Singam 2

My review: Singam 2

Hari-Surya combo's sequel to their hit movie "Singam", "Singam 2" is a kind of movie for which writing a review is a difficult task. There is nothing to write home about since we have seen it all in the first installment itself. Here again the protagonist Dhuraisingam is after the criminal elements, only this time he has more number of baddies to go after and the canvas is wide with foreign elements brought in. Also he has two heroines to romance with and Shanthanam (nowadays he is there in every other movie) to prank around. And almost everyone who were part of "Singam" appear for atleast one scene in this sequel.

In the days when most of the heroes are shying away from mindless action masala, Surya has decided to persist with it even after string of not so good movies at box-office off late. Hari is also another one of those directors who work with a set template and give a hit every alternate movie they make. So when they combine what we get is a stale action movie which strictly follow the template that has been set in Tamil cinema aeons ago. 

Movie is loud, crass filled with swearing dialogues smeared with castiest and racist intonations all in bad taste. Surya hams so much that it gets spilled over to even the supposed to be romantic scenes. Screenplay at many places wanders directionless with situations made for action sequences every ten minutes.   

Surya is earnest with his approach trying to emulate himself from the first part and he has done it with success. He has good body language like that of a cop and has started to dance better with every passing movie. Anuskha's more of an extended cameo while Hanshika seems to have a meatier role especially towards the end of the second half. Movie has bevy of actors amongst which Rahman, Mukesh Rishi and Vijay Kumar make impact. Shanthanam's comedy track is getting redundant and stale. Vivek does't make much of an impact. 

Music is a downer for this movie. Neither the songs nor the back ground score has any energy. May be they should have retained the "Singam" theme music. Priyan's cinematography is apt for an action movie of this type. 

At close too three hours movie is way too long and tests one's patience at many instances. How long can one tolerate the bevy of abuses, swears, punches and over the top action sequences. After a point things gets  monotonous and boring.

On the whole, "Singam 2" is one of those movies which one can neither like nor dislike and would like to leave it to the discretion of the viewers whether to watch it or not.

Bottomline: Out dated

2.5/5

Maryan

My review: Maryan

The most striking aspect of "Maryan" is finally we get to see a lead actress who can stand up to Dhanush as far as acting and screen-presence is concerned. "Maryan" is as much a Parvathy movie as Dhanush's. In spite of a patchy screenplay and inconsistent direction what makes this movie eminently watchable is the acting of Dhanush and Parvathy, along with it's music and visuals. 

Actually when you analyse the movie as a whole one would get to realize that "Maryan" is an unholy alliance between  a power-packed first half and stagnant, boring second half. Bharath Bala has done well in the first half and his mastery over the medium in evident. As the first half is made of patchy memories of the protagonist as he recalls his life in village and how cupid struck him screenplay is made of mostly significant events he could recall. Hence though it might look not that lucid, a screenplay which represents memory traces would have be like that only. It is when the events has to be told in a more coherent manner focusing on the present that the writer and director in Bala falters.

As said earlier first half is power-packed mainly due the bevy of top-rated actors the movie boasts. Three national award winners (fourth one is obviously A.R.Rahman) in Dhanush, Salim Kumar and Appu Kutty along with Parvathy (who is not a novice herself) make it a connoisseur's delight. Though there is nothing novel in the love story or for that matter the side plots that are woven involving family feud, lecherous villain and fishermen killing. Despite that fact the first half keeps you glued to the seat. There are many interesting scenes and couple of which are awesome. The initial phone conversation between the lead pair at the beginning and the scene in which Dhanush enters Parvathy's house when the Villain has come to talk about marriage right up to the ensuing fight, are couple of scenes that warrant mention. 

