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.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan Review

July 19, 2015 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Director: Kabir Khan

Producers: Eros International, Salman Khan Films and Kabir Khan Films

Writers: Kabir Khan, V Vijayendra Prasad, Parveez Shaikh and Asad Hussain

Cast: Salman Khan, Harshali Malhotra, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kareena Kapoor

Music: Pritam

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Hindi cinema regularly churns out hardcore commercial entertainers that carry a message. But most of the times, the message is put across in a superficial or preachy manner in such genre of films. So far, only Rajkumar Hirani has emerged victorious in this genre. With Bajrangi Bhaijaan, we can add Kabir Khan’s name in the very rare list.

The film has a list of achievements. It fills you with emotions through its manner of spreading humanity but at the same time makes you laugh continuously. This is enough to label Bajrangi Bhaijaan as few of Salman Khan’s best films ever and one of the best commercial entertainers of modern day Bollywood.

The story revolves around the six-year-old Shahida (Harshali Malhotra), a mute girl staying in Pakistan. Her mother brings her on a visit to Delhi to visit the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah as she believes it will relieve her of her disability. But some circumstances ensure that she is not able to accompany her mother back home and is left stranded in Delhi.

Picture: Wikipedia

Shahida comes in contact with the honest, innocent and large-hearted Pawan Chaturvedi aka Bajrangi (Salman Khan). Pawan vows to get her reunited with her parents. Over the course of time, he gets to know that Shahida is from Pakistan. As he is moved by the girl’s plight, he decides to take the risk of accompanying her to Pakistan. Chand Nawab (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), Pakistani news reporter, becomes an important part of Pawan’s mission.

The content here takes you by surprise. It is a commercial Salman film devoid of the usual Salman-isms. In fact, there is just one fight sequence. Kabir has kept the commercialism alive through drama, emotions and lots of comedy while keeping mindlessness at bay, barring few usual errors in such films. There is not a single moment that doesn’t hold your interest. The length of 2 hours 40 just flies.

But the biggest triumph of Bajrangi Bhaijaan is that it crosses some major borders. The audience also consist Salman haters and those who can’t stand anything related to Pakistan. But the story of a super cute innocent Pakistani girl and the character of Pawan are enough to even melt their hearts. More so, it is impossible not to be moved by the supremely overwhelming climax, even if you happen to be either Salman or Pakistan hater, or both.

From Pritam’s music, ‘Selfie Le Le Re’, which has already become popular, is enjoyable. The Qawwali number ‘Bhar Do Meri Jholi’ and ‘Zindagi’ add to the impact. DoP Aseem Mishra has also played his part well, especially while shooting the beautiful locales of Kashmir.

Salman Khan’s performance is also a surprise. After a long hiatus, he has succeeded in displaying his acting skills while getting into the skin of his character. It is easily one of his best acts. But what to say about the little girl Harshali Malhotra? She creates a new benchmark for cuteness and also succeeds in acting through expressions. You just can’t stop feeling for her.

There is Nawzuddin Siddiqui who just keeps impressing film-after-film. He is lovably outstanding here too. Kareena Kapoor doesn’t get much scope. Rajesh Sharma, the actor playing Chand Nawab’s aide, the actress playing Shahida’s mother and others provide good support.

Overall: Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a film that will be remembered for a long time. It is an emotional rollercoaster ride that fills you with joy. It is all set to create new records at the box office. It has earned box office collection of Rs 27 crore on the first day and Rs 36 crore on the second day.

Picture: Indian Express

Baahubali (Hindi) Review

July 11, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: S S Rajamouli

Writers: S S Rajamouli, Rahul Koda, Madhan Karky and Vijayendra Prasad

Producers: Arka Media Works and Dharma Productions

Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj

Music: M M Keeravani and M M Kreem (for Hindi)

Genre: Action/ Drama

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

When you have Rs 250 crore riding on your film, the pressure to deliver is enormous. Add to this, the nature of the subject that brings its share of painstaking hard-work. In fact, the stakes are so high for S S Rajamouli’s Bahubali: The Beginning that the overall satisfaction has to be spectacular. Being merely a ‘good film’ isn’t enough at all.

