‘My Fit’ Experience: Goes with the name

February 8, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

The following post is a Review of Van Heusen’s clothing under its new MY FIT innovation.

When it comes to clothes, I strictly prefer casuals. I wear formals only and only on important functions like weddings and other such functions and that too without my will. Thankfully, the field I am in never requires anyone to wear formals. In fact, some bosses themselves come to work wearing three-fourths and T-shirts.

There are a couple of reasons for my disinclination towards formals. Firstly, I can’t move around freely. I don’t prefer clothes that restrict my movements (not that I am an obsessive dancer). This affects the most while traveling in local trains and buses of Mumbai.

Secondly, it is the pain when it comes to buying formal shirts and trousers. This is the main or major reason for me avoiding formals. It takes long to find that right fit for, which is a turn off because I don’t like spending much time in buying clothes. On top of that, most of the times I have to compromise on my comfort level as there is no perfect match.

Some time back, I got a mail from IndiOne (an arm of IndiBlogger), informing about a blogging activity with Van Heusen for their new ‘My Fit’ innovation, which tries helping customers zero in to their desired size of clothes. Despite my bad experiences while buying formals, especially shirts, I participated in the activity as I felt like trusting this new size innovation.

The bigger challenge, however, was to write a blog post on it since I have never even read any write-ups or articles on clothing ever, leave alone writing one.

As per the activity, I visited a nearby Van Heusen store to determine my size under the My Fit innovation. I thought this will be boring considering how time-consuming my size determination sessions have been till now. However, I was pleasantly surprised that it all got over in a jiffy. It just took less than 10 minutes! And the size I chose fitted me perfectly.

I then proceeded to buy a shirt and trouser online (as per the requirement) as per my My Fit size. This too didn’t take long as I found both type of clothes of my liking in just few minutes. This might also be because it is always ‘love at first sight’ for me when it comes to buying clothes. However, there were a wide range of colors and types to choose from. But what impressed me the most was the availability of different types of sizes for people with different bodies.

I received the order within seven days, smartly packed and in very good condition. It always feels good to receive a high quality merchandise (especially when you haven’t paid for it).

I tried it and was again pleasantly surprised by the comfort level. Although I wasn’t as free as I am usually with casuals, I have never been so comfortable with formals before. Such ease to move your hands and legs is something I never associate this genre of clothing with. You can validate my claim with the pictures.

To know more about MY FIT, see this link – http://vanheusenindia.com/my-fit

Baji (Marathi Movie) Review – Worth your time & money

February 6, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Rating: * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Nikhil Mahajan’s Baji achieves a rare feat of being a powerful action saga narrated and crafted in an artistic way. It is a benchmark of sorts for Marathi cinema when it comes to presenting a story. However, the film doesn’t rise as much as you expect after a brilliant first half due to various reasons. But there is enough in Baji for the masses to savor it.

Baji is based in the village of Shrigangpur, where Chidu (Shreyas Talpade) lives a simple life with his mother. Chidu is honest but lags behind in intelligence and bravery. This is the reason why he doesn’t find acceptance from the girl he is madly in love with – his childhood friend Gauri (Amruta Khanvilkar). The village is also known because of the savior Baji, who is believed to exist decades ago.

But there are some like Chidu who don’t believe such tales. But Gauri is a firm believer in Baji as the hero had saved her life during her childhood. She has been in love with Baji ever since and is still waiting for him. Chidu is eager to be her Baji but will he succeed? Meanwhile, Martand (Jitendra Joshi), a harmless villager, turns into a greedy devil when he comes to know that tons of gold lies underneath the land of Shrirangpur.

Picture: Marathistars.com

Baji is a rare example of a close to three hour movie that doesn’t force you to look at the clock even once. As far as the first half is concerned, the fascinating and intriguing storyline, creative narration and Mahajan’s mature handling of the subject leave you super-impressed! The shadow fighting sequence is a sheer pleasure and it deserves special mention. At this point itself you realize the film is an achievement for Marathi cinema.

