Reviews

First Published at https://myunwantedreviews.wordpress.com/2017/11/12/qarib-qarib- singlle-qarib-qarib-good/

Romance is a genre Indian cinema is quite fond of. Most of its movies revolve around the premises of love and love stories. Rarely a movie comes which gives a fresh perspective on this overused idea of Bollywood romance. Qarib Qarib Singlle is one such movie.

What makes it different is the fact that unlike usual romantic movies, the lead couple here is quite matured with its own worldview and different sets of sensibilities. They don't want to cross oceans for each other and fight with everyone to be together. They rather take the things slowly and take a road less travelled to reach their destination, quite literally. Instead of forgetting their past and move on, they explore it and find a future for themselves.

The best part of the film is its casting. Parvathy as Jaya is sensible and has quite a measured yet an open view of life. She is a 35-year-old-widow who lives alone, but that, at any point doesn't let her be any less. She is independent and has a stable job. She has a positivity involved with her not-so-heroin like vibe. You can connect easily with her and if anything left, she breaks the fourth wall on multiple occasions to connect directly with the audience. She hasn't been involved in any relationship for so long that her friend jokingly said that she could become a virgin again. That's when she reluctantly makes a profile on a dating website, and eventually meets Yogi through it.

Irrfan as Yogi is relatable. He is a 40-year-old single and a self- styled poet who has quite a relaxed attitude towards life. He is outspoken and master of his own life. As an unlike hero of a romantic movie, Yogi gives an impression that the guy next door can be a hero too. He is not easy to get used to but has a strange charm about himself. He doesn't think much and does what he feels like. One such decision is when he decides to meet his exes with whom he did a 'Jaanlewa and Ghanghor Ishq' and believes that they still love him the same way. And that's when the journey starts.

The first half of the film explores the lives of the lead pair and sets a good backstory for Jaya. Although she has lost her husband quite early, she isn't broken. Tanuja Chandra, who is returning after quite a long time doesn't paint a sympathetic portrait for Jaya, rather she paints her in all the colours she could use. Jaya is a loving, caring and free-willing lady who is always ready to help. On the other side, the film doesn't create a sizeable backstory for Yogi but take us on a trip to his past with all his antiques in the present. This half is a comedy of errors which paces smoothly in the forward direction with the amazing timing of Irrfan and an unadulterated innocence of Parvathy. It has the wit, some really funny moments and some picturesque locations to be in awe of, which are beautifully captured by Eeshit Narain. Kamna Chandra's dialogues and the way they have been delivered are the soul of the film, complemented perfectly with the soulful music.

For the entire duration of the first half, the film remains high on energy and seems to be building a strong plot to progress upon, but things don't go that way in the latter half. The high it reaches in the first half only looks like the top of bell curve from where it only starts to fall. Probably in the lack of a good screenplay, which surely has a freshness attached to it but it fails to connect the dots. It seems to be going slower than it should and becomes very predictable at one point. But even in the weak second half it manages to have a few good scenes. One of them involves amazingly talented Brijendra Kala in it and another is when they make a conversation in bed next morning, it's not how it sounds like but it was neatly directed and performed. Sadly, it doesn't translate entirely for the rest of the scenes. The movie has its moments but they are not evenly distributed.

Despite all its flaws and weaknesses here and there, the movie thrives on the amazing chemistry of its lead pair which makes the film charming even in its weakest moments. And the fact that it deals with a subject of an otherwise 'questionable' and marginally 'tabooed' behaviour of two adults in Indian society without being preachy and in the easiest way possible is commendable.

I'm not entirely disappointed with the movie but it certainly didn't live up to the expectations I had with it, especially after a brilliant trailer and a superb first half. I would neither say it was a bad movie, nor I would say it was good. It was qarib qarib good.

First Published On- myunwantedreviews.wordpress.com

In one beautiful scene, Praful, Kangana's character, reaches at the top of the hotel in Las Vegas, wearing a beautiful red dress she just bought, and a glass of pink champagne in hand; overlooks the shiny skyline of Vegas with a smile on her face and a brief nod of the head acknowledging the beauty this place has to offer.

