There are many more entangled fitoors. Tabu has become a must in all haunted Kashmiri movies and she does not disappoint. ONE BIG PLUS for the movie is the songs..... oh they are beautiful and very much ingrained in the movie.

Neerja - 4.0 Stars

Director - Ram Madhvani

Actors - Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi.

If you want to get scared and cry a lot, yes this is it. A documentary style movie on a real incident back in 80s when a plane was hijacked. How in real life doing small things can save many lives! the Hero of the movie did few subtle things that made a huge difference. Then there is Shabana Azmi, if you have not cried in the movie then she will guarantee to make you cry once you see her. She ash Neerja's mom steals the show, but even Sonam Kapoor is pretty good.

Kapoor and Sons - 4.0 Stars

Director - Shakun Batra

Actor - Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Alia Bhatt.

A complete family drama with all the modern ingredients needed. A couple with problems after the kids left. Kids come back and they have their own problems and then obviously there is a girl. A dadaji..... who is pushing 90 played by or should I say failed to be played by a bubbly Rishi Kapoor. I have a few problems with this character, who does hindi films think that a complete lecherous and stupid behaving old man is cute? Dadaji's life is worse than teenage all he thinks and does is womanizing and looking at porn. We are supposed to laugh and find it cute. Also he is annoying and trying to give as much problems to loved ones as possible. Then Mr Rishi Kapoor probably listening to the script forgot that this character is a 90 year old, and his mannerisms remain the same as Rishi Kapoor has always acted, no slowing down of any motion. it looks like all they did was work on the makeup and nothing else. Anyway ... now that we are done with that.

The movie is pretty good. This blogger's golden rule never goes wrong - If a movie contains Rajat Kapoor then it has to be good. The movie opens to one of the funniest scene of 2016, the fight between the couple over random things with the plumber stuck in the middle. The 2 brothers are pretty good too. I would say Mr stone face SIdharth Malhotra is showing signs on coming to life, also at risk of getting hate mail from female customers of this blog, I thought Sidharth Malhotra is better looking than Fawad Khan. Alia Bhatt as usual plays Alia Bhatt. She has some ardrobe problems, being to casual all the time just didn't fit. She is good actor but she has problems, one of them is she looks like a 12 year old.

Shuruaat ka Interval - 3.5 Stars.

This should really be in the NETFLIX column because I saw it there. But anyway, this is bunch of short stories based on "Interval" all stories are about some or the other kind of interesting. Almost skits that are interesting to weird to down right bizarre. Nice movie to check out if you like this kinda stuff.

Katiyabaaz - 3.5 Stars.

If you ever stayed in UP, this movie is for you. Obviously it is not a movie (again found it in NETFLIX) it is a documentary kind. How in Kanpur Electricity theft was a big deal and how a well meaning District Magistrate wants to change a corrupt system, but people are so steeped in their own corrupt ways that nothing will ever change. Resources are scarce and people do their own "Jugaad". This is story of electricity theft in Kanpur. At least if you have not been to UP for sometime and want to travel without travelling..... watch it.

Te3n - 4.0 Stars

Director - Ribhu Dasgupta

Actors - Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vidya Balan.

From the "Kahaani" team, the film is set in Kolkatta, and again they take some beautiful takes on Kolkatta. Kahaani was a suspenseful high voltage drama. This one is a pure suspense thriller. One track movie. there are some great moments, especially when you come to know whodunit. I like it that the script is original and very differently treated. the negative is Amitabh's character is a little too strong for what he supposed to be (a very average old man). Also, first time Nawazuddin is not interested in his role. He does not have much to do, and his character is not developed properly, I thought he was confused what he is. Vidya Balan also had little to do and had no punch. The entire movie is left on Bachchan and at his age whatever he does is good, but I would have liked other character to be stronger and better developed.

It is a great movie to watch rela and enjoy don't expect some awesome Hollywood-si twists and turns and fast paced thriller. It is Kolkatta paced suspense thriller about a grand child gone missing and grand dad trying to figure out what happened. I like these movies where you are shown everything in front of your eyes and still you don't know what's going on, but in the end you don't feel cheated.

Jugni - 3.5 Stars

Director - Shefali Bhushan

Actor - Sugandha Singh, Sadhana Singh.

It is a musical, so if you like music you should watch it just for the 2-3 fusion songs in the movie. Story is about the girl who comes looking for sufi singers in villages and finds a street singer. She takes the music of the village to the Mumbai film industry and takes a lot more with her. Some romantic problems occur due to love for music between unlikely couple. it is pretty good movie. watch it.

