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Superboys Of Malegaon review: Heartwarming ode to cinema and friendship

March 2, 2025 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Malegaon, a small little town in Maharashtra, has its own little film industry. It all began after the mid-1990s when local artistes over there started making parodies of iconic Hindi films. These films were made in minimal costs and with whatever resources available. Some examples of these include Malegaon Ke Sholay, Malegaon Ki Shaan, etc. Filmmaker Reema Kagti’s Superboys Of Malegaon is a fictionalized tale of Nasir Sheikh and his friends who started the crazy film industry in Malegaon.

Starting off in 1997, the film tells the story of Nasir (Adarsh Gourav), who runs a video parlour in Malegaon. He struggles to attract audiences as he screens international films. The parlour opposite to theirs is doing well as it screens mainstream Hindi films. Nasir, one fine day, learns the trick of editing and starts compiling action sequences from different films and releases them as a single film.

The trick works wonders but his joy is short lived as he gets accused of piracy by the police, who destroy his parlour. Nasir, then, thinks of a solution. He decides to make his own film, so that he can screen it in his parlour without bothering about piracy. Hence, it will be a film by Malegaon, for Malegaon. His friends Farogh (Viineet Kumar Siingh), Shafique (Shashank Arora), Akram (Anuj Singh Duhan) and others join him in his unique mission.

Superboys Of Malegaon throws special light on the making of Malegaon Ka Superman, one of the most celebrated films from Malegaon’s film industry.

Superboys Of Malegaon sucks you into its interesting and heartfelt world from the first scene itself. Those in love with the medium of cinema would be enchanted by the old world charm on display though the video parlours and old single-screen theatres with wooden chairs. In this way, is a triumph of production design by Sally White.

The film is top-notch in its content too. Varun Grover and Shoaib Nazeer’s writing and Reema Kagti’s presentation makes you root for these kids of Malegaon at the outset. The film, especially the first half, keeps reminding you of Paresh Mokashi’s classic Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory (2010). This isn’t a minus point for Superboys Of Malegaon because it’s natural to think of the 2010 film as both the movies are about a group of individuals going through various challenges, including minimal resources, to make a film.

Like the Marathi film, Kagti’s movie is also filled with heartwarming and funny moments in the first half when the protagonists go through the process of making their own film.

But Superboys Of Malegaon goes further ahead and kind of surprises you with the conflict element and the turns in the second half. One is taken by surprise at the turn of events and, frankly, at one point, you wonder where the film is heading. But the final act turns out to be a masterstroke through the making of Malegaon Ka Superman. The event leading up to the making of the film and its screening moves and makes you smile no ends.

The movie wouldn’t have reached this level without such naturally fine performances of its ensemble cast. Adarsh Gourav’s character goes through the different stages of his life from 1997 to 2010. He gets it right during each stage and carries each emotion with perfection. Viineet Kumar Siingh once again proves why he is one of the most talented actors of today’s times. Shashank Arora gets sidelined initially but becomes the center of attraction later. He comes up with a phenomenal act.

Manjiri Pupala is an actress to watch out for due to her sheer talent and confidence. Muskkaam Jaferi also chips in with a fine act. The film has good supporting acts from the likes of Anuj Singh Duhan, Saqib Ayub, Riddhi Kumar and others.

Coming to the negative points, a major story development in the second half happens abruptly and it’s also treated in a casual manner. The pace drops for a few moments in the second half. Strangely, the characters don’t seem to age from 1997 to 2010.

Overall: Superboys Of Malegaon is a heartwarming ode to cinema and friendship.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Reema Kagti

Producers: Excel Entertainment, Tiger Baby and Amazon MGM Studios

Writers: Varun Grover and Shoaib Nazeer

Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Viineet Kumar Siingh, Shashank Arora, Manjiri Pupala

Also read: Why Vikramaditya Motwane’s documentary on Emergency is more powerful than Kangana Ranaut’s feature film on the same

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: Adarsh Gourav, Malegaon Film Industry, Reema Kagti, Shashank Arora, Superboys Of Malegaon Cast, Superboys Of Malegaon Movie Review, Superboys Of Malegaon Real Story, Superboys Of Malegaon Review, Superboys Of Malegaon Story, Vineet Kumar Singh

Why Chiranjeevi’s comments on wanting a grandson deserve more outrage  

February 15, 2025 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

I found the recent comments made by Ranveer Allahbadia more than shameful. I felt the same about the comments of his co-participants in the show India’s Got Latent. However, to see the high number of FIRs being registered on him quite baffling. This is simply because we have seen some of the most hateful or derogatory comments made by politicians get a lukewarm or no outrage.

The recent example and a very big one at that is that of the veteran actor and senior politician Chiranjeevi. At a recent event a few days ago, he said, “When I’m at home, it doesn’t feel like I’m surrounded by my granddaughters; it feels like I’m a ladies’ hostel warden, surrounded by ladies all around. I keep wishing and telling Charan (son and superstar Ram Charan), at least this time, have a boy so that our legacy continues, but his daughter is the apple of his eye. I’m scared that he might again have a girl.”

Chiranjeevi

His comment is so problematic that it’s difficult where to begin. Firstly, he makes it clear that boys matter to him more than girls. He clearly isn’t happy being around women and girls even if they are a part of his own family because that makes him feel like a ‘ladies hostel warden’. He even goes onto say that he finds it ‘scary’ that Ram Charan might have a girl again.

