Kaun Kitney Paani Mein

Cast: Kunal Kapoor, Radhika Apte, Saurabh Shukla, Gulshan Grover
Direction: Nila Madhab Panda
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes

Story: Set in 1985, the film is a satire on water crisis, caste discrimination and honour killing that plague a remote village in Odisha. While the 'upper caste' king exploits his hapless subjects, tables turn when the latter take control through their vision for agriculture and water conservation techniques.

Review: The royal Singh Deo family has ruled Upari for the longest time and they haven't been benevolent rulers. Their subjects are deeply hurt by the cruelty imposed by the reigning king's father. His casteist mentality does irreparable damage. He throws the poor out of his village and forbids them from setting foot on his 'pious' soil again.Those disowned find shelter in Bairi. Years of hard work in this village finally pays off in the form of adequate food and water supply. Upari, on the contrary, disintegrates, facing drastic water scarcity. In dire straits, the king (Saurabh Shukla) begs his 'English-speaking' lawyer son (Kunal Kapoor) to woo Paro (Radhika Apte), daughter of Bairi's aspiring politician Kharu (Gulshan Grover) to regain power and lost glory.

First things first, Kaun Kitney Paani Mein must be lauded for its story book-esque narration. In a light-hearted manner, it puts forth grave issues that rural India still grapples with. Nila Madhab Panda's unique execution refrains from giving the film a socio-activist tone. Its non-preachy execution, earnest performances and constant comic undertone hold your interest right for the most part of the film.

However, the story goes haywire in the second half. While the dashing Kunal and sincere Radhika are aptly cast, their 'love story' seems a tad random and digresses from the core subject.

The dialogues are crisp. Saurabh Shukla walks away with the best lines and does complete justice to them. Gulshan Grover also holds his own and impresses in his not-so-substantial role.

The depiction of bankrupt monarchs, who choose to rest on their past laurels, is a one-of-its-kind and the prime highlight of this quirky film. In the present-day situation, where water is one of the most precious resources, Kaun Kitney Paani Mein touches upon a relevant issue but wraps it all too conveniently, without being confrontational.

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Drama,

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Baankey Ki Crazy Baraat

Baankey Ki Crazy Baraat     Cast: Satyajeet Dubey, Tia Bajpai, Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Raajpal Yadav, Rakesh Bedi, Anil Mange
Direction: Aijaz Khan
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Story: Baankey (RaajpaYadav) is an unmarried 35-year-old, who looks 45. He lacks good looks, intelligence and a decent kundli to be able to marry a pretty girl like Anjali (Tia Bajpai). His father (Rakesh Bedi) and uncle (Sanjay Mishra) thus hatch a dubious plan to get Baankey married. Does it work?

Review: They hire a champu (read geek) Rajesh (Satyajeet Dubey) to pose as Baankey and his photograph is sent to Anjali's parents, who surprisingly approve of him. Sadly on D day, Rajesh flees with another girl, leaving Baankey and his family in the lurch. They then make Virat (Satyajeet Dubey in a double role), their bus driver pose as Baankey, promising him a large sum of money. They also state that they will waive off his father's debt if he agrees. Virat becomes the proxy groom, but falls in love with Anjali for real. To make things more complicated, Rajesh shows up at the wedding too.
The film is a situational comedy, which partially works, thanks to the talented cast. The humour is clean for a change and that is refreshing. Satyajeet Dubey and Vijay Raaz in particular, stand out for their effortless performances. Tia Bajpai is pleasant, but Raajpal Yadav overdoes his 'loser' act. He hams away to glory and hugs men after every two minutes, which fails to amuse you. The plot is interesting, but the director fails to take it further, resulting in stilted gags that seem forced and repetitive.

The background score (the name Baankey keeps echoing) expects to make you laugh, but gets quite annoying eventually. The heroine falling into the arms of the hero, or her dressed as a man and few other such scenes are extremely cliched and inconsequential..

