The Family Man (Web Series)

#FinalVerdict: Watchable!

3 stars



Razor-sharp writing, shorter episodes & some serious thoughts into the concept of a "family man" would have made the Amazon Prime Video's series an outright winner. Howbeit, a consistently engaging show!

I am still marvelling over two applause-worthy'single take' long sequences in The Family Man:

- The one where suspected terrorists are chased down.

- Episode 6, which has a 11-minute one-take shot in a hospital.

F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!

The Family Man suffers majorly from its execution & presentation. The foley work is particularly poor & the background music - Ketan Sodha(Talvar, Stree) - doesn't go well with the tone of the series. At places, the substandard visuals also mar the impact.

The only real technical craft on display is Nigam Bomzan's superlative cinematography. Kudos! The Family Man suffers from a relatively slack midsection, which - while not humdrum - isn't arresting. Sumeet Kotian's editing could've been spruced up.

The nuggets of the quirky humour injected in the plot work incredibly well. Director duo Raj Nidimoru & Krishna D.K.'s method of exemplifying the anecdote is way too varied from the prototypes. The Family Man is more about wit and intelligence with a garnishing of the desi tadka.

Manoj Bajpayee is the vital USP of The Family Man. He has a distinct style of dialogue delivery that gels well with the character. It's a flawless performance. The fact that Priyamani is superlatively talented only gets reiterated with her elaborate act. Sharib Hashmi's sections with Manoj Bajpayee are hilarious and demand repeat viewings. His presence adds so much freshness to The Family Man. Sharad Kelkar plays his character with flourish. Darshan Kumaar is excellent while Dalip Tahil is as always terrific. Sundeep Kishan is a revelation. He takes full advantage of the opportunity. Gul Panag is superb, enacting her role with precision. New-find Zarin Shihab has screen presence and she makes an effective debut. Supporting cast adds strength. A huge round of applause for casting director Mukesh Chhabra.

All said & done, The Family Man is watchable but it will test your patience in parts. The climax is tad confusing. But give it a chance, prepare to be patient, and chances are that it’ll stay with you.

Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas

#FinalVerdict: Absolute Piffle!

1 Star


Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas is a SNOOZEFEST without any story or so. Neither Sunny Deol's direction nor Jasvinder Singh Bath-Ravi Shankar's screenplay/dialogues have the potential to offer anything new. A ham-fisted affair!

Set in and around Manali majorly, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas is targeted at the youth but every single teenager who would watch it will be insulting their own intelligence. It will be taught in film schools, every year, on the topic - How To Make a Really Bad Film! Though the songs are the sole saving grace (Sachet Tandon-Parampara Thakur, Tanishk Bagchi & Rishi Rich), the plot line is incapacitated, imbecile & extremely dumb. Director Sunny Deol plays in to every stereotype about the youth under the sun but failed miserably! Yes, the cinematography (Himman Dhamija-Ragul Dharuman) is top-notch, which gives the feel of a lavish Bollywood affair. The DOPs swathe the viewers by capturing the lush locales of Himachal Pradesh with finesse. Marvellous! Devendra Murdeshwar's editing is an utter doom, with the movie clocking in at 152 minutes. The pace dips & goes up hand in hand. I have a tendency to repress traumatic memories. The direction is even more puerile, with the storyline going haywire.

Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas has nil novel/fetching/affectionate (for a love story to be) factor. One wonders for a prudent actor a la Sunny Deol to have come up with such odious plot, that too for the launch of his son. The background score is a sore to the ear. Be it the debutant Karan Deol, who isn't ready yet to deliver or the debutante Sahher Bambba, who though is photogenic & in high spirits, should have performed as side actors first, then they would have been working as main leads. Aakash Ahuja is alright. One wonders, what made such actors of calibre sign this movie as Sachin Khedekar and Simone Singh. Kamini Khanna, Nupur Nagpal, Kallirroi Tziafeta, Vijayant Kohli, Meghna Malik, Reuben Israe & Mannu Sandhu are all wasted. The makers have taken them for granted.

To sum up, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas is a pejorative damp squib from such a putative production house (Zee Studios & Sunny Super Sound). An out and out/staunch let-down in terms of acting, direction, plot line, dialogues and editing. Stay clear, period!

Prassthanam

#FinalVerdict...

Gabfest!

2 Stars

The only smart thing about Director Deva Katta's film is its title (meaning REIGN). Might win praise from the critics & find some flavour with the gentry but a dry subject like politics finds limited patronage. Politics, besides movies & cricket, is a favourite topic of Indians, but the talk on politics has reached a crescendo these days. Also, remakes are dicey business. No matter how much you improvise on your new script, comparisons are bound to be made. The power-play depicted in Prassthanam is praiseworthy & as a result of which writer/director Deva Katta will receive plaudits but the film is intense & grim and it won't find acceptance from family audiences & those who prefer escapist/candyfloss cinema. Prassthanam gives a microscopic view of what goes into politics. It’s not a bad film, it’s just not good. The story has nothing new to talk of, since the genre has been over-exploited. Lengthy run time, slow pacing & too many subplots and a disappointing finale are major hiccups. Also, Deva Katta's direction is quite simple.

