The Bollywood Elephant

  As previously mentioned in my post on the movie 'Tribhanga', Netflix is continuously churning out some phenomenal body of work, and this week it is 'The White Tiger' based on the Booker Prize-winning book of the same name written by Aravind Adiga. The movie stars Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra Jones, Adarsh Gourav, and Vijay Maurya in prominent roles! It is written and directed for the screen by Ramin Bahrani.                                               There is so much to speak about the amazing work the actors have done on this film. Adarsh Gourav and his filmography have always been fascinating to me when he started off his career in a Manoj Bajpayee film called 'Rukh', he was destined for staying in cinema. He owns each and every frame he is in(except the ones with RR) and commands your attention. In particular, when he confronts a beggar. His consideration among 'potential' nominees for Golden Globe Best Actor is a testament to his prowess. Rajk

2021 has begun on an extremely interesting and amazing note for our entertainment industry. In a span of 15 days the entertainment industry has gifted us with some great content like Nailpolish (Zee5), Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi, Gullak Season 2 (Sony Liv), and now the streak continues with Tribhanga (Netflix). The movie stars Kajol, Tanvi Azmi, Mithila Palkar in the lead roles, and the men Kunal Roy Kapoor, Manav Gohil, Vivek Tattwaadi, Kanwaljit Singh among others. It is directed by Renuka Shahane who is better known as Madhuri Dixit's elder sister in Hum Aapke Hain Koun! \                                              Whats's Good:  Acting:  The performances by each and every actor is phenomenal. They embrace their characters with so much conviction that one cannot distinguish between the reel and real characters. Story and Direction:  The story is beautiful and intricately told by Renuka Shahane! Her directions evoke the right emotions at the right time and you cannot help but get

 This year has been tough for the movies and everyone associated with cinema. In 2020, a total of 27 notable releases came out in theatres, and approximately 35 movies released on OTT platforms like  Netflix, Prime Video, Hotstar, etc. Considering the dull and gloomy 2020 has been, the Bollywood Elephant has decided to only focus on the positives and the best films and series 2020 has offered!                                               First, we pick the best actors, music, dialogues, singers, story, screenplay, direction, and finally my Top 5 films of the year! FILMS: Best Actor (Male):  This year it was really tough to pick 1 when one is spoilt for choices. However solely based on this man's phenomenal performance as Aaloo and the entry scene in particular sealed the deal for me to pick him as the performer of the year (male). Rajkummar Rao yet again proved how effortlessly he transforms from Aaloo in Ludo to Montu sir in Chhalaang! I wish he gets his due at the box-office so

 2 years after the debacle of 'Jagga Jasoos', director Anurag Kashyap is back with his multi starer movie, 'Ludo'. The movie stars Rajkummar Rao, Abhishek Bachchan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, Asha Negi, Pearl Maane, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Shalini Vatsa. It is scripted, directed, and photographed by Basu himself who collabs with his companion, Pritam for music!                                                   What's Good:  Acting: This time RR walks away with the cake from Tripathiji's hand. He is terrific. Abhishek, Tripathiji, Aditya, Rohit, Pearl, Lata, and everyone else is absolutely PHENOMENAL. Fatima might be a hindrance however can be overlooked! Story:  Basuji's writing is absolutely phenomenal. No one could have made an anthology so nicely and connected the dots so beautifully. Music:  'Hardum Humdum', 'Abaad Barbaad', 'Dil Julaha' are absolute gems and Pritam gives us one of the few albums worth remembe

Even in lockdown, Akshay Kumar treats us to his horror-comedy flick 'Laxmii' directed by Raghav Lawrence. The movie is based on the Tamil flick 'Kanchana' which was also helmed by Lawrence. The movie also stars Ayesha Raza, Ashwini Kaleskar, Sharad Kelkar, Rajesh Sharma as the able supporting cast! The movie is an OTT release available on Disney+Hotstar.                                                             What's Good:  Performances:  Akshay Kumar gives the performance of his career. He portrays Laxmii with exemplary conviction and words fall short to praise this man. Sharad Kelkar, Ayesha Raza, Ashwini Kaleskar provide extreme support to Akshay's performance. Message:  The message finds relevance in today's world and is necessary. Comic Relief:  Ayesha Raza and Ashwini provide some much needed comic relief in this movie.                                                                                   What's Bad:  Screenplay:  The screenplay of t