Reviews

Kaamwali Bai is not just a series, but it's a story that will immediately make you feel as if you are part of this amazing tale of humor, emotions and memorable characters. After a long time, there is a series that you can watch on Youtube with your family, and laugh, cry and enjoy together.

It's a tale of guts, wit, humor, emotions, and a strong screenplay, that binds you, memerizes you, and takes you to the amazing yet simple world of Kaamwali Bai, and you find that instant connection with all the characters, who have acted brilliantly, and gave their everything for the story.

Kaamwwali bai rocks!

10./10.

When I launched BookMyShow app yest. morning, I was shocked to find almost all 3D and 3D Max shows of Captain America are houseful till Sunday night. On the other hand, almost all the shows of a little known movie called Traffic was empty. I bought the tickets of Traffic for late night show.

As I was entering the almost empty theater at Mall of India, an uncle and his wife were also entering, and the uncle was saying, "The whole theater is empty.. is it a bad movie?"

When the movie finished, I asked him, how was the movie.. He said, "Delhi walo ko to bas America ke hero hi ache lagte hain. Asli hero to Manoj Bajpayee nikla!" Clearly his eyes were moist, and he was avoiding direct eye-contact.

Traffic should have been named 'An Indian Life', because its much more than a story of how Bombay traffic police successfully transports a heart from Mumbai to Pune within 2.5 hours, how they controllled the traffic, managed the crowd, and introduced myriad elements of an Indian life within those 120 minutes of movie.. The movie is a commentary on human emotions, of failing, and then refusing to give up, about losing someone, but having the guts to let it go.. Its about bravery, its about failure, its about love and life.

I had always been huge fan of Malayalam movies, and this remake of a Malayalam movie is another example of how advanced, emotionally vulnerable and deep stories they produce. The movie is like a thriller mind-game.. With solid performance from actors like Manoj Bajpayee,Jimmy Shergill, Prosenjit Chatterjee (Bengali movie's superstar), Parambrata Chatterjee (another Bengali actor, from Kahani), Sachin Khedekar, Divya Dutta, Kitu Gidwani and more. Piyush Mishra's dialogues are just the icing on the cake.

After you celebrate American heros and the massive production of a super-hero movie.. do watch this humble offering from late Rajesh Pillai, who was a brilliant director, and could have done so much for the cinema.

The biggest problem with Fan is Shahrukh Khan, himself. He is the hero, he is the villain.. he is the conflict, he is the solution; he is the poor, he is the rich.. He tried to make us feel proud of his legacy, and then he makes you hate his own legacy..

During one moment, he makes you believe that he is the God; the other moment, he showcases how he can translate into demon so easily.

The concept was powerful, but the execution sucks.. After interval, the movie tries to become a combination of Darr and Don; but it was Shahrukh obsessed with Shahrukh; and Shahrukh trying to beat Shahrukh..

The logical thread which binds a movie, which creates a story is entirely missing; the basic premise based on which a Fan turns into an enemy is not convincing, in fact its frivolous! The make-up, the visual difference between a 46 year old actor and 22 year old fan is so inconsistent, and sometimes it feels that they both are one and the same. Of course they are, but this very fact destroys the cinematic effect, the joy.

On some sequences, KIng Khan has delivered a stunning performance, but its not enough. The craziness of a Fan was way too less intense, way too off-the-mark.

As the person sitting besides me told me, 'Fan is an insult to me, the Fan..'

‪#‎Ki‬&Ka: I wanted to give it 7; but my wife demanded little more. We argued, we debated, and then we finally settled for 7.25/5.

And I guess that's the only essence of this brilliant ‪#‎love‬, ‪#‎relationship‬ movie from R.Balki, which is somewhere between traditional and modern, yet loaded with highly practical, anti-age- old advice for those who think that being in a relationship is actually tough (or easy!)

Overall, I would describe the movie as a mixture of several Bollywood movies of this genre; as if R.Baliki is giving an ode to all previous directors: It has the pride and ego of Abhimaan, the wit, intellectuality from Bawarchi; the complexities and subtle emotions from Saathiya as well as the dark, mysterious elements of love from Hum Tum. R Balki has picked up ingredients from these movies, reversed the protagonists and the conflicts and presented via ‪#‎KiKa‬.

