AAP is different, it plays same politics differently…

April 12, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Picture: Dnaindia.com

Despite the continuous crooked efforts by the enemies and a section of the media, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to win 67 out of the 70 seats in the Delhi Elections, which is an unthinkable feat. Hence, they became politically invincible. But when you are unbreakable, it only means you can’t be broken by an external force. No matter how strong you are, you can’t escape an internal collapse.

This, unfortunately, has come true for AAP. The party’s ugly internal war between Yogendra Yadav-Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal & Company has thrown the party off from the high moral ground it had created for itself. It has shown that AAP hasn’t taken time in becoming like any other political party, something it has always tried to prove otherwise.

It is always difficult to take sides in such tussles. But the events that led to this fight and Kejriwal’s reactions to it compel me to support Yadav and Bhushan. They might be blamed for making the fight public by going directly to the media. But the points raised by them are absolutely logical and give serious indications of the throwing away of principles by AAP High Command (Kejriwal).

I have explained myself through the following points:-

Click to read the leaked letter

Questionable Candidates: Yadav and Bhushan’s leaked emails show the list of people with dubious past record being included in AAP without any issue. They had even provided details of their past, which showed they indulged in hooliganism, communalism and some other criminal activities. Most of these people are ex-members of other parties.

Click to read the leaked letter

Click to read the leaked letter

I have checked the records of the people in the list (listed HERE) and I can say with certainty that Yadav and Bhushan’s concerns surely make sense. This obviously means that the party threw away its basic principles just to get people that can earn votes even if they have a criminal or dubious record. Haven’t Kejriwal and other prominent AAP members time and again criticized other parties for resorting to this very practice?

Sting Affair: Kejriwal’s sting operation where he is speaking of breaking Congress gave further indications. One can argue that he isn’t heard given money, ministerial posts or any kind of favors, which is true. But he is clearly urging his party member to break (todo) Congress’ tally of MLAs so that they can support AAP in forming the government in Delhi.

Plus, Kumar Vishwas’ cunningly reacted to the issue on a news debate. He defended AK saying he isn’t horse-trading but at the same time he maintained that he doesn’t consider the tape to be genuine. So, what exactly is your stand? Later AAP issued a statement that it was ‘political realignment’. But you don’t need to be an expert in politics to understand that such talks about breaking a party’s MLAs can never be termed as ‘realignment’.

Listen to the sting conversation:

AK’s ‘Under the Carpet’ Response: Kejriwal’s response and reaction to the whole issue made it very clear that AAP is just like any other party as far as internal democracy is concerned. Initially, he Tweeted that he doesn’t want to get involved. This was just a drama to show how clean he is despite the fact that the issue concerns him the most. After he returned from his Vipassana treatment, he released a video message on YouTube regarding the issue.

Considering him to be a man of integrity and principles, his supporters felt he will honestly speak his heart out. However, the only thing he said in the video was that ‘some people’ are trying to break the party! That’s it! Isn’t this the response of a typical double-faced politician who buries the issue under the carpet while doing a fake show of ‘All Is Well’? Doesn’t this make him one of those against whom he has waged a war?

See his message:

So-Called NC Meeting: If this wasn’t enough, the video recording of the National Council Meeting some days back became the final nail in the coffin. Kejriwal tried playing a victim by blaming Yadav and Bhushan for all. He didn’t allow the duo and their supporters inside. He saved his best (read: worst) drama for the end where he emotionally blackmailed everyone in choosing either him or ‘them’. This made the meeting into a scripted shoddy reality show. The video is also a smartly edited version.

Watch it yourself below:-

So, the question that is lurking in everyone’s minds is what will happen to AAP now? I also ask myself whether I will continue to be an AAP sympathizer. No, I won’t. Will I vote for them? Yes, I will (provided Yogendra Yadav doesn’t form his own party). But this has only to do with the fact that the other big political parties have become highly criminalized, so I am left with no other option. In front of their terrible misdeeds, AAP’s issue is negligible. The party’s performance in Delhi has so far been satisfactory, so it might be saved from completely falling apart.

But considering the ghastly events mentioned above, did we support the party for it being the lesser evil or for the honest and clean politics it always advocated?

Did people support AAP for bringing in new brand of politics or for playing politics differently?

Latest Update: Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan have been sacked/removed/expelled from AAP. I guess the only option Yadav and Bhushan have is that they start their own new political party.

