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Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021)
Patchy Chase
Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. Dibakar Banerjee. 2021. Hindi
Just like his earlier films, here also Dibakar tried to critique on a fiery national issue with keeping the main story in forefront. In SAPF, he tried to coat a chase screenplay while commenting on virility, affluence and voracity. But somehow here the main story is not exceptionally fetching and stimulating. The lead characters have no character depth/backstory or even cause. Even though Arjun Kapoor was convincing in his role as Pinky, the film had hardly anything to offer. The film is very slow for a chase genre and has patchy pace in the second half. Probably Dibakar's weakest film till date.
Ludo (2020)
Exceptionally Well Shot
Ludo.2020.Anurag Basu
The film just like a game of Ludo attaches four different lives with a fundamental problem/goal. Ludo unlocks really well with its sole characters and their unique personal journey. The film lacks in its second half with some not so necessary subplots but convincingly ends with a message.
Identical to his earlier film, Ludo is exceptional and meticulous in its color palette, framing, lighting, shot compositions & background score. Basu focuses specially on top angles and fast pans to connect all the stories deftly. In throng of actors, Rajkumar Rao shines in his character as one side lover.
Serious Men (2020)
Sharp annotations
Based on the book by "Manu Joseph" of the same name, Serious men deals with the problems of insecurity & timidity of a father for his son. Nawaz brings that uncanny charm to his character as an underprivileged-middle aged Dalit. He has angst against everyone in the society, from the peon to the supervisor.
Serious men offers very sharp annotation against racism, casteism, politics, media culture & favoritism with its witty as well as satirical sequences. Sudhir Mishra brings his experience. The film is streaming on Netflix.
Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare (2019)
A bit underwhelming
Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare. 2020. Alankrita Shrivastava
Just like her last film "Lipstick under My Burkha" this one also deals with not so amenably communicated female issues, their inner liberty and their intricacies. But unlike that film where the concerns were interlaced aptly with the screenplay, DKAWCS tries too rigid to fit them in the overall narrative. The film tries to touch on innumerable issues & taboos in the span of 120 minutes which made it fickle in the end. Even after a very talented cast DKAWCS fails to find its voice.
The film just dropped on Netflix.
JL50 (2020)
Eccentric & niche
Filled with extreme eccentricity, muddle and loftier performances this Sony Liv's finite miniseries JL 50 will make you think after it ends.
Not that it's extremely perfect in every aspect but yes it's different and valiant. While Abhay Deol leading the screenplay the veteran Pankaj Kapoor shines his part as a wily scientist. A niche show, JL 50 will not attract masses.
Ram Singh Charlie (2020)
Extremely well made
Ram Singh Charlie. 2020. Nitin Kakkar.
In the era of swift & cheap technology, reckless life and digitization most circuses have become nonexistent. Nearly encompassing the mentioned line, the film poignantly touches on those circus artists fighting for their pride in this world alias bigger circus. In this extremely well made film veteran Kumud Mishra single handedly takes the film forward both as gifted Charlie & as mundane Ram Singh. Shot in beautiful lanes of Kolkata the film has some brilliant dialogues, subtle metaphors and jiffies of vicious truth. The film rushes to reach its climax which feels a little distracted.
In this fight of Netflix, Prime and Hotstar. SonyLiv is supporting the best content. Kadakh, Bhonsle and now this.
Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020)
One tone Jahnavi with great Pankaj Kapoor & Vineet Kumar
Gunjan Saxena.2020.Sharan Sharma
Based on the life of India's first female combat pilot, the film dives into her spirits, brawls & defiance. Her life has all the constituent to convert into an influential feature film. The film did show some positives in patches but overall fails to extract that adrenaline rush or exhilaration of a war film. Jahnavi with her one tenor recital and body language fails to portray intrepid Gunjan Saxena. She acts affably well in all the happy extracts but misses the important confrontation/war sequences. With extremely astounding Pankaj Kapoor and Vineet Kumar by side she looks a tad feeble in her performance.
Shakuntala Devi (2020)
Missing the link
Shakuntala Devi.Anu Menon.2020
Based on the life journey of profoundly known Human computer aka Shakuntala Devi, the film tries to fit in her 84 glorious years in 120 minutes screen time. The film stabs to touch major life milestones of her life from her genius mathematics career to conflict with her own daughter and to her dilemma in life to her flawed rapport with her husband.
But the film fails to bring out her psyche, mental vows and keeps spinning around her analogous achievements throughout. Many of her vital scenes are mere caricaturish portrayal to make it look breezy and to reflect her sense of humor with no depth in it. No doubt Balan tries hard with her accents, body language, hiatuses but still the film lacks in the clarity of thought.
Bulbbul (2020)
Impactful aesthetics & Perfomace with weak climax
Bulbul.2019. Anvita Dutt.
Set in a pre independent Bengal, Bulbbul narrates a story of a child bride & her emotional & physical abuse at various stages of her life. Just like the production house's earlier films Phillauri & Pari Bulbbul also majorly focuses on female oppression, trauma & various stigma attached to their behaviours. The cinematographer has used heavily saturated tones of Red in almost every frame to justify violence, anger & seduction. Most frames & its aesthetics resembles majorly by Indian mythological folklores & celebrated paintings by Raja Ravi Verma. Even though the entire film looks opulent & magnanimous with fairly decent performances from its major lead, it lacks in giving importance to its subplots, character journey and entire intelligent messaging.
