Bollywood Gossip : March 2021

Thursday, 25 March 2021

Movie Review: Godzilla Vs Kong (English)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and DC Universe has made it clear once and for all that creating film series and getting popular characters from different films together is a great formula. Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures probably got inspired by this aspect and created a MonsterVerse. After delivering three films in this universe – GODZILLA [2014], KONG: SKULL ISLAND [2017] and GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS [2019], the fourth and the highly awaited film is here – GODZILLA VS. KONG. The trailer has got a great response and the memes and jokes surrounding the epic battle in the film have contributed to the film’s hype. So does GODZILLA VS. KONG manage to give audiences a highly entertaining time? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1200151 size-full" title="Movie Review: Godzilla Vs Kong (English)" src="https://ift.tt/3rlZU6o" alt="Movie Review: Godzilla Vs Kong (English)" width="750" height="450" /> GODZILLA VS. KONG is the story of the gigantic clash of two titans. It is a usual day at the Pensacola, Florida complex of Apex Cybernetics. Suddenly, Godzilla attacks the company facility without any provocation and causes massive destruction. Till now, Godzilla was seen as the saviour of the humanity but this episode makes him the villain of the world. Meanwhile, in Skull Island, Kong has been kept in a very wide enclosure by Monarch. Dr Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) works in the facility as an anthropological linguist. She has been trying her best to communicate with Kong and to understand his behavioural patterns. She is surprised when she finds out one day that her adopted mute daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle) manages to forge a bond with Kong and communicate with him. Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) is hired by Apex’s chiefs, Ren Serizawa (Shun Oguri) and Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir), based on his research and a book on the titans. Ren and Walter plan to lure Godzilla into the Hollow Earth through an opening in Antarctica and then destroy him there. Godzilla and Kong have a very old rivalry and they feel that if they manage to get Kong at Hollow Earth, Godzilla would follow and their purpose could be achieved. In no time, Monarch gives the go-ahead to take Kong to Antarctica for the mission. Kong is chained and taken into a vast ship. Dr Ilene, Jia, Dr Nathan and a top Apex executive, Maia Simmons (Eiza González), also accompany Kong in the ship. Dr Ilene orders to take a detour so that they don’t pass through Godzilla’s usual route while in sea. Yet, Godzilla senses Kong’s presence and it attacks the ape. Kong manages to save himself but gets grievously injured. With the help of Jia, he manages to recover. Meanwhile, in Florida, Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), an Apex employee is running a podcast wherein he’s telling his listeners that all is not well in the company. He finds a fan in Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), the daughter of Monarch scientists Mark (Kyle Chandler) and the late Emma Russell. She manages to track Bernie down. Bernie shares with her that a mysterious shipment is about to be sent to Apex complex in Hong Kong. To find out more about it, they infiltrate into the almost-destroyed Apex facility in Pensacola, Florida. Both are also joined by Madison’s nerdy friend, Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison). What happens next forms the rest of the film. Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields's story is entertaining and has all the ingredients of a grand, cinematic spectacle. Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein's screenplay is highly effective. The focus is firmly kept on the battle between the two monsters and the build-up. A few human characters don’t get the deserved screen space but the writers compensate for it to some extent by giving some excellent scenes to the track of Jia and that of Bernie, Madison and Josh. Dialogues contribute a lot to the humour, especially in the track of Bernie. Adam Wingard's direction is simple and commercial. He makes the whole experience palatable for all kinds of viewers, especially for the masses and family audiences. What’s praiseworthy is that he packs in a lot in just 113 minutes. Though