Movie Review: Swades (2004)

There’s a moment in Swades, where after a power-cut during a festival, the villagers exclaim that the celebrations looked more beautiful without the electricity. It perfectly captures the mindset so many people get frustrated about in India. Broken Roads? “What can we do?”, People dying of COVID? “It was god’s wish!”. Worse than a broken system is the lack of will to change it, worse yet the inability to acknowledge it’s broken.

It also perfectly encapsulates Swades. Which at the heart of it, talks about reform on a local level. In this case a village, that must let go of the casteism to educate its kids, and wake up to the urgent need of better basic necessities. It takes an outsider for them to acknowledge that these issues exist in the first place.

But Swades doesn’t just stop there. It champions individual action, and confronts the brain drain, asking those who emigrated to the US, to use the privilege of their education to improve the lives of those at home.

Nobel thoughts, but Gowariker’s solutions like in Lagaan (2001) are often simplistic and often gloss over the repercussions of challenging age old maladies like caste in a village full of those who benefit from it. The reality doesn’t play like the Utopian town of Charanpur depicted here. The approach is largely naive, and an end that teeters on the verge of melodrama.

But Swades works because Shah Rukh Khan delivers a career best by a mile. The guy is the beating heart and soul of the film, his screen presence alone encapsulates the viewer.

Swades is a solid watch, despite its flaws. A 3.5/5 and an extra half star for spelling AND pronouncing Bhargava (pronounced Bh-(aar)-gov) correctly.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (worth watching)

Dil To Pagal Hai is a great watch!?!

I just saw a movie I first saw when I was 3 (we watched it thrice in theatres, then countless times on TV, it's a comfort watch as you can tell). Saw it after ~4 years now, and it was a surprisingly good watch.

Why is it good? I loved how much of a departure it was from the traditional 90s bollywood. The female leads are given strong characters, facing real challenges (in so far as a romantic movie can provide) with clear agency. The male leads are respectful and sensible. There's a maturity with which conflicts are handled.

The movie also handles the friends to lovers arc respectfully. A friend is a friend, and doesn't have to be more than that. Somehow, Bollywood in the 90s and early 2000s could not grasp this concept. To them male and female friendships always festered into something more. Doesn't have to be in real life, and I am glad to see a mainstream movie in 90s tackle that respectfully.

Yes, the dialogue feel a bit cringe today, and some of the notions around marriage are archaic, but it's a reflection of the time and era we lived in back then. To me, a 28 year old movie that stands the test of time is a great movie. Dil To Pagal Hai is one of those rare ones. Definitely worth a watch.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (Highly recommend)
More about the movie: Dil To Pagal Hai (Letterboxd)

Movie Recommendation: Coolie

I don't think I have seen a lot of Rajnikanth movies, So I don't know what's a quintessential "Rajni" Movie. But if it's anything like Coolie, I can understand the craze. Coolie is a thoroughly entertaining watch. The story's no citizen cane, it has its fair share of plot-holes and unwanted twist; but its the actors and a fluid screenplay that keep the movie engaging. The film seldom skips a beat.

I particularly enjoyed Soubin Shahir's performance, along with ofcourse Rajnikanth who at this point just exhumes screen-precense (and why wouldn't he, it's his 171th movie) the guy has his is own aura.

Anirudh Ravichander has perfected the art of giving music to the Lokesh and Atlee genre of movies. The music is cut from the same cloth as Jawaan, and Vikram, and Leo but it's still got fresh elements. Particularly enjoyed Mobsta, Powerhouse, I am the Danger, and Coolie Disco. Great songs.

I don't know what's much to say about this movie, apart from the fact that it's hella fun to watch. If you're having a bad week like me, Coolie's the perfect stress buster, filled with old-school ethical heroes who take the people first approach, so their victories feel personal.


Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5 stars for the movie, and an extra 0.5 for the soundtrack)

Movie Recommendation: Elevator Pitch by Alexx Zaki

Alexx Zaki's debut short film Elevator Pitch is a timely take on the process of job-hunting. The process is robotic, de-humanising and soul crushing. Alexx does a great job representing it in few words. The actors are terrific, they show a range of depth in such few words. Watch out for the "hip-VP", that person conveys so much in a single dialogue.

Highly recommend spending four minutes of your time on this terrific short film.

P.S. I must disclose, Alexx is one of my best friends, so I am inclined to enjoy everything they make; but even so, this is an unbiased, honest take. I have already seen this short twice.

Book Recommendation : Annie Bot

AI bots are everywhere. The AI Girlfriend industry supposed to be this multi billion dollar industry where people just talk to an AI chatbot that’s been anthropomorphized to the point that its conversation is almost Human. It’s an industry that’s a perfect representation of Silicon Valley greed and its parasitic relationship with human suffering (loneliness in this case).

Annie Bot begins there. But goes well beyond that. Yes, Annie is an AI powered humanoid, designed to obey and please her human owner Doug; but it quickly becomes apparent that the book is not just about that.

Yes, that’s the hook, but truly Annie Bot explores the complex relationships and how our actions onto others, especially things we don’t consider “equals” are often a reflection of our own state of mind. Through Annie, we see Doug’s state of mind going from mendacious, to twisted, to diabolical. Doug’s actions are what he would do, if his previous partner had no agency.

