Auluck: Rocky Handsome review

Silent killer John Abraham misses the target

Cast: John Abraham, Nishikant Kamat, Diya Chalwad, Nathalia Kaur, Sharad Kelkar, Teddy Maurya, Shruti Haasan

Director: Nishikant Kamat

Rating: 2/5 

Goa is the new north India for the Hindi film industry. Filmmakers know the formula: Sinister-looking foreigners, local gangsters wearing floral shirts, drug trafficking and bars with Russian boards. All they need to throw in is one or two peppy dance numbers and slow motion action sequences. And yes, that old Goa church is mandatory. Mix the ingredients according to your choice and you’re ready with another morally upright, vengeful hero ready to take on the world. The director’s job gets even more defined if he is a fan of Korean films or secretly loves Jason Bourne.

Kabir Ahlawat (John Abraham) likes body-hugging suits and runs a pawn show in Goa. Anna (a super sultry Nathalia Kaur) and her daughter Nayomi (Diya Chalwad) are his neighbours, but drugs are ruining their lives. Brothers Kevin (Nishikant Kamat) and Luke Ferreira (Teddy Maurya) are the force behind this racket, and they won’t let go of their empire at any cost. As expected, the little child gets trapped in the middle of this chaos and all hell breaks loose.

Is it just me or you also are reminded of Leon The Professional (1994)? You’re still getting settled in your seat while watching lovey-dovey wife Rukshida (Shruti Haasan) pouting with Kabir in Seychelles, and it begins abruptly. The moment Kabir lands on a car’s bonnet like a true Batman fan, you know what you are up to.

Here’s a child who loves nail art, a club dancer mother and a man with no apparent history. Basically, a fast and furious guy has stood up to the dreaded traffickers for reasons extremely personal, but can a predictable, video game-inspired actioner hold your attention for 130-minutes? Looks like a daunting task after the first 30 minutes.

There are moments when you see director Kamat bringing out a different side of the gangsters. In one of the most captivating scenes of Rocky Handsome, we see local don Maanto sadistically slapping Kevin, and the latter not flinching a bit. He spits blood only after everybody leaves the scene and the ordeal is over. The bad guy’s grit is visible. But then, it all goes in vein when too much focus gets attached to choreographing a Kill Bil-style action sequence with one person against the whole army. And, you know how weird it looks when in the middle of a showdown everybody throws their weapon away and resorts to a fistfight. They don’t forget to tear apart their own shirts. In short, masala takes over the centre-stage.

Some slow motion long shots are worth watching, especially those taken in the rain. But how can these supplement for the lack of a coherent theme?

Abraham’s Kabir is a silent and strong guy who cannot paddle a rehashed film forward just on his own. Madras Café and Force gave him the chance to explore a similar territory but those roles were way more nuanced. Here, too many players make his stroll bumpy. Luke, Maantu and other over-the-top gangsters simply stop you from taking the proceedings seriously. Goa isn’t Mexico.

A great affection for drama and theatrics dilutes the most interesting parts of the film: The inside view of the drugs business in Goa. Just when you start noticing the detailed research, it again goes back to illogical bloodshed and miming, over hyped assassins.

Shanker Raman’s breathtaking cinematography or Sharad Kelkar’s supporting hands are not expected to rescue an average film. There is a limit to putting the guns and goons to task, no? And just how much of Abraham’s murderous rage can you tolerate? But who is to blame for the weak storyline? Abraham himself is the producer of the film.

Rocky Handsome may seem a jumbled up version of Abraham to some, and this is the third time he is playing Kabir. Too much of self-introspection and alter ego, eh?

Abraham … err … Rocky Handsome is a very average film with some finely executed action sequences on display. But, make no mistake: Don’t expect anything more from this film.

Auluck: Batman v Superman review

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams

Rating: 2/5

The most difficult thing about all this is accepting the hard fact that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice simply isn’t a good movie. But once that hurdle has been crossed, it’s as if the floodgates have opened. Suddenly, nothing is sacred. All your hopes and dreams were destroyed an hour ago in a giant CG fireball and it left you angrier than a recently orphaned Bruce Wayne.
Batman v Superman is not so much a superhero movie as it is a story about two mamma’s boys measuring the length of their capes, finding that they disagree, and proceeding to poke each other with threats of ‘you wanna go first?’ for a solid two-and-a-half hours.
Don’t get me wrong: The film has its moments, but there comes a point when you can’t justify it to yourself any longer. There is only so much grim brooding one movie can accommodate, and Ben Affleck uses that quota up in the very first scene, which, either on purpose or by complete fluke, foreshadows the self-contradictory nature of this movie.


