Reviews

A series of gruesome murders of young girls without any substantial clues to follow up with rattles the Police Department in Mussoorie. The investigating officer Meghaa Sharma (Radhika Apte) is leading the case, but has to work with Johnny Khanna (Vikrant Massey), an ace forensic expert with a penchant for investigative detection. The problem is that they have had a past that Meghaa wants to forget, and Johnny is eager to rekindle the lost romance. But that aside, the team starts putting the pieces together, largely using the forensic findings, and yet the murders continue. Suddenly, a video clip on the web surfaces that shows Anya, their only niece who binds them together, carting out a deadbody from a certain location. Shocked and outwitted at the development, both are taken out of the case and Meghaa is confined to house arrest while Anya vanishes from the household without any message, complicating matters further.

Is Anya involved in the murders becomes Johnny and Meghaa's sole objective. Meghaa is helped out of her house arrest by Johnny and both set out, running against time and in an adverse backdrop that impedes their search. Yet, the case has to be solved, and they aren't really ready for the disclosure. Honestly speaking, neither could I guess it. It's a violent end to the saga when the serial murderer is finally tracked down, and Anya is saved from her abductor.

Forensic makes for a gripping watch over its 128 minutes running time. It represents the dark side of human psychology and how people deal with their grief and sorrow. Vikrant Massey aces in his role of the forensic investigator, followed by Prachi Desai in a stunning role of a psychologist helping the investigating team. Radhika Apte tends to go over the top at times, but has punchy dialogues to deliver. Mussoorie looks heavenly as the backdrop. Director Vishal Furia manages to keep the suspense alive till the end. Credit must be given to writers Adhir Bhatt and Ajit Jagtap, Adrija Gupta for music and Anshul Chobe for the fabulous cinematography. Do watch it, it may be macabre but is certainly a quality presentation by Zee5.

The premise of Jug Jugg Jeeyo is downright impractical to start with, but that's the USP of the movie. Disgruntled with their married life of five years, Kukoo (Varun Dhawan) and Naina (Kiara Advani) have only one ask from each other - a divorce. They must travel back to Punjab to attend Kukoo's sister's wedding, and decide that soon after the function, they will inform their respective parents. Both maintain that happily married act until one night, Kukoo discovers that his father Bheem Saini (Anil Kapoor) is going through a mid-life crisis, has a girlfriend (Tisca Chopra) who apparently brings back the spark in his life, and will divorce Geeta (Neetu Kapoor), Kukoo's mother. Unable to digest what Kukoo just heard about Bheem's unthinkable plan, his plans to break his own news takes a backseat as he is confused about how a 35-year old marriage can have a breakdown.

What follows is a complete roller-coaster ride during the wedding, where truths have to emerge and a shocked Geeta has to learn about her own impending divorce and that of their son's at the same time. Shaken out of her life in a cosy cocoon and in total disbelief, Geeta is all right to face her own marriage going kaput, she won't allow her son's marriage to break down as she feels that Kukoo and Naina must give it another shot at understanding each other before taking the extreme step.

The above must all sound very sombre, but on the silver screen, director Raj Mehta spins a different fabric of narrating the peculiar situation in a fun backdrop. Anil Kapoor plays out his scheme with a genuinely precise comic timing and expressions. Neetu Kapoor carries herself with tremendous gravitas with a tailor made role for her, that's the bang opposite of all that her husband is. Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani make for an adorable couple that's wading through their own personal issues, expectations of each other and yet grappling with the trouble brewing in the family. Both make their marks very well. The standout comedy is however, delivered by Manish Paul (who plays Gurpreet, Naina's elder brother and Kukoo's friend) - he is a hoot! The music, dialogues, story-writing and cinematography are all the ace ingredients of this venture that you don't want to miss.

There's no denying the fact that India is a nation that's divided by race, region, religion, language, caste, colour, economic class, and what not. The country is criss-crossed by fault lines everywhere, some prominent and known to all, and some others, hidden away, with lava boiling underneath, ready to spew fire and ash any time. "Anek", helmed by Anubhav Sinha is a narrative on one such fault line that lies in the North East, that is not a subject that's on your face as the media doesn't project it as an issue and therefore, it isn't on your face. The North Eastern states, rich with natural beauty and resources and a culture that's yet to find itself integrated with the rest of the nation, are less fortunate due to a lack of development and mired under several constitutional provisions. So, who will make that effort to make them inclusive, accessible, economically equal and culturally united with the rest? When shall we start treating our brothers and sisters there with dignity, respect and compassion, so they may integrate easily into what we call our motherland?

"Anek" isn't your usual "Mission Kashmir", there's no fairytale being woven. It is a sombre submission of the state of affairs of the North East where people run a lack if development and are yet reluctant to leave home to go to greener pastures elsewhere to seek a living, as they are aware that the rest of the nation doesn't treat them equally or well. Insurgency simmers, and there are leaders who stoke the fire on the one hand, and there are other powerful people who claim to be representing the people, but actually filling their own coffers with the government aid. Then there are bureaucrats from the government who project themselves as supporters of the people's cause, but only on the face of it - there's an altogether different intent playing in the background. With all of this, "Anek" makes a valiant effort to showcase the issues and raise an awareness in all earnest. It is a subject noire that highlights the chasm that separates the North East from the rest of the union and doesn't provide a comfortable situation. Whilst being true to the problem though, the film often goes into a documentary mode and doesn't offer a solution. Ayushmann Khurana is fantastic as usual, and Kumud Mishra and Manoj Pahwa add gravitas. Andrea Kevichusa plays Aido, the singular ray of hope who challenges status quo, and shines in the role of Aido. The progress is rather slow, and there's no scope for humour in the movie. "Anek" is for those who don't visit the theatre for just entertainment, but are ready to face the hard facts and embrace them.

