Movie Review: The Girl On The Train

Parineeti Chopra had a smashing debut with bubbly and light-hearted roles and it became her trademark. After a hiatus, she is back and her 2.0 cinematic avatar promises to be unlike anything she has done in the past. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is the first film of her new phase. The film was supposed to release in cinemas on Mother’s Day 2020. But due to the pandemic, it has made its way on Netflix. So does THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN manage to impress and give a thrilling time to the viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1188297" src="https://ift.tt/2ZRluEu" alt="Movie Review The Girl On The Train" width="750" height="450" /> THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is the story of a troubled alcoholic who gets involved in the murder of a girl whom she hardly knows. Mira Kapoor (Parineeti Chopra), based in London, is happily married to Shekhar (Avinash Tiwary). Mira takes up the case of an African man who gets killed in a shootout. She then receives threats from the family of the accused, Jimmy Baga. Yet, she proves in the court that Jimmy is the killer. Jimmy Baga is sent to jail. The same day, Mira finds out that she is pregnant. 6 months later, Mira is in a happy space as motherhood is something she deeply aspired for. Unfortunately, Mira and Shekhar get involved in a car accident. Mira suffers from a miscarriage. Her doctor tells that she is not fit to conceive again. Mira is shattered and to cope up with the loss, she resorts to drinking. She drinks so much that she would get violent and suffer from blackouts. And then the next day, she would not remember a thing. During her drunken stupors, Mira ends up assaulting Shekhar and also insulting his boss due to which Shekhar is fired. Shekhar finally divorces Mira. Mira loses her job as well. With nothing else to do in life, she begins to travel in the train from London to it’s suburbs and back. On the way, she crosses the place where her house with Shekhar is situated. However, just next to Shekhar’s house, Mira spots Nusrat John (Aditi Rao Hydari). Mira starts observing her whenever her train passes from near her house. Mira sees that Nusrat is having a lovely married life with Anand Joshi (Shamaun Ahmed). She also sees Nusrat dancing without a care in the world. Mira wishes if she had a life like Nusrat. However, one day, Mira sees that Nusrat is hugging someone who is not her husband. The way Nusrat hugs makes her realize that she’s having an affair. Mira is shattered. The perfect image of Nusrat which she had crafted in her mind is broken and that angers her. She feels that she shouldn’t cheat on her husband as she knows the pain. This is because Shekhar also started an affair, with Anjali (Natasha Benton), with whom he’s happily married now. Mira hence decides to teach a lesson to Nusrat. She goes to the latter’s house but the house is locked. She then spots her in a forest nearby. Mira charges at her and then blacks out. Mira wakes up at her house with a wound on her forehead and no memory of last night. The next day, Nusrat goes missing. Officer Kaur (Kirti Kulhari) comes on board to investigate. During the course of her investigation, she finds out that Mira had come angrily to meet Nusrat and hence, Mira becomes the prime suspect. A few days later, Nusrat’s dead body is found in the same forest. What happens next forms the rest of the story. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is based on the 2016 Hollywood film of the same name, which in turn, was adapted from Paula Hawkins’s bestselling novel. The Hindi remake is not a scene-by-scene remake of the Emily Blunt-starrer and the makers have added new characters and plot points, which would surprise those who have seen the original. Ribhu Dasgupta's screenplay (additional screenplay by Viddesh Malandkar) is average. While it’s gripping and fast-paced, there’s no character development done of the supporting characters. Gaurav Shukla and Abhijeet Khuman's dialogues are decent. Ribhu Dasgupta's direction is not upto the mark. Talking about the plusses, he manages to captivate viewers. There’s a lot happening in the film and he doesn’t let viewers’ attention wander even for a second. The original flick had a lot of non-linear narrative. Ribhu simplifies it to a large extent. A few scenes are exceptional and also, he manages to extract fine performances from his actors. On the flipside, he keeps all the focus mainly on Parineeti Chopra’s character. The original film focused on the supporting characters and their backstories as well, and also the dynamics between various characters. Here, that doesn’t happen adequately. Even those who have not seen the original will feel this flaw and they would not be able to connect with some characters. Also, the ending has been changed from the original flick and the novel. Ribhu has added a double twist. The attempt doesn’t really work because the original, second twist is flawed and riddled with cinematic liberties. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Parineeti on The Girl On The Train: "I just FELL on the floor and I BURST into TEARS, I started..."</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3uA309S" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN starts off an intriguing note. In the first 20 minutes, the makers lay out the trajectory in Mira’s rollercoaster life. The parallel track of Nusrat going missing is also interesting. As the film progresses, more and more characters get added to the narrative. But one realizes that they don’t have much to do. That hampers the impact to an extent. Nevertheless, the various developments in the last 45 minutes do keep one on the edge of the seats. The ending should have been the best part of the enterprise but instead, it is devoid of logic. Parineeti Chopra delivers a brilliant performance and is sure to benefit from this film. She surprises viewers as she has never ventured into this space before and she manages to put up a convincing performance. As a chronic alcoholic, she is quite good. Kirti Kulhari shines with her screen presence and dialogue delivery. Aditi Rao Hydari is lovely and one wishes she had a bigger role, especially since her character is crucial to the plot. Avinash Tiwary is as always dependable. Natasha Benton and Shamaun Ahmed get no scope at all. Same goes for Tota Roy Chowdhury (Dr Hamid). Vishakh Vadgama (Kunal; junior police officer), Diljohn Singh (Rajiv), Monisha Hassen (Zehra; Shekhar’s boss) and Suresh Sippy (Mira's doctor) are okay. Music is surprisingly good but doesn’t have a shelf life. <em>'Chhal Gaya Chhalla'</em> is quite catchy. <em>'Matlabi Yariyan'</em> is well woven with the narrative. <em>'Tu Meri Rani'</em> is forgettable. Gilad Benamram's background score adds to the thrill. Tribhuvan Babu Sadineni's cinematography is simple but effective. Sunil Nigvekar's production design is rich. Subodh Srivastava and Sanam Ratansi's costumes are very appealing and yet realistic and in sync with the character’s respective personalities. Pratap Borhade's make-up is praiseworthy, especially the wound on Parineeti’s forehead. Sangeeth Prakash Varghese's editing is slick. On the whole, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is an average fare. It impresses due to the fast-paced narrative and performances, especially of Parineeti Chopra. But the lack of character development and flawed climax proves detrimental.