To sum it all, Baankey Ki Crazy Baraat is a formulaic family comedy, which you may not mind watching, if novelty is not what you seek.

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Comedy,

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Phantom

PhantomCast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Zeeshan Ayub
Direction: Kabir Khan
Genre: Action
Duration: 2 hours 28 minutes

Story: A Phantom-like vigilante is surreptitiously chosen by RAW officers to bring the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to book.

Review: A shamed army officer, Daniyal Khan (Saif) is living a life of anonymity. Court-martialed because evidence points out that he was not with his team when the enemy attacked, he yearns to earn his stripes back. As it so happens, there is a covert intelligence group, who is seething that the Centre has not been able to avenge the 26/11 Mumbai carnage.They know permissions from official quarters will not come. So, they just take it upon themselves to launch a `punish-those-terrorists' movement. After all, like one young officer (Zeeshan Ayub) says, 10 audacious guys from across the border did bring Mumbai to her knees on that fateful night in 2008, killing 166 people.

So Daniyal is despatched across continents to find the fanatic four who plotted 26/11. They even whisper to him that, he can `accidentally' kill .

Based on the book, Mumbai Avengers by Hussain Zaidi, Kabir Khan, fresh from the super-success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, doesn't extend a hand of friendship to our neighbouring country in this one. Instead, he is clear that if they house the Laskhar-e-Taiba or allow militants like Haris Saeed (the cinema-counterpart of Hafiz Saeed) then the blood-thirsty Indian will take revenge.

To add glamour, Daniyal is accompanied by Nawaz Mistry (Katrina) who works on special assignments for Indian intelligence from London.

As the prologue says, the Taj Mahal Hotel at Apollo Bunder, blown up that fateful night has a new facade now. But our hearts are still bleeding. Yet, we're a passive country that lamely does things like refusing to play cricket with Pakistan, rather than go in for a frontal attack.

As cinema, this thriller is over-simplified, though the gloss adds to the large-screen appeal. Saif is adept; Kat is pretty appealing (pun on the pretty because her make-up is intact even in the battlefield). Zeeshan and his jingoism in the climax gives you that proud-India moment. And, if you're still licking the wounds of that senseless Mumbai massacre, then Phantom is the balm you should reach out for.

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Action,

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All Is Well

Story: Inder's parents have a dysfunctional marriage, a huge loan and a don chasing them - can Inder ensure all is well?

Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin, Surpiya Pathak, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub Khan
Direction: Umesh Shukla
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 2 hours 5 minutes

Review: So, All Is Well is a film that literally takes you back. Inder (Abhishek) grows up seeing his parents Bhajanlal Bhalla (Rishi) and Pammi (Supriya) clash through a stormy marriage. Breaking away, Inder abandons his parents in Kasol to make a musical career in Thailand where he dates Nimmi (Asin) but hates the thought of shaadi. Nimmi leaves for an arranged marriage in India. Inder goes along to sign on property papers - which are actually needed to repay don Cheema (Mohammed Zeeshan).


As his bitterly bickering parents, Inder and Nimmi try to shake off chasing Cheema, Inder discovers a few home truths - but can he make all well?

All Is Well's performances warm it - Rishi Kapoor gleams as small-town sourpuss Bhalla, who loves his failing bakery but dislikes his family. Abhishek Bachchan provides a terrific foil as wry, dry Inder, whose anger is ignited by hurtful memories and who now wounds with his cold, sharp words. Abhishek pulls off drawling tension against Rishi's flowing abandon - while Mohammed Zeeshan contributes a comically crackling Cheema, a don with an unloaded gun, goons who won't push 'gaimata' out of the way and no balance to make threat calls on his phone.

Asin has a petite role but Surpriya Pathak's totally wasted, limited to wincing or looking blank, sound editing frequently inserting groans upon her silent face.

