The Common Man Speaks

Sangeet Manapmaan Review: Subodh Bhave’s second directorial turns out to be just a one-time watch

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Actor Subodh Bhave’s directorial debut Katyar Kaljyat Ghusli (2015) turned out to be a spectacular affair. There were much expectations for his second film as a director Sangeet Manapmaan, not just because he is in the director’s chair. This film is also adapted from an old classic musical play, just like the 2015 movie. But this time, the end result turns out to be just a one-time watch.  

Sangeet Manapmaan is adapted from Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar’s musical play of the same name, which was first staged way back in 1911.  

The story takes place in a kingdom in Maharashtra called Sangrampur in an unspecified era. The chief of army Kakasaheb (Shailesh Datar) expresses his wish to the queen of Sangrampur (Nivedita Saraf) to retire from his services because of his advanced age. Although the queen believes he is irreplaceable, she suggests Kakasaheb’s deputy Chandravilas (Sumeet Raghvan) as the next chief. Kakasaheb subtly disagrees with the queen as he believes, despite being a brave warrior, Chandravilas doesn’t possess the exact qualities to be the next chief.

Chandravilas is arrogant and proud about his position as the deputy chief. He has a deep desire to be the next army chief after Kakasaheb retires. He also wishes to marry Kakasaheb’s beautiful daughter Bhamini (Vaidehi Parshurami), who has been his childhood friend.

Meanwhile, Dhairyadhar (Subodh Bhave) is an ordinary villager from the same kingdom, who stays with his doting mother (Neena Kulkarni) and does odd jobs for a living. Being brave and strong, his wish is to join Sangrampur’s army. One day, he saves Kakasaheb from a life-threatening attack from King Dhiren’s (Upendra Limaye) soldiers from the neighborhood kingdom. Impressed by Dhairyadhar, Kakasaheb inducts him into Sangrampur’s army, much to the jealousy of Chandravilas.

The original story is not just interesting but it also weaves together drama, romance, politics and action seamlessly. What pleasantly surprises you is the character of Bhamini, who is shown to be brave, both from within and outside. Generally, stories about kings and kingdoms are male dominated and they display only their bravery. But here, a young girl is shown not just to be brave but also someone who doesn’t let others take decisions about her life, including her marriage. Interestingly, her father also lets her be free.

To find such a character in a play written over 110 years ago indicates the progressiveness of theatre back then. Bhave and the makers deserve credit for selecting a play with this story. The production designing succeeds in recreating the bygone era and ensuring that the visuals are eye-pleasing.

When it comes to doing justice to the original story, the movie does bring about sequences that either move or thrill, especially in the ending moments. However, they are not present throughout the film. In other words, there was scope for the narrative to be more dramatic as well as emotionally thrilling but somehow the film doesn’t turn out to be as gripping as one would expect from such an interesting original story.

The duration of 165 minutes also goes against the movie. Although Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have succeeded in recreating Khadilkar’s songs and composing fresh tracks, the movie could have been easily trimmed if it didn’t have these many songs. There are quiet a few instances where a song applies brakes on the storytelling. Plus, a couple of song situations suit more in the medium of theatre than in cinema.

Subodh Bhave makes the internally and externally strong character of Dhairyadhar believable. He also succeeds in the subtle transformation in the latter stages once he joins the army. Sumeet Raghavan is fine as the scheming and jealous deputy chief. Vaidehi Parshurami does justice to the strong character of Bhamini and portrays different emotions convincingly.

However, there is an issue with the age factor of Bhave and Raghavan as they appear much older to Bhamini. As Bhave plays a 35-year-old man, you can still excuse him. But it is impossible to believe Raghavan as Vaidehi’s childhood friend. His fake moustache also affects his screen presence. Similarly, Upendra Limaye also appears older for the role of King Dhiren.

Coming to the rest of the performances, Shailesh Datar, Nivedita Saraf and Neena Kulkarni score well as Kakasaheb, the queen and Dhairyadhar’s mother.

Overall: Sangeet Manapmaan turns out to be a one-time watch saga. Don’t expect anything of the level of Katyar Kaljyat Ghusli.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Subodh Bhave

Producers: Jio Studios and Shree Ganesh Marketing and Films

Writers: Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar (original play), Shirish Gopal Deshpande, Urja Deshpande and Prajakt Deshmukh

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Also read: Mukkam Post Bombilwadi review: Decent entertainer trapped in the wrong medium

Elham review: Film about a boy’s attachment to a goat succeeds in moving you

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Hindi film industry brings about films on various subjects but the void of good children’s films has always been there. And children’s films that succeed in moving grown-ups are even rare. Filmmaker and writer Dhruva Harsh’s Elham contributes in filling that void.