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Movie Review: The Girl On The Train

Parineeti Chopra had a smashing debut with bubbly and light-hearted roles and it became her trademark. After a hiatus, she is back and her 2.0 cinematic avatar promises to be unlike anything she has done in the past. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is the first film of her new phase. The film was supposed to release in cinemas on Mother’s Day 2020. But due to the pandemic, it has made its way on Netflix. So does THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN manage to impress and give a thrilling time to the viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1188297" src="https://ift.tt/2ZRluEu" alt="Movie Review The Girl On The Train" width="750" height="450" /> THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is the story of a troubled alcoholic who gets involved in the murder of a girl whom she hardly knows. Mira Kapoor (Parineeti Chopra), based in London, is happily married to Shekhar (Avinash Tiwary). Mira takes up the case of an African man who gets killed in a shootout. She then receives threats from the family of the accused, Jimmy Baga. Yet, she proves in the court that Jimmy is the killer. Jimmy Baga is sent to jail. The same day, Mira finds out that she is pregnant. 6 months later, Mira is in a happy space as motherhood is something she deeply aspired for. Unfortunately, Mira and Shekhar get involved in a car accident. Mira suffers from a miscarriage. Her doctor tells that she is not fit to conceive again. Mira is shattered and to cope up with the loss, she resorts to drinking. She drinks so much that she would get violent and suffer from blackouts. And then the next day, she would not remember a thing. During her drunken stupors, Mira ends up assaulting Shekhar and also insulting his boss due to which Shekhar is fired. Shekhar finally divorces Mira. Mira loses her job as well. With nothing else to do in life, she begins to travel in the train from London to it’s suburbs and back. On the way, she crosses the place where her house with Shekhar is situated. However, just next to Shekhar’s house, Mira spots Nusrat John (Aditi Rao Hydari). Mira starts observing her whenever her train passes from near her house. Mira sees that Nusrat is having a lovely married life with Anand Joshi (Shamaun Ahmed). She also sees Nusrat dancing without a care in the world. Mira wishes if she had a life like Nusrat. However, one day, Mira sees that Nusrat is hugging someone who is not her husband. The way Nusrat hugs makes her realize that she’s having an affair. Mira is shattered. The perfect image of Nusrat which she had crafted in her mind is broken and that angers her. She feels that she shouldn’t cheat on her husband as she knows the pain. This is because Shekhar also started an affair, with Anjali (Natasha Benton), with whom he’s happily married now. Mira hence decides to teach a lesson to Nusrat. She goes to the latter’s house but the house is locked. She then spots her in a forest nearby. Mira charges at her and then blacks out. Mira wakes up at her house with a wound on her forehead and no memory of last night. The next day, Nusrat goes missing. Officer Kaur (Kirti Kulhari) comes on board to investigate. During the course of her investigation, she finds out that Mira had come angrily to meet Nusrat and hence, Mira becomes the prime suspect. A few days later, Nusrat’s dead body is found in the same forest. What happens next forms the rest of the story. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is based on the 2016 Hollywood film of the same name, which in turn, was adapted from Paula Hawkins’s bestselling novel. The Hindi remake is not a scene-by-scene remake of the Emily Blunt-starrer and the makers have added new characters and plot points, which would surprise those who have seen the original. Ribhu Dasgupta's screenplay (additional screenplay by Viddesh Malandkar) is average. While it’s gripping and fast-paced, there’s no character development done of the supporting characters. Gaurav Shukla and Abhijeet Khuman's dialogues are decent. Ribhu Dasgupta's direction is not upto the mark. Talking about the plusses, he manages to captivate viewers. There’s a lot happening in the film and he doesn’t let viewers’ attention wander even for a second. The original flick had a lot of non-linear narrative. Ribhu simplifies it to a large extent. A few scenes are exceptional and also, he manages to extract fine performances from his actors. On the flipside, he keeps all the focus mainly on Parineeti Chopra’s character. The original film focused on the supporting characters and their backstories as well, and also the dynamics between various characters. Here, that doesn’t happen adequately. Even those who have not seen the original will feel this flaw and they would not be able to connect with some characters. Also, the ending has been changed from the original flick and the novel. Ribhu has added a double twist. The attempt doesn’t really work because the original, second twist is flawed and riddled with cinematic liberties. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Parineeti on The Girl On The Train: "I just FELL on the floor and I BURST into TEARS, I started..."</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3uA309S" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN starts off an intriguing note. In the first 20 minutes, the makers lay out the trajectory in Mira’s rollercoaster life. The parallel track of Nusrat going missing is also interesting. As the film progresses, more and more characters get added to the narrative. But one realizes that they don’t have much to do. That hampers the impact to an extent. Nevertheless, the various developments in the last 45 minutes do keep one on the edge of the seats. The ending should have been the best part of the enterprise but instead, it is devoid of logic. Parineeti Chopra delivers a brilliant performance and is sure to benefit from this film. She surprises viewers as she has never ventured into this space before and she manages to put up a convincing performance. As a chronic alcoholic, she is quite good. Kirti Kulhari shines with her screen presence and dialogue delivery. Aditi Rao Hydari is lovely and one wishes she had a bigger role, especially since her character is crucial to the plot. Avinash Tiwary is as always dependable. Natasha Benton and Shamaun Ahmed get no scope at all. Same goes for Tota Roy Chowdhury (Dr Hamid). Vishakh Vadgama (Kunal; junior police officer), Diljohn Singh (Rajiv), Monisha Hassen (Zehra; Shekhar’s boss) and Suresh Sippy (Mira's doctor) are okay. Music is surprisingly good but doesn’t have a shelf life. <em>'Chhal Gaya Chhalla'</em> is quite catchy. <em>'Matlabi Yariyan'</em> is well woven with the narrative. <em>'Tu Meri Rani'</em> is forgettable. Gilad Benamram's background score adds to the thrill. Tribhuvan Babu Sadineni's cinematography is simple but effective. Sunil Nigvekar's production design is rich. Subodh Srivastava and Sanam Ratansi's costumes are very appealing and yet realistic and in sync with the character’s respective personalities. Pratap Borhade's make-up is praiseworthy, especially the wound on Parineeti’s forehead. Sangeeth Prakash Varghese's editing is slick. On the whole, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is an average fare. It impresses due to the fast-paced narrative and performances, especially of Parineeti Chopra. But the lack of character development and flawed climax proves detrimental.

