Category - Bollywood

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Parched’ Review – 3.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Parched Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Radhika Apte is outstanding as the bruised and battered Lajjo, a woman whose zest for life never wanes no matter what hits her. She is a brave actress and her no-holds-barred performance in Parched is another glorious feather in her cap. Surveen Chawla is perfectly cast as the robust dancer who refuses to sway to the tunes of her manipulative employer and her smarmy clientele. Tannishtha Chatterjee, a true-blue veteran of cinema of this kind, gets into the skin of her character as effortlessly and as effectively as ever. Two of the younger actors in the cast – Leher Khan and Riddhi Sen – contribute their mite. They do not put a foot wrong. Parched Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Leena Yadav’s Parched takes you into a disturbing and thought-provoking territory. Even as it cleverly intertwines the stories of the three protagonists all of who have had a raw deal in life, it simultaneously puts the spotlight on how there is still an India where a woman is treated as a sex object; where her only role is to serve her man. Rani who was married off at 15 to an alcoholic Shankar has been widowed for 17 years and has to fend for herself and her callous son. Parched Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: Genre-wise, ‘Fem-jep’, or female in jeopardy, is how you’d describe this film as a cliché. But there is still much joy in the air as the three ladies — married, single, and a whore — form an unlikely but fun trio dealing with sex, lies, and life itself. Despite obvious flaws in the story-telling, it’s downright impossible not to be drawn to these characters. If you were to draw a parallel, this would perhaps be the rural equivalent of Pan Nalin’s upper-class, super-urbane ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’, a terrific ensemble pic, from last year. Of course we’ve been seeing very entertaining and explosive feminist films lately (‘Pink’ is an even more recent example). They only reflect an irreversible revolution on the Indian streets, homes, and workplaces. A fine sign of our times, I’d say, and if the arrow also leads to theatres, yes, it’s worth going, and supporting, for sure. Parched Review by Suhani Singh on India Today Rating: Parched packs in many social issues into the film – from violence against women to the need of education of girls – and it does so without screaming from the rooftop. There are some memorable moments here with the best being a near-silent encounter between Lajjo and Rani, in which, Parched says volumes about a woman’s desires with great subtlety and depth. It’s a pity then that after hitting the right notes for most part, the film in its quest for emotional liberation quickly jumps to a rather far-fetched ending that leaves more questions. Parched Review by IANS on Zeenews Rating: “Parched” celebrates the joie de vivre of shared grief among women who live their wretched lives on the edge and are only too happily to topple over when pushed and provoked. Sometimes, feminism doesn’t need a full-blown messianic clarion call. A little tug, a firm push, will do. “Parched” hits us where it hurts the most. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The connect between the three women is so amazing, you wish all the other domestic things they are shown involved in go on for too long. You wish the filmmaker had been inspired by Thelma and Louise and had learnt the art of brevity and precision from there. The story wanders along the pains and the suffering so much you begin to groan each time the women are tortured by the menfolk. The violence is not new but there’s only so much of slapping across the face one can watch on the screen without cringing. Some moments are luminous, but you fail to understand why no one sits down to edit, edit, edit. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: As for the film itself, when the trailer had come out, I had expected an ‘arty’ fare about the challenges that women face in rural areas, but Parched is not just a heavy tear-jerker. Yadav has infused the film with a raw and earthy humour, which makes the film an enjoyable watch. Though the humour might come across as crude for some people, it is real enough to evoke hearty guffaws. This is not to say that the film ignores the basic premise or the message that it is trying to send out, but at the same time, Yadav deserves a pat on her back for not making a film full of sadness and tears, though the milieu and the plot could have tempted any filmmaker to weave a tragic tale. However, the film stretches quite a lot and could have done with some nifty editing. Review by Rashma