Mastizaade - 1 Stars.

Director - Milap Zaveri

Actors - Tushar Kapoor, Vir Das, Sunny Leone.

Another sex comedy from Mr Tushar Kapoor. It seems this market is pretty hot! lot of sex comedies are being made, and if they have an audience I think they deserve a little better than a movie that any college going kid can create in 30 minutes. I fast forwarded it to finish. sorry.

Jazbaa - 3.5 Stars

Director - Sanjay Gupta

Actors - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan Khan.

If a movie's director is Sanjay Gupta, the movie is doomed for sure. Probably one of the worst directors of our times. He thinks making every frame stylish is his calling. Everything has to be tainted into some unreal colors and every frame has to be made unreal and cartoonish. I commend Aish to still try her best to put some emotion in the movie. Movie is a pretty good thriller about a Mom who's daughter is kidnapped and she is stuck between cops and the abductor. this one has good twists and turns. Watch it.

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NETFLIX - Top 20 Hindi Movies to watch on NETFLIX -

1. Andaz Apna Apna - If kids my generation got one last day in Jail and are asked what you wanna watch? they probably will say one last time - AAA. If someone of my age can't finish a dialogue from this movie when I say half of it.... I judge him. So watch a few scenes.
2. Detective Byomkesh Bakshi - Good suspense thriller about a home grown Sherlock in Kolkata.
3. Holiday - Akshay Kumar at his best in a terrorism thriller.
4. Ishqiya - If you have lived in UP / Bihar... then a must.
5. Piku - Pretty good small movie with big cast.
6. Maine Pyar Kiya - for the heck of it.
7. Gangs of Wasseypur - Weird hackathon about goonda-ism in North.
8. Revolver Rani - If you want to go even weird and twisted in goonda-ism.
9. Shuruat Ka Interval - If in a artsy mood.
10. Katiyabaaz - Documentary about Kapur's electricity problem, but very entertaining.
11. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya - If you miss Karan Johar kinda movies. I will someday watch it too.
12. Singh Is King - Best comedy from Akshay Kumar.
13. Dum Laga Ke Haisha - Cute small budget movie
14. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham - If you want to check out what they call a typical Bollywood movie. 2 scenes I remember - थोड़ी पागल है.... पूरी पागल है। .... और कैसे सोच लिया तुमने वो हमारी बहु बन सकती है.... कैसे? (focus on that last Kaise? beautiful bachchan nuance, and first line is all about SRKs facial twists which were so romantic for many years).
15. Taal / Pardes - Watch Taal songs and Pardes's dil.. deewana... and stop.
16. Ungli - It was different movie, band of boys trying to fix the system.
17. Boothnath - Ghost who come back a funny sensitive story.
18. Hate Story 2 - Good 'Hate' with some sexiness. Don't watch the third installment though.
19. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai - Remember it as a good experience of under world movie.
20. Entertainment - stupid comedy .... but you will like it. You are on Netflix and it is free.

Belated Q1 2016 Results - Bunch of middling movies.

Talvar - 4.0 Stars

Actors: Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neeraj Kabi

Director: Meghna Gulzar

When Meghna Gulzar directs generally the movie has substance and is going to grip you. No difference this time. No unnecessary emotions about a subject which has been written and made into movies many times now. This take is really well done, because it is looking at how callous the people working on so called Investigation and giving Justice are. How easily as public we believe that is handed to us by the system. In case you are living under a Rock - this is about the Aarushi Murder case.

Pyaar ka Panchnama 2 - 2.5 Stars

Director - Luv Ranjan

The first one was awesome and so had higher expectations than what it turned out to be. The jokes are there but you need to be in the mood to take them. Again the 3 poor men are being harassed by 3 selfish girl friends. I am done with this stereotypes of 'Boys are so stuck with Girls'. I want a Pyaar ka Panchnama 3 with 3 girl protagonists irritated with boy-stupidity.

Shaandaar - 1.5 Stars

Actors: Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt

Director: Vikas Bahl

This is the movie I should be liking. It is the Zenre I call 'whacky' a little off. But this one just never engaged. In fact if you see Shahid Kapoor and Pankaj Kapoor in a movie together it is not going to be that good. I have this theory that if family members try to make a movie together it doesn't work. Look at Kareena and Saif movies. Anyway this movie is about 2 insomniacs, weirdos falling in love because they see the world different than the rest. Interesting premise but then there are unnecessary forced racist comedy of sindhis and gujjus and Punjabis and whatever. 

