Movie Review: Mimi

20 Years ago, Abbas-Mustan’s CHORI CHORI CHUPKE CHUPKE [2001] introduced viewers to the concept of surrogacy and made it mainstream. Later, a couple of few films also touched on this concept but none of them were memorable. Now, Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and Jio Studios have come up with yet another film on this topic. Titled MIMI, the film’s trailer looked promising and viewers were looking forward to seeing it on July 30, the day of its release. However, the film got leaked and the film was hence dropped online today itself. So does MIMI manage to entertain and touch the hearts of the viewers? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1247185" src="https://ift.tt/2USuURt" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> MIMI is the story of a girl who decides to become a surrogate mother. The year is 2013. Mimi Mansingh Rathore (Kriti Sanon) resides in a small town in Rajasthan. She dreams of becoming an actress and moving to Mumbai. She’s in touch with a man called Jolly (Nadeem Khan), who works in films. He asks her to move to Mumbai and pay him a few lakhs to get her portfolio done and even shoot a music video. Mimi isn’t that rich and hence, she’s trying to save. To earn, she does dance shows. At one such show, a foreigner couple Summer (Evelyn Edwards) and John (Aidan Whytock) happen to see her. They have been in India since a year to find a surrogate mother since Summer can’t conceive. They are searching for a fit and healthy girl and when they see Mimi, they realize that she’s apt to bear their child. They tell their driver, Bhanu Pratap (Pankaj Tripathi) to convince her. In return, they promise to pay him Rs. 5 lakhs to Bhanu. Bhanu readily agrees. He also manages to convince Mimi, especially when she’s told that she’d be paid Rs. 20 lakhs. Mimi agrees for surrogacy but realizes that she’ll have to hide her pregnancy from her parents, Mansingh Rathore (Manoj Pahwa) and Shobha (Supriya Pathak). So, she lies to them that she’s landed a role in a film for which she has to move to Mumbai immediately. She moves to the residence of her friend, Shama (Sai Tamhankar). Bhanu, too, moves in with her and pretends to be her husband. Mimi gets pregnant and all is going well. A few months later, Summer and John conduct tests which shows that the child in Mimi’s womb would be born with Down’s Syndrome. Summer and John are devastated with this development. They conclude that they didn’t sign up for this. They tell Bhanu to inform Mimi that she should abort the child. Without meeting her, they leave for their country, USA. Mimi is devastated upon hearing about their conduct. With no option, she returns to her home. Her parents are shocked obviously. Mimi lies that Bhanu is the father of the child. Mansingh and Shobha are obviously not happy with the development but they accept it. Finally, 9 months pass and Mimi delivers a boy. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Laxman Utekar and Roshan Shankar's story is inspired from a Marathi film MALA AAI VHHAYCHY [2011; written by Samruddhi Porey]. The plot is entertaining and touching and has all the ingredients of a family entertainer. Laxman Utekar and Roshan Shankar's screenplay is highly effective. The writers pepper the narrative with some very impressive sequences that keep the interest going. Also, for most parts of the film, there’s a lot of humour. Hence, it appeals to audiences of all kinds. Roshan Shankar's dialogues are one of the best things of the enterprise. The dialogues are funny and very well-worded and largely contribute to the film’s entertainment quotient. Laxman Utekar's direction is superb. In his last outing, LUKA CHUPPI [2019], the execution was a bit shaky. But here, he seems to be in firm control. The film revolves around motherhood and surrogacy which are serious topics. Yet, he manages to add humour very convincingly and he doesn’t make mockery about the sensitive issues that the film deals with. Also, how neatly he is able to change the tone of the film from funny to serious to again funny is praiseworthy. Mimi’s journey from an aspiring actress to a hand-on mother is shown appropriately. Laxman Utekar also deserves brownie points for treating the various dynamics and relationships shown in the film. In this regard, the character of Bhanu Pratap stands out. The way he stands rock solid with Bhanu, including his wife Rekha (Atmaja Pandey), is heartwarming. On the flipside, the film gets a bit lengthier towards the second half. Also, the ending is a bit too sudden and also predictable. MIMI begins on a great note which neatly explains the concept of surrogacy. Mimi’s entry is quick. How Mimi agrees to the surrogacy is great. The scene where Dr Asha Desai (Jaya Bhattacharya) announces that Mimi is pregnant is touching and this is where audiences realize that the film will score even emotionally. The track of Mimi and Bhanu pretending to be a Muslim couple will surely be loved. The shocker drops when Summer and John run away. But the makers don’t allow the film to get serious and soon, the track of Bhanu pretending to be the father of the child is infused and it adds to the fun. The scene where Rekha and Bhanu’s mother Kainkayi (Nutan Surya) create a scene when they assume that Bhanu married for the second time is sure to bring the house down. The last 30 minutes is quite serious and is sure to make viewers’ eyes moist. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Kriti Sanon: “Nupur didn’t like some guys I DATED in the past because she…”| Mimi</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3rNtPXj" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Speaking of performances, Kriti Sanon delivers a very entertaining performance. She is the only lead in the film in a way and she shoulders the responsibility very well. This is surely her most accomplished performance and is sure to get appreciation from all quarters. Pankaj Tripathi is at his best. No other actor could have done this role so well. He has given several memorable performances but this is surely one of his best. Sai Tamhankar lends able support and leaves a huge mark as the supportive friend. Evelyn Edwards and Aidan Whytock are effective. Jacob Smith (Raj) is very cute and adds a lot to the film in the second half. Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak are excellent as always. Atmaja Pandey and Nutan Surya are great in a small role. Jaya Bhattacharya is fair. Sheikh Ishaque Mohammad (Aatif) adds to the humour. Nadeem Khan is okay A R Rahman's music is average and could have been better. <em>'Param Sudnari'</em> works and is well choreographed. <em>'Aane Ko Hai Mehmaan', 'Fuljadi' </em>and <em>'Rihaayi De' </em>are okay while <em>'Choti Si Chiraiya' </em>is touching. A R Rahman's background score enhances the emotions depicted in the film. Akash Agarwal's cinematography is first-rate and the locales of Rajasthan are well captured. Sheetal Sharma's costumes are stylish yet earthy. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray's production design are appealing but also seem real. Manish Pradhan's editing is fine. On the whole, MIMI is a heartwarming saga, aimed at families and it will keep the audience thoroughly entertained. Had it released in cinemas, it had a good chance of becoming a success. Strongly recommended.

