The Common Man Speaks

Bheed highlights a pandemic MORE dangerous than COVID-19

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Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed, which mainly stars Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Pankaj Kapur and Ashutosh Rana, looks back at the period when the COVID-19 pandemic commenced in India and how the lockdown imposed to curb the same turned out to be a nightmare for the migrant workers.

Bheed recreates the horror faced by the people belonging to the lower strata of the society, while a large number of population was complaining despite being safely inside their homes.

But along with this core issue, the film also features another pandemic that has erupted in India in recent years – the pandemic of communalism.

A religious congregation called Tablighi Jamaat took place in early March 2020 and this turned out to be a super-spreader event as it gave rise to 4000 confirmed cases. The event was attended by 9000 people belonging to the Islamic religion. There is no doubt that this event increased the number of COVID-19 cases in India.

But unfortunately, a section of the media media and the general population latched onto this opportunity to paint the entire Muslim community responsible for spreading Coronavirus in India, just because 9000 of them attended an event. This has become a fad in recent years.  

Bheed

Some of my relatives also jumped at the opportunity to spread memes and posts blaming all Muslims for being super-spreaders. This didn’t come as a surprise though. However, I was taken aback when a couple of close friends and a lady who happens to be the wife of a highly respected actor also openly blamed Muslims for the fast spread of COVID-19 in India. Needless to say, this was enough for my respect to diminish for them.

Interestingly, the tables turned in around May 2021. When the country was reeling under the second COVID-19 wave with thousands of new cases being reported daily, a huge number of pilgrims actively took part in the Kumbh Mela for several days without giving a damn to COVID-19 norms. The videos showed scary visuals of thousands of people stuck together without masks and a care in the world.

This is not all. The election rallies for the Bengal election saw some of the country’s famous leaders take rallies with thousands of people without masks or even a hint of distancing. On top of that, one leader even expressed his happiness at seeing such a huge crowd.. at a time when COVID-19 cases were reaching the rooftop.

When 9000 people gathered for a religious event, their entire community was blamed for the spread of Coronavirus. But nobody, including my near ones, said a word when people from another community gathered in even bigger numbers for the Kumbh Mela and election rallies at a time when the cases were many times more than when the Tablighi Jamaat members did.

COVID-19 is now under control after the invention of vaccines by a number of selfless souls. However, there is no vaccine in the world to curb the pandemic much dangerous than Coronavirus.

But I am glad to see a film like Bheed attempting to portray this harsh reality. The film achieves this the most in the scene were one character refuses to have food provided by a group of Muslims.  

Pathaan puts a FULL STOP to the Boycott Gang on Republic Day eve

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Shah Rukh Khan-starrer action entertainer Pathaan opened to a mammoth Rs 57 crore at the box office on its opening day. It broke the record for the highest opening for a Hindi film and that too on a non-holiday. The movie is expected to do the same today. The Siddharth Anand directorial venture, which also stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, badly needed this not just to revive Bollywood but also to mark an explosive comeback for SRK.

Pathaan has a usual good vs evil story, where you very well know who would win in the end. But along with the bad guys, Pathaan has also defeated the morale of the Boycott Gang. And what a day to choose to do this by the common citizens. Right on the eve of the Republic Day!

For those not in the know, these are the people from the IT cell of the ruling party who spread toxic campaigns. They are against any film who they think is insulting their religion, in this case through the colour of the bikini in the ‘Besharam Rang’ song, or if the main actor happens to be a Muslim, more so the latter. In the case of Pathaan, the title of the film was also objectionable to them since it’s an identity of someone from the same religion.

They also go up in arms against anyone who gives a statement that they consider is ‘anti-national’ in nature. It’s a different story that these are the same people who don’t react at all when Kangana Rananut says something like, “The independence India got in 1947 was bheekh,” because she is the die-hard supporter of their party. It is the party affiliation that matters for them, not the country.

The IT Cell went into action months in advance to share hateful posts, memes and articles against Pathaan, like they do for other films. This also includes spreading fake news and statements that the people associated with the film never made. Unfortunately, the IT Cell isn’t the only ones to carry out these activities. A large number of common citizens too have got involved in such antics in recent years; some of them are even close to us.

Hence, the case of Pathaan is not just limited to a film. It’s a much broader issue of mindless hate being spread in the country. This can also be seen from the fact that even senior politicians and ministers have been targeting the movie, indicating how big the campaign was (I know the PM asked them to stop much later).