Singh is Bling - 0 Stars

Actors: Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Lara Dutta

Director: Prabhu Deva

The problem of sequel culture is - even if you have no idea to do a sequel - you need to do it because no one wants to leave money on the table. 1/10th the effort and you get another movie. This has nothing in it, Akshay Kumar can't save this crass stupidity. stay away says the guy who loved Singh is King.

In fact any movie made my Prabhu Deva - comes with a guarantee that you won't see anything novel or different. Might as well make me the director of the movie. Why is Prabhu Deva directing a movie about Singh?? makes no sense.

Welcome Back - 2.5 Stars.

Actors: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Sruti Hassan

Director: Aneez Bazmeez

Really I am giving it 2.5 stars because I don't recall what happened in this movie. All I know is they replaced Akshay Kumar with a stone called John Ibraham. They guy has some serious problems emoting. Talk about being in the wrong profession, I think I maybe better at my day job than John at his. But the movie has Anil Bhai and Nana... who did give you a few laughs. Again problem of sequels - nothing new to present. The story line is similar Nana and Anil need to marry but then they find they have a sister who needs to be married off too. Something like that.

Hate Story 3 - 1.5 Stars

Actors: Karan Singh Grover, Sharman Joshi, Zarine Khan, Daisy Shah

Director: Vishal Pandya

Another Sequel!! Yea.... there was a Hate Story 1 and Hate Story 2 AND actually they were pretty good movies. They made sense to have a name - hate story. This one kills the Hate Story franchise, it starts with indecent proposal from one billionaire to another and obviously you have no idea what these guys do but they are super rich. the girl is wife of one but has some past. It is  thriller with a pretty good twist in the end, only if you are as good at staying up till the end as I am. Sherman Joshi overacts and the other guy doesn't care to act. The girl tries to look sexy but fails.

Wazir - 3.5 Stars

Actors: Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao Hydari

Director: Bejoy Nambiar

This one disappoints because just by the name and cast you start thinking this is going to be some kind of a smart thriller, don't think too much. it is barely a thriller. It has a 6th sense style of direction where you cant figure out what's going on until the end. A story about a Police Officer who lost his daughter during a shootout and finds solace with a chess teacher, only to get entangled in Chess teacher's life and his pain. Both Bachchan and Farhan play the parts ok, with not much interest. Bachchan is at an age where you can say at least he is acting and being centerstage of a movie at this age!, just like people talk about my cricket - at least he is still playing or at least coming the ground! 

Airlift - 3.5 Stars

Actors: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur

Director: Raja Krishna Menon

Has a documentary feel to it. It is about Iraq war during Sr Bush era, when Saddam ran over Kuwait. This is story of how Indians stuck in Kuwait needed to get out of there and how they were helped by one person (Akshay Kumar). Akshay is good in such movies and you will enjoy it if you are not looking for too much of filmy masala in it.

Mastizaade -

Actors: Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor, Vir Das, Suresh Menon, Shaad Randhawa
Director: Milap Zaveri

Another Tushar Kapoor sex comedy. I don't know how many crass comedies he has come in, by that standard he should be good at it, but he is not. The new guy Vir Das is still probably ok. I sat through entire movie and only laughed once - the joke was - में तीन चीज़ो से प्यार करता हु, धरती माँ, धरती माँ, और। .... दो बार धरती माँ क्यों? क्यूंकि मेरे माँ का नाम भी धरती है

Dum Laga Ke Haisha - 3.5 Stars

We heard a little too much about this movie, hence did not enjoy it that much. a typical low budget feel good timepass movie. story of couple in a small town who are married without their consent and how their relationship grows with time. Good one.

Hero - 0 Stars.

Director - Nikhil Advani

Actors - Suraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty, Tigmanshu Dhulia          

Sorry did not finish this one. When the story is written by uncle subhash ghai... what can they write? when a movie is made because we need to introduce actor son and actor daughter..... you know it is better not to make a movie and just introduce them in one of the zillion TV shows they come for no reason. is this 1980s? one fight scene - the guy knows how to fight. One cool scene - wow he can mouth dialogues, one romance... and then girl can smile and dance. The girl just looks like Sunil Shetty, I couldn't get Sunil Shetty out of my mind when I looked at her. Anyway nothing against kids debuting but they need something better.