But alas, things aren’t so similar in the second half. Although it continues to be a well-shot entertaining affair till the end, it is the twist that plays spoilsport. After such an out-of-the-box first half, you really don’t expect the story to tread on the age old, tried-and-tested formula lines, but this is exactly what happens. In fact, the basic plot is almost the same as that of a Marathi film released not-so-long-ago, which itself was a mish-mash of a number of Hindi films.

Vasu Rane’s camerawork plays a large role in making Baji look like an international product. Be in the picturesque locales of Konkan or the high octane action sequences, he excels throughout. The background score and editing also make sure the final product turns out to be technically impressive. Atif Afzal joins the party too with well composed tracks, from which the title song is the best of all.

The film will also be remembered for its action and stunts, especially the train sequence. However, the use of a huge hammer to beat up could have been avoided. Such visuals can’t be digested by a large section of the audience since the film is aimed at people of all age groups.

Coming to the performances, this film required Shreyas Talpade to give his best performance till date and he does that. This act also adds on to his versatility since he manages to excel even in this genre. Jitendra Joshi matches up to him with an excellent, powerful villainous act. This will surely be one of his most talked about act always.

Amruta Khanvilkar too displays her talent playing a tough village belle. Actors playing Chidu’s friend and mother too play their parts well. Nagraj Manjule (director of Fandry) scores in a cameo.

Overall: Baji is an entertainer worth your time and money. It also ensures Nikhil Mahajan to be a lookout for the future. With the tremendous hype and its commercial nature, it is most likely to be a box office success.

Director: Nikhil Mahajan

Producers: IME Motion Pictures & Dar Motion Pictures

Writers: Nikhil Mahajan & Suhrud Godbole

Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Jitendra Joshi, Amruta Khanvilkar

Music: Atif Afzal

Genre: Action/ Drama

Book Review: The Krishna Key – Much more than a novel!

February 2, 2015 by Keyur Seta 5 Comments

Review By: Keyur Seta

Rating: * * * *

On the surface, author Ashwin Sanghi’s The Krishna Key is a chase-oriented action thriller. But deep within, it is much, much more. The author has managed to enlighten about the glory of India’s ancient civilization while narrating a modern tale set in today’s times. The end result is a unique mixture of spiritual enlightenment and page-turning thrill.

The Krishna Key revolves around Ravi Mohan Saini, a historian in his 40s and scholar of sorts when it comes to epics like Mahabharata. He gets the shock of his life when he is accused of murdering his childhood friend Anil Varshney, an archeologist and linguistic expert. Varshney was on the verge of discovering a secret related to Lord Krishna, buried 5000 years ago.

Picture: Flipkart.com

Taarak Vakil, who considers himself as Kalki Avatar, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, has committed the crime on the orders of Mataji. Out of nowhere, Saini gets a chance of proving himself innocent. For this, he needs to discover hidden meanings into ancient scriptures by traveling various places of importance. During the course of his secret investigation, Saini also tries solving the question of the existence or proof of Lord Krishna.

The Krishna Key gets you hooked from the very first sentence itself. It is an example of an interesting and intriguing story narrated in an un-put-down-able manner. There are regular twists, which become more thrilling due to Sanghi’s manner of disclosing them. A few chapters are smartly left hanging, adding more excitement. The extended climax makes sure the book ends on a spiritually enlightening manner instead of mere action.

What makes the book more appealing is that he has managed such high quality of narration despite using simple words and sentences. So it manages to catch the interest of a person from vernacular background as well as someone interested in rich literature.

But the biggest reason that sets The Krishna Key apart is the ancient disclosures that it presents. They aren’t mentioned just for the sake of it. Sanghi has given references of a long list of real findings about the Vedic age and woven them intelligently around a fictitious tale. And most of these findings will truly amaze you and make you feel proud of our civilization. Although few appear unwanted, they are so fascinating that you don’t really mind it.

Here are few of them without spoilers:-

– The same planetary movements that were seen on the day the Mahabharata war took place were also seen on 9/11.

– Russian Professor A A Gorbovsky found an ancient skull on the site where Kurukshetra war took place. After studying the skull, it was found that it is 5000 years old and, most interestingly, it emitted nuclear radiations, indicating nuclear weapons being used in the Mahabharata war.