The movie is set in a village in Uttar Pradesh. The story revolves around a school going kid Faizan (Taiyo Chan). He lives with his father Rafique (Mahmood Hashmi), mother Safina (Gunnit Kour), elder sister Fatima (Tot Chan) and grandfather Daddu (Umesh Shukla). Rafique is currently jobless, so, obviously, the family is going through a lean phase.

The day of Bakrid is nearing but the family is in no position to buy a goat in order to sacrifice it on the auspicious day. This saddens Faizan as he sees his friends’ families buying goats. But Rafique starts new work of making bedsheets. He does so for the neighborhood lady, who, much to his pleasant surprise, pays him by presenting him with the goat.

This delights Faizan. However, he develops a strange affection for the goat, who he nicknames Dodu. Hence, he shudders even by the thought of the animal being sacrificed on Bakrid. Will Dodu be sacrificed?  

The tale of a boy getting attached to a goat was explored in the Marathi movie Peter (2021). However, the basic tale, setting and treatment of Elham are much different.

The biggest challenge for Elham was to establish the bond between Faizan and Dodu, which it does exceedingly well. It forms gradually without you even realizing it. The conflict angle is also played in a simple way without making the proceedings melodramatic. The finale, which is crucial in such stories, succeeds in moving you. It also gives a message without anyone spelling it out.

Elham is also an example of progressive cinema, both in terms of the behavior of characters and the presentation. The jobless father for once doesn’t face any taunts whatsoever from his wife, despite his situation. In fact, she even readily gives him money to buy things from the market. The film, overall, is quite minimal and intimate. There are limited number of main characters and the story is told through close quarters without any taam jaam.

In a country like India, such subjects often face dangers of ruffling feathers with religiously conservative audience. But the makers ensure there is no scope for this in the movie.

The technical aspects, in terms of the cinematography and editing, play a major part in keeping things simple. The background score is minimal and used only when required.  

The performances are a big plus point here. Taiyo Chan had a major responsibility while playing Faizan. In a way, he had to carry the film on his shoulders. He gets his act right and makes you root for him. Mahmood Hashmi gives an understated performance as his father, which goes with the nature of his character. Tot Chan, Gunnit Kour and Umesh Shukla, as the rest of the family members, chip in with good acts.

Coming to the minuses, the movie needed to be much crisper before the goat makes an entry in the story. The pacing is an issue during this part.

Overall: Elham is a moving saga with a message.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Dhruva Harsh

Producers: Dr. Raj Kishore Khaware, Utpaal Acharya, Saurabh Varma, Vickey Prasad, Vikas Yadav and Rati Tandon

Writer: Dhruva Harsh

Cast: Taiyo Chan, Tot Chan, Mahmood Hashmi, Gunnit Kour, Umesh Shukla

Also read: All We Imagine As Light review: Poignant portrayal of life in a metro for the not-so-privileged

Mukkam Post Bombilwadi review: Decent entertainer trapped in the wrong medium

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Filmmaker Paresh Mokashi’s Mukkam Post Bombilwadi is based on his own Marathi play of the same name. The story takes place in 1942 when World War II is in full swing. Adolf Hitler (Prashant Damle) is under pressure for not having won the war despite fighting it for years, especially from his wife Eva (Deepti Lele). Winston Churchill (Anand Ingle), the Prime Minister of Great Britain, is making things more difficult for him.

Meanwhile, in Bombilwadi village in Maharashtra’s Konkan, Varvante (Vaibhav Mangle) heads a theatre group. He is struggling hard to rehearse for a play with the members of his troupe (Devendra Pem, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Ritika Shrotri). Vaidya Buwa (Sunil Abhyankar) and Bhaskar (Pranav Raorane), who are also a part of the theatre group, have made a bomb to blow up Britishers.

Back in Germany, Hitler gets to know that he can lay his hands on the secret formula of an atom bomb in Japan. He decides to take matters in his own hands and visit Japan all by himself. But his plane crash lands in Bombilwadi and this creates more madness and mayhem in the village.