Technical shabbiness is the film's weakest link. There are plot glitches and dated touches. At times, as the vintage QSQT hit 'Aye Mere Humsafar' plays, you feel you're watching a 1990s movie where the hero is told, 'Teri awaaz mein dard hai' and everyone wears shoulder pads. There's also a bizarre sequence involving a mercenary maami, which stretches beyond the film's otherwise gentle humour.

All Is Well lacks the cutting-edge sharpness or glittering depth of Umesh Shukla's OMG. With its old-world feel, it's not a cool cocktail but a teashop bun, dunked in sentimental tea. It could've been way better - but there's some sweetness too in this simple treat.

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Comedy,

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Manjhi The Mountain Man

Story: This is biopic of Dashrath Manjhi, India's mountain man who single-handedly made a road through the mountains of Gehlaur. What gave him the strength to take on this onerous task is his deep love for his wife who meets with an accident here.

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte
Direction: Ketan Mehta
Genre: Biopic
Duration: 2 hours 4 minutes

Review: The film starts with a monologue between a man, Dashrath(Nawazuddin) and a mountain. Wearing blood-soaked clothes, the diminutive hero admonishes the mountains,(captured beautifully by cinematographer Rajeev Jain) that stretch endlessly before your eyes, saying, ``So you think you are too big? Well I'm not stopping till I reduce you to rubble.''
The emotion in Nawaz's quivering voice as he challenges nature sends a chill down your spine. Further, what piques your curiosity is how this David will attack Goliath.

Of course for those who are familiar with the story of Dashrath Manjhi, there are few surprises. This villager from Gehlaur attacked a mountain for over two decades and emerged victorious when he managed to build a path right through.

The story starts in Wazir Ganj in the 50s, where a young Dashrath is married to a child-bride Phagunia. Born in abject poverty, Dashrath's family eats dead rats to survive. The village Zamindar (Tigmanshu Dhulia) commits atrocities of the kind that makes your stomach churn. Sample this—those who do not pay their debts have nails hammered in their feet, like the ones put into a horse's hooves! This aside, there is third-degree that is proof of the times when the rich ruled over the underprivileged.

Before he is a made a slave to this demon landlord, Dashrath escapes. He returns seven years later, only to fall deeply in love with his child-bride Phagunia(Radhika Apte) who has grown into a sensuous woman.

They marry and despite challenges they make time for love and babies.

However an accident alters Dashrath's life forever. Like a demented man, he picks up hammer and chisel and starts his journey as India's mountain man. This is a faith-inspiring story of resolve and resilience.

His portrayal of Manjhi is another feather in Nawaz's cap. The graph he brings to his screen character-- from a carefree lover to a burdened soul-- is the stuff that separates actors from many cardboard cutouts, loosely referred to as stars. Sultry Radhika shines throughout. Why this film that had so much potential doesn't deserve superlatives is because of the inconsistency in the story-telling. While some scenes leave you scarred and teary-eyed, others don't even scratch the surface.

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Biopic,

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Brothers

Story: Prize-fighters David and Monty are bitterly estranged brothers - who wins when they face each other in the ring?

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Siddharth Malhotra, Jackie Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shefali Shah, Ashutosh Rana, Kiran Kumar
Direction: Karan Malhotra
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 38 minutes
Review: So, Brothers is essentially Akshay Kumar's triumph, with some knock-out moments - and a few punches that fall flat. Gary Fernandes (Jackie) is a prize-fighter married to Maria (Shefali). They have one son, David (Akshay) - and then, Monty (Siddharth), born from Gary's extra-marital affair, appears.
Monty's mother passing on, the boy has nowhere to go. After turmoil, Maria accepts him into their home. David becomes Monty's protective big brother - but relationships shatter when Gary's drinking causes a tragic accident. The brothers bitterly split - only to face each other in a prize-fight years later.

Who wins this battle over body, soul - and memories?