Coffee Ani Barach Kahi (Marathi Movie) Review

April 4, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Rating: * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

The current lot of youngsters are suffering from generation gap when it comes to marriage. While they don’t consider concepts like ‘marriageable age’, their parents think otherwise. This conflict is explored in director Prakash Kunte’s Coffee Ani Barach Kahi through a love story that youngsters of today’s era will relate to. However, this doesn’t ensure a quality product since the film falters in the writing department.

Jai (Prarthana Behre) is a girl-next-door who believes in fairytale romances. She has recently fallen in love with her senior at work, Nishad (Vaibhav Tatyawadi). He too has similar feelings for her. One evening, Nidhad calls Jai at a coffee shop as he has finally decided to propose to her. However, just as Jai is about to leave, her father informs her that his friend’s son (Bhushan Pradhan) will be coming to see her for marriage. What will she do now?

Coffee Ani Barach Kahi scores well while presenting a realistic situation of a young girl mildly forced to meet a prospective groom while she is in love with someone else. Although this idea isn’t novel by any means, it is presented in a new-age manner, which also makes sure that the parents don’t turn out to be atyacharis, thankfully. The same modern presentation is also seen in the office romance. The real subtle humor too makes the proceedings viewer-friendly in the first half, despite not much story progression.

After defining the basic plot in the first half, you naturally expect the story to move forward. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen as the audience is presented with pretty much the same thing that they were served in the first half. The writers tell us the story we already know and present us with the age-old filmi climax. In a bid to make the film simple, they end up making it bland.

The film is blessed by the magical romantic track ‘Rang He Nave Nave’. Its violin tune, which is also used in the background, deserves to be saved in your mobile phone. The cinematography and editing turn out to be decent.

Prarthana Behre is does justice to the character of Jai, in which she fits perfectly. Vaibhav Tatwawadi is also natural. You easily feel for him. Bhushan Pradhan does well as the mature guy who comes to see Jai. After Samhita and Ajoba, Neha Mahajan continues her good work. Ashwini Ekbote, Vidyadhar Joshi, Ila Bhate and Suyash Tilak offer good support. Dilip Prabhavalkar is memorable in a cameo.

Overall: Coffee Ani Barach Kahi is an average romantic film. The film will have a tough time at the box office due to biggies like Detective Byomkesh Bakshy and Fast & Furious 7 releasing on the same day.

Review: Hola Venky

April 3, 2015 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Rating: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

The prerequisites of a good independent film are not limited to a low or shoestring budget and lack of known actors. It needs a powerful content that can entertain on its unknown without depending on anything else. Director Sandeep Mohan’s Hola Venky is one such independent film in real sense. It is a bold and entertaining take on cultural differences and dilemmas.

The film revolves around Vyenkatesh aka Venky (Roger Narayan), who is a typical south Indian techie living in the south Indian dominated area of Mumbai, Matunga east. He is a divorcee in his 30s who is all set to marry again with an emotionally cold Damini. Venky is forced to postpone his marriage as he is sent to the US for a leadership program. During a crazy night out with his friends, Venky lands in the weirdest trouble possible. The incident also brings the beautiful Inez (Sonia Balcazar) in his life.

Hola Venky works largely because of its witty, quirky and sometimes adult humor, which is presented in a gently subtle manner. Such new-age aspects are also seen in the manner in which scenes are connected and the tale is taken forward. The length of just 88 minutes adds to the goodness. The climax too plays a big role in providing delight.

But the biggest test for the director was to present few important twists that are very bold in nature. The end result turns out to be so favorable since he manages to pass this hurdle in a mature manner. This was very vital because had the presentation deviated even a little bit, the proceedings would have appeared cheap or vulgar.

The film does have its share of minor negative points, which include a couple of situational flaws during the climax. At least one of the two could have been avoided.

People of India would be enlightened with Mexican Mariachi music after watching this film. The tracks are enjoyable and they go with the situations. Despite a tiny budget, some good editing is visible, especially during the meditation scenes. The camerawork too falls on the positive side.

Coming to the performances, Roger Narayan is a perfect find for the role of Venky. He impresses by being thoroughly realistic. Sonia Balcazar enters the scene late but leaves a solid impact by getting the nuances of her character right. The girl playing Damini and the actors playing Venky’s friends (including Mohan himself) are believable.

Overall: Hola Venky is a realistically entertaining saga that deserves to be seen by those always craving to watch something different.

