Raman Raghav Review

Raman Raghav 2.0

Director- Anurag Kashyap

Starring- Nawazudin Siddique and Vicky Kaushal

Imagine a Suraj Barjatya film where everyone is good, where dadi, chachi, nana, mama, bau ji, bua ji, bibi ji, baji…everyone is so good that you can almost see invisible halos around their heads. Raman Raghav is an anti-thesis of a Barjatya film. The halos are replaced by blood dipped horns, or wait, an iron rod in this case, that Nawaz drags and it chinks and clinks and chinks and clinks and chinks and clinks so much that I have a tunnel drilled across my brain now. Like goody-two-shoes characters in a Barjatya film, the titular pair of Raman Raghav is so pointlessly dark that it begins to irritate. There are no shades of grey, there are no human dilemmas, there are no cross roads, no tussle between right or wrong, good or bad. There are just murders one after the other, each one gorier than the other. There are more murders in this film than the number of songs in a Karan Johar film.

Raman (Nawaz) is a ruthless psycho killer without any rhyme or reason. We are given no insights into his past or psyche. It’s a disorder. A serious problem that needs to be fixed. Except like most Hindi films we celebrate it with a thumping (but brilliant) background score (by Ram Dixit), shots of gore and blood and silly smirks of Nawazuddin Siddique which make young boys go, ‘so dark bhai’ and suddenly twisted becomes new cool.

Nawaz, one of the best actors in Hindi films, needs to stop shoving his National School Drama degree in our faces. Bro we know you are good. You bring a fabulous sense of nonchalance to the wicked roles you play. You lend new quirks to your characters. But please stop screaming-look-at-me-you-lesser-mortals-I-am-a-theatre-actor-oh-so-deep-oh-so-intense-another -national-award-jai-mata-di-let’s-rock at us. You smirked and grinned in Gangs of Wasseypur, I applauded. You smirked and grinned in Badlapur, in Talaash, I whistled. You smirked and grinned in Raman Raghav, I just yawned and snored.

Speaking of intensity, Vicky Kaushal delivers a decent performance too as ACP Raghav. He has borrowed Chulbul Pandey’s sunglasses that he wears even at night and indoors. He has also borrowed Ajay Devgn’s intensity that starts with deadpan eyes and ends on a frown. But it’s not his fault. It’s the writing that gets so one-dimensional. Raghav is forever snorting, forever grimacing. He is so misogynist that it makes Salman Khan look like a feminist.

The biggest problem of Raman Raghav is that it justifies the evil characters it shows. Raman kills mercilessly. He is then shown rummaging through garbage for food. Aww so poor, so bechara. He even gives a monologue towards the end explaining how his killings are better than those killings that happen in the name of God or religion. Wow serial killer better than a Sadhu. Hmmm that makes so much sense, yeah sure.

Even the other dark character has his own set of excuses.

Raghav is a tough cop, ill-treats his girlfriend, and snorts like it’s going out of fashion, all because of a tough father. That’s Bollywood for you.  When you can’t explain such angst, just insert a devil of a dad. We saw it in Tamasha, we saw it in Taare Zameen Par, and we see it again in Raman Raghav. They haven’t even changed the father. Vipin Sharma who gave Darsheel Safari a tough time is turning Vicky Kaushal into a coke head.

And if that doesn’t move the audience to tears, play a sitar in the background for effect. I actually started crying, not for the characters but for the kind of symbolism that would make you choke on your popcorn; a tiger painted on a wall signifying the cop as he interrogates Raman, a butcher chopping chicken before a murder scene, or 786 painted on a wall of a Muslim household.

Raman Raghav lacks the vulnerability of Ugly. It’s just black. It could be in a Swizz account. In theatres it just seemed pointless to me.

(This is my weekly review on Masala!)

Bollywood, Us and Rape Culture

Salman Khan’s ‘rape comment’ largely reflects the nation that we are. It’s easy for us to haw and tch tch the obnoxious comment and call him stupid and silly but the truth is that we are as sexist, as misogynist as the superstar. Because we consume sexism, in films, in comedy shows every day. Be it the  Hindi film hero eve teasing the heroine or Kapil Sharma making all kinds of wife slandering jokes, we have applauded them all, we have celebrated this rape culture at every step of our lives. We are a country where Salman Khan is the biggest super star and Honey Singh and Badshah are the biggest youth icons. We are indeed the most sexist lot ever. Let me exemplify-

1. Dabanng- There is a scene where Sonakshi Sinha goes to the police station to bring her drunkard father back. Salman Khan and his fellow policemen crack sexual jokes and embarrass her.  Let me quote a couple of them. A constable comes forward and cracks these jokes to make Sonakshi laugh-

• A policeman reprimands a man peeing on the road, asking ‘Tumhe yaha koi pakadta nahi hain?” The man replies, “Nahi sir yaha toh khud hi pakadna padta hain.” Or
• A rich man asks a poor man about kissing, if it is fun or hard work. He replies, must be hard work or else “yeh kaam bhi aap mujhse karwate.”

