2017 Q1 Top Performers -
Best Actors (Male) -
- John Ibraham (Rocky Handsome)
- Vicky Kaushal (Masaan)
- Manoj Bajpayee. (Bhudia Singh - Born to Run)
Best Actors (Female) -
- Tapsee Pannu (Running Shaadi)
- Richa Chadha (Masaan)
- Deepa Mehta (Midnight's children) - 2012 movie
Best Director -
- Neeraj Ghaywan (Masaan)
- Amit Roy (Running Shaadi)
- Ruchika Oberoi (Island City) - 2015 movie.
- Nishikant Kamat. (Rocky Handsome)
- Munish Bhardwaj (Moh Maya Money)
Worst of the Quarter -
- Ajay Devgan (Shivaay)
- Remo / Jacqueline Fernandez (Flying Jatt)
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Director - Mudassar Aziz
Actors - Diana Penty, Abhay Deol, Jimmy Shergill.
A woman centric comedy is always refreshing and difficult to do. This blogger is biased for Jimmy Shergill so.. I am sorry but I may have liked it more than I should have. A sweet love story crossing borders between India and Pakistan. Making no statement just simply India and Pakistan are the backdrop. Abhay Deol is also in a very refreshing good role of son of a Pakistani politician. There are no strong high points in the movie but it goes on at a comfortable pace with not too many up and downs. Perfect time pass movie.
The movie is about a girl who runs away from home and then runs away more and more, she runs away to Pakistan and has to be brought back. The Lover wants her and she makes new relations etc.... If you don't have too many issues in life watch the movie. If you are the right wing kind, who suddenly have found a new fond hate for Pakistan then skip it, this won't help you hate more. They just show Pakistan as another regular country with people!
Masaan - 5.0 Stars. (R) - You Tube / Netflix.
Director - Neeraj Ghaywan
Actors - Richa Chadhha, Vicky Kaushal, Sanjay Mishra.
This seems like a 2015 movie. After scrollingpast it forever on Netflix we decided to give it a go.... and oh what a decision it turned out to be! A beautiful poetry of a movie. A movie which makes this blogger sit numb in happiness and sadness.... life as it unfolds for 4 extraordinary ordinary lives. Life in it's ugly and beautiful ways takes them on a ride. Life .. Death and everything in between....
The movie has some heavy weights behind it ... Phantom Production (Anurag Kashyap), it was a Cannes Festival release I think. I wonder how can a director (Neeraj Ghaywan) and writer (Varun Grover) conjure this thing into a movie from thin air. There are writers in India? Wow... and what they can do! Finally the actors, is there anyone who can do a better job than this? Richa Chadhha playing a girl stuck being a girl in an oppressive culture, Shweta Tripathi ... is another power house performer who can light up the screen with her innocence and smile. Speaking of Power House performers and seasoned greats like - Sanjay Mishra, Vicky Kaushal and Pankaj Tripathi.
It's about a Girl who was caught romancing a boy and having feelings for a Boy makes her life spiral downwards. Being a Boy is also not easy, the movie also tracks a Boy who has to shake his caste and society if he wants to have feelings for a girl. I don't think I can explain it... because it's not a story... life unfolds.
One big disclaimer! - YES IT IS ARTSY kind.... so if you are not into them, probably you can treat it like a 3.5 star movie.
Midnight's Children - 4.0 Stars (R) - Amazon Video, Netflix.
Director - Deepa Mehta.
Actors - Rajat Kapoor, Vansh Bharadwaj, Ronit Roy.
All I remembered from Midnight's Children is .... some huge controversy with the writer Salman Rushdie and Right wing hindu fundamentalists involved. That tells you that the book is worth something :) When Deepa Mehta directs a movie it has to involve all the complex intertwines the author intended to present to the reader. The product is a beautiful ode to history of india and fictitious lives it affects as 2 countries and 2 kids are born and exchanged. Life unfolds with lot of drama and fantasy and crazy happens.... very well shot and very well directed. This is for people who like complex books made into complex movies. Attempt it if you have patience and time to enjoy a marathon of a movie. It is exactly opposite of mindless timepass Bollywood movie.
Budhia Singh Born to Run - 3.5 Stars (PG-13) -
Director - Soumendra Padhi
Actors - Manoj Bajpayee, Mayur Patole
Honestly I did not know about this 5 year old kid who was a rage in India for running inter city marathons. Story of Budhia a running sensation from the slums who had an able and iccentric coach. The movie is well made and remains pretty real and factual, beautiful depiction of how things change once things gets noticed.
