The Common Man Speaks

When it was Kambli v/s Kaluwitharana in this FINAL at Shivaji Park

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Mumbai is one of the prominent cities to have produced a number of Indian team cricketers over the decades. And if one has to name the place in the city where maximum number of Indian stars were groomed, it has to be Shivaji Park. The great Vijay Manjrekar, father of cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, was one of the heroes of this place.

For this reason, a single wicket and double wicket tournament used to be held at Shivaji Park Gymkhana at one point of time. Called ‘Veedol Vijay Manjrekar Single and Double Wicket Tournament’, it was prominent in the 90s and it used to take place somewhere around April or May each year.

A single wicket match is played between two individual cricketers instead of two teams. There are only 3 or 4 overs per innings. The same person would bat as well as bowl, while a number of junior cricketers would field in both the innings of the match. The interesting part was that if the person who is batting gets out, 2 or 4 runs would be deducted from his score. In the end, whichever player scores the highest in the innings would be the winner.

Similarly, a double wicket match saw the participation of two sets of players instead of one. The rest of the rules are the same. In the two-day tournament, the first day would see the single-wicket tournament while the next day would be dedicated to double-wicket. Interestingly, we got to see a much shorter version of the game than T20 when T20 was not even a thing.

Temporary stands used to be created around the playing area in Shivaji Park where spectators could watch the matches for free. The local cable TV also used to telecast all matches on the channel where they usually played movies. Personally, witnessing this series in 1996 or 1997 meant a lot to me because it was the first time I was watching live cricket.

Vinod Kambli and Romesh Kaluwitharana

Some prominent names from Indian cricket used to play this series each year, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Vinod Kambli, Ravi Shastri, Sandeep Patil, Narendra Hirwani, Ajit Agarkar, Pravin Amre, Robin Singh, Robin Uthappa, Amol Muzamdar, Ramesh Powar, Paras Mhambrey, etc; most of the cricketers were from Mumbai, understandably.

One such tournament in 1997 saw the participation of the Sri Lankan star Romesh Kaluwitharana (in the single wicket form). I have fond memories of this particular tournament, although it was a struggle to catch a glimpse of the pitch because of the height factor. As it turned out, Kaluwitharana and Kambli reached the final.

Kambli batted first and scored a decent amount of runs. The entire crowd supported him, which was obvious. We also got to see a rare sight of Kaluwitharana bowling slow medium pacers; something we never saw in international cricket since he always played as a wicket-keeper. When Kaluwitharana batted, it was also a rare sight to see Kambli bowl right-arm spin.

The pitch on Shivaji Park where the matches were played

The match between the two went right down to the wire. In the ending moments during Kaluwitharana’s chase, he mistimed a big shot and the ball went high up in the air. Co-incidentally, Kambli himself was under the ball. He got under it and did everything right, just to drop it in the end. There was a massive disappointment among the crowd. This ensured that Kaluwitharana won the final.

In the following year in the double wicket tournament, Robin Singh participated with a player from Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy team. This time, Kenyan cricketers Thomas Odoyo and someone else from their team (might be Kennedy Otieno) also participated as a pair. The final match saw Robin and his partner versus the two Kenyan cricketers.

The Kenyan players batted first and put up a good score. This match too was a nail-biter. In the end, Robin and his partner needed four runs of the last ball with the former on strike. Robin hit that one for 6, much to the jubilation of all of us.

After doing a Google search, one can find Facebook updates of the 2011 edition of the tournament held in 2011 (see HERE). Dilip Vengsarkar, Gulshan Grover and Tanushree Dutta were the guests. Apart from this, there is only one Mumbai Live article about this tournament held in 2017, which was won by Parag Pingle (read HERE).

The tournament doesn’t happen anymore. Strangely, apart from these two updates, there is not even a single text article on any of the editions of this tournament, not even the ones featuring Kambli, Kaluwitharana and Robin. If someone does have more info about the same, please feel free to comment below.

Also read: Why Kaluwitharana’s stint in 1996 World Cup is overrated

Pathaan puts a FULL STOP to the Boycott Gang on Republic Day eve

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Shah Rukh Khan-starrer action entertainer Pathaan opened to a mammoth Rs 57 crore at the box office on its opening day. It broke the record for the highest opening for a Hindi film and that too on a non-holiday. The movie is expected to do the same today. The Siddharth Anand directorial venture, which also stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, badly needed this not just to revive Bollywood but also to mark an explosive comeback for SRK.