  I watched this movie in a cinema hall and I was appalled to hear the entire theater reverberate with laughter. Men, women found it funny that a helpless woman was made uncomfortable with such filthy jokes.

Many argue defending the film that it’s meant to be funny and should not be taken seriously.

I have two things to say to that. One shaming a woman publicly (or anyway) is not and SHOULD NOT be anyone’s idea of humor. Secondly humor makes these crimes acceptable. Salman Khan, as Chulbul Pandey laughing hysterically, as his colleagues make all kinds of sexual jokes to embarrass Sonakshi Sinha, is funny for us. The same scene when replayed in a Mumbai or a Delhi police station becomes a tragedy.

And doesn’t the ‘dialogue of the decade’, “pyar se de rahe hain le lo, nahi toh thappad maar ke denge…” reek of sheer misogyny?

2. Speaking of humor making these crimes acceptable, Pappi ji in Tanu Weds Manu Returns kidnaps the girl he is in love with. He kidnaps her from her wedding (even when she doesn’t love him back.) It’s a crime. It should be ridiculed. Should be objected. But since Pappi ji is a funny character, it’s a funny scene, we as audiences crack up without realizing its repercussions. Imagine what message are we giving to that young boy who is sitting in the audience and watching the film? The crowd laughs at a woman being kidnapped. It’s funny. It’s ok. It’s ok to treat her the way you want. The society seems to be ok with it. It hence becomes ok for the same young man to eve tease, stare, molest or even rape.
3. I don’t even want to speak about the regression in wife shaming jokes on Kapil Sharma’s shows. Let’s take AIB Roast as another example. Ranvir Singh, the biggest youth icon, is joked about jerking off to Farida Jalal and we once again laugh. It becomes cool (acceptable) to jack off to women on the streets, restaurants and other public places. Are we so humor deprived that we don’t even see a straight connection between this insensitive joke and those old women being raped in our country every day.
4. Even the trailer of Sultan shows a Salman Khan trying to impress Anushka Sharma in broken English. He says, “Angrezi mein ladki jaldi pate hain. I love you bolo, phir kiss howe hain.” When a Salman Khan says it, it becomes funny. Now imagine a road side Romeo say the exact same words to you/your wife/your sister/your daughter. Disgusted, are you? Good. Touche.

What Salman said was obnoxious, I agree. But what we do, ‘laughing’ off the sexism, that regularly churns out on the big and small screen, adds as much to the rape culture.

So for a moment, let’s not thu thu anyone. Let’s not call anyone by names. Let’s acknowledge our hypocrisies first and see how we can make this planet a better place for our women.

-Lokesh Dharmani

 

 

 

Udta Punjab Review

Udta Punjab

Director- Abhishek Chaubey

Starring- Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Aliya Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh

Rating- 3.5 stars

The title of the film is a smart pun on Punjab, a state that is usually high on love and spirit, is now high on heroin.

Udta Punjab starts with a packet of drugs being hurled across the borders. Some might think it’s an exaggeration. It’s not. The supply of drugs in our country has been as ridiculously simple as this, for almost a decade now. And it’s no exaggeration that 73.5 % of Punjab’s youth is under the spell of narcotics.  It’s no exaggeration that drugs worth 2000 crores find its way to India, making it one of the busiest drug transit points in the world. It’s certainly no exaggeration that there are illegal chemist shops in Punjab, selling synthetic drugs with no prescription and the state has more number of liquor shops than government schools. To know that Punjab is in jeopardy, is important to understand and appreciate Udta Punjab.

What I particularly liked is the characterization of the film. A pseudo pop star Tommy (Shahid), a Bihari hockey player Mary Jane (Aliya), a doctor, Preet (Kareena Kapoor) and a policeman Sartaj (Diljit Dosanj) are four lead characters that give us great insights not only into the drug menace of Punjab but also our generation’s strange ideas of ‘cool’, and the system’s apathy and corruption.

