Shehzada Movie Analysis: Another Messy Remake of South Film

A mess of a south remake thanks to average script, while Kriti Sanon goes missing for majority of the 2^nd half.

Directed by : Rohit Dhawan 

Imdb link -> Shehzada (2023) - IMDb

"Hum gareebo ke paas ek hi cheez thi - dukh. Woh bhi tum ameero ne le liya."

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Spoilers ahead...

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South Film Remake Starring Kartik Aaryan

Bantu has been living the life of a servant's son for 25 years until, by accident, he finds out that his father Valmiki (Paresh Rawal) actually isn't his real father. Instead, he belongs to a millionaire rich family for whom Valmiki works, the Jindals: Randeep (Ronit Roy), his wife Yashoda (Manisha Koirala), their son Raj (Ankur Rathee), and father-in-law Aditya (Sachin Khedekar). Will Bantu reveal Valmiki's lie to the Jindals, or will he keep quiet and continue living the life he has?

Shehzada's Weak Story: Similar to 80’s & 90’s Era Movies

Not having seen the original, the story of Shehzada evokes a sense of nostalgia from the 80s era (the part where, at birth, kids are replaced intentionally or not) and partially from 90s movies like Govinda's "Hero No. 1" (where he tries to sort out all the issues the family members are facing). The former part is not utilized much in the narrative, and the latter happens too easily for my liking.

Ronit Roy, Manisha Koirala, Sachin Khedekar wasted

There's just no emotional connect to any character in the Jindal family, which is sad because the trio of excellent veteran actors - Ronit Roy, Manisha Koirala, and Sachin Khedekar - are underutilised.

Is Kartik Aaryan’s Performance Likeable ?

I think I prefer Kartik Aaryan in low-budget movies (Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Akaash Vani) over this Kartik Aaryan (Shehzada, Bhool Bhulaiyaa). He may provide some laughs in these movies, but they are very few and far between. In straight words, I would say it's too early for him to take on such lead roles that demand him to shine over an average script. The action scenes felt okay; I would rather prefer him to do more such roles before dismissing him as an action hero. In the comedy scenes, he actually reminded me of Varun Dhawan.

Expected More from Paresh Rawal

Rajpal Yadav is fun to watch in the only scene he gets in the movie. Paresh Rawal is okay; you expect more from him, but it's just a non-likable character. In fact, if the tone of the movie wasn't comical, there was a case for him to go more grey in this role, which would have worked better. I would have liked him to team up with Raj, who otherwise felt too childish in behavior.

Gorgeous Kriti Sanon: Missing in the 2^nd Half.

The only part that I enjoyed was the one involving Kriti Sanon, who looks gorgeous as always with a great screen presence. I feel Kriti and Kartik share very good chemistry (despite a very silly way to get them in love), which is a pity because the screenplay has Kriti missing for most of the second half.

Shehzada's Songs: Badly Placed but Provide Some Relief

The songs, while not at chartbuster level and their placement is questionable (but would you complain if the movie isn't working?), were pleasant to the ears, especially "Munda Sona Hoon Main." The reason to compose "Character Dheela 2.0" is a huge mystery to me. Neither the story has Bantu playing a playboy nor does Kartik have such a personality in real life. It just shows the lack of originality these days when a remake film requires another film's song to be remade.

Final Verdict on Shehzada

Overall, Shehzada is just another mess of a remake from the South that, even with another actor cast in the lead role, wouldn't have made any difference.

Rating: 3.5/10

Also, Check Out Movie Analysis of Uunchai

Uunchai Movie Analysis: A Lovely but Flawed Tale of Friends

Enjoyable Sooraj Barjatya movie that explores ideas out of his comfort zone, 2^nd half is a major let-down.

Directed by : Sooraj R. Barjatya 

Imdb link -> Uunchai (2022) - IMDb

"Kehte hai ki everest pe har sawaal ka jawaab hai."

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot of Uunchai: 4 Friends and a Tale of Overcoming Life Hurdles

Three close friends - Amit Shrivastava (Amitabh Bachchan), Javed Siddiqui (Boman Irani), and Om Sharma (Anupam Kher) who are all senior citizens decide to trek to the Everest Base Camp because the 4th member of their circle, Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa), has recently died, and he always wanted to go there. The rest of the story is all about the physical struggle, the adventure and the secrets each of them learn as they battle to climb the Everest of their day-to-day life.

Neena Gupta Can Make a Dull Scene Look Awesome

Had a smile on my face for the majority of the first half, especially during the entire car journey from Delhi to Agra to Kanpur to Gorakhpur with all the rest stops, mainly food breaks, and the conversations between Amit, Javed, Om, and Shabina Siddiqui (Neena Gupta), playing the wife of Javed. Neena Gupta is such a brilliant actor that even the dull-looking scenes feel so alive with her presence.

Parineeti Chopra Sub-plot Felt Forced

The entire trek training montage felt really useless because at the completion of 2 months, you could say that none of them were fit enough to still go on the trek. No, I don't belong to those stereotypical old-fashioned people who believe that 60+ people should stay at home; I prefer them to be active. The issue here is this training montage shows no improvement in their physical abilities, so it's a total waste of time. It would have worked better if the 2 months were skipped directly to the day they start the trip, with a small conversation hinting that they haven't done much but are hopeful to reach the Everest Base Camp. That would have been ideal.