Reet (Kiara Advani), while travelling back to her village in Rajasthan for her arranged marriage meets Rohan (Kartik Aryan), a fun loving, happy go lucky and witty guy during her journey. As they decide to take a break and attend a music festival and resume their journey later that evening, the bus they were originally travelling in falls off the mountains and everyone is killed. Reet decides not to let people at home know that she is still alive, and yet travels back to her village and accesses the old, abandoned mansion where she spent her childhood. This is where Monjulika's malevolent spirit is locked away in a particular room, and the mansion is haunted. But it takes no time for the word to spread to the whole village that the lights in the abandoned mansion are back and the family rushes down to see who it could be - this is when Rohan tells them that he was Reet's friend and he is able to communicate with her spirit that asked him to convey the same to her family. Initially unconvinced, the family starts believing him as Rohan tells them about Reet's childhood experiences and interactions with her relatives. But whatever the reason that Reet has chosen to remain dead to her family and stay at the mansion with Rohan, she is unknowingly in the process of reactivating the malevolence of Monjulika, and disaster is about to begin.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a spin off from the original with the objective of revealing the truth of Monjulika, the young Bengali dancer who wreaked havoc on screen 15 years ago in 2007 (Bhool Bhulaiyaa) which was directed by Priyadarshan, in a remake of the Tamil superhit Chandramukhi. Helmed by Anees Bazmi, BB2 combines the genres of comedy and horror, but given the director's authority & track record of comedy , the horror doesn't quite inspire. It is quite eerie in parts, but not sustainably so, as the backdrop of Monjulika is given out slowly, in small packets through the film, concluding with a novelty of a twist in the tale. The comedy however, is remarkable and Kartik Aryan excels with it as if it were his second nature. But Bhool Bhulaiyaa belongs all the way to Tabu who makes it immensely watchable, with a performance that she should walk away with all the major awards for the year. In a double role of substance, Tabu is the heart and soul of the movie, and watch Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 you must, for no reason other than her, if you still haven't seen it.

If you haven't had the time or interest to watch "Dasvi" on Netflix yet, you've missed a gem of a movie. Ganga Ram Chaudhary (Abhishek Bachchan), the Chief Minister of an imaginary state Harit Pradesh has so many legal cases, mostly scams, against his name that not even his best resources can keep him out of jail. Once in there, he enjoys five star comforts that the jailer gets him, as a privilege of being the ex-CM. But the current situation catapults Ganga's wife Bimla Devi (Nimrat Kaur), a veiled, uneducated, highly subservient individual into the position of the acting Chief Minister. Sounds familiar, right? Wrong! Bimla grasps the opportunity with both hands, undergoes a paradigm transformation and starts ensuring that Ganga doesn't get a bail to see to able to come out and exercise his control again. Making matters worse for Ganga, enters Jail Super Jyoti Deswal (Yami Gautam Dhar), a fiery, much decorated IPS officer who resents to Ganga's existing privileges and refuses to be cowed down by his stature, reducing him to the status of an ordinary criminal serving his jail term. Life comes crashing down on Ganga, and he must find different excuses to get out of his captivity, but the two women in his life together ensure that his every plan is scuttled. Ganga has only one way out now, the right to education, that raises a suspicion among everyone concerned and Ganga is indeed, not even a Class X pass. Brace up, a battle of wits and perseverance is about to begin!

Dasvi, directed by Tushar Jalota and written by Suresh Nair & Ritesh Shah is one of the best comedies of recent times, reminiscent of the good old Hrishikesh Mukherjee & Basu Chatterjee era movies. It's fresh, contemporary and lighthearted approach makes it immensely watchable, without letting the interest sag. It's not exactly scorchingly paced, but the novelty of the proceedings is classy. But the content aside, it was amazing to see how Abhishek Bachchan easily fitted into the role of an uneducated politician whose fortunes come crashing down. His performance is worth every penny invested, and his potential that has been rarely harnessed in films like Yuva, Bunty Aur Babli, Phir Milenge, Sarkar, Guru and Ludo, is in full form here. He is fabulously supported by Nimrat Kaur who produces a sterling performance as a rustic housewife turned into a scheming politician. Yami Gautam is a beautiful blend of fire and ice in a role that's meaty and meaningful. Manu Rishi Chadha and Arun Kushwah add to the comical proceedings with total elan. Dasvi is much recommended for the entire family and for every mood.

Ramisa (Tara Sutaria) returns from the UK after completing her education to Musoorie, Uttarakhand, where her father Nautiyal (Kumud Mishra) is the local legislator. She is instantly attracted to Ishana (Ahan Shetty), a rugged young man who she soon discovers is the foster son of her father's close friend, Daddy (Saurabh Shukla). It doesn't take long for sparks to fly between Ramisa and Ishana and they fall in love. For Ishana, it feels too good to be true, and he gets far too deeply involved emotionally.

But fate has other plans for them. While on a trip to Dehradun to procure some raw materials for their business, Ishana suddenly learns about Ramisa's wedding to a London based guy, and in super quick time, the ceremony is to be executed. He rushes back home but can't stop the wedding from taking place and even fails to meet Ramisa one last time. He blames Nautiyal for their misfortune and vows to destroy his life and assets. After Ramisa has flown back to the UK, Ishana hits the bottle hard, turns into a melancholy alcoholic, who won't miss an opportunity to damage Nautiyal's business assets and beating up his people, something that Nautiyal quietly bears without retribution, claiming that Ishana is his friend's son. Three years pass by, with Ishana going from bad to worse, unable to forget Ramisa or move on, and then one day, Ramisa returns to Musoorie much to Ishana's joy of the hope of being reunited. It's showtime!!

Tadap is excruciatingly slow and feels like a polished version of 1960-70's love stories where protagonists just couldn't move on from heartbreaks. You really have no idea where it's all headed until about 30 minutes before the climax there's a twist in the love story that you possibly didn't see coming. In spite of that novel twist, the film's languid and repetitive storytelling fails to redeem the situation as it's too far gone. You don't know what you should regret about - a young life wasted chasing a wild goose, or your two and a half hours of sitting through a monotonous narrative that leavesd no impression. Ahan Shetty doesn't inspire in his first appearance and Tara Sutaria is lightweight anyway. The most impressive performances come from Saurabh Shukla and Kumud Mishra, which are perhaps the film's best assets apart from some peppy music composition by Pritam. Also worth a mention is Sumit Gulati in role of Ishana's friend LOL, who actually is quite a hoot.

