Post the shocking Nirbhaya gang rape in 2012, a major section of the society has begun to see the problems faced by women more seriously and in a new light. It has also led to Bollywood making multiple films on this subject. PINK, MAATR and MOM dealt with this growing menace in recent times and now Sanjay Dutt choses this hard-hitting topic for his comeback film, BHOOMI. So does this film turn out to be an entertaining one or does it fail, let’s analyse.

Arun (Sanjay Dutt) is a widower based in Agra who has single-handedly raised his daughter Bhoomi (Aditi Rao Hydari). An eligible boy Neeraj (Sidhant Gupta) gets interested in Bhoomi and she too falls for him. Arun is happy with this union. However, Vishal (Puru Chibber) from her neighbourhood loves her too. He asks her out few days before the wedding. An enraged Bhoomi slaps him. Vishal narrates about his ordeal to his cousin, the evil Dhauli (Sharad Kelkar). He instigates him to kidnap Bhoomi and then rape her. Vishal goes ahead and does it. But not just him, as even Dhauli and his henchmen Ghulam (Veer Aryan) rape Bhoomi. Arun’s world comes crashing down when he learns about it. How he hits back and avenges Bhoomi’s rape is what the rest of the film is all about.

The story written by Sandeep Singh has been done to death multiple times in Bollywood and has no novelty. Raaj Shaandiliyaa’s screenplay comes across as clichéd and dated. BHOOMI suffers from two major problems. Firstly, it comes too late in the day. Audiences have already seen KAABIL, MAATR and MOM which were also similar films dealing with rape and revenge. Hence the impact of BHOOMI gets diluted. Secondly, the film takes too long to really get into the revenge drama zone. The narrative is so slow, dragged and boring that nothing happens until the last 20 minutes when Arun finally starts taking revenge.

However Raaj Shaandiliyaa’s dialogues create the necessary impact, though only at few places. Interestingly, the film has dialogues about women empowerment, progressive thoughts, women safety etc, but it shows violence against women through the major part of the runtime.

Coming to performances, Sanjay Dutt is brilliant and his emotions look genuine. He looks convincing as a helpless father and also powerful when he takes revenge in the final scenes. The way his eyes do all the talking in the police station scene is seen to be believed. Aditi Rao Hydari is good in her part and her portrayal of a rape survivor is very impactful. You genuinely feel for her in the film. Sharad Kelkar is the best out of all the villains. He looks very convincing. Riddhi Sen (Jeetu) delivers an effective performance and he has a crucial part in the film. Veer Aryan (Ghulam) gets little scope but does fine. Puru Chibber is quite nice as the rapist as well as the helpless target of Arun. Shekhar Suman (Taj) is wasted. Sidhant Gupta does well in his cameo.

Sachin-Jigar’s music is weak and has no scope. ‘Will You Marry Me’, played during opening credits, is the only one that works. ‘Jai Mata Di’ played in the climax enhances impact. The Sunny Leone item song ‘Trippy Trippy’ looks forced and is badly placed. Ismail Darbar’s background score is strong.

Arthur Zurawski’s cinematography is very good. Vanita Omung Kumar’s production design is authentic and rustic. Jayesh Shikharkhane’s editing is disappointing. The 135 minute long film should have been trimmed by 15-20 minutes to create the necessary impact. Javed-Aejaz’s action is too gory and might put off the family audiences.

On the whole, BHOOMI comes across as a decent entertainer with power packed performance by Sanjay Dutt. At the box office, it will have to compete with other releases for its share of footfalls.

The tastes of the audiences have evolved quite a lot since the last few years but still, most of the viewers don’t mind an illogical but entertaining masala comic caper. JUDWAA 2 is one such film that is unabashedly catering to ‘leave-your-brains-behind’ sort of cinema. So does it manage to raise laughs or fails in its endeavour, lets analyse.

