STOLEN (HINDI) (2025)

The movie kicks off in the very first minute when a five-month old baby is stolen from a lone and seemingly hapless mother sleeping on a railway platform in the wee hours of the night. Two wealthy brothers who happen to be at the station get embroiled in the search for the missing baby along with the mother as they venture into the wilderness of somewhere in rural India. 

What follows is a search that, in its near ninety minute rollercoaster ride, is  nerve-racking and deeply unsettling. It is unsettling because we know that such incidents are not uncommon, especially to those who get stuck in the bottom rungs of the socioeconomic pyramid or for the unfortunate few of those from the higher echelons who happen to get caught in such situations. If one happens to inhabit the privileged upper rungs of that pyramid, there is a sanguine hope that one is shielded from such misfortune, especially when one carefully hones the skill of remaining resolutely indifferent to the plight of those unfortunate others. The narrative here smartly short-circuits this false sense of security as the two brothers of privilege are thrown into the thick of things with a desperate mother. 

While one of the brothers is eager to lend a helping hand, the other is unwilling to step out of his carefully constructed cocoon and get any grime on his designer-ware in helping a stranger - that too, someone who belongs to a class of expendables who could as well be entirely invisible to his field of vision except for a few moments when they happen to serve some functional utility. 

Debutante director Karan Tejpal designs a textured narrative where the surface level layer of being a tense thriller about the search for a missing baby transcends seamlessly into a search to understand one another and in some deeper sense, understand oneself along with the instincts that remain hidden underneath the masks we wear as civilized citizens or the cocooned existence to preserve oneself from those who are not so fortunate. 

The lead cast consisting of Abhishek Banerjee, Harish Khanna and Mia Maelzer ace their respective parts with their rich shades of grey, moral ambiguity, vulnerability and transformative arcs.

Karan Tejpal delivers a movie which is a near relentless odyssey that is also several things at the same time - a gripping thriller, crisp drama, redemptive role-reversal, a sharp social commentary on our starkly different worlds inhabited by those on either side of class divide as well as rural-urban divide along with difficult moral dilemmas. That a director could achieve all this in a debut feature without being preachy, judgmental or adding even an ounce of narrative flab while keeping the viewers engrossed with bated breath on what is coming next indicates a rare talent worth cheering. 

Inspired by real events, this gritty multi-faceted thriller has won several global accolades before its much delayed debut in India. 

A CHILLING, THRILLING & UTTERLY FULFILLING QUEST !

RATING - 4/5

PS - Streaming on Amazon Prime

DAHAAD (HINDI) - Season 1

A police investigative thriller, set in a small town of Rajasthan, follows the journey of a bunch of cops on the trail of a serial killer who preys on desperate women.

Gripping for the most part, this 8-part series has sincere performances from a stellar cast headlined by a feisty Sonakshi Sinha and chilling Vijay Verma who are supported ably by Gulshan Devaiah, Sohum Shah and others.

Series creators Reema Kagti and Zoya Akthar who had earlier collaborated on Talaash have delivered a solid thriller that is firmly grounded in the small-town landscape. They have layered the narrative with seamlessly woven strands of a searing commentary on the oppressions based on caste and gender into the narrative. My major grouse was on their failure to amp up the final act.

WORTH A WATCH !

RATING - 3.5/5

Streaming on Amazon Prime

BAWAAL (HINDI) (2023)

In Bawaal, starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, Nitesh Tiwari (Dangal) directs a drama about a young couple set in modern Lucknow. The story written by his spouse and writer-director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (who made the excellent Nil Battey Sannaataa) interestingly juxtaposes the personal as well as inter-personal conflicts in their lives with a wider canvas of the world war.

Varun plays Ajay Dikshit aka Ajju Bhai, sporting a macho image to the outside world while trying to cloak his insecurities arising from being a mediocre all along, including what he cribs as a drab job of being a history teacher. Janhvi plays a much more competent and grounded Nisha, albeit having to struggle with challenges of her own. What begins as a normal marriage soon descends into discord when Ajju fails to face the reality. A series of events result in the couple embarking on a journey across Europe, visiting locations connected with the second world war. 

