debjyoti das

Trust Nolan to use this medium to amalgamate time, story, space, emotion, reality and idea and just dish out a thorough blockbuster. And he does that with aplomb again. I wasn't much too impressed with his last venture Dunkirk. But as it is with every Nolan film, it's not much about the story he sells but the entire experience of watching it on the big screen. And boy o boy Tenet does that. Armed with a story of altering reality and time with the usual 'save the world' plot, Tenet follows protagonist (Washington) on a journey to prevent WW3. Pretty standard Nolan stuff happens, time and realities begin to mix up making it tougher for the audience to grasp what is happening. There are a couple of dialogues certain characters mouth, "Don't try to understand it, just feel it." Follwed by one towards the end, "If you can't stop thinking about time in linear sense, this is not for you." These 2 dialogues should pretty much sum up the film for you. Because one will understand the story after multiple watches, or if you are lazy you will just google 'Tenet explained'. But there is no fun it. Trust me, there is no fun in googling the answer instead of watching it and rewatching it again to understand a Nolan film piece by piece. Now the acting by the lead cast of Washington, Pattinson and Elizabeth are decent. I have seen them perform better. They do the job well. The tight screenplay does allow them to mask some shortcomings. Dimple Kapadia has a very good role, it's not a 2 min dash and she has ample amount of dialogues but I just didn't feel her enough radiate through the screen. Music is definitely the highlight of the film, Ludwig Göransson is a freakin' genius. The entire film reverbs and vibes on a different level as soon as his BG score begins. My heart literally thumps and I got goosebumps whenever any music erupted. Editing is top notch again by Jennifer Lame. I mean to edit a Nolan film is no easy task. The film is tightly edited, there are no bogged down moments. You will always be on your toes and figuring out what will happen. That's where Nolan's writing also shines. To be actually fair, the music, editing and camera (Hoyte van Hoytema) lifts Nolan's screenplay several notches. Tenet is something that has to be experienced on the big IMAX screen. I don't think so it will be the same when you watch it on your tv and laptop. It's a wholesome experience. As it goes 'don't try to understand it, feel it.' #tenet #tenetreview #debreviews

Zero 6/10 Hearty efforts in a messed up screenplay. So often we have seen in the wake of making lavish films, great film makers faulter. Sadly this happens with Anand Rai's Zero too. This was not at all expected from Anand L Rai. The film has an amazing and fun filled 1st half. Where it faulters is in the strictly average and boring 2nd half. That's where the writing goes haywire. The visuals are amazing though. It's a lavish design filled with some great VFX you will ever watch. SRK's performance is endearing and stunning, easily among his top 5 performances. Anushka was good but was quite inconsistent in her performance. I'm still unable to find Kat in the movie. Even cameos are longer than her screen presence in this movie. Zeeshan Ayub does a great job in his limited space as does the rest of the cast. Music by Ajay Atul is good, the background score gave me goosebumps quite a few times. The song 'Mera Naam Tu' is beautiful shot and is pleasing to both the eyes and ears. The rest of the songs are meh and easily forgettable. Salman and many other leading actresses which includes Late Sridevi pop up for cameos to one's excitement. The movie has a very simple story but it gets messed up due to the writing which could have been way better. The entire angle of SRK and Kat just didn't make any sense. It felt like a afterthought. I will take another moment to rave about the VFX here because this is the best work you will ever see in an Indian film up until now. It is just that good. But the heart is always with the screenplay, you can try to cover it up as much as you want but it will always show. I can say that I'm disappointed from the movie but SRK's performance more than made up for it. Still worth one watch. #ZeroTheMovie