So, the earth-shattering box office numbers the film has garnered are also moral slap on the hate that has been continuously spread in the country. This also proves wrong the claim of the IT Cell and their supporters that Laal Singh Chaddha became a flop because of their boycott campaign. The film didn’t work because people didn’t like it. If boycott calls were so serious, films like Brahmastra: Part One: Shiva and, more so, Pathaan wouldn’t have attracted such large number of people.

The issue of Pathaan brings back memories of a similar hate campaign against the 2010 SRK movie My Name Is Khan by another party. The actor didn’t bow down to their demands then and he did the same now. Both the films ran smoothly without changing the title or the identity of the protagonist.  

From here onwards, the boycott calls for films lined up for release in the future won’t have the same effect or reaction as it would bring back memories of their fiasco during Pathaan. Instead, these calls would become laughable from now on.

But the boycott campaigners won’t sit quiet. They are paid professionals, after all. Their first reaction to their massive defeat by Pathaan will be that these box office numbers are fake, just to feel good about themselves.

We all need something to keep us going in life…

Also read: What Aamir Khan said about Shivling & why is his film boycotted?

Pathaan Review (without spoilers)

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Pathaan is easily one of the most keenly awaited films to have come from India in the last few years. Apart from the makers promising some high-octane massy entertainment, it also marks the return of Shah Rukh Khan as a main lead after over four long years. The hype for the film was highest we have seen in recent years. So the only question worth answering is whether Pathaan lives up to the all pre-release firecrackers?

In terms of the storyline, the film directed by Siddharth Anand has a general tale that one would expect from a high scale spy action film. The story, obviously, revolves around Pathaan (Khan). He is a secret intelligence officer whose only aim is to serve the country, which includes keeping it safe from the clutches of its enemies, especially the likes of Jim (John Abraham).

John’s character is a terrorist but with a twist. He has a grudge against India and its intelligence agency Pathaan works for. Jim, generally, works like a freelance terrorist – someone who would attack any country for money, not for any personal involvement. But when he gets the contract of carrying out a huge attack on India, he gets personally motivated.

But Jim has to deal with Pathaan, who will stop at nothing to save India from such a catastrophic attack. Pathaan crosses paths with a beautiful, confident and strong girl, played by Deepika Padukone. But can she be trusted?  

Pathaan poster

Despite the basic storyline of Pathaan not being very novel, the writers have put in enough surprising elements to keep it interesting. This was mostly helped by the back and forth narration, related to the history of Pathaan. The reveal at the interval point gives a high, even if you had guessed the outcome before.

Such action films tend to go a big downhill or lose the grip post-interval. But Pathaan has been smart in this aspect. Generally, the main motive of the terrorist is revealed at the start in such films and then the hero goes on a mission to foil it. But the main story of Pathaan is unfolded later, which reduces the chances of the film suffering from the second-half syndrome. More importantly, the ending moments, along with exciting, are also moving.

Pathaan is a masala action film, filled with breathtaking stunts and action sequences. The visuals are good enough, if not best, to satisfy the action lover in you, especially if you watch the film in Imax, like I did.

But films of this genre also requires one to leave logic outside the hall. If you are not able to do this, Pathaan is surely not for you, for this film can be enjoyed only in this way. But even from the standards of such genre of films, the creative liberties, both in terms of story development and some action sequences, are too much at times. If the makers would have shown some control over this area, Pathaan would have appealed even to the non-masala crowd.

Coming to the next important question about Khan’s performance, you can’t expect a great act in a film of this genre. But SRK succeeds in portraying the heroism needed to carry the film on his shoulders. The undercurrent of humour makes it better. He also does well while showing his emotional side, especially in the scene where he is seen saluting.

This is one of John Abraham’s better acts; way better than his last two outings – Satyameva Jayate 2 and Ek Villain Returns. Deepika Padukone displays confidence and is impressive in the action sequences too. But her characterization appears confused, which somewhat lowers the overall effect. The surprise element here is Dimple Kapadia who shows her long experience as she shines as Pathaan’s senior.

One of the biggest attraction and the high point of the film is the scene featuring Salman Khan in a cameo as Tiger. It’s one of the many paisa vasool moments in the film.