Pathaan has a usual good vs evil story, where you very well know who would win in the end. But along with the bad guys, Pathaan has also defeated the morale of the Boycott Gang. And what a day to choose to do this by the common citizens. Right on the eve of the Republic Day!

For those not in the know, these are the people from the IT cell of the ruling party who spread toxic campaigns. They are against any film who they think is insulting their religion, in this case through the colour of the bikini in the ‘Besharam Rang’ song, or if the main actor happens to be a Muslim, more so the latter. In the case of Pathaan, the title of the film was also objectionable to them since it’s an identity of someone from the same religion.

They also go up in arms against anyone who gives a statement that they consider is ‘anti-national’ in nature. It’s a different story that these are the same people who don’t react at all when Kangana Rananut says something like, “The independence India got in 1947 was bheekh,” because she is the die-hard supporter of their party. It is the party affiliation that matters for them, not the country.

The IT Cell went into action months in advance to share hateful posts, memes and articles against Pathaan, like they do for other films. This also includes spreading fake news and statements that the people associated with the film never made. Unfortunately, the IT Cell isn’t the only ones to carry out these activities. A large number of common citizens too have got involved in such antics in recent years; some of them are even close to us.

Hence, the case of Pathaan is not just limited to a film. It’s a much broader issue of mindless hate being spread in the country. This can also be seen from the fact that even senior politicians and ministers have been targeting the movie, indicating how big the campaign was (I know the PM asked them to stop much later).

So, the earth-shattering box office numbers the film has garnered are also moral slap on the hate that has been continuously spread in the country. This also proves wrong the claim of the IT Cell and their supporters that Laal Singh Chaddha became a flop because of their boycott campaign. The film didn’t work because people didn’t like it. If boycott calls were so serious, films like Brahmastra: Part One: Shiva and, more so, Pathaan wouldn’t have attracted such large number of people.

The issue of Pathaan brings back memories of a similar hate campaign against the 2010 SRK movie My Name Is Khan by another party. The actor didn’t bow down to their demands then and he did the same now. Both the films ran smoothly without changing the title or the identity of the protagonist.  

From here onwards, the boycott calls for films lined up for release in the future won’t have the same effect or reaction as it would bring back memories of their fiasco during Pathaan. Instead, these calls would become laughable from now on.

But the boycott campaigners won’t sit quiet. They are paid professionals, after all. Their first reaction to their massive defeat by Pathaan will be that these box office numbers are fake, just to feel good about themselves.

We all need something to keep us going in life…

Also read: What Aamir Khan said about Shivling & why is his film boycotted?

Pathaan Review (without spoilers)

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Pathaan is easily one of the most keenly awaited films to have come from India in the last few years. Apart from the makers promising some high-octane massy entertainment, it also marks the return of Shah Rukh Khan as a main lead after over four long years. The hype for the film was highest we have seen in recent years. So the only question worth answering is whether Pathaan lives up to the all pre-release firecrackers?

In terms of the storyline, the film directed by Siddharth Anand has a general tale that one would expect from a high scale spy action film. The story, obviously, revolves around Pathaan (Khan). He is a secret intelligence officer whose only aim is to serve the country, which includes keeping it safe from the clutches of its enemies, especially the likes of Jim (John Abraham).

John’s character is a terrorist but with a twist. He has a grudge against India and its intelligence agency Pathaan works for. Jim, generally, works like a freelance terrorist – someone who would attack any country for money, not for any personal involvement. But when he gets the contract of carrying out a huge attack on India, he gets personally motivated.

But Jim has to deal with Pathaan, who will stop at nothing to save India from such a catastrophic attack. Pathaan crosses paths with a beautiful, confident and strong girl, played by Deepika Padukone. But can she be trusted?  

Pathaan poster

Despite the basic storyline of Pathaan not being very novel, the writers have put in enough surprising elements to keep it interesting. This was mostly helped by the back and forth narration, related to the history of Pathaan. The reveal at the interval point gives a high, even if you had guessed the outcome before.

