Bollywood Gossip

Friday, 11 December 2020

Movie Review: Torbaaz

Terrorism has spread its deadly effect all over the world. And one of the tactics used by terrorists to unleash fear and bloodshed is suicide bombing. According to a report, as of mid-2015, about three-quarters of all suicide attacks occurred in just three countries – Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, 1059 such attacks have taken place until mid-2015 with many of these attacks carried by child suicide bombers. Sanjay Dutt-starrer TORBAAZ focuses on this burning issue and it’s something that we haven’t seen in Bollywood films. So does TORBAAZ manage to thrill and entertain the audiences? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1157666" src="https://ift.tt/3qLTIpi" alt="Movie Review: Torbaaz" width="720" height="450" /> TORBAAZ is the story of an ex-army doctor seeking to bring children joy through cricket. Nasser Khan (Sanjay Dutt) was an army doctor in the Indian Army. At one point, he was working in the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. His wife Meera (Priyanka Verma) and son Aryan (Preet Bhanushali) also shifted there. Meera started doing social work for the refugees along with Ayesha (Nargis Fakhri). One day when Nasser, Meera and Aryan were shopping in the market, a child suicide bomber carried out an attack. It killed Meera and Aryan instantly. A few years later, Ayesha invites Nasser to Afghanistan for the inauguration of a refugee camp called Tomorrow's Hope. Nasser goes there reluctantly as the death of his family is still haunting him. At first, he's bitter but later moves on when he meets the father of Niaz, the kid who carried out the blast. Ayesha then invites Nasser to another Tomorrow's Hope Refugee Camp, which is located outside Kabul. Here, he sees that the kids comprising Baaz (Aishan Jawaid Malik), Gulab (Rudra Soni), Sadiq (Rehan Shaikh), Ali Sher (Tapajyoti Sarkar) etc love playing cricket. Nasser realizes that they are immensely talented and that their future can be bright if they take their cricketing career seriously. Hence, Nasser announces that he'll coach them in cricket and if all goes well, they can one day they can play in the Afghanistan Cricket Team. Sadly, there are too many obstacles. For starters, some kids are Pashtuns while the others are from Pakistan. These two groups don't see eye-to-eye. The Pakistani group is accused of being the ones carrying out suicide bombings. Not just that, the terrorists lead by Qazar (Rahul Dev) is trying to find the Pakistani kids whom he trained very well and who are potential suicide bombers. He finds out that they are residing in the same refugee camp where Nasser is trying to build a cricket team. He tells his men that he wants these children to further his terror agenda. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Girish Malik's story is excellent and the need of the hour. Not many would be aware about the sufferings of those who lost their loved ones in suicide attacks or also of the refugees in Afghanistan. The story throws light on these aspects and helps in adding to the viewer’s knowledge. But Girish Malik and Bharti Jakhar's screenplay is poor and insipid. Very few scenes leave an impact. Also, this should have been a fast-paced saga but is instead quite long at 2.13 hours. Girish Malik and Bharti Jakhar's dialogues are nothing special. Girish Malik's direction is the biggest culprit. This could have been a great flick if the direction was better or it was handled by someone else. But sadly, Girish Malik’s execution spoils the show. A few scenes are random and are added for the heck of it. Moreover, there are scenes of drone attacks and wars going on between terrorists and armed forces. The tone of the narrative changes suddenly in these scenes and the film turns into a documentary or a film festival-type of a film here. Also, the use of stock footage looks bad. On the positive side, he has handled a few scenes here and there with élan. TORBAAZ begins in a very bizarre and random manner. The film then gets on track as Nasser gets introduced in the narrative and he reaches Kabul. His ordeal of losing his wife and child could have been better depicted. The parallel track of the kids is interesting and it’s something that makes the film bearable. But the documentary style of scenes put in the film at regular intervals further hamper the impact. The cricket match scene doesn’t impress and we have seen better versions of an underdog team time winning or giving a tough time in recent times in films like CHHICHHORE [2019] and CHHALAANG [2020]. The final scene is well thought of but again, badly directed. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1157665" src="https://ift.tt/2IDMtyu" alt="Movie Review: Torbaaz" width="720" height="450" /> Sanjay Dutt is decent and nothing special. But he is likeable in this avatar and character. Nargis Fakhri is wasted. Rahul Dev is over the top as the villain. Priyanka Verma is decent in the cameo. Preet Bhanushali doesn’t have much to do. Rahul Mittra (Colonel Junaid Khan) suits the part but his performance is weak. Gavie Chahal (Shariyar) is fair while Raaj Singh Arora (Harpal aka Billu; the coach) is decent. Mohd Haq Peer Khan (Niaz), Daljit Sean Singh (Niaz's father), Rockey Raina (Abullah; driver) and Nira Suaraz (Baaz's mother) are okay. As for the actors playing the refugee kids, Rehan Shaikh leaves the maximum mark as the smallest kid, Sadiq. The way he scolds Sanjay Dutt in a few scenes is hilarious. Aishan Jawaid Malik has a crucial part as Baaz and gives a very good performance. Rudra Soni comes next and leaves a mark. Tapajyoti Sarkar, Kanha (Imlal) and Ballu Panchal (Wahid) are also good. Vikram Montrose's music doesn’t work. 'Maula' is forgettable. This should have been a song-less film. Bickram Ghosh's background score, however, has the thrill element. Hiroo Keswani's cinematography is beautiful. The locales of Kyrgyzstan are very well captured. Javed Karim's action is sans and blood and gore. Orozbay Absattarov's production design is realistic. Shaahid Amir, Bhagyashree Rajurkar and Pallavi Patel's costumes are straight out of life. Post House's VFX is average in a few scenes and fair in the rest. Dilip Deo's editing (additional editing by Protim Khaound) is haphazard at places. On the whole, TORBAAZ rests on a fine idea and tells an important story. But the poor direction ruins it all. Disappointing.

