Tag Archives: Hindi movie reviews

PK Review

PK Review – PK is a Hindi satire movie released in 2014 . An alien lands on earth to learns the ways of the humans, however he looses his remote transmitter to get back to the ship. He is now forced live with human race, learn their ways to life to find his remote back.

Aamir and Rajkumar Hirani coming together has raised the expectations sore high for the movie. After their blockbuster 3 Idiots, PK had become the most awaited movie of the year. Well the movie does have all the necessary elements to woo you and you would definitely feel good that you have watched PK.

PK’s plot would sound similar to OMG however the treatment here is subtle and has much more fun fare to entice the holiday crowd. The impact liners is a highlight of Rajkumar Hirani’s script like Jadu ki Jhappi in Munna Bhai MBBS, Get well soon in Lage Raho Munna Bhai and All is well in 3 Idiots. PK also has an impact liner which is “Wrong Number”. Although the concept of Wrong Number is interesting and very powerful if you think of it, still it may not connect instantly with the audience as Get well soon or All is well.

The sensitivity of the plot might have imposed many restrictions in building up the screenplay. I believe Rajkumar Hirani has done a good job despite of the challenges. However in few areas the struggle to walk the fine line is visible. The way the character of Aamir Khan transition from an alien landing on the earth to study the humans to a situation where he has to question the ways of the Godmen is done very well. This would be the highlight of the movie.

High Points: Characterization of PK, Positive outlook of Rajkumar Hirani movies, Intelligent screenplay, the whole wrong number episode.

Low Points: Climax sequence not as impact full as the build-up, Similarities in plot with OMG, No change in costume for Sushant Singh Rajput 🙂

Overall if you do not go with a checklist to compare it with 3 Idiots or OMG then you would love watching PK. The movie has a satirist take on Godmen. If you do not connect to it, then you would find the movie kiddish and boring. If you like satires then you would love PK every bit. So go for PK with an open mind and enjoy it on the big screen.

Watchable

Ek Ruka Hua Faisla Review

Ek Ruka Hua Faisla Review – is a Hindi drama released in 1986. This is the remake of the American Drama 12 Angry Men released in 1957. 12 men in the Jury have to come to a unanimous decision for the verdict of a criminal trial. All of them find the accused to be guilty but for one person in the room who wants to talk it through before taking a decision. The rest of the movie is on if they are able to build consensus on the verdict they are going to arrive at.

What can you do better in a remake movie whose original is perfectly made? You would need to make it exactly the same way. Director Basu Chatterjee has done the same thing in Ek Ruka Hua Faisla. It is a remake of 12 Angry men. Although Jury duty is not in our judicial system the movie dives into the conversation of 12 different men who talk about a murder case without actually dwelling into the reason of why they were chosen to discuss it. Also the dialogues for most part the exact replica of the original. It’s not easy to be so convinced with the script of someone else when making your own. Kudos should go to the team for doing this.
The original is in black and white which even made the discussion and acting more compelling. With colors you have more distractions on the screen. The director has used some well-trained actors to make the movie very engaging. It starts on a very slow note but few minutes into the plot it demands for your undivided attention. The performance of Pankaj Kapoor is of top notch. He is a great actor I always admire who could literally fit into any shoes with so much ease. He dominates the entire proceeding. A few deviations from the original movie do exist for instance the hot weather and lack of fan was not talked about as a major issue and also the movie showed some clippings of the crime scene and court hearings. I believe the director had to do this to suit to Indian audience. Culturally we are used to adjusting with what we have and hence the fan not working is not seen as a great issue. Also he was not very confident about the viewer’s intelligence which made him to include those exterior clippings as required.

Overall Ek Ruka Hua Faisla is a gem of a movie in Indian Cinema and is a must watch.

Must Watch

Khoobsurat

Khoobsurat – is a Hindi romance drama released in 2014. A fun loving and spontaneous physiotherapist is invited into a highly disciplined and a highly formal royal family to treat King’s paralyzed legs.

Disney princess stories no matter how many times it has been told is an evergreen success formula. But Khoobsurat has taken the fairy tale and made a below average Bollywood romance drama.  They had tried to adapt the 1980’s Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film for this romance drama.  Kirron Kher plays the role of Sonam’s mother, Manju; if you remember Rekha played the character of Manju a young fun loving girl in the 1980 movie. Were they trying bring in  connect back? The platform for a nice princess story had been set very well, choosing Jaipur as a backdrop is an excellent choice but the screenplay gets derailed in the first 20 minutes of the movie and the writers seem to have run out of ideas and they started to adapt sequences from many Hollywood romance dramas to fill the rest of the movie. The characterizations are weak; they seem to run out of breath very quickly. Sonam Kapoor looks cute and pretty but when it comes to acting her expressions are between A and B.

Quickgun Murugan seems to be a much better outing for Shashanka Gosh compared to this one. You can give this one a skip.

Can Skip it

Finding Fanny

Finding Fanny – is a bilingual (Hindi and English) movie released in 2014. In a small Goan village Pocolim, the old post master Ferdie receives an undelivered letter which he had written 46 years ago to Fanny proposing to her. Ferdie embarks on a roadtrip along with a young widow, her obnoxious mother in law, an old painter who is looking for inspiration for his last painting and an egoistic mechanic go to find Fanny and convey his love for her.