both monsters come face to face for a limited time, the build-up is done in a superb fashion. Also once they start fighting, viewers get totally involved. In fact, he has ably handled the climax and it is sure to give a paisa vasool experience to the viewers. On the flipside, to see Godzilla as the villain might not go down well with a section of viewers, especially those who have been emotionally invested with the monster in the previous MonsterVerse films. Secondly, in the process of keeping the focus on Godzilla and Kong, the villain track suffers. The antagonists hardly get time to shine. As a result, their back story and their character motivation are never explained properly. Not just them, even the characters of Dr Ilene and Dr Lind suffer from weak characterization. Lastly, it’s bewildering to see how soon Kong is allowed to leave Skull Island and travel to Antarctica. Knowing the dangers that Kong has in the open sea from Godzilla, a few minutes should have been spent to show Monarch and Apex management discussing the pros and cons of the mission. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1200156" src="https://ift.tt/2NOiNkK" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> GODZILLA VS. KONG begins on a very sweet note and the tone suddenly changes into a shocking one as we realize that though Kong is roaming free in Skull Island, he’s actually caged from all sides. The attack on the Apex facility in Florida sets the mood. Much of the first hour is spent on introducing the characters, their motives and of course, the grand voyage in the sea with Kong. The first battle between Godzilla and Kong is highly entertaining. But the first half is not just about thrill and action. The emotional bond between Kong and Jia is sweet and adds a lot to the film’s appeal. Post-interval, a lot of unanswered questions get answered. Kong’s experience in Hollow Earth and Antarctica is also something to watch out for. But as expected, the best is reserved for the finale. The climax battle is epic in a lot of ways. The film ends on a completely justified note. Speaking of performances, Rebecca Hall underplays her part very well. She gives her best even though her character is not fully developed. Kaylee Hottle is like the soul of the film. She expresses beautifully with her eyes and expressions and all her scenes are memorable. Alexander Skarsgård is fine and gets very limited scope. Brian Tyree Henry is highly entertaining as the talkative conspiracy theorist. He gets to mouth some of the best lines in the film. Millie Bobby Brown puts up a confident act. Julian Dennison is entertaining. Shun Oguri and Demián Bichir are okay as the villain. Shun Oguri plays a character named Serizawa and probably this means he’s probably related to Ishirō Serizawa, the Monarch hero who sacrificed his life in GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS. But this connection is not mentioned in the film, not even for a second. Kyle Chandler essays the part from the previous film in the series and this time, his role is limited to that of a cameo. Eiza González suits the part. Junkie X L's music score is thrilling. The Sound mixing also enhances the entertainment by many notches. Ben Seresin's cinematography is stunning and adds to the fun and madness. Tom Hammock and Owen Paterson's production design is rich and superior, just as the film demanded. Ann Foley's costumes are realistic. Action is just right and thankfully, it’s neither too gory nor violent. VFX is one of the pillars of the film. The special effects are out of the world and one can see that the attempt has been to go one level up as compared to other films of the series. Hence, this time, Kong’s expressions are even more detailed and vibrant. At the same time, the destruction of the city in the climax is also quite extreme and unbelievable. Josh Schaeffer's editing is razor sharp as the film moves at a quick speed. On the whole, GODZILLA VS. KONG is a paisa vasool entertainer which would be best enjoyed on the big screen. The film is laced with a great story and build-up and the climax battle between the monsters is amazing. At the box office, the film has taken the best start for any film since the lockdown, despite it being a mid-week release. In the days to come, it’s sure to attract more and more family and mass audiences. The rise in the Covid cases may have some negative impact but the opening has made it clear that the impact will be minimal.