Top 10 Movies of 2015. Best Actor and Director Awards.

2015 Top 10 Movies -

1. Bajirao Mastaani (Historical)
2. Badlapur (Suspense Thriller Drama)
3. Ugly (Art)
4. Drishyam (Thriller)
5. Haider (Drama)
6. Baby (Thriller)
7. Dil Dhadakne Do (Drama)
8. Detective Byomkesh Bakshi (Suspense Thriller)
9. Guddu Rangeela (Thriller / Drama)
10. Baahubali (Fantasy)
11. Honorable Mention - Piku, Tanu Weds Manu - 2, Guddu Rangeela, PK, Kill Dill.

2015 Top Performers -

Best Actors (Male) -

1. Ranveer Singh (Bajirao Mastaani, Dil Dhadakne Do, and Kill Dill) - It will be hard to match the hat trick of acting greatness by any other actor in coming years. A great entertainer is born. Many positives very few negatives with Ranveer. He probably is yet to give a great comic performance or a great intensely sad performance to reach an all time great actor. But for this year he is definitely the best of the recent crop.
2. Ronit Roy (Ugly and Guddu Rangeela) - Scary and bad. He is menacing without being over the top. Always has been a great actor this time he got some roles to show it off. I am pretty sure he can do any role if he is given one.
3. Nawazuddin Sidique (Badlapur and Bajrangi Bhaijaan) - He has already established himself as a great actor. Badlapur blew my mind the film was taken up a notch because of His acting. Though he is a little type casted but this jury (of one) is not fretting too much about it.
4. Honorable Mentions - Shahid (Haider) and Ranbir Kapoor (Bombay Velvet) - Both got into their respective roles lived it and came up with good performances.

Best Actors (Female) -

1. Kangana Ranaut (Tanu Weds Manu - 2) - She is already one of the best actors today. If she is there she takes over. The double role was so awesome that this jury (of one) was confused if it is kangana or someone else as the second girl.
2. Priyanka Chopra(Bajirao Mastaani and Dil Dhadakne Do) - Thank God Piggy Chops is back. I had forgotten why I used to call her female Bachchan. 2 very different roles, done perfectly. She is lucky that this jury is not deducting her marks for her overseas endeavors :).
3. Honarable Mentions - Deepika Padukone (Piku and Bajirao Mastaani) and Huma Qureshi (Badlapur).

Best Director - It is a great sign that this jury had hard time to put numbers to all the awesome directors in Hindi films. One area hindi films have huge improvement is Directors. If we start paying writers then we truly will have great movies.

1. Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Bajirao Mastaani) - He probably lived this movie for a few years. Waited to make it this big and this extravagant. you can see from performances that everyone believed in Bhansali's vision.
2. Anuraag Kashyap (Ugly and Bombay Velvet) - Every other director can be replaced except Anuraag Kashyap. Who else can think of Ugly? and then make it!
3. Honarable Mentions - Sriram Raghavan (Badlapur) and Vishal Bhardwaj (Haider) - Badlapur and Haider were philosophical masterpieces.

Worst of the Year -

1. Actors - Fallen yester superstars - Sunny Deol (I Love NY), Naseerudin shah (Dharam Sankat Mein) and Om Puri (Dirty Politics). Honarable Mention - Shah Rukh Khan (Happy New Year).
2. Directors - KC Bokadia (Dirty Politics) and Farah Khan (Happy New Year).

Q4 - Awesome Year closes with Awesomness.

2015 Top Performers -

Rules - scores will be posted with the reviews how many marks did each actor and director earn. These will keep getting added over the year and one will be crowned the "Actor / Director / Music Director of 2015".

Best Actors (Male) -

1. Ranveer Singh (Bajirao Mastaani) 
2. Ranveer Singh (Dil Dhadakne Do)

Best Actors (Female) -

1. Priyanka Chopra(Dil Dhadakne Do)
2. Priyanka Chopra (Dil Dhadakne Do)

Best Director -

1. Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Bajirao Mastaani)

Worst of the Quarter -

1. Sidharth Malhotra (Brothers)

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• Bajrangi Bhaijaan - 3 Stars.

