Bollywood Archives - The Common Man Speaks

SSR case: Why is KARNI Sena forgiven & shown respect?

August 29, 2020 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

The coverage of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death has been taking place in the media 24/7 over the last many days. In this period, numerous people who claimed to have been close to the late actor are interviewed, in some cases without any verification.

Among hundreds of such interviews, one which has grabbed a lot of eye-balls is that of Surjeet Singh Rathore. He spoke about his experience on Republic channel of him being one of the few ones to have gained access to Sushant’s dead body soon after his death.

He was the one who claimed that the actor’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty said, “Sorry babu,” as soon as she saw his dead body. The founder of the channel and anchor Arnab Goswami believed him at face value.

During the show, the anchor and Rathore came out with the theory that since Rhea said, “Sorry” to Sushant, it meant that she definitely did something wrong to him.

Now whether or not they are right in their interpretation is not something that I wish to discuss here. An important aspect about the interview is the two identities that Surjeet Singh Rathore possesses. One, he is a film producer.

More importantly, he is also the Vice President of the fringe group Rathriya Rajput Karni Sena.

It was one of the few Karni Sena groups that had been up in arms against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat in late 2017 and early 2018, alleging that the film distorts the history of Rajputs and thereby hurts their sentiments.

So the big question that emerges here is why a member of such a group was given access to Sushant’s dead body. Mind you, only a selected few were given entry there. The anchor Arnab Goswami, who is always eager to ask tough questions, didn’t ask this to Rathore.

But Rathore himself revealed on the show that he is a member of [one of the] Karni Senas and he was allowed because a member of the ‘Rajput community’ was dead.

This makes it more interesting. As we all would remember, Goswami had slammed Karni Sena members numerous times on his channel back then because of their stand against Padmaavat which lead to violence in various places in the country.

And here he not only believed everything that this Karni Sena member said at face value, but also thanked him profusely more than once for being on his show.

Interestingly, what wasn’t pointed out on the show was that Sushant had subtly made his stand against Karni Sena clear during the Padmaavat controversy by dropping the words ‘Singh Rajput’ from his name on social media. During that time, the same Karni Sena members and followers had trolled Sushant for his act. (Read about it HERE and HERE)

Also read: Expecting MIRACLES from CBI in Sushant case isn’t smart

After doing this, Sushant had also tweeted saying, “We would suffer till the time we’re obsessed with our surnames. If you’re that courageous, give us your first name to acknowledge. #Padmavati.” This clearly indicates that he was against the division of humans into different communities, castes, samaajs and what not.

If you feel this is hypocritical, here’s more. Rathore is the co-producer of a film inspired from Rajput’s death titled ‘Shashank.’ The poster of the film, which you can see below, has words like ‘Nepotism,’ ‘Depression,’ ‘Suicide,’ ‘Murder,’ etc, scattered over the image of a man who is about to hang himself to death.

Let that sink in…

Also read: ‘Anti-nepotism’ brigade has created a TOXIC atmosphere online

Expecting MIRACLES from CBI in Sushant case isn’t smart

August 23, 2020 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Few days back I saw a video of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) team arriving in Mumbai after they were handed over the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case once the Supreme Court (SC) gave its nod. They were hounded by tens of journalists screaming out the same question repeatedly – “Will Rhea Chakraborty be arrested in the Sushant case?”

The CBI team had just taken over the case at that time. So, how can these journalists expect them to take a decision as major as arresting Rhea just less than a day after they started working on it? This isn’t a case of a driver jumping a signal in which an instant challan is issued.

When the media behaves this way, you can well imagine the state of the mind of the keyboard warriors; the ‘die hard’ fans of Sushant who feel they are fighting for the truth by typing out orders on social media for the CBI to arrest Rhea Chakraborty or anyone else in the case.

I have seen countless posts where people have just assumed that the CBI will perform instant miracles now that they have taken over the case. I can understand primary school kids having such expectations. But these are educated grown-ups working at senior levels who are impatiently expecting results in the case.

Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty

All such expectations aren’t surprising though when a large contingent of social media users can start believing that disliking trailers of films starring ‘insiders’ can give justice to Sushant [about which I have written HERE]. These people were literally dancing in joy when the CBI was given the nod to take over the case.

And they were given massive encouragement to go wild by a ‘news anchor’ who considers himself to be the only judge in the nation who matters. He and his panel on the debate literally clapped with wide smiles when the SC allowed the CBI to be involved in the case. Have we forgotten that the very foundation of the case is a tragic death of a talented artiste?

It is also funny to see this anchor put pressure to get the CBI involved and then applaud the same when he has already solved the case on his channel and concluded the suicide to be a murder, much before the CBI got involved. In fact, he refers to the case as ‘Sushant Singh Rajput murder’ after a series of sting operations his team carried out.

Also read: ‘Anti-nepotism’ brigade has created a TOXIC atmosphere online

Right now nobody would like to be in the shoes of the CBI team which is assigned the case. I hope the super excited media and the social media let them work in peace without pressure. I don’t have much hope though going by the crazy expectations from them.

In case, the results of the CBI investigation don’t bring the same results that the media and social media are expecting, it won’t be long before the CBI too is targeted from the studios and the keyboards.

What will they demand then? A CBI inquiry on the CBI itself?

(Additional reading)

An open letter to Arvind Kejriwal

Fact check: Was Deepika Padukone was paid Rs 5 crore to attend JNU protests

‘Anti-nepotism’ brigade has created a TOXIC atmosphere online

August 18, 2020 by Keyur Seta 3 Comments

The debate around nepotism in Hindi film industry has been going on since last few years, ever since Kangana Ranaut accused Karan Johar on his show for favoring star kids.

The incident triggered never-ending debates on social media on whether star kids are plain lucky to get an easy entry into the film world and more chances than someone who isn’t from a film background.

Despite the controversial nature of the subject, the star kids debate was still under control. But Sushant Singh Rajput’s sad demise a couple of months ago has made things go completely out of control. In fact, that’s a mild way of putting it.

Sushant didn’t come from a film family. In today’s times, he is known as an ‘outsider,’ who made it big in the Hindi film world, where there’s cut-throat competition. Slowly after his death, theories started cropping up that he was depressed because a number of big producers from the industry had boycotted him. Strangely, there is no such proof of this except those What’s App forwards and unverified ‘news’ reports.

This thought has become so deep-rooted in the minds of a large number of people that they have started hating any artiste who comes from a film family. Negative comments are being posted against them almost every second, just because someone from their family had made it big in the industry.

This didn’t start immediately after Sushant passed away. It has gradually increased since last one month and has now reached an unimaginable level. These trollers are making it look as if it is a crime to be born in a film family.

So now films are categorized as those starring ‘nepo kids’ and those with a cast which doesn’t come from a film family. Leave alone general public, I can see such divisions even made by few journalists, who are expected to be neutral and unbiased.

And if you don’t like a film starring an ‘outsider,’ you get judged for being a supporter of the ‘nepo gang’ and an enemy of self-made actors. For example, recently a reviewer didn’t like Khuda Haafiz and the person was judged for the same, not just by Twitterati but also the film’s lead actor Vidyut Jammwal.

It looks like it has also become a crime to judge a film objectively instead of being heavily biased by taking into account whether it has any star kids.

Also read: You might be triggering DEPRESSION in someone without even knowing it

The dangerous levels to which this anti-nepotism feeling has reached became clearer last week when the trailer of Mahesh Bhatt’s Sadak 2 released. This anti-nepotism gang pounced on that trailer like a hungry wild animal pounces on its prey. In just few days, the trailer has got over 60,000 likes and 1 crore 10 lakh [or 11 million] dislikes!

Sadak 2 trailer with 11 million dislikes

But there’s more. Sadak 2 has a Google rating of just 1.1 after as many as close to 20,000 votes.

