AK vs AK movie review

 

AK vs AK, director Vikramaditya Motwane’s fifth feature film, belongs to the genre of meta cinema wherein a film within a film is being shot. It is touted as an experimental film, but anyone even remotely familiar with Motwane’s filmography will attest to the fact that every single film of his has been experimental in many ways. After debuting with Udaan (a film which shaped my cinematic sensibilities; some of you reading this are already aware of my obsession with it :P) he was labelled as an Indie filmmaker. Not a wrong assumption given that the film was bankrolled by the pioneer of independent cinema in India (Hint: He’s one of the AK’s in the title :P). But then he came up with the poetic beauty Lootera, which revealed his predisposition to the captivating use of color, sound and imagery to create a film brimming with purity. His third film, Trapped, was a survival drama about a man locked up in own house and left without the basic needs of food and water. Unlike its title, the film was a liberating experience that left many of his fans struggling to give a name to his style of filmmaking. Post Trapped, Motwane was like “I wanna make a superhero film” and Boom! Bhavesh Joshi swoops in to give us our own Avenger. Although the film did not do well at the box office (sadly not unlike his other films) and wasn’t as critically acclaimed either since it was a victim of bad timing of release, it wasn’t his direction at fault because the story itself could have been so much better. Oftentimes we hear people saying “the film had his/her stamp all over it”….that just doesn’t apply to Motwane. The guy changes his ink pad with every film!!!

Anyway, my apologies for the long eulogy :P. Let’s talk about AK vs AK, his latest tryst with experimental filmmaking. If you’ve seen the trailer, you already know the basic plot: In an attempt to set a new standard of filmmaking, a critically acclaimed director (Anurag Kashyap) kidnaps the daughter of a superstar (Anil Kapoor) and films his search in real time. This makes for a fascinating plot and Motwane & team (what an audacious premise by Avinash Sampath!!) handle the proceedings deftly by positioning it as a cat and mouse chase thriller; the only difference being that the cat and mouse both are running alongside each other. In this intense battle between an actor and a director both Anil and Anurag dive into this dark world no holds barred, sportingly playing exaggerated version of their real selves.

There’s a lot of pleasure to be derived through all the inside jokes targeted at their careers and family members and the inventiveness of filmmaking is made clear by fact that the makers use this humor to actually build the tension and sustain the pressure cooker urgency throughout. In the hands of a less competent director, the film would have crushed under needless desire to assign more importance to technicalities of camerawork and gratuitous cameos at the cost of entertainment. Another reason why the film works is because Mumbai is weaved into the script as an indispensable character. In one of the film’s best scenes, Anil, wounded and helpless, has to nevertheless perform for a crowd gathered at a procession at their request. After all, he is a fan-made superstar and catering to his fans is his only responsibility as an actor. Pure Genius!

I am going with 3.5/5 for AK vs AK. The minor inconsistencies in the pacing & climax aside and the fact that it does have a limited scope to engage, the film offers an experience you’ve never had before and will surely not in a long time to come. Don’t miss it!

(Warning: The other release this week is Coolie No. 1. If AK vs AK is a battle of an actor and director, Coolie No.1 is the battle of David Dhawan and Logic. The choice is yours! :P)

MY 10 FAVORITE HINDI FILMS OF THE LAST DECADE

 

It’s almost the end of 2020. It’s almost been a year since the pandemic started. It’s almost as if the year went by in a minute….Phewwww!!!…I wasn’t initially planning to write this article until a friend of mine sent me a list of top 20 Telugu movies compiled by The Hindu. I then thought it might be a good idea to take some time out of my busy (and yet grossly unproductive) schedule, sit back and look at some of my favorite Hindi films of the last decade (2011-2020).

This list is an extremely personal one. Given the inherent subjectivity associated with each viewer (the word favorite itself is such a subjective word), it surely is a tough task to come up with this list of the best films. Choosing 10 films from a particular year is easy (because there are hardly more than a handful of good films in one year). But here we are talking about a whole decade. So naturally the stakes are high! Which is why I’ve chosen those films which made me feel a certain way as I walked out of the theater. They either made me ecstatic, or were satisfyingly poignant, or simply evoked a feeling of pride of having watched such a great film. But most importantly, these are the films which have stayed with me for all these years and make we wish that I get a chance to see them for the first time all over again. Anyone coming up with a time machine soon??...Please?

