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Inspector Zende review: Manoj Bajpayee’s period crime drama is a one-time watch

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Writer and director Chinmay D Mandlekar’s Netflix movie Inspector Zende is loosely based on the story of Inspector Madhukar Bapurao Zende capturing the dreaded criminal Carl Sobraj in 1986.

The story starts off when the mastermind criminal Carl Bhojraj (Jim Sarbh) is serving sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. One fine day, he succeeds in escaping from the prison along with his gang members. They later enter Mumbai. Hence, the case comes under Mumbai Police’s jurisdiction.

The Director General of Mumbai Police Purandhare (Sachin Khedekar) hands over the task of nabbing Bhojraj to Inspector Madhukar Bapurao Zende (Manoj Bajpayee). Apart from he being a reputed cop, the reason for asking Zende to lead the case is that he had heroically caught Bhojraj in 1971. Zende gets along the task with his team comprising of fellow cops Patil (Bhalchandra Kadam) and others.

The makers make it clear in the initial disclaimer that the film is only loosely based on the real story of Inspector Zende and that they have added a lot of fiction. But even then, the creative liberties turn out to be a bit too much as soon as the film starts. You wonder why the real story of a heroic cop is told in a comedy manner and that too slapstick humour in some places.

But the actual issue is that apart from a giggle here and there, the jokes fall flat. The proceedings are fast-paced and they keep you engaged. But you constantly wonder about the need for such kind of humour while narrating this story. Even Paresh Mokashi’s Harishchandrachi Factory narrated Dadasaheb Phalke’s real story in a comical way but the humour in that movie was actually funny.

Thankfully for Inspector Zende, the narrative becomes more engaging in the last 30-40 minutes when the story shifts to Goa. The mission carried out by Zende and his team is different from what we regularly see in crime dramas taking place inside the country. The story reaches at one point when you highly root for Zende and his team. This also leads to a few nail-biting moments in the ending portions.

Apart from the latter part of the second half, Manoj Bajpayee’s act keeps the film going, even when the narrative isn’t pleasing enough. He gets plenty of opportunities to display his talent. He makes sure to not reduce the real character of Zende to a comical one even during humorous moments. Jim Sarbh is perfectly cast as the half-foreigner suave criminal who mostly speaks in English. He also subtly switches over to a ruthless mode.

Sachin Khedekar and Girija Oak offer good support. Bhalchandra Kadam does what he is known for. He appears sidelined in the first half but gets more opportunity later on. Vaibhav Mangle is funny as a Goa cop. Harish Dudhade, Onkar Raut, Nitin Bhajan and Bharat Savale provide able support as Zende’s team members.

Technical areas like Rajesh Choudhary’s production design and Ketan Sodha’s background score succeed in recreating the bygone era.

Overall: Inspector Zende is saved by the last 30-40 minutes and Manoj Bajpayee’s act.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Chinmay D Mandlekar

Writer: Chinmay D Mandlekar

Producer: Northern Lights Films

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh, Sachin Khedekar, Girija Oak, Bhalchandra Kadam

Also read: Mahavatar Narsimha review: Uplifting mixture of devotion and entertainment

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

War 2 review: The actual war is to decode what the film is about

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War 2, the sequel to the highly successful War and the next film in the Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe, carries the story forward from the end of the first film but it also doesn’t. Actually, it doesn’t appear like a continuation of the first film, although the makers want us to believe so. Hence, the actual war is fought by the audience to try and decode what the film is about.

So, at that start of War 2, which is directed by Ayan Mukerji, we are told that one of the best R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) officers Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) has gone rogue and there is absolutely no major reason given for the same. We expect to be told Kabir’s back story later which led him to take such an extreme step against his agency and country but that never happens.

Kabir has now started working as a ‘freelancer’ (yes, that’s how he describes his current profession) to assassinate people across the world for various clients. In order to stop Kabir, the new R&AW chief Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor) gets their tough officer Vikram (Jr. NTR) to finish him off. In between all of this, Kabir’s equation with Colonel Luthra’s soldier daughter Kavya (Kiara Advani) changes after what he does to her father, who considered him as his son.