Picture: Trendingonindia.com

So, does Rajamouli fulfill the expectations born out of the costliest Indian film ever? The answer is a loud and energetic ‘Yes!’. He has dreamt super big and has dared to bring it alive on screen through a visual spectacle that just doesn’t cease to amaze you. Bahubali will be remembered as an achievement and landmark for Indian cinema for years to come.

The film takes place in an ancient city named Mahishmati. A drowning lady (Ramya Krishnan) somehow manages to save the infant she is carrying. The child is raised by a tribal couple. He grows up to be the mischievous and strong Shiva (Prabhas). Ever since his childhood, he has been obsessed with climbing the mountain with a huge waterfall.

After several attempts, Shiva finally succeeds. He finds the beautiful Avanthika (Tamannaah), who is a part of a warrior group. She and his group members are hell bent in freeing Devasena (Anushka Shetty), who is held captive by the evil Bhallaladeva (Rana Daggubati) since 25 years. Shiva, who has fallen in love with Avanthika, vows to help her in her mission. Will Shiva succeed? Who exactly is Shiva?

Bahubali: The Beginning is not just a film. It is an experience that stays with you long after you leave the cinema hall. You will notice some visual delight in almost every frame through some colorful visuals, breathtaking locations, high-octane stunts and, lastly, exciting and epic war sequences in the climax. Such a visual spectacle is not seen before in India.

But the film is not only about visuals. There is some smart story and character development in the first half. It was nice to see the love track leading onto the major twist. The script has succeeded in giving a good amount of importance to all major characters.

Picture: Mid-Day.com

However, the romantic track is clumsy and regressive. How long will we sugarcoat harassment and stalking as romance? This is the only negative aspect in Bahubali, apart from few errors and the overall length. But nevertheless, these points don’t lessen your excitement for the part two or the sequel titled Bahubali: The Conclusion, whose release date is January 26, 2016.

National Award Winning cinematographer K K Senthil Kumar also plays a major role in creating such an end result. It is to be noted that his job was one of the toughest for a DoP. The powerful background music adds more life to the proceedings. Songs used in the background suit the content.

Coming to the actors, Prabhas gives a powerhouse performance, both as Shiva and Bahubali. Some sheer hard-work and dedication is on display from this fine actor. This is one performance that will be talked about far and wide. Rana Daggubati makes sure you love to hate Bhallaladeva, which means he is fantastic. Sathyaraj, in the role of Kattappa, is flawless.

Anushka Shetty too shines in a challenging role. Tamannaah does justice to the character of a warrior. But at times she tries too hard to appear tough through her expressions. Ramya Krishnan too chips in with a dedicated act. Nassar, Adivi Sesh, Tanikella Bharani and others provide perfect support. Sudeep is impressive in a cameo.

Overall: Bahubali: The Beginning is an epic visual spectacle. This film is an achievement for Indian cinema! It is going to break all box office records.

Arjun Rampal all praise for Dharam ji during deo launch & bloggers meet

June 14, 2015 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

I attended the #SniffSniff product unveiling event by BlogAdda in association with Nivea.

By: Keyur Seta

We have heard male actors praising their female counterparts numerous times. Even female actors praising the looks of actors from their own gender is a common occurrence. But a male actor being in awe of another male actor in terms of looks is a rarity, which was witnessed recently during a bloggers meet and media interaction with actor Arjun Rampal.

Picture shared on Twitter by dwitiy125 (handle)

When Rampal was asked how it feels to be one of the most handsome actors, his answer pleasantly surprised many. “I feel Dharam ji (Dharmendra) is the most handsome actor. I was with him in a flight three days ago. He still looks beautiful and he is a beautiful human being too.”

Rampal was speaking during the launch of the Nivea Men Body Deodorizer, a deodorant for men. The event was organized by BlogAdda and was attended by bloggers, who got a special candid session and photo op with Rampal. The actor spoke extensively on the issue of body odour and shared his experiences, which included a funny incident with his female friend.

“She has a big problem about body odour. I was wondering how to tell her about it as it can be awkward. So, I just said that some people have a terrible body odour. To this she said, ‘Oh yes. I am glad I smell good naturally’. What to say now?”

Before Rampal entered the scene, the bloggers got a chance to interact with Animesh Gupta, a Psychologist, Stress Management specialist and Trainer, about everything related to body odour; how and why it occurs, how to deal with it and, most importantly, how to tell someone that he or she has a bad body odour. But the interaction was funnier than serious, thanks to Gupta’s sense of humor.