It is an almost come and go scene, which can be easily missed. But why it is important is because this is what exactly the movie is about. A dress which was well above her budget, a glass of champagne which she couldn't afford, and Vegas, which she wasn't planning to visit at first place. It's about her ambitions; an independent life which she wants to live.

Simran is the story of Praful Patel or Praf as she likes to call herself, a 30-year-old, divorced, Gujarati girl living in Atlanta with her parents and works in housekeeping department of Hilton hotel. She is a no nonsense, happy-go-lucky, high on energy girl who is planning to buy a new home for herself. Her character is everything that we associate Gujarat with, dhokla-fafda-thepla conversation, impeccable skills of bargaining, heavy gujju accent and most importantly full of life attitude. Her family is an ordinary NRI family. They are the ones who couldn't realize their American dream they hoped for while moving to US. Her mother is a housewife who calls Praful's job of maid as 'Jhadu-pota' and her father is in the business of Gujju Snacks, who always nags her daughter to get married again. They are the ones whose dinner table conversations usually end up in arguments. Fed up of all the constant taunting and nagging she decides to go to Vegas with her cousin on an 'all-expenses-paid' trip where among other things, she tries her luck in gambling and what happens next sets the plot for the film.

Like Shahid and Aligarh, Hansal Mehta's Simran too is based on a real life story but quite loosely this time it's unlike his previous works. But just like before, Simran is also heavily driven by the characters. And the characters are quite nicely written. But problem starts when the story surrounding those characters starts to falter. For Simran, narration goes well but the way story progresses, leaves so many ends hanging loose. In a scene, on the bank of a lake, Praful asks her fiancé-to-be to feel the breeze and fly with her, just when the scene seems to be going into intense mode, they crack it with a silly joke. It neither remains fully philosophical nor does it remain funny.

What seemed to be a light-hearted story in first half, seems to go nowhere in the later part of the film. After all the controversy between Apurv Asranai and Kangana, she too is given credit for screenplay and additional dialogues, but irony remain strong as that is the weakest part of the movie. It leaves all ambition, independent girl theory at back and becomes a little too simple heist movie. At some point they make robbery look too easy and police look too dumb, which is not easy to digest as from the look Simran looks a sensible movie and not plain comedy.

Performance-wise, Simran puts a great show. All the actors remain in the vibe of Gujarat, which at no point looks artificial. Sohum Shah as Sameer is good and plays well all of his screen time, so did Hiten Kumar and Kishori Shahane as typical Gujju parents. But Kangana is the show stealer. Her aura is dominating and it remains throughout the runtime of this movie. I personally feel that this performance of Kangana is even better than Queen and Tanu Weds Manu. Despite all good performance, it mostly is a one-woman-show.

As I said earlier, characters are written beautifully here but when you make one character so powerful that it overshadows other nicely written ones, it makes a movie look average. Here Kangana's character is written in such a way that she practically never leaves the screen, even for a single shot and hence no other character gets enough time to breath. More than a movie, Simran remains a character study of Praful Patel and being quite good at that. But sadly in other spaces, it remains average at its best.

For fans of Kangana it's a treat but for the lovers of cinema, it's an average film with some moments of its own. In anyway, you expect a lot more from a director who gave us movies like Shahid and Aligarh.

First Published On- https://myunwantedreviews.wordpress.com/2017/09/09/one-heart- connects-many-hearts/

There's a saying in AR Rahman fan circle- "ARR understands what his fans want from him and he tries to deliver as much as he can and in the process he raises the bar even higher than before." And that is exactly what happens here with One Heart, India's first-of-its-kind concert film.

It's not a film, not even a documentary; it is 90 minutes of the pure musical extravaganza. Not only for Rahman fans but for every music lover. Because it's not just about the man but about his music, his journey and the great team he has, which contributes a significant part to his success. The film revolves around ARR's 2015 intimate concert tour in fourteen American cities and through that explores a little part of his personality, his relationship with his fellow artists, his thoughts about music and his fame.