Actors: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor

Director: Kabeer Khan

If it is a Salman Movie even if it is different it is not really different. The pony can do a few things and that's what he can do. He likes to play the simpleton or the superman. In this one he is the village idiot simpleton who is going to return a kid to Pakistan. Oh how cute! He can't lie whenever the narrative suits him. The movie has almost no story but is pretty clean and if you have kids watch it with them. Not that it's a bad movie it is pretty good time pass, Nawaazuddin Siddique is in it. He is good enough. Kareena is one trick pony. She does only one thing no matter what the movie is, she will make same faces and look sideways and pout... and that's it.

• Bajirao Mastani - 5 Stars.

Actors - Deepika, Ranveer, Priyanka.

Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

There are movies and then there is THE Movie. Bajirao is in stratosphere of it's own. To garner a 5 Star from this blogger you need to pack a "Philosophical Punch" - check. Drama - Check. Out of the world Acting - Check. Director's love for his craft should show- Check. Bhansali is always good with his grandiose and painting a great painting on a huge canvas, in Bajirao he breaths life and a soul. At interval you are bowled over by the grandiose and the second half the drama completes it.

When the movie won't let go of you after you come back and you can't sleep.... either you watched a nightmare or a great movie. 7 thousand years ago Krishna liberal as you get God himself told the society they do it all wrong by sticking to their dogmas and traditions, nothing changed, then Bajirao seems to run into a similar wall.... world is great.

Acting - Ranveer Singh has established himself as the best actor in Hindi movies by a mile. But in this movie there is no Ranveer ... there is only Bajirao, his Marathi-sed - hindi diction and the way he says each and every word is awesome. He is the reason the movie achieves what it dreams of achieving. Deepika and Priyanka are perfect but it seems Bhansali made Ranveer stand out by giving him the Marathi accent which was missing for Priyanka.

This is basically a Drama - love story in the backdrop of constant war when circumstances make Bajirao torn between his love for country, wife and Mastani. Go watch it in theater.

• All is Well - 3 Stars.

Actors: Abhishek Bachchan, Asin, Rishi Kapoor

Director: Umesh Shukla

This could have been a good movie, but ended up half baked, as if everyone lost interest in it between getting conceived and getting completed. Actors are tired and Director seems to be borrowing from others. But it is not really a bad movie, it is still pretty good movie if you like low budget sweet movies.

It is about estranged son coming back to his parents and ending up getting tangled in their lives again.

• Baahubali - 4.5 Stars.

Actors: Prabhas, Anushka Shetty

Director: S. S Rajamouli

This blogger does not like fantasy or period drama. This quarter still gave us 2 great movies in these zenre, if Bajirao was a historic period drama, this one was a fantasy out of thin air. There has never been a movie out of India which is so technical and visually perfect. This is like a LOTR of India. Pretty tight script but pretty easy to understand and obvious too. It is an age old story of King who is separated from his kingdom and is going to reclaim it back with the help of small thieves and villagers. He is also a Super Hero who can jump and run and almost fly. The makers were so confident that they end with a setup for part 2! Good one go watch it.

• Badlapur Boys - 2 Stars

Actors: Shashank Udapurkar, Annu Kapoor, Anupam Maanav, Saranya Mohan, Puja Gupta, Kishori Shahane

Director: Shailesh

This is not the Badlapur of the Movie Badlapur fame (near Bombay) this is some fictitious Badlapur in UP and does not make any sense why the movie is named that way. This is about a boy who wants to fulfill his father's dream of getting a river in his village. disjointed and borrowed. It feels honesty to make a film is missing.

• Drishyam - 5 Stars

Actors: Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Tabu, Rajat Kapoor, Ishita Dutta, Kamlesh Sawant

Director: Nishikant Kamat

I have heard that the original is even better and it is a Malayalam movie. I am hoping the Malayalam was not a copy of some French movie. The script is taut and execution is perfect. It has a look and feel of a thriller and suspense and does not deviate from it. Typical to any good thriller suspense you can go back and check the scenes that make sense later but won't make sense when you are watching the first time. This movie is about a lower middle class family who are trying to save themselves from a precarious condition they find themselves in. They are in the wrong and cops are tightening the noose around them. Ajay Devgan does a good job and Tabu as usual is awesome in a difficult role. Very well done. Watch it.

• Bangistan - 2.0 Stars.

Actors: Ritesh Deshmukh, Pulkit Samrat, Jacqueline Fernandez, Chandan Roy Sanyal, AkashPandey, Aarya Babbar

Director: Karan Anshuman

The heart is in the right place, and the movie is ok. You can tell that the movie maker made the movie with the message being central to the movie. Hindu is changed to Muslim and vice versa and both have no idea about their own religion but are ready to do some damage. It has some laughs but when you already know what is going to happen and it is all predictable it is takes off the sheen. Also comedy is not understated but a little over the top which this blogger does not like.

