Sikandar Ka Muqaddar
Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Action (Hindi)
After an unsolved diamond heist, a hard-nosed cop’s pursuit of his key suspect turns into obsession, until they finally face each other — and the truth. (more…)
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3
Horror, Comedy (Hindi)
Rooh Baba ventures into a haunted mansion in the kingdom of Raktaghat in West Bengal, where he confronts two vengeful spirits, both asserting to be Manjulika. (more…)
Guild Reviews
Tortoise Under the Earth
Drama, Music (No Language)
In a uranium mining area of Jharkhand, India, a Santali couple copes with the loss of their daughter. The grieving couple express themselves largely through song and ritual, blurring the boundaries between personal pain and communal trauma. Tortoise Under The Earth is a poetic elegy to a world that is rapidly disappearing, subsumed by unchecked development and displacement.
Cast:
Jagarnath Baskey, Mugli Baskey
Director:
Shishir Jha
Documents more than displacement, it’s about a new style
Tue, December 10 2024
I watched emerging filmmaker Shishir Jha’s festival hit Tortoise Under The Earth (Dharti Latar Re Horo) a couple of months ago in Goa. Thanks to other tasks at hand, I willingly gave the film enough time to settle down in my memory, in such a way that I could reminiscence about it, preferably laden with nostalgia. I mean, what better way can be there to acknowledge a talented young filmmaker! Not even watching the trailer of the film to remind myself of the film’s exact plot was a conscious decision, something that could impact the original perspective I might have formed the first time. If certain visuals and sounds stay with me for all these weeks, rather months, then it’s probably going to have a similar effect on others as well.
Alien: Romulus
Horror, Science Fiction (English)
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Cast:
Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Rosie Ede, Soma Simon, Bence Okeke, Viktor Orizu
Director:
Fede Álvarez
Writer:
Fede Álvarez, Rodo Sayagues
Back to the Basics
Sun, December 8 2024
The Alien franchise has been active for over four decades now, starting from 1979, and has seen at least three big names associated with it as directors. Ridley Scott started it all as a director followed by James Cameron and then David Fincher made the third installment in 1992. The subsequent three films were underwhelming even though Scott returned as the director for the last two films.
Maharaj
Drama, History (Hindi)
Based on a real-life historic court case, a bold journalist questions a revered leader's immoral behavior.
Cast:
Junaid Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari Wagh, Shalini Pandey, Jay Upadhyay, Viraf Patel, Priyal Gor, Sanjay Goradia, Sneha Desai, Dharmendra Gohil
Director:
Siddharth P. Malhotra
Writer:
Vipul Mehta, Sneha Desai
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
Karsandas Mulji’s story, unfortunately, is relevant even after 160 years
Sun, December 8 2024
The name of Karsandas Mulji isn’t heard often when one speaks of Indian social reformers that were active during the British Era. Filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra’s Maharaj will perhaps make him a talking point to some extent as the film is based on his heroics in a bygone era. Produced by Yash Raj Films, Maharaj, which is streaming on Netflix, is based on the book of the same name written by Saurabh Shah in 2013. It narrates the story of Karsandas’ fight against an evil priest. The story starts off in a village in Gujarat in the 1820s where Karsandas, as a kid, questions everything, especially religious practices. He is sent to Bombay to his uncle’s place after he grows up (Junaid Khan). Karsan’s critical and revolutionary mind makes him a fearless journalist and a social reformer. He regularly writes about the evil social practices in Dadabhai Naoroji’s (Sunil Gupta) newspaper.
A Spotify Review
Sat, June 22 2024
They might as well have called Maharaj “Junaid Khan’s Launch Vehicle” because naming it after the villain makes even less sense. We discuss the film’s many irredeemable flaws, which include shaming the victim of sexual abuse, projecting a red flag male character as the protagonist, and resorting to the problematic trope of “fridging.” We also talk about the film’s obvious technical inadequacies, like flat visuals, a haphazard tone, and one-note acting performances. Later in the episode, we discuss why Netflix avoided promoting it, and has essentially dumped it in the hope that nobody notices.
Prehistoric anti-women disaster
Fri, June 21 2024
Early into Maharaj—the new Netflix movie loosely adapted from Saurabh Shah’s book of the same name, which chronicles a famous libel court case from 1862—at the end of a frivolous song-and-dance sequence, a religious leader who’s known to prey on young, betrothed women walks up to his next victim as she celebrates Holi. The Maharaj (Jaideep Ahlawat) grabs a fistful of coloured powder and smears it across Kishori’s naked chest, essentially marking her. It’s disturbing. But for Kishori (Shalini Pandey) who worships him, it’s a moment of unbridled joy. She thinks she’s the chosen one, picked to perform a vital religious ritual. Her aunt says as much to her face. So, when she finds herself all alone with the Maharaj in his palatial room, she readily gives in to everything he asks of her.