Also read: Uunchai review: The film overwhelms you despite its lambai

Overall: Pathaan is an enjoyable affair if seen with a big crowd on the big screen while keeping your topmost organ away. The film has a good chance of working at the box office.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Siddharth Anand

Producer: Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, Ashutosh Rana

Writers: Shridhar Raghavan, Siddharth Anand and Abbas Tyrewala

Selective outrage on Richa Chadha‘s tweet reeks hypocrisy

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First things first. I don’t support Richa Chadha’s ‘Galwan’ tweet. I feel if she had to criticize the government for its working, for which we all have a right, she could have done that without using a comment from a senior Indian Army personnel.

But it is blatant hypocrisy on the part of a few Hindi film celebrities to jump in and target Richa for her tweet and portray her as an anti-national or a big criminal of sorts. These are the same people who turn a blind eye when a fellow celeb who is a supporter of the current ruling party makes even worse comments.

The biggest example of this is Kangana Ranaut. Last year, she famously said, “The independence that India got in 1947 was bheek. We attained actual independence in 2014 (thereby indicating the rule of the current government).

Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha and Kangana Ranaut

I don’t need to spell out how problematic this comment is. In a single sentence, she has rubbished off our entire freedom struggle and thousands of freedom fighters who sacrificed their everything, including their lives, for the sunrise of freedom. And here is one public figure openly belittling the whole movement as some joke.

Some Hindi film stars openly lambasted Richa for her ‘Galwan’ tweet. But did they ever speak up against Kangana for the aforementioned comments? How can you be up in arms against one person for a three-word tweet but at the same time have no problems at all when someone else makes a comment of a much larger magnitude that rubbishes off the very movement that got India independence?  On top of that, Richa has deleted the tweet and also apologized for the same. Don’t even imagine Kangana doing the same.

The reason why Kangana’s comments faces no outrage from few of the same celebrities is because they all are the supporters of the same party. This also points out that for them it is always the party first, nation later. If it was otherwise, they would have slammed Kangana’s statements too. And she has made a big bunch of them. The one mentioned here is just one example.

The same goes for the general supporters of this party. They call themselves nationalists but they completely ignored Pragya Thakur’s comments when she hailed the death of Shaheed Vijay Salaskar at the hands of terrorists Ajmal Kasab and associates. Can you imagine what would have happened if someone from the opposition would have made the same statement?

Hence, only the party matters, nation doesn’t.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the writer in this article are independent and are not endorsed by the publication he works for

Review: Uunchai overwhelms you despite its lambaai

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Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya’s name has become synonymous with traditional family dramas mostly revolving around marriages among the wealthy class. He tried something different in terms of the content in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003) but the result didn’t turn out to be favorable.

Barjatya has once again gone out of his comfort zone by presenting a bromance among a small group of friends in an advanced age in his latest offering Uunchai. The end result has turned out to be way different from his 2003 movie.

Uunchai is about a group of senior citizen friends staying in Delhi – Amit (Amitabh Bachchan), Om (Anupam Kher), Javed (Boman Irani) and Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa). The last one is a professional hiker who has successfully climbed few of the highest peaks in India. He is very keen for the four of them to go for a hike at the Everest Base Camp after preparing for two months. However, Amit, Om and Javed plainly refuse citing old age issues.

One day, out of the blue, Bhupen passes away due to a cardiac arrest, despite being fit and healthy. The rest of the three friends, who are obviously heartbroken, realize that Bhupen had already booked their tickets to visit the Everest Base Camp after two months.

Amit believes they should not only fulfil Bhupen’s wish of visiting the site but also immerse his ashes over there, since he was deeply fond of the place and the activity of hiking. Om and Javed strongly object but eventually give in for the sake of their late friend. But they, obviously, need to face various challenges to fulfil their mission.

The narrative of Uunchai is not just limited to three friends embarking on a hugely difficult mission. The script is deep and layered with special importance given to each character and his or her journey. This ensures that you start having sympathy for the main characters, their friendship and mission too.

Despite the emotional nature of the subject, the film is full of sensible situational humour, which comes as a pleasant surprise. Neena Gupta has a major share in the funny moments and she does a fine job of it.

Mainstream Hindi films about such missions always face the danger of suffering from the second-half syndrome. But this is not at all the case with Uunchai, mostly because the main mission is kept for the latter half. Plus, the screenplay has the right mix of funny, emotional and dramatic moments during this part, which is also handled effectively.

What takes the cakes though is the moment where the friends release Bhupen’s ashes. It was vital for this to be the most overwhelming scene from the film and this is understood well by Barjatya.