Such action films tend to go a big downhill or lose the grip post-interval. But Pathaan has been smart in this aspect. Generally, the main motive of the terrorist is revealed at the start in such films and then the hero goes on a mission to foil it. But the main story of Pathaan is unfolded later, which reduces the chances of the film suffering from the second-half syndrome. More importantly, the ending moments, along with exciting, are also moving.

Pathaan is a masala action film, filled with breathtaking stunts and action sequences. The visuals are good enough, if not best, to satisfy the action lover in you, especially if you watch the film in Imax, like I did.

But films of this genre also requires one to leave logic outside the hall. If you are not able to do this, Pathaan is surely not for you, for this film can be enjoyed only in this way. But even from the standards of such genre of films, the creative liberties, both in terms of story development and some action sequences, are too much at times. If the makers would have shown some control over this area, Pathaan would have appealed even to the non-masala crowd.

Coming to the next important question about Khan’s performance, you can’t expect a great act in a film of this genre. But SRK succeeds in portraying the heroism needed to carry the film on his shoulders. The undercurrent of humour makes it better. He also does well while showing his emotional side, especially in the scene where he is seen saluting.

This is one of John Abraham’s better acts; way better than his last two outings – Satyameva Jayate 2 and Ek Villain Returns. Deepika Padukone displays confidence and is impressive in the action sequences too. But her characterization appears confused, which somewhat lowers the overall effect. The surprise element here is Dimple Kapadia who shows her long experience as she shines as Pathaan’s senior.

One of the biggest attraction and the high point of the film is the scene featuring Salman Khan in a cameo as Tiger. It’s one of the many paisa vasool moments in the film.

Also read: Uunchai review: The film overwhelms you despite its lambai

Overall: Pathaan is an enjoyable affair if seen with a big crowd on the big screen while keeping your topmost organ away. The film has a good chance of working at the box office.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Siddharth Anand

Producer: Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, Ashutosh Rana

Writers: Shridhar Raghavan, Siddharth Anand and Abbas Tyrewala

Vaalvi (Marathi movie) review – Swapnil Joshi, Subodh Bhave-starrer is a finely crafted dark comic thriller

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Filmmaker Paresh Mokashi’s first three films Harishchandrachi Factory (2010), Elizabeth Ekadashi (2014) and Chi Va Chi Sau Ka (2017) were different from each other, but they were all light in nature. With Vaalvi, he has taken a giant leap into the dark comic thriller territory.

Vaalvi revolves around Aniket (Swapnil Joshi), who works on a good post in a company, and his wife Avani (Anita Date). The two decide to end their lives together due to certain circumstances by shooting themselves. Aniket’s actual plan is to kill his wife by keeping his gun unloaded and Avani’s loaded because he is in a relationship with Devika (Shivani Surve), a dentist.

Aniket and Devika carry out various rehearsals to ensure that their plan doesn’t fail. But something happens on that fateful day and a mysterious man (Subodh Bhave) enters their lives.

Among various things, the makers of Vaalvi should be lauded for presenting a trailer that gives nothing away about the main plot. The story’s major crux lies in the second half and the trailer doesn’t feature anything of this. In fact, we just get a glimpse of Subodh Bhave’s character, making us wonder if he has a special appearance. But in reality, he plays a character as important as others.

Vaalvi is a thriller that scores high in all departments. Madhugandha Kulkarni and Paresh Mokashi’s basic tale itself is not just thrilling but also hilarious. It is finely narrated by the screenplay and intelligently presented by the direction. The dialogues require special mention for being hilarious; their unexpected timing on some occasions makes them even funnier.

Stories revolving around murder tend to go at least a bit downhill in the second half but Vaalvi steers clear of that. In fact, as mentioned above, the movie ups the ante even further post-interval.  

Vaalvi is a taut thriller without any songs. But its background music, by Mangesh Dhakde, plays a vital role as it adds more intrigue to the proceedings. Similarly, Satyajeet Shobha Shreeram’s camerawork and Abhijeet Deshpande and Saurabh Prabhudesai editing also adds to the plusses.

