Bollywood Information

Movie: Ugly
Rating: 4/5 Stars [Four stars]

Star Cast: Ronit Roy, Tejasvini Kolhapure, Rahul Bhat, Vineet Singh, Girish Kulkarni, Siddhanth Kapoor, Surveen Chawla, Vipin Sharma

Director: Anurag Kashyap

What's Good: When you get to see noir at its best in a Bollywood film. The film true to its name is Ugly. It is dark and certainly not for the faint-hearted. Anurag Kashyap is one of the few directors who knows how to build a plot with multiple characters and yet leave us wanting for more as we meander into their lives and try to find a reasoning to their actions. Unraveling the true nature of human greed, this film is a mirror for all of us who have demons inside us.

What's Bad: Well, not all would want to sit through a grim film that stretches for over two hours. The film is not a regular drama and if you are one of those who want cinema to be an enjoyable experience, this is certainly not for you.

Loo break: Control it! This is life unfolding in front of you.

Watch or Not ?: Once again stressing on the fact that this film is not for those weak and those who want to ease their minds off while watching a film. This is a complete Anurag Kashyap masterpiece and if you are familiar with his style of film making, this one is a must-watch for you. He does what he is best at, give us a something that is unforgettable. Don’t make the mistake of comparing it to his previous works, this one is a gem in itself.
A 10-year-old Kali goes missing in a bustling street after being left in the car by her father Rahul, who is a struggling actor. Thus, follows a story of kidnapping, ransom and a string of grim characters who come under the radar of the police. As Kali’s step-father, a cop, takes on the mission to find this little girl, he encounters a lot on his way including his current wife’s ex-husband and his college enemy Rahul.

In the midst of the disappearance of a young child, can these adults move over their past and put behind their egos or will they hold onto their grudges and sacrifice the life of a 10-year-old mid way?

Ugly Movie Full Review Script Analysis: Bollywood has always stayed away from dark dramas and among the very few filmmakers, Anurag Kashyap is one who dares to bare it all in his films. Ugly is raw, grim and a in-the-face film which deals with multiple characters who falter prey to their own greed as they are caught up in a strange situation. The script is bang-on and probably Kashyap's best.

I haven't felt the chills of his story telling ever since Black Friday and this is a second. His three lead characters are messed up, one being the struggling actor Rahul [Rahul Bhat], other being his ex-wife Shalini [Tejaswini Kolhapure] who is suicidal and now a caged wife of a ruthless cop played by Ronit Roy. While all three have a back drop, they keep struggling to get in terms with their life then and now. Ego and greed being the two main angles in this story, Ugly really gets ugly as the course of the story builds. The pace is amazing and this is a truly gripping script. Right from the first scene of the film where a listless Tejaswinin Kolhapure is contemplating her suicidal thoughts, the film sets its tone. This is an excellent story and with its blissful casting it shines in every frame.

Ugly Movie Full Review Star Performances: One person who truly enthralls us in this film is undoubtedly Ronit Roy who plays a ruthless cop. He is fearless and determined to find his step-daughter Kali but is at the same time held back by his haunting past. A male-chauvinist, he would rather cage his wife than let her out of sight. Ronit does a fine job and truly plays his character with full might.

Rahul Bhat who plays Kali’s dad and a struggling actor does a good job too. The actor who is seen after a decade in a film is quite surprisingly up to the mark and we wonder why the hibernation period.

My other favorite pick is certainly Vineet Singh. He is flawless as the casting agent who is slimy and sly as required.

Siddhanth Kapoor does not have a plum role in the film but his most iconic scene for sure will remain in memory as he dances with bundles of cash tucked in his underpants.

All I will remember Surveen Chawla who plays Rakhee the item girl will be for her ‘Nichod De’ performance. A good mockery on the item songs.

But out of all the aforementioned character, you truly feel sad for Tejaswini Kolhapure’s character which she pulls off with complete finesse as one who remains to be nothing but a woman who is conquered by both the men in her life and I mean ‘conquered’ instead of being loved. She portrays a torn woman who could neither receive nor give love.

Ugly Movie Full Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Anurag Kashyap is a director who believes in presenting the human nature and its raw elements on celluloid. This time on his radar is greed and the demons inside us which even overpower our usual emotional sides. A story of a 10-year-old being kidnapped transforms into much more complex as each character flips sides according to their suitability. This film is evocative of raw emotions. The lighting in the film is as dark and dim as all of its characters.
One of the best scenes captured by the director is that of the police station where Rahul Bhatt who is the father of the kidnapped child comes to file a complaint but is cross questioned and asked to talk about call phones and explain how to set a contact photo in a cell phone. Can you imagine the frustration one would go through if this happened? Well, that’s what this all about.

The editing is tight and in spite of having multiple characters, we rarely find a character missing and the director gives us no chance to forget them. As perverse as his characters are, the locations too speak a lot about them and thus as always in any of Kashyap's films, the atmosphere too tells the story.

Ugly Movie Full Review The Last Word: Ugly is a mean, dark and unsettling film that will rip you off in its last scene. This film is for the strong-hearted. It is honest, bare and raw in all its sense. As disgusting as the characters are, you want to watch this film for their diverse personalities and just to see what goes on in warped brains that bring out the worst in them. I loved the film for its brave nature and I am going with a 4/5 for its bold content.

Ugly Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: PK
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars [Three and half stars]
Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Saurabh Shukla, Boman Irani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani

What's Good: A story with multiple layers that deal with human emotions at its best. This film is exemplary of what we call unravelling the true human nature and at its best the Indian way of living. We are the ones who break laws, believe in unworthy and fraud Godmen, take each other's lives in the name of religion and in this upside down world when a person like PK enters, there is a lot to explore.

What's Bad: Just when you are enjoying the first half with its wit, the second half turns out a little disappointing when you are served worth a little bit of over the top drama. Rest assures, I cannot find flaws in the work of Rajkumar Hirani who certainly knows how to connect emotions and give away a social message.

Loo break: No! You don’t want to miss what PK is about to do next!

Watch or Not ?: Definitely watch. PK is a rare film, they do not make them like that anymore. This one is a delight for all its silly, comic, serious and witty nature all rolled into one. There is little to disagree with in this film and certainly if you want to sit, laugh and still go home thinking and reviewing some of your daily actions. Watch it for all its novel ideas and the innocence with which PK conveys them.

PK is certainly nothing you have ever seen before. Keeping in mind that suspense is a key element here I will not disclose any spoilers.
When a heartbroken Jagat Janini [Anushka Sharma] returns to India from Bruges, she meets the unusual PK [Aamir Khan] and tags along with him on his journey. She is a journalist who is trying to find a story worth telling but what she finds in PK is much more than a story but a dear friend who is stuck in a problem that she will help him solve.

PK is a satire on God and Godmen and also on certain simplistic ways of living that we put up with and when a stranger called PK questions these beliefs and ideas, the lives of Jagat Janini and all around her are about the film.