For someone who has literally lived Rahman for all these years and grew up listening to his music, the film is a walk down the lane of nostalgia. When you listen to Dil se re or the humming of Chinna Chinna Asai; with which he entered our world, you can feel the music running through your veins. Beautiful voices and a powerful band performing probably the best versions of classic Rahman melodies is nothing less than magic. For full length of this film, one can tap his/her feet and bang his/her head like a maniac. Probably it happens automatically. It almost re-creates that concert-like feel. It's kind of the film you can enjoy with your eyes closed for the entire duration, but make sure you do not because it has a lot to watch as well. The movie is beautifully shot and edited, especially the opening scene. Apart from that some personal moments of ARR's life are also there in the film, which put a smile on your face.

The best part of the film is it manages to showcase the talent and hard work of the complete band and not just one person. Jonita, Haricharan, Ranjit Barot, Mohini Day, Shiraz Uppal, Jeba, Ann Marie to name a few. ARR himself makes sure that every member gets the credit they very well deserve. But at the end of the day, it's the music which is the hero of the film. It works really well and lives up to every expectation. A beautifully crafted playlist is what all needed for this film and it is there, which again proved the versatility of Rahman and his band. From classics to modern day music, from Jazz to Rock and from Heaven to Earth, everything is there. It sometimes gives a feel of a documentary but at the same time keeps the talking to minimal and lets the music do all the talking. The focus hardly moves from the stage and that is what you expect from a concert film.

For me personally, One Heart proves out to be an emotional experience. It again proves that anything related to Rahman in any form can make me shed tears of joy. It just happens. A feeling that I can never explain in words. Because there is something special about his music which I never experience in any other composer's work, even if I try. It's life changing and emotionally satisfying. Like specially written for you.

The film ends at a time where it should not. Actually, it should never have ended. It's like sitting on the stage and experiencing the concert with the maestro himself; up close and personal. It's magic. Not just for your eyes, but for your ears, and for your soul. Everything is about music, everything is about Rahman. I can watch this movie, I can experience this magic infinite numbers of times.

So if you've attended an ARR concert, cool, watch the film. If not, go and experience it now. It's a treat not just for the fans but for every music lover.

Just because dark is trending, doesn't mean everyone has to make it. Dark cinema is an art and it's not just about violence, blood, gore, and sex. It might be a demand of the cinema but bigger demand is a better script. It is to be realized and that realization has to come from within. Kushan Nandy tries his hand on this part thriller-part revenge drama which he probably wanted to look like 'Gangs of Wasseypur', but couldn't make it happen.

Set in some fictional part of UP where politics is power and laws are to be played with, where living is hard but killing is easy, lies the central character of Babu Bihari – who is a contract killer. He is killing people and is happy until one day when he finds out Banke, a new age contract killer who is a fan and a self- proclaimed student of Babu. They share an unusual bond on the screen as friends, guru- chela, and competitors, which leads to various twists and turns in the story.

The problem with this movie is that it tries to do many things in little time, but at the same time, it forgets that a movie can be good with a simple storyline too. It tries to feed a forced realism to viewers and in the process introduces so many unnecessary twists that even Abbas-Mastan will question their existence.

The plot is so weak that actors leave their characters halfway through the movie. Just hurling abuses can never make a character powerful, you have to impart that fear too. Divya Dutta fails to do that in her negative role and so does Anil George. Lead characters are nothing extraordinary too; be it Bidita Bag or Jatin Goswami. Even Nawazuddin, he isn't bad though but he has set the bar so high for himself that it wasn't even half of his potential. His dialogue delivery is good but it does not at any point lift the mood of the film. He is an actor par excellence but he should know that Indian audience is ruthless, it's just a matter of one more movie and he can be stereotyped. The only actor who somehow leaves his impact is Bhagwan Tiwari as the cop. Although he has played a similar role in Masaan, but rising above a bad story is hard and he does that here.

