pradeepism's Reviews

Jagat (2024)

3/10

Felt more suitable to be a TV episode of Crime Patrol

18 May 2024

Warning: Spoilers

First of all, I appreciate the Gujarati film industry (or Dhollywood) to try something new.

But coming to this movie, this was my first Gujarati movie in a movie theatre despite living in Gujarat for well over 15 years now. Why I watched this movie or got to know there's this movie named "Jagat"? It's because I had gone to watch Madgaon Express one night and the trailer of this movie played. Somewhere it made me feel like, I should've given a try to watch this movie. That scene in the trailer where one of the repeat offenders suddenly says "saaro laage chhe" (he looks good, when he's done seeing the lost kid's photo)

I was probably a few minutes late to arrive, and by the time I arrived, Jagat Pandya (Yash Soni) was asking questions to the lost child's mother. Right from there till the end, before the culprit got revealed, the movie never actually felt like a movie, rather it felt more like a short film story which could've been rather paced more quickly had it been made as a short film and possibly winded up within 30-45 minutes. The movie never made me feel to regret for the lost 5-6 minutes of its beginnings. Rather it felt like every scene is just being dragged and forced just to fill the run-time. The background music is good for only here and there that too in very rare occasions, let's say during the titles when Yash Soni and the cops are patrolling throughout the Ahmedabad city.

At one point of time, it felt like just to fill the time, instead of trying to find the actual characteristics of the OG culprit, we were made to think that it could be the mother, her father and who's who, who must've been involved in the disappearance of the kid, Ayush Shukla. Just to give it a whodunit vibe. Some scenes could've been more crispier but were dragged for which reasons, only God knows why.

Yash Soni could've been utilized more well tbh. I remember watching Chhello Divas back in 2016 when it was still running hot and he did a great job in it (got to know that it was his debut movie). Chetan Daiya? This was the first time I had seen him acting, so he was good as the no-nonsense cop yet who evokes laughter. Yash Soni was more of the no-nonsense and obedient cop (obviously as he's the hero).

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Vinayakudu (2008)

8/10

Indeed, a big fat love story!

13 January 2024

Warning: Spoilers

I watched this movie probably back in 2008 or 2009 on Zee Telugu (TV channel).

What prompted me to review is seeing there are no user reviews for this movie

Vinayakudu tells the story of Kartik (Krishnudu) who comes to Hyderabad for his job and lives with his elder sister. In office, he comes across one of his colleagues, Kalpana and loses his heart to her although not instantly. But is it a typical love story where a boy meets a girl and they both fall in love? Nope. Kartik is a very obese guy while Kalpana is a thin slender girl (with curly hair and dusky complexion, not criticising her). Kartik apart from being an obese guy is also very innocent which also makes him appear straightforward while Kalpana is rational and professional.

The things between both don't start off well. Meanwhile, Kalpana is supposed to get engaged (and married) to Rajiv (a guy brought by her parents). What forms the rest of the story is, whether Kalpana knows about Kartik's feelings for her, Kalpana will get married to Rajiv and last but not the least how Kalpana realizes that Kartik is the better guy for her instead of Rajiv and how they both end up confessing their love to each other.

Coming to the movie, this movie came at the right time (in 2008), as a breath of fresh air featuring an obese guy in a lead role while also using Sonia Deepti's new-found popularity after her debut in Happy Days (2007). A pure multiplex movie for multiplex audience depicting youngsters lives in an urban setting. 2008 was still a year of routine movies which we as Telugu audience are accustomed to and apart from prominent movies like Pawan Kalyan's Jalsa and probably Allu Arjun's Parugu, there was not any newness in many movies. So, Vinayakudu truly came as a breath of fresh air.

These movie paved a huge success for Krishnudu and Sonia Deepti, who both were seen in Happy Days where Sonia's character had more footage than Krishnudu who had a comparatively smaller role in the movie.

This movie is still relevant to present days as it depicts the lives of young adults who are in their professional lives in urban cities like Hyderabad.

Do watch it if you ever get a chance to watch this movie. It's definitely not any all time classic or any masterpiece but allows the viewers to enter and witness the bittersweet journey of Kartik and Kalpana.

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Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story (2023)

8/10

Good sequel to the much-acclaimed Scam 1992.

20 November 2023

Warning: Spoilers

Though the series appears more slower compared to the higher paced "Scam 1992", the makers have made us get accustomed to a kind of a racy thriller.

