Game of Blogs – Chapter 6: What happened to Roohi?

September 15, 2014 by Keyur Seta 8 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

For the previous part of the story, click HERE.

Shekhar and Tara, both after a long, long time, were holding each other’s hand. For the sake of their daughter, Roohi.

But where was Roohi? What her luck had in store for her?

Roohi was standing at a completely unknown place. It was a wide barren land. The bright sunlight was making it difficult for her to open her eyes to the fullest. She could see a large group of people standing at a distance, staring at her. Was she out of city? Worse, was she in a different country? Why were they staring? Confused and frightened, she tried going close to them to ask what the whole mystery is. But as she went few steps ahead, she got the shock of her life! People went few steps behind; all of them and that too without moving their feet.

Picture Source: ioffer.com

She went few more steps further and the same thing repeated. She kept walking ahead and people kept moving further away from her; now at an even rapid pace. But what was happening now? They were now moving away from her at a crazy speed and were eventually out of sight! Out of fright and shock, Roohi was about to scream but everything went black in front of her eyes. Suddenly some light entered her eyes. The rays were getting brighter along with her endeavor to open her eyes wider and wider. It was the late noon sunlight. She was hugely relieved to know that it was a dream; a very bad dream. The word nightmare hadn’t yet arrived in her vocabulary.

However, her relief was soon transformed into shock. As she was pretty much awake now, she recalled the terrifying incident of a stranger forcefully taking her away on his bike. She half sat on the bed, which wasn’t comfortable for her, and realized she was in an unknown house. Where was she? Who owns the place? She looked around the room. The walls appeared as if they weren’t painted for a couple of decades. The ceiling had cracks. Apart from the bed, there was only a dirty writing table and an equally dirty chair. She could see a blue colored can on the table. She wasn’t mature enough to know it was Fosters beer. There was also a college bag lying at the other side of the table. Did the place belong to that biker? It has to be. But where was he?

“Relax Roohi,” a voice sounded from behind the bed. Although the words were caring, there was a hint of ruthlessness in them. Obviously, the words startled Roohi no ends and, as a reflex action, she jerked behind to see the same biker sitting on a chair in a relaxed position. She hadn’t seen his face earlier due to the helmet but from his clothes and a silver chain with a pendant of a bullet, she could make out it was him. His expression was as contradictory as his words. There was a smile but at the same time, he appeared dangerous. His stony blue eyes, long face and a stubble on his chin made things worse.

Picture Source: goodreads.com

“I… I… I want to go home,” Roohi somehow managed to speak since tears chocked her voice. The man just responded with another wily smile. Roohi’s heart sank further. “Why have you brought me here? Who are you?” Roohi again managed to speak somehow. As her last question ended, the man jumped to his feet. There was a book in his hand. His jerked movements made Roohi’s heart skip a beat. Now there was no contradiction in his expression. The smile had disappeared. His face was all brutal now. In a stern voice he said, “I don’t wish to hurt you. In fact, I am quite a harmless creature. But I have one weakness. I hate questions, especially when they are asked by kids. So if you wish to stay unharmed, just keep your mouth shut.” There was a lot of firmness when he spoke the last five words. This was enough to silence Roohi, at least for some time.

The dangerous stranger picked up a packet of chips and a bottle of water from below the bed, and gave them to Roohi, indicating with a gesture to help herself. With some amount of hesitation, Roohi picked up the bottle. After gulping down the liquid a couple of times, she started struggling with the packet of chips.

With the book in his hand, he walked towards the table. It was a James Hadley Chase novel that he was reading while waiting for Roohi to regain consciousness. He put the novel in his bag that contained a couple of books on law. There was also a bottle of chloroform inside it. As per the instructions given to him, he had used only a minor dose on Roohi. It was inevitable for him to use it to make sure nobody suspected anything. The bungalow was his friend’s and was located at a secluded place near Marve Beach in Malad so hardly anyone would have seen him. But he didn’t want to take any chances.

He turned his head behind to see what Roohi was up to. As he returned his gaze on the table, there was that wily smile again on his face. While keeping the same smile intact, he opened a drawer and picked up a pocket knife from it. With the knife in his hand, he slowly marched towards an unsuspecting Roohi…

Will the innocent little girl be mercilessly killed?

To know whether she survives, read the next part of the story HERE.

“Me and my team are participating in Game of Blogs at BlogAdda.com. #Celebrate blogging with us.”