 To go forward we must first revisit 2013, the year this movie’s predecessor Man of Steel came out. Its 45-minute action finale that destroyed half a city and left thousands dead was controversial. Perpetual Boy Scout Superman’s decision to make out with Lois Lane, literally against the backdrop of murder and chaos, was met with quite a few raised eyebrows. Director Zack Snyder promised to address that violence in this movie; a decision I’m convinced was an afterthought, one that struck him two seconds after the realisation that he had, indeed, gone overboard with the mayhem after all.
We open with Bruce Wayne hightailing it to a Metropolis that inconveniently finds itself in the middle of an alien duel. He has friends there, colleagues and businesses that are in direct line of fire. He is chased by loud explosions and an even louder Hans Zimmer ft. Junkie XL score as he rushes to their rescue.
Snyder’s way of directly addressing the criticisms of the previous movie is by stranding you in the middle of the exact same scene in this one. Only this time, we are looking at it from a completely different perspective. The scene is effectively convincing: Not for one second do you doubt Bruce Wayne’s hatred towards Superman, and what caused it. His actions have just killed countless men, women and children. Of course Bruce would consider him a threat.
Unfortunately, this is where the movie peaks. And a wise man once said: It’s never good when a movie peaks in its first scene.
We jump ahead 18 months. Things are getting back to normal. Superman is being tried in a senate hearing for his part in a recent African fiasco. Lois Lane is pretending to be a Vice correspondent, mouthing off to discount Boko Haram warlords. Perry White (Clark’s editor at the Daily Planet) has suddenly turned into J Jonah Jameson, visualising the next big headline on an imaginary page in front of his face. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has taken it upon himself to investigate Superman, for the first time cinematically, living up to the tag of ‘greatest detective in the world.’ Across town in Metropolis, the psychopathic Lex Luthor is arranging to have a recently unearthed chunk of Kryptonite (the mineral from Superman’s home planet that messes up his powers and plays the MacGuffin in this movie) imported.
Already, there are too many moving parts in this picture. In an effort to give due screen time to these disparate storylines, Snyder and writers Chris Terrio and David S Goyer can never really take their time fleshing out their characters. A lot of their legwork has already been done by history. Both the Superman and Batman origin stories are as well known as the tale of our independence. But Snyder gives you one anyway, probably in an attempt to give a twist later in the movie’s emotional impact. It doesn’t. No matter how much of it he decides to shoot in his trademark slow motion, it can’t help but feel unnecessary.
In a way, the needless inclusion of this scene sums up the rest of the film. Too much time is spent on building up to the clash of the titans, only for the movie to pull a fast one on you when ‘fight night’ finally rolls around. I’m being very careful about spoilers here, but let me put it this way: They didn’t leave much out in the trailers.
Oddly, despite being largely messy and mostly incoherent, the film moves at a rather brisk pace. It’s never dull, just disappointing. It feels clumsily edited, with plots remaining half-explored and scenes ending either too soon or lasting too long.
As I watched, for more than an hour, neither Bruce nor Clark spend any significant time as Batman or Superman, and as I tried to make sense of a pedestrian chase sequence that had no business being anything less than spectacular, considering it counted the Batmobile as the vehicle doing the chasing, I wondered: “Perhaps my expectations were too high.”
Batman v Superman is Zack Snyder’s worst film. And this comes from someone who absolutely adores Sucker Punch and considers both 300 and Watchmen to be minor classics. He was always reverential about comics. He treated these crazy characters with the respect that they deserve. But this is a joyless film, much too serious for its own good. Ignoring what was wrong with Man of Steel altogether, Snyder once again defaults to loud, unending, curiously isolated CGI action. What’s confusing is that this isn’t even his default setting.
Ben Affleck’s one note performance doesn’t help. Especially since he spends most of the movie as Bruce and not Batman. Henry Cavill manages to make Kal-El edgier this time, but in doing so, loses the character’s inherent humanity. Clark is supposed to be optimistic, not forlorn. He finds beauty in darkest places. But here, he just seems to be fighting a losing scowling battle against Affleck. Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan need not worry.
And then there’s Jesse Eisenberg’s categorically outrageous performance as Lex Luthor. You thought Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey were deranged? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Eisenberg plays Luthor like a psychotic version of his Mark Zuckerberg character from The Social Network and it sticks out like Spider-Man in the Justice League.
Here’s a film that’ll leave both fans and casual moviegoers unsatisfied. And since it isn’t breaking any new ground story-wise, this is quite unforgivable, considering especially the excellent work Marvel is doing. I still can’t figure out how a movie that liberally takes from both Superman (Death of Superman) and Batman’s (The Dark Knight Returns) most famous comics arcs can be so misguided. But there you go.
The one bright spark, however, is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. She seems perfect for the role and her solo movie is now just as high on my radar as Suicide Squad. But for Justice League, I’m officially worried.
Acceptance is the first step they say. I’ve accepted that Batman v Superman is not a good film. There are 11 steps more to go until I can put this disappointment behind me.

Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921) Movie Review

Srijana Mitra Das, TNN, Mar 18, 2016, 05.51PM IST

CRITIC'S RATING: 4.0/5

AVG READERS' RATING: 4.2/5

WATCH TRAILER

CAST:Rishi Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rajat Kapoor

DIRECTION:Shakun Batra

GENRE:Drama

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STORY: Rahul and Arjun visit home - but with family secrets tumbling out, is their reunion a happy one? And what happens when pretty Tia joins the Kapoors and sons?

REVIEW: So, Kapoor & Sons remixes Bollywood's family drama in a bold new-age avataar. Forever bickering Harsh (Rajat) and Sunita (Ratna) have two sons, successful Rahul (Fawad) and confused Arjun (Sidharth). Suddenly, Tia (Alia) enters the Kapoors' lives, kissing Rahul - but dating Arjun. How does this triangle square up - and does grandad Kapoor (Rishi) get the family photo he desires?

There’s a strong Karan Johar impression on Kapoor & Sons, but that was expected. After all, he is the producer of the film.

But what we didn’t expect was the finesse with which director Shakun Batra has narrated a predictable story. You may find Kapoor & Sons a rehash of some Dharma Productions’ films, but the treatment makes it an engaging 140-minute film.

Rahul (Fawad Khan) and Arjun Kapoor (Sidharth Malhotra) are brothers living entirely different lives in London and New Jersey.

Alia, Sidharth in a still from Kapoor & Sons. (YouTube)

While Rahul is established as a successful writer, Arjun is still struggling to find his true calling. Back home in Coonoor, their family has three more members: Daddu (Rishi Kapoor), father Harsh (Rajat Kapoor) and mother Sunita (Ratna Pathak Shah). A call about 90-year-old Daddu brings both brothers home.

It’s a dysfunctional family which doesn’t think twice before yelling or throwing an angry cookie jar at each other. And no, they don’t do it in jest.

Kapoor & Sons review | A nice family drama after a long time

In all seriousness, the Kapoor family is sitting on a ticking time bomb. And then enters Tia (Alia Bhatt), the potential trigger.

But, are we not looking at a typical Bollywood family film here?

Sidharth and Alia have a nice chemistry in Kapoor & Sons. (YouTube)

Well, here begins the director’s meticulous planning. The writers of the film, Shakun Batra and Ayesha Devitre Dhillon, have done a fabulous job in providing every major character a chance to flourish. Rahul’s character grows, so does Arjun’s. Tia takes center-stage, but without cutting into someone else’s breathing space.

The screenplay keeps gaining momentum. There are times when Batra eases out pressure, but only to keep the safety valve from blowing up. When you meet Rishi Kapoor’s character, you immediately realise his love for theatrics, but you also see a method in his madness. His irrepressible desire to watch porn can’t conceal his longing for a family photo.

Unfortunately, his enthusiasm for life isn’t contagious as Harsh and Sunita are struggling hard to save their marriage. But, it’s something based on trust and breach of that may result in permanent damage.

Alia Bhatt has done justice to her role. (YouTube)

Similarly, not everything is right between the brothers, especially when the younger one has grown up in the shadow of a perfect, successful big brother.

The heated exchange we witness at the dinner table is deep rooted in their psyche and began years ago, before they realised the monster that was approaching their lives.

And now the elephant is in the middle of the drawing room but no one knows how to deal with it.

Just when the audience begins to laugh at the absurdity of a plumber trapped in the middle of a family fight, it becomes so emotionally violent that they start recognising the familiarity of the proceedings.

This is entirely Batra’s success who has given the characters a reason to hate each other, unlike most Bollywood films where conflict meets resolution without much hassle.

The language Fawad, Alia and Sidharth speak in the film is true to their character graphs: Very urban in nature yet restrained and suitable for a place like Coonoor.

The kissing scene between Fawad Khan and Alia Bhatt has such a good build-up that it doesn’t look dramatic even a bit. Their sexual connotation laden conversation is so apt that you can fit any two young faces there.

Ratna Pathak as a jealous and tired housewife is a treat to watch. The emotions float on her face yet you can see the real person behind it. She, along with Fawad Khan, is the pick of the actors.

Fawad Khan is the pick of the actors in Kapoor & Sons. (YouTube)

Fawad Khan is like a dormant volcano, simmering from the inside. After a while, you expect him to go for controlled eruption, but he surprises you by going all out. His capabilities as an actor are on a full display in Kapoor & Sons.