The main crux of the so-called story is the war between Kabir and Vikram. At least, this is what it seems like at the start. But the two get involved in strange games. They are sometimes against each other, sometimes not. There are times when they are against India, sometimes with India, either together or individually. Even Nitish Kumar doesn’t switch sides so often.

This makes War 2 is one of the most confusing films to have come in a long time. The confusion starts at the end of the first half and goes onto another level in the second half. By this time, you literally give up in trying to understand the motto of the two protagonists and the film.

Some of the action sequences are impressive but there are just too many of them. In fact, the fights and stunts become an overdose in the first half itself!

War 2 also features a secret society named ‘Kali’ which is formed by powerful individuals from different countries, like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, Russia, etc. They are shown to be ‘running’ the world, which appears as easy as running Gokuldham Society. Also, why would India and Pakistan agree to be on the same side in this weird mission? Their aim is not even established or explained properly, just like many other things in the film.

The performances are just about fine. Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR share a good chemistry needed in a two-hero film. They are up-to-the-task when it comes to action but the content doesn’t let them display their acting potential. Kiara Advani is decent while depicting emotions and better when it comes to action. Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor are the best of the lot. Varun Badola is good in a cameo.  

The other saving grace is the choice of exotic international locations.

But these are just a couple of green patches in an otherwise barren land. Overall, War 2 has turned out to be much worse than what the trailer indicated.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Producer: Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films

Writers: Aditya Chopra, Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Jr. NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana, Anil Kapoor

Also read: Review: Dhadak 2 shows the mirror to those who feel caste-based atrocities don’t exist in India anymore

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

Review: Dhadak 2 shows the mirror to those who feel caste-based atrocities don’t exist in India anymore

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It is not often that you see the notion of caste and its atrocities being explored in mainstream Hindi cinema. The one name that comes to our mind is filmmaker Anubhav Sinha’s Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Article 15 (2019). Now, director Shazia Iqbal’s Dhadak 2 enters the rare list. It is hugely different from the Khurrana starrer despite addressing the same subject.

Dhadak 2 is the official Hindi remake of the 2018 Tamil hit Pariyerum Perumal. It takes place in a semi-urban city in India. The story revolves around Neelesh Ahirwar (Siddhant Chaturvedi). He hails from the lower caste and lives under challenging economic conditions with his parents. He is eager to rise above poverty by becoming a lawyer. He gets admission in a reputed law college in the city under reservation.

Neelesh’s family and people from his vicinity regularly face atrocities because of their caste. But he somehow wishes to ignore such realities and focus on becoming a lawyer. That’s why he doesn’t take part in political activities carried out by people belonging to his caste in his college.

Neelesh meets the bubbly Vidhisha Bharadwaj aka Vidhi (Triptii Dimri) as his classmate. They click instantly and fall in love. However, as she is from the upper caste, her family becomes strongly against any kind of relationship between the two. The biggest thorn in Neelesh’s path is Vidhi’s cousin Rounak aka Ronnie (Saad Bilgrami), who studies in the same class.

On the surface, the basic tale of Dhadak 2 might appear similar to countless Hindi or even Indian films. A guy and girl from different worlds falling in love and facing opposition is a theme done to death. But the treatment of that theme has been quite fresh here, especially with the reverse gender roles.

But when looked deeper, Dhadak 2 is far more than just a love story. It not only explores the dirty reality of caste in today’s so-called modern India but also boldly portrays atrocities committed on the lower castes by the upper castes. This turns out to be a wake-up call for those who have been living in a bubble and proclaiming that casteism isn’t practiced in India any more.

There is a scene where Neelesh recalls a disturbing past incident to Vidhi where he and his family faced atrocity and humiliation because of their caste and social status. Vidhi says that she didn’t know such things still happen in non-rural areas. To this, Neelesh says, “We don’t know all this happens, unless it happens with us.” This sentence sums up the film and its necessity.

