HollywoodBollywood&everythingElse

Bollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas Film: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Manu Rishi Chadha, Maanvi Gangroo, Sunita Rajwar, Pankhuri Awasthy, Neeraj Singh Director: Hitesh Kewalya Rating: * * * Runtime: 120 mins Raindrop Media A movie that is brave enough to call out homophobia in its creatives fails to follow through when it comes to marketing and PR. Why else would the film producers decide not to showcase the film to the press, before its release? Hitesh Kewalya’s DDLJ for the gay community is a comedy romance that exposes societal malfunctions when it comes to treating the gay community – even though it comes much after the repeal of the 377 law. Kewalya’s treatment of the (still) sensitive subject is neither hackneyed, patronising nor ridiculing. He plays out the main theme with a sincerity that rattles established Bollywood conventions w.r.t the portrayal of the gay community in Hindi cinema...

Bollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas Complicated but unconvincing haunting Film: Bhoot Chapter One: The Haunted Ship Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Akash Dhar, Meher Vij, Ashutosh Rana, Siddhant Kapoor, Sara Gesawat Director: Bhanu Pratap Singh Rating: * * Runtime: 114 mins Hype Media - Niloufer Quereshi Hoping to create a new urban legend surrounding the beaching of a stray ship unhinged from its tow, Dharma and team fashion a story about possible paranormal events surrounding the unique occurrence that was seen on Juhu beach last year. An accident at best, the unsalvageable beached ship meant for the breaking yard ends up being grist for a horror movie. That’s really creative I must say and a rare thing for Bollywood. But first -timer Bhanu Pratap Singh’s ( also credited with story) writing and direction fails to drum by hysteria or tension and the fabricated horror intent fails to incite fear or terror in the hearts and minds of the audien...

Bollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas This ain’t LOVE Film: Love Aaj Kal (2.0) (Reboot) Cast: Karthik Aryan, Sara Ali Khan, Aarushi Sharma, Simone Singh, Randeep Hooda Director: Imtiaz Ali Rating: * * ½ Runtime: 142 mins Imtiaz Ali’s reboot of his hit romance ‘Love Aaj Kal’ is plagued by sameness and ennui. There’s nothing new to look forward to here. The romantic allusions, the wanton wilfulness of the heroine, the back and forth from past to present, and an unnecessarily protracted stalemate, only adds up to tedium. It’s Zoe’s film and she is allowed to run her rule and thankfully Sara Ali Khan is so assured and confident in that skin that we are willing to empathise with the illogical, almost obstinate turns her life takes. A wilful, so-called self-professed career woman, Zoe(Sara Ali Khan) bumps into Veer(Kathik Aryan) at a nightclub and cupid strikes. She is willing to further the relationship and he is sappily overwhelmed but the re...

Terribly Tiny Tales launches Valentines Day special campaign ‘Such A Pyaar’ to celebrate love with their short film, Kaande Pohe, which is live now The short film featuring digital stars, Ahsaas Channa (Rukh, Phoonk2) and Tushar Pandey (Chhichhore, Pink, Phantom, Hum Chaar) is directed by Shubham Yogi Click on the link below to watch the film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ-4K2IN7DY Mumbai, 14th February 2020: Terribly Tiny Tales launches Valentines Day special campaign ‘Such A Pyaar’ to celebrate love with their short film, Kaande Pohe, which is live now The short film featuring digital stars, Ahsaas Channa (Rukh, Phoonk2) and Tushar Pandey (Chhichhore, Pink, Phantom, Hum Chaar) is directed by Shubham Yogi The short film is based on a Maharashtrian snack traditionally served when a boy visits a girls' family for the first time in an arranged marriage set up. The day is called 'Kaande Pohe Cha Kaaryakaram'. The film is produced by A...

Rima Das’ Village Rockstars to be part of the English textbook in Assam Mumbai, 12th February 2020: Rima Das’ National Award-winning Assamese film Village Rockstars to be part of the Class VII English textbook in Assam. The chapter ‘Dhunu’s Guitar’ talks about the journey of the film and narrate its story. The film won four National Awards for Best Feature Film, editing, audiography and child artist. It was India’s official entry to Oscars 2019 is now part of the Class VII English textbook in Assam. Sharing her joy Rima Das says, “My dad was a school teacher and my mom ran a printing press. I was preparing to be a teacher. We've been a family that placed a lot of emphasis on education. Of all my achievements, my parents are most proud of this one and this has made me very happy. The entire Village Rockstars team is very happy!” “I feel blessed that the children of Assam will be exposed to new ideas and get a glimpse of my filmmaking journey. I hope to see ...

Bollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas An eye-pleasing, sentimental love story Film: Shikara Cast: Aadil Kahn, Sadia, Faisal Simon, Priyanshu Chatterjee Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra Rating: * * * Runtime: 120 mins Tripping all through on Bollywood tropes made memorable by the likes of Yash Chopra, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s latest directorial, that markets itself as a refugee story is anything but. Inspired by Rahul Pandita’s ‘Our Moon Has Blood Clots,’ the film has its pivotal characters coming from that Kashmiri Pandit refugee space but the central over-riding theme here is one of abiding, enduring love - the ‘Buniyaad’ kind. So from the early 1980 right up to 2018 Chopra takes us to Kashmir and Jammu, as Shiv Kumar Dhar( Aadil Khan) and Shanti(Sadia) meet up as happenstance extras on a film set, progress to falling in love, getting married and setting up home and hearth in the valley once eulogised as Paradise on earth. While their love for each other remains un...

Bollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas Knotty, Twisty, shrill, Illogical Thriller Film: Malang Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Elli Avrram, Keith Sequeira, Shaad Randhawa, Vatsal Seth, Amruta Khanvilkar Director: Mohit Suri Rating: * * Runtime: 134 mins Mohit Suri’s latest seems to have jumped out of a drug induced haze…else, why would the plotting lose its biggest gambit by twisting the narrative out of all the sense it hoped to make? There are twists and there are turns here but they appear to be an attempt to cover-up scriptural malfunctions rather than tell a logical story. The film begins with a fight sequence in a prison. A buffed-up Aditya Roy Kapur, whose back is facing the camera throughout the longest fight sequence in the film, beats up, punches, whacks, bludgeons and picks up and drops guys twice his size, in an effort to establish his fighting dominance. But the fact that his back is turned to the camera ...