PK Movie Full Review Script Analysis:
Rarely do we come across films which have the quality to stay with you but this film is one of them. In a country like India topics such as Religion and God are only spoken about in unwatched documentaries which are often on the radar of religious groups and more often than not, they are banned. Taking this topic commercially and presenting it a comic manner, Rajkumar Hirani stuns us and PK is certainly a masterpiece of sorts coming from him.

Abhijat Joshi requires a special mention for the dialogues and mind you the ''Bhojpuri'' language connection is worth knowing. While the film’s dialogue promos gave the feel that this has a good chunk of witty comedy, well the theater watch goes a notch higher as you end up laughing only to realize the kind of world we live in and not long after you will get self-critical about our way of life.

Even though a lot of people may compare it to Oh My God, I would defend PK to be much more. The only haphazard part in the film seems to be Sushant Singh Rajput’s role which is wrapped up way earlier in the first half itself.

PK Movie Full Review Star Performances:
Undoubtedly, Aamir Khan gives his best performance. The actor is simply lovable as PK and truly the character’s innocence drives you. The actor is known to opt for roles that are not simple and yet again he proves his acting mettle. He never seizes to lose our attention and he is just apt for pulling off this role.

Anushka Sharma too is lovely as Jagat Janini. She is the narrator and it is great to see the actress come this far. She looks fresh in her pixie cut and is a delight to watch.

As always Hirani's films have a knack for having amazing side characters and here Sourabh Shukla does much of it. He is excellent as the pseudo-godmen that hit the headlines every now and then.
Boman Irani and Sanjay Dutt too are a treat to watch even in their small roles.
A special mention to Ranbir Kapoor for his cameo. Watch out for it!
PK Movie Full Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay:
Rajkumar Hirani proves with this film that he is certainly one of Bollywood’s finest directors. His films are an experience and it is amazing how PK unfolds in layers as a film. With a strong social message, Hirani presents this film as a sugar coated bitter tablet. This comic dose of reality is a must for everyone. Like always he does not move away from a commercial angle and so even when the angles of love come to the story, he makes sure they are well blended.

Every song is situational and so you enjoy the PK music quite well with its storyline. Chaar Kadam is a beautiful watch and Anushka and Sushant’s chemistry is good.

The first half will leave in splits with its witty comedy but the second half drags a little towards the end. Hirani gets a little carried away with the story in the second half when Sushant Singh’s character is dragged again for a brief moment and to give Jagat Janini her happy ending. Otherwise, the film is just perfect with its multiple social messages and thought provoking nature.

PK Movie Full Review The Last Word:
PK is a must watch and surely ends 2014 on a good note. When there is a confluence of smart direction, excellent content and an actor like Aamir Khan at hand, there is little that can go wrong. If you don’t end up asking the same questions as PK to yourself, then you may want to consider yourself an alien. I am going with a 3.5 /5 for this film.

PK Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Action Jackson
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars [One and Half stars]
Star Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Yami Gautam, Manasvi Mamgai, Kunaal Roy Kapur
Director: Prabhudheva

What’s Good: The comic relief that a brief character of Kunal Roy Kapur brings into an otherwise traumatizing film.

What’s Bad: It would be difficult to start counting that as not only does the screenplay go haywire, but an unbearable soundtrack makes it extremely difficult to watch this film.

Loo break: Take as long as you can!

Watch or Not?: Truly putting it down, this movie is worth your watch for what I would list down as only two reasons. A [You are a die-hard Ajay Devgn fan. B] You are a fan of ‘no-brainer’ movies. [Literally ''no-brainer'']

Vishi is a local goon who basically likes beating up people to get his work done but is nonetheless a kind-hearted person. On the other hand Khushi is an extremely clumsy girl who keeps losing her chances with destiny and gets suddenly lucky after she accidentally meets Vishi.
Amidst the building chemistry between Khushi and Vishi, local cops and an international don named Xavier are on the look-out for AJ aka Jai who is a look alike of Vishi and is in the same city. The story takes a major turn of events when both AJ and Vishi come face to face.
Will AJ’s past create problems for Vishi’s future?

Action Jackson Full Movie Review Script Analysis: After watching the first thirty minutes of this film, I was thoroughly confused as to why would a sane, working woman (Khushi) run-around a local goon (Vishi) to see him naked just so that she can get her luck fixed. Confused? Well, yeah that is exactly what the story of this film does to you. With a fickle character build up, the protagonists are too sketchy and almost nothing believable comes through, not even the love angle. It is tiring to watch cliched suited-up Bangkok villains who have hulks as their right-hands and seem to have ‘killing with all possible weapons’ as a qualification on their CVs. Larger than life concepts spoil this story which could have at least managed to be a typical ‘Bollywood action drama’.

A major disappointment for me was the fact that while I was impressed by the punchlines in the film’s trailer, they fall flat in the film since they pop up in rare scenes and the otherwise running script is overtly bland to elevate them. Also it was disturbing to see the amount of violence shown towards women in the film. In my opinion, scenes of kicking or punching a woman in the face must certainly be excluded from the film.

Action Jackson Full Movie Review Star Performances: Ajay Devgn is a huge disappointment in this film. The otherwise brilliant actor seems too volatile in this role. Though he excels in the scenes which have action, the actor does not seem comfortable pulling off the comic undertones and it would be best left unsaid for the parts that he tries the ‘Prabhudheva’ style dancing.

This is Sonakshi Sinha’s third film with the director and sadly she shows no growth whatsoever. The actress essays her usual self and nothing extraordinary to it.

Yami Gautam looks radiant in every frame that she is a part of.

Debutante Manasvi Mamgai reveals quite a lot with her negative character. But her acting is extremely weak and it would be safe to say that you would find her heaving much more than speaking in the film.
Action Jackson Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Unfortunately, this is the second time Prabhudheva fails me after his 2014 film Ramaiya Vastavaiya which was a flop. Even though I was hoping him to step up and make Action Jackson a second or an even better Rowdy Rathore, it couldn’t come even a second close. He adds all his usual ingredients of action, comedy and Sonakshi Sinha but this time the recipe failed big time.

If only the story was a little stronger, the film would have been worth a watch but when topped with its pathetic background score, even minutes turn to hours. The absurdity with which the songs have been included in the film is shocking.

Gravity defying action sequences are a staple in his films and that is constant here too. There is a lot of play with lighting but is quite disturbing to see every action scene in a gloomy and rainy setting. The film is a drag for over two hours and that certainly talks quite a bit about the editing department.

Action Jackson Full Movie Review The Last Word: Action Jackson matches up to neither Prabhudheva’s film making nor an Ajay Devgn film. It is an extreme downer for those expecting a full on action-packed ‘masala’ film. With a done to death plot and an absolutely nothing new to offer, the only thing that this film latches onto is Ajay Devgn who maintains his swagger well enough. I am going with a 1.5/5 for Action Jackson.