After a successful build up, Dhadak 2 keeps the momentum alive and ends with a powerful and overwhelming climax.

But the narrative also faces a few issues. The film could have ended before 146 minutes. But the biggest negative here is the culmination of the student leader track. Although it seems inspired from a real event, it adds on to the length and doesn’t offer much to the film. Also, despite facing humiliation for his caste, Neelesh not feeling anything for those fighting for the fight for equality among members of his community is a bit difficult to digest.

The performances are one of the strongest plus points. Siddhant Chaturvedi had played a lower caste character who faces humiliation for his lower status in the web show Inside Edge. But his character and performance are entirely different here. The way Neelesh goes through various atrocities and humiliation make you feel for him. He also rises in scenes where he appears confident and heroic.

Triptii Dimri perfectly fits the strong character of Vidhi and comes up with an impressive act. She is especially noteworthy in the climax. Saad Bilgrami shines as the antagonist. You love to hate him. Saurabh Sachdeva and Vipin Sharma are appealing despite limited screen time. Zakir Hussain provides a mature act as the college principal.

Priyank Tiwari as the Dalit leader Satish is instantly likeable but, as pointed above, his track doesn’t end well. Harish Khanna, Abhay Joshi and Deeksha Joshi, as Vidhi’s father, uncle and elder sister respectively, chip in with good supporting acts.

Overall: Dhadak 2 is a hard-hitting love story that shows the mirror to those who are under the impression that casteism and caste-based atrocities don’t take place in India any more.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Producers: Dharma Productions, Zee Studios and Cloud 9 Pictures

Writers: Rahul Badwelkar and Shazia Iqbal (adapted screenplay and dialogues)

Cast: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri, Saad Bilgrami

Saiyaara review: Emotional rollercoaster about selfless love

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Over the last several years, mainstream Hindi cinema has been guilty of showing more than half or at least half of the film in the trailer itself. When the promo of Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara and the video of its title song came out, it gave a feeling about the film being in the Kabir Singh zone about a frustrated lover living a toxic life.

However, as it turns out, the film is nothing like that. It’s hugely different from its trailer. In fact, it’s one of the rare mainstream Hindi film to completely hide its main plot.

Saiyaara is based in today’s era in Mumbai. It revolves around a hot-headed and arrogant struggling singer and musician Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), who is a part of a music group. He once roughs up the editor of a digital publication for mentioning only one person’s name from their band in their review of their album despite he being the lead singer. During this time, he comes across Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda), as aspiring journalist who was there for a job interview.

Vaani also possesses the skills of writing lyrics. Krish comes across her diary and is impressed by her poetry. She becomes a part of his musical journey and they both slowly fall in love. However, the road ahead of them isn’t as easy-going as their love for each other.

Saiyaara

There have been countless films about a guy and a girl unexpectedly meeting and falling in love, not only in India but world over. But Saiyaara adds a lot of freshness to this part. The most challenging initial part for any romantic film is to convincingly show both the characters falling in love with each other. The film does that resoundingly well. Along with the direction and music, the movie is also blessed with a fast-moving and convincing writing by Sankalp Sadanah and Rohan Shankar.

Saiyaara becomes emotional once the story goes into the sad zone but doesn’t make you depressed because of its exploration of a medical condition. The makers have clearly taken creative liberties while exploring it. But you don’t mind this much as by this time, the film has had you emotionally gripped to its story and the characters. The medical condition also provides mystery and thrill elements.

Saiyaara is a rare Hindi film of today’s times where every song falls in the impressive category. Plus, all the songs by Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami take the story forward and are not added just like that. The title song deserves special mention as it is a character in itself. You can’t help but applaud when it arrives in the film at the right moment. The writers have also handled the climax in a creative and moving manner.   