– Rigveda mentions that sun travels 2,202 in half a nimesha. Hence, sunlight travels at 186000 miles per second. The modern calculation of speed of light comes extremely close to 186000.

– J Oppenheimer quoted Bhagavad Gita after first successful test of atom bomb.

– Badshahnama, the complete account of Shah Jahan’s reign, mentions his beloved wife as Arjumand Banu Begum instead of Mumtaz Mahal.

– The dome at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and its surroundings are modeled on Shiv Linga. As real Shiv Lingas emit radiation, it is necessary to pour water on it from time to time. Water is poured on BARC dome for the same reason.

– This is just the tip of the iceberg. The total of such findings and lesser known facts easily go up to more than 100.

Amidst such positives, the book also has its share of negatives. A number of incidents and turns fall in the masala Hindi movie genre. Few mysterious questions remain unanswered. At times, there is an overdose of knowledge, which slightly shifts focus from the main story and increases the length. Thankfully, these points don’t hinder much of the enjoyment.

Overall: Ashwin Sanghi’s The Krishna Key is much more than merely a thriller novel.

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

Pages: 475

Price: Rs 125

Publisher: Westland Ltd.

Genre: Thriller

Cover: Artistic and intriguing

Author Shubha Vilas: Shivaji gained knowledge from Ramayana and Mahabharata

January 30, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

He also speaks about airplanes during Ramayana era and other interesting things related to mythology during the launch of his book Shattered Deams.

Author Shubha Vilas explained the importance of epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata by highlighting that such books were the only source of learning even for great emperors. “Shivaji Maharaj gained knowledge and wisdom only from these epics. How can a great emperor like him rely only on two books? So I feel it is now time to show how exciting and enlightening these epics are.”

He was speaking at the launch of his book Shattered Dreams, the second in the six part series on Ramayana. The first titled Rise Of The Sun Prince released last year. Prominent columnist Anil Dharker was the guest at the event, which took place at the Kemps Corner branch of Crosswords in Mumbai on Thursday.

Shubha Vilas (centre), Anil Dharker (right). Picture: Newssuperfast.com

Vilas spoke about the mixture of entertainment and enlightenment produced by such epics. “The heart requires entertainment but mind requires enlightenment. When there is a mixture of both, it becomes a complete experience.”

In his book, Vilas has described an airplane called Pushpak Vimana. There have been a lot of talks and debates currently over whether there were airplanes in India thousands of years ago. So, obviously, Vilas was asked about this. His answer became the highlight of the event.

“NASA has appointed two Sanskrit scholars on their payroll. Their job is to interpret Vedic texts, especially Vimana Shastra, which was written during Ramayana by Maharishi Bhardwaj. Vimana Shastra has detailed descriptions on how to make a flying machine. So, if NASA believes in it, there has to be some truth in it,” he said.

By referring to his book, Vilas also described the dissatisfaction among people these days. “Villagers look for something more promising in cities, city dwellers look at America for the same reason and Americans look at the moon. The wise prefer to be satisfied in the existing.” He also criticized the attitude of people living in cities when it comes to reading epics. “They ask, what is in it for me and how will it help me if I invest two hours in it?”

During the course of the discussion, Dharker pointed out about the growing interest among authors in mythology. “Few years ago, you (Vilas) wouldn’t have thought about writing such a book. Also, nowadays publishers have opened up to different types of literature. It is good that people like Shubha are modernizing our epics and teaching life lessons through it.”

When life presented her with muck, she grew a lotus

January 27, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

(This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus. Under this activity, we have to write about a woman who, after being just a wife, went on to join a profession.)

For those grown up in late 80s and 90s, like I was, it was a normal thing to see a woman either choosing to be a wife or a hardworking professional. Through the society, films and advertisements, we were always indirectly told that a woman can’t play both the roles. If she starts working somewhere after finishing college, it is obvious that she will have to give up her career after she gets married to serve her family and raise kids.

