The Common Man Speaks

Review: Boss

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Director: Anthony D’Souza

Producer: Ashwin Warde

Writer: Sajid-Farhad

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ronit Roy, Shiv Pandit, Mithun Chakraborty, Aditi Rao Hydari, Danny Dengzongpa

Genre: Comedy/ Action

Rating: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Shiva (Akshay Kumar) falls out with his father Satyakant (Mithun Chakraborty) following a terrible incident. He is adopted by Big Boss (Danny Denzongpa) after he saves his life. Although Big Boss runs a transport business, he is famous as a hero of the oppressed. When Shiva grows up, he acquires the title Boss (Akshay Kumar) as even he becomes the messiah of the poor.

Fate brings Boss face-to-face with his father and younger brother Shiv (Shiv Pandit). There comes a situation where Boss has to save Shiv from the evil of the corrupt, monstrous cop Ayushman (Ronit Roy).

Review: Hardcore, hero-centric masala entertainers have become a regular feature in Hindi cinema in the post-GHAJINI era. Such films provide high doses of entertainment in various forms to the masses. While some of these films have managed to impress, some have failed. Thankfully, Anthony D’Souza’s Boss falls in the former category due to various entertaining factors, provided you are game to rest the topmost organ of your body.

The biggest factor here is the dialogues by the writer duo Sajid-Farhad, who can add another name in their long list of successful films. The lines are a mixture of PJs, slapstick and crazy humor that provide bucket full of laughter regularly. What’s more impressive is that, like their previous works, they have refrained from surrendering to vulgarity.

Boss-Akshay-Kumar

The initial moments, however, are not high on entertainment though due to the late entry of Akshay. But that doesn’t hurt much since after his arrival, the film takes you on an enjoyable ride till almost the climax. A combo of crazy situations, jokes and some creative action sequences are on offer. Some of the memorable scenes include:

  • Akshay’s entry
  • His scene with Mukesh Tiwari
  • His first encounter with Shiv
  • A fight scene in the premises of a temple
  • An action scene where Ronit’s goons chase Akshay

But there are a few issues that go against the film. The suspense at the end of Akshay’s flashback is unconvincing. The characterization of Ankita’s friend is confusing. Lastly, the finale isn’t as exciting as expected.

The technical department can hold its head high. Daredevil stunts (Anal Arasu) coupled with some smart camerawork provide excitement. The background score complements different situations perfectly. The film scores high even on music due to the title track, ‘Hum Na Chhode’, ‘Har Kisi Ko’ and ‘Party All Night’.

Akshay Kumar once again proves that only he deserves the title of Khiladi. His comic timing is terrific while he is super impressive in those difficult action sequences. His fans are sure to love this act. Ronit Roy is impressive in the role of a ruthless, corrupt cop. Mithun Chakraborty shows the right emotions needed from the character, although he looks uncomfortable sometimes.

Shiv Pandit makes use of the opportunity and provides a decent act. Danny Denzongpa is perfect in the role of Big Boss. Aditi Rao Hydari is not bad. After a long time, Johnny Lever is in good form. Aakash Dhabade is excellent! Rest of the actors like Sanjay Mishra, Parikshit Sahani and Govind Namdeo provide adequate support.

Overall: Boss is a typical massy entertainer. It has a chance at the box office but due to the not-so-great hype, it relies on word-of-mouth.

Shahid Movie Review

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Director: Hansal Mehta

Producers: Bohra Bros. Pvt. Ltd and AKFPL Production

Writers: Hansal Mehta, Sameer Gautam Singh and Apurva Asrani

Cast: Raj Kumar Yadav, Prabhleen Sandhu, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub, Baljinder Kaur, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Vipin Sharma, Kay Kay Menon

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Rating: * * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Shahid is a biopic on the life of the deceased lawyer Shahid Azmi. He was murdered in 2010 for defending innocents wrongly framed for terror activities.

The film traces Shahid’s journey from the 1993 Mumbai blasts. The incident has such a devastating impact on the youngster that he joins a terror outfit in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Fortunately, he realizes his mistake and manages to return home in Mumbai. Further circumstances ensure that he becomes a successful defense lawyer. But his real challenge starts now.

Review: There are good films and there are also very good films. But there are very few ones that make Indian cinema proud. Director Hansal Mehta’s Shahid is one such movie that has all the rights to hold its head high regardless of its fate at the box office.