The two newcomers successfully carry the film on their shoulders. Ahaan Panday makes a terrific debut as a short-tempered musician who softens up later. He handles the transformation part convincingly. There is some rawness though in scenes where he has to scream. Aneet Padda, who plays a lead character for the first time, is nowhere behind. She handles the development of her character later on skillfully and comes up with a phenomenal act.

Alam Khan, Varun Badola, Geeta Agarwal, Rajesh Kumar and the rest of the supporting actors provide good support.

Everything, however, isn’t hunky dory in Saiyaara. The film’s main conflict reminds you of a movie starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol. There are quite a few questionable aspects related to the illness being explored and the turn in the tale in the second half. The character of Mahesh Iyer (Shaan Grover), who should have been serious, actually becomes unintentionally hilarious.

But Saiyaara has enough going for itself to be a rollercoaster ride about selfless love, something that has been sorely missing from our movies. And the reprised version of the title song in the end becomes the icing on the cake.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Mohit Suri

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Sankalp Sadanah and Rohan Shankar

Cast: Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda, Alam Khan, Varun Badola, Shaan Grover

Music: Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami  

Also read: Sitaare Zameen Par review

Sitaare Zameen Par review: Yet another entertaining and moving saga by Aamir Khan

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Since more than a decade, one has seen a large number of sports movies being made in mainstream Hindi cinema. So much so that it has now become exhausting. Filmmaker RS Prasanna and Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par, thankfully, doesn’t appear as just another sports film from the industry.

Sitaare Zameen Par is the official Hindi remake of the Spanish film Campeones (English title: Champions). The story is based in Delhi and it revolves around the assistant coach of Delhi’s basketball team, Gulshan Arora (Aamir Khan). He is an arrogant, brash and a hot-headed guy. His nature once gets him into trouble when he hits his senior coach Paswan (Deepraj Rana) in a fit of rage. Hence, he gets suspended from his job.

Gulshan is also having problems with his wife and former actress Suneeta (Genelia Deshmukh). Frustrated with his life, he gets heavily drunk and bangs his car with a police vehicle. He is arrested and brought in court. As he has had a clean record, the judge orders him to coach a basketball team consisting of players suffering from Down’s Syndrome and Autism. Gulshan doesn’t think much about the players and used words like ‘pagal’ for them. His first day with them turns out to be a nightmare.

Sitaare Zameen Par has a lovely first half with equal doses of funny and moving sequences. The portrayal of Gulshan’s character is a job well done. He is a bad mannered guy but the humour quotient in him will never let you hate him. In fact, he always makes you laugh.

Sitaare Zameen Par

Once, the basketball team members arrive on the scene, the film goes onto another level. They have been portrayed in a mature and intelligent manner. They either make you laugh or move you. The scene just before the interval point is the best moment of the film.  

The biggest challenge here was to transform the character of Gulshan. The film does this successfully by making it gradual.

However, the second half doesn’t match up to the goodness of the first half. Post-interval, the film doesn’t have much of a story to tell before the team heads to the last match. The scenes that fill the gap do entertain you but you expect more conflict and drama, which doesn’t happen. There is one conflict moment but it gets solved soon. The final moment of the match is thrilling but it’s right out of a sports film released pre-Pandemic. The visuals used are also exactly the same.

There is also a questionable aspect in terms of the tournament the Sitaare team plays. They enter the semi-finals by being the fourth team on the points table. This means that they would have lost at least 2-3 matches in the league stage but they are never shown losing a single match.

Thankfully, the ending moments make up for the minuses to some extent and you leave the cinema hall with a good amount of satisfaction.

As far as Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is concerned, it doesn’t feature a single impressive song. This is quite needed in a film of this nature. The film is fine in terms of the technicalities.

Despite Sitaare Zameen Par being a film about a sports tournament, Aamir’s personal story takes the front seat. The actor makes the character of Gulshan Arora believable and, more importantly, goes through the transformation convincingly. But during some close up shots, he appears to be trying hard and ends up reminding you of his character in PK (2014). Genelia Deshmukh gets scope later on and she makes good use of the opportunity.

