2017 Q3 (July, August, September) Top Performers -
Best Actors (Male) -
- Deepak Dobriyal (Hindi Medium).
- Rajkummar Rao (Trapped)
Best Actors (Female) -
- Saba Qamar (Hindi Medium)
- Rhea Chakraborty (Bank Chor)
Best Director -
Actors: Kartik Aryan, Kriti Kharbanda, Paresh Rawal.
Paresh Rawal plays the annoying guest again and they try to sell it as the same character from the Ajay Devgan movie 'Atithi'. They rope in Ajay Devgan to play a cameo too. The annoying guest is rude and annoying but then as expected you have to just ignore all that because movie will twist him into a 'greatest uncle' you will ever find! Really no matter how great someone is that does not give them licence to be annoying 99% of the time. The rest 1% you throw some heart breaking past and make it all better. The movie is so disjointed that it feels there was not one script in the movie. They start with annoying guest who's 90% jokes are about 'paad' (fart). There is a entire song on Paad. Many politically incorrect jokes about Pakistan and in general quitelow standard of comedy. For some reason the guests are supposed to be going to New York but somehow land in London! anyway... it really does not matter. Go check it out if you like a cheap comedy or if you are a Paresh Rawal Fan.
VIP2 - Lalkar
Director: Soundarya Rajnikanth
Actors: Dhanush, Kajol.
You want to know why Kajol is in this movie? I don't know. Maybe she has nothing to do. Why was this movie dubbed in Hindi? I don't know. It has so many clichés that all 80s movies combined won't have. The Hero is the greatest human being on Earth, he is Geek, dancer, fighter, Great Son, Best at Romance and everything else in between. Who writessuch roles anymore? oh yea .. and he is also struggler and upright moral kind .... just keep adding stuff. Obviously the heroine (Kajol) is snobby Rich corporate CEO. Watch it and find me one single thing novel or new about this Movie. Well... I don't think you are going to watch it.
Jab Harry Met Sejal - Trailer
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Actor: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma.
I understand what Imtiaz was going for... he was going for a love story a pure love story with lots of cute romantic moments and some tears and some laughs. Like DDLJ and Jab we met. What I don't understand why you will take a 50 Year old Shah Rukh Khan and make a movie for a 30 Year old Shah Rukh? You needed some twist something.. to hold on. Or maybe Shah Rukh was yearning for good old days when he would twist his brow and girls would love him for that. So Imtiaz said let's just recreate the Magic sir. Let's do it one last time. Well .. you guys did it. Don't do it again.
Anushka obviously one of the most talented actor, did a good job with a gujju accent but it will look weird if it is not set right with surroundings and the character is dressed for it. I understand there are these westernized gujju accented girls. But that is one mission impossible given to her.
Anyway Get Well Soon Imtiaz and Shah Rukh.
Bank Chor - Trailer
Director: Bumpy.
Stars: Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Rhea Chakraborty.
When you don't have a budget but you still make an awesome silly comedy. Hats off to you. I had no hopes from this one. But it turned out to be pretty good. First check out their hilarious spoof on their own movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNzwn-pPrPc
There are 3 Bank Chor who are bad at their job. The 2 additional random actors (Sahil Vaid and Vikram Thapa) with Riteish are hilarious and they are really good. There internal jokes about North (Sahil / Vikram) Vs Mumbai (Riteish) are hilarious if you understand them. Then there is internal internal jokes between Sahil and Vikram about Ghaziabad Vs Faridabad jokes (these cities are next to each other). They are even worse than the north Vs Mumbai jokes. Then there is Vivek Oberoi, I don't think he knows what he is doing - but his one line was - यह जितने बेवकूफ दीखते है। ......... उतने ही है or something like that. It was hilarious.
You got to be in the right mind though to take such stupidity. And if that is not enough there is Baba Sehgal in the movie too, who is an after thought as he has no real role.
Munna Michael: 1.5 Stars.
Kahe ka Michael... Only Munna.