The only good scene in the movie is when Babu and Banke discuss inflation and their fees of killing people, just like people with a perfectly normal job would do. Another good thing about the movie is its music.

I'm quite open to cinema which has violence and abuses but it should be tied tight with the thread of a powerful story. You cannot just throw around abuses and call it black humour. Just adopting the language and law(-lessness) of land doesn't make a movie authentic or realistic, it just makes it a rich man's Gunda and a poor man's GoW. I know I don't want to say this but if only the movie was half as good as its first poster design, it would have worked. Unfortunately, it was so dull that even Nawazuddin couldn't save it; for me at least.

First Published On- https://myunwantedreviews.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/jagga-jasoos-so- close-yet-so-far/

In the middle of the movie, Shruti Sengupta, the character of Katrina, asks kids- "bore ho gaye?" And they answer in a yes. Little did she know that the feeling is going to be mutual out of the screen too in the latter half of the film.

But this isn't the case from the beginning. The movie starts off really well. Jagga's introduction and the complete first sequence of the clock tower are very well written, beautifully directed and brilliantly performed. It sets the expectations higher than they were after watching the trailer. These sequences explore the character of Jagga- his childhood, his relationship with Tooti Footi- the character of Saswata Chatterjee, his natural instinct to be a detective, his antics, and his inner child. Everything was in place. The montage about Jagga's birthday VHS tapes is excellent, to say the least. This part sets the tone for the actual plot and that seems to be carrying it pretty well until the story moves from beautiful locations of Manipur to the picturesque, exotic plains of Africa.

Jagga is on a quest to find his missing and presumed dead father while Shruti, a journalist, is working on her own case of revealing the mystery of an illegal arms mafia. When their paths collide, the story also gets mixed up. It goes from being a Wes Anderson (colourful and logical) to an all in Rohit Shetty (colourful and illogical) minus flying cars.

The problem here, in my opinion, is that the movie tries to be in a lot of genres i.e a spy thriller, an adventure, a comedy, a musical and in some parts fantasy too. While it manages to do well in those genres separately, sadly it doesn't succeed in merging them well.

It's not that the movie only has low points; it has high points too and has plenty of them on which the movie thrives. Ranbir Kapoor is one of them. He has been playing characters of a man-child from quite a long time now, still, he brings a freshness with him and same is the case with Jagga. He is able to communicate well without dialogues, and the way he portrays emotions is commendable.

Anurag Basu is quite an expert in bringing out human emotions on screen and he does the same with Saswata Chatterjee, a talented actor. If I talk about Hindi cinema, we have seen him portraying a thrilling role in Kahaani. One particular scene where he drops young Jagga to a boarding school and leaves without looking back is probably the best scene of the movie. It would have been great if he had more scenes with Ranbir like he has with the younger version of him.

Katrina isn't in her full potential in the movie, hence she is unable to ruin the film on her own, good for her. Saurabh Shukla and Sayani Gupta are royally wasted, bad for them.

S Ravi Varman continues his journey towards brilliance here too. He, along with Santosh Sivan, is an institution for future DOPs. He is the one who makes the film a treat for the eyes. And for ears, Pritam does the job. Obviously, when the movie is a musical you can't afford to have bad music or even average for that matter. Pritam picks up from where he left in Barfi and builds beautifully on that. As far as music is concerned, Basu-Pritam combo works for the film like a charm, yet again.

And the one, who by all means is the hero of the movie is Amitabh Bhattacharya. He penned the lyrics (or should I say dialogues?) beautifully while keeping the things very simple. His lyrics come magically out from the conversations, in sync with the narrative of the film, rarely halting the plot. It is very unlike usual lyrics pattern of Hindi film music. The basic need of a musical, on which he delivers with utmost perfection.