Gurpal Singh, as Kartar Singh who looks after the team, provides a lovely performance. He matches up to Aamir during their confrontational scenes. Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari, as Aamir’s mother, is hilarious. Brijendra Kala once again scores. His characterization itself will make you laugh. Aamir’s sister Nikhat Khan Hegde is likeable in a cameo.

The actors who are part of team Sitaare provide applaud-worthy acts. These include, Ashish Pendse (Sunil), Simran Mangeshkar (Golu Khan), Aayush Bhansali (Lotus), Naman Misra (Hargovind), Gopikrishnan K Verma (Guddu), Rishi Shahani (Sharma ji), Aroush Datta (Satbir), Rishabh Jain (Raju), Samvit Desai (Kareem Qureshi) and Vedant Sharma (Bantu).

Overall: Sitaare Zameen Par might not be one of Aamir Khan’s best movies. But it certainly moves you and gives a message about the acceptance of specially abled children in a profound manner.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: RS Prasanna

Producers: Aamir Khan Productions

Writers: Divy Nidhi Sharma (adapted screenplay and dialogues)

Cast: Aamir Khan, Genelia Deshmukh, Gurpal Singh, Ashish Pendse, Simran Mangeshkar, Aayush Bhansali, Naman Misra, Gopikrishnan K Verma, Rishi Shahani, Aroush Datta, Rishabh Jain, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari, Brijendra Kala

Also Read: Criminal Justice (Season 4): A Family Matter review: Interesting murder mystery plus courtroom drama

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

Sitaare Zameen Par Box Office Prediction: Will Aamir Khan avoid a hattrick of flops?

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Aamir Khan is making a comeback to the big screen with director RS Prasanna’s Sitaare Zameen Par, which is a spiritual sequel to his iconic 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par. The film is very vital for him as his last two outings Thugs Of Hindostan (2018) and Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) didn’t succeed at the box office. He would be hoping to avoid a hattrick of flops. The film stars Genelia Deshmukh as Aamir’s wife.

Trailer and Promotional Material Reception: The trailer of Sitaare Zameen Par has met with a positive response. The idea of a flawed man being ordered to coach a team of 10 players suffering from Down’s Syndrome seems to have touched the audience. At the same time, the trailer is full of funny moments, which is a major plus point. The songs haven’t had the same effect but the response to the trailer has made up for it.

Sitaare Zameen Par poster

Buzz: Going by the promotional material, the buzz for Sitaare Zameen Par is quite high. There has been a positive word-of-mouth for the same. Plus, Aamir’s creative promotional tactics too have kept the film and him in the news. But as the film doesn’t fall in an out-and-out commercial zone, the buzz hasn’t hit the roof.

Box Office Prediction: The positive buzz will ensure that Sitaare Zameen Par will have a good opening. However, the film is not a masala entertainer. It’s sensible and caters more to the thinking audience. In other words, it doesn’t have a mass appeal that the desi audience from the heartland always looks for in the film. It suits more for the multiplex audience.

Hence, the opening for Sitaare Zameen Par will be somewhere in the range of Rs. 15 to 20 crores. There are still four days to go for the release of the film on June 20. If the buzz skyrockets by then, it can go beyond. But more importantly, it’s purely a content driven film and a lot will depend on its final product. If the film’s content receives thumbs up from the audience, it will perform very well in the rest of the weekend and the period thereafter.

But even if that happens, one can’t expect the film to end on Rs. 300 to 400 crores, like Aamir’s other successful films in the last decade and a half, purely because of its genre.

Also Read: Criminal Justice (Season 4): A Family Matter review: Interesting murder mystery plus courtroom drama

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

Housefull 5 Review: The film falls in the same league as Sikandar

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Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull series is going a step lower with each film. The first two films were quite good. The third one was average but watchable while the fourth one turned out to be bad and offensive. However, if you felt the franchise couldn’t stoop any lower, the makers throw in a rude surprise in the form of Housefull 5.