However the second half is ruined by lack of events and novelty. Nothing much happens in the second half except the terrorists torturing the captives and heroine longing for the return of her beloved. Hence after a point things get mundane and boring. Whatever is shown in the second half could have been cut down into 30 minutes even after which it would have been a great challenge to make it interesting. But still the second half is partly redeemed by two wonderfully written and excellently performed scenes. The first one is the telephone conversation between Dhanush and Parvathy in which Dhanush expresses his current situation and his anticipated fate masquerading as if talking to his boss in front of the terrorists. The second one in when Parvathy some how gets a sense that Maryan would return safely during which the Villain tries to take advantage of her who unmindful of the impending catastrophe is lost in that ecstatic state. 

Dhanush is once again brilliant after his recent "Raanjhana". His underplayed portrayal of emotions and body language is in keeping with the reputation that he is building for himself these days as a power-packed performer. He is one of those actors who are capable of showing myriad of emotions within few seconds. It is a pleasure watching him perform with such effortless ease. 

Parvathy who has excelled in her debut "Poo" but never received her due for that is back with yet another astounding performance with this movie this time with her own dubbing. She is unafraid of close-ups (there are numerous such shots) and portrays a range of expressions. As I said in the first para of this review it is really heartening to see an actress with substance and immense talent who is able to stand up against a performer like Dhanush. In spite being surrounded by three national award winners she is able to make the viewers take notice of her performance and in many scenes walking away with all the accolades. Now one really wonders how Tamil cinema uses such a natural actress who can really "ACT" ?!

Rest of the cast including Appukutty, Salim Kumar, Vinayakan, Uma Riaz, Jagan have done their parts well. The negative aspect in the casting is the actors who come as terrorist. They seem to be amateurs who have been chosen by the casting department for want of men in a foreign land.  

Movie has amazing songs and back ground score by A.R.Rahman. "Nenje Yelu" was such an inspirational song in the audio but when one sees the same on screen, the goose bumps which ought to arise fail to turn up. "Kadal rasa naan" is a fine song well placed in the movie while "Yenga pona rasa" is a haunting number. 

Marc Koninckx's cinematography is another astounding feature of "Maryan". Especially the underwater shots and the visuals in the "Nenje Yelu" song are superb. It is a visual delight.

In spite of having excellent actors at his disposal who have done exceedingly well, a world class music director who has given awesome songs and a cinematographer who has given stunning visuals, Bharath Bala fails to capitalize on these strengths. The love story is wonderfully written and executed but he fails in the abduction part and the escapades of the hero which form a substantial chunk of the movie. May be if he could have concentrated a bit more on the second half, "Maryan" would have been one of the most brilliant movies of the year. But sadly he falls way short of it due a lackluster second half. As a result "Maryan" ends up as yet another one of those movies which promised a lot but flattered to deceive in the end.

On the whole, "Maryan" in spite of boasting excellent acting from the lead pair, awesome music and stunning visuals, falls short due to a below average second half after a power-packed first half. 

Bottomline: Watch it for Maryan-Panimalar's love story. 

3/5

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

My review: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra's biopic based on the life of "the Flying Sikh" Milkha Singh, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" is a long movie running for more than three hours. Though one hardly notice time flying by in the first half, in the second half one does get restless as the movie goes on and on. May be the movie should have ended with the Rome Olympics but then it is a Bollywood mainstream movie in which the hero should go down with all guns blazing as well as conquering his old demons. As a result movie gets unduly stretched for 30 more minutes which lead to all the restlessness.

In spite of the length and the exaggerated theatrics fitting for a mainstream Hindi movie, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" is enjoyable considering that it is based on the life of one of the most celebrated athlete India ever produced. And when film of this magnitude is made and makers want it to reach as many people as possible, one can't avoid the cinematic liberties that the makers have chosen to take. So when the young Milkha stares at his cousins who chase him from above the cliff surrounded by his new found friends with "Zinda" blaring in the background one would surely start enjoying the heroics in spite of the silliness of the idea as we are fed with these kind of scenes all our life.

Or for that matter can we imagine a Bollywood movie trying to showcase patriotism without Pakistan bashing or showing the Pakistani sportsperson as haughty and arrogant. However here the makers have redeemed themselves by showing the then Pakistani president Ayub Khan impressed with Milkha and bestowing upon him the title "Flying Sikh".

