Vinod Lakhani

Sometimes it rains ...... it pours. Suddenly after a long lull, we now have a deluge of good movies released ........ Chandu Champion, Maharaj, Kill, Maidaan, Manjummel Boys, Maharaja ........ and the latest - Sector 36 ........ which I presume is like the icing on a perfect cake. Sectors 36 rests on the shoulders of 2 really fine actors - Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal. It is inspired by the infamous Nithari killings. There is not much of suspense or intrigue in the story. Right from the first frame, it is very clear who the perpetrator of the crime is. But what carries the film to greatness is the brilliant performance by Vikrant and Deepak. Vikrant has already shown his prowess in earlier films ......... here he just takes things to a higher zone. From being a demure servant who is meek and mundane, almost nondescript in one frame, he effortlessly moves to be a cocky, arrogant and disparaging of the Investigative Officer in the very next frame. Vikrant gets to essay a dark character and he uses his skills wonderfully well to essay the chilling performance of a serial killer. But it is Deepak Dobriyal who just takes the film to another level. Deepak has had a string of credit-worthy performances in the past. We all remember him for his comic roles and his wonderful sense of timing which brings out the humour to the fore. Here we see a different side of Dobriyal altogether. Intense, worried, terrified, disgusted, helpless ........ all these emotions he plays out ........ with just his eyes. Vikrant had the freedom the choose his gait, his expressions, his dialogues, his mannerisms - to portay his dark role. Dobriyal brings about all his emotions only through his eyes. When he is in the Ravana attire or when he is interrogating the suspect, all his acting is done through his eyes. It takes a really great actor to accomplish this and Dobriyal aces this feat brilliantly. It's been a long long time since I have seen acting of this calibre. I believe both these actors would be nominated for acting honours this year ....... and I have a strong suspicion that Vikrant might lap up all the Popular awards ......... but surely the Jury's awards should go to Deepak Dobriyal. And his eyes .........

Saw the movie Kill on OTT just now ........ big mistake ........ bahut bada galati ho gaya ........ this is a movie for the big screen ......... action at its goriest ........ scenes which are nothing short of blood curdling. When you have grown up on Bollywood masala films which have action sequences which make you cringe ........ dishoom dishoom that makes you laugh ........ suddenly this thing crops up out of the blue. Absolutely slick action ........ something which would even make Tarantino proud ....... Raghav Juyal, the chocolate boy dance wonderkid ........ as a menacing Villain is just brilliant. His mannerisms, his ruthlessness, his one-liners would send a shiver up your spine. Just the way an archetypal Villain should be. A good action film is defined more by the antagonist rather than the protagonist. POV - Gabbar, Mogambo, Shaakal - these characters are those crazy heads which create a lasting impression on the viewer. The bigger the villain, more chance for the hero has to shine. And here our hero shines ........ Lalwani Seth ........ delivers a knockout punch as a kick ass Commando out to stop the band of bandits singlehandedly. He is reserved in his acting, but delivers great timing and skillful fight scenes. Raghav does steal the show in the movie, as a over-the-top villain is wont to, but our Sindhi manoo doesn't let him completely rule the film and does not get overshadowed by the titular bad-man. Direction is brilliant. Action sequences are something which Bollywood hasn't seen as yet. Not for the weak hearted. Story is wafer thin. No character development, no plot twists, no beating around the bush. The movie's objective is very clear ........ action, blood and gore. And it delivers very strongly on that front.

Maidaan ....... a well made film on the glorious decade of Indian football ........ opens our eyes and makes us realize that in this cricket-frenzy country, there are other Sports which can shine as well. A very good movie. Well directed. Good tight screenplay. And it surely gives us the goosebumps by the time it ends. No wonder the audience was clapping and cheeering towards the climax of the movie. A must watch film for sure. Usually in such Sports biopics, while the matches are shown ....... an integral part of building up the crescendo is the Commentator. We generally don't pay much attention to this aspect, but it is the Commentator who is responsible for creating the moments ....... the tension, the hope, the belief and finally the triumph. Even in Lagaan, there was a villager with a bullhorn who was entrusted the job of keeping the audience educated and engrossed in the match. In Maidaan also, in all the matches, right from the start of the movie, this job was entrusted to a pair of capable chaps, who were pretty good at keeping the audience hooked on to the match. Now generally in most Sports movies, these Commentators go ballistic towards the climax and they are jumping out of their seats in excitement and this enthusiasm gets the audience infected as well. In Maidaan, the makers tried something different and the effect was mesmerizing. After the 87th minute in the final match, the Commentators are silenced out. The audience is silenced out. All other sounds are muted. The last 3 minutes of the match just has a wonderful background score by A.R. Rahman. And this is the time when the audience cheers the most ........ there are claps, whistles, cheers and ofcourse the ubiquitous chants of *Bharat Mata ki Jai* ........ from the audience. Also the actions scenes in the game are filmed brilliantly. As it is, football is a tough game to film. Getting the nuances of the game right is not that easy. And top of it to create a game played in the 60's is a big challenge indeed. Kudos to the filmmakers for getting most of the action sequences right.