You don’t even need to be a regular internet user to know this is a powerful campaign against the film because it has the likes of Alia Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt, who are now addressed as ‘nepo kids.’

Average rating of 1.1 for Sadak 2 on Google

Although the trailer hasn’t been lauded by large section of the audience, having so many dislikes and low rating is not normal by any means. Race 3 (2018) and Joker (2012), two of the most hated trailers in recent years, didn’t receive an iota of such negative ratings.

Also read: Fact check: Was Deepika Padukone paid Rs 5 crore to attend JNU protests?

This is clearly a planned strategy which has spread like wildfire. I hate to say this but this is exactly how political trolls and their IT cells operate. They target a film and start spreading negativity through dislikes, down votes and toxic personal attacks on people related to the film.

Believe me, your ‘dislikes’ isn’t going to give justice to Sushant Singh Rajput but I guess common sense is not very common, especially when the minds are brainwashed so deeply. Also their rude comments and intolerance for a different opinion instantly remind me of these political trolls.

Then there are people like KRK who are making full use of the controversy to gain popularity by trending topics like #JusticeForSSR and #CBIInquiryForSSR. He is the same person who used to personally attack Sushant in his ‘movie reviews.’ On more than one occasion, he also went onto say that Sushant is just a TV actor, he shouldn’t consider himself a film actor.

Just like these political trolls this anti-nepo gang too believes in the false notion that they are warriors fighting against injustice. But instead they are making things go chaotic and toxic online.

And the world is watching us.

(Additional reading)

An open letter to Arvind Kejriwal

Why people in their 30s should stop believing they are 70

Fact check: Was Deepika Padukone paid Rs 5 crore to attend JNU protests?

August 1, 2020 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Deepika Padukone visited the JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) in January to show support to the students’ protest for atrocities committed against them in the campus. Now, ex RAW (Research and Intelligence Wing) officer NK Sood has alleged in a video shared few days ago that she was paid Rs 5 crore from a Pakistani businessman to attend the protests.

As soon as the video was out, a large contingent of Indians on social media started hateful messages against Padukone, labelling her as traitor or anti-Indian. They believed the claim made in the video to be 100 percent truth. Why? Simply because it goes with their ideology. We all know on which political side they are and which party and its leaders they worship.

Because of their ideology, they didn’t pay heed to the fact that the person in the video has NOT shown even an iota of evidence against Padukone. If there is some allegation against someone they hate, which in this case is Padukone, it is considered to be the truest thing in the universe.

Well, if they can believe any random What’s App forwarded message sent by unknown people, it is not surprising for them to believe a video shared by an ex-RAW officer.

Deepika Padukone at JNU protests in January

I have nothing against Sood. He has served the country by being an important part of RAW and he should be respected for his work. But that certainly doesn’t mean he is above proof. Nobody is, irrespective of whether or not you have served the country in any way.

This might sound childish but it needs to be spelt out to a lot of people out there that an allegation made in front of a camera without presenting any proof or document whatsoever isn’t enough to be called true. Law or legal procedure is equal for all.

Also read: An open letter to Arvind Kejriwal

This doesn’t mean I am giving any clean-chit to Padukone. If it can be proved that she indeed took money from someone to attend the protest, there should be action initiated against her.

Funnily, those who are blindly believing the allegations made in the video are the same ones who defend their favourite political leaders when they are accused of committing any crime by stating that there is no evidence.

For them, law is as per their convenience.

Watch the video:

Difference between Film Journalism & Entertainment Journalism

May 31, 2020 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

As we all know, film journalism involves giving information about films. It is largely about writing news and feature articles about movies, taking interviews of people associated with films and giving movie reviews.

In other words, film journalism is aimed at people who share a deep interest in films and who would like to get more information or knowledge on films and people associated with films.

