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Kalapana THANIGACHALAM
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Kalapana posted a review for Khaali Peeli (2020) in Movies
Khaali peeli is One of the best masala action film. Moreover, he has presented the film in a simple yet interesting manner, trying hard to ensure the viewer doesn't lose interest. Among the other best aspects of the film is the casting. The not-so-new, but yet-to-unleash, Ishaan Khatter shines through the film as Blackie. He is seamless as a taxi driver, and being a Mumbaikar, the accent and attitude required for the role come naturally. He strives and succeeds to impress from the first frame and wins your attention in the due course, by taking charge of the screen. There is no doubt that Ananya is a good actor and she has the skill to get into the character with ease.As Pooja, she tries to deliver it consciously, but in a good way, without being pretentious. Playing characters like Yusuf must be a cake-walk for Jaideep Ahlawat, and he does not disappoint. So does Anup Sonii. But the surprise element in the film is veteran actor Satish Kaushik, who is present for a few scenes, but definitely makes your laugh. His experience of captivating your attention, through any roles, shows through his role as a lazy police officer. He is a treat to watch. Overall, the film is entertaining, but one would be hooked, especially in the first half of the film. To sum it up, Khaali Peeli is one 'masaledaar' chase. The film is 113-minutes long, and While almost all of it seems senseless, such films serve to be good popcorn entertainment. Amidst the tension and stress, watching this no-brainer is no-harm.Let's wait for khaali peeli 2. 10 out 10 according to me.Kindly Don't think twice about negative reviews for this movie.Mostly trailer got disliked video on youtube,but I liked the movie.
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Kalapana posted a review for Tenet (2020) in Movies
Tenet is an exhilarating and mind-boggling movie to watch. It's about a secret agent who embarks on a dangerous, time-bending mission to prevent the start of World War III. This movie .......I don't know how to describe how I feel about it. I watched it yesterday and being honest I feel like I have a better understanding of the movie now than while I was watching it in time. And that's not a bad thing! Most of Christopher Nolan's films make me feel this way. This movie is very complex in a good way. There are so many layers and seeing them all unfold and intertwine during the movie was really interesting. I love the complexity of the characters too. Each new face you see on the screen, you pay close attention to. With, that being said, each character is well developed even the antagonist, Andrie Sator (Kenneth Branagh). My major pet peeve is when the quote on quote bad guy is just that ...a bad guy. Kenneth Branagh did a good job making me intrigued by the backstory of his character and trying to figure out his thinking. I also liked watching the scenes between his character and Kat (Elizabeth Debicki). You could always feel the tension between the two, and you believed whatever emotions they were acting out. It made you feel uncomfortable for Kat to be around Andrie, but that is the point. I think the arc that they gave Kat toward the end was great. I also loved the dynamic between Neil (Robert Patterson) and "The Protagonist" (John David Washington). They just clicked. You could see the blooming of friendship on-screen. I loved it. Now the action scenes in this movie are going to be talked about and analyzed for a long time. I think these scenes were what I enjoyed the most out of the whole movie. This movie changes the way you perceive and think about motion. The fights could be viewed in so many ways, and each would convey something totally different. And the cinematography. Not only was this a cool concept, but it was an aesthetically pleasing movie to look at. Every angle felt intentional, and it was so cool to see the way Christopher Nolan portrayed time going backwards on screen. Christopher Nolan's mind is beautiful. I think everyone should watch this movie sometime. If you like movies that have many layers and easter eggs, this is the movie for you. You won't stop thinking about this movie for days. Everything is connected; a never-ending loop.
