आँगन ( Hindi Poem)

Judwaa 2 (Movie Review)

Judwaa 2: Old Wine Well Preserved!

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David Dhawan’s Judwaa 2 is successful in cloning his own characters but fails to deliver a new set of gags and humour. Varun Dhawan as Prem and Raja is fantastic and does give Salman Khan a competition but Salman Khan’s brand is so colossal that every act of Prem and Raja in Judwaa 2 reminds us about Salman Khan.

Varun Dhawan is good in his comic timing, dance moves and stunts; he has worked hard to evolve into a complete combo pack as a paisa vasool entertainment star. Moreover, these days, a shirtless Sallu Bhai has many competitors. Judwaa 2’s story is placed in the same template of the previous one – twins, with the same kind of reflexes, one timid and the other a tapori, one of them kidnapped and left to the mercy of streets and the other groomed in elite school and college. The street-smart Raja lands up in a foreign land with cooked up stories of having an ailing mother, sister, father and what not. Laughably, everyone in authority who come across them has a feeble heart and fall for his stories. And every time, Raja along with his sidekick has an easy escape.

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Jacqueline Fernandez (Aliska) and Taapsee Pannu (Samara) are two beautiful trophies the Judwaa have in their life. And these beautiful girls do what they are expected to do – giggle, sob, cuddle, kiss, dance and slip into bikinis at beautiful locales and act as dumbs just like their dumb and sometimes smart boyfriends. Jacqueline acts and looks the same in almost all the movies and does what she is best at flawlessly and Taapsee Pannu had tried to shed her ‘Pink’ and ‘Baby’ image by being bold and beautiful.

Upasna Singh, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Vivan Bhatena and Pawan Malhotra are just there to remind you that please don’t look for logic. They try hard to tickle your funny bone and they do, but most of the time they fail.  

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Well, remind yourself that you are watching a David Dhawan film and therefore, discard your brain and Edward de Bono’s six thinking hats. Yes, there are some moments you tap your foot along with super energetic Varun Dhawan and may also wish to be on the dance floor. The old hit numbers ‘Oonchi Hi building and ‘Tan Tana Taan Tan Tan Tara’ transport you back to the 90’s.

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In short, Judwaa 2 also is not so interesting and funny like the original. It successfully ensures to be mediocre like its previous outing with Salman Khan. Everyone is loud here, leaving the audience to bear in silence all the stale antics. The last scenes where the original 90’s Judwaa walk in, the film plunges into the dullest scenes because of the lousy conversations between them and the current Judwaa. A tribute to Sallu is a dampener here. If you have no other options then go for Judwaa 2   at your own risk. A contemporary Judwaa, without carrying the baggage of the past in Varun Dhawan’s own style along with a new set of characters which are different from the mannerisms of the previous one, would have been more interesting to watch. Unfortunately, for some filmmakers ‘change’ is a taboo subject.

.Life Connoisseur Movie Rating: 2/5

Cast: Varun Dhawan (Raja/Prem), Jacqueline Fernandex (Alishka), Taapsee Pannu (Samaira), Anupam Kher (Bakshi), Upasana Singh (Samaira’s Mother

Genre: Action Comedy

Director: David Dhawan

Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala

Written by: Sajid-Farhad (Dialogues)

Music by: Sajid-Wajid, Meet Bros, Sandeep Shirodkar, Anu Malik

Edited by: Ritesh Soni

Cinematography: Ayananka Bose

Production Company: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment

Distributor: Fox Star Studios

Release Date: 29^th September 2017

Language: Hindi

Duration: 150 Minutes

Newton (Movie Review)

Newton Pricks the Conscience of Indian Democracy!

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Masurkar graduates from his 2014’s ‘Sulemani Keeda’ to his second venture ‘Newton’ successfully. This time his lead protagonist has a keeda (weakness) for ‘honesty’ as a presiding officer at Naxalite-influenced region, Dandakaranya in Chattisgarh. The film’s initial part has a scene where we find Newton reading a ‘Handbook on Election Procedures’ and the light goes off. It is so true and satirical that in India, anyone who wants to understand any rulebook may experience a blackout. As per an old adage - ‘rules are made to be broken’ and when it comes to elections in India it is true to a great extent. As conveyed by the Poll Instructor in the film (Sanjay Mishra), though the Indian democracy allows criminals and goondas to fight and win elections, they as presiding officers and booth officers’ are expected to ensure that there should not be any unlawful activity while polling.