If only that perfection was there with the story also. If only it had a constant pace throughout. If only Basu would have treated second half as passionately as he did while building the plot in first half. The movie is a bit starched, a tad too long, yet in hurry to reach its climax. This close to being an extravaganza but missed. It tries to do many things but in that process, it misses the track, and never returns. The movie ends on a cliffhanger, with a surprise guest star and it's where the movie gets its loudest cheer and a ready-made target audience of its sure shot sequel.

This movie is a long pending answer of the question of Bollywood not experimenting enough with its movies. A proper musical, for the better part of the film. Something that is a welcome change for the Hindi cinema, but unfortunately, not entirely successful. If only it would have been supported by a tight story but... *sigh*

First Published On- https://goo.gl/tB8Yca

"I started out with a hundred in the first match of the season, scoring 125 before getting out, and it was a dismissal I have never forgotten. I was out stumped to an off-spinner who was hearing- impaired and I vividly remember the expression on his face when I was beaten by a beautifully flighted delivery. But the ball went on to elude the keeper and within a fraction of a second, the bowler's expression turned from euphoria to despair as he saw the missed stumping opportunity. Yet I did not go back to the crease and instead started walking back to the pavilion, allowing the wicket keeper to complete the stumping. It was the only time I was out in that season's competition. While I didn't consciously mean to show sympathy to the bowler, it was one of those moments that are difficult to explain. It was not an act of charity exactly. Rather, it was a good ball and I knew I had been comprehensively beaten. The keeper fumbled the take and the bowler looked distraught at the missed opportunity. He had done everything for the wicket and deserved the dismissal."

– Page 24, Sachin Tendulkar- Playing It My Way- My Autobiography.

This was just the beginning of a small boy's journey to become a gentleman. This was an evolution that was going to create a revolution in coming years. This was going to become a reason for a billion people to watch a game as religion and him as God. It was the making of a living God.

Around two-and-a-half years back when I was reading this book, somewhere in the back of my mind I was imagining it to be made into a movie. I could picture every single word written into it. I could see Sachin narrating his own life story. Today, when James Erskine finally gave pictures to those words, and I went to watch it on the silver screen, it was more like a nostalgia for me and surely for million others. It made me really happy that they made it into a docu-drama and not a feature film because I feel that a full-length feature film couldn't have done justice with those 24 years of Sachin's life.

There is nothing that we don't know already. It's the journey of the biggest cricketing superstar ever to walk on the face of the earth, who spent 24 years carrying the burden of expectations of a country of a billion people. It's not just about an extraordinary personality but about an ordinary person's journey to do extraordinary things. It is the story of how a single person changed the definition of cricket, how he single-handedly stopped the time in India and how he lived a dream and inspired people to dream big.

There are some moments in the film which we didn't know about. The footage from Sachin's personal life, his connection with his family, friends, fellow cricketers, coaches, and mentors are heart-warming to watch. His ups and downs throughout his career make you smile but at the same time leave you teary-eyed too. It's not that filmmakers deliberately try to make you cry but it's the impact that Sachin has created which automatically make you emotional.

The film revisits the life and time of Tendulkar. A naughty middle- class Bandra boy who went on to become youngest Indian cricketer to play for his country. It portrayed every single moment we want to live again and again. Be it his four sixes against Abdul Qadir when he was at his peak or when he sent Shane Warne's balls out of the park at Sharjah. His unparalleled 100th hundred or his milestone of first ever 200 not out runs in one day international. It has covered almost everything we grew up watching and experiencing and will not get tired explaining to our children.

As for the movie, there is nothing much to judge. It's a simple, linearly progressing drama. There is no dramatization of facts, no use of artistic liberties, just a plain simple story which at most part we know but still, want to watch. It's a well-directed docu- drama with a brilliant piece of background score by none other than AR Rahman. I never thought that 'Infinite Love' can ever be used in such a way that it will be hard to take it out of your head. A legend composing for another is more than what you can ask for. The acting part, which was hardly there for two-three scenes, was good.