And of course, Annie is more sentient than your run of the mill AI chatbot, in fact its emotions are more complex than some of the other humans in the world today. Yet her place in the world remains interesting, as Annie gets nuggets of agency, she keeps developing character, yet she's held back by some fundamentals that seem unshakable, the more that happens the more the duality of Annie's sentience and "bot-ness" become apparent.

The book goes beyond than just forcing us to consider the humanity of both the bot and the human, it also beautifully shows us the complexities of human nature. For all his horrific actions, Doug isn’t a monster (or at least not in the traditional sense of the word), there’s another side to him, a side that’s broken, lonely, ashamed, jealous and frankly alone. All these things add up, they add a dimension to his actions. Never condoning them, but always giving them meaning.

What didn’t work for me though was the broad strokes world building, especially with the Stella-Handy, the company that supposedly runs the Annie Bot robots. For starters it was a bit weird that they would just disclose stuff to Doug over a phone call which would otherwise be under an NDA. Their partnership with Doug and Annie was also weird, given they seem to be collecting all the data to improve their products anyway. We also never really get to understand their true motives. It’s a weird chink in the armor for what’s an otherwise perfectly crafted story.

I also felt that the lead up to the final act could have reflected more on Annie’s inner turmoil and Doug’s life changes. The end feels abrupt, even if the final act is beautifully executed.

Annie Bot is a one of the most profound Human-AI-Bot interaction books of our times that offers us two complex, layered characters. Just wish the world building was just as strong.

Rating: ★★★ 1/2 (Highly Recommended)

Movie Review: Sitaare Zameen Par

Despite being overly simplistic, rather repetitive in its preachings and a tad too predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed Sitaare Zameen Par. It's a heart-warming movie that's breezy and fun in its entertainment.

Sitaare Zameen Par works best when its stars (the team of neurodivergent basketball players) are having fun. It's watching these absolute gems work their way through a basketball tournament that's so delightful. The writers give the characters ample depth and never turn them into caricatures. The humor is sensitive and the movie will have you consistently break into giggles.

Ashish Pendse (Sunil) and Rishi Shahani (Sharma Ji) are absolutely incredible. Pendse lights up the screen every time he shows up, his comic timing, his acting is all top-notch. Shahani (an olympic gold medalist IRL) speaks more with his expressions than his dialogue.

What doesn’t work: It’s a movie that has few new ideas. It wants to teach a lot in a very short time, and it wants to coach people into the dos and don't, that hardly works. If the goal is to sensitize people to be empathetic towards neurodivergent people, it's not gonna win over any fans, for it's too preachy for those that most need the lesson.

Overall, difficult to dislike the movie, I had a good time watching the movie wish it was a tad shorter though.

I am glad we finally have a Bollywood movie that's not about the blood lust, breaking bones, or revenge. Pleasant change this is.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Good, but not great)

Book Recommendation: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

This book should come with a trigger warning. Its depictions of the every day struggles of running an indie-business, crooked friendships, and loss and death are unnervingly accurate and real. While reading the book there were many a times that I had flashbacks of memories of my own past. It’s both a testament to the quality of work Zevin’s put out and a reminder that some stories can be a painful read.

I related with Sadie, on her artistic instincts and creative endeavors, her resistance to the corporate greed and being told to work in the confines of a system. I related with Marx being the adult in the room, gluing their friendship together. Related with Sam’s grandparents who found solace in caring for their grandson, and celebrated every small win of the kid (my grandmother was like that). I related with Sam when he felt love and care must be shown, not told. I also loved the fact that this is not a romantic love story, we need so many more stories about real, authentic and messy friendships!

At the same time it was frustrating to see Sadie and Sam struggle with communication, there were times when I felt I wanted to steer the book in a certain direction because the way it was headed was inevitable and foreseeably disheartening.

All this is to say that the book had me more than invested. It’s a great book and that’s what makes it a gut wrenching read that weighs on you heavy with its hyper-realistic and authentic emotions.

Rating: ★★★★★ (Hall of fame level good)

Pizzeria Antica Port'Alba - Oldest Pizzeria in the world

Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba is the oldest (and arguably the world’s first pizzeria). Established in 1738 they started as a roadside cart where they’d offer the fishermen fresh pizza (tomatoes on a flat bread sometimes topped with anchovies).

Sadly the pizza there didn’t live up to the hype. I tried their Marinara (the only vegan item on the menu); The dough was dense, the bottom charred and the tomatoes lacked flavor.  What made matters worse was the fact that they were selling artisanal Neapolitan oliera at an exorbitant markup, almost like a tourist trap.

Book Recommendation: Autonomous

I really enjoyed reading Autonomous. Surprised it's not a movie remake yet.

Despite the busy writing, world building that never really stops and characters that barely get time to develop, writer Annalee Newitz is able to raise pertinent questions about addiction, gender, identity and freedom in a story that’s entertaining and prodding in equal measures. I loved the Futuristic, Spy Thriller setup of the book. Very fun!

Rating: ★★★ 1/2 (Would recommend despite the flaws)

Movie Recommendation: Merry Christmas

A mille-fueille noir that delights and surprises in equal measure

Merry Christmas as the name suggests, is a Christmas movie through and through, the undercurrents of Christmas themes are strong here, and Crime exists to add the extra punch. I love the idea. For people like me who cannot stand saccharine holiday films after a point, this is a perfect concoction of crime and the holiday spirit. (Alas the movie released 3 weeks later than it should have.)