The movie has a sprawling canvas & it takes time to figure out the characters & their motivations but certain sequences are excessively stretched (Editor: Ballu Saluja). The songs are utterly misplaced & the dialogues (Farhad Samji) are clunky. Mahesh Shankar's background score elevates the situations considerably. Cinematography (Ravi Yadav) captures the mood of the film to perfection. Abbas Ali Moghul's action is a bit gory. Pallavi Bagga and Suman Roy Mahapatra's production design is average. Prassthanam is also held up by a string of credible performances. Sanjay Dutt delivers a bravura performance. Ali Fazal makes the most of his well-written character. His most sensitive portrayal to date. The confidence with which Satyajeet Dubey carries off his part is sure to win him plaudits. Chunky Panday is outstanding in a role that fits him like a glove. Manisha Koirala doesn't get much scope but she handles her part with flourish. Amyra Dastur acts with conviction and makes her presence felt. Jackie Shroff is, as always, bankable but his character is underdeveloped with hardly any dialogues. Chahatt Khanna and Divinaa Thackur did well. Other actors who stand out are Deepraj Rana (S P Narang), Zakir Hussain (Majid Maqbool) and Annup Sonii. Ishita Raj looks hot in the item number.

All said & done, Prassthanam is, at best, an average movie with an overwhelming sense of pointlessness & familiarity. It will meet with diverse reactions. Those into realistic cinema might like the film, while those who swear by candyfloss entertainment will skip it for sure.

The Zoya Factor

#FinalVerdict

No-Brainer! Stay miles away from it! Bummer!

1 Star

We do relish madcap entertainers but what director Abhishek Sharma serves here transcends all limits! I must avow that it's futile to expect anything sensible except for mindless mediocrity. If there’s a universally reviled film this year, it’s Fox Star Studios & Ad-Labs Films Limited's The Zoya Factor, more so because some of director Abhishek Sharma's earlier films were hits. No director can be senseless enough to think this is fine or remotely funny.

Idiocy is a gentle term for what is unleashed upon us. It's a two hour show reel of plot-less, witless, joylessness. Silliness can be great fun. But brainless doesn’t have to translate to brain-dead. The direction is a complete let-down. The situational gags try too hard to tickle the funny bones of the viewers consummately and the essence of the story gets dissipated because of unwanted scenes galore with no tie-in to the ongoing. It doesn’t even get its ‘Cricket’ aspect right. The direction is middle-of-the-road precisely, as the writing (Anuja Chauhan, Pradhuman Singh Mall and Neha Sharma) lacks the meat and the sequence of events just don't work. The pace also mar the overall impact with songs acting as killjoy. After Studios' VFX is pathetic. The Zoya Factor will drain you at the end.

While it begins on a promising note - it's a premise ripe with comic potential - the graph only spirals southwards barely half an hour into the film. It's not sacrilege to attempt a no-brainer but the smiles/guffaw/laughter should never be in short supply. The actors, putting their best foot forward, try so so so hard to make you giggle even when the gags are weak. The banal jokes and the lame PJs coupled with the muddled screenplay are clearly responsible for the royal mess.

Because there’s little to count on in terms of story, the fate of The Zoya Factor depends almost entirely on the likeability of its leads. The film belongs to Dulquer Salmaan , who proves, yet again, that he is an incredible actor. He adds so much to the sequences. Sonam Kapoor delivers an earnest performance but she fails to rise above the flawed script. Angad Bedi does complete justice to his character. Sikandar Kher seems comfortable in the given space. Sanjay Kapoor is natural. Anil Kapoor's cameo is hilarious. Manu Rishi Chadha is fine, not overdoing the lisping bit. Koel Purie is strictly okay. Pooja Bhamrrah (Sonali) looks quite glamorous and plays the supporting part well. From the Cricketers, the ones who leave the mark are Abhilash Chaudhary (Shivi), Gandharv Dewan (Harry) and Sachin Deshpande (Lakhi).

To sum up, The Zoya Factor is not entirely unwatchable because it's shot in a manner that’s easy on the eye. But walking out of the cinema once the lights come back on, you’re just glad it’s finally over. Stay miles away from it!

Dream Girl

#FinalVerdict - Hilariously Avant-garde!

3 Stars

Packed with just about every mass-friendly ingredient available on the shelf, which the hoi polloi laps up with delight - Funny sequences, super performances and loads and loads of laughter. Undoubtedly, Dream Girl will be welcomed with open arms by the aam junta! It makes no claims of catering to the intelligentsia. Instead, it's aimed at those who want to spend two hours of their precious life flexing their facial muscles. Side-splitting!

