fByLokesh Collection

I went to Italy and bought some cool fabric that I converted into shirts and jackets. I then thought I should start my new clothing line called fByLokesh (f stands for fashion!). So here are my 6 signature pieces. If you wish to buy. send me a mail- lokesh.dharmani@gmail.com

Or send me a message on Facebook-
https://www.facebook.com/lokesh.dharmani

Or Instagram-
https://www.instagram.com/lokeshdharmani/

Here are the pieces with details-

1. Comic Print Shirt
   Medium Size
   Slim Fit
   Price- 299 AED

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Quirky Waistcoat
Medium Size
Slim Fit
Price- 566 AED

3. Quirky Jacket
Medium Size
Slim Fit
Price- 999 AED

 

4. Comic Print Shirt
Medium Size
Slim Fit
Price- 299 AED

5. Quirky Waistcoat
Medium Size
Slim Fit
Price- 566 AED

 

6. Quirky Jacket
Medium Size
Slim Fit
Price- 999 AED

Dangal Review

Dangal

Director- Nitesh Tiwari

Cast- Aamir Khan, Sakshi Pradhan, Zarina Wasim, Suhani Bhatnagar, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra

Rating- 4 stars

It’s not important to tell you that I am feeling emotional, ecstatic and overwhelmed after watching Dangal because it takes away from the film. But it’s imperative anyway to tell this because Dangal is an experience that made me smile, laugh, cry and left me all shaken and inspired.

Dangal works on multiple levels. Besides being one of the best sports films, it’s a story of a stubborn father, fighting the world and even his daughters for a long awaited international glory. Most importantly it’s a fabulous comment on parenthood that left me to tears. And all these layers in the film are equally convincing and engaging.

The strength of Dangal (and sometimes its weakness too) lies in its narrative and characters, that despite being progressive are deeply rooted in patriarchy. They say ‘hamari choriyan choro se kam hain kya’; a statement that reeks of misogyny but we know Mahavir better than that. He loves his daughters, believes in equality and despite being pushy in his ways, seeks his wife’s permission to grant him a year so that he can train his daughters.

But Mahavir has his flaws too. Besides equality, he roots for his daughters for selfish reasons. He wants to fulfill a long cherished dream of an international victory that eluded him. He fights stereotypes, rules and repression and pushes his daughters to breaking point. I cried a river as he ruthlessly cut his daughters’ hair and deprives them of a normal childhood. In fact once he himself admits that he is a bawra baap. It then becomes such a realistic commentary on parenting. Pushy parents in name of ‘bachcho ki bhalai’ put unrealistic pressure on kids that sometimes make them, often break them.

But before Mahavir knows, Geeta has already grown wings, shaken hands with new friends, a new coach and a newer tempting world. There is a beautiful emotional fight scene between Mahavir and his daughter Geeta, just before she takes charge of her life. The film at this point soars and becomes a riveting father daughter film, hinting, how as parents, we should let our kids go, let them make their own decisions, their own mistakes and let them learn from them. And when they come back with new experiences and perspectives, broken, bruised and battered, we must take them back, because family is usually that one secure place where you are accepted with your flaws and follies. The scene where Geeta sobs on the phone left me much embarrassed as I howled in a theater full of people.

Dangal is also one of the finest sports films. The writers first educate you on a few wrestling tricks and use them rather deftly at strategic points, involving everyone, even the wrestling novices. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed. In fact during one of the crucial matches in the climax, people in the row ahead of me sat up stiff and straight. I saw silhouettes of heads collectively rising in anticipation and sighing in relief as the crisis gets resolved on the screen.

The performances are class apart. Aamir’s dedication to the movie to get the body and soul of Mahavir, living his imperfections so perfectly leaves you overwhelmed. But the real finds are the new girls, all four of them. Zarina Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar as young Geeta and Babita bring in the right amount of nice and naughty to their characters. Fatima and Sanya as adult Geeta and Babita get the body, the language and the body language of wrestlers so brilliantly that you wonder if they are actors or real life wrestlers.

There are so many little things that work for the movie; the role reversal of a brother cooking for his wrestler-sisters and never coming across as pansy, the humble abode of the wrestler, the beautiful detailing of wrestlers’ broken ears or the supporting cast; Sakshi Tanwar, Ritwik Sahore (the young Omkar, oh how much I loved him and even felt bad for him), Vivan Shah and an endearing debut by Aparshakti Khurana!! The dialogues of the film are also cleverly written. The coach advises the young male opponent, “chori hain, samajh ke ladiyo”. The girl replies, “bas chori samajh ke na ladiyo.”

