ANIMAL (RELATIVELY SPOILER FREE) MOVIE REVIEW

 

Everything from Ranbir Kapoor to director Sandeep Reddy Vanga are UNLEASHED in this movie

 

Director- Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Cast- Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, Bobby Deol and a whole lot of shocking moments

There is this incident from Chuck Palahniuk’s book ‘Rant’ which stays my mind like a rusty nail on a cross. Which is not surprising if most of you realize that Palahniuk is the writer of ‘Fight Club’. Now I might be paraphrasing the same here but the crux of the story is important not the fat around it.

In a small American town, there is an annual feast where everyone brings their home cooked food. The protagonist’s mother is perhaps the best baker in town. She however makes it a point to add nuts, screws, nails and other stuff to her cakes and cookies. Everyone knows she does that. But they still eat it. The reason why she does this, is that people should be careful while eating every morsel. She wants them savour each and every bit of flavour that she took hours to work on.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga is exactly the same kind of director. The violence, the politically incorrect dialogue, the sexual energy, the swearing are all the nuts and bolts in the cake to keep your attention deficit ass from scrolling Instagram while watching the movie. Like any director, Sandeep does overdo some of it but the whole point of the movie isn’t sex and violence. It’s something else completely.

If you had asked me a few days ago if I considered Sandeep Reddy Vanga in my list of best Indian directors working currently, I may not have answered in the positive. After all, he has made only one movie twice- Arjun Reddy a.k.a Kabir Singh (just rewatched Arjun Reddy the other day and his full name in the movie is Arjun Reddy DESHMUKH. No idea how that works but thanks Sandeep for the Marathi nod. You’ll see more of that in Animal as well) Both movies had ruffled a lot of feathers and had set the conversation rolling on what is and is not acceptable in a consensual relationship. There were three types of reactions to the movie – 1) People who liked the movie appreciated its rawness and its dark humor, 2) People who hated it called it anti-feminist, violent, gender-biased etc. 3) A rare kind of people who liked the movie for its intended reason appreciated it as a very intense love story about two characters whose passion is unconventional but understandable.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga (SRV in short) in an interview 4 years ago, said that the third was always how he intended the movie to be seen. He also said in the same interview that if you think this is violent, I’ll show you what real violence is in my next movie. In a recent post Animal interview, when he was questioned about his promise, Sandeep admitted he had just said it in the flow of the conversation and didn’t think much about it. However, the public agrees he has kept his promise. Animal is brutal, raw, intense, violent, chaotic and am not referring to the blood splatter on screen.

Animal asks the question what if Michael Corleone was a psycho with Daddy issues. It is in essence a fucked-up version of the Godfather where the elderly patriarch of an empire is shot and the son must find out the enemies and take revenge. There is also a Mahabharata style family feud, a Scarface like violent outburst and some fucked up Korean movies style revenge plot but all this is actually secondary in my humble opinion. Animal is one of the rare movies which asks the question what it really means to be man in the modern era.

Although Arjun Reddy touched upon this concept a bit, Animal is a incisive exploration of the place Alpha masculinity holds in today’s era. Like I have mentioned above, SRV seems to always evoke majorly 3 types of reaction to his movies -  While everyone with a weak heart and need for limelight is screaming “TOXIC MASCULINITY” from the rooftops, there are of course the Sallu Bhai style crowd loving and even idolizing Ranbir’s character. Then there’s the 3^rd category which believes that Ranbir’s character is right up to a point but in the end is a complete hypocritical asshole. While Sandeep has not come out and said this, but the title itself is enough- a character that has become so raw, so primal and territorial that he has stopped being a human and become an “Animal”.

The movie with its runtime of almost 3 and a half hours is NOT for everyone. There are a lot of scenes which could have been cut down and quite frankly the movie dips in its energy in the second half after the most fantastic, energetic and exciting interval block since RRR. But it’s not just the gore that can be off putting for a few. For someone like me who is accustomed to cinematic violence, it was the moments where Ranbir pulls on Rasmika’s bra strap till her back turns red or when Bobby’s character decides to have sex with his 3^rd wife mid-way through the nikaah that will have you squirming in your seat. Its SRV’s uncanny ability to use these intense and uncomfortable scenes to actually provide character development that is admirable. The scenes are not just there for shock value when the movie is viewed as a whole. There are many subtle scenes like Ranbir’s character massaging Rashmika’s feet while telling her about the concept of Alpha males, him telling his sister how she should have wine rather than whisky etc which make several points without outrightly making them. This is the multi-layered writing which is absolutely worth a *chef’s kiss*.

The plot and the story aren’t anything new but the treatment and the characterization are. There is a plot involving body doubles which kinda feels a bit out of tone for a crime drama but still keeps the movie entertaining. There are perhaps some meta undertones to it which may be explored in a possible sequel. However, the movie could’ve used more of Bobby Deol who shines in the regrettably small amount of screentime he’s given.

But it’s the Ranbir show out and out and its better than Rockstar. Or even Tamasha. Like way better. His acting will be missed under all the violent theatrics but he plays the role of a character with a progressively manic spiral brilliantly. Anil Kapoor performs an effortless role as the presently absent father but the screenplay doesn’t give us his complete perspective on his messed-up relationship with Ranbir’s character. The supporting cast do well and surprisingly Rashmika…though annoying at first actually shines in a few scenes.

Another amazing thing about the movie is SRV’s level of understanding of other regional cultures. SRV is of Telugu origin and it took a Telugu origin character to portray Punjabi’s are more than Whisky drinking, Bhangra dancing bums. SRV uses a sikh war cry song “Arjan Velly ne” in an action scene in such a way that even if you are from Pondicherry it’ll make you feel like you belong to a warrior Sikh clan! SRV surprisingly uses a popular Marathi DJ dance song and even a few lines of Marathi very well. I believe that other than Rohit Shetty this was one of the coolest and most authentic portrayal of Marathi culture in a Bollywood movie.