Picture source - Zeenews.com

Picture source – Zeenews.com

The film is a fine example of an impeccable script (Gautam Singh and Mehta), gritty presentation and excellent performances. Result of the aforementioned mixture is sure to yield great results and that is exactly the case with Shahid. It is a good idea to reveal the climax at the start so that the viewer is able to concentrate Shahid’s journey. Although the protagonist’s life story is interesting, it is not an easy task to narrate such a tale, especially with such low budget.

The way diverse events and sub plots are woven together deserve special mention, especially Shahid’s love interest which doesn’t obstruct the proceedings whatsoever. Lastly, the flick throws a number of hard-hitting questions on the deterioration of democracy in today’s times. The only negative point one can find is that the ongoing appears a bit dragged after a point of time in the second half. Plus, the hardcore commercial audience might not appreciate this genre of cinema. However, these are not major flaws.

From the technical department, some crafty camerawork perfectly suits the need of the film. Few single-take shots through a hand held camera are very impressive. Some powerful background score and apt editing too deserve praise.

Some performances become a milestone in every successful actor’s career. Raj Kumar Yadav’s act in Shahid is one such milestone which will take his career to greater heights. His portrayal of different shades of the character can only be described as brilliant! However, despite such an act from the lead actor, Prabhleen Kaur manages to impress via her perfect portrayal as Shahid’s love interest.

After No One Killed Jessica, Jannat 2 and Raanjhanaa, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub is once again super impressive. In the role of Shahid’s mother, Baljinder Kaur suits well. There some wonderful cameos too from Kay Kay Menon, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Vipin Sharma and Shalini Vatsa.

Overall, Shahid is a must watch. Those eager for meaningful cinema should surely support it if they wish to see such genre of films in the future. Positive word-of-mouth is the only hope for the film to make a mark at the box office.

Lagna Pahave Karun (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Ajay Naik

Producers: Solariz International and Sprint Art Creations

Writers: Kshitij Patwardhan and Sameer Vidwans

Cast: Umesh Kamat, Mukta Barve, Sidharth Chandekar, Tejashri Pradhan, Swati Chitnis

Music: Ajay Naik

Genre: Romance

Rating: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Nishant Barve (Umesh Kamat), who works in the U.S, returns home in Pune on a short break to marry a girl chosen by his mother through a marriage bureau headed by a lady (Swati Chitnis) strictly believing in horoscopes. While on leave, Nishant loses his job in the US. The news exposes the true face of his to-be wife and he breaks up with her. Nishant, who always was a disbeliever in horoscopes and other such things, insults the head of marriage bureau and rubbishes off her profession.

He comes across a stranger Aditi (Mukta Barve) who slowly becomes a friend. Aditi is eager to start a unique marriage bureau. Impressed by Aditi’s determination, Nishant agrees to be her partner in the venture. Everything goes smooth for Aditi and Nishant, who also start developing feelings for each other. Their bureau also tastes its first success through the marriage of Rahul (Siddharth Chandekar) and Anandi (Tejashree Pradhan). But the business partners face a big hurdle in the form of the head of the rival marriage bureau, whom Nishant had insulted.

Review: Most of the modern day Hindi film love stories cannot be enjoyed by the entire family due to various obvious reasons. But that is not the case with Marathi cinema these days. No doubt, films like Shree Partner, Premachi Goshta and Time Please were new age romantic films but they also maintained a fine balance between modernism and traditions. This legacy of appealing yet clean love stories is continued with debutant Ajay Naik’s Lagna Pahave Karun.

The film surely has the boy-meets-girl saga but like all intelligent love stories, it doesn’t appear filmy and has a good flow and realistic touch to it. A mixture of wit and emotions in the dialogues keep you engrossed throughout.

But what truly sets this love story aside is the background of marriage bureau and the rivalry born out of it. This topic is hardly explored before. On a personal note, my hatred towards marriage bureaus has diminished after witnessing the working of the one explored here.

But the closing moments stop the film from being truly exceptional. Although the climax is heartwarming, it could have been presented in a better way. But what is more questionable is not including a triumphant scene between Nishant and the owner of rival bureau, for which there was every scope. This would have surely generated applause. Nevertheless, these points don’t reduce your overall satisfaction much.