A good amount of the story based in the mountainous regions. Manoj Kumar Khatoi’s camerawork has provided eye-pleasing visuals. One can make out the tricks used through VFX during various situations but this doesn’t bother you much. While the film is fine in the technical parts, the songs only reach the average level.

(Review continues after the trailer)

The performances can also be easily included in the positives. Amitabh Bachchan continues to defy his age through an enthusiastic act. Boman Irani and Sarika, whose character later joins the trio in the mission, also provide praiseworthy performances. Anupam Kher is likeable but, at times, he tries a bit too hard in appearing angry and offended.

Parineeti Chopra, who is the hike organizer, gets more scope later as she delivers a decent act. Danny Denzongpa and Nafisa Ali Sodhi are memorable despite having guest appearances.

Also read – When SRK did a Panchayat 33 years ago

But Uunchai is not devoid of any negative points. Its lambaai (runtime) of 169 minutes should have been trimmed, especially during some events in the second half. The film also takes quite a lot of creative liberties. Without giving away any spoilers, the narrative does this the most with Bachchan’s character.

Overall: Uunchai reaches a convincing height despite its lambaai. It says a lot about friendship goals and human spirit without saying much. The film won’t get a big opening at the box office due to Rajshri Productions’ decision of opting to go with fewer shows. But it stands a chance of getting a wider release once the word-of-mouth spreads.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Sooraj Barjatya

Producers: Rajshri Productions, Mahaveer Jain Films and Boundless Media

Writers: Sunil Gandhi and Abhishek Dixit

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Sarika, Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta

Ram Setu review – Last 1 minute somewhat saves Akshay Kumar’s movie

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Despite starring in different genre of films in the last two decades, Akshay Kumar is known the most for his action roles. This is the first image he acquired among his fans and he remains to be a specialist in this form of cinema. Although he plays an archeologist in Ram Setu, he gets more than a chance to showcase his action skills yet again.

But overall, the film falls more in the adventure and mystery zone. Akshay’s stunts are kept simple because of the profession of his character. Ram Setu is not one of his best acts. However, the actor has a knack of carrying a film on his shoulders even while giving decent performances. He has done the same in this film as well.

Ram Setu is a period film that takes place in 2007. Dr Aryan Kulshreshtha (Akshay) is a successful archeologist married to a professor (Nushrratt Bharucchha). He is an atheist who only believes in facts and science. He is sent on an expedition in Afghanistan to restore Buddhist statues that were destroyed by Taliban terrorists.  

It is also the period where India’s then government refuses to believe that the Ram Setu bridge between India and Sri Lanka wasn’t made by Ram’s vaanar sena [army of animals] and that it is formed naturally. A wily businessman (Nassar) also has his eyes set on the bridge in order to make a project over there that will benefit him immensely.

The Ram Setu matter goes onto the Supreme Court. Aryan’s next assignment involves studying the bridge and filing a report on the findings to conclude whether Ram Setu is the same as mentioned in the Ramayana.

It was obvious from the trailer itself that Ram Setu is intended to please people from a particular political inclination. The whole film makes it even clearer by taking subtle jibes at the Indian Government of 2007 without taking the name of the party running it.

Talking about the content and the craft, Ram Setu regularly takes creative liberties and shows disregard for logic. You might lose count on things happening so conveniently for the protagonist and his team. This includes Aryan’s escape from the clutches of Taliban, which is not even shown; we are only made to assume.  

Despite this, Ram Setu does have a positive point in the form of its engaging and entertaining narrative. The events are lined up in such a way that there is just no scope for boredom.

But what saves Ram Setu the most from falling more is the twist in the very last scene of the climax related to one of the prominent characters. It comes as a surprise and is sure to please the worshippers of the heroes of the Ramayana like lord Ram and Hanuman.

After Akshay, south actor Satyadev Kancharana, who plays Anjaneya Putra aka AP, rules the film with his confident performance. Nassar’s potential as a quality artiste isn’t seen simply because his character is quite one-dimensional. Pravesh Rana, another negative character, fares better.

Also read: Adipurush teaser has triggered opposite political reactions

Nushrratt Bharuccha lends good support but her role doesn’t offer much. Jeniffer Piccinato shows promise. Jacqueline Fernandez struggles but this is hardly surprising now.

