TRAPPED MOVIE REVIEW

Trapped, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane (his third film after Udaan and Lootera) is a 102-minute long survival drama about a man trapped in his own apartment without the basic essentials for a living like food, electricity or water. It is then, unsurprising that the role could be pulled off so effectively only by an actor of Rajkumar Rao's caliber, who plays the part with such conviction that he never appears to act; he literally disappears into the character.

It is really hard to review the film without getting into the minutiae of the story, which I do not want to ruin for you. Let's just say Trapped is definitely not an easy film to sit through given the confined spaces, minimal dialogue, relaxed pacing and the distinctive non-filmy feel lingering throughout, but it still remains a bold and important film that challenges the conventional methodology of film-making. The prime reason for the film not turning into a slog is the sharp and focused direction by Motwane. Brick by brick, he builds such an authentic and palpable atmosphere that you feel you're breathing with the character. Also, in the process he draws out a winning performance from Rajkumar, whose unwavering commitment to approach even the most uncomfortable of scenes deserves a huge round of applause.

I'm going with 3.5/5. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but go in with dollops of patience and you won't regret it. In the end, much unlike its name, Trapped is a liberating experience. 

RANGOON MOVIE REVIEW

Rangoon, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, is such an unendurable and unapologetically tedious film to sit through that it urges you to question your faith in Hindi cinema itself. Still, there is nothing more disappointing than watching a filmmaker of his caliber blatantly abandon his masterful vision and impassioned storytelling for the sake of elaborate set-pieces and the desperate but misplaced desire to deliver nothing short of an epic.

The film starts off with an impressive war set-up of the British forces invading the Japanese battalion in Rangoon. We are then informed about the Indian National Army devising a strategy to overthrow the British forces under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. So far so good. The film, from here on, revolves around a love triangle between its leads with a loose, snail-paced narrative constantly punctured by mediocre songs, hammy acting and hopelessly misguided attempts at evoking sentiments of nationalism, especially in the final act, which by the way, turns out to be quite unintentionally hilarious.

And all of this, believe it or not, is the brain-child of one of the most influential filmmakers of our times. Barring Saat Khoon Maaf, Vishal Bharadwaj has delivered something special in every film of his. Be it the ingenious adaptations of Shakespeare (Maqbool, Omkara and Haider) or the remarkable noir-film Kaminey, VB never failed to surprise us with his unconventional take on dark, cynical themes laced with the right dosage of rationality. Also, blame it on the indifferent storytelling or not, for a director who entrusted Irrfan Khan and Tabu with roles of a lifetime, Rangoon doesn’t boast of any affecting performances either. Nor do you often associate the words predictable or dull with his films, but Rangoon is a serious test of patience. There are flashes of conviction on part of VB in the second half, but unfortunately by then, the ship has sunk deep.

I’m going with a generous 1.5/5 for Rangoon. I sincerely hope his next venture destroys all traces of this film from our memory. As it stands now, Rangoon is best described as Bharadwaj’s biggest and most arrogant piece of work.  

DANGAL MOVIE REVIEW

Bottomline : Just before you sign off on your list of favorite films this year (which, understandably, is a short one), Aamir Khan comes up with such an immensely likeable film that you're gleefully willing to overlook the occasional setbacks the film suffers on account of predictability and embrace it with all heart and full praise.

I can't recollect the last time I had this much fun at the cinema ever since Tanu Weds Manu Returns of early 2015. This inherently sincere and inspirational story employs the usual tropes of an Indian sports film, but it is filmed with such genuine affection for its characters and bolstered by such heartfelt performances (even the tiniest of characters have a moment to shine) that you can't help literally swell with pride as the lights come on which is when you realize that you've witnessed an important and a deeply satisfying film that will most likely endure the test of time.

The first fifteen minutes or so of the film feel like the extended trailer playing itself out and it takes some time to find its feet. But, from here on, when the haanikarak bapu decides to integrate training cum torture into his girls' lives, the film soars. The first half moves at a frenetic pace infused with a kind of dizzying fervor while the narrative itself is powered by an outstanding, earthy soundtrack by Pritam (who is having the time of his life after  Ae Dil Hain Mushkil and Dishoom this year) interspersed with imaginatively engaging lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, arguably the finest lyricists of our times.

Director Nitesh Tiwari sinks his teeth into the film delivering a compelling drama that inspires and entertains in equal parts. He deserves praise for keeping Aamir's character on the backburner while silently fueling the film's vehicle even as the girls and wrestling at large, take centrestage.

