Kalki 2898AD- Movie- My View Point !!

Director Nag Ashwin vision of blending past and future with the mythological #Mahabharata and a science fiction world hits the masterstroke in casting Amitabh Bachchan as #ashwatthama - the oldest human alive from the #kurukshetra war- he is the backbone of the narrative and you cheer every time he is onscreen. The veteran superstar wows us with his infectious energy in high-octane action scenes and manages to breathe life into his character. Brilliant !!

On the other hand , Prabhas as Bhairava takes too much time to establish and the humor falls flat with so many dull scenes at least in the Hindi Dubbed verse. The #Animal inspired #BhairavaAnthem lands in the yawn territory and feels overstretched,

The long romance track between Prabhas and Disha Patani feels forced and one fidget their fingers in anticipation of something coming big- I waited for the story to move on, honestly these could have been trimmed and movie could have been 30 minutes shorter making it more crisp and interesting.

Bujji (Bu-jz-1, with a voiceover by Keerthy Suresh) is Bhairava’s AI (artificial intelligence)-powered custom-made vehicle and is underutilized but makes up for interesting watch each time it comes on-screen.

Pre-Interval there is this Brilliant scene where Supreme Yaskin Aka The Menacing Kamal Haasan is introduced and deserves an applaud for the way his character has been put forward.

#Kalki is a Brave new attempt that deserves big cheers, watch it for the visually spectacular climax sequence that looks magnificent on the big screen and sets a new benchmark !!

I will wait for the Part-2 " Kalki -Cinematic Universe " !! 

Chandu Champion (2024)- My View Point !!

#Chanduchampion wins in parts and with aplomb.. there is a scene where Murli’s mentor Tiger Ali (played brilliantly by Vijay Raaz) take
s a paralyzed Murli to watch a 40-year-old Dara Sigh still fighting, still battling, to chase an incomplete dream..it creates a WOW factor for what a neat artistic motivational scene  being pulled off for a never-say-die attitude. Kabir Khan take a bow here for bringing such kind of cinema to us- each nerve in my body got pumped up with goosebumps.

Then comes in picture some Ambitious cinematography, what with that nerve-tickling ONE-TAKE war sequence in Kashmir pre-interval with a brilliant and well-timed background score by @juliuspackiam. Gosh! I was so moved by that scene that it took me a while to come out of that zone in that theatre hall.

There is no romantic track..  There’s no prolonged struggle for recognition.. There is no performative patriotism, there is no high strung melodrama, there is no “ Desh Ke Liye Mar Mitenge kind-a-stuff”: The national anthem is not heard but ‘seen’ ( extraordinarily executed scene) through the image of a stadium rising in honor of an Indian seated in a wheelchair. And for that, I applaud the makers for keeping it about the subject and not veering into jingoism.

It's about heroism and realising your true potential, about taking your best shot each time in life despite odds being not on your side ..

Chase your dreams like crazy.. Be passionate and Work Hard for it.. Patience and dedication are the key !! 

- Mitesh Saraf

Jawan ( 2023) Movie Review- My View Point- Mitesh Saraf

There is this Grizzled, Cigar-Chomping Wolverine-Recalling SRK just before the interval and is undoubtedly what I call " Cinematically high ", the crowd went frenzy with all the whistling and hooting's when he was just casually bashing the goons with such panache and the finesse with which he carries his age is remarkable here. 

Whoever came up with the idea of making the older Shah Rukh Khan character look like a mashup of Amitabh Bachchan from Deewar and other Hollywood characters deserves a loud pat on his back.

 Not to forget the terrific bike chase highway sequences post interval that gives an adrenaline rush and makes you cheer for your superstar every time he lights up his cigar in slow motion and put his ear plugs on- the audience went berserk !! Outstanding !! 

The social-political aspects that the movie covers touches your hearts and delivers its message with great flair; the monologue at the climax on Democracy is ought to give you goosebumps with SRK looking straight into the camera acknowledged by a thunderous applause from the audience, last I felt so moved by a speech was "Sattar (70) Minute" from "Chak De! India" back in 2007. 

Anirudh's music disappoints to the core, when you have stage set for such a blockbuster there is no scope of going ordinary for the soundtrack- all songs are forgettable and urges you to take a loo break except the "Jawan Theme " and to some extent " Not Ramaiya Vastavaiya" which rolls at the end credits. There was such huge expectations from the music and it just doesn't stood upto that.

Although the background score by Anirudh remarkable and its what keeps on spinning in your head hours after you leave the cinema hall, it's that powerful and takes the action sequences and high points of the movie to an altogether another level. Sixer! Straight out of the park !

