The tastes of the audiences have evolved quite a lot since the last few years but still, most of the viewers don’t mind an illogical but entertaining masala comic caper. JUDWAA 2 is one such film that is unabashedly catering to ‘leave-your-brains-behind’ sort of cinema. So does it manage to raise laughs or fails in its endeavour, lets analyse.

JUDWAA 2 deals with the fun adventures of twin brothers separated at birth. Rajiv Malhotra (Sachin Khedekar) meets the evil Charles (Zakir Hussain) in the flight and helps the authorities in getting him arrested. At the same time, Rajiv’s wife Ankita (Prachee Shah Paandya) gives birth to twins. Charles gets arrested in the hospital where Ankita had her delivery and he runs away with one of the twins. Rajiv and Ankita presume that child to be dead due to certain circumstances and they move to London with their other son. This son, Prem (Varun Dhawan), grows up as a shy and docile person who can be easily bullied. His brother Raja (Varun Dhawan) grows up in Mumbai’s Versova and is the opposite of Prem – he is outgoing, brash and bullying him is next to impossible. However, Raja falls in trouble when he fights with Alex (Vivan Bhatena) and injures him badly. Alex is incidentally the son of Charles and is also quite villainous. Raja and his sidekick Nandu (Rajpal Yadav) escape to London as a result. In the flight, he meets Alishka (Jacqueline Fernandez) and both fall for each other. Prem on the other hand starts dating Samaira (Taapsee Pannu) who learns music from him. But strange things start happening to both Prem and Raja as soon as the latter lands in London. The twins suffer from a peculiar problem – if one feels pain, the other shall also experience the same feeling and both even replicate each other’s actions, depending on distance. Both go through a series of hilarious incidents as a result. What happens next and how the madness unfolds is what the rest of the film is all about.

JUDWAA 2 is a reboot of the original JUDWAA and those who have seen the original would know what to expect. However, the makers have tweaked certain portions and moreover, setting up the story in London has given the film a fresh and grand touch. The initial portions involving the twins getting separated and how Raja gets saved from the oncoming train is well executed. The entry of Raja is whistle worthy and his antics add to the fun. The entry of Samaira and Alishka also take the film to a new level. However, the film gets a bit sexist and some of the scenes like the butt slapping sequences and Prem forcefully kissing Samaira might be seen as crass by a certain section of audiences. Also, Prem even smooching his to be mother in law (Upasna Singh) comes across as a funny sequence but again, it will evoked mixed and even extreme reactions. On the positive side – the film has some hilarious scenes as well that bring the house down. The sequence with Pappu Passport (Johnny Lever), Raja creating a scene at the London airport, Prem’s various meetings with Dr Lulla (Ali Asgar), the bathtub sequence etc., are very funny. Raja using his modus operandi of narrating a sad story followed by his phone ringing is devoid of logic but makes for a fun watch despite getting repetitive. But there are also few scenes that don’t work. Post-interval, it becomes tedious to see Prem and Raja being held up as a result of mistaken identity. But thankfully, the climax is where the film picks up.

The film’s story is a no-brainer but works for the intended audience. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay is effective and entertaining. But it could have been better and a lot more imaginative in certain places, especially in the second half. Farhad-Sajid’s dialogues are one of the highpoints. The duo is known for playing with words very well and has taken several films to great heights. JUDWAA 2 is no exception.

David Dhawan’s direction is simple and uncomplicated despite handling a plot related to mistaken identities. However, at some places, he lets the somewhat flawed script take over and doesn’t do much with his direction to salvage the situation. Also, the original JUDWAA was much better and at places, even slightly more logical. But JUDWAA 2 is an all-out illogical fare and at places, it falters. Moreover, there are too many characters and it’s bewildering to see the way he has handled the characters of Charles and Inspector Dhillon (Pavan Raj Malhotra) towards the end.

Varun Dhawan as expected delivers a terrific performance. The actor is in top form and the manner in which he ups the entertainment quotient with his quirks and dance moves is seen to be believed. He reminds one of Salman Khan and Govinda of the 90s and the frenzy they created. In today’s times, Varun Dhawan is the only actor who’s doing such roles on screen and that’s a very big plus for him and for the film as well. Jacqueline Fernandez looks extremely gorgeous and performance-wise, she is fine. Taapsee Pannu however looks a bit out of place. She is not that glamorous and moreover, she seems to be in the PINK mode, talking like her character from that film. Vivan Bhatena looks dashing and does well in a supporting role. Sachin Khedekar and Prachee Shah Paandya are decent. Rajpal Yadav is hilarious and brings the house down in certain scenes. Upasna Singh goes overboard. Ali Asgar also is a bit over the top but it works for his character. Pavan Raj Malhotra has an interesting character but is not utilized well after a point. Anupam Kher is first-rate but Atul Parchure is strictly okay. Manoj Pahwa (Sharafat Ali) fails to raise laughs but Johny Lever is very funny. Rajat Rawail and Farhad (jewellery shop salesman) are okay while Vikas Verma (Rocky) gets no scope. Salman Khan is cool in his cameo. Though the writer should have tried being a little more imaginative for his cameo scene.

The music of the film is good but not great. The songs from original JUDWAA are the ones that work well – ‘Chalti Hai Kya’ and ‘Oonchi Hai Building’. From the new songs, ‘Suno Ganpati Bappa Morya’ works to an extent while ‘Aa To Sahii’ is forgettable. Sandeep Shirodkar’s background score however is very entertaining. The cunning tune used in the scenes of Charles will keep circling in one’s mind for some time for sure.

Ganesh Acharya and Bosco Martis’s choreography is eye-catching and one of the highlights of the film. Ayananka Bose’s cinematography is satisfactory. ANL Arasu’s action is massy and not too gory which works for this kind of a film. Ritesh Soni’s editing is simple and Rajat Poddar’s production design is very grand and rich and gives the film a great look. The costumes are also quite lovely, especially the ones worn by Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu.

On the whole, JUDWAA 2, despite all the goofs, flaws and clichés, comes across as a decent paisa-vasool entertainer. At the box office, it has the potential to keep the cinegoers happy as it is quite massy and audiences have been deprived of quality content since a long time.

There’s a foodie hidden in all of us. Hence, films based on food can work big time with the audiences. In the past, SALAAM NAMASTE, CHEENI KUM and LUV SHUV TEY CHICKEN KHURANA too dealt with food as the subject and impressed the viewers. CHEF, as the title suggests is a ‘food film’ of sorts and what’s more, it also speaks about the challenges faced by parents and children that is a burning and a very relatable topic. So does CHEF impress or does it fail to entertain the audiences, let’s analyse.

CHEF is the story of a father who connects with his son during a fun gastronomical trip across India. Roshan Kalra (Saif Ali Khan) is a chef in New York. He is divorced and his son Armaan (Svar Kamble) stays with his mother Radha Menon (Padmapriya Janakiraman) in Cochin. Due to his work commitments, Roshan finds it difficult to come down to Cochin and spend time with Armaan. Roshan also has a high temper and one day he punches a customer who complains about his cooking. Roshan is fired from his job and he uses this opportunity to come to Cochin. He does the much needed bonding with his son. When the times comes to go back to New York, Roshan is offered an opportunity to run a food truck or rather a ‘food bus’ by Radha’s close friend Biju (Milind Soman). Roshan decides to take the truck from Cochin to Delhi and give the people of his hometown a gastronomical treat. Armaan also joins him along with his protégé Nuzroon (Chandan Roy Sanyal). What happens next forms the rest of the film.

