KANTARA (KANNADA) (2022)

Director Rishab Shetty's Kantara (aka mystic forest) is a story of tribals who inhabit the forest in coastal Karnataka - Tulunadu region. Rishabh has also written the story and stars as the lead. The story which is largely set in 1990s strings together strands from an earlier century as well as 1970s, weaving these three timelines in a brilliant blend of mythology, folklore and movie magic.

The narrative yarn is spun around multiple conflicts - some overt and some simmering undercurrents which are on the verge of eruption. Nevertheless, the primary fault line traces the near unending conflict between humans and nature as the humans continue in their vain quest to conquer, own and control nature - land and resources - to satiate their utmost avarice.

Rishabh Shetty mounts the movie on a canvas that is deeply drenched in the earthy hues of its milieu and richly textured with unique cultural ethos of the coastal Karnataka.

His story presents an eclectic mix of emotions ranging from resonant spirituality, rustic love, healthy oodles of irreverent humour, primal rage, greed that is almost genetic as it transcends and consumes generations, juxtaposed with firmly held beliefs of a close knit community and how such beliefs permeate and define their lives.

Within moments into the film, Rishabh magically transports the viewers to the verdant space where his story unfolds with Kola, Kambala, nocturnal hunting and much much more, thanks largely to the songs and background score by B. Ajaneesh Loknath along with the superb cinematography of Arvind S Kashyap who conjure up an immersive experience.

Rishabh Shetty excels in the role of Shiva as he emotes with ease through the character arc which sees him go from a irresponsible ruffian to the transformation with a final tour-de-force. He is complemented well by a supporting cast including an excellent Kishore, ever-dependable Achyuth Kumar, Pramod Shetty, Sapthami Gowda and the rest. Rishabh's control on the medium as a director is evident through the entire runtime of Kantara, especially as it crescendos to a phenomenal final stretch that packs the potency akin to a force of nature.

Rishabh the writer cooks up a heady cocktail - masterfully mixing up the sensational with the subtle and the surreall; this is one happy "made-in-heaven" marriage of mystique philosophy and mass masala moments.

A delectable coastal Karnataka delicacy that is cooked to perfection to delight the discerning viewers.

As the final visual vanishes from the screen, the viewers leave with the lingering legend of Kantara lurking in their minds.

RATING - 4/5

AN UNFORGETTABLE & UNMISSBALE EXPERIENCE !!

PONNIYIN SELVAN - 1 (TAMIL) (2022)

Comparisons to the epic novel by Kalki are futile as movies are by nature a lesser medium than books. Books translate the imagination of the writer into words which is, in turn, translated and plays out in the near infinite canvas of the reader's imagination which is unbound by the limits of physical media and budget that constrain performing arts like cinema, drama, etc.

Comparisons to recent blockbusters like Bahubali, RRR or KGF, while natural, would also not be fair as they were not bearing the burden of responsibility of being the cinematic adaptation of a much loved epic novel that is adored by readers despite several decades.

If that be so, what is PS-1 about..?

Director Mani Ratnam's magnum opus presents the sprawling story as an adventure doused in generous doses of palace intrigue. 

Painstakingly mounted across several exotic locations with elegant production design (Thotta Tharani) and gorgeously visualised frames (Ravi Varman), there is a lot to captivate the viewers here.

Among the ensemble cast which bring to life these much loved characters, the leading ladies - Aishwarya and Trisha - stand out and dazzle the screen in every frame they are in. Karthi,  Vikram, Jayaram, and Jayam Ravi are also excellent in their respective roles.

Rahman's songs and score add to the narrative like a curious accessory that enhances the attire without seeking excessive attention to itself.

So... Is it perfect and superlative....?

No.. 

The narrative could feel too rushed and  even disjointed, especially to those who are uninitiated to the book. A trilogy might have done more justice to the story and more importantly, the many memorable characters. Hopefully, this would inspire someone worthy to make a grand webseries soon to delve deeper into the material🤞🏽.

The CGI bits are not eye-popping and are at best, decent.

The action set pieces are not as exciting or innovatively staged as one would've expected.

There are also some departures (not all of them work) from the source material which the readers may not approve of.

Nevertheless, at the end of the movie, I felt Mani is largely successful in marshalling his star studded cast and first rate technical team to the service of this book as he transports us into this adventure set a thousand years ago which remains engrossing through its entire runtime.

RATING - 3.5/5

A MUST WATCH !!

VIKRAM (TAMIL) (2022)

A) Well made Action movies

B) Noirish thrillers

C) Vijay Sethupathi

D) Fahad Faasil

E) Aniruddh

F) Lokesh Kanagaraj

G) Ulaga Naayagan Kamal

If you are a fan of any / all of the above, you are getting more than the BANG for your buck in VIKRAM !