Pushtaini
(Hindi)
A Bollywood actor involved in a scandal flees to his birth village in the Himalayan foothills and by happenstance picks up a determined young woman along the way. Once at home he is unpleasantly surprised, and must, against his will, deal with a disputed inheritance. His new friend becomes an ally.
Cast:
Vinod Rawat, Hemant Pandey, Rita Heer, Rajkummar Rao
Director:
Vinod Rawat
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
A true-blue independent film with a big heart
Sun, December 8 2024
A lot of indie films are based on unexpected journeys that bring about a change in the film’s character(s) and provide a heartwarming message in the end. Director, actor and producer Vinod Rawat’s Pushtaini is also one such film but it succeeds in standing apart due to quite a few reasons. The story revolves around Bhupinder Rawat aka Bhuppi (Vinod Rawat). He is a struggling actor in Mumbai, who has just landed a role in a film starring the famous actor Ankur Bhatia (Rajkummar Rao) for a small sum. If this wasn’t enough, his friend (?) Sumit (Nitin Goel) shows him a video of his sex scandal that happened while he was drunk recently. Bhuppi has no idea of him indulging in such an act. But now Sumit asks for Rs 8 lakhs from him, else he threatens to make the video viral.
Paradise
Drama, Crime (English)
An Indian tourist couple arrive in the hill country of crisis ridden Sri Lanka to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. But, when things take an unexpected turn, conflicts deepen revealing cracks in their relationship.
Cast:
Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran, Mahendra Perera, Shyam Fernando, Sumith Ilango, Hisham Samsudeen
Director:
Prasanna Vithanage
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
Provides a gradual hard-hitting jolt
Sun, December 8 2024
Filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise is a Sri Lankan-Indian joint venture produced by Newton Cinema and presented by Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies. The movie is a tri-lingual in English, Sinhala and Malayalam. Paradise tells the story of a couple from Kerala, Kesav (Roshan Mathew) and Amritha (Darshana Rajendran), who visit a hill station in Sri Lanka to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Their trip coincides with the mass protests in April 2022 after the country declares bankruptcy. Hence, there are agitations at various places for basic necessities of life.
Kill
Action, Crime, Thriller, Drama (Hindi)
When an army commando finds out his true love is engaged against her will, he boards a New Dehli-bound train in a daring quest to derail the arranged marriage. But when a gang of knife-wielding thieves begin to terrorize innocent passengers on his train, the commando takes them on, one by one.
Cast:
Lakshya Lalwani, Raghav Juyal, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Abhishek Chauhan, Harsh Chhaya, Adrija Sinha, Meenal Kapoor, Madhu Raja, Arun Thakur
Director:
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s action ride engagingly stays on track.
Sun, December 8 2024
Filmmaker Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s ambitious action saga Kill is a first not just because of the violence and gore it projects in Hindi cinema but also in terms of cinematic finesse. After going through this ‘ride’, one can vouch that the makers succeeded in their ‘mission’. Kill revolves around the love story between the commando Amrit Rathod (Lakshya) and Tulika (Tanya Maniktala). The former returns from an army camp after days and gets to know that Tulika’s father Baldeo Singh Thakur (Harsh Chhaya) has planned her engagement with someone else and that too the very next day in Ranchi. Amrit takes his colleague and close friend Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan) to Ranchi.
A Spotify Review
Mon, September 9 2024
Kill might be one of the rare movies that actually benefit from a remake—that’s how royally it fumbles both its action and revenge plot. We discuss the film’s indecipherable approach to close combat, the lead actor Lakshya’s wooden performance, and the lack of inventiveness in the story. We also talk about the unearned John Wick and The Raid comparisons, and wonder why international audiences seemed to appreciate the film.
Stree 2
Horror, Comedy (Hindi)
After the events of Stree, the town of Chanderi is being haunted again. This time, women are mysteriously abducted by a terrifying headless entity. Once again, it's up to Vicky and his friends to save their town and loved ones.