CHEF is based on the much-loved Hollywood film by the same name, made by Jon Favreau. But as the trailers have already made it clear, the Hindi version is not a scene-by-scene remake and several changes have been done, probably to suit the Indian audiences. The story penned by Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair and Raja Krishna Menon is simple and decent. Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair and Raja Krishna Menon’s screenplay is effective with nice dollops of humour.

CHEF starts on a slow note. Roshan’s two minute long childhood portion is lovely but the New York sequence is very dry. The portions involving Roshan’s outburst in front of the customer and later in the kitchen seem unconvincing. Also, Roshan’s conversation with Vinnie (Sobhita Dhulipala) in his apartment doesn’t really engage. Thankfully, the film picks up when Roshan arrives in India and meets his son and ex-wife. Roshan teasing Armaan over his crush and Roshan-Armaan’s trip to Delhi and Amritsar are well-executed. The Father-son relationship is the highpoint of the movie. Also, Roshan’s jealousy for Biju is funny. The second half is when the road trip begins also puts a smile on your face. CHEF being in the ‘food porn’ zone, several scenes are sure to water your mouth though one expected to see more food visuals in this film.  There are several scenes which happen very conveniently – the manner in which people throng to Roshan’s food bus and the way it becomes famous seem illogical.

Saif Ali Khan delivers a marvellous performance and impresses thoroughly with his trademark humour. Even in the emotional and confrontational sequences, he shines. Interestingly, he takes a dig at himself in the film and it’s really funny and unexpected. Svar Kamble is highly impressive and has some crucial scenes. He performs ably and his bonding with Saif looks quite real. Padmapriya Janakiraman looks stunning and delivers a very real and restrained performance. She ensures that she makes an impact in this father-son saga. Chandan Roy Sanyal delivers a very adorable performance but gets limited scope to showcase his acting talent. Milind Soman as always looks great and delivers a competent performance. Dinesh P Nair (Alex, the driver) is hilarious and his looks and character leave a huge mark. Sobhita Dhulipala is wasted. Ram Gopal Bajaj is quite nice in a small role. Raghu Dixit has a nice cameo in the film as well.

Raghu Dixit’s music goes well with the mood of the film. ‘Shugal Laga Le’ is like the anthem of the film. ‘Banjara’ has the exhilarating feel. ‘Tere Mere’ doesn’t make an impact while ‘Darmiyaan’ is very well presented. Raghu Dixit’s background score is foot tapping. Priya Seth’s cinematography is lovely and delectable, especially the food scenes. But even the locales of Kerala and Amritsar are captured beautifully. Also Shiv Kumar Panicker’s editing is satisfactory. Anuradha Shetty’s production design is very nice especially her work on the food bus.

On the whole, CHEF is a feel good cerebral entertainer that charms you with its simplicity. At the box office, it should appeal to the target group of multiplex audience that appreciates discerning cinema. The film has the potential to grow with a good word of mouth.

It’s 2017, yet it’s not uncommon to see that many don’t have the liberty to pursue the dream of their choice. SECRET SUPERSTAR, helmed by first-time director Advait Chandan, tells one such extra-ordinary story and emphasizes that exceptional talent can’t be hidden or suppressed – it’s bound to come to the fore some day.

An Aamir Khan production is special. Recall the films the reputed production house has produced over the years. The expectations from SECRET SUPERSTAR are obviously sky-high. Does it live up to those expectations? Does Advait deliver as a storyteller? Let’s get to the point right away: SECRET SUPERSTAR is one of the finest films of the year, no two opinions about it.

SECRET SUPERSTAR narrates the story of an aspiring singer who faces roadblocks in fulfilling her dream. Insia [Zaira Wasim] is a school-going girl based in Vadodara. She has a lovely voice and dreams of being a top singer. Her mother Najma [Meher Vij] supports Insia’s dream, but her father Farookh [Raj Arjun] is thoroughly against the idea due to his conservative mindset. He tries everything – from force to destroying Insia’s guitar – to stop her from fulfilling her dreams. She, however, remains adamant.

Insia takes to the internet and posts videos of her singing. Wearing a burkha, she makes sure only her eyes are visible in order to keep her identity concealed. She’s taken by surprise when her videos go viral. Enter Shakti Kumar [Aamir Khan], a brash, lecherous but successful music composer. Insia gets a chance to meet Shakti. What happens next forms the rest of the story.

To start with, SECRET SUPERSTAR hits the right notes. The goings-on make you laugh and also leave you moist-eyed in certain scenes. In fact, you go through varied emotions in those 2.30 hours. In today’s times, when there’s a demand from certain sections of audiences to have fast-paced films with a runtime of less than 2 hours or 2 hours, SECRET SUPERSTAR neither moves too swiftly nor drags – the pace is just perfect.

The characters are neatly introduced and the storyteller remains faithful to the material. Certain moments stay with you even after the culmination of the movie: The presence of the father shakes you up and one can feel the tension… The penultimate 20-25 minutes are outstanding and give you goosebumps… Also, one of the high-points of the movie is the focus on the mother-daughter relationship… The friendship bond between Zaira and Tirth, her school friend, is very cute.

Advait handles the subject with utmost sensitivity. Not only does the film mirror the conservative attitude that exists in our society, but also makes a comment on women empowerment. The screenplay is uncomplicated, while the dialogue are simple and conversational.

Any glitches? Not really, except that the middle of the second hour could’ve been tighter. That’s it!

Zaira wins you over with a heartfelt act. She’s in splendid form in SECRET SUPERSTAR. It is surely a worthy follow up to her sparkling act in DANGAL. Her emotional outburst before the climax of the movie or the speech towards the final moments prove that she’s a powerhouse of talent. Aamir is the catalyst in Zaira’s journey and he enacts the of over the top, loud and brash character flawlessly. He lets Zaira shine as he relegates himself to the background. Yet, it must be mentioned, only he could’ve essayed the character with such aplomb.

Meher is terrific and her performance is one of the key reasons why the character stands out. Raj Arjun is tremendous. Tirth has an important character and he is utmost natural. Farrukh Jaffer [Badi Appa] is superb in a significant role. Kabir Sajid [as Insia’s brother Guddu] is adorable.

The soundtrack [Amit Trivedi] is soothing and gels wonderfully with the genre of the film. ‘Main Kaun Hoon’ is the best of the lot, while ‘Meri Pyaari Ammi’ is lovely. Cinematography [Anil Mehta] is first-rate.

On the whole, SECRET SUPERSTAR is a complete package: refreshing plot, water-tight screenplay, exceptional performances and soulful soundtrack. Strongly recommended!

