Badlapur Movie Review - A Gripping Tale with A Subtle Message

Movie: Badlapur
Language: Hindi
Running Time: 132 Minutes
CBFC Rating: A
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Naazzudin Siddique, Huma Qureshi, Yami Gautam, Vinay Pathak and Radhika Apte

Expectations:
Badlapur comes from director Sridhar Raghavan three years after the debacle called 'Agent Vinod'. And it has 'Varun Dhawan' in the lead, someone touted to be the next 'bhai' in town, rather than anything else. There are also comparisons to the 'Ek Villain' storyline, which had released last year. Unfortunately, the irony of it all is that 'Ek Villain' was an outright Indianized version of  the cult Korean movie 'I saw the Devil' and 'Badlapur' is a pretty original attempt, as far as this reviewer could see. Either way, the expectations for the movie was muted and the only thing that was being hyped about the movie was Atif Aslam's Jeena Jeena. Which was sad, because this movie is so much more.

Plot:
Raghav (Varun Dhawan) works at an ad-agency in Pune and is happily married to Misha (Yami Gautam) with a son. When a bank robbery by Liak (Nawazuddin Siddique) and Harmaan (Vinay Pathak) goes wrong, Misha and her son are caught in between as collateral damage and are left for dead. Liak lets his friend escape with a money promising to return soon, but gets caught by the police. With his world shattered, Raghav has only one goal in mind: revenge, and he would go any lengths to get his revenge. Liak, who realizes that Raghav would not let him live in peace decides it's enough being bad and tries to turn around his life for the better. Ultimately, what happens to both of them forms the rest of this intriguing plot.

Performances:
You can go to the movie doubting the acting prowess of Varun Dhawan. That is a good thing, because he will prove you wrong. In his small career of three movies, young Dhawan was the typical masala hero who can woo any girl and fight any villain. But not here. Badlapur is to Varun Dhawan what Haider was to Shahid Kapoor. Both as the loving husband and the shattered alcoholic, he shows that he can emote and even match the other veterans that he shares the screen space with. The transformation from a likeable, sweet husband to a brutal, unflinching murderer has been essayed perfectly and it will remain one of Varun Dhawan's best performances for some time to come.

The show-stealer, as expected is Nawazuddin Siddique. As Laik, the bank-robber who wants to make it big, he is the bad-guy you hate at first, but someone who grows on you and earns your sympathy as the tale unfolds. He is fragile, he makes some stupid mistakes (one grave one as well), he loves his mom and his Jhimli (Huma Qureshi) and he is almost likeable. Siddique had deftly underplayed a role which could have so easily become a typical anti-hero role. He is flawed, no doubt, but you tend to like him because you can relate to his flaws, so you kind of hope that Raghav does not kill him.

The other strong pillars of this movie are the leading ladies. Everyone's character has been carefully etched and they remain true to their roles. Yami Gautam's is actually a brief cameo. There are barely four scenes of her throughout and it could have dampened the pace if not for Yami's charming screen presence. But which Tamil girl is named 'Misha', Mr. Sridhar? Radhika Apte as Koko, who does not mind sleeping with a guy to save her husband and Huma Qureshi as Jhimli, the prostitute and love interest of Laik, essay bold roles and deserve special applause for doing what Indian leading ladies would consider 'offbeat' to do. In between all this, Divya Dutta holds her own as Shoba, an activist for prisoners' welfare.

In between all that, did I mention that Vinay Pathak as Harmaan, displays some brilliant histronics and effective underplay as the confused partner of Laik? That is like some dream cast and I haven't mentioned the greedy pot-bellied police officer and the protagonist's mom who wants to shop 'idli-dosa batter' for their south Indian in laws. Truly, the biggest plus of this movie is the detailing of each character, even the minute ones.

Where it does lack though is a seemingly swift shift from the present time to 15 years later where there isn't much of a change in appearance for any character. The jump in time is a little jarring and too convenient to push the story, but not convincing enough.