So without wasting more time, here’s my list (in ascending order of the impact it had on me):

 

10. Delhi Belly

 

Irreverent, cocky, and straight up hilarious, Delhi Belly reinforced the fact that comedy is so much more than simply being braindead, slapstick and loud. Everything about it was so damn fresh; the characters, their casual abusive exchanges, the eccentric but catchy soundtrack (If I had to choose the song of the decade, it definitely had to be Bhaag DK Bose!) and the fact that these crisp 90 odd minutes of unapologetic humor were all being sponsored by Aamir Khan. The film was so bold that I remember when I first watched it, I was afraid to even admit that I liked it. The film has a song called “I hate you like I love you”…that actually echoed my reaction to the film…I hate you, but I actually love you :p

9. Aankhon Dekhi

This was another gem. It was such a relief to see Sanjay Mishra finally get a role he truly deserved. Rajat Kapoor yet again proved that he is one the most interesting filmmakers of our time with a unique voice in every film of his. The film is about a man who refuses to believe anything which he hasn’t seen or experienced himself. That, inevitably, leads to a lot of nuisance for the people living around him since none of them is now able to see the world the way he sees it. This makes for a thoroughly fascinating film that refuses to bow down to the expectations set by conventional cinema. Aankhon Dekhi is made with the utmost sincerity which makes it such an immensely likeable film. Go treat yourself and watch it straightaway!

8. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

After watching Luck By Chance (which I absolutely loved – please check it out if you haven’t), I associated Zoya with a certain sense of artistic sensibility that was not of the most crowd pleasing kind. She was perceptive but not within the realm of what people call “mainstream”. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I watched ZNMD because it was thoroughly entertaining. This is the kind of happy film which leaves a big smile on your face every time you just think about it. And NO – ZNMD is not the modern Dil Chahta Hain. I have heard a lot of people draw comparisons between the two but I have my reasons as to why they are completely different. Anyone who wishes to take this argument forward feel free to send me a message or drop a comment below 😊

7. Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/tanu-weds-manu-returns.html

Look at that innocent smile on Kangana’s face. Who would have thought she would now transform into this attention-seeking poster girl for the media who holds no bars in speaking her mind out, even when no one asks for it or cares for it…Anyway, coming back to Tanu Weds Manu Returns…a time when her acting was restricted only to on-screen. To be honest, I am a sucker for such rom-coms set in UP and Bihar, chiefly for the dialect, quirky characters and some really catchy tunes. Director Anand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma ticked all these boxes and so much more. Making a meal out of the task assigned to her, Kangana made us root for both her characters….something which not every actor is capable of so effortlessly doing.

6. Soni

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2019/01/soni-movie-review.html

I know most of you must be wondering what this movie is about. I am pretty sure not many might have even heard of it. It released only on Netflix in 2018 and mostly went unnoticed for understandable reasons. When I watched the film the first time I didn’t love it. I thought it was a well-made film which probably lacked the punch. But, a few days passed and I found myself constantly thinking about the film, its characters and the message it tries to convey. Only when I re-watched it did I truly appreciate its subtlety and nuances that made it such a wonderful film. This too talks about the gender discrimination in the police sector, but this is cut off a completely different fabric as compared to Article 15. The director gives us a lived-in feel of the scenes with long single take-shots and that, although demanding patience, is a rewarding experience. I urge you to drop everything else and watch Soni right away. Thank me later 😉

5. Masaan

 

I regret not watching this movie in the cinema hall. Seldom has a film that predominantly talks about loss of a loved one, guilt and death felt so emotionally satisfying. The passionate soundtrack strongly evocative of the ghats of present day Varanasi, UP, still gives me the goosebumps (my favorite being “Mann Kasturi”). Masaan is a victorious amalgamation of strong casting (it brought the supremely talented Vicky Kaushal into the limelight) and heartfelt writing which make this bittersweet tale a compelling watch.