Swapnil Joshi showed a different side of himself in both the seasons of the web-series Samantar. He has again gone against his image and has come up with a fine act of a mean individual who feels nothing when it comes to hatching a plot to kill his own wife. The one-take sequence where he fears getting killed by another character by a gun deserves mention.

This is yet another fine performance by Subodh Bhave. Without going much into his character to avoid spoilers, it is safe to say that the actor has succeeded in showing his comic side with dedication while playing a serious character. Anita Date displays perfection while playing a woman diagnosed with mental illness. Shivani Surve is decent as Aniket’s love interest. Namrata Awate Sambherao has only a couple of scenes but they become memorable because of her act.

Also read: Ved (Marathi movie) review

As it happens with films of this genre, Vaalvi too has quite a few creative liberties taken. The transportation of one dead body stands out amongst all. The movie would have appeared more intelligent if this was taken care of.

Overall: Vaalvi is a finely crafted dark comic thriller. After this film, Paresh Mokashi won’t be known only for Harishchandrachi Factory.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Paresh Mokashi

Producers: Zee Studios and Madhugandha Kulkarni

Writers: Madhugandha Kulkarni and Paresh Mokashi

Cast: Swapnil Joshi, Subodh Bhave, Shivani Surve and Anita Date

Ved (Marathi movie) review – Riteish Deshmukh’s film is a family masala entertainer

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Riteish Deshmukh’s directorial debut Ved is the official Marathi adaptation of the Telugu film Majili (2019), which starred Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

The movie starts off in a town in Maharashtra and it revolves around Satya (Riteish). He is an aspiring cricketer who is eager to play for the Railways and later for India. His father Dinkar (Ashok Saraf), who is a widower, is worried for his son but at the same time keeps supporting him, especially whenever their neighbor Murli (Vidyadhar Joshi) complaints against him.

Satya falls in love with a girl-next-door Nisha (Jiya Shankar) in an unusual manner. She too reciprocates her love for him. However, the two aren’t destined to be together. This leaves Satya depressed and he becomes a drunkard. At this moment, Shravani (Genelia Deshmukh) decides to marry him despite knowing that he still loves Nisha.

One of the major plus points of Ved is its fast pace. So much so that you don’t feel the close to two and a half hours of its runtime. Plus, if you haven’t seen the original, like me, there are quite a few surprises. To elaborate, of course, you can predict where the first half is headed if you have seen the trailer. But it is the small incidents, which lead to the end of the first half, that keep surprising and thereby entertaining you.

But there comes a moment in the second half where you wonder where all this is headed and whether Satya will become another Kabir Singh. But this is where the biggest surprise is in store in terms of the story development.

RIteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh in Ved

Ved is a family masala entertainer and hence, it should be seen that way in order to be enjoyed. And this means keeping logic aside during quite a few key moments in the film, including the surprise in the second half.

Although the creative liberty at some places is too high to ignore, Riteish’s presentation, along with a fast narrative and cinematographer Bhushankumar Jain’s visuals, makes the film enjoyable. It can be safely said that the actor succeeds as a director.

Ved is also helped by Ajay-Atul’s music. Despite the Sairat hangover, the title song turns out to be the best of the lot.

As far as his acting is concerned, this is one of Riteish’s most memorable performances. He is effective while displaying both the shades of the Satya (present day and flashback). Genelia Deshmukh struggles with her Marathi pronunciation but makes it up with her expressions and screen presence. Jiya Shankar comes across as natural and confident.  

Ashok Saraf’s presence takes the entertainment quotient even higher. Vidyadhar Joshi complements him well through his sarcastic act. Raviraj Kande, as the evil Bhaskar Anna, is well introduced. But it’s surprising to see how the character, whose act had a great bearing on Satya, is treated unfairly later. Khushi Hajare, the child actress who plays Khushi, is likeable and confident.

Also read: Raj Thackeray asked me to play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, says Akshay Kumar

The title song in the end featuring Salman Khan is a misfit and it somehow lowers the emotional impact of the film.

Overall: Ved succeeds in being an entertainer for the family during the holiday period, despite its flaws and some resemblance with Jersey.  