If Kareena Kapoor is the burning deity of hardcore feminism in this movie, then Arjun Kapoor is the epitome of gender equality and the evangelist and advocate against running the 'race'. Watch it with a pinch of salt, and get immersed in the awesomeness of food-porn, get bewitched by the portrayal of a successful blogger, and some untraditional, out of the box experiments which A-list stars seldom try out.

Watch it with an open mind, remembering the fact that the director had earlier given us path-breaking cinema like Cheeni Kum, Pa & English Vinglish. Ki&Ka won't change your life; but yes, it will seep an idea about the 'positive' change all right!

7.25/10

#Aligarh: Don't you dare watch this movie if homosexuality makes you laugh or mocking like 'gay' makes you feel more macho..

Aligarh is a powerfully sensitive cinema, never ever dared before on the canvas of Bollywood.. Aligarh is like that hot lava cake which will melt you with it's incredible portrayal of a person who is a homosexual, yet an outcast, he is blessed with the notion of love, yet afraid of the society, who is declared an immoral, yet teaches us lessons of morality which no book can..

Manoj Bajpayee has delivered a scintillating performance of a lifetime, which I am sure very few actors can even dream of achieving.. He shivers, he cries, he shouts, he hides like a cat, he loves, he lives.. he inspires.

If India should send one movie to Oscars this year, it has to be Aligarh. 5/5

(Warning: This is a sensitive cinema & watch it with some sensitivity.. Some scenes are too graphic, kind of normal for an average Hollywood lover, but can be a bit shocking for an Indian movie goer. Had a fight with a group of morons who were laughing on some scenes as if the entire morality responsibility has been imposed on them. They had to be forcefully evacuated from the theater, and thankfully, people supported me.)

The best cinema which India can watch this week, is Neerja. Its a symbolic movie, an intelligent, emotional, brave, slightly cliché' but a brilliant creation.

Considering the wave of nationalism which is sweeping around us, this movie defines what patriotism is all about: Is it beating students who shouted something which our constitition doesn't allow? Or its sacrificing one self, to serve the nation, to fulfill the duty which we have been assigned to?

Neerja, the 23 year old braveheart, who to helped to save 359 passengers actually teaches us a lot about being the true Indian. An Indian who doesn't think twice about saving a life, an Indian who is never afraid to fight evil, and to forgive a fellow human being. I must admit, I hated every movie which Sonam Kapoor did till now, but with Neerja, she has done something amazing.. She was successful in forcing the middle-aged women sitting in the audi to sob, to make the tough Sardarji besides me with thick moustache go emotional, and hold his wife's hands, when that bullet hits Neerja and she dies. Shabana Azmi is that another pillar, who has played the role of a mom to perfection, shaking with horror as the news of hijack is announced, cuddling her daughter as if that's the only wealth she has possessed; and cooking that aloo paratha as if her life depends on them.

The best Indian cinema ever shot in an airplane (director spent Rs 3 crore to recreate that Pan Am aircraft), this movie has those moments, when you gasp with horror, feel terrorized as those passengers must have felt, when AK47 and grenade were shown to them; and also those nostalgic moments of 80s, when love was delivered with chocolate and letter.

Neerja will touch you, inspire you.. make you feel a proud Indian.

8/10

First thing first: GOW 3 is in safe hands! Zeishan Quadri has arrived, as a director, no doubt it that.

Meeruthiya Gangster is a fine tribute to the cult of Anurag Kashqap's style of movie making; its a homage to Anurag's Paanch (which was not released in India) and a perfect treat for those who live by the genuineness and craziness of GOW.

The movie is incomplete, just like a great story is always unfinished.

Its unpredictable, sometimes stupid and seamless in terms of visualization and screenplay.

The movie will suck you in, taking you into the wild-wild west of North India, Meerut and Noida in particular.

Just like Satya defined gangsers from Mumbai, and GOW introduced us to lawlessness of Bihar.. Meeruthiya Gangster will force you to take notice of crazy daredevils from UP.

Highly recommended to lovers of GOW, Seher and Sahab Biwi aur Gangster. (The movie has no bad words, lots of blood and lots of black humor. Please, don't take your kids while watching this..)