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Movie Review: Godzilla Vs Kong (English)

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Movie Review: Saina

SAINA is the story of the making of a legendary badminton player. Saina Nehwal (Parineeti Chopra) is a young girl who has just shifted from Hisar, Haryana to Hyderabad. Her mother Usha Rani (Meghna Malik) has been a district level badminton player in Haryana and she sees the same streak in Saina, who is her younger daughter. She decides to enroll her for badminton training. Despite the centre being almost 25 kms away, Usha makes it clear that she wants Saina to learn the sport. At the stadium, a coach says that the batch is full and hence, she can't be enrolled. But Saina shows off her skills and it surprises everyone. Hence, she is given a chance. Under the guidance from her coach and motivation from her mother, Saina's game improves. Usha convinces the coach to enlist her for district level and other such tournament despite the fact that she's too new. Saina, however, surprises and emerges victorious in these tournaments. Finally, one day, she gets a chance to play for the Indian national team. All is going well until one day, just before her first match overseas, Usha Rani meets with a road accident. She is hospitalized in a critical condition. Saina has no choice but to continue with her practice. At Prague, she manages to win the game and soon she learns that Usha Rani is out of danger. Later, her mentor asks her to get a better coach now that she is in another league. Saina hence joins Rajan Academy, run by a disciplinarian, Sarvadhamaan Rajan (Manav Kaul). Rajan was a celebrated tennis player at one point. He had lots of endorsement offers but he declined all of those as he felt it would corrupt his idea of the sport. He makes it clear that he expects the same from his students and that if they follow his style and coaching, they could become top players. Saina follows all the instructions of Rajan to the T. She even drastically changes her diet just on the insistence of Rajan. His methods bear fruit and Saina further goes up. However, soon there arises friction between her and Rajan. What happens next forms the rest of the film. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1200042" src="https://ift.tt/31cs4Gj" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> Amole Gupte's story is inspirational. His screenplay is effective and he tries his best to make her biopic tantalizing for the viewers. Amole Gupte's dialogues (additional dialogues by Amitosh Nagpal) are simple and conversational. Some of the one-liners of Manav Kaul are sharp. Amole Gupte's direction is neat. He keeps the execution simple and focused on the life of Saina Nehwal. He has handled some scenes with panache and it shows his growth as a storyteller. Saina’s relationship with her mother and her association with coach Rajan especially are two tracks that stand out. On the flipside, though Saina’s journey is impressive, cinematically it lacks the thrill. SAINA starts off showing a recent victory of Saina Nehwal and it’s a very unconventional way to start a film. The flashback portions are engaging and the scene where Usha Rani suggests to Saina to pick up a racquet lying down and start playing to win the confidence of the coaches sets the mood of the film. Another scene that brings a smile is when Saina discusses her diet with Rajan. Two scenes are sure to shock viewers in the first half – first, where Usha Rani slaps Saina for coming second, and Usha Devi’s sudden accident. But overall, the first half is mostly about Saina’s victories. It’s post interval when the conflicts actually take centre stage. Saina’s fallout with the coach is well executed. The climax match stands out as it’s turned into a nail-biting one. The film ends on a lovely note. Speaking of performances, Parineeti Chopra is in a great form and she pulls off a difficult role with ease. She looks convincing as an expert badminton player but it is her scenes off the court where she really shines. Meghna Malik gets to play a very crucial character. Manav Kaul is natural. Eshan Naqvi (Kashyap) is lovely as Saina’s love interest. Subhrajyoti Barat (Saina’s father, Dr. Harvir Singh Nehwal) is dependable and is too good in the scene wherein he brags after getting innumerable shuttle-cocks for Saina. Ankur Vikal (Coach Jeevan Kumar) comes at a very emotional juncture in the film. He does good later but he hams in the entry scene. Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye (Little Saina) is decent and sails through with hardly any dialogues. The actress playing Saina’s sister gets no scope. Rohan Apte (Rohan) and Sharrman Dey (Damodar) are alright as Saina’s friends. As for songs, 'Parinda' stands out and uplifts the mood. 'Chal Wahin Chale' is soulful. 'Main Hoon Na Tere Saath' doesn’t register. Amaal Mallik's background score is well woven. Piyush Shah's cinematography is captivating, especially in the badminton scenes. Amit Ray and Subrata Chakraborty's production design gives the feel of a sports film. Red Chillies VFX's VFX is praiseworthy. Deepa Bhatia's editing is smooth and the pacing of the film is appropriate. On the whole, SAINA gives a great overview of one of the finest sports player of our country. The performance of Parineeti Chopra, the dramatic and emotional moments and the appropriate pace of the film contributes highly to the film’s appeal. Go for it