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Riteish Deshmukh

Writers: Sandeep S Patil, Rushikesh Turai, Riteish Deshmukh and Prajakt Deshmukh

Producers: Genelia Deshmukh and Riteish Deshmukh

Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh, Jiya Shankar, Ashok Saraf, Raviraj Kande, Vidyadhar Joshi, Khushi Hajare

Music: Ajay-Atul

Why Ganguly had to open the bowling in this test match?

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Sourav Ganguly is one of the celebrated names of Indian cricket. Apart from being a fine batter, he, as a captain, also taught the team to win test matches abroad. But along with that, he was also a handy medium pace bowler. He has had quite a few moments of glory with the ball but the one being talked about here is quite underrated.

It happened in the second test match between India and Australia in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in March 1998.

There is a story behind why Ganguly was asked to open the bowling in that match. In the first test, before this match, India went in with two fast bowlers – Javagal Srinath and debutant Harvinder Singh – and three spinners in the form of Anil Kumble, Venkatapathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan. They won the match comprehensively by 179 runs.

This might come as a surprise for people from today’s era but back then India going in with three specialist spinners in home matches was quite normal. The pitches back then used to assist spinners even more. So, for the second test, there was no way India was going to remove any of the three spinners.

Photo source: Patrika.com

The team was keen on including VVS Laxman as an additional batter. Hence, the only person that could have been removed from the 11 was Harvinder Singh. He didn’t bowl badly in the first test, which was his debut, and he did get the important wicket of the Australian captain Mark Taylor caught behind.

At that time, the Australian commentator Ian Chappel said quite confidently that picking up the only wicket of the Assuie skipper is enough for Singh to be selected in the second test, as not much was expected from the seamers in these conditions. But the Indian team management proved him wrong in the second test.

Ganguly being given the new ball along with Srinath was more like a formality. They were just waiting for the ball to get old, so that the spinners could come into action. But Ganguly had other plans.

He started troubling Taylor right from his first over. In fact, it seemed as if he got him caught behind, only for the umpire to call it a no-ball. However, Dada soon got the left hander caught behind again, much to his jubilation as well as his home crowd in Kolkata.

India was on top as the Aussie were 29 for 4 with Srinath picking the other 3 wickets. In the video shared below, Chappel is heard saying when number 6 batter Ricky Ponting comes in to bat early, “Ricky Ponting wouldn’t have been expecting to come in before lunch. Here he is in before drinks.”

But that’s not all as far as Ganguly’s heroics with the ball were concerned. Believe or not, but he, with his medium pace, deceived Michael Kasprowicz with a bouncer in his next spell and Azharuddin took a flying catch at wide gully. He then got the last wicket of Gavin Robertson, finishing with fine figures of 3 for 28.

Australia got all out for just 233 and India declared their first innings at a humongous 633 for 5 with Azhar top-scoring with 163 not out. Ganguly scored 65 but, funnily, this was the lowest score of all the batters who got out in the innings. India won the match by an innings and 219 runs. The team lost the third test in Bangalore but it had already won the series before that.

Also read: One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is FORGOTTEN

The Good News (short film) review: Hard-hitting yet gentle reality of Kashmir

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The last decade or so has finally seen some realistic portrayal of Kashmir in Hindi cinema. Among those feature films is Danish Renzu’s Half Widow (2017). We can now safely add his latest short film The Good News in the list for its hard-hitting yet gentle portrayal of the life in the valley.

The film starts with Haleema (Salonie Patel) happily distributing tehri outside a mosque in Srinagar. Her happiness increases when she sees her dear friend Tara (Gauri Batra). The two indulge in some simple joys in each other’s company. Haleema’s joy knows no bounds when Tara reveals some ‘good news’ to her. However, the life in the valley is such that happiness is often short-lived.

The Good News short film

Right from the very first frame, The Good News gets the audience transported to the actual location. The visual appeal of the film is such that it hardly takes a minute to achieve that. Similarly, the deep love between a Muslim and a Kashmiri Pandit is also established effortlessly. You start rooting for their bond instantly. Hence, the major story development (which you might see coming) makes you feel for them even further.

The Good News also scores high in giving a message about the terror-stricken land without saying anything and just through the use of visuals. You might not have anything to do with the political turmoil of the region but that doesn‘t mean you can fully stay away from it.

