Reviews

I have a bad habit. Well... I consider the habit to be bad. I keep adding and adding films on my watchlist and when the time finally comes to watch a film... I completely ignore my list and choose a new film. Whether, in those precious few seconds of time before pressing the play button that would have the viewer and cinema in sacred union, do I get cold feet? I don't know. Regardless of whatever the temperature reading of my feet may be, I realized sometimes it's magical to run away with a stranger you know little of. Enter Nayattu (2021).

The film starts off with a tug-of-war, and while watching the film... especially after our protagonists find themselves in the messy predicament they are in, (I was so engrossed probably that) I didn't think much of it. Until when it finally hit me. The opening scenes were representative of what we were about to witness: a tug of war between a team of cops versus one that had police officer(s) in them! The scene also has a large audience and a politician. To me this denotes the significance of the spectacle for the masses and the puppet-masters at play. And the election nearby, which in itself plays a big role in the film. Random mid-write-up confession time! I would like to acknowledge how I don't consider any of my write-ups film-reviews. Rather, I think of them as discussion-starters, especially for those who have seen the film. I mention this since occasionally even simple choices of craftsmanship can evade me. And I love when someone mentions them to me and helps me think/appreciate the craft better. But I genuinely felt that Nayattu made me pay attention! It pointed things out with its camerawork and dialogues that were not underlined or bolded or CAPS'd. And it definitely rewarded me when I paid more attention to it. The sheer attention to minor details is remarkable for the most part. Some examples- A slug on the feet of Sunitha when near a water body.

The mark on Praveen's hand as a result of tug-of-war.

Maniyan made the boy he was about to frame- drink from a bottle that was later used to light up the window with petrol. He specifically mentions to leave the bottle there.

Moorthi most likely realizes Sunitha is in her period and returns the torn cloth.

This in turn makes Praveen realize Sunitha is in her period and he buys her a sanitary pad (without her even asking).

The glances that Praveen and Sunitha share at the earlier parts of the film are used again at the end. And it's heartbreaking!

Anuradha- the female police officer frustrated by her higher up- doesn't actively try to stop Praveen once he is escaping.

Some of these moments, I've noticed on my own, some I found while reading more comments from youtube. I would like to watch the film again and try to find more of these terrific attention-to-detail and I'm sure I will find more.

Even the alignment of the end-credits seem to be planned in this film! The way it flows through the middle while the characters are placed on both sides of it. Am I romanticizing? For some reason I don't think so.

What I realize is that I have fallen in love with the film- and now if I take off my rose-tinted glasses and try to dissect why- I think the reasons are as follows. I always ask myself a couple of questions while watching a film- are the characters behaving the way their personas have been established? (are they making the decisions that you would expect them to make?). The second question is whether a story can make me believe that none of the characters are safe. The second question is particularly crucial when I am watching a thriller/action film. It is a very crucial component in my mind- since the characters are usually in predicaments that involve the connotation of their lives at risk- I don't want to feel that throughout their journey I never feared for their lives/outcome. I don't necessarily want/need bad things to happen to the characters, but the story needs to make me concerned about them. Nayattu succeeds on both ends... not for once, did I feel the decisions taken by the characters were out of order... and that does not stay limited to the stellar leads, but everyone involved. The police officers aren't occasionally smart, they are pragmatic, systematic and thorough for most of the duration when they realize their fates are tied to this. And sometimes they are cynical to a tee (which does seem to echo the primary point of the film imo). Even though the film made me believe anything bad can happen to its characters at any point, it surprised me with the sudden death of Maniyappan, and it even made me believe that something optimistic might happen when Anuradha glanced over the bus that would take Praveen and Sunitha away. And toyed with my heart one last time as the bus came to a stop... only for a blind lady to cross and cast a vote with the assistance of another person without probably realizing who she voted for...