The main issue, though, was the second half and the entire trek sequences. Firstly, Shraddha Gupta (Parineeti Chopra), the trek instructor/guide, felt like a forced inclusion in terms of the story, especially how they show Amit is indirectly linked to her and all her family issues. Rather, some other actor who was just there to help with the trek with no backstory would have gone nicely. I also didn't understand how they create a total mess at the bridge crossing rather than waiting for the rain to stop or at least slow down. Does it happen in real life, so carelessly? Bit too much in the name of cinematic liberties!

Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, and Anupam Kher With Stand-out Performances

There's one department where I have no complaints, and that's the acting (minus Parineeti, of course, as mentioned above). Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani, especially, give top-notch performances, while Anupam Kher provides humor to the narrative effectively as always. I loved the scene where they are sitting on the Ghat and playing the song "Yeh Jeevan Hai, Iss Jeevan Ka," a very well-directed emotional moment. Sarika Thakur was also a good addition, initially as a mystery woman, and later provides more to Bhupen's reason for the love towards the Himalayas or that poem he had written.

Bit sad to see Danny Denzongpa get a very small role; he is yet so lovable. Loved it when he in a friendly tone criticizes the work of Amit, telling him that his best book is yet to come.

2^nd Half Falters Despite Fewer Sooraj Barjatya Tropes

The message of standing tall to any difficulty or circumstance life poses at you is well and clear. A tighter second half and better writing would have made it more effective. It's a little disappointing because the usual tropes that we see in Sooraj Barjatya's family drama movies are at a backseat; rather, he uses them as small conflicts and moves ahead without consuming the whole narrative, whether it's Om's view regarding his brothers related to the handling of Haveli, or how Shabina's daughter reacts at her mom's surprise visit when she and her husband have a birthday party planned already, or how Amit feels guilty for the condition his wife (Nafisa Ali in a cameo) is in.

The songs, while not memorable, still feel fresh because we have Amit Trivedi doing music for Sooraj Barjatya for the first time. "Keti Ko," "Haan Kar De," and "Ladki Pahadi" are all decent tracks that work fine with the narrative.

Final Verdict on Uunchai

Overall, Uunchai is definitely a positive step for Sooraj Barjatya after that disastrous Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. Good to see him stay in his elements and yet try something different, even with flaws, the heart seems to be in the right place, making the movie a good watch.

Rating: 6/10

Also, Check out Movie Analysis of Jersey (Hindi)

Mili Movie Analysis: Janhvi Shines in This Survival Drama

A gripping survival drama thriller with standout performances by Janhvi Kapoor, Sunny Kaushal, and Manoj Pahwa.


Directed by: Mathukutty Xavier
Imdb link -> Mili (2022) - IMDb

"thande aansun peena hoga, phir bhi tujhko jeena hoga..”

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot of Mili: A True Story of Survival in Tough Conditions

Based on true events, the story is about Mili Naudiyal (Janhvi Kapoor), a 24-year-old girl who works at Doon's Kitchen in a Pacific Mall of Dehradun. One night, after the end of her shift, she accidentally gets locked in the freezer room with no one outside to rescue her. Knowing she has to survive at least 6-7 hours, if not more, before the kitchen opens in the morning, she must find a way to stay alive somehow in a temperature as low as minus 17 degrees.

Manoj Pahwa and Janhvi Kapoor Delight to Watch

Having not seen the original 'Helen,' I won't make any comparisons. The initial portions of the movie are fun to watch because of the great father-daughter bonding between Mili and her father, Niranjan Naudiyal (Manoj Pahwa). The use of 'Aap' and 'Hum' while talking to each other is something I really like. Some might find it old-fashioned or criticize that no one talks like that, but I personally enjoy it since the 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' days.

Amazing Build-Up: Mili’s Emotional Low Point

Before the scary incident happens, I like how the emotional drama is built up, leaving no stone unturned, making everyone affected by what is to happen really angry at themselves for behaving like that. We see Mili's father not talking to her ever since he learned about her affair with a different caste guy, Sameer Kumar (Sunny Kaushal), and some embarrassment faced while getting her home from the police station. Mili isn't willing to talk to Sameer anymore because of his irresponsible attitude that landed them in the police station the previous night when he drove without a helmet and had consumed some alcohol. On the day Mili gets trapped in the freezer room, she gets scolded by the manager and later taunted by him again for eating food, which she then throws away, not knowing that energy would have come in handy later on.

All of this is very good writing and makes you feel more for Mili and her well-wishers when they are all trying to find her. The entire freezer scenes are beautifully handled. I won't question a single thing that Mili tries to free herself because, honestly, if I got stuck in there, I would lose my mind even in 5 degrees cold. It was very tough to watch the part where she injures her foot and tries to use her nursing experience to help herself. I also enjoyed the little bonding she has with the rat, trying to keep it alive for as long as she could.