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

Movie Review: Madam Chief Minister

Politics is an important component of our society and in recent times, with the advent of social media, it has become popular even among the youth who earlier weren’t that interested. However, the same wasn’t reflected in our films. We have obviously had plenty of films involving politicians but a fictional film revolving around the life of a neta was rare. Most of them which were released recently like THACKERAY [2019], THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER [2019] and PM NARENDRA MODI [2019] were biopics. MADAM CHIEF MINISTER, directed by Subhash Kapoor of JOLLY LLB fame, which has released today, fills up this space. It’s not a biopic and serves as a fictional political thriller. The trailer and some of the parallels with the life of ex-Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati have caught some attention. So does MADAM CHIEF MINISTER emerge as an entertaining political fare? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1171980 size-full" title="Movie Review: Madam Chief Minister" src="https://ift.tt/3sI72w5" alt="Movie Review: Madam Chief Minister" width="720" height="450" /> MADAM CHIEF MINISTER is the story of a girl who rises from being a nobody to the most powerful woman in Uttar Pradesh. Tara Roopram (Richa Chadha) is born in 1982 in a village in Uttar Pradesh. The same day, her father, Roopram (Mukteshwar Ohja) is killed by members of a higher caste. Tara’s grandmother, who is anyway upset with her birth since she’s the fourth daughter in the family, gets enraged when she learns about the demise of Roopram. She accuses Tara for this tragedy and is about to kill her. But Tara’s mother (Seema Modi) stops her from doing so. Many years later, Tara is grown up and works as a librarian in a university. She is in a physical relationship with Indramani Tripathi (Akshay Oberoi), a political heir and a politically active student in the university. One day, Tara tells Indramani that she’s pregnant and that she wishes to marry Indramani. To which Indramani makes it clear that it’s not possible because of caste differences. He advises her to abort the child. She refuses and threatens to expose him. His goons attack her when she’s working in the woods. However, she’s saved by the men of Master Surajbhan (Saurabh Shukla), who belongs to the Parivartan Party of India, which fights for the lower caste and downtrodden people. Tara is indebted to Master and she starts living with him and even working for his party. She picks up the workings of politics quickly. Some time before the state elections, she advises Master to form an alliance with Arvind Singh (Shubrajyoti Barat) of the Vikas Party, who had approached Master for a political partnership. Master sends Tara to meet Arvind Singh and convince him about the terms that Master has. Tara succeeds. When no one is ready to fight elections against the sitting CM, Tara takes up the challenge. She impresses the junta with their fiery speeches. She also fakes an attack on herself to gain sympathy. All these reasons help her defeat the sitting CM in the elections. As per the alliance terms, for the first 2½ years, a candidate of Parivartan Party of India will serve as the Chief Minister. The party members select O P Kushwaha (Sangam Bhaguna) due to his seniority and political experience. But, Master vetoes the decision and makes Tara the Chief Minister. She shifts to the CM’s sprawling residence. She gets her mother to stay with her who is obviously proud of Tara’s achievements. Meanwhile, her OSD (Officer on Special Duty), Danish Khan (Manav Kaul) informs her about the MLAs of the Vikas Party who are selected by Vikas Singh to serve in the cabinet. All of them are close to Vikas, as a friend or family member, and one of them is none other than Indramani Tripathi! Tara is angry that someone who tried to kill her will become a Cabinet Minister. She tries her best to ensure he doesn’t get the minister’s post. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Subhash Kapoor's story is promising in parts. After RAAJNEETI [2010], we haven’t really had a fictional political flick. It’s commendable that the writer researched well and managed to come up with some interesting sequences, many of which are based on common political tactics like unholy political alliances, horse trading etc. But Subhash Kapoor's screenplay doesn’t do complete justice. The first half has some goofs which one tends to overlook in favour of the many plusses in the film. But in the second half, these minuses get amplified and affect the impact. Subhash Kapoor's dialogues are realistic and sharp at places. However, the catchphrase used by Tara during her speeches ‘<em>Main tumhari hoon</em>’ could have been better thought of and more hard-hitting. Subhash Kapoor's direction is exceptional at places but otherwise, it’s quite pale, especially in comparison to his past films. What’s surprising from the very start is that the film moves too quickly, which is not really Subhash’s style. At first, one feels great since a fast-paced narrative can also mean a better narrative. But in the process of rushing through things, the director skips a few developments, which leave the viewers confused. For instance, why doesn’t Tara go ahead with the pregnancy and when is it that she changes her mind is never depicted. Secondly, a member of Master’s party Sundar (Boloram Das) does a heinous act of betrayal. Sadly, his track is forgotten completely in the second half. The finale seems a bit abrupt. Ideally, the makers should have reversed the chronology. The poisoning bit track should have been followed by the horse-trading sequence as the latter was quite powerful. If the film had ended with this said action-packed track, the impact would have been there. Sadly, the vice versa happens. So a fantastic sequence is followed by a disappointing one and hence, the audience comes out of the theatre feeling not-so-impressed. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1171983" src="https://ift.tt/2LTwga5" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> MADAM CHIEF MINISTER has a decent beginning, explaining the caste wars prevalent in rural areas. The introduction of adult Tara and her relationship with Indramani is quickly explained and depicted. But it’s when Master Surajbhan enters the narrative that the film gets better. The pure bond that he shares with Tara is heartening. The execution seems a bit jerky at places but one doesn’t mind much here as there’s a lot happening in the film. Two scenes that really stand out here are – Tara forcing herself and other lower castes people into the temple; and the other one is when she forcefully tonsures Indramani. The intermission point is arresting. Post-interval, the film zooms like a rocket as Tara ‘kidnaps’ MLAs from Vikas Party and holds them in a guest house. The drama that ensues here is sure to keep one at the edge of the seat. Sadly, from here on, instead of maintaining this high, the film falls. The track of the CM being slowly poisoned is unpredictable but doesn’t really create the desired impact as it’s flawed. The finale is well thought of but again, it lacks the punch. Speaking of performances, Richa Chadha does justice as she puts up a confident and convincing performance. The best part about her performance is that she understands Tara well. She goes overboard as Tara plays to the gallery while giving speeches but she also draws a line so that it doesn’t seem like a ham performance. Saurabh Shukla is lovely and all his scenes are engaging. Manav Kaul is dependable always but is let down by the script in the pre-climax and finale. Akshay Oberoi leaves a huge mark. One wishes that he had more screen time. Shubrajyoti Barat is fine as the villain. Boloram Das is fair. Sangam Bhaguna, Mukteshwar Ohja and Seema Modi don't get much scope. Nikhil Vijay (Babloo) played a half-baked character and it seemed like he was trying to imitate popular actor Dhanush. Raviza Chauhan (Shashi Rai) is great. Shreya Awasthi (Dr Laxmi), Alok Sharad (Judge) and the actor playing judge Supriya Tiwari are okay. Mangesh Dhakde's music is wasted. Ideally, this should have been a songless film. <em>'Chidi Chidi'</em> is forgettable. Mangesh Dhakde's background score, however, is dramatic and has a commercial vibe. Jayesh Nair's cinematography is spectacular. The scene where Richa apes Dr. Ambedkar’s statue’s pose especially is very well captured. Vikram Singh's production design is sans complaints. Veera Kapur Ee's costumes are straight out of life while Nikita Kapoor's make-up and prosthetics add to the realism. Parvez Shaikh's action isn’t gory and yet, works well as per the film’s theme. Chandrashekhar Prajapati's editing is problematic. On the whole, MADAM CHIEF MINISTER boasts of an interesting idea and fine performances by Richa Chadha and Saurabh Shukla. But the loopholes in the script and a disappointing and abrupt finale spoil the show. At the box office, it will struggle to get footfalls as it has been released without any awareness.