And Scam 2003 does justice to the 1992 scam despite its slower pace. The 2003 Scam is a relatively lesser known topic among the mainstream audience and unlike the Harshad Mehta story which had a heavy jargon with terms like BR, to name a few, Scam 2003 constantly had the term "stamp paper". Except that nothing else to make a person know about the ins and outs of the scam except for the fact that Abdul Karim Telgi, is a master manipulator who can get his way whoever it is whether it's the police, a politicians or even a government employee.

Like Harshad Mehta, Telgi is also a common man but he wants to make money and not earn money (this is what leads him to probably the biggest scam in Indian history). The only thing which sets me apart is the part the man who befriended Telgi and promised to offer him help whenever he lands in Mumbai, happens to become his father-in-law in future. Though Telgi's wife was naive due to her seeing Telgi when he was in the ground, why was the father-in-law not able to help and give sense to Telgi somewhere despite knowing about his misdeeds. I'm not pointing that the father-in-law was involved with him but the man who gave you life, can't he bring you back to the ground with some pep talk?

It's around the 9th or 10th episode when Telgi finally decides to resolve himself after he has a talk with his wife for the last time in the series and hands himself over to the police thereby becoming the sole individual responsible for the whole scam before his untimely death in 2017.

Overall, Scam 2003, despite being a well-made series, backed by a strong performance by Gagan Dev Riar as Abdul Karim Telgi, somewhere feels a little weak but yeah that can be ignored and the series is enjoyable though not as much as Scam 1992. So it's better not to compare it with Scam 1992 and enjoy it the way it is true to its story.

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Ghar Waapsi (2022– )

9/10

Good heart-felt series

20 November 2023

Warning: Spoilers

I'll always be thankful to TVF for coming up with such realistic and relatable content.

Ghar Waapsi is a story about an MBA grad, who works as a Product Manager in a start-up. In one scene, we're shown that he's a XLRI Jamshedpur (one of the genuinely top B schools of India) degree holder and one fateful day, he's laid off from his Bengaluru based job and comes back to his hometown, Indore. Once back to home, the series shows us his family, his distress over unable to bag a job, his tribulations while finding new jobs for his desired role, reconnecting with him his childhood love, helping his father's business to become a local leader in Indore region with a personalization stategy, and bagging a job.

What could've been a depressing story about a guy who lost his job, comes back to home and is unable to find a suitable job, the way Ghar Waapsi is made, it gives hope that there's always a better tomorrow. It's a true feel-good story. I don't know how much justice I made through my review, but I definitely rank "Ghar Waapsi" as one of the best series I've watched in recent times. Thank you team TVF! Definitely looking forward for S02. Maybe we could have a preque of sorts talking about Shekhar's (the lead character) MBA aspirant and student journey till the time he had a job at Bengaluru.

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Dahan: Raakan Ka Rahasya (2022– )

2/10

Too many sub-plots makes it less focused for the viewers in my opinion.

20 November 2023

Warning: Spoilers

Dahan despite its unique premise somewhere feels haywire due to a lot of parallel stories running side by side.

Main character, Avni Raut (Tisca Chopra) has her own demons to face - her dead husband who committed suicide and a son who's almost against her most of the times whereas her son as his own demons and so do many of the other characters. One thing which is common to all the characters is the curse at Shilaspura due to a historical incident but that too doesn't connect well (at least to me as a viewer). I watched the series 3 times, thanks to its re-release in 2023 as "Bhay" where the episodes have been chopped down to around 25-30 mins. Which made me keep giving the series a shot.

Somewhere it feels the series lacks the focus despite having so much on its plate to offer. So many stories side by side like Anay (Avni's son) has answers to find - wanting to know his father's death, comes across a gang of teenagers of the town and befriends them.

It felt senseless watching the series all the 3 times and seeing few characters getting affected with the demon's curse or what I don't know. But seeing them with those spots on their body made me feel nauseatic. Those spots look so pathetic and heavy focus on those spots whenever there's someone possessed by the demon. I don't have trypophobia (thanks to this series, I got to learn a new word) but seeing those spots constantly was pathetic. I don't know what kind of USP it is for the series.

The heavily talented Tisca couldn't save the show due to a weak writing of her character. The only character who looks promising is the guy who played the role of Sachet. Despite being a good star cast with actors like Mukesh Tiwari, Rajesh Tailang and Saurabh Shukla, the series felt a huge let down for me and changed my opinion about Disney+ Hotstar. The best Indian original series they've got to offer is Aarya, Special Ops, The Night Manager and Criminal Justice. But Dahan? Not in my opinion.

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JFK: One Day in America (2023)

7/10

For the first time ever, I'm not giving the ratings by my heart but rather herd mentality.

18 November 2023

Warning: Spoilers

So I've stated my reasoning for the rating this docu-series.