Director Atlee being at the helm of affairs there are flavors of South Indian Cinema which takes the movie at the backseat, for instance, the chemistry between Shah Rukh and Nayanthara doesn't quite hit the mark. Their love story unfolds with such swiftness that it might raise some eyebrows (Come on! is it that simple and one meeting-next-day marriage?), and Nayanthara's character, despite being a police officer, doesn't seem particularly curious about delving into her fiancé's background? Why? 

Nevertheless it's a Cinematic Masterpiece with hardly any dull moments and mesmerizing visuals that are full paisa-vasool and has a huge repeat value. Jawan is a big screen spectacle, a ride that is worth every penny you spend. It is ought to shatter all Box Office records and has Blockbuster written all over it.

Stop Everything you are doing right now and go and experience this Bollywood Extravaganza of action and emotion !

Chaleya- Song- Jawan-My View Point

When stakes are sky high from the movie, the songs have no scope to sound ordinary and below average.. #Chaleya rides high on Arijit Singh and Shilpa Rao exquisite vocals..although it’s more of a South Indian song and feels as if we are hearing a dubbed version of some normal tamil song ( same as #zindabanda) as its not your trademark Bollywood Mushy-melody ( what about their previous combo #gerua #zaalima ).

The hook line (chorus) and orchestra arrangements gives a heard-before breezy feel of previous Vishal-Shekhar numbers .. agree the picurisation and choreography catches your attention instantly and will be a treat to watch on the big screen with the Old Charm of SRK wooing the audience’s but personally considering the hype created over the young sensational music director Anirudh, I expected something that had the power to swept listeners off their feet, something that has high-recall-value, something that stays with your for months and years to come, something which makes you hit the loop button at one go.

PS- the peppy cool shirts of SRk in the song will be a rage in no time!!

OMG 2- movie - My View Point !!

There is a thought provoking scene in the movie where Akshay Kumar ( playing Lord Shiva) tells Pankaj Tripathi pointing towards a mother feeding her baby on a railway station- he says “ What do you see there, ek ‘Nirvastra Maa’ ya ek ‘bhookha bachcha’.. ‘ Har wo kaam jo chupa ke kiya jaaye Galat Nahi hota’..Writer and Director Amit Rai makes it abundantly clear that he’s going to let his characters talk in a manner that is understandable to everyone leave apart anything subtle or nuanced.

I went into the movie with all sorts of doubt, previous OMG happened in 2012 and India today of 2023 is vastly different, also It took me a while to accept where the movie was heading to the fact that this was a film which was taking up such Bold issues and start a movement which seldom any mainstream commercial cinema has attempted till date– talking up the vital importance of sex education amongst school-going children, and even more importantly, taking the shame away from such discussions, so seriously that it would get into severely explanatory mode with all the audacity and break the shackles between between the 2 generations of parents and teenager’s. 

Pankaj Tripathi as Kanti is the show stealer with his innocence and knocks it out of the park every time he is on the screen. Akhsay Kumar isn't the highlight but is brilliant in his portrayal and appears here and there to give directions to his bhakt - " Rakh Vishwas, Tu Hai Shiv Ka Das ". Yami Gautam is menacing as a shark in the courtroom and her character is portrayed in a way that you connect with the points she puts forth by nodding your head while maintaining an equal balance between both the sides and never going over the top.

India is highly populated, which means that people are partaking in intercourse irrespective of their religious beliefs. However, when it comes to talking about every aspect of it in an educational way, it is treated as something taboo. There is one scene where Kanti puts forth that when it comes to name the reproductive organs of male/female's we tend to hide the actual name and use instead 'Nunni', 'Punni', 'Shame Shame' .. it makes one question themselves ..Why? 

I know there is a part of our population who would thrash the movie for being so Direct and Bold on things we shy away to discuss in our families and it's ironic and pains my heart that the film is granted an A certificate when the crackling film must be a necessary watch for kids and teenagers which questions the lack of faith ignorant adults repose in our young people as they explore the mysteries of their bodies with natural curiosity and frankness. It's an eye opener and the need of the hour for the nation with the audacity with which it deals such a sensitive subject which no other mainstream director would even dare to think of.

Go and Watch this brave attempt which puts a question mark on our so-called society stigma and norms of being silent on such issues, although the movie feels disjointed and a bit too stretched towards the climax and the courtroom scenes sometimes fall flat with the pauses between dialogues being far too long. But all said and done this has the power to start a movement on 'Sex Education' if not today then certainly few years down the lane.

Ghoomer Movie title song review

Amit Trivedi has had a silent past few years in Bollywood whilst he was established as the next A.R.Rahman back in 2009..