Action Jackson Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Bhopal A Prayer For Rain
Rating: 3/5 Stars [Three stars]
Star Cast: Martin Sheen, Mischa Barton, Kal Penn, Rajpal Yadav, Tannishtha Chatterjee
Director: Ravi Kumar

What’s Good: The fact that the director does not shy away from showing India’s downside at the same time pointing out the American arrogance in dealing with this shameful incident.

What’s Bad: Glitches lie in the screenplay. It would have been a delight if the story could have been more fluid.

Loo break: You can wait!

Watch or Not?: The film is surely worth a watch if you want to be stunned by the audacity of an American company getting away with something so horrific.

Thirty years after India’s worst industrial disaster, comes a gripping tale of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. When Union Carbide, a big-buck multinational company, sets up a Carbide plant in the heart of Bhopal, it opens up employment for the slum-dwelling locals.
While a family-man Dilip grabs this job for betterment of his livelihood, little does he know that not only his family but the whole town’s life is about to change forever.

Insinuating the worst industrial calamity ever, will Union Carbide take responsibility for it? Well, that’s why the story needs to be told.

Bhopal A Prayer For Rain Full Movie Review Script Analysis: Bhopal A Prayer For Rain is a sure shot recommendation for anyone who wishes to get an insight into the tragic incident. The story covers every angle possible to bring the instances that led to this disaster. While on one hand we see the usual American arrogance as Union Carbide in spite of knowing the consequences is looking out for its profits, on the other hand of course it is the shoe-licking Indians who would rather think about filling their own pockets than think about their town.

In one of the scenes, Martin Sheen who plays the CEO of Union Carbide is even seen saying ‘Third world countries are always messy’ as if justifying the nature of their horrific actions. My winning point with the script was that at no point did it give me a documentary feel and conveyed just enough. Even though you are flashed with a warning at start stating cinematic liberties have been taken for the film, I feel the story could have been made more gripping with those liberties.

Bhopal A Prayer For Rain Full Movie Review Star Performances: I will start with Rajpal Yadav, who does a fine job at portraying the miserable Indian local, who just wants to better his lifestyle. It is sad that the actor being a pivotal part of the film was not given enough credit for it.

Kal Penn, who plays a 80s journalist, gives a comparatively weaker performance than expected. Other than hopping around in flowery shiny shirts, the director could have used him with much better potential.

Martin Sheen glides perfectly into his role of the shrewd American businessman, who has his eyes on the company and no where else.
Mischa Barton’s cameo is quite an unnecessary one.
Bhopal A Prayer For Rain Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: The first half of the film is just a build up to the actual story of the night of the gas leak. While Motwane, the journalist, is unearthing his big story, the disaster is already in motion. The second half introduces us to the night of the gas leak and there lies the excellent work of the makers. Catching the exact scene of deaths of thousands of locals in less than 72 hours, this ten minute scene is enough to give you goosebumps and set the panic alarm for you in your comfortable seat.

Director Ravi Kumar hits the right nerve when he introduces us to the Indian side of the story which is equally responsible for the tragic incident. Capturing the right pulse of Bhopal, the aftermath and the life 30 years after it could have been shown in a better way. Other than a huge disappointment looking at the compensation figures that are shown at the end, this film with its title ‘A Prayer For Rain’ quite aptly shows the same hope that the people are still living in as Union Carbide goes scot-free and Dow chemicals after acquiring the former raises its hand to take responsibility.

Bhopal A Prayer For Rain Full Movie Review The Last Word: Do not assume that it is a documentary that will bore you with an informative story. This film is a must watch if you wish to know the plight of Bhopal residents, who are still fighting for justice. It is a dose of reality for both Indians and Americans, to learn how they brought on India’s worst chemical disaster. I am going with a 3/5 for this film.

Bhopal A Prayer for Rain Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Zid
Rating: 1/5 Stars [One star]
Star Cast: manoj Sharma, Mannara, Shraddha Das
Director: Vivek Agnihotri
What's Good: The basic plotline had some mettle.
What's Bad: The predictability of the story, the climax, the anti climax.
Look break: Hide in the loo if you do not want to inflict wounds on your Sensibility.

Watch or Not ?: Zid is a Poorly acted, shabbily made, a pretty bad film that you will not believe has the touch of Vivek Agnihotri Whose Buddha In A Traffic Jam wowed you in MAMI this year. What do talented people to Become commercially viable! The film calls itself a thriller and if you have watched atleast a dozen of Decent thrillers, you know where it is headed. Manoj is watchable but Manara with her shrill voice acting and synthetic is not good enough as the female lead on Whose shoulders rests the mobile-wallpaper. I blame it on her inexperience Because DNA proves Otherwise her. Half way through Zid, you'll be frustrated, tired out, Glorious Awaiting the moment when the excruciating pain of watching Zid will finally be over and done with. Yes, I hated it that bad!
Rohan Achrekar is a crime reporter with the daily who is nursing a broken heart. Estranged girlfriend Priya has stopped responding to him. He needs to move on and to initiate that he takes a home in the woods. Maya, the daughter of the landlord has an air of mystery to Herself. She is positively smitten by him and can not get enough of him. Amidst all this, after a Drunken night the two have an accident where Nancy is killed. Nancy is the younger sister of Priya. Maya and Rohan Shush up on it and run away from the spot. Story leads to a series of mishaps and murders and Maya's obsession for Rohan keeps growing.
Jealousy is leading to her murder Rohan Those close to or is it all botched up a plan of Rohan and Priya to permanently resolve some old sibling rivalries?

Zid Full Movie Review Script Analysis: I am someone who has fed on Jeffery Archer novels and thrillers are something that is an overdone genre. If your brains haven’t depleted from watching all the crassy films, you’ll know what line of thought is headed where in this film. Rohan aka Ronnie is a crime reporter who is getting over a breakup. He moves to a desolate home in the woods which is owned by Maya along with his dog Bobby. It’s not long before, Maya begins obsessing about Rohan or as they say in psychoman’s world ‘falls in love’.

Obsession in love in Bollywood can fetch better examples. From Darr to Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, they were all better made films about the same theme, simmering with better intensity, had a more powerful drama. But Zid lacks that novelty and hence it comes up with nothing interesting. Initially, Maya seems like a ghost but that track too fizzles out soon after. Ofcourse, giving a thriller paranormal angle harms its story but Zid could have had a better culmination in that hazy angle.

The love story between Rohan and Maya seems a figment of his imagination and for the girl’s obsession to be that intense, the attraction from her side wasn’t unleashed enough. The climax or anticlimactic ending too was something anyone sensible would have playing in their mind. I wish the script writers had a better reading stock so that their film wouldn’t be this narrow in its thinking.