 

Animal is the kind of movie I may or may not watch again in full but the themes it sets out to explore have me thinking again and again. It almost implies a very Fight Club like psychological lens wherein sometimes it feels that we are watching this movie through Ranbir’s character’s eyes. There’s a scene wherein one of Ranbir’s kids calls him a ‘Hero’ and it brings a rare smile to the character’s face. He then asks his wife to call him a ‘superhero’ and smiles when she says it very casually. I believe the movie could have benefitted from leaning into that angle a lot. It’s a dense 3-and-a-half-hour movie with a second half that isn’t as crisp as the first. Yet it seems to be working with the commercial audiences. This is just WILD (no am not apologizing for the joke). SRV seems to have found a way to bake his cake and make the audiences eat it through. (That’s just genius writing. Not apologizing for it)

 

Animal is worth ruminating about more and Worth Watching Once 

BLACK PANTHER 2 : WAKANDA FOREVER (spoiler free) REVIEW

 

That’s how it starts…the fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness…the turns good men..cruel…

 

 

BLACK PANTHER 2 : WAKANDA FOREVER

DIRECTOR – RYAN COOGLER

CAST- LETITIA WRIGHT, ANGELA BASSET, TENOCH HUERTA AND OTHERS

 

So, tell me what movie this is –

It’s a comic book movie, has slo-mo action scenes, an antihero character who forces the hero to fight him, people trying to cope with the death of a family member, socio-political themes involving power, colonialism, imperialism and responsibility…characters see spiritual nightmare visions that shape their actions…there’s a scene where one is lying in pain on the ground and the other is about to drive a spear through their heart before they realize the other one also had a mother and is someone just trying to do the right thing…

Well, if you are answered Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. You are correct! If you answered Wakanda Forever, you are also correct. This is in no way an insult to WF. It is in fact the biggest compliment you can pay a comic book movie. It deals with its themes in a mature yet entertaining way while being technically brilliant as well.

After the sad and early demise of actor Chadwick Boseman who portrayed the iconic Black Panther in the MCU until now, director Ryan Coogler made a brave decision of not recasting anyone for the lead role. They in fact make the death of Boseman’s character King T’Challa a plot point in the sequel. While this could’ve been a sob story cash grab if not done well, Coogler really handles the incident maturely. In fact, the major emotional notes of the movie come from the death of T’Challa with his mother Queen Ramonda and his sister Princess Shuri trying to deal with the loss. While they have lost a son and a brother, the once secretive kingdom of Wakanda tries to deal with the loss of their protector and King in the face of a world licking its lips over the vast reserves of the rare mineral Vibranium that their country possesses.  

While we knew from the trailers and the pre-release news that Shuri would be assuming the mantle of Black Panther. There was also a reveal that Riri Williams a.k.a Iron Heart would also be in the movie. (She is basically a super intelligent girl from the comics who designs an Iron Man suit). The enigma here was Namor. Now back when the comic book movie races began (ah the good old days where DC actually could compete with Marvel), there was a competition to be the first to get certain characters on the screen. This is because in comics most characters are copied from each other..ok sorry ‘inspired’. So, Quicksilver is Marvel’s Flash, Sentry is Marvel’s pathetic attempt at Superman etc etc. Well because DC comics is older than Marvel so they kinda had a first say in creating characters.

However, there is one character which Marvel created before DC comics (ok they purchased it). That was a king of an underwater kingdom – Namor. Namor is Marvel’s Aquaman. Although Namor is not as much of an important character in the Marvel comics as Aquaman is to DC, he is pretty influential in his own right. He also has some anti-hero tones and there is a major storyline in the comics where his kingdom is at war with Wakanda. In the movies, DC actually had an upper hand at getting their aquatic superhero to screen before. Zack Snyder’s brilliance at changing the character of Aquaman from a blonde squeaky clean joke to a sexy tribal Polynesian played by Jason Momoa made him a billion dollar hit.

MCU really had a lot to compete with in bringing their aquatic hero to the screen. Coogler had the right inspiration in mind when he made Namor a representative of ancient Mayan culture and by casting Tenoch Huerta in this role (with his non-sculpted natural bulky physique, he should be a hit among the ladies as well). He also makes Namor an anti-hero of the best kind- ruthless, suave, powerful yet fiercely protective of his people. Although I would love the discuss the complications of why Namor is at war with Wakanda…its best experienced in the movie. You just have to know that there is more than one source of Vibranium on earth and of course the western nations are looking for it.

The movie isn’t your typical Marvel jokefest and there aren’t even many of those ‘woo-hoo’ moments. The characters actually take their time dealing with death and depression. They speak and emote like real people instead of cracking jokes and waiting for people to laugh. While this may make the movie feel a bit like the Eternals which didn’t have any of this, it does have enough action scenes (some shot in glorious Snyder-esque slo mo) to keep you hooked. The design of Namor’s city Talokan, its creatures and the civilization is very original and creative. Their intro is something straight out of a great horror movie and there is a certain air of mysticism surrounding them…in keeping with a 500 year old secret underwater kingdom.

Just like the first one, Ludwig Goransson composes a fantastic soundtrack that is completely different from anything else in the MCU. The tribal drums that are so evocative of Black Panther and Wakanda, in addition to some other African inspired music. But the best part is the music for Namor and the Talokan’Ex (I have no idea what’s the adjective form of Talokan).

While the ending is of course predictable from 100 miles away, it’s the journey getting to that point which is great. The story and the characters carry the heavy weight of some complex themes, however there is something lacking in the pacing. The sub-plot involving Riri Williams or the American govt could have been shorter and maybe it could have used some of those ‘WOW’ moments but again this is NOT a comic book movie for everyone. It doesn’t share the same podium as BvS, TDK or Watchmen but it is definitely playing the same sport pretty well.

When we were walking out of the theatre, I heard a 7–10 year old kid tell his father, that he found it ‘boring’… and I LOVED THAT!!! I LOVE that DISNEY/MARVEL made a movie which doesn’t appeal to kids! I love the fact that they took this seriously! I loved the appearance of a certain character close to the climax which gives the story some nuance and weight! I enjoyed the action sequences and particularly Tenoch Huerta’s performance as Namor!

If you enjoyed the first movie or even if you didn’t, if you like comic book movies to be more than a roller coaster ride, then this is the movie for you. Don’t go expecting The Dark Knight or BvS but don’t go expecting Thor 4 : Even the director doesn’t give a shit or Antman movies either.