Badhaai Ho 10/10 Bollywood seems to be on a role, forcing me to rate a full 10/10 for the last 3 releases ( Andhadhun, Tumbbad and now Badhaai Ho). The day the trailer for this movie landed I was so eagerly waiting to watch this on the big screen as the premise seemed so hilarious and original. And I wasn't disappointed a bit. The film has a very basic and simple plot. A couple in their 50's who have 2 children, get pregnant. The social stigma and embarrassment that comes from the society and their own family forms the crux of the story. The film is brutally honest and simple in it's approach and never goes overboard into preaching on what a society or family should be like. They don't lay down golden rules or have big speeches. The hero of the film is it's brilliant script, hat's off to the writers (Shantanu, Akshat, Jyoti). Amit who directs the film treats the film and subject with a meticulous approach. The depiction of a typical middle class 'Delhi' vali family is so on point without going into stereotyping. Running into just a shade over 120 minutes, the movie never bores you because comic situations continue to arrive in every scene. The movie is a laughter riot and the emotional scenes gave me goosebumps and teared me up a bit. While the script is the hero of the film, the heroine of the film has to be the excellent bunch of actors. Meet the KAUSHIKS( You have to ask the little brother why it's KAUSHIKS and not KAUSHIK'S). Jeetu(Gajraj Rao), Priyamvada (Neena Gupta) play the pregnant couple. Dadi( Surekha Sikri) plays Jeetu's old mother. Nakul (Ayushmann) and Gullar (Shardul) play the sons. Everyone is mind blowing throughout, their expressions are so on point. Gajraj, Neena and Surekha jee steal the show with their brilliant portrayals. They seemed to be living the characters. Ayushmann is on a role, back to back brilliant movies and acting. Badhaai ho is a brilliant comic caper that just cannot be missed. It's heavily entertaining and you will fall down laughing. The delicate issue of pregnancy in the late 50's and societal stigma that comes with it has been brilliantly handled and portrayed.

Tumbbad 10/10 Tumbbad is a modern cinematic masterpiece. Visually stunning, dark and gritty. Set in the 1900's it is a story of greed revolving around a legend. The first born child Hastar of Goddess, what happens when humans build a temple for him when it's forbidden forms the crux of the story. The movie is visually so strong and appealing that it captures you right from the first frame. The entire movie is shot in natural light which lends a lot of authenticity to the visuals. This has to be one of the most hauntingly brilliant camera work I have ever seen in a movie. Every shot and scene seems like a work of art. The VFX is stunning as well to create Hastar in the Goddess's belly. Simply stunning work.The screenplay is so crisp, detailed and disturbing that it will stay with you even after the movie is over. The screenplay is divided into 3 chapters according to the generation of the family involved. The music by Ajay-Atul and Jesper Kyd goes so well with the tone and theme of the movie. Sohum Shah as Vinayak is absolutely brilliant. The supporting cast act wonderfully well. Portraying the Greed, one of the seven deadly sins, of human nature and how it leads to downfall is written and captured amazingly. No wonder this movie took years to write and make and was again rewritten and re-shot. The results are amazing. Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi take a bow. You have created something amazing. Tumbbad is easily the best film of the year for me and it surely is among the best films made. It redefines horror genre with stunning visuals, amazing writing and sound. It's a must watch. #Tumbbad

Venom 5/10 An absolute disappointment and a mindless entertainer of sorts. I was so psyched for this movie when it was announced and the first trailer hit us. One of the most amazing comic book characters, I was excited to see Venom once again on the big screen. Add to that Tom Hardy playing the titular role. Sony pictures had it sold to me completely. But all expectations came crashing down once the 112 minutes of the movie run time was over. The movie has the most simplest and basic plot line. Add to that no good side characters and patchy writing throughout. The only two good things about the movie were Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the symbiote Venom also voiced by Hardy. Venom does not even appear until the one hour mark and that will lit your eyes up in anticipation and you will get an orgasm of a sort. Trust me. Whenever Venom is on screen the movie just becomes amazing just by his presence and his dialogues. Tom Hardy is exceptional as Eddie and Venom but he is tied down by the patchy writing and did his best with what he was given. Hardy has gone on record and said that they cut his favorite 40 mins from the movie. Add to that Sony going for the PG-13 rating rather than R didn't help the cause. I'm sure a R rated movie would have served a movie and character like Venom in a much better way. It just baffles me how the studios are seeing only kids as their audience and are neglecting the majority crowd who have grown up reading these comics and are well over 20 years now. But that is a different rant for a different time. Coming back to the movie, the visual effects are on point. The depiction of character of Venom and Riot is so amazing. So good job on that front. But the movie seems grossly underdeveloped, lacks depth in all departments and has zero character development. Every other character is a complete waste and reeks of lazy writing. The villain is the worst of all. Although still, this movie has it's fanboy moments. Eddie's and Venom's sarcastic comedy makes the movie worthy of one watch at least. They had sizzling chemistry which could have taken the movie to new heights but the overall writing just let's it down. Venom is a lazy movie and I wish they had put in more effort. Mid credit scene teases the character of Carnage. Post credit scene shows just a extended scene from upcoming animated movie 'Spiderman:Into the Spider verse.'