Tommy Singh is such a smart representation of all the Honey Singhs and Badshahs of the world, their regressive yet so popular music and how they are the youth icons. Tommy’s massive fan following reflects this generation’s idea of cool that ends up celebrating the fool. All this is beautifully rooted to the issue of the film, without ever celebrating or glamourizing the pop star in name of humor or otherwise. There is a brief scene where Sartaj’s younger brother is locked in his room. When he opens the room, he is seen wearing florescent green sunglasses indoors. A simple scene that establishes how start struck he is with Tommy.

If Tommy is the youth of Punjab, so are Preet and Sartaj, who despite being in the system find it difficult to fight the vice. Then there is a Bihari hockey player whose pursuit of good times lands her in a nightmare. The first half of the film scores high on the screenplay as it seamlessly shifts from one character’s story to the other’s, taking us through the Punjab’s gorgeous houses and fields. Ah that dining table, the flower print bed sheets, and the curtains hanging on that 1980s window that opens to beautiful green expanses.

Also a special mention for Sudip Sharma who has penned down the dialogues of the film. Contextual lines in Hindi films are rare. Writers either crack jokes or write to shock people. Udta Punjab is a refreshing change. Sudip has managed the small town language rather well. He uses a lot of cuss words, rarely glamorizing it, or trying to shock the viewers.

The performances of Udta Punjab are equally brilliant. Shahid and Aliya anyway play characters with unique quirks. There is a lot to play with and they both do a decent job. It’s funny how dumb Aliya jokes went viral where as she is the brightest, the smartest girl amongst the young crop of actors. Her film choices are enough proof of her intelligence. It takes a great deal of courage to pick a role like this and an equally great deal of talent to pull it off. There is one particular scene where she reveals her story. She shouts and screams and yet stands brave. I felt her pain. She is brilliant.

Kareena Kapoor Khan is efficient except strangely, Geet from Jab We Met, keeps popping up every now and then in an otherwise consistently good performance.

Diljit Dosanj nails it in his debut. He gives such a balanced performance, feeling just the right amount of romance or grief, never dramatizing it, never overdoing it.

The second half however as most Hindi films loses its focus and starts addressing love stories. On one hand, it’s heartwarming to see human connections that can happen at most unlikely places but alas the film derails from what it set me up for. Also Tommy’s change of heart, despite reasoned out, looks too hurried and unconvincing. The fact that there is no media involved as Preet and Sartaj start investigating into the drug racket is also jarring.

The ending of the film also feels a bit abrupt. But how else could a film end when the battle against drugs is still on? Imagine a state with its first line of control has one third of its youth population addicted to drugs.  That’s more dangerous than terrorism.

I think we all must watch Udta Punjab and educate ourselves.

-Lokesh Dharmani

(This is my weekly review on masala.com, Masala!)

http://www.masala.com/movie-review-udta-punjab-219593.html?page=2

Making news :)

My interview in City Times, Khaleej Times, this morning.

This interview is special for a couple of reasons-

1. I loved the questions. Most of them. Very rarely journalists these days do any research on the person they are interviewing. I have been interviewed by young ‘journalists’ where they have begun the interview with, ‘What’s your name?’ No I am not making this up. A college media student actually started the interview with this at Dubai International Film Festival.
2. Ambica, thanks a lot. You found me on my blogosphere, took the effort to read up on my likes and dislikes and managed some fabulous questions.
3. I am happy that for the first time, my blog, my take on fashion, films and food is covered in print.
4. I am honest. Very very honest in answering every question.
5. Also I am so happy the interview published today, a day very special to me and my family.
   Now read, if you please-
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TE3N Review

TE3N

Director- Ribhudas Gupta

Starring- Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin Siddique

Rating- 2.5 stars

Teen is a thriller that hardly thrills, a murder mystery that intrigues but only briefly. It’s an eight year long struggle of a grandfather, seeking justice to the mysterious kidnapping case of his granddaughter.

I would expect a murder mystery to keep me on the edge of my seats and TE3N majorly disappoints in that department.

The film gives a good build up to the kidnapping, where all pieces merge together in the end. The problem is that it spends way too much time in the lead up. The slow pace of the film kills the thrill of the murder mystery. It takes way too many slow paced scenes and sequences and gets almost repetitive to even establish small plot points.

And since the story is set in Kolkatta, a visit to a fish market, haggling over Hilsa or montages (pun definitely intended) of Durga Pooja celebrations are a must. They don’t add to the narrative of the film but end up being those pretty pointless instagram pictures of people we know, who would post bikini clad selfies and speak about life’s lessons, hard work, inspiration and sundry.