JUDWAA 2 deals with the fun adventures of twin brothers separated at birth. Rajiv Malhotra (Sachin Khedekar) meets the evil Charles (Zakir Hussain) in the flight and helps the authorities in getting him arrested. At the same time, Rajiv’s wife Ankita (Prachee Shah Paandya) gives birth to twins. Charles gets arrested in the hospital where Ankita had her delivery and he runs away with one of the twins. Rajiv and Ankita presume that child to be dead due to certain circumstances and they move to London with their other son. This son, Prem (Varun Dhawan), grows up as a shy and docile person who can be easily bullied. His brother Raja (Varun Dhawan) grows up in Mumbai’s Versova and is the opposite of Prem – he is outgoing, brash and bullying him is next to impossible. However, Raja falls in trouble when he fights with Alex (Vivan Bhatena) and injures him badly. Alex is incidentally the son of Charles and is also quite villainous. Raja and his sidekick Nandu (Rajpal Yadav) escape to London as a result. In the flight, he meets Alishka (Jacqueline Fernandez) and both fall for each other. Prem on the other hand starts dating Samaira (Taapsee Pannu) who learns music from him. But strange things start happening to both Prem and Raja as soon as the latter lands in London. The twins suffer from a peculiar problem – if one feels pain, the other shall also experience the same feeling and both even replicate each other’s actions, depending on distance. Both go through a series of hilarious incidents as a result. What happens next and how the madness unfolds is what the rest of the film is all about.

JUDWAA 2 is a reboot of the original JUDWAA and those who have seen the original would know what to expect. However, the makers have tweaked certain portions and moreover, setting up the story in London has given the film a fresh and grand touch. The initial portions involving the twins getting separated and how Raja gets saved from the oncoming train is well executed. The entry of Raja is whistle worthy and his antics add to the fun. The entry of Samaira and Alishka also take the film to a new level. However, the film gets a bit sexist and some of the scenes like the butt slapping sequences and Prem forcefully kissing Samaira might be seen as crass by a certain section of audiences. Also, Prem even smooching his to be mother in law (Upasna Singh) comes across as a funny sequence but again, it will evoked mixed and even extreme reactions. On the positive side – the film has some hilarious scenes as well that bring the house down. The sequence with Pappu Passport (Johnny Lever), Raja creating a scene at the London airport, Prem’s various meetings with Dr Lulla (Ali Asgar), the bathtub sequence etc., are very funny. Raja using his modus operandi of narrating a sad story followed by his phone ringing is devoid of logic but makes for a fun watch despite getting repetitive. But there are also few scenes that don’t work. Post-interval, it becomes tedious to see Prem and Raja being held up as a result of mistaken identity. But thankfully, the climax is where the film picks up.

The film’s story is a no-brainer but works for the intended audience. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay is effective and entertaining. But it could have been better and a lot more imaginative in certain places, especially in the second half. Farhad-Sajid’s dialogues are one of the highpoints. The duo is known for playing with words very well and has taken several films to great heights. JUDWAA 2 is no exception.

David Dhawan’s direction is simple and uncomplicated despite handling a plot related to mistaken identities. However, at some places, he lets the somewhat flawed script take over and doesn’t do much with his direction to salvage the situation. Also, the original JUDWAA was much better and at places, even slightly more logical. But JUDWAA 2 is an all-out illogical fare and at places, it falters. Moreover, there are too many characters and it’s bewildering to see the way he has handled the characters of Charles and Inspector Dhillon (Pavan Raj Malhotra) towards the end.

Varun Dhawan as expected delivers a terrific performance. The actor is in top form and the manner in which he ups the entertainment quotient with his quirks and dance moves is seen to be believed. He reminds one of Salman Khan and Govinda of the 90s and the frenzy they created. In today’s times, Varun Dhawan is the only actor who’s doing such roles on screen and that’s a very big plus for him and for the film as well. Jacqueline Fernandez looks extremely gorgeous and performance-wise, she is fine. Taapsee Pannu however looks a bit out of place. She is not that glamorous and moreover, she seems to be in the PINK mode, talking like her character from that film. Vivan Bhatena looks dashing and does well in a supporting role. Sachin Khedekar and Prachee Shah Paandya are decent. Rajpal Yadav is hilarious and brings the house down in certain scenes. Upasna Singh goes overboard. Ali Asgar also is a bit over the top but it works for his character. Pavan Raj Malhotra has an interesting character but is not utilized well after a point. Anupam Kher is first-rate but Atul Parchure is strictly okay. Manoj Pahwa (Sharafat Ali) fails to raise laughs but Johny Lever is very funny. Rajat Rawail and Farhad (jewellery shop salesman) are okay while Vikas Verma (Rocky) gets no scope. Salman Khan is cool in his cameo. Though the writer should have tried being a little more imaginative for his cameo scene.

The music of the film is good but not great. The songs from original JUDWAA are the ones that work well – ‘Chalti Hai Kya’ and ‘Oonchi Hai Building’. From the new songs, ‘Suno Ganpati Bappa Morya’ works to an extent while ‘Aa To Sahii’ is forgettable. Sandeep Shirodkar’s background score however is very entertaining. The cunning tune used in the scenes of Charles will keep circling in one’s mind for some time for sure.

Ganesh Acharya and Bosco Martis’s choreography is eye-catching and one of the highlights of the film. Ayananka Bose’s cinematography is satisfactory. ANL Arasu’s action is massy and not too gory which works for this kind of a film. Ritesh Soni’s editing is simple and Rajat Poddar’s production design is very grand and rich and gives the film a great look. The costumes are also quite lovely, especially the ones worn by Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu.

On the whole, JUDWAA 2, despite all the goofs, flaws and clichés, comes across as a decent paisa-vasool entertainer. At the box office, it has the potential to keep the cinegoers happy as it is quite massy and audiences have been deprived of quality content since a long time.

There’s a foodie hidden in all of us. Hence, films based on food can work big time with the audiences. In the past, SALAAM NAMASTE, CHEENI KUM and LUV SHUV TEY CHICKEN KHURANA too dealt with food as the subject and impressed the viewers. CHEF, as the title suggests is a ‘food film’ of sorts and what’s more, it also speaks about the challenges faced by parents and children that is a burning and a very relatable topic. So does CHEF impress or does it fail to entertain the audiences, let’s analyse.

CHEF is the story of a father who connects with his son during a fun gastronomical trip across India. Roshan Kalra (Saif Ali Khan) is a chef in New York. He is divorced and his son Armaan (Svar Kamble) stays with his mother Radha Menon (Padmapriya Janakiraman) in Cochin. Due to his work commitments, Roshan finds it difficult to come down to Cochin and spend time with Armaan. Roshan also has a high temper and one day he punches a customer who complains about his cooking. Roshan is fired from his job and he uses this opportunity to come to Cochin. He does the much needed bonding with his son. When the times comes to go back to New York, Roshan is offered an opportunity to run a food truck or rather a ‘food bus’ by Radha’s close friend Biju (Milind Soman). Roshan decides to take the truck from Cochin to Delhi and give the people of his hometown a gastronomical treat. Armaan also joins him along with his protégé Nuzroon (Chandan Roy Sanyal). What happens next forms the rest of the film.

CHEF is based on the much-loved Hollywood film by the same name, made by Jon Favreau. But as the trailers have already made it clear, the Hindi version is not a scene-by-scene remake and several changes have been done, probably to suit the Indian audiences. The story penned by Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair and Raja Krishna Menon is simple and decent. Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair and Raja Krishna Menon’s screenplay is effective with nice dollops of humour.

CHEF starts on a slow note. Roshan’s two minute long childhood portion is lovely but the New York sequence is very dry. The portions involving Roshan’s outburst in front of the customer and later in the kitchen seem unconvincing. Also, Roshan’s conversation with Vinnie (Sobhita Dhulipala) in his apartment doesn’t really engage. Thankfully, the film picks up when Roshan arrives in India and meets his son and ex-wife. Roshan teasing Armaan over his crush and Roshan-Armaan’s trip to Delhi and Amritsar are well-executed. The Father-son relationship is the highpoint of the movie. Also, Roshan’s jealousy for Biju is funny. The second half is when the road trip begins also puts a smile on your face. CHEF being in the ‘food porn’ zone, several scenes are sure to water your mouth though one expected to see more food visuals in this film.  There are several scenes which happen very conveniently – the manner in which people throng to Roshan’s food bus and the way it becomes famous seem illogical.

Saif Ali Khan delivers a marvellous performance and impresses thoroughly with his trademark humour. Even in the emotional and confrontational sequences, he shines. Interestingly, he takes a dig at himself in the film and it’s really funny and unexpected. Svar Kamble is highly impressive and has some crucial scenes. He performs ably and his bonding with Saif looks quite real. Padmapriya Janakiraman looks stunning and delivers a very real and restrained performance. She ensures that she makes an impact in this father-son saga. Chandan Roy Sanyal delivers a very adorable performance but gets limited scope to showcase his acting talent. Milind Soman as always looks great and delivers a competent performance. Dinesh P Nair (Alex, the driver) is hilarious and his looks and character leave a huge mark. Sobhita Dhulipala is wasted. Ram Gopal Bajaj is quite nice in a small role. Raghu Dixit has a nice cameo in the film as well.

Raghu Dixit’s music goes well with the mood of the film. ‘Shugal Laga Le’ is like the anthem of the film. ‘Banjara’ has the exhilarating feel. ‘Tere Mere’ doesn’t make an impact while ‘Darmiyaan’ is very well presented. Raghu Dixit’s background score is foot tapping. Priya Seth’s cinematography is lovely and delectable, especially the food scenes. But even the locales of Kerala and Amritsar are captured beautifully. Also Shiv Kumar Panicker’s editing is satisfactory. Anuradha Shetty’s production design is very nice especially her work on the food bus.

On the whole, CHEF is a feel good cerebral entertainer that charms you with its simplicity. At the box office, it should appeal to the target group of multiplex audience that appreciates discerning cinema. The film has the potential to grow with a good word of mouth.

It’s 2017, yet it’s not uncommon to see that many don’t have the liberty to pursue the dream of their choice. SECRET SUPERSTAR, helmed by first-time director Advait Chandan, tells one such extra-ordinary story and emphasizes that exceptional talent can’t be hidden or suppressed – it’s bound to come to the fore some day.

An Aamir Khan production is special. Recall the films the reputed production house has produced over the years. The expectations from SECRET SUPERSTAR are obviously sky-high. Does it live up to those expectations? Does Advait deliver as a storyteller? Let’s get to the point right away: SECRET SUPERSTAR is one of the finest films of the year, no two opinions about it.

SECRET SUPERSTAR narrates the story of an aspiring singer who faces roadblocks in fulfilling her dream. Insia [Zaira Wasim] is a school-going girl based in Vadodara. She has a lovely voice and dreams of being a top singer. Her mother Najma [Meher Vij] supports Insia’s dream, but her father Farookh [Raj Arjun] is thoroughly against the idea due to his conservative mindset. He tries everything – from force to destroying Insia’s guitar – to stop her from fulfilling her dreams. She, however, remains adamant.

Insia takes to the internet and posts videos of her singing. Wearing a burkha, she makes sure only her eyes are visible in order to keep her identity concealed. She’s taken by surprise when her videos go viral. Enter Shakti Kumar [Aamir Khan], a brash, lecherous but successful music composer. Insia gets a chance to meet Shakti. What happens next forms the rest of the story.

To start with, SECRET SUPERSTAR hits the right notes. The goings-on make you laugh and also leave you moist-eyed in certain scenes. In fact, you go through varied emotions in those 2.30 hours. In today’s times, when there’s a demand from certain sections of audiences to have fast-paced films with a runtime of less than 2 hours or 2 hours, SECRET SUPERSTAR neither moves too swiftly nor drags – the pace is just perfect.

The characters are neatly introduced and the storyteller remains faithful to the material. Certain moments stay with you even after the culmination of the movie: The presence of the father shakes you up and one can feel the tension… The penultimate 20-25 minutes are outstanding and give you goosebumps… Also, one of the high-points of the movie is the focus on the mother-daughter relationship… The friendship bond between Zaira and Tirth, her school friend, is very cute.

Advait handles the subject with utmost sensitivity. Not only does the film mirror the conservative attitude that exists in our society, but also makes a comment on women empowerment. The screenplay is uncomplicated, while the dialogue are simple and conversational.

Any glitches? Not really, except that the middle of the second hour could’ve been tighter. That’s it!

Zaira wins you over with a heartfelt act. She’s in splendid form in SECRET SUPERSTAR. It is surely a worthy follow up to her sparkling act in DANGAL. Her emotional outburst before the climax of the movie or the speech towards the final moments prove that she’s a powerhouse of talent. Aamir is the catalyst in Zaira’s journey and he enacts the of over the top, loud and brash character flawlessly. He lets Zaira shine as he relegates himself to the background. Yet, it must be mentioned, only he could’ve essayed the character with such aplomb.

Meher is terrific and her performance is one of the key reasons why the character stands out. Raj Arjun is tremendous. Tirth has an important character and he is utmost natural. Farrukh Jaffer [Badi Appa] is superb in a significant role. Kabir Sajid [as Insia’s brother Guddu] is adorable.

The soundtrack [Amit Trivedi] is soothing and gels wonderfully with the genre of the film. ‘Main Kaun Hoon’ is the best of the lot, while ‘Meri Pyaari Ammi’ is lovely. Cinematography [Anil Mehta] is first-rate.

On the whole, SECRET SUPERSTAR is a complete package: refreshing plot, water-tight screenplay, exceptional performances and soulful soundtrack. Strongly recommended!

While there have been a lot of comedy films in Bollywood, horror comedy as a genre is rarely explored in Bollywood. BHOOL BHULAIYAA was one such rare attempt and it was loved big time. In recent times, GREAT GRAND MASTI also dealt with horror but it was more of a sex comedy than exactly a horror comedy. TUTAK TUTAK TUTIYA on the other hand never found awareness due to bad marketing campaign and as expected, sank without a trace. Now makers of GOLMAAL AGAIN take up the challenge of giving the audience a combo of laughs and terror. So does it give the audience a great time? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse

GOLMAAL AGAIN is the story of five friends who encounter strange occurrences when they visit their orphanage. Gopal (Ajay Devgn), Madhav (Arshad Warsi), Lucky (Tusshar Kapoor), Laxman Prasad Apte (Shreyas Talpade) and Laxman Sharma (Kunal Kemmu) are orphans who grew up in an orphanage owned by Jamnadas (Uday Tikekar). As kids, they were close to each other but then they became rivals. Gopal and Laxman Prasad Apte separated while Madhav, Lucky and Laxman Sharma went their own way. When they all grew up, they start working with land sharks and their job revolved around getting the plots vacated. This also created further friction among them. But when they learn that Jamnadas has passed away, they decide to iron out their differences and go together to the orphanage to pay their respects. They stay at Colonel Chouhan’s (Sachin Khedekar) bungalow located right next to Jamnadas Orphanage, where their childhood friend Anna (Tabu) is also residing. Anna has a special power – she can communicate with the dead. At the Colonel’s bungalow, Gopal gets attracted to the caretaker Damini (Parineeti Chopra). Meanwhile, Vasu Reddy (Prakash Raj), a builder and a close friend of Jamnadas announces that Jamnadas gave away the land to him where the orphanage is situated. He also says that he has decided to shift the kids at Bengaluru where he’ll provide them with better facilities. Gopal is ghost-fearing person and he starts to see the spirit of Jamnadas’s dead daughter (Ashwini Kalsekar). However, the truth is something else and when the five friends find out, it shocks them like never before. What is that truth and what happens next forms the rest of the film.