But no society can escape change and India is no different. The aforementioned notion about women has changed quite a bit over the years as now she chooses to be a working professional along with being a wife. However, the change is far from complete. There is still a long way to go before the regressive ideologies get completely washed out.

Picture: Thesundayindian.com

But be rest assured, we are reaching there slowly but surely. There are a number of unknown faces going through such self-realization. I would like to highlight the story of one such woman, whose name I am not aware of.

Many a times, we come face-to-face with real-life inspiring stories in the most unexpected situations. Had anybody predicted that I would hear an inspirational tale while I was looking after my grandmother when she was admitted in hospital, I wouldn’t have believed that person. But this is exactly how it happened in mid-2013.

The protagonist of the story is the caretaker or helper at the hospital, someone who works under the nurse. We found her to be cheerful and, energetic and full of life; someone who always smiled and happily chit-chatted even while doing petty jobs (petty on paper but difficult in reality). But some smiles are earned after prolong periods of sorrow and grief. Her case wasn’t different.

We came to know about her dark past after she narrated it to my granny after building a rapport with her over the days spent. Belonging to the lower strata of society, she was one of the many unpaid maids disguised as housewives. But the biggest pain in life was her drunkard husband. Staying with a man who regularly consumes alcohol and creates havoc can make any wife experience hell on earth.

Picture: Toledoblade.com

Her case was even worse since her husband faced serious health issues and was strictly advised to keep away from the bottle. But temptation can make anyone logically blind and he too fell under this category. Despite being urged to stop his habit, he didn’t. The outcome was his untimely death, leaving behind his wife, two small kids and his mother. The woman’s grief was coupled by a frightening question of who will run the house and feed everyone.

Instead of looking for answers from and caring about anyone, she answered it herself by deciding to work at this hospital. Although she didn’t tell this, it is quite obvious that the initial period would have been terribly tough to deal with. But here she is today, smiling her way through the tedious and thankless job and feeding her family. When life presented her with muck (keechad), she grew a lotus in it.

There are many out there constantly proving or trying to prove the regressive theories wrong.

R K Laxman: Rest In Peace revolutionary cartoonist

January 26, 2015 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

‘Common Man’ is no ordinary title. The term has given a unique and respectful identity to a large majority of Indians falling into the middle-class and upper middle-class category. They may be divided by religion, caste, language, region or what not, but they stand united under the umbrella of ‘Common Man’.

This title has given them a voice. It has highlighted the fact that the betterment of India can only take place when the life of people falling in this category is bettered. This can be seen from the fact that the main agenda of each political party in India is to serve the Common Man. Whether they have been able to achieve it is a different story. Hence, it won’t be an overstatement that ‘Common Man’ is a revolutionary title.

Picture: Fullonsms.com

Today, the person who coined this title breathed his last. India’s greatest cartoonist R K Laxman returned to heavenly abode at a Pune hospital after a prolonged illness at the age of 94. May his soul Rest In Peace.

There is no doubt that he was an excellent cartoonist; easily the best the country has seen. However, he has influenced my life more by his ‘Common Man’ feature. In fact, I live this theory every moment as it has become the most important philosophy of my life.

Needless to say, the name of this blog is solely influenced by Laxman’s ‘Common Man’. Although I also considered Naseeruddin Shah’s character in A Wednesday while naming it, the germ of this philosophy was created by Laxman. Today, the name of my blog has played a large role in whatever little acceptance it has received from readers, friends and well-wishers. All thanks to R K Laxman!

The man has passed away but his legacy of ‘Common Man’ will be kept alive in various ways. The ‘Common Man’ might fail every now and then but he will never get tired.

R K Laxman’s Common Man. (Picture: Students.smcm.edu)

His masterpiece sketch of Malgudi Days (Picture: Universityexpress.co.in)

Balkadu (Marathi Movie) Review

January 24, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Rating: * *

By: Keyur Seta

A film about the ideologies and teachings of an inspirational personality, who has a Godly status among his followers, should ideally be a soul-stirring affair. If not this, it should at least be filled with moments that touch you.

