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Alpha review: An unconvincing action film that becomes reverse Dhurandhar

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Storyline: Director Shiv Rawail’s Alpha is about a serum called Alpha. Once it is injected into a person, he or she develops superhuman capabilities. It is developed under the guidance of Lt. Col. Fateh Singh Lakhawat (Bobby Deol). The serum gets injected into Sita (Alia Bhatt after growing up) while she is still in her mother’s womb. The incident happens under unusual circumstances due to which Fateh adopts her and trains her to become the deadliest Indian soldier.

However, things don’t go according to Fateh’s plan and Sita goes rogue. She comes across RAW (Research and Intelligence Wing) Chief Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor) and his daughter Durga (Sharvari). A conflict takes place between both the parties until Sita is told the biggest secret of her life.

Review: As soon as Sita grows up, she kills a number of innocent government officials as per the orders of Fateh. Plus, she shows no remorse after realizing that she was taken for a ride. Hence, it is not possible to have any sympathy for her, leave alone root for her. In fact, the entire film is full of questionable acts and behaviours by its main characters and writers. Here’s having a look at some of them (SPOILERS alert):

–A serum as deadly as Alpha easily gets a nod from the government and the army. Nothing is said about its side effects. We are later on shown that a person tests the serum on some human beings, who die soon after its administration. But nobody gets to know about it. There are other questionable aspects too about the army, which makes you feel glad that the real army doesn’t work this way.

–The top officials are able to access the serum even for their personal use without anyone noticing it. One character simply opens a fridge-like machine and gets hold of the serum to administer it to his wife as if it is Red Bull or Sting.

–There comes a point where Sita wants to kill a couple of characters. But even when she has a clear chance of doing so, she instead ties them up and makes noodles while adding Chings Schezwan Chutney to it. Soon, she also exclaims, “I am loving this desi Chinese!”

–Bobby Deol’s Fateh Singh Lakhawat keeps on switching between Hindi with Haryanvi accent and normal Hindi throughout the film.

–After the first half, it is established that the film is basically a battle between three good people against one evil. The narrative gets to the final battle between both the parties after a number of silly twists. There are times when a lot of major explosions take place but there are no authorities to, at least, take note of it and the media to report on it.

–Both the Dhurandhar films have had a lot of impact on our minds when it comes to spy action films. But even if you don’t think about the duology, Alpha doesn’t let you do so for it somehow becomes like a reverse of Dhurandhar. The Aditya Dhar film saw an Indian RAW agent infiltrate Pakistan’s criminal and ISI (Inter Service Intelligence) network without anyone realizing. Alpha has a Pakistani ISI agent infiltrating India’s army and nobody gets to know of it even after decades.

Performance wise, Alia Bhatt does well when it comes to action. But her ‘I don’t care’ attitude appears forced. Sharvari and Anil Kapoor come up with sincere acts. Hrithik Roshan is decent in a cameo. But the one who impresses the most is Bobby Deol. But his act is certainly not enough to overshadow the various fallacies of Alpha.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Director: Shiv Rawail

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Uday Chopra, Soumil Shukla, Shridhar Raghavan and Ishita Moitra

Cast: Alia Bhatt, Bobby Deol, Sharvari and Anil Kapoor

Also read: Welcome To The Jungle review: Enjoyable chaos after a long time

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Welcome To The Jungle review: Enjoyable chaos after a long time

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Storyline: Director Ahmed Khan’s Welcome To The Jungle is about a chaotic journey of a film crew. Corrupt billionaire businessman Sinha (Zakir Hussain) gets to know from someone from the government that if the opposition comes to the power after the elections, his financial fraud will be exposed. Hence, he decides to indulge in some business venture which would go into losses. He eventually decides to make a flop film after investing Rs. 1000 crores in it.

Sinha gets on board two amateur filmmakers Dev (Rajpal Yadav) and Das (Paresh Rawal). Their friend Nainsukh (Shreyas Talpade) comes in as the cinematographer. They select a story about Indian soldiers that takes place in a jungle and name it Welcome To The Jungle. For the main lead, they hire Rajiv Kohli (Akshay Kumar), a top star who is now a flop star. His ex-girlfriend Nadia (Disha Patani) is signed as the lead actress along with Sinha’s daughter (Jacqueline Fernandez). Circumstances force Dev and Das to cast gangsters Yeda Anna (Suniel Shetty) and Romeo (Arshad Warsi) too. Similarly, a lot of actors come on board and the film gets rolling. However, the huge crew lands into unexpected trouble.