Technical Departments:
Music by Sachin-Jigar is apt and up the tempo of some scenes, especially the opening scene where you are biting your nails on the edge of your seat and cinematography by Anil Mehta is good especially because it's realistic and does not try anything too fancy. There's no unnecessary top-angle, bottom-angle, wide-angle shots to just show that the cinematographer to display his complete resume in this movie. That is refreshing, for a change!

Direction by Sridhar Raghavan gives this movie an edgy, dark mood as in Ek Hasina Thi and Jhonny Gaddar and nothing seems to be predictable. That is good because, there seems to be no pre-planned plot, just characters driving the story to an end. What a comeback this has been for him!

Positives:
Exemplary performances by a stellar cast, detailed characterization and the transformation of good to bad and vice versa are well documented.

Negatives:
The time-lapse of 15 years all of a sudden is jarring. The ending gets a bit preachy and was not exactly necessitated. It was obvious what was happening and I had found myself enjoying how unstated and beautiful the transformation of characters were and Raghavan spoils it in the end, where he makes Jhimli preach Raghav the virtues of non-violence. Oh, please!

Verdict:
Despite minor flaws, this is an enjoyable offering and a welcome return to form for Sridhar Raghavan.

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Shamitabh - Movie Review - A Masterclass display of Acting

Shamitabh
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan,Dhanush,Akshara Hassan.
Direction : R.Balki
Music : Ilayaraja
Cinematography : P.C.Sreeram.
Tagline : War of egoistic talents.

Expectation:
Coming from the stable of Balki, who previously delivered 2 hits - both featuring Amitabh Bachchan in lead role, with unique plots (a 60 year old's love with 30 year old in Cheeni Kum and the life of a 12 year old boy with a rare disorder -  progeria - in Paa), Shamitabh yet again features Amitabh, accompanied by South star Dhanush, who created impact with his performance in last year's successful Raanjhanaa and Kamal Hassan's second daughter Akshara(debut).From the trailer and the teaser, one could easily grab the premise where Shamitabh is set. Let's explore who actually is Shamitabh.

Plot:

A small town boy Daanish(Dhanush) wants to make it big in the showbiz. He gets to meet assistant director Akshara who wants to help him, and though Daanish is an extremely talented actor, there's one thing that prevents him from getting a break in the industry - Daanish is mute. Enters Amitabh ,(an aspiring actor himself, in his prime), who decides to lend his majestic voice for Daanish. Daanish and Amitabh combine with the aid of voice transfer technology, to create "Shamitabh" and achieve huge success.

Stardom gets into Daanish's head, while lack of recognition for his voice, and the disrespect Daanish gives him angers Amitabh. Selfishness, arrogance, anger and ego weakens the bonding, and the duo eventually break up. Their individual attempts fail big time, and Akshara decides to bring a patch up between the talented artistes. Who won the clash of egos, and whether Daanish and Amitabh reunited to recreate the magic of Superstar Shamitaabh is a fun filled emotional ride to be witnessed on screen.

Performances:

Dhanush and Amitabh compete with each other throughout the movie, and though the contest is evenly poised for most part, towards the end Amitabh proves he's a powerhouse performer. Dhanush, after his impressive act in Raanjhaana has taken the bold decision of not just sharing screen space with a veteran, but also getting his voice dubbed by him. Flawless acting performance by both
Dhanush and Amitabh, and you just cannot take your eyes off even for a moment. Dhanush impresses with his energetic performance as a mute guy, who aspires to become the superstar in the intial stages of the film, and later as the selfish and arrogant superstar. His body language and mannerisms, combined with Amitabh's voice (though you initially feel the voice not matching Dhanush's lean frame, as the movie progresses, it just gets better) assert the fact that he's not a one film wonder, and is here to stay.