On top of this Nayattu subverts narratives in fresh ways... I thought Nayattu means "hero" as in something to do with the word "Nayak" (pardon my ignorance). Nayattu apparently means "the hunt" (got this from Anupama Chopra's review) and it's the cops that are being chased in this film. Doing the right thing is what gets our protagonists into trouble. It uses the thriller formula to deliver a powerful social message about the machinations at play in which apart from the puppeteers, everyone is a pawn. How the victims and oppressors can share the same social identity. And how the police themselves are a victim to the larger machinations at play and can be framed with the same dirty tactics that they might have employed in the past.

The acting is phenomenal across the board: Kunchacko Boban as Praveen, Nimisha Sajayan as Sunitha, Joju George as Maniyappan, the three leads were amazing. Maniyappan was my favorite as he switched from angry cop to loving father to hopeless and tired seamlessly in a way that I never doubted that they were all part of the same persona. Even Yama Gilgamesh I loved despite her brief role when she snarls and lets out swear words at her superior, it all felt organic. Everyone in the film deserves an honorable mention, and I ask for an humble apology not mentioning everyone by name and role.

Moving on, there is attention to detail in the music even... you hear a ticking clock when there is a chase sequence in which Praveen and Sunitha are escaping from the cops ... only to finally find the hanged dead body of Maniyappan. I heard the ticking again...in the interrogation room... I saw the wall-clock ticking over the two leads and swinging over their fates. That in itself would be reference enough and good use of the sound-device for me... but later in the scene, it is revealed that Maniyappan's dead body is in the closet and the forensic team are going to fabricate a story. The ticking anticipation is connected through the hanged man.

The editing is tight and keeps you hooked. I felt a sense of tension throughout the "hunt". The film reminded me of "Les Miserables(2019)" with how engaging it was after it picked up the pace. Also, in that film a set of chain events had a squad of cops on the move at a frantic pace. I don't know how to accurately categorize the film. Its a race against a ticking time bomb (not literally), its a fugitive film (literally) where the characters are on the run. It's a movie with a social message, one that at least to me didn't seem preachy and was just there to bolster the story.

Criticisms: There is one scene where the protagonists are able to escape from the pickup truck before it was searched (around 1 hour 5 min mark) and it was shown in a way that felt very filmy (the characters in my opinion didn't have enough time to escape given the way the police officer came chasing to search). This device of switching camera angles and letting characters hide has been used time and again in both Hollywood and Indian films. I didn't like it. Thankfully, this was definitely a rare occasion... other parts it never felt that I'm being tricked into believing the chase sequences or fights (Praveen being pinned at the end by cops also felt very realistic given he had so many to run away from and then fight... Oh how I wish all films realized that your protagonist can't run and then fight his way out from 6 people... maybe one day...).

Some Concerns I have read in the Internet/Reviewers There were concerns raised about how Dalits and the voting system was used as a device in this story and how it was a negative portrayal. I am definitely not the right person to address this issue or comment about it. From my view of the film, I felt that the backdrop was just used as a device to highlight the machinations at play under which marginalized communities are used by powerful groups in order to gain their own benefits. That is my interpretation as Sunitha herself is a Dalit and a victim of events that unfolded.

The sad and cynical beauty of Nayattu is in the "No"s it delivered to me. While at most points in life it's a word that you dread. Here, it felt just right. And it's not just the "No"s within the story, rather the "No"s I think when imagining beyond the story...Will Maniyappan's daughter be able to ever win the festival? No. Will there ever be rightful justice done? No. Will Praveen and Sunitha's glances ever build up to a relationship/romance? No. When a film can get its point across so well that it is able to infuse its cynicism into me, I can't help but recommend it. Can I?

Shoebox (2021)

TLDR: Watch it and judge it but definitely watch it.