from Movie Review | Bollywood Movie Reviews | Latest Hindi Movies Reviews - Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/396Ntph

Movie Review: Madam Chief Minister

Politics is an important component of our society and in recent times, with the advent of social media, it has become popular even among the youth who earlier weren’t that interested. However, the same wasn’t reflected in our films. We have obviously had plenty of films involving politicians but a fictional film revolving around the life of a neta was rare. Most of them which were released recently like THACKERAY [2019], THE ACCIDENTAL PRIME MINISTER [2019] and PM NARENDRA MODI [2019] were biopics. MADAM CHIEF MINISTER, directed by Subhash Kapoor of JOLLY LLB fame, which has released today, fills up this space. It’s not a biopic and serves as a fictional political thriller. The trailer and some of the parallels with the life of ex-Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati have caught some attention. So does MADAM CHIEF MINISTER emerge as an entertaining political fare? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1171980 size-full" title="Movie Review: Madam Chief Minister" src="https://ift.tt/3sI72w5" alt="Movie Review: Madam Chief Minister" width="720" height="450" /> MADAM CHIEF MINISTER is the story of a girl who rises from being a nobody to the most powerful woman in Uttar Pradesh. Tara Roopram (Richa Chadha) is born in 1982 in a village in Uttar Pradesh. The same day, her father, Roopram (Mukteshwar Ohja) is killed by members of a higher caste. Tara’s grandmother, who is anyway upset with her birth since she’s the fourth daughter in the family, gets enraged when she learns about the demise of Roopram. She accuses Tara for this tragedy and is about to kill her. But Tara’s mother (Seema Modi) stops her from doing so. Many years later, Tara is grown up and works as a librarian in a university. She is in a physical relationship with Indramani Tripathi (Akshay Oberoi), a political heir and a politically active student in the university. One day, Tara tells Indramani that she’s pregnant and that she wishes to marry Indramani. To which Indramani makes it clear that it’s not possible because of caste differences. He advises her to abort the child. She refuses and threatens to expose him. His goons attack her when she’s working in the woods. However, she’s saved by the men of Master Surajbhan (Saurabh Shukla), who belongs to the Parivartan Party of India, which fights for the lower caste and downtrodden people. Tara is indebted to Master and she starts living with him and even working for his party. She picks up the workings of politics quickly. Some time before the state elections, she advises Master to form an alliance with Arvind Singh (Shubrajyoti Barat) of the Vikas Party, who had approached Master for a political partnership. Master sends Tara to meet Arvind Singh and convince him about the terms that Master has. Tara succeeds. When no one is ready to fight elections against the sitting CM, Tara takes up the challenge. She impresses the junta with their fiery speeches. She also fakes an attack on herself to gain sympathy. All these reasons help her defeat the sitting CM in the elections. As per the alliance terms, for the first 2½ years, a candidate of Parivartan Party of India will serve as the Chief Minister. The party members select O P Kushwaha (Sangam Bhaguna) due to his seniority and political experience. But, Master vetoes the decision and makes Tara the Chief Minister. She shifts to the CM’s sprawling residence. She gets her mother to stay with her who is obviously proud of Tara’s achievements. Meanwhile, her OSD (Officer on Special Duty), Danish Khan (Manav Kaul) informs her about the MLAs of the Vikas Party who are selected by Vikas Singh to serve in the cabinet. All of them are close to Vikas, as a friend or family member, and one of them is none other than Indramani Tripathi! Tara is angry that someone who tried to kill her will become a Cabinet Minister. She tries her best to ensure he doesn’t get the minister’s post. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Subhash Kapoor's story is promising in parts. After RAAJNEETI [2010], we haven’t really had a fictional political flick. It’s commendable that the writer researched well and managed to come up with some interesting sequences, many of which are based on common political tactics like unholy political alliances, horse trading etc. But Subhash Kapoor's screenplay doesn’t do complete justice. The first half has some goofs which one tends to overlook in favour of the many plusses in the film. But in the second half, these minuses get amplified and affect the impact. Subhash Kapoor's dialogues are realistic and sharp at places. However, the catchphrase used by Tara during her speeches ‘<em>Main tumhari hoon</em>’ could have been better thought of and more hard-hitting. Subhash Kapoor's direction is exceptional at places but otherwise, it’s quite pale, especially in comparison to his past films. What’s surprising from the very start is that the film moves too quickly, which is not really Subhash’s style. At first, one feels great since a fast-paced narrative can also mean a better narrative. But in the process of rushing through things, the director skips a few developments, which leave the viewers confused. For instance, why doesn’t Tara go ahead with the pregnancy and when is it that she changes her mind is never depicted. Secondly, a member of Master’s party Sundar (Boloram Das) does a heinous act of betrayal. Sadly, his track is forgotten completely in the second half. The finale seems a bit abrupt. Ideally, the makers should have reversed the chronology. The poisoning bit track should have been followed by the horse-trading sequence as the latter was quite powerful. If the film had ended with this said action-packed track, the impact would have been there. Sadly, the vice versa happens. So a fantastic sequence is followed by a disappointing one and hence, the audience comes out of the theatre feeling not-so-impressed. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1171983" src="https://ift.tt/2LTwga5" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> MADAM CHIEF MINISTER has a decent beginning, explaining the caste wars prevalent in rural areas. The introduction of adult Tara and her relationship with Indramani is quickly explained and depicted. But it’s when Master Surajbhan enters the narrative that the film gets better. The pure bond that he shares with Tara is heartening. The execution seems a bit jerky at places but one doesn’t mind much here as there’s a lot happening in the film. Two scenes that really stand out here are – Tara forcing herself and other lower castes people into the temple; and the other one is when she forcefully tonsures Indramani. The intermission point is arresting. Post-interval, the film zooms like a rocket as Tara ‘kidnaps’ MLAs from Vikas Party and holds them in a guest house. The drama that ensues here is sure to keep one at the edge of the seat. Sadly, from here on, instead of maintaining this high, the film falls. The track of the CM being slowly poisoned is unpredictable but doesn’t really create the desired impact as it’s flawed. The finale is well thought of but again, it lacks the punch. Speaking of performances, Richa Chadha does justice as she puts up a confident and convincing performance. The best part about her performance is that she understands Tara well. She goes overboard as Tara plays to the gallery while giving speeches but she also draws a line so that it doesn’t seem like a ham performance. Saurabh Shukla is lovely and all his scenes are engaging. Manav Kaul is dependable always but is let down by the script in the pre-climax and finale. Akshay Oberoi leaves a huge mark. One wishes that he had more screen time. Shubrajyoti Barat is fine as the villain. Boloram Das is fair. Sangam Bhaguna, Mukteshwar Ohja and Seema Modi don't get much scope. Nikhil Vijay (Babloo) played a half-baked character and it seemed like he was trying to imitate popular actor Dhanush. Raviza Chauhan (Shashi Rai) is great. Shreya Awasthi (Dr Laxmi), Alok Sharad (Judge) and the actor playing judge Supriya Tiwari are okay. Mangesh Dhakde's music is wasted. Ideally, this should have been a songless film. <em>'Chidi Chidi'</em> is forgettable. Mangesh Dhakde's background score, however, is dramatic and has a commercial vibe. Jayesh Nair's cinematography is spectacular. The scene where Richa apes Dr. Ambedkar’s statue’s pose especially is very well captured. Vikram Singh's production design is sans complaints. Veera Kapur Ee's costumes are straight out of life while Nikita Kapoor's make-up and prosthetics add to the realism. Parvez Shaikh's action isn’t gory and yet, works well as per the film’s theme. Chandrashekhar Prajapati's editing is problematic. On the whole, MADAM CHIEF MINISTER boasts of an interesting idea and fine performances by Richa Chadha and Saurabh Shukla. But the loopholes in the script and a disappointing and abrupt finale spoil the show. At the box office, it will struggle to get footfalls as it has been released without any awareness.

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Movie Review: Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi

Death is a tragic phenomenon of life. But several films in Bollywood have presented this inevitability in a lighter or even in an outrageously funny way. For example, JAANE BHI DO YAARO [1982], EKKEES TOPPON KI SALAAMI [2014], DADDY COOL [2009], BUDDHA MAR GAYA [2007], MALAMAAL WEEKLY [2006], PUSHPAK [1987], NEHLLE PE DEHLLA [2007], etc. Now Seema Pahwa’s directorial debut RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI also promises to have a light take on death. So does RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI manage to entertain and impress viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1164174" src="https://ift.tt/3rKj9rK" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI is the story of a family assembling together after ages due to a tragedy. Ramprasad (Naseeruddin Shah) is an old aged patriarch who suddenly passes away while teaching piano at his house to a kid in the neighbourhood. He resided with his wife, addressed as Amma (Supriya Pathak) by one and all. Their sons and daughters live in different parts of the country. Obviously they all rush to Ramprasad's mansion, located in a small house in Uttar Pradesh as soon as they get the news. What should have been a period of mourning for the family results in chaos as past wounds resurface. On top of that, Seema (Konkona Sen Sharma), wife of the youngest son of Ramprasad, Nishant aka Neetu (Parambrata Chatterjee) does not come. It leads to gossip and speculation among the wives of the other sons. Meanwhile, since Ramprasad passed away on December 19, the pandit announces that the <em>tehrvi</em> will hence fall on January 1. It leads to an argument in the family as some feel it will be awkward for people to attend such a ceremony on the first day of the year. The issue resolves and then, another problem arises. Ramprasad's children come to know that the patriarch had opted for a loan of Rs. 10 lakhs and that he has returned only Rs. 3 lakhs. It is now their responsibility to repay the rest of the amount. While going through his diary, they come to know that he took the said loan as his children were demanding money from him. This revelation leads to another round of <em>tu tu main main</em>. In all this chaos, Amma feels left out. The grandchildren meanwhile are least bothered about the death of their grandfather and are having a fun reunion. She realises that it'll be difficult for her to stay in the <em>haveli</em> all alone. Even if she chooses to stay with their sons, it seems that they won't be ready to accept her. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Seema Pahwa's story is promising. The biggest strength is that it’s very relatable. Everyone has been in the situation depicted in the film. Hence, one can’t help but relate very well to a lot of happenings in the film. Seema Pahwa's screenplay is however inconsistent. A few scenes and confrontations are very well thought of and also fleshed out. On the flipside, the film slips in the second half as crucial details are left out about some important characters. Seema Pahwa's dialogues are realistic and situational. However, the funny dialogues of Prakash Bade jija ji (Brijendra Kala) seem out of place. Seema Pahwa's direction is quite neat in the first 30 minutes. The way she establishes the setting and the mood makes for an engaging watch. Some of the characters like that of Seema seem very interesting and a lot could have been done here. However, one wonders why Seema Pahwa left out the backstories of certain characters. This is especially in the case of Seema’s character. One fails to understand what exactly she did wrong with Neetu and his family. It’s not like she was the only daughter-in-law who stayed away from her in-laws. The rest of the <em>bahus</em> also got separated from Ramprasad and Amma. Also, towards the end, Seema’s change of heart makes one feel that she’ll ask Amma to stay with her. That’s what the build-up seemed like. When she doesn’t, one wonders why that is so. Probably, she had the same issues as other daughter-in-laws and was not ready to take the responsibility. But this bit should have been better explained. Meanwhile, Rahul (Vikrant Massey) lusting after Seema individually seems like a great idea but looks a bit forced. The final scene is heartening but comes too suddenly. RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI begins well. No time is wasted as Ramprasad passes away in the first scene itself. From here, it’s a breezy watch as all the madcap characters arrive and create madness. A few scenes stand out like the four brothers having drinks and expressing their long-suppressed anger. Also, the sequence where Amma hides behind a pillar and sees that everyone is having a gala time while she’s mourning the demise of her husband is very moving. Post-interval, the film gets too serious. Many who would go for the film after seeing the trailer and assuming that it’ll be a light-hearted film will be in for a surprise, or rather, shock. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1164175" src="https://ift.tt/3n0Zn80" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI is laced with some fine performances. Naseeruddin Shah is dependable in the cameo. Supriya Pathak is the best part of the lot. One can feel the pain of her character. Konkona Sen Sharma is as expected quite excellent but is let down by weak characterization. Parambrata Chatterjee delivers a great performance. Vikrant Massey is excellent. Vinay Pathak (Pankaj), Manoj Pahwa (Gajraj) and Ninad Kamat (Manoj) enhance impact with the way they have exceled in their respective roles. Sadiya Siddiqui (Pratibha), Divya Jagdale (Sulekha) and Deepika Amin (Sushma) also do well but after a point, their gossiping seems repetitive. Anubha Fatehpura (Rani; badi jiji) is convincing while Sarika Singh (Dhaani; choti jiji) is very good in the scene where she speaks to Amma at night outside. Manukriti Pahwa (Bitto; who falls for Rahul) is quite lively. Brijendra Kala, Sawan Tank (Samay), Neivan Ahuja (Saksham; neighbour), Shikant Verma (Basant Chote jija ji), Yamini Dass (Mami ji), Vineet Kumar (Mama ji), Rajendra Gupta (Tauji who spoke English) and Mahesh Sharma (Vinod, who was with Tauji) are decent. Lastly, Sanah Kapur is quite memorable as the younger Amma. Sagar Desai's music is forgettable. <em>'Ek Adhoora Kaam'</em> registers as it comes at an interesting situation. The rest of the songs like <em>'Jo Ghum Hua Hai', 'Aisa Hai Kyun'</em> and <em>'Bulawaya Aaya Re'</em> do not leave a mark.  Sagar Desai's background score is subtle and well woven with the narrative. Sudip Sengupta's cinematography deserves praise. There are several long takes which are very well captured by the lensman. Darshan Jalan and Manish Tiwari's costumes and Parijat Poddar's production design are straight out of life. Dipika Kalra's editing is fine but one wishes the flashback scenes of Seema and Nishant had got more screen presence On the whole, RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI has a very interesting story to tell but fails to make the desired impact due to a very weak second half. The film would face a tough time in cinemas and should have ideally released directly on an OTT platform.