From the time he first walked on the field till the time he touched those 22 yards in his final match, he faced several injuries and countless criticism but every time he came back stronger than before. In his good time or bad, he continued to inspire. He is not just a cricketer but an emotion, and those emotions have been captured pretty well here.

I can fill pages after pages after pages to write about this film or about Sachin. But no words can explain the feeling of experiencing it on the big screen. It's a journey down the memory lane and an emotional roller-coaster ride which every Sachin fan should experience. I don't think this docu-drama needs any review or rating to be judged. It just needs to be watched and cherished.

Sportspersons will come and go. Some will remain unnoticed, some will become superstars. A few of them will be household names for a long time to come but there is only one name that will always remain an integral part of every Indian cricket lover's life. BHARAT RATNA SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR.

There are very few movie screenings where you don't feel like you are watching a movie. It's like you are sitting with the characters and observing them, watching them do things and listening to them doing their regular work. It's so relatable that it doesn't feel like they are acting at all. Movies like this are the best kind of movies. Mukti Bhawan is one such movie. You can't see acting in the movie because they are not doing it at all. Each one of them is living the character to their cinematic best.

The very first scene of the movie shows Daya, the character of Lalit Behl, finds himself chasing his younger self in an abandoned village while his mother is calling out to him. He takes this as a sign and declares to his unprepared family that his time to go has finally arrived.

Mukti Bhawan is a movie about that final journey. A father's wish to die in the holy city of Varanasi and his son's struggle to meet his father's demand while he himself is struggling with his highly demanding work. I won't say it is a story of death, I would rather say it is the story of life, the story of a middle-class family, a story of the father-son relationship.

He is a son, whose father has reached an age where he has become stubborn about his wishes. His demands, just one though, considering the situation of the family seems unreasonable. He is a father too, whose daughter is about to get married but she has ambitions, she wants to do a job and doesn't want to get married just yet. He is a husband, whose wife constantly asks him that how much time will it take him to come back, to which he has no answer. He is also an employee, who is not able to manage his work-life balance. What should he do? He has to take a decision. And he reluctantly takes the decision to accompany his father, more out of duty than love, and checks into Mukti Bhawan, the salvation hotel.

Just 25-years-old Shubhashish Bhutiani, yet another debutant director, knows what he is doing. His style of movie making doesn't seem conventional in the movie. It doesn't run in as a continuous plot, it rather runs in episodic sequences. Each one powerful than the other one. Well-acted, directed and shot. No matter in which order you watch it, it will tell the same story and each part collectively leads us to the climax of the movie, which is a celebration. A celebration of a life well lived, happily and without any regrets. A life lived on your own terms, a life where you did what you wanted to do.

Adil Hussain is a gem of an actor and he has put his heart and soul into his character of Rajiv. It's sad that for the larger part of the audience, he is still unknown. The one particular scene, where after getting the call about his daughter's decision of not getting married, he storms in an internet café to do a skype call home, is epic, to say the least. He is furious about what he was hearing, to add to his anger network was bad on both sides but at the same time, he has to maintain the decorum of a public place. His control over the scene is just mind blowing. Another scene where he waits for his turn to get the cake is wordlessly loquacious.

Lalit Behl as Daya is spot on. We have seen him in Titli in the role of father. There he had no control over his sons, here he takes the authority. His timing is perfect. His approach is more open-minded than his son's. Geetanjali Kulkarni as Lata is practical, she is straightforward and to the point. If she could impress with just 'reading from the paper' in Court, here she has full-length dialogues with her. Palomi Ghosh as Sunita is the life of an otherwise dull house and whenever she gets the chance she spreads the happiness around. She acted brilliantly in her not so long role. Two another not-so-major but important characters are of Navnindra Behl as Vimla and Anil Rastogi as Mishra Ji, both of them played their part with utmost perfection.

