Review

Film – Kalank
Filmmaker – Abhishek Varman
Film Cast –Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt, Kunal Khemu, Kiara Advani, Kriti Sanon.
Kalank, the film does get promoted with a tagline, eternal love, but it is more like internal struggle and tussle between morality and desires.
Abhishek Varman directorial is a classic example of the fact that past is never actually buried; it keeps cropping up via new generation and new dynamics. The film and its characters are skin deep and multi layered to the point where one could actually relate to some of the situations and heart-aches in the film.
Morality, Family Ties and society going berserk definitely keeps you engaged for the major part of the film. Indian cinema hasn’t seen such an epic budget movie set during the time of partition, so it does offer newness but it also goes downhill with clichéd relationship tussle.
There are multiple dynamics the film runs-on, starting with an old romance, Madhuri and Sanjay, playing Baahar Begum and Balraj, a problematic equation between father and son duo, Dev and Balraj, there is a teacher-student relationship between Bahaar Begum and Roop and of course there is eternal love between a daredevil blacksmith Zafar and already married Roop.
There is one more dynamic which actually got the whole thing rolling, Dev being married to Satya (Sonakshi), who is terminally ill. Then there is a sublime hidden gem in this story, which provides much needed mileage, Abdul (Kunal Khemu), who has political agendas.
And now add them in hot boiling situation of partition and voila, Kalank, unfolds.
The eternal saga of love set in 1940s is indeed a treat to the eyes, massive sets, stunning designer outfits and fantastic jewellery along with celebration of almost all known Indian festival in the movie, does contribute to the fact, it is almost 2 hours 48 minutes long ride. It is inevitably a touch stretched movie with plot and character almost running out of gas in the end.
Watch it if you must!
 

Film – No Fathers In Kashmir
Cast – Zara Webb, Shivam Raina, Ashvin Kumar, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Natasha Mago, Soni Razdan, Anshuman Jha
Direction – Ashvin Kumar
Set in the picturesque valleys of Kashmir, narrates a sensitive story of those who’ve gone missing after being picked up on suspicion of being involved in militant activities.
This one serves as a telling reminder of the atrocities endured by some in the hands of BSF personnel, in certain cases, merely by association.
Noor (Zara Webb), a British girl of Kashmiri descent, is visiting her native motherland after a decade. Her father’s mysterious disappearance is something that no one wants to talk about! She befriends a local boy Majid (Shivan Raina), whose father has also been ‘missing’, the two stumble into a web of fundamentalism and extreme measures.
The parallel drawn here is obvious — a land of calm that is often referred to as ‘heaven on earth’ is also marred with conflict — the ramifications of which are endured by those close to them.
Director Kumar also played a character role of a religious extremist in the film, offers a narrative about the grave issues facing Kashmir. The filmmaker has dealt with delicate situation in Kashmir with sensibility without being over the top.
Filmmaker also daringly exposed the brutalities inflicted by army personnel, which has been receiving a lot of flanks.
Newcomers or young artist, Webb and Raina retain the curiosity and innocence synonymous with their characters and unlike most child actors, seem less constructed in their approach.
Veteran Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Soni Razdan, adds much needed authentic touch and portrays deeply disturbed and hurt people, who have witnessed decimation of life right in-front of their eyes.
Despair and hope run parallel in this film and live goes on!
 