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Movie Review: Mimi

20 Years ago, Abbas-Mustan’s CHORI CHORI CHUPKE CHUPKE [2001] introduced viewers to the concept of surrogacy and made it mainstream. Later, a couple of few films also touched on this concept but none of them were memorable. Now, Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and Jio Studios have come up with yet another film on this topic. Titled MIMI, the film’s trailer looked promising and viewers were looking forward to seeing it on July 30, the day of its release. However, the film got leaked and the film was hence dropped online today itself. So does MIMI manage to entertain and touch the hearts of the viewers? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1247185" src="https://ift.tt/2USuURt" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> MIMI is the story of a girl who decides to become a surrogate mother. The year is 2013. Mimi Mansingh Rathore (Kriti Sanon) resides in a small town in Rajasthan. She dreams of becoming an actress and moving to Mumbai. She’s in touch with a man called Jolly (Nadeem Khan), who works in films. He asks her to move to Mumbai and pay him a few lakhs to get her portfolio done and even shoot a music video. Mimi isn’t that rich and hence, she’s trying to save. To earn, she does dance shows. At one such show, a foreigner couple Summer (Evelyn Edwards) and John (Aidan Whytock) happen to see her. They have been in India since a year to find a surrogate mother since Summer can’t conceive. They are searching for a fit and healthy girl and when they see Mimi, they realize that she’s apt to bear their child. They tell their driver, Bhanu Pratap (Pankaj Tripathi) to convince her. In return, they promise to pay him Rs. 5 lakhs to Bhanu. Bhanu readily agrees. He also manages to convince Mimi, especially when she’s told that she’d be paid Rs. 20 lakhs. Mimi agrees for surrogacy but realizes that she’ll have to hide her pregnancy from her parents, Mansingh Rathore (Manoj Pahwa) and Shobha (Supriya Pathak). So, she lies to them that she’s landed a role in a film for which she has to move to Mumbai immediately. She moves to the residence of her friend, Shama (Sai Tamhankar). Bhanu, too, moves in with her and pretends to be her husband. Mimi gets pregnant and all is going well. A few months later, Summer and John conduct tests which shows that the child in Mimi’s womb would be born with Down’s Syndrome. Summer and John are devastated with this development. They conclude that they didn’t sign up for this. They tell Bhanu to inform Mimi that she should abort the child. Without meeting her, they leave for their country, USA. Mimi is devastated upon hearing about their conduct. With no option, she returns to her home. Her parents are shocked obviously. Mimi lies that Bhanu is the father of the child. Mansingh and Shobha are obviously not happy with the development but they accept it. Finally, 9 months pass and Mimi delivers a boy. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Laxman Utekar and Roshan Shankar's story is inspired from a Marathi film MALA AAI VHHAYCHY [2011; written by Samruddhi Porey]. The plot is entertaining and touching and has all the ingredients of a family entertainer. Laxman Utekar and Roshan Shankar's screenplay is highly effective. The writers pepper the narrative with some very impressive sequences that keep the interest going. Also, for most parts of the film, there’s a lot of humour. Hence, it appeals to audiences of all kinds. Roshan Shankar's dialogues are one of the best things of the enterprise. The dialogues are funny and very well-worded and largely contribute to the film’s entertainment quotient. Laxman Utekar's direction is superb. In his last outing, LUKA CHUPPI [2019], the execution was a bit shaky. But here, he seems to be in firm control. The film revolves around motherhood and surrogacy which are serious topics. Yet, he manages to add humour very convincingly and he doesn’t make mockery about the sensitive issues that the film deals with. Also, how neatly he is able to change the tone of the film from funny to serious to again funny is praiseworthy. Mimi’s journey from an aspiring actress to a hand-on mother is shown appropriately. Laxman Utekar also deserves brownie points for treating the various dynamics and relationships shown in the film. In this regard, the character of Bhanu Pratap stands out. The way he stands rock solid with Bhanu, including his wife Rekha (Atmaja Pandey), is heartwarming. On the flipside, the film gets a bit lengthier towards the second half. Also, the ending is a bit too sudden and also predictable. MIMI begins on a great note which neatly explains the concept of surrogacy. Mimi’s entry is quick. How Mimi agrees to the surrogacy is great. The scene where Dr Asha Desai (Jaya Bhattacharya) announces that Mimi is pregnant is touching and this is where audiences realize that the film will score even emotionally. The track of Mimi and Bhanu pretending to be a Muslim couple will surely be loved. The shocker drops when Summer and John run away. But the makers don’t allow the film to get serious and soon, the track of Bhanu pretending to be the father of the child is infused and it adds to the fun. The scene where Rekha and Bhanu’s mother Kainkayi (Nutan Surya) create a scene when they assume that Bhanu married for the second time is sure to bring the house down. The last 30 minutes is quite serious and is sure to make viewers’ eyes moist. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Kriti Sanon: “Nupur didn’t like some guys I DATED in the past because she…”| Mimi</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3rNtPXj" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Speaking of performances, Kriti Sanon delivers a very entertaining performance. She is the only lead in the film in a way and she shoulders the responsibility very well. This is surely her most accomplished performance and is sure to get appreciation from all quarters. Pankaj Tripathi is at his best. No other actor could have done this role so well. He has given several memorable performances but this is surely one of his best. Sai Tamhankar lends able support and leaves a huge mark as the supportive friend. Evelyn Edwards and Aidan Whytock are effective. Jacob Smith (Raj) is very cute and adds a lot to the film in the second half. Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak are excellent as always. Atmaja Pandey and Nutan Surya are great in a small role. Jaya Bhattacharya is fair. Sheikh Ishaque Mohammad (Aatif) adds to the humour. Nadeem Khan is okay A R Rahman's music is average and could have been better. <em>'Param Sudnari'</em> works and is well choreographed. <em>'Aane Ko Hai Mehmaan', 'Fuljadi' </em>and <em>'Rihaayi De' </em>are okay while <em>'Choti Si Chiraiya' </em>is touching. A R Rahman's background score enhances the emotions depicted in the film. Akash Agarwal's cinematography is first-rate and the locales of Rajasthan are well captured. Sheetal Sharma's costumes are stylish yet earthy. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray's production design are appealing but also seem real. Manish Pradhan's editing is fine. On the whole, MIMI is a heartwarming saga, aimed at families and it will keep the audience thoroughly entertained. Had it released in cinemas, it had a good chance of becoming a success. Strongly recommended.