His music never grabs immediate attention unlike Pritam who caters to the masses, #ghoomertitletrack is on the same lines which at the very first hear will sound quite ordinary but as you dwell deep into it you realise how artistically the song has been composed keeping in mind the theme and crux of the movie. 

Next sports anthem?? Anyone??

Gadar 2- Movie-My synopsis pre-release

There is some nice buzz around #gadar2 that a storm is waiting to explode at the box-office on the shoulders of #patriotrism #antipakistan #independenceday and a long weekend.

Considering the high-volume patriotic drama that it promises to offer, it is possible that Gadar2:The Katha Continues will do as well — maybe even better — than the original aiming at the single screens and #sunnydeol #paisavasool lines like 2 decades before. But the India in which the latter was released is very different from the India of today.

 Back then, it was possible for #Gadar, to bask in the success of loud #jingoism and #nationalistic packaging and its core, a love story in which a man is willing to leave behind his #mitti and #mazhab to be with the woman he loves.. but now the young “Gen-Z” wants a sensible cinema, they want something out of the box, something creative with brush of strokes that are artistically planned and executed practically. 

2023 will not accept #sunnydeol uprooting the handpump in an outburst, too clichéd considering the era of cinema we live in. The Director #AnilSharma sense of cinema is outdated now to say the least, I read him quoting "When people asked me how can it be possible, I told them, 'When Lakshman needed sanjeevani (herb) in Ramayan, Hanuman picked up the entire mountain.' Tara Singh may not be Hanuman but he can uproot a hand pump. We believe (in Hanuman's deeds) as we are emotionally involved. It (the scene) was a creative liberty we took, and every person sitting in the theatre watching Gadar Ek Prem Katha related with the emotions and clapped for the sequence. Many intellectuals do not understand this as they believe in working on logic alone.

Lets have a look at his chronology as a Director- "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (superhit-2001),  the Hero: Love Story of a Spy-flop (2003), Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo (flop- 2004), Apne(average-2007), Veer (terrible-2010), Singh Saab the Great ( average-2013), Genius (terrible-2018) and now #Gadar2 in 2023- It would completely be a Sunny Deol vehicle that a section of the audience will enjoy. The clap worthy dialogue, the raw appeal, the undercurrent of emotions and of course, the dhaai kilo ka haath should appeal to those who relish desi fares, especially the single screen audience’s.. 

The soundtrack is below average something we don’t expect from the stature of someone like #Mithoon, the lyrics are way too normal like we use in our day-to-day conversations.. only #Khairiyat to some extent sounds bearable.. Re-creation of #mainniklagaddileke and #uddjakaalekaava is sure to get the limelight consider the icon tag attached to both the songs, special mention to #uddjakaalekaava ( climax version ) which is sure to get lots of whistles, hootings and goosebumps once it is being played on the big screen..

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani (2023)- My View Point on the Movie !

There is this terrific scene in the movie where Tota Roy Chowdhury (Rani's Father) performs Kathak Dance and Ranveer Singh (Rocky) joins in with the song #DolaReDolaRe and then #Dhindora Baaje Re..goosebump stuff and one that deserved a standing applaud the way it was put forth. It's the films' most nuanced portrayal of masculinity, his character utters, " Hunar Ka koi gender nahi hota" and if you connect with the thought, it hits really hard deep down. 

This is the most 'Ranveer Singh' Ranveer Singh could ever be if at all, he's everything one would expect him to be in a Karan Johar Film, the ' Hellllloo Bebz, this side Rocky Randhawa ! Ranveer proves there's no limit to his range and  his infectious energy, you just can't put a pause on what his talent could do with scripts like these.

Alia Bhatt is as graceful as she could be in all the vibrant, neon colors chiffon saree's and has tremendously matured from the Shanaya of Student Of The Year to Rani here, notice the Kjo style intro of Rani with the background music playing a spin off on " Mere Sapno Ki Rani" .. WoW

I loved the part where Ranveer must unlearn his Punjabi entitled upbringing and transform from a brat to a role sharing Gen-Z guy who performs Kathak and goes lingerie shopping ( again a very powerful scene with a great message ) with her English Speaking mom who is said to be the family's Shashi Tharoor who says Global Positioning System instead of GPS ! Crazy stuff..

Karan here does a Raju Hirani in the second half, the emotional sequences infused with a funny line and action underneath a social message that is an eye opener and makes one think and put a question mark on the so called society standards we have set and live in ( read patriarchy, misogyny, cancel culture, male dominant families). He brings his trademark Bollywood-ness and mixes it so well with old Bollywood nostalgia- "Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar" or "Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai"..

Karan Johar's extravagant vision is fantastically supported by the flamboyance of designer Manish Malhotra and stylist Eka Lakhani..clearly no one in the industry justifies Bollywood like they do.