The following are examples of articles that fall under the film journalism category:

— Will release films in theatres, but only when we’re comfortable, says director Kabir Khan

— Marathi horror film Lapachhapi gets a Hindi remake with Chhori

— Vidhu Vinod Responds to Kashmiri Students’ Critique of Shikara

— How a pair of folk puppets inspired Shoojit Sircar’s comedy Gulabo Sitabo

But the definition of film journalism has gone through a major change with the advent of online journalism over the last decade. This has given rise to a different branch of film journalism called ‘entertainment journalism.’ This is seen the most in websites that are completely dedicated to movies.

The definition of entertainment journalism is simple – to keep your readers or viewers entertained. Instead of giving information about films or cinema, it is about keeping your audience hooked with ‘stories’ about stars and superstars. More often than not, these stories are personal stories about famous people, which have nothing to do with cinema. And there is no place for faces that are not famous.

Some examples of entertainment journalism include:

— The best and the worst airport looks of 2020

— The super cute Taimur Ali Khan greets paparazzi saying ‘Aye Bhai Log’

— Hina Khan’s hot bikini pics have set the internet on fire

— How cute! Deepika Padukone has saved Ranveer Singh’s number in her phone as ‘ Handsome ’

— Neha Dhupia’s daughter interrupting her live Roadies Audition is the most adorable moment of the day

Going by the kind of news shared above, you must have understood that the only aim of entertainment journalism is to get page-views. In fact, it’s a battle on the internet for clicks between major and minor publications. And the only way to win the battle is by putting the kind of sensational or exciting content that would compel people to click on the link.

Also read: Hardik Pandya comments: We are channelizing our anger in the wrong direction

Along with such content, what works very well on the internet is glamorous pictures of actresses with skin show. The more skin show the more clicks. So, an actress sharing a hot picture on Instagram is news in today’s times. Then there are also photo galleries where all the glamorous pictures are dumped for someone to view them together.

It is understandable that a section of movie lovers abhor such content being dished out in the name of film journalism. This is completely understandable. And it is obvious that they slam these publications and their reporters for putting up such ‘news.’

However, it would be unfair to blame them. Trust me, almost every film reporter or journalist I know hates writing such stuff. There are people who entered this field to write about movies but had to be content with writing about Taimur. Even their bosses and the management personally don’t like bombarding such content to their readers.

So, why do they carry such content? The answer is simple. It is these news bits that give the maximum number of page-views. As hard as it may sound, page-views is the whole and soul for websites. Even for this, the editors and owners can’t be blamed.

The pressure is immense in today’s world where there are hundreds of movie websites. Hence, the only way to survive is to get page-views. People from the media would be aware about the dark period that’s going on in the profession. A long list of journalists have lost their jobs in the lockdown so far all over India. Such is the financial crunch in the media right now.

So, it is up to the readers. If they stop consuming news about Taimur eating an ice-cream and start giving page-views to concrete cinema news, there will be a complete change. It is in their hands to decide what would be published on cinema news portals.

Forgotten Cricket Moments: The real Lagaan match at Brabourne Stadium

April 12, 2020 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan (2001) remains of the most iconic and exciting films to have come out of not just Hindi but Indian cinema. Even after more than 15 years, the Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh-starrer still gets you in extreme tension when Bhuvan is required to hit a six off the last ball, despite you knowing the climax.

Needless to say, the atmosphere inside the theatre was similar to the one we see in cricket stadiums. So one can only imagine what would have happened when the entire Lagaan team played a real cricket match at the iconic Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

There is a major chance that you might not be aware of this match because, somehow, it never got publicized. More so for those who have recently turned adults or are in their early 20s.

So, Britannia had organized a match between the Lagaan team versus the team of winners of a contest they had run. Hence, the other team was called simply Britannia. I had also taken part but didn’t win. But that didn’t stop me from watching the match in the stadium.

Surprisingly, you didn’t need to spend a rupee for the tickets. All you needed was to submit four packets of their biscuits in exchange for a ticket. I and a friend went to watch after submitting eight. Well, frankly speaking, we wouldn’t have mind to even pay to see the Lagaan team in action.

Interestingly, the match was played on Christmas, a festival which few years down the line was acquired by Aamir to release his films.