While there have been a lot of comedy films in Bollywood, horror comedy as a genre is rarely explored in Bollywood. BHOOL BHULAIYAA was one such rare attempt and it was loved big time. In recent times, GREAT GRAND MASTI also dealt with horror but it was more of a sex comedy than exactly a horror comedy. TUTAK TUTAK TUTIYA on the other hand never found awareness due to bad marketing campaign and as expected, sank without a trace. Now makers of GOLMAAL AGAIN take up the challenge of giving the audience a combo of laughs and terror. So does it give the audience a great time? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse

GOLMAAL AGAIN is the story of five friends who encounter strange occurrences when they visit their orphanage. Gopal (Ajay Devgn), Madhav (Arshad Warsi), Lucky (Tusshar Kapoor), Laxman Prasad Apte (Shreyas Talpade) and Laxman Sharma (Kunal Kemmu) are orphans who grew up in an orphanage owned by Jamnadas (Uday Tikekar). As kids, they were close to each other but then they became rivals. Gopal and Laxman Prasad Apte separated while Madhav, Lucky and Laxman Sharma went their own way. When they all grew up, they start working with land sharks and their job revolved around getting the plots vacated. This also created further friction among them. But when they learn that Jamnadas has passed away, they decide to iron out their differences and go together to the orphanage to pay their respects. They stay at Colonel Chouhan’s (Sachin Khedekar) bungalow located right next to Jamnadas Orphanage, where their childhood friend Anna (Tabu) is also residing. Anna has a special power – she can communicate with the dead. At the Colonel’s bungalow, Gopal gets attracted to the caretaker Damini (Parineeti Chopra). Meanwhile, Vasu Reddy (Prakash Raj), a builder and a close friend of Jamnadas announces that Jamnadas gave away the land to him where the orphanage is situated. He also says that he has decided to shift the kids at Bengaluru where he’ll provide them with better facilities. Gopal is ghost-fearing person and he starts to see the spirit of Jamnadas’s dead daughter (Ashwini Kalsekar). However, the truth is something else and when the five friends find out, it shocks them like never before. What is that truth and what happens next forms the rest of the film.

GOLMAAL AGAIN is drastically different from the previous GOLMAAL films, not just because of the horror element. There’s a lot more drama and emotional moments than what one would expect. However, it works more or less although few sequences lack punch, especially in the second hour. The first half is 1.30 hours long and neatly incorporates comedy, madness and also the horror bit. One of the highpoints of the film is how Gopal, Laxman and Lucky get possessed and start speaking like Nana Patekar. It’s sure to bring the house down! Also hilarious is the sequence where the five friends fight over samosa. But the best is reserved for the intermission point – the film reaches on a high in this sequence! The second half however gets a bit serious although Pandu’s (Vrajesh Hirjee) sequence provides laughs. The climax is well helmed but audiences might have reservations since they must have ventured into the theatre expecting an out and out comic caper.

Rohit Shetty‘s story is interesting and a bit complicated thanks to so many characters. But it’s put together well. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay does justice to this complex storyline. The horror is such that it won’t scare the hell out of viewers. At the same time, it’s not even amateur. A nice balance is maintained and that’s definitely praiseworthy. Few sequences however are taken from the previous GOLMAAL films, especially GOLMAAL 3. A section of audience however might not like that as the jokes get repetitive. Farhad-Sajid’s dialogues are hilarious and provide laughter. But shockingly, at a few places, they fall flat. This is especially in the beginning portions of Babli (Sanjay Mishra). Rohit Shetty’s direction is interesting and it’s good to see him trying to attempt something different. Notice the flashback sequence in the second half when a prominent character is killed and it’s depicted in black and white. Also, the sequence where Lucky, Madhav and the two Laxmans are reading the diary while Gopal is out there fighting the baddies. These sequences are executed very well and it shows that Rohit has evolved.

Ajay Devgn delivers a fine performance and it works, although it’s not something that he has not done before. He’s quite good in the dramatic portions in the second half. Parineeti Chopra has a crucial character and from the first sequence itself, there’s an element of mystery surrounding her character that adds to the fun. She looks beautiful and does a good job. Arshad Warsi is quite nice in his wicked avatar. Tusshar Kapoor impresses a lot with his mute act and also, as said above, he takes the cake in the scene where he gets possessed. Shreyas Talpade leaves a mark thanks to his lisp which contributes to laughter at several places. Kunal Kemmu gets a bit lost in the crowd but nevertheless, gets a chance to show his worth. Tabu is restrained and underplays her part very well. Neil Nitin Mukesh is too good in the negative part. It suits him well. Prakash Raj plays the baddie nicely but his comic timing is brilliant. The sequence where he dances like a madman will be loved for sure. Johny Lever too gives a performance that would provide entertainment. His speech during Jamnadas’s ‘tervi’ is hilarious. Sanjay Mishra is funny but only at places. Vrajesh Hirjee repeats his act and is fair. Mukesh Tiwari, Ashwini Kalsekar, Murli Sharma, Sachin Khedekar, Uday Tikekar and Vijay Patkar are good in their cameo appearances.

The music of the film is strictly average. The Title Track is exciting and same goes for ‘Maine Tujhko Dekha’. ‘Hum Nahi Sudhrenge’ is decent while ‘Itna Sannata Kyun Hai’ is played during end credits. Amar Mohile’s background score is exhilarating especially in the post-interval scenes. Bunty Nagi’s editing is nothing special. Jomon T John’s cinematography is satisfactory. Sunil Rodrigues’s action and Rohit Shetty’s action design is appealing although it’s not novel. One has seen it before in Rohit’s own films. Also, the trademark cars toppling and explosion sequences are missing. Swapnil Bhalerao, Tajamul Shaikh and Madhur Madhavan’s production design is very nicely done and noticeable. N Y VFXwaala’s visual effects are rich.

On the whole GOLMAAL AGAIN is an ideal fun ride which delivers ample entertainment quotient without any logic. An out-and-out entertainer, it’s sure to light up the celebratory festive mood. At the box office, the movie has all it takes to emerge as a sure-fire hit although the real test of the film will begin post Monday.

Road trip has been a favourite genre for filmmakers across the Bollywood and our Bollywood makers are no exception. But in our films, it’s usually the guys (ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA, DIL CHAHTA HAI) that are travelling or a group (PIKU, YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI, DIL DHADAKNE DO), or in some cases only the hero and the heroine (JAB WE MET, TAMASHA) that are going around and making merry. We have never a female road trip film, though QUEEN was a story of a girl but it can’t really come under the road trip genre. Howard Rosemeyer attempts to make the first female road trip film of Bollywood. So does it entertain and motivate viewers to pack their bags and go on a holiday or does it highly disappoint? Let’s analyse.

JIA AUR JIA is the story of two girls with the same name but contrasting personalities. Jia Venkatraman (Richa Chadha) is a banker who’s demure, serious and running from a troubled past. Jia Garewal (Kalki Koechlin) on the other hand is carefree and free-spirited. They sign up for a trip to Sweden and get each other as tour partners. Jia Venkatraman ran a successful company but she was ousted from there thanks to the devious plans of Arvind Jaisingh (Sudhanshu Pandey) with whom she was romantically involved. Jia Venkatraman turns suicidal and her purpose of the Sweden trip is to end her life. Unknown to Jia Venkatraman, Jia Garewal might seem happy go lucky but even she is hiding a painful truth. What is that truth and how it changes the life of Jia Venkatraman forms the rest of the film.

JIA AUR JIA’s introductory sequence is interesting. But the film falls immediately after that. The airplane sequence where Jia Garewal manages to secure a business class seat is supposed to be funny but fails to raise laughs. And this issue continues right till the end – except a dialogue or two, nothing is hilarious. The writing is terrible with too many unconvincing sequences. It’s bewildering how Vasu (Arsalan Goni) agrees to marry Jia Garewal despite knowing the truth. Not even once does audience feel it’s believable as the character is just not developed properly. One expects the finale at least to be sensible. But alas, the climax is maddening and senseless.

