Paatal Lok Review: Goes from Paatal Lok Straight to Swarg!

Amazon Prime Video came out with a neo-noir thriller series 'Paatal Lok'. The series stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh and Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee in the lead roles with Gul Panag, Deepak Tiwari, Rajesh Sharma supporting this able cast. This 9 episode series is directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy and produced by Anushka Sharma. 

                                                     

What's Good: Acting: Terrific acting performances by such a talented cast but it is Ishwak Singh's Imran Ansari who stands out and shines. Story: The story is undoubtedly the real king of Paatal Lok. Dark, Gritty, Merciless and Ruthless storyline is extremely phenomenal and totally leaves you in splits. Cinematography: The story needed a good complement from the cinematography which is delivered to it by the ace director and cinematographer. Technicalities: The technicalities of the series is decent however choppy editing in parts makes things appear a bit hammy. Relevance: The relevance of this series resonates a 10-fold as per the current times.

                                     

What's Bad: Forced Melodrama: Even though it is meant for the side story purpose, the melodrama in episodes 5&6 unexpectedly take the front seat and thrill gets lost in somewhere amidst the melodrama. An additional episode: Perhaps removing either of the episodes mentioned above would suffice!

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Anushka, the producer never disappoints! And this time also, she did not! 'Paatal Lok' qualifies for a MUST WATCH only if you can tolerate violence, cuss words and blood.....lots of blood! I am going with 3.75 stars for 'Paatal Lok'. Do watch it! It deserves a lot of love and appreciation!

                                       

Qissa Controversy Ka: IMDB Ratings!

Worldwide, the ratings from the movie portal Internet Movie Database (IMDb) ratings play a huge role in determining a person's mind to watch a particular movie in the theatre or at home! Even though these ratings neutralize over time, IMDB ratings continue to be a major driver of a person's choice to watch a movie in theatres or not which contributes to its box office collection that describes a movie's fate as a Flop/Average/Hit.

                                 

Of recently, the platform has been grossly been misused because even if a movie is a good movie and worthy money-spinner, it does not get it due credit at the place where it matters the most: The Ticket Windows and gets declared as a Flop. There are certain movies which in spite of no content and poor ratings still manage to rake in money, the movie in question being Baaghi 3 (2020) which raked in 95 crores at the Box office, undeservingly. Another instance where the movie worked because of the only star power is Race 3 (2018) which managed 166 crores at the box office. While as fore-mentioned movies deserve the IMDb ratings they have, their box office collection speaks otherwise!

                                              

Great movies like Chhapaak (2020), Thappad (2020), Mulk (2018) all flopped and have low IMDb ratings even though they were great movies. They even have a decent amount of star power to attract the audience to the theatres but unfortunately, all of these folded below 35 crores and were all mid-budget affairs. However, with time the rating of Mulk has neutralized to a worthy score of 7.2/10, the others have a long way to go! So why do these movies with good content, decent star value fail? The most likely answer for this can be attributed to the rise of Hyper-Nationalism in the country. All of these fore-mentioned movies had a prominent figure of the movie who opposed certain particular government policy and thus their movies faced boycott. The biggest example is Chhapaak, which deserved a higher box office collection than what it earned eventually.

                                              
                                                                       

This can also be confirmed by the success of movies which depict extreme nationalism. The mammoth success of movies like Uri (2019), Kesari (2019), Toilet (2018) are a testament to this fact. Not saying that these were bad movies, it is just that these movies did not 'deserve' the rating they have on IMDb (all over 7). For example, at the time of release, Uri was riding high with an IMDb score between 9.5-10 which I believe this movie did not deserve. This 9.5-10 score on IMDb reflected in the movie's collections where it earned 245.55 crores and was an all-time blockbuster. Same goes for Kesari and Toilet.

                                                     
                                                                 

All in all, not saying that the phenomenon of hyper-nationalism is wrong (since we never saw it for the longest time until 2014), it is simply incorrect to MIX a movie and a person's personal political inspiration. We have seen this phenomenon rise exponentially and making money so now, it has started affecting the kind of cinema we see. The recently released 'Commando-3' movie was absolutely a decent action movie where all of a sudden towards the last 20 minutes, 'unity' and 'nationalism' sprung up and a strictly average movie became 'good' in the eyes of the public and managed to break-even at the ticket windows! Another instance where the love for the country developed out of nowhere was in the movie 'Pagalpanti' (2019) which too, earned decently but (gladly) flopped due to its high budget! For example, for Commando-3 people were like 'Message was Good only if the direction/execution could have been better.' This fact suggests that even a bad movie might do wonders at the box office if it has a 'nationalistic' flavour to it! If we start mixing Cinema with Political Aspirations, the cinema shall be headed into a direction where creativity and novelty shall take a backseat and each and every movie shall end up having a nationalistic touch to them!