Trapped - Trailer
The movie is true to it's genre. A man gets stuck in his apartment in Mumbai. How? Why? check the movie out. Can he get out? How? check the movie out. It is pretty good movie. It has it's moments and keeps you enthralled all the way. Rajkummar has the skills to keep you glued to him. Go for it, if you can handle a stuck in an apartment movie. It is not scary or troubling at all, that is the negative and positive of it.
- Bumpy (Bank Chor)
Worst of the Quarter -
- Jab Harry Met Sejal - Shah Rukh Khan and Imtiaz Ali.
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- Hindi Medium - 4.5 Stars. G. (Netflix - only on DVD)
Hindi Medium - Trailer
Director - Saket Chaudhary.
Actors: Irrfan Khan, Saba Qamar, Deepak Dobriyal.
A well made movie, though a copy of the Malayalam movie but still it takes a lot to bring a movie to life in another language. This is what movie making is all about. Take a leaf out of every person's life and show it back to them and people laugh when they see themselves in some one else. Parents trying to get their daughter in the best school and going overboard with it. Simple plot but very well executed. It does go a little over the top but it all serves the cause of keeping a topic light and humorous that is anything but a joke in most households.
couple of clichés did take some sheen off the movie. The husband being more grounded and logical and wife being the diva and completely unpractical and unrealistic. This cliché has been pushed into every male dominated society which bugs me. Though Saba took the cake with her superb portrayal of a wife who wants to best for her daughter. The theme line of the movie is hers - when she equates every failure will drive their daughter to drugs! Though the best actor goes to Mr Deepak Dobriyal as the poor good at neighbor. He can make you laugh and cry in a few seconds. What an actor! Watch it!
- Guest Inn London - 1.5 Stars. G. (YouTube)
Guest Inn London - Trailer
Director: Ashwani DhirActors: Kartik Aryan, Kriti Kharbanda, Paresh Rawal.
Paresh Rawal plays the annoying guest again and they try to sell it as the same character from the Ajay Devgan movie 'Atithi'. They rope in Ajay Devgan to play a cameo too. The annoying guest is rude and annoying but then as expected you have to just ignore all that because movie will twist him into a 'greatest uncle' you will ever find! Really no matter how great someone is that does not give them licence to be annoying 99% of the time. The rest 1% you throw some heart breaking past and make it all better. The movie is so disjointed that it feels there was not one script in the movie. They start with annoying guest who's 90% jokes are about 'paad' (fart). There is a entire song on Paad. Many politically incorrect jokes about Pakistan and in general quitelow standard of comedy. For some reason the guests are supposed to be going to New York but somehow land in London! anyway... it really does not matter. Go check it out if you like a cheap comedy or if you are a Paresh Rawal Fan.
- Raabta: 3.0 Stars. PG. (Netflix - Only on DVD)
Raabta- Trailer
Director: Dinesh Vijan
Stars: Sushant Singh Rajput, Kriti Sanon, Jim Sarbh.
It is not bad as you expect it to be. In fact it is pretty good. Problem is in the first half, when you already know what's the story about and you have revealed it in your posters and trailers. OK let me rant a little about Trailers now a days. The trailers are supposed to bring people in to see the movie, not push them out! Trailer show all the good scenes and give away almost entire plot of the movie. I don't watch them most of the times but whenever I do I don't like them.
Anyway back to the movie. First half is all about there present life and how all 'cool couple' meet in Europe and hangout with white people in Europe. Hindi movies have some real 'inferiority' problems. All these Yash Raj kind of movies have to be shot in Europe, why can't kids be in Mumbai and Delhi and behave like kids of 2017!! I have seen them, they are pretty westernized in India too! If westernized couple you want show! Ok another rant is over.
Back to the movie. First half is about their present life where Sushant does his best impersonation of Ranvir Singh in Befikre. Both Kriti and Sushant falling in love which we know all along doing dares one too many. Enter Jim the Villian who can't speak Hindi, another Born somewhere Indian who has come to Hindi films who's 'claim to fame' is not knowing hindi. Anyway .. he is a good actor and he brings some life in the movie.