Now, comparisons with Salman Khan's Sultan are inevitable. To be honest, Sultan was a silly film made only to cater to that section of the audience who wished to see Bhai shirtless for almost three-fourths of the film. But Dangal is much more than that. It addresses important issues like the imbalance in sex ratio of the hinterland where girls are brought up with the sole purpose of marrying them away. It is against this backdrop that the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters plays a crucial role in shaping the thought process of that marginalized section of the society.

I'm going with 4/5 for Dangal. Few can challenge Aamir in the Dangal of Bollywood. The game, the film and 2016 have all finished in style. Take a bow, Mr. Aamir Khan!!

KAHANI 2 MOVIE REVIEW

Bottom line : Sujoy Ghosh and Vidya balan team up yet again for Kahani 2, a moody thriller that relies heavily on atmospherics and a fabulous background score to deliver thrills but, enter the second half, and the script inconsistencies accentuate itself to the point of partially derailing what was hitherto an enthralling film.

The one thing I admired most about Kahani 2 was that writer-director Sujoy Ghosh not once tries to recreate or tinker around with plot points or characters from his previous film Kahani, instead urging the audience to judge his new film for its own merits. And that is only fair because the milieu, story, actors are all entirely different and there is literally no common thread running between the two films (Except Kolkata, of course, which is more or less treated like a character in both films).

Having said that, Ghosh wastes no time in introducing his characters or spoon-feeding us with their backstories and instead delves straight into the plot, giving us a taut first-half replete with edge-of-the-seat moments thanks to the non-linear screenplay. It is a pity, then, that his story runs out of steam too soon and the film begins to fall apart like a house of cards. The story starts to feel familiar and twists can be spotted from a mile away. Also, unlike Kahani, which had a solid gut-punching revelation in the climax, Kahani 2 feels unsatisfying and underwhelming. The only positive takeaway from here on is that the makers keep the proceedings moving at a breakneck pace, which leaves you with precious little time to carp at the film's faults.

Of the performances, Jugal Hansraj is surprisingly effective and menacing while Arjun Rampal, although saddled with a weakly written role, does a good job as the officer who makes it his business to unravel the truth. The film, in the end, belongs to Vidya Balan. Completely submitting herself to the role of Durga Rani Singh, Vidya Balan shines in every frame and it's hard to find fault with her unwavering and committed performance.

I'm going with 3/5 for Kahani 2. It doesn't quite live up to the standards set by Kahani, but definitely deserves a watch for the gifted Vidya Balan, who gives us yet another reason to believe she's possibly the finest actress in the industry.

AE DIL HAIN MUSHKIL REVIEW

Bottomline : An intense love saga that boasts of heartfelt performances, a superlative soundtrack and the deft hand of Karan Johar, but the weak storyline and sluggish pace hold the film back from catapulting to the high-octane, emotionally engaging drama which the filmmaker is so darn good at delivering.

Ae Dil Hain Mushkil, KJo’s sixth full-length feature film as a director in 18 years, plays around with recurring themes of his previous films like unrequited love, blurring of the line between love and friendship and the capricious and volatile reactions which ensue only to complicate matters further. It is no-brainer that Karan revels in the fact that he likes to operate well within his comfort zone, and while that may not particularly be an issue, ADHM still lacks a solid story at its core which makes it all the more troublesome to relate to its characters. His attempt to capture the vibe, or vaatavaran as Lisa Haydon may refer to, of our generation’s relationships and the complexities that follow is noble, but the conflicts are more surface-level than deeply affecting. Frankly, Johar caressed and handled these emotions to a much greater effect in the grossly underrated Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, which by far remains his most mature film. Still, it is to the credit of his adept direction that he manages to give us moments of genuine passion despite circling around and clinging on to the same point throughout the film. He also, as always, draws first-rate performances from each of the three leads, particularly Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.

It would be wrong to cite ADHM as Ranbir’s comeback film, because even when movies like Bombay Velvet and Tamasha bombed, it was for no fault of his. Always the kind of actor who liked to experiment, Ranbir had come into his own so early in his career with films like Rocket Singh (which, despite being one of my favourite films, performed poorly), Barfi and Wake Up Sid. In ADHM, too, he uses his expressive eyes to convey volumes , and despite playing a morally questionable character, he comes off as wholly convincing. Anushka Sharma gets a major chunk of the reel-time and she effortlessly does the heavy-lifting as Karan puts her character through the emotional wringer. As for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, it is baffling that she has the least screen time given that she was used to promote the film and draw more audience to watch it. Still, she makes it a point to juice up the proceedings merely by her dashing screen presence.

