MOVIE REVIEW – RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0 (2016)

Today we are here with a review of a psychological thriller – movie named RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0. Co-produced, co-written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, it is a movie of a psycho murderer of the present Mumbai, who is inspired by the Psychopath serial killer namely Raman Raghav of 1960s who terrorized the Mumbai at that time & killed about 41 people in cold blood.

As always, Anurag Kashyap has always something different in his kitty, Raman Raghav 2.0 is a story of a psycho killer Ramanna (Nawazuddin) from the lower strata of life who is in search of his soulmate Raghav (Vicky Kaushal), a drug addict ACP, to complete Raman Raghav. It is clear when Ramanna says of Raghav: “Apni mukti aurat mein dhoondh raha hai” implying that it is he who is actually his salvation.

The movie revolves around its two main protagonists Ramanna and Raghav. Ramanna (Nawazuddin) hunts and kills, he uses a metal rod as his weapon to crush victims’ head, leaving behind pool of blood without any remorse. Raghvan (Vicky Kaushal) does the same. Due to excessive use of drugs, he is unable to sleep, and behaves strangely with his father. He ways of dealing with his girlfriend (Shobbhita Dhulipala) is also very rough.

Both Ramanna and Raghav share much in common. Both have emerged from filthy surroundings; belong to worlds that are rotten and foul. Be it the filthy slums or a decaying middle class family. Both Ramanna and Raghav are also creatures bred and brought up in patriarchy, are victims of it. No wonder women, however strong-willed, get the worst end of the stick, be it Ramanna’s victims or Raghav’s girls.

The story must have told us more about the past circumstances of Ramanna which shaped him like he is, there is an issue with his sister (Amruta Subhash), which hints some disturbed past which too is very brief. Ramanna’s madness is spot on, but the lack of detailing by exploring his past reduces the talented Nawazuddin to a man trailing a rod and doesn’t add his character of showing us what is the reality of his being such a kind.

The turn of the film is the portrait of the serial killer. The creature of Mumbai mythology and folklore is brought alive with added shades of the dark and the menacing in this brand new avatar. Glowing cat eyes, a scar running down his forehead, at times wearing his own sister’s earrings, humming “aadmi musafir hai” and moving around with an iron car-jack in hand, searching madly for victims, hiding in mud and rising up from it plastered with sewage dirt. He has his individual philosophy: that he has a wireless access to God, that he is the messenger of Yamraj who is telling him to pick people up and kill them.

Star Peformance:-

Nawazuddin, has once again stealed the show with role as a psychopath killer. He has adopted his character of Ramanna with perfection and has looked scary.

Vicky Kaushal, as a drug addict cop, Raghavendra Singh has looked good and carried his character.

Sobhita Dhulipala as Raghavendra’s girlfriend Simmy Naidu has played her role impressively.

Problems:

The biggest problem with Raman Raghav 2.0 is that it glorifies bloodshed. The climax monologue will run your patience thin. Can you digest the logic that killing for insanity is better than killing in the name of religion?

The violence against women is on the rise in the film. In one of the scenes, a man assaults his girlfriend in the presence of two policemen. The cops have been assigned as her personal security guards, to protect her from a notorious serial killer, yet they watch wordlessly when her own boyfriend roughs her up. Raghav, a drug addict, careless cop is repeatedly blamed by his girlfriend for the three abortions she undergoes.

I personally think that every movie must have some message for its viewers which is missing in the present movie.

Final words:

Die hard fans of Nawazuddin may watch the movie, but for the others it is hard to watch.

My ratings for this movie is 2.2 out of 5 stars.

So keep following the page, good day till the next review

Bogal | R E V I E W S

MOVIE REVIEW – SAIRAT - MARATHI (2016)

Today we are here with a review of a most talked about Marathi movie of the year which has been acclaimed largely by the audiences and the film critics all over the country and which has grossed over 100 crore mark over the box office, the feat none of the Marathi movie has ever achieved. Yes, it is about Nagraj Manjule’s second directorial movie – SAIRAT (2016). This is the second directorial movie of Manjule after his National Award winning Marathi movie – Fandry (meaning Pig) that was mainly based on the cast based discrimination prevailing in the country in general and in Maharashtra in particular.

Unlike 'Fandry', 'Sairat' doesn't delve entirely on caste discrimination but it is based on honour killing. With the story revolving around two youngsters belonging to different socio-economical strata of the society, the discrimination angle is there. The difference here is more of hurt pride and fake honour that makes 'Sairat' what it is.