 

The movie is – Total Timepass!

 

PS – 3D movies could use brighter lighting though. Its hard to appreciate the design on the sea creatures and the well-choreographed night time action sequences if we have to squint real hard to see it.

Har Har Mahadev (spoiler free) review

 

A battle must first be won in the mind then in the field…

 

 

HAR HAR MAHADEV

DIRECTOR- ABHIJIT SHIRISH DESHPANDE

CAST – SUBHODH BHAVE, SHARAD KELKAR, AMRUTA KHANVILKAR AND OTHERS

Now that the Hindi movie industry’s propaganda sultanate is being challenged by a lot of proud Non-Hindi rebels, the golden era Indian cinema has truly began. Telugu, Tamil and now Kannada industry have made their mark all over India with movies that are rooted in the common cultural grounds of this country. Not only that, but their story-telling is technically very superior to Bollywood (or whatever remains of that once mighty empire now). Marathi film industry has always been great at story-telling but its reach has been limited by its language.

Har Har Mahadev is the Marathi industry’s first Pan-India attempt. The movie is being released in 5 languages – Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. The story is something that should appeal to every Indian- the tale of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, particularly one of his brave commanders – Veer Baji Prabhu Deshpande.

The tale of Baji Prabhu Deshpande is known to EVERY Marathi at least in brief if not in detail. Baji Prabhu Deshpande and his 300 men stood against a 10,000 strong Mughal army in the pass of Ghodkhind while Shivaji Maharaj travelled from Fort Panhala to Vishalgad. A battle of near impossible odds. Fought not only with the mind, but with sheer unstoppable will. 2 years ago, a great Marathi movie - Pavankhind- was released on the same subject. So, other than the grander scale of release and the cast, what makes Har Har Mahadev different?

What makes the movie different is it concentrates on what makes Shivaji Maharaj truly great. While Subodh Bhave with his soft features is admittedly not the best choice for portraying the Lion of the Sahyadris, he makes up for it with his performance. In the opening sequence, (narrated in Marathi by Raj Thackerey, who in my opinion should do EVERY Marathi movie voiceover ever. His voice is fantastic), it is told to us that this is the story of before when a man turned into a God.

Just like the Nolan Batman movies or something like Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, this movie attempts to deconstruct our legendary heroes and humanize them. The movie’s greatness lies in its ability to interpret what Swarajya truly means. While it does over concentrate sometime of the sexual harassment of women prior to Shivaji Maharaj’s arrival, it does so to drive the point home. Raje was one of the first modern kings to truly codify a lot of anti-harassment laws which included laws against slavery, rape etc. Our modern concepts of secularism, equality, civil service, people rule, fair taxation laws etc. were actually introduced by Shivaji Maharaj in his administration. It was good to see a movie show those aspects other than the usual tales of glamourous valor.

The story being that of Baji Prabhu Deshpande also gives us an idea of why would one who choose to devote their entire lives to fight for Shivba’s Swarajya. Baji Prabhu’s character as compared to the usual stories we see or hear is given a beautiful arc where he goes from not trusting Shivaji Maharaj to becoming his employee to his friend and finally a martyr for his cause. The arc is delivered deliberately slowly but beautifully. Also, other than the chest thumping tales of sacrifice gives us these little moments of courage that went into the massive structure that was Shivrai’s vision of Swarajya. A wife being brave for her husband while she knows she’s never going to see him again, a mother asking a daughter-in-law to do the impossible etc. There is a scene in the second half where Chattrapati Shivaji confesses that it’s the most difficult thing in the world for him to place his vision of Swarajya for all above his own emotions and that is where having Subodh Bhave in the role makes sense for me.

This scene and how it later shapes Baji Prabhu’s vision is what makes this deconstruction of the glorious tale of blood and sacrifice absolutely worth it. However, the movie has its share of pacing issues. The first half seems like it has a lot of scattered threads in it even if you are a history buff and Shivaji Maharaj devotee like me. While its understandable since a movie about one particular battle can seem a bit limiting, it could have done with a bit more focus. The second half is where the movie begins to shine. While the action and the obvious tributes to 300 are great visually, it’s not the movie’s highpoint.

A great director once said that action is also a means of character development and not just a bunch of cool visuals (Honestly am paraphrasing but you get the point). The action in here seems a bit, for lack of a better word, soulless because there is no pause or character development that happens in the action barring maybe one scene between Baji and his brother. There are also some scenes which seem a bit too melodramatic.

Having said that, the movie is definitely a theatre experience. While my theatre was houseful, it was a bit of a cold crowd. Masala moments which would have otherwise been welcomed with hoots and whistles were relatively silent. I am not sure whether this is the effect of the movie or a crowd on a particular day. But the movie is definitely worth watching in theatre. The soundtrack is great and the “Wah re Shiva” (sung by Srivalli fame Sid Sriram) is very good.

Me and my brother have always wanted a 300 -style movie for the story of Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Pavankhind- not only coz we share the same surname but also because it is a story worth telling the same way. Har Har Mahadev attempts the same for the action but of course lacks the magical touch of Zack Snyder which made 300 a classic. HHM’s success is not in the masala moments or the action (which I reiterate is better than 90% of Bollywood stuff) but it’s in the character moments. Sharad Kelkar and Subodh Bhave deliver a great performance. Their chemistry together is especially good. Bhave as Shivaji Maharaj still looks a bit odd to be honest. All the supporting cast including Amruta Khanvilkar are fantastic. Marathi actors have this certain ease about them in ANY role they do and this shows here. There is no air of pretentiousness, every moment or even look is there for a reason. Kudos to the director Abhijit Deshpande for this.

The script however could use less melodrama and more tightening. There is a particular twist which is delivered which the script brings out of the blue for anyone who doesn’t know that particular incident. The siege of Panhala and Shivba’s daring escape was honestly better portrayed in Pavankhind…but this is the only movie in my memory which captures the essence of what Swarajya means.

 

The movie is definitely – WORTH WATCHING ONCE!!