Creature (3D) Review – Non-stop laughter!

September 12, 2014 by Keyur Seta 7 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Vikram Bhatt

Writers: Vikram Bhatt and Sukhmani Sadana

Cast: Bipasha Basu, Imran Abbas, Mukul Dev

Rating: * ½

Review: Bad films, naturally, make you feel angry at its makers. But films that turn out to be bad due to the silliness in various (or all) departments don’t make you (at least me) angry simply because of the unintentional laughter it induces. The latest to join the bandwagon is Vikram Bhatt’s Creature (3D), which is as hilarious as the name of the creature – Brahmarakshas.

The film is basically about how Ahana Dutta’s (Bipasha Basu) newly started forest resort in Glandale, Himachal Pradesh acquires bad reputation after a monstrous creature starts finishing off people in the nearby forest.

There is no point in analyzing a film that makes a mockery of almost every aspect of filmmaking, along with sane and logical thinking. So I would just list out some points and sequences to highlight how goodly bad the film is. But SPOILERS alert!

A truck driver is repairing his vehicle at a secluded place. He hears loud roars of the creature from the jungle. So what does he do? Running away or hiding himself would have been such a cliché. So he ventures straight inside the jungle towards the creature by shouting ‘Kaun hai?’ more than 10 times. I completely agree with his logic.
Worried at Bipasha’s resort getting a bad name, her bank manager visits her. Bipasha assures him that all will be fine soon and she will repay the loan amount. He replies, “Hahahaha! Arre yehi toh sun na tha aap ke mooh se!” and leaves in a hurry. Imagine – he came all the way to Glandale hill station from his bank just to listen to this fake assurance!
Initially, Bipasha and others believe that some leopard is killing people. Soon a leopard is killed. This delights her. But guess what she does as soon as she sees the dead body of the leopard? Her to-be boyfriend romantically taunts her and she starts dreaming about a romantic song with him just when she is having a look at the dead leopard. Did the dead animal instantly made her recall that guy? Amazing!
In one particular scene, all guests at the resort are gathered in the dining room. Suddenly Brahmaraskshas arrives. But instead of screaming out of shock or running helter-skelter, they calmly keep staring at the beast. It is only when he roars that people run for their lives. Maybe initially they thought Brahmarakshas turned up just to say a quick “Hello!” or inquire about today’s menu.
Brahmarakshas’ existence goes back to the mythological era. I won’t go into it as it is too complicated. It is also a very complicated process to kill him. He can be shot dead by a gun but its bullets need to be dipped in a pond near Lord Brahma’s temple at Pushkar and that too on the night of Pooranmashi! I guess fighting corruption is simpler than this.
But as the night of Pooranmashi is 11 months away, it is of no use for the characters to visit Pushkar now. Luckily, they find a man whose father had killed Brahmarakshas some 70 odd years ago by using 23 out of the 30 bullets (that were dipped in that pond on Pooranmashi). This man still has the remaining 7 bullets. He hands them over to Bipasha to use them to kill the monster. I guess bullets have no expiry date. Age is just a number after all!
Bipasha and her comrades decide to search and kill Brahmarakshas at random places of their choice – an empty bus, inside a cave and the resort itself. And each time, Brahmarakshas arrives at the same place at the same time! So obedient!
Debutant Imram Abbas, one of the guests at the resort, is shown to be someone with an evil mission. He is following instructions of his father, who constantly discourages him over the phone in Ramadhir Singh “Tumse na hoga” style. Later on, we are told his so-called mission is just to say sorry to Bipasha on behalf of his father for the atrocities committed on her father! Phew! By the way, her father had committed suicide because of his father’s atyachaars. So saying a sorry is surely more than enough.
A dialogue – “Jis bhagwan ne meri Mumbai mein raksha nahin ki woh Glandale mein kyun karega?” Okay, I didn’t know Mumbai is the holiest place on earth!

But the biggest joke is that such stories/ scripts get financed while a lot of talented filmmakers with great ideas struggle even for their basic bread and butter.

Lessons from Mahabharata – Episode 2: Quality is above Quantity

September 4, 2014 by Keyur Seta 6 Comments

(This is the second episode of the series ‘Lessons from Mahabharata’. The sole aim of this series is to highlight that the many messages given in the greatest epic are completely relevant even today and will be forever… Click HERE for Episode 1.)