Picture Source: The Hindu

(Hola Venky has released online today. The film can be seen on Vimeo by clicking HERE. The director has been organizing screenings of the film in India and abroad since a year through his Travelling Cinema initiative.)

Director: Sandeep Mohan

Producer: Sanjay Gulati

Writer: Sandeep Mohan

Cast: Roger Narayan, Sonia Balcazar

World Cup Final 2015: Will New Zealand thump Australia?

March 28, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

There is high excitement for tomorrow’s World Cup 2015 Final between Australia and New Zealand at Melbourne. From reading various social media posts, we can ascertain that the scenes are similar all over the world; in India too despite their team being knocked out of the competition in the Semi-Final. The reason for such eager anticipation is not limited to the fact that it is the final match of World Cup.

What has caught cricket lovers’ frenzy is that it will be played between two completely evenly matched sides. Of course, if you look at the overall record of both the teams, Australia has had the upper hand over New Zealand. But it is the current form that matters the most in such big matches and going by that, there is really not much to choose between both the sides.

Martin Guptill (Picture: Rediff.com)

One can argue that New Zealand has the upper hand as they haven’t lost a single match in the WC and Australia having lost one and that too against them. New Zealand did win the match but it lost 9 wickets in the process of scoring just 153 runs. On the other hand, although Australia lost the match, it managed to almost win. Hence, both sides are terribly evenly matched!

With these two teams entering the finals, it has also become one of the rare cases where two most deserving sides are playing for the title. There have been quite a few cases in the previous World Cups where teams not doing too well managed to reach the final while the ones deserving failed to do so by faltering in the knockout match.

For example, Australia and Pakistan in 1999 and Pakistan in 1992 didn’t have close to a flawless run but still managed to reach the final. Similarly, South Africa in 1996 won all their league stage matches and looked to be the strongest team but it lost against the West Indies in the Quarter Final.

But having said all this, I personally feel Australia has the edge over New Zealand due to a number of reasons. Firstly, this is Australia’s seventh final. Although none of their players have played a WC final before, they have been through the feeling of their country playing for the highest honor. On the other hand, this is New Zealand’s first one.

But more than this, what can affect NZ is that they have played all their 2015 WC matches at home. So, they are playing for the first time away from home and that too in the all-important WC final.

These are, however, not major issues for NZ. If they make sure they are not affected by the huge occasion mentally, we might have a cracker of a game that goes right down to the wire (excuse me for the Shastrism). If that happens, it might be the closest World Cup Final ever.

But as far as India is concerned, the country is BLEEDING BLACK this time!

India v/s Australia World Cup 2015 Semi Final: History in the making?

March 24, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

India is all set to clash against Australia in the Semi-Final of the 2015 World Cup at Sydney on March 26. This will be India’s toughest match not just in this World Cup but also one of the toughest matches it has ever played. This has more to do with the kind of opposition they are pitted against instead of the fact that it is a Knock Out match.

One might argue that India is unbeaten in this World Cup while Australia has been beaten once in the league stage by New Zealand. But it is the current situation that determines the chances of any team. No doubt India has played tremendously well in the series but one mustn’t forget how the Aussies have peaked to some super form right when it matters the most.

Picture: Cricketcountry.com

Going by the way they have played in the latter half of the tournament, they are going all guns blazing and look unstoppable. Off late, their long batting line up is proving to be lethal and the same can be said about their bowling. Meanwhile, India hasn’t faced such a side in the series so far. Hence, my prediction is that Australia will beat India and reach the World Cup 2015 Final.

But not many people are aware that apart from a place in the Final, Australia will achieve something historic if it beats India in this match. This is how it is – Under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India has never ever lost a single knockout match in any of the 50-over ICC tournaments.

Here is a list of those matches:-

India beat Australia in the Quarter Final of the 2011 World Cup
India beat Pakistan in the Semi Final of the 2011 World Cup
India beat Sri Lanka in the Final of the 2011 World Cup
India beat Sri Lanka in the Semi Final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy
India beat England in the Final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy
India beat Bangladesh in the Quarter Final of the 2015 World Cup

In this way, Dhoni’s leadership has made India victorious in all six out of six 50-over knockout matches. But this is not all. Dhoni also has an unbeatable record against Australia in knock out matches of all ICC tournaments. Apart from the above match, India, under Dhoni, also won the Semi Final of the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup against Australia.