Issues in Mili: Irritating Inspector and Forced Conflicts

Some unwanted hiccups spoil the movie. There seem to be a few hallucination scenes because clearly staying even one hour in over -10 degrees would lead to the mind going blank and insane thoughts arriving. The inspector part was overdone; it felt unnecessary to see him not send the location just to show how corrupt some policemen can be or to let a certain cameo of Jackie Shroff come in, which felt so out of place.

Conflicts are necessary in survival-based movies, but there are too many here. If the bad cop wasn't enough, we see Sameer, who knows where Mili is stuck, go through an accident to delay saving Mili further. Also, when they all find Mili in the freezer room, it was poorly written to show none of them had the sense to quickly take her out of the room before checking if she was alive, as she was fighting the cold and needed to be out of it ASAP.

Janhvi Kapoor with Another Impressive Performance

Performance-wise, Janhvi Kapoor delivers another good performance, even though it's not at the level I felt in Gunjan Saxena. It's a very challenging role, and I like that she is taking up such movies. In fact, she hasn't yet done a routine masala genre movie, which many new actresses love to be part of.

Sunny Kaushal is also very good in the supporting role. I have seen him in just 'Gold' before this. It's good to see Vikram Kochhar in a slightly different role; he still gets some comic moments. Sanjay Suri is efficient in the final act of the film.

AR Rahman Music: Not Great, But Works with Narrative

The music of AR Rahman, even though not as special as we are used to, still fits well with the narrative, especially the 'Jeena Hoga' track that shows Mili fighting until her last possible breath. I also like how the 'Hum Bhi Raahi' song is used in the opening credits, where we see an ant freely moving until it accidentally falls into the ice-cube tray, a metaphor for what Mili is soon going to face. The background theme that runs when Mili is locked inside the freezer room is pretty good too, though not 'Trapped' level good.

Verdict on Mili

Overall, 'Mili' is a very good survival thriller movie with performances from Janhvi Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, and Sunny Kaushal lifting the narrative even more. Some flaws aside, I quite enjoyed it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Also, Check Out Movie Analysis of Nope

Hit-The First Case Movie Analysis: Pacy but Flawed 2nd Act

A decent watch thanks to Rajkummar Rao and a pacy narrative, but a weak 2nd act and final reveal lets the movie down.

Directed by: Sailesh Kolanu

Imdb link -> Hit: The First Case (2022) - IMDb

" Tujhse sach kabhi chup hi nahi sakta.."

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot: Rajkummar Rao as an Investigator Cop

Vikram Jai Singh (Rajkummar Rao), who is suffering from PTSD, on advice from his doctor and girlfriend Neha Mehta (Sanya Malhotra), goes on a few months break from his police duty. A few weeks later, he’s informed about Neha going missing, and soon Vikram realizes that the case is connected with another girl, Preeti Mathur (Rose Khan), who was kidnapped a few months earlier.

Pacy Whodunnit with Rajkummar Rao as Lead

A fast, really fast-paced whodunnit crime drama is always great to watch. There are very few distractions; the romantic angle is actually underdone, while the songs never feel unnecessary, plus they are used in small portions only. Rajkummar Rao, as the lead, plays this character with a past we are never fully told about, making him a cop that is all the time risking his mental health while trying to solve cases. He does a great job in each and every frame.

Weak Writing and Climax in Hit: The First Case

It’s the small choices that the writing team makes that spoil the movie, and I am not yet talking about the big reveal in the end. For instance, why would a neighbor divorcee, Sheela (Shilpa Shukla), who’s been friendly with Preeti, suddenly decide to get attention by sending a handwritten note about the body? Are some people so out of order that they would risk police torture just to get some limelight?

Then, there was that unnecessary death of Ibrahim (Milind Gunaji), who’s been one of the main suspects all along, which I felt was brilliantly done in the screenplay (even the trailer cut suggests that he may be involved). Yet, in that night rain scene, we see him for no reason go missing only to come back and get hit by a bullet. If that wasn’t enough, we see this other cop, who has always been boring you with the rivalry, suddenly appear out of nowhere to save Vikram’s life.

Coming to the climax, I felt the reason for the murder and the murderer both were good, and even the motive was understandable. For me, she didn’t appear silly; people can be obsessive, and in love, that obsession can lead anywhere. She even kills her accidentally. Where it misfires is that the character in question is seen so little in the narrative, which feels like cheating. Most of the best whodunnits feature the character who commits the crime present at least 70% of the time on screen, so you can’t guess it right.

Sanya Malhotra also gets very little screen time, and her character is mostly used to confuse the narrative rather than to do anything else. Dalip Tahil and Akhil Iyer are good in their supporting roles.

Verdict on Hit: The First Case

Overall, Hit: The First Case is decent because of its pace and the strong lead acting of Rajkummar Rao, but the writing issues are apparent throughout the narrative, especially in the second act, with the final reveal only making it worse.

Rating: 5.5/10

 

Also, Check out Movie Analysis of Dasvi

Dasvi Movie Analysis: A lighthearted Abhishek Bacchan movie

A lovely lighthearted movie that tells a story about how important education is even for a minister.

Directed by: Tushar Jalota

Imdb link -> Dasvi (2022) - IMDb

" Yo kitaab badi gazab ki cheez hai madamji, bilkul neend ki davaayi jaise.”

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Spoilers ahead...

