#ManjiTheMountainMan #HindiBollywoodFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas Rating: * * * 1/2
#ManjiTheMountainMan #HindiBollywoodFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas Rating: * * * 1/2
#PicksAndPiquesSnippetFilmReview21stAug2015
#JohnsonThomas
#AllIsWell(Hindi) Rating: * * After winning critical plaudits and audience respect for his #OMG – a film that dared to question and try and provide answers for age-old belief systems governed by religion, #UmeshShukla tries his hand at family dramedy. But the result is not as well as was expected. This film takes it’s titular cue from ‘#3Idiots’ but that’s all it gets catchy about. The rest is bedlam.Tedious, unappealing dead bore. That’s about it! Even Supriya Pathak Kapoor and Rishi kapoor fail to dent that! #RaindropMedia #AbhishekBachchan #Asin #SupriyaPathakKapoor #RishiKapoor #AFP #TSeries #GulshanKumar #BhushanKumar #ShyamBajaj #UmeshShukla ##AlchemyFilmProduction #KrishanKumar #VarunBajaj #RelianceEntertainment Runtime: 125 mins
#ManjiTheMountainMan(Hindi) Rating: * * * ½ A noteworthy marriage of commerce and art in terms of technique, content and style, this Ketan Mehta helmed bio-pic takes the quasi fantasy-reality route to the telling of a poignant and deeply affecting tale of a devoted man’s singular unparalleled endeavor to tame a massive mountain that has wreaked havoc in his life. Dashrath Manji’s epoch making and ‘Path-breaking’effort has become part of folklore and the oral history of his painstaking effort bears well in the cinematic retelling, gaining immense power and significant heft from a craftily fleshed out script , a wonderfully orchestrated, elevating background score from #SandeshShandilya, stirring dialogues by #MohinderPratapSingh & #ShahzadAhmed and some bravura performances- notably of course from the inimical #NawazuddinSiddiqui, the riveting #RadhikaApte , the searingly intense #PrashantNarayanan (despite a hacked role), some wonderful sidebar performances from the rest of the ensemble cast and a distinctive note-perfect cameo by #DeepaSahi. And last but not the least- #KetanMehta has finally got back his groove. His vividly artistic, narrative flamboyance takes this story to unforgettable and immensely memorable heights! #KetanMehta #MayaMovies #DeepaSahi #NawazuddinSiddiqui #RadhikaApte #Viacom18 #NFDC #NinaLathGupta #PankajTripathi #PrashantNarayanan #EverymediaTechnologies #TigmanshuDhulia #RaindropMedia Runtime: 120 mins
#TheLoveIsForever (Hindi) Rating: * This one’s like raising dust from ashes. Amateurish technique, Poor scripting and characterization, suspect, stilted performances and a ridiculous story add-up to an acutely miserable experience. The songs may be pardonable but the entire run-up from start to finish reeks of an ‘untrained’ and ‘unaccomplished’ hand. #AshwaniShukla #HoneyVee #Altairmedia #RenuBalaPanchal #JaiViratraEntertainmentLimited #SonuPanchal #AnilPanchal #ChetanPrakashAnand #Satish Khabri #ArvindSingh #AyushPanchal #GurlalSinghAthwal #VinodThapliyal #VinayPrasanna #ManojPanchal #ManojVerma #Manpreet #Viraat #Sonia #RanajungBahadur #AnjaliArora #SomPal #VoiceOfHeartMusic Runtime: 135 mins
#Saangati(Marathi) Rating: * ½ Pious but Unworthy. From atheists to believers, this film sets out to ensure that a family of four ( of which 3 are strong non-believers) end up believing in the power of God. The approach is tedious and unbecoming, the script lacks deeper insight, the characterizations are flaky and the so-called story doesn’t have the requisite development to deliver the eventual outcome with due conviction . #DeepakJadhav #mediaUnlimitedPR #PrashantSinghHambir #AnandaProductions #RamvijayWamanParab #Satishpulekar #SmitaOak #JyotiJoshi #GauravGhatanekar #PriyaGamare #SantoshGawade #RajeshRameshNaik #NavinMore #pramodPathak #SadanandShrikrishnaTembulkar Runtime:160 mins