Zid Full Movie Review Star Performances: Manara is radiant to look at. Resembling Parineeti Chopra a lot in many ways, the actress misses the enthusiasm and expertise of her sisters. She needs a good deal more of experience before she attains the same.
Karanvir is quite competent in comparison. Though his acting too can do with some polishing, the actor has done a decent job.
Shradha Das in her minuscule role was good and shares quite a sparkling chemistry with Karan even if it hardly has any screen space.
Mohan Kapoor is a veteran and though barely used he was great.
Zid Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Vivek Agnihotri had found a fan in me with Buddha In A Traffic Jam but the filmmaker’s stark disparities in the standard of films shock me. He is on extremes. Either he is bloody brilliant or when he is bad or mediocre, he is way below his caliber. I trust him to make a better film, but Zid was plain dumb. I understand the story isn’t any genius but the director often structures the film such that it can run chills down your spine. The first point of put off is its depressing setting. Gloomy and raining; I stop to wonder does these stereotypes come with thrillers. The film is devoid of light and colors. The screenplay isn’t fast enough for a thriller and the build up is more irritating than enticing. Once the climax was done, I bought the story giving it the benefit of being just another stereotypical thriller but the anticlimax left me so disappointed. It was anything but extraordinary, rather it left too many loose ends untied in the end. The music wasn’t up to my taste and the film’s end made me thank my stars for having the strength enough to survive it.

Zid Full Movie Review The Last Word: Zid is not cringe worthy, just plain boring. Selling itself in the garb of a few explicit shots, the film’s fabric did not back itself in a solid enough story. It doesn’t have anything exemplary about it, not its acting, story or the chemistry between its lead pair. The worst thing about Zid was its climax that was downright silly. It’s almost like a bunch of intelligent people thought of doing a crash course in making a silly film and Zid was made. I am going with a very kind Rating of 1 star.

Zid Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Sulemani Keeda
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars [Three and Half stars]
Star Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari, Aditi Vasudev, Karan Mirchandani, Krishna Bisht, Rukshana Tabassum
Director: Amit Masurkar

What’s Good: The humor, the dialogues, the film’s spirit and the brightly beaming narrative that draws you in instantly.

What’s Bad: The story does lose steam in the middle, it’s plot meandering for a nano-bit in the film but the climax’s build up and culmination will make you forgive these tiny flaws.

Loo break: None

Watch or Not?: Sulemani Keeda will strike your attention for being this fulgent watch which will seem like an Indie-version of Dil Chahta Hai, but Amit Masurkar’s love for cinema and films comes through in this film which takes observational comedy to another level. Young film journalists often mix around in these circles where commonplace oddball film writers with that quirk spunk aren’t uncommon. Such people and their traits are inextricably imbibed in our system and that’s precisely what makes the nuanced jokes in Sulemani Keeda funnier without being dim witted. And afterall, needless to say it’s this perceptive take on what Vikram Chandra would call ‘Love and Longing in Bombay’, that draws us and its characters towards a better understanding of life! Who would mind such a perky, cheeky and fun film afterall?
Mainak and Dulal are two writers who are attempting to make it big in Bollywood. But thinking bright and original is not something that is expected of them. Bollywood calls more for those who can rehash well. The two, one seeking love and other seeking fame go through a series of incidents and end up meeting two pivotal people, Ruma whom Dulal falls in love with and Gonzo is to shape Mainak’s career.

A quirky take on Bollywood and what it thrives on, Sulemani Keeda is brilliantly made slice of life film which culminates into fresh climax.

Sulemani Keeda Full Movie Review Script Analysis: I found Sulemani Keeda an unusually pleasant watch. The only issue that one can point out about the film, is that only insiders will entirely understand the film’s zest and find it relatable. For the rest, this is a humorous portrayal of Bollywood and its flip side in a language that doesn’t come from Madhur Bhandarkar’s serious space. And its humor, its fun is its biggest USP. Don’t get me wrong, I do have an apetite for those dramatic portrayals but a well made slice of film, which is quite a rarity in India, is always a treat to watch.

Tracing the story of two budding writers, Mainak and Dulal, the film’s tone never gets serious. It doesn’t trivialize pain and heartbreak. There is a lot of regular ease with which instances happen, scenes flow, people break up, people fall in love, friends turn foes and then fall back. This effortless lucidity of its narrative sets this apart, gives it a real, palpable feel.

Mainak and Dulal try to sell their story Sulemani Keeda to a bunch of producers and writers. We are walked through their attempt to track down Farah Khan, Karan Johar, Salim Khan, Gulzar and Mahesh Bhatt, who even makes 5 minute appearance to convey how stories are scraped in Bombay, practically everytime you blink a story makes its way into the dustbin. The duo, one nursing a heartbreak from a two year old relationship and the other, striving to be a pro at offensive shayari and has given himself a deadline to rope in a Big Khan for a big movie in a year. They two meet Ruma and Gonzo, the two pivotal people who are to shape their life.

Ruma, is a corporate lawyer by profession and a photographer by passion. Free spirited, independent and light years more matured than Dulal, the duo in time are drawn towards each other. Dulal and Mainak, also meet a popular producer’s brat of a son, who wants to bring Andrei Tarkovsky to India. A sly, wicked take on those pseudo intellectuals who try harder to gape European influences and American films, Gonzo is quite a well pitched character from the same space. He demands (harps constantly) on out-of-the-box thinking and makes sure that he graphically describes ‘nothing should be in the box’, talks of finesse, texture et. al, even insists incorporating an orgy. A wicked remark on how those influenced by world cinema don’t use it to open their thinking but invest more energy in figuring out how to gape the idea and Indianize it. It is this intelligence in its writing that makes the humor smart, crisp and indelible.
Sulemani Keeda Full Movie Review Star Performances: The film’s major success lies in its brilliant casting. Every actor slips in easily into their parts, delivering funny, remaining to their character and yet bringing their own to it.

Mayank Tewari and Naveen Kasturia are great individually and their camaraderie has an effervescent authentic quality in it.

Karan Mirchandani as Gonzo is quite a find and his great comic timing and straight faced humor helps the story and the film immensely.

Aditi Vasudev, who was also seen in Talaash before, was outstanding. Her unusual beauty and her earnestness at playing Ruma. She is great in her role and often battles with Karan in taking for herself the most noticeable part in the film.

Sulemani Keeda Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Such film’s are more the director’s film and Amit Masurkar, take a bow. Bubbling with fresh energy, vivid narrative and striking performances, it is afterall Amit’s victory he could create such a real film. Using situational comedy as an essential tool, the humor doesn’t need slipping on banana peels to make laugh (And Thank God for that). Using people’s goof ups to laugh at, the dialogues are the ones you’ll find yourself telling your friends. Mainak drops a girl home, in the hope of some action only to find out how the lady lives with her boyfriend. Dulal after a booze party crashes on a girl’s couch. The girl asks a common friend, “Is he safe?”, she replies, ” Dilli se hai, par rape nahin karega!” The peels of laughter are many but you’ll remember the smile afterwards more starkly.