Also read: Aye Zindagi Review – An incredible real story narrated convincingly

The natural performance of Salonie Patel and Gauri Batra also plays a major role in the film succeeding in moving you. The two are instantly believable in their respective roles as they indirectly announce their talent.

Overall, Renzu once again achieves the goal just like his earlier feature films Half Widow and The Illegal (2019).

The Good News will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from December 3, 2022

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Danish Renzu

Writer: Danish Renzu and Sunayana Kachroo (additional dialogue)

Cast: Salonie Patel and Gauri Batra .

Selective outrage on Richa Chadha‘s tweet reeks hypocrisy

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First things first. I don’t support Richa Chadha’s ‘Galwan’ tweet. I feel if she had to criticize the government for its working, for which we all have a right, she could have done that without using a comment from a senior Indian Army personnel.

But it is blatant hypocrisy on the part of a few Hindi film celebrities to jump in and target Richa for her tweet and portray her as an anti-national or a big criminal of sorts. These are the same people who turn a blind eye when a fellow celeb who is a supporter of the current ruling party makes even worse comments.

The biggest example of this is Kangana Ranaut. Last year, she famously said, “The independence that India got in 1947 was bheek. We attained actual independence in 2014 (thereby indicating the rule of the current government).

Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha and Kangana Ranaut

I don’t need to spell out how problematic this comment is. In a single sentence, she has rubbished off our entire freedom struggle and thousands of freedom fighters who sacrificed their everything, including their lives, for the sunrise of freedom. And here is one public figure openly belittling the whole movement as some joke.

Some Hindi film stars openly lambasted Richa for her ‘Galwan’ tweet. But did they ever speak up against Kangana for the aforementioned comments? How can you be up in arms against one person for a three-word tweet but at the same time have no problems at all when someone else makes a comment of a much larger magnitude that rubbishes off the very movement that got India independence?  On top of that, Richa has deleted the tweet and also apologized for the same. Don’t even imagine Kangana doing the same.

The reason why Kangana’s comments faces no outrage from few of the same celebrities is because they all are the supporters of the same party. This also points out that for them it is always the party first, nation later. If it was otherwise, they would have slammed Kangana’s statements too. And she has made a big bunch of them. The one mentioned here is just one example.

The same goes for the general supporters of this party. They call themselves nationalists but they completely ignored Pragya Thakur’s comments when she hailed the death of Shaheed Vijay Salaskar at the hands of terrorists Ajmal Kasab and associates. Can you imagine what would have happened if someone from the opposition would have made the same statement?

Hence, only the party matters, nation doesn’t.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the writer in this article are independent and are not endorsed by the publication he works for

Review: Uunchai overwhelms you despite its lambaai

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Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya’s name has become synonymous with traditional family dramas mostly revolving around marriages among the wealthy class. He tried something different in terms of the content in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003) but the result didn’t turn out to be favorable.

Barjatya has once again gone out of his comfort zone by presenting a bromance among a small group of friends in an advanced age in his latest offering Uunchai. The end result has turned out to be way different from his 2003 movie.

Uunchai is about a group of senior citizen friends staying in Delhi – Amit (Amitabh Bachchan), Om (Anupam Kher), Javed (Boman Irani) and Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa). The last one is a professional hiker who has successfully climbed few of the highest peaks in India. He is very keen for the four of them to go for a hike at the Everest Base Camp after preparing for two months. However, Amit, Om and Javed plainly refuse citing old age issues.

One day, out of the blue, Bhupen passes away due to a cardiac arrest, despite being fit and healthy. The rest of the three friends, who are obviously heartbroken, realize that Bhupen had already booked their tickets to visit the Everest Base Camp after two months.

Amit believes they should not only fulfil Bhupen’s wish of visiting the site but also immerse his ashes over there, since he was deeply fond of the place and the activity of hiking. Om and Javed strongly object but eventually give in for the sake of their late friend. But they, obviously, need to face various challenges to fulfil their mission.

The narrative of Uunchai is not just limited to three friends embarking on a hugely difficult mission. The script is deep and layered with special importance given to each character and his or her journey. This ensures that you start having sympathy for the main characters, their friendship and mission too.

Despite the emotional nature of the subject, the film is full of sensible situational humour, which comes as a pleasant surprise. Neena Gupta has a major share in the funny moments and she does a fine job of it.