                                               

This phenomenon of 'rating down' something due to credentials was first observed when Snapchat CEO said: "He shall not expand in poor countries like India and Spain." Post which, our countrymen uninstalled Snapchat and rated it 1 star whereas Spanish decided to work harder and prove him wrong! So we can observe that our countrymen chose a 'more-convenient' way of dealing with the situation than actually put in the effort to prove him wrong. It is highly likely a similar approach was taken in case of the fore-mentioned movies without even thinking the effort and time that goes into making a movie (can vouch for it having worked in one!) Hence, we need to clearly separate Cinema as a different industry and politics as a different industry. Intermingling the two, would lead to a disastrous result and monotonous movies!

Maska Review: Smooth, Flavored and Long Lasting Maska!!!

Amidst this quarantine period, we have been supported by various OTT platforms for our entertainment. Netflix released their own movie, 'Maska' starring Manisha Koirala, Prit Kamani, Shirley Setia, Nikita Dutta and Jaaved Jaafri! 'Maska' follows a basic premise of a Mother-Son relationship explored through dreams and the age-old family cafe 'The Rustom Cafe'.

                                            

What's Good: Acting: It is such a delight to watch the beautiful and super talented Manisha Koirala onscreen. She is absolutely delightful. Prit is great as Rumi. Nikita is terrific as Mallika. It is Shirley Setia who as Persis is inconsistent as a Parsi girl. Plot: The plot is absolutely simple, straight forward and adorable. Simplicity is Charming. Technicalities: The technicalities are good and decently done. 

                                    

What's Bad: Second-Second Half: The last 20 minutes of the movie is a bit of a letdown but can be overlooked considering the journey it takes! 

                                    

Final Word: 'Maska' comes close to being the next 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham' but falls short but is nonetheless a delightful and amazing watch! It is probably the better takes on a Mother-Son relationship and should not be missed! I rate 'Maska' 3.5 stars! Watch it and make you quarantine worthwhile!

                                   

Thappad Review: Crisp, Hard and Deserved!

Even after days of viewing this movie, it has been incredibly difficult for me to review this Taapsee Pannu starrer movie. For everyone considering that it was 'just a slap', Thappad in this movie is just a Metaphor. The movie also stars Tanvi Azmi, Ratna Pathak, Kumud Mishra, Geetika Vidya Ohalyan, Manav Kaul, Dia Mirza, Maya Sarau and Pavail Gulati. It is directed by Anubhav Sinha previously known for 'Article 15', 'Mulk' etc.

                                                

What's Good: Acting: There is absolutely nothing that can be picked out. Perfection by an ensemble cast. Screenplay: For a subject like this, the screenplay could have faltered but Anubhav Sinha and co-writer Mrunmayee Lagoo do it with such finesse and perfection, there is not a single false note. Story: Its biggest strength is the writing. The movie is not at all male-bashing but shows the positive side of men as well. The climax choked me! Music: 'Ek Tukda Dhoop' shines and shines on. Technicalities: Editing, Background Score, Cinematography, everything is PITCH PERFECT.

                                     

What's Bad: NOTHING! At most, apart from 'Ek Tukda Dhoop' none of the songs make an impact.

                                           

Final Word: 'Thappad' is just a metaphor in the movie. Thappad is Anubhav Sinha's and the BEST FILM  in at least the last 10 years and features Taapsee's BEST PERFORMANCE so far. It's not about smashing the patriarchy or anything, it is just the story of a regular housewife who refuses to brush things under the carpet for 'family honour'. Thappad is near to PERFECT FILM. In my 4 years of blogging, I have never rated a movie so high but Thappad is an ABSOLUTE WATCH and gets 4.75 stars! I cannot stress the fact that how much perfection the film has obtained and the fact that it should NOT BE MISSED AT ALL! There can be a whole length and so much to discuss about this movie! Please let me know if you are willing to discuss!

                                            

P.S. If you have seen the movie, PLEASE encourage your FAMILY & RELATIVES but do NOT miss it!

JJ Review: Jawaani Jaanemann, Hasee(n) Dilruba, Mile 2 Dil jawaan, Kamaal ho Gaya!

So this week saw the release of Saif's 'Jawaani JaaneMann' which also stars Alaya F(Pooja Bedi's daughter) and has Tabu in a special appearance. The cast is supported by an amazing Kumud Mishra, Farida Jalal, Kubbra Sait to name a few. It is directed by 'Notebook' fame Nitin Kakkar.

                      

                                                  

What's Good: Performances: Saif is in the terrific form! Alaya is amazing with her acting and so is the mesmerizing Tabu! Supporting Cast does well too! 1st Half: The 1st Half is downright terrific and Hilarious. Music: 'Gallan Kardi', 'Bandhu Ho Gaya' were my takeaways from this decent album. Maturity: The movie deals with the subject with pre-marital pregnancy in kids pretty maturely and does well in that. Direction: The direction is top-notch and lifts this quirky story.

                                           

What's Bad: Too Little of Tabu: Tabu is merely just in for 20 minutes and I wish she was there in larger screen time. 2nd Half: When the emotional part kicks in, the movie loses grip and mainly since the emotional scenes are not 'emotional enough' to keep one invested. It would have been great if the movie would have stuck to its original premise and not gone down the emotional side!