What unfolds is a pretty good drama as the trip thaws a frosty relationship and pushes Ajju to face his deep seated anxieties. Helped with a good dose of humour, scenic vistas and intelligent interplay between the history and contemporary, the narrative keeps it simple as it chugs along briskly with minimal melodrama and even its contrivances are not too jarring. Both Varun and Janhvi turn in convincing performances and. are supported well by artists playing cameos.

AN ENGAGING WATCH !

RATING - 3/5

PS - Streaming on Amazon Prime

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

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

SCAM 1992 (HINDI) (2020)

The ten part web series directed by Hansal Mehta is easily the best I've seen yet among Indian shows.

Based on a book by Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Sahu, this balanced narrative is well acted especially from the lead Pratik Gandhi who lives the role and ably supported by Shreya Dhanwantry, Rajat Kapoor, Anant Mahadevan, Satish Kaushik who are excellently in their own parts; 

The title track from Achint Thakkar is catchy and hooks you immediately; the episodes clock along crisply at a healthy momentum and the series also benefits immensely by staying true to the Gujju roots of its lead characters.

Kudos to the entire team👍🏽

MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5 

PS - Streaming on SonyLiv

WAR (HINDI) (2019)

At long last ..

Desi Greek god with fab bod.. Hrithik Roshan gets a movie that befits his charisma ..

And.. in the process..

We get a paisa vasool action movie that is actually entertaining in every sense.. well, almost ..

Our very own version of Mission Impossible or Bourne flick..

Filled from frame to frame with exhilarating action set pieces in exotic locales ..

Both the leads - Hrithik as the charismatic tutor  and Tiger - a self confessed fanboy tyro, in more ways than one - share a crackling chemistry that works like magic for the movie.

Siddharth Anand has conjured up a veritable entertainer - a la John Woo - that is a perfect cocktail of just the right bit of stupid and right bit of stupendous, in a narrative that seldom sags.

A PHENOMENAL ACTION ENTERTAINER !

RATING - 3.5/5

MISSION MANGAL (HINDI) (2019)

A delicious blend of cinematic liberties that entertain and the story of India's path-breaking scientific feat of reaching Mars in its maiden attempt on a shoestring budget. The story is presented in the time tested format of an underdog's triumph against tall odds. 

The narrative is populated with characters that make an instant connect with their own quirks and real world issues that they have to face. The fact these roles are played by an aptly cast competent set of actors  headlined by Akshay Kumar and the ever dependable Vidya Balan delivering pitch perfect performances makes the unfolding drama all the more engaging.

Debutante director Jagan Shakti deserves kudos for marshaling all the resources ably and weaving the multiple strands of issues into an engaging tale without losing the focus on his main story arc of India's Mars mission which is a thriller in itself. 

He could've easily gone overboard in narrating any of the minor story arcs or erred on the side of adding more comedy or melodrama which would have resulted in a crash-landed mission. However, he succeeds in holding a fine balance and as a result, the movie soars.

Special credits are also due to Jagan and his team of co-writers for presenting the science behind the Mars mission in a package that is easily accessible to the novice audience and making it entertaining as well with oodles of humour.

AN EXCEPTIONAL FLICK !!

RATING - 4/5

GULLY BOY (HINDI) (2019)

Director Zoya Akthar's Gully Boy is an affective underdog story that is well executed and supported by solid performances by the leads as well as a competent supporting cast. It presents the story of Murad, a resident of the slums of Dharavi, Mumbai and his rise to become an acclaimed rap artist despite the odds that are stacked against him that seek to trap him forever in his suffocating circumstances. The narrative arc traces his journey of self discovery and how he harnesses his innate talents and self belief to become a famous rap artist by "melting down the shackles that bind him with the lava of his lyrics".

I have never been a big fan of the genre of hip hop/ rap music. But, there is an earnest intensity in the album  and the hard-hitting lyrics (collaboration by an array of artists) here that captivates the viewer and hooks them to the genre.

Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhat prove their mettle as the definitive stars in the making, oozing loads of talent and cement their billing to be counted among the very best of their generation of actors. This film provides a perfect stage for them to collaborate and shine together. Ranveer is like some shimmering liquid metal that could be perfectly cast to fit into any mould. He can effortlessly transform from being an obsessed and cruel medieval Sultan in Padmavat to the underdog from Mumbai slum and make either part feel very real. 

