Sivakumar Balachandran

Watched Meiazhagan. What a feel good movie it was. One of the best feel good movies of recent times. Acting wise both leads killed it. All the ladies did their part well. Felt so nostalgic. Felt so moved. After the movie it felt like someone gave me a tight loveable hug. So many things about the movie stood out for me and taught so many life lessons. 1. Appreciate people over money. 2. Appreciate and enjoy small things in life. 3. Don’t hold grudge against anyone. 4. Life is short enjoy while you can. 5. Be Kind to everyone.

My take on Brahmastra : It’s time for an Indian fantasy adventure superhero saving the world movie based on the theme of Astras (mythological weapons) Finally, I got to see the most expected big budget Bollywood release (in 3D) that was buzzing quite a while for its production value, years in the making and in the midst of trending boycott Bollywood hashtag. Did it meet expectations and the hype? Will it succeed and break the barriers Bollywood has been facing on the recent times after so many flops at box office ? What worked well Awe inspiring Stunts using the power of VFX & CGI to the fullest which makes this movie a big screen special (what a way to pull back Bollywood masses towards the big screen) The narrative Ayan Mukerji’s labor of love in creating the Astra universe which composes nature elements like Water, Fire, Wind also powers of different animal forms like Bull, Monkey, Snake etc. and Brahmash society Brilliant Film score that elevates the stunts to another level Good Interval block What could have worked well While the basic crux of the story is strong (creating an Astra aka weapon universe) but screenplay lags because of the romance portions Songs placement – The viral Kesariya would have worked well towards the closure of the movie and they could have done without the entry song. But Deva Deva was well placed. Dialogues were tone dumb particularly on the romance portions. Casting SRK on screen after a long break sets the screen on fire with his presence as the scientist who wields the Vanarastra. The idea of having such an iconic cameo enter on the very beginning and presenting an opening stunt sequence sets a clear tone on what to expect from the rest of the movie. To say it did transpire well. Nagarjuna as the artist who wields Nandiastra was another super cameo addition. Mouni Roy as the mystical Junoon the queen of darkness shines bright on screen. Ranbir & Amitabh were good but wouldn’t be standing out as their best performance. Felt Aalia went back to the lover girl times even though the role demands nothing more except being a push in Shiva’s life. Dimple Kapadia popped in for a glimpse but didn’t have anything other than being a pilot (may be in part 2 we will see her character more) My favorite special effect scenes Shiva wielding Agniastra around engulfing himself and protecting Isha with the Sanskrit chant on BGM was epic - Tinzing the small boy with wind power saves Isha from Junoon by making them float on air – Stunt sequence with SRK floating on the air with Vanarastra formation Overall (3.5/5) a sure shot enjoyable ride on BIG SCREEN. Looking forward for the next installment in the Magnum opus Brahmastra Trilogy Part 2 Dev (wish it is Ranveer singh playing Dev) - Sivakumar Balachandran

Vikram - Wow what a movie !!! 1st half - An engaging Investigative crime thriller drama 2nd half - A fully pumped up action thriller Vikram was a pure labor of passion and a 100% directorial venture of Lokesh so far in his filmography. I loved “Kaithi” movie but when I compare it with Vikram the daughter sentiment portion that Kaithi had was taking a bit more space or like mellowing down the screen play where as in Vikram we see a husband trying to save his wife , a grand father trying to save his grand son, drug lord trying to save his empire but these where handled with a subtle note such a way it didn’t spoil the thriller that was unfolding in front of us. Some brilliant screen play out here. There were moments in the film which audience were so invested and engrossed clapping their ways as the story unfolds. Every Technical aspect fell in place perfectly for this movie. There wasn’t anything that was underwhelming for me throughout the crazy ride. For me I found this movie thoroughly engaging start to finish with the stellar cast including three mammoths of south cinematic talents whose craft speaks for itself. Ok Surya was supposed to be a surprise but boom as the spoilers went out in advance before the movie got released his character appearing wasn’t having that wow factor but nevertheless he gives us a promising glimpse of the next season. Can’t wait for the next instalment to see what’s there in Lokesh’s vision.

Such a let down by director SP Jananathan & team The movie wants to deliver so much in the likes of economy, agricultural crops pricing mafia, depletion of natural resource, labor exploitation etc. But the whole idea goes for a toss when the screenplay is super lousy and marred by disaster editing. Character sketching was very weak. Summing all these negatives it becomes un bearable in so many stages and we get some amateur vibes in terms of execution. In terms of casting wasn’t impressed by VJS, I have no idea why would Shruthi Hassan or Sai Dhanshika would even accept roles which have literally zero impact. With that said I couldn’t find any positives Verdict: Total disaster VJS star power couldn’t save this sinking ship.