By: Keyur Seta

All of us must have heard the phrase ‘Quality is above Quantity’ a number of times in our lives. Be it our elders, teachers, friends or bosses; someone at some point utters these words with regards to different contexts. One might think that this phrase is relevant to the current professionals from various fields. Although there is no denying this, I feel it has been relevant since ages; since thousands of years ago.

Yes, I am talking about the Mahabharata. There is a huge and obvious example of ‘Quality above quantity’ in the epic. Strangely, I haven’t heard or read anyone referring to this event in the context of this phrase. Or maybe many must have drawn a link of this incident with the phrase; such is the magnanimity of the many events of this epic. The episode I am talking about took place much before the commencement of the Great War of Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and Kauravas.

Picture Source: Radiosai.org

After the war was announced and the preparations about the same were on in full swing, Duryodhana, the evil antagonist, and Arjuna, the righteous Pandava, visited Lord Krishna to ask for his assistance in the war. Krishna said he can either offer himself weaponless or his huge army (with weapons) to any one of them. As Duryodhana was the first one to arrive, he was given the opportunity to choose first. Despite knowing Duryodhana’s evil intentions, Krishna agreed to help him too since it was against the dharma for a Kshatriya to say no to a relative.

We all know how materialistic Duryodhana was. For people with a materialistic mindset, numbers matter the most. In fact, their mindset always forces them to judge people and situations on the basis of numbers. Therefore, without giving it a second thought, Duryodhana chose Krishna’s army and was delighted about his choice.

On the other hand, Arjuna too was immensely pleased for getting the services of Krishna, although without weapons. Arjuna’s mind was unlike Duryodhana. As he didn’t measure things in terms of numbers, he very well knew the importance of having Krishna on his side as his charioteer. He knew Krishna alone is many times mightier than any army in the world.

The result of Duryodhana’s choice was devastating for the Kauravas. In fact, we can even infer that the biggest turning point in the Great War of Kurukshetra arrived much before the war commenced. A change of choice by Duryodhana would have turned around the entire result on its head. However, some people do believe that if Duryodhana had chosen Krishna, the latter would have either convinced him against fighting the war or would have still ensured a victory for Pandavas. I too would like to believe it.

So there we are! We have had the biggest example of ‘Quality above quantity’ thousands of years ago, which is relevant even today and will be as long as the earth exists; such is the timelessness of the epic.

I would like to list down few examples of this theory out of our daily living:-

Today we have gadgets for almost everything. The basic aim of every gadget or machine is to save our time and at the same time achieve more perfection. However, we had more contentment and free time when we were less dependent on gadgets.
The number of TV channels today is well above a thousand! But we were more satisfied when there was just one channel or a handful of channels. And despite such huge number of channels, many are seen spending their time just flipping channels as they aren’t satisfied with any. The same goes for movies.
The numbers of shopping centers and shopping malls have increased rapidly over the years. People are also seen indulging in shopping like never before. The reason for this is their lack of satisfaction from whatever they buy. Although he or she is happy initially after buying something, the satisfaction derived out of it lasts only few moments, forcing them to shop more and repeat the cycle. On the other hand, people were more satisfied when they used to spend on simple items with less frequency.
Since a decade or so, we have also been witnessing an overdose of cricket. Obviously, this had had a great impact on our satisfaction derived from the sport. Plus, the emergence of Indian Premier League (IPL) made matters worse by staging around 80 matches in less than two months! And since it is becoming more and more a batsman’s game, the value of a century or six-hitting has reduced. For how long do we now feel happy when a batsman scores a 100?
In today’s social media savvy era, we have hundreds of friends. But how many are there really with whom we can share our heart’s content comfortably?

Astu – So Be It (Marathi Movie) Review

September 3, 2014 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Directors: Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar

Producers: Mohan Agashe and Sheelaa Rao

Writer: Sumitra Bhave

Cast: Mohan Agashe, Iravati Harshe, Milind Soman, Nachiket Purnapatre, Amruta Subhash, Devika Daftardar

Music: Saket Kanetkar and Dhananjay Kharwandikar

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * *

Story Outline: The film revolves around a retired college principal and widower Dr. Shastri aka Appa (Mohan Agashe). He is highly respected for his wisdom and deep knowledge about the Vedas. But lately he has also become known for being handicapped with Alzheimer’s disease, which makes him forget anything, including the names of his own family members.