Karthikeya 2 (spoiler free) movie review

As if saving the world countless times, winning a war, giving us the best guide there is to a living a life wasn’t enough, Krishna also saves your movie going experience now –

 

 

KARTHIKEYA 2

Cast – Nikhil Siddharth, Anupam Kher, Anupama Parmeswaran, Adithya and of course Bhagwan Sri Krishna

Director – Chandu Mondeti

 

I am going try and keep my rant about Bollywood out of this review. The key word here is ‘try’. After all, movies don’t exist in a vacuum. I agree that each movie has to be reviewed on its own, but the timing of release, the general conditions surrounding the release of a movie often have an impact on not only its commercial success but the way it is perceived. If let’s say- The Matrix was not released just before Y2K, when computer programming was reaching a booming stage- its themes would not have been as relevant when the first time you watched it. Although it’s themes are still relevant but the viewing experience would not have been as great. So, try as you might, the story surrounding a movie’s release has a lot of impact on how you will perceive it. But more on that later.

Karthikeya 2 is the sequel to the 2014 Telugu Mystery thriller Karthikeya- which deals with themes of religion and science amidst the backdrop of a murder mystery connected to a Lord Subramanya/ Karthikeya temple. The first one was a surprise hit with practically no big stars, its real star being its tight knit thriller mystery and its nuanced commentary on religion and superstition. Its refreshing to see the unstoppable scientific temper of the lead character balanced with the utmost respect for culture and tradition. A mind that is dedicated to finding the logical truth at all costs but yet accepts that it cannot presume to know everything by logic. This balance is what makes the character unique and hence makes the story unique too.

Karthikeya 2 carries forward the same curious traits of Dr. Karthikeya Kumarswamy (we saw him earlier as a medical student in 1). Let me make it clear that you do not need to watch 1 to understand 2. However, you would enjoy it a lot more. Its available for free on Youtube and you can watch the Hindi dubbed version here. (https://youtu.be/tyozBQ8z10g). If you want to enjoy it in original Telugu, its also available on Amazon Prime.

 In this grander sequel, we see the story of the after math of Bhagwan Shri Krishna’s death. There is a search for a mysterious object that he left behind. The object may also hold key to curing a deadly pandemic. There are secret societies and killer cults involved. There are also several clues that our lead characters have to follow in a race against time. A character is murdered and by both design and destiny, our hero is caught in the middle of this tangle.

In case this sounds like a Dan Brown story. It is. But it’s not a shitty remake of a good English movie (yes. Fuck you Laal Chaddi. Fuck you forever.) It is Dan Brown-ish (?) (Brown-esque…Brownie?) in the best possible way. It also has National Treasure and Indian Jones style treasure hunting elements. Also, in the best possible way. In fact, this is the best historical Indian thriller I have seen. One that not only moves at a fast pace, rarely stopping to breathe but also treats its’ themes with the highest of respect. The movie respects and explores Indian history and culture while never trying to bring down others. One of the funniest characters in the movie is a Muslim driver and there is a subtle but interesting way they showcase Hindu-Muslim unity without hamming it up.

Nikhil Siddharth settles into the role of the Sherlock Holmes-esque Karthikeya with backwards ease. Although, he needs some work on his action acting, the fire of curiosity is now bundled with a certain maturity in the character. There are scenes where he has to portray his frustration with ritualistic practices yet also not completely dismiss them. The script makes it look easy and Nikhil’s acting makes look even more easier. The rest of the cast also do their roles well, though there aren’t any stand out performances. Anupam Kher shows up for a special cameo and of course Anupam Kher being who he is, delivers one of the most fantastic monologues about Krishna I have ever seen. It is portrayed by Director Chandu Mondeti in a visually striking way that I do not want to spoil here.

The story is somewhat predictable and the screenplay kind of loses focus sometimes. However, it is fast enough to keep things rolling where in you do not easily notice any flaws. Also, bits of humor are sprinkled around to keep it light. The best part is of course the background score. The score near the climax scene is…fantastic. Music composer Kaal Bhairava delivers a catchy yet intense Krishna chant that’ll stay in your mind even after you leave the theatre.

The only little nitpick I have is that I wish this movie had a bigger budget for the VFX. They could have used some refinement. Lets hope we get a big one for the three-quel which they smoothly set up in the climax. With the rate, that all the Indian audience – not just Telugu- is lapping this movie up, am sure it gets a bigger budget. The movie was made on a budget which is 15-20% of Shamshera but looks faaaar better. The title sequence itself is very GoT/Avengers Age of Ultron inspired.

Coming back to the context surrounding its release, in a time when the erstwhile major film industry of this country – Bollywood- seems almost psychotically hell bent on telling you that all your cultural values suck and you should keep feeling guilty of your past- the movie seems to almost do the opposite and bring people together. It makes you feel proud of your culture and makes you easily connect to its story.

But forget about Boycotts or nationalism or casual Hindu-hatred for a second. The main reason why Bollywood movies don’t seem to work these days is simple – bad storytelling. People are still watching good movies. In fact, they’ll even watch movies which they know little about just because they have heard that the story is good. Regional cinema is stretching the technical and creative boundaries of storytelling. The fact that they also tend to respect Indian cultural values is just the sprinkle on top. It is not the sole reason why the succeed. Other than a Rohit Shetty or Sriram Raghavan movie- I honestly can’t remember any Bollywood project that I got excited for.

Regional movies – particularly South Indian movies- aren’t all about a macho hero punching 15 guys in the air. They make everything from DC comics inspired crime dramas like Vikram to Anti-British ballads of valor like RRR or Dan Brownish Indiana Jones style mystery thrillers like Karthikeya 2. With technically, creatively superior stories being told in such a way that anyone can enjoy it- why will the audience go for a inferior product?!  (I told you I ll ‘try’).

Good music, good story, fun performances, interesting take on Krishna’s life and history and a respect for Indian values- this movie is meant to be enjoyed with your family and friends. I was surprised that the theatre had almost 85% occupancy, because the theatre was mostly empty when I had booked. The movie’s Hindi dubbed version just got 5x more screens because people have decided to put their money behind good entertainment.

 

The movie is Total Timepass! 