Shetty Bali on Bollywood Life Rating: I gotta admit, after Shabd and Teen Patti, Leena Yadav has improved tremendously in terms of direction. A lot of frames and how the story has been weaved together is commendable. It’s not something you’d see in a conventional Hindi cinema. So you’ll probably enjoy the fact that the film is way different from what’s usually expected of a Hindi film. I think this is the second sexual awakening film I’ve seen since Margarita With A Straw. While the film did a little goof up with the way it was promoted (focussing on the Down Syndrome part), the intent was different. Similarly even Parched speaks volumes of sexual awakening as you will pin point in the film when you watch it. That again makes it an intriguing watch. What I really liked was the rural feel of the film. Not exactly mentioning the name of the village, Yadav has basically made a good point that can happen anywhere. Of course, when it comes to acting, all the ladies did a phenomenal job. Tannishta as the widow who once again faces with her lost sexuality is very convincing. You can see how parched she has been without the touch of a man in her life. Radhika‘s Lajjo character was oh so adorable! She was a sweetheart! Wasn’t a big fan of Surveen‘s character but we’ll get there later. Finally, the intimate scenes have been shot very aesthetically and with a realistic approach. Review by Aseem Chhabra on Rediff Rating: The film’s leads — Chatterjee and Apte — are two of the finest Indian indie cinema actresses of our times. And both give strong moving performances, including a brief tender scene between the two — a rare moment in Hindi cinema. The rest of the supporting cast is equally good. The film is lovingly shot by Russell Carpenter (Titanic, Jobs). He makes the characters and Rajasthan’s landscape glow. And under Yadav’s able guidance, Parched genuinely shines. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: A little restraint, leaving some things to our imagination, would have served the film better. Because it is saying something whose importance is paramount: that unless women become a little more empathetic to their own kind, change will not come about. Rani becomes that change agent, and we cheer. Good way to wrap: you only wish the journey was not as problematic. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Of the cast, Tannishtha, who’s clearly having her best year in films so far, infuses her Rani with resolute decisiveness and an uncertain vulnerability. As an actor, this one gets close to her career’s best (Brick Lane). The most natural of the three, Radhika Apte’s Lajjo blends her lingering vulnerability with a glimmer of guilt in seeking out what she truly desires. Hate Story 2 actress Surveen Chawla caricatures her Bijli as a loud and insufferable presence who bifurcates her screen time in self pity and giving gyaan on life and everything else. The expansive desert landscape lends itself to cinematic frames and cinematographer Russel Carpenter (of Titanic fame) translates the director’s vision in a manner that complements storytelling. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: On the performance front. All the three Tannishtha, Radhika and Surveen give a standout performance in which Surveen finds herself lucky in getting more exposure, lines and dimensions. From the supporting cast Sumit Nijawan as the educated do good guy married to an educated foreigner and the nasty son of Rani – Riddhi Sen make good impact. On the flipside, the dish antenna episode and the idea of having a bed ridden granny was out of sync. All said and done Leena Yadav’s PARCHED is an undeniable triumph on screen, a beacon on power of woman PARCHED demands attention from all woman around the globe and asked pertinent questions. If you love woman and care for art and quality in cinema PARCHED is your ticket. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: As for performances, Surveen impresses as a self-contained prostitute who takes charge of her own life, Tannisththa and Radhika are convincing as housewives living in a panchayat-ruled village. Sumeet Vyas is adorable as an educated man who is living in the village and helps the women in marketing their handicrafts. It is all close to the reality of rural India, but Leena’s canvas is not a view from the inside. There is a lot of tokenism involved in portraying the culture, and that is where Parched falls short of a great film. It will definitely be a celebrated film among intellectual circles and international audience, but it is not a film that will touch the people it talks about. It has great actors in Tannishththa, Radhika, Surveen and even Summeet (of Permanent Roommates fame), but the screenplay that is written in pseudo-rural lingo keeps it from being authentic. The dialogues