But the most hilarious moment arrived when the spoof of a news debate show was played. It is a smartly-written and well-performed act, which is shared below.

The entire #sniffsniff experience was interesting but my family members found it surprising and, at times, weird to see somebody sending things like a clip, coffee beans and mask at my doorstep so religiously. It took a lot to finally make them understand that it is a promotional activity to build anticipation.

For me, the word ‘deodorant’ brings back bad memories of not only body odour but also those pathetic deo advertisements, where females start getting turned on by the good smell of men. I find such ads completely an insult to women as it shows them to be so dumb that they will have physical pleasure with anyone who smells good.

I wasn’t expecting Nivea to advertise their product in this way. But I wasn’t entirely sure given the advertisement scenario in India. Thankfully though, their ad, which was played at the event, doesn’t support this ridiculous theory. It was a case of Happy Ending.

Picture: BlogAdda

Hilarious dialogues from Tanu Weds Manu Returns

June 3, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

It won’t be wrong to say that dialogue writer Himanshu Sharma is the real hero of director Anand L Rai’s Tanu Weds Manu Returns. The amazingly rib-tickling lines are the biggest reason for the film touching hearts far and wide.

Here is the list of some memorable dialogues from Tanu Weds Manu Returns uttered by Datto (Kangana Ranaut), Pappiji (Deepak Dobriyal) and others:-

– Haalat dekhi hai? Adrak ho gaya hai ye aadmi. Kahin se bhi badh raha hai!

– Dr Sahab, is aadmi ne meri zindagi jhand kar rakhi hai.

Picture: Postpickle.com

– Thari lagaai lage toh mhare jaisi, par main thari lagaai na su. Mhara naam Kusum Sangvan, yo mhari saheli Pinky, main Ramjas college Delhi University me padhu su, sports quote te admission leya, National level ki athletes su. Jila Jhajjar, 12 45 07, aur phone number main daunko naa. (Kusum aka Datto)

– Ke kar raha tha baya phaila ke? Yeh jagah se Shah Rukh Khan banan ki?

– You are a good question. But your question hurt me.

– Kya sex sex, Akhiri baar 2013 me hua tha, woh bhi Bhai Dooj ke din!

– Woh dekh… Kabootar.

– Nikala tumne bhaiya ko pagalkhane se? …. Woh ticket 60 hazaar ki thi. Theek nahin laga seedhe pagal khane jana. Socha pehle London ghoom loon.

– Arey maine apni biwi ko hawas ki nazar se nahi dekha, dusro ko kya dekhunga main.

Picture: Storysoviets.com

– Ab Utro ghodi se, hum ek baar chadh nahi paayein, yeh hai ki utarne ka naam hi nahi le rahein.

– Tum kya Salman Khan ho jo tumhe commitment issues hain.

– Sala, original bhi wahi rakhe aur duplicate bhi…

– Pehle bhi aapne iski lugai hadap li thi.

– Kya Sharma ji, hum thode bewafa kya huye, aap toh baddchallan ho gaye.

– Bhaiya badi der laga di aane mein…. Haan, badi flight miss ho rahi thin a teri!

– Masoor ki dal mein ajinomoto nahin padta.

Picture: Movies.ndtv.com

Book Review: Operation Jai Mata Di

May 25, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Author: Pratik Shah

Publisher: Self-published

Price: TBA

Pages: 251

Additional Feature: Prologue of the author’s next book titled ‘Unravelling’

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.

After going through the title, cover image and synopsis, debutant author Pratik Shah’s Operation Jai Mata Di appears like a typical hostage saga with the only difference being the number of hostages. But thankfully, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The book in totality is a motivating and inspiring political drama providing vision and hope amidst complete apathy by the political class.

Picture: Smashwords.com

The story is set in today’s era at Vaishno Devi. Thousands of devotionally and emotionally charged pilgrims are slowly trekking their way to the Bhavan of their beloved Goddess. But just some distance before their destination, 10,000 pilgrims are kidnapped by armed men in a daring midnight operation.

The Government of India and the entire nation is shaken by the audacity of the hostage-takers. The Prime Minister is under serious pressure not only from the opposition but also the citizens to act quickly to save the pilgrims. Worse, the PM has to deal with a selfish and opportunistic Defense Minister. Will the hostages be saved?