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Movie Review: Saina

Friday, 19 March 2021

Movie Review: Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar

Dibakar Banerjee had a smashing directorial debut with KHOSLA KA GHOSLA [2006]. He followed it up with worthy films like OYE LUCKY LUCKY OYE [2008], LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA [2010], SHANGHAI [2012], and DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHY [2015]. He also helmed a short ventures in anthology films like BOMBAY TALKIES [2013], LUST STORIES [2018] and GHOST STORIES [2020], besides producing the intense fare TITLI [2015]. These films helped him create a fan following of his own and now his long impending film, SANDEEP AUR PINKY FARAAR, finally releases in cinemas today. So does SANDEEP AUR PINKY FARAAR turn out to be as exciting as Dibakar Banerjee’s earlier films? Or does this film prove to be an exception? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1197632 size-full" title="Movie Review Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" src="https://ift.tt/2QmhsCP" alt="Movie Review Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" width="750" height="450" /> SANDEEP AUR PINKY FARAAR is the story of a woman whose life is in danger. Sandy Walia aka Sandeep (Parineeti Chopra) works for Parivartan Bank at a very senior position. She has a fling with her boss, Parichay (Dinker) and also helps the bank get lot of investments by floating a Ponzi scheme. Sandeep gets pregnant with Parichay’s child and refuses for abortion. She also blackmails Parichay about the Ponzi scheme. Parichay decides to eliminate her. He hires a corrupt police officer, Tyagi (Jaideep Ahlawat) for this job. Tyagi gets a suspended cop, Satinder Dahiya aka Pinky (Arjun Kapoor) on board. The plan is that Pinky will come to pick up Sandeep in order to take her to Parichay’s place. On the way, they’ll be assassinated by the cops. Pinky, however, gets doubtful about Tyagi’s intentions. Therefore, he purposely gives the number of the car in front of him to Tyagi, while he’s on the way. From a distance, Sandeep and Pinky witness that Tyagi’s men finish off the occupants of the front car, mistaking them to be Sandeep and Pinky. Sandeep and Pinky then run away and become incommunicado. Sandeep requests Pinky to take her safely to Nepal in return for Rs. 10 lakhs. All cards of Sandeep are blocked but she assures that she’ll find a way to give him the promised amount. Pinky then takes Sandeep to Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. It’s located at the border of India and Nepal. Pinky then starts finding out a way to cross the border. Meanwhile, Sandeep bumps into an old couple (Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav) in Pithoragarh. Sandeep tells the lady that she’s pregnant and that she needs a good place to stay. She lies that the hotel in Pitthoragarh where she is residing is dirty. The couple takes pity on them and allows them to stay in their house. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Dibakar Banerjee and Varun Grover's story has lot of potential and could have made for an intense thriller. Dibakar Banerjee and Varun Grover's screenplay, however, is dry and insipid. There’s a lot happening in the film but it’s scripted poorly. It seems as if the writers purposely made the proceedings boring. Dibakar Banerjee and Varun Grover's dialogues are fine and some of them raise laughs. Dibakar Banerjee's direction is not upto the mark. The filmmaker has made some fine films in the past and he knows his craft. But here, he just doesn’t seem to be in form. His genius streak shines only in a few scenes like the long-drawn opening scene, shot in one take beautifully, or where Sandeep breaks down in the first half. But in most parts of the film, he falters. The first half is bearable and one expects fireworks in the second half. However, the second half is flawed and needlessly stretched. One fails to understand what’s happening at several places. This also occurs because the sound mixing is horrible. Several dialogues are inaudible. It’s shocking why the reputed makers would release a film with bad sound. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1197634" src="https://ift.tt/3rY4ngO" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> SANDEEP AUR PINKY FARAAR starts off on a thrilling note. The opening scene is filmed in one take and is almost 4-5 minutes long and the way it culminates is superb. The entry of Sandeep and Pinky in the narrative is also interesting. The scene where Sandeep breaks down in front of the old lady is moving while the scene where Sandeep and Pinky convince the old couple to let them stay in their house is sweet. After this point, the film goes downhill. The track of the corrupt bankers doesn’t really involve. In the second half, the only scene that arrests attention is when the bank manager, Sumit (Sukant Goel), attacks Sandeep. The climax is a letdown. Parineeti Chopra is in a good form. This is unlike the roles that she’s known for but she manages to put up a convincing performance. Arjun Kapoor delivers a restrained performance and in sync with the character that he’s essaying. Jaideep Ahlawat is effortless in a supporting role. Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav are adorable. Dinker suits the part. Sukant Goel delivers a smashing performance. Suruchi Aulakh (Purva; journalist), Archana Patel (Sejal; who replaces Sandy in the bank), Rahul Kumar (Munna) and Dev Chauhan (Nyal; who owns Pathik International) are decent. Sharon Prabhakar is there for a second in the film. Songs are mostly relegated in the background. 'Faraar' leaves a mark. 'iPhone' goes unnoticed. 'Maata Dharti Par Aaja' and 'Maa Ka Bulaava Aayega' are neatly woven in the film. Dibakar Banerjee's background score is minimal and nice. Anil Mehta's cinematography is lovely and he captures the locales of Pithoragarh very well. Rohit Chaturvedi's costumes are non-glamorous and that works for the film. Aparna Sud and Garima Mathur's production design is straight out of life. Bakul Baljeet Matiyani's editing is not great. The second half should have been tighter. On the whole, SANDEEP AUR PINKY FARAAR has a bearable first half but goes terribly downhill in the second hour. At the box office, it’ll face a very tough time to find audiences.

