Happy Me

Let's take pride in our national teams; and not just the cricket one. We need to applaud our coaches and players across all sporting disciplines. Movies like Maidaan pay a tribute to, and enlighten us about, sporting heroes like Coach Rahim and the team that put the Indian Football Team on the global map. To put it short and sweet- Maidaan is a film worth watching, extremely well narrated.Yes, this movie is lengthy. Yes, there are a few slack moments, but that's just a blip that doesn't take away the overall liking for the film. Don't you sit through three hours of a cricket match?! And recall those days when movies did have a duration of 3 full hours (the iconic Deewar for example was quite a lengthy one). Go watch Maidaan in better comfort (as compared to watching a cricket match in a stadium), and, believe me, the three hours slip by pretty fast. It is, in fact, meant to be enjoyed in the theatre. The excitement just cannot be as impactful on any screen smaller than the one in the cinema hall. My elderly aunt enjoyed it, too! It was unfortunate to see a small audience for the 12 noon show today. Go and fill the theatres - and cheer at the end. This movie deserves a larger audience and applause as well. Other than Ajay Devgn, the boys are terrific - whether in their football skills, their camaraderie, or their emotional expressions. A wonderful surprise was Abhilash Thapliyal as an ace commentator narrating the action on the field. The training sessions and the matches themselves were superbly shown. Remember to remain seated when the credits roll. You'll get to see members of the actual team. We need more sports biopics like this and in more disciplines. How about one in archery or equestrian?

Laughed my guts out!! I can't understand the haste in which the audience exits from a theatre. Most annoying. Jhimma 2 has WhatsApp message-dialogues alongside the credits at the very end, and those will put you in splits as well so don't miss them. Just a note- doesn't matter if you are not proficient in Marathi. There are English sub-titles. About watching the film in a threatre- When was the last time you laughed spontaneously and really loudly, not caring a hoot about who stares? That's why you should watch Jhimma 2 in a theatre right away. Whatever the ticket price, it is VFM. In fact, that's the best way to watch a movie, enjoying along with the audience and this one deserves to get a longer run in the theatre and not abruptly shifted to a single late night show just to make way for upcoming films. Coming to the acting- Hands down the best performance is by Nirmiti Sawant. To create spontaneous laughter, that too really of a wholesome kind amongst members of an audience is not easy and this is one superstar who does it effortlessly. We gave a separate, special round of applause at the end of the one scene with the portrait (not divulging more!) that you'll be talking about in years to come. Unforgettable. It brought the house down! Has this extraordinary artiste ever got a National Award for best actor (and not merely best comedienne , mind you)?? There are scenes in which there is no dialogue for her and yet a lot is conveyed through her eyes, facial expressions, and hand gestures. Thank you Nirmitiji for bringing joy & laughter always, and sportingly even at your own expense. I did miss the scene that was put in the movie's trailer prior to its realease, where you are informing 'Saheb' about your next trip. It should have been there in the movie as well. Paired with her is Rinku Rajguru. Her exuberance and joie de vivre is infectious and she holds her own in the midst of the senior superstars. A word of appreciation for the casting director who paired her with Nirmiti Samant, and her wardrobe stylist as well. Lovely, lovely, colours and prints! Then there is veteran star Suhas Joshi, as good as ever. Without revealing her character's story in the film, it was a really well enacted one. The way she conveys her fears towards the end is a master class in acting. Brilliant! Kshitee Jog and Suchitra Bhandekar are competent as well in their roles. Somehow, though, the younger artistes who play the role of Krutika and Manali did not create as much of an impact as the senior stars. Siddharth Chandekar as the tour guide, too, was a bit flat. One or two scenes were a little artificial, like the shopping expedition. There are minor things to nitpick about, too, like driving around without a valid license and documents, but, as I said, it is nitpicking. Shelve it. Just enjoy - to the very last "UNO!" in the credit-roll.