Review: The basic premise of Welcome To The Jungle instantly reminds you of Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan (2010), which also starred Akshay Kumar in the lead. The main difference is that he played the director in that movie. But the difference that matters the most is that WTTJ is better than the 2010 flick, although the latter had its moments here and there.

It is anybody’s guess that one needs to keep logic and reasoning miles away while watching such movies. But this is worth only when we get non-stop entertainment in return. That is what happens with Welcome To The Jungle.

Welcome To The Jungle

The basic plot of a wealthy business wanting to make a flop film itself is funny and interesting. It is also something that used to happen during the olden days. The screenplay gives you no time to breathe. There are plenty of bizarre happenings, both during the film shoot and the second half when the terrorism angle takes over. But, again, the fast pace and the fact that the film is honest in what it is trying to do ensures that you don’t mind that much.

A major plus point here is the dialogue. Most of the jokes land well and make you laugh. The meta humour goes well too. Farhad Samji, who has written the lines, is back to his earlier days with this film. A racist joke and body shaming humour could have been avoided though. There are also quite a few sequences that are straight out of a few other films. This is not a big downer though. The biggest issue is the length in the second half, especially during the climax, and the overdose of explosions.

The film has one of the largest ensemble cast. This role is tailor-made for Akshay Kumar and he once again rises through his comic timing. Suniel Shetty, whose character trait and name are repeated from Awara Paagal Deewana, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav carry their tasks well. Raveena Tandon gets a meaty part and she excels in it. Disha Patani isn’t bad. Jacqueliene Fernandez struggles yet again. Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar deserve special mention for being scene stealers!

Tusshar Kapoor and Aftab Shivdasani are average. Lara Dutta is decent in an extended cameo. Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Krushna Abhishek and Kiku Sharda don’t get much to do. A talented bloke like Shreyas Talpade, who, although funny, is cast in an inconsequential role. Jackie Shroff succeeds in looking like a terrorist but doesn’t get much scope to perform. The same is the case with Vindu Dara Singh, his associate.

Zakir Hussain, whose character is modelled on Vijay Mallya, does well but disappears later. Daler Mehndi appears awkward and performs poorly. The late Pankaj Dheer, Feroze Khan and Puneet Issar are likeable in their cameos inspired from their characters from BR Chopra’s Mahabharat. Urvashi Rautela is hardly there.

Overall: Welcome To The Jungle is an enjoyable chaotic ride after a long time if you are ready to keep logic and reasoning aside.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Ahmed Khan

Producers: Firoz A Nadiadwallah and Cape of Good Films

Writers: (Late) Neeraj Vora and Farhad Samji

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Arshad Warsi, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Raveena Tandon, Jackie Shroff

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Main Vaapas Aaunga review: Moving saga on the aftermath of the Partition

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Storyline: Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga is the story of the aftermath of the Partition of 1947 that led to the formation of two countries – India and Pakistan. Ishar Singh Grewal (Naseeruddin Shah) is a 95-year-old man living in Chandigarh with his son (Rajat Kapoor), daughter-in-law (Anjana Sukhani) and others. He had to migrate there from Sargodha (which now lies in Pakistan) during the Partition. He once forces his driver to take him to the other side of the border to Sargodha through Attari. Ishar is, obviously, stopped by the soldiers guarding the border. At that time, he suffers a stroke and starts suffering from dementia.

Ishar is in a critical condition. His family wants him to pass away, so that they get free from his responsibility. However, his grandson Nirvair aka Nivy (Diljit Dosanjh) deeply cares for him. He arrives at Ishar’s side from London and tries to make sense of what the latter is blabbering. Nivy realizes that his grandfather is reminiscing his pre-partition days when he (younger self played by Vedang Raina) was in love with his college mate Afsana (Sharvari) and needs a closure to that chapter. Nivy decides to do whatever it takes to help out his grandfather before he bids adieu to the world.  

Review: The Partition of 1947 killed many. But the ones who survived through it have had to go through a much deeper pain. The pain of leaving behind the place they grew up and the people who were dear to them and live with the painful memories for the rest of their lives. Main Vaapas Aaunga portrays that pain of lakhs of individuals through the character of Ishar. This makes the movie much different from the usual Partition sagas from mainstream Hindi cinema for it throws light on the prolonged trauma of the 1947 tragedy.

Main Vaapas Aaunga

The biggest USP of the film is the sweet and unusual bond between Ishar and Nivy. The latter is never shown going overboard in caring for his grandfather and his unfinished chapter. As expected from an Imtiaz Ali film, there is subtlety galore.  