The writing (Raaj Shaandilyaa, Nirmaan D Singh & Niket Pandey) is stuffed with uproarious episodes and a couple of them are indeed side-splitting. At times, makes you break into guffaws, with all its bizarre, outrageous jokes and superb one-liners (Raaj Shaandilyaa). Kudos! What works to the advantage are two factors - the written material & the perfect casting (Nandini Shrikent & Karan Mally). Blemishes? Few sequences appearing stretched without any reason. The romantic track feels disingenuous. Second half is a mess in itself.

DOP Aseem Mishra's impressively captures the essence of small town. Hemal Kothari's editing could have been better. Despite its 2 hour 13 minutes runtime, the film begins to feel longer as multiple plot lines overlap, creating a laborious comedy of errors. Abhishek Arora's BGM includes different set pieces for every character and has a naughty vibe which suits the proceedings. Songs by Meet Bros are foot-tapping & fit the genre of the film seamlessly. Raaj Shaandilyaa's direction does complete justice to the material.

Although Dream Girl boasts of a formidable star cast & every actor handles his/her part with effortless ease, the one who registers the maximum impact is Annu Kapoor. His comic timing is fantastic. The real scene-stealer. A treat to watch! Ayushmann Khurrana is the literal example of a ‘complete package’. He owns every sequence he features in. Dream Girl should find a prominent place in his repertoire. He plays to the gallery completely. Nushrat Bharucha pairs off very well & does a reasonably good job. The second performance that stands out from the rest is that of Vijay Raaz's. He's magnificent in a role that seems tailor-made for him. What timing! Viewers are sure to go into raptures. Manjot Singh is a revelation. Confidently shows a flair for comedy. Abhishek Banerjee's faultless comic timing coupled with the enthusiasm with which he goes through his part is worthy of immense praise. Nidhi Bisht is simply outstanding. Raj Bhansali's comic timing is impeccable and his one-liners are howlarious.

The mantra here is simple: Let the auditorium reverberate with laughter. And Balaji Motion Pictures' Dream Girl succeeds in its mission! Go laugh out loud and get entertained!. But do carry a rumaal since this madcap comedy is quite kamaal in parts. You'd cry laughing!

Section 375

#FinalVerdict - Stinging Indictment!

It's not just Director Ajay Bahl & writer Manish Gupta's best work but also one of the best to come out of Bollywood. Kudos to Panorama Studios, SCIPL, Abhishek Pathakk, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Aditya Chowksey! With stellar performances & superlative narration, besides presenting a captivating courtroom drama so effectively, Section 375 will hold your guts till the end & pinch your soul hard. It gets a bit technical to keep it realistic to the core. Near-perfect!

Boasting of a gripping screenplay that holds your attention till the end & despite the film's slow narrative, it keeps you engaged. The film has some hard hitting dialogues (Ajay Bahl, Manish Gupta), which elevates the situations & the corresponding elements. The interrogation sequence, Akshaye Khanna confronting with the judges & his opening speech & closing statements along with Richa Chadha's, Section 375 keeps going on a high. It demands your attention and you’ll be glued to the screen throughout. Pedantic!

Teamwork makes dream work & this holds true for Section 375. The manner in which director Ajay Bahl has extracted realistic performances from the actors is definitely laudable. Manish Gupta is a genius. The verbal jousting is loaded with details and facts. Sudhir K Chaudhary's cinematography is most appropriate. Arif Sheikh & Praveen Angre's editing is razor-sharp. Clinton Cerejo's background score is exhilarating, filling in the silences very well. Apurva Singh Rathore's casting is spot on. Spiffing! From actors in smaller roles to the central players, there isn’t a false note here. It's, undoubtedly & undisputedly the towering Akshaye Khanna who steals the show. It won't be erroneous to state that it's one of his career best and memorable performances. Trailing an extreme close second is Richa Chadha, who manages to 'earn her place under the sun' with her no-nonsense portrayal of Hiral Gandhi. Meerra Chopra delivers a rock solid performance. She utilises to the maximum the screen time that is offered to her. Rahul Bhat gets into the skin of his character. Watch out for the scene when he comes on the set & blasts everyone. Menacing! Shriswara speaks a lot through her silences & makes her presence felt. Krutika Desai & Kishor Kadam are authentically impressive.

On the whole, Section 375 is a hard-hitting/power-packed courtroom drama and a compelling film. It makes its point with such force that it is difficult not to be impressed. It isn't often that Bollywood shows such spine. Don't miss this one! Double Thumbs Up!

Pailwaan/Pehlwaan/Bailwaan

#FinalVerdict: : Lord Of The Ring!

