Talvar Movie Review

October 3, 2015 by Keyur Seta 4 Comments

Director: Meghna Gulzar

Producers: A A Films

Writer: Vishal Bhardwaj

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Neeraj Kabi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sohum Shah

Music: Vishal Bhardwaj

Genre: Crime Thriller

Release Date: October 2, 2015

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

The infamous Aarushi Talwar Murder Case is by far the most complicated one India has seen. Some botched up investigation by our authorities added to the complications. So, naturally, it requires a truly talented and skillful filmmaker to portray the case, its consequences and the various layers attached to it on screen as they happened.

Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar has, over the years, shown some glimpses of her talent. But through the movie Talvar, she has proved herself as a seriously talented filmmaker. The film has achieved a new benchmark for presenting and narrating crime thrillers in Indian Cinema.

Although Talvar is based on the murder of Aarushi Talwar, the names of the characters are changed. The story commences in 2008 in Delhi when the 14-year-old Shruti (Ayesha Praveen) is found murdered in her bedroom. Her parents (Neeraj Kabi and Konkona Sen Sharma) are quite sure that their servant Khempal committed the act.

Picture: Wikipedia

But their claims fall like a pack of cards after Khempal is also found murdered on the terrace. After some poor and clumsy investigation by the police, the case is handed over to the CDI team headed by Ashwin Kumar (Irrfan Khan). His task is cut out as three different versions of the same incident come to the forth. So, who really killed Shruti and Khempal? And why?

Having said this about the direction, such films achieve such results only if the writing rises to the occasion. As a writer, what Vishal Bhardwaj has achieved here is pure excellence! Through a gripping screenplay, which doesn’t let you look off the screen, and some deeply meaningful as well as hilarious dialogues, he has given a tutorial on how crime thrillers are written. Showcasing three different versions of the same incident so intelligently is the highlight of his work. The Dharam Prachaar Awastha scene surely deserves special mention.

But apart from keeping you glued, the film will be remembered more for raising some serious and disturbing questions. Examples – The hypocrisy of the respectable urban class. The gross apathy of police and agencies. The over-desperation of our television media.

The technicalities ably complement the subject here. The film is well captured and edited. The background score adds more intensity.

But there are some minor areas of concern. The manner in which the story culminates should have been more natural. The climax appears abrupt. There are few issues with the reaction of few characters too.

Lastly, as is the need in such films, some terrific performances raise the level. Irrfan Khan continues not to deviate from perfection. He is simply outstanding, like always. After Ship Of Theseus and Byomkesh Bakshy, Neeraj Kabi is once again outstanding. He deserves to be included in the list of the most talented artists currently. Konkana Sen Sharma also lives up to her image of a fine actor.

Sohum Shah, who was also impressive in Ship Of Theseus, is once again flawless. Gajraj Rao, Shishir Sharma, and actors playing Khempal and Kabi’s assistant deserve high praise too. Atul Kumar, well-known theatre personality, is spectacular towards the end. Tabu shines despite playing a cameo.

Overall: Talvar is one of the best crime thrillers to have come from Hindi cinema. The film is a must watch even for those who don’t prefer this genre. The positive word-of-mouth will fetch good collections for it at the box office, mostly in the urban centers.

The time when I was Veer from Veer-Zaara… (#SachchiAdvice Contest)

September 27, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

I am participating in the #SachchiAdvice Contest by MaxLife in Association with BlogAdda.

By: Keyur Seta

I firmly believe that films are a reflection of our real lives. This also includes some larger-than-life Hindi films. The only difference is that situations are dramatized in such films for entertainment purpose, sometimes to an unbelievable extent.

But if you take away the larger-than-life elements from Bollywood films, you would be able to relate with them because the situations or challenges faced by characters remain the same. So, similarly, the phrase “Kahani Mein Twist,” is also applicable in real lives. I am sure many of you must have encountered at least some major turn in your life, quite unexpectedly.

Picture: Songspk.city

Needless to say, I too have encountered such a twist, which was born out of a #SachchiAdvice. But it would be an understatement to say that that advice made a difference to my life. It simply changed my life… completely… and this is not a larger-than-life element.