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Kalapana posted a review for Serious Men (2020) in Movies
Serious Men, the debut novel of journalist Manu Joseph, was published a decade ago in a different, less raucous India. Joseph’s smartly cheeky take on the two “serious men” of his imagination – Arvind Acharya, a Brahmin scientist, and Ayyan Mani, his Dalit personal assistant – is unsentimental but also a sympathetic insider’s view of our grand divides. Joseph’s story and narrative provided, unintentionally or intentionally, a counterview to the platitude about India as a country of contradictions and opposites. The novel stripped the idea that India lives in several centuries at the same time and shows why these polarities can play out dangerously in human lives.Ayyan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is at the mercy of his boss, the formidable scientist Arvind (Nassar) who has worked for decades at the Indian Institute of Science in Mumbai, bullying his way through plum grants for an ongoing project about stratospheric microbes. None of his colleagues is convinced that Arvind’s theory deserves much attention or support. Ayyan intently eavesdrops on every meeting and conversation and, through small subterfuges and annoying questions, manages to invite Arvind’s ire. Is there a purpose behind this antagonism? Arvind’s anger towards Ayyan is loud, almost abusive, and Ayyan nurtures a simmering gripe. Ayyan lives in the BBD chawls in Mumbai – which have few windows for opportunities and as much history as Dharavi – with his wife Oja (Indira Tiwari) and 11-year-old son Adi (Aakshath Das). Ayyan feeds Adi scientific knowledge in small capsules and sets in motion a plan to convince the world that the boy is a child prodigy and genius. Will Ayyan be exposed, and will Arvind come to his rescue? On the other hand, will Ayan’s guile save Arvind from ignominy? In Joseph’s novel, the world of science is as monolithic and oppressive as any corporation or government machinery. But there is also the promise that science, when used the right way, is one of humanity’s greatest hopes to cross artificial barriers and find solutions to its problems. In the film, the focus is on Ayyan’s journey with his son. There is no catharsis and only compromise, catalysed by a brilliant climactic moment at an art gallery. The scene beautifully crystallises what Serious Men is about – no matter how close they are physically, for a Brahmin, and in extension, all born to privilege, the lens to view creativity, is vastly different from what it is to a Dalit
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Kalapana posted a review for Gulabo Sitabo in Movies
GULABO SITABO is the story of the rivalry between a tenant and a landlord. Mirza Chunnan Nawab (Amitabh Bachchan), 78, is married to Fatima Begum (Farrukh Jafar), who is nearly 17 years older to him. Begum owns more-than-a-century-old palatial mansion called Fatima Mahal in Lucknow, where she resides. But since she is quite old and also a bit delusional, Mirza takes care of the haveli. A part of Fatima Mahal is given to tenants, one of whom is Baankey Rastogi (Ayushmann Khurrana). Baankey’s family has been residing in the haveli as tenants since ages and Mirza now wants to drive Baankey and his family out since they are paying merely Rs. 30 as monthly rent. Mirza’s demand to increase the rent always meets with a stiff resistance from Baankey, further infuriating the former. In the absence of finances, Mirza is not even able to renovate the haveli and it’s in a completely dilapidated condition. The condition is so bad that a mere kick of Baankey leads to breaking of a toilet wall. Mirza demands that Baankey pay for the damages while Baankey makes it clear that maintenance is the responsibility of the landlord. The matter reaches the cops who tell them to take this dispute to civil court. At the police station, Gyanesh Shukla (Vijay Raaz) from the archaeology department overhears their commotion. He follows them and realizes that Fatima Mahal is a heritage property. He starts to click pictures secretly but Baankey catches him red-handed. Gyanesh however tells him and other tenants that the haveli is of heritage value and can also collapse anytime. He recommends that they allow Fatima Mahal to be handed over to their department who’ll then renovate it and convert it into a museum. In return, he’ll give them a decent-sized flat with all amenities. Mirza, on the other hand, meets a lawyer, Christopher Clarke (Brijendra Kala) who suggests that the former should sell off the mansion to solve the problems of the tenants once and for all. In the bargain, he’ll also get a handsome amount. However, it is Begum who owns the property and moreover, her siblings might also have ownership. As a result, Mirza sets off to find out who all from Begum’s side are alive and if they can give him a No-Objection Certificate over selling the mansion. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Juhi Chaturvedi's story is promising and novel. We have read and seen films about horrors faced by tenants. But landlord being unfairly harassed is also a reality and this is a rare film to focus on that aspect. Juhi Chaturvedi's screenplay, however, doesn’t do complete justice to the concept. The film is laced with some interesting characters and setting and so much could have been done with them. Juhi, however, lets the opportunity pass. Juhi Chaturvedi's dialogues are conversational and simple, with few of them being quite sharp and witty. Shoojit Sircar's direction is decent. He had a weak script in hand and hence, there isn’t much he could have done anyway. However, we have seen the charm of his execution in films like VICKY DONOR and PIKU. GULABO SITABO, too, is in the same zone but his direction leaves a lot to be desired. On the positive side, he captures the essence of Lucknow beautifully. On the big screen, experiencing it would have been interesting. He also extracts great performances from his actors. On the flipside, the humour is missing and it would have made a lot of difference. Also, a few developments are bewildering and this is especially with regards to the character of Mirza. On one hand, he’s supposed to be quite smart and money-minded, which made him marry Begum in the first place. But on the other hand, he’s also quite simpleton who didn’t even know the proper worth of the items he used to sell and even of the haveli in which he has been residing since many decades. GULABO SITABO starts off on a decent note, introducing the characters (including the mansion), the relevance of the title and the world in which they reside. The background score and even the situations give the vibe of a comic caper but there are hardly any funny moments in the movie. It’s only when Mirza wakes up in the middle of street is when the film actually and finally gets a laugh-worthy sequence. Things thankfully get better from here as Gyanesh Shukla and Christopher Clarke get introduced and it adds a lot to the game of one upmanship between Mirza and Baankey. Though the film keeps one glued, one does miss something exciting or even funny to happen with the characters. That happens only in the last 10-15 minutes. The twist in the tale is definitely unpredictable and though it’s not entirely unconvincing, it ends the film on a great note. Amitabh Bachchan delivers a smashing performance. His make-up is spot-on and the manner in which he gets totally into the skin of his character is seen to be believed. He makes an impact just through his expressions. In this regard, two scenes which really stand out are when he wakes up on the road and when he looks inquisitively as Vijay Raaz inspects the mansion. Ayushmann Khurrana also is quite entertaining but his screen time is less than that of Amitabh. This is the second consecutive time that Ayushmann has settled for an extended supporting role, after SHUBH MANGAL ZYADA SAAVDHAN [2020]. Farrukh Jafar has a significant role and leaves a huge mark. She in fact rocks the show in two key sequences in the second half. Vijay Raaz and Brijendra Kala are dependable as always. Srishti Shrivastava (Guddo) is quite confident. Others like Poornima Sharma (Fauzia), Annanya Dwivedi (Neetu), Ujali Raj (Payal), Sunil Kumar Verma (Mishra ji), Jogi Mallang (Munmun ji), Rajiv Pandey (Police inspector) and Behram Rana (Abdul Rehman) also do well. Shantanu Moitra, Abhishek Arora and Anuj Garg's music doesn’t have a shelf life. The theme music is catchy and works well. 'Madari Ka Bandar' is another song that in sync with the film’s theme. The rest of the songs like 'Kuya Leke Aayo Jagme', 'Kanjoos', 'Budhau' etc aren’t memorable at all. Background score is quirky and much better. Avik Mukhopadhayay's cinematography is excellent and captures Lucknow and especially the dilapidated mansion beautifully. Mansi Dhruv Mehta's production design also adds a lot to the realism of the film. Same goes for Veera Kapur Ee's costumes. None of the characters even remotely look glamorous and that goes in favour of the film. Pia Cornelius's prosthetics make-up design is excellent and adds to the impact. Chandrashekhar Prajapati's editing is passable. Though the film is just 124 minutes long, it seems quite slow. On the whole, GULABO SITABO is a decent entertainer for home viewing. Despite the lack of humour and an average script, the film works majorly because of the performances, the Lucknow setting and the twist in the end.