3 Stars


Director S Krishna blends drama, emotions & sportsmanship extraordinarily! The icing on the cake being Kiccha Sudeep & Suniel Shetty's towering acts. Megahit written all over it!

Director S Krishna deserves brownie points for narrating the story with flourish. The narrative style is simplistic, yet solid & that’s what catches your eye. Emotions are genuine, relatable, poignant & heartrending and the drama is spot-on. The strong emotional connect depicting the delicate father-son relationship is shown realistically. Wrestling sequences are superbly executed & will surely evoke whistles & applause. K Ravi Varma, Vijay, Ram Chella-Lakshman Chella & Larnell Stovall

The penultimate moments take the film to an all-time high, imparting the sheen and sparkle that it deserves. It is *not* similar to SULTAN. There’s a world of a difference between the two films that eye the same sport: Wrestling. So there! It stays true to the material, yet its efficient storyteller S Krishna along with screenplay writer D S Kannan ensures that the film connects with every segment of moviegoers. Most importantly, the film is seeped in Indian ethos. Kudos!

On the flip side, there is no novelty in the proceedings. Editing [Antony L Ruben] is deplorable. The boring romantic track eats most of the runtime. Also, the emotional angle of kids & Sushant Singh track test the patience of the audience. At a butt-numbing 2 hours and 46 minutes, the film feels way too long. Music [Arjun Janya] is plain ordinary but his background score effectually enhances the impact of the drama. Karunakar's cinematography deserves tremendous praise. WOW!

It is, undoubtedly, a Kiccha Sudeep show all the way. Yet another sterling act that doesn’t miss a beat! He takes giant strides as an actor & gives the film the much-needed power. He sports a cat-that-got-the-cream look all through. Magnificent! Another commanding performance that needs to be highlighted is that of Suniel Shetty. He compliments Kiccha Sudeep's character marvellously, displaying the varied emotions seamlessly. Aakanksha Singh injects freshness to her character. Brill! Kabir Duhan Singh is an actor to watch out for. First-rate performance! Sushant Singh is equally efficient, who shines in his part.

To sum up, the movie has everything to please its target audience. You'll exit the auditorium feeling ecstatic! Go, Watch it!

Chhichhore

#FinalVerdict... EVOCATIVE!

4 Stars

A film of impeccable pedigree, a breezy entertainer with its heart in the right place! Director Nitesh Tiwari is truly working at the height of his creative powers. Sterling!

You expect the moon from this Fox Star Studios and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment's production as far as the entertainment goes because it's Nitesh Tiwari's next release after Dangal. Let me make it clear right away. There are films & there are more films and then there's Chhichhore. It can be rightly termed as a slice of life film. Nitesh Tiwari understands the intricacies of human behaviour & strives to deftly integrate authentic characters & bona fide situations on celluloid. Technically too, the product is first-rate.

The initial reels are full of light moments & keep the viewer in splits with witty one-liners. More than the story, it is the screenplay (Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta & Nikhil Mehrotra) that should be talked about. You will be high on nostalgia for sure!👍👍

One more thing! You cannot draw parallels with any other film, past or present, successful or unsuccessful. If masala means entertainment, amusement, hilarity, escapade, emotions and drama, yes, Chhichhore has it all. Only thing, it's treated differently!

Every person behind the camera gives his/her best to the film. Amalendu Chaudhary's exquisite cinematography is another aspect that catches your attention. The feel of the film has been cut, compiled & presented with dexterity by editor Charu Shree Roy. Nimble-fingered!

Pritam's music perfectly grows on you after you've watched the film. Sameer Uddin's background score uplifts the overall mood. Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics leave an impression. And the best is reserved for the last - Mukesh Chhabra's casting is spot on!

Chhichhore boasts of an exuberant on-screen ensemble cast. As a matter of fact, it's an unusual mix of actors & they unequivocally shine collectively. Together, as a group of friends, they have an easy camaraderie that’s easily relatable. Sushant Singh Rajput is blessed with wonderful screen presence & gets the timing of his character right. Watch out for him in the scene where he goes tongue-tied in front of Maya. Shraddha Kapoor emotes with utmost conviction, proving her mettle as an actress of substance. Varun Sharma is superb in his comic timing. His appearance, mannerisms & dialogue delivery are exemplary. Tahir Raj Bhasin portrays the role with plentiful charm & magnetism. Naveen Polishetty is quite a scene-stealer on more occasions than one. Excellent!

Prateik Babbar's registers a strong impact despite the small role. Tushar Pandey plays to the gallery & delivers a sparkling performance. Saharsh Kumar is in terrific form & portrays his role with precision. Chhichhore belongs to everyone. Copybook!

On the whole, Chhichhore is brimming with solid content with a relevant message. Watch it for the spirit it is made in. Sometimes, we laugh at movies. At times, we laugh in movies. Chhichhore belongs to the latter type. Get ready to relive your college life!