Like the on-screen match, the Lagaan team fielded first. I don’t remember who won the toss but it wouldn’t have been exciting if they had batted first. It was a 25-over match where the boundaries were brought in considerably and understandingly so since none of them were professional players. By the way, the entire Lagaan team played in the same costume they had worn in the film.

But instead of 11, both teams had 13 players. The Lagaan team included Gowariker himself and actor Amin Gazi, who played Tipu in the film, to complete a 13-member side.

Team Britannia was bowled out for 96 inside their stipulated 25 overs. We all thought that this would be a cakewalk for team Lagaan but Britannia bowlers had other plans. Team Lagaan kept losing wickets and at one point were seven down with the team still being some way away from the target.

In the end, it was Gowariker and Aamir who saw the team through by scoring 18 and 19 runs respectively. The entire crowd, including me and my friend, was overjoyed and dancing to the song ‘Mitwa.’

Other interesting bit about this match was the star Indian players like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Virendra Sehwag switched roles as commentators and umpires. Navjot Singh Sidhu and Maninder Singh were permanent commentators. The commentary played a big role in keeping us entertained.

Aamir Khan Lagaan match — Photo: Tribuneindia.com

But there was another unprecedented excitement after the match. After some great encouragement by my friend, I agreed to climb and jump a wall and land right where the Lagaan team was standing after the match [I still don’t know how he knew the way]. It was a sheer delight to shake hands with few team members, including Aamir. It was also nice to know that he was shorter than me.

But today when I look back at the match after 19 years I wonder if it was staged [read: fixed]. Even if it was, I don’t blame the organizers. Just imagine what a waste it would have been if Lagaan team had lost the match.

Unfortunately, there is no way we can revisit the match to determine that as there is not a single video available. In fact, there are very few news articles as well.

Amitabh Bachchan’s voiceover in the film describes the story as – Yeh kahani itihaas ke panno mein kahin kho gayi [This story has got lost in history].

The same can be said about the real Lagaan match.

Is Chhapaak a box office disaster?

January 18, 2020 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Chhapaak wasn’t the first film that was asked to be boycotted by people of a certain political ideology after Deepika Padukone joined the students protesting at JNU. But the film has become the first such ‘boycotted’ film that hasn’t succeeded at the box office.

There have been various reports and posts on social media floating around about the film being a ‘box office disaster’ or a ‘washout’ at the ticket window. Well, the film is certainly not a box office success but at the same time it won’t be right to label it as a debacle. Here’s how.

There is something called the budget of a film. We media people have our sources and they tell us that Chhapaak is made at a budget of around Rs 30 to 35 crore.

In case you don’t want to believe our sources, try thinking that the film had only one known name, which is Padukone. There aren’t any expensive sets or VFX heavy scenes. The film is also not shot at some exotic foreign locations. I hope this proves that it’s not an expensive film.

BoxOfficeIndia.com is considered the most reliable source for box office collections. As per them, Chhapaak has earned Rs 26.50 crore nett till yesterday [Saturday 17 January 2020]. It made Rs 75 lakh yesterday [other box office websites will also give you a very similar number].

The film still has five days in the second week, including Saturday and Sunday, before two prominent films Panga and Street Dancer 3D release on 24 January.

So, in all probability it looks like Chhapaak will end its box office run at either its cost of production or just short of it.

Hence, if a film earns exactly as much as its cost of production, it is called below average or at the most flop. Words like ‘disaster’ and ‘washout’ are reserved for films like Panipat and Kalank which are made in over Rs 100 crore but end up way short of it.

We should also take into account that the subject of Chhapaak is extremely niche. A film on an acid-attack victim can best be termed as a festival film. You won’t see family or college-going audience flocking the theatres to watch such a film.

People who feel that the film hasn’t performed well at the box office because Padukone’s act got the film ‘boycotted’ are mistaken. On the contrary, Chhapaak has earned such a number because it stars a popular name like Padukone.