Manjule being a dalit has taken up a bold theme by showcasing a love story of a lower caste boy (fishermen family) with a upper caste (Patil) girl. There are numerous examples of such upper caste and lower caste love stories in bollywood movies but none has ever dared to talk about which caste both belong to.

Through this movie we can see the real villages and deep rooted caste based discrimination still existing in our society. Be it the village Patil's well where the rest of the villagers may swim only at the Patil family's pleasure, be it the birthday bashes of Patils’ children where the entire village is invited  and, last but not the least be it the depiction of 'lower caste' basti far from the main village  tells us the situation that exists in villages even today.

SAIRAT is a story of a young boy Parshya (Akash Thosa) of lower caste (fishermen) boy who falls in love with a upper caste (Patil) girl Archi (Rinku Rajguru) and their struggle to be unite despite all odds and opposition of the society. It also shows their inner struggle & love bond to be together despite their economically opposite backgrounds.

One of the strong points of the film is that it doesn't rely on known faces. Akash and Rinku both were debutantes but their performance is at par with seasoned actors. Nagraj Manjule, however, clearly knows how to tell his storymaking that is why, Sairat, being a nearly 3 hours saga hardly leaves you off the hook in the entire duration.

At the climax of the movie, in the name of fake honour both the lovers are killed mercilessly and the most painful is their infant kid who is left unaware of the misdeed happened to him. It also justifies the title of the movie SAIRAT which means Wild. This movie makes opponents of inter-caste marriage question themselves: What kind of casteism is this? The silence, especially at the end gives views space to think.

Star Peformance:-

Akash Thosar, being a debutant has played his role of lower caste fisherman youngster with perfection.

Rinku Rajguru, also being a debutant teenager played her role of a Patil girl with full dedication and perfection. She won a Special Jury award for her performance as she deserved the best actress prize for her performance of Archie’s changing emotions in her journey from a village to a city, from riches to rags, from a pampered child to a working woman.

What’s bad: It is a love story of teenage or 17-18 years young youths. The film maker must have taken this thing into consideration and have had taken some mature characters. Anyways, it is upto my way of thinking.

Final words:

This movie doesn’t need any English subtitles to understand Marathi because love has not language. So, never even think that it is a Marathi movie and can’t be understood. A must watch movie, I loved it.

My ratings for this movie is 4 out of 5 stars.

So keep following the page, good day till the next review

Bogal | R E V I E W S

MOVIE REVIEW – UDTA PUNJAB (2016)

Here comes most controversial and talked about movies of the recent times – UDTA PUNJAB, after the 89 cuts by the Censor Board, relief by the Bombay High Court and the online leak of the Censor copy of the movie two days before the official release. This is the third directorial movie of ISHQIYA and DEDH ISHQIYA fame Abhishek Chaubey. One thing is for sure that movie with which Anurag Kashyap is associated have something new for its viewers.

UDTA PUNJAB is based on the drug menace prevailing in Punjab which is ruining the youth through the help of influential people and the Youth Icons misguiding them. This portrayal of Punjab in the present movie is much different from the Punjab of Yash Raj movies and the other Bollywood and Punjabi movies. ‘Sarson ke Khet’ of this movie are much scary than we have seen before in other movies.

The movie takes a gripping start with a discuss thrower in Pakistan throwing the packet of banned powder into Indian territory. It explores the state of youth, especially teenagers who have succumbed to substance abuse thanks to false idols like Tommy Singh. Movie stresses on Punjab soon becoming another Mexico is quite validly portrayed.

The movie also depicts who the drugs are hassle freely available to teenagers without any prescription and how drugs are transported freely with the help of corrupt policing system.

The movie revolves around its four main characters, viz Tommy Singh – a Cocaine addict rockstar ruining the life of youths, a Bihari Migrant girl – who accidently lands into trouble when she got the packet thrown from across the border into the farm, and she was captured by local hooligans and drug suppliers who pull her into addiction & also used her sexually, Sartaj – a corrupt cop from narcotics department who fight against drug menace when his young brother turns out to be an addict and Preet – a doctor who runs a rehab. for drug addicts and struggling to fight against drugs.

But the second half loses its grip. Love affairs of Tommy & Pinky and                Cop-Doc are quite out of place and like any other bollywood love story angle. Characters like Tommy’s manager are left loose ends post interval.