Sriram Raghavan’s crime noirs are full of references to other classics, sly tricks and clever writing. Merry Christmas is no different. It’s been 24 hours and me and my brother are still finding little details that we missed, such is the layering here.

The buildup in the first hour is intense. It’s practically a slow-burning rom-com but as a viewer there are enough hints that there’s something off. Enough to keep your eyes peeled for any hidden clues, hints of crime or something being off. (Why isn’t the door locked? What’s that sound? Why did the record stop?) There are many, but it’ll probably take a couple of more viewings to grab them all! Vijay Sethupathi’s deadpan humor keeps you entertained along the way.

The second half picks pace and that’s when things get really interesting, as the Who? Why? How? of the crime unfolds. It’s a ride with delightful little cameos from Vinay Pathak, Ashwini Kalsekar and Radhika Apte.

The story is well paced, twists are timed well, I kept waiting for the next twist to drop given how sinuous the whole film is. Plus the whole film is littered with hints and foreshadowing which acts like an icing on the cake. You couldn’t ask for more intrigue honestly.

Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif are perfectly cast. Their performances uplift the movie even when the writing threatens to slag a bit.

Given how good the movie is overall, its minor foibles stick out even more. The ending could’ve landed better, I personally felt it to be just a bit unsatisfactory (again, perfect ending for a holiday movie, does it make sense when not in the festive spirit, probably not that much. I also felt that they played all their cards a little too early in the second half. I kept waiting for that one more twist that would end the film on a great note but it never came. And then there was that intriguing subplot with Radhika Apte which was left hanging without proper closure, I still wonder what happened there.

Overall, minor issues aside, Merry Christmas is a delightful, twisted holiday-noir film that cannot be missed.

Rating: ★★★★☆

OK Computer Review: “Pav Bhaji!?”

Vidit Bhargava
A self driving car mutilates a human. But it “couldn’t” have. Robots are sacred in this world, they can do no harm to humans. A few moments later we get to see the car’s number plate, it aptly begins with “GAO MA”. It’s hilarious, it’s also the tone that the show takes throughout, one that’s delightfully absurd.

OK Computer is not a vision of the future. It’s future telling us just how messed up our present is. A commentary about all that’s wrong with our world today from the perspective of a world that many assume we’d be in. Be it the unwavering faith we so readily put in just about anyone or how enamoured we are with technology and the corporations that sell that technology to us. It’s a show with a lot to say! Perhaps a little too much.

If there’s one thing that’s clear from the start, it’s that the show has no room for seriousness. It’s much closer in treatment to "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy", than say “WestWorld” or “I, Robot”. The creators are very clear here, it’s a show that just loves its H2G2 references, they’re hidden everywhere! (The name comes from Radiohead’s OK Computer which itself is a reference to a dialog from the series that goes something to the tune of ‘OK Computer I want full manual control now’). It’s futile to expect a serious plot here. The murder mystery is just hook to tell you about something completely different. It’s also not a show that’s in love with the futuristic science and technology. It’s one that is admittedly frustrated about it (I don’t blame them, Honestly it’s all of us at this point). This is a setup ripe for deadpan humour, and the show is great at it.

Writer Anand Gandhi whose recent previous works have had a cult like following is on a tough journey here. The Absurdist Sci-Fi comedy demands a constant stream of gags while keeping the show tethered to a core story. He doesn’t always succeed. The gags are great! Gandhi gets the absurdist comedy part of the show on point. He possesses a deep understanding of the world he’s created, from Robotics to VR, it’s a future of all the elements we are seeing germinate today. And the humour is just sliced on the fine line between this futuristic tech world and the socio-political landscape of today. It’s brilliant satire.

An elusive inventor of a futuristic technology is named “Satoshi” (Satoshi Nakamoto anyone?); her username “notSatoshi” fooling no one but the AI. Wet robot parts are placed in a bag full of rice, before moving on to a conveyer belt. The gags on technology cover everything, from the hilarious incompetence of our AI models, to our rudimentary techniques that are bound to live on even as tech progresses.

But the show falters at creating a relatable story to tether to. The thing is it’s too absurd for you to care about any thing else. There’s just no time given to the shows many subplots. The writers have so much to say, that what could’ve been important plot points are mere blips in this 6 episode series. There’s no time given to develop characters either, so when the matters come to a head in it’s final act, you couldn’t care less about anyone. Human or Android. It doesn’t help that the show’s robotic protagonist AJEEB (a reference to the faux automation object perhaps?) has an agonisingly shrill voice. Making it unbearable at times. Not sure if it’s intentional but AJEEB makes it difficult for you to like it. Actually, I had no sympathy for any of the bots. In fact, I had little sympathy for any of the human characters either.

A question for the creators, if the robot really is gender fluid as it claims, why does it restrict its preferred pronouns to He/She, does the bot’s sentience and intelligence not teach it that gender isn’t binary? What’s the extent of the robot’s knowledge, does it get all of it from its human creators, or can it read the web at its leisure. In general, I felt the topic of sentience and the extent of the robot’s knowledge could’ve been explored further.

