Military analyst Mick Ryan discusses what the anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive might look like and what it will take for it to succeed.
Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Chidiakhana, Review: Of all the animals in the zoo…
Chidiakhana, Review: Of all the animals in the zoo…
Made under the Children’s Film Society masthead, now merged with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Chidiakhana is not a zoo story. It won’t do much good to the reputation of NFDC. Stretching logic a bit too far, the makers justify the title by having the lead character imagine human beings as animals. And the animals talk with human voices. Guess what the core subject is? Football. And when you are making a film on football (or soccer), there is a very good chance that you will look to Two Half-Times in Hell (1961). Many before Chidiakhana have done it. Some have even supplanted cricket in place of football. Sad to say, none of the replicas, even with major side-tracks to cause diversion, have reached the heights of the original. Ditto Chidiakhana, which has his striker running in different directions.
Here’s one story. A mother moves from place to place every couple of years, along with her son. He is no Einstein and being fatherless is a major handicap at school. Everybody teases and abuses him. But his love for football sees him through. He even finds puppy love in a fellow schoolgirl just about his age. Here’s another. A local Don strikes a deal with a conglomerate of builders to usurp the land currently in possession of a school, and where football is played. The local political leaders are all in his pocket, except the Mayor. A third: A woman in Bihar marries a Naxalite, who has spared her life, and her brother kills him in revenge. She escapes, lest the family kill her and her son too. And the last. The school’s Marathi-speaking football genius hates the young Bihari boy’s guts and spares no occasion to abuse or assault him. A bad man, with a passion for football, and a heart of gold, comes along and unites the warring two-some, leading them to fame and glory. One film, four stories.
Manish Tiwary (story) and Manish Tiwary (dialogue) & Padmaja Thakore (dialogue) and Sonal Sher (dialogue). Thus read the writing credits. The story is a confluence of four streams, and they do not flow as one. Looks like Manish wanted to play safe, and bring in a substantial dose of everything. The father’s name bit is overplayed. Dialogue plays on accents and a generous sprinkling of Marathi (sub-titled). The Bihari pride in Manish surfaces when the lead player, Sooraj, is asked to say something in Bihari, and he says something impactful, and says it twice, with real pride. An interesting insider joke is Sooraj talking to himself and day-dreaming, then suddenly waking up, saying, “That was a voice over. Time for a reality check.” Some tender as well as humorous dialogue is heard between Sooraj and his puppy love, Mili.
As director, Manish Tiwary exploits the Dockyard Road sea-shore very well. In fact, he overdoes it. The cut after Pratap is shot is used conveniently, to conceal what really happened. Arrival of the brother, Bikram, and his dangerous motive are poorly handled. Did he really think he would get away with murder in a foreign land (Mumbai is foreign to him), in a hutment colony? The Naxalite element is a good side-track, but it is cut at super speed, without letting the viewer register what is happening. On the other hand, Tiwary pays only lip-service to the two rappers, one of whom is very dark and size +++. They have hardly any role to yap…rap about.
Ritvik Sahore as Sooraj is the cute boy next door. But he has to battle to many demons. Firstly, he keeps seeing animals in place of humans. Next he is tortured about his father’s name, which his mother refuses to tell him. Then he has to face Babu, the footfall genius and big bully. Finally, he has to save the football ground. All this is too much for him, and he just manages to pass through. Avneet Kaur as Mili is a delight to watch. Far from camera conscious, she seems to be enjoying every pose. I saw Rajeshwari Sachdev after a long time. She plays Sooraj’s mother, Vibha, who works as a house-maid to make ends meet. Slim as ever, she did a pretty good job.
Prashant Narayanan as Pratap remains an enigma. You expect him to do negative roles, which he does with aplomb. But not often does he get roles like Chidiakhana. I feel he could use his eyes better. Govind Namdeo as Bhau is Govind Namdeo as Bhau. It would be surprising if he did not play the Bhau. Ravi Kishan has a cameo as Bikram, and there is not much to say about it. Jayesh Kardak as Babu had a really tough role, and, with some obvious help from the director, he really impresses. Not many would be able to carry off Babu. Annjjan Shrivastva as the principled school principal is type cast, but sails through smoothly. In a brief appearance, Prakash Chandra Yadav, as the Naxalite leader, Praduyman Mahato, left an impression.
In support are Pushkaraj Chirputkar, Ajay Jadhav, Nagesh Bhonsle, Milind Joshi, Madhavi Juvekar, Sanjay Bhatia, Shashi Bhushan, Prashant Tapasvi, Ritika Murthy, Shriraj Sharma, Yogiraj, Laril Ganjoo, Swati Seth, Yogesh, Akhilesh (the two rappers), Sumit Malhan and Sargun.
Music by Vivek Rajagopalan, cinematography by Sriram Ganapathy, film editing by Irene Dhar Malik and Manish Tiwary are the behind-the-scenes credits.
It is always disappointing when a film that is good in parts fails to engage you in totality.
Chidiakhana remains a concoction.
Rating * ½
Trailer: https://youtu.be/vo2vjwkz5mg
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Saturday, 27 May 2023
Aazam, Review: “I want to be the next Don, and stop me if you can”
Aazam, Review: “I want to be the next Don, and stop me if you can”
Ministerial power often stems from a ‘healthy’ give and take with underworld Dons. There is a popular belief that legislators play one gang against the other, and like to work with just one Boss, rather than a multitude of Mafiosos. Then, there is the power and succession struggle between gang members, often resulting in brutal killings. Choosing these elements as its theme, Aazam builds a narrative that has a good dose of suspense and an equal dose of blood and gore. At one stage, gang members seem to be falling like nine pins, but each with a creatively different modus operandi. Not the run-of-the-mill, gang bang saga, Aazam is film that will make you feel that you spent an engaging, stimulating two hours.
Aazam (no relation of Mughal-e-Azam) revolves around the succession battle of mafia Don Nawab Khan, who is suffering from blood cancer, and has only 10-15 days to live. Nawab Khan controls the syndicate of five partners in ‘governing’ the underbelly of the city. Kader, Nawab's son, is his legitimate heir in business. Kader’s confidante, Javed, tells him that the five partners have decided, after the passing away of Nawab, to enthrone Anya Shetty, son of one of the partners, Pratap Shetty. He further advises Kader to eliminate Anya and all the five bosses, to ensure that he becomes the heir. Kader agrees. They begin by killing Anya, after luring him to a lonely spot, at the beach. Kader shoots him point blank. Javed, in the meanwhile, gathers a lot of information on the gang members with the help of a drug addict master computer hacker, Vishal.
There are three other players in the game – Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Ajay Joshi, a fixer called Madan and a Minister. Joshi is on the take and does as ordered by Madan and the Minister. Soon afterwards, Javed kills Kader, and lets the gang Supremos know that he wants to sit on Nawab’s throne. And towards that end, he will not hesitate to murder all the five bosses. This is a challenge for Madan and DCP Joshi, and Madan orders Joshi to go all out to give these five men the highest level of police protection. Joshi tells Nawab that he thinks Pratap got Kader killed. Nawab send a squad of 300 men to kill Pratap, and in spite of the armed forces deployed, the Inspector on duty has to let their leader through, who promptly kills Pratap. This is because that there would be many casualties on the police side, if they tried to block the murder squad.
Judging by look and feel of the film, it seems to be inspired by a foreign production. Yet, I would like to do no disservice if it is an original idea of Shravan Tiwari, who has both written and directed the film. A series of co-incidences do facilitate the narrative. The hacker lands literally in Javed’s lap. Nawab asks Joshi about who killed his son, and Joshi says it could have been Pratap, so Pratap is conveniently eliminated. Several of the characters have skeletons in their cupboards and are open to blackmail, which is just what the doctor ordered. Why have fancy names like Nawab and Sultan, both meaning rulers of some kind, for senior Dons? Why is there such a long shot of the Inspector coming to the DCP’s room? A DCP throwing away a walkie-talkie radio in frustration doesn’t seem all that convincing. Kamathipura is the lowest of prostitution joints – would a gangster worth his salt go there to fulfill the needs of the flesh? Why do Kader and Javed engage Anya in quite a bit of small talk, even offering him a cigarette, when all they needed to do was to pump a bullet in him? The language spoken by many characters varies unnecessarily. And isn’t leaving his body right there a bad idea, what with investigation and forensic science to set in?