Naik’s soulful compositions are placed well and suit the need of the film. The camerawork is impressive and so is the background score. The editing should also be lauded for keeping the length of the film inside two hours.

Like every love story, performances play a key role here too. Umesh Kamat once again gets every emotion right and provides a lovable act. Mukta Barve too deserves similar praise for her impressive performance. Siddharth Chandekar and Tejashree Pradhan play a troubled couple aptly. Swati Chitnis succeeds in providing the antagonistic effect very well. The rest of the supporting cast fits the bill.

Overall: Lagna Pahave Karun is yet another mature love story of the year.

 

Lagna-Pahave-Karun

Sachin retirement: Memories never retire!

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By: Keyur Seta

So the news the world never wished to hear is out. The God of cricket Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has finally announced retirement from international cricket. Of course, the news is not surprising whatsoever even to a single cricket fan, yet it has hit everyone like a bolt simply because of Sachin’s priceless value. Some are literally into tears!

However, as strange as it may sound, in the midst of the emotional turmoil, I might be in the minority for not being sad, shattered or whatever. This might even label me as anti-Sachin or a Sachin hater, but believe me, I am not. My close friends would know that I have worshipped him as much as you people (you can read my poem on him by clicking HERE). It might sound rude but I think we should all accept the truth.

The law of nature is that everything has to end one day. None can escape this law including Sachin’s career. Every player has to end his career at some point or the other. Let’s be practical – Sachin had to retire one day, no matter how much we hoped against it. Also let’s face it – he is facing a lot of trouble with his technique and timing since recent times. And come on, he has been playing international cricket since 24 long years! How much more do you expect from him?

The number of great and proud memories provided by the Master Blaster is uncountable. It won’t be an overstatement to term them as priceless treasure. So instead of crying over his retirement, let’s be positive and cherish the priceless treasure. Our wailing will make things difficult for Sachin himself. By the way, one thing I can assure everyone is that the great man would continue to do his bit for cricket or other sports. Despite retiring, you will keep hearing good things about him for sure!

Sachin’s emotional strength was proved during the 1999 World Cup where he played against Kenya just after he lost his father. So being true Sachin fans, we can’t afford to be weak. In case, if we do, just revisit his numerous innings available on YouTube. After all, memories never retire!

Picture source: Cricinfo.com

Picture source: Cricinfo.com

Review: The Lunchbox

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Director: Ritesh Batra

Producers: UTV Motion Pictures, Dharma Productions, Dar Motion Pictures, Sikhya Entertainment and Roh Films – Germany

Writer: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Leading a lonely life, middle-aged widower Saajan Fernandez (Irrfan Khan) works in the claims department of a government office in Mumbai. He has just a month to go before he retires from his services. Ila (Nimrat Kaur), a housewife, is also battling loneliness due to her husband’s avoidance.

Once Ila prepares tiffin for her husband like every other day. However, due to dabba wala’s mistake, the tiffin lands on Saajan’s table. This ensures a series of conversations between the two through letters. Slowly, their strange relationship blossoms into love. But how far can such a love story go?

Review: It is a norm in Indian movies to include dramatic, powerful dialogues or blaring background music to generate emotions. But debutant Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox breaks all these norms and how! By using just a subtle, simple narration, he narrates a difficult love story that is sure to move you.

The-Lunchbox-movieSuch a romantic tale is very difficult and tricky to narrate on celluloid. Batra not only conceives the romance intelligently but also maintains it. The latter part can be too tough as the letter reading scenes can become repetitive. But that is nicely taken care with some real yet witty conversations, mostly between Irrfan and Nawazuddin, and various rib-tickling moments from the simplest of everyday scenes. The success of this part alone is the backbone of the film.

The Lunchbox is also one of the rare films where the city of Mumbai can be called as a different character altogether. This doesn’t mean merely showing the city few times or placing your story in it. It is about various aspects of the city visible throughout the film. Examples – bus and train journeys, dabba walas, loneliness despite over population, Ila’s neighborhood aunty, group of people playing abhangas in train, inflation issues faced by the common man, especially when it comes to medical bills, painters outside Azad Maidan, kids playing cricket on streets, etc.

After such impressive plus points, you personally feel bad for the film towards the last 15 minutes or so. The events in the pre-climax and climax act as a dampener. If this hadn’t been the case, the movie could have been hailed as a classic.

