KURUTHI (MALAYALAM) (2021)

Two families - one Hindu & one Muslim - that have suffered tragic personal losses in a natural calamity are trying to find common cause reconciling to their current predicament while struggling with painful memories. They choose to remain in their homes amidst idyllic surroundings even as they are left at the fringes and almost forgotten by the larger community that has moved on - literally & figuratively. The serene coexistence of these these two families is shaken to the core when the ripples from the simmering communal discontent from beyond seeps into their backyard. What follows is a first rate thriller that is so much more than just a thriller. This is yet another masterclass from the hallowed pantheons of Malayalam cinema that continues to raise the bar for quality content on almost a weekly basis.

The real hero here is writer Anish Pallyal who deserves rich kudos for crafting this nail-biter with a richly layered narrative that delves into timely themes on faith, doubt, fear, trust, prejudice and most importantly, the all-consuming hatred for the "others". With his limited set of characters, he is successful in providing a stark commentary on how the contemporary society continues to remain fraught with frighteningly fragile fault-lines. The narrative also explores the effects of doubts that continue to fester in minds despite the deep faith nurtured over decades as it constantly confronts the protagonist with difficult existential questions.

The performances from the ensemble cast consisting of Prithviraj, Roshan Mathew, Srindaa, Mammukoya, Murali Gopy, Shine Tom Chacko and others are uniformly top notch. The score from Jakes Bejoy along with cinematography by Abinandhan Ramanujam amplify the tension indoors as well as outdoors. Director Manu Warrier deserves kudos for managing this tight rope walk of communicating the contents without being preachy even while maintaining a tight leash for presenting a taut thriller. A MUST WATCH ! RATING - 4.5/5 PS - Streaming on Amzon Prime

HERO (KANNADA) (2021)

Hero is a barber in a small town in Karnataka. Heroine has ditched him and is married to a dreaded gangster. Villain is extremely cruel, sadistic, has an alligator for pet and commands a gang of brutal henchmen. When the frustrated hero gets an opportunity to enter the house of villain set in the middle of a vast estate, hoping to kill the heroine for ditching him, all hell breaks loose. Add a few more oddball characters like a zany cook, a petrified vet brought in to treat the alligator's loss of appetite and a henchman who is obsessed with hunting wild boars. Throw in a truckload of weapons from primitive clubs, knives in every size to  guns and bombs which are used in stylized action set-pieces choreographed with gusto by Vikram Mor. What follows is a weird, whacky, bloody black comedy that takes us on a rollercoaster ride which is engaging to the most part.

The fact that the entire movie was made by a cast and crew of 24 members in the height of COVID lockdown makes it all the more appealing.

Rishabh is spot on as the bumbling barber; Ganavi provides the ideal foil as she brings the right amount of charm, guts and intrigue to her role. The rest of the cast who are also multitasking as miscellaneous crew members do a competent job.

Ajaneesh Loknath revs up the sequences adding an all new dimension to the movie with his pitch-perfect score as well as lilting songs while cinematographer Aravind Kashyap excels with his verdant visuals as well as the action sequences which are superlative.

Debutant director M Bharath Raj who has co-written this gem deserves kudos for delivering a deliciously dark comedy which could make Tarantino happy. He clearly holds the potential to become the latest addition to the celebrated club of the brave new wave of Kannada auteurs consisting of Pawan Kumar (Lucia), Anup Bhandari (Rangitaranga), Hemanth Rao (Godhibanna Sadharana Mykattu  and Kavaludari) and the spectacular Shetty duo - Rakshit (Ullidavaru Kandante) and Rishabh (Kirik Party).

A GENUINE TREAT !!

RATING - 4/5

PS - Streaming on ZEE5

PAGGLAIT (HINDI) (2021)

This is the story of Sandhya Giri, a young woman widowed within few months after her arranged marriage. To the surprise of those around her, Sandhya is unable to grieve for her deceased husband as she finds that he was little more than a stranger to her. The story unfolds over the days when she along with the extended family go through the motions of last rites and picking up the pieces of their hitherto carefully ordered life. Sandhya embarks on an inner journey of discovery of her husband, his world &  rediscovery of her own self, her priorities and purpose in life.

Despite dealing with a dark and difficult theme, writer-director Umesh Bist succeeds in consistently mining sparkling humour from the morbid moments as well the muddle of the mundane household milieus (like the calling bell tunes) in equal measure and with effortless ease.  Conversations  suffused with sharp wit and impressive art direction create an authentic lived in feel of a house nestled in the bylanes of small town India.

The movie benefits from the abundant talents of a top notch supporting cast consisting of a mix of dependable veterans like Ashutosh Rana, Sheeba Chaddha, Raghuveer Yadav, Rajesh Tailang, Sayani Gupta, Jameel Khan along with the rest of lesser known actors who excel in their respective parts. Ashutosh Rana and Sheeba Chaddha are exceptional as the grieving parents smouldering in sorrow after their catastrophic loss and trying to get a grip on their chaotic reality. 