Twists and turns keep you on tenterhooks. Pace is well maintained. Almost all characters are given enough footage to be noticed. Sadly, the female characters have little or no scope. Joshi’s young daughter is brought in for just one scene, playing chess with her father, which seems pointless, till there is reference to her and to chess, in the penultimate scene. Nawab, who is dying of blood cancer, looks extremely healthy, though I cannot be sure whether blood cancer victims look haggard or otherwise. Dialogue could have been much brighter. As it is, it is mostly functional, with the occasional ‘philosophical’ line. The end is left open, with a camera doing a crane pan/swivel.
Jimmy Shergill as Javed is a piece of good casting. Not angry, but calculating and planning. Abhimanyu Singh as Kader is bumped off before he can really make an impact, but he fills the bill. Indraneil Sengupta as DCP Ajay Joshi struggles with his character and is unable to leave a mark. Vivek Ghamande as Anya does not have the makings of a Don. Govind Namdev as Pratap Shetty is made to mope a lot and the character comes across as lacking potency. Raza Murad as Nawab is Raza Murad – dependable as usual. His role is neither too short nor too long. Sayaji Rao Shinde as Madan is a case of type-casting. Ali Khan as Shakir Shaikh is wasted. Anang Desai as Firoz Namazi, in spite of his impeccable Urdu, is just passable. Mushtaq Khan as Tatya is the sore thumb. With his accent, who in the world will accept him as Tatya? Shishir Sharma makes a polished, virtuous-looking corrupt Minister
The only song is composed by Durga Natraj, and it is a typical composition, with lyrics by Nawab Arzoo. Cinematography by Ranjit Sahu catches both the action and Mumbai’s outdoors quite well. And here he is again…editing by Shravan Tiwari! A pretty decent job. Background score by Karan Kuna is unconventional, which is welcome, but leaps out at you quite suddenly, sometimes drowning the dialogue that follows.
Aazam is a step in the right direction for gangster films, and but for a few loose ends, it is a commendable effort.
Rating: ** ½
Trailer: https://youtu.be/ApOjRqnDR3g
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Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Celebrating the Annual Doc Day
Today is Doc Day!
Tuesday 23 May from 10:00 to 22:30, attend panel discussions, directors' talks & masterclasses and delve into all things documentary – and much, much more!
Close this special day with a special screening in partnership with ACID.
Organized by Cannes Docs - Marché du Film
with the support of Doc Alliance, Participant, LaScam
in association with L’OEil d’or, Année du Documentaire, DAE, CNC, and ACID.
Join us for a day-long celebration of documentary cinema in all its
creative aspects & industry ramifications!
Discover what's on the menu for this full-day event with Cannes Docs! 
CELEBRATING THE ANNUAL DOC DAY
Explore the craft of
documentary filmmaking!
Tomorrow is Doc Day!
Tuesday 23 May from 10:00 to 22:30, attend panel discussions, directors' talks & masterclasses and delve into all things documentary – and much, much more!
Close this special day with a special screening in partnership with ACID.
Organized by Cannes Docs - Marché du Film
with the support of Doc Alliance, Participant, LaScam
in association with L’OEil d’or, Année du Documentaire, DAE, CNC, and ACID.
Join us for a day-long celebration of documentary cinema in all its
creative aspects & industry ramifications!
Discover what's on the menu for this full-day event with Cannes Docs!
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Sunday, 21 May 2023
“On Matriarchy Lake” is a true Motion Picture made in Mosuo
“On Matriarchy Lake” is a romantic drama about star-crossed lovers in an isolated village in China. The lovers are Li Fei, a young worker stationed in the village and Na Zhu, a local Mosuo woman. The Mosuo are a matrilineal ethnic group with a tradition of ‘walking marriages’, in which husbands visit their wives at night, but live apart during the day.
What starts as a sweet love story about cultural differences becomes tragic when Li Fei is forced to return to the city. A series of missed encounters and the deliberate interference of Na Zhu’s family keeps the pair apart for a full decade. I won’t spoil the dramatic turn of events that reunites them, but the film ends on a bittersweet, but hopeful note.
The film’s strongest point is its ability to convey a story with very little dialogue. Interspersed throughout the film are flashbacks to Na Zhu’s Aunt’s own romance. Like Na Zhu, she fell in love with an outsider. Their relationship ended with the ultimate betrayal, which fuels her current distrust of Li Fei. These scenes are almost entirely without dialogue, depending on the actors’ physical performances. They completely deliver.
Another highlight is the costuming and production design. The film is shot on location in a beautiful lakeside village. The gorgeous outfits the villagers wear are all actual garments created by Mosuo artisans. Mosuo actors also play most of the supporting and background roles. This involvement helps the film to portray the cultural differences between the two leads sensitively. It introduces the audience to an unfamiliar lifestyle without judgement.
Overall, “On Matriarchy Lake” is a sweet film and a great introduction to an unfamiliar culture.
Article by Jessica Haro
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Friday, 19 May 2023
Fast X, Review: Vin some, lose some
Fast X, Review: Vin some, lose some
Weapons and vehicles are the twin jet propellers on which Fast X rides. Weapons come in all potencies and sizes, including IT software/hardware and a (nuclear?) bomb that could blow up a whole city. Vehicles too, come in all shapes, sizes and models, including a container and a mini-aeroplane. All these are transported across continents, with the ease of greased lightning. There are two more twin jet-propellers that help the film cruise along, and these are family and gang. With these four elements in place, you have your basics right. Now you need a super villain and a two-faced betrayer. Here you are. In the sequel to F9 (2021), the tenth main instalment, and the eleventh instalment totally in the Fast & Furious franchise, the ‘Furious’ has been dropped in favour of ‘X’. Maybe somebody out there believes that X will bring in the X factor, proving lucky, 22 years after the franchise was launched. It doesn’t hurt that Vin Diesel, who starred in the first foray, is still around to fuel the pack.
In the past, Dominic Torreto had caused the death and destruction of Hernan Reyes, a Brazilian drug lord. Herman had only one son, Dante, who was a despicable character, but Herman indulged him so that he could protect and avenge Hernan. But Dominic took away a container full of Reyes’s fortune from right under the nose of Dante. Dante swore revenge. Soon afterwards, Dom attended a family reunion, along with his ‘partners in crime’. His bonding with his eight-year-old son, Brian, whom he calls B, has become stronger. B, and his wife Letty, mean the world to Dom. There, he and his crew receive a fresh assignment, in Rome. Dom decides that he need not go there, and only half of his crew is deputed.
After the team has left, Dom and the remaining crew learn that the Rome assignment is a trap, and that the team will face certain death there. They try to contact the Rome contingent, but find that all avenues have been jammed. The only option is to go there themselves, and they leave immediately. Locating their partners in Rome city without any clue is a tough task, but they somehow manage. To their horror, they find that the loot that they were sent to steal from a truck is no loot, but a bomb. It can go off any moment and will raze Rome to the ground. They somehow dislodge the bomb but it rolls down the road, hurtling across. Dom asks his scientific expert what can be done, and she tells him that if it is submerged in water, the damage could be reduced to 10% of its potential. At great risk, Dom manages to push the bomb into a river, even as it explodes. Watching all this is Dante Reyes, who has engineered the whole plan. And he has a Plan B in place, just in case.