4. Lootera

Okay I know I might get into trouble for ranking this film so high. I’ve heard polarizing reactions to it when it released but I can’t seem to understand why. Lootera, for me, is as close as a film can get to perfection! Yes, the second half could have been better and by the director’s own admission, he would have preferred to tell the story in the second half from the point of view of Ranveer’s character….But again, these are just minor complaints in a film that has accomplished a great deal. Who could have imagined Vikramaditya Motwane to make a love story as a follow up to Udaan? (And before you accuse me of bias, No! I don’t have a soft corner for Lootera just because he made Udaan)….Who could have thought that he could make Sonakshi Sinha act?....I mean, mazaak nahi hain boss :p…But jokes aside, I seriously think everything ranging from Motwane’s direction to the production design of the 50’s and 60’s and Amit Trivedi’s soulful soundtrack have an immortal quality to it…And that’s why this will always remain a very special film to me!

3. Piku

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/piku-movie-review.html

I think it’s safe to say that best writer-director duo in the Hindi film industry is Juhi Chaturvedi and Shoojit Sircar respectively. With Piku, what they have achieved is nothing short of genius. If I were ever to make a film, I couldn’t even dream of making a character-driven film. Just imagine the amount of effort which must go into writing a film that is not taken forward by the story but instead by its characters and still be engaging. Some filmmakers take themselves too seriously and let their film slip into the mundane territory where a 2 minute long still shot of traffic where practically nothing is happening is considered to be a sign of a great filmmaker. Sorry, I disagree…that’s just plain boring. But, in Piku that’s not the case. These are real flesh and blood people, the dialogues they mouth, their idiosyncrasies, the clothes they wear….everything is pitch perfect and instantly relatable. Piku’s character, especially, is possibly the most complete and rounded female character that has ever been written for the screen.

2. October

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2018/04/october-movie-review.html

This one, again, is a very personal choice. I was confused between Piku and October for this second spot. Both are the product of the same writer-director duo but yet so distinct in its treatment. Just a while ago you heard me extol their skills of making an engaging film without much of a plot. In October, they take that to the next level. At least in Piku the action shifts from Delhi to Kolkata and there is an entire road trip in between. October, on the other hand, is confined to the closed spaces of a hospital. Okay, I know I might not be helping the cause of getting more people to watch this film, but the truth is, till date I don’t know what is it about the film that has had such a profound effect on me. All I know is that I was in a complete mess as I left the theater, miserably trying to fight back my tears even long after the film ended. I shouldn’t even try to explain what the film is about…it can only be experienced…and I sincerely request you to give it a shot if you haven’t so far.

1.Andhadhun

Full Review: https://filmistaanreviews.blogspot.com/2018/10/andhadhun-movie-review.html

The above image and the entire scene revolving around it continue to haunt me. I didn’t have an iota of doubt while thinking about which film should top this list. It’s a film which made me feel proud as a cinemagoer. I always knew Sriram Raghavan was an excellent filmmaker. Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddar and Badlapur….that’s a very handsome filmography man. But, Andhadhun belongs to a different league altogether. I don’t know whether Akash is ultimately blind or not in the film…but during the film, the mastermind puppeteer Sriram Raghavan has surely played a game of blind man’s bluff with the audience by constantly tricking us into believing whatever he wants us to….and the fun part is we so loved getting fooled by him at every step :D

 

 

 

 

So that was the list of my favorite films of the last decade. There were plenty of others which didn’t make the cut but nevertheless I loved watching. Films like Bala, Secret Superstar, Article 15, Shubh Mangal Savdhan, Shahid, Dangal, Sky is Pink, Sir (the most recent film which blew my mind) and many more go into a category which I’d like to call “Respect in Retrospect”.

I would love to hear what you thought of this and what would have been your top 10 lists as well. Feel free to drop a comment below and let’s get this thing rolling!