Cast:
Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi, Sunil Kumar, Bhumi Rajgor, Anya Singh, Atul Srivastava, Mushtaq Khan
Director:
Amar Kaushik
Writer:
Niren Bhatt
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
Niren Bhatt’s dialogues shine the most in this horror-comedy
Sun, December 8 2024
Filmmaker Amar Kaushik’s Stree was about the villagers of Chanderi fighting against a female evil spirit called Stree, who attacks and takes away the men residing in the village. After a lot of twists and turns, the men are freed in the end and Stree vanishes after her long braid is cut. But in the end, the viewers are given a hint that the mysterious girl with no name (Shraddha Kapoor) is a witch after she leaves the village. The story of Stree 2 continues a few years later when Chanderi is a peaceful place. Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and his best friend Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) are leading a happy-go-lucky life, except that the former is still waiting for the girl with no name (Shraddha) as he loves her. Their buddy Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) is in Delhi studying to become an IAS officer.
A Spotify Review
Wed, October 16 2024
Stree 2 is an overlong, unfunny, and ultimately unnecessary sequel that has no idea how to deliver scares or laughs. Every scene in the film goes on for too long, the jokes are repeated to the point of redundancy, and some of the diversions are baffling to behold. Why is Akshay Kumar in this? How old is Tamannaah Bhatia’s character? Why are there no rules to this universe? We discuss the film’s flawed feminism, its boring tone, and that CGI-fuelled climax that goes on forever.
Thu, August 15 2024
Dharmaveer 2
Drama (Marathi)
Explores Anand Dighe's life, tracing his political journey and capturing the essence of his impactful legacy as a prominent figure.
Cast:
Prasad Oak, Kshitish Date, Makakarand Date, Snehal Tarde
Director:
Pravin Tarde
Writer:
Pravin Tarde
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
The film is more like an election pitch
Sun, December 8 2024
Filmmaker Pravin Vitthal Tarde’s Dharmaveer: Mukkam Post Thane (2022), the first film in the series, spoke about the rise and the greatness of the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, who was from Thane. The film was a good biopic that also worked as a commercial entertainer with a fine act from Prasad Oak as Dighe. As the protagonist passes away at the end of the first film, one wondered what the film’s sequel, Dharmaveer: Mukkam Post Thane 2, would have in store. As it turns out, the movie is nothing but a 157-minute long campaign for the upcoming assembly polls in Mahahrashtra.
Navra Maza Navsacha 2
Comedy, Family (Marathi)
Bhakti and Vacky are once again on a journey to seek blessings at Ganpati Pule but this time because of their daughter Shraddha who makes an unusual and hilarious vow which she forces her fiancé to fulfill as a condition to marry her. With all the adventures and obstacles on their Konkan railway journey, will they be able to fulfill their vow this time as well?
Cast:
Sachin Pilgaonkar, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Swapnil Joshi, Ashok Saraf, Vaibhav Mangle, Nivedita Joshi Saraf, Jaywant Wadkar, Siddharth Jadhav
Director:
Sachin Pilgaonkar
Writer:
Sachin Pilgaonkar
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
Thoroughly entertaining surprise of the year
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3
Horror, Comedy (Hindi)
Rooh Baba ventures into a haunted mansion in the kingdom of Raktaghat in West Bengal, where he confronts two vengeful spirits, both asserting to be Manjulika.
Cast:
Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra, Ashwini Kalsekar, Rajesh Sharma, Kanchan Mullick
Director:
Anees Bazmee
Writer:
Aakash Kaushik
Sun, December 8 2024
Who is the real Manjulika?
Mon, November 4 2024
In this horror comedy movie, Kartik Aaryan returns as Ruhaan or Rooh Baba, a self-proclaimed ghostbuster. We find him swindling people out of their money by claiming to get rid of evil spirits possessing their family members or haunting their houses. However, his pretty profitable career brings him to a new case in which he comes face to face with something he is not prepared to deal with an actual, honest-to-goodness ghost.
रंगबिरंगी, मसालेदार, टाइमपास
Mon, November 4 2024
2007 की ‘भूल भुलैया’ तो ज़रूर याद होगी आपको। तर्क की कसौटी पर कसी हुई प्रियदर्शन निर्देशित वह फिल्म एक सायक्लोजिकल सस्पैंस-थ्रिलर थी जिसे आज हम हिन्दी की क्लासिक फिल्मों में गिनते हैं। उसके 15 साल बाद आई ‘भूल भुलैया 2’ को उस फिल्म के कंधे पर सवार होकर सिर्फ और सिर्फ इसलिए बनाया गया था ताकि नोट बटोरे जा सकें। वह फिल्म पिछली वाली का सीक्वेल नहीं बल्कि उसी कड़ी की एक फ्रेंचाइज़ी फिल्म थी जिसमें मंजुलिका को भूतनी दिखा कर लोगों को डराया और कुछ मसखरे जोड़ कर लोगों को हंसाया गया था। अनीस बज़्मी के निर्देशन में आई उस फिल्म को आज हम भले ही एक सफल फिल्म कहें लेकिन थी वह एक औसत दर्जे की मसाला फिल्म ही। अब अनीस के ही निर्देशन में आई यह ‘भूल भुलैया 3’ (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3) भी ऐसी ही है-हॉरर और कॉमेडी का मसाला लपेट कर आई एक औसत फिल्म जो कुछ पल को हंसाएगी, डराएगी, नोट बटोरेगी मगर इज़्ज़त नहीं कमा पाएगी।
Kanguva
Action, Thriller, Fantasy (Tamil)
A bounty hunter in present day, learns about his previous life as a legendary warrior, when fate unites him with a mutant kid.
