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Jaat review: This Sunny Deol starrer is a paisa vasool entertainer

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Sunny Deol made a phenomenal comeback with Anil Sharma’s Gadar 2 in 2023. The film’s acceptance and box office run was such that nobody expected. Naturally, following this, there was a keen anticipation for his next. It has been a long wait as his next actioner Jaat with Gopichand Malineni has taken almost two years. But the wait has been worth.

Jaat starts off in 2009 when Ranatunga (Randeep Hooda), his brother Somulu (Viineet Kumar Siingh) and others are working as labourers in Sri Lanka for the Sri Lankan army. Once while digging a ground, Ranatunga comes across hidden bars of gold. He decides that they should steal the gold and flee from the place. They succeed in doing so by killing a number of Sri Lankan army personnel.

Ranatunga and others arrive in Andhra Pradesh through the sea route and settle in a village after bribing the cops. Slowly, he becomes a ruthless don and starts spreading his empire.

In the present day, Ranatunga’s men kill a large number of people in the most gruesome manner in a village. Inspector Vijaya Lakshmi (Saiyami Kher) and other female cops visit Ranatunga’s place to arrest him. However, they get trapped. Just then, a stranger (Sunny Deol) by chance enters the village and slowly comes across Ranatunga and his atrocities.

Jaat is based on a typical good vs evil theme but the film isn’t narrated and presented in a clichéd way. Normally in such stories, the hero, mostly a man in a uniform, is given the task to either arrest or eliminate the villain. But here, Sunny’s character unintentionally enters the village and, most importantly, wants an apology for a small incident. Coming to the latter, the whole ‘Sorry bol’ episode is hilarious masterstroke. It also gives rise to exciting confrontational and action sequences. The action isn’t like the typical dubbed south films we see on TV. The fights over here are quite creatively shot.

Jaat goes onto another level once Sunny’s character comes to know the demonic nature of Ranatunga’s character. However, then comes a time when the narrative becomes a bit slow and dragging with entertainment taking a backseat. But thankfully, a couple of sequences later in the second half, including the climax when a major revelation happens, make up for it.

Jaat is a typical Sunny Deol entertainer with a few meta references too both in the dialogues and fight sequences. Hence, those who aren’t his fans or don’t like such type of masala entertainers are bound to be disappointed. But notwithstanding this, the level of violence and gore could have been lessened. This wouldn’t have reduced the overall impact of the villain. Although one can’t expect logic in such genre of films, there are a lot of creative liberties taken.

Sunny Deol makes a late entry but the film completely rests on his shoulders and he delivers consistently. It’s a pleasure and a wonder to see him carry out such fight sequences despite being close to 70. He also scores in the dialogues, especially whenever he narrates the ‘idli’ incident. Randeep Hooda also shines as the villain and you love to hate him.

Saiyami Kher gives an honest act as a cop. Regena Cassandrra is a revelation in a ruthless role. Viineet Kumar Siingh displays his talent yet again. Upendra Limaye takes away all the claps and whistles in his cameo, just like he did in Animal. Jagapathi Babu and Ramya Krishnan are decent in their supporting roles.

Overall: Jaat is a paisa vasool entertainer if you are a fan of action masala entertainers, especially the ones starring Sunny Deol. At the box office, the film will score more in the interiors than in the metros as it’s an ideal single screen film.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Gopichand Malineni

Producers: Mythri Movie Makers, People Media Factory and Zee Studios

Writers: Saurabh Gupta and Gopichand Malineni

Cast: Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda, Saiyami Kher, Regena Cassandrra, Viineet Kumar Siingh

Also Read: Sikandar review: Film about organ transplant needed script transplant

Only Fawad Khan faces opposition in India, other Pakistani actors are spared

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Earlier this week, Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor starrer Abir Gulaal was announced. Directed by Aarti S Bagdi, the film is a romantic drama. As soon as the announcement was made, a section of the political class in Maharashtra came up in arms against the film since it stars a Pakistani actor. They have said that they won’t let the film release in theatres in Maharashtra on its scheduled release date, which is May 9.