Alia Bhatt is that piece of cheese that makes the sandwich lustworthy. There is a scene between Alia and Sidharth Malhotra where she narrates a past incident and that completely chaffs out the innocent chirpiness we associate with her from her character. Needless to say that she has done justice to her role.

Watch: Fawad Khan, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra in Kapoor & Sons trailer

Sidharth Malhotra has also understood the required nuances. Fawad, Alia and Sidharth have a lovable chemistry which will make you sit and notice, but from an objective distance.

For the want of a better term, Kapoor & Sons is an emotional roller coaster. It’s a tear jerker for sure, but also features the intricacies of a middle class life.

No dark secrets here, but the shock value is definitely there. You’ll love it for being spontaneous, precise, fast paced and well...lovable. A fantastic family drama after a long time.

Movie review : 'Teraa Surroor'

Himesh deserves an award for exposing himself so skilfully to public ridicule 

Himesh Reshammiya is a gutsy man. It takes courage to do what he has been doing since 2007, exposing himself to public ridicule by starring in film after film, only to be minced to bits by critics while even his fans gradually wander away.

His 'acting' debut in Aap Kaa Surroor - The Moviee - The Real Luv Story turned out to be a box-office hit on the strength of those very fans, people who have enjoyed his work as a music composer over the years, and were keen to see him before the camera in a full-fledged film role. Sadly, this initial success encouraged him to 'act' in more moviees (his spelling, not mine). Teraa Surroor is one such endurance test for viewers.

This is the story of an Indian chap called Raghuveer (Himesh) whose girlfriend Tara Wadia (Farah Karimi) is caught in Ireland with drugs in her possession. She is convicted, and to prove her innocence, Raghu must find Anirudh Brahman, the faceless stranger who befriended Tara on Facebook and invited her to that country.

Also in the picture: Raghu's Mummy (Shernaz Patel), Kabir Bedi playing a top gun in the Indian police, Naseeruddin Shah as the incarcerated crook Robin B. Santino who comes to Raghu's aid, a lawyer called Elle (Monica Dogra) in Dublin who is clearly attracted to men old enough to be her Granddaddy since her husband Rajveer, the Indian ambassador to Ireland, is played by veteran director/actor Shekhar Kapur.

For the record, it is evident that a good deal of money has been spent on Teraa Surroor. Almost the entire film appears to have been shot abroad, no expense has been spared on the casting of the Indian supporting actors, and the production design, cinematography and sound design are top-notch. Inexplicably though, the foreigners in bit parts are - as has been the norm with Hindi cinema for decades now - uniformly laughably bad.

Actually, that is an understatement: they are so tacky that they lend moments of passing enjoyability to an otherwise dull film. Bollywood really really really needs to find a better agency for white extras.

That being said, money can buy you good character actors, foreign locales and talented technicians, but I'm willing to bet that even the combined bank balances of Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, Amancio Ortega and Warren Buffet would fail to induce Himesh's facial muscles to move.

In all fairness, the singer-composer-'actor' cannot be accused of maintaining the same expression on his face throughout the film. The truth is that he does not manage even one.

He is not Teraa Surroor's only failing. This is the sort of film that feels the need to spell out every detail for the audience. When a character tells us that X befriended Y on Facebook, the next shot is of X typing a Facebook message. When Robin tells Raghu he must learn the map of Dublin well, we are promptly shown a map of Dublin the very next moment. You must be familiar with your getaway vehicles, Robin adds. Cut to shots of Raghu with cars. This happens so often in the film, that it almost becomes amusing.

In the midst of all the back and forth in the story, we get several in-your-face, occasionally even contextually irrelevant efforts to cash in on the hyper-nationalism plaguing our political discourse these days. In one randomly placed scene, a couple of shooting instructors in Dublin (more of those bottom-of-the-barrel extras) taunt an Indian man for being useless with a gun.

They make snide remarks about how you just need to ask India's neighbours about our incompetence in that department. When Raghu strolls over, these two mockingly assume he cannot understand English. Instead, he coolly fires several rounds from a gun and hits his mark each time - of course - then lectures those cheeky firangis about desi prowess in fluent English.

SBI starts auction of Mallya's Kingfisher House 

Mumbai: Lenders to long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines, owned by beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, today began auctioning the KFA headquarters - Kingfisher House -situated near the domestic airport here.
The property, with a built-up area of over 17,000 sq ft in Vile Parle area, is being auctioned by SBICAPS Trustee, a subsidiary of SBI Caps through an e-auction.
The auction is being conducted on e-auction property platform, Auction Tiger. The base price for the property has been set at Rs150 crore. The auction is being conducted under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (Sarfaesi), 2002.