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Movie Review: Indoo Ki Jawani

Since 5-6 years, dating apps have become an important part of our lives. Many have had ugly experiences or have failed to find a decent match, but at the same time, there are those who have managed to meet their soul mates on it. Interestingly, not many films in Bollywood have spoken about this aspect. INDOO KI JAWANI, starring Kiara Advani, however, takes up the challenge and is based on this aspect. Of course, the film is much more than the dating app and promises to have a comical twist. Also, it’s a significant film as it’s the second Hindi film, after SURAJ PE MANGAL BHARI, to release in cinemas in the post-pandemic season. So does INDOO KI JAWANI manage to entertain audiences? Or does it compel the audiences to swipe left? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1157528" src="https://ift.tt/3mgVvzr" alt="Movie Review Indoo Ki Jawani" width="750" height="450" /> INDOO KI JAWANI is the coming-of-age story of a girl who experiences life through misadventures and dating apps. At the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, cops try to stop a Black Scorpio car at the check post. But the occupants of the car refuse to show their identity and escape. They also fire at a cop. The cops led by Avinash Nigam (Iqbal Khan) find the car outside a house. The terrorists are nowhere to be seen but the police find explosives inside. Soon they find one occupant of the car, a Pakistani, and the hunt begins to find the second person. Meanwhile, in Ghaziabad, Indira Gupta aka Indoo (Kiara Advani) is having a tough time with her boyfriend Satish (Raghav Raj Kakker). Satish wants to sleep with Indoo but she is apprehensive. She then agrees to come to his house at night and later, has a change of mind. Hence, a desperate Satish asks a girl from Indoo’s colony, Alka (Lisha Bajaj) to spend the night with him, despite the fact that Alka is getting married to someone else next week. Meanwhile, Indoo’s best friend Sonal (Mallika Dua) tells her that she should take the plunge and sleep with Satish. Hence, she lands up at Satish’s place but finds him in bed with Alka. Indoo breaks up with him immediately. At Alka’s wedding, Indoo is lusted by not just young boys like Kittu (Shivam Kakar) but also old-aged men like Prem uncle (Rakesh Bedi), Ranjit uncle (Rajendra Sethi) and Pran uncle (Chittranjan Tripathi). Kittu mixes alcohol in Indoo’s drink and this leads her to dance like crazy. Her reputation in her neighbourhood gets tarnished. The next day, Indoo’s parents (Rajesh Jais, Alka Kaushal) leave for Delhi to get the admission done for Indoo’s brother Bunty (Harsh Sharma). They request her not to do any more drama. A lonely Indoo, still sad about the break-up, agrees to Sonal’s idea of using a dating app to find a guy for one-night-stand. Sonal believes that this will help her in her next relationship. On the app, Indoo matches with Samar (Aditya Seal). After a brief chat, Indoo invites him home in the evening. The same day, she finds out from Prem uncle, Ranjit uncle and Pran uncle that a terrorist from Pakistan is roaming in Ghaziabad. In the evening, Samar reaches Indoo’s place. Samar turns out to be a thorough gentleman. Indoo attempts to get intimate with him but gets nervous. She calls Sonal who motivates her to seduce him. Indoo decides to do so and in the process, Samar’s passport falls from his jacket. This is when she sees that Samar is a Pakistani! This development terrifies her. She also wonders if he’s the same terrorist that the police are trying to find. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Abir Sengupta's story is entertaining. The manner in which he has brought together dating apps, prejudices, mindset in small towns, terrorism and India vs Pakistan debate into a single film is quite praiseworthy. Abir Sengupta's screenplay is effective for most parts. It’s good to see that the writer has tried his best to ensure that the film doesn’t come off as a run-off-the-mill product. However, the film drags at a couple of places. One feels so especially in the first half. The trailer had depicted already that Indoo’s match is a Pakistani. This bit comes late, just before the interval. Hence, one wishes if