#FantasticFour(English) Rating: * * The third major big screen attempt to tell the story of Reed Richards, Sue and Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm aka The Thing and Dr. Doom, the core characters in one of Marvel Comics' most durable properties, is short but definitely not SWEET. It’s a misfire of gigant6ic proportions and leaves you quite distended towards the end. Nothing distinctive to watch here…not even action! #ShrutiSundaram #DisneyUTV #SidharthRoyKapur #MilesTeller #KateMara #JamieBell #MichaelBJordan #TobyKebbell #RegECathey #TimBlakeNelson #ChetHanks #MaryRachelDudley #MaryPatGreen
#TheGift(English) Rating: * * * ½ Smart , crafty storytelling helps this mind-game thriller along. Familiar tropes unfamiliar endings makes this film surprising and interesting. It’s quite a riveting engagement #JoelEdgerton (#Warrior) excels both as director and actor. #JasonBateman &#RebeccaHall provide solid support to keep the tension and twist-at-the-end believable. #PVRPictures #JasonBateman #RebeccaHall #JoelEdgerton Runtime: 108 mins
#Algorithms(B&W Documentary) Rating: * * ½ Algorithms is on the thriving but little known world of Blind Chess in India. Filmed over three years, it follows three talented boys from different parts of India and a totally blind player turned pioneer whose vaunted ambition is to see India on a global stage as well as have all blind children play chess. Algorithms travels with the chess players to competitive tournaments and visits them in their home milieu where they reveal their struggles, anxieties and hopes. Nominated in the newcomer category at the Grierson Awards earlier , Ian McDonald's debut feature documentary continues his explorations of the cultures of sporting outsiders, as previously manifested in his short films. It’s quite an experience even if not an entirely satisfying one. #PVRDirectorsRare #MoesArt #IanMcDonald #GeethaJ
Runtime: 100 mins
Runtime: 100 mins
#BestFilmsReleasedthisWeek21stAug2015 #JohnsonThomas
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#ManjiTheMountainMan(Hindi) Rating: * * * ½ A noteworthy marriage of commerce and art in terms of technique, content and style, this Ketan Mehta helmed bio-pic takes the quasi fantasy-reality route to the telling of a poignant and deeply affecting tale of a devoted man’s singular unparalleled endeavor to tame a massive mountain that has wreaked havoc in his life. Dashrath Manji’s epoch making and ‘Path-breaking’effort has become part of folklore and the oral history of his painstaking effort bears well in the cinematic retelling, gaining immense power and significant heft from a craftily fleshed out script , a wonderfully orchestrated, elevating background score from #SandeshShandilya, stirring dialogues by #MohinderPratapSingh & #ShahzadAhmed and some bravura performances- notably of course from the inimical #NawazuddinSiddiqui, the riveting #RadhikaApte , the searingly intense #PrashantNarayanan (despite a hacked role), some wonderful sidebar performances from the rest of the ensemble cast and a distinctive note-perfect cameo by #DeepaSahi. And last but not the least- #KetanMehta has finally got back his groove. His vividly artistic, narrative flamboyance takes this story to unforgettable and immensely memorable heights! #KetanMehta #MayaMovies #DeepaSahi #NawazuddinSiddiqui #RadhikaApte #Viacom18 #NFDC #NinaLathGupta #PankajTripathi #PrashantNarayanan #EverymediaTechnologies #TigmanshuDhulia #RaindropMedia Runtime: 120 mins
#TheGift(English) Rating: * * * ½ Smart , crafty storytelling helps this mind-game thriller along. Familiar tropes unfamiliar endings makes this film surprising and interesting. It’s quite a riveting engagement #JoelEdgerton (#Warrior) excels both as director and actor. #JasonBateman &#RebeccaHall provide solid support to keep the tension and twist-at-the-end believable. #PVRPictures #JasonBateman #RebeccaHall #JoelEdgerton Runtime: 108 mins
Hindi Film Review
Johnson Thomas
A flamboyant, elevating Experience!