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Movie Review: Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi

Death is a tragic phenomenon of life. But several films in Bollywood have presented this inevitability in a lighter or even in an outrageously funny way. For example, JAANE BHI DO YAARO [1982], EKKEES TOPPON KI SALAAMI [2014], DADDY COOL [2009], BUDDHA MAR GAYA [2007], MALAMAAL WEEKLY [2006], PUSHPAK [1987], NEHLLE PE DEHLLA [2007], etc. Now Seema Pahwa’s directorial debut RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI also promises to have a light take on death. So does RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI manage to entertain and impress viewers? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1164174" src="https://ift.tt/3rKj9rK" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI is the story of a family assembling together after ages due to a tragedy. Ramprasad (Naseeruddin Shah) is an old aged patriarch who suddenly passes away while teaching piano at his house to a kid in the neighbourhood. He resided with his wife, addressed as Amma (Supriya Pathak) by one and all. Their sons and daughters live in different parts of the country. Obviously they all rush to Ramprasad's mansion, located in a small house in Uttar Pradesh as soon as they get the news. What should have been a period of mourning for the family results in chaos as past wounds resurface. On top of that, Seema (Konkona Sen Sharma), wife of the youngest son of Ramprasad, Nishant aka Neetu (Parambrata Chatterjee) does not come. It leads to gossip and speculation among the wives of the other sons. Meanwhile, since Ramprasad passed away on December 19, the pandit announces that the <em>tehrvi</em> will hence fall on January 1. It leads to an argument in the family as some feel it will be awkward for people to attend such a ceremony on the first day of the year. The issue resolves and then, another problem arises. Ramprasad's children come to know that the patriarch had opted for a loan of Rs. 10 lakhs and that he has returned only Rs. 3 lakhs. It is now their responsibility to repay the rest of the amount. While going through his diary, they come to know that he took the said loan as his children were demanding money from him. This revelation leads to another round of <em>tu tu main main</em>. In all this chaos, Amma feels left out. The grandchildren meanwhile are least bothered about the death of their grandfather and are having a fun reunion. She realises that it'll be difficult for her to stay in the <em>haveli</em> all alone. Even if she chooses to stay with their sons, it seems that they won't be ready to accept her. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Seema Pahwa's story is promising. The biggest strength is that it’s very relatable. Everyone has been in the situation depicted in the film. Hence, one can’t help but relate very well to a lot of happenings in the film. Seema Pahwa's screenplay is however inconsistent. A few scenes and confrontations are very well thought of and also fleshed out. On the flipside, the film slips in the second half as crucial details are left out about some important characters. Seema Pahwa's dialogues are realistic and situational. However, the funny dialogues of Prakash Bade jija ji (Brijendra Kala) seem out of place. Seema Pahwa's direction is quite neat in the first 30 minutes. The way she establishes the setting and the mood makes for an engaging watch. Some of the characters like that of Seema seem very interesting and a lot could have been done here. However, one wonders why Seema Pahwa left out the backstories of certain characters. This is especially in the case of Seema’s character. One fails to understand what exactly she did wrong with Neetu and his family. It’s not like she was the only daughter-in-law who stayed away from her in-laws. The rest of the <em>bahus</em> also got separated from Ramprasad and Amma. Also, towards the end, Seema’s change of heart makes one feel that she’ll ask Amma to stay with her. That’s what the build-up seemed like. When she doesn’t, one wonders why that is so. Probably, she had the same issues as other daughter-in-laws and was not ready to take the responsibility. But this bit should have been better explained. Meanwhile, Rahul (Vikrant Massey) lusting after Seema individually seems like a great idea but looks a bit forced. The final scene is heartening but comes too suddenly. RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI begins well. No time is wasted as Ramprasad passes away in the first scene itself. From here, it’s a breezy watch as all the madcap characters arrive and create madness. A few scenes stand out like the four brothers having drinks and expressing their long-suppressed anger. Also, the sequence where Amma hides behind a pillar and sees that everyone is having a gala time while she’s mourning the demise of her husband is very moving. Post-interval, the film gets too serious. Many who would go for the film after seeing the trailer and assuming that it’ll be a light-hearted film will be in for a surprise, or rather, shock. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1164175" src="https://ift.tt/3n0Zn80" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI is laced with some fine performances. Naseeruddin Shah is dependable in the cameo. Supriya Pathak is the best part of the lot. One can feel the pain of her character. Konkona Sen Sharma is as expected quite excellent but is let down by weak characterization. Parambrata Chatterjee delivers a great performance. Vikrant Massey is excellent. Vinay Pathak (Pankaj), Manoj Pahwa (Gajraj) and Ninad Kamat (Manoj) enhance impact with the way they have exceled in their respective roles. Sadiya Siddiqui (Pratibha), Divya Jagdale (Sulekha) and Deepika Amin (Sushma) also do well but after a point, their gossiping seems repetitive. Anubha Fatehpura (Rani; badi jiji) is convincing while Sarika Singh (Dhaani; choti jiji) is very good in the scene where she speaks to Amma at night outside. Manukriti Pahwa (Bitto; who falls for Rahul) is quite lively. Brijendra Kala, Sawan Tank (Samay), Neivan Ahuja (Saksham; neighbour), Shikant Verma (Basant Chote jija ji), Yamini Dass (Mami ji), Vineet Kumar (Mama ji), Rajendra Gupta (Tauji who spoke English) and Mahesh Sharma (Vinod, who was with Tauji) are decent. Lastly, Sanah Kapur is quite memorable as the younger Amma. Sagar Desai's music is forgettable. <em>'Ek Adhoora Kaam'</em> registers as it comes at an interesting situation. The rest of the songs like <em>'Jo Ghum Hua Hai', 'Aisa Hai Kyun'</em> and <em>'Bulawaya Aaya Re'</em> do not leave a mark.  Sagar Desai's background score is subtle and well woven with the narrative. Sudip Sengupta's cinematography deserves praise. There are several long takes which are very well captured by the lensman. Darshan Jalan and Manish Tiwari's costumes and Parijat Poddar's production design are straight out of life. Dipika Kalra's editing is fine but one wishes the flashback scenes of Seema and Nishant had got more screen presence On the whole, RAMPRASAD KI TEHRVI has a very interesting story to tell but fails to make the desired impact due to a very weak second half. The film would face a tough time in cinemas and should have ideally released directly on an OTT platform.

