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Super Duperr (Marathi movie) review: Decent entertainer on the conflict between traditionalism and modernism

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Story: Super Duperr is a Marathi movie based on a conflict between two families that are poles apart. Rohit (Lalit Prabhakar) and Isha (Vidula Chougule) are a live-in couple from Mumbai. They are deeply in love but aren’t thinking about marriage. Rohit and Isha are struggling to make a mark in the field of singing and acting respectively. Once when they host a wild party at their rented apartment with their friends, they are forced to vacate the society as it doesn’t go down well with its members.

Rohit decides to buy a house of their own, so that they can live freely. He somehow manages the finance and succeeds in buying a house. However, when Rohit and Isha are all set to move in to their new place, they realize that the same builder sold the same flat to a joint family (headed by characters played by Nirrmite Saawaant and Shashank Shende) and he is currently on the run.

An intense tussle ensures between Rohit and Isha and Laxmi’s family as both are not ready to vacate the house. The matter eventually goes to the court. Till the time the court doesn’t pass a judgement, the two families are forced to stay in the same place. This ensures more conflict between the two parties as Laxmi and her family members are staunchly traditional and they don’t approve the modern and urban ways of Rohit and Isha.

Super Duperr Marathi movie

Review: Writer and director Sameer Asha Patil has selected an interesting and real issue. The current state of urban cities in India is such that it consists of people who are either too modern or too traditional. When both set of people are forced to live together, there is bound to be a conflict. The film also uses an interesting reason to get both of them together. Cases of one builder selling a single flat to multiple parties is also a common occurrence.

The staying together of both families brings its share of funny and amusing incidents through culture shock. However, after a point of time, especially in the second half, the narrative starts appearing stretched. You also wonder what happened to the builder and the court case. Both the important issues are overshadowed by the writer’s desire to exploit the conflict between both the families. And the way both the issues are treated in the end is quite abrupt. The makers also, out of the blue, throw in a fight scene, which is simply outdated.

Super Duperr also leaves a few questions unanswered. One wonders how Rohit and Isha are living such a lifestyle if they are struggling to get a basic break in the field of entertainment. They not only buy a big house in a city like Mumbai but also an expensive car. At one point, Rohit does mention that his dead mother has left behind some wealth and his father will also help him financially. But a father helping his grown-up son to such a level is difficult to digest and also doesn’t go with the character of Rohit. A few other questions won’t be possible to mention to conceal spoilers.

The film does score well in the casting and the actors do a good job as well. Lalit Prabhakar fits the character of Rohit and gives a fine performance. Vidula Chougule displays her talent while showing the tough and aggressive side of Isha.

Shashank Shende is the best of the lot. He shows restraint and explodes when needed, both in a natural way. Nirrmite Saawaant is once again dependable. Hrishikesh Joshi, Kushal Badrike, Namrata Sambherao, Pratiksha Kote and Jagruti Datir do well as the rest of the family members. Rohini Hattangadi is likeable in a cameo.

Overall: Super Duperr is a decent entertainer on the conflict between modernism and traditionalism, which could have been better.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Director: Sameer Asha Patil

Writer: Sameer Asha Patil

Producers: Ninetynine Productions and Siddhivinayak Productions

Cast: Lalit Prabhakar, Vidula Chougule, Nirrmite Saawaant, Shashank Shende, Hrishikesh Joshi, Kushal Badrike

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

The emotional collateral damage of Mission Dhurandhar (SPOILERS alert)

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Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar The Revenge revolve around ‘Mission Dhurandhar’ planned by Ajay Sanyal (R Madhavan), Director of IB (Intelligence Bureau). It involves sending a R&AW (Research & Intelligence Wing) officer Jaskirat Singh Rangi (Ranveer Singh) to Pakistan to infiltrate its underworld and subsequently its political sphere in order to neutralize any terror activity by the neighboring country.

Jaskirat takes the disguise of Hamza Ali Mazari and achieves the task by the time the first film ends. In Dhurandhar The Revenge, as per the title, he avenges the 26/11 terrorist attack of 2008 by killing those responsible for it one after another. Sanyal and other seniors are happy and pleased with Jaskirat for what he did.

Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar The Revenge

However, the whole mission also gives rise to some emotional collateral damage. In other words, feelings of, at least, a couple of characters are played with to achieve the aim. Yalina (Sara Arjun) is the obvious one. Her case is specifically highlighted in the second film. She somehow gets to know that she has been tricked into marrying an Indian, and that too a spy, while thinking all along that he is a Pakistani boy-next-door.

But there is someone else who has been even more unfortunate.  

Yalina has a problem that she has been married to an Indian. But she is completely unaware that she too is half-Indian! At the end of Dhurandhar The Revenge, we are told that her father Jameel Jamali, played by Rakesh Bedi, is also an Indian spy, who has been living in Pakistan for the last 45 years. Hence, he too tricked a Pakistani woman named Shabnam (Gitikka Ganju Dhar) into believing that he is from her country and married her in the name of a mission. He not only continued the relationship for many years but also had a girl (Yalina) with Shabman while keeping her in the dark all the time.  

Spare a thought for Shabnam. Yalina, at least, got to know the truth about her spouse. But Shabman is completely unaware that she has an Indian husband. But it doesn’t end here for her. She also doesn’t know that even her son-in-law (Jaskirat) is an Indian and he too, like her husband, is a spy from the neighboring country.

Things get even weird when we think about Jaskirat and Yalina’s little son. Jaskirat is an Indian while Yalina is half-Indian and half-Pakistani. This makes their son three-fourth Indian and one-fourth Pakistani.

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Dhurandhar The Revenge review (without spoilers): Worthy successor to the first film

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Storyline: Dhurandhar The Revenge continues the story of an Indian spy Jaskirat Singh Rangi aka Hamza Ali Mazari (Ranveer Singh), who has infiltrated Pakistan’s underworld and politics. After Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna) gets killed at the end of the first film, his enemy Arshad Pappu (Ashwin Dhar) starts ruling over the underworld of Lyari in Karachi. This infuriates Rehman’s cousin and second in command Uzair Baloch (Danish Pandor). Hence, he, Hamza and others wage a war against Arshad and his gang.

Finally, Uzair kills Arshad in the most brutal manner and reclaims his gang’s reign over Lyari. However, circumstances ensure that he goes away from the scene and Hamza becomes the king of Lyari and Sher-e-Baloch. Meanwhile, he gets to know that ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) head Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal) and his associates are planning another terrorist attack in India.

The film also gives a good amount of footage to Jaskirat’s life before he becomes a R&AW (Research and Intelligence Wing) spy.

Review:

Writing and Direction:

After impressing the audience with Lyari and its underworld in the first part, one would expect the same world to resume in the second part. However, Aditya Dhar surprises us as he transports us in a different world altogether in a village in Punjab where Jaskirat’s past life is shown. However, the narrative also gradually shifts to Lyari and gets you fully involved in its proceedings too.

Dhurandhar 2 The Revenge

In fact, the entire writing is like an art of getting the audience involved in different situations, moods and emotions. It’s an apt example of fast-paced and effective writing with just no dull moment in its entire runtime of close to four hours.

Dhurandhar The Revenge also fascinates you with the story of Jaskirat. Here’s an ordinary man from a village in Punjab who infiltrates the underworld of Lyari and goes onto become one of the most important political figures in Pakistan. It’s a remarkable character arc that is achieved with not many cinematic liberties.

Of course, the film is more about his role as the secret spy. That aspect gets much more footage in this film than the first and that is quite obvious. After a cliffhanger interval block, the second half gives rise to a number of dramatic and tense moments born out of Jaskirat’s real identity. There are times when the film keeps you at the edge.

The film also has quite a few revelations. The identity about Bade Sahab doesn’t come as a surprise as it’s exactly what many of us expected. But the real face of one of the main characters in the ending moments takes you completely by surprise.

The most awaited part of the film is what happens when the Pakistani characters get to know about Jaskirat’s real identity and mission. This part is also handled with intelligence and it gives rise to an explosive climax.