Overall: Ram Setu is somewhat rescued by the twist in the climax and the fast-paced narrative. The film would have appeared little better if it had released before the Telugu movie Karthikeya 2, a similar spiritual adventure thriller and much better.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Director: Abhishek Sharma

Producers: Cape Of Good Films, Abundantia Entertainment, Lyca Productions and Prime Video

Writer: Abhishek Sharma

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Satyadev Kancharana, Nassar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Pravesh Rana and Jeniffer Piccinato

Aye Zindagi review – An incredible real story narrated convincingly

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Director Anirban Bose’s Aye Zindagi initially appears like just another story about a person struggling against a terminal illness.

The film begins in 2004 when the 26-year-old Vinayak (Satyajeet Dubey) is being diagnosed with severe liver cirrhosis. He works in Lucknow but visits a hospital in Hyderabad to check if he can undergo a liver transplant because he has only six to seven months to live. Over there, he meets Revathy (Revathy), a grief counselor. Her job also includes encouraging people to go for organ transplant.

Although Vinayak stands a chance for getting a liver transplant, the process has some major financial and emotional challenges in store, including his own deteriorating health. His elder brother Kartik (Sawan Tank), a medical student, keeps his studies aside to look after Vinayak. While undergoing treatment, he develops an unusual bond with his doctor and nurse, played by Hemant Kher and Mrinmayee Godbole respectively.

Despite the storyline, Aye Zindagi is much more than what we expected it to be at half point. It’s based on an incredible true story that took place in India some years back. This is a rare film where the makers haven’t tampered with the real tale and kept it as it is. However, there was no need for this since the real story itself is highly emotional and dramatic, which we get the know in detail once the film ends.

In a film relying on as much reality as possible, it was necessary for it to shine during its various emotional moments and that’s exactly what happens here. The narrative is filled with moments triggering different emotions and each one moves you. The best one happens when there is a major twist in the tale. This particular incident keeps haunting you long after the film is over.

It is vital for such films to be high on performances in order for the audience to feel for the characters. Aye Zindagi doesn’t disappoint on this front too. Satyajeet Dubey provides a dedicated act where we constantly feel for him as he goes through a whirlpool of emotions. The scene where he breaks down with his brother and the climax deserve special mention.

As one would expect from a seasoned artiste like Revathy, she is thoroughly impressive. Hemant Kher, Mrinmayee Godbole and the rest of the actors too contribute positively.

Also read: When SRK did a Panchayat 33 years ago

Aye Zindagi comes with its share of minuses as well. The film’s length, which is 105 minutes, could have been reduced further, especially during the ending moments. The character of Revathy’s son should have been given more importance, in order to increase the impact of the basic storyline.

But the positives easily override the negatives making Aye Zindagi a surprise package of the year where Hindi cinema has been criticized a lot for its content.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Anirban Bose

Producer: Shiladitya Bora

Writers: Anirban Bose

Cast: Satyajeet Dubey, Revathy, Hemant Kher, Mrinmayee Godbole

Adipurush teaser has triggered opposite political reactions

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Filmmaker Om Raut’s Adipurush has been one of the keenly-awaited films ever since it was announced more than a couple of years back. The filmmaker’s Hindi debut Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, his previous effort, had become a runaway hit at the box office, so there was anticipation on what he would offer next.

Apart from the cast of Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon, the major reason why Adipurush made heads turn was because of its adaptation from the great Indian epic Ramayana.

But the reaction to the long-awaited teaser finally released more than a week back would have taken the team of Adipurush by a rude surprise. The initial footage has been panned on social media for more than one reason.

Firstly, the VFX has been criticized as the visuals didn’t impress the viewers. But more than that, the look of Saif Ali Khan’s character of Raavan has been literally lambasted for it doesn’t match with what people imagine the character to be.

Not just that, the looks of Prabhas and Devdatta Nage, who play Lord Ram and Hanuman, along with the depiction of the Vaanar Sena have also come under criticism.

It was gradually realized that the teaser has given rise to opposite political reactions.

Om Raut started off his career with the Marathi movie Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush in 2015. Apart from narrating the life story of Bal Gangadhar Tilak aka Lokmanya Tilak, the film also gave special footage to the protagonist’s efforts in writing Gita Rahasya, his own interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita.

Adipurush starring Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan
Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan in Adipurush (Source: YouTube teaser screenshots)

His next Tanhaji, his debut in Hindi, was about the achievement of the Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare.