Set in the year 1985 in a small, peaceful Western border village in Rajasthan called Munabao, the tranquil that everyone has been used to since 1947, is suddenly shattered. A bunch of heavily armed bandits raid a small hut, kill the aged resident couple and decamp with what they call a booty. At the same time, a young villager Suva from the same place is found brutally hacked and mutilated to death at a distance. The local police station in-charge, Inspector Surekha (Anil Kapoor) immediately swings into action, but in very little time realises that everyone is clueless about who may have been behind the crimes, albeit he suspects that the bandits must be at it.

In parallel, a young man who calls himself Siddharth (Harshvardhan Kapoor), starts frequenting the village looking for one Panna, who is said to be away from the village for months, but is expected back soon. The Inspector by now has also gathered that the deceased Suva was a close friend of a trio, comprising Panna, Dhanna & Jeevna. The day Panna returns to the village, Inspector Surekha interrogates him about his deceased friend, but finds no answers, and warns him not to leave the village without asking him. The next day, Siddharth contacts Panna and gives him an irresistible offer to work for him in Delhi, to which, the latter agrees, but not without his friends Jeenvna and Dhanna. The next thing you know is that Siddharth abducts the 3 friends and holds them hostage in an unknown place.

Thar, produced by Anil Kapoor himself is an interesting premise with two stories running in parallel, but you constantly have a hunch that these must somewhere be connected. They will eventually dovetail, but not before you get dollops of violence, blood and gore, and due to the short run time of 108 minutes, your interest remains intact. There's police and law on the one hand, and a vigilante in full swing on the other. Set in thecmost rugged terrains that I've witnessed in Indian movies, Thar is dark, quiet and disturbing. It's making is reminiscent of the Western cowboy films, and boasts of a delirious speed. On the downside, the proceedings are extensively dry, dark, and menacing. Both Anil Kapoor & Harshvardhan Kapoor are broodingly good, and the rest of the cast has precious little to do.

When Brij Gopal Sharma (Rishi Kapoor / Paresh Rawal), fondly known as Sharmaji is subjected to premature retirement from his services, he is advised different ways of keeping himself busy. He fills his hours during the day following his passion for cooking at home. He is clearly most excited to feed his two sons the best of his culinary delights and seeks fulfilment through it. But the elder son Rinku, who is an executive in a private firm, seems to have a problem with whatever Sharmaji does to keep himself busy and constantly eggs him to find something professional to do, like what he used to do when he was employed. Sharmaji's is a small family of three people, he having lost his wife many years ago, but open and transparent communication amongst the three men is clearly a huge issue.

Sharmaji eventually does find his mojo - he finds that there's heavy demand for his cooking abilities and culinary passion among a bunch of kitty friends who are overtly impressed with him. Initially hesitant about the company of women and that he has to cook at their houses, he is quick to realise that he achieves happiness in what he gives and gets as a reward, he strongly pursues his newfound engagement. But he is aware that his sons and other relatives will some day get to know about his pursuit and dreads about the outcome.

Sharmaji Namkeen is a deep introspection about the pursuit of happiness. What should someone do after the professional commitments get over and all the time is available? Should he / she continue to look for opportunities in the field of experience or pursue something that has forever been on the mind that will perhaps give a new dimension to life? How important is it to conform to social norms and consider what others will have to say about the new endeavours? Will the dilemma about what to do and what's socially right to do overburden the mind?

Rishi Kapoor's last screen appearance is a remarkable movie by all means and had he been able to complete it, Sharmaji Namkeen would have been one of his best in his mature years. Not that it isn't, but Paresh Rawal, who stepped in to complete the film after Rishi Kapoor's demise holds his own grounds. Consequently, we get to see two stalwarts playing the same character, but doing their individual brand of histrionics. Whilst hugely enjoyable as a subject that you can instantly associate with, watching two very different people playing the same lead role is uncanny. No harm done, Sharmaji Namkeen is a film for everyone, excellently executed, heartwarming and a raucous comedy. A special mention about Juhi Chawla who encourages Sharmaji to follow his pursuit of happiness, she is brilliant in her little role, and Parmeet Sethi adds zest and glamor.

Allow me to start by saying that it's been worth the wait for the release of Runway 34, originally named Mayday, based on a series of true events. It deserves the 5 stars as it's near flawless, and a rarely seen high voltage drama that is completely capable of taking your breath away. The first half sees Captain Vikrant Khanna (Ajay Devgn), a pilot with over 16,000 hours of flying experience get into Dubai for bringing a flight back from Dubai to Cochin. That night, although tired from 6 days of non-stop flying, he parties hard at a club until 6 am and then returns to rest in his hotel, and the flight is at 23:00 hours. All set in the evening, his flight has 150 passengers and he us joined by a rookie copilot Ms. Tanya Albuquerque (Rakulpreet Singh), who is completely in awe of his reputation and experience. But fate has other plans that night and as the flight approaches Cochin, the ATC warns them of poor visibility and an inclement weather, directing them to divert the flight to another airport. While Vikrant is keen to land in Cochin, Tanya advises heading to Bangalore and finally, the former decides to divert the flight to Trivandrum, where the weather is reported normal. This decision will go a long way to decide the fate of the flight and how, even after declaring Mayday and wishing goodbye, Vikrant manages to land the flight in Trivandrum against all odds.

Vikrant emerges a hero, albeit for a brief period, buoyed by the press. The problem starts when the AAIB, a government body that investigates flight accidents, under the aegis of the DGCA, commences an enquiry that threatens to ruin the career of Captain Vikrant Khanna. Tell tale communications and arguments between the pilots emerge from the black box, and a bottle of gin is found in the bin outside the pilot cabin, pointing the needle of suspicion to Vikrant. Narayan Cedant, the director of AAIB, would personally prosecute the two pilots in a courtroom where facts, stranger than fiction will emerge.