If you break down the screenplay by Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans, Damsel) and Justin Lin (writing, co-directing debut with Shopping for Fangs; The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Star Trek Beyond, F9) based on a story by Mazeau, Lin, and Zach Dean (Deadfall, 24 Hours to Live, The Tomorrow War), you will find familiar ingredients like vendetta and betrayal. Any writer would be hard-pressed to cook-up something different in the action genre. To provide relief and bring in human values, you have comedy (often of the two black guys’ variety) and threats to the protagonist and his crew, and the first family of the film. So, there is nothing new in the plot. Ah, yes, there is a cross with a chain that is believed to protect the clan. Seriously! Coming to the screenplay, we have some exciting moments, as the giant globe of a bomb (I am assuming it was nuclear) keeps hurtling across half of Rome city, though the logic behind destroying a city to get even with an enemy is rather tenuous; the emergence of a mini-aeroplane from a regular aircraft; the giant leap sideways that rescues B; endless car and bike chases; the humour of the deadpan one-liners; the attempted and aborted escape through a manhole that, it turns out, opens in a mountain of ice and snow, and more.
Of course, you have to be under total suspension of disbelief, in a state of local anaesthesia, to swallow and digest most of the goings on. Moreover, proceedings move at such pace that, frequently, before you have registered one shot, the next one flashes across. Okay, so this is fandom film for the teens and twenties, so why are all the actors, except one young boy, in their forties and fifties? Mark Sinclair (Vin Diesel) is 56. Even Jason Momoa, the ‘baby’ of the cast, is 44. There is no problem in making a film fast; my point is that a shot should register before the next one comes on. The ‘make him suffer’ premise is not very credible. With the resources at his command, Dante could have made Dom suffer ten times over, but he chooses to slow down and space out his moves. Incidentally, where did he get all the money he spends? The tech-wiz lady is able to hack into or disable any IT or Hi-Tech system anywhere, including the ultimate security HQ of the Agency. The ‘now on now off’ disposition of the new Agency Chief, Aimes confuses, in an attempt to instill some suspense.
French director Louis Leterrier (49) is known for such films as The Incredible Hulk and Clash of the Titans (remake), and he replaced Justin Lin in Fast X. In actual terms, he has to direct only the non-action scenes. One particular non-action track that is well-handled is the Uncle Jacob-B bonding. Of course, the plentiful VFX that are the backbone of the film have to be imagined by him and fit in his vision. And they fit pretty well. The philosophy propounded by Dom to his son B seems vague and prosaic, and when the time comes, B’s use of that philosophy is weird, though it gets him out of deep trouble. There are cars, motorcycles, planes, helicopters, detonators and all kinds of gadgets on display, including one called God’s Eye, as should be expected in a film of this nature. It seems shocking that Dom’s home is not built like a fortress, considering how many men, on either side of the law, might want to get even with him and his family. There are some references to previous editions, as can be expected in a franchise, and those who have been following F & F will enjoy it better than first time viewers. An ensemble cast helps give the movie weightage. Perhaps lowering the suspension of disbelief element, and making the narrative a little more realistic would have made the film more watchable.
Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto is a former criminal and professional street racer who has semi-retired and settled down with his wife, Letty Ortiz, and his son, Brian Marcos (B). He speaks in his trade-mark style, half mumble, and is identified as Mr. Fast and Furious, in command, and fearing no one and nothing. Here, he has some tender moments with his son and the rest of his family. Jason Momoa (Baywatch, Batman vs Superman: The Dawn of Justice, Aquaman) as Dante Reyes, the son of drug lord Hernan Reyes, who has waited 12 years and is now seeking revenge against Dom and his crew for the death of his father and loss of his family's fortune during the events of Fast Five (2011), recapped here for good continuity. Momoa performed his own stunts in the film, though he has put on some weight after 2018’s Aquaman. He does not look evil personified, rather, he looks like a kid with toys who gets upset when the toys don’t work, and marvels when they do. Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz: Dom's wife and a former criminal and professional street racer has some raw emotions going with her role.
You have a powerhouse in the shape of Jason Statham, who has his own fan following, even in India, as Deckard Shaw, an arms dealer who initially seems to be on the opposite side but later joins hands with Dom. Also starring Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, a member of Dom's team, Ludacris as Tej (Tej? How Indian a name is that?) Parker, a member of Dom's team, John Cena as Jakob Toretto, the brother of Dom and Mia, and a master thief, assassin, and high-performance driver, Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey, a computer hacktivist and a member of Dom's team, Sung Kang as Han Lue, an expert drifter and member of Dom's team, who is given a relatively small part, Brie Larson as Tess, the daughter of Mr. Nobody, the former Head of the Agency, who allies with Dom and his crew, Alan Ritchson as Aimes, the new leader of Mr. Nobody's Agency, who does not think too fondly of Dom and his crew, Daniela Melchior as Isabel Neves, a Brazilian street racer, with a powerful tie to Dom's past, who is revealed to be Dom’s former girlfriend Elena Neves’ sister, Helen Mirren as Magdalene "Queenie" Ellmanson-Shaw, the leader of a female militia and mother of Dom's former enemies Deckard and Owen, Charlize Theron as Cipher, a criminal mastermind and cyberterrorist who is an enemy of Dom's team and is working with Dante.
Then there are Rita Moreno as Abuelita Toretto, the grandmother of Dom, Jakob, and Mia, who delivers a speech at the only family reunion shown in the film, and hugs everybody, Luis Da Silva is Diogo, a Brazilian street racer who allies with Dom and his crew, reprising his role from Fast Five (2011), Leo Abelo Perry gets a meaty part, and a lot of sympathy+plus whistles, as Brian Marcos, Dom's son, Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as Luke Hobbs, during the mid/end-credits scene and Gal Gadot reprises her role as Gisele Yashar.
It is interesting that it took as many as four editors to cut the film and give us a perfectly serviceable length of 1 hour 41 minutes, though one would not grudge 2-3 minutes more, if that helped make more sense of the scenario. They are also responsible for the breakneck speed of the film, and as Dom says in the film, “buckle-up”. True to its name, it’s Fast, & Furious too. The four gentlemen and ladies are Dylan Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto, Laura Yanovich, Corbin Mehl. Cinematography by Stephen F. Windon is breath-taking, often making you wonder whether the camera did it or was the VFX team. Music by Brian Tyler is in tune with the visuals.
This is about as close as you can get to a super-hero movie, with ‘normal’ human beings doing abnormal and ‘superhuman’ things. The car chases, the air encounters, fisticuffs, the rolling bomb, are all well executed. If anything, the makers have gone over-board, especially in the bomb scenes, which go on forever. Maybe there are not enough ‘bangs’ for the bucks, but there are thrills and excitements by the dozen. However, somewhere down the line, you feel that the soul is missing, not that movies of this legacy have souls.
Fans of Fast & Furious, this is a must see. Others, take a call.
Vin some, lose some.
Rating: ** ½
Trailer: https://youtu.be/eoOaKN4qCKw
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Thursday, 18 May 2023
8 am Metro, Review: One train, many tracks
8 am Metro, Review: One train, many tracks
Firstly, it is not about a train. Secondly, the journey of the lead characters changes so many tracks that it ultimately derails, and it takes a long-drawn climax to get it back on track. Even then, it ends on half a track. And yet there is something about 8 am Metro that is endearing and fresh. Coming not too long after Pierre Filmon’s French film, In Between Two Trains/Long Time No See (2019), it is likely to have been inspired by the French film. That film too, like 8 am Metro, is about a couple and their rendezvous at a train station. The other obvious recall would be Brief Encounter (1945). At least one track is common to the two films, the French and 8 am Metro, as I recap. But 8 am Metro has so many tracks, that it appears to be inspired by not one but several films, or has been or over-written by its writers. It is a deeply poetic, sad film that has only moments of humour. In an era of mass killing, punctuated only by item songs, it offers a refreshing change. That the change is not enough to carry the film through is unfortunate.
Iravati, a Maharashtrian mother of a girl and a boy, leads a routine life with her husband, Umesh, an executive. One day, she gets a call that her sister, Riya, who is in Hyderabad, is pregnant and there is nobody to stay by her. Their parents are no more and Riya’s husband has gone to the USA. Though Riya lives a considerable distance away, she decides to stay by Riya in her hours of need. A train journey is the fastest way to get to the hospital where Riya is admitted, but Iravati is terrified of travelling by train, due to an incident in her childhood, which left a deep scar. But travel by any other means is both costly and time consuming. Finally, she musters up enough courage to take the metro. At the last minute, on the platform, however, she gets a panic attack. A stranger gives her support and offers her water to drink.
It is a great coincidence that she meets the stranger – his name is Preetam - again, on the way back. Both Iravati and Preetam take the 8 am Metro on the way to their destination, every day, and the 6 pm Metro to go back home, every evening. A platonic friendship develops between the two. Preetam is well-read, and shares rare bits of knowledge with her. Iravati is a closet poet, an art she inherited from her father, and she narrates her work to him. A lot of it is in prose. She says she misses good filter coffee, and he finds a place that serves excellent filter coffee, though he is not a filter coffee drinker. She tells him about her family, about her husband Umesh, who is also Maharashtrian, and he tells her about his wife, a Bengali, and two children. Soon, Riya will give birth, and Iravati and Preetam will not see each other again. The ‘star-crossed lovers’ have come as close as possible, without getting physical. Iravati has even visited Preetam’s house, with him, when they were alone. Unable to restrain herself at the thought of permanent parting, Iravati decides to visit Preetam one last time.
What you have just read is a linear development of the plot, and it could be seen as such, had it not been complex. There is a full track of Riya and her husband. Preetam’s patronising of a particular book shop for no logical reason leaves you wondering why. What prompted him to collect and read the works, and collect portraits, of classic authors and poets, both Indian and foreign, is never explained. How are the two ‘strangers on a train’, both emotionally vulnerable, able to curb their emotions, not letting them get physical, is a conundrum. Writers Shruti Bhatnagar (43, writer of Mallesham, 2019) and Raj Rachakonda (IT Programmer, based in the US; made his debut Tamil film in 2008; award-winning Telugu film, Mallesham) have to answer these questions. Since Raj Rachakonda is the director too, it is he who has decided to employ a story-telling technique that believes in concealing facts from the audience because you want to conceal them from a character/characters. This leads to a situation where essential elements of the narrative emerge suddenly, towards the end. The audience feels cheated, because their universe is confined to what is narrated on screen, and a crucial scene or factor should not be sprung as a surprise or flashback, just before the end. And the end itself goes on and on.
There are several things going for the film. Emotions are understated, there is a generous use of Gulzar’s poetry (it took the good offices of Anurag Kashyap and a year in waiting to get this association cemented), a strong case made for the dying habit of reading books in print, many references to civilisations and societal norms or mores, actors who look their parts, scenes that are variable - rather long or extremely short, as dictated by content, very realistic capturing of stations, trains and compartments (bogies), to the extent that it appears a promo for the Metro. But there are things that do not go well within the frame-work of the story. Some of these are listed above, where I have talked about the film’s writing. There are more, like the conflict between Riya and her husband, the extra-marital affair of Riya’s friend’s husband, the confined space that is book-shop and all the scenes there, the too cute conversations between Riya and her children, mainly on the phone, the inability of the lead actors to pronounce the Urdu words in Gulzar’s poetry, and more.
Performances are uniformly good. Kambeyanda Devaiah Gulshan, or Gulshan Devaiah, who studied Fashion Design and taught the subject for ten years, before making his debut in the 2010 That Girl in Yellow Boots, a forgettable Anurag Kashyap film, breathes life into Preetam. Gulshan is a very rare name down south. Although his Hindustani is not perfect, one must remember that he is Kannadiga whose mother tongue is not even Kannada but a dialect. At 45, he suits the part well. But one wonders why the director chose the actor, whose last few outings were Badhaai Do (2022), Blurr (2022), Shiksha Mandal (2022) and Duranga (2022), a Hindi adaptation of the Korean drama, Flower of Evil (2020). He has said to the press that no Telugu actor wanted to do this film. It would be interesting to know why did he want a Telugu actor and why did none of them agree to do this role. Perhaps because there is neither action nor comedy in it. Saiyami Kher is remarkably restrained as Iravati. Kher is a surname found in Kashmir and Maharashtra. She has large, expressive eyes. Mumbai-born, 31 year-old Saiyami has appeared in Mirza's Lady (2016), Choked (2020) and Special OPS (2020). Acting is in her blood, as she is the grand-daughter of yesteryear’s heroine, Usha Kiran. Unfortunately, the voice over in Hindustani is often faulty, and like a drawl. The fleeting moment, when there is physical contact between the two lead players, and the only time they argue, have been enacted wonderfully by both.
Umesh Kamat as Umesh is natural in a brief role. Kalpika Ganesh is captivating, playing Mridula. Nimisha Nair as Riya gets a meaty part, but she has to be on a hospital bed all the time. Rajiv Kumar Aneja is passable as the writer, not looking down and out as he is supposed to be. Rest of the listed cast reads: Dheer Charan Srivastav, Jay Jha, Kajol Dubey, Moin Jaan and Madhu Swaminath. Music by Mark K. Robin, Lyrics by Kausar Munir, and Cinematography by Sunny Kurapati are standard quality. Film Editing by Anil Aalayam is variable, with some scenes rather long and some shots too short to register.
It will remain a mystery why did the director choose to make a film with such a strong Hindustani literary flavour, with actors whose first language is not Hindi. If you dig off-beat subjects that are full of melancholia and almost devoid of humour, this could yet be your cup of filter coffee. One must laud the attempt at making something off the beaten track, though the possibilities were, to an extent, frittered away.
Rating: ** ½
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Sf6l492kclQ
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Impact of Writers Strikes on the Film Industry
"… the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike poses unique challenges for deals despite wide excitement over the recent theatrical box office resurgence and what seems to be the end of coronavirus woes for production," Variety writes. Although deals are still being made at the Cannes Film Festival, the writers strike has caused these deals to be more selective. Scripts that have been finished prior to the strike are generally good to go, whereas scripts that require rewrites are typically rejected.
The ongoing impact of the writers' strike on the film industry is evident in strained relationships between writers and studios, leading to renegotiations and contract disputes. The strike has also driven writers to explore alternative storytelling platforms such as television and streaming services. This shift has diversified the medium and created opportunities for fresh voices. Moreover, the exodus of talent from the industry has resulted in a shortage of experienced writers, affecting script development and potentially limiting creative possibilities. The ongoing impact of the writers' strike serves as a reminder of the critical role writers play in the industry's success and the need for fair compensation and creative rights.
Written by Caroline Wilson
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Friday, 12 May 2023
Chatrapathi, Review: Axe Rated
Chatrapathi, Review: Axe Rated
Should have been spelt Chhatrapati, buy never mind. As a remake, it has carried over the spelling of the Telugu original. The title is a reference to Shivaji, the Maratha King of the Bhosle clan, who fought invaders and rulers and lived from 1630 to 1680. Honoured as a local hero, he was given the title Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and continues to hold a high place in the hearts and minds of many Indians. The Mumbai airport and the biggest railway terminus in the city, among numerous other establishments, are named after him. But this film is not about Shivaji, the King. It is the umpteenth pot boiler remake in Hindi of Telugu mayhem that must be quickly forgotten.
A mother, Parvati, and her two sons, Shivaji and Ashok, live in a village called Mubaarak, in Pakistan. Shivaji was adopted while Ashok is her biological child. We get no hint about the father. Parvati has greater affection for Shivaji, whom she considers brave. Ashok hates Shivaji and spares no opportunity to humiliate him. Communal riots erupt in Mubaarak, and a huge fire engulfs the Hindu settlement. All of the inhabitants leave in a hurry, by sea. Parvati and Ashok are together, but Sivaji ends up in a different boat. They reach Bhavnagar in Gujarat, as refugees. To their horror, they are captured by a local crime-lord, Bhairav Solanki, who forces them to work for him, paying them a pittance.
Shivaji grows up to be an aggressive man, with great strength. All this while, his search for his mother continues. Bhairav has dreams of being nominated the ruling party candidate in the forthcoming legislative assembly elections. When the Party Observer from New Delhi, who has come to decide the nominee, refuses to favour him, and shows some inclination towards a rival candidate, Bhairav plots his murder, on the train to New Delhi. After a heated confrontation, Shivaji gets rid of Bhairav. But there are other mafiosos in the fray: Bhavani and Bhairav’s older brother, who is behind bars, but nothing can stop him.