A win by either team will be remembered for a long, long time. Either Dhoni’s unbeatable run in 50-over knockout games will get a huge shot in the arm or Australia will achieve something historical!

The stage is set!

Films reflect your life and vice-versa (‘Start A New Life’ activity)

March 10, 2015 by Keyur Seta 5 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

In my personal opinion, formula Hindi movies are similar to our real lives. It is just that films are dramatized for entertainment purpose. So if you take away the larger-than-life elements from our Hindi films, you will be able to relate with many of them. One such element is twists or turns in a story. Is there anyone who hasn’t experienced such Kahani Mein Twist? I don’t think so.

But there are times when you are required to make important decisions to bring out this twist in your life or to Start A New Life. Sometimes, this also means taking a bold decision that can risk something as precious as your career if it doesn’t turn out to be successful. Taking one such decision changed my life entirely for good.

Initially, I wasn’t entirely sure of my decision but I just went ahead with it, just like Jai and Veeru did in Sholay when they agreed to capture Gabbar alive, despite not knowing how they would go about it and whether they would succeed. Life sometimes throws Aar Ya Paar kind of a situation, where you have no other choice but to make a bold move.

Picture Source: Imgkid.com

There is a back story or a flashback that was responsible for my move. It started after I secured 64.20 % in my 10^th standard. For average students like me, it was a moment to cherish. I thought from now onwards, my academic life would be smooth, just like Raj kept saying in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge during that Europe tour – “Ab koi problem nahin aa sakti”.Unfortunately, I too landed in a soup like Raj did in the movie.

Like a large majority of average students, I went into the Commerce stream. My decision was an outcome of a clichéd mentality in Mumbai, according to which scholars take Science, weak students go into Arts and the average ones opt for Commerce. If a student dares to go different, he is considered crazy. This is akin to 80s and 90s formula where a boy and a girl have to dance around trees after falling in love. If they don’t, it isn’t love. Simple.

My experience into commerce was like Jana Tha Japan Pohonch Gaye Cheen. I soon realized Commerce wasn’t my cup of tea. It wasn’t my cup, in fact! Subjects like Accounts and Economics gave me a feeling of nausea. I have nothing against this field. It is just that I am not made for such hisaab kitaab. I felt very much like Rahul of Chennai Express who wanted to go to Goa but landed up in Meenamma’s gangster village.

Still, I endured Commerce till 12^th standard, like Veer Pratap Singh in Veer-Zaara. I somehow managed to pass that year. (No, this time I won’t mention my marks.) But then I thought of taking the bold decision of leaving Commerce and going into Arts (from 13^th standard onwards). I had developed an interest in writing by the time I reached 12^th. And after that, I was quite sure of pursuing it as a profession.

Initially, my parents weren’t convinced and got worried. But they slowly understood and realized my interest and allowed me through a change of heart or Hriday-Parivartan in our films. I did face criticisms for my decision with some people almost laughing at me. But as we know, Kuchh toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna.

The decision of moving into Arts turned out to be truly a life-changing one. Today, I wonder what my life would have been if I hadn’t switched. In fact, I shudder to even think about it! I also feel I wouldn’t have been writing this blog right now. Now, some of those who laughed at me are appreciating my move. Rancho and Farhan of 3 Idiots would be proud of me! Aal Izz Well!

But this wouldn’t have been possible if my parents hadn’t given a green signal. A big Thank You to them! The only difference is that they didn’t say, “Jaa, jee le apni zindagi”.

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The World Remade: Instead of remaking films, let’s remake the world!

March 2, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

I am participating in the #TheWorldRemade activity at BlogAdda in association with India Today #Conclave15

Nainital (Picture: Wikipedia)

No matter how happy, peaceful or wealthy a person is, he or she will certainly have big problems with not few but a lot of aspects of the world and rightly so. I too fall in the same category, naturally. So, how about remaking this world our way? BlogAdda in association with India Today Conclave has provided this opportunity of jotting down your idea of a perfect world. Although this is just imaginary, the very thought of creating a world as per my wishes is enough to bring a wide grin on my face.

I firmly feel that God or Nature had made a perfect, harmonious world. It is we the people who have destroyed or are destroying it by going against nature. In my opinion, going against nature is one of the worst forms of violence. So a large part of my creation of the world will focus on going as per the rules of the nature. And when I say nature, it is not just restricted to our surroundings or ecology.