Also it is often irritating to see makers of such kind of movies demonizing other contemporary sportsperson in order to extoll the heroism of the protagonists. Shots of the competitors grinding their teeth with  anger or bashing the fellow athlete trying to strip him are all over done and in bad taste. May be there is some truth in what might have happened but to show them in such a crude manner in inexplicable. In the effort to pay tribute to one legend they have tarnished the image of his contemporaries which is despicable. 

In spite all these efforts at jingoism movie fails to elicit goosebumps even once unlike movies on sports previously did, be it "Lagaan" or "Chakde India". Whether the makers refrained from attempting one or they failed to create one is any one's guess. But when you look at it as a regular mainstream Bollywood movie, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" is a well written and executed movie with good performances from most of its cast members.  

Farhan Akthar has given his all, put in his heart and soul, sweat and blood (literally). He has lived the character and looks every inch an athlete.He has done full justice to his role. Other actor who has done exceedingly well is Divya Dutta as Milkha sister Ishri Kaur. Watch out for her in the scene she sees Milkha in India blazer for the first time. Sonam Kapoor's extended cameo fails to create any impact mostly due to her overt cutesy attempt which plain irritating. Others in the cast Yograj Singh, Pawan Malhotra, Prakash Raj and the rest have done their part well. 

Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's music is good with background score mostly supportive of the narrative while technically too movie is good. Various colour hues used in accordance with the time period in which the story happens is good. 

On the whole, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" is a well made movie that is enjoyable especially if you are one who gets easily smitten by the Bollywood's attempt at overt glorification of the patriotic heroes.

Bottomline:Biopic, Bollywood ishtyle.

3/5

Shorts

My review: Shorts

 Compilation of five short films in a span of 90 minutes with approximately 20 minutes per story, "Shorts" is produced by Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga. Of the five short films, "Mehfuz", "Sujatha" and "Shor" stand out for both the content and the performances in that order. Other two, "Audacity" and "Epilogue" fails to create the same intensity of impact the other three generated. 

Mehfuz: 

Starring Nawazzudin Siddiqui and Aditi Khanna, Rohit Pandey's "Mehfuz" is the best of the five films. Excellently performed by Nawazuddin, the film has lasting impact on the viewers. Exploring the psyche of a loner who longs for human company, when he is about to get one at a striking distance, destiny has other plans. The last few shots of the movie of Nawazzudin caressing the arm of the dead body is impactful showcasing the longing of human mind for company.    

This segment has wonderful cinematography with lots of telling shots. The lighting especially for the night sequences are very good. Since it has very few dialogues, music director has tried to fill in the gaps with music, quiet successfully at that. On the whole, "Mehfuz" is a wonderful exploration of human mind that is lonely and longing for human contact. 

4/5

Sujatha:  

Shlok Sharma's "Sujatha" has Huma Qureshi in the lead with Aditya Kumar having an equally powerful role. 

"Sujatha" tells the story of one of the many numerous silent sufferers of abuse (sexual, physical, emotional and mental ) at the hands of a close relative in our society. Sujatha is the protagonist whose abuse at the hands of her cousin starts early in childhood till she gets to the point of no return. What follows is the extreme measure that she takes when all her hopes are lost. 

                       

Huma Qureshi is brilliant the silent suffer Sujatha. "One can bear the lashing but the hurt caused by the kiss would be unbearable" is the defining line of this movie. Her performance in that scene as well as in the climatic portion of this segment warrants mention. Aditya Kumar is equally as good. His performance is so strong that anyone would easily hate his character and root for the protagonist when she takes that extreme measure. For the protagonist's character to shine antagonist has to be powerful which is the case here too. On the whole, "Sujatha" is hard-hitting short film with superlative performance from the actors concerned. 