What the shows characters lack in depth, is made up for by their actors. Kani Kusruti as Monalisa Paul and Vijay Verma as Saajan Kundu are excellent. Their comic timing is impeccable, Verma especially seems to be having a lot of fun as the cybercrime officer. His sullen, frustrated character gets the biggest share of screen time and Verma makes the most of it. He infuses the character with relatability and knows how to land his jokes. He’s having fun here and is in with the madness. Kani Kusruti as his assistant on the crime plays the exact opposite character. While Verma’s Saajan is full of emotion, even if most of it anger and hatred towards the bots; Kusruti’s character is emotionless and is enamoured by the robotic creatures. Kusruti makes more than what she gets to work with here. Her comic timing nicely complements Verma’s. Together two help the gags coming even as the show’s pace slackens a bit towards the end, they give us the only two characters that’ll be remembered far longer than the show. It’s a feat!

Radhika Apte (Laxmi), Vibha Chhibber (DCP DCP) and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee (Trisha Singh from ZIP) are great in their roles. I just wish they had more to do here. Jackie Shroff is impressive in the small cameo he gets.

Shroff gets little to do but has an impressive cameo as the leader of JJM, a cult of anti science, anti technology members, basically a modern rendition of the Luddites. The members of the cult wear masks that harken back to a terrorist clan from the 60s, it’s the sort of gag that could’ve gone awry really quickly but is masterfully pulled off. Sadly the whole subplot lasts a mere minutes until the show meanders over to the next one.

At one point in the show a characters phone spontaneously bursts into flames, robots attack him, and his own toaster prints out a skull image on his morning toast. Practically making his life a nightmare. It’s a reminder of just how much we’ve given our lives into the hands of tech giants, and just how quickly that technology can turn on us. It’s not hard to imagine a person being locked out of the digital world, their voice silenced and their work tarnished if a suitably big corporate takes umbrage from their actions. It’s the perfect encapsulation of what this show is. We’re living in the absurd future right now. We’re just too enamoured by the “progress” to see it.

The show also falters when it tries to take itself too seriously. Honestly, there’s no need to hammer the message in, when you’ve already alienated anyone looking for a straightforward drama here. (You lost those viewers in the pilot, you’re not getting them back in the final episode)

This presents a more broader question though. Who is this show really for? It’s a very small niche. As a country, the majority are still basking in the glory of tech, special effects, science fiction and what not. So a WestWorld or a Blade Runner gets so much more attention than say Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (honestly, outside of a cult created by high school kids in late 2000s and early 2010s, I haven’t met many Indians who read it and actually enjoyed it). OK Computer is sadly going to end up being a one season show, even if there’s so much to like about it. Perhaps that’s why the creators wanted to stuff everything in, in such a short span? A more receptive audience and a more patient writing could’ve seen Gandhi get his own “Trilogy of five parts” ;)

“Pav Bhaji!?” The show’s protagonist asks in puzzlement as he prods over a body lying in a pool of blood, mutilated beyond recognition. It’s a great gag that still makes me laugh. But it’s also a clear reflection of the films story. It’s like a Pav Bhaji, with so many vegetables but none of them gaining a dominant taste. It’s good for the dish, I am not sure how good that’s for the show.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching OK Computer. I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much at such satire. At the same time it’s equally distressing to see it fail in the places it does. Nevertheless, it’s uniqueness and awareness of technology alone, is rare and worthy of appreciation.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ ( I liked it, you may or may not )

— 

42 is the size of Saajan’s shoes. So now you know without doubt where Gandhi is looking for his Answers. :P

Show Review: WandaVision

Vidit Bhargava
I’m not a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Marvel movies that are good are good because they have something to say, and do so in a format that is far more approachable than any other drama. I loved Black Panther, I thoroughly enjoyed the original Iron Man but I don’t really enjoy the mass market entertainers that the Avenger’s films are. The constant need to create an ever expanding cinematic universe only seems like a big money grab. “You liked this one movie? You must watch all others to make sense of this next one.” It’s a terrible way to make people watch your stories, it’s a great way to make money. But I digress, for now I wanted to write about Marvel’s latest offering, WandaVision. A nine-episode show presented as a Disney+ Original. Instead of something you’d have to go to a theatre to watch.

WandaVision’s uniqueness and perhaps its biggest strength, is its storytelling, it’s the way it masterfully integrates with the episodic format to tell the story it wants to, is an amazing testament to how creatively the medium can be utilised. This is what kept me coming back to the show. It’s smartly written, ties in what seem like random, disjoint events and leads the show to a climax where, even though predictable, sets up the good narrative that crescendos towards a probing end. It’s good to see Marvel asking questions like the one it tries to ask with WandaVision and they almost pull it off.

Almost. Marvel’s urge of compulsively tying everything into the MCU acts as a double edged sword here. On one occasion the tethering to a previous movie’s events gives them room to be even more creative and lead the show to a place where they do. But on another occasion it completely takes the show off the rails with the consistent foreshadowing of future content. It’s a shame that the show ends in the way it does. A subplot involving Vision trying to figure out a popular paradox barely does much to restore the depth that the show is stripped of when it gets over ambitious with its “universe expansion project”. It’s a pity to see such an exceptional show fall so steeply in its last two episodes.

This sharp linkage to previous works makes me wonder, just how important this Marvel Cinematic Universe strategy is for Marvel. Is it more important than the story it’s trying to present? Sometimes it’s best to focus on telling a story, not creating a world where other stories can spurt out. And that’s my biggest gripe with these shows and movies, it’s hard not to look at it as a corporate money grab, even when the art tries to shine so much brighter. At the end of the day, they really just want you to come back and watch what happens in the next one they just showed you a glimpse off, is it not? Alas, it seems like such strategies are here to stay until the public tells them otherwise.

In terms of acting, the usual suspects are effortless, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda, and Paul Bettany as Vision are dependable. I particularly enjoyed watching Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo), and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau); the trio give some of the shows best moments. It’s a pity we don’t see them often in other Marvel movies. (Sign me up for a Darcy Lewis spin-off!)

WandaVision had a lot of promise, far too much for its own good. And when it all comes crashing in the final episodes, the steep decline is so much more disappointing. Sadly, I’ll remember WandaVision for what could’ve been Marvel’s most innovative content in years only to be squandered by an overly ambitious MCU expansion strategy. Move beyond the MCU and Marvel’s content may be fun again.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Show Recommendation: Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story

Vidit Bhargava
For someone as disinterested in stocks as me, Scam 1992 came as a pleasant surprise with its gripping storytelling and careful placement of stock market jargon, making the show approachable without dumbing it down. Scam 1992 is a very good attempt at historical re-telling, it largely skirts away from drama and focuses on its central characters instead.

The casting choices are top notch. Pratik Gandhi (as Harshad Mehta) and Shreya Dhanwanthary (as Sucheta Dalal) are great picks for the lead characters. Supported by an ensemble that includes good actors like Nikhil Dwivedi (Good to see him back after a long hiatus), Satish Kaushik, and Rajat Kapoor in a cameo role.

The filmmakers do a good job setting up a period drama. The cars, the computers are all on point. There’s a scene in the show where Harshad Mehta’s character can be seen using Lycos(dot)com; it’s the sort of little detail that pays off and gives a proper nostalgic vibe to anyone who used computers in the late 90s or early 2000s. (My first email was on Lycos Tripod, it was a moment of nostalgic accuracy to see that website pop-up on Mehta’s computer)

But good acting and such consistently engaging screenplay only invite further scrutiny. And that’s when the cracks show up. Harshad Mehta’s story is a tightrope walk between the illegal, the morally questionable and being a wolf in a wolves world. It’s not easy to tread a story like this one. And despite its best attempts, Scam 1992 does falter on numerous occasions. The makers show Harshad Mehta’s story as one that of rags to riches, a shrewd businessman, a family man, and his fall as ultimately one that of someone being made a scapegoat in an industry that worked actively to protect its incumbents. While much of it is true, it’s also a lopsided take. In reality, Mehta’s schemes weren’t very smart and were designed for him to profit off them through means that can only be described dubious at best. The story however, draws sympathy towards Mehta’s character but never really makes the viewer fully appreciate the wrongs of his deeds. It’s never able to show the extent of the greed that powered him.

The show’s dialogues aren’t particularly great either. The characters, especially that of Harshad Mehta consistently talk in Idioms (in all three languages at that!). Perhaps Mehta talked in this manner, but the way they’re presented never really come off as genuine. It sticks like a sore thumb in an otherwise impeccable performance by Pratik Gandhi.

Another major issue with Scam 1992 is it’s choppy characterisations. While the leads get enough to sink their teeth into. A lot of characters I felt were left under developed, or their arcs rushed through. K Madhavan’s (played by Rajat Kapoor) character for example never gets a proper character arc. It’s a two episode cameo that’s rushed through. Sucheta Dalal’s is another character this time a leading one, that also falls prey to some poor writing. It’s a character that vacillates between professionalism and being easily offended. The two traits that often collide when in the presence of the show’s other lead. Dalal’s character seems to randomly pick between the two.

Despite the choppy characterisations though, these are characters that left a strong mark, primarily due to the exceptionally talented actors that portray them. Rajat Kapoor as K Madhavan leads by example. He packs a punch in the small role he gets. It’s just two episodes but Kapoor’s performance stayed much longer in memory than a lot of others. Same for Shreya Dhanwanthary, who makes Sucheta Dalal’s character believable despite its flaws. She’s done a far better job than the character that’s been written for her.

The show’s creator, Hansal Mehta reuses a lot of tropes from one of his previous films, ‘Omertà’ ( a spectacular yet under appreciated drama), for example mixing real world footage with the shot frames. Using a different viewport for showing the “recorded” information and finally leaving much of the judgement to the viewer, this final thing is both good and bad. While Omertà was a clear black and white character study of a person whose crimes need no explanation for their heinousness, Scam 1992 is a little more nuanced and involves a lot more gray area. And leaving the judgment to the viewer’s intelligence is on one hand asking for a lot, but on the other it’s good that a show leaves you with something to think about. It’s a double edged sword, it could leave people with a well rounded view of the scam, but could also lionise a largely imperfect figure.

Despite its flaws, Scam 1992 is a consistently engaging watch. It’s incredibly well acted, and leaves you with something to think about, and sometimes it’s all you want from a show, something engaging and sensible. The creators of Scam 1992 provide that in ample quantities. Making the show much greater than the sum of its parts.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, even though the show’s not perfect.

Rating: ★★★ ½

Movie Review: Pagglait

Vidit Bhargava
Pagglait is perhaps the most misleadingly sold movies I’ve ever come across. From the trailers and marketing channels the makers seemed to insist its a “dysfunctional family drama with dark humour”. The movie however, is anything but that. It’s a doleful small town drama. Just like wedding movies, where everything involves around a central wedding event, Pagglait is a death movie; where everything involves around the events post a young man’s death.