The story began 15 years ago. Circa 2000. I passed 10^th standard with first class. As per the silly mentality of our society, all high rankers go into Science, average ones in Commerce and low rankers in Arts. I belonged to the second category so I went into Commerce. Also because most of my friends took Commerce.

The decision turned out to be my worst ever. I soon realized I am not meant for Commerce and my interest lies in writing instead of tallying numbers. I felt like Veer Pratap Singh (Shah Rukh Khan) of Veer Zara, who visited his girlfriend’s place, not knowing he would be jailed out of nowhere. I somehow passed 12^th. I spent those two years like Veer spent 22 years in prison.

Despite passing HSC, I wasn’t happy at all as I dreaded at the thought of continuing Commerce, which was going to be even tougher now. In other words, I thought I would have to spend more jail time like Veer. The sight of the balance sheet and those crazy numbers gave my nightmares.

But then I happened to meet one of our family friends. It was just a chance meeting that turned out to be divine intervention as it changed my life forever. I visited the middle-aged couple to hand over something on my mom’s behalf. While speaking about various issues, our conversation turned towards my career plan (or the lack of it).

The couple had read some of my writings and they happened to like them a lot. So, when I said I am having a pathetic time in Commerce, they not only suggested that I should switch over to Arts but also urged me to do so. In the words of the uncle, “Tum yeh baniyagiri mein kahan chale gaye?”

Picture: Vissicomp.com

In the present day, although I might not be greatly successful, I have made an identity for myself in the field of writing. But it surely wouldn’t have happened without the advice of those two people. After returning home from that fateful meeting, I thought about it long, discussed with my parents and finally went ahead and changed my stream to Arts.

From then onwards, study was no longer study for me as I felt completely at home with theories. It was more like a knowledge-gaining process that I greatly enjoyed. I used to look forward to studying in the morning. I can’t recall this happening ever before. This increased my interest and skills and writing. It became my biggest or, rather, only professional skill.

Today as I look back, I am utterly scared to even think of what would have happened to me had I not implemented that #SachchiAdvice and switched over to arts. You wouldn’t be reading this blog post for sure.

Finally, it won’t be wrong to say that the couple turned out to be Samiya Siddiqui for me. She was Veer’s lawyer in the film (played by Rani Mukerji), who helped him come out of jail and get reunited with Zaara. These two individuals did the same for me.

By now, you must have guessed that Zaara symbolizes my interest in writing, from which I got estranged during those years in Commerce. Today I am the happy Veer Pratap Singh seen during the end credits of the film, although definitely not that old.

Review: Das Capital: Gulamo Ki Rajdhani

September 25, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Directors: Rajen Kothari and Dayal Nihalani

Producers: Mukti Entertainment

Writer: Shaiwal

Cast: Yashpal Sharma, Pratibha Sharma

Music: Amod Bhat

Genre: Drama

Release Date: TBA

Rating: * * * ½

Review By: Keyur Seta

Corruption has had a long standing relationship with Hindi cinema. But most of these films are about a ‘hero’ taking on a mighty corrupt politician. This is where directors Rajen Kothari and Dayal Nihalni’s Das Capital: Gulamo Ki Rajdhani differs. Although the film centers around the common theme of corruption, it provides a mature and realistic take on the issue in an honest manner and leaves behind few serious questions.

The film is based in the early 1980s in the interiors of Bihar. Purshottam Ram (Yashpal Sharma) is an Accountant working in a government office. He lives with his wife (Pratibha Sharma) and two kids. In Ram’s office, like other government offices, corruption is a way of life. Wanting to lead a proper life with his family, Ram has no other choice but to merge in the system. However, the system itself haunts him later on.

Normally, a Hindi film of this subject focuses on the corrupt practices by politicians. But Das Capital brings to light the corruption practiced at the most micro level in government offices. It gives you a mild shock when you realize that corruption is not only accepted but is also an unwritten rule.

But the film isn’t a serious affair despite such a theme. It maintains a light-hearted mode for a majority of its duration. There is constant use of situational and dark humor, which gets you in splits on few occasions. In spite of this, you easily get involved in the world of the protagonist and feel sympathy for him.

The only issue here is the change of mood. As a lot of humor is served to the audience, the drastic change to tragedy later on generates inconsistency. Thankfully, the honesty through which the story is narrated keeps disappointment at bay.

