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Showing posts from December, 2023

Happy New Year 2024

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Dunki #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Dunki Cast: #ShahRukhKhan #TaapseePannu #VickyKaushal #BomanIrani #VikramKochhar #AnilGrover #JyotiSubhash Director: #RajKumarHirani Rating: * * * Runtime: 160 mins #RajKumarHiraniFilms #SpicePR #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody @followers #followers #JyotiDeshpande #JioStudios #RedChilliesEntertainment #GauriKhan An intermittently rib-tickling, emotional roller coaster, this film, typically dripping with melodrama, patriotic fervor, sentiments and underscored by fantasy, directed by Rajkumar Hirani and co-written by #AbhijatJoshi, #RajkumarHirani, and #KanikaDhillon, has a narrative that bemuses with its simplicity and ability to hit on the right tone and momentum and messaging to keep the audience enraptured. Heart-touching performances from Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal and great support from the rest of the cast, help keep the interest going even when

Chamak #OTTseriesReview #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #Chamak Cast: #ParamvirSinghCheema #MukeshChabbra #IshaTalwar #SuvinderVicky #SiddharthShaw #GippyGrewal #PrinceKanwaljitSingh #ManojPahwa #NavneetNishan #AnkitaGoraya #AniruddhRoy #DhanveerSingh #KunwarGrewal Director: #RohitJugraj Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 6 Episodes/45-60 mins each #OTTSeries #AvianWEPR #SonyLiv #Everyone #Everybody #Followers @followers @everyone @everybody Chamak is powered by music - folk to Sufi to Punjabi film songs but the helming is such that the thrills are woebegone. Cheema doesn’t have the presence to come anywhere close to the slain folk singer Chamkila (Amar Singh) who was slain along with his wife, during a concert in Punjab. Though claimed as a work of fiction, this series obviously takes it’s inspiration from that incident and Kaala the central character is a singer himself and son of a slain musician. The tone fails to be distinctive, the temp

The Archies #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTFilmReview

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #TheArchies Cast: #AgastyaNanda #KhushiKapoor #SuhanaKhan #AditiDot #LukeKenny #VinayPathak #AliMerchant #KamalSidhu #TaraSharma #VedangSharma #MihirAhuja #YuvrajMenda #KoelPurie #DelnaazIrani #KulpreetYadav Director: #ZoyaAkhtar Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 143 mins #OTTMovie #Netflix #GraphicIndia #TigerBaby #Everyone #Everybody #Followers @followers @everyone @everybody #NikosAndritsakis #ArchieComics Nostalgia inducing, retro driven US comic book adaptation transposed to a desi anglo-Indian set-up in a 1960’s North Indian Riverdale, this film has little going for it other than the skillful camerawork, art direction, production design and locales. The debutante actors don’t have the performance ease to make this look convincing. The music is peppy but forgettable. Agastya appears to be a chip off the Bachchan block but has a long way to go before he can make it big while Khushi

Chaapa Kaata #MarathiFilmReview #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #ChaapaKaata (Heads or Tails) #Marathi Cast: #MakarandAnaspure #TejaswiniLonari #MohanJoshi #ArunNalawade #VijayPatkar #PankajVishnu #ReenaMadhukar #RiturajPhadke #SushrutMankani Director: #SandeepManoharNavare Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 113 mins #SushilkumarAgrawal #UltraEntertainmentPvtLtd #RamKondilkar #everyone #everybody @everyone @everybody #Followers @Followers #BombayBarodaWebTalkies Typically old fashioned comedy drama about a brother pulling off a con just to get his sister married, this film delivers a fair amount of laughs even though the presentation lacks finesse. The writing is fluid enough even with all the complications that arise from the central conceit. The story may not have anything new to tell but #MakarandAnaspure and #VijayPatkar are in their element delivering laughs through delayed punchlines and effective comedic timing.

Kadak Singh #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #KadakSingh Cast: #PankajTripathi #SanjanaSanghi #JayaAhsan #ParvathyThiruvothu #PareshPahuja #VarunBuddhadev Director: #AniruddhaRoyChoudhury Rating: * * Runtime: 128 mins #Zee5 #ThinkinkCommunications #AvianWEPR #FirstStepMovies @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody #Followers @followers A sloppily structured, sluggish mystery thriller, this film fails to appeal because of its messy, rather incoherent narrative choices and stilted uneven performances. The narrative tries to incorporate as many themes as possible including bad parenting, suicide, drug abuse, second chance at relationship etc. and fails to stay focused on the main theme of chit-fund scam operated with the involvement of corrupt Govt employees. Too ‘Kadak’ to make sense!

Kastoori The Musk #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Kastoori ( #TheMusk) Cast: #SamarthSonawane #ShravanUpalkar #AnilKamble #VaishaliKendale #Jannat #KunalPawar #Jaybhim #VijayShikare Director: #VinodKamble Script/Dialogues: #VinodKamble #VijayKarde Editor: #ShrikantChaudhari Rating: * * * Runtime: 97 mins @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody #Followers @followers #InsightFilms #DrPayalDhoke #AnuragKashyap #NagrajManjule Set within the prism of caste prejudice this is a heart-touching story of resilience, hope and friendship. This film’s depiction of real dilemmas faced by the young coming from poverty stricken backgrounds, rings true. It’s really tough to watch a kid of 10-11 yrs help his father and mother do post-mortem cuts, burials and manual scavenging/toilet cleaning jobs. This film has endearing performances embedded into its gritty and realistic narrative. Worth watching!