This one is not just the worst film of the franchise but also one of the most ridiculous films of the decade. So much so that it falls into the same league as the producer’s last film Sikandar.

Housefull 5 takes place entirely on a cruise in the UK. The seventh richest person of the country Ranjeet Dobriyal (Ranjeet) has thrown a party on the cruise to celebrate his 100th birthday. His staff includes the board of directors of his company, Maya (Chitrangda Singh), Bedi (Dino Morea) and Shiraz (Shreyas Talpade), along with cruise officer Batuk Patel (Johnny Lever) and Aakhri Pasta (Chunky Pandey). Dev, Ranjeet’s son from his second wife, is also present on the cruise.

However, just before the birthday party, Ranjeet passes away. As per his will, his 69-million-dollar fortune is to be handed over to his son from his previous marriage called Jolly. The next day three people – Jalabuddin (Riteish Deshmukh), Jalbhushan (Abhishek A Bachchan) and Julius (Akshay Kumar) – arrive at the cruise with their respective partners claiming to be Jolly. Just then, a murder takes place and the suspicion falls on one of the three Jollys.

Housefull 5 still

Housefull 5 has an interesting premise of a murder mystery where it is believed that one of the three people claiming to be Ranjeet’s son is the culprit. But the story is narrated in a way that makes you give cringe reactions throughout its huge duration of 165 minutes.

The film touted to be a ‘family comedy’ has cheap and crass situations and dialogues thrown in as humour on a regular basis. The whole parrot sequence is enough to put you off. But even if you somehow keep that incident aside (which is difficult), the narrative still doesn’t stop at regularly coming up with some of the most juvenile ways to make the you laugh.

Housefull 5 also has a murder investigation angle. Even by the standards of mainstream Hindi cinema’s most mindless films, it is shocking to see the absolute absurdity of it.

The music is as absurd as the content with ‘Laal Pari’ adding onto the irritation. The technical aspects like cinematography and editing are difficult to describe when your entire concern is to survive through the film.  

A few performances are the only plus points (just about). Akshay Kumar once again succeeds in a comic role. Jackie Shroff and Sanjay Dutt display good chemistry. Nana Patekar also chips in with a mature act (but you wonder what is he doing here). The rest of the actors, which are plenty, are nothing worth mentioning. The female cast is only used for objectification.

The makers have released two versions of the film with two different killers and named them Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B (I saw the former). But frankly, even before the interval, I lost all interest in knowing the identity of the culprit. So, there is no question of me watching the other version to know who the other killer is because that would result in my murder and there will be no mystery around it.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Director: Tarun Mansukhani

Producers: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment

Writers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Tarun Mansukhani and Farhad Samji

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Fardeen Khan, Chitrangda Singh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Johnny Lever

Also Read: Criminal Justice (Season 4): A Family Matter review: Interesting murder mystery plus courtroom drama

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

Housefull 5 Box Office Prediction

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Filmmaker Tushar Hiranandani’s multi-starrer comic caper Housefull 5 is all set to release in theatres on June 6. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, the movie stars Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueliene Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, Nana Patekar, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and many others. The film is expected to be the first big box office grosser of the year.

Housefull 5 is a franchise film, which is an advantage. This also makes it a brand name. That will work in favour of the film. Plus, all four previous movies in the franchise have been successful.

Trailer Reception: The trailer of Housefull 5 has spread far and wide. It is full of entertaining moments for the masses. The makers have given more than a hint that this one will have something happening all the time. But at the same time, a section of the audience hasn’t liked it. The adult aspects about wife-swapping and some sexual humour might not go well with the family audience.

Buzz: Going by the trailer reception, the buzz for Housefull 5 is strong. Despite the fact that the promo hasn’t received unanimously positive response, the fact remains that the film has been noticed clearly. What has also added onto the buzz is the out-of-the-box strategy of having two different climaxes with two different killers. Plus, the film with one version will be released in some theatres while other cinema halls will see a different version. This is something never heard before in any cinema.