Director Atul Kale’s Balkadu has such instances but they are only few and far between. The film overall turns out to be a wannabe type due to some weak writing and execution. It also bears striking similarities with Mahesh Manjrekar’s Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy.

The story revolves around Balkrushna Patil (Umesh Kamat), who is a school teacher staying in Mumbai’s Nala Sopara. His professional and personal life, including his relation with his childhood sweetheart Sai (Neha Pendse), is far from perfect.

As he teaches History, he starts suffering from a condition where he hears voices of historical personalities. Among these voices, the most prominent one is that of the late Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. At the same time, Balkrushna’s heart bleeds to see the condition of Marathi people in Mumbai. Will Thackeray’s guidance turn out to be an inspiration for him?

Picture Source: Loksatta.com

Balkadu’s motto is to spread Thackeray’s message for his followers to fight for their rights. But the primary objective of every film is to tell an interesting tale and this is where it falters. The biggest weakness here is the writing. There is hardly any story in the first half. This ensures a screenplay with errors and without any flow.

Things remain the same post-interval. The protagonist’s manner of enlightening and the way the revolution spreads is unconvincing and, at times, unintentionally hilarious. His idea of Marathis moving from the outskirts of Mumbai into the heart of the city is also impractical. Due to these issues, the inspirational message, barring few moments, hardly has any effect on you, especially the speeches, which appear corny.

Another worrisome aspect is the justification given for vandalism. Also, abhorring the idea of Marathi girls marrying non-Marathi guys is regressive in today’s era.

From the music, the Powada song is the only impressive number. But it is quite funny to see a teacher singing and dancing to such a song while teaching history. The camerawork falls in the good category while the background music is too loud.

Apart from some genuinely funny moments, it is Umesh Kamat’s performance that keeps the film going. He gets his act right by portraying various emotions with ease. Prasad Oak is highly convincing as the bad guy. Neha Pendse isn’t bad. As Balkrushna’s mother, Supriya Pathare provides an entertaining act. The actor playing the channel head is average. Anand Ingale is likable while Tiku Talsania is over-the-top. Pushkar Shrotri impresses in a cameo.

Overall: Balkadu doesn’t create the desired effect due to various issues. The film stands some chance at the box office due to the hype.

Director: Atul Kale

Producers: The Great Maratha Entertainment

Writers: Ganesh Pandit and Ambar Hadap

Cast: Umesh Kamat, Prasad Oak, Neha Pendse, Supriya Pathare, Anand Ingale, Tiku Talsania

Music: Ajit-Samir

Genre: Drama

Release Date: January 23, 2015

Review: Baby

January 23, 2015 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Rating: * * * *

By: Keyur Seta

When was the last time Bollywood produced a well-crafted edge-of-the-seat action thriller? It is extremely difficult to answer this question. But director Neeraj Pandey has answered it with Baby and how! He has come up with a hardcore mainstream action flick but at the same time steered away from the usual clichés seen in our films. The last point also forces me to say that Bollywood has finally come up with an action flick of international standards.

Baby revolves around Ajay (Akshay Kumar), who is a top covert intelligence officer of India. He is part of a secret team called Baby, which is formed after the 26/11 attacks. He works under Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Feroze Khan (Danny Denzongpa), with whom he has a great rapport. Ajay gets another feather in his cap when he foils a deadly terrorist attack on Delhi.

But soon, Bilal Khan (Kay Kay Menon), a terrorist arrested in Mumbai, manages to escape with the help of his group members. He joins his team to help them carry out something very big in India. The mastermind behind all such terror activities is the very dangerous and sinister Maulana Mohammad Rehman (Rashid Naz).

Picture Source: moviecrow.com

Baby is one of the rarest Hindi films of today’s era which doesn’t allow you to take your eyes off the screen. This is its biggest victory for which the writers deserve high applause for a watertight screenplay and witty dialogues. The unpredictability in the narrative, especially towards the ending moments, also plays a role in making this film way different from the normal action flicks. The climax deserves special mention for the nail-biting experience it provides.