I contemplate whether we truly are able to remember the things we experience. Or eventually they become mere connections through which we associate the memory itself. The sunlight on the day you bunked classes become as bright as the jubilation, the projector lights as vibrant as the happiness that radiated within ourselves. The cigarette you had in your balcony alone in the serene night, that train ride together, a photo of your mother smiling. Our memories and maybe even ourselves eventually become a compilation of objects, glimpses, and mere associations. The dual nature of our experiences are such that no matter how hard we want to let it go, it will forever be a part of ourselves, And no matter how hard we try to cling on to these objects/glimpses/associations they will inevitably start slipping from our fingers.

Cue Shoebox (2021) which to me is a film about the duality of holding on and letting go. And how we can't help but become a victim of both. As I began to watch the film, I associated it with Cinema Paradiso (1988), which itself is an homage to films itself. But as the minutes poured on - I realized how the film made me think of movies such as A Ghost Story (2017) and The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019). Two of my favorite films pertain to the connection we feel towards what we might call a "home". A place that we love in our heads. A place that we would like to call our own. Love is in fact often the desire to possess. Yet like people themselves, places often change too. Sometimes we are too blinded with our rose-tinted glasses to observe, sometimes we know within ourselves how the transformation is taking place, yet too adamant to acknowledge the fact. And at the end, inevitably comes a day, when we look at the place we thought we belonged to and we can't recognize it anymore.

The struggle that Mampu's father undertakes trying to keep the single screen theater alive stems from a place of love. Yet the practicality of such a decision comes with a question mark hovering over it. What I loved about the film is the dual-nature of the decisions we have to take and the duality surrounding us in life. While on one hand there is love, on the other there is the price we pay for it: the father's love for the theater eventually costs him and Mampu almost everything. His wife suffers the fatal accident the day he is devoted to his work in the theater, his emotional self suffers alone without the support of his spouse, and his physical self is inflicted with an untimely death due to landsharks eyeing the property. All due to his resolve to not sell his place of affection, his place of belonging, his home. This resolve is only one of the facets Mampu inherits from her father, the other being the tender loving spirit hidden underneath the tougher exterior. She is adamant to make her point to her father by having the cigarette in front of him despite his threats. At the same time she is the one loving enough to keep trying to bring her father to Pune to live with her. The story craftily interweaves the complexities of the father-daughter dynamic given the mother's untimely death. Both the ferocious disciplinarian in a single father, and the tender soft love he has for his daughter seem believable and pull you into the psyche of what Mampu is going through. This duality is eventually in Mampu too in her struggle to identify whether Pune is her home or whether Allahabad is. And even Allahabad can't escape the polarity of the world that encompasses us, as it undergoes a change in its name. The folk singers address how the world itself is changing too with pollution. And the world is in fact changing as we witness a guy playing a movie on his phone near the theater. An irony. A duality.

Another aspect of what fascinated me about the film is the fact Mampu, like her father, eventually learns to let go. Whether that is the highest form of love or a decision that stems from concern for all involved, or one where she is accepting the decision of her father, as he - a few days prior to his death - also accepted a compromise. It is this resignation- regardless of where it comes from that really captured me. It is not a resignation of the human spirit itself. Yet at some point in our lives we all have to let go. And we let go of our memories, objects, associations not because we have fallen out of love with it but rather we need to do so- for ourselves.

If it's not clear yet, I really loved the film. However, it is not without its shortcomings. The visuals are a treat to watch, and the acting is top-notch. Yet there are parts of the film that feel barren, that feel thin compared to the number of facets that the director tries to explore. This leaves the feeling of someone spreading sprinkles on a number of topics without delving into it to the extent that might have been possible. What we see between the brewing dynamics are often expressed very concisely, yet there are on occasions a reliance on dialogues to do the heavy-lifting to express the characters very directly. This is kind of at-odds with the film as it never feels like a dialogue-heavy film, or a film devoid of subtlety. Ah yet another duality!