Here, he is inhabiting the part of Murad, a  Dharavi resident dreaming of elevating his life from a rag-tag, down-in-the-dumps reality to match his soaring dreams. And, it definitely doesn't hurt that he can also rap like a pro. Alia Bhatt lights up the screen as the charming Safeena, a pint sized dynamite of a medical student, madly in love with Murad. She shares a warm chemistry with Ranveer, complementing him effectively.

Zoya assembles a string of notable names like Vijay Raaz, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Verma, Sheeba Chaddha as well as debutante Siddhant Chaturvedi (as MC Sher) who turn in impressive cameos along with multiple real life rap artists who add a dash of authentic flavour of the music and the milieu, especially in the fierce rap battles. The crisp cinematography (Jay Oza) and the conversations soaked in the local lingo add to the lived in feel to the proceedings.

The writing (Zoya and Reema Kagti) is dexterous for the most part and manages to breath a dash of freshness even into some time tested tropes and cliches. The result is an extra-ordinary movie that is engrossing and satisfying at multiple levels.

AN ENTERTAINING WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

BADHAAI HO (HINDI) (2018)

What happens when a middle class boy of marriageable age finds that his parents are expecting a baby..? The movie chronicles the ordeals of Kaushiks - a twenty something Nakul (Ayshmann Khurrana) working in a private company, his school going brother Gullar who find it hard to face their friends, taking cheap pleasure at their discomfiture even as their parents - Jeetendra aka Jeetu (Gajraj Rao) and Priyamvada aka Babli (Neena Gupta) - at the centre of this pickle, brace to face their sons, and their dreaded dadi (Surekha Sikri) as well as the sundry near and dears who jump to judge them with righteous contempt. 

The casting choices are apt to say the least. Neena Gupta is a picture of grace with her winning screen presence and is excellent as Priyamvada. She effortlessly wins our heart as a loving mother and wife, a caring daughter in law and shines through the gamut of emotions without breaking a sweat and is capable of conveying with just a silent gaze or glare. It is indeed a travesty of Bollywood that we do not see more of her in our movies. Gajraj Rao shares a natural chemistry with Neena Gupta and is in fine form as the romantic husband, closet poet and a father who is finding it hard to explain a sticky situation to his children and mom. Surekha Sikri is a hoot as the feisty grandma and cracks you up in several sequences.  Ayushmann Khurrana brings out the multiple shades of his character Nakul - be it romance, anger, confusion, embarrassment, vulnerability - in a remarkable performance. Sanya Malhotra and Sheeba Chaddha try their best in parts that are comparatively underwritten and appear tacky in comparison to the main characters.

This is a neat comedy drama that keeps a fine balance on a subject that could easily have slipped into a slippery mess of being too crass or a caricature or worse, a sappy melodrama. But, debutante director Amit Ravindernath Sharma and his team of writers steer this film skillfully - for the most part - with sprightly humour and some sentiments that tug at your heart. His fine sense of balance is also evident in the narrative which provides optimal scope of every member of the cast, (especially Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao who are the parents) - just as every member of a family come together to make it work. 

Overall, it is a quirky yet rooted comedy drama with a crisp runtime of little over two hours (could've been a tad shorter though) elevated by superlative performances by Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Surekha Sikri and some fine writing.

AN ENJOYABLE WATCH !!

RATING - 3/5

ANDHADHUN (HINDI) (2018)

A blind pianist seeking artistic excellence.. 

A yesteryear film hero who could never make it big it then or now.. 

His much younger, beautiful wife who is happy with the wealthy lifestyle he provides, but, not entirely satisfied.. 

Her secret paramour who happens to be a cop ..

Into this mix, throw in a murder by accident, a planned murder made to look like an accident, a doctor who runs a dirty clinic harvesting organs from unsuspecting victims and a few more greedy characters who seek to profit from the opportunities that fate presents them .. 

Voila..

We have the perfect recipe for a classic thriller and in the hands of a master auteur like director Sriram Raghavan (Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddaar, Badlapur, etc.)  all these disparate pieces come together like a jigsaw puzzle coming into coherence - piece by carefully, assembled piece. Raghavan proves his mastery through a meticulously crafted narrative that is equal parts enchanting and ensnaring as it unfolds in one delicious twist after another which dangle us on tenterhooks. We are constantly surprised as the director and his talented team of co-writers play multiple tricks with our expectations as repeatedly, they make us believe in something only to pull the rug from under our feet in one swift motion.