Appa’s daughter (Iravati Harshe) is married to Dr. Madhav (Milind Soman). Once she takes Appa to his old house. On the way, she leaves him in a car for few minutes as she needs to visit a shop. But in that short duration, Appa goes missing.

Review: There are innumerable films that speak a lot. But there are very few that say a lot of things without saying anything. Directors Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar’s Astu – So Be It is one of those rare films. On the surface, it appears as a lost-and-found saga but deep inside it brings to forth many layers that force you to think about it long after you leave the cinema hall.

Astu has Bhave and Sukhtankar’s stamp of uncompromising attitude all over when it comes to the utterly realistic manner in which the film is shot. This helps a lot in creating an intense atmosphere that helps the audience get involved in the proceedings. But of course, it is the watertight script, for most of the duration, which also largely helps its cause. The intelligent manner in which flashback is used deserves special mention.

But the bigger achievement is the message given with regards to the attitude of people from starkly opposite strata of society towards people with a condition like Alzheimer’s. One of the rich layers is also the equation of relationships. The film also manages to say a lot more through some sub-plots, moving images, conversations and conflict between characters. It will account to spoilers if they are listed here.

The only problem with Astu is its duration. The film should have ended much before and shouldn’t have been dragged during the ending moments. Thankfully though, the overwhelming climax won’t let these points bother you much.

There is no scope for songs as such. But a couple of tracks used in the background gel very well with the situations, especially the one in a South Indian language. Milind Jog’s camerawork creatively captures even the simplest of scenes. The idea of using a hand-held camera on a number of occasions adds to the intensity. The editing is fine but there could have been more use of scissors.

It is Mohan Agashe’s act that helps the film to rise at such a level. The veteran actor is simply outstanding in a role that can be hugely challenging for any actor. You just can’t help but applaud when he shows signs of Alzheimer’s and speaks with his expressions. But despite such a towering performance by the main lead, Iravati Harshe manages to super impress with a dedicated act.

Milind Soman plays his part well. There is some issue with his Marathi pronunciation though. Nachiket Purnapatre too is wonderful in a difficult role. Despite arriving in the latter part, Amruta Subhash leaves behind a tremendous impact through her brilliant portrayal of a tribal woman. Ila Bhate and Devika Daftardar too shine in extended cameos.

Overall: Astu –So Be It is a must watch for the lovers of sensible cinema. It is sad that such a film is unable to get a proper release. Needless to say, it needs some tremendous word-of-mouth from all those who have been fortunate enough to have seen it.

Review: Mardaani

August 23, 2014 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Pradeep Sarkar

Producers: Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films

Writers: Pradeep Sarkar, Gopi Puthran and S Hussain Zaidi

Cast: Rani Mukerji, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Anil George, Jisshu Sengupta

Music: Salim-Sulaiman

Genre: Thriller

Rating: * * * ½

Story Outline: The name of the ruthless Crime Branch officer Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) sends shivers down the spine of criminals. She stays in Mumbai with her husband (Jisshu Sengupta) and niece. She also shares a motherly bond with a teenage orphan Pyari (Priyanka Sharma). Shivani’s strength and dedication are tested when Pyari is kidnapped by a gang of a sex traffickers headed by the monstrous Walt (Tahir Raj Bhasin).

Review: Action films on the theme of good versus evil are done to death in Hindi cinema. But despite Pradeep Sarkar’s Mardaani also being based on the same idea, it is surely not as ordinary as plenty of films made on this genre. The reasons for this are that it follows an uncompromising narrative, gives a heart-touching message and, most importantly, makes way for a women-centric action thrillers; something that is so lacking in Indian cinema.

Sarkar had all the resources and budget (considering it’s a YRF film) to add a number of commercial factors to increase the film’s reach. So it is commendable that he steered clear from any such temptation by being honest to the subject, even if it means showing disturbing visuals of the working style of sex traffickers. This results in a gripping tale that doesn’t lose focus or goes off track even a bit. There is always a scope for item numbers in such subjects but, fortunately, he doesn’t give into that too.

Picture Source: Mardaani FB Page

There is no denying that the film treads on predictive lines for most of the duration. But the above mentioned point and a powerfully moving climax make sure you won’t mind that. In fact, you get goose pimples during the ending moments through the message given without being preachy, just through visuals and symbolism.