Climax of the film feels a bit sudden. But how else could a film end when the battle against drugs is still on? Imagine a state with its first line of control has one third of its youth population addicted to substances. But western-style gunfight like Ishqiya and Dedh Ishqiya brings Udta Punjab to its unlikely and unconvincing climax.

Star Peformance:-

Shahid Kapoor, like his performance in his earlier movie HAIDER played his role as a cocaine addict rockstar to a near perfection but in some scenes he look over.

Alia Bhatt played her part of a Bihari immigrant labourer marvellously. She has taken a big challenge to pick up a role like that but has performed with ease and picked up Bihari accent quite well.

Kareena Kapoor Khan as Doctor Preet has look good as always and picked up Punjabi accent quite well even better than in JAB WE MET.

Diljit Dosanjh made his debut in bollywood through this movie. He also looked good as a cop but in a scene when he slams Gabru for ruining the future of youth with his drug propagating songs, he is very good.

Final words:

Shorter duration of the movie may have more impact. Too much use of absurb language could have been avoided to attract more audience. It is not a family film but a message giving, undeniably purposeful commercial film. Don’t miss it.

My ratings for this movie is 3 out of 5 stars.

So keep following the page, good day till the next review

Bogal | R E V I E W S

MOVIE REVIEW – TE3N (2016)

An official remake of 2013 Korean movie – MONTAGE and second directorial movie of Ribu Dasgupta, whose first film, the Anurag Kashyap-produced Michael (2011), remains unreleased despite premiering in the Toronto International Film Festival, also gets some relief with the release of TE3N. The movie suffers from a pronounced Kahaani hangover because director Sujoy Ghosh is one of the producer in the movie TE3N as he used a lot of the same motifs — crumbling houses, suspicious old men and the lonely bylanes of old Kolkata city.

TE3N is a suspense thriller based on the story of a grandfather, John Biswas (Amitabh Bachchan) whose young granddaughter Angela Roy is kidnapped eight years’ ago and Martin (Nawazuddin), who is the investigating officer of the case at that time and now a Priest in the Church due to guilt of accidental death of the little kidnapped girl.

The movie starts with introducing the audience to the eight-year-old kidnapping case of a young girl, whose grandpa, John visit Police Station daily in hope of some light in the case. As its name suggests TE3N never wavers off from its three principal characters - the granddad John Viswas (Amitabh), present cop Sarita (Vidya Balan) and cop turned priest (Nawaz), each of who is involved with the case for reasons of their own. Though slow in pace, but the story never lets you leave even for a loo break and maintain the suspense right till the end and makes it a must-watch for those who like mysteries.

With gritty determination John makes it his life's mission to resolve his granddaughter's abduction and murder mystery. Nothing will stop him—not old age, an erratic scooter or his duties to his wheelchair-bound wife. Eight years after abduction of young Angela’s disappearance, a similar kidnapping puts the spotlight back on the case. John, Martin and a new Inspector Sarita Sarkar (Vidya Balan) begin their hunt for the criminal. What is fascinating is that the modus operandi seems to be similar to the Angela case.

Te3n also benefits from first-rate technical inputs. The stunningly effective combined work of cinematographer Tushar Kanti Ray, editor Gairik Sarkar & production designer Tanmay Chakraborty. Background music is also good but the songs sound a little out of sync with Kolkata.

 
Star Peformance:-

Amitabh Bachchan once again has looked brilliant in the movie like in PIKU and WAZIR, I must say as he is growing old, he is doing wonders as an actor. Nawazuddin as Police officer and later as a father is looking good as always but he has some problem with that catholic ascent while performing role of Priest and last but not the least as always Vidya has also played her role with perfection.

Final words:

For the serious movies seekers, the instant movie has something for them. Morever, despite being an average thriller, still is better than many senseless Bollywood movies.

My ratings for this movie is 3 out of 5 stars.

So keep following the page, good day till the next review

Bogal | R E V I E W S

MOVIE REVIEW – HOUSEFULL 3 (2016)

The 3rd instalment in the Housefull franchisee, HOUSEFULL 3, directed by the writer-director duo of Sajid-Farhad, instead of veteran Sajid Khan is released and to be very honest the third part is actually funny in parts, despite some silly jokes as always, and one thing is for sure, keep your brain and logic aside when watching this mad ride as always with movies of comic genre.