The first half is riveting and heart stopping as it's completely devoted to the flight path and the events that led to the miraculous not so safe landing of the flight under the circumstances. Hold your nerves, it's certainly not for tge weak hearted. The second half is an intense courtroom drama sans a moment of monotony as the prosecutor with 40 years of experience is convinced that the Captain is indeed at fault and must be punished. Amitabh Bachchan rules the second half with a persona, his baritone, his formidable command over the language while spewing venom at his hapless defendants. Ajay Devgn gives a performance that's perfect, confident, yet vulnerable under the immense pressure of the investigation. You have to wait until tge very end to know about tge mystery of the bottle of gin - did the Captain con the system and pass through the polygraph. Helmed by Ajay Devgn himself, Runway 34 has tge potential of making it to the annals of all time greats and create a niche for itself. Do not miss the movie, you'll regret it.

Joy Chatterjee (Abir Chatterjee) is a ruthless,self obsessed capitalist who doesn't believe in giving a second chance to anyone. He has no family but does value his relationship with Aditi (Jaya Ahsan), as she is all that he has for his psychological and romantic fulfilment. Yet again, he is often insensitive towards her, forcing her to reconsider her future with him. Their relationship hits a nadir when one day whilst driving up the picturesque hills of Darjeeling, his car hits a young boy, and Joy refuses to take the injured and bleeding child to the hospital. Since he doesn't believe in charity but thinks that such road accidents are preplanned to extort money, he pays Rs. 50,000 to the old monk who sat caring for the hurt child and heads out for their date up in the hills.

When he wakes up the next morning, he is first shocked to find Aditi having left their rendezvous with a rude text message that forces him to rush back to Kolkata. He is nursing a head injury and can not find Aditi at her place. A far greater shock awaits him as Aditi refuses to recognize him, followed by his manager and security guard at home, only to realise that his face had changed completely. Now stripped of his identity and access to his position and wealth, Joy Chatterjee comes crashing down to earth with a rude reality check - he has indeed lost everything with one swift flick of fate. Will life not forgive Joy for his self centric acts of deviance, or will he get an opportunity to become a better human being, is what "Aami Joy Chatterjee," (AJC) helmed by Manoj A Michigan explores.

Wrapped in the shawl of mysticism, intrigue, and philosophy, AJC's twists and turns get your heart out for the protagonist. The lines between reality and mystique tend to blur, especially at the climax when facts emerge. It's a sensitive story with psychological tilt, something that Manoj (story and screenplay writer, too) now professes with total elan and gives Abir Chatterjee ample scope to demonstrate his histrionic capabilities. However, the scorching pace of storytelling that AJC set in the first 45 minutes could not be sustained afterwards, but the conclusion brings back the urgency. Shataf Figar makes his presence felt with an intelligent analysis, and Jaya Ahsan is impressive, as usual.

Critically speaking, if Manoj had infused an imprint of Joy's redemption (I don't know how that would be possible, though) in the lives of those who he interacted with in his new avatar, Rahul, would have been a cherry on top of another remarkable film by my good friend from school.

The Fame Game (Netflix, Hindi) - 4 STARS

Anamika Anand (Madhuri Dixit) is an ageing superstar who needs to remain relevant. Her husband Nikhil More (Sanjay Kapoor), a producer, needs to remain in business. Amara (Muskkaan Jaferi), their daughter, needs to create her own image and emerge from the shadows of her mother. Avinash (Lakshvir Saran) is fighting depression, acutely aware of the potential fallout of his sexual orientation. Manish Khanna (Manav Kaul), the reigning but also ageing superstar, desires to rekindle his romantic life with Anamika and finds a fantastic opportunity in signing up a project with her that can reestablish their popularity.

In all this, Anamika has secrets. She is in an abusive marriage and has to balance the sensitive equation with her children. She hasn't forgotten her past with Manish as it continues to haunt her. She has also recently become aware that the family has lost almost all its wealth due to Nikhil's bad decisions. She must make things right. But just as she starts to take the corrective actions, she is abducted and almost vanishes without trace. The police are investigating with Nikhil as the prime suspect but pretty clueless as they have no leads. Is Anamika dead or alive?

The Fame Game, directed by Sri Rao, is Madhuri Dixit all the way. It gives her ample opportunity to showcase her vast reservoir of talent, which she is superbly supported in by all her co-actors. Manav Kaul, Sanjay Kapoor and Suhasini Mulay bring out myriad characteristics of her nature, and her relationship with her children is commendable. There are ample twists and turns to keep the interest flowing through the series, although at times, the space drags, but the last episode more than makes up for it. Season 2 is perhaps in the offing, but I would prefer if the makers left it as it is.

Maya Menon (Vidya Balan) is a celebrity TV journalist, successful for her fearless and headstrong nature. She lives with her mother, Rukmini (Rohini Hattangadi), and her son Ayush, who is autistic and recovering from surgery. One late night, while driving back home from a party, Maya accidentally hits a young girl and stops. After a little deliberation, she decides to leave the girl to her fate and drive back home.

Ruksana (Shefali Shah) is Maya's house help who cooks the world's best food and is immensely close to Ayush as his caregiver. Her life is suddenly shaken up as she was summoned by the police to inform her of her daughter Alia, having met with a horrific accident and being hospitalised. Ruksana and her family are devastated to see the bundle of life, having been reduced to immobility. Maya decides to step in and help Ruksana, shifting Alia to a private hospital with the best facilities, but not without a reason. She faces a huge conflict mentally, something that threatens to alter her nature. Rohini (Vidhatri Bandi), a young journalist from Maya's team, is investigating the accident. She is determined to uncover the truth as she idolises Maya but is perplexed to find that the local police is trying to hush up the entire affair, even without having conducted the basic investigation. Jalsa explores the event and its aftermath when the truth is revealed and repercussions thereof. Will it be an eye for an eye in the end?