Kalki Koechlin is the only one who seems interested in giving a credible performance. She does look fake as a person who is fully filmy but as compared to other actors in the film, she is the best. Richa Chadha is a fine actress but doesn’t seem to be in form. She looks disinterested and her constant sobbing doesn’t work for her character much. Arslan Goni’s performance suffers due to weak characterization. Sudhanshu Pandey and Zarina Wahab (Jia Garewal’s mother) get no scope.

Music is situational and might have worked if the film had some salt. ‘Nach Basanti’ is the best of the lot. ‘Na Shukre’ and ‘Na Jaa’ doesn’t work as both are relegated to the background and that too during some really bad sequences. Sameer Nichani’s background music is decent. Shakil Khan’s cinematography is very bad and the extreme close ups of actors is an eye sore. The film’s aim is also to attract tourists to Sweden. But even in that regard, the film fails due to bad cinematography. Even the stock footage is of inferior quality. Prashant S Rathore and Sandeep Kurup’s editing is juvenile. Shahid Aamir and Manali Jagtap’s costumes are however appealing.

On the whole, JIA AUR JIA is a poor show all the way laced with a very bad script and poor direction.  At the box office, it will be a failure.

Back in 2011, we saw the release of the film THOR featuring Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, later in 2013 we saw him return in THE DARK WORLD and save the earth with assistance from his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Since then we have seen the God of Thunder return as a part of the Avengers series where he fought alongside earth’s mightiest warriors to defend the planet again from Ultron. Well, now we see him return to the big screen with the film THOR: RAGNAROK. But will the film which is the third in the series work as a ‘Marvel’ at the box office or will it like some of the other sequels fail to match up to the previous films. Let’s analyse.

First off, THOR: RAGNAROK starts off with the God of Thunder imprisoned on the other side of the universe. Here he finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). From here on the film follows Thor’s journey as he battles Hela with the assistance of his brother Loki and others. But will the Asgardian succeed in defeating the all-powerful Hela or will his world fall, is what makes up the rest of the film.

The film starts off with a monologue by Thor who is being held captive on an alien planet in chains. From here, the film introduces Surtur voiced by Clancy Brown who explains that he is the reckoning of Asgard. After learning this, Thor who has of late been plagued with visions of his home world being destroyed promptly goes ahead and vanquishes his foe. One done, Thor heads back to Asgard only to learn that Odin (Anthony Hopkins) isn’t really who he seems to be. Post learning this, he then sets out on a mission to find his father and restore Asgard back to its glory. Thor accompanied by Loki finds Odin only to be told that his time has come, and along with that Hela the goddess of death will be released from her prison. Hela, who was once Odin’s right hand grew too powerful and her thirst to acquire the throne of Asgard lead her to be imprisoned.

After Odin’s death, Thor and Loki come face to face with Hela, who proves to be too strong for them. In an attempt to flee back to Asgard via the bifrost, the two inadvertently offer Hela a ride back as well. While on the way back to Asgard, within the bifrost beam, a second skirmish breaks out which tosses Loki and Thor into the abyss. Fortunately, both of them land separately on the plant Sakaar. Here, Thor who lands much after Loki finds himself being held prisoner yet again, this time without the assistance of his hammer Molinor that was destroyed in the first fight with Hela. Sakaar, which is ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), is a planet of the rejects who live to witness the gladiatorial fights that are a regular feature. Thor who has shown potential as a warrior is pitted against the Grandmaster’s champion who happens to be the Hulk. Thrilled at seeing a familiar face, Thor tries his best to get the mindless brute to assist him in returning back to Asgard to defeat Hela. In the meantime back on Asgard, Hela reigns supreme as she lays waste to the entire Asgardian army while resurrecting her own army of the dead. What follows is a grand battle between Thor and Hela with Asgard as the prize.

Chris Hemsworth, who has reprised the role of Thor in the previous films as well, does a good job with the character. However, given the fact that unlike the previous films in the Thor series, RAGNAROK features a lot more colour combined with a fun comic elements that keep the proceedings peppy and fast. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is good in his part as the god of mischief; however it is Cate Blanchett as Hela who steals the show. Very rarely do you see a character developed with such power and menace that just the visual of her can make your hair stand. The last time a character like this was seen on screen, it was in The Dark Knight with Heath Ledger essaying the role of the Joker. Due credit goes to the writers of the film who have done a marvelous job of interweaving a back story for Hela into the film’s proceedings without diverging from the current track.

Another point to mention here is the background score that keeps up the tempo to match the on-screen visuals and the constant exchange of witty lines that makes the film a fun watch.

Coupled with the performances, the VFX team have done an equally brilliant job of bringing a fantasy world to life. From costumes to the massive explosions and the larger than life action sequences, the team has done a stellar and seamless job of merging live action with CGI.

On the whole, THOR: RAGNAROK that features witty one liners, sarcastic humour and plenty of action makes for a fun watch. Well timed comic sequences and well-choreographed action sequences aplenty make the film a perfect masala entertainer. At the Indian box office, THOR: RAGNAROK stands a good chance of posting impressive numbers given that it’s releasing on a big scale and in multiple languages.

Whodunit and suspense is a loved genre across all sections of moviegoers. Bollywood however rarely churns out such films. Films like GUPT, KAUN, TALAASH, RACE etc. have been loved and had an intrigue value as these had the suspense element. Now ITTEFAQ, a remake of the 1969 film of the same name, is out and also promises some great suspense-laden entertainment. So does it shock the audiences or turns out to be a boring, predictable fare? Let’s analyse.

ITTEFAQ is the story of a two strangers who meet one night amidst killings and double crossings. Vikram Sethi (Sidharth Malhotra) is an acclaimed writer from London who is India for the launch of his third book. He goes to the hotel room post the event and finds that his wife Katherine (Kimberley McBeath) is no more. He calls the cops who try to frame him for the death. A paranoid Vikram runs away and takes refuge in the house of Maya (Sonakshi Sinha). When cops reach Maya’s residence, they realize that even her hubby Shekhar Sinha (Samir Sharma) is dead and Vikram is accused of murdering him. Dev Verma (Akshaye Khanna) is given the charge of investigating this high-profile case. Vikram maintains that he’s innocent and that he neither killed Katherine nor Shekhar. Meanwhile, Maya alleges that Vikram killed Shekhar. Dev is torn between the two versions of the story, and will not settle till he finds out what happened that night. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Abhay Chopra, Shreyas Jain and Nikhil Mehrotra’s story is inspired from the original ITTEFAQ but a lot of changes have been done. These changes however are quite weak and take the film down. Abhay Chopra, Shreyas Jain and Nikhil Mehrotra’s screenplay is okay and not engaging or gripping as required for a suspense, murder mystery.

ITTEFAQ starts on a thrilling note and the initial set up of the premise is intriguing. However, the film starts getting disappointing as it progresses further. The pace of the film is very slow. It’s just 107 minute long and yet, it gets boring and drags in the middle as nothing much is happening. Moreover, the film rests on a waferthin plot. There are only two suspects and hence the audience knows that one of them is indeed the culprit and therefore the identity of the culprit does not come across as a surprise. Ideally, there should be a lot more characters in a murder mystery so that one can never correctly guess the identity of the killer. That advantage is not there at all in ITTEFAQ. Moreover, it’s a dark film with no commercial aspects as well as songs. And most importantly, the film is riddled with huge loopholes and it’s shocking how these things got overlooked by the makers! The shoddy investigation done even by such an able police officer in the film is shocking.