Brothers features Akshay Kumar in one of his best roles. Sans his trademark twinkle, Akshay is grimly severe here, using tense muscles and intense silences rather than Gabbar Is Back-style bombast. With greying hair and soft, sad eyes, Akshay carries Brothers on his shoulders, meriting applause for a vulnerable, memorable performance.

The other performances are weaker.

Siddharth Malhotra remains an enigma wrapped in a mystery, with few dialogues and limited expressions. The lack of fire in Siddharth's Monty just doesn't build up a sense of furious clash - instead, it makes the brothers' face-off curiously flat.

In contrast, Jackie Shroff's Gary melodramatically blusters around, first soaked in boozy arrogance, then weeping wretchedness, but neither grips. As David's wife Jenny, Jacqueline's pretty but inconsistent, resembling the script which mentions David and Jenny have three jobs each, but shows us one out of six.

The cameos work better. In a brittle little role, Shefali conveys trembling, conflicted emotions while Ashutosh Rana as a cheeky manager and Kiran Kumar, as a martial arts promoter covered in mystery and cigar smoke, pad this drama well.

On the plus side, Brothers adapts Hollywood hit Warrior with a Bollywood beat. The script builds a powerful contrast between a bleak first half and a lively second. Following brothers-mothers movies like Deewar, Brothers revisits Bollywood's 'Ma' obsession, offering action, adrenalin and abs too.

However, its angst could have hit a much harder punch - for when blood sours, it explodes.

But Brothers, despite mouthing, 'Har sport mein thora drama toh hota hai', only skims that dramatic surface. It could've dived in deeper.

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Gour Hari Dastaan: The Freedom File

Cast: Vinay Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ranvir Shorey, Tannishtha Chatterjee
Direction: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan
Genre: Biography
Duration: 1 hour 51 minutes

Story: The film is a heart-rending narration of a real-life account of Gandhian 'Gour Hari Das', a silent warrior, who relentlessly waded through endless obstacles, raised by India's corrupt and inefficient system for 30 years, to prove his identity as a freedom fighter.

Review: 'Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow'. And the film's protagonist Gour Hari Das (Vinay Pathak, commendable) embodies this spirit.

Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan brings to life an extraordinary tale (yet again after making Mee Sindhutai Sapkal) of a man's determination and uncompromising pursuit of truth that provokes our conscience and releases us from the shackles of rising apathy, that's spread like a pandemic. Gour Hari Dastaan not only salutes its unsung hero, but the resilience and indomitable spirit of people like him, who continue to hope, despite the adversities.

    Official trailer: Gour Hari Dastaan - The Freedom File

    Promo: Gour Hari Dastaan - The Freedom File

    Official teaser trailer: Gour Hari Dastaan - The Freed...

    First look: Gour Hari Dastaan - The Freedom File
    Photogallery

    Photogallery



As the film shuttles between past and present, you get a glimpse of Gour Hari's early life, his tryst with the country's freedom struggle and its repercussion. Without resorting to dramatic dialogues, it manages to mock the system in the most understated manner.

Gour Hari, as a teenager willingly ran alongside steam engine trains to deliver secret messages to fellow revolutionaries for the freedom of his country. Sadly, he was forced to run from pillar to post as an old man, chasing government officials for a document (tamrapatra) that acknowledged his work. This incredible story of hope and despair inspires an otherwise dejected tabloid journalist (Ranvir Shorey, effective), who joins his battle.

A talented ensemble cast lends authenticity to the proceedings. Konkona Sen Sharma as Gour Hari's supportive wife, Vikram Gokhale as the practical Chief Minister and Siddharth Jadhav, who suggests that bribing the British would have freed us sooner, are brilliant.

However, it's Vinay Pathak who gets one of the most significant roles of his career. While an actor like Anupam Kher would have been apt, Pathak gives it his all. He rightly portrays the honesty and silent defiance of his character, especially in the crucial last scene.

While the film does struggle with a slow pace and certain irrelevant characters and scenes that digress from the core subject, this biopic deserves to be seen.

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Biography,

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