Directed by Suresh Triveni, Jalsa is a simple story of a hit and run that alters many lives. It is marked by some superlative acting by Vidya Balan, who demonstrates her inner conflict through its external manifestations stunningly. Shefali Shah brings home a poignant display of a number of emotional conflicts, especially the one when she discovers the truth. Jalsa is a celebration of histrionics at its very best, but even with its running time of 127 minutes, it is slower than it needed to be. Yet, the sensitive handling of the subject and characters associated with it, combined with the possibilities of the climax when the truth surfaces are enough to keep the viewer experience intact.

"Jhund" is practically what Wes Fesler said about diamonds and their ability to shine. Coach Vijay Barse (Amitabh Bachchan) finds a bunch of delinquent young people from a slum in Nagpur and decides to channelize their energy and skills into the soccer field. It's not an easy task as these hardened young boys and girls have been riding on paths strewn with crime, vendetta, and making a living is their only objective. Vijay realises this fact pretty early and finds a mechanism to achieve his objective - pay them to practise playing football daily. What starts off as easy money for the slum dwellers soon turns into an emotional journey for them as they appreciate Vijay's efforts to bring them dignity, recognition, and giving them a reason to live for.

As if reverting the delinquents to normal life was tough enough, Vijay finds red tapes a greater stumbling block in the bureaucracy when he next wants to showcase that talent is like diamonds, hidden in the darkest core of the earth. His aspirations are met with difficulties everywhere, but he doesn't give up until he succeeds in creating a National Slum Football Team that's fit to participate with its peers in the international arena. "Jhund" is about how rough diamonds are sometimes mistaken to be worthless pebbles, and I quote Thomas Browne here, Vijay Barse's team of the underprivileged, economically backwards players is referred to as the "herd" by the civil society. But, with resolve, earnest efforts, and a dogged determination, the coach and his proteges will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and prove their detractors wrong.

Written by Nagraj Manjule, "Jhund" is a combination of a social drama with soccer as the vertebral column that supports it. It's fresh, content rich, and objective oriented. The use of sport gives it a competitive flavour and, therefore, it has an edge over similar dramas like "ABCD", "Banjo" and the likes that have used music and fine arts as the vehicle. However, the film is excruciatingly slow and repetitive, giving the progress of the story the pace of a sloth. The lack of other well-known commercial artists has both its pros and cons, thus depending heavily on Amitabh Bachchan for all the histrionic firepower as the rest of the cast is at best, sub-amateurish. The music by Anshuman Trivedi is average. The problem with recent Bachchan starring movies is the filmmakers' reservation of a slot for him to deliver a powerful soliloquy about socially relevant issues (go back and watch "Chehre", "Pink"), which turns preachy while stating the obvious. This approach is unnecessary, in my opinion, and it appears as if it's a bolster or prop to the directors' lack of confidence about the films' ability to convey its message through its content.

Juhi Adhikari (Huma Qureshi) is a Hindi professor aspiring to become the head of the department at a college in Darjeeling, where her husband Neel (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) also teaches. The couple has been trying to conceive, a subject that has all but consumed Neel, and all but frustrated Juhi, as their marital life has nothing more to it, so much so that Juhi has started falling out of the marriage. In office, Juhi has encountered Rhea Rajguru (Avantika Dasani), a feisty and complex student who she believes is plagiarising her essays, and Juhi is out to prove it. The problem is that Rhea is the daughter of one of the trustees and is considered privileged. Rhea also uses her reputation to her advantage by charming her ways with the college resources and, once antagonised by Juhi, won't stop without a fightback.

The duel slowly builds up a crescendo in which Rhea resorts to getting personal with Juhi. She forms a relationship with Neel that keeps getting more complex with every passing day, much to the chagrin of Juhi, who realizes that matters are spinning out of control. Suddenly, one fateful night, Juhi comes home to find Neel murdered and is certain that Rhea is the culprit. Police investigations, however, do not support her allegations and, instead, suspect Juhi of the murder. The event brings the two women face to face where their differences threaten to reveal an ugly truth that shake up several people and the very family foundation that Juhi sought refuge in. Lives will be changed forever, and relationships disrupted, with no one benefitting from the duel that was merely a facade to unravel the mystery.

Mithya is a dark, disturbing, and tragic story that is hard hitting. You are forced to take sides often, and sympathies keep swinging like a pendulum as you discover the collateral damage of the duel. Huma Qureshi is spot on, sophisticated, and effective in portraying the professor and wife whose world is slowly disintegrating. Avantika Dasani is sheer menace yet credibly vulnerable as the young student and a daughter searching for her foothold and recognition. Parambrata is fantastic, as usual. Ably supported by Rajit Kapoor, K C Shankar, Samir Soni, Avantika Akerkar, and Bishaka Thapa, Mithya is a quality production directed by Rohan Sippy. Darjeeling looks dreamy, cool, and beautiful, adding to the mysterious proceedings.

"Gangubai Kathiawadi" is the gritty biopic of the Ganga, a chirpy, dreamy, and loving young girl who was sold off for flesh trade in Bombay and her eventual metamorphosis into Gangubai, the underworld mafia queen who worked relentlessly for the welfare and uplifting of the lives of the sex workers in Kamathipura. Written by and also part produced by S. Hussain Zaidi, this Sanjay Leela Bhansali magnum opus is mounted on an artistic, larger-than-life film with opulent production values and sanitised studio sets that are a hallmark of all SLB films.

Ganga has to undergo severe trials and tribulations from an early age after being sold off by someone who she believed was faithful, including violence that left her ripped apart. But, she remains dogged in her ambition to legitimise prostitution and bring dignity to the oldest profession in the world whilst relentlessly working for the uplifting of the community of sex workers. She finds support to her cause in Rahim Lala, the then powerful underworld mafia king in Bombay, and an earnest journalist, Fezi, who give her the shot in the arm, but she also has her share of detractors including the very society that the profession operates in and her peer group leaders.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali treats the subject with silk gloves and weaves almost a poetic fabric to the real-life character of Gangubai without resorting to commercial distractions. Although the sets appear spotless and sanitised, and verbal communication remains hugely civil, the film doesn't fail to showcase the multitude of the emotional journey of Gangubai from the young Ganga to the matriarch she grew into, much revered by her coworkers and peers who recognised her selfless efforts. Alas, the duel between Gangu (Alia Bhatt) and Raziabai (Vijay Raaz), slowly turning into a finger licking war, was aborted prematurely, and we could have done with a little more of. Instead, SLB took long to portray the romantic interlude in her adult life that showed her vulnerable, soft corner of her character, and this aspect slowed down the film midway. No harm done, though!