Abhay Chopra, Shreyas Jain and Nikhil Mehrotra’s dialogues are interesting and witty in the first hour and that’s about it. In the later part of the film, there aren’t any interesting one-liners. Abhay Chopra’s direction is decent for a first-timer. But thanks to a flawed script, there’s not much he could have done to salvage the film. The climax of this film does shock but it comes too late in the day. As a result, it doesn’t startle you like it was intended to.

ITTEFAQ is a songless film. But BT and John Stewart Eduri’s background score is in sync with the film’s theme. The slightly loud theme in the end works well.

Michal Sebastian Luka’s cinematography is very good. Nitin Baid’s editing should have been slicker, especially in the middle portions. Bindiya Chhabria and Narii’s production design is a bit theatrical when it comes to Maya’s residence. But it’s quite real in the police station scenes.

On the whole, ITTEFAQ is a weak show and doesn’t get the grammar of whodunit right. The film is devoid of entertainment value as well as the shock element. At the box office, it will fail to make a mark.

The dynamics of relationships have undergone a change but it’s not reflected in most of our films. Tanuja Chandra takes up the challenge with QARIB QARIB SINGLLE and with this slice of life saga, she attempts to talk about the various facets of dating in today’s world. So does it connect with the viewers or fails in entertaining them? Let’s analyse.

QARIB QARIB SINGLLE is a story of two people who meet on a dating website and their journey across the country. Jaya (Parvathy Thiruvothu) is a 35 year old widow who feels a void in her life. She signs up on a dating website and meets a 40 year old poet Yogi (Irrfan Khan). He’s quirky, talkative and diametrically opposite to Jaya. But Jaya feels connected to him. Yogi claims that he has dated three girls in his life and they all miss him a lot still. Jaya tells him that he’s simply bragging. Yogi however remains adamant on his claims and tells her to join him in meeting them. Jaya refuses at first but then agrees. How this trip takes their relationship forward forms the rest of the film.

QARIB QARIB SINGLLE commences on a great note. The opening credits very well explain how lonely Jaya is. Jaya-Yogi’s first meeting is hilarious. The mischief that Yogi does with the lecherous men who had pinged Jaya on the dating app is sure to bring the house down. The real fun however begins when their trip commences and the various mishaps that happen on the way add to the fun. The Rishikesh episode is sweet and light. The Alwar episode has its moments but the film drags and the interest level drops. The interest however is revived in the Gangtok sequence.

Kamna Chandra’s story is extremely relatable as it talks about loneliness, need for relationship, dating apps etc. Also, the two main characters are well written which helps the film stand out. Tanuja Chandra and Gazal Dhaliwal’s screenplay is breezy and simple. The nuances and subtle hints are nicely inserted in the film. Gazal Dhaliwal’s dialogues are one of the highpoints of the film. Many one liners take the film on a high.

Tanuja Chandra’s direction is neat and the film is drastically different from the intense films that she has made in the past. She has handled the plot with maturity and sensitivity. This helps in giving the film a nice touch. At the same time, the film is very niche. The mainstream appeal is definitely missing. Also the film moves at a slow pace and the Alwar episode is a bit of a downer.

Irrfan Khan yet again delivers a spectacular performance. He is a pro when it comes to such quirky performances. Yet he ensures that you won’t be reminded of his similar previous performance. That’s no easy feat. Parvathy Thiruvothu is a powerhouse performer and steals the show. She is an unknown name in Bollywood as of now but after this film, she’ll surely be talked about. Brijendra Kala is funny in the cameo. Neha Dhupia (Anjali) is alright. Pushtiie Shakti (Radha) is impressive. Isha Sharvani (Gazal) is there for a one minute sequence and is alright. Siddharth Menon (Ashish) is quite good especially in his scenes with Yogi. Luke Kenny (Sidkong) is okay. Navneet Nishan and the actor playing the driver are good.

The songs sadly don’t make an impact. ‘Khatam Kahani’ is the most memorable. ‘Jaane De’ and ‘Tu Chale Toh’ are forgettable. The background score is subtle and effective. Eeshit Narain’s cinematography is breathtaking. The lensman has captured the locales of Rishikesh, Rajasthan and Gangtok beautifully. Chandan Arora’s editing is fair although few scenes are slightly stretched. Ravi Shrivastava’s production design is rich. Maria Tharakan and Kirti Kolwankar’s costumes are eye catching, especially the ones worn by Irrfan.

On the whole, QARIB QARIB SINGLLE is a feel good love story cum road trip film. Despite low buzz and not much of a mass appeal, the film leaves a smile on your face and has the potential for young and urban audiences.

Five years ago, Gauri Shinde in her directorial debut ENGLISH VINGLISH told a wonderful story of an enterprising housewife. What’s surprising is that there are millions of such women in India but very few films have been made on them. Suresh Triveni now takes up the challenge to talk about a housewife in TUMHARI SULU. But unlike ENGLISH VINGLISH, this one is more light-hearted and funny. So does it manage to touch audiences and make them smile or does it disappoint? Let’s analyse.

TUMHARI SULU is the story of an enterprising housewife who turns RJ with a late-night semi-adult radio show. Sulochana (Vidya Balan) is a homemaker in Mumbai and is happily married to Ashok (Manav Kaul) and also has a son, Pranav (Abhishek Sharrma). Sulochana has a strong desire to do something in life and not waste her time just serving her family. One day, she wins a pressure cooker on a radio show hosted by the popular RJ Albeli Anjali (Malishka Mendonsa). Sulochana goes to collect the cooker and happens to find out that the radio channel is looking for RJs. She approaches Maria (Neha Dhupia) who runs the radio station and tells her that she is interested. Maria gives her the late night slot and Sulochana is asked to run a semi-adult show. Sulochana starts working as an RJ and her show becomes a hit. How it leads to problems and madness in her life forms the rest of the film.

TUMHARI SULU commences beautifully and instantly sets the mood. The film is in the space of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee cinema and that’s a plus point. However after the introduction of the principle characters, the pace and the interest levels drop. The first half is devoid of meat. It’s only when Sulu decides to turn RJ and auditions for it is when the film becomes interesting. The second half is better as Sulu successfully runs the late night show. The manner in which Sulu balances her home as well as her job is nicely depicted. Also the way Sulu gets judged and taunted by her sisters comes across as very real. However, the pace of the film is very slow and that really affects the impact. Moreover the sudden success of Sulu’s show looks a bit unreal. The 140 minute long film should have been 15-20 minutes shorter. The climax is ambiguous and should have been a bit simpler. However the final scene makes up for it.

Suresh Triveni’s story is simple and extremely relatable. Suresh Triveni’s screenplay is impressive in most scenes but gets a bit dragging in few sequences. Suresh Triveni’s dialogues are realistic and witty at places. Special mention should also go to Vijay Maurya’s additional screenplay and dialogues. Suresh Triveni’s direction is uncomplicated and that works a lot for the film. The setting, the characters and their problems are as real as it gets and hence majority of the moviegoers would be able to connect with the goings on. But on the flipside, he takes his own sweet time to build up the story in the initial hour. The same happens in the middle of the second half too.