Why do every star-kid believes that it is his/her fundamental, God- given right to become an actor? Both Sooraj Pancholi & Athiya Shetty fizzle out, deliver a sub-standard performance which should never have occurred.

The only saving grave of the movie is the intense confrontation between Aditya Pancholi and Tigmanshu Dhulia.. except that, the movie sucks.

Completely illogical concept and logic of the screenplay. Even if I assume that the targeted audience of this movie is a 17-year old kid, there is no way you can show Mumbai to Kashmir journey completed in 2 hours or a bullet wounded guy, slipping into a fast flowing river, emerging with nothing but 2 cuts on his arms!

The cliché:' Ek gunda kabhi IG ki ladki se pyaar nahi kar sakta' was repeated so many times, that it was cringe worthy actually. Dialogues are the worst part of this movie.

And Salman bhai's hangover on the whole movie was actually way too much.. his song is played after every 10 minutes, and his style of action, dialogue delivery and antics is visible all the way to the end. As if Nikhil Advani had only been appointed as an obligation.

Disappointing movie.. If you want to retain the magic of the original 'Hero', then don't watch it. 1.5/5

If someone comes to me, saying that he only has money to watch one movie this weekend, what should he watch: Phantom or Kaun Kitne Paani Mein; then I will confidently ask him to go for Kaun Kitne Paani Mein without any hesitation.

Its a well scripted, satirical commentary on the contemporary social evils, and in a way the movie projects a solid message for the public as well as the Government as to how the evils can be handled.

Set across the backdrop of Odisha, with rich flavors of the region including the music, dialogues, costume and life-style, KKPM will enchant you, upset you and make you feel good by the time the movie finishes.

Water is the catalyst here, as it provokes, incites and carries forward the story. Basically, this movie is all about the choices our leaders make, and how it impacts the general people. Water is just a symbol of the problems and issues which we face, and how it can be handled.

Saurabh Shukla steals the show with his awesome performance of playing a King whose wealth has been dwindled away; and is now seeking desperate measures to bring back the good ol' days. His village has no water, and no one willing to buy the land.

I will say his acting in this movie is one of those path-breaking, high quality stuff which cinema lovers crave for. On the other hand, Gulshan Grover plays the democratically elected leader of another village which is rich, powerful and full of water.

Radhika Apte has truly arrived with this movie; she makes you laugh, cry and captures the screen every time she is given a chance. Her acting prowess and a level of strange acting maturity level makes KKPM a treat to watch. Kunal Kapoor aptly supports her, but he is simply overshadowed by Radhika in the movie.

Witty, humorous dialogues, well edited screenplay and completely hilarious situations make KKPN an epic social saga of 2015, on par with the logic of Well Done Abba.

You shouldn't miss this.

It's actually hard to believe that two movies from the same director, within a month of each other, would be so extreme. If Bajrangi Bhaijaan was a path breaker, unconventional epic of peace and brotherhood, then Phantom is a cliché, predictable and to some extent illogical adaptation of a brilliant novel.

Kabir Khan disappoints; but his love for India wins as he is eventually able to extract that patriotic emotions, which makes the effort worthwhile.

A super secret team in RAW decides to make a quick fire judgement of 26/11 Taj terrorist attack: kill all those who were part in the heinous act. They chose an ex-army man, who was thrown out of Indian army, and was court marshaled for fledging a battle scene. He says yes to bring back his pride. In the process, he carries on sleek assassinations in various part of the globe, and takes avenge of the crime.

The plot is brilliant, but the execution sucks. For instance, the 'war-zone' depiction of Syria absolutely fails to convince the brutality of the circumstances, the people, the language they use is all inappropriate.

Saif Ali Khan, I am sorry.. but you were not fit for the role. It needed an actor who conducted an in-depth analysis of the character, and bring out that feeling of a hurt ex-army man, or a brutal executioner who thinks nothing before slitting one's throat.

Most importantly, the stunts were unrealistic, pretty soft and without much destruction and blood. I was amazed to see the consistency of Katrina's make-up and dresses, even as walls were blown away and people were butchered all around.

A weak offering, on a very strong, severe issue.

‎Masaan‬ means a place, where dead bodies are cremated. If you can stand the sight of actual dead bodies being burnt, right after a cute scene of an excited 21 year old guy, whose Facebook friend request has been accepted by his crush; then yes, definitely watch this one.