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A Comedy Drama Starring Abhishek Bachchan Telling the Importance of Education

Chief Minister Ganga Ram Chaudhary (Abhishek Bachchan) of Harit Pradesh gets arrested in a school-related money scam and is under the supervision of strict lady cop Jyoti Deswal (Yami Gautam) in jail. Meanwhile, he asks his wife Bimla Devi (Nimrat Kaur) to be the new CM in his absence. Ganga Ram develops a keen interest to pass the 10th and starts to study hard for it, while on the other side Bimla Devi gets addicted to power and does not want Ganga Ram back again.

There are many hiccups in the narrative. For instance, the whole Bimla Devi act of becoming evil wasn't fully convincing. Or how much support Ganga Ram gets in jail from even the cop Jyoti felt a little too much. Some songs also loosen out the story, which could have been done away with. Yet, I mostly found myself smiling and enjoying the movie, which also delivers a message about how important education is, even if you are a minister.

Innovative Education Learning Methods in Dasvi

The tutorial ways were my favorite bits, especially how Ganga Ram learns probability, chemistry, and active-passive voice (everyone loves Deepika was hilarious), with references to Taare Zameen Par in Hindi teaching and much more. The history lesson could have avoided making Ganga Ram be part of the past events; that felt unnecessary and silly.

Also, seeing him earn 57% in the results was good. Most writing teams in such scenarios would go overboard as if a miracle would happen and the person would get 80% or more. The scenes involving Jyoti and other junior cop Satpal Tomar (Manu Rishi Chadha's comic timing is top level as always) were fun, especially the 'Woh loomad hai' replied with 'Aur aap sherni'.

Dasvi is Among Abhishek Bachchan’s Career-Best Performances

I also enjoyed Abhishek Bachchan sort of doing 'Joker happy dance' at one moment; I think it was when he told Jyoti that he would do the Dasvi exams. His Haryanvi dialect is up to the mark too, which is actually the case with the entire cast. Definitely can add this among his good performances of his career, more of an entertaining role that he did pretty well.

Yami Gautam is Impressive in Supporting Role

Yami Gautam does a great job; it is very enjoyable how she treats Ganga Ram as not above the law and then helps in his transformation, which as I mentioned before goes slightly too far.

Final Verdict on Dasvi

Overall, Dasvi entertains despite some issues in the narrative. The final end result is still good and a lovely lighthearted movie to watch.

Rating: 7/10

Also, check out my Movie Analysis of Gaslight

Gaslight Movie Analysis: Pavan Kirpalani sadly disappoints

After Phobia, this is way below par movie from Pavan Kirpalani, works neither as whodunnit nor as a drama.

Directed by: Pavan Kirpalani

Imdb link -> Gaslight (2023) - IMDb

"Har woh cheez jisne mujhe daraaya hai, wahin se mujhe apne saare sawaalo ke jawaab milenge.”

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot of Gaslight: Sara Ali Khan Tries to Solve the Mystery of Her Missing Father

Meesha (Sara Ali Khan) returns to her royal family estate for the first time since childhood to visit her father, with whom she hasn't spoken in more than a decade. She is welcomed at the palace by her stepmother Rukmini (Chitrangda Singh). Soon, she learns that her father isn't home and has gone for some important work. The rest of the story deals with how Meesha feels something is off and that her father (whom she calls Daata) should have been home, knowing she was coming to meet him after such a long gap.

A Crime Mystery with Clichéd Twists

These days, most mystery suspense films have two twists. Once the first twist is revealed, we suddenly learn there's a bigger one that was kept hidden. Now, I am not against this, but for that second big twist to work, I feel the first one has to be good enough too; otherwise, it just gives a feeling of the makers having no confidence, so they play it safe.

In "Gaslight," the same problem occurs. It would hardly take you 15-20 minutes max to predict that first twist, largely because the writing team didn't do enough work on the character of Kapil (Vikrant Massey), the estate manager who all the time gives you the feeling that he isn't what he is showing. Also, it's one of the weakest performances of Vikrant Massey as it lacked freshness and felt seen before, making you feel he's getting typecast.

The second twist is good but questionable too because you have to backtrack and understand why Meesha behaves like she does in some of the scenes. To be honest, I don't have the patience to give the movie another chance for that.

Initial Horror Setup Works in Gaslight

I did enjoy the initial horror setup; for a while, I was hoping that there was actually either some ghost at work or some black magic in play. Although the dark night settings felt way too dark at times, making it tough to see what's happening, something I felt while watching the trailer too. The entire blind woman act was silly, even if later the real intention is shown, it was so hammy that any smart person wouldn't buy it.

Performance-wise, everyone falters mostly because the writing is average. Chitrangda Singh is likable for the most part, while Sara Ali Khan felt okay-ish and irritating at places. Rahul Dev feels wasted; maybe the idea was that less of him would mean he is the real suspect, but that still didn't work out. I haven't seen him much in the past few years, so it was still good to see him in the limited screentime.

Verdict on Gaslight

Overall, I was expecting more than just an average movie from Pavan Kirpalani, as he has done some good work in the past, especially Phobia, but Gaslight neither works as a whodunnit nor as a drama.