Wajah Tum Ho - 2.5 Stars (R) -
Director - Vishal Pandya
Actors - Sharman Joshi, Sanaa Khan, Zarine Khan.
I did not remember what happened in the movie, that makes it a 2.5 star movie. Movie can leave an impression if it is good or bad, this one was a perfect low budget low class thriller, suspense, some dollops of sex and drama all in one. You get the idea... bunch of one liners, police, chor, dhoka, indecent proposal mixed with Race kind of twists with some good music. If you are not too snooty about movies, and you got time to kill ... sure go for it. It has over the top acting from all involved.
Baar Baar Dekho - 4.0 Stars (G) - YouTube
Director - Nitya Mehra
Actors - Sidharth Malhotra, Katrina Kaif.
After I got a lot of bad feedback of this movie, I finally got a chance to watch this one. I was expecting to click forward and get it over with (Professional Hazard for a Movie reviewer). Turned out... Wife... who is always right, was right again. I liked it! Perfect cute romantic movie. It did great impersonation of 'Hallmark' or Disney romantic movies from Hollywood.
A professor, yes.... Sidharth Malhotra is a professor in this movie! and no it is not a joke. Anyway... a professor is getting married and having cold feet and then he starts time travelling uncontrolled by him to find how life will be if he took certain decisions, he can go back and correct them too. Obviously it is about how cute small things are everything in life and big milestones are not. But I get a lump in my throat if a movie is hopelessly romantic about life! I liked it, but again if you are cynic kind and can't watch mushy stuff... (like I was 20 years ago) ... don't try it.
A professor, yes.... Sidharth Malhotra is a professor in this movie! and no it is not a joke. Anyway... a professor is getting married and having cold feet and then he starts time travelling uncontrolled by him to find how life will be if he took certain decisions, he can go back and correct them too. Obviously it is about how cute small things are everything in life and big milestones are not. But I get a lump in my throat if a movie is hopelessly romantic about life! I liked it, but again if you are cynic kind and can't watch mushy stuff... (like I was 20 years ago) ... don't try it.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil - 3.5 Stars. (PG) - YouTube rental.
Director - Karan Johar
Actors - Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Ranbir Kapoor cries and cries more.... Aish looks stunning ... and Anushka lights up the screen... yes it is a KJ movie. Karan Johar redefined Big Bollywood Movies with his kind of movies, this is another from the same genre. Couple of decades back I would not watch this, now I am ok with this. Great music beautiful presentation.
What I like about the movie -
- It's an out and out love story. So it is kind of in a nice niche of it's own.
- Girl is brash and strong and Guy is lost and weak (though Ranbir is master of that role), this is a pretty good refreshing change.
- The music is awesome, even if you don't care about the movie the music keeps you going. Like all these new crop of movies, they have to be shot oversees preferably Europe, I guess someday this fad will fade too. Really it could have been a 2.5 but for the music and some refreshing philosophy.
- It kind of shows how friendship is an emotion way better than being in Love, friendship is way more caring than selfishness of love! Well at least that's what got out of it. If you survive till the end and can take the cheesiness of the climax with 2 bald characters (cant divulge too much) .... they belabor and explain the whole point.
Banjo - 3.0 Stars. (PG) -
Director - Ravi Jadhav
Actors - Ritiesh Deshmukh, Nargis Fakhri.
A Mumbai slum Banjo player who is accidentally heard by an American musician, tries to search for him resulting in this movie. I like it that they dared to make a movie with such a different theme! Kudos to them. It was not really bad either.
The American girl comes to Mumbai looking for the Banjo Player who is right in front of her eyes all through, as they live through a topsy turvy music scene, tapori gangs, fall in love... or not. I know you guys are not going to watch it, but if you do, it's not THAT bad as the name suggest :) thinking about it.. who the heck names their movie BANJO!
The American girl comes to Mumbai looking for the Banjo Player who is right in front of her eyes all through, as they live through a topsy turvy music scene, tapori gangs, fall in love... or not. I know you guys are not going to watch it, but if you do, it's not THAT bad as the name suggest :) thinking about it.. who the heck names their movie BANJO!