The Martian ***** Based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel of the same name. The Martian directed by Ridley Scott stars Matt Damon as the stranded astronaut on Mars who is presumed dead. What he does to survive and what NASA does to ensure his return to Earth forms the crux of the story. Hope and the will to survive is something which keeps us going even in the toughest of times and this movie exactly shows us that, never to give up even if everything goes south. I haven't read the book so i cannot say anything on that, but the movie on the whole is just exquisite and a treat to watch. All the stuff shown in the movie right from growing crops on mars to creating water do have scientific backing and are realistic somehow which is one of the biggest highlights of the movie. The movie is believable and although it is a work of fiction, it can be very real. The movie has some amazing VFX to boast about to go with the great story and narration. The climax in particular is so good that i had my mouth open in Awe of the whole scene. We have had movies like Gravity and Interstellar in the past couple of years and it will be safe to say that The Martian overtakes both of them as it is more of a complete movie than the other two. Collections won't be a problem as it is gonna shower the box office with a lot of money. It's a visual and mental treat, so do go and watch it peeps and bask in the awesomeness of it. P. S Sean Benn does not die in this one 😂😂??👏

Sui Dhaaga - Made in India 8/10 'Sab Badhiya hai' is the mantra that Mauji (Varun Dhawan) lives by. Even if his life is plagued by a disrespectful job, a father who considers him good for nothing, a stuck up relationship with his wife and to top it all a poor & meagre lifestyle. Par Sab Badhiya hai, the dominating theme on which the entire film rests. The indomitable spirit, optimistic and never say die attitude which makes people successful through their hardships. Mauji works as a helper in a shop that sells sewing machines also doing odd jobs for his bosses which includes playing a dog to entertain people at his self respect's behest. Mauji is married to Mamta (Anushka Sharma) but their relationship is stagnant because life and in laws constantly come between them. Mauji has a sweet mother(Yamini Das) who lingers around and a father (Raghubir Yadav) who is always taunting his son. A simple small time family of everyday life set in a big city. One sudden evening at a party Mamta witnesses how Mauji humiliates himself to earn some extra bucks. Saddened by the disrespect Mamta hints Mauji to start something of his own as he is a good tailor. That's where the endearing story of struggle, pain and hardships begin. Varun Dhawan is once again exceptional and now I double dare people to call him an over the top actor. After his performance in October, Varun treats us with yet another amazing performance. Anushka plays the quite & subdued wife but she is the brains behind Mauji. She does not guide Mauji but hints and directs him and Mauji takes care of the rest. Anushka lets her expressions do most of the work and is good in many parts. Yamini and Raghubir play their parts to perfection and lend solid support. Directed by Sharat Katariya, remember Dum Laga ke Haisha? Yes, he is the same director. Once again he comes with a sweet and simple story of everyday life and endears us. His direction is so grounded to reality that it's almost unbelievable at times. It's those little moments in the film that steals the cherry on the cake. The pacing of the film which I found to be a bit slow in the first half does much much better in the second half. The characters are so well written and grounded to reality which helps immensely to the film's cause. Sound is one very important aspect of this film to show the struggles, the little happiness, the tension in between characters and it doesn't let down. The film does not have over the top motivational dialogues or melodrama to get its point across. It uses its characters simplicity do the talking. The movie just hints at how the artisans of our country always gets the raw deal and they need recognition. But does not go any deeper. It's centred around the protagonist Mauji's life and how that affects him and his closed ones. The movie also shows the beauty of a marriage. It busts the myth that 'behind every successful man there is a woman.' It shows that beside every successful man there is a woman walking side by side with him matching steps with him and supporting him in his hardships. But still takes the backseat guiding her man at important junctures. Sui Dhaaga is a warm and beautiful film. It tells us to keep fighting and to not get bogged down by the hurdles that life throws at us. Watch it for Varun's amazing performance and the simplistic and realistic portrayal of everyday life.