One can't set a movie like this without a backdrop of Varanasi, where, according to Hindu beliefs, people go to die, to get the Mukti, the freedom from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It has been shot brilliantly. Ganga Aarti, burning pyres, boat ride, pranayama in front of rising sun or a scene as simple as the fading paint of wall graffiti has been captured beautifully. Music of Junaid Tajdar is the cherry on the cake.

Death is a process, it will come when it has to come, and you have no control over it. But you have control over your life, you can either make it or break it, then why not just make it, make it large? So that when your time to depart finally arrives, you can go without regrets. You can and you should do what makes you happy. Do what your heart tells you to do, it gives you signals, and you have to interpret them. And if you do that, it's not just your life but your death too will be a celebration.

Mukti Bhawan is a real powerful cinema. It may be slow but it is a class act. If a movie with such serious subject manages to make you laugh and put a smile on your face, I guess, the movie is working. It is an actual five-star stuff.

First Published On- https://myunwantedreviews.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/hindi-medium-a- subject-in-which-we-should-score-an-a/

My mother is a government school teacher. Once in a while, I drop her to her school. The other day I asked her, why do you think the number of kids going to government schools is constantly on a decline? Is the quality of education in government schools so bad? She said, it's not about dropping of education level, but about the parents' wish to send their kids to government schools, or any Hindi Medium school for that matter. They believe that government schools are not capable enough to prepare their kids for the real world.

Hindi Medium runs around same premises but it's not limited to that. It is a satire presented in most comic and simplest way possible. This is not just about a couple's struggle to get their child admitted to the school, but about the complete series of events, good or bad, they have to go through. Rampant corruption they have to face and voluntarily or involuntarily become a part of it.

This movie is about our obsession with the English language. Because talking in English in India does not just signifies the knowledge of a different language but, unfortunately, also a division of class from the mass. Hindi Medium is a social commentary on the elitist mentality of our society, where we evolved from the caste divide but get into the trap of class divide. A class where having money is not enough, where speaking Hindi is looked down upon, and where kitty parties are held on the basis of your kid's school.

The first half of the movie is kind of a situational comedy and considerably more interesting than the second one which feels like drowning in its own goodness. But it has the entry of immensely talented Deepak Dobriyal, who is sharing the screen with Irrfan after fourteen years since Maqbool. His portrayal of 'Shuddh Garib' Shyam is mind blowing. His effortless display of comedy, emotions, and pain in a shorter screen time makes him an excellent actor.

Irrfan Khan. Is there anything this man can't do? He is undoubtedly one of the most versatile actors present in Indian Cinema. His comic timing, dialogue delivery, screen presence, everything is a class apart. He puts his heart and soul into the character of Raj Batra, a responsible father, and a good husband.

Saba Qamar as Mita has done a really good job. Her portrayal of the character was very controlled. She has to look rich, feel rich, and act rich but at the same time doesn't have to look arrogant. She maintained an aura of a down to earth rich Vasant Vihar lady who is constantly trying to adjust in her new 'posh' locality.

There is one more acting credit which deserves to be given is of Tillotama Shome, who, by her brilliant acting make her powerful presence felt. She put life in a character which Indian audience generally fails to notice otherwise.

I would not say the movie has a brilliant screenplay but it definitely has some genuinely funny dialogues, which assure some hearty laughs in regular intervals. Even small characters have been given enough chance to make the audience laugh. Music composed by Sachin-Jigar is good, so is the background score by Amar Mohile. As for Saket Chaudhary, this one is his best movie after his previous two 'side effects' and is the one he will be remembered for in a long time.

So if not for direction, screenplay or music, this movie is a must watch for its superb performances by the lead as well as the supporting cast.

Hindi Medium is a garland woven with uneven beads but it looks and feels beautiful. It is an attempt, not so hard hitting though, but every bit worthy of praise for its genuine and simple nature. It is deserved to be watched by one and all.

At the end of it, the movie seems too good to be true, and a little too preachy at the end. But it talks about a subject in which we all need to score an A+.