On account of his bravery and standing-up for the rights of the refugees, Shivaji is bestowed with the title, Chhatrapati. He starts his own companies, and runs clean operations, as compared with the drug-dealing bosses he worked for. But one thing keeps bothering him: Where is his mother? He approaches the police to help find her, but they suggest the Collector’s office. Co-incidentally, he is asked to receive Sapna, a Personal Assistant in the Collector’s office, at the railway station. The two like each other at first sight, and she promises to help him find his mother. Meanwhile, the invidious Ashok, who has been living not too far, with his mother, has discovered that Shivaji is his brother, and he plans to eliminate him. Ashok had told Parvati that Shivaji was dead.
If they have stuck largely to the 2005 Telugu original - screenplay by S.S. Rajamouli, dialogues by M. Rathnam and story by V. Vijayendra Prasad - one must treat Chatrapathi as an exception in the oeuvre of these talents. This version is credited to ‘based on Chatrapathi (2005) by S.S. Rajamouli, screenplay by dialogues by A. Mahadev dialogue by Mayur Puri, story by V. Vijayendra Prasad’. There are several changes in the Hindi version, released 18 years later. SriLanka is substituted by Pakistan, Vizag is replaced by Bhavnagar and, consequently, there is a smattering of Gujarati in the dialogue. Thankfully, there are only four songs against the seven in the original. V. Vijayendra’s story and S. S. Rajamouli’s screenplay are far-fetched, to say the least. What they offer are: refugees travelling long distances, all the way from an undisclosed location in Pakistan to Bhavnagar, sibling rivalry, bonded labour, crime-lords that operate with complete impunity, a hierarchy of bosses who have to be eliminated one by one, a love-at-first-sight, a Collector’s PA who gives away to Shivaji the only picture available of his lost mother, and then promises to launch a search for her, Ashok shooting himself to gain sympathy, a pendant as the definitive identification (this was common in the Hindi films of the 1960s and 1970s).
Having studied in Gujarat, Mayur Puri was not a bad choice for writing the dialogue. He educates us with couple of rare Gujarati words, but fails to come-up with clap-trap lines that stay with you after the film is over. He tries, but what he comes up with don’t have the necessary impact. Most of the characters are normal human beings, caught-up in abnormal situations, or abnormal human beings behaving abnormally. While a lot of the dialogue carries the film forward, as a narrative, we do miss some playing to the gallery stuff, which is what the film essentially is. Three of the four songs are also the penmanship of Puri. In one of these, he further immortalises my birth-place, Bareilly, which has featured in a few songs already. Updating ‘jhumka’ with sandal, he makes it contemporary. Sadly, all the songs are ‘item numbers’, with 500 dancers, including the lead couple, gyrating and making a few lewd gestures. That they are scantily dressed is a given. Shabbir Ahmed writes ‘Window taley’, the lover asking the beloved, while standing below her window, to give him a hug. Apparently, she is on the first floor. That would be some hug!
When you review films like Chatrapathi, you should be reviewing mainly the action scenes. There are so many that they dominate the film. However, we can only comment on the execution, not having been privy to action choreography and the complexity of stunts. Three things are common among almost all films of this genre: one man tackles a battalion, a lot of the villains are given a spin in the air and the hero bounces back on cue, even when mortally wounded. They are present here too. An additional factor is the use of axes, both wielded and hurled. Obviously, guns would leave a trail of dead victims, and that would be the end of the film. So, guns are kept to a minimum. As is police presence. On one riotous occasion, to justify the absence of the lawmen, we have a politician telling the hero that he has told the police not to interfere.
Oh yes, we do have a lot of mush: large crowds uprooted from their homes due to a fire lit by communal elements, mother and her two sons, a Sikh friend of Shivaji called Sikandar who is brutally murdered. But these seem to be exceptions and extraneous, although sentimentality is on offer in good measure. Making his Hindi debut, director V.V. Vinayak (Akhil: The Power of Jua, Khaidi No. 150, Inttelligent-correct spelling) pays tribute to the classic, Mother India (1957), wherein the mother shoots a son who she believes has gone astray. To his credit, he extracts real villainy out of the bad guys and some heart-rending emotions from the lead actor and his mother. Although we have three sides of the hero on display – emotional, explosive and romantic, these are not well integrated. The heroine has no role to speak of.
Meet Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, son of Telugu film producer Bellamkonda Suresh. He has done the acting course at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute at Los Angeles (USA) and Barry John Acting Studio, at Mumbai (India). He also underwent professional training in Vietnam for martial arts and stunts. A decade after he made his debut down south, he marks his Hindustani film debut with Chatrapathi. It is a confident debut in the title role, and he does his stunts with finesse. In the dancing scenes, he looks just a bit comfortable. Overall, he comes across as an actor who can do all that Telugu actors can, in the action genre. Though he has done comedy in Telugu, we have not had a glimpse of that side of Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas. Nushrratt Bharucha (Dream Girl, Chhorii, Janhit Mein Jaari) as Sapna gets to do a bit of deadpan comedy and a lot of dancing. She seems to be comfortable with her body. Karan Singh Chhabra as Ashok, overdoes the sly, scheming look, but is convincing overall. Vedika Nawani is cast as the teenage girl who is the victim of Ashok’s bad taste prank. She exudes the requisite innocence.
Amit Shivdas Nair is chosen to play a terror-striking baddie, with long hair. Rajendra Gupta, ever dependable, is one of the refugees who stands up for his rights, and pays the price. Freddy Daruwala as Bhairav is another of the uni-dimensional characters, a real villain, as is Sharad Kelkar as Bhavani. Among the large cast are Rajesh Sharma as a legislator, Swapnil, Ashish Singh, Sahil Vaid, Shivam Patil, Auroshika Dey, Monazir Khan, Swapnil Kiiran Kotriwar, Ashish Singh, Shivam Patil, Anup Ingale and Mohamad Moujir. That leaves Bhagyashree. What a consummate performance! Revathy is in the same vein. Bhagyashree is an excellent piece of casting.
Music by Tanishk Bagchi is of a better calibre than seen in many such films. Film editing by Niranjan Devaramane keeps the length at just over two hours, and that will work for the film. Several scenes appear to have been deleted, to give the film extra pace. If only there were two songs instead of four…! Ravi Basrur has done the score, and it goes well with the film. Director of cinematography, Nizar Shafi, traps some real fast action in his camera. The item number stand out bright and colourful. Outdoor songs are picturised in really picturesque locales.
Going by the predominant use of the axe as a weapon, one feels tempted to give the film an Axe Rating!
Rating: **
Trailer: https://youtu.be/6Q0P8KBOt4c
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Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Mother Teresa & Me: A stunning Swiss portrait of an Indian Saint
Mother Teresa & Me: A stunning Swiss portrait of an Indian Saint
He comes across as a youngish, genial uncle, with a deadpan sense of humour. Answering to a name like Kamal Musale, he had to be at least part Indian. This Swiss-Indian film-maker’s Swiss company – Les Films du Lotus Sàrl – and his Indian company – Curry Western Productions Pvt Ltd – produce movies with Indian content, for western taste. Mother Teresa & Me transcends any such boundaries, for it is about an Albanian-Indian woman who chose to live in Kolkata, and changed the lives of thousands, for the better. The film encapsulates significant events in her life, running parallel with the life of a British-Indian woman, born shortly before Mother’s, and yet, touched deeply by her work and her legacy. It has been made with a lot of compassion and cinematic finesse. No matter what faith you follow, follow the lead to the nearest cinema where Mother Teresa & Me is running.
Kavita is a professional violin player, living in London, with her Bengali parents. A spoiled modern young woman, for her, love is an illusion. She is having an affair with a British musician. Between an unsatisfying romantic relationship, the plans of her parents to wed her according to Indian tradition, and an unexpected pregnancy, which is accidentally discovered, Kavita is torn by inner conflicts. Her boy-friend wants her to abort the baby. But she is in two minds. Should she abort her baby or not? Unable to take the radical medical step, Kavita decides to return to her birthplace, Kolkata, in order to find solace in the arms of Deepali – her now very old nanny – who took care of her as a child. Deepali had herself been adopted as a child by Mother Teresa when she started working in the slums, in 1948. As Deepali narrates the stories of her past, Kavita starts to relive the beginnings of Teresa’s life in the slums of Calcutta (the earlier spelling of the city’s name).
For the young Mother Teresa, her life dramatically changes when she hears the voice of Jesus on a train journey to Darjeeling: he orders her to go work for the poor in the slums. She doesn’t question this ordeal, as her love for Jesus and her compassion for the disabled and the poor mean everything. Following the call, she turns her back on her previous life as a nun, and devotes herself to the poor in the slums of Calcutta. But soon after creating her new order, the Missionaries of Charity, Teresa can’t hear the voice of her beloved Jesus anymore. She feels abandoned by her lover, her husband, her guide…She doubts the very existence of God. She loses faith. And yet, she continues to serve those who live in abject poverty. As Deepali leads her on a tour of discovery, she learns so much about Mother Teresa, and gathers strength to cope with her own life.
Making an Indian film on Mother Teresa should not have been difficult, once permissions were obtained. But making an international film, with twin tales contrasting Kolkata of the twentieth century, with London and Kolkata of the new Millennium, is a tough ask. Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Uskup, Ottoman Empire (now Skopje, North Macedonia), on August 26, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months’ training in Dublin, she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.
Mother Teresa’s work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize, for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972). She died on 05 September 1997.
(From Nobel Lectures, Peace 1971-1980, Editor-in-Charge Tore Frängsmyr, Editor Irwin Abrams, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1997).
Mother Teresa is one of the obvious twin tracks that writer-director Kamal Musale mounts his camera trolley on, and it is the more cinematic of the two. The other is Kavita’s life, a woman born in the 1990s, whose life gets tied to that of the Saint of Kolkata. Though well-executed, many strands of this thread are predictable, even when she decides to go to India after reading a tourist brochure that shows us the Kerala page. The twist in the tale, that she was rescued by Mother Teresa and then adopted by a Bengali family, is impressive, but when the Dalit (‘untouchable’ caste in Indian society) angle is brought in, one feels Musale is trying to do too much, having already spent considerable amount of footage on the issue of abortion. This is not to suggest that caste and abortion are major issues in society, particularly Indian Society. The end is a departure from the norm, yet it seems too simplistic, especially the dialogue. Kavita’s persistent visits to her boy-friend’s home and his avoiding her are overdone. If she was really desperate to meet him, she could have tried other means, like locating his friends and going to his place of work. Teresa’a mother appearing in her dreams is not a bad idea, but she merely utters just one-word every time she does: “Gonxhe”, which was her real name. The ease and thrust with which Mother Teresa gets things done appear quite incredible, though she might have actually possessed such a temperament. A very important plot point, her loss of faith, is not dealt in detail. Musale revealed that they had no authentic material to film this crisis in detail, the crisis being personal in nature.
Compliments are due for the way Musale captures the ambience of the slums and the Kolkata streets, including some rain. He let out his little secret himself when he revealed to the select audience that Kolkata was not shot in Kolkata but at a location north of Mumbai. He said that it would have been impossible to shoot in Kolkata, so it was recreated in Maharashtra. Bumbai Bird (90 min., fiction), a movie he shot in Hindi, was co-produced between his Indian and Swiss companies. It won the Best Indie Film at the European Cinematography Awards 2017, and the Best Screenplay at the Indian Cine Film Festival 2017.
He co-directed Millions Can Walk (2014), with Christoph Schaub, a feature documentary about the Jan Satyagraha march, which saw 100,000 landless Indian farmers marching for their rights. The film has been distributed across cinemas in Europe, and won the Best Documentary Award at the Stuttgart Indian Film Festival, 2014.
His recent movie, Curry Western (2018), a dark comedy about property, was shot in India and in the U.K. It won the Golden Remi for best feature film at the 52nd Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in Texas, USA and a Remi Special Jury Awards for best coproduction between Asia and Europe.
While looking for an actress to play Mother Teresa, Kamal leaned towards Switzerland. An actress and producer of Swiss origin with over thirty years of acting experience, Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz has appeared in theatre productions, television soaps, commercials and short films. She is multilingual and has had extensive training in method acting, dance and vocals. The confrontation with poverty during her first visit to India was shocking for Jacqueline. She initiated the Kavita and Teresa charity film, and is significantly involved in the movie’s development and fund-raising. Her make-up used to take three hours, and the results are for all to see. Jacqueline also worked on Albanian and Bengali accents, both being demands of the character. Her expressions, her gait, her dialogue delivery, all are high class. It is a tour de force.
‘Poetry’, or Kavita, comes to us via Banita Sandhu, a British actress. She was born and raised in South Wales, and is of Punjabi descent. Banita began acting as a child in local stage and film productions and she signed her first agent at just 11 years old. She began her professional acting career whilst attending King’s College London, in Shoojit Sircar’s Hindi feature film October (2018), alongside Varun Dhawan, followed by a Tamil remake of Arjun Reddy, titled Adithya Varma (2019, Pandora (2019) and Sardar Udham Singh (2020), co-starring Vicky Kaushal. In Mother Teresa and Me, Kavita changes gears from self-assured and spoilt, to confused and lost, to confident and in-charge, all quite easily. Banita learnt the violin for the part. The only really known Indian face in the cast is Deepti Naval, who plays Deepali. Her aging on screen is an issue, but there were never any doubts about her acting abilities. Incidentally, I was watching the film with Vinod Pande, who gave her the break in a film called Ek Baar Phir, many moons ago. National School of Drama alumnus Vikram Kochhar (Ghanchakkar, Trip to Bhangarh, Angry Indian Goddesses, Sumit Sambhal Lega, Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara, Manmarziyaan and Kesari) plays a sympathetic doctor, and speaks good English. Normally associated with comedy, he does a serious role with élan.
Rating: *** ½
Trailer: https://youtu.be/mNG5eosGD6k
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Tuesday, 9 May 2023
UnWoman, Review: What if the bride turns out to be a eunuch?
UnWoman, Review: What if the bride turns out to be a eunuch?
Sounds far-fetched and implausible, but if you watch UnWoman, it seems possible and even probable. A taboo subject, made by an unknown/little known unit, UnWoman raises your curiosity by the title itself. Grammatically incorrect, UnWoman makes sense in the context of the film. In spite of the gender-related story, it shows practically no nudity, leaves a few questions unanswered, yet gets a Censor rating of A (for adults only), with cuts. Sticking to its theme, the unfolding narrative of the film comes as a pleasant surprise. Watch UnWoman, and get surprised.
Opening with a slightly misleading scene, in which a human trafficker totes a pistol at his captive eunuch, UnWoman gets into its act very soon afterwards. Bhanwar a simple man from a village in Rajasthan leads a lonely life. He is further burdened by the overpowering shadow of his dominant uncle Bhairo, who takes most decisions on Bhanwar's behalf. The two live together, with no female in the home. To improve their living conditions, Bhairo coaxes Bhanwar into buying a bride. Bhanwar sells his piece of land and Bhairo contacts the human trafficker. They decide on a price of Rs. 50,000. But the human trafficker dupes them and, instead of a woman, sells him Sanwri, who is an Transgender/Intersex person, a female gender identity, born with no vagina and reproductive organs.
Stuck in a strange situation, at first they think of getting even with the trafficker, but Sanwri warns them that the trafficker is extremely dangerous. After some thought, Bhanwar and Bhairo decide to keep her in their home for household work, and withhold Sanwri's actual identity, since Transgender/Intersex people are looked down upon in Indian society. Sanwri's gentle demeanour and sweet nature soften Bhanwar's heart. Their bond, based on necessity, gradually turns into love. But for Bhairo, Sanwri and Bhanwar's relationship is anything but normal. Bhairo treats Sanwri as an object, who is only there to serve his needs. He wants Sanwri to satisfy his lustful needs too. When Bhanwar objects, tension brews between them.