Rating: 4/10

Also, Check out Movie Analysis of Double XL

Double XL Movie Analysis: A Subject not treated properly

One of those ‘if only’ movies where you wonder why did the director take a wrong route of telling the story.

Directed by: Satram Ramani

Imdb link -> Double XL (2022) - IMDb

"Gym aur Diet jaise naye dost banane ki koshish ki, magar unn saalo ki yaari na pakki nahi thi."

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot: Talks About Fat Shaming with Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi in the Lead

Two overweight women, Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha) and Rajshree Trivedi (Huma Qureshi), have dreams like anyone else. Saira wants to open her own fashion brand, while Rajshree aims to be a successful sports (cricket) presenter. Both fail, not because they lack talent, but because their weight means opportunities land in other people's hands. A chance meeting between Saira and Rajshree connects them, and they both go to London to try to make their dreams come true.

It's a taboo topic initially approached well when we see how a guy taunts Rajshree, telling her she may need to lose weight to be a sports presenter. This harsh truth highlights the very low number of plus-size female presenters. The fat-shaming isn't limited to the two industries shown in the film; it’s something prevalent everywhere, often normalized, as seen in many movies.

Poor Decision to Keep Double XL Too LightHearted

Unfortunately, the topic isn't explored as it should have been. Only one outburst scene stands out, where Rajshree's audition is canceled because her photo suggested low viewership for the 'sports presenter' job, despite her talent. This scene, free of comical background music, genuinely conveys Rajshree's pain. It's a pity that in her short interview with Kapil Dev (who plays himself), the voice is cut off, rendering the scene ineffective.

The love interests of Saira and Rajshree, played by Zoravar Rehmani (Zaheer Iqbal) and Srikanth Sreevardhan (Mahat Raghavendra), have some funny moments but often derail the movie from its main topic. Some scenes feel cringe-worthy. The message that it's okay to be overweight shouldn't come at the expense of promoting unhealthy eating habits. A scene where Saira and Rajshree overeat junk food to feel better could have been impactful if shot without the prevailing comical tone, similar to a scene in The Whale. Additionally, Saira's fashion designs in the final act didn’t seem flattering, making it hard to appreciate.

Emotional Impact and Missed Opportunities in Double XL

Both Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi are suited for their roles but needed a more serious script and better execution of the topic, which feels lost in the second half.

Among the supporting cast, Shobha Khote and Kanwaljeet Singh are underutilized, lacking meaningful scenes. Jimmy Shergill's cameo is a rare well-written moment.

The performances by Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi highlight their potential in serious roles, but the script does not fully support their efforts. The supporting cast fails to leave a significant impact due to underdeveloped roles.

Verdict on Double XL

Overall, 'Double XL' is one of those movies that fails to deliver on a subject that could have done wonders with the right execution.

Rating: 4.5/10

Also, Check out Movie Analysis of RRR

RRR Movie Analysis: Rajamouli in top form yet again

Not another masterpiece from Rajamouli, but still close to it with Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr performances a treat to watch

Directed by: S.S Rajamouli

Imdb link -> RRR (2022) - IMDb

“Meri apni himmat meri taakat hai, par tumhari himmat meri jeet hogi.”

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot of RRR: A Cinematic Spectacle Inspired by Real-Life Revolutionaries

Set in the 1920s British India, a young girl Malli from a tribal Gond community in Adilabad gets abducted and taken to the British Palace in Delhi. The Gond warrior Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr) disguises himself as a Muslim mechanic (Akhtar) and is in search of Malli when he confronts a British Indian Policeman Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan). Their friendship begins while both having no idea of each other's real identity. They are in their own ways fighting for independence, against King Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and Lady Scott/Catherine Buxton (Alison Doody).

Rajamouli's Inspirations from Ramayana and Mahabharata

Inspired by the lives of two real-life revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, Rajamouli builds a narrative with many influences taken from Ramayana and Mahabharata, creating a fantasy fiction where these two who never met in real life actually not only meet here but fight against each other too before eventually teaming up. That's one of the reasons I was able to enjoy the action knowing these main characters are pretty much like superheroes with great powers. For instance, it didn't affect me watching Raju, who never used arrows before, suddenly hit bullseye in the climax, though a childhood scene is set up to give a small indication of how perfect he can be without practice. And also how Bheem, with total ease, picks up a motorbike in his hands. I wonder if Rajamouli did that intentionally to help viewers tone down their thinking about the over-the-top action or if it was just a case of adding more depth to the characters. Both ways it works!

Top-Notch Writing: Building Character Arcs for Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr

Told through parts - The Story, The Fire, and The Water. Each short segment builds up characters very well. 'The Story' establishes the main plot of Malli, who gets captured and has to be rescued before she gets harmed in any way. The final scene ends here with a very haunting background score. 'The Fire' brings to light the character of Raju, who very much like 'Ramayana's Ram' believes in following the given orders even if it means going through a large dangerous mob. And then there's 'The Water' that shows the efficiency and physical power of Bheem to tackle wild animals, mainly 'Tiger,' who plays a significant role later on. Also, this helps in scenes when Bheem uses forest 'jadibhooti' ways to cure Ram when he gets injured.