So here are the points that determine the world remade by me:-

Fundamentalism: All human beings have the same flesh, bones, blood and organs and feel happy and sad at the same things. In other words, nature hasn’t created any difference between humans. So any idea, people, group or association encouraging division among human beings or advocating one religion will be discarded and the people responsible will be strictly punished. Naturally, people from terror groups will be awarded severe death sentence without any delay.

Picture: Elsieisy.wordpress.com

Casteism: A glaring social evil is ‘caste’, according to which people are classified higher or lower without any fault or effort. In my world, not only the word caste will be abolished but all groups that represent castes or sub-castes would also be banned. Matrimonial columns in newspapers and matrimonial websites will be barred from the mention of caste. Any discrimination or encouragement of caste will be strictly penalized. Needless to say, all caste or community based reservation will be abolished. In short, the word ‘caste’ will be reduced to ashes.

Ecology: We have destroyed forests, open lands, rivers and many other natural gifts. I would put a huge impetus on strictly not destroying nature by any means. Of course, we need industrial development but not at the cost of nature. Any development aimed at harming the natural surroundings and ecosystem can never be labeled as development; that’s outright destruction.

There would be measures to curb all types of pollution and a large amount would be spent on it. Only special eco-friendly firecrackers would be allowed. Pollution created in the name of religious festivals will also be abolished.

Women Issues: Rapists will be punished as per the middle-eastern style. I don’t see any other way of inducing fear in the minds of potential rapists. Even sexual harassment or so-called harmless eve-teasing will be categorized under serious crimes. Nature hasn’t created any difference between men and women in terms of strength. Any idea describing women as the weaker sex will be banned and anyone advocating this idea will be punished. Such passages found in any religious book will also be edited out.

Picture: Thesojo.net

Parents of to-be brides will be encouraged not to feel inferior in front of ladke wale. Any such attempt from the latter will be dealt severely. Indirect acts of dowry will also be considered a serious offense. A family found guilty of forcibly marrying off their daughter will also be penalized although in a minor way.

Poverty: I believe poverty is largely an outcome of unequal distribution of income. Super rich individuals or organizations (including places of worship) earning more than a particular amount will be made to donate a tiny percentage of their income to the needy. Even such a minute amount can go a long way in diminishing poverty. Continuous efforts in various other ways will be put to eradicate poverty.

Picture: Fastcompany.com

Medical Bills: From what I have observed in the last few years, I feel it is an unofficial crime for the poor or lower middle-class to fall sick. If a person is saved from a serious illness, he will still die while paying an abnormal amount to the hospitals and for medicines. I would prefer my world to give access to proper healthcare to all irrespective of his or her social class. This slow killing will be looked upon as one of the most urgent matters to deal with.

Law & Order: It seriously hurts to see our hard-working policemen earn less than peanuts. In my world, their wages will be raised to an enormous level. Along with the cop, his family members too sacrifice a lot so even they would be taken care of. Something more than Fast Track Courts will be placed to make judiciary processes way faster.

Corruption: This will be considered a very serious offence and the wrongdoers will face strictest of punishment; definitely not the easy way corrupts are treated in the current times. All political parties will be compelled by law to disclose every penny from their funding.

Smoking: There would be ways chalked out to ban smoking. If not, there at least would be serious restrictions on the selling of cigarettes.

Picture: nerhrt.wordpress.com

Right to Peace: I am sure this phrase is never heard before from any government in the world, which is truly unfortunate. This surprises me immensely as I firmly believe everyone has a right to stay peacefully in his or her home. All kinds of noises in public places would be banned in my world, including those made in the name of carrying out ‘religious’ festivals or practices.

Subsidy to art: Sorry, I can’t keep films and plays away. Independent films aiming to promote a social cause or present a social wrongdoing will be given subsidy along with entertainment tax abolition. There will be massive efforts made to revive the art of theatre all over India. The reason for this point is that these mediums have a large reach out, which can help spread noble messages.

There are many, many more things that need to be changed in this world. This is just an overview.

WC 2015: Five reasons why Indian fans need to stay grounded?

February 26, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Mumbai’s weather can be completely unpredictable at times. In the midst of a sunny day, sudden emergence of dark clouds from nowhere can fox anybody. The same analogy can be used for Indian cricket team fans. Till February 14, they had no hopes from the team in the ongoing 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup due to their terrible recent form. Some even felt that India would struggle to reach the quarter finals and would face challenges to beat associate teams.