Vidya Balan is the soul of the film and she takes the film to another level altogether. This is her most accomplished work after KAHAANI and is bound to impress one and all. As the happy go lucky housewife, she gets into the skin of her character and performs with perfection. Manav Kaul looks dashing and compliments Vidya very well. He gets to play an interesting character and comes out with flying colours. Neha Dhupia looks glamorous and performs very well. Vijay Maurya (Pankaj) is hilarious in the first hour. Though he doesn’t have much to do in the second half, he leaves a mark. Abhishek Sharrma is decent. Malishka Mendonsa is confident in a cameo. Ayushmann Khurrana appears in a scene and is endearing. Seema Taneja (Sulu’s sister Aradhana) and Sindhu Shekharan (Sulu’s sister Kalpabna) are very good. Sonel Singh (receptionist Girija) leaves a mark especially in her first scene. Santanu Ghatak (Sachin, Ashok’s new pace) gives a convincing performance. Bhumika Dube (Gym receptionist) is fair while Trupti Khamkar (Ola driver) gets to essay a wonderful character and is memorable.

Talking of songs, ‘Hawa Hawai 2.0’ stands out and is well picturised. The next best is ‘Ban Ja Rani’ which has a realistic and endearing feel. ‘Farrata’ looks a bit out of place especially the shots of guys B-boying. ‘Rafu’ is soulful but gets a bit lost.

Karan Kulkarni’s background score is novel and enhances the interest. Saurabh Goswami’s cinematography is neat and satisfactory. Dhara Jain’s production design is straight out of life and highly convincing. Shivkumar Panicker’s editing should have been slicker. Rick Roy’s costumes are very authentic, especially the sarees worn by Vidya Balan.

On the whole, TUMHARI SULU is a lovely, endearing tale though the long length and the slow pace of the film might play spoilsport.

Though the tastes of the society has evolved, a suspense, erotic film that promises loads of skin show still has its share of audiences. MURDER [2004] was a game changer in this regard but many films later failed in this genre. Yet, these are seen as safe prospects and hence, they continue to be made. AKSAR 2 is a latest film that guarantees sex as well as thrill, just like its first part that released in 2006. So does AKSAR 2 manage to satisfy viewers or turns into a disappointing flick? Let’s analyse.

AKSAR 2 is the story of a governess of an ageing billionaire lady and how she becomes a pawn in the hands of those who want to steal her wealth. The governess of the ageing billionaire Mrs. Khambatta (Lillete Dubey) dies under mysterious circumstances. Her financial manager Pat (Gautam Rode) is asked to fill the vacancy immediately. Sheena Roy (Zareen Khan) is hired for the job. Despite Khambatta wanting an elderly lady, Pat manages to convince her to give Sheena a chance. However, the job doesn’t come easy for Sheena. Pat asks her to sleep with him if she wants to retain the job. Sheena needs the job desperately and also to support her boyfriend Ricky (Abhinav Shukla) who is facing financial crunch. Hence, Sheena submits to Pat’s advances. But suddenly things go wrong for Pat. Sheena shares secrets about Khambatta’s will that gives Pat’s sleepless nights. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

AKSAR 2’s biggest problem is that it’s dated in all respects. Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan seems to be stuck in the 90s and hence, the film fails to impress. The first half is still bearable as one hopes that the story might take an intriguing and exciting turn. But the film falls completely flat in the second half. The entire plan made by Sheena and her gang doesn’t make any sense. It’s bewildering why Bachchan Singh (Mohit Madaan) gets involved in the whole madness when he was not going to get even a single rupee. Just to surprise viewers and add twists, the film goes in a total nonsense zone. In fact, the climax is difficult to comprehend and doesn’t make an iota of sense.

Narendra Bajaj’s story is silly. Sanjeev Puri’s screenplay is unexciting. A suspense thriller needs to be engaging and gripping. AKSAR 2, however is slow and replete with insipid moments. Sanjeev Puri’s dialogues however are fine at places.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan’s direction is dated and doesn’t hold any appeal either for the multiplex audiences or even for the single screen audiences. The film is majorly promoted as an erotica but even the sex scenes are very few and far between. It’s shocking that on one hand, the director shines with films like GOUR HARI DASTAAN, DOCTOR RAKHMABAI, MEE SIDHUTAI SAPKAL etc and on the other hand, he makes a mockery of himself with THE XPOSE and now AKSAR 2.

Zareen Khan is strictly okay and though she is sizzling, it’s done just for the heck of it. She tries to be the female Emraan Hashmi but it doesn’t work for her. Performance-wise, she doesn’t give her best shot. Gautam Rode looks dashing but his performance leaves a lot to be desired. He’s shockingly hardly there in the second half. Abhinav Shukla tries too hard and looks too stylish for his character. Mohit Madaan is the best of the lot, especially when his character gets prominence. Lillete Dubey is decent. S Sreesanth (Gaurav), Rushad Rana (banker) and Denzil Smith (assassin) are strictly alright.

Mithoon’s music is nothing special and might have worked if it was used in some other, better film. ‘Jaana Ve’ and ‘Aaj Zid’ are incorporated to cater to the frontbenchers as it has loads of sex. ‘Tanhaiyaan’ appears in the second half and is forcefully put in the film. It looks very odd because the character is imagining having sex with a dead person and also crying since he’s no more! Background score however has the thrill-feel.

Maneesh Bhatt’s cinematography is fair but one can make out that the airport and monorail scenes have been shot using digital camera or Go Pro and it is quite visible. Allan Amin’s action is average. Muneesh Suppel’s production design is rich while Jeetendra Shah’s editing is fine.

On the whole, AKSAR 2 is a poor show all the way. It neither has enough sex nor thrill.

The craze for DC comics and its characters is unparalleled. Ever since the DC Extended Universe films are out, it has created a lot of buzz despite not so favourable response for MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. However, SUICIDE SQUAD was loved while WONDER WOMAN that released earlier this year got loads of appreciation. Now, the fifth film, JUSTICE LEAGUE, is out and does it manage to meet the humongous expectations? Or does it emerge as a letdown like the first two DC films? Let’s analyse.

JUSTICE LEAGUE is the story of a group of superheroes coming together for a greater cause. After the death of Superman (Henry Cavill), Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Ben Affleck) and his new found ally Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) assemble a team of heroes and outcasts consisting of Barry Allen aka The Flash (Ezra Miller), Arthur Curry aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Victor Stone aka Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Their mission is to defeat Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) and his army of Parademons. Steppenwolf is trying to search for the three ancient Mother Boxes scattered around the Earth and unite them for unlimited power. How the members of the Justice League put aside their differences and weaknesses and battle it out with Steppenwolf forms the rest of the film.

THE AVENGERS series of Marvel is extremely successful and has formed a benchmark of sorts in this genre. JUSTICE LEAGUE however fails to reach that level. The conflicts and conversations between the superheroes are not as exciting. Few of the jokes of Flash fall flat, shockingly. The villain’s entry is evil and scary but in the later part of the film, he doesn’t seem as powerful as one expects him to be. Also, one doesn’t feel connected to the guilt faced by Bruce over the demise of the Superman. On the positive side however, the action scenes and the VFX save the day. The film is just 120 minutes long and thankfully, the story moves quite swiftly. Wonder Woman’s entry is terrific. Also, Flash’s introductory scene makes for a nice watch. Post-interval, the entire bit related to Superman does raise interest level. Even though the pace drops in this sequence, it’s quite touching. The finale is explosive but the film leaves a lot to be desired. One has seen better superhero films than these and in this regard, JUSTICE LEAGUE will surely disappoint fans.