Shivaay - 0 Stars.(PG) -
Director - Ajay Devgan
Actors - Ajay Devgan, Erika Kaar.
Ajay Devgan is hell bent on being a director. I heard him say - of all given choices he loves direction! because that makes him say what he wants to say. God give him less power! Sometimes ... we not having enough resources to kill ourselves is a good thing. Devgan has a very old school sensibilities, he is late by at least 25 years. He wants to become a super hero, romancing white girls, raising kid on his own and fighting armies of various countries all by himself!! Is that what you want to really do? So all those brooding eyes, and emoting with sad eyes are being forced by other directors on you? Thank God .... you had to work under other directors. I don't want to be mean, but I guarantee you Mr Devgan you are not a director, you are an actor, play to your strengths and don't waste your money.
Force 2 - 3.0 Stars (R) - Netflix / YouTube
Director - Abhinay Deo.
Actors - John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha.
I did not know Force was such a big hit that they made a sequel to it. Honestly I have little recollection of the movie, in the first one John is a cop and his wife dies and that is the sad part which sticks with him all along the movie as he tackles the case given to him which is obviously tied to her wife's murder too.
In this one the sadness still remains the same as they kind of remind you about it. John is a Mumbai cop and somehow needs to join forces with Raw (indian intelligence) to crack a case and Raw officer is Sonakshi... in the worst role of her career. She has a ugly wig on her and she just does not look comfortable in the role nor does John. John still goes through the movie with ease as he knows what he is required to do. I know I have been hard on John in earlier blogs but John has shown improvement.... that is saying a lot!! He is starting to understand how to not do too much if you don't know what to do... Wow.. even John is improving!
In this one the sadness still remains the same as they kind of remind you about it. John is a Mumbai cop and somehow needs to join forces with Raw (indian intelligence) to crack a case and Raw officer is Sonakshi... in the worst role of her career. She has a ugly wig on her and she just does not look comfortable in the role nor does John. John still goes through the movie with ease as he knows what he is required to do. I know I have been hard on John in earlier blogs but John has shown improvement.... that is saying a lot!! He is starting to understand how to not do too much if you don't know what to do... Wow.. even John is improving!
Rocky Handsome - 4.0 Stars (R) - Netflix
Director - Nishikant Kamat.
Actors - John Abraham, Shruti Hassan.
Mr John Abraham has arrived, yes.. after decades of flunking the acting class... he has passed!! The guy is a legit actor... He cried!! and I did not laugh... I cried with him!! ... well.. not really.. but come on.... let me flow.
The director was awesome he put John in situations that suit him. A typical action movie with a string tugging at your heart. The emotion of the movie is exactly same to Shivaay and treatment completely different, this is how you make a movie about a missing girl and the hero trying to save her. (Devgan needs to see how not to waste money and still involve emotions into the narration). John does not act he has one emotion the entire movie and it works! He is sad and he is angry and confused and that's how it stays, he is our Bond he is our Bachchan from Kaala Pathar... he wants the kid back and he will make it happen. My friend has criticized me to embrace John just because he was not a complete goof up.... but hey! the world has Hope!! If John can act... who knows the world may become more loving too! Believe.
The director was awesome he put John in situations that suit him. A typical action movie with a string tugging at your heart. The emotion of the movie is exactly same to Shivaay and treatment completely different, this is how you make a movie about a missing girl and the hero trying to save her. (Devgan needs to see how not to waste money and still involve emotions into the narration). John does not act he has one emotion the entire movie and it works! He is sad and he is angry and confused and that's how it stays, he is our Bond he is our Bachchan from Kaala Pathar... he wants the kid back and he will make it happen. My friend has criticized me to embrace John just because he was not a complete goof up.... but hey! the world has Hope!! If John can act... who knows the world may become more loving too! Believe.
Moh Maya Money - 4.0 Stars. (R) - YouTube
Director - Munish Bhardwaj
Actors - Neha Dhupia, Ranvir Shorey.
Neha Dhupia and Ranvir Shorey are rockstars in this blogger's books. Once their names are on a movie, the expectations go up. This movie is in the genre of Awara, Deewar, and maybe Raju ban gaya gentleman. What's common between these movies? Let me explain... there are only 6 stories in the world to be told, you need to decide how to treat them. This genre is a story of a regular middle class man who wants to make it big, he doesn't accept his destiny of a middling life, he wants to do something ... if that something is to break a few rules so be it! As a result he runs into problems and in the end he/she succeeds or fails. The story has been a favorite in 70s and 80s as common man sees a glass ceiling and they can't move past it. Anyway... this movie starts like a small cute story but suddenly becomes dark and scary soon. Ranvir and Neha are in pretty good form.