In other words, both the films were appreciated by the Indian Right Wing. Of course, the movies weren’t aimed at them specifically but their subjects were such that they naturally found takers in people from that particular political side.

The announcement of Adipurush naturally excited the Right Wingers since the film is based on Lord Ram. Plus, Raut’s social media posts are also appreciated by them, especially the ones about the upcoming Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Another reason for the excitement for Adipurush for them was the casting of Prabhas as Ram. The actor has formed a fan base among the Right Wingers after the mammoth success of both the Baahubali movies. The films are considered pro-Hindu because of their content, although they were appreciated with people across political opinions.

Unfortunately for the makers, it is the Right Wingers who have been offended the most by the teaser of Adipurush. Although Prabhas is facing criticisms for his look as Ram, it is the portrayal of Saif that is receiving the maximum flak for him allegedly looking as a Mughal ruler or Alauddin Khilji. Despite being evil, Raavan was a learned scholar and, as per the reactions, Saif isn’t appearing like one in this get-up.

But that’s not all. Quite a few ‘pro-Hindu’ groups have started protesting and calling for a ban on the movie. The teaser has also triggered one such group to demand ‘Sanatani Censor Board’ to ensure that Hindu gods aren’t portrayed in a ‘derogatory’ manner in movies. A few BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders too have slammed the teaser. Right Wingers on social media have also been trending boycott against the movie.

The film’s teaser was launched at a grand event in Ayodhya, where the much talked-about Ram Temple is being constructed currently. Ironically, the chief priest of the same temple has demanded a ban on the film.

On the other hand, the liberal crowd or those against the Right Wing have been providing full support to Adipurush since they believe there should be freedom of expression for the makers to portray any character the way they want. Their main argument is that nobody knows how the characters present in the Ramayana looked in real.

Before the teaser came out, not many would have expected a pro-Hindu movie made by pro-Hindu stars to be slammed by the Right Wing and supported by those having an opposite political view. The moral of the story is that trying to please people of any political ideology can backfire.

We can just wait and watch what happens when the full trailer of Adipurush is released.

Also read:

Why actual anti-national comments never face boycott?

Vikram Vedha review – Does the Hindi remake of the iconic Tamil film work?  

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Mainstream Hindi cinema has been obsessed with remaking successful and acclaimed south Indian films since years. However, a lot of these films haven’t yielded fruitful results. One should take note that most of those ineffective remakes have been made by different set of people.  

Vikram Vedha (2022) shows how much difference it can make when the same set of writers and directors, in this case Pushkar and Gayathri who wrote and directed the original Tamil film of 2017, take on the responsibility of remaking their film in another language.

The film is set in the north Indian town of Lucknow where senior cop Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) takes immense pride in being an encounter specialist, along with his team that helps him out with the same, since he believes they are only finishing off the bad guys. He has a conflict with his wife (Radhika Apte), a lawyer who doesn’t approve of fake encounters.

Vikram is loaded with the task of nabbing the dreaded criminal Vedha (Hrithik Roshan). He and his team has been struggling to match up to him. But one day, Vedha himself surrenders by walking into the police station. Vikram finds his act fishy and wonders about his motive. During the interrogation, Vedha narrates a story to Vikram that the latter can’t afford to ignore.

Despite the Hindi remake following the same storyline, it is given an identity of its own by the makers. The setting, milieu, characters, lingo and, most importantly, the more mainstream presentation makes the new Vikram Vedha worth enjoying even for those who have liked the original.

Vikram Vedha review
Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan in Vikram Vedha

Similarly, Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan bring out their own versions of the two characters played by R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi in the original. You are never reminded of the duo from the original and this is another major plus point for the movie.

Khan brings out his own toughness and style while enacting the ‘good’ cop. He scores high also when his character develops later on. Hrithik is remarkable as the ‘bad’ guy with different shades. His sarcasm is spot on and so is his sensibility in serious situations, although his accent does remind you of his act in Super 30 (2019) a few times.

Radhika Apte turns out to be the perfect choice for the role of an honest and upright lawyer. Sharib Hashmi has proved over the years that he can’t do anything wrong. He continues the same here in the role of Babloo Bhaiya. Rohit Saraf and Yogita Bihani score well in their supporting acts.

Like the original, the remake too is not just a stylish action saga but also thought-provoking in terms of whether all is either black or white in today’s world.