First Published On- https://goo.gl/VrvHNx

First five minutes of the movie, including the opening credits, are the example of sheer grandeur and massiveness which one is going to experience in the next 160 minutes. It looked like 'The Conclusion' is living up to the hype 'The Beginning' generated two years back. A superb production design, great direction, powerful music and wonderful visuals. It has everything.

But as much as the movie is great in its visuals, I can't say the same about the story or the movie as a whole for that matter. First half runs completely in the flashback and sets a backstory which is every bit predictable. Why are we so obsessed with love stories? And it's quite OK to show a love story on screen but it feels bad when the complete first half covers the same without making any significant progress in the story. There was nothing special or grand about it. Either a hero doing larger than life actions to win the heart of the girl or he is playing dumb and his sidekick tries everything to impress the girl for his hero by doing dumber things. The usual Telugu cinema stuff and it is exactly the case here. Songs don't seem to end in first half and a character as strong as Katappa plays a visible sidekick, which is saddening to see. A little scissor could do a great job.

As the movie progresses further and the actual story comes into play, it looked less of a revenge drama and more of a saga of family politics. But again, that plot is still buyable because the movie is still running in flashback only. And then comes the moment the whole country was waiting for- ' Katappa ne Baahubali ko kyon maara?' Although it was not a dramatic revelation as such, it was expected the way movie was progressing. Very underwhelming. Further, when the story comes back into present time and the war breaks out, we see our hero doing gravity-defying stunts, which looks a little bit over-the-top but as it's a fantasy drama, everything is acceptable. So what if it's not a superhero movie? If we can believe our hero crossing mountains hundreds of feet apart, without taking a lesson or two of physics, this time they are at least using the projectile to shoot themselves at the angle of 45 degrees to cover maximum distance.

As for the characters, the movie gives every chance for them to develop but they seem to be somehow overshadowed by the powerful aura of Amarendra Baahubali, even the character of his son Mahendra Baahubali played by Prabhas. But it's Anushka Shetty as Devasena, who made her presence felt by her dominating character, which is powerful and the one with no nonsense. Ramya Krishnan as Sivagami Devi is good but seems to be losing her charm in the second half when she falls for conspiracy of his son Bhallala Deva and Husband Bijjala Deva, Rana Daggubati and Nassar respectively. I feel sorry for both of them, great actors but somehow lost in all limelight, especially Nassar. Sathyaraj as Katappa, like the first movie, remains the loving character.

It will be stupid to compare it with any Hollywood movie and one should not do that, but it is bound to be compared with its first part. The conclusion is more of a prequel than a sequel, it take us to the origin of Baahubali but when it comes to story, it seems weaker compared to the first part. While you always remain on the edge of your seat in former, later looks predictable. Although it is bigger and grander than the first one, fact remains that it is milking on the success of 'The Beginning'. War sequences were well synchronized there, here they looked chaotic. You can predict quite early in the movie that what is going to be the end, and you get to know in the first part itself that how it is going to be. How your antagonist will die. Many of us even figured out the question of national importance too, 'Why Katappa killed Baahubali?' and all our imaginations and assumptions are finally put to rest.

Two-time National award winner S.S. Rajamaoli is a great director, he is a visionary. First, he took non-bollywood cinema to the national audience with Magadheera and Eega. Whatever little work was left, he fulfilled with Baahubali - The Beginning and now with this one he took it to international level.

Overall, when you leave the theatre, you know that it's not a perfect movie but it is an entertainer and mostly value for your money, provided you haven't bought a Rs. 1200 gold class VIP ticket. On a brighter side, Baahubali is a celebration of the capacity of Indian quality and standards. It is the result of hard work and dedication of entire cast and crew. It is a living example of the fact that if we get as much budget as a Hollywood movie gets, we can produce some indigenous wonders. I would not say it was a visual masterpiece but it was definitely a visual treat. At least we don't have to set Indian benchmarks of CGI on Chhota Bheem and Bal Ganesha.

Baahubali is a kind of movie I would love to watch again in the theatre but just for its visuals and not for its story.