Island City - 3.5 Stars. (R)
Director - Ruchika Oberoi
Actors - Vinay Pathak, Amruta Subhash, Tannishtha Chaterjee
Watched in an airplane, I think it is an old movie but worth a mention. Again it does come in a artsy genre, 3 completely different stories somehow have a connection. Vinay Pathak is a corporate slave / employee and he is depressed and he wants to kill everyone, there are other stories attached to this main story. One of them is about a family with a typical overbearing Dad you find in most households. The guy is on the death bed and the wife needs to become the bread winner. Is an insensitive Dad even needed in their lives? They escape into a TV serial with similar theme, TV serial and reality are mixed, what happens on TV affects the family more than real life. All confused? go and watch it .. If you find it and ...... be patient.
Mirzya - 2.0 Stars.(PG) - Netflix
Director - Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.
Actors - Harshvardhan Kapoor, Saiyami Kher
Much talked about debut of Anil Kapoor's son. Star kids have it easy and everything is a discussion that starts as soon as you see another star kid joining. Well... if you got a chance to have a headstart in a field you are interested in... won't you use it? In fact whichever field you are in, you had a head start and that is the reason you are in it.
Anyway .... the movie sucks big time! I gave it a 2 star and not a 0 because of the effort on novelty. It shows that they were not making a 'star son' introduction movie, the director really wanted to make a classic, '2 different eras telling the same Love story' kind of movie (Remember Prem? Kajol's Hamesha?). Because the timeless love stories return and return again. All this tied by a one liner poetry running through the entire movie, all the vision was correct somehow the wafer thin story and nothing to look forward to made it a boring watch. The actors are not at all ready for such a challenge, a real star with a huge screen presence would have made it better. The story had just one twist from a typical love story, but one scene don't make a movie.
Anyway .... the movie sucks big time! I gave it a 2 star and not a 0 because of the effort on novelty. It shows that they were not making a 'star son' introduction movie, the director really wanted to make a classic, '2 different eras telling the same Love story' kind of movie (Remember Prem? Kajol's Hamesha?). Because the timeless love stories return and return again. All this tied by a one liner poetry running through the entire movie, all the vision was correct somehow the wafer thin story and nothing to look forward to made it a boring watch. The actors are not at all ready for such a challenge, a real star with a huge screen presence would have made it better. The story had just one twist from a typical love story, but one scene don't make a movie.
Flying Jatt - 0 Stars.(G) - YouTube
Director - Remo.
Actors - Tiger Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez.
The ABCD director (Remo) trying to get out of his genre of dance movies and tries to make a 'Super Hero' movie. Once you already decided to make a super hero movie you are already thinking of aping all the super hero movies and give it some 'indianness' and boom the movie is ready. the problem is it does not work like that, the sets are tacky the stunts are out of a 'Hi Fi RamLeela' ... now a days making a super hero movie on shoe string budget is not a good idea. Also the actors and director are not good enough to infuse any real emotion. The director is afflicted with the same problems as Mr Ajay Devgan in Shivaay. Skip it.
Kahaani 2 - 4.0 Stars. (R) - YouTube
Director - Sujoy Ghosh
Actors - Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal.
Difficulty of making a sequel to a 5 Star movie is - it is probably not going to be a 5 Star movie. If you can... then take this movie at it's own face value then I think it is a great movie!
The protagonist (Vidya Balan) has moved on and is living a parallel life and has a daughter. Everything else is shrouded in mystery and once the daughter disappears it becomes clear that nothing and no one can be trusted. Again a side kick (Arjun Rampal) for Vidya Balan is a cop who sometimes seems like is on her side but he has a family too and other responsibilities. Child molestation somehow is the center piece of this movie, though the movie remains true to it's roots of being a suspense thriller. Go watch it with not too many expectations.
The protagonist (Vidya Balan) has moved on and is living a parallel life and has a daughter. Everything else is shrouded in mystery and once the daughter disappears it becomes clear that nothing and no one can be trusted. Again a side kick (Arjun Rampal) for Vidya Balan is a cop who sometimes seems like is on her side but he has a family too and other responsibilities. Child molestation somehow is the center piece of this movie, though the movie remains true to it's roots of being a suspense thriller. Go watch it with not too many expectations.