Cast:
Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, B. S. Avinash, Kovai Sarala, Yogi Babu, Jagapati Babu, Natarajan Subramaniam, Redin Kingsley, Anandaraj
Director:
Siva
Sun, December 8 2024
An earnest Suriya gives his all for a Siva film that doesn’t give him enough
Sun, December 1 2024
Five villages — each having its own behaviour, its own problems, professions, and pursuits. It might sound like Black Panther, but we’ll get there later. There is a foreign invasion that threatens to disturb the status quo of the system. There is a hero who wants to do good by his land and his people, and there are external forces that won’t let him do this simple thing that heroes have been doing from time immemorial. There is a Game of Thrones-esque setting, in not just for claiming the top spot, but also in the overall look and feel. There is a timeline jump of almost 1000 years, and the way these two timelines come together is straight out of the SS Rajamouli playbook. Amidst all these familiar tropes lies Siva’s Kanguva that revels in its familiarity, impresses in its visuals, but leaves a lot to be desired in the execution of it all.
Its Intent On Being The Tamil Baahubali And KGF Remains Untapped
Sat, November 30 2024
Its ambition is sky-high. Kanguva seeks to derive power from the elements (wind, water and fire), the ambitious merger of two timelines separated by a millennium, and the immense magnetism of lead actor Suriya. Nothing wrong with that of course, but the building blocks would have come together far more effectively had the writing and treatment been more organised and coherent.
Sikandar Ka Muqaddar
Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Action (Hindi)
After an unsolved diamond heist, a hard-nosed cop’s pursuit of his key suspect turns into obsession, until they finally face each other — and the truth.
Cast:
Jimmy Shergill, Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Divya Dutta, Rajeev Mehta, Zoya Afroz, Ridhima Pandit, Deepak Daryani, Praful Joshi, Khurshed Lawyer
Director:
Neeraj Pandey
Jimmy Shergill is on target in this ho-hum heist flick
Tue, December 3 2024
Neeraj Pandey has a knack for plucking stories from crime pages and turning them into dramatic thrillers that carry the flavour of pulp fiction sold on stalls at railway stations. Like his much loved Special 26(2013), Sikandar Ka Muqaddar exudes energy and purpose as it lays out a puzzle for us. The title is inspired by Manmohan Desai’s crime drama Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978). Some of the leaps of faith that Neeraj takes could indeed have piqued the interest of Desai whose cine universe was rooted in Kismat (1968) and Naseeb (1981) but today they come across as nothing more than a well-meant tribute to the master.
बर्बाद है
Mon, December 2 2024
चलो-चलो इक फिल्म बनाएं, नाम कैची-सा ढूंढ के लाएं, हीरों की चोरी करवाएं, चोर के पीछे पुलिस दौड़ाएं, चूहे-बिल्ली का खेल दिखाएं, अंत में एक ट्विस्ट ले आएं, पब्लिक को मूरख मान जबरन अपनी थ्योरी पकड़ाएं, चलो-चलो इक फिल्म बनाएं। सोच कर ही रोंगटे हरकत में आने लगते हैं कि नीरज पांडेय जैसे थ्रिलर बनाने में उस्ताद समझे जाने वाले निर्देशक की फिल्म में 50-60 करोड़ के हीरे चोरी होंगे, शक तीन लोगों पर जाएगा, अपनी मूल वृत्ति यानी इंस्टिंक्ट पर हद से ज़्यादा गुमान करने वाला एक पुलिस अफसर आकर केस सुलझाएगा लेकिन इस काम में 15 साल बीत जाएंगे और फिर एक ऐसा ट्विस्ट आएगा कि बस…!
The Film Has Neither Spark Nor Sparkle
Sat, November 30 2024
Think up a character. Name him Sikandar. He may or may not master of his destiny. Pit the clean-cut guy against a dogged lawman determined to control the man’s muqaddar. Lo and behold, you have a handy title that harks back to a 1978 Amitabh Bachchan megahit with which this Netflix film has nothing to do.