The technical department (camerawork, background score and editing) goes with the simple nature of the film.

Performances play a large role in creating the desired effect. Irrfan Khan has proved time and again that he is one of the finest actors to emerge from India. He proves that again by generating a lot of appeal from his character despite underplaying himself. But despite Irrfan’s presence, Nimrat Kaur shines with a real and mature portrayal of a lonely housewife. She surely deserves more films!

In the midst of the two performances, Nawazuddin Siddiqui delivers a lovable act! He too is no doubt one of the most talented actors around currently. Although Bharti Acharekar doesn’t appear, her delightful way of speaking makes her presence felt.

Overall: Although The Lunchbox isn’t a classic, it’s still a must watch. It should slowly climb the box office ladder.

Review: Satyagraha

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Director: Prakash Jha

Producers: Prakash Jha Productions and UTV Motion Pictures

Writers: Prakash Jha and Anjum Rajabali

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Arjun Rampal, Amrita Rao

Music: Salim-Sulaiman, Aadesh Shrivastav, Meet Bros and Indian Ocean

Genre: Drama

By: Keyur Seta

Rating: * *

Story Outline: Retired school principal Daduji (Amitabh Bachchan) is a man of Gandhian principles, who believes in fighting injustice. His son Akhilesh (Indraneil Sengupta), an engineer, follows his father’s footsteps in being an idealist. One day, Akhilesh’s businessman friend Manav (Ajay Devgn) comes to stay with them. Daduji has a clash of words with Manav due to the differences in ideologies. Soon, a part of a flyover, created by Akhilesh, is destroyed, which leads to his accidental death. This starts Daduji’s struggle against the system on various issues.

Review: Over the years Prakash Jha has acquired an identity of a filmmaker specializing in the hard hitting socio political genre. But since Raajneeti (2010) onwards, he has been showing an inclination towards commercialism while presenting social issues. Although he has succeeded in producing engaging films while doing this, the content hasn’t been up to the mark. He does it again with Satyagraha. This time, however, his effort stoops lower than ‘not up to the mark’ for he makes a mockery of a social movement by making it unconvincingly filmi.

Despite Jha’s stern denial, even a primary school kid would understand that the film and its characters are fully based on the Anna Hazare movement (Bachchan: Anna Hazare, Devgn: Arvind Kejriwal and Kapoor: Shazia Ilmi).

Satyagraha-movieBut his celluloid version of the movement just fails to create any impact whatsoever due to high degrees of Bollywood-isms thrown in which just makes it look fake! From these points, the romantic angle between Devgn and Kapoor deserves special mention for being the most forced and unconvincing love story in a long, long time. Although there are inspiring moments but they appear tiny in front of the fallacies.

What also kills the interest is the fact that the writers try to bring in too many issues which ensures a faulty narration. For example, at one point we see these characters trying to uncover the mystery of Akhilesh’s death but in the very next scene, they attack the collector’s office and start preaching anti-corruption. Likewise, the film keeps changing issues and leads up to a climax that can be best described as unintentionally hilarious.

From the various flaws, Kapoor’s character sketch takes the cake. In fact, it won’t be an overstatement to describe this as one of the stupidest portrayals of a journalist ever in Bollywood. So we have this ever-glamorous reporter who joins Daduji’s movement while on duty and even starts residing in his bungalow. Later on, her image is also included in the posters of the Jan Satyagrahi’s team! This is more than idiotic as no reporter would dare take a side in such a manner and if he or she ever does it, the person is fired the very moment. Well, did I see Anjum Rajabali’s name in the writers’ credits or did I misread it?

Perhaps the song ‘Raghupati Raghav’ is the best moment of the film. The rest of the songs weren’t required at all. The camerawork and background score are decent while the editing is passable.

Talking about the performances, Amitabh Bachchan does succeed in being an aged social activist who is never short of inner strength. But it hurts to see his super acting talent being wasted in such a film. It hurts even more when he is forced to ham in the climax. His character is also the same as in Aarakshan. Ajay Devgn is just average this time, which is a surprise. Most of the times, it looked as if he is trying too hard. Kareena Kapoor doesn’t impress due to the characterization as mentioned above.