I strongly urge all to at least watch the film. Despite the fact that it might feel slow to some, despite the fact that it might give off the "indie-film" vibe. You know what I dislike about the word vibe? It remains so vague- yet what do we really know about ourselves? We are bound to become a mere association or a fraction of a memory anyway.

Our friends always had this debate that almost yielded in a 50-50 split. The debate was between two actors Boman Irani vs Paresh Rawal. Both sides had their case for the 2 great actors. I think after watching Sharma Ji Namkeen, I think I finally found the perfect wrong answer to the question: The answer is Rishi Kapoor. While credit is due to Paresh Rawal for even undertaking such a risky venture, I think for the script and for the body language Rishi Kapoor is able to offer... he really felt at least half a notch above Paresh Rawal (no disrespect to the veteran either). And I was contemplating the roles of Rishi Kapoor that really stuck with me. Do Doni Chaar is amazing. And he plays the father's role very well imo. For all the chaos and drama and screaming that makes Kapoor & Sons the great film that it is... Rishi Kapoor seems to be the glue that sticks not only the family but the film altogether. There is sweetness in his smile, an adorable quality even as he swears or reveals a perverse side. Even for subpar films like student of the year, his presence is entertaining as is his roles in a movie like Luck by Chance. I think I was sad when I heard Rishi Kapoor passed away, today I am sadder having watched this film, that would be even better had it been a solo Rishi Kapoor venture like it should've been. The same adorable quality that elevates Rishi's Sharmaji is often felt gloomier when Paresh Rawal inhabits the role. Expressions seem a bit more caustic that retracts from this cute family drama. Now I have evoked some really good films here... the family bickering or dynamics never reach the utter chaos that is Kapoor & Sons, even when things get heated. And neither does it deliver the compact screenplay that I felt Do Doni Chaar had. But it treads along a middle ground. And it makes me sad but before the police station sequence I was enjoying the film a lot more. It doesn't devolve into Housefull level loud chaos in the station but does almost get there, leaving a somewhat sour taste for the film. Thankfully it does manage to pullback and deliver on the heartfelt nature of the film and while all is not salvaged, it did not leave me bitter.

Now as for the script itself, it almost feels like a classical formula- where a child asks to pursue a certain career/sports/acting etc and has to overcome the barrier set forth by the parents in the subcontinent. Here, the twist is Sharma Ji is the child... and it totally feels that way whenever Rishi Kapoor is on screen. There were parts that made me giggle, but it was not at the same time the most subtle of comedies. And frankly it doesn't have to be... I saw this film in a point of my life where I have grown rather allergic to the term "feel-good". I have become a feels-bad person mostly :v

*insert sad person gif*

but this film reminded me that I can love feel-good films like Do Doni Chaar, like Almost Famous when the script is that solid. I wish I could say the film reached the heights of the aforementioned films... but it at least reminded me hope is not lost.

.... And then I realized how old Juhi Chawla looks.

... Hope is lost.

Hasee to Phasee

After the recent success of the feel good genre, I decided to give rom-coms a shot. Or that's what I'd like to tell everyone so they don't find out my incredible affinity for romcoms. And while there is nothing wrong with the affininity itself, the problem is I have a severe condition of being thoroughly immersed in very mediocre films which sometimes also happen to be decent romcoms. What are these films? Well just the standard fare- "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan", "I Hate Luv Stories", "About Time" etc. I would become a spokesperson and lawyer for these films- "I Hate Luv Stories" is a satire on all things Bollywood: especially the dynamic between Kjo and SRK. "About Time"is a meta commentary on life and the decisions we make. Bad but not yet baseless arguments - I would undertake to defend what might even be (one of) my favorite genre. And despite all my passion for the genre, rarely do I find myself with a film I can recommend as wholeheartedly as ... Jaane tu ya Jaane na. Yes, it has the cheesy ending and a bunch of other issues. But today I had an epiphany of what made Jaane Tu special was everyone that surrounded the main couple: the dynamics the rest of the cast shared with each other, and how it contributed to a beautiful story being weaved.