4/5

Shor: 

Neeraj Ghaywan's "Shor" is a beautiful story set against the travails and tribulations of the people who live in the slums of Mumbai. With good performances from Ratnabali Bhattacharjee and Vineet Singh and neat writing makes this one among the best three short films of this feature. Natural portrayal of the actors is the main strong point of this segment. Especially Ratnabali is good both when she silently endures all the bashings from her mother-in-law and husband as well as when she retorts back at her husband at the most crucial part of the story. One telling shot of this segment is  when the camera zooms across the city of Mumbai from a fixed point showing the contrast within the city between bustling tall skyscrapers on the left and sprawls of tin shed shelters as the camera moves towards the right, all side by side within short distance of one another. On the whole, "Shor" is an ode to the numerous hardworking women who go about leading a dignified life withstanding the abuse from their husbands and in-laws.  

3.5/5

Audacity :

Only Bengali short film among the five, Anirban Roy's "Audacity" starring Preeti Singh and Shankar Debnath starts of promisingly but fizzles out in the end. Trying to explore the generation gap, parents inability to lead by example and their over-criticality leading to the teenager taking measures to teach them a lesson is all about "Audacity". Nothing can be faulted as far as the performances are concerned. But the story is not gripping and the ending is all too sudden without any twist in the tale. On the whole, "Audacity" had all the potential but fails to sustain one's interest. 

2.5/5

Epilouge: 

The weakest and most abstract of all the five segments, Siddharth Gupt's "Epilouge" starring Richa Chaddha and Arjun Shrivastav is difficult for an average movie goer to decipher what it is all about. It is a story of a borderline, almost psychotic Richa who has a possessive love for Arjun which so suffocating and torturous that it pushes Arjun to the brink. When he finally decides to confront the shackles the borderline impulsivity of Richa comes to his rescue and finally his freedom. This is one of those movies that is open for the viewer's interpretation. Well shot with lots of delusional and hallucinatory effects sprinkled throughout, "Audacity" is technically rich. Background score is good, especially since there is no dialogues in this segment the music director Jaidev Kumar has put on extra effort. Both the actors Richa and Arjun are good in their parts. But somehow one feels something is missing at the end.

2.5/5

Sixteen

My review: Sixteen

There have been numerous movies made on the subject of problems faced by the adolescents but what makes Raj Purohit's "Sixteen" apart is the honesty of the attempt and unprejudiced and non-judgemental stand of the makers. There is no beating around the bush nor overt criticality of certain lifestyles. In that way "Sixteen" is a neat attempt by Raj Purohit and his team which has mostly unknown names in the lead.

Teenage is a tumultuous period where there is high potential for both greatness as well as disaster. Proper guidance as well as innate character traits and coping styles of the person concerned will eventually tilt the scales in one of the two directions. "Sixteen" explores the same with utmost sincerity. Only thing is movie just about loses steam in the second half but gathers itself towards the end. May be the end is a bit candy-flossed so that the audience would leave the hall with some amount of positive energy after all the shocks they have been dished to about today's youngsters. Though at certain points one would feel there is an element of exaggeration now and then but what they have shown in this movie is what is happening around oneself in the society especially in the metro cities and towns.

Izabelle Leite as the feisty and saucy Anu has done her part well in a meaty role. Though at certain points especially in the serious segments she looks lost overall her performance is good. Wamiqa Gabbi is blessed with most well rounded role among the four lead protagonists and she has utilized the opportunity well. Highpill Mathew has almost the same expression throughout the movie. May be the writers chose not to focus their energy on his character that much. Mahak is innocence personified and her character is the one which reminds one of their adolescence which we are used to for other characters may look alien to anyone who are not part of the current generation.  Keith Sequira is good, his role starts of confusing but gets a good conclusion. 

Prashanth Pillai's background score jells well with the story while he along with three others have scored music for songs which are all fast-paced dance numbers and couple of melodies.

Sriram Ganapathy has done a neat job capturing the emotions of the actors on screen as well the vibrancy of Delhi city, its gullies and landmarks.