Mainak and Dulal fall out after a disagreement and their fight isn’t one of those melodramatic breakdown of bromance scenes. It is easy, muted, with flustered pigeons making a dash away from the squabbling men. They fall back together just as easily, one yelled at, at work and the other losing his new found love to practicality, they sit on a suburban terrace together with sprawling concrete jungle around them, looking for the setting sun! I loved th film’s editing. A little animation piece that marks Gonzo’s transformation too is fantastically done. Masurkar uses the tone of Thomas Gray’s popular poem ‘ode On The Death Of A Favorite Cat’ and shows how cocaine resulted in the death of Fellini (yes, that was the cat’s name). The undertone of this sequence isn’t as frivolous as it is made to look on the superficial. Used as a scene for the purpose of comic relief, takers might find more.

The film’s cinematography is gorgeous. Bombay is brought to life and its music blends well with the narrative, so much so that you’ll unknowingly find yourself humming the songs once the film is done.

Sulemani Keeda Full Movie Review The Last Word: Masurkar’s inventive thinking is what is the best part of Sulemani Keeda. His Mise en scene-ish expression drives the film and his bizzaro vein of thinking makes the film a delightful watch. A vibrant, slice of life which has a tight story, fabulous performances and the feel good fuzziness as an afterfeeling, must not be missed. I quite loved it and will make my way to the theaters to catch this! I am going with a 3.5/5.

Sulemani Keeda Movie Official Trailer no YouTube>

Movie: Ungli
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars [Three and half stars]
Star Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Angad Bedi, Randeep Hooda, Neil Bhoopalam
Director: Rensil D’Silva

What’s Good: An intelligently written, tightly constructed film which is fun, witty and relevant, all at the same time.
What’s Bad: The film does droop in its melodramatic parts and sometimes it tends to get repetitive.

Loo break: Don’t miss the Ungli show.

Watch or Not ?: Coming from the writer of Rang De Basanti, Ungli has the same spark of brilliance. Rensil keeps the story moving fluidly towards a fantastic climax, which is nothing short of genius. The camaraderie between its actors is palpable and despite a few vital pitfalls, the film stays true to what it has set out to achieve. Ungli might not offer a solution to our day to day problems but does a darn good job at tapping the right chords and sentiments and translating it on screen and met out a hard befitting answer to the culprits. And lastly, the best thing about Ungli is it doesn’t get preachy; it asks you to rise up for your rights without hammering your head to it. Give this one a chance, you too will rise up, take charge and show the Ungli.
A bunch of four, Abhay [Randeep], Maya [Kangana], Goti [Neil] and Kalim [Angad] after an unfortunate incident create a vigilante gang called the Ungli gang. Plagued with corruption, in every faction, every strata of the system, the gang picks up momentum and people’s love by a series of action. But soon enough they find a fan replicating what they do and an application to join the gang. Everyone is skeptical of Nikhil [Emraan] who poses as a law student but is actually an undercover cop, on duty to expose the Ungli gang. Nikhil has their smarts and sharpness. But, Nikhil too believes in their ways. Will he take them to task or join their movement?

Ungli Full Movie Review Script Analysis: Coming from the writer of Rang De Basanti, 24 and Kurbaan, we surely know Rensil’s space is nothing like the Dharma framework. He is an intelligent writer who holds his script holy and with Ungli he has done the same. A group of four friends, are a social group who take up issues close to the common man and find apt solutions to it. Milap Zaveri’s lines tells us how candle marches doesn’t help and hunger strikes end them in jail. So what’s the solution – take charge and show the Ungli? That’s the motto of the vigilante gang who can’t be kind to misdeeds corrupt people commit. Sending a auto rickshaw guy on lamba bhaada to Delhi in a goods train, making corrupt traffic cops eat their bribe amount for real. If you think they are heartless, no they aren’t. They even serve pickle with those notes.

After a lamentable incident, a bunch of four regular friends comprising of a medical intern, a crime reporter, a computer engineer set out to change the system. But the system isn’t kind to the world so why use kind ways is the gang’s funda. Breaking the law to amend the law couldn’t go down well with the law makers who bring on board their sharpest officer, ACP Kaale. Kaale is quick to note that to get to the Ungli Gang, you’ll have to get under the skin of their thinking. Kaale gets in his team, his protégé Nikhil, who is more jealous and in awe of the Ungli Gang than a malicious cop.

There are a couple of great things about the story. It doesn’t meander at all. Even Maya and Nikhil’s love story doesn’t get much screen space because the story doesn’t call for it. The equation between Kaale and Nikhil is endearing and both Sanjay and Emraan have played it to the tee. The film’s humor is its wit and despite being laden with dollops of humor, the film doesn’t trivialize the issues it addresses. The humor is mostly in its dialogues and once again dialogue writer Milap Zaveri is at his best. In parts, it’s a dialogue feast that polishes its scenes. Rensil and Milap have previously worked on 24 and that Zaveri in his dialogues, shows the smoothness in understanding the undertones of each of his characters. Rensil renders flesh and blood to them and their realities seem so true that everytime they use their ‘shaitaani dimaag’ you can’t help but woot for them. It’s impossible to give out too much about the movie, especially the climax but like I said Rensil must be smoking some really good stuff when he wrote the climax. It’s nothing short of brilliant and the final act will be immensely satiating.

Ungli Full Movie Review Star Performances: Emraan Hashmi is great. Donning his wicked smile, he plays a lackadaisical cop who finds his real calling in changing the system when he associates with the Ungli Gang. He brings out Nikhil’s dilemma of being torn between what’s right and what’s not. There is a simmering intensity in Nikhil no one except Emraan could have brought out.

Following up close is Randeep Hooda, who is robust and never over the top in this film. He is great in every frame and with the same grit.
Sanjay Dutt shot his last scene with them and he still has his iconic punch to his persona. I miss watching mode of Munnabhai and such roles and the little stint in Ungli will make you crave for it.

Kangana Ranaut, Neil Bhopalan, Angad Bedi were all great in their parts. Kangana does not have a very meaty role in the film but she is radiant and great in the scenes she has.

Ungli Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Films like Ungli are never about its actors but about its director and its writing. Rensil makes a compelling film which doesn’t shy away from taking on the system, much like his dreaded gang. Ungli prides itself in being a cross between a formulaic entertainer and relevant cinema and it makes for an interesting watch. The only times Rensil loses tempo is when the film’s melodrama steps in. Luckily not enough time or energy is wasted on that. It’s a slow boiling thriller that doesn’t have the darkness of Kurbaan, which was again a fantastic watch, but tackles it all with intelligent humor. The punches in Ungli have a certain sincerity, that flows from the film’s goodness and novelty. I am so bored of watching potboilers that Ungli is a whiff of freshness that has an enticing narrative which will keep you interested all through. And when you try predicting, Rensil’s climax will brilliantly throw you off. What’s another sparkling part of Ungli is its theme songs and Neeti’s voice will resound everytime the gang accomplishes a mission.

Ungli Full Movie Review The Last Word: I think it’s putting too much of a responsibility on a film to instigate a social change. It’s job is to primarily entertain and make better cinema. Ungli’s novelty is its highlight point. Benefitting from sharp writing, lucid narrative and a few clapworthy zingy dialogues which have the punch, I do think Ungli is one of 2014′s most novel concepts. Well rendered and acted with zeal, don’t miss five people showing an entire system, the finger. I am going with 3.5 stars.