However, a day later (February 15), a new lease of hope emerged after India defeated Pakistan in their first match of the World Cup. Now, India’s cricket enthusiasts (I am not referring to Gurunath Meiyappan) were hopeful of at least a semi-final berth. But come February 22 when India humbled South Africa and the fans started dreaming of the team retaining the trophy by winning the 2015 World Cup.

This is how the expectation graph of Indian cricket fans changes so drastically. Absolutely 0 expectations transformed into World Cup winning dreams, all in a span of just eight days! There is no doubt that the team needs all the accolades for their wins against Pakistan and South Africa. It is also normal to have expectations from the team after such convincing victories against two strong opponents in pressure games.

Picture: Espncricinfo.com

However, it is extremely early and amateurish to start dreaming about winning the World Cup 2015. As well all know, it takes one bad loss (God forbid) for the expectation graph to come down severely.

But more than this, there are other sensible and realistic points to take into account before fantasizing the ultimate glory. They are as follows:-

1 Pressure of Chasing: There is no denying that India’s batting order has fired in both the matches. But we shouldn’t forget that India batted first on both occasions. So the team has still not experienced the pressure of chasing a score of 250 or 300 against a strong opposition. Plus, batting under lights can also be a bit of a challenge.

2 Pitch: The pitch for both the matches was batsman-friendly. Apart from the odd ball bouncing, there wasn’t any problem for our batsmen. Hence, batting on a not-so-friendly batting wicket or a pitch favoring fast bowlers will be a different challenge altogether.

3 Bowling Pressure: Nobody can take away the credit from Indian bowlers, who bowled well with a plan in pressure situations in both games. But in both crunch games our batsmen had put together a formidable score to defend. So the real test of our bowling will be defending a total under 250 and that too in a pressure game against a strong team.

4 Opening Woes: India’s opening partnership hasn’t amounted to much in both the games. This is purely because of Rohit Sharma’s failure. Thankfully, on both occasions, the team was saved by the middle order. But to become favorites to win the cup, your opening stand needs to be rock solid.

5 Facing Other Teams: Beating South Africa isn’t the ultimate achievement. The biggest challenge is to beat Australia. Apart from the fact that it is the home team, what makes them all the more lethal is their current form. Plus, it is also time to consider New Zealand as one of the strongest teams in the world.

Badlapur Review – Creatively gripping dark thriller

February 20, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Rating: * * * *

By: Keyur Seta

In his first two films, Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddar, director Sriram Raghavan proved himself to be a specialist when it comes to narrating dark, edgy thrillers in Hindi cinema. Even in Agent Vinod, which wasn’t so impressive, he displayed his trademark style during a number of scenes.

Now, with his latest movie Badlapur – Don’t Miss The Beginning Raghavan has reinforced his image as Hindi cinema’s intelligent specialist for crafting such genre of thrillers. If you have a stomach for dark and, at times, disturbing thrillers, this revenge saga is for you.

Badlapur commences in the year 2000 in Pune, where Misha (Yami Gautam) and her son get killed after two bank robbers, Liak (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and his sidekick, get into her car to escape from the police. Raghav aka Raghu (Varun Dhawan), Misha’s husband, is shocked and devastated by the news. After 15 years of grief, Raghu finally gets a chance to take revenge.

Picture: Indianexpress.com

The film isn’t the regular revenge dramas seen in Bollywood. In fact, more than the revenge, you tend to notice the unusually creative manner of presenting almost every scene, which gets you hooked on to the screen for the entire duration. Raghavan deserves all the applause for his writing and presentation skills, especially during the climax, which also triggers an overwhelming feeling. It forces you to ask a lot of questions.

Apart from the thrills and action, Badlapur will also be remembered for its super hilarious moments. It is amusing how in the midst of a serious situation, something dark humorous pops out from nowhere forcing you to laugh out loud. The joke on Maratha Mandir is one of the funniest things you will hear in a long time.

As Badlapur has a disturbing theme with violent visuals, it won’t go down well with the section of the masses looking for entertainment. This is applicable more to the young Varun Dhawan fans. This, however, shouldn’t be looked down as a flaw as that is exactly the intention of the makers. The negative factors are actually seen with the behavior of an important character and few questionable situations.