 

P.S.- The director sneaks in a Akhand Bharat with Bharat Mata image in the movie. Observe the walls of the Police station closely. :p

  

5 STORIES FROM MODERN INDIAN HISTORY THAT DESERVE THEIR OWN MOVIE/SERIES

 

MODERN INDIAN HISTORY – FULL OF MURDER, MAYHEM AND MASALA

 

Truth, as we all know, is stranger than fiction. If peppered with the right amount of creative liberty, we get some amazing movies like The Big Short or series like Wild Wild Country. However, Hollywood has figured out the recipe for creating the perfectly balanced ‘inspired from a true story’ that encompasses everything from 300 to something like Charlie Wilson’s war or any biopic for that matter.

Bollywood or more appropriately Indian storytellers have been… a bit hit and miss about it. Well more miss than hit. True to the modern state of our cuisine, we keep adding so much masala to it that the original flavour is lost. Like 83 or Bajirao Mastani’s second half, the unnecessary amount of masala results in an indigestible and upsetting dish. However, we have had some good ones like The Tashkent Files, Gumnaami (2019 Bengali movie about the mysterious death of Netaji Bose available on Prime) and the surprisingly successful The Kashmir Files which delve into our rich and mysterious history with the right amount of creative liberty. Or something like the massive blockbuster RRR which is complete masala but in the best possible ways.

On the streaming front, Sony Liv has been scoring better than their peers Hotstar, Netflix and Prime. Instead of just adding crude language, violence and sex just because they can, Sony actually put its money and heart into producing series like Scam 1992 – about the Harshad Mehta scam and its recently released Rocket Boys – about India’s nuclear program and its architects : Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. Homi Bhabha. If you are a history buff (like yours truly), the life particularly the circumstances surrounding death of Homi Bhabha would have immediately had you intrigued about the series.

There is no need for much additional when our history is full of stories so strange and intriguing, that only a small bit of imagination would be needed. Here are 5 very real stories that deserve telling –

 

5. Chandraswami

Speaking of Scam 1992, the series has a scene of someone calling a politically influential religious man in Delhi about Harshad Mehta’s scam and requesting their intervention in it. The god-man in question was Chandraswami.

Born Nemichand Jain, Chandraswami supposedly learnt Tantra vidya and attained Siddhi after 4 years of penance. His proximity to politician and later Prime Minister Narsimha Rao was the source of the spotlight on him. It is said that Rao seldom took any important decision without consulting the swami first. Also, Chandraswami’s roots apparently went deeper than that since his ashram in Delhi was built on land allotted by Indira Gandhi. He was present in many international religious conferences. He was also dispensing advice to well-known figures like the Sultan of Brunei, Elizabeth Taylor, Margaret Thatcher and even some claim to Dawood Ibrahim.

Like most modern self-proclaimed Swamis- Chandraswami had a lot of hidden wealth. He had been subject to various IT raids and apparently, he had made payments of up to USD 11 million to an infamous Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. The Jain commission even alleged his involvement in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.

His story has everything that a good series needs political drama, controversy, mystery but it may lack something which a great story needs- a blockbuster ending.

Sadly Chandraswami’s death was not as interesting as his life and he died of organ failure in a hospital.

However, imagine a movie inspired by this character with the right amount of masala would make for a perfect potboiler.

 

 4.SHFJ Manekshaw

 

Sam Hormusji Framji Jamdhesji Manekshaw a.k.a Sam Bahadur – His carrier and achievements are even bigger than his name. Perhaps modern India’s most celebrated military leader. Born in 1914 to a doctor and one of 6 children, Sam Manekshaw’s story comes built in as a proper script with excellent dialogue. I mean who says “I am always ready, sweetie” to the most terrifyingly powerful Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi when asked if he was ready for the 1971 war?

Sam Manekshaw’s quotes alone make for the most witty and entertaining reading. (you can read them here *insert link). He had that natural Parsee wit and charm coupled with the no nonsense military outspokenness of a man who had seen all kinds of hardship. He was the architect of the 1971 victory over Pakistan that resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh. When asked what would have happened if he had opted for being in Pakistan army before the partition he merely answered –

“Then I guess I would’ve won the war”

Sam wasn’t just all talk and no walk. He suffered life threatening injuries when fighting the Japanese as part of the British Army in Burma. Even when being treated, he protested and asked the surgeon to treat the other soldiers first. He was also instrumental in reshaping the Indian army’s training manuals and techniques to a modern era.

 

It is of course no surprise that a movie titled Sam Bahadur is being made by Meghna Gulzar starring Vicky Kaushal on Sam’s life. However, his wiki page alone has so much content, a 6-7 episode limited series would do a better job of capturing the larger than life figure that was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

 

3. Ajit Doval

 

Speaking of larger than life figures, Ajit Doval ‘s story is now in fact so well known and so interesting that don’t be surprised if Askhay Kumar is already starring in a movie about him. Jokes apart, what more can be said about India’s super spy that people don’t already know.

His 7 year stint living as a muslim in Pakistan is grounds for a series alone. Especially an incidence when a muslim man noticed his pierced ear (a Hindu practice of piercing the childs ear) but warned him in private about it. Doval had a plastic surgery done to remove it. His other lesser known exploits include handling intelligence during 1971 merger of Sikkim with India and also handling various Indian Airlines hijacking during the 1980’s. He was also involved in crushing the Khalistani terrorist movement along with KPS Gill.

His later political career is perhaps better known as the man who helped the Modi government come to power. The man whose plans have plans and those plans have plans as well. In a 2014 speech, he famously threatened to do to Balochistan what Pakistan was doing to Kashmir. That statement alone was supposedly enough to have Pakistani intelligence searching under their own beds.

James Bond meets Game of Thrones?! Who wouldn’t want to see that? The only issue with his story might be that we may never get to see the most mysterious of parts of it.

 

 

 

 2. Netaji Cult and the Sati Pati Cult

 

Coming to the more mysterious stories of India, Have any of you ever heard the name – Azad Bharat Vidhik Vicharik Kranti Satyagrahi? No? Okay how about – Swadheen Subhas Bharat Sena? Still no?