TE3N requires your close attention or else you lose focus. Yet it fails to explain a few things to me. John (Amitabh Bachchan) gets some lead in Imambara close to Hooghly. He lands at a random place and meets a lungi clad Muslim man. Who is this man? Why and how did he decide that the Muslim man would give further clues into the case? None of this is explained. In another scene, Martin (Nawaz) goes to a place that looks like a music shop, to dig some cassettes, some audio tapes to investigate into the case. Pause. Why would a music shop have tapes of a recording that Police did around a kidnapping case?

The screenplay of the film is as confusing. It flashbacks way too often and one is not quite sure where the action is really taking place.

If all these flaws led to a brilliant, edge on the seat climax, I would still be happy. The film ends on a very weak note as it even tries to justify the kidnapper.

Amitabh Bachchan looks evidently old and pulls off the role of the grandfather really well but at a couple of places, his kaun banega crorepati hayeee slips in.

Nawaz and Vidya Balan also stay true to their roles but there is nothing extra ordinary about their characters or their acting.

The film doesn’t engage you much. I not even for once felt the need to investigate the case or make whodunit guesses or sit on the edge of my seat, which is not a great thing for an emotional thriller TE3N aims to be.

Houseful 3 Review

Housefull 3

Director- Doubtful

Starring- Hammers

Rating- Meh

I walked out of the movie. Trust me I have watched worse. I have watched Gang of Ghosts, Jackpot. Wait Creature in 3 D. And all those films you didn’t even know, existed. So I have a decent tolerance for bad films. But I just couldn’t sit through Housefull 3.

A story in these films like these is a myth. It is sheer buffoonery that’s gets worse with every second, with every joke shamelessly copied from WhatsApp. Watching these films is like being added into those inane WhatsApp groups again and again that you have left multiple times.

The film starts with a beautiful aerial shot of Big Ben, London Eye and we know the setting. But that is not enough. The text rolls out on the screen- L.O.N.D.O.N. Thanks for telling. I would have never guessed. And if that was not enough we see three men commit a major robbery wearing masks painted in English flag colors. Yes dearest Sajid, I have an IQ of a tortoise. Sorry. Can you please tell me which city your movie was shot in?

I couldn’t quite decide what was more clever; the casting of three anglicized actresses in a movie based  in London or their dialogues. Sample this- Kya aap table ke liye aaye hain? Is their idea of a joke for are you come-for-table? I would let it pass if it was one odd joke. The film abounds with such gems.

Bahar latakte hain- Let’s hang out.

Bandook ka beta- Son of a Gun.

Thandi dawai lo- Take a chill pill.

Every character has a strange way of humor. Ritesh Deshmukh’s character has a silly way with words too. ‘Will you be my tawaiyaf…oops, I mean wife?’ Or. “Aap mera nirodh karenge…matlab virodh karenge.”

And then there was some solace as Jackie Shroff and his swag appeared on the big screen. Alas Solace hung itself to death as Jackie Shroff spoke. ATM- aaj tujhe marunga. BMC- Bagal Mein Churi. No wait. How old is the writer of the film? 6? Sorry, my bad. I assumed the film has a writer.

Towards the end of the film, the girls confess in the church, feeling bad for a physically challenged young boy Simon being bullied by his friends. Wow. This is the mother of all ironies. Your entire film is nothing but a sad parody of unfunny, crass jokes about disabled people and here you are asking for forgiveness for being insensitive. That’s the problem with this film. It wants to be everything. Funny and emotional as well. Don’t try it dude when you don’t feel a word of that apology.

Akshay Kumar is as comfortable playing the obnoxious Sandy which also means, he is his loudest best. Ritesh Deshmukh who usually enjoys such roles (and does a good job) seems disinterested, almost wondering how long he will have to repeat this act. Abhishek Bachchan looks jaded. Those cool tattoos fail to hide his fatigue.

Jacqueline, Lisa and Nargis are you quintessential cookie cutter dimwits who wear similar clothes in different shades and similar lipsticks in similar shades.

And no. NO. Just NO. Don’t, please don’t try a ‘arey-it’s-a-masala-film-calm-down-loosen-up’ on me. I can’t suspend belief or surgically detach my brains and leave them behind when I watch films.

If your idea of humor is red ants crawling over a disabled man’s crotch or an old man farting as he mounts a bike or a blind man being asked to jump into a waterless pool, then I have two things for you.

1. You need help.
2. God bless you.