The movie gets really good when the 'punar janam' life is shown, because what you expect is not what you get! Thank God! Yes there is a little creativity in their and the movie vrooms from 1 star to 3 stars in no time. Go watch it not that bad as I make it sound :)
It is not bad as you expect it to be. In fact it is pretty good. Problem is in the first half, when you already know what's the story about and you have revealed it in your posters and trailers. OK let me rant a little about Trailers now a days. The trailers are supposed to bring people in to see the movie, not push them out! Trailer show all the good scenes and give away almost entire plot of the movie. I don't watch them most of the times but whenever I do I don't like them.
Anyway back to the movie. First half is all about there present life and how all 'cool couple' meet in Europe and hangout with white people in Europe. Hindi movies have some real 'inferiority' problems. All these Yash Raj kind of movies have to be shot in Europe, why can't kids be in Mumbai and Delhi and behave like kids of 2017!! I have seen them, they are pretty westernized in India too! If westernized couple you want show! Ok another rant is over.
Back to the movie. First half is about their present life where Sushant does his best impersonation of Ranvir Singh in Befikre. Both Kriti and Sushant falling in love which we know all along doing dares one too many. Enter Jim the Villian who can't speak Hindi, another Born somewhere Indian who has come to Hindi films who's 'claim to fame' is not knowing hindi. Anyway .. he is a good actor and he brings some life in the movie.
The movie gets really good when the 'punar janam' life is shown, because what you expect is not what you get! Thank God! Yes there is a little creativity in their and the movie vrooms from 1 star to 3 stars in no time. Go watch it not that bad as I make it sound :)
- Mantra: 3.5 Stars. PG.
Mantra - Trailer
Director: Nicholas Kharkongor
Actors: Rajat Kapoor, Lushin Dubey, Kalki Koechlin, Shiv Pandit.
You know the rules - If Rajat Kapoor is in the movie, it is a good movie. Well this one is ok. the movie seems to have started as something but ended as something else. There are lot of small plots that are not addressed after being developed to a point. The entire case of 'Mantra' restaurant is unresolved. The movie duration is very short too, it seems like the movie was supposed to be longer but then due to budget they shortened it to whatever they could do.
Whatever they did is pretty good. 1990shave brought a wave of foreign investment that is eating into the Local Brand that Rajat Kapoor has hurtured for so long. He can't let it go and don't want to see the writing on the wall. The struggles of a Delhi business man and his life in 90s. It is an ok movie if you got sometime to kill.
- VIP2 Lalkar: 1.0 Stars.
VIP2 - Lalkar
Director: Soundarya Rajnikanth
Actors: Dhanush, Kajol.
You want to know why Kajol is in this movie? I don't know. Maybe she has nothing to do. Why was this movie dubbed in Hindi? I don't know. It has so many clichés that all 80s movies combined won't have. The Hero is the greatest human being on Earth, he is Geek, dancer, fighter, Great Son, Best at Romance and everything else in between. Who writessuch roles anymore? oh yea .. and he is also struggler and upright moral kind .... just keep adding stuff. Obviously the heroine (Kajol) is snobby Rich corporate CEO. Watch it and find me one single thing novel or new about this Movie. Well... I don't think you are going to watch it.
- Jab Harry Met Sejal : 0 Stars. PG.
Jab Harry Met Sejal - Trailer
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Actor: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma.
I understand what Imtiaz was going for... he was going for a love story a pure love story with lots of cute romantic moments and some tears and some laughs. Like DDLJ and Jab we met. What I don't understand why you will take a 50 Year old Shah Rukh Khan and make a movie for a 30 Year old Shah Rukh? You needed some twist something.. to hold on. Or maybe Shah Rukh was yearning for good old days when he would twist his brow and girls would love him for that. So Imtiaz said let's just recreate the Magic sir. Let's do it one last time. Well .. you guys did it. Don't do it again.