This is not the first time that a film starring Fawad has faced opposition in Maharashtra after relations between India and Pakistan soured following the Uri and Pulwama attacks in 2016 and 2019 respectively. A lot of efforts were made to stall the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which also starred Fawad. Last year, his Pakistani film The Legend Of Maula Jatt also faced opposition in Maharashtra, although it wasn’t planned to release in the state.

Strangely, it is only Fawad whose films face opposition in Maharashtra while other Pakistani stars are spared. Its biggest example is the recent re-release of Sanam Teri Kasam, which happened on February 7. This film was not only allowed a release but there was not even a hint of opposition against it despite it starring Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane in the lead.

Fawad Khan and Mawra Hocane

In fact, Sanam Teri Kasam not only became successful but also the biggest hit of all the films that have re-released since last year by earning close to a high amount of Rs. 40 crores. Interestingly, as you read this, it’s still playing in theatres in Mumbai in the second month of its release.

When a film earns this much and runs for two months at the box office, it obviously means that a large number of people went to see it. Hence, it’s difficult to believe that those who are protesting against Abir Gulaal were completely unaware about the re-release of Sanam Teri Kasam.

This isn’t the only example though. In 2016, there was massive opposition against the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil because of Fawad’s presence in it following the Uri attacks. The film, however, was shot much before the attacks happened but that didn’t budge the political protestors. Finally, a settlement was made and the film was able to release. However, a few months later Hindi Medium (2017) didn’t face any opposition, although it starred Pakistani actress Saba Qamar as the lead.

Similarly, in the last few years, Zee’s Zindagi has tied up with Pakistani artistes to produce OTT shows for Indian and Pakistani audience like Churails, Dhoop Ki Deewar, etc. But there hasn’t been a word against these shows.

This makes me wonder why only Fawad Khan faces opposition while other Pakistani actors are spared. Does their nationalistic sentiment get hurt only when a film starring a big Pakistani star releases? Is their nationalistic sentiment limited to the popularity of the actor and is devoid of any equality in their stand?

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

Sikandar Review: Film about organ transplant needed script transplant

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Over the last few years, we have been dished out quite a few films (except Tiger 3) that are made just to showcase Salman Khan’s herogiri through fight scenes, dialogue baazi, songs and dances and, above all, his noble on screen nature. This has now become a new genre of filmmaking called ‘Bhai films’. Filmmaker AR Murugadoss’ Sikandar is yet another film in this genre.

The story starts off in Rajkot where Sanjay Rajkot (Salman) enjoys the life of an unofficial king of the city. He lives in a palatial bungalow. We don’t know whether he inherited it from his ancestors or earned money himself to build his empire. He has a wife Saisri (Rashmika Mandanna), who is much younger to him. She is married to him since quite a few years but is still unaware how he has so many nicknames. And it is after quite a few years of their marriage that she says she prefers to address him as only ‘Sanjay’.

During a flight, Sanjay beats up Arjun (Prateik Smita Patil) who was trying to forcefully get physical with a woman on flight after blackmailing her just before take-off despite the presence of her little son. Arjun turns out to be the son of a powerful minister (Sathyaraj) from Maharashtra. The senior politician and his son, obviously, are seething with anger and eager to take revenge from Sanjay.

Meanwhile, Sanjay goes through a terrible personal tragedy. This, somehow, brings him face-to-face with Arjun and his politician father.

Sikandar movie Salman Khan

Sikandar starts on a good note. Salman Khan’s entry is impressive. Thankfully, this is a not a typical entry scene where the hero beats up a few random baddies just to enter the film. As said in the above synopsis, his beating up Arjun is a part of the film’s story.

However, from here on, the film goes downhill and never recovers. The personal tragedy of Sanjay takes you by surprise but whatever happens after that is difficult to fathom. Linking the organ transplant angle with that of the minister appears forceful and defies logic.