Naseeruddin Shah is on a bed almost throughout the film. Yet he emotes and expresses convincingly without overdoing it even once. In other words, he displays his deep talent in what is one of his best performances ever. Diljit Dosanjh compliments him perfectly. He provides a mature and subtle act of a determined grandson. The two actors are at their best during the ending moments, which move you thoroughly. These moments also remind you of the documentary Taangh (Read more about it HERE).

The film also narrates Ishar’s pre-partition story through a parallel narration. This part is also narrated convincingly, although some moments appear stretched. Vedang Raina shows the right energy and talent needed. Sharvari is likeable and emotes well. The flashback portion also comes alive through some fine work by the production designer Suman Roy Mahapatra.

Coming to the other actors, Rajat Kapoor and Anjana Sukhani provide good support. Banita Sandhu does well but her accent is questionable.

However, despite the performances and the subject, Main Vaapas Aaunga falls short of being superlative. The biggest reason for this is that the screenplay is dry most of the times. The basic tale is interesting but it’s narrated at a snail’s pace, which tests your patience on a number of occasions. In fact, the execution, at times, takes the film into the film festival zone, which wasn’t required here. This, obviously, also makes the movie unnecessarily lengthy at 166 minutes.

There are also some important questions that remain unanswered. We are told that Ishar visited Pakistan later in 1953. But what did he do after that till the time he reached the age of 95? Did he ever try visiting the country again when his condition was much better? In fact, we are not told anything about his life after he migrated to India.

Overall: Main Vaapas Aaunga is a moving saga about the aftermath of Partition that could have been better. Because of its treatment and execution, it stands no chance at the box office.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Producers: Applause Entertainment and Window Seat Films

Writers: Imtiaz Ali and Nayanika Mahtani

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart review – Divine spiritual entertainer

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Storyline: Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart is adapted from the Gujarati book ‘Satyabhama’ by Raam Mori. The film narrates quite a few important chapters from the life of Lord Krishna (Siddharth Gupta). It focuses on his life after he gets Mathura residents along with himself shifted to the west coast of India in Dwarka. The story basically follows the three women that enter at different stages in his life – Radha (Sushmitha Bhat), Satyabhama (Sanskruti Jayana) and Rukmini (Nivaashiyni Krishnan). Along with that, the film also depicts how Krishna fulfils his responsibility on earth as the eight avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Review: Krishnavataram is more like a celebration of Lord Krishna’s life. It gets you sucked and mesmerized into its world instantly with its striking and beautiful visuals. Chokkas Bhaardwaj’s production design is something we rarely see even in some of the most expensive films. Despite their grandeur and larger-then-life nature, the sets fall in the believable category. The same can be said about the grand costumes too. They are rich but never in-your-face.

Ayananka Bose’s camerawork enhances the visuals. Also, unlike various Hindi films, this one is impressive in the VFX department as well.

Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart movie

But the movie goes beyond the visuals through a solid script. Thankfully, the three women in Krishna’s life are not shown one after the other in an episodic form. The story of Satyabhama, who gets the maximum footage out of the three women, is finely mixed with that of Radha. Later on, the same is done when Rukmini enters Satyabhama’s life.

Plus, the narrative also includes the political developments and incidents of that era in between the stories of the three women. And it does that without any jerks in the screenplay. Achieving this smoothness is a triumph of the writing as well as the direction. The dialogues are poetic but not too filmy.

This is also a rare Hindi movie where all songs turn out to be impressive. This was important as it’s a musical. From the tracks composed by Prasad S, the ones that impress the most are ‘Prem Ki Leela’ and ‘Krishna Govinda’.

Playing Lord Krishna can be a daunting task for anyone. Siddharth Gupta passes that agni pariksha. Apart from living up to the image of God, he also impresses in scenes where he has to appear vulnerable. It is refreshing to see how the makers have humanized Krishna here. Sanskruti Jayana does exceedingly well while mostly playing a woman of a strong character. But she shines in the emotional sequences too. She is a talent to watch out for.

Sushmitha Bhat is believable and impressive as Radha, except on a few occasions when her accent sounds unusual. Nivaashiyni Krishnan, in the role of Rukimini, gives a mature performance despite limited screen time. Karthik Jayaram (Satrajit), Amonjot Singh (Balarama), Smrithi Srikanth (Subhadra) and others offer good support. Jackie Shroff is superb in a cameo.