Being someone from India and who's more into history, I was intrigued to catch up with this series on Disney+ Hotstar. Like a layman history aficionado, I watched this series with the pre-requisite knowledge that JFK was assassinated in 1963 and all (not remembering the guy who killed him who himself got killed in the next few days).

It does give a good look into JFK's life. It was heart-warming to see the then toddler JFK Jr.'s moments at the White House. It was great to get a view about the life of JFK but also shocking to see people from the 60s who were either in their 20s or 30s still alive and being ablle to give their opinions about the fateful day as well as the days after that event.

Since, this is the first time that I watched about JFK, it felt decent enough but not very engaging. Maybe nowadays, I'm not that much of hooked to constantly watching the screen in front of me, so I didn't engage much but kept my ears open to gather information and learning as well as the narrative. For a first timer who's into JFK tragedy, it's a decent watch. But for someone and especially Americans, it would be the nth time that they're coming across stuff about JFK and 22.11.1963.

I think the media as well as content creators should move on from this topic and come up with something on every 10th anniversary of JFK's death because it has the same story for over 60 years now. Sometimes, it felt that highlighting the Democrats vs Republican stuff.

The only line that I'll remember from this entire series is "America lost its innocence that day". Yeah from a first timer's perspective (about JFK), JFK was a man ahead of his time and couldve taken the US to a different imagery. But didn't happen, so let it be as it is. It's sad to pull back those aging people from that decade to narrate the proceedings from that day. It's been 60 years, the story hasn't changed or there haven't been any new revelations. The guilt, the sorrow, the pain, it will be there to all those who were affected on that day and by the events.

But the upcoming generations won't feel that way so it's better to avoid revisiting this story. I've immense respect not for JFK be it for his leadership skills and the way he carried himself and let the souls who are still alive, let them live in peace for their remaining days.

Seriously, I won't say that the docu-series is that bad but for the first time in my life, I didn't know what rating should I give for a mini-documentary. It just felt like seeing a series based on a real event and making it appear like a documentary.

RIP JFK and power to all those people who have had been affected.

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Arjun (2004)

6/10

A mass show despite the bar set higher by Okkadu

14 August 2023

Warning: Spoilers

I don't exactly remember if Okkadu (Mahesh Babu's previous movie and one of the evergreen blockbusters) had set any bar for his next releases. I don't even remember when did Nijam come out or Naani came out (like was it before Okkadu or released after Okkadu, though Naani was released sometime in 2004).

So between Okkadu and Athadu (the next blockbuster of Mahesh Babu) came Arjun. With a story quite unique for the early 2000s yet equally jam-packed with high octane action (as was the norm in 2000s mass movies of Tollywood), this movie was in the average or above average category and I happened to watch this movie during early 2010s during my pre-teens or early teens on TV. (Sorry for giving out such a confusing answer so far)

So, coming to the movie, it was a good one telling the story of two twins - the lead actor and his sister, where the sister, Meenakshi, falls in love with their college mate not knowing the evil side of her lover's parents who are prone to eliminate anyone who comes across their plans (in their intro scene they had killed a cop). So, in one such situation, Meenakshi became an obstacle. Obviously. Why? Because her lover's parents wanted their son to get married to someone else. Who is Arjun? What is Arjun's motive? Was Meenakshi really an obstacle to Uday, her lover's parents plan forms? Will Arjun be able to protect his sister forms the rest of the story.

Rating- 6.5/10 ~ 7/10.

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Gadar 2 (2023)

7/10

A sureshot comeback for Sunny Deol (as well as Utkarsh Sharma)

13 August 2023

Warning: Spoilers

I'm glad that I happened to watch Gadar: Ek Prem Katha just before watching Gadar 2.

That's what helped me to find sense in the narratives which was added in Gadar 2 as well as this made sense to continue watching the movie.

This movie was entirely lifted by Sunny Deol and he was supported by Utkarsh Sharma who at times gave me Vijay Deverakonda vibes (only in terms of looks, it could be just me who thought this comparison). While it should've been an entirely Sunny Deol show but also it appeared to be a launchpad for Utkarsh Sharma as he got a meaty role and did justice to his best capabilities.

First half was good. Second half though had all the masala but at times it appeared to be very funny with scenes like the "iconic" hand pump scene where all those goons who were chasing Sunny start running away as soon as they see Sunny charging towards the hand pump. It felt very meme-worthy. So, did the scene towards the climax where Hamid Iqbal (the main antagonist) keeps chasing to kill the father-son duo and ends up reaching the Indian border where that Indian border is displayed (zoomed) as if in a meme manner. What should have been iconic in this movie appeared very funny. Those 2 scenes had me in splits.