AMISH SHAH, FOUNDER OF ALTR’S CREATED DIAMONDS & J’EVAR ANNOUNCED AS PANELIST FOR THE 10th ANNUAL Vibrant Gujarat Summit

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AMISH SHAH, FOUNDER OF ALTR’S CREATED DIAMONDS & J’EVAR ANNOUNCED AS PANELIST FOR THE 10th ANNUAL VIBRANT GUJARAT GLOBAL SUMMIT “Lab-Grown Diamonds: A Visionary Journey for Gujarat’s Next Quarter Century” Will be Held on December 12th in Gujarat, India Amish Shah, founder of J’EVAR and ALTR, will be a panelist at the pre-summit seminar for the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024. The pre-summit seminar, “Jewellery, Gemstones and Gujarat: Renaissance for Radiant Viksit Bharat,” will be held on December 12, 2023, beginning at 9:00AM at Platinum Hall, SGCCI in Gujarat, India. Amish will be part of the summit’s session 3, “Lab-Grown Diamonds: A Visionary Journey for Gujarat’s Next Quarter Century.” His unwavering passion for jewelry, technology, and sustainability has positioned Amish as a trailblazer in the industry, and J'EVAR is poised to redefine the landscape of luxury fine jewelry. “I am honored and excited to speak at the Vibrant Gujarat Glo

La La Land Festival, Goa : A unique multi-disciplinary festival that cares about the Arts and the Environment

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LaLaLand Festival returns to Goa for the fifth time on Dec 9-10, 2023. This international festival is set to connect the communities across Goa and the world, through twenty-five live, national and international acts. As the festival returns, so does its Trash4cash initiative. LaLaLand Festival and Artist Subodh Kerkar have teamed up for TRASH4CASH initiative LaLaLand Festival, scheduled on Dec 9-10th, 2023 is the world’s first festival to come up with a unique TRASH4CASH initiative where people can buy tickets to the festival with trash. A LaLaLand Festival pass can be bought by donating empty chips packets, straws, plates and much more! 100 chips packets or plastic packaging gets you an entry pass This week the LaLaLand team along with Village Recyclers and One Earth NGO are visiting schools in Goa and educating children about recycling and upcycling of trash. People can bring chips, packets, straws, plates, cups, takeout containers, water bottles, thick shopping bags e

Dhootha #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #AmazonPrime Film: #Dhootha #DubbedTeluguOriginalSeries #Tamil #Malayalam #Kannada (8 Eps/ 45-60 mins app each) Cast: #NagaChaitanyaAkkineni #ParvathyThiruvothu #PriyaBhavaniShankar #PrachiDesai #TharunBhascker #ChaitanyaGarikipati Director: #VikramKKumar Rating: * * #SharrathMarar #NorthStarEntertainmentPvtLtd #everyone #everybody @everybody @everyone #followers @followers Paranormal pickings set in incessant rain, this narrative with supernatural elements fueling the so-called suspense feels unrealistic and terribly contrived. There are no nuances here just obvious, clumsy attempts to steamroll the story through unbelievable events. The suspense is mediocre, tension is slack and cinematography led atmospherics fail to sustain mood. Journalist Sagar(#NagaChaitanya) has little to do other than look harried and stressed out. Even lowly cops behave abnormally. It’s all so sloppily

Animal #PIcksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Animal #CommuniquePR Cast: #RanbirKapoor #RashmikaMandana #BobbyDeol #AnilKapoor #ShaktiKapoor #TriptiDimri #PremChopra #SureshOberoi Director: #SandeepReddyVanga Rating: * 1/2 Runtime: 211 mins @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody @followers #followers Targeted at the animal in you, this film thrives on excess. The needlessly bloated, thinly constructed vengeance spiel reveres toxic masculinity, regressive representation of women, hyper-sexuality, brutality, pointless sex talk, senseless ridiculous action, fuzzy dialogues, and distasteful and highly offensive gore. It’s an altogether shrill, brash and bestial, totally twisted and unhinged Alpha male eulogy - Unpalatable, incoherent and traumatic to the sensitive viewer. #RanbirKapoor manages to stay unsullied with his rousing performance though!

SamBahadur #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

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#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #SamBahadur Cast: #VickyKaushal #SanyaMalhotra #FatimaSanaShaikh #MohdZeeshanAyub #NeerajKabi Director: #MeghanaGulzar Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 150 mins #HYPEPR #SamBahadur @meghnagulzar @ronnie.screwvala @rsvpmovies @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody @followers #followers This biopic on India’s most decorated war hero, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw (1914-2008), is a chequered one, interspersed with war scenes and political maneuvering - highlighting those turbulent years fraught with tension from our immediate neighbors. While the performers (#VickyKaushal especially), do well to look and act like real-life characters, the real essence of the persons they are representing is missing. It’s the writing that is faulty here. To make Maneckshaw look larger-than-life heroic, the screenplay does a deliberate disservice to all the other political stalwarts (Nehru and Indira Gandhi