After the commercial outing with Cocktail, director Homi Adajania is back to his home turf creating a off-beat cinema with an ensemble of popular star cast. The movie does not have any strings attached. You should watch it for what it is. None of the situations are dramatized nor dragged to evoke emotions. There is subtle and intelligent humor one would enjoy (if you like such humor). Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapoor dominate the screen. Deepika looks so lovely, simple and beautiful like the script itself. Dimple Kapadia has done a very interesting character like the one she did in Being Cyrus. The characters based on Goan Catholics gives a very fresh look to the movie.
The movie is a road movie with some dysfunctional people who through their journey rediscover love. Although there is a slight slowness in the script post the interval it makes up for it in the end. You would walk out of the movie hall with a smile on your face. This movie may not appeal to everyone. If you love movies like Little Miss Sunshine then you would like this movie as well.

Watchable 

Mary Kom

Mary Kom – is a Hindi sports biopic  on world boxing champion Mary Kom released in 2014. The movie revolves around Mary Kom’s journey from a small Village in Manipur to become five times world boxing champion even after being a mother of two kids.

When I came out of the theater watching Bhaag Milkha Bhaag I wished the trend of biopics to continue in India. Mary Kom is a wish come true for me and it’s encouraging for Indian Cinema. Hope this continues. Omung Kumar who had been Art Director for movies like Saawariya has turned into a director for Mary Kom. He has given a very inspiring and visually pleasing movie. The movie stays true and honest to the plot. As you see Mary Kom punch in the ring you get goosebumps. Priyanka Chopra has given everything for the character and has done true justice to the struggle Mary Kom has gone through. The good part about the screen play is the way in which other characters are built like her husband, her parents, her coach, the officer in the federation and the street fighter she takes on. It is an irony that the amount of sponsors for the Mary Kom movie are far more than the sponsors who would have endorsed her as she was winning world championships. Hope there is a healthy change in the system soon which can nurture more champions.

Overall the movie Mary Kom would inspire you, move you emotionally, create adrenaline rush and give you goose bumps. It is a Must Watch in the theaters and if you have kids take them to see Mary Kom.

Must Watch

Shuddh Desi Romance

Shuddh Desi Romance – is a Hindi romantic comedy film released in 2013. The plot deals with the confusions in the minds of the present day youngsters about marriage and commitment.  Raghu a tourist guide meets Gayatri an open minded independent girl on the previous night of his wedding and likes her. He elopes from the wedding stage just before his wedding ceremony. Later he meets Gayatri and both of them start a live in relationship which eventually leads to wedding. But few minutes before their wedding Gayatri runs away. What happened to Raghu after that, Did Gayatri come back? Were they able to change their perception on wedding is the remaining story.

Yash Raj Films comes out with yet another bold concept of live in relationship that is not often talked about widely in Indian families. Director Maneesh Sharma has used Baraat and Wedding planner backdrop which worked for him in Band Baaja Baarat to convey the story. It is not just a romantic comedy film but has a strong take on the confused mind of present day youngsters regarding commitment. Maneesh should be praised for taking up such a concept. However once the lead characters get into live-in relationship the movie slows down and he has used intimate scenes as the mode to move the story which makes it sluggish.  Shushant Singh Rajput and Parineeti Chopra has played their part well. Many of the audience might find Shuddh Desi Romance to be “adult”-e-“rated” because of the concept it deals with.  Overall the movie is different for the new plot and the actual problem that is bothering the current younger generation, however due to the lack of substance in the screenplay you might find it slow. It might make a good watch in TV or DVD.

Wait for TV/DVD – for the plot

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro – is a Hindi satirical comedy film released in 1983. Two photographers get involved in bringing a construction scam to light in association with a press editor. As they start gathering evidence they realize that the number of people involved in the scam keeps increasing.

The movie is filled with satirical comedy that is relevant even in the present day scenario as well. The screenplay is still enjoyable even though it has been taken in 1983. The cast ensemble is very phenomenal as you would see in the initial credits many of the names have gone a long way to influence Bollywood in their own areas all these years. The highlight of the movie is its climax where in the characters become part of the Mahabharata stage play and it is a ROFL comedy that would be evergreen forever. The movie is known for its ending which you may not see in many of the comedy movies. The movie has become a cult classic and still has many followers. Recently the movie has been digitally remastered and released. You can buy the DVD and watch it and do share your comments with me.

Must Watch – for a brilliant screenplay!

 

Nautanki Saala

Nautanki Saala – is a romantic comedy film released in 2013. The story is based on a French movie Après Vous. Ram is a talented theater artist who has the nature of carrying his theatrical skills into real life to help people. One night he comes across Mandar who is trying to commit suicide. He saves him and takes up the responsibility to rebuild his life. They become friends and the movie is about how their friendship builds, the problem they run into and how they solve it.

I am a fan of Rohan Sippy’s movies like Bluff master, Dum Maaro Dum. Nautanki Saala has many of the ingredients of a Rohan Sippy movie. It has got wonderful sets, great songs and a new canvas for the plot. The concept of the movie is absolutely brilliant where the real life incidents relate to the scenes in the theatrical play of Ramayan. The characters bring real life to reel life and reel life to real life to solve their problems. However the movie misses the usual punch. With cast like Ayushman Khuranna and Kunaal Roy Kapoor coming from Vicky Donor and Delhi Belly respectively you expect a ROFL comedy. However the movie is able to do this only in parts and it slows down during the build up phase. Ayushman’s acting is bit flat as there is no much variation as the characters go through the emotional turmoil. Kunaal Roy Kapoor is a treat to watch he has a done a great job, the scenes involving him are hilarious. The adaptation to Indian scenario could have been done a little bit better with respect to the sets they look a tad bit foreign. Overall this movie definitely has something in it and deserves a one time watch. It is coming up on TV this weekend watch it if you are in a mood for a light romantic comedy.

Wait for DVD/TV – for its Novelty