Despite the low cost of production, the technical aspects appear sound. Chandan Goswami’s camerawork and Mangesh Dhakde’s background score succeed in generating the desired effect. Amod Bhat composed songs go well with the region in question.

In such performance-oriented films, it is vital that the actors rise to the occasion and this is exactly what happens here. As expected from an artist like him, Yashpal Sharma perfectly molds himself as Purshottam Ram. In the role of Yashpal’s wife, Pratibha Sharma is praiseworthy too, especially when it comes to displaying pain.

Jameel Khan, as Ram’s boss, is fully believable. K K Raina and Ravi Jhankal also show their goodness. In a cameo, Pratik Kothari is superb while playing a difficult character of a psychotic youngster. Rajpal Yadav leaves behind a solid impression despite a one-scene role.

Overall: Das Capital: Gulamo Ki Rajdhani is a well-made realistic saga that does justice to its subject.

Dialogues: Welcome Back

September 9, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

The dialogues of Welcome Back are the biggest reason for the film’s success at the box office (along with the graveyard scene). The Anees Bazmee movie has acquired the status of a laugh-riot due to the whacky, witty and crazy lines by dialogue writer Raaj Shandilya.

The movie also stands out from other mindless entertainers because it includes a list veteran artists like Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal and Dimple Kapadia. It is quite a sight to see them perform some crazy antics.

Here are some memorable/ famous/ best dialogues from Welcome Back:

(Note: Some dialogues in this post are contributed by dialogue writer Raaj Shandilya himself.)

– JOHN: Mobile uska. Sim aapun ka. Tu beech mein missed call dene wala kaun?

– ANIL (Majnu): Aapki sharafat ke chakkar mein main kayde mein hoon, warna ab tak mere khud ke do-chaar Al-Qaede hote.

– DIMPLE: Yeh humari beti hai. NASEER: Humari?? DIMPLE: Matlab, meri beti hai. NASEER: Wohi main sochun ki hum toh kayin dino se shikaar pe nahin gaye toh bandook kisne chala di?

Picture: Bookmyshow.com

– NASEER: Mazaak tha!

– ANIL: Is tarah bolte the mazaak tha, mazaak tha, jaise humne kabhi zindagi mein chutkule sune hi nahin.

– ANIL: Ise dekho. Yeh baith ta hai toh lagta hai kala sofa hai.

– NANA (Uday Bhai): Kya khilone hain. Humare bachchon ke liye aise hi khareedenge. ANIL: Arre pehle shaadi toh hone do!

– NANA: Yaad rakhna, Gun aur gun ki spelling same hai.

– NANA: Bhagwan ka diya hua sab kuchh… ANIL: Arre bandh karo yeh tumhara sann untalis ka dialogue.

– ANIL: Aapka apna beta, aapne bataya bhi nahin. PARESH: Arre batane ka kya matlab hai? Mera toh chacha bhi hai, mera mama bhi hai, uske bare mein maine kabhi bhi aapko bataya?

– PARESH: Tera baap yahan chhod ke gaya tha, ya teri ma rakh ke gayi thi?

– ANIL: Logon ki ma-behan hoti hai. Aapki toh baap-behan ho gayi hai.

– RAJPAL YADAV: Ek radio ke peechhe do log fit nahin honge.

– ANIL: Bhoot Shetty, Srivastava kuch nahin dekhte. Jiski game bajani ho baja daalte hain.

– PARESH: Jab maine chunaav mein vote dala hi nahin, toh mukhyamantri mera kaise ho gaya?

(Please feel free to add more in the comments section.)

Review: The Path Of Zarathustra

September 3, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Oorvazi Irani

Writer: Farrukh Dhondy

Producers: Oorvazi Irani and Sorab Irani

Cast: Oorvazi Irani, Tom Alter, Rushad Rana, Darius Shroff

Music: Vasuda Sharma

Genre: Mystical/ Drama

Release Date: September 4, 2015

Rating: * * * ½

Review By: Keyur Seta

The new-age contemporary Indian films have now started achieving international standards. But along with technicalities, this has also to do with the bold intention of the filmmakers. Both these aspects are taken care of honestly in debutant Oorvazi Irani’s The Path Of Zarathustra (English film). The end result is a moving and enlightening saga for the lovers of unconventional cinema.