True to its title, the movie plays like a blind symphony that enthralls with its sweep through a roller-coaster ride. Even the spurts of violence have a natural flow to them which appears lifelike without being overly dramatic, yet never failing to deliver the intended impact. 

Tabu is on top of her game and is having a ball as the volatile and chameleonic Simi while Ayushmann Khurrana hits all the right notes - in more ways than one - be it, deception or desperation - as Akash. He seems to have an enviable penchant to pick the right projects (Vicky Donor, Dum Lagaake Haisha, Bareilly ki Barfi, Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan and even the recent Badhaai Ho) that suit his strengths and which do well commercially, despite breaking some new ground from the much trodden path of regular commercial fare churned out by Bollywood. The rest of the supporting cast including Radhika Apte in a minor cameo, Anil Dhawan, Manav Vij, Ashwini Kalsekar and others including a pet cat have a purposeful presence and complement the leads effectively to bring the plot together. 

Overall, this is an engrossing thriller that keeps you guessing and second guessing and entertains with dollops of dark humour even as it explores the dark side of almost every character that walks through its plot.

This is, by far, the best movie of the year and the entire team deserve kudos for their efforts.

A TOUR DE FORCE ! A MUST WATCH !! 

RATING - 4.5/5

SECRET SUPERSTAR (HINDI) (2017)

In Secret Superstar, debutante director Advait Chandan presents the story of a school-goer Insiya Malik (Zaira Wasim), who is a talented singer chasing her dream of making it big in the music world. She is hobbled by multiple challenges, prime among them being her conservative and boorish father Farooq (Raj Arjun). Supporting on her uphill journey to realise her dream, are her loving mother Najma (Meher Vij), best friend at school Chintan (Tirth Sharma), a loud & maverick music director Shakti Kumar (Aamir Khan) and YouTube. 

While the movie traverses the familiar path of the genre and has its share of cliches and melodrama, director Chandan's treatment ensures that the film has its heart in the right place and elevates it from being run-of-the-mill fare to an extra-ordinary experience through excellent performances across the board from the cast as well as exceptional music from Amit Trivedi.

Zaira Wasim who impressed everyone in Dangal as the young Geeta Phogat and won a well deserved National award for Best Supporting Actor for her performance in that role is back with a superlative performance - the best I have seen this year - as Insiya which is all heart and makes an instant connect with the audience. She is a natural and rides the roller-coaster of emotions effortlessly and has an awesome presence radiating oodles of warmth in every frame. Going by sheer talent, she is a star performer and this movie heralds her arrival on the big screen BIG TIME.

She is surrounded by an able supporting cast who ace their respective roles. Meher Vij is a joy to watch as Najma - a loving mother who is prepared to go any distance to nurture and nourish the dreams of her daughter, even risking the wrath of her abusive husband. Raj Arjun is Farooq is absolutely chilling as the domineering despot and controlling husband/father. Aamir Khan has a blast playing the flamboyant and eccentric music director. The rest of the cast including Tirth Sharma as Insiya's best friend Chintan and even those playing minor roles like the kid playing Insiya's younger brother are pitch perfect.

Music director Amit Trivedi's winning album with the stirring vocals of Meghna Mishra and memorable lyrics from Kausar Munir are assets that accentuate the movie. Advait Chandan acquits himself as a competent director with his simple, subtle, yet proficient style of story-telling.

Secret Superstar is another testimony to the ability of Aamir Khan to back worthy projects which could be critical as well as commercial success and in feisty, Zaira Wasim, he has unearthed a gem who, given the right projects, has the potential to sparkle on Indian screens for years to come. 

Go watch it. It may be formulaic fare and may not have anything novel; But, it is manifest proof that even the mundane when executed well with sincerity could make it magnificent and even memorable.

AN EXCELLENT WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

NEWTON (HINDI) (2017)

Director Amit V Masurkar's Newton is a black comedy on the Indian electoral process as it is put to test in the treacherous leftist rebel infested jungles of Central India. Rajkumar Rao plays, nay, is Nutan Kumar aka Newton - an upright clerk working for the government and is assigned the duty of being the presiding officer of an polling station deep in the jungles of Dandakaranya. 