The writing is top-notch when we see scenes that aren't there for the sake of it but rather hold important keys as the story progresses. Like notice the Dosti song where Bheem is doing pushups holding Raju over his shoulders, that is used in an innovative action sequence during the final act. Or the scene in the jungle where Raju writes a letter to Sita, and we see a god statue in the background, and again in the last act, it's where the transformation of Raju into God happens.

We also get to see some well-done twists; for instance, Bheem assuring Sita that he will bring Raju back to her, is the total opposite of Ramayana, where Hanuman assures Ram that he will bring Sita back.

Epic Action Sequence: Ram Charan vs N.T. Rama Rao Jr

In his last three films, Rajamouli has already established how effective his storytelling style is, and once again he uses the scale to his advantage where the emotions still take the forefront. The set pieces are more than just the action that's taking place. Both Raju and Bheem get full character arcs, and the scene where they fight against each other is reminiscent of Ironman vs Captain America fight. It's become a popular trope now where you make the audience feel bad watching two main heroes land deep punches on each other when you know they should together be using that energy against the villain.

MM Keeravaani's Music and Background Score in RRR

MM Keeravaani, just like Baahubali, lifts up Rajamouli's storytelling to another level, and I am someone who totally enjoys when a background piece is done so well without trying to manipulate. RRR is full of such instances. The most notable is, of course, the goosebumps-inducing 'Train Accident' scene where the slow 'dara dum dara dum dara dum dum' brings the first meeting of Raju and Bheem, eventually leading to their friendship. That visual of the handshake has already become viral and famous. I love the same theme used in that final act scene too when Bheem is using music to find the solitary cell where Raju is.

Almost every song is well-used, and they are really good in terms of lyrics too. My pick is 'Dosti' track by Amit Trivedi (I saw the Hindi version of the movie) that so brilliantly shows the quickly blossoming friendship of Raju and Bheem, comparing them to Fire and Water, Rock and Storm, Lightning and Thunder, East and West, and also there's the fear that their different goals might spoil their friendship one day. Usually, I would be complaining about how rushed the bonding is shown with just one montage, but such is the power of visuals with music in here that you are made to believe how quickly they became close friends. I think whenever friendship-based songs between two males will be considered, this track will be right up to the top. I loved it that much. Also, love the other two versions of Dosti track - Sad and Victorious.

Naatu Naatu is another fantastic track (also Oscar award winner now), though it's a song that appeals to me visually more than the audio. The dance-off that takes place with the Britishers and then between Raju & Bheem and its mad choreography makes this a treat to watch. 'Komuram Bheemudo' is the most emotional track of the movie, which reminded me of 70s patriotic movies where a person would be singing while being smashed all over the body with a whip. The scene was expectedly the toughest one to watch. Also, I love how the song doesn't try to just let the pain of Bheem out, but also how it affects the perspective of Raju, not just as a friend but his beliefs change when he sees the impact of Bheem's song on the gathered crowd.

Underutilized Characters like Alia Bhatt, and Over-the-Top Action

RRR isn't without flaws though. It may have got labeled as a spectacle which quite frankly it is, but at the same time, I wouldn't call it a masterpiece and won't rate it above Baahubali. I felt Alia Bhatt's character was very poorly used in the narrative, and the meeting scene of Bheem-Seetha felt more of a convenience rather than organic. The other major issue I had was with the villain; sure, we see glimpses of Scott being exploitative, but there could have been more of his involvement in the finale. Or at least Lady Scott, who we see cruelly asking for more blood from Bheem in the public flogging scene, she could have played an extra part before meeting her expected wild death. In her own words, I missed 'the pool of blood', and the end of Scott happens rather too quickly. In short, the final 15 mins felt very underwhelming.

The end credits was another letdown which gave a feeling of 'Did I just switch to a Farah Khan movie?' I have seen the film many times and always end up skipping that end credits song. There are 1-2 instances when the action goes way too over the top to digest, like when Rajamouli is too eager to show Fire vs Water in that Palace animal attack sequence that we literally see firecrackers and water pipes themselves having a go at each other. Thoda jyada ho gaya yeh!

Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr in RRR are Exceptional

Both Ram Charan and NT Rama Rao Jr have given great performances; I can't really pick the best out of them. I love when we see Raju torn between his friendship and the goal of his life when he learns the truth about Akhtar's real identity. And the moment when NTR Rao Jr feels deep anger towards Raju with the rage in his eyes suggesting how hurt he felt at the interval scene. Also, I like how the entire forest angle is used perfectly in NTR Rao Jr's attack over the palace as he unleashes the animals at the Britishers.

Ajay Devgn's Cameo and Shreya Saran's Role

Good to see Ajay Devgn nail the cameo with such ease. Can't help but get emotional during the scene when he forces Ram to 'Load, Aim, Shoot' when he just lost two of his family members. Shreya Saran does feel wasted in an almost nothing role. Maybe she just wanted to be part of this special movie.

Verdict on RRR

Overall, RRR may not be a masterpiece for me, but I still enjoyed it more than most movies of 2022. Rajamouli knows how to handle a multi-starrer, and with good music and great performances, he delivers a movie which I will revisit again for the action and emotions in it.