The only big problem here is that neither Shivani nor any of her team members ever tries to trace the numerous calls Walt made to her. Come on! You guys are Crime Branch officers! Coming to Shivani’s relation with Pyari, we are only made to assume about that as there is not a single scene between both of them. Due to this, the actor playing Pyari, Priyanka Sharma, gets hardly any scope.

As it is not a music-oriented film, there is just one song, Mardaani Anthem, and rightly so. Its Sanskrit Mantras (Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu) and powerful lyrics create a thundering effect when it is played during the ending moments. Artur Zurawski’s camerawork is skillful. It plays its part in adding intensity.

By completely getting into the character of a lethal cop, Rani Mukerji gives an applaud-worthy performance. It is a pleasure to see her perform those fight scenes. With this performance, she becomes the frontrunner for women-oriented action thrillers in Hindi cinema. Hopefully, this should encourage more filmmakers and producers to try such experiments.

But there is Tahir Raj Bhasin too who is super-impressive as the bad guy and that too in his very first film. He surely deserves to be seen more. Anil George plays his part well as another bad guy. Mona Ambegaonkar is terrific in a supporting role. Jisshu Sengupta and Priyanka Sharma are decent. The latter deserved more footage.

Overall: Mardaani succeeds in being a bold and hard-hitting crime thriller that also throws light on a timely issue. It deserves rapid positive word-of-mouth to succeed at the box office due to a lack of hype and low-key promotions.

Lessons from Mahabharata – Episode 1: Will Lord Krishna ever return to earth to destroy evil?

August 17, 2014 by Keyur Seta 7 Comments

(This is the first episode of the series ‘Lessons from Mahabharata’. The sole aim of this series is to highlight that the many messages given in the greatest epic are completely relevant even today and will be forever… For Episode 2 click HERE.)

By: Keyur Seta

Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya,
Glanir Bhavati Bhaavat,
Abhyutthanam Adharmasya,
Tadatmanam Srujamy Aham

Through the above Sanskrit Mantra, Lord Krishna has assured that whenever and wherever evil or adharma will threaten to take over good or dharma, he will manifest or arrive on earth to ensure that evil is destroyed.

Although this is one of the most scared mantras, it is also making people ask this question again and again – If the mantra is true, why hasn’t God arrived on earth considering the numerous ghastly evils on earth? I too have asked this innumerable times. However, I have stopped asking it in recent times. In fact, I have also started believing that it is futile to ask such a question.

Before I explain the reason for this, I would like to clearly state that this is just my way of looking at an episode of Mahabharata and I don’t possess any concrete proof to support my theory.

It is well-known that Lord Krishna helped Arjuna and other Pandava brothers to win the great war of Kurukshetra against the evil Kauravas. Looking at this incident, one would ask then why isn’t he helping the world right now to fight these many evils. But the analogy is not as simple as it appears. A deeper perception is required.

Just before the start of the war, Arjuna straightaway refused to fight as he wasn’t ready to kill his own kinsmen, grandfather Bheeshma and his teacher Dronacharya. So Krishna encouraged him to fight through a long conversation, which later came to be known as the Bhagavad Gita. It is only after he agrees to fight that Krishna helps him by his various tactics.

So if Krishna is God, why he didn’t use his powers to eliminate the Kauravas right at the start of the war? He had the power to end the war in a matter of seconds so why didn’t he do that? Well, this incident gives a clear message that God helps us in our fight against any evil only if we are ready to fight against it with all our might. Until and unless we, in huge numbers, are determined to put in all our efforts in battling against various evils, God is not going to help us.

We humans have enough power and strength to wage a war against adharma. By fearing and underestimating ourselves and overestimating the evil forces, we are falling prey to negativity. And where there is negativity, there is no God. History is full of examples of ordinary human beings fearlessly battling against oppressors. So it is not right to blame Him of not doing anything to alleviate us if we are not willing to determine ourselves to wage a war against evil forces.

So, according to me, as a large majority of us (including me) aren’t doing anything to wipe out the corrupt and wicked forces, God isn’t using his powers to free us from various evils. Until and unless we don’t pull up our socks (mind you, in huge numbers) for the task, we shouldn’t expect God to perform any miracles.

No doubt, there are a lot of people selflessly working for the upliftment of the downtrodden but the number isn’t enough. We can expect some miracle only if a large majority of us enter the battlefield of the various Kurukshetras of the world.