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Movie Review: Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar

Thursday, 18 March 2021

Movie Review: Mumbai Saga

The Mumbai underworld has been a fascinating and intriguing chapter in the history of the Maximum City. Sanjay Gupta has already made two films in this space – SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA [2007; as producer and writer] and SHOOTOUT AT WADALA [2013; as director, producer and writer]. And now he’s back with MUMBAI SAGA. It features Emraan Hashmi and John Abraham together for the first time. Both have a strong presence amongst the masses and hence, this film has aroused excitement for viewers and even exhibitors. So does MUMBAI SAGA give the audiences an entertaining time? Or does it fail? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1197423" src="https://ift.tt/2OCweox" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> MUMBAI SAGA is the story of a gangster and his rivalry with a cop. In the mid-80s, Amartya Rao (John Abraham) lives with his family, comprising of his father (Rajendra Gupta), brother Arjun (Harsh Sharma) and wife Seema (Kajal Aggarwal) in Mumbai. His family sells vegetables on the streets and are harrowed as they have to pay ‘hafta’ (bribe) to the goons of Gaitonde (Amole Gupte). One day, Arjun argues with one of the goons who then throws Arjun off from a bridge. Amartya saves him in the nick of time before Arjun gets crushed under the train. Amartya till now had decided to not get involved with gangsters. However, he loves Arjun to death and the attack on him enrages him. He single handedly assaults Gaitonde’s men and even chops off the hand of one of the goons. Gaitonde, who operates from the jail, tells the police to get Amartya arrested. Moreover, he puts Amartya in the same jail as him. Gaitonde’s henchmen attack Amartya in the prison. Yet again, Amartya single handedly defeats them. Gaitonde now realises that Amartya is too dangerous. The next day, Amartya is released on bail. This is made possible by Bhau (Mahesh Manjrekar), the unofficial king of Mumbai. Bhau offers Amartya to work for him and to find a solution to Gaitonde and his menace. In no time, Amartya learns the tricks of the trade. He also usurps Gaitonde’s territory, between Dadar and Byculla. Gaitonde has no choice but to accept defeat. The story then moves 12 years ahead. Arjun (Prateik Babbar) has now grown up and Amartya sends him off to UK to protect him. Meanwhile, Sunil Khaitan (Samir Soni) is an industrialist who owns a mill, built by his ancestors. He wants to fire all the mill workers, demolish the mill and sell the land for an astronomical price. He takes the help of Gaitonde to evict the mill owners. Bhau tells Amartya to stop the Khaitaan Mill from materializing so that he can get the votes of mill workers. Amartya meets Sunil and warns him of dire consequences. Sunil complains to Gaitonde about Amartya’s trend. In retaliation, Gaitonde tries to kill Arjun when the latter is in Mumbai on a short visit. Arjun escapes unhurt. An angry Amartya then finishes off Sunil Khaitan in broad daylight. His widow, Sonali (Anjana Sukhani), goes to the police headquarters and announces that she’ll reward Rs. 10 crore to the cop who kills Amartya. Vijay Savarkar (Emraan Hashmi) gets interested in this offer and decides that he’ll kill Amartya, come what may. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Sanjay Gupta's story is interesting and full of thrills and even twists and turns. The film is inspired from true events. Moreover, it is based on those people who many might not know about. Robin Bhatt and Sanjay Gupta's screenplay is effective. The writers try their best to ensure that the focus remains on the main plot and that viewers don’t get bored even for a second. Hence, the film moves at a supersonic speed. A few moments are exceptional in the film and are very well thought of. Sanjay Gupta's dialogues (additional dialogues by Vaibhav Vishal) enhance the film’s mass appeal. Some one-liners are sure to induce claps in the theatres. Sanjay Gupta's direction is appropriate. He treats the story in a very dramatic and entertaining manner and tries his best to cater to the lowest denominator. As a result, he peppers the narrative with massy moments in abundance. The characters of Amartya and Savarkar especially are strong and are well fleshed out. On the flipside, a few characters don’t get the deserved screen time. Sanjay Gupta also should have made the second half, particularly the climax sharper. The length in the second half is also a bit of an issue. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1197436" src="https://ift.tt/3tvj1fZ" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> MUMBAI SAGA begins on a rocking note which depicts the politician-gangster nexus in Mumbai a few decades ago. The film wastes no time as it soon comes to the point as to why Amartya became a don. The scene where Amartya attacks Gaitonde’s men on the railway bridge begins unexpectedly and is sure to be loved by the masses. The second action scene, in the prison, takes the fun forward. Amartya’s rise seems too quick but thankfully, there’s lots happening in the film to keep the interest going. Sunil Khaitan’s assassination is highpoint. The intermission comes at a superb juncture. Post interval, the cat and mouse chase between Amartya and Savarkar keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, as also the sudden twist in the tale in the pre-climax. The climax, though could have been better, is worth watching. John Abraham is in top form. He looks every inch a dreaded gangster and he is fantastic in the action scenes. At several places, he flashes his dimpled smile briefly and that adds to his character’s charisma. Emraan Hashmi has a late entry and that might make his fans unhappy. But the moment he enters the narrative, he is rocking. Not just with action, he also steals the show with his one-liners. His dialogue on the police uniform will create frenzy in cinemas. Mahesh Manjrekar is too good as the shrewd politician. Amole Gupte is superb. Prateik Babbar looks a bit off but manages to leave a mark. Kajal Aggarwal and Anjana Sukhani get limited scope. Same goes for Tithi Raaj (Neelam; Arjun’s wife). Gulshan Grover (Nari Khan) looks stylish and is decent. Rohit Bose Roy (Baba) is fine as Amartya’s right hand man. But his motive in the second half seems a bit unconvincing. Samir Soni, Shaad Randhawa (Jagannath), Vivaan Parashar (Sadashiv) and Harsh Sharma are okay. Music has limited scope in a film like this. Thankfully, there are only 2 songs in the film. 'Danka Baja' is foot tapping. 'Shor Machega' is well shot but seems out of a place in a period film. Amar Mohile's background score is dramatic and thrilling. Shikhar Bhatnagar's cinematography is sans complaints. Priya Suhas and Sunil Nigvekar's production design and Nahid Shah's costume are authentic. Anbariv's action is one of the highpoints of the film. Nube Cirrus's VFX is good at some places. Bunty Nagi's editing could have been crisper in the second half. On the whole, MUMBAI SAGA is a film that deserves to be experienced on the big screen. It is embellished with massy moments, clap worthy dialogues, sudden twists and loads of style. At the box office, it’ll find patronage in the theatres and bring the smiles back on the faces of distributors and exhibitors.