This angle does have a couple of touching moments, especially with the kid who goes through lung transplant and the incident when the people of Mumbai gather to show support for Sikandar. But these incidents appear miniscule because of the huge fallacies the film is riddled with.

The cat and mouse game between Sikandar and the minister not only lacks logic (even by the standards of Bhai films) but is also filled with moments that either make you laugh unintentionally or go like, ‘What the hell just happened!’.

There are quite a few other major questionable moments in the main plot itself. Sanjay is the undisputed king of Rajkot and enjoys a Godly status. Yet, the people of Mumbai haven’t even heard of him even in today’s times of social media. Sanjay is not just rich but also super wealthy but he, for some reason, prefers traveling by train from Rajkot to Gujarat. Ideally, people with such wealth have their own chartered plane in today’s times. Also, the Fiat taxi used by Sanjay in Mumbai has been off the roads since almost a decade or more. Weirdly, the taxis in which his rest of the team travels are the latest ones.

Sikandar is, obviously, made to celebrate Salman’s stardom but he is one of the biggest casualties of the film. He appears without energy, dedication or even interest as he goes about his usual heroics. And the less said about his dialogue delivery the better. Rashmika Mandanna scores in expressions but once again highly irritates with her heavy accented dialogue delivery. Thankfully, she doesn’t have a lengthy role.

Sathyaraj, despite not being very good, is the best of the lot. Prateik Babbar plays a typical spoilt son of a high profile politician. It is painful to see Sharman Joshi being reduced to Sanjay’s secretary. The same sympathy is felt for a very talented bloke like Jatin Sarna. Kajal Aggarwal is decent while Sanjay Kapoor and Sulbha Arya are wasted. Anjini Dhawan is just average and her silly characterization makes it worse.

Overall: Sikandar is a poor product and makes for a tedious watch. The film is about organ transplant but I wish someone had transplanted its script with a script from its adjacent set just before it went on floors. The film will have a decent run at the box office till today, after which it will struggle.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Director: AR Murugadoss

Producers: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and Salman Khan Films

Writers: AR Murugadoss, Rajat Arora, Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal

Cast: Salman Khan, Rashmika Mandanna, Sathyaraj, Prateik Smita Patil, Sharman Joshi

Also read: The Diplomat Review: Realistic version of Gadar

The Diplomat review: Realistic version of Gadar

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Filmmaker Shivam Nair’s The Diplomat tells the real story of an Indian lady Uzma Ahmed (Sadia Khateeb), a single mother. She falls in love with a Pakistani national Tahir (Jagjeet Sandhu) while working in Malaysia in 2017. He promises to marry her and help treat her daughter, who suffers from Thalassemia.

However, after she lands in Pakistan, she sees the real face of Tahir. He takes Uzma to the deserted land of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where she realizes that he is already married and also has a few kids. But that’s not all. Tahir repeatedly physically and sexually abuses Uzma before forcing her to marry him.

Once by chance, Uzma gets to know that the only way to escape from there is by somehow reaching the Indian embassy in Islamabad and ask for help. She makes Tahir take her to the Indian embassy through some pretext and, when he and his friends are away, barges inside the embassy and begs for help. But JP (John Abraham), the Deputy High Commissioner at the embassy, doubts her intentions.

The Diplomat is a thrilling drama starring John Abraham and Sadia Khateeb. It tells the story of a woman trapped in a marriage in Pakistan.

As weird as it may sound, the basic plot of The Diplomat is like a realistic version of Anil Sharma’s Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. That movie also saw a woman happily visiting Pakistan, only to realize that she has been trapped. She is then brought back to India with the help of a ‘hero’. The only and a major difference is that The Diplomat is a real story. Hence, realistic means are used for her safe return to India instead of ukhadofying any hand pump.