The good efforts of the technical department make sure the film turns out to be a sleek thriller. As expected from a respected veteran like Anil Mehta, the camerawork is top notch. Sachin-Jigar composed tracks go well with the theme. ‘Jee Karda’ is unarguably the best of the lot. Its use in the background goes well with the situations, especially the climax.

After this performance, Varun Dhawan will be known as a quality actor instead of just a chocolate boy hero. Playing such a character so early in your career is utterly difficult but he manages it. But Nawazuddin Siddiqui also manages to steal the show with an act that forces you to applaud. He is easily one of the finest actors from India!

Vinay Pathak too is excellent post-interval. In a cameo, Yami Gautam is decent. Huma Qureshi shines once again. Radhika Apte is impressive as Pathak’s wife. Divya Dutta provides a mature act. Kumud Mishra leaves behind a terrific impact, more so in the ending moments. Pratima Kazmi does what she knows best. Murli Sharma is likable.

Overall: Badlapur – Don’t Miss The Beginning is a must watch if you prefer dark thrillers. The good amount of hype and Varun’s fan following gives it a chance of earning well at the box office.

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producers: Maddock Films and Eros International

Writers: Sriram Raghavan and Arijit Biswas

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, Radhika Apte, Pratima Kazmi, Kumud Mishra

Qissa Movie Review – Unconventionality shakes you up

February 18, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Rating: * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Unconventional storyline and narrative aren’t the only prerequisites for a good art-house or off-beat film. It is much more important for the experience to haunt you long after it’s over through its interesting and, sometimes, disturbing questions. Anup Singh’s Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost manages to do that, which makes it an interesting watch for the niche audience it targets.

The tale commences in 1947 in Pakistan, where Umber Singh (Irrfan Khan) and his wife (Tisca Chopra) are forced to migrate to India after they lose everything in the partition that followed India’s independence. Singh establishes his business in Punjab, India from scratch. But he feels his life is far from satisfactory since he doesn’t have a son.

After giving birth to three daughters, when his wife is pregnant again, Singh reaches new levels of desperation for a male child. But he is bestowed with a girl child yet again. However, due to his obsession for a son, Singh is unable to accept that his newborn child is a female. What will be its consequences after the girl (Tillotama Shome) grows up?

Picture: nltimes.nl

From the initial portions, Qissa (Punjabi film with English subtitles) appears as yet another of those numerous films based on the partition of India and Pakistan. But thankfully, we soon realize that its basic storyline is creative, intriguing, thrilling and, above all, completely out-of-the-box. The later twists in the plot also bring an element of thrill.

Moreover, this highly unusual subject is treated in the simplest of manners, which makes the film rich and intelligent in content. The makers have presented a new aspect of patriarchy through the issue of gender identity crisis without anyone speaking about it and just by using the visual medium; an idea that has been tried a lot these days, especially in regional cinema.

But Qissa has its shares of downfalls. The psyche of Umber Singh and the result of his adamancy over his wife should have been explained more because it is something of extreme proportions. The basic tale also has few errors. The proceedings lose grip in the second half with the narrative becoming too self-indulgent. This point ensures the film will be more acceptable only to the film festival audience. Nevertheless, it does shake you up with its questions and an open ending.

The overall packaging meets international standards, thanks to the work carried out by the technical department. Sebastian Edschmid, the DoP who has worked with a host of international films, has artistically captured the village locales. Music composers Beatrice Thiriet and Manish J Tipu and aided the subject with their compositions. The editing too is rich.

It is compulsory for films of this genre to have quality performances and that is exactly the case with Qissa. Irrfan Khan performs a complex patriarchy-obsessed husband and father with subtle ease. Only an artist of his caliber could have brought alive this character with such realism.

But it is Tillotama Shome who had the most difficult task lined up. Without revealing much about the tale, she is brilliant while playing a character facing gender identity crisis. Rasika Duggal too doesn’t lag behind by providing a high class act in another complicated character. Tisca Chopra too displays her helplessness effectively as Umber Singh’s wife.

Overall: Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost has enough potential to appeal to its target audience.

Director: Anup Singh

Producers: National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Heimatfilm, Augustus Film and Cine-Sud Promotion

Writers: Anup Singh and Madhuja Mukherjee

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Duggal, Tisca Chopra

Music: Beatrice Thiriet and Manish J Tipu

Genre: Period Drama

Release Date: February 20, 2015 (India)