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The strength and beauty of the film are that it very subtly convey the hard truth of Indian democracy and the plight of the marginalised in the society, especially the Adivasis (tribals). The film is unbiased and raises pertinent questions. The film portrays the following : plight of our army men who work under danger without having advanced and basic security equipment and gadgets; the helplessness of the tribals who are caught in the crossfire of Naxalites and the police force; how the local administration and the governing authorities are left with no options but to overlook the problems of the region; the sham behind the so-called surrenders in the name of Naxalites; and the divide and rule policy of the ruling class in constituting the controversial ‘Salva Judum’ by recruiting locals and ex-Naxalites to fight against the Naxalites and other emerging struggles in the region.  It leaves ample room for the audience to ponder upon the dialogues of the film’s characters like Newton (Rajkummar Rao), the election officer Loknath (Raghubhir Yadav),  fellow officer Shambhu (Mukesh Prajapati), booth-level local officer Malko (Anjali Patil), and Aatma Singh, the Army officer in charge of the region. These characters in the film portray the various mindsets and perceptions that exist in our society.

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Aatma Singh is proud of his duty and feels that the gun he carries is the burden of the country and he does take care of it better than anyone else. He gives a damn to democratic procedures and also guffaws at the so-called procedures involved in it because he feels that the tribals are not educated and ignorant. On the contrary, Newton believes in educating and creating awareness among the people but his efforts are either shot down as civics classes or as not so practical. Malko as a local officer, a tribal herself understands the plight of her people and is trying hard not to succumb to the harsh realities of life. She in her conversations elicit the hope of change by saying – ‘It takes years for a jungle to emerge’ and a ‘Five makes a fist’ when Loknath displays his talent on a pack of cards in predicting the past, present and future of Newton.

Though, Newton ends abruptly causing a bit of confusion among the audience why the screen goes black suddenly; slowly walking out of the theatre the message sinks in that there is still no absolute answers to the issues and problems that have plagued our country for long. When we talk about bullet trains, online payments, aadhar card-linked accounts, and what not, we are still far behind in terms of providing basic amenities like water, electricity, shelter, food, education and security to men, women and children.

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All the actors in the movie are at par, especially RakKummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi and Anjali Patil need special mention for their superlative performances. It is also worth mentioning that Drishyam films have dared to dish out some relevant movies which are worth watching. Hope they continue to do so in the future too. Swapnil Sonawane’s cinematography, Shweta Venkat Mathew’s editing and Music by Naren and Benedict are awesome.

In short, don’t go to watch Newton for entertainment only, but go to get a reason to think and act like Newton and Malko. “Chal Tu Apna Kaam Kar” the song that goes while the credit lines roll, reminds us that no matter what happens, we still need to execute our responsibilities passionately as Indians.

Life Connoisseur Movie Rating: 3.5 /5

Cast: Rajkummar Rao (Newton Kumar), Pankaj Tripathi (Aatma Singh), Anjali Patil (Malko), Raghubir Yadav (Loknath), Sanjay Mishra (Special Appearance), Mukesh Prajapati (Shambhu)

Genre: Comedy

Director: Amit V Masurkar

Producer: Manish Mundra

Written by: Amit V Masurkar

Screenplay: Amit V Masurkar, Mayank Tewari

Music by: Naren Chandvarkar, Benedict Taylor

Cinematography: Swapnil Sonawane

Edited by: Shweta Venkat Mathew

Production Company: Drishyam Films

Distributor: Eros International

Release Date: 22nd September, 2017

Language: Hindi

Duration: 106 Minutes

Lucknow Central (Movie Review)

Lucknow Central is a Damp Squib!

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Lucknow Central begins limping and slowly gains crescendo in the middle and then ends limping. It seems the filmmaker was unsure whether to tell the story of making a rock band or a prison-break thriller and the indecisiveness is evident throughout the film. The film falters to do justice to the plot by coming up with credible scenes. Farhan Akhtar as a Moradabad youngster who cherish to have his own band ends up in jail convicted for killing an IAS officer.

Farhan Akhtar as Kishan Girhotra delivers a mediocre performance in comparison to his acting prowess he displayed in Bhaag Mikha Bhaag and Rock On. Krishna’s father who is a librarian is an inspiration to watch because of his positivity he displays even at adversities. The calm composure of this well-read old-man maybe because of his in-depth knowledge of world literature.

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Kishan’s partners in crime are a bunch of criminals wh nurse the dream of being free one day because all of them have someone or something to go back to. Kishan, the master mind of the prison-break appears to be a seasoned criminal, whereas, he is not as per the plot and therefore, the scenes re less believable. The practice sessions of the band within the jail is shown as a plan to hoodwink the jail authorities. And throughout the practice sessions they all appear as dumb. What is interesting to note is the climax that turns out to be laughable because these bunch of criminals along with kishan perform on stage on the song ‘Kawaan Kawaan’ as thorough professionals.