Alia Bhatt just nails it in the titular role. She combines all her skills of the craft into the labyrinth of Gangubai's character and us reminiscent of what once Madhuri Dixit had set out. She establishes herself as a multifaceted talent that can take on many more challenging roles. Ajay Devgn is brief, poised, powerful, and sophisticated. Shantanu Maheshwari is shy and pleasant. Jim Sarbh as the journalist, is perfect. But two performances must receive a special mention of - Vijay Raaz as Raziabai was terrific and menacing, and Seema Pahwa as Sheila Masi was a hoot! This SLB venture helped turn a subject like prostitution and sex trade into an immensely watchable family drama, yet didn't fall short of going the whole nine yards.

On the run from the Russian mafia hunting her for their Rs. 300 crore stash, and by Shekhawat (Akash Khurana) for the murder of his son, Aarya (Sushmita Sen) and her 3 children live in Australia under fake identities, supported by the Indian investigating authorities. When public prosecution back at home is trying her father Zorawar Rathore (Jayant Kripalani) and her brother Sangram (Ankur Bhatia), it persuades her through ACP Khan (Vikas Kumar) to turn the government witness for the murder of her husband Tej Sareen. Initially reluctant, Aarya agrees to return home to stand witness and bring her father and brother justice.

But once back in India, under police protection in the safe house, Aarya is shot at and finds herself vulnerable. The authorities won't let her return, and the Russian mafia has got a whiff of her existence, too. Only Sangram knows where the stash is, and she has time until Holi to return the consignment to the Russians, which will ensure her safe passage back, but fate has other plans in store for Aarya. Her turning a hostile witness sets off a chain of reactions that are uncontrollable, will test her resilience and family ties, the safety and security of her children and her own life. She suddenly finds herself alone again, being hunted, racing against time to meet the deadline, and is simply not ready to find more bitter truths about her family. Aarya is bruised, cornered, and under mortal threat, and she has to fight back for her mere survival.

Aarya 2 picks up a heady pace from where season 1 had ended and produces a gripping and adrenaline pumping narrative that keeps viewers engaged throughout the 8 episodes. There's so much happening that the output is an edge of the seat thriller with twists and turns, with loyalties switching and relationships being tested at each stage. Sushmita Sen aces in her title role with a hugely credible essay. Jayant Kripalani, Vikas Kumar, Shataf Figar , Sikandar Kher, Akash Khurana and Ankur Bhatia provide brilliant support in making Aarya 2 a truly bingeworthy and explosive saga of drama, thrill, family values, revenge and deceit.

A young playschool teacher, Naina Jaiswal (Yami Gautam Dhar), returns prematurely from her sick leave to resume her responsibilities but soon afterwards, surprises everyone by taking 16 children hostage in the school. She demands for Rs. 5 crores, supercop Inspector Javed Khan (Atul Kulkarni) to be her point of contact for negotiations, and a meeting with the Prine Minister, Maya Rajguru (Dimple Kapadia). On the one hand, Naina is the affectionate and doting school teacher, and on the other, she is a gun toting, tough speaking terrorist who will stop at nothing to get her demands fulfilled.

Initially baffled by the sudden developments, police lunges into action and nabs every connection of Naina possible to make any headway and find a solution. But Naina won't relentl until she got a private meeting with the prime minister. The truth slowly starts unravelling about how Naina suffered from depression earlier, and that could possibly be the reason behind her irrational behaviour.

A Thursday isn't a remarkable story or execution but is quite a thought-provoking subject. It starts off with the hostage situation pretty early on, but then the proceedings start dragging, making the film run as if with the handbrake of a vehicle were kept on. The real motive of Naina's strange action takes a long time to be revealed by when most people would have gauged the reason. In spite of that, director Behzad Khambata doesn't fail to drive home an important point. The film has some intense acting by Yami Gautam Dhar, sound performances by Dimple Kapadia and Atul Kulkarni, and leaves ample scope for interpreting if Naina and Javed actually acted in partnership to give the act a successful conclusion. When pleas, requests, and demands for justice fall on deaf ears, it's perhaps time to take up the cudgel yourself.

Alisha (Deepika Padukone) is into a live-in relationship with Karan (Dhairya Karwa) for 6 years but feels claustrophobic now as she has been supporting him financially for a long time. Alisha has had a traumatic childhood, and faces depressive manoeuvres at times, resorting to Valium often. When Tia (Ananya Pandey), Alisha's first cousin, visits their family home in Alibaug with her fiance Zain (Siddhant Chaturvedi), and invites Alisha and Karan over to spend the weekend together, Alisha gets an opportunity to settle her longstanding score with Tia. Zain, who was also looking for a breakaway from his obligatory engagement with Tia, seizes the opportunity and commences on a passionate and steamy affair with Alisha. Both are committed to dumping their respective partners and build their future together, but fate has other plans I store, setting off a series of unfortunate events that spiral out of control quickly, creating complex situations that challenge loyalties and the very commitments that brought Alisha and Zain together.

Gehraiyaan is a drama noir that combines passion, love, lust, revenge, financial crime, and tragedy together into an overwhelming vortex that consumes all the characters. No one escapes unhurt as self-gratification takes over centrestage, and the two principal characters are ready to sacrifice everything else to meet their own goals. To some distance, they try to achieve this objective symbiotically, but after a while, Zain realises that Alisha is at best a huge problem to handle when matters go out of control. The issues in Gehraiyaan are all first world types - often pointing to a life lesson to keep relationships clean and be grateful, but director Shakun Batra has chosen depravity, moral decadence, and uncontrolled passion to erect the backbone of the film, throwing the protagonists' characters into an abyss of an unabashed, self centric catharsis.