are written in urban Hindi sentences, just ending with “karu su” and “ke se”. It is like ending a proper Hindi sentence with “ba” and calling it Bhojhpuri. Review by Suparna Sharma on Deccan Chronicle Rating: I’ve always been captivated by Radhika Apte. She’s gorgeous, expressive and oomphy. And I’ve always found Tannishtha Chatterjee overrated. And yet, here, in Parched, there was too much acting in both Radhika and Surveen’s performances, while Tannishtha is natural, comfortable in her role, in her look, and light-footed. Apte, with her big grins and coyness, was trying too hard to be cute and sexy, and Chawla, continuously speaking in sharp, loud one-liners, got tiresome after a while. Lehar Khan, who’s grown up since she received the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2013 for Best Child Artist for her role in Jalpari, is better than both Apte and Chawla. Parched Review by News18 Rating: Rani’s confidante is Lajjo, who is regularly beaten up by her alcoholic brute of a husband because she cannot conceive. Radhika Apte plays Lajjo with an intriguing mixture of carefree spirit and vulnerability. Bijli, a travelling erotic dancer and prostitute, is an old friend of Rani’s and Lajjo’s. The two see Bijli as the bold, free one, but she, ironically, can’t escape the clutches of the men in her own life. Surveen Chawla as Bijli practically lights up every scene she’s in. She plays the character with spunky humor that barely conceals her deep-seated frustration over her plight. Alas, you wish that Yadav didn’t tar all the men in the village with the same brush, except for a couple of characters here and there. The film is also over-indulgent with both exoticism and eroticism, leading viewers to feel as if they are stuck in an unwieldy loop. But for these hitches, it’s an entertaining ride. The three friends, parched both emotionally and sexually, will have you rooting for them and cheering as they find their feet and their freedom in the end. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars

After last week’s Aniruddha Roy Choudhury who debuted with Pink, another acclaimed regional director Ravi Jadhav...

[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Banjo’ Review – 2.2 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Banjo Review by Indicine Rating: Banjo has clearly been shot by Ravi Jadhav with the intention of showing the beauty of the rawness of the slums and chawls of Mumbai, and it does quite a good job at that. The music scenes are pretty realistic as well. The cinematography and production design has to be credited for that. But the editing is sub-par. Banjo has no business being almost 140 minutes long when the story could have been told with a greater impact in 120 minutes. The music of Banjo is high paced and matches the tone of the Banjo band. The romantic ballad is a nice track too. Banjo Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: While BANJO’s promos beautifully mirrored the lives of street musicians, the film elaborates the same in totality. The film’s story set up (Kapil Sawant, Nikhil Mehrotra and Ravi Jadhav) is relatable. After taking a promising start, the film also highlights the life, lifestyle and the dreams of those (unsung talents) living in the slums. The film successfully manages to establish the quirky characters of Taraat and his band members. The life and lifestyle of the slum dwellers have been convincingly portrayed in the film. The film’s dialogues (Kapil Sawant, Nikhil Mehrotra and Ravi Jadhav) are simple, unassuming and funny. There are many one liners in the film, which have been used as punches, will surely have the audiences in splits. Banjo Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: Deshmukh is thoroughly unconvincing as a shaggy musician with unwashed hair. While he displays a knack for the comic scenes, he seems uncomfortable in the romantic ones. But when you have corny pickup lines masquerading as intense dialogues, can you really blame Deshmukh for coming up short? The scenario that a DJ from New York would come to Mumbai to hunt down a group of musicians in a Mumbai slum also requires you to suspend disbelief. The other band members from Tarat’s team have some of the best comical lines. But that’s not enough to redeem this drama-slash-comedy. Banjo Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: If Banjo had been made by a lesser-known director, these flaws were forgivable to some extent. But Ravi Jadhav is a man who gave us Natarang and Bal Gandharva, so this mess of a film is inexcusable. While Riteish as a performer is adept as always, the idea to make him massy falls flat, especially those scenes that insist on making him look tough. Nargis Fakhri is decent, until she speaks Hindi, cry or basically has to emote. Banjo would have been a