The story is good. The built-up of the Characters is nice. Too many intriguing storylines going on simultaneously. The Creators of the Show try to borrow a leaf from Harlan Coben Shows, where numerous sub-plots keep playing concurrently and the Viewers are just fed bits & pieces to keep them guessing all the time. The best part of the Show is the casting. Chandan Roy plays an important role as a Tribal Leader and shines amazingly, keeping the flow moving forward in a subdued way. No over-the-top histrionics and he delivers his part in a very effective manner. After his role in Panchayat, this is another feather in his cap. The highlight of the Show is undoubtedly the antagonist - Chandan Roy Sanyal. This guy just keeps getting better and better with each outing. In Ashram, he was an able sidekick to Bobby Deol and in many instances outshone everyone else with his brilliant acting. Here he has been elevated to the highest platform on the dark side. And he delivers strongly. Menacing, threatening, plotting his way to create an aura of an evil empire encompassing all types of vices which could possibly be covered. Drugs, Prostitution, Murder, Extortion, Collusion with Politicians ....... he's got his fingers firmly entrenched in all the nefarious pies. I firmly believe that a strong Villain does lift the entire Story on his heavy shoulders and results in the creation of a movie/show which is remembered for ages. If you look at past celluliod history, there have been so many instances where it was the nasty and ruthless bad-man who laid the foundation for the movie to eventually shine. Right from Gabbar Singh in Sholay to Mogambo in Mr. India to Shakaal from Shaan to Joker from The Dark Knight ........ and so many more ........ they leave a lasting impression on the Viewer's mind. The Villain here had a good script. All the elements were put in for him to come forth as the devil incarnate. The actor chosen for the portrayal played the part with utmost conviction, great skills and put his heart into that role. But sadly, then the Creators of the Show messed it all up with a small detail. They put in an angle in the Story to ridicule this mighty badass. I don't know what got into the Writers at this stage. Maybe they just wanted to show the Protagonist to be a chill guy and sacrificed the entire negative integrity of the anti-hero by ridiculing him for a past deed from his childhood. The entire armour of evil intent falls down here with this small mistake. The Viewers then never relate to the sheer sinister face of the evil man. He then becomes a simple billi-maar. Alas, what could have been so great, gets undone by a small scene in this interesting story. But keeping this above folly apart, overall the Show is pretty good and worthy of a watch for sure.

Saw this Web Series - Kaala Paani ........ brilliant it is ........ absolutely brilliant. It's set in the year 2027 ........ and the story is about a new pandemic that breaks out in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It's a limited edition 7 episode series. Story is well crafted. Acting, direction, music ........ everything is perfect. Cinematography is just too good, with the natural locales of A & N Islands highlighted in each episode. As the plot unfolded, I was a bit worried that the Makers won't be able to bind together so many sub-stories and was fearful that the end would be compromised. But I shouldn't have fretted. Everything fits in perfectly. Infact the emotions which are brought out here in all their gory details make you seriously mull about the selfishness, the greed, the inner true feelings of human nature. Some of the scenes are so vivid and stunning that they are sure to stay in the conscience for a very long time. There is one stand out skit where one of the protagonists falls in an animal trap huge pit in the jungle, while searching for his estranged family. And this meek fellow fights off a snake in that pit and then even with a fractured foot, manages to climb out of that really deep pit using an ingenious method and his strong will for survival. The Series is highly creative and immensely captivating.

Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley. I had read in the media sometime back that an Indian Production House was making an adaptation of a Agatha Christie story. I had immediately cringed. Preposterous ....... was the word that came to mind. Then I calmed down a bit and tried to recollect some good Indian adaptations of Western Classics. And surprisingly - 2 sprung to mind immediately. Angoor directed by Gulzaar Saheb and Omkara by Vishal Bharadwaj. There have been some more good adaptations, but these 2 really stand out. Since Gulzar Saheb is nearly 90 and hasn't directed since 1999, I was hoping that if an Agatha Christie adaptation had to be made, then hopefully it would be done by VB. As luck would have it, VB it was. But then I saw the Trailer a few days back and it was cringe time again. The purpose of the Trailer is to leave an impression upon you and nudge you to go watch the movie. This one did no such thing. It was pretty insipid. And on top of it, had just watched another new Hindi movie release recently - Neeyat. This one was touted as a Christie type of story and had been shamelessly copied from Daniel Craig starrer Knives Out, which in turn had been inspired by Christie stories. And this Neeyat film was absolutely pathetic. So it was with dread and trepidation that I sat down to watch this series Charlie Chopra. The good part about it is that its a limited edition 6 edpisode series. So you could watch it in one go. The brilliant part about it is ....... that it turned out to be brilliant. Althought it starts of with a cheesy scene with Nasseruddin Shah doing some mumbo-jumbo and then the Detective is introduced as solving the mystery of a bridegroom's flicked shoes at a wedding. The bar was set low and I was fearing the worst. Especially since Vishal Bharadwaj hadn't directed anything in the last 5 years. I got the feeling that he had lost his touch. But boy-o-boy, these geniuses don't lose touch so easily. He gets the story back on track, brings in the elements of confusion so required in a good murder mystery, points fingers at all characters one-by-one and then wraps it up with a tight plot and sound reasoning for the Detective to find the killer. The VB touch is surely there and some scenes are so cleverly done that they leave a lasting impression. The sub-story as to how Charlie's mother abandons her is well crafted and filmed. And the bumbling Detective Charlie who found the groom's missing shoes in the washing machine (though hard to imagine why there was a washing machine at a Wedding venue) and then matures on to tackle a complex murder mystery with a good number of characters, each having their own stories and their own motives. In short, a brilliant series. Weekend is here. Go watch it. And don't even try to guess the Murderer. You will fall short for sure.