Rating: 8.5/10

Also, Check out Movie Analysis of Mission Majnu

Movie Analysis : Mission Majnu (Netflix)

Directed by : Shantanu Bagchi

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13131232/

Jung hathiyaro se nahi, intelligence se jeeti jaati hai.

Spoilers ahead..

Set in 1970s, its about an undercover Indian spy agent Amandeep Singh/Tariq (Sidharth Malhotra) who is tasked to find out the secret place where Pakistan is trying to conduct nuclear weapons program. And the name of the mission is 'Mission Majnu'. 

From the trailer itself I had the vibe of how on the face patriotism this movie will have and I wasn't proven wrong. But what was really disappointing that even the spy story was so damn silly, I mean I wasn't expecting much when it comes to how caricature portrayal of Pakistan would be but atleast don't defy logic and try to engage audience with a good thrilling narrative. 

The story has major scope to build characters and tension since its taking up a real life incident and includes some famous people of that time footage too. Check the level of stupidity - There's a brigadier who is openly sharing top secret information with a tailor (Tariq). We see the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (Rajit Kapoor) in anger saying we will do anything to win against India even if it means we starve for food, and then eats a piece of chocolate cake. That's the kind of humor in this movie.

We see Tariq time and again try to get information through gossips with woman, or a boy or shopwala, because the cue  given in script is, no one will ever get suspicious about you. There's Aslam Usmania (Sharib Hashmi), another undercover raw agent, who is hot tempered taking his gun out so easily and yet has never got caught, go figure yourself! Also, there's a mention of 'very dangerous Pakistan scientist' who works on this nuclear program, but throughout the movie I couldn't understand what they really meant by dangerous because nothing felt like so. Maybe, dangerous has a new meaning as per this movie. 

There's 2 very irritating characters, one of Raw Officer Sharma (Zakir Hussain) who constantly keeps bullying Tariq for his past related to a traitor father.. but its just too repetitive to my liking. Zakir Hussain does get one good scene later on where he suggests how sitting on other end through phone one tries to be patriotic not realizing real work is being done by other guys in the field who aren't valued enough. The other one was Tariq's wife, Nasreen Khan's (Rashmika Mandanna) father who keeps on disliking Tariq because of his low earning status. 

Sidharth Malhotra really struggles, ofcourse part of it is to do with the poor script but he still gave the  feeling of miscasted. When he says those lines in 'Shershaah' that are patriotic, they made an effect because the story was moving one. Here, in that scene where he tells Raman (Kumud Mishra, playing another undercover raw agent) and Aslam, about what he feels for India, it just comes across some street guy telling how patriotic he is. Rashmika Mandanna in her debut hindi movie is limited to a very one-note character, a reason why that climax scene doesn't invoke the emotions it should had.

Even Kumud Mishra  overacts for a change, it was tough to see him in that scene where he is pretending to be a Pakistani army officer. 

I never loved, Shershaah like most people did yet I enjoyed that film along with Sidharth performance. But, with Mission Majnu there's just nothing to like, even the songs are so dull and sleep inducing. Its just a failure of what could had been a good spy thriller if not more, like Raazi or even Romeo Akbar Walter were. Maybe Mission Majnu's target audience was only Sidharth fans or the patriotic lovers who will like anything that screams patriotism.

My Rating : 3/10 

Movie Analysis : Phone Bhoot (Netflix)

Directed by : Gurmmeet Singh

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12740760/

Hum ek chudail hai, hum toh work from home bhi nahi kar sakte hai na.

Spoilers ahead... 

Two losers who are also horror fanatics, Galileo Parthasarthy/Gullu (Ishaan Khattar) and Sherdil Shergill/Major (Siddhant Chaturvedi) are given ultimatum of 3 months by their parents to prove that they really are Ghostbusters. Soon they meet a real ghost Ragini (Katrina Kaif), who is willing to help them in their business and in return she asks favour of dealing with Aatmaram Shastrashakti (Jackie Shroff) having a history with him. 

This plot would make any horror lover like me really interested, despite being a comedy genre. The art direction easily catches the eyes right at the first introductory sequence of Gullu and Major, so much detailing done with the b-grade horror movie posters, a statue named Raaka who is like God for Gullu and Major, along with  'The Shining' outlook hotel hallway set in there.

There's a limit to how many film references you do even when the entire movie is a spoof. Phone Bhoot doesn't care about that, some jokes do land but most of them miss the mark. The romantic track that comes in form of Ragini's flashback is boring too. 

Out of so many weird situations, there's 4 what the hell moments - first is when Ragini drops into a Slice ad (spoof on Katrina Kaif 's ad) to seduce Gullu, then there's a Bengali chudail (strangely played by Sheeba Chaddha) who tries to run away from Gullu and Major, only to be told by Ragini that she has reached Lahore, and the song starts playing 'lahore aaya, main uthe'. There's the exorcism (or attempt at that) scene where Gullu removes the aatma from a Madrasi girl's body by mimicking Rajnikanth. And in the climax, suddenly Aatmaram plays flute to the famous track 'Tu mera hero hai'. These are just few examples of how cringy and stupid the movie is even when the actors try to make fun of their own past work. 