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Movie Review: Hungama 2

Post HERA PHERI [2000], Priyadarshan had become a force to reckon with in Bollywood. His comic capers have a lot of characters and subplots but also tons of humour and it's no wonder that he developed a strong fan following. After staying away from Bollywood for around 8 years, the master director is back with HUNGAMA 2. The first part, released in 2003, was a laugh-a-minute riot and is remembered fondly even today. Does HUNGAMA 2 emerge as funny as or better than part 1? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1245758" src="https://ift.tt/3x18t9y" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> HUNGAMA 2 is the story of a man in trouble after his ex-flame arrives at his house and causes <em>‘hungama’</em>. Akash Kapoor (Meezaan Jafri) stays with his father, Colonel Kapoor (Ashutosh Rana), sister, his brother’s children and a butler, Nandan (Tiku Talsania). He works in an office and his colleague is Anjali (Shilpa Shetty Kundra), a family friend. She is married to Radhe Shyam Tiwari (Paresh Rawal), a good-for-nothing advocate who is always suspicious that Anjali is cheating on him. Akash is about to get married to a girl named Simran, daughter of M G Bajaj (Manoj Joshi), a friend of Kapoor. All is going well for Akash until one day, his ex-girlfriend, Vaani (Pranitha Subhash) arrives at his residence with her daughter, Gehna. She claims that Akash impregnated her when they were dating and studying in college and then ran away. Akash, at first, refuses to even accept that he knows Vaani. But later, he admits that they were in a relationship. But he assures Colonel Kapoor that Gehna is not his daughter. Kapoor doesn’t know whom to believe. The DNA test is done which proves that Akash is the father. Kapoor is devastated since Akash’s engagement with Simran is fixed. He keeps Vaani hidden from Bakshi and everyone else till he finds out the truth. Akash, meanwhile, still claims that he’s not the father and he approaches Anjali for help. Anjali meets Kapoor to discuss the matter. Kapoor requests Anjali not to reveal about Vaani and Gehna to anyone, not even Radhe. She agrees. When she goes home, she lies when Radhe asks where she had gone. Radhe then begins to follow her secretly and overhears her conversation with Akash. Both are discussing about pregnancy and a baby. Radhe assumes that Anjali is pregnant with Akash’s child. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Priyadarshan's story is promising and has all the ingredients of a solid, complex entertainer that he’s famous for. But Yunus Sajawal's screenplay spoils the show. The narrative is all over the place. There are too many characters and subplots and are not stitched together well. Also, logic takes a backseat. This usually happens in comedy films but here, it reaches unbelievable levels. Manisha Korde and Anukalp Goswami's dialogues try their best to contribute humour and drama but it’s not upto the desired level. Priyadarshan's direction is average. He’s laced with a poor script and that further diminishes the impact. In the past, he has exceled with comedies where there are far too many characters and misunderstandings. How he used to manage to smoothly execute the madness despite challenges used to be his USP. The filmmaker tries to replicate his formula but doesn’t succeed. The basic plot is such that the film could have been funny from start to finish. But the humour is very weak and also the funny situations are few and far between. He doesn’t even do justice to some of the subplots. Even the answer to the mystery behind the sudden appearance of Vaani at the Kapoor family’s residence is silly. On the positive, a few scenes here and there do manage to raise laughs but obviously it’s not enough. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rajpal Yadav: "Mujhe ANGREZI nahi aati, London mein sabse zyada COMFORTABLE main hoon"| Hungama 2</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/2V1pBih" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> HUNGAMA 2 begins on a dull and serious note. The track of Gagan Chandra D’costa (Johny Lever) and that of the kids does raise a few laughs. But the kids then disappear and re-emerge only in the second half. This makes it clear that things are going to happen at random in the film. A few scenes that stand out and are actually funny are Nandan discussing the contents of the DNA report and Popat Jamal (Rajpal Yadav) claiming to be Vaani’s husband. Popat also single-handedly contributes to the humour in the climax. But as mentioned before, it was not enough. Ideally, the whole film should have been hilarious, just like the first part. Meezaan Jafri is strictly okay. The actor tries his best but in some scenes, his comic timing is not upto the mark. A role like this required a far more talented actor. Pranitha Subhash puts up a confident act and leaves a mark. Shilpa Shetty looks ravishing and proves that she can still deliver a fine performance. Sadly, her screen time is limited. Paresh Rawal’s track is funny but the humour is weak. Performance-wise, he’s first-rate. Ashutosh Rana has a lengthier and even stronger role. He goes a bit overboard but manages to entertain. Tiku Talsania also gets his act right, especially in the DNA report scene. Manoj Joshi is alright. Rajpal Yadav has a small role but brings in big laughs. Johny Lever is good in the cameo. Akshaye Khanna is nothing great in the special appearance. The child actors do well but their track is not well utilized. The actors playing Meezaan’s sister and brother are average. Anu Malik's music is forgettable. <em>'Chura Ke Dil Mera 2.0'</em> is the best of the lot because of Shilpa’s sensuous moves. <em>'Pehli Baar', 'Chinta Na Kar', 'Aao Chalein Hum'</em> and <em>'Hungama Ho Gaya'</em> are disappointing. Ronnie Raphael's background score is better and is in the Priyadarshan zone. Ekhambhram N K's cinematography is breath-taking. The locales of Manali are well captured. Selvakumar's production design is very superior. In fact, the film looks like a rich product. The costumes are glamorous, especially the ones worn by Shilpa Shetty. M S Aiyyapan Nair's editing could have been tighter. On the whole, HUNGAMA 2 is not as funny as one expects it to be. The film suffers due to the long length, insipid script, weak humour and lack of logic. A major disappointment.