Music and Technicalities:

Dhurandhar The Revenge is top-notch when it comes to the technical aspects. Aejaz Gulab, Sea Young Oh, Yannick Ben and Ramazan Bulut’s action is raw and convincing. Vikash Nowlakha’s camerawork is not just effective but it also gives a large scale look to the film. Shivkumar V Panicker’s editing is sharp. Shashwat Sachdev’s music is good but it doesn’t rise up to the level of his work in the first film. However, his background score is impressive. The use of old Hindi songs in the narrative, like the first part, works here too, especially ‘Hum Pyaar Karne Wale’ from Dil.

Performances:

Like the first film, the performances rise to the occasion. Ranveer Singh goes a few notches higher than the first film. This time, he had more challenges to conquer not just physically but emotionally as well. But he passes the test with flying colours. Arjun Rampal is more evil this time and he puts on a convincing act. R Madhavan gets more scope. He does a fine job in scenes where he emerges as a hero. Sanjay Dutt continues from where he left in the first film. Danish Pandor is more mature this time.

Rakesh Bedi as Jameel Jamali is simply brilliant! Sara Arjun has limited screen time but all her scenes are imperative to the narrative. She puts her right foot forward yet again. Gaurav Gera offers fine support in a cameo. Manav Gohil, Danish Iqbal, Ankit Sagar, Ashwin Dhar, Aditya Uppal and many others offer apt support. The actor playing the character modelled on the former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is noteworthy. Yami Gautam Dhar is likeable in a cameo.

Minus Points:

The film does come with its share of flipsides. The violence and brutality is on another level this time, as compared to the first part, which could have been reduced considerably. Those who wrote essays on the violence in the first film will end up writing a book if they see this one. The ending fight between the protagonist and the main villain appears dragged later on. The film could have avoided the subplot of Major Iqbal’s father, which would have helped in reducing the runtime.

But what affects the film the most is the desperate attempt to present Demonetization as a masterstroke. The not-so-subtle way to glorify India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his decision in order to please his supporters is a major point that stops this very good film from being great.

Overall:

Dhurandhar The Revenge is a worthy successor to the first film Dhurandhar. The one person that shines the most is Aditya Dhar with his mature and intelligent handling of such a complex world. Of course, the film would have impressed more if the propaganda level would have been lower. But it has a lot working for itself and this will ensure that it will break new records at the box office.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Aditya Dhar

Producers: Jio Studios and B62 Studios

Writers: Aditya Dhar (additional screenplay by Shivkumar V Panicker and Ojas Gautam)

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Tighee (Marathi movie) review: Moving family drama narrated through a modern lens

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Storyline: Tighee is the story of two sisters and their ageing mother. Swati (Neha Pendse Bayas), who hails from Pune, has been staying in Mumbai after getting married to Malhar (Pushkaraj Chirputkar). She is forced to work under a pervert boss (Jaimini Pathak) as she owes him a large amount of money loaned for her husband’s business, which didn’t take off.

One day, Swati is forced to visit her childhood home in Pune after she gets to know that her mother Hemalata (Bharti Achrekar) is diagnosed with Cancer. Swati’s younger sister Sarika (Sonalee Kulkarni) has a grudge against her for ignoring her mother all these years while she was looking after her. How the family copes up during such testing times while dealing with their own issues forms the rest of the film.

Review: Dramas about dysfunctional families or families with grudges have been a regular feature in various languages in Indian cinema. Tighee is also a family drama that tackles issues between three family members. However, it stands apart as it’s a modern saga that takes a contemporary route. While the yesteryear family dramas mostly revolved around conflicts between sons, this one features two daughters. Even the issues between them are new age as they are independent in their own journeys.

Tighee Marathi movie

Apart from the characters and the storyline, what makes Tighee a product of 2026 is its making. Debutant director Jeejivisha Kale has presented the drama in a new-age manner. Even the high points in the narrative are devoid of any melodrama. She has displayed maturity in her first feature film itself. She is ably supported by the nuanced and mature writing.

Milind Jog’s camerawork, Advait Nemlekar’s background score and Nikhil Mahajan and Hrishikesh Petwe’s editing also play major roles in giving a modern touch to the film and its proceedings. These departments become more notable during the subplot of a character presumed dead years ago.