Watch Gehraiyaan you must, because it is a very unique story content with a heavy second half filled with unexpected twists and turns that make you take sides often. But it leaves a deep sense of disturbance that's likely to trouble you for a couple of days as you'd still want to ask why people cannot hold on to relationships and show some patience, but that's besides the point. Deepika is amazingly emotive in her complex role of Alisha, and Siddhant Chaturvedi slams home the point of an entrepreneur who will stop at nothing. Ananya Pandey and Dhairya Karwa are passable, and Naseeruddin Shah is sadly wasted. The music of the movie is something that I cannot remember much of as the songs didn't create a recall value, but I must laud the fluid cinematography by Kaushal Shah that takes beauty to a different level.

Rocket Boys is undoubtedly a series that sets standards for others to emulate. Rich in content, research, pace of storytelling, and production values, there isn't one dull moment in its execution in what could have easily turned into a documentary. On the contrary, Rocket Boys is high on drama, exceptional histrionics, charged with emotions and has dizzying suspense. It charts the journey and lives of India's architects for scientific progress, Dr. Homi J Bhabha and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai considered the pioneers for atomic and space research, respectively.

The two were like chalk and cheese in their characters and personal attributes. Homi (Jim Sarbh) was flamboyant, aggressive, narcissistic, charismatic, soloist, and extravagant. Sarabhai (Ishwak Singh) was perhaps just the reverse - soft-spoken, caring towards people, devoted to family values, entrepreneurial, harmonious as a team player, and yet a brooder. But together, they were great friends at the IIS, Bangalore, and certainly the architects of India's fledgling modern scientific research. Both were highly regarded in their respective fields and even had direct access to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Homi also knew JRD Tata well enough to extract support from his resources. Rocket Boys is a gripping narrative about the rise and rise of their scientific research, the ignition of Apsara, India's first nuclear reactor and the launch of her first indigenous rocket to space, in the backdrop of the 1962 Indo-China war, and beyond.

Directed by Abhay Pannu and created by Nikhil Advani, the series stars Rajit Kapoor, Regina Cassandra, Saba Azad, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Namit Das, Rajiv Kachroo, Neha Chauhan, Arjun Radhakrisdhnan and K C Shankar in key roles. But Jim Sarbh is in top form and Ishwak Singh is delightful. Rocket Boys is not a series that you can afford to miss.

Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) doesn't have anything to boast of, no reputation, wealth, or expertise. But he has an ambition to make it big in life, by any means, and will latch on to the slightest opportunity available to turn it into his fortune. Coming from a less than modest background, he enters a Circus company where he acquires the "skill" of being able to convince people that he can read minds, gauge personalities, look into the future and even become a medium to connect with the dead. In doing so, he commits a crime, that too, without any remorse. But he finds an ally in Molly (Rooney Mara), a colleague from the circus with whom he develops a romantic relationship, and the couple aspires to build their own fortune in the big city now. Years pass by with Stan and Molly making a comfortable living with the "art" of deception, until one evening a mysterious woman, Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) challenges his act.

Instead of being unnerved by the sudden challenge, Stan is able to pull off yet another con act and eventually raises the stakes in his game in partnership with Lilith, who is actually a psychotherapist with high profile clients. Stan starts to use Lilith's confidential resources and reaches out to the high and mighty, making tons of money in the process. He trusts Lilith and even starts a passionate affair with her. Molly observes the changes in Stan and warns him about his newfound high stakes, but he has commenced a journey on a one-way street from where there's no turning back. Suddenly, Stan's greed for more spirals out of control, and he is caught in web of deceit that he couldn't have gauged for himself.

Director Guillermo del Torro's remake of the 1948 classic about greed, lust, crime and punishment is a startling essay about desires, ambition and uncontrolled passion. Bradley Cooper is stunningly emotive in presenting the dark side of the human mind, whilst Rooney Mara represents the softer aspects and a balanced personality with poise. Cate Blanchett indeed has a diabolical role and ushers in intrigue and unbridled passion in a persona that has many layers to it. "Nightmare Alley" leaves you pensive and introspective about the darkness of the mind, but is a bit too long for the story it has to tell. It could have been 20 minutes shorter to have become sharper, focused and more incisive, for its running time of 150 minutes allows an extent of monotony with the progress at times.

Manu (Ayushman Khurana) meets Maanvi (Vaani Kapoor) at his gym, where the latter joins as a Zumba instructor. Initially reluctant about allowing the gym to be used for the purpose of dance, Manu agrees to allow the diversification as Maanvi makes the gym popular and rakes in money. Then, sparks fly, and he falls in love with her. Maanvi is hesitant to commit as she is still nursing the pain and rejection from her last relationship that left her with a scar - and she is much aware that even this one will go the same way, as she is a transgender. Maanvi was born a male child, but all along felt like a girl; she has endured it all, fighting her family and the society and has gone the whole nine yards to go through the sex change. The inevitable does happen, and as soon as Maanvi gets an opportunity to tell Manu about her truth, the wonderful romance comes to a crashing halt. Manu is unable to come to terms with this startling revelation and accuses Maanvi of deception for sexual gratification. Horrified, Maanvi sees her experience repeating itself as the stigma around her choice refuses to pardon her.

"Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui" is live wire, vivid and graphic in all departments whether it's the no holds barred love or the violent emotional outbursts when the truth emerges. The social reaction is perverse and uncouth, but then given the fact that the subject of transgender is so nouveau in India that perhaps what director Abhishek Kapoor has portrayed is natural. He has also probably assumed an easy way out of the deadlock with an ending that pleases everyone, but through the acceptance he has passed a strong message about the subject and the society's way forward to allow individuals to exercise their choices. This is what films were originally meant to do: spread awareness and ignite social transformation for the better, and "Chandigarh....." ticks all the boxes in this regard. Vaani Kapoor is svelte and fashionable, and she gives an edgy performance swinging between happiness and despair. Her dialogues are well crafted, sharp, and incisive. Ayushman Khurana relives his role in "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" with complete elan - his reaction to the truth is abhorrent but very naturally executed. The music and cinematography are par excellence. If you're wondering why, even after all this, I am rating it the way I have, then my submission is that the film makes for a commercial, easy and populist ending and not a credible one. However, it does pave the way for broaching a subject considered taboo and may be considered path breaking, flagging off a much needed change.