Maybe the Lord is already present on earth just waiting for us to unanimously enter the battlefield. Maybe he is present in small quantities in many of us and just wants us to unite ourselves and Him. Either ways, the need is the same – stand up and fight!

Rege (Marathi Movie) Review

August 16, 2014 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Abhijit Panse

Producers: The Art Beat Productions

Writer: Abhijit Panse

Cast: Mahesh Manjrekar, Aroh Welankar, Pushkar Shrotri, Santosh Juvekar

Music: Avadhoot Gupte

Genre: Underworld Drama

Rating: * * * ½

Story Outline: Rege is inspired from the real-life story of the encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma. The film revolves around the final year M.B.B.S student Aniruddha Rege (Aroh Welankar). By being in the company of the ruffian Pakya, he gets introduced to the gangster Manohar Bhai (Santosh Juvekar). Impressed by the style and aura of Manohar, Rege starts idolizing him. But being in the bad company proves costly for Rege as he, along with other gangsters, gets involved in a murder. This brings Pradeep Sharma and his men on Rege’s trail.

Review: When we think about films on the underworld, we instantly visualize bullets flying and dead bodies collapsing either through gang wars or battles between gangsters and police. This is exactly what we are fed by films of this genre, mostly by Bollywood. But in his very first film Rege, director Abhijit Panse brings in a completely fresh approach while narrating a tale about the underworld resulting in a compelling, intense drama that is thoroughly impressive.

The entire is film is filled with realistic situations that are narrated with some brilliant creativity leaving you completely gripped. You just can’t help but applaud the intelligent use of non-linear screenplay and the manner in which some vital events are revealed indirectly just through the visual medium. This is also seen in the manner in which Panse has used such minimal use of violence despite the film being about ruthless gangsters and encounter specialists.

Through the events of the film, the audience is also given a message without anyone uttering it. However, the very last scene is a bit questionable. There is also some issue in the placing of events in the latter part of the second half.

Nevertheless, these are minor issues that don’t kill your satisfaction. All in all, Panse becomes yet another debutant to excel in his very first film after Mahesh Limaye did in the brilliant Yellow. Co-incidentally, Limaye has handled the film’s cinematography by displaying his artistic skills.

From Avadhoot Gupte’s music, ‘Aswasth Sare’ leaves a big impact. It not only goes well with the theme but is also rich in lyrics. The lavani song is average. Due to some reason, the ‘Dishkyaoon’ track isn’t used.

Every actor has given quality performances, which was the need of the subject. Debutant Aroh Welankar is outstanding! To play such a difficult and emotionally draining character so convincingly and that too in your first film is a huge achievement. Mahesh Manjrekar gives a mature act as Pradeep Sharma. But on few occasions, he is unable to hide his Marathi accent.

Santosh Juvekar is simply amusing as he gets into the skin of Manohar Bhai with ease. Pushkar Shrotri is perfect as Sharma’s subordinate. The actor playing the character of Pakya and the rest of the actors offer good support.

Overall: Rege is a creatively mature take on the underworld. The film is receiving positive word of mouth which could help its box office prospects. But it will be affected by the super success of the Hindi film Singham Returns.

Picture Source: marathistars.com

Singham Returns Review

August 15, 2014 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Rohit Shetty

Producers: Reliance Entertainment

Writers: Yunus Sajawal and Sajid-Farhad

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Amole Gupte, Kareena Kapoor, Dayanand Shetty

Music: Jeet Ganguli, Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros and Yo Yo Honey Singh

Genre: Action Drama

Rating: * * ½

Story Outline: After eliminating the evil gangster politician Jaykant Shikre in Goa, the brave-heart Police Inspector Singham (Ajay Devgn) is now posted in Mumbai. He is close to the head of a political party (Anupam Kher) and considers him his guru. One day, a police constable from Singham’s team is killed in an accident. He was driving an ambulance that contained crores of black money. The ambulance belongs to Swamiji (Amole Gupte), the thug and corrupt spiritual guru. As the constable was driving a vehicle full of black money, he is labeled corrupt.

Review: Singham (2011) is one of the greatest masala entertainers as it gained acceptance even from the section of the audience that doesn’t prefer such genre of films. This was simply because it managed to strike an emotional chord so well. As such films don’t arrive regularly; it won’t be fair to expect the same magic from Singham Returns.