Any of you remember reading this news in 2016- about a mysterious cult who had made their home in Mathura’s Jawaharlal Park, who were involved in violence that killed 24 people? If still no, then oh boy, do you have a really interesting story on your hands.

There were 3000 people headed by one Ram Vriksha Singh Yadav – who was a disciple of someone called Tulsidas Maharaj. They had encroached upon the park and had created their own village for 2 years. They had their own currency, own constitution and producing their own goods. The bizarreness doesn’t end here. Yadav claimed to be disciple of a mysterious man named Tulsidas Maharaj a.k.a Jai Gurudev. Tulsidas Maharaj was a lesser known political figure whose birth and origin is shrouded in mystery. Gurudev apparently had amassed wealth of Rs. 12,000 crores before his death in 2012. His followers believed him to be the reincarnation of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

The cult led by Yadav had even weird demands were for discontinuation of the current Indian rupee and its replacement by the Azad Hind Sena currency notes promoted by Netaji. They also wanted 40 litres petrol for Rs. 1 and 60 litres diesel for Rs. 1. The cult also demanded the dismissal of the current Indian parliamentary system as they saw it as a remnant of British Colonialism.

Also, in case you want more masala, the cult was apparently there because they staked a claim over Jay Gurudev’s properties and were in a dispute with some other faction about it. Police later invaded the encroachment and 24 people were killed. However, the leader has apparently ran away and has not yet been found.

 

This story is just a writer’s free candy shop (or happy hours in a bar, because that’s what makes any writer really happy). So much built-in mystery and bizarreness that it would make for a perfect indoctrination story, conspiracy story as well as a political thriller.

 Sati Pati cult

Although not related to the Netaji cult, this is one story that is definitely equally bizarre and perhaps more mysterious. The cult has its origins in Gujarat among the tribals. They believe their founder Keshari Sinhji was gifted all the forest land of India by Queen Victoria herself before the British left India. They do not believe in the sovereignty of the Indian government

Well if that’s not the weird part, they completely reject any rules of the Indian government, they do not have Ration or aadhar cards and apparently many (some out of fear) don’t send their children to free govt schools or even give them vaccines. NGO’s and healthcare workers have tried but have been met with stern resistance. What is the terrifying part is that a cult which was present in parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, has now spread to the tribal and Naxal affected areas of Chhattisgarh as well.

Apparently some tribals in Jharkhand are not happy with this new cult invading their centuries old cultural ethos.

This story makes for a fascinating window into the lives of tribal communities of India.

 

 

1.      1.Anandmargis

How this story has escaped India’s pop culture is a bigger mystery than the organization itself. On the surface, the Anand Marga movement is like one of India’s many Hindu philosophical movements advocating meditation, Yoga sadhana etc. However, the story is full of action, political drama, extreme violence and oh yeah skull dancing –

 

 

Skull dancing isn’t even the most terrifying part. The organization was founded by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar in the 1950’s in Bengal. It’s popularity and socio-political influence really grew in the 1960’s when missionaries were being sent to different parts of the country and also over the world. The organization also criticized the Indira Gandhi government and if we have learnt anything from history is that if you are not Sam Manekshaw, you can’t escape criticizing Mrs. Gandhi. The organization was banned and its founder was arrested in 1974. Sarkar was allegedly poisoned in jail but survived. He was released from jail after 4 years in August 1978. 

In September 1978, a bomb exploded in Sydney at the Hilton Hotel where a meeting of some international diplomats (including PM Morarji Desai) was going on. The accused were both members of the Ananda Marga. Morarji Desai had claimed had the Ananda Marga had tried to kill him for the imprisonment of their leader. There was also allegations of other attacks by Ananda Margis on other foreign diplomats in Australia.

 

The growing popularity of Ananda Marga brought it in conflict with the Communist Party which had its roots deep in Bengal. As is the Communist tradition, there were various incidences if ruthless violence between them. The most notable being the 1982 Bijon Setu Massacre in which 17 Ananda Marga monks and nuns were dragged out of their vehicle in broad daylight and killed in public. Of course no one was arrested.

 

 

 

But the most mysterious case regarding Ananda Margis is the 1995 Purulia Arms drop case. This story sounds so bizzare it might as well have been typed by a bot. A Latvian aircraft dropped several AK 47 rifles in Purulia district of West Bengal. The plane was later intercepted by the IAF and grounded in Mumbai. The crew arrested were ex British Military and a few Latvians. A Danish man named Niels Hock was also arrested who had been a social worker in West Bengal. The man claimed that the arms drop was intended for the Ananda Margis as the then Indian PM Narsimha Rao wanted to use the Ananda Margis to fight communist influence. However, for the sake of brevity , somewhere somehow the Bangaldeshi army is also reportedly involved in the case.

This story is a mix of John Le Carre’, Fredrick Forsyth, Tom Clancy and Dan Brown composed into one! Add in a good star cast and a good director and you have a certified hit on your hands.

 Many often treat history as this subject which is boring and has no real use. Come to think of it, how many of us still use algebra in our daily lives? While a debate can be had about the ‘real use’ part, history is never boring if you know where to look.

 

 

 

Kaun Pravin Tambe (spoiler free) movie review

 

Ok Hindi film Industry…I ll give credit where its due. You actually made an awesome movie this year.

 

 

 

KAUN PRAVIN TAMBE

DIRECTOR – JAYPRAD DESAI (THIS DUDE NEEDS TO START TEACHING CLASSES TO OTHER HINDI MOVIE DIRECTORS ON HOW TO SHOOT SPORTS MOVIES)

CAST- SHREYAS TALPADE, ASHISH VIDYARTHI, ARIF ZAKARIA AND OTHERS

While we have all been busy celebrating the massive and deserved success of South Indian sweep shots like RRR and KGF, this little leg glance of a movie got overshadowed by it. (No, the cricketing metaphors are not gonna stop in this review).  We all collectively agree that mainstream Hindi film makers more often than not SUCK at making biopics, particularly sports biopics. With the exception of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and maybe Mary Kom to some extent, most of them either exaggerate too much or…they just exaggerate too much. That’s it. They put masala where its not needed.