Though they did a good work with the late great Amrish Puri's CGI as this was an integral scene for the movie's proceedings. Similarly, a good job was done in recreating the hit songs from the original.

Ultimately, this was a much needed comeback for all the lead stars be it Sunny Deol, Utkarsh Sharma or Amisha Patel who have had been facing a lean patch from time immemorial. Amisha Patel felt like the only weak link.

Ps- this was the very first time that I saw a Sunny Deol movie in a theatre as well as the former beauty Amisha Patel. It's all due to the power of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. Also, this was an above average sequel to a super successful first part. It's bearable for watching at least once.

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Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022)

6/10

A must watch for the amazing performances by Sanjai Mishra, Tanu Kartik Aaryan & Kiara Advani

3 June 2022

The plot of the movie is way different than that of the prequel. Tbh before watching this movie, I didn't even have the idea whether it's a remake of the 2007 one or it's a sequel (I had to Google it before writing this review).

The only saving grace are Kartik Aaryan's sincere performance. There's something in him where he appears to be a totally causal yet he reminds of the comedy Akshay Kumar of early 2000s whenever he utters his dialogues.

Kiara has been more of an eye candy than being someone with performance oriented role and she did her job best. She was stunning everytime she appeared on the screen and it was difficult to take my eyes off her (no creepy but honestly she was very beautiful in this movie).

Tabu - the versatile one - is the surprise package of this entire movie. Someone who felt who had more of a small role in it, happens to have a larger piece of cake than she actually does.

Sanjai Mishra made me laugh everytime he uttered a dialogue. He was too good. Glad to see him on the big screen after a long time (I don't happen to watch Bollywood movies as regularly in theatres as I used to do pre-pandemic so it really felt good to see him).

It was great to see Rajpal Yadav as well. Even he made me laugh.

Rajesh Mishra was good whenever he appeared but he didn't really have a huge role but it was nice. Milind Gunaji made his presence felt but he also didn't really have any role.

The best part I felt was about the jumpscares which felt too apt and actually scary whenever there was one.

The story though it began well, I didn't find the main premise that interesting though it was better than I expected. It felt a bit hurried to me as the movie didn't really have any story till the interval so the entire first half was all about settling with the movie and watching the fun part.

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Aa Naluguru (2004)

8/10

Probably the best movie of TFI in 2004

16 May 2022

Warning: Spoilers

This movie at the time of its release had made a lot of roars and became very well-known thanks to the word of mouth. (I was a 7 year old kid so I didn't happen to watch this movie and even if I did later on it was in bits until and unless, I watched this movie on TV last week).

The premise of the movie is such that it will make anyone cry and would bring tears to even the most cold-hearted person.

A good Samaritan named Raghuram Ramaiah is happily married to his wife and has three young adult kids and they live a great (middle-class) life. Maybe this is what any middle-aged parent or a parent of adults would want their life to be at the older stages of their life but the conflict of this movie is the ideology which Raghu Ramaiah follows. Raghu Ramaiah becomes a man of the society but unfortunately, not his family. His family despises his ideology as it becomes a hurdle for them to achieve in their life. (I somewhere relate Raghu Ramaiah's ideology to that of Mahatma Gandhi where he was almost always there to stand for the society but despite the status and command he has in the society, he barely uses it for his advantage and this is how it affected the harmony in his life). Raghu Ramaiah helps anyone in the society in any form but he doesn't replicate the same to his family when his kids ask him money to get into the next step of their respective life decisions. On a fateful night, Raghu Ramaiah dies. Do his kids receive the support which they were longing for quite sometime. How good was Raghu Ramaiah, forms the rest of the story?

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Ela Cheppanu (2003)

7/10

A good one!

16 May 2022

Warning: Spoilers

Sincere apologies for such a title of the review. I don't know what to write there but I'm here to appreciate the movie.

This movie is a remake of a Bollywood movie, Tum Bin (though I didn't watch this one).

Coming to Ela Cheppanu, it's a story of repentance for one of the lead characters and how two people realise the feelings they harbour for each other and unite.

This movie is a totally performance oriented one for both Tarun and Shriya both of whom were relatively new in the film industry though Tarun was a child actor and made his mark in TFI with his debut movie as an adult, Nuvve Kavali but I don't think either Tarun and Shriya had such a heavy duty on their shoulders to carry the entire movie before Ela Cheppanu.