Its a dark, complex, hard hitting movie, which is set across the enchanting Banaras and the majestic Ganges; revolving around the life of simple human beings.

'Man kastoori re' by Indian Ocean, can be the sole reason for a music lover to buy a movie ticket. At Cannes, this movie by debut director Neeraj Ghaywan won 2 awards; and it is said that very few Asian movies have received 5 minutes of standing ovation during its screening.

The movie has flaws (the absence of that scent of regional tone in the dialogues was the most disappointing part), but the mindblowing performance by Sanjay Mishra & the strong, heavyweight performance from Richa Chadda will make it up.

If you support such good cinema, and want more 'daring' film-makers, then don't miss it.

Remo D'Souza delivers yet another installment of a musical-dance extravaganza, which can give a good fight to the Step Up series now. Carrying forward from the original ABCD, this dancing franchisee is taking some serious form now; as Disney has already backed the project, and mainstream actors such as Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor are now part of the team.

If we leave aside the script and the story, then what we get is a series of high performance dance performance, sprinkled with patriotic zeal and of course, Ganpati bappa mourya.

Remo, along with Prabhu Deva and a team of outstanding dancers such as Dharmesh Yelande as Dharmesh; Lauren Gottlieb as Olive; Raghav Juyal as Raghu; Pravin Bhosale as Chotu; Sushant Pujari as Vernon; Punit Pathak as Vinod; Karthik as Raju and others deliver a solid punch of creativity and dance, which has very few parallels in Bollywood.

On a hindsight, someone who is not that great dance enthusiast, can find some of the dance sequences tad too long, and a bit too many. But in case you love dance, then you will lap up every twist, and turn of the movie. God, when you see an auditorium in a city like Lucknow, filled with dance enthusiasts clapping and shouting on some out of the world dance moves, then you got to believe that ABCD series has found its niche audience.

Varun has tried his best to learn and deliver dance sequences like a pro, but he has still a long way to go before he can be compared with legends such as Hritik and Shahid. Was a bit disappointed with Shraddha, as her dance moves couldn't generate that intensity which was visible with other dancers on screen, including Varun. But again, she can't be blamed as the director chose to give her bit less space, as the feeble romantic story between her and Varun was half-heartedly accomplished.

Prabhu Deva as Vishnu sir, the Guru of the troupe, is the central pillar of the movie, and he has acted, danced and performed exceptionally well. I can see that IMDb has given ABCD 2 a rating of 6.5 as of now (June 20, 3.00 PM).. I cant be that harsh with this musical-dance spectacle. 8 would be my justification of this movie.

Disclaimer: Even if you don't love dance, do watch this one as who knows.. Any Body Can Dance!

Hamari Adhuri Kahani, directed by Mohit Suri, the magician of love, and written by Mahesh Bhatt, the creator of emotions, miserably fails to ignite that intensity.

What I felt after asking some viewers at the theater: characterization part is completely missing. There is no bond, no attachment, no feeling for any of the characters by the audience.

However, having said that, the weakest link in this romantic ultra- melodrama is logic. There are huge, massive loopholes in the script, and often I was amazed how they can justify that. The timeline of the movie, the gadgets used and the over usage of tears; everything is done without any research into reality.

The plot is pretty simple: Married Vidya Balan falls for Imran Hashmi, the billionaire. However, Rajkummar Rao, her husband does not want to let go of her.

With a a triangle love story, there can be immense possibilities; if you add the Naxalite angle or of you include Dubai as a location or the office romance thing. But, the director decided to get stuck with the age old formulas; in fact, those mangalsutra sequences and all tears for the 'pati' and 'suhag' stuff made me cringe in disbelief.

I was confused: why they have to go back to history, the previous blockbusters to ensure success in 2015? Why are they so afraid to try out something new, something unconventionally romantic. The love, and the purpose of love both have changed.

Fortunately, this was the first movie where Emran doesn't kiss; and unfortunately, this was the worst movie of Vidya I ever saw. She performed amazingly well, and carried out the cliché' dialogues in the most honest manner, but even her sparkling blue big eyes failed to save this movie.