MIRZAPUR SEASON 2 REVIEW

I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I wasn't a big fan of the first season. It did have splendid dialogues and an authentic UP look and feel in literally every frame, but the plotting was predictable and clumsy at times which never let it soar like it should have. Still, flashes of brilliance were evident in the strong casting, audacious use of the dialect and the live wire characters who left more than a lasting impression. 

The stakes in the new season are much higher. Sucking you straightaway into its dark murky world, it starts with a roaring dream sequence (which frankly seemed quite believable) and sets the tone for the gripping and meaty crime drama that ensues. New characters are thrown in for good measure, the nexus between political parties, mafia and inter gang rivalries has become a complex cobweb of sorts, the episodes are intercut with different cities of UP and Bihar where key characters are plotting their next move and so much more. 

Synthesizing the synergies of these spread out epicentres of action with a juicy eclectic ensemble of bonafide actors and cheer inciting dialogues, creator Puneet Krishna and directors Gurmmeet Singh and Mihir Desai make magic on screen with the material at hand. Aided by a pulsating background score, especially the one which marks the beginning and end of an episode, they give each of the characters an arc that is at once believable and at the same time wildly unpredictable. 

Barring a few characters who stick out like a sore thumb (I don't understand why Kulbhushan Kharbanda is given so much screen time), the actors mostly sparkle. Of the old cast, Rasika Duggal, Divyendu Sharma (aka Munna) and Pankaj Tripathi sizzle with their performances and the way they play off each other. From the new entrants, Vijay Verma (whose character frankly deserved a more fitting presence in the story) and Priyanshu Painyuli leave a solid mark.

And just when you think the show cannot get any better somewhere in the 7th episode, it begins to roll downhill from there, ultimately snowballing into a cop out and underwhelming climax which leaves you frustrated and disappointed as you witness it take all the wrong turns at crucial junctions of the story. The makers themselves get caught up in the cobweb created by them, as a result of which the screenplay goes all over the place. What could have ended in 7 or 8 episodes has dragged on for two painful long hours constantly punctured by gratuitous subplots and stretched emotional scenes that seem out of place. 

I'm still going with 3.5/5 for Mirzapur season 2. A major chunk of the show provides wholesome entertainment as it goes all guns blazing, until the makers decide to eat way more than they can digest. Like they say, the show must go on...for that we'll have to wait for season 3..but until then, "yeh bhi theek hain"...

GUNJAN SAXENA MOVIE REVIEW

Over the years one thing has become painfully clear; Indian filmmakers struggle to successfully pull off biopics. Take the most recent case, Shakuntala Devi, for example. It felt more like an episodic portrayal of Shakuntala's life rather than getting a sense of the flesh and blood human behind the superhero status bestowed upon her by the filmmakers. Either this or the writers adopt a loud, melodramatic tone to convey the backstory of living legends like Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. I know I well may have caused many eyebrows to raise by this opinion, but I honestly feel that's a highly overrated film. Of course, there are exceptions to this list. Irrfan Khan's rendition of an athlete turned dacoit in Paan Singh Tomar is probably one of his most memorable performances on-screen.

Anyway, coming back to Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl. Fortunately, it doesn't fall into the usual traps of the genre because it's an extremely self-aware film. It doesn't try to push any boundaries in terms of the filmmaking craft but instead tries to make the most of what it is best at doing; wrap a shrewdly manipulative story around an emotional core that is the relationship between a daughter and her father who never once questions her ability to fulfill her dreams even when she herself wonders if she has chosen the right path or not.

I use the word shrewd because writers Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma (also the director) create an engaging story out of something very mediocre and familiar by pressing all the right buttons at the right time. Weirdly, for the most part you feel happy being emotionally manipulated by the simplicity of the characters and their worlds throughout the roughly two-hour duration. After all, once you've got the heart in the right place, all it takes is a little conviction, some solid performances and inspiring music to woo your audiences. 

Which brings me to the three pillars of the film. As the main protagonist, Jahnvi Kapoor is in superb form. Frankly, I had my reservations against her acting abilities following Dhadak, but her assured glamour-free performance as the stubborn pilot refusing to conform to conventional societal norms took me by complete surprise. Next is Pankaj Tripathi. Here's an actor who conveys volumes of emotions with minimal fuss or effort. His scenes with Jahnvi lend some of the best bits in the film that may leave you fighting back your tears. Finally, the film strongly benefits from Amit Trivedi's rousing soundtrack that perfectly complements the inherently optimistic script.