Brothers - 1.0 Stars

Actors - Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra, Jackie Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandes.

Director - Karan Malhotra

A movie about street fighting - that's all the movie maker thought before they started on it. For no reason really the 2 brothers are fighting. For some reason street fighting is now become like IPL in India. The dad (Jackie Shroff) was a fighter too and he has a dark past due to which the Brothers hate him. The movie tried to grip you with many different angles thrown in, but somehow it all is just a half hearted buildup for second half where the movie completely changes to so called street fights. I was tired watching Akshay and Sidharth in there boxing shorts doing weird stuff. Jacqueline Fernandes is fast wanting to grab the greatest non-actor tag from Katrina. Skip it.

Phantom - 2.0 Stars.

Actors: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, June Smith, Joelle Koissi, John W.G. Harley, Rajesh Tailang, Paul Lazenby

Director: Kabir Khan

There was a time when Aamir Khan was called chocolate Hero he worked hard to et rid of that image. I think Saif also has trauma of his earlier days of being branded about his feminine looks and soft characters. He keeps on coming in these action thrillers where he is the greatest spy ever born, a ajmes bond ka baap and everytime he does that it just doesn't work. Instead he is pretty good at playing a wayward lover who doesn't understand love till the last scene a La Ranbir Kapoor. Again it is not a bad movie, but these movies are coming too fast and too many. India is out avenge the Bombay attacks and  a covert operation will kill the criminals. Obviously things go wrong and then one man army (not Stallone but Saif) will save the day. There is Katrina too... who is believe it or not a spy and an agent or both .. I didn't get it. Because no matter who she plays it's all the same, oh am so pretty that I can't talk and bother about acting.

• Dil Dhadakne Do - 4.5 Stars

This blogger hates the rich people problem films but still this film was just an exception. Or maybe I am changing. It was well done, it is feel good drama nothing over the top or out of place. Rich people go on a cruise and all the drama in their family unfolds. Big sister (Piggy chops) is in unhappy relation, Parents (Anil Kapoor and Shefali) are also living a fake life. Then there is Mr Ranveer Singh, right now he can do anything, he is on a high. this did not seem to be a role for him but he takes to it like fish to water. He is cute funny and supportive and everything he does he does perfectly.

Priyanka chopra who lately had nothing to do in hindi movies suddenly shows why she is the best, Dear Priyanka - stop acting in those crappy American shows where you over act and don't do justice to you talents... please!. The movie itself is a breeze and will be over in no time and you will take nothing away from it either. it is like a good feel good timepass.

• Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho - 2.5 Stars

Actors: Annu Kapoor, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Rahul Bagga, Ravi Kissen, Sanjay Mishra, Kamlesh Gill, Bhupesh Pandya, Om Puri

Director: Vinod Kapri

One thing is for sure, you will never watch such a movie in your lifetime. This is definitely a once in a lifetime thing. It seems it is lifted from real incidences that happen in rural India. The village chief marries a girl 20 years younger and then goes after the lover of that girl. In the end he gets him accused of raping a buffalo and the case goes to court. it is hilarious at times and disgusting at times. I will like to describe some scenes but it's better you watch what's disgusting and what's hilarious and sometimes both.

Movie Reviews for Kids as dictated by Savi (9 Yr Old) -

• Dilwale - 4.0 Stars.

This movie is about 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Younger brother and younger sister get together and older brother and older sister get together. Older couple (Kajol and Shah Rukh) get in a fight and the younger couple try to put them together.

I liked about movie is that there was a lot of emotion and the emotion connected to the action. I liked most of the people's acting, their clothes were covered all the way and there was no fake muscles being shown by the men. I liked Veer's (Varun Dhawan) comedy. What I disliked was when they were driving cars and shooting there was too much action and blood. Also I disliked was that Kaali (SRK) and Meera's (Kajol) love story was too intense.

• Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - 3.5 Stars.

The movie is about a family that is separated and Salman Khan has double role. One of the Salman has to pretend to be other Salman to save his (King's) life. There is lot of colorful and fun songs. Salman who is poor and trying to play King Salman was goofing around at the palace. It was more of a timepass movie than an intense movie.

I liked was it was not too intense and easy to understand.