Amitabh gets to mouth all the powerful, rhyming, satirical and emotionally charged lines in the movie, and he is at his best!! His angst at being at the background with no recognition, and the desperation that leads to his Ego clash with Daanish are expressed perfectly. Watch out for the climax when he almost overshadows the impact created by Dhanush throughout the movie. Akshara, making her debut in a role which is almost her real self, perfectly fills the bill. Her expressions while attempting to patch up the egoistic duo is apt. A much better artiste than Shruthi !!


Technical Departments and Direction:

Balki's love for Raja continues in Shamitabh as well. Background score by Ilayaraja lifts the mood of Shamitabh, and of his compositions, Bachchan's baritone rendition of Piddly and Stereophonic sannata make the impact with picture perfect visuals. P.C.Sreeram makes Shamitabh a watch-worthy experience. He has captured the emotions of both the leading actors perfectly, and since this is one movie where the actors take precedence over props and locales, Sreeram has done a commendable job.

Balki yet again proves that his success in the bollywood industry isn't a flash in the pan, and re-establishes that he's one creative director who could make unique characterizations and plots. His screenplay doesn't drag or hold uninteresting sequences. His flair for wit and habit of inculcating humor within the screenplay is appreciable, and he even takes a lot of digs on the industry
-casting couch, the name "Bollywood" itself copied..err...inspired from hollywood.etc among others.

Though the piddly number and the following sequence between Dhanush and Rukmani are crass and unwarranted, Balki makes the latter one crowd-pleasing with Amitabh mouthing a counter dwarfing Dhanush. Though the premise is well known even from the trailers, Kudos to Balki for coming up with  an engaging screenplay laced with many light-hearted moments, and sustaining the audience interest throughout, thanks to the magnetic and expressive performances of both Dhanush and Amitabh.

Though laced with all such positive factors, Shamitabh has its own shortcomings as well - one of them being the forced end which just doesn't fit in considering the fun filled screenplay. All said , Shamitabh is Balki brand entertainment with Amitabh and Dhanush sharing the acting honors.

What works :
Dhanush-Amitabh, witty dialogues, the novel, unique plot and tight screenplay by Balki.

What doesn't :
The climax which seems forced (though it essentially is aimed at showing destruction of ego in both the men), the sequence involving Dhanush and Rukmani which follows Piddly, Amitabh's pointless conversation to the dead Gomes at cemetary.

Verdict:
Top notch performances and a near perfect screenplay with an underlying deep message makes this Shamitabh taste victory !! Sure to leave an emotional impact.

7.8/10

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Yennai Arindhaal Movie Review - Ajith Steals the Show

Yennai Arindhaal 

Cast : Ajith Kumar, Arun Vijay, Trisha, Anushka, Vivek.

Direction : Goutham Menon.

Music : Harris Jayaraj.

Cinematography : Dan MacArthur.

Expectation:

Yennai Arindhaal - the 3rd installment in the Cop series from Goutham Vasudev menon has been in news for quite long for more than one reason.The first being his maiden venture with Ajith,his return to the cop-life genre after the blockbusters Kaaka kaaka and Vettaiyaadu vilaiyadu, his much awaited golden reunion with Harris Jayaraj, and the presence of two happening heroines - Trisha and Anushka in the movie.Coming with humongous expectations, and huge pre-release hype, does the Ajith starrer live true to its expectations? Well, almost. Let's see what Yennai Arindhaal is all about.

Plot:

The movie is an episode in the life of an ex-cop Sathyadev, that traverses between his past and the present. Sathyadev gets in touch with Thenmozhi (played by Anushka, who looks way too old in the beginning song), and realizes that she's under trouble from a gang lead by Victor- Sathya's old friend turned foe from an undercover mission. His encounter with Victor takes him back to memories of the past - what lead Sathya and Victor turn enemies, Sathya's family life with the beautiful dancer Hemanika (Trisha) and its brutal end followed by Sathya's decision to quit his duties to be with his dearest daughter. Cut to the present, Sathya playing spoilsport in his plans angers Victor and he decides to make it personal - he targets the love of Sathya's life Eesha. The mystery behind Victor targeting Thenmozhi, and whether Victor was successful in his revenge or Sathya saved Eesha and Thenmozhi in the final showdown is what Yennai Arindhaal is all about.