Finally saw my first Mammootty film ........ Rorschach ........ it has a complex storyline and keeps you engaged ....... but me being the smart one - I unraveled the complexity in the first half hour itself ......... and I was sitting smug ....... feeling proud of myself that I had got around such a complex story so fast ....... and then boom ........ more layers are added to the story ........ more characters come in ....... all with their own intrinsic stories ........ things are getting out of hand ........ it is difficult to keep track of all the going-ons ........ and then you realize that the makers actually wanted you to understand the first complex part ....... and then move on forward to more mysteries ........ murder, greed, a deadly jungle, jealousy, lust, robbery and then finally a ghost ........ the story keeps turning & twisting ........ just when you think that you have now begun to comprehend ........ a new angle opens up ......... story is a masterpiece ........ direction is good ......... and Mammootty is like a Rockstar amidst all these shenanigans ........ I wonder why the movie hasn't been hyped up ........ it's definitely a must-watch .........

Just saw this new movie - Rashmi Rocket. Taapsee is the lead star. That is till the interval. Interval ke baad entry hoti hai Abhishek Banerjee ki. What ....... wait ...... who ?????? This chap is a small time actor who plays character roles. But here he just steals the movie away. Damini had a Sunny Deol, a big star, who similarly enters the plot mid-way to play a Lawyer and walks away with the National Award. I don't know if this Banerjee fellow will get the Award, but his character of a fiery Lawyer to rescue the damsel in distress is a treat to watch. Not to be missed. Totally entertaining movie.

Movie Review - Mission Mangal Well, first things first - the Movie hits the right chords commercially. Pleasant Movie. A feel good Movie. Inspiring view for a weekend. Brings out the nationalist fervour and pride in you. Maybe would even inspire a few kids to dream about becoming Space Scientists - which I would say is not a bad thing at all. Now coming to the crux of the Movie - it has a big star cast - lead by a dynamic lead actor in Akshay who has recently performed many stellar roles in movies with nationalist messages. Direction by Jagan Shakti for his own story is pretty sleek and convincing. All the hardwork put in by Jagan as an understudy on various projects has really paid off and he has done a competent job. A special mention here for Akshay. The story here showcases his junior Vidya Balan's character in a shinier light. She is the one who actually convinces Akshay that the mission is possible after coming up with a theory inspired from Home Science. When the team assembled for the Mission shows disinterest and is on the verge of quitting, it is again Vidya's character who comes up with inspiring motivation to rouse up their spirits and propel them to glory. When the Mission is on a shaky ground due to budgetary constraints, it is again Vidya's character who comes up with a home grown solution. A lesser mortal would probably not have been comfortable by letting the lady star take away the limelight and longer screentime in the Movie. There are so many stories abound in the Film Industry about stars who have forced changes in the script to ensure more prominence for themselves. If Akshay has allowed Vidya to garner more mileage - and I'm saying allowed here, because I'm sure he has enough clout and starpower to demand changes - then he should be indeed commended for this. Coming back to the female stars - a fiesty bunch of them - Vidya does shine in the added responsibility given to her, although in her recent movies, she has taken a conscious decision to be wrapped in a Sari and let her pleasant face take centrestage with her acting prowess. She seems very comfortable in her skin and is not in the rat race to have a size zero figure. I find that hugely admirable as she is sending out the message that for an actor to succeed at the highest level - it is not only about gymming and glamourisation. A natural look with great acting skills can still set high standards. The other horizontally challenged actor in the Movie - Nithya Menen decides to let her hair down - or curl - and rejoice in her shape and aesthetics - and even though still draped in a Sari - dresses to showcase her sensousness, as opposed to the more plain looking portrayal by Vidya Balan. So in this Movie of plentiful - there is wonderfully a third actor who has been battling weight issues. And here Sonakshi has taken a different route than the above 2 and has gymmed and starved her way to a svelte frame. 3 different ladies. 3 different portrayals. And all 3 shine in their own bright way. Some critics of the Movie might say that the plot swerves many a times away from the destination intended for the Movie. There is a sub-plot regarding religious conversions. Another regarding religious intolerance. There is one regarding a philandering husband. Another talks about a working lady's commitments towards her family and husband. One sub-plot deals with the challenges a single lady needs to face to find suitable matches for one-night stands, wherein the guy does not end up charging her for the performance. But we have to look at the fact that this is a commercial Movie. It needs to hold the interest of the Common Man and hence the masala is added. If the Director had only talked about scientific and technical jargon related to the Space Mission, then the Movie would have ended up being a documentary without bringing in any bucks for the Producers.