the first half was tighter. Abir Sengupta's dialogues are witty and add to the humour quotient. The Indo-Pak debate dialogues could have been shorter as it was getting repetitive in the second half. Also, the term ‘jhanda gaadh diya’ is mentioned after every ten minutes and it frustrates viewers after a point. Abir Sengupta's direction is neat and simple. It is also creatively done at places. For instance, the scene where Indoo chats with Samar for the first time on the app could ideally have been a normal, routine scene, shot probably in a coffee shop or Indoo’s residence. But Abir instead sets it in the middle of a busy Ghaziabad chowk where fights and chaos have caused immense madness. This actually enhances the impact. Also, the director focuses on how people in neighbourhoods in small towns tend to be nosy and prejudiced under the garb of being cultured. This is treated in a humorous manner but is a reality and this element is well utilized in the script. On the flipside, the finale is fun but could have been more thrilling. The idea of intercutting an action scene with the jagrata shots seemed clichéd. Also, using surrogate brand names like Fakebook, Dinder, Café Coffee Bay and Domato is very laughable. One wishes they had used original names (as they did with Limca and Aquagard) or maybe the makers could have used fictitious brand names. INDOO KI JAWANI begins on an interesting note which makes it clear that Indoo has morals and values and that she is concerned about her image in the society. The animated opening credits are very nicely done. The first half then moves at a relaxed, slow speed. The film of course gets better when Samar and Indoo meet and when she discovers that he is from the ‘enemy country’. At first, it’s fun to see both of them debating about which country is better. After a point, it gets too much. The last 20 minutes are thrilling and the film ends on a good, funny note. Talking of performances, Kiara Advani is adorable. She looks extremely cute and puts up a very entertaining performance. The manner in which she rants angrily throughout the film makes for a humorous watch. This film gives her a chance to showcase her acting talent and hence, it would surely help her in pushing her career ahead. Aditya Seal doesn’t have much to do initially in the first half but later makes his presence felt. He looks dashing and his dialogue delivery is spot on. Mallika Dua is hilarious and is great as the bestie with loads of gyaan about men, adult films and sex. Iqbal Khan leaves a huge mark and deserves to be seen more in films. Raghav Raj Kakker, who was loved for his role of ‘Karamchand’ in SCAM 1992, is fine. Shivam Kakar is a bit over the top. Rakesh Bedi, Rajendra Sethi and Chittranjan Tripathi are appropriate in the roles of lecherous uncles. Rajesh Jais, Alka Kaushal, Harsh Sharma and Lisha Bajaj don’t get much scope. Govind Pandey (constable Om Prakash Chautala) suits the part to the T. Ashok Lal (auto driver) is funny. Archana Shukla (Kittu's mother) is efficient. Jitendra Rajput (terrorist) has a crucial part and does well. Masood Ibrahim (Abhishek Singh) is okay. Kiara on CONTROVERSIES around films: “If they’re getting a bit TOXIC then I…”| Indoo Ki Jawani <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/33XUjun" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Music is not of chartbuster variety but is used well. 'Hasina Pagal Deewani' is foot-tapping. 'Dil Tera' is novel and beautifully gives homage to Bollywood. 'Single Ladies' is relegated to the background while 'Heelein Toot Gayi' appears during the end credits. Neel Adhikar's background score is in sync with the film’s mood. A Vasanth's cinematography is sans complaints. Priya Suhass' production design gives the film a realistic touch. Amin Khatib's action is minimal and not too violent. Sheetal Sharma's costumes are very appealing, especially the ones worn by Kiara. Ajay Sharma's editing could have been crisper but nevertheless, he does a fine job. On the whole, INDOO KI JAWANI is a fun-filled entertainer and deserves to be watched for its plot, realistic setting, humour and Kiara Advani’s adorable performance. At the box office, the positive word of mouth might result in an increase in footfalls over the weekend.