Ungli Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Happy Ending
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars [Three and half stars]
Star Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D’Cruz, Govinda, Preity Zinta, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin, Andrew Kneebone
Director: Krishna DK, Raj Nidimoru

What’s Good: The light and breezy feel good milieu, glossy gorgeous frames, the fantastic cinematography, the killer dialogues, the straight faced Saif and ‘above all’ the Kickass Mr. G.

What’s Bad: A semi tenuous second half which falls into the pitfalls and loopholes peculiar to the genre of romantic comedies.

Loo break: Not many.

Watch or Not?: Disguised as a spoof on romantic comedies, Happy Ending does it all from boy meets girl, to boy-girl fall in love, boy-girl break up and boy-girl re-unite; but the usual drill is peppered with some wit, tonnes of wicked humor, piquant dialogues and infused in an enticing gorgeous set up. Don’t judge me if I have ogled at the shots of a BMW cruising its way through the Pacific Bay Coast, that’s what romantic comedies do! And I am happy to inform you that Happy Ending does the floss and the formula with utter brilliance. I won’t call it a perfect film but I laughed at multiple cues, didn’t get all sappy at their breakup and came out smiling. I am not someone who will buy into the maudlin world of ‘Aashiqui’ brand of romance and for me Happy Ending just fits well – live one day at a time, why do you need to know where you are headed and yet, being in love while you walk through the tunnel whose end is dark. I strongly recommend you watch it, because it’s dollops of happy whoopee.
Yudi [Saif Ali Khan] lives in a plush apartment in California. His last book was 6 years ago and he hasn’t worked ever since. Stuck in a creative limbo, he begins a manuscript and can never pull through writing the ending – the most perfect, Happy Ending. Bankrupt and penniless, he finds himself at a sticky situation where he has to write a staple rom-com for a Bollywood Superstar [Govinda]. He bumps into his muse, the new bestselling novelist of his publication and the woman he falls for. She is as cheeky as him, writes romantic novels and doesn’t believe in the hanky panky of love. As the drill goes, Yudi must win over the girl and sort out his life but the success of this film is not in its climax but the narrative which breezes you through the life of two commitment phobic people and makes you realize that ‘Opposites attract’ stands for magnets mostly, with people you are looking for someone ‘whose soul is made of same thing’ as yours.

Happy Ending Full Movie Review Script Analysis: I had begun to believe that romantic comedies cannot be made with a difference. And I am also right but they can still be made pretty darn good. There is nothing unusual in the film’s story. You can almost predict things and therein lies the fun because Raj and DK too are predicting it with us. Yudi’s alter ego Yogi and me announced the arrival of the big airport scene together and that just assured me, that the film incorporates everything I like watching and does so by poking a little fun of it all. The film starts with Saif and ex lover [real life wife] Kareena watching [Love Aaj Kal]. She tells him she loves him, he says erm cool. She says I know you have depth. And he says no, I think this is all I have. Breakup. Eight and a half relationships later, Saif is living in California. An erstwhile bestselling writer who has gone broke and lost his car due to failing his installment payments, he is royally, if I may say, screwed! Amidst all the confusion, he bumps into Aanchal Reddy a writer who has replaced him at his publication, writes romantic novels for a living and doesn’t believe in love.

As the story progresses, Saif squabbles over how to breakup with his present girlfriend Bishakha a girl who despite 7 and a half break up attempts doesn’t get it. She averts one attempt by showing Yudi a naked video of him performing a bathroom jig. She doesn’t need a reply to I love you, she already knows he loves her. Get the drift? Career wise, Yudi meets Superstar Armaan-jee and he is indeed the film’s best part. Taking potshots at what works in Bollywood, Armaan is invariably hilarious. I laughed the hardest when he announces that people don’t pay 300 bucks to get a gyaan-seesion about life. As much as I believe in good cinema [which is often equated to dark and serious films], I do agree that paying for understanding life is never the purpose of cinema. If it manages that, fair enough! ‘Hero Heroine Gaana Gatey Hai Toh Gaaney Do, Puppy(Kiss) Lete Hai Toh Lene Do’ is where he functions from.

The best bits in the film are between Yudi Saif and Yogi Saif. He indeed has a sexy alter ego who gulps down gallons of red wine and comes up with some quirky lines. Here’s one – ‘Raat Ke 12 se 4 ke beech mard ch****a jaata hai, dimaag ki jagah patloon se sochta hai.’ That entire dialogue rings true because every girl has sat through 2 am drunken ranting, love professing session of some man she was involved with and every guy has done that to some girl at one time or the other.

Post intermission, Raj and D.K go their Go Goa Gone way, the thick laughs were reducing, you shift a little more in your seats and the glossy frames demand a better story. But 15 minutes into the wobbly second half, you realize, it is impossible to retract from the predictability because Yudi despite being one of the jerks you probably know, is so real that he has bonded with you. It grows on you with its light hearted quick dialogues and luckily no character revels in pretentious cuteness which makes the film fun.

Happy Ending Full Movie Review Star Performances: Saif Ali Khan plays himself from Love Aaj Kal but the acting has obviously matured. Playing commitment phobic has been ​his thing in a lot of films and it’s his usual deadpan humor that gets you. I loved Yogi more than Yudi. To be able to deliver such distinct performances, in the same frame needs a sound sense of comic timing and Saif surpasses his best. What Humshakals? That never happened. Period!

Ileana Dcruz gives her most effortless performance since Barfi!. She isn’t Aanchal and is clearly playing herself but does so with a lot of believable earnestness.
Kalki Koechlin despite her small role is great. She gets her antics in to make you laugh and you do find the psycho stalker endearing!

In the same breath, I will mention Ranvir Shorey who is an outstanding actor with a knack for comedy but his frustrated situation will get you laughing. He checks out Bishaka’s lingerie and says ‘Tu Kya, Main Bhi Gauri (his wife) Ko Buri Nazar Se Nahin Dekhta’. His dominating wife, her oops pregnancy and her monotone underwears are the primary problems of his life.

Preity Zinta in a tiny cameo is sparkling.
And finally Govinda is in his words, ''kickass''. Slipping into the kind of loud humor he knows the best, Raj and D.K contrast it with Saif’s and makes sure the stint gives you the film’s best times. Govinda has now re-arrived and hell, you’ll be irrevocably in love.

Happy Ending Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Raj and D.K have already shown us their thinking space is from extraterrestrial and thank God for that. A scene where Govina’s assistant says Ek South Ki Film Bani and sab uske pichey lag gaye, it just sounded so true! Luckily they too are critical of the same! Their vocabulary is fresh, their writing might not be novel but atleast they were ballsy enough to attempt a half decent spoof on romances. I call it half decent for a reason. The tempo drops in the second hour, there are scenes that will be hard to buy, cues that might seem forced. Does that perturb me much? Not even close. In the end, I loved the film and a large part of the credit goes to Raj and D.K along with Saif who pack together so many right ingredients that you can’t help but invest in the film.