Box Office Prediction: Going by all these factors, Housefull 5’s opening number at the box office will be around Rs. 20 crores. The first weekend will be healthy for the film. If the content gets a positive or even a decent response, its lifetime box office collections will be around Rs. 200 crores to 250 crores. If the response is bad, it might wind up around Rs. 150 crores or below.

Also Read: Criminal Justice (Season 4): A Family Matter review: Interesting murder mystery plus courtroom drama

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

Raid 2 review: Sequel to an interesting crime drama is a one-time watch

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The bug of sequels hit mainstream Hindi cinema over a decade ago and it has remained till now and there is no reason why it would disappear in the near future. The latest to join the bandwagon is filmmaker Raj Kumar Gupta’s Raid 2, a sequel to its interesting and well-made Raid (2018). Although there has been a long list of sequels, most of them have not been able to justify their existence. Raid 2, thankfully, isn’t one of them.

The corrupt minister Rameshwar Singh aka Tauji (Saurabh Shukla) is sentenced to jail after being exposed of corruption by the honest Income Tax Commissioner Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgn) at the end of the first film. Raid 2 starts seven years later in 1989. By this time, Patnaik has faced numerous transfers for troubling the powerful. He is now posted in a town in Rajasthan where he exposes the royal Raja Kunwar (Govind Namdeo).

This ensures that Patnaik gets transferred to a city called Bhoj. But this time, the reason for his transfer is also asking for a bribe of Rs. 2 crores. Once, he lands in the new place with his family, he realizes that the local politician Manohar Dhankar aka Dada Bhai (Riteish Deshmukh) is ruling Bhoj and the masses over there literally worship him for the kind deeds he does for the poor and needy. Dada Bhai, on the other hand, worships his mother (Supriya Pathak Kapur), who also loves him no ends.

But after doing his own investigation, Patnaik realizes that Dada Bhai is only pretending to be a messiah of the masses and is, in fact, thoroughly corrupt. Patnaik gets proof of this and gets his senior (Rajat Kapoor) to issue a search warrant against Dada Bhai. However, once Patnaik and his team reach Dada Bhai’s residence and other properties, they don’t find any illegal money or wealth. What will he do now?  

What works the most in the favour of Raid 2 is that, although this film is also about an honest IT Commissioner wanting to expose a corrupt figure, the story is much different from the first part. The character of Dada Bhai and the scenario of his kingdom and his deep love for his mother makes for an interesting villain and premise. The screenplay also ensures no dull moment as it keeps you gripped, except during one song.

Ritesh Deshmukh’s casting also plays an important role and so does his performance. He makes a complex character of Dada Bhai alive and provides one of his finest acts. Ajay Devgn is the backbone of the film as the protagonist. He continues from where he left in the first film and is always on point. His act is especially noteworthy when things aren’t going his way.

Amit Sial is a surprise package. This actor has been giving quality acts in web shows for years. It is heartening to see him score very high in a theatrical venture. Supriya Pathak Kapur gives a moving act as the villain’s mother. Shruti Pandey is another talent to watch out for as Patnaik’s subordinate. Rajat Kapoor is, as always, reliable. Saurabh Shukla and Govind Namdeo score as antagonists. Yashpal Sharma and Brijendra Kala are memorable despite limited screen time. Vaani Kapoor doesn’t have much to do.

But Raid 2 doesn’t rise as much as Raid. The predecessor had a number of thrilling and exciting moments. The second part is not devoid of interesting incidents but it doesn’t provide the kind of kick one expects after watching the first film. Also, this being a sequel of a film where the hero wins, the proceedings in the end don’t take you by surprise. Plus, the angle of Patnaik asking for a bribe leaves behind questions unanswered.