C/o Kancharapalem (2018)
Small film with great heart and flair
Based in a small town Kancharapalem, the film depicts love, dissident, optimism & fervor in four completely complicated yet interconnected love stories. With the morality of non-actors, meagre budget and minimal setting the film thrives on its absolutely brilliant writing and direction. In couple of minutes into the film one is utterly devoted in their minute story & milieu. The way C/o Kancharapalem has portrayed its central women characters is incomparable to most current era Indian cinema. It's a small film with great heart and flair. It's available on Netflix.
Gulabo Sitabo (2020)
Delicate take on Voracity
Gulabo Sitabo.2020. Shoojit Sircar
The film revolves around tenant Baankey -landlord Mirza two extremely flawed individuals in their own mundane life. Both of them are equally unlikeable in their own family settings and fights every time on petty issues. With prosthetic makeup & obstinate body language Big B steals key part of the film.
Gulabo Sitabo is not a laugh riot but a delicate take on the topics of voracity, modernism, affection, assessment of things with few extremely sharp dialogues. Juhi Chaturvedi has always an edge of creating very genuine characters and their outer world. The film drops its pace after half an hour but stays amiable with its strong supporting characters. It's not a film for the masses for sure.
Kynodontas (2009)
Dark satire on totalitarianism. Bravo
Dogtooth. Greek. Yorgos Lanthimos.2009
Dogtooth revolves around an extremely manipulating father & his three naïve children who are uninformed about the real external world as they are home locked from birth. Yorgos has wrote and directed the film in an extremely bizarre and unapologic manner. But that eccentricity is what makes the film exceptional & so earnest. Dogtooth is a dark satire on totalitarianism, family relationships, parental control, freedom, etc. It's an extremely polar film for the viewers, either you will get bored in 20 minutes or you will keep thinking about the movie after months. Dogtooth won Prix Un Certain Regard at the Cannes.
Choked (2020)
Well Sanitized and A Different Version of Kashyap
Choked. Anurag Kashyap.2020
The film movie ever made keeping the illustrious "Demonetization" in the main plot. The film has exceedingly well written first half, neatly expressed empathy between the couple, chemistry with inquisitive neighbors but somehow it misses the mark at the very end. The last 15 minutes of the film looks more like a patch then a proper fulfillment to a well-made thriller. Saiyami Kher is excellent in her role as a disappointed, vulnerable and ambitious bank employee. Choked runs heavily on the traditional background score but in some places it airs a tad loud. Choked metaphorically means various things in the film from corruption to a not so happy relationship and from doomed future to current condition of the country.
This film might get an extremely polar reviews for some of its political stand and approach against the current government. It's an extremely well sanitized and different version of Kashyap.
What are the Odds? (2019)
Positivity & Sugary innocence
What are the odds?
Netflix Originals. Megha Ramaswamy. 2020
Supported by Abhay Deol & directed by the debutant Megha Ramaswamy the film follows a day in life of two exceptionally diverse teens played by Yashaswini Dayama & Karanvir Malhotra.
In the era of showcasing extreme realism, violence, cut throat action sequences this films comes as a breath of fresh air with its sugary innocence and positivity. What are the odds has that comic bookish and fantasy charisma with excellent use of well composed songs & sequences. Don't expect to get swayed drastically by the film, you won't.
Mrs. Serial Killer (2020)
Frail & Predictable
Mrs. Serial Killer (Shirish Kunder) (Netflix Original).2020
Cited as a crime thriller in the outline Mrs. Serial killer is extremely predictable, frail & underdone. Jacqueline Fernandez has spent over a decade in the industry, still she is struggling with basic Hindi dictions, voice modulations, body language and expressions. Everything in the film is superficial just like Majoj Bajpayee's hairstyle. Awfully mediocre screenplay, dialogues and direction. I haven't seen a weaker thriller than Mrs Serial Killer in a very long time. I don't distinguish why Netflix India produces & curates such mediocre content for Indian audience. Totally avoidable.
Asha Jaoar Majhe (2014)
Dialogue less Gem
In this dialogue less movie, Aditya Sengupta depicts grim condition and awkward work shifts of a married couple. In this 74 minutes film everything is visually narrated with precision from the beautiful yet crowded back lanes of Kolkata to their struggle. "There is an internal beauty in silence": Asha Jaoar Majhe definitely symbolizes that. Asha Jaoar Majhe won two national awards in 2014. The film is available on Prime Video. Also watch Aditya's another minimal gem "Jonaki" on Netflix.
Shikara (2020)
Decent watch
A love story glazed in the background of the mass evacuation of Kashmiri Pandit in 1990, Shikara opens delightfully thriving in its first half with visually striking frames of Kashmir. Film drives more towards its love story arc in its second half and delegating less screen time of the actual evacuation. Debutants Aadil Khan & Sadia are unimpeachable in this very difficult first film, Aadil khan especially looks honestly susceptible in catastrophic scenes. The set design and costume are pertinent. Wished the film focused more on details of evacuation than a surfaced love story, but yes that's director's cinematic choice. Keep "Shikara" only to a film if you can.
Panchayat (2020)
Sugary Innocence & Authenticity
With every streaming platform trying to include one great crime/psychological thriller, Panchayat is extremely remote from that world. Panchayat comes with sugary innocence, authenticity and lots of affection towards each other. The problems portrayed in the every episode look eccentric or trivial to us but for the villagers they are quite significant. Jeetendra Kumar and Raghubir Yadav shines their part and creates a very amicable world around them. Very honest writing and cinematography, you will not find anything over the top, extravagant or superfluous. It is not as brilliant as their "Kota Factory" or "Gullak" but still a decent watch in current times.