Vikram Vedha perfectly looks like it belongs to the small north Indian towns because of some impressive work by the production designer. The film scores high even in terms of other technical aspects like cinematography, editing and background score. The last sees the repetition of the signature tune from the original film. It is hard to imagine Vikram Vedha without that powerful and kick-worthy background score.

Also read: When SRK did a Panchayat 33 years ago

While the film is a worthy remake of the original, it has some minuses. For some time in the second half the narrative isn’t as smooth as one would expect, especially after watching the original. The all-important surrender scene doesn’t match up to the one in the original in terms of intensity and tension. It also appears more hurried.

But all in all, Vikram Vedha is one of the rare impressive Hindi films in a year that has largely been lackluster.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Directors: Pushkar and Gayathri

Writers: Pushkar, Gayathri and Benazir Ali Fida

Producers: Reliance Entertainment, T-Series, YNOT Studios, Friday Filmworks and Jio Studios

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Radhika Apte, Sharib Hashmi, Satyadeep Mishra, Rohit Saraf, Yogita Bihani

Runtime: 159 minutes

When SRK did a Panchayat 33 years ago

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Shah Rukh Khan is not only one of the biggest stars in India but also world over. But the actor has had to work his way up through hard-work from scratch. After doing theatre in Delhi, he migrated to Mumbai to continue the profession.

During his initial days, he was seen in quite a few Doordarshan shows like Dil Dariya (1988), Fauji (1988), Intezaar (1989), Adhuri Zindagi (1989), etc.

One notable work Shah Rukh Khan did during those days for the same channel was in the show Ummeed in 1989. The serial featured different stories that used to run for two episodes. In one such segment, Khan featured in the role of a young bank employee.

A noble soul with the channel name of ‘Super Tuber’ uploaded the two episodes of the show on YouTube three years ago.

As soon as I started watching the first episode, I was instantly reminded of TVF’s Amazon Prime Video show Panchayat. The web-series saw Jitendra Kumar play Abhishek Tripathi, an engineering graduate forced to take up the position of a secretary at the panchayat office in the small village Phulera, Uttar Pradesh.

Shah Rukh Khan in Ummeed
Shah Rukh Khan in Ummeed and Jitendra Kumar in Panchayat

The city-bred Abhishek gets a culture shock by the life in the village. But there were ruder surprises in store for him when he takes a look at the panchayat office. It turns out to be a basic office which, must to his dismay, also doubled up as his residence. Abhishek also finds it difficult to adjust to the workings of the village due to the politics and age-old attitudes.

Coming back to Ummeed, Shah Rukh Khan plays the character of Anand Gupta who is ‘promoted’ as the branch manager to the bank’s newly-opened branch at Bhingri. In reality, Anand’s superior was under tremendous pressure from his senior to send someone at the said branch since nobody was willing to relocate to the place.

Anand’s happiness turns sour as soon as he lands at the bank’s branch in Bhingri. The place is located in a no-man’s land and is completely empty; no staff and just one helper. In fact, the helper and Anand are the only members of the staff.

This is similar to Abhishek’s situation in Panchayat. And just like that web-series, Anand’s personal room is also inside the office, just a few steps away, and this one too has a set-up for making tea near the window.

That’s not all though. Just like in Panchayat, Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Ummeed too forms a bond with the people of the village after, initially, going through a nightmare.

This is in no way stating that Panchayat was lifted from Ummeed. A city-based officer facing challenges after being transferred to a rural area is a common theme around the world.

Ummeed featured a very innocent and raw version of Shah Rukh Khan. He perfectly fitted the role of a common man from a middle-class family required to work hard to rise in his career. In other words, he made a clear announcement of his acting talent very early in his career; something we got to know in the following years.

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Ummeed was written by Mukesh Sharma. I couldn’t find any other work by him after doing a Google search. Vikas Desai, as per IMDB.com, before directing this show, had acted in quite a few parallel films like Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978), Giddh: The Vulture (1984), Andhi Gali (1984) and Anantyatra (1985). There is no record of what he did after that, except that he acted in Ketan Mehta’s Aar Ya Paar (1997).

Rajat Kapoor is named as one of the assistant directors on the show. It is not known whether he is the same one of Bheja Fry (2007) fame.

Ummeed was produced by Joint Publicity Committee, Public Sector Banks. It is interesting to see a show produced by the banking sector showing the sorry state of banks in rural areas.

Watch both the episodes of Ummeed below: