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.

Movie Review: Dear Zindagi..could’ve taught better life lessons

There was something alluring in its trailers or rather, teasers. Something that indicated that this would be a ‘hatke’ movie. Maybe it was the fresh humor, or the fact that it had Shahrukh in a mature role (for a change) and Alia seeking his counsel – it certainly had an appeal to it. While it does expound some interesting philosophy, especially at the first half stage – by the end of it all, the life lessons that Dear Zindagi gives don’t really stir you as much as you would wish them to.

The initial part of the movie seems a good, subtle commentary on the life and times of today’s Gen Y - their confusion and insecurities. What does challenge a bit is the slow pacing and distinct lack of humor. Still the perspective shown at the half way mark is bound to get you to snap out of slumber and take notice of proceedings. Unfortunately, all that fervor dies down in the second half, with all that fresh thinking discarded for some stereotypical plot development.

That said, how much you will like the movie is highly influenced by the degree to which you can connect and relate with the issues of the protagonist. Unfortunately, the way the script unfolds, it is harder for you to gradually build connect with the protagonist and get influenced by her ups and downs, if you can’t otherwise relate to them.

While the movie has both Shahrukh and Alia, it heavily focuses only on Alia’s character. I would’ve loved a more balanced narrative across the two, especially more depth to Shahrukh’s character but that’s not the case here. In terms of acting, while Alia does a great job this time round as well, I am a tad less enthusiastic, because it’s an extremely familiar character for her. That said, while a little unconvincing up front in the first half, she is brilliant in the second especially the emotional scenes. Shahrukh, sadly is still very much Shahrukh Khan and while that itself will have the girls swooning, he doesn’t get into the character he plays. To be fair, there is very little room given to him by the way his character is written as well.

While it makes some interesting points, it largely falls back on the familiar rather than bring up a fresh perspective on unexplored realms. The over-extended runtime doesn’t help its cause and while the intent is appreciated, Dear Zindagi ultimately is not the love letter to life you wish it to be.

Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them..magic but not magical

At the outset, being an ardent Potter freak, I may be a bit harsh on this one.  Fantastic beasts… is pretty acceptable fare as a standalone feature, with mind blowing special effects, cute and endearing creatures, a new set of characters and peppered with humor every now and then. Where it falls short is in its weak development of the nemesis and poor plot development despite the dark overtones. Then of course, there is the association with the Potter-verse…

Many many moons ago, Rowling introduced us to the magical world of wizards and the legend of Harry Potter. 7 books and 8 movies that captured our imagination and stretched the bounds of our creativity with a deep focus on narrative, character development and expert story telling. With this latest offering, while she and the director David Yates, try to tell us we are back in that universe – it feels more like a homage than an actual homecoming for us Potter fans.

Fantastic Beasts.. (despite the very odd and long title) starts off on a wonderful note and keeps you interested initially, with characters, spells and creatures, both familiar and new, However, it ends up spending more time and considerable creativity on the new beasts than the story or characters themselves. The protagonist(s) don’t get enough detailing or backstory to make you feel connected and care for them. Neither is there an undercurrent of impending dread or deep roots (along the lines of ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’)

Fantastic Beasts..is best when its just having a bit of fun and not trying to take itself too seriously. Its dark moments stick out in sharp contrast and actually spoil proceedings rather than enhance them. It is towards its climax and final moments that Fantastic Beasts..spins the yarn a bit more and introduces elements that make you somewhat keen on the sequels that will inevitably follow.

Eddie Redmayne gives everything to his character of Newt. He is Newt, with eyes that show love and wonder for his magical creatures, a touch of anguish when they are in trouble and sincerity all the way through. Dan Fogler does an even more noticeable job, with the most enjoyable character of Kowalski and steals your attention every now and then. Katherine Waterston is relatively disappointing, in part due to her weak character of Goldstein. Colin Farrell is too intense and sombre as Mr. Graves.


Rowling’s return to the wizarding world is a fresh and unique offering which while its set in the same universe, misses a bit of the old magic in its story telling. Still, with the new beasts for company and the final plot twists, it may make for even better sequels in the years to come. As a Potter fan, go with low expectations and while not fantastic, these beasts might just grab some attention.

Movie Review: Dr. Strange…stranger not stronger

Ever since The Avengers brought everything together so neatly, the Marvel universe has been getting stranger and stranger. While some would herald the newbies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Antman and Deadpool as welcome additions that brought freshness to the universe, I see these as distractions and obstructions, to the simplicity with which The Avengers brought magic to the silver screen. Dr. Strange, while stranger still, is sadly, no different.