Manoj Bajpayee turns out the best of all, although even his character is carried forward his character from Aarakshan. From the rating, there is half a star extra for Big B and Bajpayee’s performances. Arjun Rampal is likable as an aggressive political leader. He should have been given more screen space. Amrita Rao has hardly anything to do. She is strictly okay. The rest of the supporting actors just fit the bill.

Overall, Satyagraha suffers due to various flaws. The film will struggle at the box office after the first weekend.

Satyagraha Box Office Prediction

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By: Keyur Seta

Director: Prakash Jha

Producers: Prakash Jha Productions and UTV Motion Pictures

Writers: Prakash Jha and Anjum Rajabali

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Arjun Rampal, Amrita Rao

Music: Salim-Sulaiman, Aadesh Shrivastav, Meet Bros and Indian Ocean

Genre: Drama

Release Date: August 30, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: With the presence of actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and Arjun Rampal, needless to say that the star value for Satyagraha is supremely high!

Hype: The promos of the film did have a positive impact due to its similarity to the Anna Hazare movement but it didn’t create the kind of hype that is expected from a film with such an ensemble star cast. The reason could be that the topic of patriotism and nation building isn’t much preferred by the Gen – Y of today’s era.

Music: The song ‘Raghupati Raghav’ has managed to impress and helped the film gain publicity. Apart from this, only ‘Aiyyo Ji’ is known.

Prediction:

Satyagraha will get a good opening at the box office. But the initial response won’t be too overwhelming due to the reasons given above. Hence, it is very vital for the film to impress at the onset if it has to be a winner at the box office. The chances of it earning Rs 100 crore also rest purely on its content. For a film of this genre, big names alone aren’t enough to help you earn big numbers.

Popat (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Satish Rajwade

Producers: Mirah Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Citrus Check Inns

Writer: Satish Rajwade

Cast: Atul Kulkarni, Siddharth Menon, Ketan Pawar, Amey Wagh

Music: Avinash-Vishwajeet

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Rating: * * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: In Kulpe village, youngsters Raghu (Amey Wagh), Mukund (Ketan Pawar) and Bala (Siddharth Menon) are the best of friends. Unfortunately, they are not able to make a name for themselves, despite each one possessing some skill. To make use of their various talents, they decide to make a movie.

At the same time, Aids awareness campaign is on full swing in their village. Hence, they choose Aids awareness as the topic of their film. As they lack a proper camera and shooting equipment, they include marriage video shooter Janardhan aka Janya (Atul Kulkarni) in their team. What starts off as a fun activity ends up being the most soul-stirring journey of their lives.

Review: The year started with Ravi Jadhav presenting a serious social message in a lighthearted manner in BP (Balak Palak). Now, Satish Rajwade does the same in Popat. Although the topic explored in Popat is hugely different from the one explored in BP, the end result of both the films is the same. After Premachi Goshta, Rajwade has once again churned out a delightful saga, which also has a repeat value.

Like various rural flicks, the aim of the writer here is to make sure the audience connects with the characters, their missions and the location. This means that the film doesn’t follow a conventional storytelling method. But this doesn’t affect the audience in any manner whatsoever. In fact, it works very well as the writer succeeds in the aforementioned aim. The ever-present lighthearted and hilarious moments keep the entertainment quotient high.

But the bigger challenge for the creative think tank was to present an unusual yet important social issue. The creatively witty and yet powerful manner in which they succeed in their task make sure they deserve nothing short of an applause. The reason for this is that it is no mean task to enlighten, delight and entertain simultaneously. The climax deserves a special mention for it leaves you overwhelmed.

The only negative aspect that appears is the overall length of 154 minutes, which could have been shortened, especially in the first half. But this won’t trouble you much as the film never treads on a slow path.

The locations look enticing due to Bhaskar Samla’s cinematography. Music doesn’t have an important part to play but the tracks by Avinash Vishwajeet suit the needs. Thankfully, songs are used only when required. The background score too is impressive.

Atul Kulkarni shows his versatility and talent in his portrayal of Janya. His sudden switch from underplaying the character to acting loud is the best part of his brilliant act. Amey Wagh, Ketan Pawar and Siddharth Menon too play their parts exceedingly well. They are impressive in both humorous and serious moments. The unusual chemistry between the four is always visible. Anita Date, Neha Shitole and Megha Ghadge shine in supporting acts.