The Diplomat gets going right from the first scene. The film starts with Uzma entering the office of the Indian embassy, which gets you glued to the proceedings. But, for some reason, she narrates her backstory in short initially, which could have been avoided. This is because when she finally sits down to narrate her past in detail, you already know what has happened. However, the ordeal she goes through is portrayed effectively, which makes you feel for her even more.

The film goes onto another level once the cat-and-mouse game starts with respect to Uzma’s safe return to India. This part is filled with thrill despite their being no action. But somehow, the makers felt the need for action. Hence, unnecessary fictitious conflict moments are created. One can understand the need to do this since it’s a mainstream feature film. But the conflicts cease to be as serious as they appear when they arrive. Another questionable aspect here is the lack of clarity about Uzma’s family. We are not given her backstory for reasons best known to the makers.

However, the emotional last few minutes ensure that you don’t think much about these points. The feeling of patriotism is evoked without jingoism or sloganeering, much like the Raja Krishna Menon’s Airlift (2016).  

Sadia Khateeb is the real star of the film. She comes up with an authentic performance as her character goes through various ordeals at various stages. She projects vulnerability and strength with ease. There are some performances that elevate an actor’s career. This act should do this for her.

John Abraham gives one of his better performances. This time, he plays a rescuer who doesn’t indulge in action. The only issue is his awkward walk in those suits, which is not possible to ignore. Jagjeet Sandhu is thoroughly believable as the evil husband of Uzma. Revathy is likeable and commands respect as the late Sushma Swaraj despite the limited screen time. Sharib Hashmi, Vidhatri Bandi, Kumud Mishra and others provide fine support.

Overall: The Diplomat is a thrilling and moving real-life account of an Indian woman’s escape from Pakistan.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Shivam Nair

Producers: T Series, JA Entertainment, Wakaoo Films, Seeta Films and Fortune Pictures

Writer: Ritesh Shah

Cast: John Abraham, Sadia Khateeb, Jagjeet Sandhu, Revathy, Sharib Hashmi, Kumud Mishra, Vidhatri Bandi

Also read: Superboys Of Malegaon review: Heartwarming ode to cinema and friendship

Superboys Of Malegaon review: Heartwarming ode to cinema and friendship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Reema Kagti

Producers: Excel Entertainment, Tiger Baby and Amazon MGM Studios

Writers: Varun Grover and Shoaib Nazeer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more about the film HERE.

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

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Hindi film industry brings about films on various subjects but the void of good children’s films has always been there. And children’s films that succeed in moving grown-ups are even rare. Filmmaker and writer Dhruva Harsh’s Elham contributes in filling that void.

The movie is set in a village in Uttar Pradesh. The story revolves around a school going kid Faizan (Taiyo Chan). He lives with his father Rafique (Mahmood Hashmi), mother Safina (Gunnit Kour), elder sister Fatima (Tot Chan) and grandfather Daddu (Umesh Shukla). Rafique is currently jobless, so, obviously, the family is going through a lean phase.

The day of Bakrid is nearing but the family is in no position to buy a goat in order to sacrifice it on the auspicious day. This saddens Faizan as he sees his friends’ families buying goats. But Rafique starts new work of making bedsheets. He does so for the neighborhood lady, who, much to his pleasant surprise, pays him by presenting him with the goat.

This delights Faizan. However, he develops a strange affection for the goat, who he nicknames Dodu. Hence, he shudders even by the thought of the animal being sacrificed on Bakrid. Will Dodu be sacrificed?  

The tale of a boy getting attached to a goat was explored in the Marathi movie Peter (2021). However, the basic tale, setting and treatment of Elham are much different.

The biggest challenge for Elham was to establish the bond between Faizan and Dodu, which it does exceedingly well. It forms gradually without you even realizing it. The conflict angle is also played in a simple way without making the proceedings melodramatic. The finale, which is crucial in such stories, succeeds in moving you. It also gives a message without anyone spelling it out.

Elham is also an example of progressive cinema, both in terms of the behavior of characters and the presentation. The jobless father for once doesn’t face any taunts whatsoever from his wife, despite his situation. In fact, she even readily gives him money to buy things from the market. The film, overall, is quite minimal and intimate. There are limited number of main characters and the story is told through close quarters without any taam jaam.