The story is the real letdown here. Have you read a book called Simoquin Prophecies? While a relatively lesser known fantasy title by author Samit Basu, it pulls ‘inspiration’ from a variety of existing, well known epics and fantasy stories (from Ramayana to Harry Potter to give you some clue). Such a description would suit Dr. Strange as well – string together some concepts from The Matrix and Harry Potter, some scenes from Inception, give it a different name and lo behold – Dr. Strange shall appear before you. Only, after drawing such inspiration, there is nothing inspiring or magical about the tale Dr. Strange chooses to weave for this newest superhero. The start is intriguing and interesting, but after keeping your interest somewhat to the half way stage the threads just fall apart. This really is a disappointment, because the visual effects and humor manage to keep you engaged and with a stellar plotline this could’ve become one of Marvel’s better offerings

The visual effects are spell binding. The context of the movie is such that it required significant visual delight to truly impress and to give credit, Dr. Strange does excel in that department. While not all scenes do justice to the 3D, some scenes show considerable promise, especially during the initial stages of the movie. The (now trademark) Marvel humor is also very much present and makes for some much needed comic relief during particularly dull moments.

Cumberbatch gives it his all and it is apparent that he is enjoying himself – pretty much through the movie. The challenge is also that you don’t know whether to take Dr. Strange seriously or simply see this one in a lighter vein wherein truly anything can happen. There is a fair amount of ‘learning’ that the audience has to do and terms we have to get familiar with as well. The sad part however, is after all that learning, the climax completely disappoints and it all seems like much ado over nothing spectacular. The visual effects continue to impress and there is a kaleidoscope (quite literally) of images making for one spectacular visual showcase. However, the yarn continues to disappoint. You don’t at all feel vested into Dr. Strange or any of the characters in this universe (or is it multiverse…)

There are both mid-credits and end-credit sequences so stick around for those. For a change, these sequences actually pique your interest – more perhaps than even the movie manages. Strange as it may seem, my suggestion to you despite the seemingly rave reviews, would be to sit this one out unless you want to go purely for the dazzling visuals – plotwise Dr. Strange doesn’t conjure up enough to keep your interest.

Movie Review: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – is hard to praise

The heart wants what the heart wants. Only, in this case, we as the audience weren’t quite sure what Karan Johar’s heart truly wanted from his latest offering – Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Was it that he wanted to explore the complexity of love in various shades, give Ranbir and Anushka a solid platform to express themselves or re-live the memories of his past offerings. Or perhaps, he too, knew that he didn’t have a solid offering and the title is actually him, convincing his own heart, that it seems difficult that he can win his audience this time around. Whatever the intentions, ultimately – he manages a predictable storyline which is heavily reliant on a mish mash of his previous successes but doesn’t come into its own for even a moment of its over-long runtime.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil starts off weird and a little desperate to get your attention and goes further downhill from there. The attempts on humor are forced and you feel a little for both Ranbir and Anushka who are still trying to make those lines work. There are a few laughs, to be fair, but the previous offerings have offered a much easier ride (I am not counting Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna in this list). The premise for the intermission feels laughably shallow as does the romance up to that point. That it forms the basis for the remaining movie is indicative of the weak foundation the movie has.

The second half offers a breath of fresh air with Aishwarya Rai Bacchan looking the ethereal beauty – her presence is quite mesmerizing on screen. Anushka’s performance is earnest but finally unconvincing; she simply lacks the power her character needs – something that Kajol did for Karan Johar movies previously and quite effortlessly at that. You feel for Ranbir a bit, who doesn’t put a foot wrong despite his weak character, and ends up with a performance that was delivered well, but didn’t do justice to his immense talent. Tamasha (another not so great movie) provided him a better platform to perform and express himself so you can imagine the range this one manages. Fawad Khan has too fleeting a presence – I am sure the original version would’ve shown a lot more of him, but after all the cuts and edits – there is nothing left, of notice.

The songs, otherwise the bane of most Bollywood movies, are pretty much the saving grace for ADHM – especially the haunting piano melody of the title track – which becomes your best reason to still stay interested in the proceedings on screen. That music is also what’ll stay with you long after the ending credits – not much else. The twists and turns are few and far between and those too seem forced rather than a natural extension of the plot.

When I first saw and heard the title song – I fervently hoped that the movie would do justice to this awesome melody. Far from it, ADHM is perhaps one of Karan Johar’s weakest offerings (after Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna). If your heart refuses to listen, you can still watch it – but keep in mind, this time ‘Kuch Khaas nahi hota hai’ - this one’s going to be hard to praise.

Movie Review: Inferno…scarcely the scorcher you hope for

While the closest to the riveting Da Vinci Code that took the world by storm, in terms of its setting and build up (I refer here strictly to the book and not the movie), for all its depictions of hell, doomsday, blood and blazing fires, Inferno is scarcely the scorcher you hope for.

The start is promising – Robert Langdon is back and while proceedings are a little slow you brace yourself for the earth shattering impact that would subsequently be revealed. Following an atypical Dan Brown book setting, it spins its yarn against a series of paintings and ancient history and yet another conspiracy theory, yet again. However, while the threads for the Da Vinci code were deliciously complicated, Inferno keeps the solutions a little too simple. There seems to be much ado over nothing – even the background score suggests it. While we have the illustrious Hans Zimmer at the helm yet again, he is but a shadow of his true self – something that’s been the case with this series itself.

