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Reviews
My Name Is Khan (2010)
Karan Johar's best work till date.
Yes, this is Karan Johar's best work till date. Not Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. Not Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. This is his best work. This movie is an eye opener. Shah Rukh Khan excels in the role of a naive, autistic Muslim. His innocence is endearing, and he once again reminds us why he is the Badshah of Bollywood. Kajol does a great job, and her chemistry with SRK is great as always.
A must watch. This has to be checked.
Kites (2010)
Disappointing. Very disappointing, infact.
This is probably the second worst Hrithik Roshan movie after the horrendous Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon. Yes, even Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage is better than this.
Absolutely stupid plot, bad characterization, nothing makes sense. Not even Hrithik's handsome face and body, along with his dance in the song 'Fire', which is very good, can save this trainwreck of a movie. Not recommended at all. Hrithik hams through most of the film, Barbara Mori is average. Talents like Kangana Ranaut and Kabir Bedi are wasted. Not recommended at all.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Extremely overhyped movie.
The movie is average, but severely overhyped. There is nothing special and this really needs to stop being said as Marvel's best movie. Everything that it tried to add in the name of science fiction was extremely confusing and despite trying to make it seem logical, it simply comes off as mumbo-jumbo and in the end you are left confused wondering what just happened. It does not have any substance. Unlike Infinity War, which managed to hold itself together as a film, balancing all aspects such as action, emotion while also keeping the audience engaged and being understandable, Endgame is simply confusing. It is slightly redeemed by the final battle scene, and the visual effects and action is commendable, it does not completely redeem the film and it still remains an average experience.
Shaandaar (2015)
No actor can rise above the script, but they can atleast improve the experience a little.
A very talented cast is wasted on a horrible script and direction. If some other talentless actor or eye-candy actress was cast, this film would have been very bad and unbearable to watch. But it is saved to some extent by Shahid-Alia, Pankaj and Sanah. I can't believe the same man made Queen, which, as much as I don't like Kangana Ranaut, was good in script, direction and performances. The story is also good and unusual. The comedy would have come off as completely senseless if it wasn't for the comic timing of Shahid, Alia and Pankaj. Performances are the only things that make it a strict one-time watch.
Shahid Kapoor delivers a powerful performance throughot. Alia will make you fall in love with her throughout. Her chemistry with all actors-Shahid, Pankaj and Sanah, is a treat to watch and you will enjoy their interactions. The only cast disappointment is Sanjay Kapoor, as he overacts in every scene and looks like a fool throughout the movie.
The soundtrack is also very good, especially the title track and Gulaabo.
Verdict: Watch it only if you like the actors and are a die hard fan of Alia Bhatt or Shahid Kapoor. Otherwise watch it if you don't have anything else to do.
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007)
Is this a remake of Sholay or a spoof?
I usually try to refrain from being too harsh on any movie or it's cast/crew, but this movie is a complete disaster.
I heard that RGV Ki Aag is one of the worst films till now and I decided to see it to check what was so horrible about the movie that it was lambasted so badly. As soon as I got to the point of the pathetic excuse of a Gabbar Singh, I shut the movie as I simply didn't have the heart to go ahead and watch Sholay being insulted in such a horrible manner. What the **** was Ram Gopal Varma thinking when he made this film? Is this a remake of Sholay or a spoof of it? Even when I decided to watch it without comparing it to Sholay it is a completely horrible movie.
Ajay Devgan and Prashant Raj lack any sort of chemistry with each other, which itself let's down the whole concept of the film, and also insults the famous Jai-Veeru pair. Priyanka Kothari has the potential to perform well, but she is let down by bad script and direction. Her character has been exaggerated too much, which spoils it completely. But the person I am most angry with is Amitabh. Not only does he let us down with his complete spoof-up of Gabbar Singh, but the biggest thing is that he allowed this to happen. Why, Amitabh? You yourself were a part of the original blockbuster, didn't you atleast care to save your own dignity by avoiding this spoof up of your character? I am most angry at Amitabh because he was a part of the original as well and could have avoided this, but he simply had to go and even spoof Amjad Khan also. Anyone could have been cast as Jai-Veeru, Abhishek Bachchan and Sudeep could have performed much better than Ajay Devgan and Prashant Raj. Rambha's respect has been completely let down and he comes of as stupid and irritating. And in the end, the only actor who manages to come out good in this pathetic excuse of a remake is Malayalam actor Mohanlal, who manages to perform his role well enough- the only saving grace of a complete disaster film.