That’s an innovative premise to begin with. It’s a new perspective at drama. The characters are ripe for what could be an engaging two hours of your time; and the actors are in sublime form. But unfortunately, the film wastes all that opportunity with weak story telling.

Unnecessary subplots mar what’s a straightforward story, what’s worse is that sometimes the writers just leave them hanging without any closure. For example, we never really fully understand why Sanya Malhotra’s character unable to grieve, decides to gorge on Chips and streat-food instead? Is it shock? Did she not know him well enough? We never really know for sure, we only get hints of an understanding of her view point in other subplots but there’s never a full picture, as the movie moves on to give her character other motives.

The film delves too deep into the post-death traditions; and the shrill, scheming, or just narrow minded characterisation of the family members provide no relief either. By the time we reach the final act, its gotten too melodramatic, too stuffy for its own good. The final act salvages the film’s rather run off the mill small town treatment to some extent but it’s too little too late. It’s a good premise and setting that’s just squandered away by heavy handed storytelling.

Pagglait is not all bad though. It’s got a strong cast that shines throughout. I didn’t find one actor that felt miscast or underperforming. Together they uplift the movie from being barely watchable to something that holds your attention for the entirety of two hours.

Rajesh Tailang, Aasif Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Ashutosh Raina, Raghubir Yadav, Jameel Khan or Sanya Malhotra’s acting skills need no introduction. They’re great actors who have a knack of making most of what they get. And they get ample time to showcase their talents here. Particularly of note though is Chetan Sharma, who brings a unique vulnerability and fragility to his character of the deceased’s brother. It’s a character that’s been given responsibility way beyond he was ready for, and Sharma just aces the part.

A word about the film’s excellent score too. Arijit Singh’s surprisingly potent as a music composer. It’s his first film as a composer and the background score is top notch, and never really comes in the way of storytelling, it almost always compliments it.

I’m going with two out five for Umesh Bist’s Pagglait and an extra half for the spectacular performances by the ensemble. It’s a movie whose performances will be remembered for much longer than its story.

Rating : ★★ ½

Movie Recommendation: Gamak Ghar

Gamak Ghar is literally like watching paint dry. Except you form an emotional connect with the paint in which case you’re invested in watching it dry. That’s the best way I could describe Gamak Ghar, Achal Mishra’s film that follows the life of an ancestral home as it ages over time.

Houses thrive when they have house people who care about them. Gamak Ghar’s ancestral home is no different. The house survives major floods and disasters but what it can’t survive is people moving on from it. From, once a lively home visited oft by an extended family, to a novelty, to just standing there, dilapidated and stripped off everything but an old caretaker. It’s a reflection of how time passes, creating memories along the way.

It’s an obvious and rather monotonous ride at 1 hour 30 minutes, given how the film’s a tad too predictable for anyone who has seen ancestral homes age. 

But Gamak Ghar’s brilliance lies in its evocative nature, the nostalgia is real. It takes you back in time to your own childhood, to your own old home. Gamak Ghar is worth a watch for the memories the film evokes alone.

Rating: ★★★ 1/2

Available on: MUBI

Thoughts on Apple TV+'s Dickinson

Dickinson starts off on a great note. The mashup of many genres gives a very slick and witty outlook to the first few episodes. A period drama, biopic, that raises questions that are still relevant today, with dialogue written like a 21st century teenage comedy series, is a very compelling description and it works for a good part of the series. But constantly switching gears between genres is a short lived trick, and ultimately, after a few good episodes it seems like the creators don’t really know where to take the series. They meander into different subplots, often confused between modern day questions, showcasing life in the 19th century and in general staying true to Emily Dickinson’s story.



With Dickinson the creators had a great opportunity, and to their credit there are moments of inspired brilliance, which stay for much longer than the show. And there’s a greater point that the show is ultimately trying to bring home. However, it does end on a note where I felt that Dickinson could have been more consistent with its wackiness. There are just too many ideas here, and you tend to tune out on more than a few occasions. Amongst the actors, Hailee Seinfeld as Emily Dickinson and Toby Huss as her father stand out.

We don’t hear much about American poets in India and even less so about their lives. So I am very curious about where the story goes from here, but here’s hoping for a tighter script and more of the wacky wittiness from Season 2.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Thoughts on Joker (2019)

Joker is one of the best movies I've seen this year, it's gritty, real and a great showcase for character films.

It helps that Joaquin Phoenix is at his best and infuses the character of the Joker with intensity and realism. This is the best portrayal of the character since The Dark Knight.

But despite all that, I feel Joker is an irresponsible movie. It tries to present a character who revels in the act of killing, as some sort of an anti-establishment crusader. A hero vigilante of the under-privileged and his actions, a result of the society's atrocities towards him. 

Most anti-hero dramas stop short of that, and for good reason. Movies have a powerful impact on the people, and in no way should such acts be justified, but Joker isn't interested in those limits, it just keeps going in it's pursuit of a true portrayal, why not go one step further and also tell the viewer why going on a killing spree against everyone who's wronged you is a bad idea? 

Add to that, The juxtaposition of a clown carrying a gun to a school isn't just cringy it's also blind towards all that's happening in the film's country of origin.