In a country like India, such subjects often face dangers of ruffling feathers with religiously conservative audience. But the makers ensure there is no scope for this in the movie.

The technical aspects, in terms of the cinematography and editing, play a major part in keeping things simple. The background score is minimal and used only when required.  

The performances are a big plus point here. Taiyo Chan had a major responsibility while playing Faizan. In a way, he had to carry the film on his shoulders. He gets his act right and makes you root for him. Mahmood Hashmi gives an understated performance as his father, which goes with the nature of his character. Tot Chan, Gunnit Kour and Umesh Shukla, as the rest of the family members, chip in with good acts.

Coming to the minuses, the movie needed to be much crisper before the goat makes an entry in the story. The pacing is an issue during this part.

Overall: Elham is a moving saga with a message.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Dhruva Harsh

Producers: Dr. Raj Kishore Khaware, Utpaal Acharya, Saurabh Varma, Vickey Prasad, Vikas Yadav and Rati Tandon

Writer: Dhruva Harsh

Cast: Taiyo Chan, Tot Chan, Mahmood Hashmi, Gunnit Kour, Umesh Shukla

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

Singham Again review: Time-pass family action film despite some hiccups

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Rohit Shetty’s cop sagas started with the brilliant Singham (2011). It was obvious for him to bring out a sequel to it. But Singham Returns (2014) turned out to be just an average fare. His latest and third outing in the series, Singham Again, is better than the 2014 film. Hence, it keeps alive his Cop Universe, which also contains the enjoyable Simmba (2018) and Sooryavanshi (2021).

In the pre-climax scene in Sooryvanshi, Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) vows to finish off the terrorist Omar Hafiz (Jackie Shroff), who is hiding in Kashmir. As fate would have it, Singham soon gets posted in Kashmir and during the start of Singham Again, he captures Omar in an operation. Omar warns Singham that he will have to deal with a new evil force.

Meanwhile, Singham’s wife Avni (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is a part of India’s cultural ministry and is currently staging the Ram-Leela for nine days in a modern way for today’s youth. The new evil force mentioned by Omar is Danger Lanka (Arjun Kapoor), who has an eye on Avni. He carries out a mission to abduct her and takes her to Sri Lanka. There is nothing much known about Danger Lanka.

But this doesn’t soften up Singham as he promises to bring Avni back. He takes the help of IPS (Indian Police Service) officer Shakti Shetty (Deepika Padukone), ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Satya (Tiger Shroff), Inspector Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba (Ranveer Singh) and Anti-Terror squad officer Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar).

Singham Again Review

Singham Again doesn’t start on a promising note. The all-important entry of Singham is lukewarm. On top of that, we have already seen it twice in the trailer and the title song released before the film. But what puzzles you the most is the capturing of Omar Hafiz. It seems as if the terrorist gives himself away to Singham while the latter walks away with the credit and accolades. It is also easy to notice the body double of Shroff in that sequence where his character carries out bike stunts.

However, the film starts getting better once the abduction angle comes in and we are introduced to different characters. The entry of Tiger Shroff is the best of all because it happens when you least expect it. He has also performed better than his recent outings as he has underplayed himself.  

The story of Ramayana in the Ram Leela running parallel to Singham’s story is impressively done and plays a major role in you rooting for the good guys. The action and stunts, which are the vital elements in Shetty’s Cop Universe, succeed in providing the desired effect on the big screen. But the film also successfully keeps the humour quotient high, especially during a few meta references.

However, Singham Again ends just like a regular larger-than-life action film. Although there is a feel-good factor in the end, it lacks something special. After witnessing the finale of few other big scale action films of the recent past, you expect more, especially when an ensemble action cast has assembled.

Singham Again is also hampered by the decision of the makers to show way too much in its lengthy trailer, which kills the surprise factor. This had impacted Sooryavanshi too. It impacts this film even more.