Tighee is also a rare family drama where there is just no God-worshipping, mention of any God or the presence of a temple in the house despite the family being quite rooted.

The veteran Bharti Achrekar is fully dedicated as a senior citizen who has seen life in its various shades. She switches across different emotions and moods with ease. Sonalee Kulkarni plays a tough woman convincingly. Neha Pendse Bayas succeeds in showing her vulnerable as well as stronger side.

Jaimini Pathak is believable as the pervert boss. Pushkaraj Chirputkar and Nipun Dharmadhikari offer fine support and so do Mrunmayee Godbole, Suvrat Joshi and Sanjay Mone in cameos.

Tighee is devoid of major flipsides. The proceedings could have been crisper in the latter part of the second half. During a 9-year old flashback scene, all three characters surprisingly look the same.

Overall: Tighee is a moving family drama told through a modern lens.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Jeejivisha Kale

Producers: Coquelicot Pictures and Supri Advertising & Entertainment

Writers: Nikhil Mahajan and Prajakt Deshmukh

Cast: Bharti Achrekar, Sonalee Kulkarni and Neha Pendse Bayas

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Javagal Srinath had equal number of half centuries and wickets in this triangular series

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Having started watching cricket in the mid-1990s, we didn’t have much examples of Indian bowlers who could bowl fast. The only cricketer to do that from here at that time was Javagal Srinath. While other teams had the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Allan Donald, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Amrose, etc, we only had Srinath and he was always ready to serve India with full passion.

Triangular series were a regular feature in those days (something I terribly miss in today’s times). One of the most memorable series for me as a kid was the Titan Cup in 1996. In those days, South Africa was like the Australia of the post-2000s era. Hence, beating them in the final of the Titan Cup was an incredible achievement for Team India (see the scorecard HERE). It was the first major Indian victory I witnessed after I started watching cricket.

But as far as Srinath’s personal record in that series is concerned, it was highly unusual.

Srinath was a lower order batsman who could hit the ball hard and long at times. Because of this quality, he was tried as a pinch-hitter in some matches during his time.

Javagal Srinath

For those who started watching the game after the 90s, when a bowler, who isn’t an all-rounder, is sent up to bat preferably at number 3 or 4 in order to lift the run-rate during the field restrictions, he is called a pinch-hitter. The concept died down after the 90s. In today’s T20 era, it doesn’t even make sense.

Srinath was tried as a pinch-hitter in a game against South Africa at Rajkot in the Titan Cup. This was because of his heroics in an earlier match in the series against Australia at his home ground in Bengaluru (then Bangalore). In that match, India needed a little over 50 runs and they were 8 wickets down. But Srinath, along with some fine support from his fellow Karnataka mate Anil Kumble, got his side home by scoring 30 not out of just 23 balls with 2 fours and one six (see the scorecard HERE).

In the Rajkot match against South Africa, Srinath was sent one down when India lost Navjot Singh Sidhu early. He went onto score 53 of 69 balls with 4 fours and one six. This is his only half century in ODIs. He had two decent partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Unfortunately, India were bundled out for just 185 and South Africa chased down the target rather comfortably. Srinath, a bowler, was the top scorer for India in that match (see the scorecard HERE).

Watch the highlights of Javagal Srinath’s half century against South Africa

This brings an interesting trivia to light. It was a rare series where Srinath had equal number of 50s and wickets.

As surprising as it may sound, the frontline fast bowler could pick up only 1 wicket in the entire triangular series (that of Michael Slater in the do-or-die match against Australia in Mohali. See the scorecard HERE). He played as many as 6 matches in the series (one match against Australia was washed out) and bowled his full quota of 10 overs in almost all the matches. Yet, he had only 1 wicket to show to his name despite bowling well. It was a clear case of stats not giving you the entire picture.  

And if we take into account the aforementioned match-winning innings of 30 not out against Australia, we can say that Srinath the batter overshadowed Srinath the bowler in the Titan Cup, although unintentionally.

