Afsal Hussain

Baaghi 3 ⭐⭐ A highly nonsensical rehash of 2012 Kollywood superhit 'Vettai', that defies logic with a half-baked screenplay that fails to present anything apart from the chiseled abs of Tiger Shroff who is out to avenge an entire nation!! There's no doubt Tiger Shorff is the most able actor to pull of an out and out bollywood action entetrtainer these days,but the lack of a solid storyline spoils all the fun and I do believe its hard time Tiger stops giving nod to such silly,brainless sequels which will find it hard to gain viewership in the near future. Leaving aside the lovable physique of Tiger Shroff,a dedicated performance from Riteish Deshmukh,an impressive cameo by Jackie Shroff,few good action blocks and humor,this mindless sequel is a bit more mediocre on comparison with an at best passable Baaghi2.Give it a miss! 2.5/5 #Afsaltouchriver (12/2020)

Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal ⭐⭐⭐ Contrary to mediocre trailers and promos,Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithal is a pretty engaging light hearted romantic thriller with an enjoyable mix of romance,comedy and thrills. Desingh Periyasami has cleverly utilized situational humor,small twists and the lovely chemistry between the lead actors to cover up the cinematic liberties,logical issues and minor loopholes on the screenplay which otherwise could have affected the flow of the narrative. Leaving aside a slighly dull first 10-15 minutes,the 162 minutes long movie is thoroughly entertaining and an uber cool Dulquer Salman the funny conversations involving DQ and Rakshan clubbed with sequences featuring Goutham Vasudeva Menon made the best part of the movie. Music by Masala Coffee band was average the background score by Harshavardhan and Rameshwar was good. Overall,Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal is an enjoyable romantic thriller that's worth a watch from the cinemas.Go for it! 3.5/5 #Afsaltouchriver (11/2020)

Trance⭐⭐⭐ An ambitious,technically sound Anwar Rasheed offering that's partially letdown by a half-baked screenplay! The 170 minutes long drama very-well exposes the controversial topic of spiritual opportunism for the major chunk of the first half,followed by a rather confusing and lengthy second half that gives more focus to the inner conflicts of the protagonist Viju Prasad,portrayed efficiently by Fahad Fazil. The narrative put forward clues for various interpretations,giving way for prospect of hallucination,lucid dreaming and split personality,all which coudln't be presented conclusively on screen despite heavy suport from the technical side,may it be brilliant frames by Amal Neerad,neat sound design by Rasool Pooutyy and highly effective techno based score by Sushin Shyam and Jackson Vijayan. The technical perfection alongwith a topnotch act by Fahad saved the movie upto an extent,but the below par second half and confusing conclusion will make mixed emotions in the minds of the audinece that can make the recovery from theatricals a herculean task for the movie. Give it a try at your own risk! 3/5 #Afsaltouchriver (10/2020)

Malang⭐⭐⭐ An average revenge drama with some good performances,hearty music and captivating visuals as the guardian angel! The movie evokes dejavu of Mohit Suri's own films in the past like Ek Villain,Murder 2 and Half Gitlfriend,the major reason why this revenge thriller ended up as a decent one-time watch at the best. The narrative,eventhough hackneyed has its share of enjoyable moments and the small twists in the storyline ensured that the thrills are maintained till the end of the presentation. The chemistry between Aditya Roy Kapur and Disha Patani was lovable and both the actors played their part really well. Anil Kapoor and Kunal Khemu too made their predence felt with memorable acts. All the songs were impreessive with the picks being the title song and the highly addidtive 'Chal Ghar Chalein'. Overall,Malang is a decent revenge drama that's worth a one time watch from the cinemas! 3/5 #Afsaltouchriver (9/2020)

Varane Aavashyamundu⭐⭐⭐ A template feel-good movie with right dose of drama,romance,humor and sentiments,Varane Aavashyamund easily qualifies as a delightful watch for the family audience! Blessed with dedicated acting performances,this Anoop Sathyan debut follows the succeessful formula of Sathyan Anthikkad movies in the past,utilizing natural humor as the major ingredient to instill a positive vibe in the minds of the audience for its runtime of around 145 minutes. Suresh Gopi's Major Unnikrishnan was a major surprise and the talented actor made his comeback memorable with a highly effective performance that showcased his versatality and ease in handling comedy and emotional sequences. Dulquer Salman,Kalyani Priyadarshan and Shobana too played their part really well.Cinematography by Mukesh Muraleedharan was impressive. The slow pace during the latter part of the first half owing to loose screenplay,alongwith the abundance of lengthy song sequences and abrupt cuts could have been avoided. Leaving aside the few negatives,Varane Aavashyamundu is nevertheless an enjoyable light-hearted feel-good family movie that's surely worth a watch from the big screens.Give it a try! 3/5 #Afsaltouchriver (8/2020)

Psycho⭐⭐⭐ Director Mysskin's tribute to Hitchock has all the signature elements that one associate with the director,may it be eccentric characters,blood-shed,gore,metaphoric innuendos and haunting music! Based on the buddhist story of Angulimala,this psychological thriller, eventhough follows the cut and dried pattern of run of the mill serial killer films for a meaty portion of the narrative,has tried to go deeper into the psychological aspect present,the result being a satisfying thriller that's worth a watch for its decent first half,good second half and a refreshing climax. Udayanidhi Stalin,Atidi Rao Hydari and Nithya Menon were adequate in their respective roles,but the big surprise was debutante Rajkumar Pitchumani who played the dreaded Psychopath convincingly on the screen. Ilaiyaraja's background score and songs were terrifiic. Unlike earlier Mysskin films ,the flaws and loopholes owing to cinematic liberties were aplenty and could have been checked for improving the overall impact of the narrative. Overall,Psycho,despite its shortcomings, is a signature Mysskin film that's worth a try from the big screens! 3/5 #Afsaltouchriver (7/2020)