Overall, Popat is yet another winner from Rajwade. The content has the potential of doing well at the box office. This parrot deserves to fly high!

 

Popat-movie

 

Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Box Office Prediction

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By: Keyur Seta

Director: Milan Luthria

Producer: Balaji Motion Pictures

Writer: Rajay Aroraa

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Imran Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh

Music: Pritam and Anupam Amod

Genre: Drama/ Action

Release Date: August 15, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara has high star value due to the presence of some big names like Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Imran Khan.

Hype: The promos of the film received mixed reaction because the audience hadn’t expected the sequel of a gangster movie to be a love triangle. Nevertheless, there is some hype for the movie as the release date has neared, especially due to Akshay.

Music: Songs ‘Tu Hi Khatra’ and ‘Tayyab Ali’ are somewhat known. The overall music hasn’t quite made heads turn.

Prediction:

Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara will get a good opening. But due to the reactions to the promos and the fact that Chennai Express is still doing well, the Akshay starrer won’t set the cash registers ringing as expected. Nevertheless, if the content gets a good initial response, it will ensure good returns for the producers. The plus point the film has is that the subject suits the single screens as well as multiplexes.

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Chennai Express Review

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By: Keyur Seta

Director: Rohit Shetty

Producers: UTV Motion Pictures and Red Chillies Entertainment

Writers: Rohit Shetty, Yunus Sajawal and Sajid-Farhad

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Satyaraj, Nikitin Dheer

Music: Vishal-Shekhar and Yo Yo Honey Singh

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Rating: * *

Story Outline: Forty year old Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) is forced to go to Rameswaram to immerse his grandfather’s ashes. However, he is eager to go to Goa to have fun with his buddies. In order to fool his granny into believing that he is going to Rameswaram, he boards the Chennai Express with the intention of getting down at a nearby station and head towards Goa. As soon as the train starts, Rahul helps Meena (Deepika Padukone) and a group of heavily built men board the train.

But he soon realizes that Meena has run away from her native place Kumban and the men are forcefully taking her back. Those thugs work for Meena’s father, who is a ruthless don of Kumban. Unusual circumstances force Rahul to accompany Meena and her group to Kumban. How will Rahul escape from the don’s den?

Review: Time and again, Rohit Shetty has succeeded in providing hardcore entertainment with his potboilers. This reason coupled with his association with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time ensured high expectations from his next Chennai Express. But as they say, every day is not a Sunday. This time Shetty misses the target due to various reasons. They are as follows:-

  • Chennai-ExpressIt is needless to say that one needs to keep anything related to logic far away while watching Shetty’s films. But there has to be some degree of conviction at least in the basic plot. I am referring to the whole idea of Rahul travelling to Kumban, which has no explanation. The thugs have come to take Deepika with them. So why are they so desperate to take Rahul along since he has nothing to do with their matter?
  • Writers Yunus Sajawal and Sajid-Farhad are known for creating some entertaining lines. But this time, their writing doesn’t induce the kind of laughter it should. The humor is surely there but it is way short of being a laugh riot.
  • Despite the above mentioned huge flaw in the story, the first half can still be described as moderately enjoyable. But the film just goes downhill post interval where there is just no story to tell. Then we have a climax lifted straight out of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which is not only unsatisfying but also cringe worthy for the bloody violence. It surely doesn’t gel with the nature of the film.
  • Chennai Express also goes onto the level of being offensive. They have tried creating humour out of the death of Rahul’s grandfather. If this wasn’t enough, the scene during his funeral is shockingly sadistic!

Vishal-Shekhar and Yo Yo Honey Singh’s music is not so impressive. The songs fall in the average or above average category. The camerawork is very impressive and creative while the background music suits the subject.

It is Shah Rukh Khan’s performance that makes the film a watchable affair. His wit, charm and innocence will keep you smiling throughout. Deepika Padukone surprises with a good act while playing a typical south Indian girl. Nikitin Dheer is alright. He doesn’t get much scope to showcase his talent. In the role of a don, Satyaraj shines. Kamini Kaushal and Lekh Tondon are likable in cameos.

Overall, Chennai Express gets derailed due to some weak writing and lack of proper entertainment. At the box office, the film will surely become a blockbuster. This doesn’t come as a surprise when your film has such big stars and you book almost every theatre in the country.