So that’s 2.5/5 for Ae Dil Hain Mushkil. It sure has got the stamp of Karan Johar all over it, but the stamp pad needs to be re-inked.

PINK MOVIE REVIEW

When you have the brand name of Shoojit Sircar attached to your film, it brings in an additional responsibility of living up to the sky high standards set by Shoojit and writer Juhi Chaturvedi. So, does this Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury directed film deliver on its promises? Let’s find out!

The first hour of the film is absolutely terrific. Without delving much into the details of the storyline, let’s just say the makers do an excellent job of sustaining a palpable sense of danger looming large and it’s all so neatly captured in the characters’ quotidian activities with a rock-solid screenplay, hard-hitting dialogues and a haunting background score (along the lines of last year’s marginally superior NH10!!). Much of this credit goes to the spot-on casting and gritty writing which creates real flesh and blood characters with relatively lesser known faces whom each of us can instantly relate to. My favourite scene is the one where Tapsee Pannu goes along with her friend to register a complaint of molestation and the officer on duty cheekily advises her against doing so. It’s a simple but effective scene and packs a punch with all the dark humor and harsh truth wrapped inside it. Also, a loud shout-out to Vijay Verma and Kirti Kulhari for their frighteningly fine performances!!

Alas, like so many other films, Pink, too, can’t seem to escape "The Curse of the Second Half". The film, from here on, nosedives into a humdrum courtroom drama where everyone from the hammy Piyush Mishra to the ostensibly disinterested Amitabh Bachchan rely on theatrics to drive home the film’s message. Perhaps, the makers were busy patting their own backs for not taking the tried and tested sermonizing route of singling out women as the sole victim in such cases and also be unapologetic and less moralistic about their mannerisms such as dressing style, drinking habits, etc. Agreed, it’s a noble thought, but it all comes off as so contrived, labored and bereft of the grit and razor sharp dialogue witnessed in the first half, that you wonder if it was the same person directing the second half.

Amitabh Bachchan’s character is probably the weakest link in the film and it’s not surprising that the maverick septuagenarian can’t seem to get under the skin of advocate Deepak Sehgal, because of his inherently vague nature. This is particularly unfortunate because Amitabh was so good as the eternally constipated Bhashkor Banerjee in last year’s Piku, the brainchild of the same production house as Pink. Still, we get a glimpse of the actor’s unmissable charisma in the final act of the film where the perpetrators are finally brought to book.

I’m going with 3/5 for Pink. In color psychology, pink refers to a sign of hope. Given the ordeals we have been put through over the past few months, the film does, indeed, emerge as a ray of hope. It may not be a fully satisfying film, but the merits definitely outweigh the flaws. Recommended!

BAAR BAAR DEKHO MOVIE REVIEW

Bottomline : Even while most of the Hindi films, this year, have fallen well below expectations, Baar Baar Dekho heralds the fact that the worst is yet to come. Touted as a “high on concept” love story, the film also serves as a reminder that Bollywood still isn’t ready to carve out even a merely engaging time travel story, forget creating a satisfying one.

Review: Is it wrong to expect a mature, poignant film from someone who has remained the assistant director of Farhan Akhtar, the genius who gave us the evergreen Dil Chahta Hain? Or am I being too naïve going in the cinema hall hoping to witness a genuine, heartfelt love story involving two good-looking leads and some pretty hummable songs? Debutante director Nitya Mehra answers these questions with a big YES. It is all the more frustrating because Baar Baar Dekho does come in with a promising premise which could have easily translated into an enjoyable film, but not only does it lack the confident and deft hand to tackle such a concept, it also suffers from a predictable and painfully linear screenplay. It also doesn’t help that the dialogues are laughably stupid and performances nothing worth mentioning, because the dull and hollow script hardly leaves them any elbow room to showcase their talent. In fact, with all the hooting and scornful remarks passed in the theater, few portions of Baar Baar Dekho reminded me of another evergreen film, Roy (evergreen for different reasons, of course). The truth is that, however noble the intentions of the film are, it is executed in such an unimaginative manner that it negates all its merits. 

In closing (Yes, I’ve wrapped up my review pretty soon this time!), I’m going with 1.5/5 for Baar Baar Dekho. I read in an interview recently that Katrina Kaif broke down during the narration of the script. As the end credits rolled, I broke down too, only because I knew I wasn’t getting my time and money back. How I wish I had the power to travel back in time like Siddharth Malhotra and undo these 2 hours of my life.