Performances:

 The movie completely belongs to Ajith and even in the presence of two heroines the audience could not take their attention off from him(Goutham has a lot of words mouthed by Anushka about the handsome Ajith in the beginning!!). Sathyadev's character is designed as an upright cop, who has his values(he respects women - he doesn't mind getting away from his mission to help a pregnant woman, and even regrets killing one towards the end, but when it comes to thugs, he's a mean guy). Ajith perfectly fits into the role of Sathya, and his different looks - the cool, casual ex cop, the disguise of a gangster, and the honest cop  suit him well. He delivers a subtle performance, and its good to see him in a role that requires emotions - the daughter angle and the romance track with Trisha enhance the effect.

The villainous act of Arun Vijay was expected much, but falls flat, as he doesn't look menacing.Except for the entry and few encounters with Sathya, Victor doesn't do anything exceptional as a villain - his role is reduced to a cliched caricature in the second half. Coming to the two leading ladies - Trisha gets to feature in two songs, and emotes a little, while Anushka doesn't even get that scope as all that she does throughout YA is accompanying Ajith and following his instructions.The other artistes like Nasser, Parvathi, Ashish Vidyarthi are literally wasted in the movie, as their presence is eclipsed by Ajith. Vivek tries to evoke a few laughs,but in vain.

Technical departments:

Harris in his return to GVM zone has provided some good numbers- Unakkenna venum sollu and Mazhai vara poguthe are humworthy, while Mayabazaar is a different attempt. The "Yennai arindhaal" title song during the beginning credits and during the cop transformation of Ajith will delight the actor's fans. Harris has given the much needed variation in the pleasant BGM for romantic eprisodes and the pulsating one for the action sequences. Full credits to Dan Macarthur's cinematography for presenting the best of Ajith in the different looks he portrays in the movie - be it the gangster or he cop or the loving dad. The stunts and the songs are captured perfectly as well. Certainly not the best from Goutham menon, but for sure , this is his fine comeback after the duds NEPV and Nadunisi naaaigal. Particularly, as comparisons are bound to arise, with his previous cop-action sagas and the gripping screenplay and terrific sequences he had in them.

Notable Points:

Sathyadev is definitely not a Raghavan/Anbu Chelvan, but leaves a mark solely due to the one-man show and the towering presence of Ajith. For a cop movie, YA lacks a powerful villain and a strong motive - GVM's villains are memorable and are as powerful as the protagonist- be it Kaaka Kaaka's gangster Pandiya and his menacing acts to avenge the death of his brother or the psychopath duo Amudhan-Ilamaran of Vettaiyadu vilaiyadu who were on a women killing spree, the villains were  able to counter the hero and his numerous attempts to bring them down. Their actions spoke more than the words. But here, Arun Vijay is made to speak continuosly, and that he does this all for the racket he runs, and totally ruins his characterization.

Trademark Goutham brand romance (a minor episode here, reminiscent of VV track between Aradhana and Raghavan) and usage of expletives with raw violence is there in YA as well , with some impact. The titles read screenplay assistance by Thyagarajan Kumararaja and Sridhar Raghavan, but we don't get to see any traces of that, as the screenplay is leisurely paced (the song placements could have definitely been better), and Yennai arindhaal completely reminds us of GVM's previous cop characters and the episodes.

What works:
Ajith as Sathyadev the cop,Ajith as Sathya the gangster,Ajith the loving dad and the romantic at heart, Harris Jayaraj's songs and BGM, Sathyadev Vs Victor episodes.

What doesn't :
A strong sense of Deja vu(reminding Goutham's previous ventures), leisurely paced screenplay.

Verdict:

Despite it's shortcomings, the one thing that keeps you glued to the seat throughout the movie, it is Ajith. The actor's powerful presence makes this emotion filled cop drama a winner.

A solid 7/10.

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