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Movie Review: Indoo Ki Jawani

Movie Review: Durgamati: The Myth

Female-centric films get acclaim but rarely emerge as a box office success. But the scenario is changing in the last few years. The trend has also been seen down South. In 2018, BHAAGMATHIE, starring Anushka Shetty, got a brilliant response in cinemas, collecting close to Rs. 50 crore worldwide. The film was loved for Anushka’s flawless performance, script, setting and of course, the unpredictable climax. Now its remake, DURGAMATI, is ready and has released on Amazon Prime video. So does DURGAMATI manage to impress viewers as much as the original version? Or does the remake fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1157425" src="https://ift.tt/3qTRILZ" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> DURGAMATI is the story of an imprisoned IAS officer being interrogated in a haunted house. A state in India witnesses several robberies of priceless idols from various temples. A minister of the ruling party, Ishwar Prasad (Arshad Warsi), wins hearts of people by claiming that if the government fails to retrieve the idols within 15 days, he’ll quit politics forever. His party members are stunned with his promise. They decide to bring him down by framing him in a corruption case. CBI officer Satakshi Ganguly (Mahie Gill) is assigned for the job. She takes local help from Assistant Commissioner of Police Abhay Singh (Jisshu Sengupta). As part of her operation, Satakshi decides to interrogate Chanchal Chauhan (Bhumi Pednekar), an IAS officer who has worked with Ishwar for close to a decade. Interestingly, she is serving a jail sentence for murdering her fiancé Shakti (Karan Kapadia). Moreover, Shakti was Abhay’s brother and needless to say, the latter has not forgiven Chanchal for her act. The interrogation of Chanchal is supposed to be a top-secret operation. Hence, it couldn’t be done in the prison or anywhere else. Hence, Abhay decides to shift her to a remote location – the Durgamati Haveli. The junior officers, who are also a part of the operation, get frightened as they have heard that the haveli is haunted. They even tell Abhay and Satakshi to shift Chanchal somewhere else. However, both the officers refuse to budge as they don’t believe in spirits. The interrogation begins and Satakshi fails to get any credible information from Chanchal that can help her nail Ishwar. Chanchal consistently maintains that he is a man with a clean image and is far from corrupt. At night, the officers stationed at the site retreat to their hub while Chanchal is asked to reside in the bungalow all alone. This is when eerie things start happening inside. Chanchal complains but the cops are not allowed to go inside to help her. The investigations continue in the day while at night, Chanchal continues to get attacked by a ghost. A few days later, the spirit of Queen Durgamati finally takes control of Chanchal. At first, Satakshi and other officers assume she’s faking it to escape the interrogation. However, they soon realize that there might be some things beyond the understanding of science. What happens next forms the rest of the film. G Ashok's story is quite novel. The idea of adding political touch in a typical haunted house plot makes for an interesting combination. On paper, this is a riveting idea, without doubt. But G Ashok's screenplay leaves a lot to be desired. Some scenes are exceptional and keep the interest going but at several places, the film turns into a clichéd horror fest. Ravinder Randhawa's dialogues are simple and also acidic at few places. G Ashok's direction is simple and commercial. The film is made for the masses and that is evident from start to finish. A few scenes are very well thought of and executed. Also, he handles the grandeur and the eerie atmosphere nicely. On the flipside, the film is riddled with