Anushka obviously one of the most talented actor, did a good job with a gujju accent but it will look weird if it is not set right with surroundings and the character is dressed for it. I understand there are these westernized gujju accented girls. But that is one mission impossible given to her.
Anyway Get Well Soon Imtiaz and Shah Rukh.
- Bank Chor: 4.0 Stars. G.
Bank Chor - Trailer
Director: Bumpy.
Stars: Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Rhea Chakraborty.
When you don't have a budget but you still make an awesome silly comedy. Hats off to you. I had no hopes from this one. But it turned out to be pretty good. First check out their hilarious spoof on their own movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNzwn-pPrPc
There are 3 Bank Chor who are bad at their job. The 2 additional random actors (Sahil Vaid and Vikram Thapa) with Riteish are hilarious and they are really good. There internal jokes about North (Sahil / Vikram) Vs Mumbai (Riteish) are hilarious if you understand them. Then there is internal internal jokes between Sahil and Vikram about Ghaziabad Vs Faridabad jokes (these cities are next to each other). They are even worse than the north Vs Mumbai jokes. Then there is Vivek Oberoi, I don't think he knows what he is doing - but his one line was - यह जितने बेवकूफ दीखते है। ......... उतने ही है or something like that. It was hilarious.
You got to be in the right mind though to take such stupidity. And if that is not enough there is Baba Sehgal in the movie too, who is an after thought as he has no real role.
- Baahubali 2: 3.5 Stars. PG.
Baahubali2 - Trailer
Director: SS Rajamouli
Actors: Prabhas, Anushka Shetty.
Answer to why Kattappa killed Baahubali was always going to be forced. You know it they won't go bold as to make Kattappa the real Villian. If you thought so, well be disappointed now before you watch it. It is some stretched reason you know that... probably only Kattappa know how that makes sense.
I was wondering will they resist going over the top? They did. The CGI was again tacky, fake Bulls were out of a cartoon, the projects Baahubali undertakes makes him a superhero times 2. It's all fine, in fact they were pretty creative endevors the Baahubali Senior does. It is just that the movie is not as novel as the first one, obviously because it is all done in the first one.
Baahubali series was popular enough that I wrote a skit on it. When I went to check how the actors modified it. Someone amongst them told me - the only thing he learnt from the movie was - that you need 4 fingers to shoot 3 arrows at a time. So there you go. In case you did not check it out.
Munna Michael: 1.5 Stars.
Kahe ka Michael... Only Munna.
Munna Michael -Trailer
Director: Sabir Khan
Stars:Tiger Shroff, Nidhhi Agarwal, Nawazzudin Siddiquie
First movie where Nawazzuddin Siddiquie did not take a role and dazzled in it. He tries his best but comedy along with being bad guy along with being a good guy.. was too much stuffed into that character.
The movie should have been called Munna the Dancer's Love story. It starts as if it is a dancing movie that is tribute to Michael Jackson after a couple of scenes they forget about that and it becomes Action Hero stuff, then it turns into a Love Story before it becomes a comedy. They wanted everything and did not get anything out of that movie.
The movie should have been called Munna the Dancer's Love story. It starts as if it is a dancing movie that is tribute to Michael Jackson after a couple of scenes they forget about that and it becomes Action Hero stuff, then it turns into a Love Story before it becomes a comedy. They wanted everything and did not get anything out of that movie.
- Trapped: 3.5 Stars. PG13.
Trapped - Trailer
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane.
Stars: Rajkummar Rao, Geetanjali Thapa.
The movie is true to it's genre. A man gets stuck in his apartment in Mumbai. How? Why? check the movie out. Can he get out? How? check the movie out. It is pretty good movie. It has it's moments and keeps you enthralled all the way. Rajkummar has the skills to keep you glued to him. Go for it, if you can handle a stuck in an apartment movie. It is not scary or troubling at all, that is the negative and positive of it.