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Movie Review: Hungama 2

Post HERA PHERI [2000], Priyadarshan had become a force to reckon with in Bollywood. His comic capers have a lot of characters and subplots but also tons of humour and it's no wonder that he developed a strong fan following. After staying away from Bollywood for around 8 years, the master director is back with HUNGAMA 2. The first part, released in 2003, was a laugh-a-minute riot and is remembered fondly even today. Does HUNGAMA 2 emerge as funny as or better than part 1? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1245758" src="https://ift.tt/3x18t9y" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> HUNGAMA 2 is the story of a man in trouble after his ex-flame arrives at his house and causes <em>‘hungama’</em>. Akash Kapoor (Meezaan Jafri) stays with his father, Colonel Kapoor (Ashutosh Rana), sister, his brother’s children and a butler, Nandan (Tiku Talsania). He works in an office and his colleague is Anjali (Shilpa Shetty Kundra), a family friend. She is married to Radhe Shyam Tiwari (Paresh Rawal), a good-for-nothing advocate who is always suspicious that Anjali is cheating on him. Akash is about to get married to a girl named Simran, daughter of M G Bajaj (Manoj Joshi), a friend of Kapoor. All is going well for Akash until one day, his ex-girlfriend, Vaani (Pranitha Subhash) arrives at his residence with her daughter, Gehna. She claims that Akash impregnated her when they were dating and studying in college and then ran away. Akash, at first, refuses to even accept that he knows Vaani. But later, he admits that they were in a relationship. But he assures Colonel Kapoor that Gehna is not his daughter. Kapoor doesn’t know whom to believe. The DNA test is done which proves that Akash is the father. Kapoor is devastated since Akash’s engagement with Simran is fixed. He keeps Vaani hidden from Bakshi and everyone else till he finds out the truth. Akash, meanwhile, still claims that he’s not the father and he approaches Anjali for help. Anjali meets Kapoor to discuss the matter. Kapoor requests Anjali not to reveal about Vaani and Gehna to anyone, not even Radhe. She agrees. When she goes home, she lies when Radhe asks where she had gone. Radhe then begins to follow her secretly and overhears her conversation with Akash. Both are discussing about pregnancy and a baby. Radhe assumes that Anjali is pregnant with Akash’s child. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Priyadarshan's story is promising and has all the ingredients of a solid, complex entertainer that he’s famous for. But Yunus Sajawal's screenplay spoils the show. The narrative is all over the place. There are too many characters and subplots and are not stitched together well. Also, logic takes a backseat. This usually happens in comedy films but here, it reaches unbelievable levels. Manisha Korde and Anukalp Goswami's dialogues try their best to contribute humour and drama but it’s not upto the desired level. Priyadarshan's direction is average. He’s laced with a poor script and that further diminishes the impact. In the past, he has exceled with comedies where there are far too many characters and misunderstandings. How he used to manage to smoothly execute the madness despite challenges used to be his USP. The filmmaker tries to replicate his formula but doesn’t succeed. The basic plot is such that the film could have been funny from start to finish. But the humour is very weak and also the funny situations are few and far between. He doesn’t even do justice to some of the subplots. Even the answer to the mystery behind the sudden appearance of Vaani at the Kapoor family’s residence is silly. On the positive, a few scenes here and there do manage to raise laughs but obviously it’s not enough. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rajpal Yadav: "Mujhe ANGREZI nahi aati, London mein sabse zyada COMFORTABLE main hoon"| Hungama 2</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/2V1pBih" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> HUNGAMA 2 begins on a dull and serious note. The track of Gagan Chandra D’costa (Johny Lever) and that of the kids does raise a few laughs. But the kids then disappear and re-emerge only in the second half. This makes it clear that things are going to happen at random in the film. A few scenes that stand out and are actually funny are Nandan discussing the contents of the DNA report and Popat Jamal (Rajpal Yadav) claiming to be Vaani’s husband. Popat also single-handedly contributes to the humour in the climax. But as mentioned before, it was not enough. Ideally, the whole film should have been hilarious, just like the first part. Meezaan Jafri is strictly okay. The actor tries his best but in some scenes, his comic timing is not upto the mark. A role like this required a far more talented actor. Pranitha Subhash puts up a confident act and leaves a mark. Shilpa Shetty looks ravishing and proves that she can still deliver a fine performance. Sadly, her screen time is limited. Paresh Rawal’s track is funny but the humour is weak. Performance-wise, he’s first-rate. Ashutosh Rana has a lengthier and even stronger role. He goes a bit overboard but manages to entertain. Tiku Talsania also gets his act right, especially in the DNA report scene. Manoj Joshi is alright. Rajpal Yadav has a small role but brings in big laughs. Johny Lever is good in the cameo. Akshaye Khanna is nothing great in the special appearance. The child actors do well but their track is not well utilized. The actors playing Meezaan’s sister and brother are average. Anu Malik's music is forgettable. <em>'Chura Ke Dil Mera 2.0'</em> is the best of the lot because of Shilpa’s sensuous moves. <em>'Pehli Baar', 'Chinta Na Kar', 'Aao Chalein Hum'</em> and <em>'Hungama Ho Gaya'</em> are disappointing. Ronnie Raphael's background score is better and is in the Priyadarshan zone. Ekhambhram N K's cinematography is breath-taking. The locales of Manali are well captured. Selvakumar's production design is very superior. In fact, the film looks like a rich product. The costumes are glamorous, especially the ones worn by Shilpa Shetty. M S Aiyyapan Nair's editing could have been tighter. On the whole, HUNGAMA 2 is not as funny as one expects it to be. The film suffers due to the long length, insipid script, weak humour and lack of logic. A major disappointment.

