Kangana Ranaut is a product of the system she was brought up in – a patriarchal society that forced her to fight for her own corner of freedom, at every step. Shunned by her family early as a teenager for her choice to be independent, her battles extended to the blinkered film industry, controlled mostly by… Continue reading Panga: Kangana and Ashwiny deliver a dreamy winner
Category: Popular
Popular movies are directed towards general audience who enjoy popular genre and formulas.
Tanhaji: Authentic but falls short on history
Fell asleep while watching Tanhaji (Tanaji) last night. To be fair, I was also super tired from consecutive late nights. From parts that I did watch, it is a decent attempt at a historical drama and an engaging story line for what it tried to convey. It was fairly light on the depth of content… Continue reading Tanhaji: Authentic but falls short on history
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi: Kangana Ranaut claims her throne
"Jhansi aap bhi chaahte hai aur main bhi. Farq sirf itna hai ke aap raaj karna chaahte hai aur main apnon ki sewa." This defiant line delivered by Kangana Ranaut sets the stage and tone for Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (Manikarnika) as well the kind of values Rani Laxmibai stood for. As a bonus, Kangana… Continue reading Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi: Kangana Ranaut claims her throne
Dhadak: Ishaan and Jhanvi shine, but the beat is missing
Dhadak lacks the unbridled consonance and passion of Sairat, on which it is based, but the lead pair and a compelling second half make it worth a visit. Janhvi Kapoor's star presence is unmistakable as Parthavi Singh. She is talented, dewy, and has inherited Sridevi's grace and easy charm. Ishaan Khatter's Madhukar Bagla is au naturel,… Continue reading Dhadak: Ishaan and Jhanvi shine, but the beat is missing
Soorma: For the win
Diljit Dosanjh, who won acclaim for second lead roles, gets to play his first title role as international hockey player Sandeep Singh in Soorma. The best thing about the actor is the softness about him, along with an earnest wicked, which has quite the disarming effect on women. Diljit adds quiet strength, finesse, and power to… Continue reading Soorma: For the win
Sanju: Flawed and zany, but not a terrorist
I love Sanjay Dutt. The cool Indian rockstar superstar with heart. An impossibly flawed hero who has failed many times, and mustered up the strength to pick himself up, face and address his demons. No doubt the actor has been wed to trouble all his life. Yet he also showed up, every single time, bigger… Continue reading Sanju: Flawed and zany, but not a terrorist
Veere Di Wedding: Of filter-free, fun and fabulous Veeres
Veere Di Wedding was worth every micro second of the long wait if we go by famous words uttered by the ever-articulate Swara Bhasker: "It's taken 105 years for mainstream Bollywood to make a film about four girlfriends and none of them are falling in love with the same guy." Truth. We haven't had a high-spirited… Continue reading Veere Di Wedding: Of filter-free, fun and fabulous Veeres
Pad Man: Bleeding Glory
F*** you Jauhar, Pad Man is here. There is something quite endearing about a man holding a sanitary napkin in his hand and bringing it to his woman in the nick of time. Women, please add this to your list of qualities for the perfect man's CV: must source sanitary pad without qualms. When that… Continue reading Pad Man: Bleeding Glory
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
This bride won't budge. She'd rather not do it, thank you very much. Defecating in the bushes before the crack of dawn is not her thing. And so it takes a village, some revolution and the whole nation to build the woman a toilet. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha succeeds on so many levels it is… Continue reading Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
Noor
There is something very endearing about Noor. Though I did wish it delved deeper into the serious issue of organ trafficking and not just skirted around it. That said, director Sunhil Sippy, who co-wrote and directed the black comedy Snip! back in 2000, does craft this coming-of-age story with heart. As a romantic comedy, it works up a charm! Sippy's direction is refreshingly… Continue reading Noor
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