I had that sinking, depressing feeling all through the movie; as if love is only a mirror back of pain and hurt and stuff. It neither arouses empathy nor any false hope; it simply narrates an unfortunate story, in the most uncreative manner.

Avoid it.

Zoya Akhtar wants to change this World; she wants to make a dent in the Universe, and her way of doing so is changing the world view. If Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was the bromance and bon homie between close friends, then Dil Dhadakne Do is the guide using which you can liberate one's life and break the shackles which are limiting you.

Yes, everyone is saying correct: the movie could have been shorter, with some strong editing. But the canvas of this story was so huge, that 2 hours wouldn't have done justice to the whole melo-drama.

Such was the intense characterization that the audience finds itself clapping when a stubborn father decided to protect his only daughter from a failed marriage; or when a son speaks up against his mother, and makes her realize her life's greatest mistake.

DDD is a direct assault on hypocrisy, fake emotions and dogmatic life (living on someone else's expectation); which our Indian society shamelessly tries to impose.

Screenplay was absolutely flawless, script loose at some points but the impeccable acting by everyone makes it a treat to watch.

Ranveer Singh was the show stopper of this movie, with his spontaneous acting and brilliant emotions. Anil Kapoor was the pillar on which the movie is based, and Priyanka Chopra is the dark horse. She scores above Anushka, only because her role was stronger, and she grabbed more screen time. Along with Anushka, Shefali and Rahul Bose strongly support this melo-drama.

Farhan Akhtar's role was strangely reduced, when he could have been another major pillar. Maybe Zoya didn't want to show partiality! Javed Akhtar's dialogues, wonderfully recited by Aamir Khan, were strong, massively emotional and touches the heart directly.

Humor is something which the move showcases at every point of time; with every major scene. The cruise journey, and some outdoor locations, especially Istanbul and Greece were shot magnificently.

Although, collectively, there is hardly any fault with the movie, but individually, there are some minor distractions which could have been avoided. Public had this hangover of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and wanted more of Farhan. But both of these expectations will reduce your joy of watching this movie.

Zoya, we will together change this world. Soon.

On a very broader, macro level, 'Welcome To Karachi' is heavily inspired from the concept which created Dumb and Dumber franchisee: The protagonists are dumb, half-wit but smart enough to pull it through.

It takes guts to experiment with such cinema in Bollywood, as comedy lies in the crust and everything seems like a spoof, a deliberate alternate take on the realities. The script has to be intelligent, the dialogues need to be sharp, witty and there should be an underlying message for the audience.

I am glad to say that Ashish R Mohan's 'Welcome To Karachi' proves it's mettle on every count, and thus, a new form of cinema has been created which needs attention. If Rohit Shetty's Golmaal series and Sunday can become 100 crore grosser, then Welcome To Karachi at least deserves applause. (Incidentally, Ashish was Asst. Director for Rohit Shetty's previous movies)

I am really appalled by the negative reviews this movie has received from major critics. Considering that the movie is fictional, the characters are dumb (intentionally) and there is high degree of brain dead comic sequences, why has the critics tried to discover logic here.

Arshad Warsi is the pillar of this movie, with his impeccable performance and timely humor, he dominates the screen. But credit should go to Jackky Bhagnani, as he has improved a lot. In some of the comic scenes, he has acted fabulously, as the audience finds hard to resist the laugh.

But the highlight of the movie is the screenplay: its twisted, bended and molded as per the situation and rather builds up the tempo at every point. Yes, the graphics and special effects could have been better, but it's the way of telling a story which makes all the difference, and Ashish has done a remarkable job here. Special mention of the way Pakistan has been shown – its actually funny. Director has thought creatively here, and has tried to interlink global issues, including terrorism with the plot. Songs are again, unconventional and radically different from what regular Bollywood movies churn out. 'Chal Bhag' will remain with you long after you leave the theater.

Dialogues are crispy, hilarious and hard hitting: Apt for such type of cinema, where the main characters have to justify their stupidity at every scene. Somehow, each of these factors are aligned perfectly to create an intelligent yet half-wit laugh riot which will make you laugh out loud, with guarantee.

Due to the daring attempt at creating a cinema which has, unfortunately, few takers in India, I will give 'Welcome to Karachi' 7/10. Go, watch it if you are taking life seriously!