To wrap up, Dangal outdoes Chak De India, only because it’s based on a real story. A ‘poor’ father in Haryana (that has the worst men-women ration in India) resolves to train his ‘daughters’ in a patriarchal society fighting all odds is indeed inspiring. What’s even more beautiful is the film’s treatment. Not even once it melodramatizes Mahavir’s poverty or his struggles. Its subtle treatment makes Dangal a must watch. So please watch!!

This is my weekly review on Masala! http://www.masala.com

Befikre Review

Director– Invisible

Starring– Incredible

Rating– Inconsequential

Big round of applause for the writers of the film for coming up with such a fresh story and an even more creative screenplay in Befikre. It requires serious talent to write a script that can be summed up in a few lines: lovers meet, lovers kiss, lovers break up, lovers meet other people, lovers kiss other people and then lovers reunite to kiss again. And because we haven’t hired writers, let’s spend money on foreign locations and go to Paris, something that Bollywood has never tried before. Wow! Amazeballs!

Befikre breaks all clichés and gives us a brand new definition of ‘carefree’. When was the last time you saw a couple drink merrily, dance crazily and kiss unabashedly?’ You know, they even ‘live in’ and all? Hawwww!! Shadi se pehle? Of course, we are Befikre yaar. Come on man, don’t be boring. Yes people who don’t sleep around are tagged boring, like the banker in the film. I totes agree. Befikre is indeed the most progressively carefree film ever since Neal ‘n’ Nikki.

Ranveer plays Dharam, a Delhi boy who is aww so cute and charming!! He has to be or else how do you justify his MCP behavior? You see in Hindi films all you have to do is give our misogynist macho man a couple of -quote unquote funny lines-, and instantly we justify everything; from sleaze to chauvinism!! See such clever characterization!! Dharam is the kind of guy who would say ‘so gay’ like it was a disease; body and slut shame his lady love, with such authority that it’s both appalling and disgusting.

Like the time when his heart gets broken, he calls his ladylove a slut! So what if he can snort Shakti Kapoor for breakfast and be the tharkiest man around but when the girl dates multiple men, she has to be tagged loose!!

Hey come on Lokesh, he apologizes for that bro. Yeah! And then he attacks her character yet again at her wedding!

But that was funny!!! Written for good laughs bro, come on, loosen up!

Of course of course!! It’s indeed so funny to defame a woman, call her fast, chudail and sundry, because you don’t have the balls to say the truth. Hahaha! So funny. My cheeks hurt!

What’s interesting is that Ranveer’s libido was in a severe competition with his hamming!! And thankfully both worked consistently, because nothing else in the film was!

And then there was Vani Kapoor, the only reason I could sit through the film. She is electric, super confident and so comfortable in front of the camera. She held me by my collar and demanded attention and I simply obliged. And this is when she shares screen with Ranveer who has such a strong screen presence himself!

There is a scene where Shyra dares Dharam to break her marriage, a beautifully written scene indeed, where Vani doesn’t miss a single beat to express love, confusion, ego, hope and helplessness in just one simple smile. Oh man! I am a fan for life Vani!

I also enjoyed Shyra’s relationship with her parents who are mere mute spectators of her life. Shyra’s mom beautifully admits at her daughter’s wedding; ‘aisa lag raha hain, padosi ki shadi mein aye hain’. The cute Indu chachi of Dil Dhadakne Do, Ayesha Raza is such a delight to watch.

For me Richa Chadha’s character in Masan was far more ‘befikre’. There are set societal rules and repression. She goes against all to satisfy her libido, challenging all the expectations that small town mentality expects of its women. Befikre empowers the already empowered.

The film is about a few dares shamelessly copied from Dare to Love. I have a few dares for Bollywood.

1. Can you ever make a ‘befikre’ film with characters who don’t have chiseled bodies and take off their clothes with equal confidence and abandonment?
2. Can you ever be more mindful of the ‘side heroes’ and ‘side heroines’ who are hired only for the jealousy factor and are conveniently forgotten and abandoned at the aisle?
3. Can you ever, for Emran Hashmi’s sake, show a good onscreen kiss? Lips lock, not to kiss, but chew, ewww!!

Befikre to me was French, frothy, forced and flavorless!

(This is my weekly review on Masala. For all my movie reviews, click here-

http://www.masala.com/movies/reviews