                                       

Overall, JJ is a decent one time watch mainly due to the quirkiness it has and that beautiful Alaya! It is 'Happy Go Lucky' kind of a movie that is best enjoyed after a tiring day at work. It is 'Safe' (sorry had to do it) to go with 3 stars for this Decent watch.

                                    

P.S. I  would still recommend people to watch 'Panga'  if you haven't!

Panga Review: A Panga you should take!

Kangana Ranaut's 'Panga' released this week. It co-stars Neena Gupta, Jassie Gill, Richa Chaddha and Yagya Bhasin. Being promoted as a tale of motherhood and revolving around the comeback of a mother in Kabaddi, the movie is more than what appears to the eye! It is directed by 'Bareilly ki Barfi' director, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari.

                                               

What's Good: Acting: The performances of the film are simply outstanding! From Kangana to Yagya and even the supporting cast, everyone shines and how! Kangana's chemistry with Jassie Gill is mind-blowing.  Story: A simple story that can be interpreted in different ways. Direction: When the plot is predictable, it boils down to the director and Ashwiny Iyer knows her craft too well to go wrong. Technical Aspects: Everything is pitch-perfect here. The music might be underwhelming for some people! 

                                     

What's Bad: This section is simply about nitpicking. Music: Apart from Jugnu, the songs feel underwhelming. Predictability: The story is a tad bit too predictable leading some people to lose interest too soon!

                                     

Overall, 'Panga' is perhaps the most beautiful amalgamation of Dreams and Duties in the most real way. It can be interpreted as an inspiring story about never giving up or perhaps My interpretation of Panga is that it uses Kabaddi as its base and portrays to us the dynamics and unconditional love of the family! I am going with 4.25 stars! It is a complete package! A MUST WATCH!

                                      

P.S. No matter how busy you are! Do take out time and take the Panga!

Oscars kill Creativity.

With the Oscar nominations due this Monday, the 13th, I tend to highlight the fact how the Academy is highly skewed in their nomination and choices, it is pretty clear that the Oscars tend to kill creativity. How? Let's find out!

                                                  

To begin with the prominent awards in acting, the Academy is in love to nominate and award the characters based on real-life personalities or based on the book or on characters based on period dramas. For instance, the biggest snub of the decade was Glenn Close losing out the Best Actress for 'The Wife', to Olivia Colman for a period drama 'The Favourite'.  Another instance was the much deserved Charlotte Rampling losing to Brie Larson at the Oscars 2015 where Charlotte was nominated for a fictional drama '45 Years' and Larson for 'Room' based on a book by the same name. This year also there is a huge chance that in spite of clearly a superlative performance by Scarlett Johanson in Marriage Story(a fictional story),  the Academy will be rewarding Renee Zellweger for 'Judy' or Charlize Theron for 'Bombshell' both of whom are based on real-life characters of Judy Garland and the journalist Megyn Kelly. So, the main issue in rewarding these artist portraying real-life people is the fact that (in my opinion), the actors tend to LIMIT themselves to those characters and failed to go beyond the limitations of the personality which may/may not help them evolve because playing such characters is more about impersonification than adding creativity and with the Academy rewarding such characters only prompts the producers and directors to make more biopics that shall serve the academy more than the audience. A similar pattern was observed in male actor category where the magnificent William Dafoe was the only nomination from a fictional film and the rest were based on real-life personality or a book. Hence, here the Academy is profusely skewed to book adaptations or biopics. Hence it appears that the director and the producers if at all consider making a fictional movie they go for books rather than their own minds because of the Academy's love for biopics and books. Hence, the Academy should reconsider its guidelines because the releases we have nowadays, there will be a time when we shall only see biopics and book adaptations and the creative minds will go extinct.

Similarly, in the Costumes category, the academy is highly skewed to rewarding period or fantasy drama. What the Academy fails to understand and also stated by fashion designer Jurgen Doering is the fact that in the race to award the more lavish or the more stylish costumes, the academy clearly forgets to reward those designers who design costumes based on the character’s nature, for example, Mary Zophres’ costume for Mia (Emma Stone) in La La Land was aptly done as it matched her character’s positivity and even dwelled with the surroundings. Not only Mia’s but also Sebastian’s costumes matched his character, his negativity and hence it can be said that the rightful recipient should have been Mary Zophres. 

                                                    

Hence with 3 poignant categories being awarded on the basis of something not very appropriate, the Academy should reconsider its guidelines because the releases we have nowadays, there will be a time when we shall only see biopics and book adaptations and the creative minds will go extinct. For example, touted as this year's best Oscar bet, "The Irishman" is also based on the book, 'I heard you paint houses', which in turn is based on the life of Frank Sheeran or The Irishman. Hence, with such adaptations taking the front seat for the Oscars, the Academy may not be affected or feel the need to change their guidelines.

                                                      
Moreover, since a movie's success is usually determined by the 'Oscars' it takes home or the nominations, the Academy should be better at the allotment of movies in their respective categories!