Nevertheless, the movie belongs to Sanya Malhotra who is spectacular as she gets into the skin of her character of Sandhya Giri and owns it completely. This is a superlative performance as she manages to effortlessly navigate between moments of morose loss and mirth and is sure to establish her as an actor par excellence. 

Umesh Bist's writing strikes a subtle balance at multiple levels  - adding healthy doses of humour while avoiding caricatures; has its share of poignant moments without descending into loud melodrama; manages to capture the complex dynamics of an extended family without creating any evil villains. While Pagglait might share some resonance with Vikas Bahl's Queen, I reckon it is a bigger challenge to pull off and director Umesh Bist deserves kudos for his deft handling of this difficult theme.

MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

OTT - NETFLIX

MASTER (TAMIL) (2021)

An alcoholic professor is forced to teach in a correctional home for young offenders. He is pitted against a dreaded criminal who maintains a strangle hold on the institution and forces the children there to commit violent crimes on his behalf.

After two back to back hits in Maanagaram and Kaithi,  director Lokesh Kanagaraj hits a hat trick as he delivers a major star powered action blockbuster. In Master, Lokesh strikes a sweet spot between making his own kind of film and a star vehicle for a larger than life star like Vijay. 

In the process, he shatters multiple star movie myths and proves that - 

- a star movie can indeed exist without a mandatory hero introduction song or forced duets in exotic locales

- it is indeed possible to write a decent story and place the star at the center of it rather than stringing a series of fanboy servicing moments and call it a BIG movie.

- the antagonist need not be a mere one-note caricature; in fact, if he can be strong(er) and could have a solid backstory, it helps the movie and elevates the hero

- comical moments can be written seamlessly into the narrative and you don't need a separate comedy track with Yogi Babu or Satish or such others

- the hero need not be a macho invincible and could be clueless or could even depend on others to save the day / damsel in distress.

- even a three hour movie could be fairly engaging and not feel too much of a drag.

Lokesh sparkles with his writing in the manner in which he has  created a hero who is both fallible and vulnerable, a villain who is forged in a crucible of crime as well as pain and is not a mere pushover, the way he weaves comical elements seamlessly into the narrative, the references to multiple hit movies from the past including Vijay's and his own earlier hits.  He has a penchant for writing crackling confrontation scenes suffused with tension as well as effective action set pieces. Anirudh's rocking score and peppy songs amp up the energy of key sequences.

Vijay seems to have mastered the art of looking fresher and younger with each passing movie. He owns the character of JD in all its swag as well as failings and he delivers in aces.  Vijay Sethupathi is excellent in radiating effortless evil and menace and mixes it up with his own style of casual and comical banter. 

Lokesh has managed to make his signature style mass movie - a paisa-vasool entertainer - and deserves plaudits for succeeding admirably for the most part.

MASTER BLASTER !!

RATING - 3.5/5

DELHI CRIME (HINDI/ENGLISH) (20200

This web series directed by Richie Mehta recounting the Nirbhaya investigation in a seven part mini series packs a gut punch.

With sharp writing and crisp editing, the series dives right into the action and does not let go till the last episode.

Apt casting and solid performances - especially, Shefali Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Rasika Duggal and Adil Hussain along with a host of supporting cast who put in sincere performances.

Richly deserved the Emmy honours.

A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

PS - Streaming on Netflix

JERSEY (TELUGU) (2019)

Jersey would definitely rank among the notable sports dramas I have enjoyed recently. The entire team has excelled.

Nani is spot on as the cricketer out to prove himself well beyond the conventionally accepted shelf life. He seems to have hit a purple patch with back-to-back good outings with Jersey after Gang Leader. Shraddha Srinath is among the better actresses in the latest crop. She does well in a character which could have been better written.

Director Gowtam Tinnanuri's sophomore effort (after an above average debut with Malli Raavaa) is  sincere and tugs at the heart without being too melodramatic. He is remaking this in Hindi with Shahid Kapoor (🤞🏽).

After, Dear Comrade, this is another commendable cricket based drama from Tollywood which hits most of the right notes.

VERY SATISFYING WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5 

PS - Streaming on Zee5

Mookuthi Amman (Tamil) (2020)

This movie has an intriguing premise that pits a God against a self-proclaimed Godman. 

It has its moments which shine brilliantly. But, those are few and far between; for the most part, it fumbles to hold our attention as it wavers wildly between getting too serious or too silly for its own good.

Nayantara continues to dazzle and gets the Amman role just right. RJ Balaji is competent as an actor, but falls short as a director (co-directed with NJ Saravanan).

What could have been a sharp satire slips into something that is just so-so.

AN AVERAGE FLICK !!

RATING - 2.5/5

PS - Streaming on Disney+Hotstar