Since there is no material on the Internet about Pallavi Roy, one must assume this is her debut film. Besides directing, she has co-written the story with Susheel Sharman, and contributed the screenplay and dialogue herself. A handful of films have been made on gender issues, with varying success. Here, the writers have decided not to go over the top. It is a bold film, by any standards. A man accepting a transgender/intersex person as his wife, and actually falling head over heels in love with her…how much more revolutionary can you get? There are scenes that can be predicted and areas that could have been better handled. Both, the opening and the pre-climax panchayat scene needed better writing. There is no mention of females in the house, and somebody says that women only come to the village as brides, never go out in that capacity. Some explanation was needed for this phenomenon. Obviously, there is an acute scarcity of women in the village, but this needed to be dwelt on.
Kudos to Pallavi for creating totally credible characters. They act most realistically and their get-ups look convincing too. The landscape has been well-exploited. While capturing the movements and expressions, the camera is unhurried, often waiting for the character to react or mouth a piece of dialogue. One particular scene, when the camera pans right to left and again left to right, at a gentle pace, lingers long after seeing the film. As does the scene where Bhanwar and Sanwri roll on the ground and also get drenched in a sudden shower. Passionate love-making scenes are an integral part of the narrative, but there is little or no skin show. Bhanwar unravelling Sanwri’s blouse strings happens twice, which takes away a bit of the mystery. It is not explained whether Bhanwar and Sanwri get into a sexual relationship, and if so, how. Seeing the thrust of the story and it candid approach, one would have thought the makers would go that extra mile. Guess any more details, and the Censors would have banned the film.
Personifying Sanwri, Kanak Garg immerses herself in the part and hands herself over to the director. Results are more than satisfying. Bhagwan Tiwari as Bhairo exhibits very dark traits, which turn into real black towards the climax, with occasional flashes of normal human behaviour. He sails through effortlessly. Sarthak Narula is the third main actor, essaying the part of Bhanwar. The self-conscious, permanent half grin works in his favour, and in spite of little misdemeanours, he emerges as a man with a heart. Coming to the climax, they all are a little short of their best, but the actors are not to blame for that. Other actors in the cast are Karan Maan, Girish Pal Sing, Pramod Deshwal, Vikas Kumar, Parminder Singh Shah and Mamta Vaishnav.
Cinematography is by Shakil Rehan Khan, the original music composer and background music scorer is Abhay Rustum Sopori and the editing is by Gunjan Goel and Mohammed Firoj Aalam. At 1 hour and 52 minutes, UnWoman is a bit longer than recommended. Nevertheless, it comes as a breath of fresh air. This review reaches you late, a little too late, due to totally unavoidable circumstances. But I felt I would be doing injustice if I did not publish it. UnWoman is a tender film, for everybody, irrespective of gender.
Rating: ***
Trailer: https://youtu.be/r1A9td2-L_A
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Sunday, 7 May 2023
FICCI FRAMES III: Arunabh Kumar spreads The Viral Fever
FICCI FRAMES III: Arunabh Kumar spreads The Viral Fever
Its fever. Its viral. And it was started by a man called Arunabh Kumar. Shortened to TVF, the company produces content and is made up of several IITians, among others. A magazine wrote in January 2015, “The Viral Fever (TVF) team reminds me of film school grads — shaggy beards, ruffled hair, all bent over laptops, waiting for Premiere Pro to render videos. Most of the team is ex-IIT and was brought together by the owner, Arunabh Kumar. While Kumar is an eloquent media man, the rest of the team are like excited teenagers. They blush and giggle when you compliment their work. They look as if after the stuffy frustration of IIT, this is their second chance to be happy in life.”
On the last day of FICCI FRAMES 2023, there was a Master Class on
How to pitch and write for web series: Celebrating 11 years of TVF. Personnel associated with some of TVF’s top shows were on the panel.
Mr. Arunabh Kumar, Founder & CEO, The Viral Fever (TVF) and his team
Ms. Prerna Sharma, Creative Producer: Kota factory, Saas Bahu Achar Pvt Ltd, Girls Hostel and the Director of Audible Permanent Roommates
Mr. Vipul Mayank, Creative Producer - Gullak S3 and Panchayat S2. (The creative mind behind: Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, Instant Khichdi)
Mr. Vivek Kumar, Associate Creative Producer, Tripling 03, Gullak 03, Pitchers 02
Mr. Vaibhav Bundhoo, part of the TVF team.
Moderated by: Mr. Saurabh Varma, Film Maker & Chief Creative Officer, Content Engineers
Hailing from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Kumar did his M. Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (KGP). As true as the show from TVF, Kota-Factory, he ended up in Kota (one of India’s premier coaching centres, located in the state of Rajasthan) in 1998, right after 10th, to prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination, JEE, and was able to get into IIT KGP in 2001.
After deciding that media and entertainment were his true calling, he joined the unit of the ShahRukh Khan production, Om Shanti Om, as an assistant director to Farah Khan. Of his experience, he says, “I was fortunate to have landed the job of an Assistant Director on a film with none other than the King, thanks to @vaibhavmisra23, and seeing him on sets did not just teach me basics of film-making but also how to be a kind as well as charismatic human being.” That was in 2007.
When MTV rejected his pitch for a project, he decided to launch his own company. In fact, he has more than one company. Indusverse is India's 1st Binge Read Comic-Books Brand, which is focused at telling character-led Indian stories, with world class art, and the company aims to redefine comic book culture in India’. And there is The Viral Fever (TVF), incorporated as Contagious Online Media Network Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai Area, India, building the most awesome Technology & Data Led Content Platform, for all content needs of young Indians, with a connected screen.’
On an industrial training visit to Goa, he found himself broke, with only a camera. To survive, he took on the job of a waiter, where he met some builders, who asked him to go to their sites and film the work in progress, in 2004. That was his first exposure to professional shooting. He went on to make short films. A little later, he started a production company called TVF Media Labs, in 2011, He decided to try and make his TV show, and put it on the website, and call it India's 1st Online TV for Youth, which, today, we know as www.theviralfever.com, or TVF. On 21st Feb 2012, he along with his partners, launched the first original content to have gone viral ever in India, known as Rowdies, which was a spoof on Roadies. He helmed the first Branded Video, Web-Series, first Online Streaming Platform, and more. TVF created India's 1st mainstream web-series called Permanent Room-mates. Arunabh created TVF Pitchers, which went on to become India's 1st Web-Series to enter the list of Global Top 250 Shows in the world on IMDB. On Instagram, he describes himself as Founder & CEO @indusverse & Founder-TVF @theviralfever, aka Yogi Bhaiya (he played the part) of @TVFPitchers. In December 2022, Kumar was acquitted in a court case, filed against him in 2017.
Pitchers Season 2 started streaming on ZEE5 and TVF on December 23, 2022, and it saw the return of Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Abhay Mahajan, and Abhishek Banerjee in the lead roles. Singer and music composer Vaibhav Bundhoo, who composed loveable tracks in Pitchers, returned with the second season of the show, donning the hat of a director, jointly with Arunabh Kumar. Vaibhav believes that too much music is unnecessary and that silence has its own place in an episode. Arunabh also wrote the series. The series met with mixed reactions.
Some of his quotable quotes, heard at FICCI FRAMES 2023:
*We call our company a school. Everybody is learning. Everybody is equal.
*One of our current team-members came-up and wanted to join. We saw a spark in him. But there was a hitch. He had no place to stay. So, we offered him our cramped office space, and he was happy to live there.
*Anybody can come up with an idea. He or she will then have to pitch it to say 20 or more of us. Everybody’s opinion matters, and must be accepted and discussed.
*Only if all, or almost all the persons listening to the idea, are convinced that it is good, we go ahead and develop it.