It is quite obvious to compare ‘Lucknow Central’ with the recently released film ‘Qaidi Band’, though this one is far better than the latter. Diana Penty, as the leading lady is averagein performance and there is nothing much for her to perform too. Having said this, there are some scenes where we feel that there is something more in store for us but soon this feeling fizzles out. Inaaamulhaq, Deepak dobriyal, Rajesh Sharma, and the Punjabi Pop Star Gippy Grewal keep their best foot forward but unfortunately fails to make the movie interesting and thrilling. Ronit Roy, as the hard-nosed jailor seems to appear the same as he is found in many other movies.

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Debutant director Ranjit Tiwaro’s film ‘Lucknow Central’ is a redemption story of a bunh of criminals but falls short at the finishing line. The Bhopuri actor Ravi Kishen as the UP Chief Minister, adds some some humor to the otherwise dull movie.

In short, except for some scenes there is nothing to look forward in this film. Lucknow central is neither a prison-break thriller nor a rock Band’s story. You can skip this one for sure.

.Life Connoisseur Movie Rating: 2.5 /5

Cast: Farhan Akhtar (Kishan ohan Girhotra), Diana Penty (Gayatri Kashyap), Gippy Grewal (Parminder Singh Trehan), Deepak dobriyal (Victor Chattopadhyay), Rajesh Sharma (Purushottam Madan Pundit), Innaamulhaq (Dikkat Ansari), Ronit Roy (Jailor), Ravi Kishen (Chief Minister Pawan Singh Chaturvedi)

Genre: Thriller

Director: Ranjit Tiwari

Producers: Nikhil Advani, Monisha Advani, Madhu G Bhojwani, Viacom 18 motion Pictures

Written by: Ranjit Tiwari, Aseem Arora

Music by: Arjunna Harjaie, Rochak Kohli, Tanishk Bagchi

Cinematography: Tushar Kanti Ray

Edited by: Charu Shree Roy

Production Company: Emmay Entertainment

Distributor: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures

Release Date: 15^th September 2017

Language: Hindi

Duration: 147 Minutes

बर्फ सा दिल (Hindi Poem)

SIMRAN : Movie Review

A Brilliant Simran With an Incoherent Script!

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Kangana Ranaut has repeatedly proved her acting prowess, though she has an equal number of flops as her hits too. Hansal Mehta’s outing this time with the film ‘Simran’ is a time pass movie and cannot be compared to the standards of his earlier ventures like ‘Aligarh’ and ‘Shahid’. Simran is watchable because of an actress like Kangana because she is undoubtedly loaded with talents to essay any role which is thrown to her. She fits the bill incredibly.

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Praf aka Praful Patel is a Gujarati divorcee settled in Georgia with her homemaker mom and her father who has a small time business of selling Gujarati delicacies to his fellow migrants who have settled there like him. Praf works as housekeeping staff in Hilton who shows no visible sadness or trouble of being a divorcee. She is as sprightful as a squirrel. She cherishes to own her own apartment one day and is delighted to zero in on one under minority scheme which she is eligible to apply for. What follows is a series of hurdles to get a housing loan approved and her impulsive squabble with her father and mother on her not settling down again in life which led to a reluctant trip to Las Vegas with her recently engaged friend.

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Her trip to the sin city makes her taste success at the baccarat table in a casino and true to her nature splurges on everything that she can lay her hands on. It seems that Praf may not have heard or read what Bill Gates once said - “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose”. As the age-old Hindi adage “मरता क्या न करता” (drive someone to the wall), Praf is left with no options but to sin after her return from the sin city to pay back to her creditors a huge amount which she repeatedly lost for trying her luck at the baccarat table after her initial success.

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Simran is a film that is based on the real-life sensational story of an Indian-American Sandeep Kaur, infamously known as ‘Bombshell Queen” and “Gambling Queen”. Kangana Ranaut is brilliant as an actor but the script and the screenplay don't rise to the expectation of the audience. It seems that the controversy that surrounded in giving credit to Kangana Ranaut as ‘additional writer’ along with the original writer Apurva Asrani’ has affected the final outcome on the screen. The script is incoherent and the way Simran executes the bank robbery with ease is really funny. What is more laughable is how Simran follows the same modus operandi while the news channels telecast footage of her daredevil act. The banks are unmanned and have an easy entry as if it is an institution free for all to learn how to loot. Apurva Asrani is a talented writer and film editor who has showcased his ability in films like Satya, CityLights, Aligarh and much more.

In short, Simran is a time pass film. Maybe, Hansal Mehta wanted to make a light-hearted movie but didn’t expect him to make a movie too lightly after ‘Aligarh’. Go and watch Simran without many expectations and see the much talented Kangana Ranaut make you laugh.