GOLMAAL AGAIN is drastically different from the previous GOLMAAL films, not just because of the horror element. There’s a lot more drama and emotional moments than what one would expect. However, it works more or less although few sequences lack punch, especially in the second hour. The first half is 1.30 hours long and neatly incorporates comedy, madness and also the horror bit. One of the highpoints of the film is how Gopal, Laxman and Lucky get possessed and start speaking like Nana Patekar. It’s sure to bring the house down! Also hilarious is the sequence where the five friends fight over samosa. But the best is reserved for the intermission point – the film reaches on a high in this sequence! The second half however gets a bit serious although Pandu’s (Vrajesh Hirjee) sequence provides laughs. The climax is well helmed but audiences might have reservations since they must have ventured into the theatre expecting an out and out comic caper.

Rohit Shetty‘s story is interesting and a bit complicated thanks to so many characters. But it’s put together well. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay does justice to this complex storyline. The horror is such that it won’t scare the hell out of viewers. At the same time, it’s not even amateur. A nice balance is maintained and that’s definitely praiseworthy. Few sequences however are taken from the previous GOLMAAL films, especially GOLMAAL 3. A section of audience however might not like that as the jokes get repetitive. Farhad-Sajid’s dialogues are hilarious and provide laughter. But shockingly, at a few places, they fall flat. This is especially in the beginning portions of Babli (Sanjay Mishra). Rohit Shetty’s direction is interesting and it’s good to see him trying to attempt something different. Notice the flashback sequence in the second half when a prominent character is killed and it’s depicted in black and white. Also, the sequence where Lucky, Madhav and the two Laxmans are reading the diary while Gopal is out there fighting the baddies. These sequences are executed very well and it shows that Rohit has evolved.

Ajay Devgn delivers a fine performance and it works, although it’s not something that he has not done before. He’s quite good in the dramatic portions in the second half. Parineeti Chopra has a crucial character and from the first sequence itself, there’s an element of mystery surrounding her character that adds to the fun. She looks beautiful and does a good job. Arshad Warsi is quite nice in his wicked avatar. Tusshar Kapoor impresses a lot with his mute act and also, as said above, he takes the cake in the scene where he gets possessed. Shreyas Talpade leaves a mark thanks to his lisp which contributes to laughter at several places. Kunal Kemmu gets a bit lost in the crowd but nevertheless, gets a chance to show his worth. Tabu is restrained and underplays her part very well. Neil Nitin Mukesh is too good in the negative part. It suits him well. Prakash Raj plays the baddie nicely but his comic timing is brilliant. The sequence where he dances like a madman will be loved for sure. Johny Lever too gives a performance that would provide entertainment. His speech during Jamnadas’s ‘tervi’ is hilarious. Sanjay Mishra is funny but only at places. Vrajesh Hirjee repeats his act and is fair. Mukesh Tiwari, Ashwini Kalsekar, Murli Sharma, Sachin Khedekar, Uday Tikekar and Vijay Patkar are good in their cameo appearances.

The music of the film is strictly average. The Title Track is exciting and same goes for ‘Maine Tujhko Dekha’. ‘Hum Nahi Sudhrenge’ is decent while ‘Itna Sannata Kyun Hai’ is played during end credits. Amar Mohile’s background score is exhilarating especially in the post-interval scenes. Bunty Nagi’s editing is nothing special. Jomon T John’s cinematography is satisfactory. Sunil Rodrigues’s action and Rohit Shetty’s action design is appealing although it’s not novel. One has seen it before in Rohit’s own films. Also, the trademark cars toppling and explosion sequences are missing. Swapnil Bhalerao, Tajamul Shaikh and Madhur Madhavan’s production design is very nicely done and noticeable. N Y VFXwaala’s visual effects are rich.

On the whole GOLMAAL AGAIN is an ideal fun ride which delivers ample entertainment quotient without any logic. An out-and-out entertainer, it’s sure to light up the celebratory festive mood. At the box office, the movie has all it takes to emerge as a sure-fire hit although the real test of the film will begin post Monday.