I am going with 3/5 for Gunjan Saxena. It doesn't claim to be an excessively jingoistic war film but instead is content with telling the inspiring story of an aspiring pilot who makes it big despite the deep rooted sexism in her profession. "Streaming on Netflix" may well be changed to "Soaring on Netflix".

THAPPAD MOVIE REVIEW

Cut from the same cloth of his previous two films Mulk and Article 15, director Anubhav Sinha conducts yet another postmortem examination of the Indian society and its archaic, misguided & repressive value-system. In Thappad he takes a seemingly trivial issue and designs a thought-provoking drama around it that will leave you constantly battling your conscience arising out of your inability to take sides of its insightful characters and their decisions. Is she overreacting by escalating the matter to court just because of a slap? Can her husband be categorically blamed for the incident given it happened in the heat of the moment? The truth is that as much as your heart believes that Taapsee is right, these are questions which cannot be easily brushed under the carpet. If you have gone through this turmoil while watching the film, I guess Sinha's intentions have borne fruitful results.

The film is populated with flesh and blood characters, each played utterly convincingly by the actors who inhabit their space. Of the ensemble, Pavail Gulati as the husband is the surprise package as he turns his Vikram into a very believable everyman of sorts. He conveys his frustration of not being able to comprehend the reason for Taapsee reacting to the incident the way she does with such sincerity that I found myself sympathizing even with him on a few occasions. Needless to say, other established actors like Taapsee Pannu, Ratna Pathak Shah, Kumud Mishra (an Anubhav Sinha favorite), Tanvi Azmi hit all the right notes and make a meal of their parts. Even actors in smaller roles like Dia Mirza and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan (of Soni fame) leave a lasting impression.

Not everything comes together seamlessly though. It's interesting how the makers use the incident as a backdrop to draw attention to deeper rooted problems of gender inequality in other households, but some of these subplots receive more screen time than required which ultimately dampen the pace of the film occasionally. Also, towards the end, it appears as though Sinha and his writers ran out of important stuff to say as a result of which the film feels bloated by at least half an hour.

I'm still going with 4/5 stars. It may not be a perfect film, but it is brimming with originality and made with unmistakable conviction. At a time when a major chunk of filmmakers are pre-occupied with the westernization of Bollywood, Anubhav Sinha holds a mirror to the Indian society urging us to take a moment and introspect. In that sense, Thappad is a slap on the face of all those perpetrators who commit these crimes, knowingly or unknowingly.

PARASITE MOVIE REVIEW

Given my restricted appetite for Oscar favorite films, when I heard rave reviews of the South Korean film Parasite, I was a tad hesitant to give it a chance. Eventually having watched it in the cinema hall today, I must admit I was handsomely rewarded.

It appears that many of the critics' reviews out there are casually giving away the basic plot of the film. The real joy, though, lies in slowly unraveling the veneers of this deliciously layered narrative yourself and anyone depriving you of that pleasure is committing nothing short of a sin.

Keeping that aside, the beauty of Parasite is that it takes on the garb of many genres at once. On the face of it, it appears to be a black comedy. As the story progresses, you slowly start moving towards the edge of your seat as it shifts gears into thriller mode with an impending sense of danger looming large. Then, it acts as a smart socio-political commentary on the economic divide and class rage between the rich and the poor. There are also elements of horror running through its veins, though not the "paranormal" kind but just due to the misactions of its painfully "normal" people. Ultimately, how I see it, the film is crafted with the sole intention to shock the hell out of you and blow your mind out of proportion. And boy does it succeed so well! In fact, the writing in this blazingly original piece of work is so sharp that there are moments where you judge yourself on moral grounds as you giggle at the exceedingly vicious actions of its twisted characters.

I'm going with 4.5/5 for Parasite. It feeds on your imagination, fear and insecurities unlike anything you've seen of late. This is a parasite you wouldn't mind hosting.