The film is an inner and outer journey of a Parsi lady, Oorvazi (Oorvazi Irani). She has been staying with her grandfather (Tom Alter) at his remote village since the age of 15. She has no problems for being cut-off from the world. After prolonged illness, her grandfather passes away but not before handing her a book, he had been writing since long, and instructing her to unfold its mystery.

Picture: TPOZ Facebook page

To fulfill his wish, Oorvazi needs to relocate to her maasi’s place in Mumbai. Once in Mumbai, Perseus (Rushad Rana) with whom she shares an unusual bond, re-enters her life. The book takes Oorvazi on a quest related to the dwindling numbers of the Parsi community. What exactly lies in the book? Will she fulfill the last wish of her beloved grandfather?

The Path Of Zarathustra makes its visual appeal loud and clear right from the first frame itself. The entire film is a pictorial spectacle born out of some artistic camerawork (Subhadeep Dey) and perfect production designing (Pooja Shetty). These plusses make it difficult to believe that it is made on a shoestring budget. But overall, it is the honest and mature handling of a sensitive subject by the director that achieves the end result.

The main aim here is to provide the history and information of Parsis and highlight the fact that their community is on the verge of extinction. It fulfills it without becoming a history class, thanks to the intriguing and mystical element in the tale and treatment.

The final twist related to the book, however, might not impress many for being too simplistic. Apart from this, the overall philosophical content won’t appeal to the average moviegoer. It is more suited to the festival audience.

The actors rise to the occasion, as is the need in such performance-oriented films. Oorvazi Irani blends herself completely in the mode of the protagonist. In other words, she brings a difficult character alive.

Tom Alter, the acting veteran, leaves a solid impact in a cameo. Rushad Rana provides a fine act too. There are good supporting acts or cameos from Pheroza Modi, Firdausi Jussawala, Darius Shroff, Shishir Sharma and Vivek Tondon.

Overall: The Path Of Zarathustra is a finely crafted new-age film. It is worth watching for those who are eager to watch something hatke.

Picture: TPOZ official website

Phantom Review

August 28, 2015 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Director: Kabir Khan

Writers: S Hussain Zaidi (novel), Kabir Khan and Parveez Shaikh

Producers: Nadiadwala Grandson and UTV Motion Pictures

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub,

Music: Pritam

Genre: Action

Release Date: August 28, 2015

Rating: * * * ½

Review By: Keyur Seta

Neeraj Pandey’s Baby created a new benchmark for action thrillers in Hindi cinema. Now, Kabir Khan’s Phantom continues the legacy. Although it doesn’t turn out to be as great as Baby, it surely carries off the torch of quality action thrillers.

The film centers on the infamous and deadly 26/11 terrorist attack of 2008. It has been seven years since the attack, but its masterminds, including Haaris Saeed (based on Hafiz Saeed), are still not punished; not even arrested. India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) team, headed by Roy (Sabyasachi Chakrabarty), is concerned about this.

Roy’s subordinate (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) suggests a dangerously risky operation to kill the perpetrators of the 26/11 attack. They zero-in on Daniyal Khan (Saif Ali Khan), an ex-army man living a life of solitude. Nawaz (Katrina Kaif), a security consultant, becomes a part of Daniyal’s mission. The film is based on author S Hussain Zaidi’s novel Mumbai Avengers.

Phantom has all the necessary elements needed to satisfy fans of the action genre – a fearless protagonist on a super dangerous mission, witty antics, twists and lots of chase and action sequences. The new-age or international level of technicalities (stunts, cinematography and editing) is also largely responsible for the result achieved.

But the film is not limited to being a bang-bang ride. It also works on an emotional level with the 26/11 angle, which makes it relatable to not only Mumbaikars but also Indians. Watch out Ayyub’s monologue on the attack. Plus, Kabir Khan’s special touch is clearly noticeable in the writing as well as presentation. His manner of using flashback at the start was a smart move.

The film, however, could have achieved a lot more but for some weak points. At times, the cinematic liberty is taken too far, apart from the usual flaws one finds in action flicks. But what affects Phantom the most is the climax. It was vital for the film to end on a more overwhelming and exciting note.

Surprisingly, few songs like ‘Afghan Jalebi’ and ‘Nachda’ can boast of being impressive. It is surprising as to why the makers didn’t promote the latter.