Mainstream Hindi films about such missions always face the danger of suffering from the second-half syndrome. But this is not at all the case with Uunchai, mostly because the main mission is kept for the latter half. Plus, the screenplay has the right mix of funny, emotional and dramatic moments during this part, which is also handled effectively.

What takes the cakes though is the moment where the friends release Bhupen’s ashes. It was vital for this to be the most overwhelming scene from the film and this is understood well by Barjatya.

A good amount of the story based in the mountainous regions. Manoj Kumar Khatoi’s camerawork has provided eye-pleasing visuals. One can make out the tricks used through VFX during various situations but this doesn’t bother you much. While the film is fine in the technical parts, the songs only reach the average level.

(Review continues after the trailer)

The performances can also be easily included in the positives. Amitabh Bachchan continues to defy his age through an enthusiastic act. Boman Irani and Sarika, whose character later joins the trio in the mission, also provide praiseworthy performances. Anupam Kher is likeable but, at times, he tries a bit too hard in appearing angry and offended.

Parineeti Chopra, who is the hike organizer, gets more scope later as she delivers a decent act. Danny Denzongpa and Nafisa Ali Sodhi are memorable despite having guest appearances.

Also read – When SRK did a Panchayat 33 years ago

But Uunchai is not devoid of any negative points. Its lambaai (runtime) of 169 minutes should have been trimmed, especially during some events in the second half. The film also takes quite a lot of creative liberties. Without giving away any spoilers, the narrative does this the most with Bachchan’s character.

Overall: Uunchai reaches a convincing height despite its lambaai. It says a lot about friendship goals and human spirit without saying much. The film won’t get a big opening at the box office due to Rajshri Productions’ decision of opting to go with fewer shows. But it stands a chance of getting a wider release once the word-of-mouth spreads.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Sooraj Barjatya

Producers: Rajshri Productions, Mahaveer Jain Films and Boundless Media

Writers: Sunil Gandhi and Abhishek Dixit

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Sarika, Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta

Book review: The Magicians Of Mazda by Ashwin Sanghi

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Author Ashwin Sanghi is known for consistently coming up with high quality contemporary thrillers connected to either history or mythology or both. After exploring beliefs like Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, his latest offering The Magicians Of Mazda, the seventh book in his Bharat series, throws light on the history of Parsis or Zoroastrians.

The book, as a whole, is a thriller revolving around a Parsi scientist Jim Dastoor, who is settled in the US after being born and brought up in India. He has produced a substance called Humza Dura that has the ability to cure various serious ailments. He wants all of humanity to benefit from his invention. Jim lives with his wife Linda, a history scholar with a deep interest in religion and spirituality.  

During the final stages of his experiment, Jim is kidnapped by evil forces from pharmaceutical industry as they feel his finding is linked to the ancient secret of the Athravan Star. He is kept confined in inhuman conditions all the way in Tehran, Iran. Linda makes it her mission to get Jim rescued with timely help from quite a few individuals. Similarly, the story has a number of other interesting characters and sub-plots.

The Magicians Of Mazda by Ashwin Sanghi

Sanghi continues with his favorite non-linear style of narration, as expected, in The Magicians Of Mazda. In between the story of Jim and Linda, the author gives a deep account of the history of Parsis, who had to migrate to India from Iran after facing extreme atrocities over there. And like his previous books, this one too is a page-turner.

The Magicians Of Mazda also continues the author’s tradition of providing the reader with plenty of knowledge. This time one gets to know the life in Iran and its inhabitants.  

Sanghi has once again taken historical accounts and weaved various fictional tales around them. Like before, he has also taken care to not go overboard in adding fiction to facts most of the times, except on one instance where the reader is presented with a hypothesis about Parsis originally belonging to India itself.

It is also during this part and the portions where Jim’s granny is narrating the history of Parsis that the reader is bombarded with too much of information, which becomes difficult to grasp and remember.

Also read: Review – The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

But these points don’t become major roadblocks for The Magicians Of Mazda since one surely gets the fulfilling experience of reading a Sanghi novel from the various positives.

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

Pages: 456

Price: Rs 450

Publishers: HarperCollins Publishers India