The USP of Operation Jai Mata Di is its main plot, which takes you by surprise and has the potential to appeal to every concerned citizen of India. The consequences of the kidnapping and the final culmination can be best described as emotionally overwhelming and inspiring. The only issue with the plot is some errors and the over-ambitious motto at times.

But mostly, Shah has succeeded in handling a sensitive issue with maturity, especially the working style and psyche of politicians and the government. His proper knowledge of the political process is also visible. The motivating dialogues also help the cause.

Coming to the writing, the language is rich but at the same time simple and understandable for all. However, some important sentences should have been less simplistic. The pace is fast and gripping but the build-up before the kidnapping gets tedious after a point of time. But the real problem area is the missing of comma and other punctuations throughout the book. The editor should have taken care of these basic issues.

Overall: Operation Jai Mata Di is for thriller lovers and also those who are fed up of the almost irreparable corrupt system. It will be hugely surprising if the book isn’t made into a movie.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns Review

May 22, 2015 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Director: Anand L Rai

Producers: Color Yellow Pictures and Eros International

Writer: Himanshu Sharma

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R Madhavan, Deepak Dobrial, Jimmy Shergill, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub

Music: Krsna Solo and Tanishk-Vayu

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Release Date: May 22, 2015

Rating: * * * ½

Review By: Keyur Seta

There has been a craze for sequels in Bollywood since five years or so. But strangely, there has hardly been a sequel that has matched up to the first film of the franchise, leave along being better than it. Apart from Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Jannat 2, I can’t think of any worthy names.

Anand L Rai’s Tanu Weds Manu Returns enters this rare list as it not only matches to the first film, it even surpasses it as far as entertainment is concerned. It presents an old pickle in new bottle in the most hilarious way.

Coming to the story, Tanu (Kangana Ranaut) gets married to Manu (R Madhavan) at the end of the first film. But in a span of for years, their marriage crumbles. They return to their hometown and apply for a divorce, much to the agony of their respective parents.

Picture: Indianexpress.com

Completely out of the blue, Manu comes across a college student Kusum (Kangana Ranaut), who is a lookalike of Tanu and falls for her. On the other hand, Tanu flirts around with her family’s Paying Guest (Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub), a law student, and her old flame Raja Awasthi (Jimmy Shergill). Is this the end of the journey for Tanu and Manu?

First things first – it is difficult to recall the last time you laughed uncontrollably as much as you do in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. The film is a complete laugh riot that gets you out of your seat after almost every few seconds, even during serious moments. Comedy gets better when it is unpredictable, both in terms of the type of jokes and situations. This is the case here.

Apart from the one-liners, writer Himanshu Sharma should also be lauded for using specific character traits of characters to induce humor. He has maintained a fine balance between modernism and desi-ness. Out of all characters, Kusum deserves special mention. Don’t be surprised if people gain sudden interesting in learning Hariyanvi (I am already in the list).

But amidst such goodness, the film has a big negative area. Almost every important story development lacks conviction. For example, Manu suddenly falling in love with Kusum in such a short period and that too when he is going through such a painful divorce is difficult to believe. The same is the case with other important points. On top of that, the climax is predictable and clichéd. However, the high doses of entertainment won’t let you fret over these points.

The music also plays its part. ‘Banno Tera’ is the best of the lot. The song has become an instant rage. Chirantan Das’ camerawork with vibrant visuals goes well with the theme. The film is well edited, especially during the very last frame.

Kangana Ranaut gained a lot of fame after her performance in Queen. Now, with this marvelous act, she has become one of the top actresses to come from Bollywood. She manages the difficult task of playing two hugely opposite characters with ease and a lot of passion. You will specially fall in love with Kusum. R Madhavan’s character sketch isn’t that exciting but he manages well.

Apart from Kangana, Deepak Dobrial is the star of the film. He is a fine artist and he shows it here while playing Manu’s best friend. Jimmy Shergill and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub too aren’t far behind. Rajesh Sharma, as Kusum’s brother, displays his talent yet again. The film is well-supported by Swara Bhaskar, Ejaz Khan, K K Raina, Rajendra Gupta and others.

Overall: Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a non-stop laugh riot. The film’s goodness will be reflected in its positive box office collections.

Picture: Desimartini.com