I am tempted here to make this entire review about hating that absolute gutter trash of a film 83..a movie about India’s greatest cricketing moment...which it somehow managed to ruin. However, I will fight the good fight and praise this one. Kaun Pravin Tambe is the biopic of cricketer Pravin Tambe.  We have all heard that adage ‘Age is just a number’. Tambe lived and proved it when he entered mainstream cricket at age 41 defying his lower middle-class background.

However, its not just the typical rags to riches struggle. It is in the balanced manner which it is portrayed on-screen that makes a difference. The moments of emotion are undercut with levity, there are one or two bouncers here and there that threaten to derail the script, however it hits the pitch back again. The movie does have its fair share of stock sports movie moments like the stern but wise coach, family struggles and an unnecessarily hateful sports critic. But even these characters have a lot of nuances and you are actually given a reason as to why the sports critic is the way he is. The screenplay is perfectly paced – it isn’t too dramatic for it to feel ridiculous neither is it too realistic for it to feel like it’s dragging on.

Like it or not, but Shreyas Talpade is presently Marathi industry’s biggest export to Hindi film industry…and he knocks it out of the park here. Comparisons maybe made to Iqbal – another cricketing movie where he played a bowler- but I honestly feel this is much more balanced performance. At every given point of time, even though you are completely aware that the real Pravin Tambe is obviously not like this, yet it still works. His passion for cricket shines through in every frame without overpowering the scene. Also, the supporting cast works really well- especially Anjali Patil as his wife and seasoned actor Ashish Vidyarthi as the coach who sees in Tambe what Tambe himself hasn’t seen yet. Also, one must appreciate the casting director who cast the absolute perfect actor for Rahul Dravid’s role. The dude looks, acts and speaks exactly like Dravid.

 What movies like 83 and ANY future Indian sports movie needs to learn from this one is that you absolutely do not need to put everything in slow motion. This movie has some of the best and cleanest sports action without any jump cuts or speed ramping. It all feels natural, like you were actually watching them play shots. Seriously, this movie makes 83 look like a fucking joke. It was probably made at half the budget but delivers 200 times the cricketing action in a much better way. The scene towards the end where they merge real IPL footage with Shreyas Talpade in it is seamless.

 Director Jayprad Desai has apparently made documentaries and a web series on Zee 5 (it’s called Hutatma and its about the struggle for the creation of Maharashtra and I am about to watch it now). The whole feel of Kaun Hai Pravin Tambe is well..anti-Bollywood-ish. Almost feels like a Marathi movie or a regional movie where they know how to spend money and screen time wisely. (Maybe coz the director and the screen writers are Marathi). Very subtle aspects like the art direction- Tambe’s chawl home – things kept in the background tell their own story…the subtle dialogue with the exact amount of drama necessary has very..un-Bollywood like sensibilities to it. Let’s hope we get to see such intelligent and shrewd directors in the Hindi film industry more. To call this a typical mainstream Hindi movie feels a bit weird. (even though its produced by Disney).

 Kaun Pravin Tambe is like a beautifully bowled leg spinner- with the exact amount of flight and twists necessary to have you stumped. (Yes, why would you think I wouldn’t end this with a cricketing metaphor).

 

STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING TODAY AND WATCH THIS MOVIE ON DISNEY HOTSTAR RIGHT NOW.

 

PS - Only negative I can think about the movie is why I didn’t I watch this before. It apparently came out in April. They should've marketed this better. 

A Tale of two-part movies - the best way to spend a lazy weekend

 

A Tale of two-part movies - the best way to spend a lazy weekend

After making a grand entrance, Thor has finally pierced Thanos with his strombreaker axe, the Avengers – the protectors of the Earth had thoroughly been shocked and nearly defeated by the alien demi-god Thanos’ invasion…the terrifyingly imposing villain needed the six infinity stones to make his wish come true…cause a universal genocide to restore balance…snap away half of the population…surely villains don’t succeed to this extent in any Marvel movie, they always end short of real tragedy…but Thanos actually snaps his fingers…and he succeeds…half of the universe’s population including many avengers…just turn into dust…the Avengers fail… a title card appears on the screen - 'Thanos will Return

That moment, that tease of having to wait a year to see how at all can Avengers succeed…the build -up and hype up to that moment is what made Endgame such a huge success despite being nearly not as good as Infinity War. This is the power of the two parter – or duology as we will be calling it for the purposes of this article.

While the trilogy- a beginning, middle and an end- whether planned like Lord of The Rings or unplanned like The Dark Knight trilogy (yes it was never planned as a trilogy) is a very popular format especially in mainstream franchise driven Hollywood, the two-parter or the duology has not been so. One could say the trend may have begun when Tarantino’s epic Kill Bill was split into two and released a few months apart in early 2000’s. Even the Matrix sequels – Reloaded and Revolutions were shot as one movie but released months apart.

But the trend really caught on when, Harry Potter split its last movie – The Deathly Hollows- into two parts. In terms of story-telling, it allowed for better fleshing out of the characters and the plot points instead of the usual Hollywood way of compressing a large story into 2 hours. But in terms of box office numbers, it REALLY worked its magic. Soon after many other franchises like Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent etc. did it with their series finale but didn’t see the same results as Harry Potter.

However, the duology hasn’t caught on as much as the trilogy. Of all the mainstream Hollywood movies – Horror movie It Chapters 1 and 2, the animated movie The Dark Knight Returns and Lars Von Triers’ Nymphomaniac are the only ones that tell their stories in two parts. Denis Villenueve’s faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Sci-fi classic novel Dune is surely going to be a duology as confirmed by the Director.

 

UNDERUTILZED FORMAT

If you ask Hollywood about utilizing the format, their answer to any thing is a question – what will make us more money? Just like they did with the Hobbit movies, they would rather everything be a trilogy or more if they know they can mint money in it.

But the duology is a highly under-utilized format even from a commercial angle. In this attention starved world, a set of two movies lasting let’s say 4-5 hours are much a better format than a trilogy which lasts 7-9 hours, thus making it more binge worthy. As was the case with Infinity War or It, the cliff-hanger ending offers instant in-built hype for the second one. Also, the movies can be released within a shorter time span if planned accordingly, thus avoid any risks of delays etc.