The performances aren’t consistent. Saif Ali Khan pulls off the character, although he isn’t as good as he should be. What to say about Katrina Kaif? She keeps irritating film after film with her poor acting skills. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Sabyasachi Chakrabarty offer good support. Sohaila Kapur is very appealing in a limited role and so is the actor playing Haaris Saeed.

Overall: Phantom is an impressive ride for action lovers. The film has a decent chance of earning well at the box office.

Manjhi – The Mountain Man Review

August 21, 2015 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Director: Ketan Mehta

Producers: Viacom 18, Maya Movies and NFDC

Writer: Ketan Mehta

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Pankaj Tripathi, Ashraful Haque

Music: Sandesh Shandilya

Genre: Drama

Release Date: August 21, 2015

Rating: * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Dashrath Manjhi was an ordinary poor man who undertook the extraordinary and impossible task of breaking a hard-rocked mountain to make road for the needy, and even succeeded in it. This became the single mission of his life after his wife succumbed to injury as she couldn’t be taken to a hospital on time due to the presence of a mountain in front of their village in Bihar.

To make a movie on such a subject is a herculean task. Director Ketan Mehta’s Manjhi – The Mountain Man does justice to the real Manjhi. But the credit should go more to Nawazuddin Siddiqui for his mind-blowingly dedicated act. The film as a whole turns out to be just a one-time watch due to some problem areas. It doesn’t quite match the expectations.

Manjhi – The Mountain Man is filled with moments that are not only appealing but also heart-wrenching. Manjhi’s dedication for his unthinkable mission even during the most inhuman of conditions moves you. It makes you wonder about the inner-strength of the real Manjhi.

Picture: Ibtimes.co.in

As the character continuously broke the mountain for 22 long years, there was a danger that mountain-breaking scenes might become repetitive. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen. The script has taken care of it by the smart use of flashback.

But, as aforementioned, the film doesn’t rise as high as it should. Firstly, the subject doesn’t need two-hour duration. The high length is felt during various instances, mostly in the second half. Moreover, Mehta has Bollywood-ized the narrative regularly. This doesn’t go well when the tale becomes a lot tragic. Such inconsistency should have been avoided.

The mountain is not only an important part of the story but it is also a character, especially since Manjhi keeps talking to it regularly. But the process of the breaking of the mountain and building the road aren’t explained properly. After all, this is the main aim of the story.

The film achieves high quality standards when it comes to technical aspects like camerawork, background score and editing. The track ‘Phagunia’ goes with the theme.

It is Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s greatness here that will be remembered for a long time. He has masterfully pulled off a role that can be emotionally and physically draining for any actor. So, it won’t be an overstatement that Manjhi will always remain as one of his top three performances ever in his filmography. As per the words of his character, his act was ‘Shandaar Zabardast Zindabad’.

Radhika Apte once again impresses as a performer. Tigmanshu Dhulia and Pankaj Tripathi shine as baddies although their characters are carried forward from Gangs Of Wasseypur. Gaurav Dwivedi is likable as the journalist while the late Ashfaqul Haque does well too. Prashant Nayaran makes his presence felt despite playing a cameo. Deepa Sahi is decent in the role of Indira Gandhi.

Overall: Manjhi – The Mountain Man is worth watching once for Nawazuddin’s killer act. The film has a chance of earning well at the box office in the metros.

The real Dashrath Manjhi (Picture: thewire.com)

Gaur Hari Dastaan Review

August 15, 2015 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Director: Ananth Mahadevan

Producers: Bindiya Khanolkar and Sachin Khanolkar

Writers: Surendran

Cast: Vinay Pathak, Konkana Sen Sharma, Ranvir Shorey, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Vikram Gokhale

Music: Dr L Subramaniam

Genre: Drama

Release Date: August 14, 2015

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Ananth Mahadevan is a seriously underrated filmmaker. A person having made some content-oriented gems like Red Alert – The War Within, Mee Sindhutai Sakpal, and Staying Alive in last few years deserves more recognition.

With Gaur Hari Dastan, he further asserts that he is a name to reckon with when it comes to sensible, realistic subjects. The film is an honest and dedicated effort that asks you a lot of uncomfortable questions, but at the same time provides a heartwarming feeling.