My take on Navarasa: Navarasa as the name suggests is an expression of 9 human emotions (rasas) in form of 9 short films featuring stellar ensemble cast with popular directors and technicians on board. With all that we get ready for an extremely emotional ride but the ride isn’t interesting enough to get us intrigued. So for me 3 out of 9 worked and the rest merely had good efforts but failed to translate the vision or message of the story teller. Here is a short review on my top 3 episodes: Inmai (Fear) stars siddarath and Parvathy was an eerie take of an islamic horror, folklore, thriller with a twist served to perfection in terms of performances,cinematography, direction & production design. For a short film this was a stand out for me. Rowdhram (Anger) had an usual story of poverty and life struggle of a single mom to keep her kids happy but the expression of anger towards the exploitation in our society was subtly put in form of one boy’s anger. This was a surprise directorial debut by actor Arvind samy who also appears in one of the shorts. Payasam ( Disgust) transports us to the world of Kumbakonam Brahmin family’s marriage and happens in 1965. The whole plot on envy, ego, jealousy transforming to an act of disgust was skilfully emoted by the legendary Delhi Ganesh. Verdict : See over all Navarasa had strong acting and execution but didn’t have equally strong substance in the storyline. So we didn’t get invested by all the emotions and we leave with a rasa of “feeling flat”. - Sivakumar Balachandran

Boring, makes no sense, broken, confusing, non linear, obliviously over rated (after seeing 4 star reviews seriously!) This series is confused, lacks depth and was terribly slow. Pathetic character developments and keeps pouring new characters makes you loose track. It didn’t either have satisfying storyline nor any jump scares. I felt it to be such a disgrace to the ‘The Grudge’ universe. Spoiler alert: There was a rape scene which was like bizarre where the girl who gets raped goes hand in hand makes the rapist her accomplice. Verdict : Don’t waste your time on this one.

My take on 1917 : It is a war movie but like no other, I mean in terms of the film’s take on World War I (WW I). It doesn’t show you the usual chaotic war sequence all the way, rather it takes you for a journey which will suck you in and soaks you thoroughly in the mood during those times. Mendes known for his big films Spectre, Skyfall doesn’t fail to impress the audience in presenting a visually astounding story of two courageous soldiers embarking on a journey to deliver a message that could save 1600 fellow soldiers. What worked for me was the amalgamation of brilliant direction, screenplay, cinematography, lighting, the whole production design, top notch sound mixing, background score and class performance by the two leads. It all kind of fell in perfect blend which set the tone of grimness on the viewers. The level of detailing in the movie was so immersive that we are teleported to the war trenches. There were scenes in the dark where the soldier is running for a hide out and the flashes of grenades illuminates him, watching this on big screen was sheer breath taking. The song “Poor wayfaring stranger” when sung by one of the soldier before their big day was moving. At the end, we come out of the movie as proud as the soldier saving the battalion from the trap. Overall Mendes’s 1917 is a pure cinematic brilliance and will be a strong contender for the Best Picture of 2019. PS: Watch it in biggest screen possible. -Review by Sivakumar Balachandran

Wow what a movie. Intense - moody-slow yet grippy - emotional - different perspective of essaying a past love story. VJS as Ram fits easy breezy and effortless. Trisha was at her best as Jaanu. As she entered the frame in the film she gave life to the character. These two leads mostly lead the movie with a strong supporting cast which includes the debutants junior Ram and Jaanu, also Bugs and Devadarshini. Govind Vasantha comes with an album that boasts soulful songs. Kathale song Is an absolute treat to ears and heart. Absolutely loved it. This Can’t get better. I can watch this movie so many times and I am sure I will feel emotional every time. Director Prem Kumar delivers it strong on his first film and making us curious what is gonna bring to us on his next venture. Verdict : overall an emotional love drama filled with life that’s sure to shake your life with emotions. An easy 4.5/5

Jab Harry met Sejal – Easily one can expect the magic or something different when a director like Imtiyaz Ali ropes SRK for a romantic – comedy. But Imtiyaz Ali's experiment fails to react correctly in spite of perfect chemical composition comprising SRK, Anushka and scenic Europe because of not adding the catalyst which I would say the storyline and screenplay. I am not trying to sabotage the eagerness of all SRK or Imtiyaz Ali fans here. This movie was neither a romantic comedy nor some complicated love story like ones we see these days. OK, what was good in the movie, locations of course (but we have seen enough Europe nowadays in Hindi films). SRK as Harry has the charm to tie the audience to the seat, his character is rusty but lacks details like his troubled existence or past. Anushka as Sejal whose character has the habit of reminding the class she belongs to and a tourist guide is too low for her to fall in love. On the contrary, she wants an opinion on her looks from the same guy whom she doesn't even respect. Watch this movie if you are a die-hard fan of either of the two lead actors and you get some melodrama, some no sense comedy and some songs then I guess you won't be disappointed. Be sure you will be lost in the plot which travels to Holland, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and Frankfurt. Sure I am not buying this as a love story. Rating 2 /5.

Wonder is a beautiful family drama with a cast that's wonderful. It's an incredible story of a mid schoolboy with facial differences who attends regular school for the first time. The movie showcases acceptance, love, friendship, kindness twined with lots of fun moments. The best part of it was the message " if you were given a choice to being right or being kind, choose kind". Watch this touching drama that resonates assurance of kindness. Wonder was in and out wonderful. A must watch for the family drama lovers 8.5/10.