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Movie Review: Toofaan

In 2013, actor Farhan Akhtar and director-producer Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra collaborated on BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG. The sports biopic of Milkha Singh got unanimous praise and it resulted in box office collections of Rs. 100 crore plus. 8 years later, both have joined hands once again for yet another sports film, TOOFAAN. This time, Farhan has stepped in as a producer as well, along with his partner Ritesh Sidhwani. So does TOOFAAN manage to be as compelling as their earlier film? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1242092" src="https://ift.tt/3kihFns" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> TOOFAAN is the story of a street brawler’s transformation into a top-class boxer. Aziz Ali aka Ajju (Farhan Akhtar) is an orphan who was raised by Jafar Bhai (Vijay Raaz). Aziz now lives with his friend Munna (Hussain Dalal) in Dongri, Mumbai and does all the dirty work for Jafar bhai. While thrashing a restaurant owner (Imran Rashid) over a feud with Jafar bhai, Aziz gets injured. He goes to a charitable hospital for treatment where the doctor, Ananya Prabhu (Mrunal Thakur) ousts him after learning that he’s a goon. A few days later, Ananya witnesses Aziz buying gifts for children in an orphanage. This makes her realize that he’s a good person at heart. One day, Aziz visits a gym in his neighbourhood, run by a man called Merchant (Deven Khote). Merchant trains boxing aspirants in his premises. Aziz witnesses it and gets into a brawl with a player practicing there, Parvez (Arhan Chowdary). Instead of hitting back, Parvez praises him and says that he has a lot of strength. Aziz gets surprised and realizes that boxing can make him a better human. He starts his training. But he still continues working for Jafar bhai. One day, Ananya witnesses Aziz evicting a person from his shop violently. She admonishes him and insists that he should wholly focus on boxing. Aziz realizes she’s right. When Merchant sees a potential in him, he takes Aziz to Nana Prabhu (Paresh Rawal), the best boxing coach in Mumbai. Nana gets Aziz to fight with his student. Aziz gets defeated and he asks Nana to train him. Nana, however, refuses at first due to Aziz’s Muslim identity. Meanwhile, Aziz goes back to the hospital to get treated for the injury sustained in the match. This is when he tells Ananya that he met Nana sir, unknown to the fact that she is Nana’s daughter. Soon, Nana agrees to train him and turns him into a top boxing player. Aziz also gets selected for the state championship where he manages to defeat a seasoned player, Dharmesh Patil (Darshan Kumaar). This is also a time when Aziz starts dating Ananya. After his victory, Aziz is having a drink with Nana when he blurts out that he’s in a relationship with Ananya and that he wants to marry her. Aziz had no idea that she’s Nana’s daughter. Nana, in a fit of rage, slaps Aziz and accuses him of conning his daughter. Nana then forces Ananya to end the relationship and remarks that Aziz is carrying out ‘Love Jihad’. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Farhan Akhtar's story idea and Anjum Rajabali's story is clichéd. The rise, the fall and the rise of a sportsperson has been witnessed in many sports films, from Mithun Chakraborty starrer BOXER [1984] to the more recent SULTAN [2016], and also in Hollywood films. Anjum Rajabali's screenplay (additional screenplay by Vijay Maurya) is decent but also predictable. You know what is going to happen next in most parts of the film. Thankfully, the writing is peppered with lot of interesting moments. But ideally, the story should have been novel and screenplay should have been gripping. Vijay Maurya's dialogues are simple and sharp. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's direction is first-class. The director is back in form, after delivering two forgettable fares in the form of MIRZYA [2016] and MERE PYARE PRIME MINISTER [2019]. He executes a clichéd and ordinary story very well. The sports and training scenes manage to engross. What’s also praiseworthy is that in the middle of the second half, another round of training track is infused when Aziz makes a comeback after a gap. Even these scenes are well shot and don’t look repetitive. TOOFAAN however also has other subplots and raises some pertinent issues of the society. On the flipside, the second half is where the film drops a bit. The tragedy comes in suddenly and some viewers might find it difficult to digest. At 161 minutes, the film is too long and its run time should have been trimmed. Lastly, one expects a lot from this film as it’s made by the BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG director and also stars the same actor. In that regard, TOOFAAN is no match to their earlier film. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>"Farhan is the REAL PERFECTIONIST, Aamir Khan comes on No.2"- Farhan REACTS to this comment | Toofaan</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3yX1UWU" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> TOOFAAN’s first half is fair. The characters of Aziz, Dr. Ananya and Nana Prabhu are well written and presented to the viewers. Also, the fact that Ananya has a connection to both adds a lot of drama to the story. The boxing track is great but the religion angle particularly works big time. The makers have also made a balanced viewpoint and have shown how both communities have elements that have issues with inter-religious romance. Another relatable part of the film is when Aziz and Ananya failing to find a residence of their choice due to their separate religious identities. The second half has a lot of unexpected developments and it takes a while to process. Aziz’s comeback is great but it’s bewildering to see how he manages to make it to the national championship conveniently. Farhan Akhtar is in a superb form. He looks very convincing as a boxer but even in dramatic and emotional scenes, he rocks big time. After DIL DHADAKNE DO [2016], he wasn’t seen in memorable films and performances. Hence, it’s a pleasure to finally see him in a film where he gets an opportunity to shine. Mrunal Thakur is the surprise of the film. She has a very important part to play in the happenings of the movie and she does total justice with her performance. Also, her hundred watt smile is infectious. Paresh Rawal is terrific and pulls off a challenging role with ease. He’s missing in the beginning of the second half but makes up for it in the pre-climax and climax. Hussain Dalal is lovely as the sidekick and contributes to the film’s humour quotient. Vijay Raaz doesn’t have much to do surprisingly especially since his character seemed unhappy with Aziz’s decision. Darshan Kumaar is great as the baddie. But it seems he’s getting typecast. Dr. Mohan Agashe (Bala Uncle) is adorable and also is the voice of reason and sanity. This makes his character very special. Supriya Pathak (Sister DSouza) is alright. Gauri Phulka (Myra) steals the show as Aziz and Ananya’s daughter. Gaganpreet Sharma (Prithvi Singh) is menacing as the dangerous opponent of Aziz. Deven Khote is confident while Arhan Chowdary, Imran Rashid, RJ Anmol (State championship commentator) and Akashdeep Sabir (Mallik; match fixer) do well. Sonali Kulkarni (Sumati) is there for a scene while director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (IBF Secretary) is okay. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is disappointing and this is also one of the weak points of the film. Also, there are as many as 8 songs and on top of that, the album is not memorable. Ideally the movie should have been a song less entertainer. That would have increased the impact. The title track is the best of the lot followed by <em>'Star Hai Tu'</em>. Both are well shot.<em> 'Ananya', 'Jo Tum Aa Gaye Ho'</em> (composed by Samuel and Akansha) and <em>'Purvaiya'</em> fail to register. The rap songs, <em>'Dekh Toofaan Aaya Hai'</em> and <em>'Todun Taak'</em>, don’t have recall value. <em>'Ganpati Vandana'</em> is played at an important juncture in the film. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Tubby's background score is exceptional and would have made a bigger impact on the big screen. Jay Oza's cinematography is spectacular and elevates impact in several scenes. The boxing scenes, especially, are very well shot. Rajat Poddar's production design and Abhilasha Sharma's costumes are straight out of life. Alan Amin's action is raw. Cinegence and Futureworks' VFX is appropriate. Meghna Manchanda Sen's editing is neat but should have kept the duration in check. Lastly, special mention should also go to Farhan Akhtar's fitness team - Drew Neal (Boxing trainer), Samir Jarua (fitness trainer) and Dr Anand Kumar (physiotherapist) - for making him seem like a seasoned player. On the whole, TOOFAAN boasts of powerful performances along with some heart-touching and dramatic moments. But the film’s lengthy runtime, poor soundtrack, clichéd plot and the predictable narrative diminishes the impact to a great extent.