really good entertainer, if the film had stuck to what the title had promised, instead of straying to other subplots. If you are a Mumbaikar then this is a one time watch for you. Banjo Review by Renuka Vyavahare on The Times Of India Rating: Director Ravi Jadhav, who has some outstanding Marathi films to his name (like Natarang), captures the pulse of Mumbai and the city’s buzzing chawl culture in Banjo with simplicity and a dash of humour. His characters exude the quintessential middle-class values, which are bound to resonate with many. The underprivileged are not conditioned to dream big, so even their wishes are realistic. One of the characters innocently asks a waiter at a posh club, if he could take some champagne home for his father. Though commercial in approach, Jadhav keeps things unpretentious and thus relatable. Banjo Review by Rohit Vats on Hindustan Times Rating: Had this 137-minute film refrained from long cross-conversations and forced conflicts in the second half, it could have struck a better chord. Riteish has come out of his comfort zone and that’s the best thing about Banjo. The actor who plays Corporator Patil in the film is also worth a mention. It’s a film by someone who can see Mumbai with indigenous eyes. Scratch the filters and it’s as raw as it always was. Show patience in the second half, and it may work for you. There’s a lot to like in Banjo. Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: On the flip side, the film has certain shades of ABCD and Rock On. At the press screening last night, a fellow reviewer sniggered that Banjo is ‘zopadpatti ka Rock On’ and though I offered a polite chuckle to humour him, I couldn’t help but reluctantly agree with his observation. Also, the film doesn’t restrict itself to just the banjo players, but also tries to explore issues like slum rehab and builders trying to forcibly acquire slum property and rivalries over performing at Ganesh pandals, subjects which would have made more sense in a film about the underworld. However, having said that, though the second half drags on for quite a while, Jadhav has come up with such interesting characters and clever writing that you are ready to forgive the makers for veering off the track at certain points of time. If you love a good underdog story and are a true Mumbaikar at heart, ‘Banjo’ will surely strike the right note for you… Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: Coming to the main lead, Riteish Deshmukh is underutilized, sadly the script didn’t had the nourishment to feed on Riteish’s acting talents. He is fabulous in whatever character is sketched for him by the writer and director but considering the talent he posses BANJO just turns out to be concentrating more on how to be a crowd pleaser. Nargis Fakhri is a stunner as far as looks are concerned. Talking about her acting, well the damsel still needs to travel. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Similarly, the presence of Dharmesh Yolande brings ABCD to mind and, again, only to the detriment of Banjo. So let’s mince no words: Banjo is a painfully pointless exercise that does no justice to either the instrument that it extols or the street musicians that it showcases. Neither the struggle of the slum boys to break out of their impoverishment nor the street and slum scenes the film banks upon to acquire grittiness yield the desired results, leaving Banjo dangling in a yawn-inducing limbo. Even the peppy music (Vishal-Shekhar) and the lively lyrics (Amitabh Bhattacharya) cannot bring this comatose film to life. It is just too good at playing dead. Rarely does a film press so much noise into service to achieve so little in the end. Heed this warning: don’t get within the earshot of Banjo. Review by Tatsam Mukherjee on India Today Rating: The makers of Banjo should have focused on the bigger issues like a less contrived script, a better-acted film, and a movie slightly closer to what Mr Jadhav would have made in the parallel universe. Review by Sukanya Verma on Rediff Rating: Between musicians who double up as goons and a encroachment arc that goes nowhere, Jadhav derails from a slum to stardom tale to tangle itself in needless complication, conflict and melodrama through murder attempts, fall from grace, awakened conscience and a supremely unconvincing rift. By the time Banjo serves its dark horse comeback to a pounding Vishal-Shekhar spectacle laced in unabashed Maharashtrian pride, indifference has seeped in. Banjo Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Banjo’ looked highly promising due to its unusual theme, good music and association of a national award winning director. The movie fulfills its promise in some part and fails to create an impact in the rest of them. Stale narration, dragging screenplay and lacking of soul factor makes ‘Banjo’ end up on a mediocre note. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: Director Ravi Jadhav’s first attempt in Bollywood is noticeable. He is successful in bringing out the local Marathi flavour in the western context. Ravi Jadhav has also written the screenplay alongside Kapil Sawant and Nikhil Mehrotra, which is predictable yet entertaining. ‘Banjo’ will take you back to the 90’s since the film has a love story, emotions and a conspiracy. The film could have been much better in several aspects and hence it remains a one time watch. The humour in the film is like a breath of fresh air. Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: The only time the film stops trying your patience somewhat is when it bursts into song, and even there, it has only one which is foot-tapping. Really, you expect better from Deshmukh, whose artfully dusty, tangled tresses and toned, worked-out frame don’t match up to the required grunginess of his character description. And from Jadhav, who has done so much better in his previous outings. Review by Rajeev Masand on News18 Rating: There is literally nothing original or unpredictable about how the story unfolds. Jadhav knows his characters and their world but fails to set It up dramatically. The acting is serviceable at best, but watching Nargis Fakhri on screen, you still feel like she’s in the wrong profession. There isn’t a moment on screen not one that she looks or sounds convincing. Part of the reason you stay in your seat nevertheless is the entirely hummable music score that Vishal-Shekhar have come up with. And a word for Riteish Deshmukh, who appears to be the only one here making any effort. From the body language to the cockiness, his Tarat may be the single interesting character in this ordinary film. In the end, the notion of a film about an undervalued genre of musicians is more compelling than “Banjo” itself. It starts out from a promising place, but fails to make any leaps or strides. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: The hero opposite Nargis is Riteish, of course, the tanned sadak-chaap mawaali, with a pony tail, thick beard, looking a shade of Shah Rukh Khan from Happy New Year, which this movie seems so similar to as well. Let me not go on. So yeah, you’ve been there, seen that; why watch this same kinda picture again? I don’t know. I’m only glad that some of the guys in my theatre were at least responding to it, while I was sadly falling asleep. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Riteish Deshmukh is a dependable sidekick, a desi street danseuse par excellence, but as a solo lead, his shoulders give in. Nargis Fakhri may have the lips of a lemon-and-spoon Olympic champ, but when pursed to insinuate deep thought, it seems as if her thought bubble is packed with soap bubbles. Her translation of every situation – being screamed at, flirted with, or even given a shocking piece of news – is the same: a puppy-faced pout. To get from CST to Andheri, she hops into a cab and says, “Un-dairy chalo.” While her accent is justified here, her expressions aren’t. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The climax is good fun. The movie ends rather well. Great song, and ending of rivalries. Yes, yes, there’s a rival band there too. Go watch them, and dance in the aisles. And hope Riteish stops acting in the awful sex comedies and gives us such happy frothy romances. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Where the film founders terribly, almost bringing down the plot’s spiraling aspirations, is in cramming too many strands and sub-plots in the screenplay that are induced to create a dilating drama. Also, the visual palate of streetside bonhomie tends to get over-cute at times. Rather than digresss into a subplot about a politician taking on builders, Jadhav’s narrative should have stuck to the story of the street musicians who are embarrassed by the lowbrow status allotted to their art, until the American woman with the long legs and the leggier pout discovers them for her own devices. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: There isn’t anything very moving or engaging in the acting department either. Riteish Deshmukh does the drunk bit, the macho beating up goon bit, the love-struck bit in rhythm – one after the other. While performances by the other band members are full of energy, Nargis Fakhri loses you at her dialogue delivery itself. It is painful to watch her speak Hindi. And for all the hue and cry about creating music together, her character has all of three lines to sing. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars A Flying Jatt – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Housefull 3 – 2.2 stars Veerappan – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Raaz Reboot – 1.7 stars