Revisiting Movies - A review of the cinema

Remakes aren't something new to the Bollywood, we have been making them from the 80s and it is a simple hit formula. Take any South Indian movie which is a hit, then you know the story is going to be a success, make a frame by frame copy and write the dialogues by the great Kader Khan. Since, there is no dubbing and the North Indian doesn't know South Indian languages, you have a formula for a bigger Hindi movie success. This worked and the trend kept continuing. I remember, when Salman Khan was going through a tough phase, he made Wanted, a remake with the high action, drama of the South movie and boom, his career revived. Surely, the remakes work. But now we have South Indian movies which are dubbed in Hindi and also there are people warming up to the fact that watching a movie with subtitles isn't bad. So in this era, is making a remake still a viable option. And what are are some characteristics of a bad or good remake movie which are made in Bollywood, the Hindi film i...

 When I first watched the Border 2 teaser and trailer, I wasn't impressed. Same old shouting and cheap VFX. Also the star was Sunny Deol, no older cast - of course they died. But they could have used the same cast with a different story - spiritual sequel, of which I am generally not a fan. However, I could have embraced it here. So I was hesitant. And as luck would have it, my buddy couldn't find the time to watch it. So I postponed watching the movie. And then one day, the prices dropped to Rs.90 for the movie. My friend got the time and we went to watch the Border 2 movie. I was pleasantly surprised and happy that I watched Border 2 in theatres. The opening sequence hooked me. Sunny Paji in the action scene was refreshing because it was done right. I loved that they kept the same theme of building up the characters and then the action sequences. It hooked us till the end. The songs used were of old movie Border and thus the nostalgia kept us going. Also, the new song was nic...

 When you think of a spy action film, you might think of Jawan or Pathan. But those are stylised and forgettable films. They work only on the stardom of the actors. But in Dhurandhar, there is substance, story and also the acting. All the ensemble cast are good, but three people who did a fantastic job are Akshay Khanna, Rakesh Bedi and Danish. You know you are the best actor in the movie when your scene is with Ranveer Singh in almost every frame, yet people don't notice the supposed star. You steal the spotlight and how. Rakesh Bedi has always been a performative actor, and he has been thoroughly utilised in this movie to the best of his capabilities. Danish comes as a surprise. I suspect the future is bright for him. Because he has got the charisma and the acting chops to take it forward. Dhurandhar wins because of the story, stellar performances but most importantly the music of the movie incorporating the right remix versions of the original song. Best use of the song. Let...

 Vikrant Massey has been acting for the time being. And I have seen him in Haseen Dilruba doing a good job. But in that movie, the focus was on Tapsee Pannu. Vikrant, although a central character, plays a side role. And then came the 12th fail, a redemption movie for both Vikrant Massey and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Vidhu was in limbo when he had more success as a producer than a director. He remade his Parinda movie. That seems like a low effort to revive his Directing career. But the 12th Fail came as a surprise and an effort from a great team. The cinematography, acting, story, direction -everything was top-notch. The story was simple - exams, poor family, struggle and then ultimately win. 12th Fail is a heartwarming movie of hope, perseverance and consistency. It's a dreamy movie, and it should be taken with that intent. The story of his friend who narrates the movie, fails and his girlfriend leaving him is the harsh reality for majority of the aspirants. But the hopeful narrative wo...

Raju Hirani is a fantastic director. When you think about him, only good things come up. He has written, edited and directed only blockbuster movies. But unlike the typical blockbuster hits of Bollywood, his movies are something which has heart. An emotionally driven plot with laughs and emotions filled in every scene. And of course, there is a dance break. Munna Bhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 idiots, PK, Sanju and now Dunki. All are amazing movies, and I loved all of them – of course, in varying degrees. Yes, I am a fan and hence biased. But perhaps the other reviews are totally written with a winner's lens. When you are looked up to deliver a certain kind of cinema, the expectations are too high to match. And when you look at the last 2 movies of Raju, Sanju and Dunki – both have gotten a similar response. A good movie but the magic is missing. And I agree. Talking about Dunki, it’s a rollercoaster of a movie. It made me laugh and cry and gave me a gut-wrenching f...

Super Deluxe is a high-energy octane-introducing movie. And it consists of a stellar cast of magnitude of performances. The film of course, starts with seemingly innocent kids trying to purchase a movie R-rated. And in doing so, they discover something which they shouldn't. And it shows the pain, agony, surprise and the hyper-reaction of a kid. It just simply translates that energy from one scene to another and keeps on doing that. It transfers energy to the kid's father, who believes in God because he was saved in a tsunami by the Christ statue, to another scene to the kid, who is very happy and almost practising every day to meet his father. And of course, there is this amalgamation of everything, and it makes for a stellar movie; there are many things to learn from this genius movie and the highlight, of course, is Vijay Sethupati’s performance of a transgender. It showcases delicate moments with Good with the family members and the struggle of acceptance and the sheer pain ...