too many cinematic liberties. Even the original version had the same issue but there it got saved due to Anushka Shetty’s towering performance. A performance of that sort is missing here. The director does try to change a bit from the original and that’s evident in the last part of the film. But one wishes he had done something more to hide the flaws and mindless aspects of the script. Also, while BHAAGMATHIE was just 2.17 hours long, DURGAMATI is lengthier with a runtime of 2.35 hours. The makers should have ideally kept the duration the same as in the original. DURGAMATI’s first scene, of villagers dying mysteriously, seems straight out of a B-grade film. Thankfully, the film gets on track with Ishwar Prasad’s entry and when he vows to leave politics if the stolen idols are not retrieved. The introduction of Chanchal and her dynamic with Abhay Singh adds to the drama. What is also memorable is the interrogation of Chanchal. The manner in which Satakshi tries her best to get Chanchal to spill the beans but fails is well written and thought of. The intermission point, where Chanchal transforms into Durgamati and the scene of ‘Durgamati’ talking to the psychiatrist (Ananth Narayan Mahadevan) are very gripping. But from here, the film falls. The horror element drags a lot. The climax has a solid twist which is sure to catch many viewers unawares. At the same time, it raises many questions as well. The film ends with a hint that a sequel may be in the offing. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1157427" src="https://ift.tt/2KiDhzV" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> Bhumi Pednekar puts her best foot forward and does well in the scenes where she’s playing the part of the IAS officer. But as the ghost seeking revenge, her performance falls short. Moreover, Anushka Shetty had given a brilliant performance in the original version and sadly, Bhumi’s act fails to come any close. Arshad Warsi, however, is a surprise and handles the part well. It’s also a pleasure to see him in a different avatar. Mahie Gill is impressive. The way she gets the grammar wrong while speaking Hindi is nicely done. Karan Kapadia does a fine job in confrontational scenes but at some places, he goes over the top. Also, his reactions could have been more natural in the romantic sequences. Jisshu Sengupta is dependable. Ananth Narayan Mahadevan leaves a mark despite being there for just a scene. Dhanraaj (Nand Singh), Brij Bhushan Shukla (Gopi) and Tanya Abrol (Peetal Devi) ham a lot. Ajay Pal Singh (Chowkidaar) is decent but his character doesn’t have anything to do after a point. Amita Vishwakarma (Kanchan; Chowkidaar’s wife) is fair. Shubhanker Dixit (Tantrik) is laughable. Chandan Vicky Rai (Daaruk), Amit Behl (Jose), Prabhat Raghunandan (Ajay Yadav) and Ada Singh (Satakshi’s daughter) are okay. There’s only one song in the film, 'Baras Baras', and is soothing. Jakes Bejoy's background score is theatrical and the theme song is chilling. Kuldeep Mamania's cinematography is impressive. The lensman handles the grandeur very well. Tariq Umar Khan's production design is spectacular. The haveli is very well built and looks straight out of life. Priyanka Mundada's costumes are appropriate. Nishant Abdul Khan's action gets quite gory, especially in the second half. Pixelloid Studios's VFX is okay. Unnikrishnan P P's editing could have been better as the film is way too long. On the whole, DURGAMATI rests on an interesting plot and is replete with some interesting scenes and an unpredictable twist in the second half. But the cinematic liberties are aplenty which hamper the impact. Also, Bhumi Pednekar’s performance is no way close to Anushka Shetty’s memorable act in BHAAGMATHIE. It will invite massive criticism from the subscribers of the OTT platform on which it has released. However, it’s sure to find an audience when it’ll premiere on satellite TV.

