Reviews

We often complain that good, meaningful cinema does not come out of India. We often praise content-based Iranian, French or Korean movies for their depth. There exists a Punjabi movie that surpasses those Iranian, French or Korean movies. Jaggi. It's a shining example of good cinema. Very true to the human condition.

A YouTube channel about OTT content highly recommended it so I decided to give it a try. After a long day, I started to watch it in bed, expecting balle-balle, sarso ke khet mein romance, Lamborghini, branded clothes, loud comedy and unrealistic action. I had thought I would stop watching it after 5 minutes and go to sleep. But right the first shot hooked me. I could not put down the tab until the movie got over.

Everything about it is brilliant - writing, direction, camerawork, editing, acting - you name it. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised how well the camera-crew has filmed whole scenes in one shot. The opening scene is a 5-minute long shot, the camera moves with the actors even as they are on a motorcycle. Acting is so good that it doesn't feel you are watching a movie, it feels like you are watching actual incidents captured on CCTV camera.

Writing this review is my attempt to make people aware of this movie. It's a pity that such gems go unnoticed.

Had I been a girl, I would be crying aloud right now. Since I'm not, I'm crying in my heart. It's because I just watched the Hindi-dubbed version of the movie 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello - Side A'. Dil ko chhoo gaee yaar. This is how a love-story should be. A star-crossed love-story of Manu and Sonu. 😔

Casting, script, direction, editing and even the subtle symbology - everything was on point. No KGF, Pushpa like loud-action or phadakte hue dialogues. Common people, realistic story and yet so powerful. Do not miss it. Side B (part 2) will be released soon. And the trailer of that part, that came after part 1, already made me super curious. Manu, 10 years later, with weight put on, reunites with an emotionally shattered Sonu and a lot more stuff happening. Can't wait to watch it.

DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE.

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar - A good romance/family movie after long and one with a good message. Sure, it had nonsense and logical inconsistencies (like the hero and the heroine, who are in a relationship, not recognizing each other's voice over phone) but that didn't interfere with the flow. And like every romance movie, it too had an airport scene in the end but here the hero does not go after the heroine alone but with his whole family.

A torrid affair just involves a guy and a girl but in marriage, families of both come as a package-deal. This has to be wisely managed. It was the basic message. And there were many more things shown that would be relatable to most people. We or people we know have been in such situations. The scene toward the end where the hero-heroine finally confront each other truthfully was powerful.

Ranbir Kapoor is 40 and Shraddha Kapoor is 36 but in the beach scenes, where they are scantily dressed, you cannot help but notice their flawless bodies that look like bodies of 20 year olds. However, in some closeup shots, Shraddha Kapoor did look like an aunty. And like after every 5 minutes, Ranbir Kapoor himself or some other character said how good looking he is. That got a bit over.

Overall, a nice feel-good one time watch.

If you like well made art-house cinema, like I do, you must not miss this movie, Qala. An excellent portrayal of human nature and human desires with some brilliant acting by Tripti Dimri and Swastika Mukherji. Other actors were great too but Tripti Dimri killed it! Hats off! Irfan Khan's son's performance was a disappointment though. His part was short, spoke hardly 3-4 lines, looked nervous and was overshadowed by other actors. He should have chosen some other meaty role for his debut.

The cinematography, the visual style, the light-work and the songs are spectacular. A visual and auditory delight with a heartbreaking climax.

If you are an out-and-out KGF, Singham type masala movie person, you may not like this movie. But if you have a taste for artsy stuff, it is a must watch.

Freddy is an engaging thriller indeed. Every actor did a superb job. Script is tight and on point. However, it suffers from the same problem that most thriller movies suffer from. Every character leaves a mountain of circumstantial and forensic evidence that is very conveniently ignored. Cops are so naive like they were born yesterday.

A strong man sits on the chest of another man and punches on his right cheek and jaw with all his might at least 10 times. And yet, there is no broken tooth, broken cheek or jawbone or broken gums. Just a slight bleeding and the victim gets up completely fine.

If you are willing to ignore such absurdities, Freddy will keep you glued for 2 hours.

DO NOT MISS THE MOVIE 'THE KASHMIR FILES'. Thanks a lot to its makers for making this "politically incorrect" but super-powerful movie. What an intense experience it was! Empathy, indignation, fear, concern, resolve - it invoked so many emotions along with tears and goosebumps. The love I have for Indic civilizational values became palpable.

The last movie I had watched in theater was Tanhaji. Went to watch 'The Kashmir Files' only because I wanted to support its makers. But got much more than my money's worth. Acting, direction, research, editing, script - everything was on point.

The Kashmir model of terrorism is being replicated throughout the country now. The movie is a necessary watch for every Indic person, no matter which political party you support. Because you don't want that done to you what was done to Kashmiri Hindus.

Tabbar web-series shows numerous murders. But the biggest murder was the murder of LOGIC. That poor guy was murdered in almost every scene.

If you want mindless entertainment and thrill with some brilliant acting, direction, editing and execution, watch the series. Be aware logic will die a thousand deaths.

If you are from a Hindu middle-class family, have suffered the loss of a family-member and have been through the traditional 13-day funeral rites, this movie will definitely strike a chord. We have seen many movies and shows about family-gathering in weddings, this movie shows the dynamics of an extended family during the 13 days following a death. There was much I related to and guess everyone will. Also the movie is studded with some of the best Indian actors (not stars) and has a great story and direction by Seema Pahwa.