I'll give Joker, 3.5/5. It's a great movie. I just wish it was more aware and responsible towards the power great cinema possesses. 

★★★ 1/2

Thoughts on Crimes of Grindelwald

If anything was clear from the first movie, the Fantastic Beasts’ Series, unlike the book, wasn’t going to be limited to the exploration of Magical Creatures across the World, something for which the Newt Scamandar character is known for. Rowling, instead, seemed particularly keen on Grindelwald right from the first movie.

However, Rowling amps up the focus on Grindelwald with this sequel to the Fantastic Beast movie. The idea here is to introduce the World to the incredibly powerful dark wizard. Someone who isn’t just evil, but has the ability to sway wizards his way, through mere words. One could argue, he’s probably even more dangerous than Voldemort.

With the stage set for another thrilling series that takes cues from the Wizarding world’s history as mentioned in the original books, one would think there’s little that can go wrong here. Turns out quite a bit can!

Being a sequel to the original Fantastic Beasts, Crimes of Grindelwald, has a lot going on here. First, the movie needs to address the stories of the newly introduced characters of the previous films, then it needs to introduce Galert Grindelwald’s character and the nature and purpose of his evil. But Rowling as the writer, doesn’t just stop at these two essentials, as the action shifts to Europe, she goes on to introduce even more new characters and a bag of mysteries of their own to solve, but not only that, Rowling also finds a way of referencing old characters and instances from the Harry Potter books, trying to evoke a sense of nostalgia as well.

With so much going on, there’s hardly room for developing the characters. The most under served is that of Grindelwald, who seems to miss out on the screentime and ultimately we never fully understand how powerful and evil Grindelwald is.

To top that there are just so many mysteries thrown into the movie that it becomes quite a mouthful to take them all in once they start unravelling.

But what’s on screen isn’t all too bad. Crimes of Grindelwald is an engaging watch at the very least. Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamandar is just as good as the first outing, Jude Law as Dumbledore maintains a perfect balance of calm and clever, he’s a much better representation of Dumbledore’s character than in some of the Potter movies. It’s also fun to take another trip to the ever expanding magical universe of Harry Potter, it’s fascinating to see Rowling expand the universe to other countries instead of just keeping it to the United Kingdom. For the Potter fans, there’s a good mix of magical nostalgia and the fascinating new expansions.

With an intention of creating another engaging Harry Potter series, Rowling had a great mix of characters to start with. But with the spells flying in all directions, it seems Crimes of Grindelwald has missed the mark by quite a lot. Galert Grindelwald is possibly more dangerous, stronger and more relevant to our times than Voldemort, but he needs a better platform to show the mirror to the global political climate.

Rating: 2.5/5 (Engaging But Nothing Special)

Movie Recommendation: Andhadhun

Vidit Bhargava

Sriram Raghavan’s thrillers are always a great watch. They move steadily, but surprise you when you least expect them to. Take Johnny Gaddar for example, a movie that simply works on the number of thrills that each of its dangling chain of events provides, all of them conveniently paced for maximum surprise. Andhadhun is a similarly executed neo-noir thriller, but with the unpredictability meter turned way up!

Revolving around the events in the life of a Blind Pianist, Andhadhun trods from one sub plot to another, Murder, Deceit, Extortion all conveniently added to the mix, as the story progresses. It delivers jolting twists swiftly and frequently, keeping you hooked throughout the end of the movie, always in anticipation of the next turn in the plot. It’s a story that predominantly invests in the “What Next”, the “Why” behind the actions is usually primal.

But when it’s not busy surprising you, it is Andhadhun’s dark humour that keeps you entertained. In one particular scene we see a body being hastily stuffed into a suitcase, chilly right? Except it’s shot in a Charlie Chaplin-esque silent sequence, with only the background music of the piano accompanying the shot, the effect will leave you chuckling!

Ayushman Khuranna, Tabu, Manav Vij, Radhika Apte and Anil Dhawan are the chief actors here, with Ashwini Kalsekar and Zakir Hussain in worthy cameos. Ayushman Khuranna & Tabu deftly play their neatly written characters. Manav Vij, who is fast becoming a character actor for the muscled cop, (Udta Punjab, Brij Mohan Amar Rahe and now Andhadhun) is expressive as always. Vij is given minimal dialogues, it’s his expressions that do the heavy lifting for him. Radhika Apte has little to do here, but nevertheless plays her part neatly. The actors are one of the major reasons that Andhadhun works, it’s their timing and expressions that make the movie as lively as it is.

Amit Trivedi’s music and Daniel B George’s Background score is refreshing. It’s a pleasant departure from the rap-remixed 90s music that we see all too often these days. Moreover the music complements the narrative, which makes the movie all the more interesting. I particularly liked the piano piece that the Ayushmann Khuranna’s character was working in the start of the movie. The flow of that piece is reflective of Andhadhun’s twisted narrative.

Like Johnny Gaddar, Andhadhun is also heavy on its homage to various artistic works. (All in a good sense and well credited, not in the plagiarative manner in which mainstream Hindi Movies usually do). There’s a bit of Beethovan’s Symphony mixed with Daniel B George’s background score. One of the key scenes in the movie is inspired by Oliver Ternier’s French short film L’Accordeur, aka The Piano Tuner (Do not watch that terrific short film before you watch Andhadhun, or it’ll spoil the latter for you!), There’s also a small La La Land reference towards the end of the movie.