The big reveal (if one can call it that) is when the stuff simply crumbles and  you realize that the pieces don’t fit together as well as you hoped. There are more questions than answers and the entire scenario seems forced rather than a natural flow to the proceedings

While I have great respect for Ron Howard’s directorial skills (especially after Rush) this time around, he seems to be at a disadvantage with a poor script. While he tries to push that same sense of urgency and a race against time that Angels and Demons (the most successful of the book adaptations, in my view) did – this time there isn’t enough to hold your attention.

In all fairness, I haven’t read the book – so I can’t be sure if there was enough content or the movie doesn’t do it justice. From what I witnessed though, beyond a point I just didn’t care what happened to the characters and their world. I am pretty sure that’s not what the author would’ve wanted.
As for the acting, Tom Hanks is a veteran and he brings a level of sensitivity and endearment to Robert Langdon that makes you at least feel some connect for him. Felicity Jones is pretty mechanical but the role doesn’t require her to emote much. Our own Irrfan Khan comes off as wanting to sound a little too suave – something his no-nonsense dialogue delivery doesn’t go well with so that’s a disappointment.

If you’ve read Inferno, you probably know what to expect – I don’t think the movie can convince you otherwise. If you haven’t, you might still want to venture to the theaters to watch Robert Langdon’s latest adventure – but don’t expect much else. 

Movie Review: MS Dhoni–The Untold Story..best left untold

Yes I know…I can hear the sound of heartbreak. In our cricket crazed nation, a movie on Dhoni cannot go wrong and I am probably incurring the wrath of a billion fans by a review title like that –  but the truth, no matter how bitter, must be told - since the movie does go wrong and on so many levels that I can find no reason to suggest you waste your money and time (at an excruciating 3 hours) even though it celebrates the life of such a cricketing icon.

While its called ‘The Untold Story’ there isn’t much of a story to tell. The trailer, with its slick presentation, raised expectations significantly but in its attempt to engage, ended up giving all that the movie has to offer as well. If you can quell the curiosity, just watch the trailer of the movie and tick MS Dhoni off your list. There needs to be something significant and dramatic in the life of the protagonist for you to build connect with any story – something that jolts you and grabs your attention. Dhoni’s life may well have those moments – but the movie doesn’t.

The start is captivating and powerful – for the first 3 minutes. The moment you get thrown back to the birth of it all, is where the boredom starts. There is nothing interesting or engaging about the ‘journey’ and while the background score and lingering visuals suggest otherwise, nothing holds your attention and you wonder why the director is taking so much time to arrive at the point, assuming that there even is one.

Neeraj Pandey has given us one of the finest offerings in Bollywood cinema with A Wednesday. He followed it up with the pretty special ‘Special 26’ as well. It was with Baby (the forced India version of Argo) that the cracks began to show. However, with MS Dhoni he sinks to new lows that are surprising for a director of his calibre. If there wasn’t much to tell, you’d expect he would make it snappy and slick, throttling from childhood to the rising star to the super icon status Dhoni holds today.

Instead, he chooses to be the ‘fan’ – showing us uninteresting and unimportant things with a fervor suggestive of it being pivotal to the story he wants to tell. Mr. Pandey is convinced that since its Dhoni, everything will catch our fancy. And so, we are forced to sit through – Dhoni the batting star who everybody wants to watch, pretty much since childhood; the father who seemed unreasonable in the trailer but actually is pretty reasonable as the story progresses; shot after shot being hit by Dhoni till every stroke starts getting rammed into your skull and make you grimace instead of applauding – I can go on about these and believe me, I am just getting warmed up.

The only person I really feel sorry for in this entire waste of 3 hours, is Sushant Singh Rajput. Why it had to be Rajput who looks nothing like MSD, I’ll never know. However, once entrusted the role, he gives it his all – from Dhoni’s mannerisms, to his batting stance to even his accent – Sushant Singh Rajput adopts it all with ease and comfort and despite the lack of a story – makes Dhoni his own. His super-imposition into the shining moments of Dhoni’s career are also pretty effectively done, though the CGI is obvious. Neeraj Pandey’s trademark attention to detail is also staggeringly obvious – whether it’s the transition of mobile phones across the years, to the logos of airlines and their changes – this time though, its plain he’s just showing off rather than telling an engaging story.

Cut down to 90 minutes and focusing more on the little moments that make Dhoni – well, Dhoni – would’ve been a great tribute to the naturally talented and driven leader for Indian cricket and superstar icon of today’s youth. As it stands though, MS Dhoni – The Untold Story is a fanboy rendition of the life and times of the cricketer, that missed being edited.