Film: Manji The Mountain Man
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Haider, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Pankaj Tripathi, Prashanth Narayanan, Deepa Sahi, Gaurav Dwivedi
Director: Ketan Mehta
Rating: * * * ½
Runtime:120 mins
‘Manji The Mountain Man’ is a sinewy herculean effort from the director that gave us classics like ‘Bhavni Bhavai, Mirch Masala, Holi’ and to a much lesser extent ‘ Maya Memsaab and Rang Rasiya. ’ Ketan Mehta after his most proficient phase as filmmaker had gotten into a creative slump of sorts with ‘ O Darling yeh hai India, Aar Paar, Mangal Pandey, Sardar’and the likes. And for his ardent fans and well wishers it was truly a trying wait- hoping that the brilliant director would soon get back into groove. And the wait has been well worth it I guess. ‘Manji The Mountain Man’ makes up for all those misses of the past few years.
It’s a flamboyantly rendered tale of a man who single-handedly persevered through extreme heat and drought, surviving on leaves and insects while carving a path through what appeared to be quite an impregnable mountain.
Dashrath Manjhi(Nawazuddin Siddiqui) was a poor man from the lowest of the low castes, living in a remote village cut off from the necessities of life by a rocky mountain range. Life was an everyday struggle for survival what with the local zamindar (Tigmanshu Dhulia) and his son(Pankaj Tripathi)heaping atrocities on him and his community and the Govt turning a deaf ear to their sorry plight. He and his wife, Phaguniya(Radhika Apte) struggled to make ends meet but they were always upbeat about their love for each other sustaining them through their many miseries. Unfortunately fate intervened and a heavily pregnant Phaguniya, while climbing the mountain to bring him food, lost purchase on the mountain top and fell to her death. A grief stricken Dashrath, egged on by his anger, decided to tame the humongous object that snuffed out his hope for life-long happiness. And for 22 years, all by himself, with just a hammer and a chisel, he hammered away at the rocks, braving every scourge that nature threw his way and some that humans did too, till a path was carved out from the mountain.
Thankfully an irrepressible Ketan Mehta takes-off in flamboyant fashion, mixing art and commerce in equal measure to carve out a vibrant, enlivening narrative that is fortified by an interestingly fleshed out script. The socio-political milieu , the caste and class politics of those times, oppression, personal tragedy, natural calamities, apathy, ridicule, corruption, subterfuge, and even snakebite are brought out stingingly leaving you reverberating with the pain and agony experienced by the victims. Mehta’s style, while staying true to the story manages to add color and pungency to the experience. The exciting cinematography and effects, a hauntingly brilliant and elevating orchestral score by Sandesh Shandilya, sharply honed larger-than-life performances and thrusting dramatic surges with memorable dialogues by Mohinder Pratap Singh and Shahzab Ahmed keep at bay what could have well been the unrelieved monotony of a man chipping away at a mountain for 22 long years.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte,Pankaj Tripathi, Prashant Narayanan and all the other actors in this ensemble make a telling impact with their performances. A special mention also needs to be made for a distinctive and near note perfect cameo by Deepa Sahi as Indira Gandhi. Ketan Mehta makes this effort count with gritty temper and extravagant flourishes creating a marriage of distaff elements in a work that is singularly noteworthy and strongly affecting. And yeah, he has got back his groove.
This is definitely a far superior and exciting work than any we’ve seen in a long while. Like Manji says this one is definitely ‘Shaandaar, Zabardast, Zindabad!’
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