Film: Romeo Akbar Walters – RAW
Cast- John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff, Sikandar Kher
Director: Robby Grewal
John Abraham is has shown remarkable grit and restraint in his portrayal of a man with many names, faces and shades.
From a young brut to subtle spy with a keen and sharp mind, which is always working and looking for a way out, the tension in the film is like live wire and it definitely hits those raw nerves that all patriotic drama avoids. John has gone beyond the flag-waving to look at the anguished solitude of a man who sacrificed his life in order to save many others.
John is very good at portraying a loner. His face suggests the stoicism and unspoken grief of a man who has zero expectations from life, yet he romances, sings and try to portray a life without actually living it.
Mouni Roy adds a bit of style, glamour and romance, in otherwise blood and gore ride. She is getting better with her every performance.
The sensibleness and wisdom in the film and spy-craft is just little simple, but the time frame this movie is set, didn’t require much of gadgets but only heart!
In 1971, Pakistan was on the cusp of splitting into two halves, the birth of Bangladesh silhouettes much of the action in RAW.  The action is this film is not over the top, it is brutal and grotesque. After seeing a torture scene you will never be able to listen to the beloved “Nani teri morni ko more le gayi” as a children’s song.
Sikander Kher, the brutal and menacing Pakistani colonel, he exudes a kind of unfettered sadism which just needs a little trigger. He plays the dangerous man with a snide swagger. He is just brilliant with local lingo poignantly in the place.
Jackie Shroff plays the role of the “RAW;” chief, who make do with whatever he has got, often speaks in metaphors that are meant to hide his deeper understanding ot system and life.
Rajesh Shringarpure as Shroff’s right-hand man, definitely shines at places, and actress Suchitra Krishanmoorthy is interesting as a double-dealing newspaper editor. Veteran actor Raghuveer Yadav plays the role of a Pakistani spying for India.
Anil George plays a mighty arms dealer from Pakistan, who takes the Indian spy under his wings and finally, Alka Ameen as John Abraham’s abandoned mother, leave a lingering impact.
Robby Grewal took his time with the narrative he wanted to build and execute it with any apology, definitely strikes a chord with audience.
‘RAW’ is real and does tell a gripping tale!

Film – Notebook Review
Cast – Zaheer Iqbal, Pranutan Bahl
Director – Nitin Kakkar
Notebook is a debut bandwagon for Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan Bahl and the film is a remake of 2014 film Thai Film Teacher’s Diary.
The movie is shot beautifully, there are so much of vistas, green, clouds and sheer natural surroundings in the film, it does sort of looks like an elaborated AD for Kashmir Tourism, rather than a launch pad for two newcomers. The setting of the film is quite unique, a love story of two people, who have never met!
Kabir (Zaheer) takes up the job to teach at a remote house-boat school in Kashmir. He discovers a notebook that the previous teacher, Firdous (Pranutan) used as her diary and he falls in love with her emotions and passions.
The idea of falling in love with each other through a Notebook might sound a bit farfetched and lunatic, but the maker introduces parallel storylines which eventually meets are at a certain point! Though the ending is not what you expect!
This film is for people who are die-hard romantics and need their weekly dose of romantic capers!
The out of the box story of falling in love with someone you’ve never met holds interest, but not for long. The movie is a bit drag, and for the most part, the gang of kids carry it forward!  The young couple don’t meet until the climactic portions of the film and once the high-drama kicks in it feels too little, too late.
The music is backbone of this romantic caper and it does deliver someone of the most humble-able numbers, especially Bumro! The director has taken up some serious efforts in placing the background score at that right moment in the film.
All in all, watch it, if you must! The film is an easy watch, apart from the concept of the film, other elements such as humour, drama and romance are relatable!

Film – Junglee
Cast – Vidyut Jammwal, Pooja Sawant, Asha Bhat, Makarand Deshpande, Atul Kulkarni, Akshay Oberoi, Thalaivasal Vijay
Director – Chuck Russell
Right off the bad, it is Vidyut Jammwal movie all the way! The man possesses some evil action streak and there is nothing he cannot do! The movie chronicles a bond between an elephant and his care-taker!
Elephants are being poached for their tusks as they are saved by Raj (Vidyut Jammwal), he is a vet living in Mumbai and visits his hometown to see his father although he inevitably gets involved with poachers and fights for the survival of the elephants.
The movie marks the Bollywood debut of celebrate Hollywood filmmaker Chuck Russell, so one would expect a lot for the action-drama, and it does deliver, at least on the action level. The film comes with a social relevant issue, Poaching of Wild Life, in this film, it is elephant. Other than some story glitches and poor atheistic, the film is high on action and Vidyut is known for it! He introduces an animal flow style of combat in the film.
The narrative is simple and to the point, the filmmaker intentionally kept the story without any sub-text, the dialogues aren’t heavy neither the music is too loud!
The film does entertainment the audience, and allows you to ponder about serious issue of wild life conservation.
Chuck definitely utilized Vidyut as he could, action sequences and fighting are never before seen, other than movie offers nothing new. The film offers a social message with a clean movie, which is something parents wants to their kids!