Well, I don't know how is Tum Bin as I didn't watch it but I assume and slightly sure that Tum Bin's premise was on a fully serious mode whereas Ela Cheppanu comes of as slightly light-hearted as the premise is too painful where due to an accident, a person dies, a woman loses her lover, a family loses its son, its sole bread winner and a man who repents for the mistake he committed. How the man who brought this fate redeems himself and supports the family is what forms the major part of the story. The reason why I'm saying the movie is on a lighter note is due to the inclusion of commerical element, i.e., in the form of Sunil (as Tarun's character's friend) and Brahmanandam and Kovai Saral as two middle-aged people longing for love. These three characters form the source of comedic relief whenever the movie appears to go on a full-on serious note. I think this balance is what made the movie more watchable instead of making it a full-on drama where we would always be sad while watching the movie. Probably, the weakest link of this entire movie is the third guy, Abhi who becomes enamored by the character of Shriya. Even though his character had a lot of potential, but somewhere that uneasiness was visible in his overall body language and a lack of marketable face which may have stunted his growth in TFI in the coming years. Maybe another actor would've done justice to the role played by Abhi. Nonetheless, it was a decent performance by him.

Songs are composed well even the background score is quite good (I appreciate the one whenever it plays when Tarun is working in the office or dealing the clients with Shriya).

The movie is a good one-time watch and I recommend it to watch for its premise and the performance by then newbies Tarun & especially Shriya who later on went to become one of the well-known actresses in TFI.

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Pelli (1997)

7/10

Amazing movie! MUST WATCH

6 May 2022

Warning: Spoilers

I happened to watch this movie on YouTube today. I was aware that this movie was a huge hit in the 90s and has memorable songs as well which is why it happens to remain in the minds of people even after 20+ years after its release.

Coming to the movie. Naveen (Vadde Naveen) happens to be working as manager in a bank and comes across a young lady Maheshwari (Maheswari) and instantly falls in love with her. In a pursuit of searching her and finding her identity, the only clue he has is a red scooty and after quite a few funny scenes, he ends up finding where his dream girl stays and starts living in the same colony where Maheshwari stays. After somehow managing to get into the good books of colony people, the colony men try to help Naveen to win his lady love's heart but to no avail. Due to the suggestions given by the colony men, Naveen loses the goodwill he has had so far in front of Maheshwari. Whether Maheshwari realises Naveen's sincere feelings for her and whether Naveen is able to marry her, forms the rest of the story.

Each and every actor performed their given role very well. Be it the lead roles or the side roles especially the colony men had a comic role. Vadde Naveen being two films old at the time of this movie also performed very well. Maheshwari was also good in this movie. But the surprise package of this movie is Babloo Prithiveeraj who did a great job and shakes the movie's proceedings towards the middle of 2nd half.

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Kotha Bangaru Lokam (2008)

8/10

One of the best teenage romances ever!

18 April 2022

I watched this movie way back in 2008 but after seeing on IMDb that this movie has only one user review is what prompted me to write this review.

The movie created a lot of buzz at the time of its release because Varun Sandesh became a huge name after making his debut in Happy Days (2007) and was one of the most promising stars from that movie. It's sad to see that his career didn't take flight despite having a great 2nd movie in his hand, which is Kotha Bangaru Lokam.

Coming to this movie, the music still sounds fresh and the movie is enjoyable as well whenever it airs on TV. I don't skip watching this movie whenever it airs due to the amazing performances by all the actors in the movie. Be it Brahmanandam, the top billed comedy actor to the English lecturer with Telugu accent, these scenes are still funny. Great performance by the leads Varun Sandesh and Shweta Basu as well. A very well-knit story about love where it's common for teenage romances having young guys ogling at girls with skimpy clothes and all the things in the vicinity which we watched in Student of the Year.

The realistic setting of the story and sensible points of conflicts is what makes this movie worth a watch.

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Apharan (2018– )

8/10

Season 1 was far far better! S01 - 8/10, S02 - 4/10

11 April 2022

Warning: Spoilers

Obviously we all get excited whenever there's a part 2 and the part 1 becomes the base to create a franchise. Though we are aware that subsequent parts often underperform and do not live up to the legacy created by the original part, I had higher expectations from Apharan.

Unfortunately, Apharan season 2 takes the routine part of a sequel / part 2 not living upto the bar set by season 1.

For a while, it felt good to see Ghillauri - the lady character who had hardly 2-3 dialogues on 1st season, she had a larger role in season 2. Though it felt she was over used, her role was good and didn't become redundant and annoying at the same time. It's kinda hard to digest seeing her character die (as she was the only relief factor in this season to evoke laughs).

Saanand Verma aka Dubeyji was good in season 1 but here his role felt really useless. May have been brought for nostalgia factor just like Ghillauri but Dubeyji was quite boring this time.