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Movie Review: Toofaan

In 2013, actor Farhan Akhtar and director-producer Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra collaborated on BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG. The sports biopic of Milkha Singh got unanimous praise and it resulted in box office collections of Rs. 100 crore plus. 8 years later, both have joined hands once again for yet another sports film, TOOFAAN. This time, Farhan has stepped in as a producer as well, along with his partner Ritesh Sidhwani. So does TOOFAAN manage to be as compelling as their earlier film? Or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1242092" src="https://ift.tt/3kihFns" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> TOOFAAN is the story of a street brawler’s transformation into a top-class boxer. Aziz Ali aka Ajju (Farhan Akhtar) is an orphan who was raised by Jafar Bhai (Vijay Raaz). Aziz now lives with his friend Munna (Hussain Dalal) in Dongri, Mumbai and does all the dirty work for Jafar bhai. While thrashing a restaurant owner (Imran Rashid) over a feud with Jafar bhai, Aziz gets injured. He goes to a charitable hospital for treatment where the doctor, Ananya Prabhu (Mrunal Thakur) ousts him after learning that he’s a goon. A few days later, Ananya witnesses Aziz buying gifts for children in an orphanage. This makes her realize that he’s a good person at heart. One day, Aziz visits a gym in his neighbourhood, run by a man called Merchant (Deven Khote). Merchant trains boxing aspirants in his premises. Aziz witnesses it and gets into a brawl with a player practicing there, Parvez (Arhan Chowdary). Instead of hitting back, Parvez praises him and says that he has a lot of strength. Aziz gets surprised and realizes that boxing can make him a better human. He starts his training. But he still continues working for Jafar bhai. One day, Ananya witnesses Aziz evicting a person from his shop violently. She admonishes him and insists that he should wholly focus on boxing. Aziz realizes she’s right. When Merchant sees a potential in him, he takes Aziz to Nana Prabhu (Paresh Rawal), the best boxing coach in Mumbai. Nana gets Aziz to fight with his student. Aziz gets defeated and he asks Nana to train him. Nana, however, refuses at first due to Aziz’s Muslim identity. Meanwhile, Aziz goes back to the hospital to get treated for the injury sustained in the match. This is when he tells Ananya that he met Nana sir, unknown to the fact that she is Nana’s daughter. Soon, Nana agrees to train him and turns him into a top boxing player. Aziz also gets selected for the state championship where he manages to defeat a seasoned player, Dharmesh Patil (Darshan Kumaar). This is also a time when Aziz starts dating Ananya. After his victory, Aziz is having a drink with Nana when he blurts out that he’s in a relationship with Ananya and that he wants to marry her. Aziz had no idea that she’s Nana’s daughter. Nana, in a fit of rage, slaps Aziz and accuses him of conning his daughter. Nana then forces Ananya to end the relationship and remarks that Aziz is carrying out ‘Love Jihad’. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Farhan Akhtar's story idea and Anjum Rajabali's story is clichéd. The rise, the fall and the rise of a sportsperson has been witnessed in many sports films, from Mithun Chakraborty starrer BOXER [1984] to the more recent SULTAN [2016], and also in Hollywood films. Anjum Rajabali's screenplay (additional screenplay by Vijay Maurya) is decent but also predictable. You know what is going to happen next in most parts of the film. Thankfully, the writing is peppered with lot of interesting moments. But ideally, the story should have been novel and screenplay should have been gripping. Vijay Maurya's dialogues are simple and sharp. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's direction is first-class. The director is back in form, after delivering two forgettable fares in the form of MIRZYA [2016] and MERE PYARE PRIME MINISTER [2019]. He executes a clichéd and ordinary story very well. The sports and training scenes manage to engross. What’s also praiseworthy is that in the middle of the second half, another round of training track is infused when Aziz makes a comeback after a gap. Even these scenes are well shot and don’t look repetitive. TOOFAAN however also has other subplots and raises some pertinent issues of the society. On the flipside, the second half is where the film drops a bit. The tragedy comes in suddenly and some viewers might find it difficult to digest. At 161 minutes, the film is too long and its run time should have been trimmed. Lastly, one expects a lot from this film as it’s made by the BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG director and also stars the same actor. In that regard, TOOFAAN is no match to their earlier film. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>"Farhan is the REAL PERFECTIONIST, Aamir Khan comes on No.2"- Farhan REACTS to this comment | Toofaan</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3yX1UWU" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> TOOFAAN’s first half is fair. The characters of Aziz, Dr. Ananya and Nana Prabhu are well written and presented to the viewers. Also, the fact that Ananya has a connection to both adds a lot of drama to the story. The boxing track is great but the religion angle particularly works big time. The makers have also made a balanced viewpoint and have shown how both communities have elements that have issues with inter-religious romance. Another relatable part of the film is when Aziz and Ananya failing to find a residence of their choice due to their separate religious identities. The second half has a lot of unexpected developments and it takes a while to process. Aziz’s comeback is great but it’s bewildering to see how he manages to make it to the national championship conveniently. Farhan Akhtar is in a superb form. He looks very convincing as a boxer but even in dramatic and emotional scenes, he rocks big time. After DIL DHADAKNE DO [2016], he wasn’t seen in memorable films and performances. Hence, it’s a pleasure to finally see him in a film where he gets an opportunity to shine. Mrunal Thakur is the surprise of the film. She has a very important part to play in the happenings of the movie and she does total justice with her performance. Also, her hundred watt smile is infectious. Paresh Rawal is terrific and pulls off a challenging role with ease. He’s missing in the beginning of the second half but makes up for it in the pre-climax and climax. Hussain Dalal is lovely as the sidekick and contributes to the film’s humour quotient. Vijay Raaz doesn’t have much to do surprisingly especially since his character seemed unhappy with Aziz’s decision. Darshan Kumaar is great as the baddie. But it seems he’s getting typecast. Dr. Mohan Agashe (Bala Uncle) is adorable and also is the voice of reason and sanity. This makes his character very special. Supriya Pathak (Sister DSouza) is alright. Gauri Phulka (Myra) steals the show as Aziz and Ananya’s daughter. Gaganpreet Sharma (Prithvi Singh) is menacing as the dangerous opponent of Aziz. Deven Khote is confident while Arhan Chowdary, Imran Rashid, RJ Anmol (State championship commentator) and Akashdeep Sabir (Mallik; match fixer) do well. Sonali Kulkarni (Sumati) is there for a scene while director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (IBF Secretary) is okay. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is disappointing and this is also one of the weak points of the film. Also, there are as many as 8 songs and on top of that, the album is not memorable. Ideally the movie should have been a song less entertainer. That would have increased the impact. The title track is the best of the lot followed by <em>'Star Hai Tu'</em>. Both are well shot.<em> 'Ananya', 'Jo Tum Aa Gaye Ho'</em> (composed by Samuel and Akansha) and <em>'Purvaiya'</em> fail to register. The rap songs, <em>'Dekh Toofaan Aaya Hai'</em> and <em>'Todun Taak'</em>, don’t have recall value. <em>'Ganpati Vandana'</em> is played at an important juncture in the film. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Tubby's background score is exceptional and would have made a bigger impact on the big screen. Jay Oza's cinematography is spectacular and elevates impact in several scenes. The boxing scenes, especially, are very well shot. Rajat Poddar's production design and Abhilasha Sharma's costumes are straight out of life. Alan Amin's action is raw. Cinegence and Futureworks' VFX is appropriate. Meghna Manchanda Sen's editing is neat but should have kept the duration in check. Lastly, special mention should also go to Farhan Akhtar's fitness team - Drew Neal (Boxing trainer), Samir Jarua (fitness trainer) and Dr Anand Kumar (physiotherapist) - for making him seem like a seasoned player. On the whole, TOOFAAN boasts of powerful performances along with some heart-touching and dramatic moments. But the film’s lengthy runtime, poor soundtrack, clichéd plot and the predictable narrative diminishes the impact to a great extent.