 

 

 

INDIAN IMPACT

However, surprisingly the Indian film industry (we are NOT calling it Bollywood anymore) has been ahead of Hollywood in this manner. Not only do we have many duologies released and planned to be released, they have actually been planned sequels for the sake of storytelling and not an afterthought for a quick cash grab.

 

So, on this extended weekend, if you have a afternoon to spare check out these Indian Duology of films –

 

 

5) NTR : Kathanayakudu and Mahanaykudu 

A Telugu movie based on legendary movie star turned politician N T Rama Rao, starring his son Bal Murali Krishna in the title role. This duology was released in 2019 a few months apart. As they say truth is stranger than fiction and NTR’s life story is a testament to it. The first part concentrates on his rise to stardom when the entire south film industry including Telugu and Tamil were situated in Madras. The movie follows NTR’s journey in becoming its first super star and giving it the respect, it deserves.

The sequel follows his rise as a politician. Although obviously written through the eyes of hero-worship and conveniently glossing over his later affair with a much younger woman etc. the politics alone is worth a watch. Rana Dagubatti stars as Chandrababu Naidu and delivers a subtle villainish performance. Though not the best, it is certainly worth a watch.

 

 

4) Raktha Charitra 1 and 2 

This was the probably the first Indian movie to be released in two parts and also the most underrated. Vivek Oberoi’s last good performance and one of Ram Gopal Verma’s last sane movies, Raktha Charitra as the title suggests is of course an epic tale of blood, violence and politics. Based on the unbelievable true story of Naxalite Rebel turned Politician Paritala Ravi and the Andhra Pradesh politics of the 80’s.

Packed with a multi star cast of Vivek Oberoi, Radhika Apte, Shatrughan Sinha, Suriya, Sudeep and many others, everyone delivers subtle yet explosive performances in keeping with RGV’s directing style. The pick of the lot is Abhimanyu Singh (who would later star in many movies like Ram Leela, Gabbar Singh (telugu), Sooryavanshi etc.) Abhimanyu Singh plays the dangerous and downright horrifying villain Bukka Reddy based on real life Obul Reddy.

There’s TV bombs, land mines, revenge killings for two generations…which all might appear fictional…but 99% of the movie is actually true. If you can bear through some violence, this is definitely an epic worth looking into. Its available for free on Youtube or on Amazon Prime. Prime has a slightly censored version for the faint hearted.

 

 

3) Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and 2

Rakta Charitra might have been the first, but this cult classic was the one that introduced Indian audiences to the duology format. Originally released as a single almost 5-hour movie in film festivals, the movie was split into two parts for commercial release and it makes the story better. The multi-generational story inspired from Godfather and Mahabharat takes its time to set up its range of eccentric characters and dialogues as the story grows along slowly but without ever losing its grip.

Having the now well-known names like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadda, Pankaj Tripathi paired with experienced acting powerhouses like Manoj Bajpayee, Reema, Sen, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Piyush Pandey and others. This is the movie where Anurag Kashyap found that golden middle between his brand of experimental cinema and commercial success. The duology is single-handedly responsible for making Hindi film industry take an interest in telling rural stories. The movie is obviously known for its dark humor and meme worthy dialogue even after so many years.

The first part with its cliff hanger ending perfectly sets up the sequel which ups the ante in the best possible way.

 

2) Bahubali 1 and 2

This was the Infinity War of India…not just in terms of its commercial success but the Katappa ending to the first one had the entire nation theorizing and memeing for 2 years straight. There’s nothing much to be said about Bahubali. I mean either you have watched it or you don’t watch movies at all. The movie has some rough CGI, but it still holds up even after 5 years. The war scene from part 1 and the coronation ceremony from part 2 remain some of the most epic moments ever put to screen in Indian cinema.

More so than the spectacle, it’s the immortal characters like Sivagami, Bhallaldeva and of course Amarendra/Mahendra Bahubali that always make a story memorable. Rajamouli’s father K Vijayandra Prasad takes inspiration from ancient Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and it is visible in the nuanced characterization in what could otherwise have just been a mere spectacle of a movie. Rajamouli’s Snyder-esque skill of visual storytelling makes the movie anytime watch and universally appealing. A reveal that a soldier who was helping in battle is actually Bahubali himself, could merely have been a dialogue. But Rajamouli even makes that into an epic visual scene. The background score by M M Keeravani is a mighty pillar holding this art work aloft.

Watching the first one for the epic cliffhanger and then watching the even more epic conclusion is surely a great way to spend an afternoon.

 

1)       1) KGF CHAPTER 1 AND 2

Bahubali is definitely a better made duology in terms of screenplay, characterization, editing etc. This is not even a countdown of the best Indian duologies but…call it recency bias… but holy fucking shit is the KGF duology is epic! Without even needing to be! If Bahubali is inspired from our ancient epics, then KGF is definitely inspired from the Salim-Javed created genre of the angry young man from the 70’s but taken to the max…with Snyder-esque visuals (yes, no wonder we Indians are Snyder fans) and with epic Back ground score. On paper a rehash of Amitabh Bacchan inspired character from the 70’s point out to the fact that it shouldn’t work at all. In theory, it should be another run of the mill common masala movie which feels shallow but looks good.

KGF however doesn’t just look good..it looks great! Just like Mad Max Fury Road or 300 what could’ve been just a visual epic is in fact an adrenaline packed journey about love, promises, ambition and POWER. The second movie oozes power and loud extravagant ambition in every frame and this is maximalist cinema at its absolute best. The character of Rocky is the new age Vijay but again on steroids. People literally open doors but in slo-mo and set to Ravi Basrur’s rocking background music.

The movie singlehandedly put Kannada movie industry on the map despite existing for so many years. Although they have teased a chapter 3…it’s not at all needed after such an epic conclusion.

 

From the looks of it, this format seems to have worked. Pushpa : The Rise is definitely going to be another duology with Pushpa : The Rule releasing late in 2022.

So there you have it, the perfect way to spend a 5-6 hours on a weekend. A trilogy is so outdated...give us more epic two parters please!