On the whole, "Sixteen" is a neatly made film which explores a topical issue without being judgemental and taking sides. 

Bottomline: Vivacity and puerility of the teenage.

3.5/5

Auto Raja

My review: Auto Raja

After a spate of not so successful movies to his credits in the recent past Ganesh has tried to resurrect his career with generous dose of name and following that Shankar Nag enjoys among the Kannada masses with his latest movie "Auto Raja". For the starters name of the movie is inspired by the popular Shankar Nag movie of yesteryear. Movie has an animated Shankar Nag making appearance in couple of scenes though the relevancy of the same leaves a lot to be desired. And to add bit more spice protagonist takes up the role of a video jockey who inspires people mimicking Shankar Nag on live radio. 

Movie starts on a promisingly. What could have been a cute little love story, movie visits many needless terrains and twists to leave the viewers exasperated by the time the movie ends. Director could have done very well to avoid all the melodrama in the end but after a point it seems that the writer became clueless of what has happened and where the story is leading to. As with most of the love stories here too misunderstanding between the lead pair leads to love from the hero but a career oriented heroine fails to take notice of it. But later numerous other misunderstandings and a shabbily written antagonistic group spoil the movie to the brink of torture by the time movie goes into it's last leg.

Ganesh has tried his level best to get into a mass role of a auto driver but somehow he fails to pass muster. There are numerous references to his old movies in addition to Shankar Nag's, most of these look forced in and contrived. He is sincere in the sentimental sequences. Bhama looks gorgeous and has done her part with conviction and utmost sincerity. However poor writing has led to her character's downfall. Heard from her interview that she did that glamorous song sequence because it was vital for the script. One wonder what significance it had with the story. It looks all the more forced into the narrative with the song jumping in from no where into the main story.  Deepika Kamaiah is okay in the limited scope on offer. Comedy sequences led by Sadhu Kokila don't tickle the funny bones.

Main attraction of the movie is its music and Arjun Janya has done a fabulous job. "Node node" is a hum worthy melody.

Movie's technical values are average. Manjunath Nayak's cinematography attracts one's attention only in the song sequences.

Uday Prakash's writing had let him down this time inspite of having the popular Shankar Nag to his aid. 

On the whole, "Auto Raja" fails to live up to the initial promise it shows.

Bottomline: Boring melodrama.

2/5

Lootera

My review: Lootera

"Lootera" is poetic portrayal of rustic love happening in the 1950's based on the short story of O.Henry, "The Last Leaf". It is a heart-touching story of love, betrayal, repentance and redemption.Though the subject seem a bit mushy Vikramadhitya Motwane, the director who has co-written the script with Bhavani Iyer has kept the mood bright throughout. The final shot of the movie would both bring in a tear or two along with a heart-warming smile in your face all at the same time, a rare feat that can be attributed to the writing and narration of the makers.

Movies like these are to be best enjoyed if they made in the pace that the makers have stuck to with "Lootera". The story unfolds at a slow pace and as it does it grows on the viewers. Though it might not be the cup of tea for the inattentive, restless, impulsive youth of today, but for those who enjoy movies that grows on you and remains in your mind for long after the movie is over, "Lootera" is the movie for you. 

Most of the time classics are those which take up a simple story or a theme, present to the viewers the same in an uncomplicated and lucid manner as a result which instead of being a passive onlooker they become part of the what is happening on screen. And any movie which evokes that kind of involvement from the viewers are sure to be remembered for a long time, irrespective of the its fate  at the box-office. "Lootera" can be classified as a classic in that sense.

A good script needs performers who can translate the maker's vision on screen with as much authenticity as possible. "Lootera" boasts of actors who have done their work brilliantly. Sonakshi Sinha in her best performance till  date is excellent as Pakhi whose character graph is etched out well. From a naive young girl with a comfortable lifestyle who is smitten by the mysterious Varun to a matured lady afflicted with a serious illness stung by betrayal and battered by losses, Sonakshi brings out the various shades of her character well on screen. Ranvir Singh is brilliant as Varun / Nandu, a character with grey shades. Rest of the cast have done their parts well.