Agree at some point it feels a bit exaggerated and so overly melodramatic but one must also not forget that it's coming from the stable of Karan Johar who is known for his stereotype Bollywood style from the days of Kuch Kuch Hota hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum.

Special mention to the unreleased Sonu Nigam-Shilpa Rao track in the climax that will make you a shed a tear or one for sure and brace yourself for the ever lost Shahid Mallya song in the post credits, although Tum Kya Mile and What Jhumka! have already stormed the charts and hearts of music lovers !

Go and laugh your heart and intestines out through this glitzy glamour cinematic extravaganza. At close to 3 hours, this may seemed a tad bit overstretched but all said and done this is what our mainstream Bollywood movies are all about. 

My advice- Don't go by the uptight cynical pseudo-intellectual reviews if you love your Bollywood cinema and respect all the hardwork that each and every artist has put in to bring together a masterpiece.

-Mitesh Saraf

Pathaan- My View Point ! Jan-2023- Movie Review

Remember Siddharth Anand's last 2 ventures- " Bang Bang "(2014) and " War "(2019), mix of action-style-good looks-hotness-chiselled six pack abs body-fabulous music, Pathaan lands straight away in that very genre with lots of Boom Boom and Bam Bam.

John Abraham has never looked so sexy and rich as here and he walks hand in hand with the maestro SRK star power. Deepika Padukone oomph’s up the hotness quotient to another level with some stellar looks and dance moves in "Besharam Rang"- the only song in the movie which is a great change as far as masala entertainers are concerned.

The Good- Super Vfx with Hollywood class action stuff, no forced love angles, no mushy love tracks, no kisses here and there, no cheesy lines, the dialogues are the real star with some solid punch lines that deserves an applause every time. A brilliant post interval sequence with our very own "Tiger" - The Salman Khan and a super chemistry between both of them.

The bad- Keep your brains at home storyline and treatment, some death defying mission impossible's which they made it look like mickey mouse stuff, some unnecessary over the top chase sequences and forcefully induced deshbhakti.

Overall, a good paisa wasool popcorn munching nail biting entertainer without a dull moment in it. Blockbuster material!!

M.S.Dhoni:The Untold Story: My View Point!

There is a scene in the movie when M.S.Dhoni (played exceptionally by Sushant Singh Rajput) is being informed by his friends about his selection in the Indian Team whilst he was in the midst of a Badminton match and asked them to let him finish the rally first and didn’t reacted to this Big Good news until the point was over, this short scene had many layers beneath it, the dedication (badminton here), the humbleness, the simplicity. The same personality can be seen when his friend comes to meet him at the hotel after he is the captain of Indian Cricket Team and mocks him that today also he is acting to be talking on the phone just to make a fool out of him reminding him of a instance of his TTE days, its impeccable to see how calmly and patiently Dhoni handles that moment without getting this to his ego and agree to his friends remark and then when he talks about the way that girl was dressed who helped him to reach the room, he says: 'Haa Hum Dekhte Hai, Karte Hai Kuch Bhaiya'. 

Neeraj Pandey (Direction, Story, Screenplay) has a certain trademark style where he invests patiently in long scenes and let the heavy background music and character speaks instead of mushy dialogues. For instance, just before interval we see MSD frustrated with his TTE job while he sits on a platform amidst the rain, suddenly a train comes, it stops, a door opens and then he can hear the "Dhoni.. Dhoni.. Dhoni.." chant in his mind and then the train starts to depart, he thinks for 5 seconds, then rush to the train and enters that door. This was a very powerful scene where he chooses his gut feeling at that time while quitting the TTE job, he identified the door of opportunity and before it was too late, he grabbed that it with both hands. That's what happens in real life also, Luck as defined by Mr.Harsha Bhogle is nothing but preparation and recognition (of opportunity).

Preparation: The movie depicts the school life of Dhoni where its commendable to see how he manages his three hours exam in two and half hours and rush to the railway station, board a train and then play the tournament, this is what it takes to be successful, this is the amount of hard work and dedication required for someone to achieve big in life. 

Cricket is not just a sport but it’s a Religion in our country, it was highly emotional to relive the 2011 world cup victory in the climax, no one can forget the contribution of Maahi in that match, his instinct as soon as he sees Muttiah Murlidharan at the bowling end, his brave decision to come up before Yuvraj at such big moment which could have gone anywhere, he seized that moment with his performance, raised his game when it was needed to and that is the quality of a great sportsman who is well prepared physically and mentally, identifies the right opportunity and hits the ball out of the ground! Feel lucky to be born in an era where a Helicopter shot was invented!