Chiranjeevi is a massive star and a senior politician. If not for being the former, as a major political leader one would expect him to share progressive messages to the people of the country. But what is does is the extreme opposite of that.

We have seen and heard about plenty of couples continuing to have children until they get a boy as they believe it is a boy who carries the family legacy forward. The horrific practice of female foeticide is still very much on even in today’s day and age. The reason for these social evils still prevailing is that same obsession of having a boy over a girl.

Chiranjeevi’s comments came right when the controversy surrounding the comedians was taking place. There have been strong reactions to his comments. However, the outrage is nowhere close to what these comedians have faced.

We have clearly displayed what affects us the most.

Filed Under: Socio/Political Tagged With: Chiranjeevi, Chiranjeevi Comments, Chiranjeevi Controversy, Chiranjeevi Grandson Comments, Chiranjeevi Ram Charan

Why Vikramaditya Motwane’s documentary on Emergency is more powerful than Kangana Ranaut’s feature film on the same

January 25, 2025 by Keyur Seta 4 Comments

Kangana Ranaut’s directorial venture Emergency tells the story of India’s former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with the main focus being on the Emergency imposed by her from 1975 to 1977. In terms of visuals, the movie recreates the bygone era and various important historical events in a fine manner. Production designers Wasiq Khan and Rakesh Yadav deserve all the accolades for that.

The movie scores well in the performance area too. Kangana, by and large, succeeds in making her portrayal of Indira Gandhi believable. There are some inconsistencies in between but her emotional acts cover that up. The film has convincing acts from the likes of Anupam Kher and Shreyas Talpade too, who play Jayaprakash Narayan and Atal Bihari Vajpayee respectively.

Unfortunately, the visual appeal and performances don’t count for much because Emergency seriously lacks behind the most important aspect – storytelling. Right from the very start, the movie suffers from a haphazard narration and, sadly, continues this throughout its runtime. The events are presented one after the other without proper flow. The writers have just compiled them without any smooth narrative.

Strangely, even the all-important events leading up to the Emergency face the same issue. Hence, the film severely lacks the impact one would hope from such real and serious events. There is some respite later on in the second half when Gandhi goes through a whirlwind of emotions, but that is too late in the day.

While the non-happening events of the film were being played on screen, I could not help but continuously think at the back of my mind about filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane’s documentary on the Emergency titled Indi(r)a’s Emergency.

Despite it being a documentary, it’s more engaging, entertaining and thrilling than not only Kangana’s movie but most of the fictional mainstream films of today’s times. It is narrated not just through a fast-paced screenplay but also with a lot of intelligence. It gradually brings in the character of Indira Gandhi and her act of imposing the Emergency after a fine build-up of background events. The film uses archival footage and animation as tools of storytelling, which works effectively.

The biggest strong point of Indi(r)a’s Emergency is the witty and powerful dialogue. And this is delivered with finesse by lyricist cum actor Swanand Kirkire. What’s noteworthy is that although the film speaks about the bygone era of the Emergency, the dialogues are more relevant to the events taking place in the country currently. This relatability factor comes as a surprise and becomes the biggest takeaway from the film.

Some of us were fortunate to see Indi(r)a’s Emergency at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2023. Unfortunately, there is no news about its release either in theatres or on any platform.

Read more about the film HERE.

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: Emergency Movie Review, Indi(r)a's Emergency, Kangana Ranaut Emergency, Vikramaditya Motwane Emergency, Vikramaditya Motwane Emergency Movie

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

January 11, 2025 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Marathi movies Tagged With: Sangeet Manapmaan Cast, Sangeet Manapmaan Film Review, Sangeet Manapmaan Marathi Movie, Sangeet Manapmaan Movie Review, Sangeet Manapmaan Review, Sangeet Manapmaan Story, Sangeet Manapmaan Subodh Bhave, Sumeet Raghavan, Vaidehi Parshurami

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

January 4, 2025 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: Dhruva Harsh, Elham Hindi Movie, Elham Movie, Elham Movie Review, Elham Review

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

January 2, 2025 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

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

Filed Under: Marathi movies Tagged With: Hitler Marathi, Mukkam Post Bombilwaadi Review, Mukkam Post Bombilwadi Cast, Mukkam Post Bombilwadi Movie Review, Mukkam Post Bombilwadi Review, Paresh Mokashi

The childlike innocence of Shyam Benegal I was fortunate to witness

December 25, 2024 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Personal experience Tagged With: Shyam Benegal, Shyam Benegal Death Article, Shyam Benegal interview, Shyam Benegal Obituary, Shyam Benegal Tribute

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

December 5, 2024 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Regional cinema Tagged With: Pushpa 2 Box Office, Pushpa 2 Cast, Pushpa 2 Movie Review, Pushpa 2 Review, Pushpa 2 Spoilers, Pushpa 2 Story, Pushpa 2 The Rule Review

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

November 30, 2024 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

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

Filed Under: Literature Tagged With: Listen To The Thorn Birds Poem Book, Listen To The Thorn Birds Poetry Book, Listen To The Thorn Birds Pratibha Panghal, Listen To The Thorn Birds Review, Poetry Book English

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

November 22, 2024 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

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

Filed Under: Regional cinema Tagged With: All We Imagine As Light Movie Review, All We Imagine As Light Review, All We Imagine As Light Story, Divya Prabha, Kani Kusruti, Payal Kapadia

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