As you come out from the theater, you can't help with feel the emotions which one normally gets after coming out from a motivational seminar: Being positive, being optimistic, a bit scared about the future and full of a new hope and enthusiasm.

Tomorrowland, is Disney's newest attempt to spread the braveness and positive energy. The movie does fumbles along the way, losing the tempo and going a tad too much into summarizing the problems which this world faces: climate, pollution, global warming, depression, political unrest, greed, and laziness.

But aided with stunning visuals and portrayal of some futuristic possibilities, the movie ends up being a perfect family entertainer. The movie is based on a scenario where there exists a secret society, a cult of creative thinkers, science wizards, mathematic heroes, imaginative children, and sharp scientists, who wish to create a future which is environment friendly, people oriented and so much advanced that we create a global, connected Earth where everyone is happy.

They recruit such intelligent and creative humans, and train them to continue the legend.

George Clooney as Frank Walker is good, but not great; maybe he wasn't exactly suited for this role. I liked the acting of Britt Robertson as Casey Newton, who represents the optimistic, positive point of view of the whole situation. Frank is brilliant, intelligent, but Casey is more alive.

Disney has turned no stone unturned to include some high quality special effects and visualization of a future which seems pretty interesting. Being a new franchise, and a new plot, I was not disappointed.

The movie lacks comedy, and some wit. Humor is almost absent, although there are some space-time related dad jokes in between. Overall, a good family entertainer, a movie which kids will love. The tradition at Disney continues!

The problem with love marriages is that, they are based on expectations; and once this thin line of 'trust' is broken; the very existence of 'love' and 'marriage' becomes suspicious. But should the couple break off or attempt to rejoin the broken links?

Anand. L. Rai, the director who gave us the fabulous Tanu Weds Manu, returns with a sequel, and well, hits it hard. It a blunt post mortem of a love marriage, which goes wrong somewhere. Fueled by an avalanche of sentiments, tears and emotions, TWMR creates another magic.

Although we can't compare the first and second parts; but if someone puts a gun at my head, and asks to.. then I will not take more than a second to tell that this one is better in every aspect.

The screenplay is fast, and tightly edited, and the dialogues perfectly blends with the tradition and culture of Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhajjar (Harayana). When it comes to Delhi, then again, the director chooses the most appropriate locations which correctly portray the color of the situation (example: Purana Quila, Delhi Zoo, a small apartment in West Delhi and more)

The movie belongs to Kangana Ranaut, who plays the double role, and manages it in the most magnificent manner. The way she molds into a Harayani athlete studying in Delhi University is simply amazing. While the original 'Tanu' is showcased even more sophisticated, urbane, vulnerable, glamorous and drama queen; 'Datto' is practical, focused, strong, and knows where she is going. Heck, she even fights her own family inorder to marry Sharma ji (Madhavan).

It's really amazing how Kangana always manages to get immersed in the character, and learn the assent, the style, the attitude so seamlessly. As I am thinking hard, I can't even imagine Priyanka or Anushka to even attempt such a role. Vidya Balan is the only name which I can recall right now, who can give her a fight in the most crucial department called acting. Hats off!

And, Madhavan! He manages to maintain the consistency of his character, Sharma ji, who is confused, angry and lost.. He knows that he is doing something which he doesn't really believe in; he knows that he still loves Tanu, but still he falls for the charms of Datto, and begins a journey which changes everything. (I saw ladies in the theater, shredding tears when Kangana roams around the village, with a glass of whiskey and sad old Bollywood song playing in the background)

The humor and the wit continue from where the first part ended, and actually amplifies the whole effect. Deepak Dobriyal, the magician once again weaves his magic and the spontaneous, crude, timely and hilarious dialogues delivered by him forces the audience to laugh out really loud. TWMR is probably the first movie in 2015 where I saw the audience going crazy with laughter in so many scenes and dialogues.

Jimmy Shergil's Raja Avasthi gets little footage, but his existence is very crucial. He again finds himself as a victim when it comes to getting married; but he takes it easily this time and doesn't make much noise. It's the internal fight within Tanu and Manu which is the soul of the movie. Datto is the catalyst, and magnifies the gap which is already present between them.

I will give it a 9 - Highly recommended for those, who are still mystified with love.