- Acting, Direction, Story, Visuals
Kalapana posted a review for Onward in Movies
In a world inhabited by mythical creatures, magic is commonplace and its wielders are greatly respected. However, due to the difficulty of mastering it as well as technological advances over the years, which make a lot easier to achieve things previously made by magic, the magical instinct and use disappear, as modern civilizations thrive. In a time equivalent to the modern day, two teenage elves live in the city of New Mushroomton: Ian Lightfoot, who lacks in self-confidence, and his older brother Barley, a passionate role-playing and historical fanatic who longs to go on a proper adventure. Their father Wilden died of a severe illness shortly before Ian's birth, leaving their mother Laurel to raise them. Since, Laurel has gotten a new boyfriend, centaur police officer Colt Bronco, whom the boys do not like that much. On Ian's sixteenth birthday, Laurel gives the brothers a gift from Wilden: a magical staff, a rare gem, and a letter describing a "visitation spell" that can resurrect Wilden for a single day. Excited, Ian writes down a list in his notebook of things he wants to do with Wilden when they bring him back to life. Barley attempts to cast the spell to no avail, even after numerous tries. However, Ian succeeds in doing so later that night. Due to Barley's interference, only the lower half of Wilden's body is physically reformed before the gem disintegrates. Resolving to fix their mistake, the brothers leave on a quest in Barley´s beloved van "Guinevere" to acquire another gem in order to reattempt the spell. Laurel finds the boys gone soon after and leaves to find them, following Barley's magic cards as a clue. Ian and Barley first visit the Manticore's Tavern, named for and run by a fearless adventurer who possesses a map to the gem. The tavern has become a mundane family restaurant and the Manticore, Corey, is its uptight manager. In an argument with the boys over the map, Corey realizes how boring her life has become and drives the customers away in a fit of rage, accidentally setting fire to the restaurant and the map. The brothers' only clue is a children's menu that suggests "Raven's Point" as a possible location of the gem. Laurel later arrives at the scene and befriends Corey, who calms down and agrees to help her. Corey warns her that the brothers' journey may lead to the awakening of a vicious beast (a fact she forgot to mention to the brothers), which can only be defeated by a special sword. They find it at a pawn shop, whose owner demands an exorbitant price after she learns of its powerful and magical nature. Corey paralyzes her with a sting, and she and Laurel steal the sword, leaving the owner paralyzed in her shop. As Ian and Barley travel out of New Mushroomton and into a mountainous area, they narrowly escape from the police and a motorcycle gang of pixies, relying on Ian's newly awakened spell-casting abilities and Barley's instinct for where the gem might be hidden. They discover that "Raven's Point" is a hint to follow the directions indicated by a series of crow statues. However, Colt discovers their ruse and gives chase, calling in reinforcements. Cornered in the mountain, Barley sacrifices Guinevere by making it drive to a clump of rocks to stop the police from catching them. Saddened, Barley takes Guinevere's taillight as a remmnant, and tells Ian they must continue. They follow the crow statues, and the last one makes them descend underground through a cave, were they avoid a series of traps, deadly creatures, and escaping the flooding tunnel, until they see a light above them. Surfacing, they emerge through a sewer cover in a street back in the city and in front of their high school. Ian lashes out at Barley for leading them on a wild goose chase and walks away with Wilden. Upset at the fact that he will not get to see his father complete before time expires, Ian scribbles out his list of things to do with Wilden. However, he realizes that Barley has served as an effective father figure throughout his youth and their recent quest and returns to make amends with him. While fending off construction workers, Barley notices a flower-shaped hole in a fountain and fills it with a rock he took from one of the bird statues, triggering the fountain to open and reveal the gem he and Ian need. When he takes it, though, magical force begins to emerge out of it, taking parts of the nearby school to become a massive dragon, which charges at the gem. Ian tries to fend it off with the staff, but it is knocked from his grip and into the ocean; he manages to reform it from a splinter embedded in his hand and continues the fight. Corey flies in carrying Laurel, who plunges the magic sword into the dragon's heart and weakens it long enough for Ian to cast the visitation spell and fully reform Wilden's body. Ian sends Barley ahead to spend time with Wilden before the spell wears off, and he holds off the dragon long enough for Laurel to destroy it. Afterward, Barley tells Ian that Wilden is proud of him and the brothers share a hug. Even though Ian has given up a chance to see his father face to face, he is content with the time the two spent together on the journey. His confidence and spell-casting improve, and he surprises Barley by painting his new van, the "Guinevere 2", which he recently bought. Corey reopens her tavern in its original spirit, drawing in customers with tales of her past adventures, and the citizens of New Mushroomton begin to reclaim their magical heritage
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