Tum Bin 2 - 3.0 Stars. (G)
Director - Anubhav Sinha
Actors - Neha Sharma, Aditya Seal, Aashim Gulati.
Tum Bin .. the first one, if you remember that movie, then you should remember this - 'कोई फ़रियाद तेरे दिल में दबी हो जैसे ' ..... yes this song was the highlight of that movie and thankfully of this sequel too. The song uses same sound track as the earlier one of Jagjit Singh's timeless voice and this time Rekha Bhardwaj is completing the duet with some new lyrics.
The movie? ... it also stays true to the plot, the soul of Tum Bin. Lovers are rudely separated by destiny, life moves on and a stranger enters life of the person left behind. A new beginning happens... a new love happens... but is it so simplistic? Will lover come back? who is this lovable stranger? does he have a past?.... Don't expect too much out of it but it is ok movie to watch.
The movie? ... it also stays true to the plot, the soul of Tum Bin. Lovers are rudely separated by destiny, life moves on and a stranger enters life of the person left behind. A new beginning happens... a new love happens... but is it so simplistic? Will lover come back? who is this lovable stranger? does he have a past?.... Don't expect too much out of it but it is ok movie to watch.
Running Shaadi - 4.5 Stars. (G) - YouTube
Director - Amit Roy.
Actors - Tapsee Pannu, Arsh Bajwa, Bijendra kala
Tapsi Panuu is my new favorite, she is the cutest girl in Bollywood. Period. She rocks this movie like no other can. Set in Amritsar and travelling to Bihar... the movie is comfortable in it's indian-ness, the culture of not letting kids decide important decisions of their lives makes a frustrated kid to create a website that let's you run / elope and get married. they provide all the services, all they need is a willing couple who are ready to do running shaadi.
Tapsi is cute, then a little evil cute, and then just smart-cute. She does it all and has arrived. It is basically a Love Story and a very running love story at that. The movie probably has nothing to do with reality but the emotions it delves in .. are real. Also it is the best timepass easy going movie for sometime! perfect timepass entertainment you want a movie to provide.
Tapsi is cute, then a little evil cute, and then just smart-cute. She does it all and has arrived. It is basically a Love Story and a very running love story at that. The movie probably has nothing to do with reality but the emotions it delves in .. are real. Also it is the best timepass easy going movie for sometime! perfect timepass entertainment you want a movie to provide.
Befikre - 3.0 Stars. (PG-13)
Director - Aditya Chopra.
Actors - Ranvir Singh, Vaani Kapoor.
Befikre - Trailer
Vaani Kapoor... please get better soon! She looks sick, these actors keep doing something to their looks and end up destroying themselves. Something is very wrong with her.... she has either become unnaturally thin or done some plastic surgery or whatever. I could not get over her not looking her cute smiling self.
Anyway .... the movie is a typical Aditya Chopra movie, though he says he made a different movie... but I guess that's what he makes .. a different movie. But it has all the same emotions a love story generally has. Again ... all the so called NRI catering movies... which is short for movies with international locales and rich people problems. the only thing different is.... now these movies show a lot of kissing and earth shattering (pun intended) concept of living in and relationships with out shaadi.... come on... how long we will make it a BIG issue. Anyway movie is not bad... it does check most boxes for a movie like ... harry met sally... where the actors are in love and maybe not... yes they are ... may be they are not.
Vaani Kapoor... please get better soon! She looks sick, these actors keep doing something to their looks and end up destroying themselves. Something is very wrong with her.... she has either become unnaturally thin or done some plastic surgery or whatever. I could not get over her not looking her cute smiling self.
Anyway .... the movie is a typical Aditya Chopra movie, though he says he made a different movie... but I guess that's what he makes .. a different movie. But it has all the same emotions a love story generally has. Again ... all the so called NRI catering movies... which is short for movies with international locales and rich people problems. the only thing different is.... now these movies show a lot of kissing and earth shattering (pun intended) concept of living in and relationships with out shaadi.... come on... how long we will make it a BIG issue. Anyway movie is not bad... it does check most boxes for a movie like ... harry met sally... where the actors are in love and maybe not... yes they are ... may be they are not.