"Hasee to Phasee" shares that DNA for me. It is the rest of the cast that does the heavy lifting. Sharat Saxena is brilliant in the only role he ever seems to get in films, and Manoj Joshi is phenomenal! Neena Kulkarni and Tinnu Anand are great in the two seconds of frame they get. That leaves Pareeneeti who I thought did decent given the character was not as well defined as could've been. More on this later. And Siddharth... well cast about anyone else and you don't get a worse result is my opinion about him in almost all the films. Step back in the line Fardeen Khan! (Fyi dont tell anyone but I thought he was decent in Just Married: another good example of decent romcom due to side characters)

Now for a movie like this, my metric is often can you make me laugh? To which it succeeded more times than I had anticipated (but also does have its share of cheesy lines that don't land). And can I believe in the romantic dynamic between the characters and/or their struggle? To which it succeeded again especially the family dynamic part involving Manoj Joshi (including a scene that managed to make me emotional which I absolutely didn't see coming). So it suceeds on both ends. Thus a good film right?

Yeaaaahhhhh.... No...... hmmmmm.

I thought it's a good time and I really enjoyed my view of it. But if i start listing the issues I have with the film: The ending. Seems to be an issue in almost all romcoms (except you The Graduate, you absolute beauty!!!!) The scientific explanations to some stuff... fine im watching a romcom i will suspend my beliefs about logic. The lack of exploration of dynamics between the secondary casts.... what can i say... despite me loving the dynamic between them... there is still so much left to be desired and there was so much potential...ugghh. Some songs are better integrated in the script that others in my opinion. Not lastly, but very importantly the portrayal of anxiety. Bollywood was never known for its robust portrayal of such things (refer to Atrangi Re for a good time as the poster child for bad execution of mental health related sciences) but HTP does no favors to the industry and contains some problematic misconceptions and misinformations. The way Pareeneeti acted was tough for me to really take in as I thought her character might've had mild autism and was portraying such condition. But it is not mentioned canonically. Rather her performance gets bits of anxiety right imo.

I don't know what else to add. I thoroughly enjoyed this watch after the rather disappointing "Ek Main aur ek Tu". I connected with the film on a deeper level and my subjective rating stands at 8. The film objectively is somewhere around a 6.

One day i will find a movie thats a 9 for both and it will keep The Graduate some good company.

Lootera is an odd film.

It is a fascinating watch and superlative to most Bollywood romances, At the same time its flaws (or what I consider to be flaws to be precise) stop it from being a classic that could have been recommended as THE Bollywood romantic film to watch for decades to come.

In principle, it is an adaptation of the Last Leaf but what is so peculiar is the fact that it could've completely ignored the short story that it was loosely based on (and still could've been amazing). The bits that directly refer to the romantic gesture of the last leaf is what sticks out as a sore thumb in a movie that expresses so much through its cold silence.

Sonakshi puts on her career's best performance and Ranveer Singh complements her every step of the way. However, the true star is the cinematography. The quiet faded winter seems as gloomy as Pakhi's emotional state from which there seems to be no escape.

Towards the end, the anachronistic choices for songs are also a missed opportunity to keep the audience engrossed in the atmosphere that the director crafted so masterfully. While "Sawar Loon", "Monta Re", "Manmarziyaan" are exceptional- the choice of "Zinda" does suit the mood of the film,

Towards the ending the movie loses its earlier magic as the male protagonist makes choices that are expected of a traditional hero (from a run-off-the-mill Bollywood film) rather than a deep conflicted character as Varun (could've been). And my biggest gripe with the film is the fact that I want to call it exceptional and it was so close... Yet choices that seemed more direct or crowd-pleasing (still not moments that make you want to whistle btw) leave a distaste that never leave.

I try to forget what it is (towards the end especially) and often imagine what it could've been- a masterpiece that future Bollywood filmmakers would refer to.