The Nun 4/10 Such hype, such wait, such marketing and the movie turns out to be a damp squib. The movie surely does fall on it's own wait of expectations but even if it was a standalone movie without any hype, it would still have failed to impress me. The screenplay of the movie is a bigggg let down as there is literally no content. The movie is named 'The Nun' yet she is hardly there except for the last 10 minutes or so. The movie has nothing new for a horror movie and there are no scares whatsoever apart from a couple of jump scares. But that's it. The entire movie moves about monotonously revolving around 3 basic characters. Neither the sound nor the art design helped as the movie fails to hold your attention. The cinematography was good though as there were some aerial shots which looked really good and lend the story good support visually. I have seen better Horror movies from Bollywood and that is saying something. One good thing about this movie is the way they tied it up with the Conjuring movie. I'm not sure many people would get that at the start of the movie itself. All in all The Nun simply and plainly is a bad movie. The horrific Demon Nun and we deserved much better than what was promised. 'The most darkest chapter of the Conjuring universe' was simply not dark. Don't waste your money watching it.

Sanju 6/10 When you have a director of the capability of Raju Hirani, an actor of Ranbir's calibre and the controverial lifestory of one of the most iconic superstars of Bollywood in Sanjay Dutt, expectations will be very high. Atleast I, had tons of expectations, the trailer looked amazing. But alas, I was disappointed at how ordinary and average the film was. The film has everything right from a spoiled rich kid under pressure of the legacy of his parents, drugs, terrorism charges. That has been the past 37 years of Baba' career and Raju has tried portraying it on celluloid in his own style involving humour which has worked wonderfully well for his past films. But it sadly does not work in Sanju. The entire first half is spent on Baba's drug problem, on his fight with it. The main issues and controversy of his terrorism are introduced late but up until then you are already feeling bad for Baba as was the main intention of the film it seems. To show the other side of the story and show Baba in a sympathetic light. And I have absolutely no qualms in that. The main issue with the film is a very ordinary script and writing. There was a lot to show but the director and writer, I guess toned it down for a larger audience and focused on very specific issues. They barely seemed to have scratched the surface of Baba's life through the movie as many things looked incomplete and lacked depth. The film though technically sound in most departments such as good musical score, editing and cinematography, fails to leave an impact and the sole reason for it is an average script. The second half over does the media bashing in respect to making Baba's life difficult and spreading half baked truth. Although it is true that media manipulates and can no longer be considered completely truthful, overdoing or overplaying that card makes it less impactful. But kudos to Raju for taking that topic because Media manipulation is a hot topic in today's times. Raju also subtly pulls a mirror to the society on how quickly we react and pass judgement to things without knowing the complete truth. One of the final scenes so aptly puts it out when Sanju comes out of Yerwada jail and a 'fan' is constantly shouting for a picture together but Sanju is busy when the 'fan' shouts out 'aee terrorist,ek picture lene ko kya jata tera'. Yes, such elements exist among us. Now what makes the movie worth watching is Ranbir Kapoor's heart stealing performance as Sanju Baba. He absolutely nails it in terms of picking up Baba's mannerisms and voice to a large extent. But the job is half done. The rest is shouldered by his impeccable acting and performance. Ranbir Kapoor is the whole and soul of this movie. He is still handicapped by the script but he made the most of what he was given and made it a memorable performance. This performance of his is definitely among his top 3 which includes Rockstar and Tamasha. The rest cast also has stalwarts like Paresh Rawal playing Sanju's father in Sunil Dutt and he perfectly portrays a calm persona that was Sunil Dutt sahab. Vicky Kaushal as Sanju's best friend Kamli is outstanding. He picks the Gujju accent and humorous character with such ease and panache that it speaks volumes of his acting skills. Jim Sarbh plays the drug peddlar friend of Sanju and he too was brilliant in the first half. Manisha Koirala has a limited role as Sanju's mother Nargis Dutt and she doesn't disappoint. Anushka Sharma's role as the writer was very bland and just looked plain bad. She even tried putting up an American accent for a couple of seconds and failed in it. Cinematography is very good. The picturisation of 'Har Maidaan Fateh' song was so inspiring and beautiful that it constantly gave me goosebumps. Editing was crisp, no songs comes out of the blue and they are there for a reason which is very unlikely for a Raju Hirani film, so good job done on that aspect. Sanju is an ordinary film by all standards but the acting makes it a worthy watch. Watch it for Ranbir's game changing act and keep low expectations from the movie.