It is a biopic on a person named Gaur Hari Das, who is a freedom fighter. His character is played by Vinay Pathak. The film portrays his struggle from pillar to post to prove that he did take part in India’s freedom struggle, since nobody believes his claims.

His wife (Konkana Sen Sharma) is his support system, but his son doesn’t think much about his father and his achievement. Two journalists (Ranvir Shorey and Tannishtha Chatterjee) slowly get involved in Das’ journey.

There are two methods of narrating such biopics. One is to keep the basic story intact and add a lot of dramatizations to make it massy. The other is the difficult way of keeping it as realistic as possible without giving a damn about being mass-friendly.

Mahadevan takes the more difficult route. The film a smooth-flowing journey of the octogenarian freedom fighter filled with moments that stay etched in your memory. There isn’t any conventional or fast-paced story development. The idea is to uncompromisingly present the irony of Das and get the audience involved in his bitter experiences, which the film does successfully.

As unusual as it may sound, Mahadevan, with some amazing work from DoP Alphonse Roy, has made such a subject appear as a visual treat. In fact, even a shoddy government office with millions of piles of age old papers appears beautiful. Add to this, some brilliant sound design by Resul Pookutty. It is a pleasure to even hear the sound of the strums of the cotton weaver once.

Some memorable moments include:-

– The climax scene followed by visuals of the real Gaur Hari Das, who is still alive and stays in Mumbai.

– Scenes of the reflection of the Indian flag in water.

– A dialogue from the protagonist – “The British were better. We at least knew who our enemies are.”

– The protagonist’s conversation with the security guard of an MLA. His incident with the same guard later on.

– The protagonist’s scene with Siddharth Jadhav.

The pace does drop on few occasions in the second half. But the real problem is with the make-up department. Pathak doesn’t look old when he should have. This should have been taken care of.

The casting of includes a chunk of quality artists. Vinay Pathak lives the character of Das while displaying his ample versatile talent. Ranvir Shorey, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Konkana Sen Sharma too play their respective characters with finesse.

The film has a series of dedicated supporting acts and cameos from Rajit Kapur, Vikram Gokhale, Siddharth Jadhav, Vipin Sharma, Saurabh Shukla, Murli Sharma, the late Vinay Apte, Viju Khote, Mohan Kapoor, Neena Kulkarni, Neha Pendse, and few others.

Overall: Gaur Hari Dastaan is a story worth experiencing and knowing for every Indian. The film needs some massive word-of-mouth to create some impact at the box office, which it truly deserves.

Real Garu Hari Das with his wife. (Picture: Indiatimes.com)

FTII Row: Record of Gajendra’s subordinates more questionable

August 12, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Inputs: Payal Kapadia

Compilation: Keyur Seta

As we all know, the students of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) are on a strike since over two months in opposition to the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the Chairman of the institute. His close links with the BJP is considered the reason of his appointment.

An RTI query has also revealed that only Chauhan was approached for the role and there was no proper selection as mentioned by the government earlier. Read about it HERE.

But, along with Chauhan, few others are appointed as Society Members of FTII. Just like Chauhan, all of them are staunch supporters or close aides of BJP.

But what is alarming is that their record and past work is, in simple terms, highly questionable to say the least. Have a look at their work:-

Picture: Jamuura.com

Gajendra Chauhan
His only claim to fame is his role as Yudhishthir in the timeless classic TV series, Mahabharat. He is slightly known as a part of few well-known TV serials. Apart from this, his filmography shows a series of B-grade films. Of course, he has acted in prominent, hit films, but his contribution in them has been inconsequential. For example, his one-scene appearance in Baghban. See his full filmography HERE. He is a member of the BJP and has worked for the party.

FTII Society Members:

Anagha Ghaisas
She has no body of work to show in feature films or TV. But what is more shocking is that she has made a documentary titled Ram Mandir Adalat Aur Aastha, where she has not only hailed the Babri Masjid Demolition but also described it as the ‘biggest independence battle’. See the short film here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_MSXoWBiMs

But this is not her only ‘achievement’. There is also a court order against her for not paying remuneration to Nandan Kudhiyadi for a documentary he was asked to direct.