Also read: Forgotten spells: When Srinath singlehandedly rattled South Africa

Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality  

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Storyline: Khalid Ka Shivaji (Marathi movie with a good amount of Hindi) tells the story of Khalid (Krish Raj More), a fourth standard student. He stays with his father Hayad (Priyadarshan Jadhav), mother Ruksana (Snehalata Tagde) and grandmother (Sushama Deshpande) in a small village in Maharashtra. His family is struggling to make ends meet.

Khalid and his rest of the class is taught the story of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj eliminating Afzal Khan. Khalid’s classmate Ganya (Ankur Wadhave) is highly arrogant since his father (Khemraj Bhoyar) is the village Sarpanch. After learning the aforementioned story in the class, Ganya mocks Khalid as ‘Afzal Khan’ since the latter is a Muslim. Ganya is joined by a number of other students.

This highly upsets Khalid. He gets all the support from his kind-hearted and sensible teacher Salve sir (Kailash Waghmare). There comes a time when Khalid gets an opportunity to silence Ganya and other troublemakers from his class forever.

Khalid Ka Shivaji movie

Review: Khalid Ka Shivaji is timely and relevant in today’s times when Muslims are being looked down upon and are, at times, also considered equivalent to Mughals. Through the story of Khalid, the film shows the plight of many like him who are targeted for their religion. Khalid’s episode reminds us of the scene in Homebound where Ishaan Khatter’s character faces harassment for his religion (not implying that the character and the film are in any way similar to Khalid Ka Shivaji).

The movie is more of a glimpse into the world of Khalid. Its biggest triumph is the protagonist’s characterization, which makes you root for him throughout its runtime. This was also possible because of a sensible act by Krish Raj More. He overcomes the difficult task of mostly appearing cheerful while showing a hint of sadness in some situations without overdoing it.

The film also smartly shows the current political mentality where religious appeasement is considered more important than providing basic civic amenities to the citizens.  

The sweet bond between Khalid and Salve sir is also something you take home. Kailash Waghmare does complete justice to the character. He too is subtle in his approach and appears tough and a bit rebellious effortlessly.

From the rest of the cast, Priyadarshan Jadhav excels as Khalid’s father. The talented Snehalata Tagde also shines as his mother. The veteran Sushama Deshpande is almost unrecognizable as the mature grandmother of Khalid. Ankur Wadhave makes you hate Ganya, which means he has handled his task well. Bharat Ganeshpure, as the senior teacher, and Khemraj Bhoyar succeed in playing characters with grey shades.

However, there are issues that stop Khalid Ka Shivaji from being superlative. The film could have been shorter as for some part of the duration, the narrative becomes stagnant. A lot of positive messages in the film are spoon-fed to the audience whereas that could have been achieved indirectly and in a more creative manner. The movie ends on an abrupt note. The background music on a few occasions should have been minimal going by the nature of the film.

Overall: Khalid Ka Shivaji is worth watching for its portrayal of the current social reality.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Raj Pritam More

Producers: PP Cine Production

Writer: Kailash Waghmare and Rajkumar Tangade

Cast: Krish Raj More, Kailash Waghmare, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Ankur Wadhave, Snehalata Tagde, Sushama Deshpande

Also read: Border 2 review: Heartfelt and sensible war saga

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Border 2 review: Heartfelt and sensible war saga

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Storyline: Border 2, like its predecessor Border (1997), throws light on the Indian defense forces’ bravery during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. But unlike the 1997 film, this one focusses on different characters who took part in the war.

Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya (Varun Dhawan) of the Indian Army, Flight Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (Diljit Dosanjh) of the Indian Air Force and Lieutenant Commander Mahendra S Rawat (Ahan Shetty) of the Indian Navy become thick friends during their training days at the National War Academy. They share a respectful relation with their trainer Lieutenant Colonel Fateh Singh Kaler (Sunny Deol).

Years later in 1971 when the trio gets together for an occasion of celebration, they are forced to abruptly return to their respective base camps as a war-like situation erupts between India and Pakistan. The task in front of Hoshiar, Nirmal, Mahendra and Fateh Singh is immensely challenging but they, along with hundreds of members of India’s defense forces, are sure that they will protect India’s borders come what may.

Review: We come across a lot of films that don’t live up to its grand or exciting trailers. But when it comes to Border 2, it’s the opposite. The teaser and the two trailers couldn’t generate excitement for the movie. However, the film turns out to be way better than the promotional material.

Border 2

Border 2 isn’t a routine war film where it’s all about two nations fighting it out. The movie, instead, is nicely spaced out with a lot of importance given to the main characters and their background. It shows the fighters as humans who go through the same emotions like common citizens do.

A good amount of time is spent in light-hearted and humorous situations between the characters. However, these moments are organically included in the narrative and they don’t appear forced by any means. Plus, the writers have used simple techniques to induce humour. These instances don’t put a break on the proceedings as they immensely help in the audience feeling for the main characters.

The film also scores high in the all-important war sequences. The action and stunts keep you on the edge. Most of these battle sequences are narrated while keeping the thriller quotient in mind. It’s not just random killing between two warring camps. These sequences are finely peppered with rousing patriotic dialogues. It is only on a few occasions that these lines become jingoistic, which could have been avoided. Also, a lot of these dialogues are already featured in the promotional material. Else, they could have made a larger impact.

Apart from showing the bravery of the Indian Army, Border also scored high for giving an anti-war message in the end. Border 2 does that in an indirect way through a few sequences. And the very last frame moves you as it provides a nostalgic feeling for the 1997 film.

Coming to the music, the two tracks that impress the most – ‘Ghar Kab Aaoge’ and ‘Toh Chalun’ – are recreated versions from the first film. Anshul Chobey’s camerawork is impressive, especially during war sequences. John Stewart Eduri’s background score aids the proceedings.

From the other flipsides, the film could have easily ended before 3 hours and 19 minutes. The light-hearted portions in the first half and, more importantly, the battle sequences in the last hour could have been shortened.

As expected, the film provides maximum footage to Sunny Deol and the veteran artist lives up to his reputation. Despite being close to 70, he does complete justice to a challenging character, be it while performing action and fights or mouthing those powerful lines in his own fashion.

Despite Deol’s presence, the rest of the main cast succeeds in getting more than noticed. Varun Dhawan comes up with a mature act and portrays different emotions with ease. This is his best performance after Badlapur and October. Diljit Dosanjh is subtle but yet full of life. Ahan Shetty is decent during action but struggles otherwise. The rest of the Indian armed forces, played by Anurag Arora, Pramvir Cheema and Vansh Bhardwaj offer good support. The actors playing Pakistani armed forces are shown to be ‘border’line buffoons, which doesn’t come as a surprise.

From the female cast, Mona Singh shines the most, followed by Sonam Bajwa and Medha Rana. Anya Singh, surprisingly, is hardly there.

Overall: Border 2 is a heartfelt and sensible war saga about the sacrifices and valour of India’s armed forces. National Award-winning director Anurag Singh makes his presence felt through his mature handling. He overcomes the challenge of making sequel to a much loved film.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Anurag Singh

Producers: JP Films and T-Series Films

Writers: Nidhi Dutta, Sumit Arora and Anurag Singh

Cast: Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty, Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Medha Rana

Ikkis Review: A war film that gives an anti-war message in a profound way

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Storyline: Ikkis tells the story of India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra Awardee Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal (Agastya Nanda), who achieved martyrdom at the age of 21 in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The movie also narrates a parallel story of Arun’s father ML Khetarpal (Dharmendra) who visits Lahore in 2001 to attend his college reunion. He is hosted by Pakistani officer Brigadier Jaan Mohammad Nisar (Jaideep Ahlawat) for a deeply personal reason.

Review: Ikkis is primarily about a young man who fought the 1971 India-Pakistan war and attained martyrdom. In a typical Hindi war film, we would have shown his life from childhood or teenage years to him joining the army, fighting for the nation and ultimately sacrificing his life for the country.

But Ikkis isn’t a typical war film by any means. Along with portraying the martyrdom of the young man, the film gives equal importance at giving an anti-war message through the track of Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat. It says loudly without saying much – ultimately there are humans on both sides of the border who die during a war. And the film achieves this even while showing the bravery of a young martyr.

Ikkis movie

The genre itself in both the tracks is different. But Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas and Pooja Ladha Surti’s writing and Raghavan’s handling as a director doesn’t make it appear so. This is largely because the pre-war portion and, more importantly, the war sequences in 1971 are devoid of any glorification of war and jingoism.

Hence, this is a rare Bollywood film on India-Pakistan war where, as an Indian, you don’t rejoice when the Pakistani soldiers are killed. The presentation is such that it won’t let you simply because it treats the killing of soldiers on both the sides as nothing but war casualty.

Ikkis peaks the most in the pre-climax and the climax. This portion is lit up by the genius of Dharmendra. In fact, he is lively in the entire film. One just can’t stop getting moved every time he says or does something. His final good bye will be talked about for long.

However, Jaideep Ahlawat matches Dharmendra and doesn’t let the latter overshadow him. This is no mean achievement. This one is easily one of his best acts, if not his best. However, it is surprising to see his character look almost the same in scenes where he is 30 years younger in 1971. Agastya Nanda, in his first theatrical outing, displays utmost confidence and the right skills needed to play this character. Simar Bhatia displays her charm and acting talent in her debut.

Rahul Dev, Sikandar Kher and Vivaan Shah chip in with useful supporting acts as Khetarpal’s fellow army men. Ekavali Khanna once again shows how talented she is while playing Ahlawat’s wife. Avani Rai, as his daughter, also gets noticed. Deepak Dobriyal is memorable in a cameo.

Ikkis is also technically sound, especially when it comes to the camerawork by the veteran Anil Mehta.

Coming to the minor flipsides, the movie could have been crisper in the first half. The competition that Khetarpal and his fellows take part during their training days could have been shorter and better explained.

Overall: Ikkis is a war drama that gives a powerful yet subtle anti-war message. The movie brings forth another dimension of the highly talented Sriram Raghavan. Due to the nature of the subject, the film isn’t expected to do much at the box office.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Maddock Films

Cast: Dharmendra, Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia, Ekavali Khanna, Avani Rai, Rahul Dev, Sikandar Kher, Vivaan Shah

Also read: Dhurandhar Review: Well-crafted spy drama

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Krantijyoti Vidyalay Marathi Madhyam Review: Tackles an important issue but in a convenient way

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Storyline: The film revolves around a 99-year-old Marathi school in Alibaug called Krantijyoti Vidyalay Marathi Madhyam. The school is everything for its Principal Shirke sir (Sachin Khedekar). But currently, the school doesn’t have any future. The state government has ordered to raze the school as, according to them, its lease period is over and the structure of the building has become weak. The plan is also to make an English medium international school in its place. This has happened to thousands of Marathi schools in Maharashtra.

Shirke sir, who is obviously sad by the development, shares the news with his former students and calls them to Alibaug for a solution. These include, Kuldeep aka Deep (Siddharth Chandekar), Anjali (Prajakta Koli), Salma (Kahitee Jog), Rakesh (Harish Dudhade), Vishal (Pushkaraj Chirputkar) and Suman (Kadambari Kadam). Baban (Amey Wagh), another ex-student and a close friend of Deep and Anjali, is also a part of team. He has always been living in Alibaug. Will they succeed in their task?

Review: Written and directed by Hemant Dhome, Krantijyoti Vidyalay Marathi Madhyam instantly transports you into its enchanting and pleasant world. The school and its premises bring about a lot of nostalgia for anyone who has fond memories of his or her school life. The film’s emotional quotient goes higher when the ex-students arrive and relive their old and golden days.

Krantijyoti Vidyalay Marathi Madhyam

But at the same time, it’s also surprising to see none of them feeling sad by the fact that the school will cease to exist in a few days from now. It is only after Shirke sir reminds them that they realize that they need to save the school. However, there are still not much complains in the first half, especially after the interval block, which indicates that the film will now fully focus on the main issue of saving the school.  

But for some reason, the focus keeps shifting from the main conflict to the personal lives of the characters and you wonder why. And once the film gets back to business, it tackles the issue of Marathi schools with a lot of filmi-ness. The whole conflict is dealt in a very simplistic way and things happen too conveniently for the main characters. This is felt the most in the track of the character played by Anant Jog.

Krantijyoti Vidyalay Marathi Madhyam has some fine performances though. Sachin Khedekar is an apt choice for the role of Shirke sir. His subtle act ensures that he naturally commands respect. Siddharth Chandekar is believable as a movie star and he doesn’t overdo in proving it. Prajakta Koli shines as she provides a mature act as Anjali. Amey Wagh is at his hilarious best but he also scores in emotional scenes.

Kshitee Jog also puts her right foot forward in a role where she had to act tough as well as soft. Harish Dudhade, Pushkaraj Chirputkar and Kadambari Kadam also provide good support and get proper opportunities. As mentioned earlier, Anant Jog suffers from a weak characterization. Nirrmitee Saawaant impresses despite limited screen time.

The film’s technical aspects are of high quality, especially Satyajeet Shobha Shriram’s camerawork that captures the school and the town of Alibaug in an artistic manner.

Overall: Krantijyoti Vidyalay Marathi Madhyam tackles a noble cause but in a convenient manner.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Director: Hemant Dhome

Writer: Hemant Dhome

Producers: Crazy Few Films and Chalchitra Mandalee Productions

Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Siddharth Chandekar, Prajakta Koli, Amey Wagh, Kshitee Jog, Harish Dudhade, Pushkaraj Chirputkar, Kadambari Kadam

Also read: Gondhal Review: A night of ritual turns sinister

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Daayam review: A teenager’s coming-of-age saga while navigating grief

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Storyline: Daayam, which is a Malayalam film, takes place in a town in Kerala. Kalyani (Aathira Rajeev) is going through the most emotionally challenging period of her life after her mother passed away a few days back in the most unexpected manner. Her house is full of relatives as they need to complete a few rituals for the departed.

There are murmurs about all not being well between her mother and father Raghu (Pradeep Geedha) in recent times. Kalyani mentally takes stock of these situations as she tries settling into a new life with her father.

Review: Indu Lakshmi’s writing coupled with Prashanth Vijay’s presentation transports the viewer into the quiet yet profound world of Kalyani where she is forced to deal with a new challenge. The proceedings are simple but full of feeling. Hence, one instantly feels for the teenager.

The death of Kalyani’s mother is the central incident. But we are not shown a glimpse of it even for a second and neither the funeral too. It is only through conversations that the viewer experiences it. Yet, one can easily feel that incident throughout the film. Even the grief of the protagonist is felt purely through her behavior and body language. There is only one moment where she breaks down but her grief is established even before that.

This was also possible because of a thoroughly dedicated performance by Aathira Rajeev. She literally lives and breathes the character and her grief. There is not even a second where she tries even a little bit harder than required. It is clearly a performance that should be talked about for long.

Daayam also throws light on the social dynamics when it comes to gender. The narrative goes onto this path in the most organic and gradual manner by shifting the focus on Raghu’s office situation. This is also where the film has a flipside. The office incident is quite serious and important to the narrative. But it is treated in a little casual manner whereas it deserved a clearer portrayal.

The film also develops a little bit of mystery surrounding Kalyani’s mother’s death at the start. But this aspect is quite forgotten later.

During the latter parts of the film, Pradeep Geedha gets a chance to display his different moods and he does that exceedingly well. He keeps the mystery quotient alive in his performance, which was vital.

The film scores high in the technical front. Rakesh Dharan’s camerawork is artistic but simple, which was the need there. Christy Sebastian’s editing is quite smooth flowing. The use of minimal music by Varkey goes with the nature of the film.

Overall: Daayam is a profound coming-of-age saga about a teenager navigating grief.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Prasanth Vijay

Producer: Jessy P

Writer: Indu Lakshmi

Cast: Aathira Rajeev, Pradeep Geedha

Also read: Dhurandhar review: Well-crafted spy drama trapped in the wrong medium

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