Movie is based on London based Batuk Patel (Boman Irani) who doesn’t want to marry his three daughters (Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri & Lisa Haydon). However, their respective boyfriends (Akshay, Abhishek & Ritesh) pretended to be disabled people, get into the house for want of love and their money.

Movie takes a slow start and picks up well with the entry of Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh & Abhishek Bachan. However, the second hour of this crazy comedy is a laugh riot, though over populated, but still packed with enough jokes but the climax, particularly is very funny.

However, Sajid-Farhad’s movie is a humorous comedy but some of its jokes especially those one performed by the heroines translating English phrases into hindi were pathetic because the comedy is not their cup of tea I think. But the character played by Akshay Kumar of split personality is outstanding and he has carried it very well. Music is nice and the cinematography is good but the script was not upto the mark.

Ritesh’s slip slip toungue jokes are disastrous some times when he uses ‘Tawaif’ instead of wife and so is the Abhishek’s hilarious Rap “Teri Maa Bhen”. Like many other bollywood movies, Sajid-Farhad has also least used the acting of its female actresses and their main role was to provide glamour in the movie only as such, female characters have very small or no role either. All the limelight is captured by their male counterparts be they lead male actors or its Boman Irani, Chunky Pandey or Jackie Shroff.

Movie started with a robbery in a diamond showroom by three masked men in the Central London, who were caught by the Policy. When the masks of the raiders come off, you expect to see the faces of the three lead actors behind them - Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan. The burglars turn out to be Nikitin Dheer, Samir Kochar and Arav Choudhary, three villains who do not get another look-in until rather late in the film.

Last Museum scene of the movie is also hilarious like previous movies of the Housefull franchisee.

Star Peformance:-

Akshay Kumar, once again steal the show by his reputed comic timing. He has carried split personality Sundy very sensibly and is outstanding. Riteish with his slip tongue jokes is looking good and Abhishek Bachan as Rapper look ordinary with very few comic scenes. Boman Irani, as always in Gujrati ascent is outstanding, Chunkey Pandey as the roadside chef ‘Aakhri Paasta on London Rasta’ is also looking good.

While talking of the performances of the female actresses, Jacqueline Fernandez leaves a mark and the rest of two i.e. Nargis Fakhri and Lisa Hayden are quite ordinary.

Final words:
Comedy lovers and Housefull franchisee lovers may watch this movie. Logical and mindful movies lovers may have to wait for some more time.

My ratings for this movie is 2 out of 5 stars only for comedy.

Keep following the page, good day till the next movie review.

MOVIE REVIEW – VEERAPPAN (None like him ever existed) 2016
2.5 stars out of 5
VEERAPPAN (None Like Him Ever Existed) is a 2016 Indian biographical film directed by Ram Gopal Varma.

Sandeep Bhardwaj looks uncannily like Veerappan, an outlaw, a sandalwood smuggler, who created such terror in the jungles of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu that even the specially set up and well equipped Task Forces couldn’t nab him. No doubt, the film has scenic locations : dense jungles, lush-green forests, ravines and waterfalls, through which Veerappan and his gang rampage, killing humans and tuskers and felling sandalwood trees.

But ‘Veerappan’, based on his own Kannada ‘Killing Veerappan’, never reaches even close to that film. What surprises me, the earlier movie by the same director "Killing Veerappan" garnered much more praise and was undoubtedly a better crafted movie. Why he took the pain of shooting another version. Every aspect of the earlier movie in Kannada is far better than the present movie, be it dialogue delivery of the actors, screenplay, locations etc. At no point in the film does one get the impression that RGV might be anywhere near regaining his lost touch. The maker of Satya andCompany is nowhere in sight in this messy, pedestrian thriller.

The story of this movie is written from the cop’s point of view and because of which life & sufferings of STF personnel is projected more and Veerappan and his personal life is missing and at no point of the time Veerappan’s Robinhood type image as alleged by many sympathizers of the Veerapan.

The music might still have been forgivable, but Joshi’s expressionlessness and Lisa Ray’s excessive expressions are too much to take. Joshi of course is the film’s producer (his wife Raina’s name appears in the credits though), so RGV most probably did not have a choice with him. But what accounts for the casting of Ray? Her limitations are further underlined by the fact that in many scenes she is placed opposite the very natural Usha Jadhav playing Veerappan’s wife Muthulakshmi.

The film’s deficiencies are most unfortunate because in its pluses we get a glimpse of the old Ramu that we all once knew and loved, the man who gave us pathbreaking gangster and crime flicks such as Shiva, Satya and Company.