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Movie Review: Mumbai Saga

Wednesday, 10 March 2021

Movie Review: Roohi

It’s been almost a year when theatres were asked to shut down due to rapid rise in the cases of Coronavirus in the country. Two of the films playing in theatres at that point were ANGREZI MEDIUM, produced by Dinesh Vijan, and KAAMYAAB, directed by Hardik Mehta. In an interesting turn of events, ROOHI, the film that releases today and kickstarts the movie-watching season in cinemas, is helmed by both these personalities. So does ROOHI manage to entertain and enthral the audiences? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1193863 size-full" title="Movie Review: Roohi" src="https://ift.tt/30wSjqN" alt="Movie Review: Roohi" width="720" height="450" /> ROOHI is the story of a possessed girl. Bhawra Pandey (Rajkummar Rao) and Kattanni Qureshi (Varun Sharma) work as crime journalists in a small town, Baagadpur. They also specialise in ‘pakdaai shaadi’ aka bride kidnapping, an accepted custom in Baagadpur. One day, their boss, Guniya Shakeel (Manav Vij) orders them to kidnap a girl, Roohi (Janhvi Kapoor), from a nearby town, Mujaribaad. Bhawra and Kattanni manage to kidnap Roohi while she is with her father (Rajesh Jais). As per the ‘pakdaai shaadi’ custom, after the girl is kidnapped, she is straight away taken to the marriage venue. Bhawra and Kattanni are also supposed to follow suit with Roohi. But after the kidnap takes place, Guniya calls them and tells them that the groom’s uncle has passed away suddenly. Hence, the marriage will now take place after a week. Till then, Bhawra and Kattanni are told to keep her as a hostage in an abandoned property in the hills of Ambiyapur. On the first night, Bhawra goes to offer dinner to Roohi only to realize that she is possessed. Kattanni, at first, doesn’t believe but later, even he sees the possessed side of Roohi. However, instead of being frightened, Kattanni falls for the possessed Roohi. Bhawra, on the other hand, is in love with the non-possessed Roohi. He decides to help her and get the witch out of her body. Kattanni however is averse to the idea as loves the possessed Roohi and if Bhawra succeeds, the witch will leave Roohi forever. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and Gautam Mehra's story is interesting and novel. The writers try their best to bring something new to the table. Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and Gautam Mehra's screenplay, however, is interesting only in parts. A few scenes are exceptional and bring the house down. But the serious portions don’t make the desired impact. Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and Gautam Mehra's dialogues are witty. But the dialect is too authentic and is incomprehensible at many places. Hardik Mehta's direction is average at best. On the plus side, he handles some scenes with élan. Also, he sets the mood right, especially in the horror scenes. Even the various towns shown in the film are uniquely depicted. For instance, the bizarre bride kidnapping custom in Baagadpur, the spooky hills of Ambiyapur and the practice of desi exorcism in Chimmatipur add to the film’s novelty. On the flipside, the climax is disappointing. The film also ends on an abrupt note. One hopes that the makers would provide some backstory about Roohi’s past but that never happens. The same route was also followed in STREE [2018], where the mysterious girl’s (Shraddha Kapoor) track ends on a cliffhanger. In the case of ROOHI, it doesn’t make the same impact as STREE. Also, here the goings-on are rather confusing and the dialect is difficult to understand. Several dialogues are sure to go bouncer for many viewers. LOL- Janhvi on being TROLLED: “Fir to main HINDUSTAN ki sabse POPULAR…”| Roohi <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3epvgq5" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> ROOHI starts off on an interesting note, depicting the concept of bride kidnapping in Baagadpur, that too through the eyes of a foreign reporter (Alexx O'Nell). The film gets better once Bhawra and Kattanni kidnap Roohi and set base at the spooky, abandoned factory. The scene where Bhawra narrates about the possessed Roohi to Kattanni is sure to raise laughs. The scene where Kattanni, instead of running away, falls for the possessed Roohi is unique and unexpected. It will bring smiles on the faces of the viewers. The interval comes at an interesting juncture. Post-interval, the film begins to fall but a few scenes especially of the marriage with the dog and Bhawra’s conversation with the old lady (Sarita Joshi) add to the humour and madness. The climax, though unpredictable, is disappointing. Talking of performances, Rajkummar Rao is in his element as expected. Due to his adorable performance, one doesn’t hate him even though he’s playing a kidnapper in the film. And his comic timing is spot-on, especially in the scenes where he’s running away from the possessed Roohi. Janhvi Kapoor is a big surprise. She hardly has any dialogues but gets her act right with her expressions. And she also is convincing as the witch. Varun Sharma is marvellous and manages to raise laughs. In the last 30 minutes, however, he doesn’t have much to do. Manav Vij suits the part and his performance is fair. Sarita Joshi (credited in the film as Padma Shri Sarita Joshi) is hilarious and one wishes that she had a longer screen time. Alexx O'Nell is lovely. Rajesh H Jais, Anurag Arora (Tantrik), Sumit Gulati (Paras; Roohi’s groom in the end) are okay. Sachin-Jigar's music is appropriate for the film and it’s theme. 'Kiston' comes suddenly but is soulful. 'Bhootni' is hilarious while 'Panghat' is played in the end credits. 'Nadiyon Paar' is attached with the film’s print before the film starts. It is the best song of the lot and well shot. One wishes if it was a part of the film’s narrative. Ketan Sodha's background score is well woven and also contributes to the horror quotient. Amalendu Chaudhary's cinematography is spectacular. The various locales in the film are well captured. Ayushi Agarwal and Abhijeet Shresth's production design is quirky and adds to the eerie atmosphere. Theia Tekchandaney's costumes are realistic. Nikita Kapoor's prosthetics are very convincing. Manohar Verma's action is fine while Red Chillies.VFX's VFX is first-rate. Huzefa Lokhandwala's editing is fine and could have been better and crisper in the first half. On the whole, ROOHI rests on a unique concept, fine performances and some interesting funny and horror sequences. However, the disappointing climax and difficult-to-understand dialect might affect the film’s prospects at the box office.

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