Good writing and stellar performance from the cast is ably supported by excellent visuals, captured by Mahendra J Shetty, the cinematographer. Movie boasts of wonderful visuals. As the movie doesn't have much of dialogues, story is told mostly visually. Here the alliance of Mahendra and Vikramaditya has worked out well in presenting a visual poetry on screen.  

Amit Trivedi's background score is another pillar of strength for this movie. 

On the whole, "Lootera" is a must watch. 

Bottomline: Visual poetry. 

4/5

Director's Special

My review: Director's Special

Guruprasad's "Director's Special" is one of those rare movies that one come across these days which has  written material in the forefront. Except for Rangayana Raghu cast is made of entirely little known actors. One should really appreciate the guts of the writer - director Guruprasad in believing in his script more than anything else. And end product is an enjoyable fare high on content. 

Movie explores the psyche of unfamiliar people brought under one roof and made to live like a family and the slow unraveling of their real psyche as new situations and challenging confront them. Doesn't it ring a bell, the similarity the theme has with reality shows like Big Brother or Bid Boss. It is not all, movie also subtly hints at the movie industry and the never ending confrontations between the stars and the makers and how compromises invariably has to be made by the makers to have a "happy ending" for all concerned. 

Brilliantly written script spiced up by some of the most intelligent and witty lines in recent times make it delectable fare for the cinema connoisseurs. To top it, movie boasts of actors who have performed their role with utmost sincerity and spontaneity. Rangayana Raghu leads the pack with his superlative performance. One can watch this movie just to listen to his effortless dialogue delivery only. Such a bundle of talent he is, Raghu keeps the audience in splits throughout movie. Sarcasm comes naturally to him, coupled with fabulous timing and powerfully written dialogues at his disposal, Raghu has had a field day. 

Dhananjay as the protagonist (if one has to refer him as such) is good for a debutant. Though most of his expression get hidden by the mush and the beard, he passes the test in his first movie. Sumithra Devi, Ram and Vatsala Mohan who completes cast of the movie have also done their parts well. 

To make a movie which revolves only around five characters mostly in one location (house of the protagonist) requires guts and Guruprasad seems to be having lots of it. And to make his mission successful he needs the performers to translate the written material into performance and deliver it to the audience without any dilution of the director's vision. The five member cast have done it fabulously. Pooja Gandhi is okay in the song sequence she appears in. 

On the flip side movie is technically very average. One can't help but get a feeling of watching a stage drama. Mahendra Simha is the cinematographer. To make matters worse the background score leaves a lot to be desired. It hinders the narration by drowning the dialogues at many places. With poorly mixed surround sound, background score irritates and after a point gets unbearable. It is amateurish work by Anoop Seelin and the sound engineers.

On the whole, "Director's Special" is a special movie for those who enjoy neatly written narrative and witty intelligent dialogues.

Bottomline: Pure cinema.

3.5/5

Left Right Left

My review: Left Right Left

Murali Gopy and Arun Kumar Aravind combo come together with yet another gem after their much critically acclaimed " Ee Adutha kalathu " with their latest flick "Left Right Left". It is a rare movie in which the makers have gone about their job nonchalantly in a no-hold-barred manner in dealing with a political story. The conviction and  courage of the duo is what that is striking when one watches "Left Right Left". 

Movie deals with the theme of "revolution is home made " and starts with a declaration that " Man is part DNA , part unknown and part what he sees and goes through as child". That childhood experiences shape one's future life is said though the lives of three men in the backdrop of communism and communist ideology and it's present day context. 

Kudos to the writer-director in not diluting their storyline fearing the political repercussions. It is well known fact how communists at the top level  have got corrupted and diluted in their ideologies to accommodate for their own vested interests yet the grass root level comrades still holding on to theirs' which eventually lead them to their own undoing. Through Murali Gopy's Che Guvera Roy, the movie explores the psyche of a communist caught up in between the two.