Verdict: Avoid at all costs. Go watch the other flops but stay away from this one. I beg you.
Ulsaha Committee (2014)
Not as bad as people are saying
No Spoiler review:
I saw this movie and I am reviewing it just to say that people are taking it too far. This isn't a must watch, it definitely is a flop but it isn't a complete disaster. It does have its good points at places. Some parts are funny. It doesn't make complete sense, but movies don't have to make sense all the time. Performances by actors are good and come to the rescue in parts that are badly directed. Jayaram, Baburaj and Kalabhavan Shajon are good. Even Sheela manages to shine. Vinutha Lal is more or less an extended cameo, but she too does well. Isha Talwar's cuteness becomes the saving grace of the movie in the scenes she is there, but she has very few scenes and less screen time (signature negative point of every Isha Talwar movie barring Ranam: She receives few dialogues and few scenes.) Overall, give it a try once with a clear mind and don't try to criticize every point, and don't pay too much attention to negative points and you might have a chance at enjoying the film.
Spoiler review:
This review may contain spoilers.
Positives: Comedy is good to some extent. The emotional scenes also make an impact. Performances are also good and songs are nice.
Negatives: Some scenes are simply chaotic. Comedy is very loud in the first half. Love track between Jayaram and Isha Talwar (Apoorvan and Rosemary) is not convincing enough due to very less screen time devoted, and even when there is, there is a case of a bad script. Isha and Jayaram try to save it with their expressions, and they even succeed to some point but it still falls flat. Flashback could have been devoted more time. Isha Talwar could have been given more screen time and dialogues, same applies for Vinaya Prasad (Jancy). The black-and-white part of the flashback breaks the flow. Some parts come off as very cringeworthy and performance of Shaju K.S. (Roy) seems very monotonous as he keeps repeating the same lines in every scene that he appears. Direction and script are not good.
Verdict: Watch it without trying to criticize it or looking for weak points (and please don't concentrate on Isha Talwar's lips to criticize the dubbing, you will miss out on more fun things) and you might just like it.
3 (2012)
Overdramatic and cringeworthy
I am a big fan of Dhanush so I watched this movie. But suffice to say I did not like it at all. The first half is a typical school love story which seems to drag all the time. The second half had too much drama, especially with the grieving scenes. Shruti Haasan doesn't do much in the movie except for crying in such an overdramatic way that it will make you cringe. Her crying is even worse than that of Kajol. Her character is crying throughout the film which is downright depressing. Sunder Ramu's character sometimes comes off as well meaning but illogical. Couldn't he simply go and inform Ram's father about the whole thing? Ram would have been treated and everything would have been fine. Janani would have understood why it had to happen. But instead you waste your time attempting to hide things from his wife. The only good thing about the film is Dhanush, who plays his character well, but is spoiled by bad script and direction. Shruti Haasan's performance would have been good without the very melodramatic scenes and the too emotional scenes. She was not ready for such an emotional role. Casting an actress with experience in such roles would have been a much better idea. She has done well in scenes that don't involve too much drama and tears.
Verdict: If you are a die-hard Dhanush fan, or someone who likes to watch dramatic movies that involve a lot of emotion and tragedy, watch it. Otherwise stay away.
My Friend Ganesha (2007)
Very good film for children.
It is one of the films where you do not need a big character death or fight scenes to be emotional. The simple issue of a child craving for love, friendship and attention has been acted out and represented beautifully by Ahsaas Channa and Rajiv Ruia that it will make you nostalgic, bring a smile to your face at the simple innocence of young Ashu and also break your heart at the poor child and his dilemma, his desire of receiving love and care, something which all of us tend to take for granted. A young boy who, unlike kids of his age who desire chocolates and toys and whatnot, simply craves for a friend who will listen to him and be there for him. All the actors have done great, but younger Ahsaas steals the show with her performance of a young boy, making you feel happy when Ashu gets what he wants, and making you want to give him a hug and console him when he cries and is sad. The others, like the parents, are ok. Upasana Singh deserves a round of applause for her performance as the comedic Gangutai, as the kids will like her.
Verdict: If you like heartwarming and good movies without too much drama, then you must watch this movie.
Ranam (2018)
Great film but could have been successful if not for the hype surrounding it.