But Andhadhun isn’t perfect. The screenplay meanders way too much at one point in the second half. For most part, Andhadhun’s sub-plots are enjoyable and relevant to the larger story at play. But at one point the movie does take a longish detour, making it go pretty far off its course, only to be jolted back by some more twists. It’s a 5-10 minute slump in an otherwise rollicking narrative, but it’s all the more noticeable because the rest of the movie is so good.

Andhadhun is a thoroughly enjoyable neo-noir thriller, that keeps you on the edge of your seats till the end credits roll. Its also one of the rare movies where nothing happens the way you guess it does. It’s one of the best movies written this year, and one that’ll still have a re-watch value years later.

Rating: **** (Don't Miss this one)

Thoughts on Bhavesh Joshi

Making a movie like Bhavesh Joshi in India is extremely tricky. The movie is almost certainly doomed to fail, if it’s anything but awesome. The few people who’re interested in “Super Hero Movies”, have probably seen the extremely well made Marvel and (some) DC Movies, so they go in with a huge experience of watching these movies and are likely to be disappointed by a familiar storyline or character arc. They want new ideas and innovative execution. Those who couldn’t care less about Super Heros aren’t likely to be excited about a movie which is just that. They probably need a star to pull them to the theatres. Bhavesh Joshi had a tough task at its hands, it had to be both extremely entertaining and offer an innovative storyline for a genre which has had a humongous influx of movies in the last decade.

The predictable happened. I went to watch the first show of the movie on the day it released, only to head back home because the show had been cancelled. The next show I went to, literally had 4 people in the theatre. And in the week that followed, I’ve heard stories on twitter which mention about even more shows being cancelled. The movie did fail, and pretty badly. But was it any good at all?

The movie starts of briskly with Two Mumbai urbaners and their reporter friend who go around the city painted in the “Anti-Corruption” movement of 2011. The two eventually end up starting a YouTube channel where they dress up as masked vigilantes to take on the petty crimes in the city. It’s fun to watch that. It’s a section of the movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously and provides a bunch of laughs, it also sets up the movie for a much bigger conflict, which would require better skills from the two. While it goes on at its own leisurely pace, Priyanshu Painyuli is able to do much of the heavy lifting and is pleasing to watch.

It’s the second half the riddled with mediocre acting and a messy execution. It’s also when the all too familiar heroes journey kicks in. Written by three people, the movie is gets confused between showing the origins of a home grown superhero, a realistic setup and environment and following the super-hero’s journey. It’s best seen in a scene where Bhavesh Joshi confronts one of the baddies but is barely able to land a kick, fairly realistic for a software engineer turned vigilante. You can’t just start kicking around people by wearing a mask. It’s also the typical superhero confrontation, which is innovatively shot, but when it all comes together on the screen, it’s laughably bad! I’m not sure if I supposed to laugh at it, but the entire setup from Joshi entering the house to him barely making it out of there, was a bit off to start with, and turned into slapstick comedy by the end.

And given how much of the second half follows the hero’s journey, It’s predictable and boring. Some of the sequences just feel like a drag. You know how the sequence is going to end but the directors decide to spend time on it anyway. There’s an extended bike sequence which again is unintentionally hilarious in parts, boring in others. It’s also surprising how little the movie spends time on the villain, we know very little about him and there’s literally no exploration of the reasons as to why he does what he does.

If you’re not asleep by the end of the movie, it’s because of a great performance by Priyanshu Painyuli and Ashish Verma, Painyuli lifts the first half with his timing and Verma saves the day in the later half of the movie, and Vikramaditya Motwane does show some exceptional direction skills in some of the shots. I just wish he got a better script to work with. As for Harshvardhan Kapoor, while its only his second film, the actor really needs to work on his acting a lot, he can certainly look the part of a Mumbai resident in a Computer firm, but needs a lot of work on delivering his dialogues.

The movie isn’t a complete disaster to watch either. There are a lot of interesting ideas floating around here. For example, I really liked the origins of Bhavesh Joshi. It’s approachable, and breaks the norm of having some sort of a divine super power, to be a vigilante. It’s also interesting how the problem that the movie focuses is on, doesn’t involve an apocalyptic scenario or a super-villain. It’s just a corrupt and powerful individual who needs to be tackled and even then he’s someone who merely pulls the strings, and leaves the dirty work to his subordinates. There’s also an interesting track about how media headlines and news shape people’s perception. These are all innovative threads hanging from a story that never quite manages to tie them into a cohesive and engaging movie.

All said though, I’d love to see a sequel to Bhavesh Joshi. Why? Even though this movie was mediocre at best, the entire movie serves as the origin of a much more interesting superhero character, even if the creation process is messy, a second movie would do wonders to further such a character. It is also one of those movies which “need” a sequel. If the movie was supposed to be a one of story, the writers blew it. Without a sequel, it’s just a hero’s journey that takes way too long to kick in. They could have spent so much more time showing the superhero in action as opposed to spending the time on showing how he goes on from being a total dud to being a half decent vigilante. I’d even be happy with a Netflix / Prime spin-off which gives us a mini season for it. But alas, sequels generally only exist for economic successes.

Rating: ** ½ (Watch at Home, if you must)