The editing was crisp and a special mention to Sachin Jigar’s music. Thank you for not giving us another lachrymose-ish break up song which will make us cringe. From Pussy Cat to Jaise Mera Tu To Mileya Mileya, there is enough good music to keep you glued.

Happy Ending Full Movie Review The Last Word: Happy Ending makes fun of all the films which have made it our bucket list of classic love films and does so without a hint disparaging malice. Yogi and Yudi played by Saif and their well-placed complimentary, smart-alecky camaraderie, along with the poker faced humor of Govinda makes this film a peachy yet relevant and essentially a droll, chucklesome watch. There aren’t many ‘fur and feathers’ films which go down well with me, this is one of the sparse few which qualify as exception. I am going with a judicious 3.5/5.

Happy Ending Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Elizabeth Ekadashi
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars [Three and Half stars]
Star Cast: vikas Mahajan, Sayali Bhandarkavathekar, Pushkar Lonarkar, Nandita Dhuri, Vanmala KINIK
Director: Paresh Mokashi

What's Good: Young kids showing such maturity in their acting. An excellent script with quirky dialogues, this movie is a fun ride and could prove to be a great family to watch. It's time all the kids learn some real values!

What's Bad: Almost nothing. If only I would be forced to pick out something, I will say that the ending seemed a little rushed but nevertheless it worked for me.

Loo break: Can certainly wait!

Watch or Not?: Certainly enjoy this emotional film that will win your hearts with honest performances and a storyline graceful. This film is like 'Children Of Heaven', it will make you fall in love with its genuine nature.
Elizabeth Ekadashi is a simplistic story of young Dnyanesh and Zend who are brought up in the pilgrim town of Pandharpur. When financial difficulties crop upon the family, little Adnyana who is the man of the house after his father's death, decides to help his mother. But to do so will he sacrifice his beloved Elizabeth the cycle?

Elizabeth Ekadashi Full Movie Review Script Analysis: Beauty of this story lies in its innocence and honesty. Portraying the hardships of a single mother, who is raising two children and also shouldering the responsibility of her mother-in-law after her husband’s death, the film will move you into tears in the most unexpected moments. The dialogues are the crux of this film and kudos to the child artists who do a fine job with them. This film is a treat with rich content and stellar performances. Loaded with fun elements and even some thought provoking instances, the story unfolds like magic. There is a lot to learn from these kids and certainly the fact that their innocence and sensibilities are way mature to their age. The fact that you have a story based in Maharashtra’s most visited pilgrimage center and you don’t indulge in promoting any faith and create a religious context around it was a winner for me. Characters are the driving force of this story and each one has something valuable to give you.

One thing that you will surely learn from this film is an altogether new meaning of ''Elizabeth'' who I am not even mentioning here because you need to watch her to understand her and what she represents.

Elizabeth Ekadashi Full Movie Review Star Performances: Shrirang Mahajan who plays the young Dnyana and is the lead character will make you fall in love with him. He essays this role with quite an ease and it is highly daunting to see young kids perform so brilliantly.

Sayali Bhandarkavathekar, who plays the younger sibling Zendu, is the cutest character in the film. She is smart and sparky and will make you laugh!

Nandita Dhuri who plays the mother does an excellent job. Right from the first frame her character will move you as you feel the hardships and side with her situation. She is a reminder to everyone how our mothers have brought us up.
Elizabeth Ekadashi Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Paresh Mokashi after giving us a gem like Harishchandrachi Factory, once again shows us that there is nothing more engaging than a human interest story. The fluidity with which this story moves makes you marvel every frame. Showing Pandharpur in another light, Mokashi gives us a new God through the eyes of young Dnyana who preaches science through his ‘Kirtans’ referring to Newton and Einstein as Gods.

Put into a crisp one and a half hour film, at no point do you feel like watching away even as the story becomes predictable. The director makes sure that you find an instant connect with all the characters. The background score too was a delight for me as it helped pick up certain scenes and the songs overall too are fun numbers.

Elizabeth Ekadashi Full Movie Review The Last Word: Elizabeth Ekadashi is a must watch for those who enjoy watching movies that have nothing more to give than pure content. The film with its simplistic story line finds a place in your heart and escpecially when young kids perform so brilliantly. This one is gem and is a good family watch. It is rarely that films make me emotional and this one truly worked its magic on me. I am going with a heavy 3.5/5 for this movie.

Elizabeth Ekadashi Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: The Shaukeens
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars [One and half stars]
Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Lisa Haydon, Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor, Piyush Mishra, Rati Agnihotri
Director: Abhishek Sharma
What’s Good: A few sparse genuine laughs which the horridly unfunny film delivers.

What’s Bad: I won’t call it bad but more disappointing that Abhishek Sharma’s sense of humor has gone to the dogs. (Point taken: Will Mind my language!)

Loo break: Far too many.

Watch or Not?: The Shaukeens was promised to be a film as cute as the original but sadly, it’s just a mundanely flat and an extremely dull film. With only Akshay delivering the limited laughs of the film, it is a painfully tedious exercise of tolerating the not-so happening story of three lecherous men. The main problem of the film is that nothing is really happening in it. One wouldn’t expect the talented Abhishek Sharma to direct a film this boring but the fact remains that the filmmaker left his wits at home and ventured on this, and created his poorest work that will ever be (I Hope). Even with Akshay’s effortless humor, the film couldn’t score up to be part good. Just because you are getting bored at home, don’t go for this because then you’ll just be paying to get bored.

The story is of three old men in Delhi who are facing old age crisis, and are deprived of any valid sexual action in their lives. After a shameful incident that happened to them when they pulled off a stunt of picking up a girl for themselves, a policeman suggests they take a trip to Thailand or Mauritius. The trio take an exquisite trip and lands up in the home of a beautiful fashion designer Ahana(Lisa Haydon).
What strikes about her is that she is a terrible fashion designer, an obsessive stalker and a crazy Akshay Kumar fan. The lady claims she will do anything for the one who gets her to meet Akshay Kumar and ofcourse the three old men do their share of the same at driving a step towards getting action.
How it all falls apart for them with Ahana is what the story it about?

The Shaukeens Full Move Review Script Analysis: How much of the 1982 classic is this? Well, the situations have been altered but the skeletal framework of the older movie has been retained. Too bad, the beauty of the classic remains far away from this lame, unfunny story. I am not sure if it’s the script that was so bad on paper but in the translation the fun was surely lost. The idea of funny is really footling in this film. There is an elaborate sequence about discussing the sexual frivolousness of this generation by men who are well in their 60s and can’t hold their lust together. Whatever it was meant as, it did not make me laugh.

Akshay’s interactions with Subhojit is doltish and obviously, I am shocked to see the grave lack of intelligence in an Abhishek Sharma script. I am saddened that the crispness of the story was completely obsolete.