Chris Terrio and Zack Snyder’s story is nothing new. Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon’s screenplay however could have been more interesting and engaging. This was crucial because viewers have been exposed to a lot of superhero films in the last 5-6 years and in that regard, JUSTICE LEAGUE should have stood out. Also, the previous few films of DC haven’t done that well and JUSTICE LEAGUE was a chance to get back in the big league. But the routine screenplay ensures that JUSTICE LEAGUE turns to be an average fare. Zack Snyder’s direction still has its charm, but only in certain places. He’s a pro when it comes to slo-mo scenes and the scenes of Flash are very well helmed. Even the introductory scene is presented in classic Snyder style and is worth a watch. But he could have done better and taken JUSTICE LEAGUE to another level which he doesn’t.

Performance-wise, Ben Affleck delivers an apt performance. Viewers have now accepted him as Batman and he manages to put up a good show. Gal Godot is gorgeous as expected and enhances impact in several scenes. The super success of WONDER WOMAN has made viewers hope for more of Gal in this flick and thankfully in that regard, she doesn’t disappoint viewers. Ezra Miller is sincere but somewhere, it doesn’t have the desired impact. Jason Momoa looks dashing and delivers an effective performance although his screen time is limited. Ray Fisher gives a fine performance and shines even in the emotional scenes. Henry Cavill has a very important part to play and he rocks the show. Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth) is decent. Amy Adams (Lois Lane) does very well in a supporting part. Ciarán Hinds looks quite villainous and convincing and performance-wise, he is okay. Diane Lane (Martha Kent) leaves a mark in a cameo. Connie Nielsen (Hippolyta), Joe Morton (Silas Stone) and others do well.

Danny Elfman’s music is dramatic but also subtle and not in-your-face. Fabian Wagner’s cinematography is eye-catching. David Brenne, Richard Pearson and Martin Walsh’s editing is simple and neat. Patrick Tatopoulos’s production design is rich, just like you’d expect in any big superhero Hollywood film. VFX and action are two of the most important reasons why this film succeeds to a great extent.

On the whole, JUSTICE LEAGUE is an average superhero flick and nowhere near the rival Marvel’s THE AVENGERS series. The film’s story is nothing exciting while the characters are interesting but the bond between them is not electrifying as such. This one is only for the die-hard fans! At the box office, with the dubbed version not getting a timely release, its business in India would surely be limited.

There are a number of things that go into making a movie entertaining for the viewers and eventually a box office success. While some have cracked this formula, there are others who struggle with it. However in the case of an animated film, the rules are different, as apart from the usual list of factors that work in favour of a film, there is a whole list of other aspects that help bring to life what the viewers sees on screen. This week’s release COCO falls squarely in this bracket of animated films that try to bring to life a make belief world while at the same time, entertain the viewer.

COCO that comes from the very capable animation farm Disney Pixar, comes pre-attached with expectations of past Disney – Pixar successes that have not just entertained us but have become films that will live on for a long time. But the question of the hour is, will Disney-Pixar’s latest celluloid marvel COCO, prove to be one among the few that have managed to enthral the audience or will it become just another animated reel that gets forgotten, is what we analyse.

Starting off, COCO follows the life of Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), a young boy who finds his happiness in music. Though Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, his family’s generations-old ban on music proves to be quite a hindrance. Desperate to prove his talent, while at the same time keeping his family from finding out his love for music and eventually being hurt, Miguel sets out on a quest to fulfil his dream. Along the way, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful ‘Land of the Dead’ following a mysterious chain of events, where he meets the charming trickster Hector. Together, Miguel and Hector set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Being a film whose story revolves around one particular day, specifically Mexico’s Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, the director of COCO Lee Unkrich faced an uphill task of telling an entire story that spans generations in just a 24 hour time span. If that wasn’t enough, given the fact that the Mexican festival plays an integral part of the film’s story, the makers would also have to incorporate the nuances and culture of the land and people within the fabric of the film. Fortunately, Unkrich and his team have excelled in this department giving us a film that boasts of flawless research work about culture and traditions that does full justice to the Mexican festival where the living remember the dead.

Being an animated film, COCO relies on voiceovers and impeccable animation. Here again Unkrich and his team of animators have given us a sight to behold. With seamless animation and spot on voice overs by the cast, COCO comes to life in all the vibrant colours you would expect a festival to feature. Coupled with the animation and flawless research is an impeccable script that well intersperses light and emotionally heavy moments to take viewers on a ride they won’t forget. A special mention here needs to go to Adrian Molina and Matthew Aldrich who have done a stellar job with the screenplay, giving each character a depth and relatability that promptly establishes an emotional connect with viewers easily. However, adding a much greater dimension to the film (apart from its 3D aspect) is the music of the film. Michael Giacchino Excel’s in developing the film’s score that lends COCO an extra facet that helps enthral the viewer.

On the whole, COCO is a beautiful coming of age film that tells the story of a young boy’s life in a small Mexican town, who follows his heart while coming to understand what family really means, the choices we make and the paths not taken. A well rounded Pixar offering that might just be its best till date, COCO is a well-crafted must watch for the young and old. At the Indian box office, the film will have to depend on word of mouth to grow.

The Harvey Weinstein incident has sent shockwaves around the world and has once again put the spotlight on the existence of casting couch in the business of cinema. It’s coincidental that at this juncture, Deepak Shivdasani is out with his film, JULIE 2, which also talks about this aspect. The issue is definitely relatable and the numerous sex scenes can ensure that the film will get frontbenchers in large numbers. So does JULIE 2 manage to entertain and titillate? Or does it fail in its endeavour? Let’s analyse.

JULIE 2 is the story of a girl who is forced to compromise in order to climb the ladder of success in Bollywood. Julie (Raai Laxmi) is a successful film actress who has bagged the biopic of the late Sumitra Devi, the wife of power broker Ashwini Asthana (Pankaj Tripathi). Four months later, she converts to Christianity on her 25^th birthday and then informs everyone by addressing a press conference about it. After the press conference, she goes to a jewellery shop where four goons enter to loot. They end up gunning down Julie. Julie is immediately hospitalized. ACP Dev Dutt (Aditya Srivastava) is given the task and he arrests the four accused in a few hours. But he fails to understand why on earth they would attempt to murder Julie when they have simply come to loot the shop. He approaches Annie Aunty (Rati Agnihotri), make-up artist and mentor of Julie, and she narrates to him how difficult it was for Julie to make it big in the film industry. What happens next and how ACP Dev Dutt finds out the truth forms the rest of the film.

JULIE 2 is advertised like a sleaze fest but there are hardly any titillating scenes in the film. In fact, the first half is devoid of any such sequence, except a few shots in the title song, which is played in the opening credits. The scene where bullets are pumped into Julie in the first 15 minutes does intrigue. The investigation by ACP Dev Dutt is too filmy but makes for a nice watch. However, the flashback portions are not that great. In fact, there are too many tracks in the film – the investigation, Julie’s rise and fall and rise in Bollywood and Julie’s bond with the various men who come into her life. The whole bit is not put together well. Julie is shown to be desperate for love and is heartbroken when she realizes that all men just want to sleep with her. But suddenly in the end, she comes out as an anti-corruption crusader and it’s very unconvincing. The entire Sumitra Devi track, which forms the major part of climax, is also childish and difficult to digest. The film ends all of a sudden and one wonders what exactly the point of the film was at all.