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Movie Review: Haseen Dillruba

Director Vinil Mathew made a smashing debut with the light-hearted entertainer, HASEE TOH PHASEE [2014]. 7 years later, he’s back with his next outing, HASEEN DILLRUBA. This time, he has chosen a dark subject with a dash of thrill and whodunit. The casting and the intriguing trailer has already made people curious. So does HASEEN DILLRUBA manage to shock and entertain the audiences? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1235646" src="https://ift.tt/3AiO8PX" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> HASEEN DILLRUBA is the story of a wife accused of murdering her husband. Rishabh Saxena aka Rishu (Vikrant Massey) resides in Jwalapur along with his mother Lata (Yamini Das) and father Brijraj (Daya Shankar Pandey). He is looking for a girl for marriage and his search leads him to Rani Kashyap (Taapsee Pannu) in Delhi. Rishu falls for Rani instantly. Lata realizes that Rani is not the simple and homely girl that she’s looking for. But Rishu is adamant. The marriage takes place. A nervous Rishu fails to consummate the marriage. Lata, meanwhile, starts chiding Rani for lying that she can cook. One day, Rishu overhears Rani speaking to her mother (Alka Kaushal) and her masi (Puja Sarup) that Rishu is not good in bed. Rishu is hurt and retreats into a shell. Rani gets lonely. One day, Rishu’s cousin Neel Tripathi (Harshvardhan Rane) comes to stay with the Saxena’s. Neel is dashing and well-built and Rani gets charmed by her. Neel realizes that Rani is attracted to her and both begin a fling. Rani falls in love with Neel to the extent that she begins to learn cooking so that she can feed him his favourite dishes. One day, Neel expresses the desire to have mutton. Rani, who’s a vegetarian, agrees and goes out to buy meat. The same day, she tells Neel that she'd like to end the marriage and move in with him. A commitment-phobic Neel panics and runs away. Rani is hurt and she blurts the truth to Rishu. Rishu wanted to have a fresh start but this confession hurts him even more. A few months later, an explosion takes place in the Saxena residence, killing Rishu. The investigating officer, Kishore Rawat (Aditya Srivastava), is sure that Rani has killed Rishu. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Kanika Dhillon's story works only in parts. The characters are interesting and coupled with the setting, the story had the potential to be a great murder mystery. But things go haywire in the second half. Kanika Dhillon's screenplay is not consistent. Some scenes are very well written and thought of. The first 45 minutes raises the expectations of a thrilling next hour and keeps you hooked. But the subsequent portions suffer due to inept writing. Kanika Dhillon's dialogues are sharp and well-worded. HASEEN DILLRUBA begins on a thrilling note and instantly sets the mood. The scene where Rishu meets Rani for the first time is hilarious and the same goes for the scene where Lata protests by pretending to kill herself. Then the sequence where Rani blasts Rishu in the bedroom is sure to make viewers chuckle. In other words, the first 45 minutes to 60 minutes doesn’t give viewers any reason to complain. Later, however, the film slows down and even becomes unconvincing. A few developments are not easy to digest and are sure to get thumbs down from the viewers. In the pre-climax, the interest rises once again, especially in the lie detector scene. But the finale acts as a disappointment. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1235647" src="https://ift.tt/3yfURZf" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Vinil Mathew's direction could have been better, especially when we have seen what he’s capable of in his debut film. The narrative is like a see-saw – while the film goes on another level at some places, there are scenes where the interest level drops. The initial portions are interesting and even Neel’s entry adds spice to the narrative. However, the biggest problem of the film is the climax. In a suspense thriller, the viewer is keen to know the suspects, the actual murderer and the motive behind the murder. The climax where the identity of the murderer as well as the motive is revealed comes across as a downer, outright unconvincing and difficult to fathom. Talking of performances, Taapsee Pannu yet again delivers a smashing performance. The actress has raised a certain bar for herself and fortunately, she manages to meet the expectations through her act. The role and script required her to switch between being vulnerable and bold, and she manages to be fully convincing. Vikrant Massey, too, gives his best shot. In fact, his role has a lot of shades and it’s a treat to see how he essays the part. Harshvardhan Rane has a late entry and has limited screen time. But he puts up a great show. Aditya Srivastava does remind one of his role in the TV show ‘CID’. But he is too good and also raises laughs in a few scenes. Yamini Das is hilarious while Daya Shankar Pandey is fine. Alka Kaushal and Puja Sarup are decent in their small roles. Ashish Verma (Afzar) is fair. Amit Trivedi's music is forgettable. <em>'Dil Melt Melt'</em> is placed in a great situation. <em>'Lakeeran'</em>, <em>'Phisal Ja Tu'</em> and <em>'Mila Tu'</em> fail to register. Amar Mangrulkar's background score is better and leaves a mark in the thrilling scenes. Jayakrishna Gummadi's cinematography is appropriate and the locales of Rishikesh are well shot. Madhur Madhavan and Swapnil Bhalerao's production design is straight out of life. Varsha Chandanani and Shilpa Makhija's costumes are realistic with Taapsee’s clothes standing out. Vikramjeet Dahiya's action is convincing and not over the top. Shweta Venkat Mathew's editing is not up to the mark as the film should have been shorter. On the whole, HASEEN DILLRUBA is embellished with some fine performances but the unconvincing narrative in the second half and the disappointing climax spoils the show.