Movie's excellent writing is backed up by brilliant casting and their performances. Murali Gopy leads the way with a matured and restrained portrayal of a person whose life if filled with eternal dilemma between holding on to one's ideology and compromising for one's survival. Indrajit is first class in the role of a Bipolar police inspector who get to learn things in a hard way in life. He gets all the applause-worthy lines in the movie along with Sethulakshmi (one of the best mother characters in recent times which will stay in one's mind for a long time) who plays his mother.

Lena sparkles with a stellar performance who comes to her own towards the end of the movie. Ramya Nambeesan as manipulative Jennifer ( she is fast becoming an expert in these types of roles) is good. Hareesh Peradi is excellent in the role of a scheming politician. With his cold demeanor and body language he is menacing.

Gopi Sunder's musical score is yet another pillar of strength for this movie. But technically the movie canbe rated  in between tacky and moderate. However  no fault can be found in Shehnad Jalaal's cinematography.

On the whole, "Left Right Left" is a must watch especially if you are politically aware and more so having leftist leaning.

Bottomline: One of the best movie on politics in recent times.

4/5

Kaddipudi

My review: Kaddipudi

Duniya Soori has always made movies that are realistic albeit with commercial considerations fitting within its ambit. With his latest movie "Kaddipudi" he explores the life of a gangster who tries to turn a new leaf and his past comes back to haunt him. Though there have been many movies which have explored similar themes in the past the treatment that Soori has given to the plot is refreshing which makes the movie special. Stylishly made at the same time not compromising on the human element Soori has stuck to his main strength which is to explore the raw human emotions.

Engaging right from the start to the finish, movie moves at a fair clip. Strong screenplay that keeps the audience hooked to the storyline, intelligently written yet enjoyable dialogues, stylish making and superlative performance from the cast, all makes it a good cinema. 

 Though the story seems not that novel, characters, scenes and the dialogues are not that formulaic either. Except for the character of Daisy ( played by Aindrita Ray)  which looked forced in and out of place (though Soori tries to mend it by making the character's appearance in a later scene setting in motion a series of events that lead to significant events which becomes a turning point in the protagonist's life) all other characters seamlessly confluence into the narrative.

Shivraj Kumar has underplayed a great deal which has done wonders to the character he has played. He is too good in the titular role of Kaddipudi. Radhika Pandit lives up to her reputation of one of the most promising young actress in south India. Coming out with sterling performance as Uma who falls for the protagonist and whose character sketch goes through a full curve it is hard to imagine anyone else who could have done justice to that role. Aindrita Ray sizzles in the song sequence and one scene in which she appears. It is a child's play for Ananth Nag in a dignified role. Avinash and other co-stars have given adequate support.

V.Harikrishna's background score amply supports the narrative while songs also aid in the narrative flow. Technically it is one of the better movies that has come out of Kannada movie industry in the recent times. Krishna is the cinematographer.  His lighting especially in the Aindrita Ray's song sequence is fabulous.

On the whole, "Kaddipudi" is one of the best work from Soori, Shivraj Kumar, Radhika Pandit and cinematographer Krishna. Must watch for all Kannada movie connoisseurs.

Bottomline: Good cinema.

4/5

Fukrey

My review: Fukrey

Success of a movie is often related to how the makers are able to masquerade the flaws in their work for not every one can come out with a  perfect movie all the time. Mrighdeep Singh Lamba has done that so well in "Fukrey" which he has scripted with Vipul Vig in addition to directing it. Starring largely unknown and upcoming actors "Fukrey" is fun for the two and odd hours of its running time. 

Though the main theme of the movie which is centered around how the protagonist can tease out clues from his friend's dream and win lottery seems ridiculous, the success of the script lies in its capacity to make the viewers not to question it but to join in the fun. Lucid writing with lots of funny situations spiced further by funnier dialogues makes it enjoyable to the core. Very few dull moments in the movie, good writing is backed by good direction and flawless acting. Mrighdeep has extracted excellent work from all the actors including the extras. 