I heard people say that this wasn't good so I watched it. And I found it great. It is a good film and you should watch it if you are an action fan. Performances by all actors was great. Prithviraj and Isha Talwar have a good chemistry and both have done their roles very nicely, especially in the emotional scenes. Prithviraj has done great in both action and emotional scenes. Isha has also done very good, I don't know why critics are attacking her performance (maybe the age factor that they are not able to imagine her as mother of a child or what? If so, it is their issue). Nandu and Rahman have done very well. Mathew Arun has done a good job but Celine Joseph falters at places. Ashwin Kumar has done fine.
In the scenes with Isha, Shivajith Padmanabhan (Rajan, Seema's husband) falters at a few places and fails to put the force in his dialogues, but Isha's reactions make up for it. Giju John has done a commendable job as the no-nonsense cop and good friend as well. Action and script is great. The only factor that caused the film to not do great at the box office is the hype surrounding it. People put too many expectations in the film, and despite all the actors and crew putting their best, they could not fulfill the wishes of the audience. They felt that Prithviraj had not put enough effort. Half the people think Isha is a miscast age-wise (actors play roles double their age, so as far as performance is good, it shouldn't matter what your age is.)
Verdict: Must watch, but do not take a preconceived notion on what you will see.
Thillu Mullu (2013)
I don't know why people criticize this film....
Maybe they are people who don't know how to differentiate between good and bad acting and films. It was pretty successful at the box office.
Whenever you watch a remake, you should never compare it with the original movie, especially if the original was a hit(which it has to be, otherwise why would they make a remake?) Keeping that in mind, the film is very good. Shiva is very good at his role, making us laugh with his on-point imitations. Prakash Raj has also reprised the role that Thengai Srinivasan and Utpal Dutt carried out well. Isha Talwar, keeping in mind that this was her Tamil debut and her voice was dubbed, has done perfectly. Her lipsyncing was so great that I didn't even get the feeling that someone else is speaking. Voice modulation is a bit off, in some scenes her tone fails to match her gestures and expressions, but that goes to the dubbing artist, not her. Although even Krithika Nelson has done a commendable job as her voice. Kovai Sarala is a little loud, though.
Verdict: It obviously does not outmatch the original movie, but it is definitely worth a watch if you are a fan on good rom-com.
Thattathin Marayathu (2012)
Beautiful and lovely...
A wonderful love story complemented by great acting, wonderful storyline and great music. This movie will definitely bring a wide smile to your face. I do not understand Malayalam but I loved the film. Nivin Pauly is damn great... Isha Talwar doesn't talk a lot in the film (practically she doesn't talk at all as her voice is dubbed) as she does not have many dialogues, but her expressions are very good that she conveys what Aisha is feeling without any words needed. They are supported by a wonderful ensemble cast as well. The direction and script is great. BGM is wonderful.
Verdict: Stop reading and just go and watch the movie!!
I Love Me (2012)
Another one....
Haven't we seen this a thousand times? Girl seduces man and then turns out to be the villain in the end? In Bangalore Days it was Meenakshi, here we have Samantha. I don't know whether it's coincidental or not that both are played by the same actress. Turns out to be cheater, man comes out on top, blah blah. Friendship is more important than girlfriend, ha ha.
Why portray woman as the cheater? And anyways, why is it that Isha Talwar is the one person who ends up playing the rejected/cheater gf? Meenakshi in Bangalore Days, Samantha in this one, Simran in Two Countries and Shruti in GJG. At least Thattathin Marayathu, Thillu Mullu, MOKK and Mirzapur are not like that....... Yes, I'm a fan.
Performances are great. The actors have done a great job at their roles.
And another thing, what relation does the title have to the movie? The title and the poster both suggest it is a fun story of friendship and love. Instead what we get is a stupid and muddled up film somewhere between action and drama.
God's Own Country (2014)
Worth it
It is a great movie. A few parts are exaggerated, but the storyline, the actual struggles of the characters, and the overall plot is good. And as for performances, Fahadh Faasil has done a wonderful job as the struggling husband and father. Isha Talwar does not have a very long role, so don't get fooled by seeing her name in credited cast of the film on IMDB, as she only appears in flashbacks and the climax. But her role was important to convey the story of Fahadh's character properly, and she made an impact as well. (There is a mild reference to Thattathin Marayathu in the movie, which is probably why her presence makes sense.)
