Movie Review: Rogue One–A Star Wars story..the Force is not so strong on this one

Another one that goes with a disclaimer – I am not as much of a Star Wars fanboy so this review may be perceived as unfair or inaccurate by the die hard Star Wars fans. I’ve seen the movies of course and felt that The Force Awakens arrives with truly a new hope for taking the franchise forward. Rogue one though simply isn’t as exciting or thrilling for me to look forward to this franchise spinoff.

Over the years, Hollywood has become better and better at capturing the visual experience of movies that ignite the imagination. Star Wars is no exception. While the initial movies may almost look like costumed drama (though with better storylines) the newer installments have become increasingly polished and Rogue one doesn’t get a step wrong in that department. Beautifully realized and technically marvelous in terms of its set pieces, CGI or otherwise, Rogue one gets just the right canvas. The action is particularly spectacular to watch. Whether it’s the storm troopers, the light sabre or the sleek futuristic battleships – everything looks real. Despite the complexity of the aerial combat, its still not hard to follow.

The letdown here is really the story. While they’ve attempted to be a little different, the story progression is predictable to a fault. There is a façade of double talk, secrets, mysteries and thrills but in reality, there are hardly any. There is an irritatingly loud background score, rising to a crescendo despite the fact that nothing spectacular actually is happening on screen.

The movie borrows liberally from other similar movies featuring a rebel faction and even so, the handling is poor. At no point do you care what happens to the characters on screen. As to the characters themselves, well, none of them get fleshed out particularly well. We don’t have our next (or is it earlier…) Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia or even R2D2. K2SO tries to do that job and while he brings a bit of comic relief, BB8 did a much better job of the same.

In terms of the acting, since there’s hardly a need to emote, I guess they all do a decent enough job. One thing this script definitely lacked is coherence. Had they slowed down a bit, got us to actually connect with the new characters and their dilemmas, it would have been a much different and hopefully more thrilling ride.


I get what the movie was trying to do and the effort is laudable. However, even as a standalone Star Wars prequel that leads into the original iconic series, it isn’t all that I had hoped for. That’s not to say that it’ll be a dull time at the theatres – the spectacular action alone makes it worth the ticket.

Movie Review: Befikre..couldn’t care less and that works

Before you get your hopes all up let me issue the disclaimer – nowhere am I saying that Befikre is your must-watch romantic comedy. I have to admit though that it is a breezy and fun watch..for the most part at least.

There are two things that work majorly in Befikre’s favor – one is its ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude towards the plot, its characters or their emotions. It’s a fun ride that at no point wants to become serious and save for the pathetic climax, it’s a formula that works.
After a long time, we’ve had an offering who’s only intention is for you as the audience to have a good time – so there’s plenty of humor, some laugh out loud moments, good dialogues and unadulterated fun. For the little time that it does take on a more serious shade, is where it begins to drag and feel stretched.

The other big feather in its cap is Ranveer Singh. I’d like to say it’s the couple’s sparkling chemistry but with Vaani Kapoor for company, that would be majorly over-stating the case. While Vaani does a decent enough job, this is a Ranveer show all the way. The man is a powerhouse and he slips into character so effortlessly, he may as well be playing himself. He manages the delicate line between being high energy and over the top with finesse and despite his loud character never once looks like he is over-doing it. Any other actor instead of him and this may have been a hard to digest watch, let alone a one-time breeze.

Paris is used liberally but more as a sparkling canvas to the two leads rather than a third character itself. The movie doesn’t stop to take a breath and the plot rushes along at a feverish pace, pretty much through the movie. Some of it also involves some pretty bizarre plot twists so go prepared for that. For a breezy movie some of its dialogues have surprising depth and they are a welcome addition rather than sounding preachy or pedantic.


Befikre then is unexpectedly, a decent one-time watch. If you are expecting another DDLJ, well you are going with the wrong expectations. The closest this movie reminded me of was Salaam Namaste in its first half. A few songs lesser and a snappier second half would have got it more plaudits. The final scene though has some beautiful lines, that betray its carefree façade. Its not all thoughtless and that’s a nice note to leave the theatre on.

Movie Review: Kahaani 2…an ordinary story this time around

I remember writing for my original review that Kahaani was a rare gem. Kahaani 2 just affirms that fact. While it is again gripping and well-presented, the story itself isn’t all that great this time around and even though the build up is terrific, by the end of it all you are bound to leave the theater disappointed.

Kahaani 2 does a couple of things well. Firstly, it de-links any reference to the original which was the smart thing to do. Dragging that perfect story would’ve been a death knell. Secondly, it builds up really well. Sujoy Ghosh definitely knows how to tell a story – script and plot are king and he lets them have their day in the sun. In fact, Kahaani 2 smartly unfolds like exactly that – a story. A story that takes its time in building up through the chapters and with each advancing page adds more excitement for the reader.

The challenge is that in a movie of this genre, you want to be stumped – completely taken aback in disbelief that the smart director/ writer has thought of and presented a twist that simply never occurred to you. With Kahaani, we totally had that. With Kahaani 2, we simply don’t – the twist is so obvious, its apparent even as we watch it all unfolding and even then, there are so many elements that simply don’t add up.

Its that aspect, in fact, that relegates Kahaani 2 to the realms of the ordinary, where many a thriller has (unsuccessfully) gone before. Think of Talaash and remind yourself of the disappointment you felt at the final revelation – now raise that up a few notches and you should reach Kahaani 2.

The one thing that’s unchanged from Kahaani is Vidya Balan (including her orignal character’s name). Yes Bida is back and despite a completely new character, she is in fine form. Despite the weak storyline, Vidya Balan gives it her all and has us connecting with and caring for Bida (or is it Durga Rani Singh..I’ll stop here). Keeping her company is Arjun Rampal, who does a decent job and thankfully doesn’t have to emote too much.


Much in the vein of the original, this one too doesn’t waste time on unnecessary songs and keeps the presentation short and tight. With a more convincing climax and grand revelation, Kahaani 2 could well have counted as a worthy sequel. As it stands though, while its well-told, Kahaani 2 ulimately manages an ordinary story.