Another reason why Baby stands out is that it keeps all the typical Bollywood clichés and stereotypes away, not only in terms of the narrative but also in terms of character traits. Plus, it doesn’t make a hue and cry about it. For example, the fight scene featuring Taapsee Pannu isn’t presented in a way to show that girls can also rough up men. Everything happens as if it is normal. However, the same isn’t the case with the character of Ajay’s wife.

Other minor drawbacks include the usual action flick errors, especially during few moments in the climax. But such hiccups are understandable for such genre of films and they don’t spoil the fun in any way.

Sudeep Chatterjee’s camerawork is also a major factor in the film rising to such levels. He continues from where he left in Dhoom 3. Apart from a short romantic track, there are no songs. The makers should be lauded for not compromising on this. Specific background tunes create the desired effect. But few sounds shouldn’t have been so loud. The editor too has packaged the product perfectly. Thankfully, the action sequences are believable and not at all over-the-top like we have seen in numerous south remakes.

Lastly, Baby wouldn’t have been what it is without Akshay Kumar’s brilliant act. The Khiladi is in prime form in a role only he could have essayed. This is something he hasn’t played in the last few years despite doing quite a few action flicks. Danny Denzongpa and Kay Kay Menon play their respective characters well.

Rashid Naz highly succeeds in creating terror despite his role not being lengthy. It shows that you don’t need villainous antics if you have perfect expressions and body language. In fact, it is difficult to believe him to be a fictional character. Anupam Kher and Taapse Pannu excel in special roles. Rana Daggubati, Mikaal Zulfikar and others provide good support.

Overall: Baby is a new-age, powerful action flick that impresses you throughout. After A Wednesday and Special 26, Neeraj Pandey reinforces his image as a quality filmmaker. The hype and the final product will make Baby a profitable venture at the box office.

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Shital Bhatia

Writer: Neeraj Pandey

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Danny Denzongpa, Kay Kay Menon, Rashid Naz, Anupam Kher, Rana Daggubati, Taapsee Pannu

Genre: Thriller

Review: Classmates (Marathi Movie)

January 16, 2015 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Rating: * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Aditya Sarpotdar

Producers: Video Palace and S K Production Films

Writers: Kshitij Patwardhan and Sameer Vidwans

Cast: Ankush Choudhary, Siddharth Chandekar, Sai Tamhankar, Sonalee Kulkarni, Sachit Patil, Pallavi Patil

Genre: Drama

Review: Director Aditya Sarpotdar’s Classmates focuses on a group of college friends and their life after college. Such a subject instantly reminds you of Sanjay Jadhav’s Duniyadari. Funnily enough, Classmates turns out to be like a remake of Duniyadari, with the additional elements of political war and suspense woven into the main plot. In spite of this, the film keeps your interest alive only to dish out some disappointment in the end.

The story commences in 2015 when a group of friends inaugurates a music section in the college from where they passed out. Starting a music section in the college was a dream of their friend who is no more. A shocking incident just after the inauguration forces them to go recall their college days during the final year 20 years ago.

In 1995, Satya (Ankush Choudhary), Aparna aka Appu (Sai Tamhankar) and their group, from TYBA, are known for their aggressive ways. First year students Ani (Siddharth Chandekar), Aditi (Sonalee Kulkarni), Rohit (Sachit Patil) and Heena (Pallavi Patil) also become a part of their lives. The college elections that year changes their lives forever.

Just a couple of minutes into the film and you get a déjà vu about Duniyadari. As the minutes roll by, you get a scary feeling that you are being re-served the 2013 blockbuster in a new bottle, not only in terms of the basic scenario but also the traits of two or three main characters. Thankfully, inclusion of political and mystery angles make sure it is not a complete remake.

These elements do lift the film as it keeps you guessing till the end. Sarpotdar’s manner of presenting various twists and their timing ensure dramatic thrill regularly. However, the final twist and conclusion isn’t much convincing, although it takes you by surprise. You feel there is something amiss. Plus, the final scene brings back memories of Duniyadari. The film also suffers from being dragged in the second half. Its high length of 153 minutes isn’t justified.