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Thursday, 10 December 2020

Movie Review: Durgamati: The Myth

Friday, 4 December 2020

Movie Review: Tenet

Ever since the Coronavirus pandemic began to spread its wings across the world, most of the big, Hollywood films were immediately postponed first to 2020-end and then to 2021. Warner Bros’ TENET was the only film that took the brave decision of releasing in the USA and other international markets amid the pandemic, in August-end and September. It didn’t get a release in India then as cinemas here were shut. Now that the theatres are finally operational, the much awaited Christopher Nolan directed film has been released on the big screen. So does TENET manage to entertain and thrill the audiences, in true Nolan style? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1155296" src="https://ift.tt/2JA0T3b" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> TENET is the story of a secret agent fighting for the survival of the entire world from an unbelievable threat. An unnamed CIA agent, the ‘Protagonist’ (John David Washington) takes up the identity of SWAT soldiers and along with his team mates, participate in an undercover operation at an opera house in Kiev, Ukraine. The Protagonist’s mission is to rescue a target and acquire an unknown package. Sadly, the mission fails for him and he is captured. He is tortured and forced to reveal his identity and his organization. The Protagonist, however, choses to die by consuming a pill of cyanide. Luckily, he doesn’t lose his life. It is revealed that the mission was a fake and was conducted to test his loyalty. Having passed the test, he is employed by a secret organization called Tenet. He is taken to a research facility where Laura (Clémence Poésy) informs him that they have come across several objects whose entropy has been reversed and are moving back in time. The Protagonist, obviously, gets confused and she explains the concept to him by making him fire inverted bullets. The Protagonist is surprised that instead of hitting the target, the inverted bullets jump out of the target and move backward to enter the gun. She also informs him that these objects are from the future and that this phenomenon can threaten their present and also their past. In order to get more information on these bullets, the Protagonist reaches Mumbai. Here, he takes the help of a local contact, Neil (Robert Pattinson), in getting an audience with Sanjay Singh (Denzil Smith), an arms dealer. Neil says that won’t possible and that they’ll have to infiltrate his mansion. The Protagonist agrees and both secretly enter his house and capture Sanjay. However, it comes to light that Sanjay is just a front and that it is his wife Priya Singh (Dimple Kapadia) who calls the shots. She tells the Protagonist that her ammunition was purchased and possibly time-inverted by a Russian oligarch, Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh). The Protagonist then goes to London to meet Sir Michael Crosby (Michael Caine) who advises him that he should contact Andrei’s wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki) and through her, he can establish contact with the oligarch. Kat is an art appraiser who recently had sold a fake Goya painting to her husband. The Protagonist decides to follow the same route. He approaches her with another fake Goya, hoping that she’ll use it to introduce him to Andrei. However, she reveals to him that after she sold the forged painting to Andrei, he found out the truth and has used it to blackmail and control her. The Protagonist then decides to steal the painting that she sold him from the place where it’s stored – a Freeport at Oslo airport, Norway. With the help of a pilot, Mahir (Himesh Patel), they get an airplane to crash at the Freeport facility and make it seem like a case of unknown robbers trying to rob gold bars from the aircraft. The Protagonist and Neil use this attack as an opportunity to infiltrate the facility to steal the forged painting. As they enter the facility and get busy with their work, they suddenly get attacked by two mysterious SWAT members who emerge from a strange revolving door. What’s more, one of them is inverted and is moving backwards in time! What happens next forms the rest of the film. Christopher Nolan's story is puzzling, simply put! He has thought of a concept that is truly out of this world and something that forces audiences to put the entire grey cell in their brains into motion. Christopher Nolan's screenplay is captivating and keeps audiences hooked despite the 150 minutes run-time. However, a few scenes are sure to get over the top for the audiences and compel them to check the plot on Wikipedia or to Google ‘Tenet Explained’ after they exit the theatre. Christopher Nolan's