Narendra Pathak
He is said to be a writer. But he has no notable work in films or TV. He is the ex-president of the ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad), which is linked to BJP. The members of this group had beaten up FTII students in 2013 for showing Anand Patwardhan’s film Jai Bhim Comrade. ABVP has a long history of violence.

Rahul Solapurkar
He has played supporting roles in well-known films, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Balgandharva. He was in contention for a ticket from BJP for last year’s Lok Sabha Elections. No other information is available about him.

Shailesh Gupta
He is a cinematographer credited with ‘Additional Photography’ in Aamir Khan’s classic, Sarfarosh. However, barring this, he has only served as ‘Assistant Cinematographer’ in well-known films like Ishq and Vaastav. But here comes the most interesting part. He has made a film on India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled Shapath Modi Ki. The shocker is not the subject but the content. It is an unintentionally hilarious film, which can even offend Modi supporters.

How can it be a co-incidence that all of them are associated with BJP? How come Gajendra is selected for such a position despite his record when legends like Gulzar, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalakrishnan are available for the job?

Ask yourself and decide whether Chauhan and his aides deserve to run India’s most prestigious filmmaking institute. Since earlier this year, the government appointed its close aides as Censor Board Members. We are already witnessing its terrible consequences.

Drishyam (2015 Hindi) Review

August 1, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Nishikant Kamat

Writers: Jithu Joseph

Producers: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Panorama Studios

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Shriya Sharan, Tabu

Genre: Thriller

Rating: * * * ½

Review By: Keyur Seta

Bollywood isn’t known for producing high quality edge-of-the-seat thrillers. Nishikant Kamat’s Drishyam becomes one of the very few engrossing fares produced in this genre in the modern age. But it falls much short of Jeethu Joseph’s original Malayalam film of the same name starring Mohanlal in the lead.

The film focuses on Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn), who is a fourth standard failed. He is a cable operator staying with his wife (Shriya Saran) and daughters Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrinal Jadhav) in Goa. He lives an honest, simple and happy-go-lucky life, except for his tussles with the cop Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant).

But his routine life takes an ugly turn after a crime is committed inside his residential premises. This brings his whole family into direct confrontation of the intelligent and, at times, ruthless IG officer Meera Deshmukh (Tabu).

Picture: Boxofficemovies.in

The original and Tamil versions of Drishyam became synonymous with excellence because of the content. As Kamat has retained exactly the same story and the screenplay, the Hindi version becomes an enjoyable fare. The turn of events after the story is established keep you gripped throughout. But there is lot to be desired for.

Kamat has unnecessarily used a hurried narration in the first half. This hampers in character development, getting the audience involved in the world of Vijay Salgaonkar and, most importantly, adding conviction. The dialogues are just literal translations from the original. But the biggest issue is that some key incidents aren’t presented skillfully by the director, due to which they lack the desired impact.

Another major issue is that the makers have tried to present a sensible and meaningful subject in a commercial manner. This is largely felt in the overuse of background music. You don’t need such loud, jarring background noises when a particular incident itself is thrilling. It appears as a forced way of adding thrill. Ironically and funnily, in the film, the protagonist himself speaks against loud use of background music while watching a film.

The subject doesn’t have scope for music. From Vishal Bhardwaj’s compositions, only ‘Dum Ghutta Hai’, is likable as it suits the situation.

Ajay Devgn is one of the finest performers. Although he succeeds in carrying the film on his shoulders, he doesn’t quite manage to impress. On numerous occasions, he tries too hard. This is also a major reason for the film not rising as high as it should. Don’t think of comparing his act with that of Mohanlal’s. Tabu isn’t at her best but she does pull off the role of a tough IG officer. Debutant Ishita Dutta (Tanushree Dutta’s sister) shows confidence and talent.

Surprisingly, Kamlesh Sawant is the best of all. He is very realistic as the ruthless Gaitonde. He is known in Marathi cinema but with this act, he will finally get noticed in the Hindi arena. Mrinal Jadhav does well as the younger sibling of Salgaonkar. Shriya Saran and Rajat Kapoor are average. The latter becomes unintentionally funny later on. Prathamesh Parab, making his Bollywood debut, is fine.

Overall: Drishyam doesn’t live-up to the standards of the original. But it certainly is a gripping ride, more so if you haven’t seen the original. It will earn decent collections at the box office.