Mukkam Post Bombilwadi by Paresh Mokashi

As evident from the above synopsis, the story of Mukkam Post Bombilwadi is fully absurd and one requires suspension of disbelief to enjoy it. Frankly, it doesn’t take much effort to do that as the movie starts on a hilarious note. To see Hitler, Churchill and others speak in Marathi gets you in splits and so do some other moments in Bombilwadi.

However, the level of humour goes downhill later on. Of course, there are plenty of one-liners, jokes and situations aimed to make you laugh. But they only produce occasional humour and giggles. This is simply because this type of comedy suits more to the medium of theatre instead of cinema. In other words, the film remains theatrical and is not cinematic enough. The makers could have exploited the medium of cinema more.

The performances fall in the positive though. Prashant Damle is hilarious as a Marathi-speaking Hitler. He excels even in scenes where his character is troubled or confused. Anand Ingale too shines as Winston Churchill, despite limited screen time. Vaibhav Mangle, Devendra Pem, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Ritika Shrotri also succeed with their comic timing.

Adwait Dadarkar as the British Inspector Cook is impressive and he holds various scenes on his own. The rest of the supporting cast, including Sunil Abhyankar, Pranav Raorane, Deepti Lele, Rajesh Mapuskar and Ganesh Mayekar, are fine too.

The film scores well in the production designing, more so when it comes to the recreation of Hiter’s office in Germany.

Overall: Mukkam Post Bombilwadi is a decent entertainer, more because of the performances than the content. Because of its family entertainment genre, it is expected to do well at the box office.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Director: Paresh Mokashi

Producers: Vivek Films and Mayasabha Karamnuk Mandali

Writer: Paresh Mokashi

Cast: Prashant Damle, Anand Ingale, Vaibhav Mangle, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Devendra Pem, Ritika Shrotri, Adwait Dadarkar

Also read: Amaltash (Marathi movie) Review: Tenderly created saga on love, life & music

The childlike innocence of Shyam Benegal I was fortunate to witness

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On the evening of December 23, I was at an event. Soon after it commenced, messages started popping up on Whats App about the passing away of the legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal. I was hoping for it to be a rumour as that happens a lot in today’s times. Unfortunately, this one turned out to be true. Despite being at the event physically, my mind started seeing flashes related to the filmmaker who, I realized, would now be referred to as ‘late’.

Benegal was not only one of the best filmmakers from India but also an important pillar of the parallel cinema movement that took place in the 1970s and 80s. He came up with a number of gems during that era and after that. If there had to be a poster boy of uncompromising independent filmmaking, it had to be him.

But for me, Benegal was much more than that. He was someone from the industry I spoke the most with in my career so far as a film journalist. The flashes I saw while sitting at the event were not only about his films but also my various interactions with him, be it face-to-face, telephonic or through messages. Hence, this write-up is about my personal experience with him instead of his films, about which a lot has already been written and will be written.

Photo courtesy: Navbharat Times

My first meeting happened with him as a fan in 2013 at the NCPA (National Centre of Performing Arts). It was a screening of the restored classics of Dadasaheb Phalke where Benegal was the chief guest. I had a brief chat with him and happily posed for a photograph clicked by my friend Gaurav Naik. Interestingly, Gaurav was also one of the fans wanting to click a picture with Benegal. I clicked his and he clicked mine and we became friends. After the news of his passing away, me and Gaurav remembered that we know each other only because of Benegal.

At that time, I cherished that picture with Benegal as I wasn’t sure whether I would ever get to meet him again. How glad I was to be proven wrong.

In around 2016, I joined a new publication called Cinestaan. Along with current news, it also specialized in writing about old films and celebrating veterans from various areas of films, be it in the front or behind the camera. We gave special importance to birthday and anniversary articles.

This gave me an opportunity to contact Mr Benegal once in June 2017 regarding the birth anniversary of Mr Amrish Puri. He had worked in a lot of Benegal’s movies and the two also had a good personal rapport. Hence, we thought Benegal would be the right person to talk about him.

During the meet at NCPA in 2013

But considering ours was a new publication, I wondered if he would agree to speak. Nevertheless, I called him. Much to my pleasant surprise, Benegal not only agreed to speak, he also called me at his office at Tardeo, which was very near to our office. He wanted to have a face-to-face conversation. I was delighted.

As soon as I entered his office that radiated the old-world charm, one of his staff members took me to his cabin. I was pleased to see Benegal again. But I was a bit stunned to see his desk literally being surrounded by books. They were mostly non-fiction on varied topics. The scenario spoke a lot of how well-read he was.

I was expecting the filmmaker to share a few memories with Puri. But Benegal shared many and that too in a deep and unhurried manner. Even before writing, I knew this was going to be one of my most memorable interviews.

Suddenly, an idea struck me. Benegal’s birthday was around six months later in December. I thought then and there to do an interview with him for his birthday on his filmmaking journey. I was not sure if he would agree because I had only asked him for an interview for Puri’s anniversary. But I somehow gathered courage and asked him if he would speak about his career for a birthday interview. He happily agreed for that too!

Obviously, I had prepared no questions for this interview. But I just asked about how his love affair with films began and this was enough for him to go down memory lane. He narrated how he secretly used to watch films during his childhood and that’s how he was introduced to the medium of cinema. I could easily see a child-like innocence in a man who was 80 plus back then.

During the long interview in 2017

Suddenly, Benegal’s phone rang in between the interview. He decided to pick it up. I wanted to pause the recording but my phone was on the other side where he was sitting, so it would have been awkward. So, I let it be. While talking over the phone, Benegal made a strong political comment. Soon, he hung up. I thought he would ask me to keep that comment off the record. But he didn’t. Maybe because some trust had developed. Of course, I didn’t use that part as that would have been unethical.

Anyways, both the articles (the one on Puri in June and on Benegal’s career in December) turned out to be special only because of Benegal’s inputs. I had visited him hoping to get one decent interview. Instead, I got two memorable ones. (You can read them HERE and HERE).

After the first article on Amrish Puri was published, I sent him the link on Whats App. But he didn’t reply despite seeing the message. I assumed he must be busy. Six months later when Benegal’s birthday interview was published, I sent him the link again. But again there was no response from his side. I again assumed he must be busy, although I was a bit disheartened.

Weeks later, I messaged him to get his opinion on something. He replied soon. I then managed to ask him whether he read the previous two articles I had sent him. He explained that he won’t be able to read them because he doesn’t read anything online; it has to be in print. This never struck me! So, a few days later, I took the printouts of the articles and dropped them to his office as, co-incidentally, I had to visit the same area for some other work. Unfortunately, he wasn’t present, so I asked his staff to please hand it over to him.

After returning to my office, I was hoping that he gets to read those articles and how great it would be to get a message from him. But he didn’t message. Instead, he called up, thanked me and had a good warm chat. I remember that phone call like it was just months ago.

I considered this interview as a great one-time experience. But I didn’t expect this to be a start of a number of interactions with him in the following years. From speaking on the anniversary of his film Zubeidaa (read HERE) to fearlessly sharing his opinion on matters related to censorship and CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification), he always spoke in a determined and unhurried manner (read HERE and HERE). The little political side I saw of his during that call in between our interview was visible in these conversations.

I consider myself very fortunate to have got a chance to speak a number of times with one of the filmmaking legends and a politically aware and concerned citizen.

However, I will remember him the most as someone who shared about his secret visits to cinema halls as a kid with that childlike innocence.

Pushpa 2 – The Rule review: Much better and entertaining than part 1

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First things first. I am not a fan of Pushpa: The Rise, the first film in filmmaker Sukumar’s franchise. I found it lagging behind in storytelling, performance of the lead actor and filled with quite a few problematic moments. However, I am pleasantly surprised to find Pushpa 2: The Rule not only better than part one but also a paisa vasool entertainer.

The first film ended with Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) becoming a large force in the world of red sandalwood smuggling. In the end, he marries his lady love Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna) while his nemesis in the form of the cop Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) vows to destroy Pushpa for his crimes and the insult meted out to him.

In Pushpa 2, Pushpa has become an even bigger name in his line of work. He has now extended his empire beyond the national borders. Shekhawat’s vengeance is even stronger now and he puts in various efforts to nab Pushpa and destroy his illegal business. At the same time, Pushpa also faces family issues with his elder brother Mohan (Ajay) but has more than a soft corner for his niece Kaveri (Pavani Karanam), who respects him dearly.

Pushpa 2 is entertaining from the word go but it doesn’t quite start on a positive note. The entire fight sequence in Japan lacks proper clarity. But the movie comes on track soon and stays there almost for the entire duration.

The movie is mostly about the cat-and-mouse game between Pushpa and Shekhawat, with each trying to outsmart each other. This results in some dramatic, thrilling as well as funny moments. No prizes for guessing who has the upper hand most of the time.

As mentioned before, the second film doesn’t lag behind in the areas it did in the first. The narrative is more engaging this time. The film is also better in terms of the action and stunts. The major fight scene in the pre-climax itself is your money’s worth. The film is also technically sounder when it comes to the cinematography and background score. But the same can’t be said for the music. The first film had the hit number ‘Oo Antava’.  This one lacks even a single memorable song. Although Sreelela does well in ‘Kissik’ the song, especially the lyrics, are unimpressive.

This film also scores high when it comes to the portrayal of women. While the first one had its share of problematic moments, that’s hardly the case here.

Along with the narrative, a major improvement in Pushpa 2 is the performance of Allu Arjun. He appeared one-dimensional in the first film on most occasions. But here, he shows his wide range as an actor and shines while displaying various moods of Pushpa. Apart from mouthing heroic one-liners and bashing up people, he is impressive even during emotional moments.

Because of better characterization, Rashmika Mandanna too gives an improved performance this time. Fahadh Faasil too goes a few notches higher. It was heartening to see his supreme acting talent at better use this time. Ajay, Pavani Karanam and Kalpalatha (Pushpa’s mother Parvati) provide earnest supporting acts. Rao Ramesh, Anasuya Bharadwaj and Sunil also chip in with decent acts.

Coming to the minus points, Pushpa 2 could have had a reduced runtime than 3 hours 20 minutes. A few scenes, including a couple of action sequences, could have been trimmed. There are instances where the makers have taken a lot of creative liberties, even by the standards of commercial masala entertainers.

Overall: Pushpa 2: The Rule fares much better than the previous film in the franchise. The movie ends with a bang with the announcement of the next film in the series titled Pushpa 3: The Rampage. The movie is expected to be a ‘wildfire’ at the box office with several records in sight.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Sukumar

Producers: Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings

Writers: Sukumar (Story and Screenplay) and Srikanth Vissa (Hindi dialogues)

Cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil

Also read: All We Imagine As Light review: Poignant portrayal of life in a metro for the not-so-privileged

Poetry Book Review: Listen To The Thorn Birds by Pratibha Panghal

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It is believed that a poem must consist lines that rhyme with each other. However, this is a misconception. It is absolutely fine to write a poem in a free-flowing form without the lines rhyming anywhere.

The poetry set of debutant poet Pratibha Panghal in her book Listen To The Thorn Birds has a number of poems where none of the lines rhyme but they easily succeed in generating a poetic effect. In fact, most of them poems appear like prose paragraphs but they are written in a completely poetic manner.

Listen To The Thorn Birds largely consists of poems that reflect the pain and heartbreak a person goes through. The poet has achieved this by using direct language and not beating around the bush. Despite a majority of poems expressing pain or sadness, they are written in such a poetic way that you end by being impressed by the use of words instead of being depressed. This, however, doesn’t mean that you don’t feel the poet’s pain.

Some of the most impressive poems from the book include, The Magician And The Children, A Heart With Holes, Albatross, Rains, Palm Reading, She Walks The Tight Rope, On Ageing and Vaccine For Violence.

Another positive aspect about the book is that the poet has used simple, everyday words and sentences to express herself. There is no use of elite English that only a small percentage of Indians understand. But despite the simplicity, the text is rich. In other words, a good balance has been maintained between simplicity and richness.

But Listen To The Thorn Birds is not all about the personal pain. Panghal has also penned a few poems that speak about environmental degradation and destroying of nature in the name of development. A few of them like Elephant Woes and Water also speak about her love and concern for animals. An additional feature of the book are the beautiful paintings and sketches that enhance the words.

Although there is no major negative point in the book, one could have hoped to find at least a few poems that displayed happiness.

Overall: Listen To The Thorn Birds succeeds in moving you.  

Rating: 4 out of 5

Author: Pratibha Panghal

Publisher: Bluerose Publishers

Number of pages: 99

Also read: Book Review: Razor Sharp – Ashwin Sanghi dwells into the serial killer zone

All We Imagine As Light review: Poignant portrayal of life in a metro for the not-so-privileged

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Mumbai has not only been one of the most featured cities in Indian films but it is also explored as a subject over the decades. Many a times, the dark underbelly of the city is brought to light. Filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s worldwide acclaimed feature film debut All We Imagine As Light (Malayalam along with some usage of Hindi and Marathi) also shows the bitter side of Mumbai. But it, for a change, doesn’t feature the criminal side of the city in any way.

Kapadia has captured Mumbai in a different manner. Almost the entire portion taking place in Mumbai is shot at night and that too during monsoon rains. No, the rain is not romanticized in the film. It is, instead, shown as a hurdle to the lower middle-class of Mumbai.

Along with that, the city is shown suffering from a cramped space. So, we see both the interiors and exteriors filled with people with hardly any sequence showing a character or two in a space that is even remotely empty. At the same time, the characters too are somehow struggling to find a space of their own in this city, both mentally and physically.

Prabha (Kani Kusruti), a Malayali from Kerala, works as a senior nurse in a hospital and stays in a small space with her junior Anu (Divya Prabha), who hails from the same state. Prabha got married to a man without even knowing him and he soon migrated to Germany.

Anu, a carefree young girl, is in a relationship with Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon). She knows that her parents would never agree for their marriage as he is a Muslim. The couple is always in search of some space to spend time together. Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), who cooks in the same hospital and hails from Ratnagiri, is struggling to save her little house from a powerful builder.

The above story about two migrants and one semi-migrant isn’t told in a conventional fashion at all. In fact, the film is more about a realistic passing glimpse into their lives with the city being present in most of the film’s duration. The conversations are real but at the same time interesting and, at times, hilarious. The film indicates that the chaos in the city is of the same nature as in the hearts of the characters.

Kapadia has succeeded in displaying her talent in capturing raw reality of Mumbai and the three protagonists. At times, this is visible in small instances, like Prabha hugging the pressure cooker sent by her husband. The topic of religion between Prabha and Shiaz is dealt in a very subtle manner. This part of the film somehow takes a stand against the theories of ‘Love Jihad’, without spelling it out whatsoever.

The three main actors, whose choices have been apt, don’t seem to be acting. Hence, it’s impossible to choose the best of all. Kani Kusruti expresses the pain of loneliness without saying much. Divya Prabha succeeds in being bold and at the same time innocent. Chhaya Kadam naturally switches between helplessness and toughness. Hridhu Haroon makes good of whatever opportunity he gets.

The technical aspects like cinematography and editing also play a major role in keeping the narrative realistic. The background score is used rarely and this works in the film’s favour.

Ideally, the subject and its treatment didn’t deserve a runtime of 118 minutes. It could have been shorter and still made an impact. The back story of Prabha about her husband leaving for Germany needed more clarity, especially considering that he sent that modern pressure cooker to her all the way from there.

Overall: All We Imagine As Light is a poignant portrayal of the lower middle-class of Mumbai through the lives of three women with different personalities and life stories. The film has achieved glory internationally and it deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Payal Kapadia

Producer: Thomas Hakim and Julien Graff

Writer: Payal Kapadia

Cast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon

Also read: Indi(r)a’s Emergency review: Shows the period’s relevance today

Singham Again review: Time-pass family action film despite some hiccups

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Rohit Shetty’s cop sagas started with the brilliant Singham (2011). It was obvious for him to bring out a sequel to it. But Singham Returns (2014) turned out to be just an average fare. His latest and third outing in the series, Singham Again, is better than the 2014 film. Hence, it keeps alive his Cop Universe, which also contains the enjoyable Simmba (2018) and Sooryavanshi (2021).

In the pre-climax scene in Sooryvanshi, Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) vows to finish off the terrorist Omar Hafiz (Jackie Shroff), who is hiding in Kashmir. As fate would have it, Singham soon gets posted in Kashmir and during the start of Singham Again, he captures Omar in an operation. Omar warns Singham that he will have to deal with a new evil force.

Meanwhile, Singham’s wife Avni (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is a part of India’s cultural ministry and is currently staging the Ram-Leela for nine days in a modern way for today’s youth. The new evil force mentioned by Omar is Danger Lanka (Arjun Kapoor), who has an eye on Avni. He carries out a mission to abduct her and takes her to Sri Lanka. There is nothing much known about Danger Lanka.

But this doesn’t soften up Singham as he promises to bring Avni back. He takes the help of IPS (Indian Police Service) officer Shakti Shetty (Deepika Padukone), ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Satya (Tiger Shroff), Inspector Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba (Ranveer Singh) and Anti-Terror squad officer Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar).

Singham Again Review

Singham Again doesn’t start on a promising note. The all-important entry of Singham is lukewarm. On top of that, we have already seen it twice in the trailer and the title song released before the film. But what puzzles you the most is the capturing of Omar Hafiz. It seems as if the terrorist gives himself away to Singham while the latter walks away with the credit and accolades. It is also easy to notice the body double of Shroff in that sequence where his character carries out bike stunts.

However, the film starts getting better once the abduction angle comes in and we are introduced to different characters. The entry of Tiger Shroff is the best of all because it happens when you least expect it. He has also performed better than his recent outings as he has underplayed himself.  

The story of Ramayana in the Ram Leela running parallel to Singham’s story is impressively done and plays a major role in you rooting for the good guys. The action and stunts, which are the vital elements in Shetty’s Cop Universe, succeed in providing the desired effect on the big screen. But the film also successfully keeps the humour quotient high, especially during a few meta references.

However, Singham Again ends just like a regular larger-than-life action film. Although there is a feel-good factor in the end, it lacks something special. After witnessing the finale of few other big scale action films of the recent past, you expect more, especially when an ensemble action cast has assembled.

Singham Again is also hampered by the decision of the makers to show way too much in its lengthy trailer, which kills the surprise factor. This had impacted Sooryavanshi too. It impacts this film even more.

Apart from the title track, there are no songs here. But the new title track isn’t as effective as the original one and you also miss its signature tune in the background score. Girish Kant and Raza Hussain Mehta’s camerawork fits the bill.

Coming to the rest of the cast, Ajay Devgn succeeds in commanding respect as a revered figure. Kareena Kapoor Khan provides a satisfactory act. Ranveer Singh appears over-the-top at the start but he makes up for it later on with a hilarious performance. Deepika Padukone, as Shakti Shetty aka Lady Singham, is decent. Akshay Kumar is likeable in a cameo.

But the surprise factor is Arjun Kapoor. He has reinvented himself as a ruthless villain. Jackie Shroff, as the other bad guy, fits his character well. Dayanand Shetty, in a cameo, continues doing what he had done in the TV show CID.

Overall: Despite some hiccups, Singham Again succeeds in being a time-pass family action entertainer for the festive season. The tiny cameo of Salman Khan in the end and the announcement of the next film in the franchise titled Chulbul Singham also helps its cause.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Rohit Shetty

Producers: Reliance Entertainment, Jio Studios, Rohit Shetty Picturez, Devgn Films and Cinergy

Writers: Kshitij Patwardhan, Yunus Sajawal, Sandeep Saket, Anusha Nandakumar, Abhijeet Khuman, Shantanu Srivastava, Rohit Shetty, Milap Zaveri and Vidhi Ghodgaonkar

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff, Akshay Kumar

Also read: Indi(r)a’s Emergency review: Shows the period’s relevance today

Boong (Manipuri movie) review: Fine blend of heart-touching moments and natural humour

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Aijaz Khan’s Hamid and Danish Renzu’s Half Widow are the names that easily come to my mind when it comes to movies about husbands going missing. But both the aforementioned films have the backdrop of the political crisis in Kashmir. This is where filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi’s Manipuri movie Boong stands apart. It is more of a personal story of a boy whose father goes missing not due to any political tensions.

Boong is set in a small village in Manipur, which is close to the border of Myanmar. It tells the story of a school-going kid Boong (Gugun Kipgen) and his mother Mandakini (Bala Hijam Ningthoujam). Boong’s father Joykumar (Hamom Sadananda) left for Myanmar some time back in search of work and hasn’t returned yet. He is untraceable. Mandakini is managing the household all by herself. The mother-son duo refuse to believe murmurs about his death.

Boong’s best friend Raju Agarwal (Angom Sanamatum) and his father Sudhir (Vikram Kochhar), whose family relocated to Manipur from Rajasthan since over a 100 years, share their pain. Circumstances ensure that Boong and Raju secretly team up to find the former’s missing father. Whether they succeed forms the rest of the story.

Boong Manipuri movie

Although the above synopsis might sound sad or serious, the film is anything but that. In fact, for a large part of the duration, it will make you giggle with occasional laugh out loud moments as well. However, the narrative and presentation doesn’t take the seriousness of the issue away even for a bit.

Lakshmipriya Devi has captured the minutest details of life in this part of the world while keeping the entertainment factor alive. Along with this, the lens of cinematographer Tanay Satam has provided a visual treat of this eye-pleasing location.  

But what stands out the most are the conversations between the four pivotal characters, especially Boong and Raju. Their innocence is fully visible, even while they perform naughty acts. Apart from the writing and the direction, this has been possible also because of the brilliant acts by the child actors Gugun Kipgen and Angom Sanamatum.

Bala Hijam Ningthoujam, in the role of a single mother, displays various emotions with ease, at times saying a lot without saying much. Vikram Kochhar, known for his work in a number of mainstream Hindi films, performs his task well and speaks fluent Manipuri.  

Boong, however, would have been even superlative if there was more clarity and background on Boong’s father’s disappearance. Fortunately for the makers, the film has so much working for itself that you can somehow ignore this point, especially due to the moving climax. Thankfully, is not a film that only provides a glimpse into the lives of the main character. It has a proper closure.

Overall: Boong is a fine blend of heart-touching moments and natural humour.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Lakshmipriya Devi

Producer: Excel Entertainment, Chalkboard Entertainment and Suitable Pictures

Cast: Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam Ningthoujam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar

Runtime: 94 minutes

Boong was screened at the recently-concluded 27th MAMI Mumbai Film Festival

Also read: Indi(r)a’s Emergency review: Shows the period’s relevance today

Yek Number review: Ambitious propaganda that turns unintentionally hilarious  

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A couple of weeks ago, we saw the release of Dharmaveer 2, in which a deceased political hero, Anand Dighe, was used to glorify and popularize Maharashtra’s current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Now, the same kind of propaganda has become the core of another Marathi movie. Titled Yek Number, the film aims to glorify Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

As one finally leaves the cinema hall after this 160-minute saga, one just wonders whether, after Hindi cinema, Marathi too will regularly churn out political propaganda films.

Yek Number starts off in a small village in Maharashtra and it revolves around the life of a youngster Pratap (Dhairya Gholap). He believes he is the man Friday of the local MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) but he is actually his slave. He dreams of becoming an MLA and his yes men continuously massage his ego.

Pratap’s second dream is to marry Pinky (Sayli Patil), his childhood love. She has been a die-hard fan of Raj Thackeray since she was a kid. When Pratap once asks for her hand in marriage, she promises to marry him if he convinces Thackeray to visit their village. Pratap readily takes up the challenge and vows to complete the task in the next 24 hours. However, when he reaches Mumbai, he realizes that his mission is far difficult than he imagined. Meanwhile, terrorists from across the border are planning something sinister in Mumbai.

Pinky’s demand and Pratap’s determination to fulfill the same is difficult to believe. Plus, there is a major flaw. When Pratap is unable to fulfill the task in 24 hours, it should mean that he failed in his mission. But he continues to pursue Thackeray for days.

However, what all happens in the film later makes this flaw appear minor. We are dished out various twists and characters with an ultimate aim of hero-worship and propaganda. Among these points, what stands out is the angle of a lookalike of Raj Thackeray and his acts. But what takes the cake is the Pakistani assassinators’ angle, which provides the maximum unintentional laughter (can’t reveal more to avoid spoilers).

Yek Number is filmmaker Rajesh Mapuskar’s third feature film after gems like Ferrari Ki Sawaari (2012) and Ventilator (2016). Needless to say, it is difficult to imagine that he has made this one. More so because there is absolute lack of subtlety when it comes to hero worship. The film is also packaged like many of those unconvincing action films of the 1990s.   

The technical aspects (cinematography, editing and background score) are not much to talk about. Ajay-Atul’s music, ‘Jahir Jhala Jagala’ is the only impressive track, but even that one gives a déjà vu of their previous songs.

Dhairya Gholap has screen presence but his performance falls in just decent category. Sayli Patil shows promise, despite not having a large screen time. The actor playing Thackeray’s lookalike is the most convincing of all. Tejaswini Pandit, in a cameo, is passable.

The few plusses in Yek Number are the twists in the second half that make the film watchable, even if they lack complete conviction. But these positives are surely not enough to override the many negatives.

Rating: Yek.5

Director: Rajesh Mapuskar

Producers: Nadiadwala Grandson and Sahyadri Films

Writers: Tejaswini Pandit, Dhairya Gholap, Vinayak Purushottam, Mayuresh Joshi and Arvind Jagtap

Cast: Dhairya Gholap, Sayli Patil  

Also Read: Dharmaveer 2 review: The film is more like an election pitch