But one would surely expect the film to provide a good amount of satisfaction through a similar effect. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. No doubt Singham Returns does provide plenty of seeti bajao moments, but the end product is nowhere close to the first film thereby making it just a one-time watch and that too strictly for the lovers of the genre. It is yet another Hindi film sequel that is made just for the sake of making it.

The big reason why the sequel lags way behind the film is the flow of events. Despite being a commercial potboiler about good versus evil, Singham was well narrated. This also ensured that the punch lines became an integral part of the content, making them so appealing.

The sequel, however, lacks proper flow, becomes completely predictable and follows a typical tried and tested road of the many cop dramas of the 90s. So the many punch-lines and hero-giri moments hardly offer any impact as they appear forceful, barring few instances. It is also quite funny to see a good duration of the first half being exactly like the TV series C.I.D.

Shetty has also given too much importance to fights, bullet firing and explosions. It not only becomes an overdose but is also unconvincing and limits the film’s reach, especially due to some tragic violent scenes. And as per his habit, he overdoes the car demolishing act too!

Along with few impressive moments, the saving grace is the overwhelming and applaud-worthy climax. But still it doesn’t do much to derive the overall satisfaction that one expects from the sequel of Singham. Plus, the torturous Honey Singh number ‘Aata Maji Satakli’ during the ending credits further adds to the woes. The rest of the songs too are nothing much to speak about.

The other plus point is surely the skillful camerawork. A couple of long aerial shots are brilliant! The background score complements the situations. It is similar to the first film and rightly so.

Ajay Devgn’s macho act stops the film from going more downhill. Although he doesn’t provide the punch like he did before, he manages to keep the interest alive even when the script is going downhill. Amole Gupte gets into the skin of the character of a thug spiritual guru with ease. It is just that on few occasions he overdoes it.

Kareena Kapoor is just above-average. Zakir Hussain is effective as another bad guy. Dayanand Shetty is made to do the same thing that he has been doing in C.I.D since 17 years! Anupam Kher and Ganesh Yadav excel in extended cameos. The rest of the actors are alright.

Overall: Singham Returns doesn’t live up to the expectations and turns out to be just a clichéd cop drama. The brand name and some great hype will help it garner great collections at the box office.

P.S: The story of Singham Returns is continued from the first film. So what happened to Kajal Agarwal’s character and her love story with Singham?

Book Review: Ramayana – The Game Of Life: Rise Of The Sun Prince

August 12, 2014 by Keyur Seta 4 Comments

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By: Keyur Seta

Ramayana is one of the oldest Indian epics that is popular world over. So, obviously, the people of India have been hearing the greatness of the tale and its legendary characters from elders, teachers and various books, if not from a television series or a movie. Since we already have acquired so much of information about the epic, do we really need another book to retell us the same story?

As far as author Shubha Vilas’ latest book on Ramayana is concerned, the answer is in the affirmative since it throws light on numerous incidents that most of us, especially the youngsters, won’t be aware about. The book Rise Of The Sun Prince is the first in the series of six books under the title Ramayana: The Game Of Life.

Talking about its story, it portrays the chapter Bala Kanda from Valmiki’s Ramayana. It begins before the birth of Lord Rama and covers the events until his marriage with Sita. It extensively throws light on the life of the great Sage Vishamitra.

Picture Source: http://www.shreshar.blogspot.in

The purpose of the book, as stated by the author, is to retell the glorious epic to the modern audience of today’s era. The writer succeeds in the task fairly well largely due to his language that is rich but at the same time simple and easy to grasp, even for people from vernacular mediums and across age groups. His smart use of the conflict element further helps in creating a number of intensely dramatic moments. The words of wisdom at the end of almost every page further enhance the content. This section along with the entire book is full of lessons and messages that are relevant today and will be forever.

But, as stated above, the novelty in content with regards to various events is a much bigger plus point. Along with incidents related to a number of characters, this is because of the importance given to the story of Sage Vishwamitra. In fact, he is the central character of the book instead of Lord Rama. This might come as a complete surprise but it is fully justified due to the fascinating, inspirational and soul-stirring story of one of the greatest sages.

A number of incidents related to the life of Vishwamitra become the high point of the book. Some of these include:-

1) His conflict with King Dasaratha over taking Rama with him to defeat demons Maricha and Subahu.

2) Him being mesmerized by the expression on Rama’s face.