Among the actors it is Richa Chadda as the fiery Bholi Punjaban and Varun Sharma as Choocha who steal the show. Each and every  sequence in which they come face to face is a scream. Richa is so effortless and casual in her portrayal of a neatly written character while Varun is brilliant in the character whose appearance on screen is just enough to evoke laughter right from his introduction scene.

 Pulkit Samrat as the main protagonist of the movie Hunny is earnest in his work while Manjot Singh and Ali Fazal lend adimrable support. Priya Anand does well in a short and sweet role of her's. Vishaka Singh is good too in more of a serious role unlike others in the lead cast. Pankaj Tripathi as Pundit is awesome with his dialogue delivery especially his use of English words at every opportune moment.  

Ram Sampath's background score amply support the movie's flow with songs helping more in aiding the flow of the movie rather than acting as a speed-breaker. K.U.Mohanan's cinematography does justice to the story that needs to be told in a simple manner. His lighting in certain scenes like the night sequences warrant special mention. 

On the whole, "Fukrey' is the kind of movie that one can enjoy with a whole gang of friends, leave the thinking shoes at home and relax in a laid back manner in the theater. 

Bottomline: Have a blast...!

3.5/5

Annakodi

My review: Annakodi

 Legends know when to retire with honour. But when narcissism gets into the center stage they tend to over stay without realizing the amount of damage they are doing to their own reputation and honour. Balachander learnt it the hard way with his "Poi" ending up as a bigger disaster than his previous dud "Parthale Paravasam". Thankfully he retired graciously after that. Bharathiraja, the other "big B" of Tamil cinema has not learnt it even after 7 continuous flops with every movie being worse than the previous one. His latest offering "Annakodi" is his worst by mile and thankfully better sense should prevail and make him realize of his folly. 

"Annakodi" is banal even by 80's standards with no focus whatsoever on what the movie is all about. Is it about the caste divide in the south? Is it a tragic love story ? Is it a revenge drama ? None of these questions can be satisfactorily answered even after watching this movie. Screenplay is snail paced with scenes jumping from nowhere and going nowhere, sudden cuts of flashback, poorly executed CG shots suddenly springing out of nowhere, it is a big time head ache. If one is able to sit through the first half and brave enough to come back to watch the second half then he must be one of the most patient of men around. 

It is a case of blatant exploitation of the young talent in the name of his past deeds and stature by Bharathiraja. Especially the manner in which he has showcased his female actors is despicable and not in keeping with the respect his name begets. Heart goes to the poor naive actors who might have signed this project by the virtue of the name of the director not knowing the futility of the same.    

Lakhman Narayanan looks a very average actor who seems to have strictly done what he was shown to do. Karthika Nair has given her full effort in a poorly written role. She does what Bharathiraja's heroines have been doing since time immemorial, staring vacantly at the sky, give portfolio shots by the side of flowers, smiling and crying in close-up and many such routines of his. Manoj's characterization is the clinching evidence of how much deterioration the cognition of the great man is going through. What was pathetic characterization made worse by a poor actor in Manoj.

 Others in the cast either overact or amateurs who are poorly handled by the director. It has been a very long time since one has witnessed actors of such low caliber in Tamil cinema. Many of the young directors nowadays use many local people and novices in their movie but the amount of acting that they extract from them is astonishing. When compared to that director here has taken the easy route of allowing them to do what comes to them. May be because of age or due to the overconfidence that people would accept whatever is dished to them. 

Less said about the technical details of the movie the better. Considering the quality with which even the short films are made these days with shoestring budget "Annakodi" is far from what one can call contemporary. One can't help but get a feeling of watching a poorly executed amateurish street play. 

On the whole, "Annakodi" is yet another disaster from the great man. A rude awakening of sorts for him that it is time to take rest.

Bottomline: Fall of a legend. 

1/5