Two guilty pleasure laugh moments for me were when going to a person's home living near Aamir Khan's bungalow is referred to as 'intelligent honge phir toh'. And the Punjabi Daayan who easily gets her mind diverted and starts dancing when a Punjabi song is played. Raaka used as narrator for most of the film, is fun to hear both at the start of film and at the interval. Also, have to applaud the bromance of Ishaan Khattar and Siddhant Chaturvedi, so full of energy, they did try their level best in a bad movie. Very much how I felt about Vicky Kaushal in Govinda Naam Mera.

Overall, Phone Bhoot is a forgettable movie. Its so bad that there's a chance you would enjoy laughing at the movie along with your friends, maybe that's the target audience. 

My Rating : 3/10 

Movie Analysis : Thank God (Amazon Prime)

Directed by : Indra Kumar

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13795296/

Jab ek joke pe baar baar hass nahi sakte, toh ek gham pe baar baar rote kyun ho.

Spoilers ahead... 

Ayaan Kapoor (Sidharth Malhotra) a greedy real estate broker has suffered immense losses since the Demonitisation and now is in so many debts. He meets with an accident and finds himself at a place where Yamdooth/YD (Mahesh Balraj) and Chitragupta/CG (Ajay Devgn) greet him informing that the only way he can return back is by playing 'TheGame of Life'. The rules are simple, there are two empty pots (paap aur punya), for every right reaction to a given situation white balls fills up the punya pot, otherwise the black balls fills up the paap pot. The one that fills first decides his fate. 

Felt like it was one of those films Sidharth Malhotra signed for money and just sleepwalked through the film. You can't really blame him for how stupid the film is. I am all for moral and social messages through a movie but you have to make it believable.  

You know how in school a teacher scolds a student and that student promises he won't do it again, but next day the history repeats. Watching Ayaan you feel the same way because it never appears that he is changing, its like he says for the sake giving those expressons of 'You are so right CG' and just wants to get those white balls and get the hell out of here. Take for instance the scene where Ayaan has to tell his sister about the Diwali incident lie that happened 15 yrs back, instead of feeling guilty and informing on his own, he is forced to tell due to this Dad including saying exact words his Dad says, so basically nothing comes out of his own heart. 

So the whole thing the movie is based on never works, and by the time those twists at the end comes it is way too late to really feel sympathy for Ayaan. The story has a old school feel, with the whole Yamdhoot-Chitragupta angle (I remember one of Jitendra films was on it and that was very funny with a plot revolving more on how YD-CG find lifestyle on earth when the hell goes for a strike, or another relatable good movie was the Sanjeev Kapoor one where he was so greedy that he challenges God). Yet if the director and the writing team aimed for a different execution, this would had been a enjoyable comedy drama. 

Kiku Sharda scene made me laugh the most, and also Sumit Gulati scene was a nice one too. Also, Ajay Devgan felt he was enjoying being part of a bad film giving some laughs. Music was other best thing of the movie, I actually watched the film due to the 'Manike' track that I love a lot though its picturisation is very vulgar. Also, Dil De Diya Hai new version was pretty enjoyable too. The background score however was highly manipulative forcefully trying to make you react. 

The list of cringeworthy moments is a long one, the police inspector scene standsout (both Ayaan and Ruhi (Rakul Preet Singh) versions, tough to choose which was worst). 

Overall, Thank God is what you would say when the movie ends. 

My Rating : 3/10 

Movie Analysis : Govinda Naam Mera (Hotstar)

Directed by : Shashank Khaitan

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16077702/

Sir, sab jaante hai murder ke baare mein, police ko chorhke.. How sad!

Spoilers ahead ...

Govinda Waghmare (Vicky Kaushal) is one of those guys who has problems a plenty - from a controlling wife Gauri Waghmare (Bhumi Pednekar) who won't give divorce unless the 2 crores taken as dowry is returned back, a step brother Vishnu (Akkshay Gunaawat) fighting court case to win his father's bungalow, a cop Javed Khan (Dayanand Shetty) who wants his borrowed money back soon, an insurance agent Baldev (Viraj Ghelani) who is also boyfriend of his wife and demands a crore for helping him out, a druggie's dad Ajit Dharkar (Sayaji Shinde) whose packets he just stole, a maid Manju (Trupti Khamkar) who insults him daily and a girlfriend Suku (Kiara Advani) who could breakup any moment if he doesn't sort all the mess soon. Also, being a background dancer, Govinda dreams to be a well known choreographer. 

The only takeaways I had from this movie was Vicky Kaushal's comic timing is something that could be explored in future by other directors, Sayaji Shinde is hilarious in the few scenes he gets and Ranbir Kapoor's special appearance is written well in comparison to how bad the rest film's writing is.

There's a character called 'Six Pack Sandy' that irritates to the core, and how badly Renuka Shahane is wasted playing role of Govinda's mother. The twists in 2nd half keep coming one after another, while few do land successfully, it just felt overdose with a climax that tries very hard to justify every bit of it. 

If the inspiration behind the title of film was the actor Govinda and the movie was an attempt to do similar to what he did in 90s then it was a failure attempt. A silly stupid story that entertains to the core isn't something that can be achieved so easily and Shashank Khaitan previously hasn't really impressed me in any of his original films either. 

Overall, Govinda Naam Mera is strictly one time watch. 

My Rating : 4.5/10