The film comes with its share of minuses though. The writers have just assumed that everyone knows not only the whole life story of Krishna but also the parallel events of the Mahabharata. Those who are aware will surely get it and enjoy. But there are many who might not be. They are bound to face confusion and feel abruptness at various points, especially during the ending sequences in Dwarka. Also, the first half has too many songs. A couple of them could have been reduced.

Overall: Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart is a divine spiritual entertainer. It is a treat for the followers and worshippers of Lord Krishna. Director Hardik Gajjar has highly succeeded in carrying out this tough responsibility.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Hardik Gajjar

Producers: Creativeland Studios Entertainment and Athasrikantha Motion Pictures

Writers: Raam Mori (author of the novel Satyabhama), Sajan Raj Kurup, Shobha Sant, Poonam Shroff and Parth Gajjar

Cast: Siddharth Gupta, Sanskruti Jayana, Sushmitha Bhat and Nivaashiyni Krishnan

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Nukkad Natak review: Realistic coming-of-age saga on social change

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Storyline: Nukkad Natak is a coming-of-age Hindi drama about two youngsters. Molshri (Molshri) is a rebellious student studying at the prestigious ZIT. She is full of fighting spirit and can’t stand injustice. She leads their university’s street play (nukkad natak) group called Abhay.

Shivang (Shivang Rajpal), her classmate, is the opposite as he is shy and introverted. Joining Abhay through Molshri’s insistence provides him with new meaning in life as they throw light on various social evils through the group.

Once, the canteen owner mistreats the canteen worker Mukund (Lalit Saw). Molshri feels for Mukund. She decides to teach the canteen owner a lesson by taking a rather extreme step. She drags Shivang too in her plan. This incident becomes life-altering for the two students as it gives them a chance to make a small but significant change in the society.

Review: Rebellious nature comes naturally to students, especially those who have a fetish for an art form. Nukkad Natak taps onto that quality of students through the character of Molshri. But instead of making her and her friend take on some larger-than-life mission, it keeps things realistic and simple.

Nukkad Natak Film Review

Molshri and Shivang are shown working at a grass-root level by focusing at making a small change. It seems like director Tanamaya Shekhar, as a writer, believes that the situation of our society is such that one can’t hope for a large change by just two individuals and we would require many Molshris and Shivangs to bring in a major change. This is also where the film reminds you of the classic Swades (not implying that it is similar to the Ashutosh Gowariker movie in any way).

Nukkad Natak carries on this task by keeping the narrative fast-paced with some moment or the other moving you every now and then. The unspoken bond between the two protagonists is one of its biggest triumphs. But the biggest one is the pre-climax where the title of the movie is justified.

The film also never lets you feel that it is made through limited resources; the production value is up-to-the-mark. It also doesn’t lag behind on the technical front like the cinematography, editing and background score.

The casting is perfect too. Molshri lives and breathes her character throughout and brings across various moods with ease. Shivang Rajpal is perfect in the role of an under-confident guy who doesn’t shy away from showing his emotions. Nirmala Hajra, who plays Chhoti from the Bagula Basti, is realistic to the core. Danish Hussain is memorable in a cameo.

There aren’t any major negative points. A few developments happen easily or conveniently. Also, a theatre group like Abhay is bound to have a few more rebellious students like Molshri. A little bit of importance could have been given to one or two of them.

Overall: Nukkad Natak is a moving coming-of-age saga about two students’ efforts in bringing a small social change. It is an example of true independent cinema.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Tanmaya Shekhar

Producers: Molshri, Medha Khanna and Tanmaya Shekhar

Writer: Tanmaya Shekhar

Cast: Molshri, Shivang Rajpal, Nirmala Hajra

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

The emotional collateral damage of Mission Dhurandhar (SPOILERS alert)

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Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar The Revenge revolve around ‘Mission Dhurandhar’ planned by Ajay Sanyal (R Madhavan), Director of IB (Intelligence Bureau). It involves sending a R&AW (Research & Intelligence Wing) officer Jaskirat Singh Rangi (Ranveer Singh) to Pakistan to infiltrate its underworld and subsequently its political sphere in order to neutralize any terror activity by the neighboring country.

Jaskirat takes the disguise of Hamza Ali Mazari and achieves the task by the time the first film ends. In Dhurandhar The Revenge, as per the title, he avenges the 26/11 terrorist attack of 2008 by killing those responsible for it one after another. Sanyal and other seniors are happy and pleased with Jaskirat for what he did.

Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar The Revenge

However, the whole mission also gives rise to some emotional collateral damage. In other words, feelings of, at least, a couple of characters are played with to achieve the aim. Yalina (Sara Arjun) is the obvious one. Her case is specifically highlighted in the second film. She somehow gets to know that she has been tricked into marrying an Indian, and that too a spy, while thinking all along that he is a Pakistani boy-next-door.

But there is someone else who has been even more unfortunate.  

Yalina has a problem that she has been married to an Indian. But she is completely unaware that she too is half-Indian! At the end of Dhurandhar The Revenge, we are told that her father Jameel Jamali, played by Rakesh Bedi, is also an Indian spy, who has been living in Pakistan for the last 45 years. Hence, he too tricked a Pakistani woman named Shabnam (Gitikka Ganju Dhar) into believing that he is from her country and married her in the name of a mission. He not only continued the relationship for many years but also had a girl (Yalina) with Shabman while keeping her in the dark all the time.  

Spare a thought for Shabnam. Yalina, at least, got to know the truth about her spouse. But Shabman is completely unaware that she has an Indian husband. But it doesn’t end here for her. She also doesn’t know that even her son-in-law (Jaskirat) is an Indian and he too, like her husband, is a spy from the neighboring country.

Things get even weird when we think about Jaskirat and Yalina’s little son. Jaskirat is an Indian while Yalina is half-Indian and half-Pakistani. This makes their son three-fourth Indian and one-fourth Pakistani.

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Dhurandhar The Revenge review (without spoilers): Worthy successor to the first film

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Storyline: Dhurandhar The Revenge continues the story of an Indian spy Jaskirat Singh Rangi aka Hamza Ali Mazari (Ranveer Singh), who has infiltrated Pakistan’s underworld and politics. After Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna) gets killed at the end of the first film, his enemy Arshad Pappu (Ashwin Dhar) starts ruling over the underworld of Lyari in Karachi. This infuriates Rehman’s cousin and second in command Uzair Baloch (Danish Pandor). Hence, he, Hamza and others wage a war against Arshad and his gang.

Finally, Uzair kills Arshad in the most brutal manner and reclaims his gang’s reign over Lyari. However, circumstances ensure that he goes away from the scene and Hamza becomes the king of Lyari and Sher-e-Baloch. Meanwhile, he gets to know that ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) head Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal) and his associates are planning another terrorist attack in India.

The film also gives a good amount of footage to Jaskirat’s life before he becomes a R&AW (Research and Intelligence Wing) spy.

Review:

Writing and Direction:

After impressing the audience with Lyari and its underworld in the first part, one would expect the same world to resume in the second part. However, Aditya Dhar surprises us as he transports us in a different world altogether in a village in Punjab where Jaskirat’s past life is shown. However, the narrative also gradually shifts to Lyari and gets you fully involved in its proceedings too.

Dhurandhar 2 The Revenge

In fact, the entire writing is like an art of getting the audience involved in different situations, moods and emotions. It’s an apt example of fast-paced and effective writing with just no dull moment in its entire runtime of close to four hours.

Dhurandhar The Revenge also fascinates you with the story of Jaskirat. Here’s an ordinary man from a village in Punjab who infiltrates the underworld of Lyari and goes onto become one of the most important political figures in Pakistan. It’s a remarkable character arc that is achieved with not many cinematic liberties.

Of course, the film is more about his role as the secret spy. That aspect gets much more footage in this film than the first and that is quite obvious. After a cliffhanger interval block, the second half gives rise to a number of dramatic and tense moments born out of Jaskirat’s real identity. There are times when the film keeps you at the edge.

The film also has quite a few revelations. The identity about Bade Sahab doesn’t come as a surprise as it’s exactly what many of us expected. But the real face of one of the main characters in the ending moments takes you completely by surprise.

The most awaited part of the film is what happens when the Pakistani characters get to know about Jaskirat’s real identity and mission. This part is also handled with intelligence and it gives rise to an explosive climax.

Music and Technicalities:

Dhurandhar The Revenge is top-notch when it comes to the technical aspects. Aejaz Gulab, Sea Young Oh, Yannick Ben and Ramazan Bulut’s action is raw and convincing. Vikash Nowlakha’s camerawork is not just effective but it also gives a large scale look to the film. Shivkumar V Panicker’s editing is sharp. Shashwat Sachdev’s music is good but it doesn’t rise up to the level of his work in the first film. However, his background score is impressive. The use of old Hindi songs in the narrative, like the first part, works here too, especially ‘Hum Pyaar Karne Wale’ from Dil.