The movie narrates his travails as he strives to conduct a textbook election with his rag-tag team of three officials even as he is challenged by reluctant commander of para-military forces Atma Singh (a brilliant scene-stealing Pankaj Tripathi),  an indifferent tribal populace who are simply too tired of being cannon fodder and collateral damage in what appears to be an unending war of attrition.

The supporting cast of Raghubir Yadav, Anjali Patil and Sanjay Mishra in a minor cameo play their parts competently. 

The movie raises multiple pertinent questions on the much celebrated mechanics of the Indian electoral process, the media circus that surrounds it, the meaning of democracy to a populace seeking to stick on to their simple-living roots, exploitation and corruption which lurk in the garb of development and political empowerment without being preachy or boring.

Masurkar mines the laughs with amazing regularity in the most unlikely situations and ensures that the narrative moves along on a brisk pace. The movie has already received several accolades in the Berlinale where it premiered and is a worthy contender from India in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Academy awards.

A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

Jagga Jasoos (Hindi) (2017)

Director Anurag Basu goes back to the palette used in his previous feel good venture - Barfi - and creates a whole new universe of a breezy caper. The movie is a quirky, comical  adventure presented as a musical, aimed mainly at the young (& young at heart) audience.

Ranbir Kapoor is in top form as the  stammering amateur - Tintin-esque - detective and is ably supported by the rest of the cast especially Saswata Chatterjee.

Music director Pritam and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya have delivered aces in the form of excellent background score and catchy songs which enliven the proceedings.

Ravi Varman  has crafted beautiful frames with his cinematography capturing the beautiful vistas of the North-East as well as West Africa.

On the flip side, Basu's film suffers from his over indulgence results in avoidable bulk in running time as well as some parts which are unconvincing as well as tacky.

Nevertheless, it is an interesting and first of its kind experiment in Bollywood that almost succeeds and the entire team deserve kudos for that.

WORTH A WATCH !!

RATING - 2.5/5

RANGOON (HINDI) (2017)

Rangoon is set in 1943, when the British colonials in India were fighting the advancing Japanese and Netaji Bose's Azad Hind Army on the country's north east along the Myanmar border and a resurgent freedom struggle under Mahatma across the country. On this wide and raging canvas, Vishal Baradwaj crafts a love triangle involving a clutch of plucky characters. Rusi (Saif Ali Khan) a Parsi aristocrat and an erstwhile action hero whose career was cut short by an accident where he loses a hand and becomes a movie producer. Nawab Mallik (Shahid Kapoor) is jamadar in the British Indian army. And, then there is Miss Julia (Kangana Ranaut), a daredevil movie star who complements the incomplete lives of both these men. 

  

Kangana is fabulous as the pioneering action star of her times and is able to ace a role which is physically as well as emotionally demanding. She owns this part and explores its innocence, action, romance, confusions, arrogance, vulnerability as well obsession with aplomb. Shahid is excellent as the sincere jamadar Nawab Mallik who is torn between his mission and his love for Miss Julia. Saif is a natural as a bruised aristocrat who is driven to desperation to salvage his life and love slipping away. Of the competent supporting cast, the notable performances are from Saharsh Shukla as Zulfi, Miss Julia's make-up man and confidante and Richard McCabe as the British General Harding with a taste for Urdu poetry.

After completing his spectacular trilogy of Shakespearean tragedies with Maqbool, Omkara and Haider, in Rangoon, Vishal Bharadwaj presents an ambitious period drama set against the second world war and packs in a potent mixture of love, action, jealousy, deceit and more through lush visuals of Pankaj Kumar. 

Vishal Bhardwaj also excels as the music director as he delivers a background score that accentuates the moods of the movie even as continues his fruitful collaboration with Gulzar and the duo have come up with some wonderful songs. 

Rangoon, thus, presents quite a heady cocktail of fine performances, several stand-out sequences such as the conversation between Kangana and a captured Japanese soldier, both glib in their own languages, trademark humour, some great dialogues, superb songs and captivating cinematography. Yet, one feels that there is something amiss which stops it short of being a masterpiece that it seeks to be. The romance does not exactly set the screen afire, the narrative fabric couldn't consistently weave together the multiple strands, the length could have been a tad trimmer or perhaps, the finale could have been much more nuanced.