Last year, a film called Gone Kesh showed the journey of a girl who suffers from premature baldness. It starred a lesser-known name like Shweta Tripathi [not undermining her talent at all]. It was a light-hearted film which was fairly appreciated by the critics.

But as it didn’t have a single known name, it simply went unnoticed at the box office.

I am also able to see that the same people who have been rubbishing off Chhapaak as a ‘disaster’ are also hailing Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior as a ‘blockbuster.’ This is the only reason I am dragging this historical here.

Now let’s look at this from the budget point of view. The Ajay Devgn-starrer is made at a budget of Rs 150 crore. Till yesterday, it has made a total of Rs 125 crore nett. Hence, it hasn’t even become a hit yet. It surely will become, going by its trend and word-of-mouth. But it hasn’t yet.

Additional reading:

Why people in their 30s should stop believing they are 70

Hellaro (Gujarati movie) Review

Saturday Nights Review: Deep statement on loneliness in a crowded city

October 29, 2019 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Lives of sex workers or prostitutes, as they are called, offer a lot of scope for storytelling in cinema. That’s precisely the reason why characters of sex workers are explored in films across languages and genres.

Director Shibu Sable’s short film Saturday Nights is also based inside the chamber of a prostitute. However, it’s not just any other story based on one.

The film tells the story of Vishwas (Sable himself), a middle-class and middle-aged widower staying in a humble colony in Mumbai. People from his locality gossip about him visiting a prostitute’s den every Saturday night.

They are right. Vishwas does spend his Saturday nights in the apartment of the call-girl Tara (Pradnya Manwatkar). But there is a twist here. Vishwas isn’t like any of her customers.

During the starting portions of Saturday Nights, you wonder where this 14-minute film will lead to as the two protagonists start chatting. But soon enough the twist in Vishwas’s tale wins you over.

Through his character, the film makes a deep and powerful statement on loneliness. The city of Mumbai, or any other metro in India, is overcrowded with people. Yet a lot of people don’t have a single person in their life to whom they can pour their heart out, especially without getting judged.

The moment when Tara asks Vishwas the reason for visiting her and he replies with, “Halka hone,” is the moment of the film. Similarly, the film says a lot without saying much. Having said this, they should have delved a little deeper into the back story of Vishwas, like they have done for Tara. This would have helped the audience in feeling more for him.

Both Sable and Manwatkar perfectly get into the skin of their respective characters. Sable has been and filmmaker and writer and this time he has ventured into acting. Manwatkar has a proven track record in theatre.

Overall, Saturday Nights is a moving take on loneliness in an overcrowded city.

Director: Shibu Sable

Writers: Jaidev Hammady and Shibu Sable

Cast: Shibu Sable and Pradnya Manwatkar

Rating: 4 out of 5

By: Keyur Seta

Watch the short film:

Additional reading:

Saaho’s major similarity with Baahubali (SPOILERS alert)

Saaho’s major similarity with Baahubali (SPOILERS alert)

September 1, 2019 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Prabhas’ last film Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017) went onto become a historic hit all over India and gave the actor a star status nationwide. Obviously, there was a keen interest to see him again on screen. His fans had to wait for more than two years to see Prabhas in action (literally) in director Sujeeth’s Saaho, which released this week.

From the trailers or the posters itself, Saaho looked way different from the two Baahubali movies. One is based few centuries ago while the other in today’s times. The earlier film gave importance to traditional Indian culture [because of its setting and era] while Saaho is about modern cars, bikes and clothes.

But what if I tell you that Saaho becomes like another Baahubali by the time it ends?

Let’s look at the basic plot of Baahubali. Amarendra Baahubali is the rightful heir to the throne of the fictitious empire of Mahishmati but his enemies, who are people close to him, get him killed. Years later, his son Mahendra Baahubali eliminates the bad guys and acquires the throne.

Now, this is what the story of Saaho looks like minus the many twists and sub-plots (SPOILERS ahead). Roy is heading his multimillionaire business in a fictitious city called Waaji. He gets killed by people close to him. Later on, his son finishes off the villains and sits on the chair of the owner of the company.