Life Connoisseur Movie Rating: 2.5 /5

Cast: Kangana Ranaut (Simran), Soham Shah, Esha Tewari Pande, Aneesha Joshi, Mark Justice, Hiten Kumar, Manu Narayan, Rupinder Nagra, Usha Jerajani

Genre: Comedy Drama

Director: Hansal Mehta

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Shailesh R Singh, Amit Agarwal

Written by: Apurva Asrani

Additional Writer: Kangana Ranaut

Music by: Sachin-Jigar

Cinematography: Anuj Rakesh Dhawan

Edited by: Antara Lahiri

Production Company: T Series, Paramhans Creations Entertainment, Adarsh Telemedia

Release Date: 15th September, 2017

Duration: 124 Minutes

Language: Hindi

Gurgaon : Movie Review

Gurgaon: Tale of Fratricide!

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The first recorded fratricide was when Cain killed Abel (A Biblical Story). Abel, son of Adam and Eve was killed; God cast Cain into the wilderness, so Adam and Eve had to have a third son Seth, to propagate the entire human race.

Human history is of interest because you find in it many journeys of aspirations that is driven by good as well as bad intentions and deeds. The film Gurgaon is based upon the yesteryears Gurgaon that was slowly waking up to the designs of the land sharks who had a magnificent city with concrete jungle on their map displayed on their glass office table. A few years back, the Delhi-NCR woke up to the shocking news of the fratricidal fight that led to the murder of a business tycoon and his brother at a disputed south Delhi farmhouse. In the film Gurgaon too we find behind the veil of riches the tragic killings and spine chilling dark secrets.

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Shankar Raman’s directorial debut is commendable and the star casts have done justice to the characters they play. Shankar Raman seems to have taken utmost care not to tread the beaten path of many others who make such dark movies with loud background scores, car races, running with weapons behind rivals, chopping them into pieces and stuffing them in gunny bags, molesting and raping women, or with a sleazy item song etc. It seems Shankar Raman knows what he wants to convey without much melodrama.

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Pankaj Tripathi as Kehri Singh a man who rose from rags to riches needs special mention for his outstanding performance. Kehri Singh’s silent demeanour hides his past and he appears to be too scared to find his wicked shades in his young son Niki Singh ( Akshay Oberoi). Pankaj leaves no stones unturned to prove his mettle as an actor be it as the railway officer Satyaji in Masaan, Sultan of Gangs of Wasseypur, Principal of Nil Battey Sannata, the lover in Annarkali of Aarah and much more… Pankaj Tripathy has made a significant identity as a versatile actor in the tinsel town which by now has spanned more than a decade.

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Akshay Oberoi as Nikki Singh, the elder son of Kehri Singh has matched his performance to the hilt with his other co-stars. Akshay’s eyes convey a lot – rejection, hurt, insecurity and hunger for power. Akshay Oberoi as Rajesh in the film ‘Laal Rang’ had a given a noteworthy performance but then, unfortunately, the audience didn’t lap up the movie which he did with Randeep Hooda. He is another actor who is on a rise.

Ragini Khanna as Preeto,  the US returned daughter of Kehri Singh has done a good job. Bound for the rest of her life to mutely agree to all the decisions her father makes for her just because he never said no to her. An apple of her father’s eyes she is the heir of his ill-gotten wealth and also a potential threat to the aspirations of her brother Nikki Singh. Shalini Vats has a studied silence as the wife of the indomitable Kehri Singh. She has buried many doubts and anger within her because of the fear of losing her family’s peace. Her love for Preeto and Kehri Singh considering Preeto as his lucky charm has many things to say.

The other characters like Chintu, the youngest son (Verma), Bhuppi (Aamir Bashir) brother of Kehri Singh who knows the darkest alley of  Kehri’s heart has wins the audience heart.

In short, film Gurgaon deserves a one time watch for its story and treatment. At a time when you wonder why Harry Met Sejal why not visit Gurgaon in a nearby theatre and spend time worth watching a movie which is made well. What needs to be remembered is the story of Cain and Abel still hold relevance in this age too, where distinctive human passions, pre eminently wounded pride, anger, jealousy, and fear exists.

.Life Connoisseur Movie Rating: 3.25/5

Cast: Pankaj Tripathy (Kehri Singh), Aamir Bashir(Bhuppi), Akshay Oberoi (Nikki Singh), Ragini Khanna (Preeto), Shalini Vatsa (Wife of Kehri Singh)

Genre: Crime Thriller

Director: Shanker Raman

Producers: Madhukar R. Musle, Ajay G. Rai, Alan McAlex, Nisha N. Sujan, Abbas Ali Ratansi

Screenplay & Dialogues by: Shanker Raman, Sourabh Ratnu, Vipin Bhatti, Yogi Singha

Music by: Naren Chandavarkar, Benedict Taylor

Lyrics: Manoj Yadav

Edited by: Shaan Mohammed

Cinematography: Vivek Shah

Production Company: A Jar Pictures Production

Presented by: M R Filmworks, Hashtag Film Studios

Release Date: 4^th August 2017

Language: Hindi