The female lead of the film is a crazy stalker whose life depends on her Facebook likes. I thought it was an interesting take on the character but the story doesn’t build it appropriately. Her character loses itself in solely obsessing over Akshay Kumar. Also, I find it hard to believe that the lady who is that pretty doesn’t realize the intentions of the three horny men she lives with. She must be really unaware of the life around her to be able to manage that.

And finally, drawing heavily from the camaraderie of its lead men, even that was too less in the film. The script doesn’t allow their friendship to grow or show at all. Their warmth seemed starkly missing and they came across more as a bunch of people who are friends because no one else has stuck through their inappropriate behavior, clearly. The bro code funda of the climax was hence a little too much to digest. The film’s most clear residual problem is that it doesn’t remain cohesive in its energy and loses its steam too soon, even before it has got its audiences to invest in it.
The Shaukeens Full Movie Review Star Performances: Lisa Haydon as the star struck girl is effortless but this time despite greater screen presence, she couldn’t hold through her character because of her weak character.

Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor and Piyush Mishra are all great in their parts bringing in their caliber and experience of humor to the role but there is only little to offer when their characters are limited by a weak plot.

Surprisingly, the maximum laughs are delivered by Akshay who is thankfully in one of his best comic trips. His part did make the film a little more bearable in the second half.

The Shaukeens Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: The film is afterall Abhishek Sharma’s loss. I went in expecting better from him, because his humor quite suits my taste. In his words, he doesn’t believe in pants falling off as humor but sadly, the film proves otherwise. A scene where you are expected to laugh at Piyush Mishra in his pink undies, I did realize that the industry has robbed him off his intelligence. This was not the crisp, tasteful humor he was synonymous with. Digging fun at others is alright but the film did go a little far down the boring lane and doesn’t even offer a comeback. The climax was extremely warped and imbecile. It almost doesn’t add up to a satisfying conclusion. Probably the only hint of original intelligence I found in this otherwise dense, brainless film is when Piyush’s character sees Lisa for the first time. It was a great flowchart of the evolution of a horny man that was the only glimpse of Abhishek’s fresh thinking!

The Shaukeens Full Movie Review The Last Word: The Shaukeens is a lame, dunce, dis-satisfactory and a stupid film at its core that is so tedious and flat that you almost abhor your time at the cinema. If you can tolerate 30 minutes of Akshay Kumar making fun of himself and his colleagues by making funny faces, you can take a trip for this. But for me, it was a disappointing story of how we lost an intelligent filmmaker to fat paychecks from fancy production houses. There can’t be a better reason why someone as intelligent as Abhishek created something so glaikit. I am going with a 1.5/5

The Shaukeens Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>

Movie: Fireflies
Rating: 3/5 Stars [Three stars]
Star Cast: Monica Dogra, Rahul Khanna, Arjun Mathur, Shivani Ghai, Aadya Bedi
Director: Sabal Singh Sheikhawat
What’s Good: A strong blend of passion and angst frames its core story and is delivered through a couple of solid performances.

What’s Bad: The story has its own share of incoherence and suffers from loopy writing. In parts, it drags and its drama doesn’t remain crisp consistently.

Loo break: Pretty many

Watch or Not ?: Fireflies brings out that piercing tinge of heartbreak beautifully in its 1 hour 45 minutes run time. But the film’s scripting is scattered, with the two equally potent stories running parallel individually and yet never blending smoothly to make a heart wrenching concoction. The film works in parts for me, for its performances, for its soul and its narrative, but it fails to reach that cut of beauty it had the potential to achieve. The jerk of the sudden climax revels in its all consuming, vulnerability which is liberating to watch and that is what makes it an unmissable watch.

Shiv (Rahul Khanna) is a young, South Bombay businessman, who on the apparent is stably married. The emptiness of his marriage doesn’t hit him until he meets his ex lover an former girlfriend Sharmila. His brother Rana, who cannot hold on to a job rediscovers his life in television bylanes of Bangkok, falls in love with a free spirited writer and tastes the hardships of unrequited love.
The string binding both Shiv and Rana is their common past, stained with pain more than love. Fireflies is the story of finding happiness and way back home.

Fireflies Full Movie Review Script Analysis: The vision of Fireflies doesn't go beyond the perspective of its narrator who defines everything about the film, its soul and its spirit. But the problem is its plagued with myopia and tries to tick all the expected boxes. Cheating husbands, failing relationships, tormented past are all out of the plethora one can easily foresee. In terms of story, there is no power to it in terms of novelty and yet what works is its storytelling which is intricately wrapped in poetry. In one of the scenes where an estranged couple are falling back in love after many years, over heady glasses of Cabarnet Sauvignon, there is a certain beauty and magic in their love.

The story begins dull, the tempo weak and shaky in parts. And yet, once Shiv and Ila are together they light up the story with their love. Somehow the unrequited quality in their love enticed me more than that of Rana and Michelle’s, whom convenience drew together. Rana is a complex guy, still bearing the heaviness of his guilt. In simple ways he conveys it. At one point, he tells his brother how he returned the money he had borrowed from him in a week. There is an evident undercurrent of brooding tension between the siblings and since the film doesn’t offer its reason to you in its first part, the gravity of it hits you much later once its background and backstory is let out.

The film’s story is somewhat half baked but it is how it’s told that holds your attention. It doesn’t force you to think but drags you into the lives of its characters who are flawed, craving for love and are all bogged down by weights of their past. There is a lot of literature well used in this film and the script's strength arises from its Heartfelt love.

Fireflies Full Movie Review Star Performances: Rahul Khanna fits the bill perfectly with his suave demeanor and subtle acting. Emoting well with his eyes, he is fantastic outright.

Arjun Mathur who went pretty much wasted in Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance was used well in this film and I can safely say he brings out the dilemma of this character alive.

Monica Dogra doesn’t achieve half of her brilliance of Dhobi Ghat. She was stiff and not exactly fantastic.

Shivani Ghai is quite good in the role and her chemistry with Rahul sparkles enough to give the first half of the film its beauty.
Fireflies Full Movie Review Direction. Editing and Screenplay: Sabal pits the film wrong and had he presented it as a love story more and mystery tale less, it would have worked better. The actors are stellar and the direction is toned rightly. The only problem of this film is that it doesn’t culminate correct. It is weak in places, and picks up slow. The tempo falters in places and mostly plagued with loopy myopia that despite a unique storytelling and narration, the only problem is its vision limits the film’s beauty. There is no novelty ofcourse but the poetic tinge is what entraps in its story. Even if its pace falls slack, the poetry makes it easier for you to sit through it. The soft music furthers the film and smoothly blends with the narrative.

Fireflies Full Movie Review The Last Word: Fireflies beautifully sums up the concept of coming around in life and its Cecilia Ahern-ish tone of optimistic view of tackling unrequited love is what works as the film’s USP. The brilliant performances of Arjun and Rahul reigns but in the end the flawed beauty of the film has an uncompromising flow in it. It is not a brilliant movie but is definitely worth a watch for its tone and pitch. I am going with 3 stars.

Fireflies Movie Official Trailer on YouTube>