Badlapur ReVIEW

Badlapur ReVIEW

Badlapur (the city of revenge), the name itself gives you an idea about the theme of vengeance in the movie. Since the making of this film which was May 2014, Varun and team were exceedingly keyed up. For the first time, we could see Varun as a dark character in a dark movie. The heart throb and desire of millions of girls turned to this role for serving new to the industry from his side. Sriram Raghvan is famous for his ‘exclusive’ movies and with Badlapur he adds one more to the list.

Raghu (Varun) is simmering in revenge from two culprits who killed his wife Misha (Yami) and his son in a bank robbery. One of the culprits Liaq (Navaz) is caught and sentenced to an imprisonment of 20 years. He is adamant in not revealing the name of his partner in crime. Liaq comes out of imprisonment after 15 years for medical treatment of cancer. With this begins the revenge of Raghu.

Theme is well set but weakly executed. Some unnecessary scenes and revenges left audience bewildered. So many minor characters altogether are difficult to handle but Raghvan does it. The characters should have been given more space to explore themselves removing the uncalled for parts. The imaginary land of Badlapur doesn’t give much out of it only a residing place to Raghu. The town is no more significant to the plot except its name.

Varun no doubt tried his level best to come out of his romantic smooth image to a rugged one but was completely overshadowed by Navaz. This is something interesting about Navaz that he is similar in all the movies and yet fits the role aptly. He is one of a kind, can be compared to Irfan Khan. It was Navaz and his well written as well as performed character which gave spectators the crisp.

Vinay Pathak, Radhika Apte, Yami Gautam, Divya Dutta were finely knitted minor characters but the one who won applause is Huma Qureshi in her role of a lover, prostitute and a kept. She had a developing character.

Movie leaves us with many questions unanswered. Was Raghu’s fuming revenge always there or just erupted on hearing about Liaq from Shobha (Dutta)? Was it justified on the part of Raghu to kill some of the characters brutally without finding them to be guilty? Will Raghu invite peace and welcome “second chance” of life (as Huma said in the climax)? Well, this has been left to viewers to fight with.

Movie overall is visibly dark, hard, catastrophic, jagged and weighty. This won’t please audience for sure but will leave a new genre to brood upon for Bollywood.

My Ratings: 2.5/5

Review of ROY - the film

"Agar kisi writer ko janna ho toh uski book padhlo" (To know a writer read his/her book) 

 

With this mantra, this movie rests itself. Kabir (Rampal) is a film maker in search of a theme for his movie. He goes on writing and directing the film at the same time. Whatever he feels and lives and gets influenced around he transfers into his script (only the context differs). With this he creates an actor version of himself, Roy (Ranbir) and of Aisha (another film maker) into Tia (Jaqueline).

Bonding between both the pairs in real and reel life grows simultaneously. When finally the script demands end of the female actor, the real life female partner also feels that her role has ended. So leaves. The film maker never thought he wont be able to move ahead without its female counterpart which results into his life and the movie at halt. 

Movie has some amazing lines to go WoW. For instance, 

"Zindagi ka asli shor duniya ki khamoshiyon me hi chupa hua hai" and

"Jaise kisi kamre mein bandh kar diya ho jiske darwaze hi na ho"

There have been many 'movie within movie' concepts in Indian Cinema but this is which shows the writer and actor on parallel lines.

On one side we find Kabir in real life not able to move ahead with his life and leaves movie halfway and on the other side Roy stuck in the sea waiting for the instructions from his creator (kabir) to take him out of that place and move his role further. 

Something that is so ambiguous to write Vikramjit Singh has presented on screen.

Yes! It can take time for spectators to understand such a heavy plot but screenplay makes it easier for them.

Oh man! Arjun has just outdone everyone here. The most apt person for this role. Ranbir's though less but a significant role grabs attention till end. Jacqueline in her twin role looks beautiful but bit lost somewhere and the same.

The thin line between Reality and Fiction has again been played with. All the writers from any field will easily relate to this. This movie has been successful in knocking my doors of postmodernism and I have welcomed it with both arms.

To be frank so many left in the middle of the movie and many slept while watching.

But for me its eye awakening.

My verdict 4/5.

REVIEW OF DANIEL'S DIARY

REVIEW OF DANIEL’S DAIRY

(a novel by Rajeshwari Chauhan)

First of all it was so dumb of me to keep this book shut in the cupboard for months without reading. But then it proved a wine for me, the older the better. The same is with the theme of this novel. Aha! Daniel’s Diary, finally something which fits into the category of ‘classic literature’ Rajeshwari Chauhan, women with the magical hands, has described the Mughal era so realistically that it seems to be her first hand experience. As if it was not Daniel but she present over there at some point of time with the King Akbar and Begum Jodha at Agra (in case Daniel was for real not fiction). The smoothness with which the story moves from the contemporary place Sumangarh to 1560s Agra is where the readers flow profoundly. Mrinalini, though young and in the prime of her life shows her fondness for the historical paintings, buildings, scripts and her concern for them gives a shine to her personality. When looking at Arrow, her boss in a way, she has glimpses of a prince she always imagined in her dreams and read in poems. Her liking towards Sumangarh increased when she found Daniel’s diary. In a way this diary of Daniel was the reason behind her proximity with Surajsingh. It was an amazing journey into the 16^th century from an eye of a Portuguese artist. The narration and the vocabulary used to describe the minutest things related to Islamic and Hindu culture, the forts and mahals, the festivals and weddings, the royal family and common citizens is eye-widening and mind-bobbling. This novel is not only historical but also thrilling. The suspense keeps on developing with the pages and revelations are sometimes heart breaking and sometimes heart pleasing. Daniel’s anguish of love and his falling in love with the court dancer Mahamaya is actually pious. The dreadful separation of both and the aftershocks of these incidents on Daniel will surely put readers into tears. One remarkable thing to be noticed here is two contradictory pairs at Sumangarh.  On one side there is a concerned pair of Mrinalini and Surajsingh who at the stake of their lives and in disguise want to save the historical treasure of the country i.e. the paintings, scripts, Rang Mahal, valuables of Mughals and antics. Whereas on the other hand there is callous pair of Suman and Arrow who in the lust of pelf are ready to use, sell and make a show of these things. Both the pairs belong to the same era and yet a wide difference in their preference. Couplets in the middle of the prose make it a novel perfect. The minor characters too are finely crafted. Personally the only thing that I can’t decide is what I liked the most. The present time or the diary of Daniel because whenever the story jumped from Daniel’s diary to the present time I got irritated and when from present it went to the diary I got irritated again (well take it as a compliment). Ms. Chauhan I would be desperately waiting for your upcoming work and I swear then I won’t keep it in without reading. Keep writing and keep spreading a moral message as done here.