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Movie Review: Shakeela

Vidya Balan’s much loved 2011 film THE DIRTY PICTURE told the story of a Southern siren Silk Smitha. Audiences loved the depiction of the Southern industry of the 80s and the hypocrisy of society which was exposed in the Milan Luthria-directorial. 9 years later, now Richa Chadha takes up the part of another popular Southern heroine, Shakeela, in the film, titled SHAKEELA. So does SHAKEELA manage to give an entertaining and thought-provoking time to the audiences? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1162204" src="https://ift.tt/3rrVrjP" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> SHAKEELA is the biopic of the adult star Shakeela. The year is 1990. Shakeela (Kajol Chugh) is a young school girl living in the small town of Vallamkulam, Kerala with her parents and a couple of siblings. She belongs to a poor family and his mother is constantly upset over their condition. Shakeela is always interested in acting and when she gets a chance to play Draupaudi in the school play, she readily accepts it. She even wins a trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 1000. The same day, however, her father passes away. Her mother takes Shakeela and her siblings to the city of Cochin. Her mother was a junior artist in the film industry at one point and she decided to try her luck in cinema again. Soon, however, her mother has a change of plan. She takes Shakeela to filmmaker Rajan Pillai (Vivek Madan) and asks her to cast Shakeela in one of his adult films. Rajan agrees. Shakeela, however, runs away from the first day of shoot and blasts her mother for making her act in such movies. Her mother, however, tells her to not back out as it would help their family have a decent standard of living. Shakeela has no choice but to go with the flow. Soon, she starts getting a lot of film offers. 9 years later, Shakeela (Richa Chadha) has grown up and has achieved popularity but is not yet a star. She is a huge fan of superstar Salim (Pankaj Tripathi) and one day, she gets a chance to be the junior artist in his film. Salim has a roving eye and he gets attracted to her, despite having a family. He tells Shakeela that she’ll play the lead in his next film and that she should meet him at his farm house at night for a ‘narration’. Shakeela gets the hint and refuses to go. She climbs the ladder of success, without sleeping around with anyone. A day comes when she becomes as popular as Salim. Salim gets insecure. He tells his friends in the media to spread the word that it is Shakeela’s soft porn films which are responsible for the rising sex crimes in Kerala. This ignites a debate and people come out on the streets, demanding a ban on her films. The producers of her upcoming films panic and she has no choice but to return the fees that were given to her for those movies. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Indrajit Lankesh's story is alright but could have made for a shocking fare. Sunil Kumar Agarwal's screenplay (additional screenplay by Janardhan Maharshi, Rohan Bajaj and Naireeta Dasgupta) is the biggest culprit. The writing is weak and moreover, with so many writers scripting, it becomes a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. The film’s tone changes every 15-20 minutes. Only a few scenes here and there are well scripted. Rohit G Banawlikar, Rohan Bajaj and Ashish Waghmare's dialogues are very poor. There were some crucial scenes where the impact could have been great but the dialogues play spoilsport. A few dialogues were sharp and acidic but the makers compel the characters to repeat them and hence, the effect gets diluted. Indrajit Lankesh's direction is lacklustre. To give credit where it’s due, the director ensures that one is not reminded of THE DIRTY PICTURE, despite that both films are on the same lines. And moreover, Silk Smitha, the protagonist of that film, also has a part in SHAKEELA. However, THE DIRTY PICTURE had class even though it was about a sexy siren. SHAKEELA, on the other hand, seems like just another soft porn film which Shakeela did in the prime of her career. Funnily, the film exposes the double standards of the society but the focus on body shots and titillation goes against the very message of the film. Till the first half, the film was still bearable. In the second half, it becomes bizarre. Audiences are suddenly told that all this while Shakeela has a best friend, Suhana (Ester Noronha), who is her body double. However, the makers chose not to show their friendship for one full hour. Shakeela’s bond with her mother was a great track but it’s treated in a superficial manner. Her family, in fact, is forgotten for most part of the film. Shakeela’s epic dialogue in the climax comes too late in the day. The text in the end which informs viewers about Shakeela’s present state is a shocker. Instead of lauding the makers, one feels angry at them as viewers would realize that this was such a great story but has now gone down the drain due to bad handling. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Richa Chadda: “A.K.Hangal Sholay mein nazar aaye, fir unhe apni medical fees ke liye dusron se…”</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://ift.tt/3rpmBIe" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> SHAKEELA’s opening scenes give an indication that it’s going to be a substandard product. The childhood portion of Shakeela seems cute. The scene where school kids are made to enact the scene of Draupadi’s <em>cheer haran</em> in a school play is difficult to digest. The film gets a bit better as Shakeela achieves the pinnacle of success. However, the film never really goes on a high. Post-interval, the film goes downhill as random and bewildering sequences pop up. Shakeela’s struggle to make a ‘clean’ film should have been a gripping plot point but the attention wavers considerably. The ending, though shocking, fails to create an impact. Richa Chadha is decent but her performance leaves a lot to be desired. She does try her best but the end result is not satisfactory. Kajol Chugh, who plays the young Shakeela, is way better and leaves a mark. Pankaj Tripathi is fine as an egoistic superstar. Some of the best scenes of the film are when a fight master helps him in cheat shots while shooting for action scenes. These scenes had no connection with the main plot but made the film slightly more engaging. Ester Noronha has a fine presence but is letdown by poor dialogues. Rajeev Pillai (Arjun) is alright. Vivek Madan and Sundeep Malani (Director Swamy Sir) are okay. Sheeva Rana (Silk) and the actors playing Shakeela’s mother, actress Bhavana Menon, writer Ahmed Ali, Danny Fight Master and Thomas Financier are nothing great. Music has no scope, although a film should have had a nice, retro soundtrack. <em>'Tera Ishq Satave'</em>, played in opening credits, is forgettable. The random placing of intimate scenes look forced. Even <em>'Taaza'</em> is not memorable and the same goes for the romantic track. Veer Samarth’s background score is slightly better. Santosh Rai's cinematography is passable. The focus on body shots for titillation could have been avoided. Production design gives no reason for complaint. Ballu Saluja's editing is random in the second half. On the whole, SHAKEELA rests on a very good and a shocking story but is executed horribly. It has released in cinemas without any buzz and hence, it would sink without a trace.

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