Performances:

Like the first film, the performances rise to the occasion. Ranveer Singh goes a few notches higher than the first film. This time, he had more challenges to conquer not just physically but emotionally as well. But he passes the test with flying colours. Arjun Rampal is more evil this time and he puts on a convincing act. R Madhavan gets more scope. He does a fine job in scenes where he emerges as a hero. Sanjay Dutt continues from where he left in the first film. Danish Pandor is more mature this time.

Rakesh Bedi as Jameel Jamali is simply brilliant! Sara Arjun has limited screen time but all her scenes are imperative to the narrative. She puts her right foot forward yet again. Gaurav Gera offers fine support in a cameo. Manav Gohil, Danish Iqbal, Ankit Sagar, Ashwin Dhar, Aditya Uppal and many others offer apt support. The actor playing the character modelled on the former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is noteworthy. Yami Gautam Dhar is likeable in a cameo.

Minus Points:

The film does come with its share of flipsides. The violence and brutality is on another level this time, as compared to the first part, which could have been reduced considerably. Those who wrote essays on the violence in the first film will end up writing a book if they see this one. The ending fight between the protagonist and the main villain appears dragged later on. The film could have avoided the subplot of Major Iqbal’s father, which would have helped in reducing the runtime.

But what affects the film the most is the desperate attempt to present Demonetization as a masterstroke. The not-so-subtle way to glorify India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his decision in order to please his supporters is a major point that stops this very good film from being great.

Overall:

Dhurandhar The Revenge is a worthy successor to the first film Dhurandhar. The one person that shines the most is Aditya Dhar with his mature and intelligent handling of such a complex world. Of course, the film would have impressed more if the propaganda level would have been lower. But it has a lot working for itself and this will ensure that it will break new records at the box office.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Aditya Dhar

Producers: Jio Studios and B62 Studios

Writers: Aditya Dhar (additional screenplay by Shivkumar V Panicker and Ojas Gautam)

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun

Also read: Khalid Ka Shivaji review: Worth watching for its portrayal of current social reality

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Border 2 review: Heartfelt and sensible war saga

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Storyline: Border 2, like its predecessor Border (1997), throws light on the Indian defense forces’ bravery during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. But unlike the 1997 film, this one focusses on different characters who took part in the war.

Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya (Varun Dhawan) of the Indian Army, Flight Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (Diljit Dosanjh) of the Indian Air Force and Lieutenant Commander Mahendra S Rawat (Ahan Shetty) of the Indian Navy become thick friends during their training days at the National War Academy. They share a respectful relation with their trainer Lieutenant Colonel Fateh Singh Kaler (Sunny Deol).

Years later in 1971 when the trio gets together for an occasion of celebration, they are forced to abruptly return to their respective base camps as a war-like situation erupts between India and Pakistan. The task in front of Hoshiar, Nirmal, Mahendra and Fateh Singh is immensely challenging but they, along with hundreds of members of India’s defense forces, are sure that they will protect India’s borders come what may.

Review: We come across a lot of films that don’t live up to its grand or exciting trailers. But when it comes to Border 2, it’s the opposite. The teaser and the two trailers couldn’t generate excitement for the movie. However, the film turns out to be way better than the promotional material.

Border 2

Border 2 isn’t a routine war film where it’s all about two nations fighting it out. The movie, instead, is nicely spaced out with a lot of importance given to the main characters and their background. It shows the fighters as humans who go through the same emotions like common citizens do.

A good amount of time is spent in light-hearted and humorous situations between the characters. However, these moments are organically included in the narrative and they don’t appear forced by any means. Plus, the writers have used simple techniques to induce humour. These instances don’t put a break on the proceedings as they immensely help in the audience feeling for the main characters.

The film also scores high in the all-important war sequences. The action and stunts keep you on the edge. Most of these battle sequences are narrated while keeping the thriller quotient in mind. It’s not just random killing between two warring camps. These sequences are finely peppered with rousing patriotic dialogues. It is only on a few occasions that these lines become jingoistic, which could have been avoided. Also, a lot of these dialogues are already featured in the promotional material. Else, they could have made a larger impact.

Apart from showing the bravery of the Indian Army, Border also scored high for giving an anti-war message in the end. Border 2 does that in an indirect way through a few sequences. And the very last frame moves you as it provides a nostalgic feeling for the 1997 film.

Coming to the music, the two tracks that impress the most – ‘Ghar Kab Aaoge’ and ‘Toh Chalun’ – are recreated versions from the first film. Anshul Chobey’s camerawork is impressive, especially during war sequences. John Stewart Eduri’s background score aids the proceedings.