Overall premise of season 2 had a lot of promise but unfortunately the same couldn't be replicated and the moment Jerong dies by revealing what's the actual mission, it should've been the moment where the series could've picked up its tempo but it goes for a toss. This was a major turn off for me but I finished watching the series due to the loyalty that Apharan was able to gain from me through their amazing first season.

S02 could've been better but felt like the episodes were being dragged for the sake of it.

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ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi (2019)

5/10

The only highlight of this movie is the song "Mellaga"

3 April 2022

Warning: Spoilers

Sorry for revealing the #spoiler in the title itself.

Tbh the movie could've been better but somewhere it feels that none of the actors chosen to play the roles were not utilised to their potential.

Rukhsar Dhillon being a relatively new face could be excused and she seems to be promising.

Allu Shirish despite being a few films old by this time, he still looks stiff onscreen and needs to feel comfortable.

Ravi Chembolu who showed his potential in the film "Fidaa" looks no less than as an extension of the small role he played in Yevadu where he was an aspiring poltician. Another wasted talent.

This movie's story had a lot of potential to be funny on par with Nani's Pilla Zamindar but the comedy element is hardly there despite the script being as such.

The only song which stands out and why this movie will be remembered is: "Mellaga Mellaga"

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7/G Rainbow Colony (2004)

10/10

I've never praised a movie as much I've praised this!

12 January 2022

No matter how many love stories came before this movie as well as after this movie, hardly any let alone few stayed on my mind as much as this one.

I watched this movie's Telugu version for the first time around 2012 or 2013 on TV and happened to watch again last night while flipping TV channels. And because of the impact as well as the respect I have for this movie, I kept watching it.

Watching TV is a rarity in today's life when everything has shifted (and shifting more towards) to the OTT platforms.

Do I need to tell the story? I don't think so. All I can do is to praise the flawless crafting of this movie right from acting, direction as well as the music composition.

Very rare it is, when a movie in its entirety touches your heart and this movie is one of them.

Every actor has been perfectly casted. Right from the then debutant Ravi Krishna to even the smallest character who had some contribution in the movie.

When I watched this movie back in 2012-13 (I was 15-16 back then), I admired Ravi Krishna's work in this movie that I thought that he must've become a huge star by now in Kollywood. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case and he's almost lost in the oblivion and that's not something which you can expect to end up when they made an actually impactful debut. We see many debutants with certain flaws and with coming films, they sharpen their craft. But this guy was a complete package. Enough praising him.

Kathir's character is sketched in such a way that the worst of the worst traits in a growing young adult are visible through Ravi Krishna's portrayal of that role. It makes you hate him yet you may relate with him because at least something bad he did has had been in us.

The movie is so haunting, that it remains unforgettable even after years later (at least, in my case).

A story of redemption and the power of pristine love (though externally we can imagine that Kathir's love is not love but pure lust, but that isn't the case. Realest form of love is more flawed externally than anything else but internally only the one who loves knows it). Irrespective of gender, if there's one person who believes you, supports you at your worst, it's for sure your life can turn around and you'll be on the best path you've ever been before.

After watching this movie, I've had mended my ways to love whichever girl who came across me. I loved them with all with my heart but could never end up in a relationship with any of them.

The songs are still fresh and sounds as if you're hearing them for the first time and the background music scored and used during the first half is so joyful that one of them is my ringtone to this day (the one when Kathir starts admiring Anita). Great work by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

And a great great direction by Selvaraghavan.

Thank you Team 7/G Rainbow / Brindavan Colony for giving us this masterpiece of work.

I'm genuinely sorry if I over praise anyone in this review but whatever I've written it's with all due respect to everyone who contributed to make this movie what it became.

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Four More Shots Please (2019–2022)

5/10

Seems like an extension of Veere Di Wedding

12 December 2021

I wasn't aware of this series until a friend suggested me. 2018 was a time when female-centric / female-oriented or all female lead movies as well as series were coming up. I strongly support this change but to me it seems as a disrespect to what the intention is behind making content with female in the lead.

I know I'm digressing but I'll soon connect it with this series. 2018 was a time when 2 movies were very prominent regarding the movies being all about females only (I'll exclude Lust Stories as I still haven't watched it and will keep Raazi way away from these stuffs) and they are Veere Di Wedding and Lipstick Under My Burkha. While VDW boasted a star cast, LUMB didn't yet it had better content compared to VDW and dealt in a better way regarding the life of women.

Coming to the point, Four More Shots Please! Seems more of an extension of VDW instead of being an original.

Yeah agreed 4 women with their messy lives and being as real about it but then again their characters in the series don't boast of anything great to make them household names let alone making much sense. Instead of being realistic they are always shown to be messy, loud and fighting for them being right when in actuality they aren't that right.