dialogues are sharp and also provide the much-needed humour in the film. Christopher Nolan's direction is supreme. It requires guts and conviction to pull off a concept of this sort and also make it cinematically appealing and entertaining. In this regard, he succeeds big time. The film is replete with some very thrilling and dramatic moments, some of which are never before seen on celluloid, and these keep the interest going. There are some twists and turns in the second half which are sure to shock viewers and give them their money’s worth. On the flipside, one wishes if the film was a bit simpler. There are times when it seems like a few scenes or goings-on are purposely made complex. However, this move backfires in a few scenes, more so in the first half. Also, slight parallels can also be drawn to AVENGERS: ENDGAME [2019] which also dealt with time travel and had a complicated concept. Yet, the execution made it so simpler and all kinds of audiences were able to understand what’s going on. One wishes if TENET was also on the same lines as the impact then would have been manifold. TENET begins on a very thrilling note with the attack at the Kiev Opera House. As expected, the film goes in the ‘Nolan zone’ in no time as mysterious developments start taking place. The scene of the Protagonist with the scientist Laura is when the audiences are introduced to the invert concept. This is followed by the Mumbai scene which is thankfully simpler and also quite exciting. The introduction of the characters of Kat and Andrei Sator gives a nice touch to the narrative. The attack at the Freeport at Oslo is gripping especially when a man moving in reverse attacks the Protagonist. The confusion levels go many notches higher from hereon. After all, the concept itself is difficult to understand and on top of that, there’s so much happening that doesn’t make sense and it’s sure to leave audiences bewildered. Thankfully, post-interval, things become clearer. Some of the questions get answered fantastically, especially when the Protagonist also goes in reverse for a significant reason. The climax is thrilling as we see two teams instigating an attack – one moving forward in time and one moving backward – with another track running parallel in Vietnam. The final scene is unexpected but leaves audiences with a lot of questions. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1155297" src="https://ift.tt/37AWWDh" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> Talking of performances, John David Washington, who recently got loads of accolades for his role in BLACKKKLANSMAN [2018], gives yet another praiseworthy performance. The confusion and challenges that he goes through is very well conveyed by him, more so with his expressions and body language. Robert Pattinson is dependable as always. His character is stylish, a bit mysterious and someone who knows how to get the job done and Robert portrays it with perfection. Elizabeth Debicki has a difficult part and impresses the maximum. She gives the best performance in the movie and she is excellent in the crucial climax sequence. Kenneth Branagh is excellent as the villain and leaves a mark. Dimple Kapadia has an important role and is quite confident and impressive. Himesh Patel lends able support. Clémence Poésy is great in the cameo. Michael Caine is there for just a scene but he is adorable. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Ives) is decent although one wishes his character was a bit more defined. Denzil Smith hardly gets any scope. Ludwig Göransson's music is outstanding and one of the best parts of the film. The background score elevates impact in many scenes. Hoyte Van Hoytema's cinematography is spectacular. The scenes are captured in a way that makes them ideal for a big-screen watch. The scenes of Mumbai are well shot as well. Same goes for the action as well. It adds to the grandeur. And thankfully, it’s not gory. Nathan Crowley's production design is very rich in all respects. The VFX is first-class and especially the inverted scenes are seen to be believed. The sound is not upto the mark in a few scenes. The dialogues get a bit inaudible or get overshadowed by the other noise in the scene. Thankfully, the film is released in India with English subtitles and that saves the day. Jennifer Lame's editing is a bit haphazard at few places but some scenes are exceptionally cut. On the whole, TENET does confuse and puzzle the viewers but it also provides a brilliant cinematic experience thanks to its concept, music score, VFX and action. At the Indian box office, it can emerge as a success because of the hype, Nolan’s fan following and also because it’s a rare, exciting film to have released in cinemas in the pandemic.

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