From the other flipsides, the film could have easily ended before 3 hours and 19 minutes. The light-hearted portions in the first half and, more importantly, the battle sequences in the last hour could have been shortened.

As expected, the film provides maximum footage to Sunny Deol and the veteran artist lives up to his reputation. Despite being close to 70, he does complete justice to a challenging character, be it while performing action and fights or mouthing those powerful lines in his own fashion.

Despite Deol’s presence, the rest of the main cast succeeds in getting more than noticed. Varun Dhawan comes up with a mature act and portrays different emotions with ease. This is his best performance after Badlapur and October. Diljit Dosanjh is subtle but yet full of life. Ahan Shetty is decent during action but struggles otherwise. The rest of the Indian armed forces, played by Anurag Arora, Pramvir Cheema and Vansh Bhardwaj offer good support. The actors playing Pakistani armed forces are shown to be ‘border’line buffoons, which doesn’t come as a surprise.

From the female cast, Mona Singh shines the most, followed by Sonam Bajwa and Medha Rana. Anya Singh, surprisingly, is hardly there.

Overall: Border 2 is a heartfelt and sensible war saga about the sacrifices and valour of India’s armed forces. National Award-winning director Anurag Singh makes his presence felt through his mature handling. He overcomes the challenge of making sequel to a much loved film.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Anurag Singh

Producers: JP Films and T-Series Films

Writers: Nidhi Dutta, Sumit Arora and Anurag Singh

Cast: Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty, Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Medha Rana

Ikkis Review: A war film that gives an anti-war message in a profound way

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Storyline: Ikkis tells the story of India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra Awardee Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal (Agastya Nanda), who achieved martyrdom at the age of 21 in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The movie also narrates a parallel story of Arun’s father ML Khetarpal (Dharmendra) who visits Lahore in 2001 to attend his college reunion. He is hosted by Pakistani officer Brigadier Jaan Mohammad Nisar (Jaideep Ahlawat) for a deeply personal reason.

Review: Ikkis is primarily about a young man who fought the 1971 India-Pakistan war and attained martyrdom. In a typical Hindi war film, we would have shown his life from childhood or teenage years to him joining the army, fighting for the nation and ultimately sacrificing his life for the country.

But Ikkis isn’t a typical war film by any means. Along with portraying the martyrdom of the young man, the film gives equal importance at giving an anti-war message through the track of Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat. It says loudly without saying much – ultimately there are humans on both sides of the border who die during a war. And the film achieves this even while showing the bravery of a young martyr.

Ikkis movie

The genre itself in both the tracks is different. But Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas and Pooja Ladha Surti’s writing and Raghavan’s handling as a director doesn’t make it appear so. This is largely because the pre-war portion and, more importantly, the war sequences in 1971 are devoid of any glorification of war and jingoism.

Hence, this is a rare Bollywood film on India-Pakistan war where, as an Indian, you don’t rejoice when the Pakistani soldiers are killed. The presentation is such that it won’t let you simply because it treats the killing of soldiers on both the sides as nothing but war casualty.

Ikkis peaks the most in the pre-climax and the climax. This portion is lit up by the genius of Dharmendra. In fact, he is lively in the entire film. One just can’t stop getting moved every time he says or does something. His final good bye will be talked about for long.

However, Jaideep Ahlawat matches Dharmendra and doesn’t let the latter overshadow him. This is no mean achievement. This one is easily one of his best acts, if not his best. However, it is surprising to see his character look almost the same in scenes where he is 30 years younger in 1971. Agastya Nanda, in his first theatrical outing, displays utmost confidence and the right skills needed to play this character. Simar Bhatia displays her charm and acting talent in her debut.

Rahul Dev, Sikandar Kher and Vivaan Shah chip in with useful supporting acts as Khetarpal’s fellow army men. Ekavali Khanna once again shows how talented she is while playing Ahlawat’s wife. Avani Rai, as his daughter, also gets noticed. Deepak Dobriyal is memorable in a cameo.

Ikkis is also technically sound, especially when it comes to the camerawork by the veteran Anil Mehta.

Coming to the minor flipsides, the movie could have been crisper in the first half. The competition that Khetarpal and his fellows take part during their training days could have been shorter and better explained.