Lokesh has outdone himself in almost every aspect and delivers a delectable fare.

If that is not good enough ...

He whets your appetite with vignettes of something MUCH MUCH MORE (delicious biriyani) that is still cooking …

MUST WATCH !!

PS - Do watch / rewatch / remember Kaithi before watching this

DOCTOR (TAMIL) (2021)

The sophomore venture from Director Nelson pulls Sivakarthikeyan (SK) out of his usual comfort zone of simple rom-coms and happy-go-lucky comical hero.

SK is an army doctor who is driven purely by practical considerations which border on the extreme and is also apparently bereft of any emotions. 

Even as the narrative begins we see his fiancee ditching him for his lack of emotional support. However, when her family is pushed into dire straits when a young kid is kidnapped, SK steps in to help retrieve the kid.

Nelson handles the serious issue of human trafficking within a broader canvas of a black comedy which is original in its flavour and highly effective in execution with lots of laugh out loud moments, even in the most unusual and unexpected places. 

It takes a special conviction and talent to have SK as a hero and not allowing him to even crack a smile for almost the entire length of the movie even as the audience are having a laugh riot. 

Director Nelson surprises us constantly as he steers clear of conventional genre tropes and delivers a unique flick with his own distinct imprint. He is definitely a talent to look forward to.

AN EXCELLENT ENTERTAINER !

PS - Streaming on Netflix

OPERATION JAVA (MALAYALAM) (2021)

Based on few episodes in the Cyber Crime Cell of Kochi, where two jobless youth who are good with cyberspace assist the cops, this is a very well made thriller.

The cases range from combating movie piracy to morphed porn clips and even murders in cold blood, with financial frauds and the usual thrown in.

Director Tharun Moorthy has crafted a film benefits from neat writing which weaves in emotions while including just the right dose of humour and pathos along with crisp editing and a racy score from Jakes Bejoy elevate the movie. 

I liked it a lot.

AN EFFICIENT THRILLER !!

PS - Streaming on ZEE5

DUNE (ENGLISH) (2021)

At long last, after almost half a century, author Frank Herbert's pathbreaking sci-fi novel (published in 1965) gets a worthy movie adaptation. Dune, which has spawned 14 more novels as prequels and sequels and continues to grow, remains the defining benchmark for sci-fi world building.

The story is set several thousands of years into the future when mankind lords over several galaxies with highly evolved physical and mental capabilities. It is a future that unfolds thousands of years after humankind overcomes the challenge from thinking machines which threatened to enslave humankind.

At a basic level, it might follow the familiar template of an action adventure set in a desolate planet where a young prince leads an oppressed clan against a cruel villain who had killed his father to usurp a rightful throne. 

While Dune captures only half of the first book in the series, there is no doubt whatsoever that this is an epic movie in almost every dimension as the entire team from the ensemble cast to the technical crew have risen to deliver exceptional contributions. This movie also sets a high watermark in seamlessly weaving together breathtaking real life imagery from stunning landscapes and spectacular CGI to deliver jaw dropping frames with finesse.

In his interviews, director Denis Villeneuve has confessed that this has been a passion project as it marks the realization of his long cherished childhood dream to see Dune on the big screen. And..  the painstaking efforts of the entire team is amply evident in the level of detailing that has been devoted in making every frame of this grand saga. The director effortlessly translates the expansive universe of Dune to cinema as he delivers an adaptation that is mesmerizing and marvelous in equal measure which magically transports the viewers to this dreamy landscape.

This is as much an ode to the book as it is to the big screen movie experience, even more so as it marks the opening of cinemas across the world. Frank Herbert would have gladly approved of this majestic masterpiece which redefines movie magic for our times. 

Move over Star Wars and LOTR ... Dune heralds its arrival to take over the throne as defining movie experience of our times with a monumental masterpiece. 

An EPIC SPECTACLE ! 

A MUST WATCH !!

PS - Watch it on the biggest IMAX screen possible. ... & thereafter, start reading the books.

HOUSE OF SECRETS - THE BURARI DEATHS (HINDI) (WEB-SERIES) (2021)

This documentary, spanning three episodes, seeks to unravel the mystery behind a chilling incident which happened in Delhi in 2018. 

An entire family consisting of 11 members - three generations with ages ranging between 15 to 85 - were found dead. 

Was it mass suicide...? 

Or... A well planned massacre ....? 

Or... Something even beyond that...?

The episodes sift through multiple pieces of evidence and accounts from several sources to deconstruct the dense mystery.

HIGHLY DISTURBING & DEFINITELY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, this docu-series is nevertheless a must watch for it forces the viewers to reflect on the fault lines that remain hidden below the seemingly normal surface of our society.

A MUST WATCH !

PS - Streaming on Netflix