Sreenivasan and Lal have done great. Mythili's performance was very good. The rest of the supporting cast have done great too.
As for the script and direction, it is overall good. Just one point: they have exaggerated in a few places, while some places need more detailing. Such as the scenes with Manu and Asha. In the end, after Manu gets the money, we directly see him and Asha celebrating their daughter's birthday as if nothing happened, as if Asha had not been close to spending 15 years in jail. How did he give the money when the family of the dead man was acting stubborn, how did they reunite, how did everything happen, nothing. Heck, nobody even refers to the fact that she was arrested, which seems pretty absurd. I mean, one second you receive the money and walk into the hotel and the next moment you're at home and it's all fine! There, I feel that they should have given some more details of what happened. Otherwise it's a very good movie. I would love to see this remade in Hindi. It would be better than the useless films that Bollywood is producing right now.
Verdict: Very good performances and good movie. Should watch.
Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (2013)
I like the film. I just don't like the message conveyed.
It was a great movie according to casting and direction. Nitin and Nithya Menen have done a good job. Isha Talwar also has done great. Her lipsyncing is a bit off, but I don't concentrate on that so it's fine. The others like Madhunandan and Ali have done well too. I just don't like the plot.
Why doesn't Madhu trust his girlfriend or atleast attempt to understand what's going on before bursting out on her? And why does Karthik think it is completely ok to switch between girls just like that without caring how it affects others? In the end he received his happy ending, but not after hurting Shruti and Madhu's relationship and breaking Shravani's heart once.
I know this is a film but nowadays youngsters like to learn from these films.
Verdict: Film is good, but don't implement any of the things said in it for real life.
Balyakalasakhi (2014)
Such a beautiful film...
A beautifully presented movie adaptation of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's novel, Balyakalasakhi is a wonderful film filled with sweet romance and history. The sad, beautiful and tragic story of lovers Majeed and Suhra has been beautifully captured by Pramod Payyanur. Mammootty does very well in his double role as Majeed and his father. All the emotions that Majeed feels, nostalgia as he remembers Suhra, sadness at getting his leg cut and grief at losing his lover was portrayed very well. Isha Talwar has played her part wonderfully, especially when Suhra comes to the village and the lantern is held to her face, and the scenes involving both of them are very beautiful. They have a good chemistry, especially considering they have a huge age gap, not just 13 years or 20 years, but a full 36-year age gap. The others have also done very well. The child artists deserve a Kudos for their acting as well.
Verdict: Must watch. A beautiful film.
Home Sweet Office (2019)
Wonderful review
A good web series. Simple to understand and relatable. There are some not-so-subtle paid ads, but that is to be expected of a sponsored web series and they do not last long. As for the acting:
Barkha Singh: Good. There is room for improvement but she is good.
Isha Talwar: Dice Media should be thanking their stars for having her on board. She is the best of the lot, and it is also good for Dice to have a new face in the web series. She is the only one in the cast who is not featured commonly in Filtercopy videos. The main reason I watched this.
Shabnam Vadhera: Have you watched her other Filtercopy videos? This is no different.
Yogendra Tiku: Good. He also does his part well as the fun loving and kind dad.
The others like Pranay Manchanda have also done well.
Verdict: A good web series, will be waiting eagerly for Season 2.
Phoonk (2008)
Why is this movie rated 'A'?
The Censor Board has lost it. Is this horror? I always get scared on watching horror films, so I generally avoid them. But this...... I literally laughed in the first half! Closing up on toys and dolls and what not.... that literally have no relevance to the plot. Even the end climax was not very thrilling. You keep on waiting.... now something will happen, now something will happen..... you keep waiting but nothing happens. As for the cast performance:
Sudeep: Good. He makes a good impact as the protective father and atheist. The voice dubbing and lipsyncing are also on point. He and the young Ahsaas share a good chemistry as father and daughter.
Ahsaas Channa: She is great. One of the good ones. Her imitation of the possession as well as the emotional scenes makes your heart ache for her. Good one.
Ashwini Kalsekar: Tries to look horrifying and scary, but ends up looking simply ridiculous, especially in the scene in the car where she cries and causes her kajal to smear on her face. Not her fault, attribute it to bad direction and writing.
The others, like Lilette Dubey, Amruta Khanvilkar, Kenny Desai, Shrey Bawa and other characters are good. Casting is great.
Verdict: Good movie, but if you are looking for a great horror movie, don't go for it.