Music (Amitraj, Avinash-Vishwajeet, Troy-Arif, Pankaj Padghan) plays an important part as the songs suit the situations and prove to be hummable. The camerawork and background score are also as per the need.

As for the performances, the film mainly belongs to Siddharth Chandekar, who perfectly gets into the skin of his character and provides a mature act. Ankush Choudhary too packs a punch but his character is very similar to the one he played in Duniyadari. Sai Tamhankar proves to be effective once again in two starkly opposite characters.

Sachit Patil performs well while playing an interesting character. Sonalee Kulkarni, Pallavi Patil and Sushant Shelar play their respective characters well. The rest of the actors provide decent support.

Overall: Classmates is an average college film. Its similarities with Duniyadari will also go against it. Due to a good amount of publicity, the film will do well at the box office in the first week.

‘I’ Movie Review (Hindi)

January 16, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Rating: * *

By: Keyur Seta

Director S Shankar’s latest movie ‘I’ took three years in the making. This is visible from its final product as it is extremely challenging for coming up something like this. So the long period of making is justifiable. But what isn’t justifiable is the faulty storyline and shoddy narration, which make sure that the humongous efforts and Vikram’s brilliant act don’t hold much value.

‘I’ tells the story of a simpleton Lingesan aka Lee (Vikram), a body builder, who is crazy for the model Diya (Amy Jackson). He not only gets to act with her in ad films but also gets her love. However, he pays a price for it when he becomes a scary-looking hunchbacked man. How did Lee transform into something like this? Will he ever return to his normal self?

‘I’ has Shankar’s trademark stamp all over it; right from the action sequences to the creative manner of linking scenes. But what takes the cake hands down is Vikram more than outstanding performance! The actor has set a benchmark of dedication in a role that is physically and mentally draining. Hats off! The film also shines in the areas of VFX, prosthetics and camerawork.

Unfortunately, as stated before, these plusses don’t ensure a satisfying experience due to a number of major issues the film faces. They can be listed as below:-

– The basic storyline has two dimensions. The first is professional rivalry, which is fine. But the second is as unintentionally hilarious as a love triangle between a male, female and transgender!

– The first half is an action masala entertainer, very much on par with south Indian film standards. However in the second half, the film becomes a disturbing and depressing saga about the terrible skin ailment of Lee.

Picture Source: Wikipedia

– Advertisement film actors are portrayed as famous film stars. Seriously, how can those promoting products like soap, shampoo and sanitary napkins enjoy the same stardom a commercial film actor enjoys?

– The ‘number one’ ad film star ruins the future of a fellow female star after she refuses to sleep with him. To regain her lost stardom, she takes the help of a man who is not only novice but also someone who has nothing to do with the acting or ad world. She even begs in front of him to help her out!

– ‘I’ portrays people from the transgender in the most pathetic manner. It is scary to see that even in 2015 we are portraying them as a means for cheap humor. The film also shows insensitivity towards people hit by seriously terrible skin ailments.

– A lot of action sequences are just too over-indulgent. The biggest example is the bicycle fight scene atop roofs. The same is the case with the many one-liners, which are straight out of those silly south Indian dubbed films we see on Hindi movie channels.

– There is an unintentionally hilarious character of a doctor. He treats a host of diseases like common ailments, hair fall, skin diseases, dental issues, inspecting reactions of some dangerous and almost unknown viruses, etc. When need arises, he also supplies his plumber to his patients (this is not an exaggeration).

– Talking about unintentional hilarity, it is aplenty in the behavioral traits of the characters and the things they say.

– There is an overdose of songs and they aren’t impressive either. To be frank, it is the bad Hindi lyrics that are more at fault. But their length adds to the already high length of 188 minutes! A song where Vikram appears as an animal-like creature deserves special mention for being annoying!

Coming to other performances, Amy Jackson and Upen Patel are decent. Ramkumar Ganesan is more funny than villainous. Suresh Gopi, who plays the doctor, also suffers due to the writing. The rest of the actors aren’t much to talk about. They are also hampered by the script.

Overall, ‘I’ is disappointing due to its writing despite some technical brilliance.