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Movie Review: Haseen Dillruba

Director Vinil Mathew made a smashing debut with the light-hearted entertainer, HASEE TOH PHASEE [2014]. 7 years later, he’s back with his next outing, HASEEN DILLRUBA. This time, he has chosen a dark subject with a dash of thrill and whodunit. The casting and the intriguing trailer has already made people curious. So does HASEEN DILLRUBA manage to shock and entertain the audiences? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1235646" src="https://ift.tt/3AiO8PX" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> HASEEN DILLRUBA is the story of a wife accused of murdering her husband. Rishabh Saxena aka Rishu (Vikrant Massey) resides in Jwalapur along with his mother Lata (Yamini Das) and father Brijraj (Daya Shankar Pandey). He is looking for a girl for marriage and his search leads him to Rani Kashyap (Taapsee Pannu) in Delhi. Rishu falls for Rani instantly. Lata realizes that Rani is not the simple and homely girl that she’s looking for. But Rishu is adamant. The marriage takes place. A nervous Rishu fails to consummate the marriage. Lata, meanwhile, starts chiding Rani for lying that she can cook. One day, Rishu overhears Rani speaking to her mother (Alka Kaushal) and her masi (Puja Sarup) that Rishu is not good in bed. Rishu is hurt and retreats into a shell. Rani gets lonely. One day, Rishu’s cousin Neel Tripathi (Harshvardhan Rane) comes to stay with the Saxena’s. Neel is dashing and well-built and Rani gets charmed by her. Neel realizes that Rani is attracted to her and both begin a fling. Rani falls in love with Neel to the extent that she begins to learn cooking so that she can feed him his favourite dishes. One day, Neel expresses the desire to have mutton. Rani, who’s a vegetarian, agrees and goes out to buy meat. The same day, she tells Neel that she'd like to end the marriage and move in with him. A commitment-phobic Neel panics and runs away. Rani is hurt and she blurts the truth to Rishu. Rishu wanted to have a fresh start but this confession hurts him even more. A few months later, an explosion takes place in the Saxena residence, killing Rishu. The investigating officer, Kishore Rawat (Aditya Srivastava), is sure that Rani has killed Rishu. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Kanika Dhillon's story works only in parts. The characters are interesting and coupled with the setting, the story had the potential to be a great murder mystery. But things go haywire in the second half. Kanika Dhillon's screenplay is not consistent. Some scenes are very well written and thought of. The first 45 minutes raises the expectations of a thrilling next hour and keeps you hooked. But the subsequent portions suffer due to inept writing. Kanika Dhillon's dialogues are sharp and well-worded. HASEEN DILLRUBA begins on a thrilling note and instantly sets the mood. The scene where Rishu meets Rani for the first time is hilarious and the same goes for the scene where Lata protests by pretending to kill herself. Then the sequence where Rani blasts Rishu in the bedroom is sure to make viewers chuckle. In other words, the first 45 minutes to 60 minutes doesn’t give viewers any reason to complain. Later, however, the film slows down and even becomes unconvincing. A few developments are not easy to digest and are sure to get thumbs down from the viewers. In the pre-climax, the interest rises once again, especially in the lie detector scene. But the finale acts as a disappointment. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1235647" src="https://ift.tt/3yfURZf" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Vinil Mathew's direction could have been better, especially when we have seen what he’s capable of in his debut film. The narrative is like a see-saw – while the film goes on another level at some places, there are scenes where the interest level drops. The initial portions are interesting and even Neel’s entry adds spice to the narrative. However, the biggest problem of the film is the climax. In a suspense thriller, the viewer is keen to know the suspects, the actual murderer and the motive behind the murder. The climax where the identity of the murderer as well as the motive is revealed comes across as a downer, outright unconvincing and difficult to fathom. Talking of performances, Taapsee Pannu yet again delivers a smashing performance. The actress has raised a certain bar for herself and fortunately, she manages to meet the expectations through her act. The role and script required her to switch between being vulnerable and bold, and she manages to be fully convincing. Vikrant Massey, too, gives his best shot. In fact, his role has a lot of shades and it’s a treat to see how he essays the part. Harshvardhan Rane has a late entry and has limited screen time. But he puts up a great show. Aditya Srivastava does remind one of his role in the TV show ‘CID’. But he is too good and also raises laughs in a few scenes. Yamini Das is hilarious while Daya Shankar Pandey is fine. Alka Kaushal and Puja Sarup are decent in their small roles. Ashish Verma (Afzar) is fair. Amit Trivedi's music is forgettable. <em>'Dil Melt Melt'</em> is placed in a great situation. <em>'Lakeeran'</em>, <em>'Phisal Ja Tu'</em> and <em>'Mila Tu'</em> fail to register. Amar Mangrulkar's background score is better and leaves a mark in the thrilling scenes. Jayakrishna Gummadi's cinematography is appropriate and the locales of Rishikesh are well shot. Madhur Madhavan and Swapnil Bhalerao's production design is straight out of life. Varsha Chandanani and Shilpa Makhija's costumes are realistic with Taapsee’s clothes standing out. Vikramjeet Dahiya's action is convincing and not over the top. Shweta Venkat Mathew's editing is not up to the mark as the film should have been shorter. On the whole, HASEEN DILLRUBA is embellished with some fine performances but the unconvincing narrative in the second half and the disappointing climax spoils the show.

from Movie Review | Bollywood Movie Reviews | Latest Hindi Movies Reviews - Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/3yfocTv