Film- Kesari

Cast-Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

Director: Anurag Singh

Recreation of Battle Of Saragrahi, the bloodiest and most brutal battle ever fought, which witnessed 21 brave soldiers of the 36 Sikh Regiment meets 10,000 strong army of Afghan tribesmen head-on in a do or die finale!
The scale of the film is impressive, the budget even lavish and makers have done a remarkable job touching a few pages of history with the film. Even before the movie begins, you know what is coming but the makers have kept the interest and shock value with timely strokes.
Akshay, playing a farmer-turned-warrior, Havildar Ishar Singh, goes all out to ramp up the film by breathing life into the soldier who leads the glorious resistance, but most of the other actors – the large cast has quite a few competent ones on both sides of the battle lines – aren’t given the space or scope to rise above the din.
Acress Parineeti Chopra shown in a special appearance as the woman in Ishar Singh’s life, with whom he is having imaginary conversations.
Ishar Singh goes all out to save an Afghan woman on the verge of being executed for running away from her violent husband. She is rescued in the nick of time by Ishar Singh – an act that triggers an attack by the Afghans on one of the forts controlled by the British.
As punishment for disobedience, Ishar is banished to Saragarhi, where a small band of men have fallen into the habit of killing their time with silly stuff.
From this point onwards the film is set; Ishar breathes a new life in the regiment and eventually faces an entire army of Afghan invaders with only 21 soldiers of a Sikh regiment.
After all, the very core theme of 21 Sikhs taking on 10000 Afghans in order to save their fort is awe inspiring! And the movie does deliver a heavy dose of patriotism and religious sanctity!
Kesari is not short on explosions – be it TNT or dialogue or bravado – the film has enough self-sustaining fire to be a well-above-average film. And with Akshay Kumar doing the heavy lifting with unwavering enthusiasm, the star’s fans will find it easy to get into the swing of this tale of extraordinary courage in the face of daunting adversity.

Film – Luka Chuppi
Director – Laxman Utekar
Cast – Kartik Aryan, Kriti Sanon
Comedy is probably the toughest genre, miss a beat a joke can turn into a disaster, the good thing about Luka-Chuppi is that it doesn’t try to deliver punch-lines or generate comedy scenarios, it is organic! You laugh because you can relate and want to, though there is a sense of nutcase adventure in pursuit, the grammar of comedy is intact and the fresh small-time comic caper does make you giggle.
Luka Chuppi is a comedy with an underlying layer of dark satire and a social statement on moral policing and communal biases in small towns.
Loverboy Guddu, and wild cat Rashmi, two Mathura-based TV journalists, get hitched, fall in love and decide to give ‘live-in’ a chance before settling in permanently.
Kartik Aryan is endearingly guileless and eager to score, while Kriti Sanon is more worldly-wise and slightly annoying in her will to be the dominant partner. Together the couple is a scream.
Rashmi and Guddu along with Abbas decided to skip town and try their hands at “live-in” relationship. The love nest is soon discovered by the entire clan and duo is forced to act out they are married routine.
Vinay Pathak plays the role of Rashmi’s father, a self-appointed guardian of morality, who is always on a rampage. Actor Pankaj Tripathi rises above the grossly underwritten role of Guddu’s nosey brother-in-law Babulal. He provides the film’s fresh and hilarious moments. Alka Amin plays her part of hysterical and small-town mother perfectly well.
The sub-text of the film is subtle; it does take digs at tiresome rituals, hypocrisies and sanskari brigade, and religious bigotry.