Apart from the title track, there are no songs here. But the new title track isn’t as effective as the original one and you also miss its signature tune in the background score. Girish Kant and Raza Hussain Mehta’s camerawork fits the bill.

Coming to the rest of the cast, Ajay Devgn succeeds in commanding respect as a revered figure. Kareena Kapoor Khan provides a satisfactory act. Ranveer Singh appears over-the-top at the start but he makes up for it later on with a hilarious performance. Deepika Padukone, as Shakti Shetty aka Lady Singham, is decent. Akshay Kumar is likeable in a cameo.

But the surprise factor is Arjun Kapoor. He has reinvented himself as a ruthless villain. Jackie Shroff, as the other bad guy, fits his character well. Dayanand Shetty, in a cameo, continues doing what he had done in the TV show CID.

Overall: Despite some hiccups, Singham Again succeeds in being a time-pass family action entertainer for the festive season. The tiny cameo of Salman Khan in the end and the announcement of the next film in the franchise titled Chulbul Singham also helps its cause.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Rohit Shetty

Producers: Reliance Entertainment, Jio Studios, Rohit Shetty Picturez, Devgn Films and Cinergy

Writers: Kshitij Patwardhan, Yunus Sajawal, Sandeep Saket, Anusha Nandakumar, Abhijeet Khuman, Shantanu Srivastava, Rohit Shetty, Milap Zaveri and Vidhi Ghodgaonkar

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff, Akshay Kumar

Also read: Indi(r)a’s Emergency review: Shows the period’s relevance today

Stree 2 review: Niren Bhatt’s dialogues shine the most in this horror-comedy

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Filmmaker Amar Kaushik’s Stree was about the villagers of Chanderi fighting against a female evil spirit called Stree, who attacks and takes away the men residing in the village. After a lot of twists and turns, the men are freed in the end and Stree vanishes after her long braid is cut. But in the end, the viewers are given a hint that the mysterious girl with no name (Shraddha Kapoor) is a witch after she leaves the village.

The story of Stree 2 continues a few years later when Chanderi is a peaceful place. Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and his best friend Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) are leading a happy-go-lucky life, except that the former is still waiting for the girl with no name (Shraddha) as he loves her. Their buddy Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) is in Delhi studying to become an IAS officer.

However, the peaceful life of Chanderi gets disturbed after Bittu’s girlfriend Chitti (Anya Singh) goes missing, as opposed to men going missing in the first part. This time, a demon called Sarkata (a man without a head) is responsible for the mayhem. The villagers believe that Vicky will once again free them from the evil force. Vicky takes help from his usual friends Bittu and Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi). They call back Jana from Delhi.

The basic plot of Stree 2 is not only similar to Stree but also akin to a lot of stories about a monster creating havoc in people’s lives. Plus, what happens in the end is anybody’s guess. Hence, it is important in such films for the journey to the end to be funny and gripping. This happens in Stree 2 through its regular doses of humour.  

As far as the film’s making is concerned, the biggest star here is the writer Niren Bhatt. His dialogues are not only consistently hilarious but also worth remembering later. The meta references of the latest films and some happenings of the country are the icing on the cake. In fact, there is not much of a story development in the first half. But you will hardly notice that, thanks to Bhatt’s humour. Plus, director Amar Kaushik’s handling of the tale is also praiseworthy.

Stree 2 is technically more sound that the first film. Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s camerawork gets noticed regularly, especially in the horror sequences. Background scorer Justin Varghese doesn’t get carried away by the genre. Hemanti Sarkar’s sleek editing also falls in the positive. The VFX, a crucial part of such genre of films, is of a high standard.

The performances are also praiseworthy. Rajkummar Rao is in top form, especially during the comic sequences. The same can be said about Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. These four actors do complete justice to the dialogues during their conversations, which are aplenty. Shraddha Kapoor gets more scope later on and she plays her part well.

The surprise factor in the form of Akshay Kumar’s cameo works well. He is highly impactful. Varun Dhawan (from Bhediya) and Tamannaah Bhatia’s cameos fit in the narrative. But Atul Srivastava, Aakash Dabhade and Mushtaq Khan, who are carried forward from the first film, are hardly there.

Apart from the first half, the film also has a few more glitches. The horror sequences become repetitive as they are already done do death in a number of Hindi horror films. The film also needed to be shorter in duration considering its story material. This is also felt in the post-credit sequences, which are too lengthy.

Overall: Stree 2 is a worthy sequel and another positive addition to Maddock Films’ horror-comedy universe.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Amar Kaushik

Producers: Maddock Films and Jio Studios

Writer: Niren Bhatt

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee

Also read: Maharaj review: Karsandas Mulji’s story, unfortunately, is relevant even after 160 years

Kill review: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s action ride engagingly stays on track  

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Filmmaker Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s ambitious action saga Kill is a first not just because of the violence and gore it projects in Hindi cinema but also in terms of cinematic finesse. After going through this ‘ride’, one can vouch that the makers succeeded in their ‘mission’.

Kill revolves around the love story between the commando Amrit Rathod (Lakshya) and Tulika (Tanya Maniktala). The former returns from an army camp after days and gets to know that Tulika’s father Baldeo Singh Thakur (Harsh Chhaya) has planned her engagement with someone else and that too the very next day in Ranchi. Amrit takes his colleague and close friend Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan) to Ranchi.

Amrit gets to know that Tulika and her entire family is returning to Delhi the next day through a train. He and Viresh also get into the same train. Over there, Amrit gets an opportunity to propose marriage to Tulika, for which she happily agrees.

However, unknown to Amrit, Tulika and others, a group of dacoits headed by Fani (Raghav Juyal) and his family members attack the train and start looting the passengers of their valuables. Amrit and Viresh spring into action and this starts a ‘bloody’ battle between them.  

One has come across a large number of Hindi films where a single hero fights against a group of baddies in order to rescue innocents. But Kill stands apart from all those flicks simply by how it executes its goal.

The train compartments built for the shoot purpose are straight out of reality. On top of that, the film is full of fight sequences that take place in such a crammed space. But that space doesn’t act as a hindrance even once. The fight scenes are convincing and entertaining. Hence, the entire technical department deserves praise, especially the cinematographer Rafey Mahmood and Se-Yeong Oh and Parvez Shikh for the fights and stunts.

When it comes to the latter, Kill also goes several notches higher when it comes to violence and gore. One has seen such bloodbaths in the Hindi arena only in a few web series. Such a gore-fest is a first for a theatrical release. Perhaps, Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakht Charitra (2010) and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal (2023) come mighty close.

Kill also nails it in the casting. Debutant Lakshya proves in his first outing that he is impressive in both emoting and action stunts. Raghav Juyal, who is seen as such a baddie for the first time, excels and entertains. Tanya Maniktala also rises to the occasion and gets to do more than just romance. Ashish Vidyarthi and Harsh Chhaya live up to their reputation of being seasoned performers. Abhishek Chauhan, in a supporting role, is also impressive.

Kill comes with its flipsides though. It is questionable to see one of the richest men in India Baldeo Singh Thakur making his entire and extended family travel in a train for long distance. Fani and his gang members, despite being professionals, don’t resort to guns and execute the whole mission through sharp objects. One can still ignore these aspects so that your overall experience isn’t ‘killed’.

But what hurts the film the most is a tragic incident that happens midway. It somewhere lessens you rooting for the good guys, especially the lovers. Plus, it is not shown to be as devastating as it should have been. This point also ‘kills’ the repeat value for Kill.

Overall: Kill takes the audience on a satisfying action ride without derailing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat

Writers: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat (story, screenplay and dialogues)

Producers: Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment

Cast: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Raghav Juyal

Also read: Maharaj review: Karsandas Mulji’s story, unfortunately, is relevant even after 160 years