3) His grave enmity with Sage Vasistha and its dire consequences.

4) His painstaking efforts to achieve the title of Brahmarishi.

5) The final outcome of his enmity with Vasistha.

But along with numerous plus points, the book also has its share of few minuses. These are:-

1) Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata are full of miraculous events, some of which are difficult to accept by the modern rational audience. Since the book is meant for them, few incidents should have been toned down. For instance, a group of armies being thrown out of the various parts of the cow’s body and even from her cow dung becomes a bit too much.

2) Rama and Sita are shown to be impressed only by each other’s looks. In fact, the writer has again and again emphasized only on the physical aspects of both the characters instead of the numerous great qualities they possess. This makes it appear as if they share mutual lust for each other rather than love.

3) I don’t quite agree with the idea of bringing out as many as six books to tell the story of Ramayana. Three or four would have been enough. However, I would be glad if the author manages to bring out the remaining five books with similar engaging content and proves me wrong.

Overall, Shubha Vilas’ Rise Of The Sun Prince is an enjoyable and intriguing read for the lovers of Indian mythology.

Rating: * * * *

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishers

Genre: Indian Mythology

Pages: 211

Price: Rs 250

Additional Feature: 32 page preview of the next book in the series titled Shattered Dreams and 5 page Appendix about ’24 Qualities That Make A True Hero’.

Rama Madhav (Marathi Movie) Review

August 8, 2014 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Mrinal Kulkarni

Producers: Shivam-Jemin Enterprises

Writers: Mrinal Kulkarni and Manaswini L R

Cast: Parna Pethe, Alok Rajwade, Mrinal Kulkarni, Prasad Oak, Sonalee Kulkarni, Shruti Marathe, Ravindra Mankani, Dr Amol Kolhe

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * *

Story Outline: A bubbly and naughty Rama (Shruti Kalselar and later Parna Pethe) hailing from a middle-class background is married to Madhavrao Peshwa (Alok Rajwade), the prince of the royal Peshwa dynasty, during her childhood. As the two grow up, the political scenario lands the couple in some serious challenges that also affect their personal life. Madhavrao’s evil and scheming uncle Raghunathrao (Prasad Oak) makes things worse.

Review: The mention of the word ‘Peshwa’ instantly brings to our mind the glory of the Maratha Empire and the fearless battles of honor the Peshwas fought and won with style. But amidst such acts of bravery and fearlessness, the era also saw an episode of pure selfless love that is successfully portrayed in Mrinal Kulkarni’s Rama Madhav.

The film takes the viewer back to the bygone era very successfully through some convincing set and costume designing (Poornima Oak) and finely sketched characters. But, obviously, the bigger reason why the film works is the honest approach while presenting a lesser known story.

This happens due to two reasons. Firstly, to see the spirit of the Peshwas in terms of the administration of the state and bravery in wars is sheer delight! Secondly, the love track between Rama and Madhav is smartly interwoven in between various political issues. The writers have also made sure the proceedings don’t become depressing even during tragic situations.

The only big problem here is the length of 147 minutes. There are times in the second half when the narrative loses the grip it had provided earlier. It is also unlikely for people of today’s era to accept the regressive-ness of that era, especially during the starting moments.

Rajiv Jain’s excellent camerawork adds more delight. You just can’t fail to notice the artistic touch in almost every frame, mostly during the scenes inside Shanwar Wada. Anand Modak, who passed away earlier this year, composed tunes are melodious and they go well with the genre. The Ganpati aarti song, ‘Loot Liyo’ and ‘Swapnihi Navhte Disle’ stand out.

Such a film needs to score high in performances and that is exactly what is provided by the actors. Parna Pethe is thoroughly convincing as the elder Rama. Shruti Kalsekar, as the younger one, is super cute. She displays great acting skills too. Alok Rajwade, as Madhavrao, shines with a thoroughly dedicated act.

Prasad Oak gets into the skin of the antagonist Raghunathrao with ease. Mrinal Kulkarni displays her utmost mature skills while playing Gopikabai. Ravindra Mankani and Dr. Amol Kolhe make sure they perfectly suit Nanasaheb and Sadashivrao. Sonalee Kulkarni and Shruti Marathe provide decent support as Anandibai and Parvatibai.

Overall: Rama Madhav is an honest effort that deserves to be seen. The film needs rapid word-of-mouth to have a big impact at the box office.