While their male counterparts had movies like Dil Chahta Hai, Pyaar Ka Punchnama to showcase about the lives of men in their early adulthood and their relationships, they didn't step that far when compared to FMSP or VDW.

No matter the flaws which this series, I appreciate it for showing some of the turmoil which modern or working class women go through rather than covering about what turmoil all women go through.

Note: I watched this series as I had a lot of time on hands, but then again I strongly suggest and feel that I could've done something better instead of watching this.

To be honest, Season 1 was way more tolerable than its next season.

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Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)

8/10

Ranbir's and probably Bollywood's most underrated movie

10 December 2021

Warning: Spoilers

The movie came around end of 2009 and Ranbir had well-established himself with Bachna Ae Haseeno (his 2nd movie which was released in 2008), Wake Up Sid! (sorry for the order of Ranbir's 2009 films, I didn't go to Wikipedia and check his filmography) and Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. These 3 movies' results catapulted him as one of the leading stars (I prefer to say actors now instead of stars).

This movie's promotion was always thru the song "Pocket Mein Rocket". I was a 12-year-old kid when this movie was released in 2009 and the song has had been on my mind ever since. This is how I still remember the existence of this movie. Had this movie been marketed well enough, it would have fared much much better than it actually did. Somewhere, I feel in terms of marketing, people didn't value this movie back then.

The movie though it's quite dragging and a bit slow-paced but has several fun moments and takes us on a ride in the life of a salesman who unlike other salesman isn't that annoying. These moments make the movie more worthwhile than any of the flaws it has in terms of pace.

I'm really glad that there wasn't any insertion of songs in the movie and only 2 songs of the 3 from the album where used in the situation - one in the beginning of the movie and the next one is used where the lead character and his gang somehow succeed with their company. I thought the song "Pocket Mein Rocket" would be used in the titles or somewhere in the middle of the movie as I thought more number of people in his workplace would join his company secretly. But seems the song was used only for promotional purposes.

The movie is a must watch for every aspiring businessman / entrepreneur, someone who's about to become a salesman in their job role and the customer who may wonder why a salesman is so aggressive in selling a particular product.

This movie is indeed way ahead of its time and came at a very wrong time. Had it been released today, it could've done much much well in the BO.

Strong suggestion: Do listen to the song "pankho ko" even if you don't plan to watch the movie.

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Dil Dosti Etc (2007)

4/10

Could've been better. Thanks to that "Dum Laga" song, this movie's still on my mind.

12 February 2021

Warning: Spoilers

Watched this movie in 2021 (almost 2 hours ago). Back in 2007, this movie generated some buzz thanks to the song I mentioned in review title. I couldn't watch the movie back then but the movie's name remained on my mind bcoz of the song only. The song and probably the best moments of the movie got over within first 15 minutes of the movie. Maybe it's quite outdated in today's time so I felt it boring but the at the same time it was somewhat progressive. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't have a proper story tbh. Imaad plays the role of a sex-hungry college going guy who doesn't believe in love while Shreyas Talpade (probably the only one who did a better performance in the movie), a senior college student from Bihar and is contesting the college / university elections. Ishita Sharma looked quite cute as a school-going girl, Smriti Mishra and Nikita Anand were fine in their roles. I wonder what these 3 ladies could be doing these days.

Had this movie's story been better, it could've achieved a cult status. It's just the song which may have made the movie stay in at least a few people's minds.

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Hostages (2019– )

6/10

Season 1 was much better than Season 2.

22 January 2021

Warning: Spoilers

Agreed that the entire series in not great by any means, but season 1 was far better than 2. No matter how many flaws S01 had of its own, it kept me hooked to the screen bcoz eventually Mira was the only hostage who was allowed to leave the house bcoz she's a doctor and she's been chosen by Prithvi for the job. Season 1 could've actually ended by killing the CM in the last episode thereby wrapping up the entire series. But nope they came up with S02. The people who were supposed to leave for Nepal, take shelter in an old dilapidated house and the hostage scenario for the entire season is set up. It felt dragging at several times, though actors like Ronit Roy, Kanwaljit Singh, Divya Dutta and (to some extent) Sachin Khurana, did their best, the plot didn't support their efforts at all. Characters of Shibani Dandekar & Dino Morea felt really useless (though it was good to see Dino back on screen) as the reasoning of their union as well as whatever those GI & LC was, it felt really stupid. A good actress like Shilpa Shukla was also wasted (she appeared in 2-3 episodes only I guess). S02 had more flaws than S01 and it's only the acting of Ronit Roy which makes the S02 watchable. I hope they do not come back with a S03 even if they're thinking or if a S03 exists of the original Israeli series, this series should end with the death of Ronit Roy's character.