Deepak Shivdasani’s story gives a déjà vu of Madhur Bhandarkar’s HEROINE [2012] and even THE DIRTY PICTURE [2011]. But overall, it’s senseless. Deepak Shivdasani’s screenplay fails to keep all the tracks in sync. In fact, it’s all over the place. Deepak Shivdasani’s dialogues are silly and 90s types, that doesn’t work, even in mass centres in today’s times. Deepak Shivdasani’s direction is also dated. It cheats audiences as the promos and posters suggest loads of titillation. But instead, the film has just few minutes of lovemaking scenes and that too much later in the second half. Few questions remain unanswered right till the end.

Performance wise, Raai Laxmi manages to put a good show. She has oomph and also acting wise, she is decent. She is one of the major reasons why the film is bearable. Aditya Srivastava is nice but offers nothing new. He’s playing the same character that he plays in the long-running crime TV show ‘CID’. Rati Agnihotri is alright and hams at places. Ravi Kishen (Ravi Kumar) is fine as a southern superstar. Pankaj Tripathi is the only one who plays his part with conviction. Nishikant Kamat (Mohit) does well but is an odd choice for a romantic hero. His track suddenly ends in the first half and it seemed like the director was desperate to culminate his scenes so that he can move on to Julie’s next chapter. Sahil Salathia (Cricketer Vikram) leaves a mark in a cameo. Dev Gill (Atif Lala) overacts a lot and his character could have been quite interesting but the writing ruined it. Asad Khan (Ambani) gives a good performance. Anant Jog (Benefit Rao), Viveck Vaswani (Shanti), Dolly Mattoo (Julie’s mother) and Yuri Suri (Julie’s step father) are passable.

Music is poor. ‘Oh Julie’ works as it’s shown during opening credits. ‘Kabhi Jhoota Lagta Hai’ is forgettable. ‘Kharama Kharama’ is a very poor inspired version of ‘Ooh La La’ and ‘Naino Mein Sapna’. ‘Mala Seenha’ and ‘Koi Hausla Ho Toh’ come almost back to back and are forced to give the film a sizzling touch. John Stewart Eduri’s background score is dramatic. Sameer Reddy’s cinematographer is simple. Asif Ali Shaikh’s editing is nothing special. Tinnu Verma’s action is too filmy for 2017 tastes. Ashley Rebello and Tanushka Kitt’s costumes are glamorous. N Dharma Rao’s production design is theatrical.

On the whole, JULIE 2 is a senseless saga and has very few sizzling scenes. The buzz has already died down and hence, the film has no chance to excel at the box office.

Making a period film that is set in the pre-independence era is no easy task. Recreating the mannerisms, setting, costume and prevalent atmosphere of that time is a feat which if done well, turns out to be a visual spectacle. With FIRANGI, debutant director Rajiev Dhingra attempts just that. But will the film that stars Television’s funny man Kapil Sharma entice the audience or will it like so many other period dramas be lost in the history, is what we analyse.

FIRANGI starts off with a voice over by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, who details the settings and atmosphere of the pre-independence era and India’s fight for freedom. At the same time, the narrative describes the setting of the quaint little town where the film’s lead protagonist Manga (Kapil Sharma) lives. From there on, the film follows Manga’s struggle to land a job within the police for the British forces where he fails repeatedly. However, Manga has one special gift; he is able to rectify any spinal ailment with just a kick. This special ability lands Manga the much elusive job with a local British officer Mark Daniel (Edward Sonnenblick). However, unfortunately due to his new job, his marriage proposal to a neighbouring village girl Sargi (Ishita Dutta) gets rejected since he is now classified as a British slave. Making matters worse, the local king, Raja Inderveer Singh (Kumud Mishra) is intent on usurping the village land where Sargi lives, to set up a liquor factory in partnership with Mark Daniel. As part of this plan to usurp the village land, both Raja Inderveer and Mark Daniel come up with a plan to gain the land with rightful consent of the villagers, by tricking them. Manga, whose love also lives in the same village, tries his best to appeal to his master to save the land. However matters go from bad to worse with Manga getting stuck smack in the middle of the unintentional mess. Will Manga save the village land? Will he marry the love of his life Sargi? Or will the British officer Daniel and Raja Inderveer be successful is what forms the rest of the film.

Starting off the film is slow, and meanders along without any semblance of a story or plot line. For almost the first hour of the movie, the camera simply follows Kapil Sharma’s character Manga as he goes about his ordinary life. It is only towards the interval where things begin to pick up with a story being formed as the relation between the various characters shown on the screen in the first hour come in contact with each other and a sinister plot evolves. However, though the film begins to pick pace post the interval, the onscreen proceedings slow down again drastically. With long drawn out sequences and a placid screenplay, FIRANGI becomes a drag. However, it does manage to perk up again towards the last half hour. Coupled with this, the lack of catchy music, weak writing, screenplay that goes all over, and most importantly the lack of comic element greatly diminishes the film’s appeal.

Talking about direction, debutante director Rajiev Dhingra seems to be heavily inspired by Aamir Khan‘s LAGAAN. From the film’s main plot points, its presentation, the storyline, and narration using Amitabh Bachchan’s voice before the start and at the climax, FIRANGI in many places seems eerily similar to the Aamir Khan starrer. Though Rajiev Dhingra does decent for a debutante director, one wishes that he had worked on the script harder and reduced the length of the film, especially in the first half.

Coming to the performances, Kapil Sharma does not do what he is known for. He doesn’t play a comic character; instead he is very serious and intense in the film. Audiences who will venture into the theatres expecting TV’s funny man to be at his best will be sorely disappointed to see him offer almost no humor in his film. On the other hand, Kapil’s romantic scenes with Ishita Dutta are highly intense at times. In fact, in certain areas his performance comes across as more intense than even Shah Rukh Khan’s romantic moments, but this may not necessarily work in his favour and may backfire on him. The lead actress of FIRANGI, Ishita Dutta, on the other hand, doesn’t get much scope in the film. She has a small part in the first half and is completely missing from the second half of the film, only to emerge during the climax scene. With little to no dialogues and meagre screen time, Dutta’s role is virtually non-existent. However, Monica Gill gets a slightly meatier role in the film and does a decent job. But her British accent with a sudden desi twang seems rather odd.

Ironically, the comic element in the film does not come as much from Kapil Sharma as it does from the rest of the cast that includes Rajesh Sharma, Inaamulhaq and Vishal O Sharma, who do a stellar job as supporting characters. In fact, one can easily say that the supporting cast shoulders the responsibility of carrying the film along with Kapil, while bringing in much needed comic relief to this otherwise dull story. The actors playing British officer Mark Daniels and Raja Inderveer Singh, i.e. Edward Sonnenblick and Kumud Mishra, have pivotal roles and play their parts very well.

As for the editing, the film should have been much shorter, especially in the first half which goes nowhere for almost an hour. In fact, the lengthy run time of the film could have been cut down drastically had the editing been crisp. Editor Omkarnath Bhakri could have done a much better job in this department. Navneet Misser does a good job with the cinematography, getting the setting and locations right. Unfortunately these alone cannot help save the film.

On the whole, due to its weak script and lack of comedy FIRANGI fails to leave a lasting impression. Besides this, the long run time of 161 mins will leave the audiences impatient and restless. At the box office, the film will face an uphill task of enticing the audiences, given the lack of buzz surrounding the film.