Now, I really wonder if the makers didn’t care about it or didn’t realize. Of course, it has to be the former.

But there are also a couple of other sequences in Saaho that remind us of Baahubali. The scene where Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor are seen shooting the bad guys together instantly reminds you of the famous bow and arrow scene between Prabhas and Anushka Shetty in Baahubali.

The scene in the first Baahubali where hundreds of dangerous looking men speaking Kilikili language attack Amarendra Baahubali is still fresh in our minds. Similarly, in Saaho, hundreds of unusual blood-thirsty devils are seen attacking Prabhas.

Also read: Mission Mangal Review

The one major difference between Baahubali and Saaho is its content, but that’s a story for another day.

By: Keyur Seta

Mission Mangal Review – A joyride about India’s space achievement

August 18, 2019 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Director Jagan Shetty’s Mission Mangal revolves around the launch of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, which was launched in November 2013. India thus became the first nation in the world to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars in the first attempt itself.

The mission involved some painstaking efforts by a group of ISRO’s scientists led by Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar) and Tara (Vidya Balan) and their team consisting of Kritika (Taapsee Pannu), Neha (Kirti Kulhari), Varsha (Nithya Menen), Eka (Sonakshi Sinha), Parmeshwar (Sharman Joshi) and H G Dattatreya (Ananth Iyer).

The team had to battle various odds in the form of a senior ISRO member (Dalip Tahil) and lack of funds and confidence from the government. They had their various personal battles to counter as well.

Mission Mangal gives a proper explanation of the relevance of MOM, the process of launching it and its last stage. All this might sound very technical for a layman. But the film is nowhere near technical.

It is, in fact, a joyride. The narrative is filled with moments that get you in splits regularly. This is done through situations and character habits and traits. Many a times a funny moment arrives when you least expect it. The surprise inclusion of ‘Ankhiyaan Milaaun Kabhi Ankhiyaan Churaun’ by Sanjay Kapoor’s character himself is a masterstroke!

However, despite the humorous moments, Mission Mangal ensures that the seriousness of the topic is never lost whatsoever. Throughout the film, special care has been taken to explain space related scientific workings in a manner that even a person with poor scientific knowledge like me can easily understand. I had laughed at the puri scene in the trailer but realized that it perfectly fits the situation in the film to provide an easy explanation for a layman.

The combination of easy information and humour is enough to keep you glued for its duration of 133 minutes, which passes in a jiffy. And the moments in the finale keep you at the edge despite the fact that you are well aware that the mission will eventually become successful.

Having said this, there are few factors that bother you. The biggest one is that we haven’t been given any background about Akshay’s character. Considering he is the main lead, it was necessary. Few conversations from the subplot of few characters could also have been avoided. Thankfully, none of these fall in the major negative point zone.

Mission Mangal has an ensemble cast and not every character has got proper space, which is not surprising. But each character is given an interesting story and arc of its own (except Akshay, as mentioned above).

Every actor has risen to the occasion. Despite no character background, Akshay Kumar provides a fine mixture of seriousness and humour. This is easily one of his most noteworthy acts. Vidya Balan once again proves why she is the best of the current lot of actresses. She is adorable once again. Dalip Tahil makes his presence felt as an unusual antagonist.

It’s good to see Sharman Joshi in a mainstream film after long. He displays an undercurrent of humour and never overdoes it. The rest of the team members provide perfect support, especially the senior most Ananth Iyer.

Overall: Mission Mangal is a joyride that celebrates India’s space achievement. It will be argued that the makers have made it into a filmi affair. But as it is a feature film and, more importantly, succeeds in doing justice to the achievement of ISRO at the same time, it doesn’t turn out to be a problem.

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The film has had a good opening and it seems Mission Mangal will be a success at the box office. Akshay has never had a Rs 200 crore film. This is his good chance.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review by: Keyur Seta