*There are no bad scripts, only good scripts and incomplete scripts. Most incomplete scripts can be converted to good scripts.
*I am a big fan of Sai Paranjpye (the Pune-based film-maker who made Katha and Chashm-e-Bud-door, now 85). Katha is among my all-time favourite films. I also loved Sacha Baron-Cohen’s The Dictator (2012).
*In our team, we have so many accents! We even have a man from Mauritius (I hope I got that right. He must be referring to Vaibhav Bundhoo, because it is in Mauritius that they spell Bundhoo that way. The official language of Mauritius is French and the street language is Creole. But a significant number of Mauritians, who were taken to the island from India by the British as indentured labour, speak Bhojpuri too. But at FICCI FRAMES, he spoke perfect English and Hindi).
*I know how to build teams. So far, I must have mentored over 200 persons.
Saurabh Varma, who moderated the session, was obviously a die-hard fan of TVF. He has marketed, or has been a part of, 950+ films, in almost all Indian languages. He has directed, written and ‘doctored’ several films, including the upcoming web series, Tiwari, starring Urmila Matondkar, and the feature film, Mickey Virus (2013). His short film, Girl in Red, has garnered 18 million views on YouTube. Saurabh Varma is presently Chief Creative Officer and Film-maker for Content Engineers, and has previously worked as CMO, Reliance Jio Studios, INOX, Reliance Entertainment and PVR Cinemas.
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Saturday, 6 May 2023
Netflix’s Kathal: The curious case of the two missing jackfruits and its serious, very serious ramifications
Netflix’s Kathal: The curious case of the two missing jackfruits and its serious, very serious ramifications
Firstly, it was not discovered by a man named Jack. Secondly, it is not a fruit, but a vegetable. Writer Ashok Mishra spent many years in north India and developed a taste for Kathal, which is the Hindi name for jackfruit. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is an evergreen tree (family Moraceae), native to tropical Asia and widely grown throughout the wetland tropics for its large fruits and durable wood. The greenish unripe fruit is cooked as a vegetable, and the brown ripened fruit is eaten fresh for the sweetly acid but insipid pulp surrounding the seeds. The seeds are cooked and eaten locally. Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, reaching up to 60 cm (about 2 feet) long and weighing up to 18 kg. Netflix had many on display as well as for consumption. Two of those that were shown weighed 15 kg each.
It was a first for me, not for consuming kathal, but attending a Netflix event. I had to travel a very long distance to attend, because I was already attending another whole day event very far away. Since this was my first Netflix event, I did not want to be late. The invitation for the trailer launch of the film Kathal said 2 pm, at the J.W. Marriott hotel, Juhu, Mumbai, and I made it by 2.05. Proceedings began at 3.30 pm, but luckily, ended by 4.15 pm. On a crowded stage were Ashok Mishra, Yashowardhan Mishra (Ashok Mishra’s son and debutant director), Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Guneet Monga, Achin Jain (all producers) and Sanya Malhotra, Anant V. Joshi and the ubiquitous Rajpal Yadav, who are members of the cast.
Putting in plugs for throughout, the compère (didn’t get his name) kept asking the men and women behind Kathal what was their favourite dish and what had they eaten for lunch that day. Absolutely no prizes for guessing. Ashok Mishra, who is known for his work with Shyam Benegal, said, in a lighter vein, that he wanted a vegetable to the point of focus in a film, something never done before, and that is what prompted him to write Kathal. Rajpal Yadav plays a nosey journalist in the film, while Sanya Malhotra and Anant V. Joshi play police officers. Anant V. Joshi, when asked whether he had eaten kathal before coming to the event, retorted, “I have a taken a bath with kathal”. Rajpal ribbed him, wanting to know how is it possible to bathe with kathal. Sanya Malhotra, Police Inspector Mahima, who is burdened with the onerous task of finding the two missing kathals, insisted that she had eaten kathal pickle before she came.
Anant confessed that he was overawed by his fellow actors, because they were so good and their improvisation used to have him in splits, which was against his character. He added that anybody would fall in love with the character played by Sanya, and that the viewers will also fall in love with her. Rajpal, known for playing buffoons, said something really deep, “We can be inspired by real in our reels, but nothing can replace the real thing. Media is regarded as the most important pillar in the what I call ‘master class’, and playing a journalist in this master class has made me very happy.” He was also delighted to be working with two generations, since Ashok Mishra and he were both part of Shyam Benegal’s unit, and now he was working with Ashok’s son, Yashowardhan. Sanya was thankful to Neha Saraf, a co-actor, who helped her get the Madhya Pradesh accent right. Initially, she was a bit off, but later she struck the right notes. She even demonstrated the accent.
A journalist asked Sanya, “Playing a cop is part of every actor’s wish list, especially when it comes to female actors. Was it in your wish list too?” Sanya replied, “I did not know that actors have a wish list and that No. 1 on that list is to play a cop. I consider myself lucky that Guneet gave me this character, right after Pagglait (2021, produced by the same producers who have made Kathal), and I have fallen in love with the film in totality.” The plot of the film involves two missing kathals, of 15 kg each, apparently stolen from the home of an MLA, and instructions from higher ups to the police to find them, at all costs. All the while, a journalist is on his job, looking for a scoop. Also in the cast are Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala, Gurpal Singh, Govind Pandey, Ambrish Saxena and Raghuvir Yadav. Netflix will stream the film from 19th May.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkqp8bs3Bro
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FICCI FRAMES 23, 02: Minister Piyush Goyal lauds Naatu-Naatu, The Elephant Whisperers and Woman Power
FICCI FRAMES 23, 02: Minister Piyush Goyal lauds Naatu-Naatu, The Elephant Whisperers and Woman Power
Day 2 of FICCI FRAMES 23 had Mr. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Government of India, joining in via video conferencing/ZOOM. “The Government is supportive to all the efforts by the media & entertainment industry to expand the frontiers of the sector, globally.”
Mr. Goyal added that India is on the pathway to becoming a developed nation by 2047. “The next 25 years will be the defining years for India. I'm sure, our entertainment & media industry will make a mark that will be matchless. Your (industry’s) commitment to take Indian cinema on the global map, will help the industry to succeed.”
Lauding FICCI FRAMES – the congregation of stakeholders of Media & Entertainment sector, the Minister said, “I'm delighted to be a part of the event, which has the theme 'inspire, innovate & immerse', which is relevant to the current times. It also reflects the vibrancy that the media industry demonstrates as a key pillar to India's cultural heritage.”
Mr. Goyal averred that the theme also resonates with our belief that creativity can indeed enhance commerce. The M&E industry is today the cultural ambassador of the country and has given a unique identity to India, he noted.
“The Media & Entertainment industry can showcase to the world, the New India of today, boosting the economy, helping the country reach a new audience, influencing opinions, and spreading positivity,” asserted Mr. Goyal.
Appreciating the industry for adopting modern technologies, Mr. Goyal said, “We are looking at a proliferation of technology in the media and entertainment industries. With digital platforms coming up, I believe this industry will grow by leaps and bounds.”
Praising the recent Oscar wins for the 'Naatu-Naatu' song (from the Telugu film RRR, also dubbed in other languages, with music by M.M. Keeravani) and The Elephant Whisperers (directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Douglas Blush, Kartiki Gonsalves, Guneet Monga and Achin Jain) the Minister said these achievements showcase India's emerging contribution in the field of entertainment.
“We gave a social message that sustainability is at the core of our thinking and comes naturally to Indians. We also gave a message of Woman Power, that Indian women of substance are defining the New India,” he added.
“The skill, innovation & technology of the industry is nurturing talents and hard work. Let's together build an industry which entertains, empowers, enlightens & inspires the whole nation, in this journey of progress & prosperity,” he emphasised.
Ms. Jyoti Deshpande, Chair, FICCI M&E Committee; CEO, Viacom 18 Media and President - Media & Content Business, Reliance Industries Ltd, and Mr. Shailesh K Pathak, Secretary General, FICCI, also shared their perspective on the Indian media and entertainment sector.
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