Overall: Raid 2 is a one-time watch anti-corruption saga with fine performances. At the box office, the film will score well till Sunday, after which it will mostly face some struggle.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Raj Kumar Gupta

Producers: T Series and Panorama Studios

Writers: Ritesh Shah, Raj Kumar Gupta, Jaideep Yadav and Karan Vyas

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani Kapoor, Supriya Pathak Kapur, Amit Sial, Rajat Kapoor

Also read: Phule review: Pratik Gandhi excels in this decent period drama

Phule review: Pratik Gandhi excels in this decent period drama

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Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitri Phule were a social reformer couple who worked for the causes like eradication of caste discrimination, women education, widow remarriage, etc. Filmmmaker Ananth Narayan Mahadevan’s Phule is a biopic on their lives and struggles.

Jyotirao is married off to Savitri when they were kids, as per the traditions and customs of that era. They both belonged to the (so-called) lower caste. Jyotirao starts educating his wife from an early age as he strongly believed that it’s important for women to be educated.

The movie starts off in 1848 when Jyotirao (Pratik Gandhi) and Savitri (Patralekhaa) are already grown-ups and working towards education of girls from their neighbourhood in Pune (then Poona). The two face strong opposition from the (so-called) upper caste people of that time.

Jyotirao’s father (Vinay Pathak) and his elder brother Raja Ram Phule (Sushil Pandey) are also strongly against the couple’s revolutionary activities, which also includes eradication of caste discrimination and encouraging widows to remarry. But Vishnupant Thatte (Adit Redij) goes out of his way to help Jyotirao and Savitri in their mission to educate girls by providing theme space to run a school despite being from the upper caste.

However, after knowing about the couple’s teaching activity, Vinayak Deshpande (Joy Sengupta) and other upper caste members vandalize their school and physically attack Jyotirao. In order to not be a problem for his family, Jyotirao and Savitri shift to the former’s old friend Usman Sheikh’s (Jayesh More) place. Usman has educated his sister Fatima (Akshaya Gurav), who stays with him. Jyotirao opens a school over there. But these aren’t the end of the problems for the couple.

Phule starts off in an abrupt manner when the plague situation of Pune is portrayed. The use of shaky camera while portraying this tragedy also turns out to be a bother. But the film comes on track once the revolutionary activities of the Phule couple begin.  

This half boldly shows the atrocities committed by the upper castes on Jyotirao and Savitri. The response of both of them makes us root for them. One is also touched to see the strong bond between the Phule couple and the Sheikh siblings. This aspect speaks a lot without speaking much, considering the times we are living in.

Phule, however, suffers in the second half. The screenplay is bereft of smoothness with one incident following other without proper flow. The narrative also becomes a lot episodic during this half. This largely affects the impact that one expects from a film based on such a revolutionary couple. The last few moments, thankfully, are a saving grace due to the emotional impact.

The film successfully recreates the bygone era through Santosh Phutane’s deft production design. The cinematography, editing and background score fall in the decent category.

The performances of the lead pair excel and rise above the script when things aren’t going great. Pratik Gandhi skillfully gets into the skin of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and recreates the late figure in a flawless way. Patralekhaa also rises to the occasion with a strong and mature performance as Savitri Phule. Jayesh More and Akshaya Gurav shine as Usman and Fatima.

Amit Behal and Joy Sengupta, as antagonists, are decent. The latter gets repetitive later. Vinay Pathak is a surprise in such a role and he does well. Alexx O’Nell, Ellie and Sara, who play British characters, succeed in leaving behind an impact. Darsheel Safary is wasted in a role that has nothing much to do. Sushil Pandey is average. He too doesn’t get much lines.

Overall: Phule is a decent period drama that has its moments and a fine performance by Pratik Gandhi.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan

Producers: Dancing Shiva Films and Kingsmen Productions

Writers: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan and Muazzam Beg

Cast: Pratik Gandhi, Patralekhaa, Jayesh More, Akshaya Gurav, Vinay Pathak, Amit Behal

Also read: Puratawn (Bengali movie) review: Sharmila Tagore provides an acting masterclass in this meditative drama