Overall: Ikkis is a war drama that gives a powerful yet subtle anti-war message. The movie brings forth another dimension of the highly talented Sriram Raghavan. Due to the nature of the subject, the film isn’t expected to do much at the box office.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Maddock Films

Cast: Dharmendra, Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia, Ekavali Khanna, Avani Rai, Rahul Dev, Sikandar Kher, Vivaan Shah

Also read: Dhurandhar Review: Well-crafted spy drama

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/

Dhurandhar Review: Well-crafted spy drama

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Storyline: Angered by the Kandahar Hijack of 1999 and the Parliament Attack in 2001 by Pakistani terrorists, India’s IB chief Ajay Sanyal (R Madhavan) proposes ‘Mission Dhurandhar’, which is a plan about an Indian spy infiltrating Pakistan’s underworld and thereby its terror network. After his proposal is accepted, India’s secret agent (Ranveer Singh), who identifies himself as Hamza Ali Mazari, discreetly enters Pakistan in 2004. As per his mission, he enters the Lyari area in Karachi, where underworld activities are rampant.

Hamza gets employed at a juice stall by its owner Aalam (Gaurav Gera). He gets to know from his boss that Lyari is infested with the underworld war between Babu Dakait and Rehman Baloch aka Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna). Hamza earns Rehman’s trust by saving his son’s life from an attack by the men of Babu Dakait. Hence, Hamza’s initial mission of infiltrating Pakistan’s underworld turns out to be a success as he becomes a member of his gang. But he has a long and difficult road ahead of him.

Review: Since more than a decade, mainstream Hindi cinema has seen a number of films about spies on secret missions for the sake of the country. The aforementioned story of Dhurandhar might also sound similar to some past Hindi movies. But the film stands apart when it comes to the treatment. Instead of including high-octane and larger-than-life action stunts, glamour and dialogue baazi, it relies on a narrative more on the realistic side. Of course, there are creative liberties being taken but they are believable.

Dhurandhar Ranveer Singh

What sets Dhurandhar apart is also the main content. One won’t find spy activities between both countries as the center point. The film is more about the politics and mafia of Pakistan with the issue of terrorism kept in the background for a majority of the duration, especially in the first half. Dhar should be commended for the research on this topic and choosing to explore it, which hasn’t happened before. This also makes it advisable to do some research on the underworld of Lyari and its connection to Pakistan’s politics before watching the film.

Dhurandhar goes onto high gear once things hot up in the second half, where the real espionage drama takes center stage. The portrayal of 26/11 terror incident from the point of view of Pakistan is applaud-worthy. This period also gives rise to some dramatic and thrilling moments with the film ending on a high note.

However, despite these plusses, when it comes to narrating the story, Dhurandhar appears to have been trapped in the wrong medium. This narrative suits more for a web series, going by the way characters are explored and the story is fleshed out. This becomes an issue as the first half becomes as lengthy as two hours. It is not possible to edit out any portion, including the love angle (which is closely knit to the main story), thereby making it more suitable for the longer medium. This is also because the story doesn’t end as the film is set to return for a second part on March 19, 2026.

The other slip up here is the development of the love track about Sara Arjun, which should have become a scandal considering that she is the daughter of such a prominent politician and that too in Pakistan.

And as expected, Dhurandhar indirectly appeases the supporters of the current government of India on a few occasions.

The film scores high when it comes to the production design by Saini S Johray. A lot of thought and detailing has gone into this area while recreating Lyari of the yesteryears. Vikash Nowlakha’s camerawork is spectacular. From the music, the title track and ‘Ishq Jalakar – Karvaan’ are brilliant. Shashwat Sachdev’s background score doesn’t go overboard in providing thrill. It becomes loud only when needed. The action is also more into the realistic zone, instead of over-the-top stunts.

The performances too are top draw. Ranveer Singh is fully believable as a spy who becomes a trusted ally of Rehman Dakait. He scores in the emotional moments as well as while performing action. But the one who steals the show is Akshaye Khanna. He brings his entire talent onto display as he performs various moods of his character with perfection. Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt succeed in being wild with restraint.

R Madhavan provides a mature act. His character looks unrecognizable. In such an ensemble cast, Rakesh Bedi gets more than noticed as the prominent politician of Lyari. Sara Arjun makes a confident and successful debut as Hamza’s lover Yalina.

Overall: Dhurandhar is a well-crafted spy drama with fine performances. However, its narrative suits more for a web series. Hence, the film is more inclined towards the multiplex audience instead of the masses. This makes it doubtful whether it will become a major success at the box office.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Aditya Dhar

Writer: Aditya Dhar

Producers: Jio Studios and B62 Studios

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi

Also read: Haq review: Yami Gautam excels in this one-time watch courtroom drama

This blog is one of the Top 30 Indian movie blogs on the web as per FeedSpot. See the full list here –https://bloggers.feedspot.com/indian_movie_blogs/