Subhash Ghai returns on screen after over 5 years through Mukta Searchlight's production of "36 Farmhouse", now streaming on Zee5. This venture of his first OTT release is directed by Ram Ramesh Sharma for a story written by Ghai, once called the greatest showman, and dialogues written by Sharad Tripathi. The story relates to a dysfunctional family and an event at this idyllic bungalow called 36 Farmhouse, somewhere in the outskirts of Mumbai during the 2020 lockdown period.

36 Farmhouse features Madhuri Bhatia as the ailing owner of the property living there with her eldest son played by Vijay Raaz and a bunch of staff for the maintenance and upkeep of the farmhouse. There's also a housekeeper played by Ashwini Kalsekar. The backdrop is that the property will pass into the sole ownership of the eldest son, an insolvent and broken individual, depriving the other heirs to it upon the mother's death. The younger brothers appointed a lawyer to meet the mother and drive better sense into her, but his very suggestion to do so on a rainy night to the eldest son meets with indignation and violence. The lawyer is bludgeoned and hurled into a well within the premises and left for dead without a trace. Over the next 48 hours, there is a flurry of strangers into the farmhouse, one seeking employment as a chef and another as a fashion designer who turn into residents on a heap of lies. Here onwards, there's a plot to steal some jewellery, another to blossom romance and a third to make the matriarch change her mind on her will to bequeath the property, all at play simultaneously with the central theme of a murder investigation.

Consequently, 36 Farmhouse is dealing with many genres at a time - comedy, murder mystery, romance, social issues and the fallout of lockdown on the migrant workers, spreading itself wafer thin in every segment. None of the issues creates any impression as it remains explored just on the surface, lacking depth. The comedy isn't credible, the murder mystery results in an uninteresting and convoluted plot, the romance is flat, the theft of jewellery is extraneous to the whole story, and the plight of the migrant workers is just a backdrop. As such, the 109 minute film doesn't succeed in achieving anything really - Subhash Ghai seems to have lost his midas touch and we are likely to forget this venture as just another average film that we stumbled across.

Based on Nora Roberts' bestselling novel by the name "Brazen Virtue" that hit the shelves in May 1988, the Netflix film "Brazen" deals with the dark side of desire and is a story about serial killing. Grace Miller (Alyssa Milano) is a popular author of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries, enjoying the publicity of her latest novel when she is summoned by her younger sister Kathleen. Visiting their family home where Kathleen lives, Grace discovers that her sister is going through a messy divorce and barely makes enough to survive as a school teacher. She barely has had enough time to understand the mental condition of Kathleen, when a shocking tragedy strikes her - Grace returns home after a date with Kathleen's neighbour DC Ed Jennings (Sam Page) to find Kathleen brutally murdered. More surprise awaits her as she discovers soon that Kathleen was leading a double life, as she worked for an online pornography site.

She won't suffer silently and watch the police chug along cluelessly to find her sister's assasin and virtually bulldozes her way into the police department, seeking to help Ed track down the potential suspects. And yet, there's another murder, almost similar in attributes. Both the victims worked for the same online site and acted as dominatrix. Both the deadbodies were left in a particular pose. Ed isn't pleased with Grace's intrusive ploy in spite of their romantic liaison as he finds it difficult to draw the line between his professional and personal life.

"Brazen" is an ordinary murder mystery by the current standards where there's no dearth of such thrillers either in the print media or as motion pictures. Perhaps its adaptation of a vintage bestseller is far too delayed to make an impression now. We need to appreciate that the novel first surfaced almost three and a half decades back when the concept could have created shock waves and evoked die-hard excitement but is considered passe today. The film is like a hundred such stories we have seen or read in the past twenty years with the suspense rather flat and the climax rather underwhelming.

Raja Mrityunjay (Naseeruddin Shah) is an aged royal who has lost touch with his subjects, his four daughters have deserted him and his estate owes the exchequer Rs. 32 crores in taxes that he hasn't paid over the years. He is virtually a pauper except for the mansion he lives in, and is absolutely adamant that he won't turn it into a hotel for the sake of revenues. The king, along with his manager Mishraji (Raghuvir Yadav), hatches an outlandish plan to fake the former's terminal illness and invites his daughter's back to the estate to compete among themselves so that a suitable successor to the throne can be found. The four daughters, Devyani (Lara Dutta), Gayatri (Soha Ali Khan), Kamini (Kritika Kamra) and Uma (Anya Singh), each having a compelling reason to return to the dysfunctional family home, agree to givecitva shot at inheriting a Rs. 200 crore property that can ease their own financial woes.

The premise is lame enough to evoke any excitement, but the lure of the talented starcast keeps one hoping that the story will create some magic. On quite the contrary, Kaun Banegi Shikharwati goes from here until the very end as a banal, slapstick comedy that fails to amuse. The princesses have to indulge in a competition called Navrasa, translating into 9 different rounds of skill exhibition that turns the series into an unexciting, repetitive and ridiculous storytelling. The idea behind all this is for the king to reunite his children through mutual love and affection, but he has absolutely no idea how they will change the fortunes of the beleaguered estate. Add to all this confusion is an undercover tax officer impersonating the prince of neighbouring Mewad and living in the mansion with the hope of discovering undeclared wealth of the royal family.

It's a bizarre story and concept. Soon after the family reunion we realise that the original objective of the Raja is not likely to be fulfilled through his daughters and therefore, the narrative goes off into a hundred different directions resulting in shallow character sketches and lack of sympathy for either situation or any of the protagonists. The multitude of talent is largely wasted, although Lara Dutta and Kritika Kamra do light upna few sequences, the former with gravitas and the latter with her clueless nature. Naseeruddin Shah is grossly over the top and appears haggard. The only sensible execution comes from Raghuvir Yadav as the King's confidante and assistant, but then you wonder why has he been serving the estate so loyally when there's nothing left in it.