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Naked Nanga Nagnam (2020)

1/10

Can't give a ZERO rating on the scale so I'm typing its rating 0/10

18 December 2020

Just one word : PATHETIC

Please don't even look at this garbage

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Coronavirus (II) (2020)

3/10

Outdated movie

18 December 2020

Firstly, this movie released way too late. It should've been released when the fear of the ongoing virus was at an all-time high. Watching this movie now, seems like a throwback and the way the characters were portraying the so-called social distancing felt a bit over(-acting). Liked a scene or two where characters were discussing the rumours about getting rid of the virus as suggested by leaders. Other than that, the movie is mostly boring and has nothing worth to remember or appreciate.

Actors were mostly loud and their dialogues non-sensical. With this movie as well, RGV still proves that why you shouldn't watch his movies. His brand is dead from a long long time.

He's been using the same kind or similar tunes in his movie scenes post-Sarkar, which was released in 2005.

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Shadow (I) (2013)

1/10

YOU WON'T REGRET THAT YOU SKIPPED WATCHING THIS MOVIE.

15 December 2020

I know this review is way too late. Watched it to kill time while being at home amidst this pandemic and this movie is absolutely the worst. The so-called style which the director, Meher Ramesh had in his previous movies has degraded and with this movie it reached the bottom. If Kantri is a bit stylish, Billa was his most stylish movie. With Shakti, it went down a level and with this movie it has been buried 10ft under. I'm glad that he has not made a movie in the last 7 years. Maybe the producers became wiser by not listening to him and getting trapped by his scripts.

Now, coming to this movie, do not watch it. It doesn't have a proper story. It's a mix of several stories into one. You won't regret that you missed watching this movie. Everyone has been wasted in this movie. Except for a few songs scored by Thaman, this movie doesn't boast of anything better.

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Laxmii (2020)

1/10

A star only for Sharad Kelkar's acting

12 November 2020

Warning: Spoilers

Being a South Indian guy, I never thought to watch either Kanchana (the movie which Laxmii is based on) and its other parts. I don't know why it didn't generate any buzz in me. Thanks to 2020, it may have opened my eyes in few ways that I don't get excited for every Bollywood anymore. Coming to the point, just a day before Laxmii was made available to stream, I happened to watch Kanchana (in Telugu). Kanchana isn't a great movie either. It's okayish but the flashback part of the ghost is the highlight of the movie. So, is the case with Laxmii. But what separates Laxmii from Kanchana is the way the lead characters portrayed their roles. Raghava Lawrence - the hero as well as the director in Kanchana - tried to do his best and made the movie watchable. Raghava is not a good actor let alone great, but he did a good job in Kanchana whereas Akshay Kumar made a mess of the entire movie. Not even for a single moment, he was watchable in the role he portrayed. Bcoz of that, other actors also didn't appear to interest me in any particular scene. Kiara is a highlight because I don't think she looked as beautiful as in Laxmii in any other movie (sorry Kabir Singh, Good Newwz & Guilty). It felt like she was just there in the movie. Probably, her worst choice so far.

My suggestion would be to rather watch the original (especially at night), bcoz I assure you would have some fun watching it instead of this.

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Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020)

9/10

You can risk watching Scam 1992 and for sure will ishq after watching it.

31 October 2020

I was always fascinated by Harshad Mehta's story and was very excited when I got to know that Abhishek Bachchan's movie "The Big Bull" is based on Harshad Mehta. Then came Scam 1992's teaser. The BGM played during the teaser was enough to keep my buzzed about the series and since that day I was waiting to watch the series asap.

A layman like me got to know about several jargons like BR, PDO, SGL, Bears, Bulls, Stock Market, Money Market, jobber and more to go. Apart from stock market, I never heard anything else in my life before I watched Scam 1992.

Brilliant work by every actor. Everyone played their so well that it's difficult to pick out a single name and say this person didn't play the role well or this person played it the best. Everyone was utilised to ther best of their capabilities and as much was required.

The only drawback I felt was Harshad's meteoric rise should've been shown a bit more. It felt quite abrupt before he shifted to his 15000 sq ft house. But nonetheless, the proceedings keep you hooked till the end and make you root for Harshad's resurgence in the jungle from where he was thrown out.

A MUST WATCH it is. After watching Scam 1992 - The Harshad Mehta Story, I don't think I'll prefer to watch 2-3 hour representation of Harshad Mehta's life on the larger screen.

#RiskHaiTohIshqHai

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