But, BLOODY HELL ... it, still, is a GREAT WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

DANGAL (HINDI) (2016)

Director Nitesh Tiwari and Bollywood's perfectionist, Aamir Khan's sports drama Dangal is a clear winner despite its imperfections. Aamir Khan's brilliance in transforming into Mahavir Phogat sees him embody the role at every level. While his dedication and hard work is apparent in the the muscular physicality of the initial sequences, the flabby bulk for the rest of the movie and his embracing the mud and grime of the ring and making the strategies and technique utterly convincing, his acting chops shine through in scenes in which he trains his daughters with a steely resolve playing a ruthless, if not cruel, coach, his wholehearted celebration when he sees her triumph at various levels and those silent moments of frustration and helplessness when he sees his daughter losing focus and going astray or even in the final sequences when he struggles to witness the final match.

Even as he towers over everyone else, the stellar supporting cast too ace their roles including Sakshi Tanwar as Phogat's wife who supports her husband despite her persisting doubts on the path chosen by him, Ritwik Sahore playing the young cousin Omkar who becomes sparring partner for the girls, Aparshakti Khurana paying the older Omkar who is the narrator, Mahavir's aide and adding to the amusement, Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar who play young Geeta and Babita going through the grueling training regime, Fatima Sana Shaikh playing the older Geeta and Sanya Malhotra playing the older Babita. Fatima brings in the required intensity, athleticism, innocence as well as vulnerability in the role which sees her ascent, sense of innocent awe at the glitzy world outside her village, losing focus and finding redemption.

One can see that a lot of effort has gone into making the bouts look authentic, yet thrilling at the same time. On the flip side, Dangal is flabby by at least twenty minutes, the characterisation of the national coach is more of a caricaturish villain, it plays to the jingoistic gallery with its anthem adjunct, as well as the contrived climax.

Yet, Dangal rises above these niggles, thanks to a star who effaces himself to be the character and sincerity that permeates almost every frame of this venture which makes it a winner.

It may not soar high enough to be the epic Olympian gold it seeks to be; Nevertheless, it is an international gold, albeit at CWG, which is well won !!

RATING - 3.5/5

A MUST WATCH !!

KABALI (TAMIL/TELUGU/HINDI) (2016)

First up.. The good news.. This is a mighty leap from that lackluster Lingaa.. But, that's not much to write home about.. Is it..?

Be warned..

This is more a film for Rajini, the actor .. who shines through with a neat performance.

And..

Less from the SUPERSTAR, worshiped by the masses.

Director Ranjit's movie is a mixed bag..  A movie which is neither an entertainer in the mass masala mould that the fanboys crave from the Superstar, nor in the signature style of the auteur that is rooted in the milieu and emotionally potent.

It has some good bits of both worlds. Alas, in his meandering between these two worlds, the final result is less than fulfilling.

The revenge drama at the center lacks sufficient bite. While some of the action sequences pack a punch, the rest are so so. This movie has more emotional content than most contemporary movies of the Superstar. Yet, most of it fail to deliver the impact, except for the bits between Rajini and Radhika Apte.

One gets the feeling that this could've been so much more if the best elements from these diverse universes were to be assembled better with more coherence and finesse.

Rajini, with his trademark swag, is in fine form as the aging gangster who still has the fight in him and holds some aces up his sleeves. He convincingly portrays the character's vulnerabilities and yearning for his lost family. After the disastrous Lingaa, he has made a bold choice of choosing to work with a next gen director and a character that suits his age in a story which, while not far off from the run-off-the-mill kind, has enough to showcase his acting skills.

  

Among the other positives are Santosh Narayanan who has delivered a great album that goes well with the movie and Radhika Apte who is once again impressive and holds her own against the Superstar.

Don't get me wrong. This IS a GOOD film. But, given the director's potential, the Superstar's magical presence and the promising glimpses from the trailer, one expected a much more heady cocktail.

Nevertheless, the fact that it comes on the back of a let down called Lingaa and is promoted aggressively through a high pitched carpet bombing marketing campaign, should set the box office on fire as deprived fans lap up enough of their Superstar to satiate themselves till 2.0.

Overall, it feels like a well intentioned recipe that is a tad under-cooked (perhaps, I should call it overcooked, given its length that calls for some trimming) ... a jigsaw puzzle that doesn't quite fit so well.

A DECENT WATCH !!

RATING - 2.5/5